My opinion about Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)

[Forbidden]

Hello everybody. I just wanna say that Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me is one of my favorite films, it's really amazing. It's so sad that it is so underrated, I mean, this film is so amazing and iconic (the entire bar scene) and the ending is so amazing, how can a Lynch fan not like it? The soundtrack is astonishing, really beautiful and moving. I fell in love with Laura Palmer and Sheryl Lee. I seen it twice, before I start seeing series, and I don't regret at all. I'm now seeing the series - I've seen the first couple of episodes, and it hasn't ruined the series for me, like I read it would if you see the film first - I'm enjoying it very much, although I already know who is the killer. And it's very cool to make connections beetween the film and the series, because there are things that now seen much more clear, and the personalities of other caracters that are much more developed in the series, because the film is essencially about Laura... And I must say that I really liked Laura Palmer, she has really fascinated me, in a way that few other film caracters have...

I think it must be very interesting, after seeing the series, see again the film, probably I'm going to notice things that I haven't before, and make connections with the series...

This film and Mulholland Drive are 2 of my favorite films.

[underthefan]

Well put, Forbidden! I have the same fascination with Laura (and by extension, Sheryl Lee, of course) as you do, so I totally understand what you mean. She is such a well-written, multi-dimensional character in a way that most film characters are not. That's why I always felt, as strange as it may seem, that Laura is like a long lost friend of mine...

[Forbidden]

Well put, Forbidden! I have the same fascination with Laura (and by extension, Sheryl Lee, of course) as you do, so I totally understand what you mean. She is such a well-written, multi-dimensional character in a way that most film characters are not. That's why I always felt, as strange as it may seem, that Laura is like a long lost friend of mine...

Thanks! Good to see someone else that loves Laura as I do. She has really touched me. And the film is really amazing, Sheryl Lee gives an astonishing perfomance! I don't understant why people dont like it... it has so memorable scenes and the soundtrack is so good!

[perno]

I don't understant why people dont like it...

Three reasons :
- movie and shows are slow. People usually like it fast.
- TP needs to think. Most people just want to sit and be enjoyed when they watch a movie or a TV show.
- TP is disturbing. It asks a very disturbing question. "What would I have done if I were a Twin Peaks inhabitant ?"

But if thoses are not a problem for you, then the movie is just... perfect.

[TheArm]

I don't understant why people dont like it...

Three reasons :
- movie and shows are slow. People usually like it fast.
- TP needs to think. Most people just want to sit and be enjoyed when they watch a movie or a TV show.
- TP is disturbing. It asks a very disturbing question. "What would I have done if I were a Twin Peaks inhabitant ?"

But if thoses are not a problem for you, then the movie is just... perfect.

I absolutely adore the film now, too, in some ways even more than parts of the TV series. After all of the random, tangential wackiness of the latter half of Season 2, the film (like the finale) really gets back to basics and explores the real dark heart of what Twin Peaks was all about in the first place. It makes for a really nice coda to the show.

Having said that, I think the biggest reason people don't like it is how different it looks and feels from the TV series. As much as I love FWWM now, it even took me a while to warm up to it. The first time I watched it, I was shocked and a bit alienated by how different it felt. The warmth and the humor (the coffee, the pie, the doughnuts) from the show are virtually nonexistent in FWWM, as are so many of the cast members, who have either been recast (Donna), reduced to brief cameos (Cooper, Shelly, Norma, Annie), or are completely absent (the entire Sheriff's Dept., the Hornes, the Packards & Martells, Donna's parents, Ed & Nadine, Bobby's parents). It takes about a 1/2 hour to even get to the town of Twin Peaks itself, and when we do, even a lot of that (the Palmer house, TP high school, Harold's house) looks different from what we've been used to. It took me a couple of watches for me to deal with all of the changes and handle FWWM on its own level.

Now granted, most of us on this forum understand the reasons behind all of these differences and changes, but I would imagine for the less informed viewer, FWWM might be a tough pill to swallow, even if they were fans of the show. On the surface, it is a pretty different beast.