- Classification: 18
- Studio: Second Sight
- VHS Release Date: 17 Sep 2001
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00005NOMN
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 22,105 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Fire Walk With Me is a rare spin-off that refuses to repeat what worked on TV. Despite mannerisms and "draggy" spots, Twin Peaks emerged as one of the wonders of American TV: scary and funny, erotic and serious, offensive and freakish. It meandered in an always interesting but sometimes frustrating way through two seasons, then signed off with a cliff-hanger upon cancellation. When Lynch announced he would continue the saga with a theatrical movie, fans assumed he would: (a) pull out the stops to show what evils really lurked behind the pretty façade of that small town, and (b) wrap up a storyline which tailed off with Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) possessed by the evil spirit "Bob". As it happens, Lynch delivered on (a) but refrained from fulfilling clause (b), opting to do a prequel--adapted in part from The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, a tie-in novel by Jennifer (Boxing Helena) Lynch--which sets up the series by following the last week in the life of the "prom queen from Hell".
Fire Walk With Me assumes you will be familiar with the series (some bits are incomprehensible unless you paid attention while other bits are just incomprehensible), making it most accessible to Twin Peaks initiates though sometimes deliberately offensive to them. It then omits several of the show's stars (Michael Ontkean, Richard Beymer, Joan Chen, Sherilyn Fenn) and a great many of the "lovable" aspects (wry jokes, damn fine coffee), relegating MacLachlan to a walk-on since the story happens before Cooper was assigned to Twin Peaks. Some instances of joyless sex and violence exceed anything Lynch could do on television, but for the most part he creates an atmosphere of dread through edgy performances, unsettling lighting and sound effects and sheer grimness. Without the catchphrases and the quirky charm, the film never feels cuddly in the way the TV show did, but it is one of Lynch's finest works and, though deeply uncomfortable, a TV spin-off which ranks with the best in both media.
On the DVD: The DVD is Region 0 with a widescreen print, augmented for 16x9 televisions. It holds a better-looking transfer than previous video or laserdisc releases and offers an eerie red room/blue rose menu. However the disc offers absolutely no notes, trailers, crib sheets, bios, or other extra features. --Kim Newman
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
This is one of David Lynch's finest films. Considering the popularity of the TV series, this would seem a hard act to follow. As usual, Lynch doesn't fail to intrigue and push the envelope even further. The film does pander to those who wanted to see the last seven days of Laura Palmer's life, but it also sets many subplots in motion which were hinted at during the series. Fire Walk With Me is much, much darker than the series in terms of style, direction, plot, acting, humour and cinematography, and in many ways stands independantly of the series. The beauty is that one does not need the other. They are both memorable in their own ways, similar in some but extremely different in others. This is a classic film, not to be missed out. NOTE: As a suggestion to anyone interested in getting into Twin Peaks and hasn't viewed anything yet, do NOT watch this film beforehand. Make sure you watch the series in their entirety (don't forget to watch the Twin Peaks pilot at first!), and then watch the film. Many people who have only seen the film misunderstand many of the contexts and meanings, and don't get the chance to appreiciate it to its full potential.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is an awesome movie. The video transfer is awesome. The audio is average. The only problem is that it doesn't come with the hour of Deleted Footage that director David Lynch has chosen to be added. New Line's Region 1 DVD version coming next year will have this. Second Sight should have waited and opted to license the Deleted Scenes from New Line. Buy this if you want a good transfer and a Region 2 disc, but if you are an extras person like me, you're out of luck this time.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
For all fans of David Lynch, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me is truly mandatory viewing, not least because it is by far his most surreal and puzzling work. The movie begins with Kiefer Sutherland and Chris Isaak investigating the murder of Teresa Banks. As this begins the dialogue between the two reveals the secret to the thinking required to decipher this movie by analysing the appearance of a strange woman presented to them by their superior and the symbolic nature of all her actions. BUT BE WARNED this type of thinking may not be enough to unravel this enigma of a movie, as the Teresa Banks story soon concludes and the rest of the movie focuses upon the last days of Laura Palmer, essentially the pre runner to the TV series.
Lynch requires you to think in a very perculiar way, and although this may discourage many viewers, don't let the perplexity of it all dissuade you, or you'll miss a treat. The imagery is nothing short of unique, and certain scenes just and story lines are truly baffling, such as the scenario involving placing the picture on the wall. What all this has to do with a girl who eventually gets murdered may seem complex, but that's where the pleasure lies, in working it out yourself. Even if you can't unravel it all, the pleasure lies in the uniqueness of it.
A must for Lynch fans and recomended to any fans of alternative cinema, or those dissatisfied with regular cinema and long for something less straightforward.
Lynch requires you to think in a very perculiar way, and although this may discourage many viewers, don't let the perplexity of it all dissuade you, or you'll miss a treat. The imagery is nothing short of unique, and certain scenes just and story lines are truly baffling, such as the scenario involving placing the picture on the wall. What all this has to do with a girl who eventually gets murdered may seem complex, but that's where the pleasure lies, in working it out yourself. Even if you can't unravel it all, the pleasure lies in the uniqueness of it.
A must for Lynch fans and recomended to any fans of alternative cinema, or those dissatisfied with regular cinema and long for something less straightforward.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
We wanted a sequel not a prequel
Twin Peaks was definately groundbreaking TV back in the late 1980's early 1990's. David Lynch created a world in which the audience cared about all the characters and the result... Read more
Published on 25 Mar 2004
Outstanding
One of the greatest films i've ever seen. David Lynch does a fantastic job of transfering the TV series to the big screen. Read more
Published on 4 Mar 2004 by "mr_m704"
Uncut british release
The DVD looks fine, however the most explicit scenes have a video-like quality to them, which must be because the people who made the transfer had a good 35mm print that was cut... Read more
Published on 22 Mar 2003 by jakob skøtt
Claustrophobia and fear lie within
The film that divides even hardcore Lynch films - is it an uninspired spin off of a groundbreaking TV series or is at a Lynch masterpiece that stands apart from the series as a... Read more
Published on 7 Feb 2003 by "paulcarmarthen"
Give me all my garbonzonia
I wouldn't call this the best film of David Lynch's. It's hard to know just how far you can isolate it from the TV series, certainly it makes a lot more sense if you've seen the... Read more
Published on 4 July 2002 by E Parry
a must for all twin peaks fans
once again david lynch prooves to be a successful director in this sequel to the cult 1990's tv show which tells the story of the last seven days of laura palmers life. Read more
Published on 20 Feb 2002 by tracy151277@hotmail.com
Great movie - but I saw it long before the series was shown?
Its a great film, seperate to the series and is basically a rollercoaster through a twisting plot, that delivers an ending (more than the series offers! Read more
Published on 29 Jan 2002 by madbob@uboot.com
Inspired Film - Good DVD
Fire Walk With Me has taken it's time arriving on DVD but it was worth the wait - just. A great film, that doesn't seem to age, put onto DVD without any of the useless extras that... Read more
Published on 22 Sep 2001
The Definative Thinking-Man's Motion Picture
This film is without any doubt, the greatest film in existance. Written & directed by David Lynch, it follows the last seven days of Laura Palmer before she is brutally... Read more
Published on 4 Aug 2001
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