When filmmaker Cameron Cloutier asked me to check out the early version of his film, Queen of Hearts: A Twin Peaks Fan Film, I was immediately interested. Doing re-watches of the Twin Peaks series along with Fire Walk With Me is something I do at least once every few years. Of course Mark Frost's books, The Secret History of Twin Peaks: A Novel and Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier have provided additional content to enjoy, but getting a chance to revisit the Twin Peaks aesthetic while experiencing the characters of Annie Blackburn and Caroline Powell (with several other familiar faces by their sides) in their own original stories was a very unique and exciting journey. Overall I think Queen of Hearts is a clever story with beautiful imagery and a ton of heart from its creator, cast, and crew.
Annie Blackburn (Madison Bates) is still the newly-crowned Miss Twin Peaks and her escape from The Black Lodge after being abducted by Windom Earl (Paul Griffith Springer) drives the majority of the film's events but she's not entirely on her own. Caroline Powell (Charlotte Roi), Earl's wife and move-for-move partner in eccentricity, enjoys a queen-like power over her husband, over a young and eager Agent Cooper (Nico Abiera), and over the developments that would eventually influence Cooper and Annie's experiences in the greater Twin Peaks narrative. Though woven together skillfully, Annie's and Caroline's stories are not just an afterward and beforehand of the original series but also entirely new adventures, themselves: Annie's are vulnerable, powerful, and linked strongly to Major Briggs (Larry Oblander, II); Caroline's are mysterious, worrisome, and linked to Cooper. Once we begin to understand these two queens we can appreciate their similarities, not just in relation to the men they pair with but in relation to things a whole lot bigger in general.
Central to the story is also the concept of place, and the visuals in each scene honor the Twin Peaks locations and landmarks we already know while also introducing new ones, just as interesting. Colors and patterns jump out and captivate while trees, bridges, and familiar signage bring intense feelings of nostalgia. The music choices enhance these visual experiences by offering a just-right balance between pop and instrumental, playful and serious. Though there are questions and impossibilities posed by the narrative, we are well-practiced members of this very specific fandom and we can handle them, always in good hands with these skillful technical elements while waiting for answers and enjoying each aesthetic moment.
Most Twin Peaks fans have their favorites, who they love, who intrigues them, who they want to be. Personally I never really connected to Annie Blackburn as a character before, as a younger viewer I spent most of my time rotating my interest between Laura Palmer's power and Lucy's outfits. After this journey and in taking in the overall theme of the film (no spoilers!), there is definitely a connection, now. This was a fun, inspiring film, and I'm glad to know Annie's out there, much bigger now than any of us ever knew. Here's to the next adventure!
Summary: Doctor Jacoby is beaten by a mysterious assailant; Deputy Andy shoots Jacques Renault; Leo torches the sawmill with Shelly and Catherine inside; Nadine Hurley attempts suicide; Lucy tells Andy she's pregnant; Hank shoots Leo; Ben tries out the new girl at One-Eyed Jack's (who happens to be Audrey), Cooper is shot.
Other Areas of Interest:
*How fitting that among other various talents, Cooper can count cards!
*Jacques drives a goddamned EL CAMINO! YES!
*Nadine's suicide setup is pretty elaborate. Poor Nadine.
*Norma seems to be visibly disgusted by Hank, as we all are.
THOSE GETUPS!
*Leland is starting to lose it.
Rating: 🍩🍩🍩🍩 (Four doughnuts out of four possible)
There are some seriously amazing moments in this episode: 1. Cooper's subtle reaction of disapproval when Jacques, during their interview at One-Eyed Jack's, says that Leo "was doin' a real number on her (Laura)," which was accomplished mainly by a sudden tight closeup on Cooper's eyes, and 2. Sheriff Truman's look of utter fury and badass as he and his team close in on Jacques Renault. What a couple of guys.
I suppose the bigger issue here, the theme, if you will, is that the murder of Laura Palmer has become secondary for Cooper. Even though still an outsider, the crime has now begun to affect Cooper on almost the same level as the others---Truman, Doc Hayward, James, etc., and not just as an agent of the law, there's emotion involved now. He's angry when Jacques nonchalantly brags about the sexual escapades with Laura, just as Truman is when he finally gets his chance to arrest who he believes is Laura's killer. It matters to us in the same way as we too have become invested and want justice.
Old girl finds JR, Dallas, 1980.
What we saw Cooper's dream is the suggestion Cooper will eventually solve Laura's murder, but also that the dream itself was bizarre in a way that only David Lynch could conceive---the room was red and sinister, a little man was speaking in what sounded like backwards-dubbed language, and Laura Palmer whispered into Cooper's ear who her murderer was. It's a valid assumption that Cooper both has grown to care about the people of Twin Peaks AND is intrigued by the mystery of his dream and the strangeness of the events surrounding the murder (I'm mostly referring to Sarah Palmer's visions, The Log Lady, The One-Armed Man, and Cooper's ability to tie all this together to the assumed-to-be-related murder he mentioned at the town meeting). We are on the brink of getting resolution with all this and then, BANG BANG, in a cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers (props back to the old school "Who Shot JR," for paving the way), Cooper goes down. A perfect episode with a perfect half-cadence conclusion to leave us high and dry, waiting for the next season.
