LoginAfter hearing nothing but great things about Twin Peaks(although there were criticisms of the second season not being as good and some being underwhelmed by the ending) I finally checked out the show and the film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me as somebody who appreciates David Lynch hugely and love almost all his films, and it was time well worth spent. It's true that the first season is better than the second, but that is not to knock the second season because it is still great, if not as well paced and maybe the main plot line was wrapped up a little too quickly(the only negative personally against the series), but the first season is a masterpiece and some of the best television has ever seen. There have been criticisms about the reveal of the final episode being underwhelming, initially it is a head-scratcher but I am with those who considers the episode on the whole one of the scariest episodes seen on television.
Twin Peaks looks incredible, quite easily one of the best-looking TV series personally watched; the photography is so good that you have to check that it's for a television show and not a film and the costumes and sets are colourfully surreal and positively eye catching. Twin Peaks is also one of the best scored television series, the music enhances the atmosphere so well and better than a lot of other shows and it really haunts the mind, again like the visuals it can easily be mistaken for a score written for a film. The dialogue is very thought-provoking with moments of tension and a lot of hilarious humour that has David Lynch's style of humour all over it. The episodes are all compelling and multi-faceted in atmosphere, even the weakest episodes are much better than a lot of TV shows today at their best and worst, while the show tackles a very dark subject with subtle horror, genuinely disturbing scenes like the entire ending, quirky humour that at its best is side-splittingly hilarious and a real emotional wallop.
The characters are not only interesting with more than one dimension to them but more than memorable as well, Agent Cooper and Ben Horne being especially so, sure a few appear, disappear and re-appear but you never forget them. Twin Peaks is superbly directed and acted throughout, with the performances Kyle MacLachlan in his most famous role(perhaps) is at his best and the same can be said for Richard Beymer. Sheryl Lee and Sherilyn Fenn are poignant, Ray Wise is much more sensitive than he is in the film and one mustn't forget the scene-stealer that is Piper Laurie nor Frank Silva as one of the most frightening characters television has ever seen. Strictly speaking the acting is outstanding all round, you'd be hard pressed to find a television series with no actor is bad and with this level of consistency. To conclude, at its best Twin Peaks really is one of the greatest television series ever. The film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me is not as good but is still very good and undeservedly under-appreciated. 10/10 Bethany Cox
Twin Peaks Reviews
One of the greatest television series ever
Posted : 2 years ago on 19 March 2022 01:30
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David Lynch y amigos hacen una serie
Posted : 3 years, 3 months ago on 28 December 2020 02:01
Twin Peaks es una serie de culto de los 90s creada por Mark Frost y el tan famoso David Lynch. Y aún estando familiarizado con la carrera del director, mi opinión de la serie permanece negativa.
Primero que nada, el piloto sabe plantear un misterio de manera rápida mientras vemos progresivamente cómo el pueblo reacciona a la tragedia. El pacing y las actuaciones hacen un espléndido trabajo estableciendo el tono a la vez que transmiten lo que pasa por la cabeza de los personajes, pero esto resulta un desperdicio porque no conocemos a ninguno de los afectados con anterioridad, por lo que la escena de los amigos de Laura reaccionando a su muerte sólo puede ser emotiva en retrospectiva. Y a partir de ahí la serie nunca le afloja al melodrama injustificado, como con Josie, una china a la que terminan matando unos chinos, quien nunca termina de importar porque su historia y personalidad se basan únicamente en ser una víctima. El principal problema con esta telenovela es que para toda la muerte y tragedia, los personajes son muy simplones.
Incluso el detective Dave Cooper, el personaje más icónico de la serie, es poco más que un tipo carismático y entretenido que el autor usa para dar consejos al público.
Los demás personajes que importan, que tienen una personalidad clara y cierto desarrollo, participan poco o nada en la resolución del misterio. Pero entre jóvenes inmaduros superando sus complejos, adultos con pasados oscuros lidiando con el crimen, y espíritus que se apoderan de aquellos que en su tormento les abren las puertas a su mente, da para contar una historia sobre la dualidad del amor y la locura, la naturaleza del mal en el hombre y la maduración.
