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| Kyle MacLachlan, Sheryl Lee, Michael Ontkean,
Sherilyn Fenn, Jack Nance, Lara Flynn Boyle, Madchen Amick, Ray Wise,
Joan Chen |
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Anamorphic
widescreen |
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Dolby Digital
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DTS |
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Trailer(s) |
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Featurette(s) |
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Documentary |
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Audio commentary
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Deleted scenes
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Concept art
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Multi-angle
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Gordon Cole (David Lynch): Cooper, you remind me today of a small, Mexican chihuahua.
An
FBI agent in the small northern town of Twin Peaks continues to investigate
the shocking murder of teenage prom queen Laura Palmer.
 It's incredible to realize that five years have gone by since Artisan released the first season of Twin Peaks on DVD in that phenomenal set that included audio commentaries, interviews, featurettes, deleted scenes, and appropriately mystifying interactive menu screens. As overjoyed as David Lynch fans were when that set hit the streets, it ultimately proved to be something of a mixed blessing: for as the pilot was missing due to complicated international copyright issues, sales figures for this costly box set were disappointing, and the planned continuation of Twin Peaks on DVD was indefinitely postponed.
Finally, after numerous rumors, announcements and false alarms, the rights to the series reverted back to Paramount, which has now finally released the second - and final - season on DVD. And as happy as many a Peaks-addict will be, the owls are once again not what they seem, for a complete Twin Peaks DVD collection (including the historic pilot) is scheduled for release later this year, making this second-season release an iffy proposition for many potential buyers. But grouse as we will, there is no hiding the fact that the opportunity to revisit the bulk of Twin Peaks episodes after so many years is a joyous occasion: the 22 episodes from this second run may not be as consistently brilliant as the first season's eight episodes, but even at its worst, the show was still a damn sight scarier, funnier and - well - weirder than pretty much anything we've seen on TV before or since.
After an astonishing 90-minute first episode, the show builds up strongly to the long-awaited revelation of Laura Palmer's killer, after which it loses its focus for a while and meanders through some less convincing, more deliberately nonsensical plot lines. It was during this time that Lynch's direct involvement with the show was put on hold, and it shows. But as the series reaches its final stretch, Lynch once again picks up the reins and steers the show towards a climax that is among the most frustratingly brilliant to ever reach our TV screens.
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Available as a six-disc set for Region 1 .
The
fullscreen image is framed at its original aspect ratio of approx. 1.33:1.
The impressive cinematography, with its deep, rich browns and warm interiors,
is handled terrifically in a new high-definition transfer that looks about as good as the first season (which is high praise indeed).
The soundtrack is presented in its original Dolby Surround and in new Dolby Digital 5.1 mixes, both of which are excellent. The 5.1 mix includes the occasional nifty trick, like an eerie 360? pan of Ronette Pulaski screaming at the start of episode 10, and is otherwise put to good use to support the memorable soundtrack and trademark Lynchian soundscapes.
 The extras on this set aren't by far as wide-ranging as the no-holds-barred supplements on the first season release, but Paramount has still seen fit to include a decent selection of extra features. All episodes are preceded by optional Log Lady introductions,
rather fuzzy-looking oblique intros only vaguely related to the specific
episode, but fun for fans unfamiliar with the Bravo channel re-runs for
which they were scripted and shot by Lynch himself. The other extras all come in the form of short recent interviews with various contributors (writers, directors, cinematographers), which are spread out the first five discs in the collection. The final disc houses new interviews with many of the prominent cast members, which can be accessed through an 'interactive grid' which allows one to listen to their interviews by person or by topic (there's also a 'play all' option). All interviews offer decent value, but few go beyond superficial descriptions of the experience of working on the show. We can only hope that more in-depth analysis and background will surface on some future release.
Dan
Hassler-Forest
Reviewed: April
2, 2007
Click
here for IMDB info on Twin
Peaks .
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