Best Lynch Moment: Leo hiding behind the door with an axe
Best Line: "Be quiet, I'm thinking. . ." --Catherine to Shelly as the mill bursts into flames
Twin Peaks Journal
Episode #7, Realization Time
Airdate: May 17, 1990
Written by: Harley Peyton
Directed by: Caleb Deschanel
Summary: Lucy gets the results of her pregnancy test (wait, WUT?); Leo shoots Waldo the bird; Cooper, Truman, and Big Ed go to One-Eyed Jack's; Maddie sets up Doctor Jacoby; Audrey goes undercover at One-Eyed Jack's; someone spies on Doctor Jacoby. Other Areas of Interest:
*Perhaps if Audrey would have postponed her little surprise-I'm-naked-in-your-bed thing with Cooper she might have been better received. . .
*Madchen Amick's acting is stepped-up as Shelly tells Bobby about shooting Leo, I believe it! Go, Shelly, GO! Red nails just like Lula Fortune in the mirror, crying.
*Unicorn=ancient symbol of purity? How ironic for "freshly-scented" perfume counter (One-Eyed Jack's) recruits. I gag thinking about stuff like this actually happening. I want to take all the exploited girls away in a death rig like Furiosa in Fury Road. And what do the hearts next to each counter girl's name mean? Ronnette got like three.
Jacques: That's Me!
*Cooper has wealth of good ideas and seems sophisticated but at heart a gleeful little nerd. I bet he was awesome in shit like chemistry and physics. And quite attractive.
*Poor Jacoby. Innocent in all of this but takes a pretty big fall. And James' constant touching of Maddie is a little creepy. They all should have known that getup was a dead giveaway---Laura would never have worn that many layers of clothing. Maddie looks like a padded preschool teacher with all that garb piled on.
Rating: 🍩🍩 (two doughnuts out of four possible)
So here we are, back at the bizarre stuff again: high school girls getting recruited to whorehouses, talking birds, and Josie being an awkward liar. The anticipation of going to One-Eyed Jack's grows, bringing us toward an exciting conclusion!
The loose ties thus far: Jacques Renault/Leo Johnson (did they kill Laura? And what's up with that bird?), Catherine/Ben/Josie (Who will come out of this one on top?) James/Donna/Maddie/Jacoby (Was there something going on with the shrink?) Hank/Norma/Big Ed/Nadine (just unfortunate, all around). LELAND PALMER (getting creepier and creepier). Best Lynch Moment: Leland, unobserved, sits erect on the couch and watches Maddie sneak out of the house Best Line: "I don't like birds,"--Cooper, when declining to feed Waldo New Characters: Waldo the Myna Bird Coffee, Pie, or Doughnut References: 2 Journal Entry of the Day: The Queen of the Double R, Norma Jennings
Twin Peaks Journal
Episode #6, Cooper's Dreams
Airdate: May 10, 1990
Written by: Mark Frost
Directed by Lesli Linka Glatter
Summary: Cooper, Truman, Doctor Hayward, and Hawk visit the Log Lady and investigate Jacques' cabin; Audrey gets a job at Horne's Department Store; Maddie agrees to help James and Donna; Ben and Josie plot to burn the mill; Leo is assaulted by Hank Jennings and then shot by Shelly.
Audrey greets Cooper in bed (!).
Other Areas of Interest:
*Cooper has no patience for the Icelanders
*Ray Wise really is a genius as Leland. So much crying! All this dancing is just sad, and Catherine just makes it worse by imitating his moves.
*Cooper gets giddy over the Fleshworld situation---"Let's see who's writing to Ronnette!" Sometimes he seems like a little kid.
*Leo's phone call home---I MISS YOU, SHELLY? What, he misses hitting her? I suppose we should assume that he requires service in the bedroom as well as other areas of the house, or maybe Shelly really is just a maid to him? I want to believe that Hank is really just following up on his investment gone bad with Leo, but with the way he was leering at Shelly in the diner, I suspect he might have been thinking of the long game and a future without Leo and maybe a tumble or two with her? Hank is only slightly less disgusting than Leo; his one redeeming factor is that he seems to defer to Norma, who I still cannot believe dated/smashed with/married Hank.
Shut your eyes and you'll burst into flames!
*The Log Lady, Margaret Lanterman, is the first person to openly challenge Cooper in anything, she slaps his hand away from the cookies. How forward of her!