Y sí, dije espíritus, porque también tiene bastante presencia el ámbito de lo paranormal. Y el segundo mayor problema de la serie es que traiciona su premisa, haciendo imposible que me tome en serio el misterio desde que un gigante aparece en los sueños del protagonista para darle pistas sobre sus problemas. Bien que las pistas no son tan explícitas y Cooper no tiene recuerdos muy claros de las mismas, pero las visiones sólo hacen parecer que cualquier cosa puede pasar en cualquier momento. A lo largo de las dos temporadas el misterio policial va perdiendo importancia y la serie se vuelve sobre gente común lidiando con problemas paranormales, pero sin dejar a atrás un montón de humor de sitcom con personajes caricaturescos que no aportan nada a la trama principal, es absurda la forma en que el melodrama coexiste con una subtrama de una señora que pierde la memoria y vuelve a la secundaria que termina con todo volviendo al status quo.
Todo esto la limita a un máximo de 5/10, pero debo reconocerle el mérito de introducir métodos de dirección cinematográfica en la caja idiota.
Y al menos es entretenida hasta ese final de temporada que pretende ser 2001: A Space Oddysey pero tiene a los personajes corriendo inútilmente de un simbolismo a otro por un montón de tiempo hasta que termina el capítulo planteando un cliffhanger.
La serie intenta ser un policial, una sitcom, un drama fantástico y un thriller psicológico lleno de simbolismos a la vez, y al final no triunfa en ninguno de estos ámbitos.
Con todos los problemas que tengo con la serie de los 90's, sigue siendo preferible a la asquerosa tercer temporada, que es lo mismo pero mil veces peor y más moderno: Llegamos a conocer todavía menos a los personajes y todo se centra en un misterio pretencioso donde se nos cuentan muchas historias a la vez. El factor Shock toma prioridad llevando a cosas como una escena que no lleva a nada de una madre que ve a su hijo ser atropellado por un adicto. Los simbolismos degeneran en atrocidades como ese episodio compuesto enteramente de flashbacks de bichitos metiéndose en la boca de niñas y bombas atómicas explotando para que después venga algún intelectual a teorizar cualquier cosa desde que "El capítulo representa la degradación del cine moderno" hasta que "Twin Peaks trata la propagación del abuso sexual a lo largo de las generaciones". Y el relleno ahora ocupa casi toda la temporada, dedicada a que Cooper, con amnesia, se la pase viviendo la vida de alguien más en una absurdamente lenta, extensa, vacía e irrelevante comedia arreglando su vida matrimonial y saliendo de problemas con mafiosos, sólo para que cuando recupere la memoria, todo eso quede atrás y resuelva todo el conflicto en un clímax cómicamente apresurado. Esa manera de desperdiciar el tiempo no tiene nombre. Y al final la serie nos deja con un viaje a una dimensión distinta, o a otra línea temporal, o al mundo real, lo que sea, porque se puede interpretar como se te dé la gana y nunca antes se hizo referencia a esa clase de viajes ni aporta nada a todo el drama que le previno.
No se me hace tan descabellada la teoría de que esa última temporada es una mierda a propósito, porque va totalmente en contra de la buena escritura, y algo tan horrible sólo puede apelar a pendejos pretenciosos fácilmente impresionables y profesores de cine posmodernistas.
Primero que nada, el piloto sabe plantear un misterio de manera rápida mientras vemos progresivamente cómo el pueblo reacciona a la tragedia. El pacing y las actuaciones hacen un espléndido trabajo estableciendo el tono a la vez que transmiten lo que pasa por la cabeza de los personajes, pero esto resulta un desperdicio porque no conocemos a ninguno de los afectados con anterioridad, por lo que la escena de los amigos de Laura reaccionando a su muerte sólo puede ser emotiva en retrospectiva. Y a partir de ahí la serie nunca le afloja al melodrama injustificado, como con Josie, una china a la que terminan matando unos chinos, quien nunca termina de importar porque su historia y personalidad se basan únicamente en ser una víctima. El principal problema con esta telenovela es que para toda la muerte y tragedia, los personajes son muy simplones.
Incluso el detective Dave Cooper, el personaje más icónico de la serie, es poco más que un tipo carismático y entretenido que el autor usa para dar consejos al público.
