Part 2 of the Fire Walk With Me Blog

redroompodcast · Post by **redroompodcast** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 6:57 am

The Red Room Podcast has posted part 2 of their year long 4 part Blog about Fire Walk With Me. This one focuses on the Legacy in the World of David Lynch

http://wp.me/p27ojK-em

Scott
Red Room Podcast

Post by **Ross** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 11:59 am

Great job Scott!

I wonder if the perception/assessment of FWWM has risen much in the last 20 years (among non-TP fans)? When it was released, it wasn't just dismissed, it was LOATHED. I mean absolutely reviled by critics, and said to be one of the worst movies ever made. It almost destroyed Lynch's career. There was such a huge backlash against him and Twin Peaks. It was crazy. He didn't direct another movie for 5 years!

Post by **dugpa** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 11:57 pm

There were a few articles by critics right around the time after Mulholland Drive came out which re-evaluated FWWM and praised the film. I couldn't find them but thought I had linked to the review. I've always hated how the film got bashed as I have always felt that it only extended the mythology of Twin Peaks and makes it what it is today.

Lynch-D · Post by **Lynch-D** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 2:25 am

The response to FWWM was ridiculous. It taught me that 'film criticism' should be taken with a pinch of salt. Twin Peaks 'fans' were oven worse. At the end of the day, they're the reason there aren't more films. FWWM has never had the the love it deserves. The DVD releases have all been poor and the saga of the deleted scenes is too tiresome for words.

I've loved FWWM since it was released and would defend it's honour to the grave.

Post by **dugpa** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 3:06 am

I'm right there with you.

Post by **Ross** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 7:51 am

Right there with you too. I've never understood the brutality in which FWWM was attacked. It all had to do with bandwagon thinking. TP & Lynch were already riding a wave of negativity. People had turned on the show (and Lynch), and considered it a failure. When the movie was released, people just heaped on the negativity. Sometimes you had to wonder if some of the critics even saw the film. That's when I knew a lot of film criticism was complete bull.

redroompodcast · Post by **redroompodcast** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 1:35 pm

I specifically remember Roger Ebert coming out and saying he was wrong about FWWM. And I will gladly admit that when i heard there was a new Donna, No Audrey, and hardly any Cooper, I was disappointed. But I saw it 3 times in the theater and each time I liked it better. And for me, it is has all the answers you need to feel completed after the final episode. I would love to do a round table discussion on the Red Room Podcast with some hard core FWWM fans for the true 20th year birthday in August? Are you interested Dugpa, Twin Peaks Archive and others who have studied the film for years?

Scott
The Red Room Podcast

Post by **Ross** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 1:47 pm

redroompodcast wrote:And I will gladly admit that when i heard there was a new Donna, No Audrey, and hardly any Cooper, I was disappointed.

Agreed- but this actually goes along with what I was saying. It wasn't only critics and some fans who had turned against TP and Lynch. Boyle, Fenn & Maclachlan had all been hyped as the next big thing when TP hit big, and by the time everyone had turned on it, they had as well. Each wanted nothing to do with it, and all three refused to be in the film. Of course Kyle later agreed to a brief role only because of his friendship with Lynch.

Post by **dugpa** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 3:00 pm

redroompodcast wrote:I specifically remember Roger Ebert coming out and saying he was wrong about FWWM. And I will gladly admit that when i heard there was a new Donna, No Audrey, and hardly any Cooper, I was disappointed. But I saw it 3 times in the theater and each time I liked it better. And for me, it is has all the answers you need to feel completed after the final episode. I would love to do a round table discussion on the Red Room Podcast with some hard core FWWM fans for the true 20th year birthday in August? Are you interested Dugpa, Twin Peaks Archive and others who have studied the film for years?

Scott
The Red Room Podcast

I'd love to but finding time these days has been challenging. Maybe around the time of the Festival and also to coincide with the US Release date.

Post by **Brad D** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 6:47 pm

As much as i respect David lynch, he does not get a free pass on FWWM. It has grown on me over time but there are many thing that bug the absolute hell out if me concerning the film. For me to enjoy it I have to divorce it from the series for the most part. I really enjoy the first 40 minutes though, no complaints there. Oh, and dugpa I hope you can make it to the fest this year!

