DVD Review: Twin Peaks-The Definitive Gold Edition

Back in April I devoted a whole week on the blog to the release of the second season of Twin Peaks on DVD. At the time I wrote the following: “The rumor going around these days is that is this set sells well; CBS will release a box set of the entire series including the long lost pilot late this year… I know I’d drop $150 bucks for a complete set and a Twin Peaks Sherriff’s department coffee mug.” Well six months later I pretty much got my wish as Tuesday saw the release of Twin Peaks: The Definitive Gold Edition. The set includes both seasons and the both versions of the pilot episode which has not been on any previous DVD release in the U.S. Thankfully the $150 price tag I guesstimated was wrong and the set will run you around $80-$100 and let me tell you its soooooo worth it for any Peaks fan.

When I lauded the season 2 DVD I did have some quibbles with extras, writing: “maybe a box set would allow Lynch and CBS to give us more extras like commentaries or a documentary on the Twin Peaks festival that’s still going strong” and “I wasn’t expecting Lynch himself to make an appearance but some new stuff with Mark Frost would have been nice.” On the new set we’re still missing commentaries but we get the other things I requested and then some! First up is a nice documentary on the 2006 Twin Peaks Festival. As a die hard fan I’ve often thought of making the trip to this and while I’m not sure if the doc sells it any further, it does provide a wonderful window into the passion and camaraderie a show that’s been off the air for over 15 years still embodies. There’s also an interactive map for any explorers wanting to make their own trek out to some of the locations. Next up is a new documentary on the show that runs nearly 2 hours. The doc is broken up into four parts: making the pilot, season 1, the music, and season 2. Perhaps the most attractive thing about the doc is the participation of co-creator Mark Frost. Absent from the first two sets for the most part, Frost provides insight and candor into the creation of the show. The music section is another winner as longtime Lynch collaborator Angelo Baldamenti gives the viewer a peak into their creative process. Finally the section on season 2 is well done and disheartening to say the least as you hear the cast and crew basically tear apart their sophomore effort. There is clearly some bitterness by some of the folks for having a chance at lengthy employment ripped from them due to the network and the absence of the show’s creators. I actually found myself getting a bit peeved during this because I love season 2. Sure of the side stories were a little too off the path the show had paved but the first few episodes and the last few are some of the best in TV history. Anyway, the crowning jewel of the extras is a “roundtable” discussion with Kyle MacLachlan, Madchen Amick, and the man himself David Lynch. As someone who tends to shy away from interviews and commentaries this 20 minute discussion is something rare indeed. While Lynch doesn’t reveal anything groundbreaking like what happened to the good Cooper in the lodge, watching him interact with his cast is truly something. I recommend selling your previous sets for this set just for this segment alone. There are more extras like excerpts from MacLachlan hosting Saturday Night Live (look for the tall red haired Irish guy in the sketch) and a series of promotional items including a series of Japanese coffee commercials that a bunch of the cast took part in. The video and sound are great except for the fact that once again the optional Log Lady introductions have not been cleared up. The packaging is great once you get past the gold color which is growing on me already. Inside the discs are enclosed in a book like case and there are a set of Twin Peaks postcards that are fun to have. All in all this is well worth the upgrade if you have either season or both on DVD already and if you don’t have any then snatch this up post haste.