DVD Review: Twin Peaks - Fire Walk With Me (B+)

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)
Directed By David Lynch
Starring Kyle McLaughlin, Kiefer Sutherland and Chris Isaak
Grade: B+

Review by Scott Standish

This is a prequel to the Twin Peaks saga that was such a huge hit on television. It has the same quirkiness that engulfed the TV show, and a little more humor, making it, all things considered, a very enjoyable film.

The story revolves around a murder that has caused two FBI agents to travel to Twin Peaks for further investigation. The agents (played well by Chris Isaak and Keifer Sutherland) encounter some initial resistance by the townsfolk, and their case starts to get weird. Some freaky stuff happens (that's technical speak, folks) and the bureau sends in some backups (enter Kyle MchLaughlin's character). There are some great cameo appearances here by Heather Graham, David Bowie, and even David Lynch himself.

As a film, it wraps itself up nicely, yet leaves the obvious setup for the series premiere movie (not available on DVD in the US). The first season has been issued on DVD, and that is a real eye opener. If you are a Lynch fan, you will be surprised at how well this film straddles the line between hollywood soap opera style and straight up David Lynch weirdness. In fact, this deft handling can be seen as a precursor to the incredible job that Lynch was to perform years later on Mulholland Drive (another film that started as a TV idea).

If you've never seen Twin Peaks before, then give this film a shot, you might be surprised at what you find. If you find David Lynch a bit too creepy, then skip this one in favor of The Straight Story, the brilliant G-rated film he directed for Disney.

Buy Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me On DVD