Los demás personajes que importan, que tienen una personalidad clara y cierto desarrollo, participan poco o nada en la resolución del misterio. Pero entre jóvenes inmaduros superando sus complejos, adultos con pasados oscuros lidiando con el crimen, y espíritus que se apoderan de aquellos que en su tormento les abren las puertas a su mente, da para contar una historia sobre la dualidad del amor y la locura, la naturaleza del mal en el hombre y la maduración.
Y sí, dije espíritus, porque también tiene bastante presencia el ámbito de lo paranormal. Y el segundo mayor problema de la serie es que traiciona su premisa, haciendo imposible que me tome en serio el misterio desde que un gigante aparece en los sueños del protagonista para darle pistas sobre sus problemas. Bien que las pistas no son tan explícitas y Cooper no tiene recuerdos muy claros de las mismas, pero las visiones sólo hacen parecer que cualquier cosa puede pasar en cualquier momento. A lo largo de las dos temporadas el misterio policial va perdiendo importancia y la serie se vuelve sobre gente común lidiando con problemas paranormales, pero sin dejar a atrás un montón de humor de sitcom con personajes caricaturescos que no aportan nada a la trama principal, es absurda la forma en que el melodrama coexiste con una subtrama de una señora que pierde la memoria y vuelve a la secundaria que termina con todo volviendo al status quo.
Todo esto la limita a un máximo de 5/10, pero debo reconocerle el mérito de introducir métodos de dirección cinematográfica en la caja idiota.
Y al menos es entretenida hasta ese final de temporada que pretende ser 2001: A Space Oddysey pero tiene a los personajes corriendo inútilmente de un simbolismo a otro por un montón de tiempo hasta que termina el capítulo planteando un cliffhanger.
La serie intenta ser un policial, una sitcom, un drama fantástico y un thriller psicológico lleno de simbolismos a la vez, y al final no triunfa en ninguno de estos ámbitos.
Con todos los problemas que tengo con la serie de los 90's, sigue siendo preferible a la asquerosa tercer temporada, que es lo mismo pero mil veces peor y más moderno: Llegamos a conocer todavía menos a los personajes y todo se centra en un misterio pretencioso donde se nos cuentan muchas historias a la vez. El factor Shock toma prioridad llevando a cosas como una escena que no lleva a nada de una madre que ve a su hijo ser atropellado por un adicto. Los simbolismos degeneran en atrocidades como ese episodio compuesto enteramente de flashbacks de bichitos metiéndose en la boca de niñas y bombas atómicas explotando para que después venga algún intelectual a teorizar cualquier cosa desde que "El capítulo representa la degradación del cine moderno" hasta que "Twin Peaks trata la propagación del abuso sexual a lo largo de las generaciones". Y el relleno ahora ocupa casi toda la temporada, dedicada a que Cooper, con amnesia, se la pase viviendo la vida de alguien más en una absurdamente lenta, extensa, vacía e irrelevante comedia arreglando su vida matrimonial y saliendo de problemas con mafiosos, sólo para que cuando recupere la memoria, todo eso quede atrás y resuelva todo el conflicto en un clímax cómicamente apresurado. Esa manera de desperdiciar el tiempo no tiene nombre. Y al final la serie nos deja con un viaje a una dimensión distinta, o a otra línea temporal, o al mundo real, lo que sea, porque se puede interpretar como se te dé la gana y nunca antes se hizo referencia a esa clase de viajes ni aporta nada a todo el drama que le previno.
No se me hace tan descabellada la teoría de que esa última temporada es una mierda a propósito, porque va totalmente en contra de la buena escritura, y algo tan horrible sólo puede apelar a pendejos pretenciosos fácilmente impresionables y profesores de cine posmodernistas.
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A high peak of television.
Posted : 12 years, 1 month ago on 5 March 2012 05:37
For many, Twin Peaks was the definitive television show of the 90s, despite its relatively short run. With 29 episodes in all (30 counting the feature length pilot) spread over 2 years, it managed to cover a wide variety of characters, played by a huge ensemble of talented and under-rated actors, all little pawns in a complex plotline. I thought I would throw in a little chess reference, considering the show’s final dozen episodes draw upon it as one of its primary motifs. The iconic use of the game has become one of the things most associated with the series, perhaps second only to the often referenced and infinitely creepy Red Room scenes.
