A Return To TWIN PEAKS

Paramount just sent off a copy of their "Gold Box" Definitive DVD collection of TWIN PEAKS, David Lynch and Mark Frost's groundbreaking series which captivated me in high school -- at least when it first debuted and before it succumbed to questionable plotting and one of the most infuriating endings in television history.

Few series have ever risen and then fallen as quickly as TWIN PEAKS, but this set -- produced by Charlie de Lauzirika -- is unquestionably one of the year's finest DVD releases, preserving one of network TV's most unique series of all-time in a wonderful anthology. David Lynch personally oversaw the digitally remastered transfers and remixed Angelo Badalamenti's supremely memorable, haunting scores for 5.1 Dolby Digital, resulting in a crisp and enormously satisfying visual presentation.

Even better are the extras: de Lauzirika, one of the top producers working today in assembling DVD supplemental content, offers a heaping of cherry pie, coffee and donuts -- and then some! A lengthy documentary examines the show's production and cultural phenomenon. People tend to forget how groundbreaking TWIN PEAKS was for its time -- the cast appeared on a variety of talk shows, graced the covers of magazines, garnered enormous ratings (at least during its first season) and influenced an entire generation of series and films (from LOST to DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES) produced in its wake.

The nearly two-hour long production documentary dives into all of this, from what make the show so quirky and thrilling in its beginnings, to Badalamenti's brilliant scoring and then -- candidly at that -- dissects how the series went wrong...very wrong...in its second season. And make no mistake, viewers new to TWIN PEAKS and discovering it on DVD here for the first time may be shocked at how self-indulgent, unfocused and disappointing the series' second season is -- especially coming off its eight-episode first season. It was an unfortunate comedown that resulted in viewers quickly exiting and the series being likewise canceled (and I was so shocked with the series' unsatisfying cliffhanger conclusion I sent off an angry letter to TV Guide, which was printed in June of 1991!).

Co-creator/producer Mark Frost is on-hand along with a number of cast members (including the still-gorgeous Madchen Amick and Sherilyn Fenn, Kyle MacLachlan, Ray Wise, and others) in "Secrets From Another Place," the 105-minute production overview, and their comments about what went wrong during Season 2 results in one of the most honest and satisfying DVD documentaries you'll find. It's understandable that the creators had problems trying to figure out how to extend the original "who killed Laura Palmer?" mystery, but their solution is close to an unmitigated disaster that also offered a more serious and pretentious tone that made it difficult at times to watch (part of the problem is that Lynch and Frost had both gone off to make their own movies, a clear sign of waning interest on the part of both parties).

Lynch fans and die-hard Peaks devotees will still find these second-season episodes to be intriguing if nothing else, though as a major fan of the series' first eight shows, it's still like swallowing a bitter pill when you re-watch misguided avenues the program went down -- all the while losing its weird and wonderful charm from its origins. It's a feeling that seems to be universally shared by everyone involved with the production -- as cast member Kimmy Robertson herself confesses, "the second season sucked! I stopped watching it!"

In addition to the straightforward documentary there's a half-hour, enjoyable segment directed by de Lauzirika, "A Slice of Lynch," which is the only place where you'll find comments from Lynch himself. Set in a Peaks-ian diner, Lynch "finds" Kyle Maclachlan and Madchen Amick, all of whom discuss their recollections about TWIN PEAKS in a satisfying 30-minute segment.

Additional extras include a few surviving deleted scenes, the "Log Lady" introductions Lynch shot for the series' Bravo airings, MacLachlan's hilarious parody from "Saturday Night Live" (from September 29, 1990), a "Return to Twin Peaks" look at a series fan festival and an interactive map of the show's shooting locales, and a "Black Lodge Archive" packed with promotional materials. Among the latter are Julee Cruise's "Falling" music video, on-air ABC promos, Japanese TV commercials (talk about rare!) for "Georgia Coffee," image galleries, ads for the old "Twin Peaks" 900 number ($2 for the first minute!), and "Lucy Bumpers" from the initial ABC broadcasts.

Also on-hand is the series' original European pilot version, which had been left off prior video releases of the series proper since it was owned and distributed outside the parameters of the actual series.

This is unquestionably one of the year's top DVDs and fans won't want to miss a minute when Paramount releases this 10-disc set next Tuesday.