"'Muholland Drive' is noir from a parallel universe."
I was trying to find a way to describe the absolute surrealism of that movie, along with "Lost Highway." Even "Blue Velvet" has a strong air of the surreal. That's a very apt way to put it, wizard.
Thanks, Infrablue -- Lynch pays homage to Cocteau, especially the world beyond the mirror in "Orphee." He reveals a world of counter-reality (and I don't mean the local diner!)