*The lineup shot of the four (Cooper, Truman, Hayward, and Hawk) is really sweet, it makes them all look badass and powerful and it conveys the importance of Jacques' cabin as they all pause, scoping it out before launching into it. Julee Cruise playing softly on that turntable off in the distance just makes it all the more creepy, because why not? (Where we're from the birds sing a pretty song, and there's always music in the air.)
Rating: 🍩🍩 🍩 (Three doughnuts out of four possible)
After watching these episodes several times, it's been fun noticing little nuances that each new or different writer or director brings to his/her production. For example, this episode, written by Frost and directed by LLG has great emotional range and has a somewhat lesser focus on the strange/grotesque factors--(the episodes Lynch writes and directs are the opposite of this). Cooper's childish side, Leland's anguish, and the repeated encounters with the Icleanders' song are interesting situations with big emotions, and these scenes contribute to how the show manages to stay lighthearted and heavy in perfect balance throughout the first season. Nice work.
Best Lynch Moment: Getting to know the Log Lady Best Line: "Wait, what kind of cookies?" ---Hawk New Characters: The Icelandic Investment Group, Emory from Horne's Department Store Coffee, Pie, or Doughnut References: 4 Journal Entry of the Day: Your favorite and mine, Shelly Johnson! I guess I thought she needed an Airstream trailer with some flamingos or something. Poor Shelly. It always made me sad she had to light her cigarettes on the stove (with all that hair just waiting to ignite) and then had to do all Leo's disgusting laundry OUTSIDE. We all want a better life for Shelly.
Twin Peaks Journal
Episode #5, The One-Armed Man
Airdate: May 3, 1990
Written by: Robert Engles
Directed by: Tim Hunter
Summary: Sarah Palmer describes the man she saw in Laura's room; the one-armed man is found; Norma's husband, Hank, is paroled; Cooper and Truman investigate Laura's bird bites; James meets Madeline Ferguson; Leo impresses Ben Horne by killing Bernard Renault and promising to burn down the mill; Cooper searches Jacques Renault's apartment and find Leo's bloody shirt; James and Donna can't find the necklace.
Other Areas of Interest:
*There seems to be some weirdness going on between Leland and Sarah when she's talking to the cops. Is Leland making fun of her "visions?" She seems pretty annoyed with him after he brings up the necklace vision . . .
*Ah, Lucy and Andy are "together," or were, maybe.
*Cooper asks Jacoby if Laura had problems, "Oh my, YES."
SICK.
*Hank is a damned creep. What's up with that domino? Quit putting it in your mouth. Yuck. I can't believe Norma hit that.
*Cooper and Truman stepping up to shoot targets after having emotional conversation about broken hearts is awesome.
Rating; 🍩🍩🍩1/2 (3 and 1/2 doughnuts out of 4 possible)
Things are getting complicated. According to Donna, Laura said her mother was "spooky." How about the fact that both Sarah AND Cooper have had visions/dreams of the same creepy guy? And while Laura's death is the catalyst for the story, it's a far cry from being the only strange occurrence around here. Everyone's either having an affair or plotting to ruin someone's life (with Ben Horne or at the request of Ben Horne). The drama is escalating nicely---at this point really anyone could have killed Laura and it's like a game of Clue over here, trying to narrow it down.
And about the doppelganger theme (introduced first on "Invitation to Love," the soap opera the characters seem to enjoy). See "Mirror Image," on The Twilight Zone for the endgame of all this business.The Madeline Ferguson situation is a giant red flag.
Hey, it's me! Seems legit. . .
Best Lynch Moment: Ben Horne taking "Little Elvis," for a bath. Best Line: "File it under "f" for "forget it,"--Cooper to Gordon Kohl regarding Albert's report on Sheriff Truman New Characters: Gordon Kohl (voice), Hank Jennings Coffee, Pie, or Doughnut References: 1 Journal Entry of the Day: The one, the only, LEO JOHNSON
Twin Peaks Journal
Episode #4, Rest in Pain
Airdate: April 26, 1990
Written by: Harley Peyton
Directed by: Tina Rathbone
Summary: Cooper tells Truman and Lucy about his dream; Truman punches Albert; Maddie Ferguson arrives; Norma Jennings talks to her husband's parole officer; the town attends Laura's funeral; the Bookhouse Boys interrogate Bernard Renault; Josie and Truman get it on; Leland Palmer is slowly losing it.
Other Areas of Interest:
* Cooper flirts with Audrey to get her to give up her handwriting sample. On One-Eyed Jack's---"Women, you know, work there." How subtle!!!
I'm not scared of funerals, I LOVE funerals!
*Bobby reaches up to crucifix at first to perhaps imitate and then to strangle Christ. If only there was something that could get him and his father to communicate!
*Shelly is quite the hit with the old codgers in the diner doing the imitation of Leland falling on the coffin schtick!
Rating: 🍩🍩🍩🍩 (Four doughnuts out of four possible)
We know most of the characters by now, but what about the town as a character? This may sound a bit sentimental, but what makes this episode great and sets it apart from the previous three is that we see the beginning of a change in Cooper (a good one, not a stupid one that comes later when he does that dumb-ass thing and falls in love with an ex-nun), and it's Twin Peaks itself that's driving this.
