Twin Peaks - Pilot Episode [IMPORT]

Rating:
Summary: DVD Import edition--beware
Review: Be very careful about the DVD import edition of the Twin Peaks pilot. While the VHS version is the full 113 minutes, the DVD is 90 minutes. I confirmed this with more than one seller on another website, which you are probably familiar with, that sells all kinds of stuff used. You are missing well over 20 minutes of the pilot on this DVD edition. Is it worth it to have the DVD format when you are missing this much film???

Yes, it's Twin Peaks so it has its surreal charm and bizarre twists and turns and the characteristic Lynchian stuff. But for those of you who are true Lynchophiles, I would not spend my money on this DVD edition--unless you don't mind losing 23 minutes of film.

It's up to you. The three stars are for whatever is there which of course is great...

Rating:
Summary: TV's most exhilarating two hours
Review: The 5 stars are for the show itself, simply the best television pilot ever made.

There is of course the separate question of how this rates as a DVD. ... I didn't notice any particular problems with the sound, perhaps because I play movies on my computer system, and perhaps because I've never been very demanding about sound quality.

But the "extras" are laughable, the resolution is grainy for a DVD, though incomparably superior to VHS. The color transfer doesn't seem too bad, maybe a bit washed out, but consistent in quality - until you compare it to a decent transfer like the boxed set for the first season. Then you realize that all the warm colors Lynch deliberately drenched his interiors in, to give the town its homey feel, have been cooled off by about 10 degrees Centigrade.

Still, it's the only game in town. Poor as it is, it beats VHS by a mile. The only other DVD version of the pilot out there is the European one, which screws up the ending. Waiting for a good transfer to come out may be your best bet if you're on a really tight budget - but in fact there's no guarantee that will ever happen. Even great classics do go out of print. (Try finding a copy of John Huston's miraculous film of Wise Blood!)

So it's a technical turkey and it's artistic ambrosia. Classify it as a bit of essential insurance against living for another decade without being able to properly freeze the frames and nail down those evanescent but delicious TP details. Dig into your deep pockets, and buy yourself the right to grumble and the right to enjoy, until the lawyers finally do (or don't) allow us to watch the pilot in all its proper splendor.

Rating:
Summary: intresting.
Review: First time I see DVD whith the quality of a bad VHS but it don't matter Twin Peaks is the best thing that has happen to TV. God bless David Lynch

Rating:
Summary: Sound is fine with 5.1 surround sound
Review: I recently purchased this DVD, although as someone recommended earlier, I got it on E-Bay at a much lower price. I'm not going to review the story here. I will simply chime in with other reviews and say that if you plan to own the Twin Peaks series DVDs, then the pilot is a must-have to set the stage appropriately. However, there has been a quite a bit of debate in these recommendations regarding the sound quality and that is what I wish to review.

If you have a home theater with 5.1 surround sound, I think you'll be very happy with the sound quality, and you will find the audio problems minimal and not at all noticeable. However, the ONLY sound option on the DVD is 5.1 Surround Sound. If you AREN'T going to be listening to the DVD in a system that supports 5.1 surround sound, I think you'll be quite unhappy with the sound.

Surround sound tends to sound very muffled when played through TV speakers or just 2 stereo speakers. Even systems that emulate surround sound aren't going to be as high a quality as listening through actual 5.1 surround sound.

So, if sound quality makes a difference to you, then you should consider the type of audio setup you have. If you've got front, rear, and center speakers set up and your system supports 5.1 surround sound, then you will have little or no audio problems. However, if you are going to be listening to this through your TV speakers or just 2 stereo speakers, then you are likely to have some unpleasant audio experiences. If your stereo supports surround sound emulation, you MIGHT have a little better sound, but it's definitely not going to be the same quality that you would have in a home theater setting that supports 5.1 surround sound.

I hope this information helps those people who, like me, were trying to decide what information to believe regarding the audio quality. I do have a home theater with 5.1 surround sound and I am VERY glad I decided to purchase this DVD as it sounds great on our home theater system.

Rating:
Summary: LOOK! LISTEN! LEARN!
Review: If you're looking to get this disk you are most likely a TP fan. If so, listen to these reviews! I was too quick to finish off my collection to read through them before I bought. I learned the hard way. As you will see with most of these entries the sound is horrid! Some say they had no trouble with this. But notice how a lot more of us say we did. The picture is semi low grade also. But the biggest disappointment by far is the sound quality. I have a better copy of the VHS from '89 then this thing.
If the prices available were a bit less, it might be a little more worth it, just as a tide over until the U.S. release. But I would say just wait it out. None of us knows when the U.S. release will come available. So if you're serious about picking this DVD up, look around for a really good deal.

Rating:
Summary: Can't confirm the audio problem
Review: Content is 5 stars, of course. Picture quality is sub-standard, especially colours are a bit pale. It is still way better than VHS. I cannot confirm the drastic audio problems others report. (Maybe, since I bought directly from HK via eBay, I got a different printing?) Again, the sound is sort of below what you're used to from many DVDs but still above VHS, I feel. All in all, this DVD is very watchable and it's definitely better than not watching at all.

Rating:
Summary: Year later, and it still works.
Review: About as perfect as television has ever come, and maybe just about as confusing. Lynch, the master of beginnings and the guru of intuitive endings launched a story in television format that will outlast most films. The pilot doesn't resolve ANY question, but you probably won't care; if you do, you have internet access.
The sound and video transfer of this DVD is either terrible or brilliant, but I'll choose terrible since it doesn't have anything to do with Lynch. It turns the lush texture of the show's images into freaky, dark digital blocks occasionally, and Lynch's sound design - he really is the best sound man in the business - is marred with unintented surface noise.
But - BUT - everything else is perfect.

Rating:
Summary: Worth While Purchase
Review: We have a 72 inch tv screen and a sound system with 5.1 capabilities. The sound on this DVD was reasonable. The background music seemed a little loud in some parts but it did not obscure the dialogue and the full soundtrack was audible. There was no distortion of the sound. The picture was better than any previous release of this film. If you have already purchased the Special Edition of the first Season your collection will not be complete until you buy this DVD... (unless they release a special edition pilot).

Rating:
Summary: Not worth the price, but...
Review: It's a pity that this masterpiece, that revolutionized the whole TV industry, it's available in such a pitiful package. This pilot is a Chinese DVD with an acceptable picture and a somewhat defective sound. Subtitles are available in Chinese, Mandarin, and English, but this language is so badly brutalized that, if you are hard of hearing, you better don't turn the subtitles on, because there are mistakes or letter transpositions every other world.
Overall, the price is too excessive for the quality of the product. It's actually a stick-them-up in a black Shanghai alley. However, we "peakers" have to satiate our cravings any way we can, so bite the bullet until a better DVD is available.
Anyway, to be able to recreate the feelings that the TV series arose on us, those many years ago when we were young, and happy, and were not aware of it, is well worth the expense. Because these are the small things that make what might well be a gray day, one full of joy and grace.

Rating:
Summary: audio problems
Review: The Video on this is okay, but the audio is horrible. There's phase cancellation throughout the disc. I'm not sure if you understand, but when the wind would blow through the trees it sounded like steel on steel! It's very annoying to listen to.I was waiting for it to be over and I'm a huge Twin Peaks fan. Buyer beware on this one. Wait for the real thing, save your money.