Twin Peaks

It's on Netflix Instant. Just watched the pilot again after a couple years. It's the third time I've seen it, and it still rocks me to the core. Maybe this time more than ever. It's not just simply "weird". It's haunting, surreal, and beautiful. I actually find it very warm and heartfelt, and everyone slowly learning of Laura's death was actually wrenching to me. Almost no one can pull of TV like this. It's just about the single best piece of television that I've ever seen.

The pilot, especially in the first half, is entrancing.

Pilot, Eps. 1, 2, 5, 7-9, 11, 14, 16, 26, 29 are good.

TWIN PEAKS was a show that when it was good it was GOOD and when it was bad it was BAD.

From my memory, the whole first season was good. Basically, I liked everything until you-know-who LELAND PALMER dies.

I actually didn't care for the finale. And I didn't care for Windom Earle at all. About the only thing I liked from late in the show was Lynch himself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6Eh7CJamGE#t=27s

I still think the classroom scene where everyone learns of Laura's death is a wonderful piece of visual storytelling. Amazing what can be done with just a glance and an empty desk.

Episode 1

It sure ain't the pilot. The reintroduction of Coop, where he's hanging upside down and pondering on JFK, is just silly. But it picks up. That scene with Donna and her mom is beautiful.

I don't know who I'm in love with more: Audrey Horne or Donna Hayward. Talk about sugar and spice. Along with Shelly Johnson they make up three of the most insanely desirable women ever to be on TV.

Speaking of Johnsons, I'd personally like to cut off Leo's. That's one thing I did like from later in the series, when Leo became a veggie.

Piper Laurie. What a name, what a dame.

I love my soapies!

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Piper Laurie. What a name, what a dame.!

So many nominations, so few awards.

She should be canonised for her performances in The Hustler and Carrie alone. Mind you, sainthood is posthumous...

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Episode 2

It sure ain't the pilot. The reintroduction of Coop, where he's hanging upside down and pondering on JFK, is just silly. But it picks up. That scene with Donna and her mom is beautiful.

I don't know who I'm in love with more: Audrey Horne or Donna Hayward. Talk about sugar and spice. Along with Shelly Johnson they make up three of the most insanely desirable women ever to be on TV.

All three went through very strange character shifts in season 2, but Donna's were the worst because they were compleletely unmotivated and the entire character seemed to change from episode to episode for no reason.

ambler wrote:

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Piper Laurie. What a name, what a dame.!

So many nominations, so few awards.

She should be canonised for her performances in The Hustler and Carrie alone. Mind you, sainthood is posthumous...

Loved her in HUSTLER, still have to see CARRIE.

Episode 2

I wish Lynch had directed every episode of the series. Episode 1 (which I had incorrectly called Episode 2 above) felt more like television. This was more toward the pilot. It wasn't as good, but it had some great moments. Jerry, Audrey's dance, Albert, and the dwarf. I wish I could have been watching this on 19 April (me mum's birthday), 1990. I at least would love to see the footage of people's reactions to the dream sequence.

That shit still works. The bottle breaking scene is a little iffy to me, but that dream. None of the other director's could have hoped to have accomplished that. So much of the episode is infused with whatever the hell it is that Lynch can do. It's not simply that the visuals are strange, but the feeling is. Anyone can film a midget dancing around. That alone counts for 12.5% of the internet; 14.7% if you include them naked. But I don't how Lynch achieves his... Lynchness. Does the sound play a part in that? I know the ruffling sound here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guwl1w0yFGk#t=2m20s is very unsettling to me. As is the phrase, "death bag". WTF is a death bag!? That's freaky. I really wanna know how Lynch does this stuff. He's also very good with color. Nadine's living room has that weird pink. I always thought Dorothy's apartment in BLUE VELVET was amazing.

Aside from all of that it's great to see Miguel Ferrer. One of my favorite character actors.

I've had a strange desire to watch the pilot, so I did tonight. It remains one of the best pieces of television I've ever seen.

And I think Shelly has trumped Audrey for me. Jesus, Lynch gets the best women.

Look out for Shelly in TNG.

I know, that ridiculous Dauphin episode. But good Lord was she a sight. Looked in fine shape on MAD MEN.

Boyle has morphed into Tim Curry ca. 1975.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2535056/David-Lynch-returns-Twin-Peaks-director-begins-shooting-new-footage-beloved-cult-series.html

Looking forward to getting that set, especially with all that deleted footage from FIRE WALK WITH ME.

Got that blu-ray set when it came out. It was my first time revisiting the show (first watch was in 2009), so it was quite amazing to remember what it was about this show I fell in love with, and how horrified I was on how bad it got later. Then there was FIRE WALK WITH ME in the set. I probably admire it more than I like it. It ain't the show, that's certain. I wanna give that another watch. I do think the Moira Kelly actually fits much better as Donna than Boyle did. Not that Boyle was bad, but she always came off too spiteful and strong as Donna, whereas with Kelly I can believe that she's this girl who's out of her league when trying to be just like her best friend, and that Laura feels she needs to protect her from the kind of world she's gotten into.

The 90 minutes of deleted material. Once or twice I genuinely forgot I was only watching bonus material, and not a whole film. It was nice to see a lot of the characters from the show that got cut from the film, but I very much understand why they had to go. I suspect Lynch was making this film as a fan for the fans, which is why the film isn't very accessible to anyone who didn't watch the show. Seeing those deleted scenes confirmed it. It also reinforces how TWIN PEAKS was way ahead of its time for television. This day and age with original cable and streaming programs would have been an ideal place.

Sometimes it seems everything I watch is trying to be Twin Peaks. Most blatant examples would be The Returned and Bates Motel, but TP's nonlinear storytelling crops up all over the place even if Lost seems to get most of the credit. Haven't seen it since it first aired, I shouldd add, but I might revisit it on bluray. God, discs seem so pointless these days...

Have you watched True Detective, Ambler? It's all the rage in this Post-Breaking Bad world. Ain't my cup of tea, but it's probably up your street.

Why is my cup of tea up your street? Is this some sexual euphemism my Friday Afternoon has yet to tell me about?

Not seen true detective. Hell, I've not seen game of thrones. Albania is somewhat cutoff from what's happening.

Shit, it's Friday already? Must quit the booze.

Erica Ambler wrote:

God, discs seem so pointless these days...

Their only novelty now is special features. I'm giving up/selling a lot of DVDs, but some I'm keeping because they have some great bonus stuff. TWIN PEAKS especially. I haven't mined through it all, but I hear there's one where Lynch interviews the Palmer family, with the actors in character. I don't expect anything less stranger from Lynch.

Hmmm.... A third series has been announced by Showtime for 2016.



Sounds a bad idea, but apparently David Lynch will direct and cowrite all nine episodes.

Mark Frost is onboard. Another original lineup reforms.

https://twitter.com/DAVID_LYNCH/status/519147574381379584

It's interesting that the likely air date would indeed be 25 years (roughly) after the last episode aired.

A lot of people are excited about this. They must have forgotten Season 2 and how shitty it was.

I'm hoping this new series has a tone similar to the film, which was genuinely eerie and disturbing. It was a little messy, but I liked it.

Maybe Chester Desmond will return. And Phillip Jefferies. Madchen Amick isn't looking like she used to, unfortunately.

If given free reign, I'm confident this will work out. Bringing back Frost is great too, cause his absence was one of the things that made the film feel off. What worked best on the show was that Frost handled the storylines and Lynch gave it the atmosphere and humor. I look forward to this.

A shame Kyle MacLachlan's not on board. Won't be the same without him.