Twin Peaks is both parts surreal mystery and soap-opera slush, using the latter as an ironic and almost self-parodying juxtaposition to the genuinely frightening aspects of the show. Similar in ways to the melodrama of David Lynch’s preceding film masterpiece Blue Velvet (1986), the fluffy scenes of romance and friendship are not bad traits, rather they are charming and effective methods in which to convey the homely-little-community atmosphere. Created by surrealist legend David Lynch and his friend Mark Frost, the two came up with a multi-faceted tale of horror, suspense and intrigue, full of too-many-to-count twists and turns, spread across a vast canvas of brilliant locations, populated by exceptionally interesting characters. Lynch and Frost, directors and writers of the standout episodes, thrust the eponymous small town into a surreal blender.
Twin Peaks is one of the scariest of all watchable media, up there with the classic film The Haunting (1963) and several particularly gruesome episodes of Dexter (2006-). In one early episode, I was given such a fright that I was reduced to watching the rest of the series with the lights on, save for the final few episodes, which work incredibly well in a dark room. Few things get under your skin as much as Twin Peaks, with such scary scenes handled with perfectly precise timing. For someone who has been watching horror films since I was a child and can usually brush off such things as Paranormal Activity, I was still utterly shocked by the terrifying nature of this series. Let it be said that it is Twin Peaks that pops into my head when I’m walking alone in the dark, not any recent attempts at horror. Whilst not all episodes are upfront fear mongers, the ones that are do it well. For those familiar with Lynch’s 1977 surrealist masterpiece Eraserhead, you will know all too well how competent he is at composing strange and unnerving set pieces.
You’d think that a series with such a huge ensemble of would lose its way in such a limited amount of episodes, yet several story-lines are explored successfully in such a small time frame – and not just for one set of characters. Likewise, each story arch is a captivating one, no matter how minor, major or ultimately unimportant some of the characters are. In a sense, it is similar to Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia (1999), a film of many characters, all of which have extremely gripping stories. As a microcosm of small-town America, Twin Peaks is admirable in its diverse amount of roles and strong attention to detail.
Heading the cast is Kyle MacLachlan, known previously as the likeable protagonist in the aforementioned Blue Velvet, here playing a more adept character. Unlike the naivety of Jeffrey, the quirky character of FBI Agent Dale Cooper is a strong-minded individual. Paired with the humorously named Harry S. Truman (played with rugged sensibility by Michael Ontkean), the two lawmen try to solve the mystery of Laura Palmer’s murder, an already shocking affair, which soon escalates into much more than a by-the-numbers case. Surrounding these two personas are a host of brilliant characters, including the comic relief of Deputy Andy Brennan and his amusingly difficult yet sweetly endearing relationship with receptionist Lucy Moran. Other outstanding characters are that of local businessman Benjamin Horn, played with a commanding presence by Richard Beymer (who played Tony in the film version of West Side Story – when I found out, I shat bricks, you wouldn’t have guessed they were the same person) and his wily daughter Audrey (who would later star as Curly’s wife in the 1992 adaption of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men). Alongside them is Richard Beymer’s West Side Story co star Russ Tamblyn as an eccentric psychologist, Piper Laurie (of Carrie fame) as conniving Catherine Martell, Jack Nance as her husband, looking unrecognisable 15 years after his lead role in Eraserhead and Ray Wise’s as Leland Palmer. The latter would go on to star in under-rated horror film Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003) and the television series Reaper, which gained moderate success. A rich and well chosen cast truly makes this series stronger, including the fantastically elaborate performance later in the series by Kenneth Welsh.
What makes Twin Peaks such a fascinating series, though, is the central enigma. The obscurely named Black Lodge. Every good series need an enigma. Lost had the island, Death Note had the notebook, Flash Forward, cut down in its prime, had the mass blackout, all gripping concepts with the ability to take the viewer in any direction. With The Black Lodge, even the title is intriguing.
As film-critic and chat show host Jonathan Ross once put it, Twin Peaks is ‘the scariest, weirdest and funniest TV series of all time’, a completely accurate statement. Twin Peaks is a one of a kind drama, a unique and unsurpassable landmark that helped establish television as an artistic rival of cinema. With all of its flamboyant and ambitious scenes, juxtaposing with remarkably restrained subtlety, Twin Peaks is a lurid, luscious and laudable cult classic.
