Twin Peaks returns in 2016 on Showtime (1 Viewer)

[donniecasali]

Apparently Mark Frost has a second book coming out October 31 too: Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier.

From Amazon:


Also, to anyone who read the first one... is there anything that would be missed by reading an ebook version over the hard copy?

I found the ebook almost impossible to read. The hardcover version is a far more rewarding experience. By all means go the old-fashioned way.

 

[Joe_H]

I had a feeling that was the case (though I admit to not looking at the Amazon reviews). I figured not quite as... convoluted as the Danielewski books I needed to get physical copies of, but probably not too far off.

 

[Tino]

So, the writing, the acting, the photography, and the effects on this show are all for the most part...horrible. The sound design and the level of weirdness though keep me tuning in. Can't say if I will watch this again. I would watch certain episodes again, like the "Got a light?" episode which is likely my favorite so far.

You are wrong on every account except Got A Light.

And that's a fact, NOT an opinion!

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Here's a nice article about the show from the Washington Post's television critic:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/ente...2e5cf46c1e2_story.html?utm_term=.6a2347b4759a

(The article compares this year's Peaks to the latest season of Game Of Thrones. I don't watch GOT and have no interest in watching it in the future, so if the article had spoilers about the show, they didn't stand out to me as such. So maybe if you care about seeing GOT without spoilers, don't read.)

 

[Tino]

Here's a nice article about the show from the Washington Post's television critic:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/ente...2e5cf46c1e2_story.html?utm_term=.6a2347b4759a

(The article compares this year's Peaks to the latest season of Game Of Thrones. I don't watch GOT and have no interest in watching it in the future, so if the article had spoilers about the show, they didn't stand out to me as such. So maybe if you care about seeing GOT without spoilers, don't read.)

I just gotta say Josh. I'm shocked you don't watch GOT. I've read your reasons and I still feel if you gave it a real chance you would LOVE it. And consider it one of the finest TV shows you have ever seen. I'm sure of it.

Just sayin

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Tino, please believe me when I say I am absolutely sure I would not be interested.

Beyond what I saw when I tried to watch it on my own, I have coworkers who like to watch it at work. My wife watches it every week. I've seen pieces of tons of episodes, I've heard story synopses for almost everything that happens, and I'm just not interested. Before it was even a series, a colleague tried to sell me on the novels from George RR Martin, and I wasn't interested in those either. Everything about the show makes me not interested in watching it, and whenever I see something from it, I'm relieved to not be watching it. I wish I didn't know as much about it as I did. I mean, I intentionally don't watch the show, and yet, I still have to hear about every main character who dies, I still have to hear about every bit of sexual violence on the show, I still have to hear about every bit of nudity, I still have to hear about dragons, or geography not matching up, or whatever the news of the day is. Without ever specifically engaging anyone in a Game Of Thrones conversation, or specifically reading an article about the show, I somehow manage to pick up everything that happens in it anyway. Honestly, it's a bit frustrating that I've made a conscious choice not to watch this show, and yet I still have to hear all about it all the time anyway. (Tino, certainly not blaming you for that! It's just not possible to log in to a computer or be out in public the day after an episode airs without seeing it everywhere.)

I know there are a lot of people out there that love it, and I understand that objectively speaking, it's a well-made show with a lot to admire. But it is absolutely not a show for me.

 

[Tino]

Fair enough.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

So, the writing, the acting, the photography, and the effects on this show are all for the most part...horrible.

You've definitely got a lot of company with that opinion, but I disagree. The writing and acting are different from everything else on television, but (with the exception of maybe Chrysta Bell) not at all horrible. I think Kyle MacLachlan is doing some of the best work of his career on this. Dark Coop, Dougie, Cooper trapped as "Dougie" and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Dale Cooper are all very distinct performances. Only in the latter two is there any bleed though, and there should be.

The other actors are doing exactly what's required of them.

