Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)

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Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992) – D. Lynch

I decided to re-watch Fire Walk With Me, the prequel to the original Twin Peaks (filmed in 1992), to see if it gained anything in light of the recent new series in 2017 (which I enjoyed).  Indeed, the first 30 minutes with special agents Chris Isaak and Kiefer Sutherland, was pretty great – with David Lynch as Gordon Cole, David Bowie as Philip Jefferies, Miguel Ferrer as Albert, and Harry Dean Stanton as Carl from the trailer park, all reprising the roles they would play again in 2017 (albeit with Bowie only in flashback).  There is a reference to a Blue Rose case and the same haunting and weird atmosphere found in the latest series.  However, as soon as Isaak finds the “green ring”, that part of the film ends and we enter the story of Laura Palmer, one year later.  This is a bit grim, given that the plot revolves around incest, since Bob has entered Laura’s dad, Leland Palmer.  The ambiguity is that we don’t know if Bob exists or if Laura’s perception is a result of the trauma she is experiencing.  Her drug use and acting out sexually could also be symptoms.  Of course, Twin Peaks fans know that Bob is real and now we know more of his backstory (born in the first atomic test?) and we understand that Leland was not acting of his own accord.  But that doesn’t make the degradation here any easier to take.  Those who wish to experience Lynch’s haunting world (the music, the sets, the debauchery) can find it here – except don’t come into this hoping for the same thrills and puzzles as we found in the last series (after the first half hour, that is).