Twin Peaks is both parts surreal mystery and soap-opera slush, using the latter as an ironic and almost self-parodying juxtaposition to the genuinely frightening aspects of the show. Similar in ways to the melodrama of David Lynch’s preceding film masterpiece Blue Velvet (1986), the fluffy scenes of romance and friendship are not bad traits, rather they are charming and effective methods in which to convey the homely-little-community atmosphere. Created by surrealist legend David Lynch and his friend Mark Frost, the two came up with a multi-faceted tale of horror, suspense and intrigue, full of too-many-to-count twists and turns, spread across a vast canvas of brilliant locations, populated by exceptionally interesting characters. Lynch and Frost, directors and writers of the standout episodes, thrust the eponymous small town into a surreal blender.
Twin Peaks is one of the scariest of all watchable media, up there with the classic film The Haunting (1963) and several particularly gruesome episodes of Dexter (2006-). In one early episode, I was given such a fright that I was reduced to watching the rest of the series with the lights on, save for the final few episodes, which work incredibly well in a dark room. Few things get under your skin as much as Twin Peaks, with such scary scenes handled with perfectly precise timing. For someone who has been watching horror films since I was a child and can usually brush off such things as Paranormal Activity, I was still utterly shocked by the terrifying nature of this series. Let it be said that it is Twin Peaks that pops into my head when I’m walking alone in the dark, not any recent attempts at horror. Whilst not all episodes are upfront fear mongers, the ones that are do it well. For those familiar with Lynch’s 1977 surrealist masterpiece Eraserhead, you will know all too well how competent he is at composing strange and unnerving set pieces.
You’d think that a series with such a huge ensemble of would lose its way in such a limited amount of episodes, yet several story-lines are explored successfully in such a small time frame – and not just for one set of characters. Likewise, each story arch is a captivating one, no matter how minor, major or ultimately unimportant some of the characters are. In a sense, it is similar to Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia (1999), a film of many characters, all of which have extremely gripping stories. As a microcosm of small-town America, Twin Peaks is admirable in its diverse amount of roles and strong attention to detail.
Heading the cast is Kyle MacLachlan, known previously as the likeable protagonist in the aforementioned Blue Velvet, here playing a more adept character. Unlike the naivety of Jeffrey, the quirky character of FBI Agent Dale Cooper is a strong-minded individual. Paired with the humorously named Harry S. Truman (played with rugged sensibility by Michael Ontkean), the two lawmen try to solve the mystery of Laura Palmer’s murder, an already shocking affair, which soon escalates into much more than a by-the-numbers case. Surrounding these two personas are a host of brilliant characters, including the comic relief of Deputy Andy Brennan and his amusingly difficult yet sweetly endearing relationship with receptionist Lucy Moran. Other outstanding characters are that of local businessman Benjamin Horn, played with a commanding presence by Richard Beymer (who played Tony in the film version of West Side Story – when I found out, I shat bricks, you wouldn’t have guessed they were the same person) and his wily daughter Audrey (who would later star as Curly’s wife in the 1992 adaption of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men). Alongside them is Richard Beymer’s West Side Story co star Russ Tamblyn as an eccentric psychologist, Piper Laurie (of Carrie fame) as conniving Catherine Martell, Jack Nance as her husband, looking unrecognisable 15 years after his lead role in Eraserhead and Ray Wise’s as Leland Palmer. The latter would go on to star in under-rated horror film Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003) and the television series Reaper, which gained moderate success. A rich and well chosen cast truly makes this series stronger, including the fantastically elaborate performance later in the series by Kenneth Welsh.
What makes Twin Peaks such a fascinating series, though, is the central enigma. The obscurely named Black Lodge. Every good series need an enigma. Lost had the island, Death Note had the notebook, Flash Forward, cut down in its prime, had the mass blackout, all gripping concepts with the ability to take the viewer in any direction. With The Black Lodge, even the title is intriguing.
As film-critic and chat show host Jonathan Ross once put it, Twin Peaks is ‘the scariest, weirdest and funniest TV series of all time’, a completely accurate statement. Twin Peaks is a one of a kind drama, a unique and unsurpassable landmark that helped establish television as an artistic rival of cinema. With all of its flamboyant and ambitious scenes, juxtaposing with remarkably restrained subtlety, Twin Peaks is a lurid, luscious and laudable cult classic.
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