The writing doesn't obey any of the rules of television writing, but that doesn't make it bad. The abrupt tonal shifts, the diversions into surreal non sequiturs, the fuzziness of the timelines, the at times glacial pacing: it all works beautifully for me.

And there will not be a greater moment in television all year than:

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

You are wrong on every account except Got A Light.

And that's a fact, NOT an opinion!

 

[TravisR]

The writing doesn't obey any of the rules of television writing, but that doesn't make it bad. The abrupt tonal shifts, the diversions into surreal non sequiturs, the fuzziness of the timelines, the at times glacial pacing: it all works beautifully for me.

All those abnormal things about it are exactly why I think it's so damn great.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

You've definitely got a lot of company with that opinion, but I disagree. The writing and acting are different from everything else on television, but (with the exception of maybe Chrysta Bell) not at all horrible. I think Kyle MacLachlan is doing some of the best work of his career on this. Dark Coop, Dougie, Cooper trapped as "Dougie" and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Dale Cooper are all very distinct performances. Only in the latter two is there any bleed though, and there should be.

The other actors are doing exactly what's required of them.

The writing doesn't obey any of the rules of television writing, but that doesn't make it bad. The abrupt tonal shifts, the diversions into surreal non sequiturs, the fuzziness of the timelines, the at times glacial pacing: it all works beautifully for me.

I agree that much of what is done is intentional to give things that off kilter feel that the show is known for. I think many effects, particularly in the "Got a light?" episode probably do look much the way Lynch wanted them to look.

It is not my intention to run the show down or complain...I am happy to have Lynch back working and this was a pretty huge project to return with but a lot of what I see looks sloppy, quickly done, and often poorly edited. The show does not seem to be photographed with any of the elegance of his earlier work and often comes across...to me...as a crude imitation of David Lynch.

The acting in his work often tends to be over the top to crazed. Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet is plays Frank very broad and it works. Here though it feels like much of this kind of thing comes across flat and as if it was done mostly on the first or second take.

Some of the acting is funny. I agree Kyle seems to be having a lot of fun and is pretty amusing. Dark Cooper has been one of if not my favorite character in the show. Dougie, his wife, and son are...well...grating. Most of the minor characters appear to have been pulled in off the street to deliver a line and operate on a level lower than a grade school play. I get the sense we are supposed to think that's funny...but the joke wears thin over 18 hours.

I mean this show plays like a group of friends got together and just screwed around shooting goofball scenes they mostly improvise. Other than certain moments or an episode like "Got a Light?" that seem like Lynch again working at his peak most of this show feels fairly tepid.

Am I having fun watching it? Sure, most of the time I am just enjoying that Lynch is back and portions of the story are interesting. Then there are all the gags...and those don't play as well for me.

 

[TravisR]

The show does not seem to be photographed with any of the elegance of his earlier work and often comes across...to me...as a crude imitation of David Lynch.

I will agree that this doesn't look much like Lynch's other work. I attribute that to him using digital instead of film and the evolution of his style since making the switch to digital. I think Mulholland Drive was the last time he shot on film (that was definitely his last theatrical feature on film but I'm talking shorts, music videos, website stuff) and that was over 15 years ago now so that's a pretty long time to have adjusted to the different medium.



As an aside, I hope everything is cool with GregSH and his family & friends since he lives in Texas.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I mean this show plays like a group of friends got together and just screwed around shooting goofball scenes they mostly improvise.

I genuinely don't see it that way. And, for what it's worth, nothing in the show is improvised. During the Comic Con panel, the cast joked that James Belushi got an on-set ribbing from Lynch the moment he tried an improv in a take.

 

[Greg_S_H]

As an aside, I hope everything is cool with GregSH and his family & friends since he lives in Texas.

Thanks, Travis. I'm in the Dallas area, so everything's fine outside of the gas lines that have developed today. The last time I talked to John Williamson (early 2016), though, he was moving to Houston. Hope he's okay.

 

[TravisR]

Thanks, Travis. I'm in the Dallas area, so everything's fine outside of the gas lines that have developed today. The last time I talked to John Williamson (early 2016), though, he was moving to Houston. Hope he's okay.

