Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (David Lynch Part V)

·51 min·5 clips

They dissect the film's bizarre prologue featuring David Bowie's character and a smashed TV symbolizing Lynch's break from television.

The episode begins with casual banter about recent movies like 'Cuckoo', 'Monkey Man', and 'Daredevil: Born Again'. The hosts then transition to discussing David Lynch's 'Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me', a film they are covering as part of a series on Lynch's work. Ben provides the film's basic details: directed by David Lynch, written with Robert Engels, released in 1992, starring Cheryl Lee and Ray Wise. He notes it chronicles Laura Palmer's last days before her murder. The hosts reflect on their previous viewings, with Ben mentioning a theater screening almost a decade ago. They delve into the film's structure, highlighting a 30-minute prologue involving FBI agents like Chester Desmond and Philip Jeffries, played by David Bowie. This section includes surreal elements like a convenience store scene and a character with a sour face. The hosts analyze Lynch's motivations, suggesting he wanted to break from TV executives and explore Laura Palmer's character more deeply than the series allowed. They praise Cheryl Lee's performance, describing Laura as a complex, troubled figure battling inner darkness. The film's tone is contrasted with the TV show's coziness, emphasizing its cinematic close-ups and emotional intensity. Discussion touches on connections to other Lynch works, such as 'Lost Highway' and 'Mulholland Drive', and the film's evolution into 'Twin Peaks: The Return'. The hosts note the film was booed at Cannes but has gained appreciation over time. They share personal ratings, with Ben and Jordan giving it high scores, and conclude by teasing the next episode on 'Mulholland Drive'.

As heard by us

A loose Lynch-focused episode tests stylish genre pleasures against the stories beneath them.

Another Look returns to David Lynch in a loose, conversational mode, with Ian Killian, Jordan Muschino, and Ben Reilly moving from Cuckoo and Monkey toward Mulholland Drive.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Press play for a loose David Lynch check-in where stylish weirdness keeps running into the need for an actual story.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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