On April 8, 1990, Twin Peaks debuted and the medium was never the same. The surreal, supernatural, soap opera from the minds of Mark Frost and David Lynch introduced viewers to Twin Peaks, Washington, a fictional Pacific Northwestern town, and to its inhabitants. In the first episode, the population decreased by one as high-schooler Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) was found “dead, wrapped in plastic.”
Buy Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me Criterion Collection Blu-rayLaura’s murder brought FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) to town. He served as the audience’s surrogate while investigating the case and the idiosyncratic individuals who lived in the area. Cooper had peculiarities of his own, as heard in his tangent-filled, tape-recorded reports to his secretary Diane and as seen in detective techniques influenced by his dreams/nightmares wherein he accessed another dimension.
The show’s unique blend of genres (comedy, mystery, horror, et al) along with its signature soundtrack by Angelo Badalamenti and moody cinematography created a pop-culture sensation. The question of “Who killed Laura Palmer?” becoming as ubiquitous as “Who shot J.R.?” from a decade earlier. Early in the second season, the answer was revealed due to network executive pressure. However, once the main mystery was solved, the show lost some creative steam and enough audience that ABC cancelled it.
The following summer, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, a prequel to the TV series, debuted in movie theaters. Co-written and directed by Lynch, it tells two stories: the investigation of the death of Teresa Banks and the last days in the life of Laura Palmer.
In 1988, FBI Agents Sam Stanley (Kiefer Sutherland) and Chet Desmond (Chris Isaak) are sent to Deer Meadow, WA after Banks’s body, wrapped in plastic, is discovered floating in a river. During the autopsy, Twin Peaks fans will notice similiarties to the condition of her body to those seen in Laura’s on the TV show.
Back in Philadelphia at the office of FBI Regional Bureau Chief Gordon Cole (Lynch), he and Cooper encounter Agent Phillip Jefferies (David Bowie), who had been considered long lost. Phillip tells of meeting spirits of the Red Room, such as the Man from Another Place and BOB. He disappears but no one is sure if he was ever there. Word comes from Dear Meadow that Desmond has also disappeared. Cooper goes to investigate.
It’s a year later, and now the film focuses on Laura Palmer whose life is spiraling out of control. She frequently snorts cocaine and has sex with various people to cloud the pain and trauma she experiences. Eventually, she discovers what viewers of the show already learned: her father Leland (Ray Wise) is the monster she fears.
There’s a standout sequence at a bar. Under bright red lights and occasional strobes, the music is so loud the audience can barely hear characters talk so subtitles are used. Donna (Moira Kelly replacing Laura Flynn Boyle) follows Laura there and takes part in the drugs and sex. This freaks Laura out because she doesn’t want Donna to become like her.
Leland, not happy with Laura’s behavior (or “jealous over” may be more accurate), follows her to a sexual rendezvous. He knocks one man out and takes off with Laura and another girl before killing Laura. In the Red Room, Laura looks to Cooper, who will soon be arriving in Twin Peaks to solve her murder.
The video is available in 1080p/MPEG-4 AVC encoded transfer displayed at the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The liner notes state “Supervised by director David Lynch, this digital transfer was scanned from the 35mm original camera negative by MK2 at Eclair Laboratories in Vanves, France, and restored in 4K resolution at CBS Television City in Hollywood.” Colors appear in solid hues, during sunlit exteriors and controlled interiors. Reds, in particular, are rich. Blacks are inky. The image exhibits strong contrast and a sharp focus. The image is clean and reveals fine texture detail.
The notes also reveal “the 7.1 surround soundtrack was created in 2014 by recording mixer Dean Hurley and Lynch at the director’s own Asymmetrical Studio in Los Angeles. It was made using the original 35mm magnetic stock stems, which were originally created in configurations of monaural dialogue, LCR effects, stereo additional effects, and stereo music reels.”
“The original 2.0 surround magnetic printmaster was digitized along with period laserdisc source audio for A/B comparative listening reference. The original theatrical and early home video sources of the film’s “Partyland” scene had historically featured music that intentionally obscured dialogue intelligibly to convey the oppressively loud bar environment. This was adhered to for this mix, correcting an early 2000s 5.1 surround mix that failed to carry over that relationship between the music and the dialogue. A specific mix buss chain was developed for this mix that emulates the EQ tape saturation, and dynamic characteristics of older full-coat magnetic printmasters that Lynch has an affinity for. The original 2.0 surround soundtrack was mastered from the 35mm magnetic printmaster.”
Opting for the 7.1 track, the dialogue is clear except for the intentional choice by Lynch during the aforementioned bar scene. Badalamenti’s score and atmospheric ambiance fill the surrounds. The subwoofer is most used by the music.
The Special Features are
- The Missing Pieces (91 min) – Lynch creates a variation of Fire Walk with Me with deleted and extended scenes that include characters from the series who didn’t make the film.
- Interviews
- Sheryl Lee (22 min) – Recorded 2017 in Los Angeles,the actress speaks of her Twin Peaks experiences, from her audition with David Lynch for the pilot, being called back six months later to be on the show, to working on the movie.
- Angelo Badalamenti (20 min) – Recorded 2017 in New Jersey, the composer talks about his relationship with Lynch, first working with Isabella Rossellini singing “Blue Velvet” and the score for that film, and creating the music of Twin Peaks, in particular “Laura’s Theme.”
- Actors’ Discussion (28 min) – Recorded 2014 in Los Angeles, Lynch, Sheryl Lee, Grace Zabriskie, and Ray Wise share memories about working on Twin Peaks while eating cherry pie and drinking in a restaurant.
- Trailers – Two for the movie, and one for The Missing Pieces.
Not bound by the restrictions of network television, this visit to Twin Peaks is a grim experience. The film lacks the humor that offset the darkness, making it a less appealing experience. I would recommend this to fans of the series with reservations but it’s not a good entry point into the franchise. The Criterion Blu-ray delivers a quality high-definition presentation and the inclusion of The Missing Pieces makes this release a must-own for Twin Peaks fans.
