Axxon N.

In the film Inland Empire, Axxon N. is the longest-running radio play in history. It seems to be link to the Lost Girls and it appears at key points leading Nikki Grace/Sue Blue towards her destiny. It was also the name of an unproduced nine-episode mystery-drama series (possibly it was the radio play itself) by David Lynch. It was set to premier on David Lynch's website in 2002, but it never materialized.

The show
It appears to be in Polish although the announcer speaks in English. It is visually represented by a spinning Gramophone record shot in black and white, and by black and white "footage" from the series, with all the actors' faces blurred out.

The announcer says that the show is “continuing, in the Baltic region: a grey winter day in an old hotel.” A man and a woman walk down a hotel hallway. The woman says she doesn’t recognize the hallway, then realizes she doesn’t have the key. The man reminds her that he has it. They go into their room. She doesn’t recognize the room either. He tells her to take off her clothes and asks if she knows "what whores do". She says "They fuck." and asks if he wants to do it with her. He says he’ll tell her what he wants. They have sex. Afterwards she cries, sitting alone on the bed. This ties directly to the first shot of the Lost Girl in the movie, crying on the bed covered only by a blanket.

The series appears to be a sort of means of interdimensional communication through which the Lost Girl can talk to Nikki/Sue. The first time Sue is transported to Poland, the Lost Girl speaks to her through the black and white Gramophone record motif, telling her how to "see" (learn about the mystery). The Lost Girl explains to Sue that in order for her to "see" she has to be wearing the watch, then light a cigarette, burn a hole in the cloth and fold it over.

Doors
Nikki sees the words "Axxon N." scrawled on an alley door in chalk, with an arrow next to it. She follows the arrow inside, and finds herself transported to Stage 4 on the first day of rehearsals for On High in Blue Tomorrows. This leads to her entering the set with Smithy's house and becoming fully trapped in the world of the film.

As Sue walks down Hollywood Boulevard, she again sees "Axxon N." written in chalk on a door. This time, it is unclear where the arrow is pointing. Sue then looks across the street and sees her other self who makes a mocking grin at her. Sue then realizes for the first time that Doris is coming to kill her.

When Nikki goes to confront the Phantom, a door labeled "Axxon N." leads her to Sue's house, where she finds Smithy's gun. She uses the gun to kill the Phantom.

In More Things That Happened, after a friend tells Nikki a story that clearly parallels the Axxon N. storyline (the man being Billy and the woman Laura's friend who's telling the story), Jack is seen walking through the same hotel hallway seen in Axxon N., this time in full color.