I saw your location is North Texas so I figured you were good but it's nice to have confirmation. I hope John Williamson is safe and I hope he finally pops in again just because he was always a good guy.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

It is not my intention to run the show down or complain...I am happy to have Lynch back working and this was a pretty huge project to return with but a lot of what I see looks sloppy, quickly done, and often poorly edited.

I see the "poorly edited" comment from a lot of different people and a lot of different sites, and I don't get it at all.

The acting in his work often tends to be over the top to crazed. Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet is plays Frank very broad and it works. Here though it feels like much of this kind of thing comes across flat and as if it was done mostly on the first or second take. Duwayne Dunham won an Emmy for directing the pilot, and deservedly so: The "Twin Peaks" pilot is a true work of art, and the editing is a huge part of that. None of the subsequent episodes in the original series, including the episodes that Dunham directed, ever quite recaptured that intangible magic.

Frost and Lynch writing all of the episodes, and Lynch directing them all, understandably gets a lot of attention. But Lynch's decision to bring Dunham back as editor for every episode of this revival is arguably just as important to the revival's success. Each week, I find myself doing the same thing I did with the pilot, leaning in toward the glowing screen, completely entranced. It's not a passive experience; the show doesn't present its narrative for consumption, it requires a degree of mental participation. Very few of the choices are conventional. Compared to a slick, polished production like "Westworld" (which I also love) scenes and beats go on too long, or cut off abruptly. Conversations arrive devoid of context and disconnected from everything else. Story threads are dropped entirely without resolution. And yet the cumulative effect is more powerful than the slick, polished productions like "Westworld"; it holds my attention differently, and my mind's grappling with it for the entire week between episodes. Thanks to Showtime's Roku app, I find myself revisiting episodes, skipping around to analyze or simply admire sequences that made a particular impression. Somehow Dunham recaptured the magic, by doing something completely different.

Some of the acting is funny. I agree Kyle seems to be having a lot of fun and is pretty amusing. Dark Cooper has been one of if not my favorite character in the show. Dougie, his wife, and son are...well...grating. Most of the minor characters appear to have been pulled in off the street to deliver a line and operate on a level lower than a grade school play. I get the sense we are supposed to think that's funny...but the joke wears thin over 18 hours.

There are a lot of moments and quirks and beats that generate laughter, but the show's never just funny for me. The stuff with a partially "asleep" Cooper trapped inside Dougie's life tried my patience, and the behavior of those around him didn't track with the reality of confronting someone with such diminished capacity. But there was tremendous poignancy underlying those scenes. MacLachlan could have just gone for laughs as "Dougie", and it would have fallen completely flat. He gets the laughs, yes, but what he conveys is the wistfulness of someone lost to himself, of a man out of time and out of place. And part of why Cooper's enemies are continually frustrated despite him being as innocent and vulnerable as a toddler, is because Cooper's innate decency and kindness shines through even though the vessel is deeply flawed.

Then there are all the gags...and those don't play as well for me.

It's definitely an acquired taste. There are definitely plenty of things that other people love and appreciate that do absolutely nothing for me. I'm sorry this isn't hitting the sweet spot for you, Reggie, because this is an entertainment experience the likes of which I've never experienced before, and don't anticipate having the pleasure of again.

Everything else, including some really out there stuff like "The Leftovers", will seem tamer and more conventional in the aftermath.

 

[TravisR]

Everything else, including some really out there stuff like "The Leftovers", will seem tamer and more conventional in the aftermath.

Even a show like Mr. Robot, which is flat out audacious (especially in its bold cinematography), will seem more tame after Twin Peaks.

 

[Tino]

I saw your location is North Texas so I figured you were good but it's nice to have confirmation. I hope John Williamson is safe and I hope he finally pops in again just because he was always a good guy.

John Williamson is my friend on FB. I know he recently got married too. Gonna try and reach out to him.

