Like music enjoying film and television is less about the physical and more about the digital. Whether illegally torrenting or legally streaming the era of the the hard-copy is long gone. Also similar to music however is a newfound appreciation for the physical object as an artform. Though you can binge-watch to your heart’s content true masterpieces deserve packaging and artwork to be held and admired.
Twin Peaks: The Entire Series (available now) is a perfect example of the transcendent nature of a lovingly produced box set. A 10-disc Blu-ray collection lovingly overseen by David Lynch himself the box offers something for everyone.
Those who’ve yet to watch Twin Peaks would be best to do it here rather than say a weekend of comatose Netflix viewing. With both seasons converted to 1080p resolution it’s the clearest you’ll get these episodes. Plus they’re bundled with hours of special features including intro segments from the Log Lady herself (these also appeared on the 2007 Gold Box edition of the show).
The real treat here however is the inclusion of Lynch’s prequel film Fire Walk With Me. The original film divided fans by ditching any hint of the series’ humour or heart in favour of pure normcore horror. And while some aspects are certainly unforgivable (like the jarring Donna replacement who sadly hasn’t been replaced by a CGI Lara Flynn Boyle in this reissue) the film is redeemed in this reissue.
The original motion picture wasn’t exactly brief with a 135-minute runtime. That said over 90 minutes were carved out of the original but they’re all available here for the first time. Watched in conjunction with the film the supplemental scenes add plenty of quirks and charm flesh out specific plot points and give the story a great deal of needed context.
Of course the story’s still confusing as hell and it’d be hard to apply the deleted scenes to the film in a cohesive fashion but watched in tandem they add a more complete picture of Lynch’s vision for the project. Further it’s a delight to watch actors complain about scenes that never made the film in the documentary features then watch those scenes.
There are simply too many special features to list here but another notable update is a 30-minute film that sees Lynch sit down with actors Sheryl Lee Ray Wise and Grace Zabriskie over cherry pie in a rustic diner. The three recall their time together on the show (which admittedly has a little too much ass-kissing from all parties) and share insights into everything from their creative process to their lives since the show.
Better yet the same restaurant offers up another truly impressive feature. Each of the three actors get back into character (as Laura Leland and Sarah Palmer respectively) and complete bone-chilling interviews with Lynch (sort-of-spoiler alert: some of them are speaking from the afterlife). It’s the closest thing to new Twin Peaks we’re ever going to get and it’s excellent.
The release is rounded out by archival photos “atmospherics” (a series of screensaver-like segments featuring shots and music from the show perfect for your next Twin Peaks-themed party) and a plethora of other features. Immaculately packaged in a fantastic box full of high-quality stills from the show — plus a creepy hidden message buried at the bottom of the box — it’s a must-have for diehards and casual fans alike.
