Author: Ken Johnson (blj@mithrandir.cs.unh.edu)
134 min., R, Drama, 1992 Director: David
Lynch Cast: Sheryl Lee, Ray Wise, Madchen Amick, Dana
Ashbrook, Phoebe Augustine, David Bowie, Eric DaRe, Miguel
Ferrer, Pamela Gidley, Heather Graham, Chris Isaak, Moira
Kelly, Peggy Lipton, David Lynch, James Marshall, Jurgen
Prochnow, Harry Dean Stanton, Kiefer Sutherland, Lenny Von
Dohlen, Grace Zabriskie, Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Anderson
Most of this movie centers around Sheryl
Lee's (as Laura Palmer) fall from sanity because of
parental abuse and drug use. The film shows the events
leading up to Lee's death. Much of the movie is spent in
hallucinations and weird dream states.
TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME is David
Lynch's prequel to his television series "Twin Peaks." I
have been a fan of David Lynch since I saw his film WILD
AT HEART, one of my favorite films. I unfortunately missed
this film when it was in the theater, and it was just
released on video cassette. I enjoyed this film very much.
I missed Lynch's series "Twin Peaks," but since the series
is on video, I plan to see it now. On a scale of zero to
five, I give TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME a four. TWIN
PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME is rated R for female nudity,
explicit language, adult situations, and violence.
This film is one of the weirdest movies
that I have ever seen. David Lynch has created a film that
leaves sanity behind in the first ten minutes, at which
point it takes you into a dark, strange world where only
Lynch is in charge of your fate.
Sheryl Lee is great as Laura Palmer who
looses her grip on the world because of drugs. Moira Kelly
(THE CUTTING EDGE, BILLY BATHGATE) is excellent as Laura
Palmer's best friend. Kiefer Sutherland (THE VANISHING,
1969) and Harry Dean Stanton (PARIS TEXAS, WILD AT HEART)
are very good as two special agents who appear in the
beginning of the film. Kyle MacLachlan (THE DOORS, DUNE)
shows up briefly as special agent Dale Cooper. David
Lynch, himself, has a brief role as Special Agent Cooper's
boss. Pamela Gidley (THRASHIN', HIGHWAY TO HELL) can be
seen briefly as a corpse. One of my favorite characters in
this film was the dream man (listed in the credits as "The
man from another world"), Michael Anderson. There is no
reason for David Bowie (LABYRINTH, THE MAN WHO FELL TO
EARTH) to be in this film, or get a spot in the opening
credits. All he does is walk down a hall and sit in a
seat.
At some points this film reminded me of
Peter Greenaway's films; at times it seemed more like a
psycho drama; and at other times more like an anti-drug
school health film. This is one of those movies that you
will either love, or find to be a pointless confusing
waste of celluloid. I happen to have enjoyed this film
very much.
