David Lynch, the peerless director behind such masterpieces as Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, Twin Peaks, and Mulholland Drive, was one of cinema’s all-time greats, a unique visionary whose dark and surreal films were the stuff of both unsettling dreams and sumptuous nightmares.

Steven Spielberg, Nicolas Cage, and Kyle MacLachlan are among the prominent figures paying tribute to David Lynch, whose death was announced Thursday. “I loved David’s films. Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive,

Lynch broke through in the 1970s with the surreal “Eraserhead” and rarely failed to startle and inspire audiences, peers and critics in the following decades.

The American filmmaker who was celebrated for his uniquely dark vision in movies such as Blue Velvet has died just days before his 79th birthday.

"Eraserhead" filmmaker David Lynch brought a dark, thoughtful surrealism to Hollywood. Here are his best movies and TV work, including "Twin Peaks."