Cooper starts by pulling rank on Rosenfield for not releasing Laura's body for the funeral, he replaces Laura's hand back on her chest after Rosenfield knocks it off, records a query to Diane about potentially purchasing real estate (in Twin Peaks), and then joins Truman's little secret society to look into a crime that has absolutely nothing to do with Laura Palmer. He's becoming invested in the community! It's a hidden, creepy little town, but there's something about it we're all drawn to . . .
"We all knew she was in trouble,"
Best Lynch Moment: Leland Palmer pitching abruptly onto coffin Best Line: "To Laura, Godspeed." --Cooper New Characters: Madeline Ferguson, Joey Paulson, Bernard Renault Coffee, Pie, or Doughnut References:4 Journal Entry of the Day: Maddie
Twin Peaks Journal
Episode #3: Zen, or the Skill to Catch a Killer
Airdate: April 19, 1990
Written by: David Lynch and Mark Frost
Directed by: David Lynch
Summary: Ben and brother Jerry go to card-suit themed brothel; Bobby and Mike have been involved in drug deals with Leo Johnson, who wants more money; Cooper uses an ancient Tibetan rock-throwing technique to narrow down list of people of interest; Albert Rosenfield arrives; Nadine is successful in inventing silent drape runners; Cooper dreams of Laura.
Other Areas of Interest:
*Ben and Jerry with those Brie sandwiches---there seems to be some innuendo implied with these sandwiches that I really don't care to explore any deeper, although Jerry looks down at the sandwich when discussing Laura's death, was there something more between them?
*Doc Hayward uses good old-fashioned intimidation to orchestrate his daughters' chastity---"Will you be joining us for church tomorrow, Donna?" Eh, James is dim enough, it probably was all that was needed.
DOUGHNUT AND COFFEE TABLE!!!
*The new girl at One-Eyed Jacks looks very much like Laura Dern (Lula? is that you?)
*When Cooper throws the rocks for each "J" name, two rocks hit stumps, James Hurley and Josie Packard. All the other rocks must mean something, right?
*Cooper smiles big when Laura kisses him in the dream . . . (!)
Rating: 🍩🍩🍩🍩 (Four doughnuts out of four possible)
This is one of my favorite episodes. You really get a firm sense of direction in the Lynch-helmed ones, and this has it. There's something giddy and immature about Ben and Jerry Horne together, being naughty and going off to screw whores, just as there are cheesy moments peppered throughout the episode (Ben serenading Blackie, Big Ed and Norma, Lucy babbling on about which names to erase, and so on) but Lynch gives everything just the perfect amount of silly time and then cuts before it gets to be too much because just as you start to think things are silly or cheesy all the time, you get a Leo Johnson scene or that red room at the end, and things are dark and serious as hell, reminding us all that in the middle of all the doughnuts and coffee and dorking around, some pretty sinister stuff has been going on, too. Balance. Without it the show would be all soap opera or all violence instead of a skillful weaving of both, at once.
Best Lynch Moment: THAT RED ROOM AT THE END Best Line: "Leo needs a new pair of shoes!" --Leo, shining light onto own feet. New Characters: Jerry Horne, Blackie O'Reilly, Albert Rosefield, Little Man Dancing Coffee, pie, or doughnut references: 6 Journal Entry of the Day: These two, Bob and Leland (shudder).
Twin Peaks Journal
Episode #2, "Traces to Nowhere"
Airdate: April 8, 1990
Written by: David Lynch, Mark Frost
Directed by: Duwayne Dunham
Summary: Cooper receives preliminary autopsy report
of Laura Palmer; Leo criticizes Shelly for neglecting to
do his hidden bag of laundry, then becomes angry because whoops his bloody shirt was in there; the high school boys get sprung from the clink.
Pete makes coffee and has a problem with a fish, Catherine and Ben are having an old-person affair with each other; Deputy Hawk sees a one-armed man; the Log Lady's log will someday have something to say; Leo abuses Shelly; Dr. Jacoby has the necklace, Sarah Palmer sees some scary-ass dude in a vision at the foot of her daughter's bed. Who the hell was that?
yeah, NO.
Other Areas of Interest
* Cooper seems intrigued by/suspicious of Audrey immediately.
*Leo's truck: BIG PUSSYCAT. (??)
*Ronnette's father's tone is amusing, "She used to joke, it was the sweetest-smelling job she ever had." Has she had other, less-sweet-smelling jobs, then?
*Norma seems a bit cold toward Cooper until he orders more pie.
*Leo putting the soap in the sock to give Shelly a "code red,"---was he a Marine like Bobby Peru?
Gross.