coolspringsj · Post by **coolspringsj** » Sun Feb 12, 2012 3:39 pm

Excellent work, Scott. I enjoy reading your blog and listening to your podcasts. I remember when FWWM first came out, I liked it and thought it was really bleak and scary, but remember being extremely frustrated that they were releasing a prequel about Laura Palmer which we already knew most of the backstory from reading her diary and the subsequent investigation into her murder on the TV show. I wanted to know what happened after Cooper smashed his face in the mirror and BOB appears on the other side. Supposedly there are deleted scenes with Annie at the hospital and a nurse taking her ring, but I wanted a fullblown sequel movie that tied all of the loose ends of the show. Over the years, each viewing of FWWM gets better and better and my respect has grown exponentially. I think Sheryl Lee should have got an Academy Award nomination because she so fluidly went through every range of emotion a woman could possibly have given her dire circumstances. She nails it especially in the scene with James at the end before she runs into the woods. These days, I accept what we got in the entire TP narrative arc for what it is, which does form a perfect circle going back to the Pilot only to start the story again. The only thing I think these days that absolutely should still be released in some form are the FWWM deleted scenes because there are so many of them and they include a lot of the series characters that didn't appear in the FWWM original release. Although I believe the fans have hyped them up so much (me too) that they possibly can't live up to expectations. Other than that, I'm super happy with what we have.

Post by **Ross** » Sun Feb 12, 2012 5:32 pm

coolspringsj wrote:I remember when FWWM first came out, I liked it and thought it was really bleak and scary, but remember being extremely frustrated that they were releasing a prequel about Laura Palmer which we already knew most of the backstory from reading her diary and the subsequent investigation into her murder on the TV show. I wanted to know what happened after Cooper smashed his face in the mirror and BOB appears on the other side.

Which is the reason Mark Frost chose not to participate. He wanted to move the story forward. It seems like the decision for the prequel though probably had to do with Maclachan initially refusing to take part in any TP film. And I think the idea to go back and add new layers that they could pull from later made sense. I always got the feeling that Jeffries would have been used later on in any post-series Cooper in the Lodge story. I think in the end, even though it was more by accident than design (actually because it was more accident than design), Lynch liked how it formed a loop.

Post by **dugpa** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 12:18 am

I've read that Lynch really fell in love with the Laura Palmer character and wanted to see her living and breathing which was why he wanted to do a prequel. I also recall reading that the thought was to do three films. One to be the prequel, the second to focus on the Phillip Jefferies and Chet Desmond characters, and the third to come back to Cooper.

I can't recall where I read this. Possibly in alt.tv.twin-peaks or some magazine at the time around the release.

In terms of Mark Frost, I had also heard or maybe it was in an issue of WIP where he stated he wanted to move the story forward. Would be cool if someone could locate the exact quote.

It seems that the majority of fans who dislike FWWM were likely ones who were hoping for a sequel and left feeling cheated of that proper ending. Then you have those who hated the inconsistencies between the series and film (Donna, missing many of the TV characters, different Palmer House or issues with Sheryl's wig) or those who didn't like the darker tone of the film.

While I can't blame them, what I will say is that if you can get past the imperfections, there are some truly magical moments in the film that in my opinion, complete Twin Peaks as a whole.

Cooped · Post by **Cooped** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 3:53 am

I absolutely adore FWWM. Whilst there is a certain amount of frustration at why a prequel was made, I think this only comes from the fact that ep 29 was so damn good! I saw FWWM before I had seen any of season 2....Before season 2 came out on DVD, and the FWWM DVD had just been released, I asked my mother who the killer was (since i knew the film would reveal it, and didnt hold out much hope of the season 2 dvd coming out) so I guess this was an odd order to view the Twin Peaks saga in...
I think, as others have said, it wonderfully adds layers to the TP narrative, creating that narrative/time loop. Not only this, we see how malicious Leland really is, behind the grieving father/eccentric jovial white haird chap we see in the series. In addition, Laura is no longer the cypher/macguffin she was in the series; the viewer is shown that she was a presence, not an absence or narrative hook.One of the most interesting things of all to me is how the film simultaneously strenghtens the mythology of the Lodges/the fact that Bob is a seperate entity, responsible for Leland's deeds- but it also seems conversely to emphasise that Leland Palmer is the warped, disturbed abusive father, and his being 'possessed' does not absolve him.

And of course, the Deer Meadow sequence is amazing....Gordon Cole, Sam, Desmond, Harry Dean Stanton terrifice as ever...the odd atmosphere, the old woman, Sheriff Cable, Deer Meadow being the opposite of Twin Peaks...all great stuff.

redroompodcast · Post by **redroompodcast** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 1:24 pm

I love that so much discussion is born from this film. That is the Key. I will be taking some of your quotes and posts here and incorporating them into my 3rd part of my Blog. Trying to let a couple months go between each one. Thanks to all the kinds words and thanks to everyone who enjoys The Red Room Podcast. It was built on the ideals of television that David and Mark brought to us.

Scott
http://www.redroompodcast.com