Twin Peaks - Fire Walk with Me

In celebration for an event that I've waited years and years and years for, I have decided to write a lil bit on David Lynch's Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. Why you ask? Well, because David Lynch and Mark Frost have decided to do a continuation of the original series, 26 years after the last episode. 

Lynch was recently heard explaining to the press that Fire Walk with Me was "required" as a mini refresher, as it chronicles Laura Palmer's last seven days. He acknowledged that the prequel movie is "very much important" to the mini-series that will come out.

In case you were wondering, the 18 episode mini-series will premiere on Showtime on May 21st, 2017. Many of the original cast members are coming back, including Kyle MacLachlan as Agent Dale Cooper (YAS). Another incredibly awesome thing about this is that Angelo Badalamenti is going to return as the composer. This is obviously great because he brought us this:

enough said.

As much as I want to talk about the original (and trust me, I'm already planning a few posts about that prior to the release in May), I think it's time to revisit Fire Walk with Me.

The sad thing about Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, is that it was met with so many pitfalls even before filming had begun, that by the time it was released in 1992, it was absolutely slaughtered. Mark Frost wasn't on board because he figured a prequel isn't what fans wanted and some of the main characters opted out. The biggest blow came from Kyle MacLachlan because he didn't want to be typecast (which was a terrible move on his part because he later on went to do the absolute cringe-worthy Showgirls). He ended up with a very minor role, which to me is still better than no Agent Cooper regardless. 

Anyway, Fire Walk with Me is probably one of the darkest Lynch films ever made. It's disturbing, and nerve-wracking, and a lot more destructive than the show ever was. It's almost like Twin Peaks deserved to be put on the big screen, so people could finally come face to face with what was exactly going on in Laura Palmer's world. Although we've all known what happened to Laura through Cooper's investigation in the series, seeing it actually go down is absolutely jarring. 

Sure, some characters backed out. Sure, it wasn't as peppy and quirky as the show sometimes was, but this was Lynch's baby, and he made sure to add all the Lynchian touches that we've grown to recognize in his other films. There are bizarre dream sequences that seem to carry on and on, confusing the hell out of you. There is a mega-important club scene where all the dialogue is absolutely inaudible. There is also an alarming amount of very unsettling silences with shots that seem to be held for eternity. 

I highly recommend everyone take a trip down memory lane and watch Fire Walk with Me. It's become such a cult classic that has counteracted all the initial reviews, and such a must for any Twin Peaks fan. Lynch changed the way TV worked. He had the ability to create such place where you cared for these characters and cared for their entire world. Not to mention cinematic style. If it wasn't for Lynch, shows with that dark and twisted edge like Stranger Things and True Detective wouldn't be what they are today.

David Lynch is a genuine mastermind at transforming you and taking you into his world, and making you feel like you're in a disoriented dreamscape. If you think about it, Laura was a total junkie. The movie plays out like a junkie's paranoid nightmare and you're left in Laura's shoes, confused about reality and looking for the answers. This movie is perfect if you're open-minded and willing to engage in a terrifyingly complex and well-pieced together Lynchian dream.

**

PS; Can we also briefly discuss that Bowie had an absolutely brilliant cameo in this?! I don't know about you, but any amount of Bowie is an excuse to watch something regardless!