I love your hair, Donna! #CutsbyToad
Rating: 🍩🍩🍩 (Three doughnuts out of four possible)
This episode takes us further and offers a bit more information on the lead-up to Laura's murder and what was happening with everyone else in town. For example, Josie and Sheriff Truman are involved; Catherine and Ben Horne are involved; Shelley and Bobby are involved, Big Ed and Norma, and so on. And there seems to be some confusion or at least complications over who Laura Palmer really was---was she the coke-snorting homecoming queen dating the quarterback, or the picnic-dancing sweetheart dating the biker? Tutoring Josie in English, organizing meals on wheels, tutoring Johnny Horne? She seems really over-scheduled, I'd probably need cocaine, too.
Best Lynch Moment: Cooper meeting Audrey---"Do your palms ever itch?" Best Line: "By God those things will be quiet now!"--Nadine Hurley New Characters: "The Bookhouse Boys," the One-Armed Man Coffee, pie, or doughnut references: 9 Journal Entry of the Day: Hey there, Sarah! Have a smoke on me, kay?
TWIN PEAKS JOURNAL
Pilot Episode
Airdate: April 8, 1990
Written by: David Lynch and Mark Frost
Directed by: David Lynch
Summary: Welcome to Twin Peaks, Washington! A guy goes out fishing and happens upon the dead body of a young woman, wrapped in plastic. As the community grieves the loss of the girl, Laura Palmer, an FBI Special Agent rolls into town, ready to guide the local law enforcement as they try to discover who killed her.
Other areas of interest:
* A girl named Audrey Horne (Sherilyn Fenn) delightfully spoils her father's business deal
* Two high school dudes, Mike (Gary Hershberger) and Bobby (Dana Ashbrook), act douchey
* Biker guy and girl with the decade's greatest mushroom cut bury a necklace
* Sarah Palmer (Grace Zabriskie) seems to have heightened senses about her daughter and could stand to lay off the Virginia Slim 120s. Damn.
*The pilot opens on a shot of the very lovely Josie Packard (Joan Chen) in front of a mirror, messing with her lips. As we see more, Ms. Packard has a very "kept woman" vibe, but there is definitely more than meets the eye going on with her. First name starts with "J," though, just in case that becomes important later on . . .
*That ceiling fan is creepy.
*Dr. Jacoby (Russ Tamblyn) seems a bit . . . touched (to use proper psychological terms, affect is off, giggling at inappropriate moments, improperly forward with Cooper). He's probably on drugs.
*"Nervous about meeting "J" tonight," WHICH J? This is a mystery!!!
*Is that bank clerk Sheryl Lee dressed up in a wig and huge glasses? VERY FUNNY, LYNCH. I guess he just couldn't get enough of her.
Okay, maybe it's a beer.
*WHAT THE HELL IS THIS CAT LEO JOHNSON DRINKING, CREME DE MENTHE? This is my favorite thing visually, so far. It's like he's this badass macho trucker but yet takes pulls from his fancy-bottled liqueur whilst threatening his wife for smoking multiple cigarette brands.
And it's hard for me to decide whose perm I enjoy more, Leo's or Shelley's. Do I need to say I disapprove of spousal abuse and how he belittles her? I DISAPPROVE.
Rating: 🍩🍩🍩🍩 ( 4 doughnuts out of 4 possible).
Overall, the way this pilot was written and directed really make it an outstanding television achievement. Nothing like this had been done on network television before---things like Pete Martell's constant mumbling to himself, the slow dolly down the empty hall in the high school while the principal announces Laura's death, Cooper's excitement over pie and coffee, and the unconventional pauses between lines of dialogue, reaction shots, and the nagging feeling that something is a bit off with every single person in this community--this is what happens when an amazing director does television.
Finally, Laura's Page from my journal:
Oh, and spoilers, I guess.
Kind of a lot has happened since then but I still dig on all this and as always, have things to say, so as the Black-Eyed Peas so eloquently put it, let's get it started. I'll try to be brief, poignant, and entertaining (and I'll be failing at 1 and 2).
HIT RESET.
1. HOMELAND (spoilers)
I'm a huge fan of Homeland, have been since the beginning. I think we actually left Christmas of 2013 early in order to get home and finish the season we'd been binge watching that week, and with the exception of season 4, I've enjoyed each consecutive year's offering. And as a bloated, self-important, longtime fan, I'll even go on record and say I thought they did a great job this year.
From what Twitter has to say, people were really piss-and-vinegared about the finale--Quinn's er, resolution, as it were, and sure, it was unfortunate. You know what else is unfortunate? EVERYTHING ELSE ON THAT SHOW. Oh, you liked Brody? Yeah, things went poorly for him. You enjoyed Saul and Mira together? Yeah, no more of that. David Estes? Farrah? Dana Brody? Just kidding, everyone thought Dana Brody was an insufferable brat, but whatever. These were all interesting, well-written, well-developed characters and all of them had bad things happen to them because it's a show about THE CIA. No one gets a fun, happy life, least of all Carrie and least of all Quinn. If you wanted an ending where they frolicked off into the sunset I think you may have been watching the wrong show.