 

[Tino]

Just heard from John.

Here is his reply.

Hey Tino! We're fine, it was crazy here for a couple of days, the water got very close to our apartment but thankfully didn't get in and we never lost power. How have you been my friend? Thanks for checking in on us.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I see the "poorly edited" comment from a lot of different people and a lot of different sites, and I don't get it at all.

Well, the feel of the editing I should say is often also defined by the shots the editor has to work from and oddly, to me as a big fan of David Lynch, many of these shots just are not very good. So, perhaps the editor is doing the best he can with what he has. Don't get me wrong here, some episodes are beautifully edited...I will once again cite "Got a light?" but everything in that episode is basically classic, wonderful, Lynch. The shots are wonderfully imaginative, look of the characters and sets, the acting is weird and delightful, and the photography is beautiful. When I watched that episode I was like "Wow, this must be the turning point in the show. This is where Lynch is going to step on the gas."

Nope, it was just a fantastic hour that showed Lynch still has it and can be utterly amazing...when and if he wants to. Then we went right back into the sort of Hardy Boys mocking a soap opera kitsch that is the hallmark of this show. I mean I am happy we have Cooper back for the final two part finale and really, I have enjoyed watching the show but I feel like David had some rust to knock off and now I am excited to see him hopefully make a film. Based on "Got a light?" I really feel if he focused his efforts on a single film now after 18 hours of Twin Peaks we could get something truly wonderful.

There are a lot of moments and quirks and beats that generate laughter, but the show's never just funny for me. The stuff with a partially "asleep" Cooper trapped inside Dougie's life tried my patience, and the behavior of those around him didn't track with the reality of confronting someone with such diminished capacity. But there was tremendous poignancy underlying those scenes. MacLachlan could have just gone for laughs as "Dougie", and it would have fallen completely flat. He gets the laughs, yes, but what he conveys is the wistfulness of someone lost to himself, of a man out of time and out of place. And part of why Cooper's enemies are continually frustrated despite him being as innocent and vulnerable as a toddler, is because Cooper's innate decency and kindness shines through even though the vessel is deeply flawed.

I found that during the two season run of Twin Peaks there was comedy and it probably got more comic in the second season. However, I would say they balanced the comedy pretty well then. The pilot was not funny but as the show went on humor was certainly in play. In this third season I find comedy to be much more central to things. I definitely have not caught the "poignancy" of Dougie. I have not found myself seeing the drama of Cooper trapped inside Dougie. I found the scene in the casino where Cooper says he will be back to Janey and Sonny Jim hilarious...not dramatic and the dialogue was a goofy rip from about 1000 other films/shows that was so old it must have taken them forever to get the dust and cobwebs off of it.

Sure, there is no reality to how people interact with Dougie and that is part of the comedy and totally intentional. I don't mind that but wow did I feel it went on way too long and served no purpose to what is happening in the show. The feeling I got from that was David and Kyle just found it all totally hilarious and so they kept going back to that well. To the extent that in one episode they just threw in a ridiculous shot...that again served no purpose but to tell the joke again...of Dougie playing catch with Sonny Jim and of course not remembering how to play catch so the baseball hits him in the face. I was like "Come on! Really, we had to get that gag in again?"

And the not so subtle "Stick a fork in it, Dougie is done." way that Lynch and Frost finally bring Cooper back was funny and stupid at the same time. Again I was sitting there thinking "Come on, really? They literally went with stick a fork in it."

This is one of the things that is lacking this time out. Much of the time they are turning to silly cliches and utterly flat gags that I assume are meant to be funnier because they drag them out...only to deliver the same punchline you could see from miles away. A lot of the stuff in the show seems too on the nose and I'm not really used to that coming from Lynch.

A skeleton walks into bar. He says "Bartender, bring me a beer...and a mop."

It's definitely an acquired taste.

I agree and as a big fan of Lynch's work this one, while thrilling that it happened at all, has it's moments that I love also is not up to his earlier work...in my opinion obviously.