Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me

Strangely funny, surreal, mesmerizing, and surprisingly moving at times, the original Twin Peaks mini-series was truly must-see TV when it premiered in 1990. After becoming a ratings hit, the show was expanded into a weekly series lasting for one mercifully short season as creator David Lynch ran his once-fine drama into the creative ground. If that weren't enough, we now have the long-awaited DVD release of Fire Walk With Me, a frustratingly abstruse and totally superfluous 1992 theatrical “prequel” to the original series. Unconstrained by network censors, Lynch was given R-rated rein to indulge in the sordid sex-and-drug-filled last days of murder victim Laura Palmer. Thanks to the winding Mulholland Drive, Oscar-nominated Lynch may be riding high now but this decade-old jaunt looms as his biggest dead end. Extras include 30 needless minutes of cast and crew interviews, but do not include the much anticipated deleted footage that New Line tried to license without success. Not recommended. (T. Rich)[Blu-ray/DVD Review—Oct. 31, 2017—Criterion, 135 min., R, DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1992's Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me features a great transfer and a DTS-HD 7.1 soundtrack on the Blu-ray release. Extras include “The Missing Pieces” deleted and alternate takes assembled by director David Lynch (92 min.), a 2014 discussion with Lynch and costars Ray Wise, Grace Zabriskie, and Sheryl Lee (29 min.), new interviews with Lee (22 min.) and composer Angelo Badalamenti (20 min.), and a booklet. Bottom line: although this film received mixed reviews at the box office, interest in Twin Peaks remains high, thanks to the new series.]