Quinn was a legit badass, one of my very favorite characters of all the shows I'm invested in. What made him so striking was that he was damaged and competent---the best at his job, but intelligent enough to know that the job he was so very good at was killing him, little by little. Many times the writing referenced Quinn's desire to leave intelligence, but someone or something always pulled him back in and because he was the best black ops agent Dar Adal had ever recruited, he got every shit job that came along because no one ever got 'er done like Quinn. (We don't ever want to know what happens on the wall, we just know that we want him on that wall, we need him on that wall.)
What happened to Quinn in Berlin was terrible, and what happened to him after was terrible. Yeah, he was in love with Carrie. Yes, it would have been nice if they got together and left the life to go raise Frannie and Hop on a beach somewhere, but it was never gonna happen. If Quinn didn't have a stroke, something else would have done it, because EVERYTHING ON THIS SHOW IS UNPLEASANT. Maybe I've spent too much time watching Kathryn Bigelow's films, but people who have difficult jobs often times don't get a lot of blissful moments. I think Quinn got that, and so did Carrie. He did a noble, selfless thing in the end, not just for Carrie but for the PEOTUS, as well. Too bad she turned out to be such a snake in the grass. I know I'm probably in the minority here, but I'm very excited to see what they do with that dynamic next year---remember all those years with Evil President Charles Logan on 24? Everyone loved hating that guy.
Salutes to Rupert Friend for his amazing portrayal of Peter Quinn, here's one of my faves of his:
2. TWIN PEAKS
This guy!
May 21 is the premiere date of the new Twin Peaks reboot, a two-hour long episode! I've started a re-watch and plan on dropping these creepy little reviews I did of the show the first time I watched all the episodes back in the 90s which referenced things like
Best Lynch Moment: Cooper meeting Audrey, "Do your palms ever itch?" Best Line: "By God those things will be quiet now!" --Nadine Coffee, Pie, or Doughnut Count: 9
I don't want to know anything beforehand, but Kyle MacLachlan has been extremely active on Twitter, answering questions live and liking/retweeting a ton, so that's been pretty rad. I think they're all as excited as we are! See you there? SEE YOU THERE.
3. I'm teaching a Tarantino filmclass for Minneapolis community ed this spring, which is pretty much the class I've been wanting to teach since I started doing film classes there in 2012. Wednesday nights, 7pm. Link below, if you're interested. Need to be at least 16, kids, and FYI, films will contain violence.
". . . .he is perceived and celebrated in some quarters not as an integral part of this country's ideological mainstream but as a serious artist subverting the American soil from within. . . "
"It could be argued, morever, that Lynch's increasing visibility and popularity is largely a function of the fresh contexts in which his work has appeared. Compared to ERASERHEAD, BLUE VELVET is like a TV soap opera, and compared to BLUE VELVET, TWIN PEAKS seems formally unadventurous and fairly tame in terms of subject matter; but compared with other TV serials, TWIN PEAKS looked like a bolt from the blue. . . ."
**maybe. But cinema and television are completely different as mass media. You cannot make ERASERHEAD television, not back at that time, anyway. No one would have watched it or gotten it except for Lynch fans. (I think all this was taken from the collection FULL OF SECRETS edited by David Lavery, who also edited a collection together on The Sopranos called THIS THING OF OURS. This guy is seriously my intellectual media-idol)
"In my opinion, the first problem---the important problem in our world--is the problem of dissemination, and it's the conception of this dissemination that may lead to catastrophe. The way it's used now, the influence of the masses leads to nothing but the scattering of material. For example, think of a liter of wine: it's certainly sufficient when shared by three or four people. But if we want this same liter of wine to be shared by one thousand people, we have to put water in it, and then it's useless. We have to wonder whether something like this doesn't happen in the process of dissemination." ---Jean Renoir.
Renoir made political films. Poetic realism, French cinema after the first world war. Was of course an artist but always dealt with societal issues, rich/poor, government, etc. This is not what Lynch does, but Lynch is still an artist making comments on society. Whereas Renoir had weightier issues on his agenda, American directors (generally, and even more today) tackle issues using a bubble gum approach by showing us ridiculous situations we think are important but are really just trivial. No one is say, starving to death usually, even in a very serious film. No one is sitting in a back alley somewhere without water to drink or without clothing to keep them warm. American audiences are not usually accustomed to seeing children or babies die. These things happen the world over, but in cinema, as in life, we close our eyes to them.
The event is a spectacle; uniting the community (WATCHING TWIN PEAKS was this way, back in the day, like Dallas, The Sopranos, Lost, etc.)
