Twin Peaks - Pilot Episode [IMPORT]

Rating:
Summary: Dear Me . . . This Is, After All, a TV Program . . .
Review: Viewed simply as a reprise of the most moving and enjoyable television I have ever experienced, the Twin Peaks pilot continues to transport me. Even in the import edition. No, I had no oscilloscopes, meters, stopwatches, or any other test equipment to evaluate this Taiwan knock-off. Yes, the sound seemed a tad off from what was recorded in my memory-but my memory is more than a decade old, and I wasn't pumping the DVD through a monster Hanging-Gardens-of-Babylon home entertainment center. And yes, when you move along from this pilot DVD to the First Season DVDs released by Artisan, you will note the difference.

BUT:

David Lynch devotees should be delighted-and relieved-to have this DVD (which, I should point out, is available from Hong Kong distributors at a fraction of the price on this page), without which the experience of Twin Peaks' first season is woefully incomplete. The DVD is of sufficiently high quality to convey the brilliance of Lynch's conception, narrative style, and characterization. The sound suffices to capture the eerie moodiness of Angelo Badalamenti's brilliant, haunting score.

Please don't let the harshly negative reviews prevent you from enjoying the entire first season in its proper totality. Until the studio finally makes a US edition of the pilot available, this import will do just fine to get Lynch menagerie rolling.

Rating:
Summary: The Quality Is Not As Bad As Reviewed
Review: Compare this DVD to the "Season One" set; then yes this DVD is subpar. But, it is not nearly as bad as many of the reviews here indicate. I am not sure what VHS many people own, but this Import DVD looks a lot better than any I have seen. Most VHSs on the market and in video stores have the 'spoiler' ending as well that gives away the killer before the series even gets started. Considering at this time this is the only available edition of the pilot, and there is no telling when a new, US version of the pilot will be available, this DVD is perfect. And for first time Twin Peaks viewers, it will really breathe a lot of life into the show and fill in many gaps that may not seem immediately obvious in 'Season One.' Though I give the DVD itself 2.5 stars, it is still very watchable. The pilot gets a straight 5. It is perfect.

Rating:
Summary: Notice for residents in Denamrk
Review: As many reviews here already pointed out, you do need to see this one in order to get the Twin Peaks experience....

Now if you haven't surfed the net for info on Twin Peaks or don't know that much about the show, you won't be aware that this 2 hour pilot was skipped in many european countries when the show was on, however for those of you living in Denmark (you're the lucky ones), when Twin Peaks was on a little year ago on TV3, this pilot WAS the starting episode. If you followed TP back then, you haven't missed anything except the movie 'Fire walk with me' which goes deeper into what happened upto the murder of Palmer..

Just thought I'd clear that up for the good people of Denmark

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Summary: Here is the missing pilot you're looking for!
Review: Like many other Twin Peaks fans, I was thrilled to learn that the first season was being released on DVD; and, like many fans, I was dismayed to learn that that set did not include the pilot. Unfortunately, due to legal snafus so complicated it makes Enron look simple, the only way to get this pilot is through this import. It's worth it. The transfer is almost as good as the deluxe boxed set of the first season. Also, a pleasant surprise: This is NOT the European version--with the annoying extra 15 minute ending--but the EXACT pilot first aired on ABC years ago! So, in other words, it's the perfect companion to the set. I guess I'm preaching to the choir here, but this pilot episode is some of the finest TV ever produced: haunting, beautiful, richly thematic, wonderfully wrought in every sense of the world. Treat yourself, and pick this up as an essential companion to the first season set. Caveat: There are no extras on this disc, but that's the price to pay to get this must-have pilot.

Rating:
Summary: If you want it, get it somewhere else...
Review: Ahh, the price of instant gratification.. $30.00?! I would have bought it from amazon if I hadn't found the EXACT SAME DVD on sale at ebay.com for $9.99. Amazon.com, shame on you! It's no wonder our old less-than-$20 prices for pre-release orders are gone, you're lining your pockets like madmen! It's these kind of prices/actions that feed movie piracy! I don't think it's right (piracy) but I sure do understand!

Rating:
Summary: Keep watching your old videotape copy.....
Review: Total waste of DVD format. The soundtrack has a wicked flange to it, especially in the quiet, atmospheric moments that make the show. The video is also sub par, with very little contrast when the scenes get dark, again a major part of the show. After seeing the Season One special edition, this thing is worse than your videotape recording from when it first aired, the one that you've watched a million times. Be patient, and hopefully they'll do it right.

Rating:
Summary: Fire Walk With Me
Review: The content is fantastic. This is a required pre-purchase for the Season One set.

I bought a copy online from Hong Kong before this version was available for sale at Amazon. I was disappointed by the sound as well and assumed that the copy I had purchased was a bootleg. It is interesting to see that others experienced the same problem and described it here... Any "white noise" (falling water, wind rushing through trees) is converted somehow into an electronic static "noise" instead.

A small price to pay, I suppose, to make the excellent Season One set complete. Who cares about rushing water sounds anyway?

Rating:
Summary: Twin Peaks Import DVD
Review: Well heres the dirt on it. Its a very good dvd because its Twin Peaks. The Pilot. The episode that started it all. Its just a shame that this is the only way to get the origanal pilot. Its in sped up Pal format so its a little speedy talking and music.The origanal is 96 minutes, and this has been sped up so much that now only rns 90 minutes. The picture quality has that grainy, color bleeding look of one of those old sitcoms on the BBC. Definitly the worst quality I've ever seen of a dvd. Lets just put it this way.....I would complain if I bought a VHS tape that had picture quality like this. $29.99 is a bad price for this disc, unless you are a devoted twin peaks fan. 1 star for quality, and 5 stars for the actual pilot episode.

Rating:
Summary: You don't want the European version!
Review: This is perfect for those of you who own the 1st season box set. It's a cliffhanger that leads up to the series. The Euro version is irritating. The ending seems thrown together because it was. It's worth renting, but not owning. This one is great. FYI - I bought this on [web site] for $...

Rating:
Summary: THE BEGINNING OF PEAKS
Review: Twin Peaks. Beautiful, northwest town... all goes to hell when Laura Palmer is dead...
This DVD isn't the greatest, but anything from TWIN PEAKS or David Lynch is good or GREAT. The original pilot is on this DVD. If you're looking for a mindtwisting unaired version of the pilot check out the one on VHS, it's a collectors item (if you're still smart enough to carry around a VCR.) I'm really gonna miss VHS's someday.......