Twin Peaks

With this “definitive” DVD release—containing both seasons, the mesmerizing pilot, the standalone “international version” of the pilot that offers up an ending of sorts (word of warning: don't watch this before seeing the other episodes), and a goldmine of extras—diehard Twin Peaks fans can rekindle their obsession with this macabre, maddening, sinister, and surreal series set in a rural Pacific Northwest community where the bucolic surroundings hide "things dark and heinous." Director David Lynch and writer Mark Frost's murder mystery/soap opera—which unfolds, in one character's words, "like a beautiful dream and terrible nightmare all at once"—was a pop culture phenomenon and national obsession (for the early 1990 first season, at least), until the increasingly bizarre twists and teases so confounded audiences that they lost interest in just who killed homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee, who, echoing Vertigo, also shows up as her look-alike cousin, Madeleine). At the time, the series was a career peak for most of its eclectic ensemble cast, including Kyle MacLachlan as straight-arrow FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, Michael Ontkean as local Sheriff Harry S. Truman, Sherilyn Fenn as bad girl Audrey Horne, Peggy Lipton as waitress Norma Jennings, Catherine Coulson as the Log Lady, Lara Flynn Boyle as good girl Donna Hayward, and Miguel Ferrer, hilarious as forensics expert Albert Rosenfield, who has absolutely no "social niceties" in dealing with the good people of Twin Peaks. Over the course of two seasons (1990-91), the trail leading to Laura's killer went nowhere and everywhere, and while the murderer is at last revealed in episode 16, all of the teases, red herrings, and out-and-out looniness will try the patience of viewers with a more conventional bent. The entertaining extras include MacLachlan's hilarious monologue from his 1990 appearance on Saturday Night Live (he spoils the mystery by blurting out the supposed name of Laura's killer) together with a Twin Peaks comedy sketch, the full-length retrospective documentary “Secrets from Another Place,” a characteristically bizarre reunion between Lynch and cast members (MacLahlan, John Wentworth, and Madchen Amick), a trip to a Twin Peaks festival, deleted scenes, the “Falling” music video with Julee Cruise, an interactive map featuring the show's locations, and more. Compiling all 29 episodes in a handsomely-packaged boxed set, this is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (D. Liebenson)[Blu-ray Review—Sept. 20, 2016—Paramount, 1,637 min., R, Blu-ray: $72.99—Making its second appearance on Blu-ray, 1990's Twin Peaks features a great transfer and a DTS-HD 7.1 soundtrack. This set includes both seasons of the 1990-91 original series plus the 1992 companion film Fire Walk with Me but removes a bonus disc of content that was available in the previous 10-disc collection. Extras for this set include the original pilot and the alternate international pilot (207 min.), “Secrets From Another Place: Creating” (106 min.), the production featurettes “Fire Walk with Me: The Missing Pieces” (91 min.), “The Glastonbury Archives” (75 min.), cast and crew interviews (66 min.), additional “Postcards from the Cast” interviews (59 min.), the behind-the-scenes segments piece “A Slice of Lynch: Uncut” (56 min.), a 2007 “Return to Twin Peaks” featurette (20 min.), deleted scenes (14 min.), a “Location Guide” (8 min.), “Original Promos” (5 min.), “Fire Walk with Me: Archival Interviews” (5 min.), sneak peeks (3 min.), outtakes (2 min.), brief “Log Lady Intros” by Catherine E. Coulson in character, “Episode Previews and Recaps,” brief promos, and image galleries. Bottom line: recommended for those who don't already own the 2014 boxed set release.]