Laura=event, even before her death. This unfolds during the pilot episode, showing how everyone was connected to Laura.
theoretically speaking, the event of Laura's death mirrors TELEVISION as a medium, its ability to connect everyone as well.
genre: detective story vs. soap opera vs. lynch cinema (art). which elements are more? make a list or chart.
is Twin Peaks cinematic (like the Sopranos)?
writing. how the genre in the first season compares to what happens in second?
narratives in detective stories vs. narratives in soap operas. usually detectives are not so clean. Coop is special, flawed, but we don't find this out until the second season. Coop is almost unhuman: robotic hand gestures, philosophical/divorced from emotion (at first) from Laura's death/omnipotent in knowledge and instinct. . .
What of the NEATNESS of the first season? Ends on a bit of a half-cadence, true, but wrapped up nicely too!
(decline). This happens in mafia narratives. You never see anything through to the end that isn't heading into the guttter.
America: small town vs. city: Albert Rosenfeld factors in here largely, Maddie too?
secrets: who has them, how many people know about them
GIRLS in America. Is this really going on? (sex, drugs, abuse?) with homecoming queens?
innocence vs. evil in both Leland and Laura.
airdate: May 23, 1990 director: Mark Frost writer: Mark Frost
Summary: Jacoby is beaten by a mysterious assailant; Deputy Andy Brennan shoots Jacques who survives; Leo torches the sawmill with Shelley and Catherine inside; Nadine Hurley tries to kill herself; Lucy tells Andy she's pregnant; Hank shoots Leo; Ben goes to try out the new girl (Audrey); Cooper is shot by a mysterious gunman.
****four star rating: Let's Rock!
Notes: How fitting that among all his other various talents, Coop can also COUNT CARDS! The close up on Coop's eyes ROCKS when Jacques unfeelingly describes Leo "doing a number" on Laura as if it were funny. ROCK ON! Jacques drives an El Camino? Of course he does. Harry walking up to Jacques with such a pissed off look is PRICELESS!!! Truman is the hottest thing in this show. Some of the shots here maek me want to cry with amazement. Even the look on James' face is good after hearing scathing remarks about himself while listening to Laura's tape. And normally I just want to punch James (and Donna) in the face. Nadine's suicide attempt is really elaborate! Norma seems physically (visually) disgusted by Hank; so am I. Leland is starting to lose it.
Best Lynch moment: Leo hiding behind the door with an axe.
Best Line: "BE QUIET! I'm thinking. . . ." Catherine to Shelley while the mill is on fire.
airdate: May 17, 1990 director: Caleb Deschanel writer: Harley Peyton
Summary: Lucy gets the result of her pregnancy test; Leo shoots Waldo; Cooper, Truman, and Ed Hurley go to One-Eyed Jack's; Maddie sets up Jacoby; Audrey goes undercover at One-Eyed Jack's; someone spies on Dr. Jacoby.
**two star rating: My Log Does Not Judge
notes: Perhaps if Audrey would have just *postponed* her little naked-in-bed stunt she would have been better received by Cooper. Shelley's (Madchen's) acting is actually all right when telling Bobby about shooting Leo. Unicorn=ancient symbol of purity, how ironic for the "freshly scented" perfume counter One-Eyed Jack's recruits. Cooper has a lot of good ideas and seems to me like a sophisticated and giddy nerd. Quite attractive, though. I feel really bad for Jacoby, innocent in all this. Poor hippy.
Best Lynch Moment: Leland watching (unobserved) Maddie sneak out of the house.
Best line: I DON'T LIKE BIRDS. --Coop, declining to feed Waldo.
New Characters: Waldo the Myna Bird, Mysterious Asian Man
airdate: May 10, 1990 director: Leslie Linka Glatter writer: Mark Frost
Summary: Cooper and Truman visit the Log Lady and investigate Jacques' cabin (and find Waldo); Audrey gets a job at Horne's Department Store; Maddie agrees to help James and Donna; Ben and Josie plot to burn the sawmill; Hank beats up Leo; Shelley shoots Leo; Cooper finds Audrey in his bed.
***three star rating: Stab it and Steer
Notes: Coop gets a little giddy and boyish when getting excited over Fleshworld? LET'S SEE WHO'S WRITING TO RONNETTE! Margaret is the first one to challenge Coop by slapping his hand away from the cookies. What's up with Leo telling Shelley he misses her (out of the blue)? Nice shot of the four dudes lining up one at a time to look at Jacques' cabin.
Best Lynch Moment: The Log Lady
Best Line: "---not much meat on her, though." Hank Jennings, ABOUT SHELLEY JOHNSON.
airdate: May 3, 1990 director: Tim Hunter writer: Robert Engels
Summary: Sarah Palmer gives the detectives a description of Bob; the one-armed man (Philip Gerard) is found; Hank Jennings is paroled; Cooper investigates a veterinarian and learns about Waldo the myna bird; James meets Madeline; Leo kills Bernard; Ben Horne hired Leo to burn down the sawmill; the detectives search Jacques Renault's apartment; Donna and James search for the other half of the necklace.
