Twin Peaks - The First Season (Special Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Judge this DVD for what it IS, not what it is not...
Review: I remember my first sense of delicious anticipation when I heard back in 1990 that David Lynch was producing a pilot murder mystery for ABC with prospects at least for a limited series. At the time all I knew of Lynch was based on having seen "The Elephant Man" and "Blue Velvet." Yet that scant exposure to his eclectic artistic temperament was enough to signal me that television as I knew it was about to be forever changed. That finally a person of enormous talent would actually consider the small screen worthy of something approaching real vision. Little did I know...

Now almost fifteen years later I look back at the subsequent TV shows that have impacted my life and my thinking and realize that without "Twin Peaks" they might never have been given an audience: "Northern Exposure" for one and certainly "The X-Files." And perhaps others that don't immediately spring to mind.

But in returning to the DVD release of these initial episodes I remind myself that for an all-too-brief sliver of privileged time I was once witness to the creation of something truly unique. And to my surprise, what was unique then seems even fresher and crisper today. No longer am I caught up in the surface mystery of "who killed Laura Palmer?" Instead I am immersed in the intricate layers of character development that suggest what might have been for this short-lived series but also underscore what most truly WAS for the brief time it was on the air.

I agree with those who regret the absence of the pilot episode but will patiently await its inevitable release. Nonetheless, the lack of the pilot certainly gives the storyline a truncated feel. It is too bad that on a limited series like "Twin Peaks," that the release of the DVD does not inspire a re-presentation of the original work. Much like the "Godfather" series was reimagined as a linear single work, I think "Twin Peaks" could at least benefit from a re-edited pilot/introduction and perhaps a tidier close. However I'm one of those people who is more grateful for what I have than for what I lack. There is certainly plenty to enjoy here.

The special features included in this release are amateurish at best but occasionally give a candid and welcome glimpse of cast and crew off set. The Michael Anderson interviews are priceless and there could be far more of Mark Frost. It is especially nice that the interviews have been conducted after the passage of time. There seems to be a greater sense of awareness by those interviewed of the importance of that lost time. There is the frequent rich perspective that can only be achieved through adequate distance.

It would be wonderful to see a more polished approach to these interviews that included Lara Flynn Boyle, Sherilyn Fenn, Michael Ontkean and far more of the fabulous Sheryl Lee. (Not to mention -- God forbid! -- Lynch himself.) I would hate to think that any of them feel the need to distance themselves from the past or even consider that a look back in any way risks typecast or reeks of repitition. We all are what we are. Revel in your time.

What the rerelease of "Twin Peaks" offers is a chance for a new generation of viewers to experience anew a story rooted firmly in the dark archetypes of the human psyche. David Lynch takes us into the heart of darkness of rural America (one)armed with a wry smile, one every bit as enigmatic and inviting as Leonardo's Mona Lisa.


Rating:
Summary: Twin Peaks is phenomenal
Review: I didn't want to see Twin Peaks when it first came out because I would have had to start in the middle. I didn't give it much thought, although I got the soundtrack because the music had made an impression on me back in 1990. It was a real treat. The less you know about it before you start to watch it the better.