*** three star rating: Stab it and steer!
Notes: What is up with Sarah's taking offense at Leland's telling Truman about the necklace vision? The theme from "Invitation to Love" is quite like Twin Peaks music. Affair between Lucy and Andy is revealed. "Oh my, yes!" Dr. Jacoby answers when asked if Laura had sexual problems. I rather enjoy Truman's hip little pacific northwest outfits. What is with that snowman in the sheriff's office? Coop and Truman stepping up to shoot the targets after having an emotional and deep conversation is AWESOME. Most of my favorite shots are these; Coop and Truman being all lawman hot and powerful.
Best Lynch moment: Ben Horne taking LITTLE ELVIS for a bath? Gross.
Best line: "File it under 'F' for 'Forget it.'"--Cooper to Gordon Kohl
airdate: April 26, 1990 director: Tina Rathbone writer: Harley Peyton
Summary: Cooper tells Sheriff Truman about his dream; Truman punches Albert; Madeleine Ferguson arrives; Norma Jennings talks to Hank's parole officer; the town attends Laura's funeral; Cooper meets the Bookhouse Boys; Truman interrogates Bernard Renault; Jacques Renault warns Leo about Truman's interest in their activities; Josie and Truman make love; Leland Palmer breaks down several times.
**** four star rating: Let's Rock!
Notes: Coop is very flirtatious with Audrey--nice touch asking her about women and One-Eyed Jack's. Wonderful scene replacing Laura's hand on her chest after Albert knocks it down. Coop is now more sympathetic and connected to Laura after having the dream about her. Bobby reaches up toward the large crucifix at first to imitate Christ on the cross but then to choke him instead? Jacoby helping Johnny Horne is very touching. Shelley seems to be quite the hit with the old codgers at the diner. Closes with the red stop light. The afterlife?
Best Lynch moment: Leland pitching onto the coffin
New Characters: Madeleine Ferguson, Joey Paulson, Bernard Renault
airdate: April 19, 1990 director: David Lynch writers: David Lynch and Mark Frost
Summary: Ben and Jerry go to One-Eyed Jack's; Leo orders Mike and Bobby to come up with the rest of the drug money; Cooper introduces his rock throwing technique; Albert Rosenfeld arrives; Nadine invents silent drape runners; Cooper has a dream of BOB, Mike, and the little man from another place.
**** four star rating: Let's Rock!
Notes: Ben's eager look at the brie sandwich is funny; does the sandwich remind him of those chicks down by the river because of the crotchy cheese smell or what? Jerry looks down at the sandwich when discussing Laura's death; was he screwing her too? Reference to "freshly scented" new girl at One-Eyed Jack's. Nice mention of church by Dr. Hayward when leaving his daughter alone with James. Blackie is very slinky. The new girl in this episode is VERY Lula Fortune. Interesting night shots of the falls. Who is that in the woods with Leo? When Coop throws the rocks, they hit the stumps for James and Josie, both with whom Laura has had sex. Mrs. Hayward notices Audrey at the diner--interesting connection. Lucy is reading a large book on Tibet--awesome. LOVE Coop's smile when Laura kisses him in the dream. Cute jammies.
Best Lynch Moment: Intro to the red room in the Black Lodge.
Best Line: "LEO NEEDS A NEW PAIR OF SHOES!" while shining flashlight down at shoes.
New Characters: Jerry Horne, Blackie O'Reilly, Albert Rosenfeld, Little Man from Another Place
airdate: April 12, 1990 director: Duwayne Dunham writers: David Lynch, Mark Frost
Summary: Cooper receives the preliminary autopsy report; Shelley finds Leo's bloody shirt; Cooper watches the video of Laura at the picnic; James, Bobby, and Mike are released; Pete discovers a fish in his percolator; Catherine and Ben plot to burn the saw mill; Deputy Hawk sees the one-armed man; the Log Lady promises that "one day my log will have something to say;" Leo beats Shelley; Dr. Jacoby has the necklace.
*** Three star rating. Stab it and steer.
Notes: Cooper seems intrigued and suspicious of Audrey immediately. Leo's truck is "Big Pussycat." Laura and Donna's dancing is heinous. People around here say "not exactly" a lot. Josie slinking around the house in her scant nightgown is rather inappropriate. Bright red dress? (Lil?) Ronnette's father's tone is amusing, "she used to joke, it was the sweetest-smelling job she ever had. . . " Was it a rule that all women had to wear knee-length skirts? I enjoy Behmer as Ben Horne. Norma seems cold toward Cooper until he orders more pie. Good code red with the soap in the sock when Leo assults Shelley. Was Leo an ex-Marine like Bobby Peru? Dr. Jacoby has an obnoxious way of eating.
Best Lynch moment: Cooper and Audrey: DO YOUR PALMS EVER ITCH?
Best line: BY GOD THOSE THINGS WILL BE QUIET NOW! --Nadine Hurley
New Characters: The "Bookhouse Boys," the one-armed man
