TWIN PEAKS – THE ENTIRE MYSTERY: TWIN PEAKS COMPLETE

It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years since Special FBI agent Dale Cooper said goodbye to his secretary Diane while talking into his hand held recorder having solved the problems found in Twin Peaks. It’s hard to believe that the series was only on TV for two years. And even more incredible is to think that when it was on it became such a phenomena that people gathered together for viewing parties in each other’s homes drinking coffee and eating cherry pie with a log sitting in a chair in the same room.

Yes people actually did that when the show took over the airwaves for a young generation trying something new. Director and creator David Lynch had taken a story he had to tell and turned it into must see TV. And then suddenly it was over. The murder solved. The mysteries around it figured out. Interest died and the show did as well. And yet a hard core audience remained longing for more.

Over the years various box sets have been put together for the show offering as complete a set as they could. First they had the series itself. Then the original pilot was included as well. Then extras were found and added. Finally Lynch’s film FIRE WALK WITH ME, a prequel to events in the movie was released and later added. Now all of these things have come together and been put on blu-ray for fans to enjoy. Just in time too as the series has been given new life on Showtime with a new series in the works.

So let’s pretend that you have no clue what TWIN PEAKS was all about. Odds are pretty good that could be since anyone 30 years old and younger wasn’t around to watch it when it aired. The series opened with the discovery of a body, that of the much loved and adored Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), found wrapped in plastic by the banks of a river in Twin Peaks, Washington. The entire town is shaken to the core, some more than others, as who is responsible for her killing as well as numerous town secrets are slowly unraveled as the series progresses.

Investigating the murder is not only the town sheriff Harry S. Truman (Michael Ontkean) but Special Agent Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) as well. Cooper is not your normal everyday FBI agent either. His methods are truly different than most and his mannerisms are the stuff of legend. So much so that many felt the character of Fox Mulder on THE X-FILES was a take on a similar character. Cooper became as much the focal point of the series as the tons of other characters in the town, and when I say tons trust me, there were a number of characters involved in all sorts of chicanery in this town. Secret societies, crime families, cheating spouses, one eyed women, log carrying ladies and more inhabited Twin Peaks and we loved them all.

So why would anyone consider investing in this new collection? What’s new? Well to being with you now have the chance to watch the series in high definition, something that hadn’t been available before. There is both the American and international versions of the pilot that were made. The blu-ray debut of Lynch’s FIRE WALK WITH ME is included. There’s a new featurette with series creator Lynch and the actors who portrayed the Palmer family. Plenty of never before seen extra footage is on hand as well. And if that wasn’t enough there are newly transferred introductions to each episode by the log lady. Watch and you’ll find out who she is.

These days people talk about binge watching series, tuning into Netflix or Hulu and watching a series from start to finish. Those who are accustomed to this as if it’s the way things have always been will have a hard time understanding the dedication fans had to a series such as TWIN PEAKS and how they would tune in weekly, waiting in anticipation, recording the show on VHS to watch over again for clues and how they would avoid friends at the water cooler if for some reason they didn’t get to watch the episode as it aired. Those same people can now binge watch the series in the best format possible and find out what all the excitement was about. With the shows we watch today it might not seem all that strange but at the time it was unlike anything ever shown on TV. With this box set, now is the time to rediscover the town of Twin Peaks and share with others.

Click here to order.

COUNT DRACULA’S GREAT LOVE: NASCHY FANS DELIGHT

While watching this film I kept thinking how familiar it seemed. The further into it I got I finally realized that I had seen this movie years ago in a terrible format from a video vendor of public domain titles I won’t name. That’s because it wasn’t their fault, they were offering the best they could with the quality of the film they had on hand. Needless to say the quality of that film didn’t help my enjoyment of it. So while watching it this time I’m pleased to say the quality of this blu-ray release from Vinegar Syndrome made it a much better time.

The story follows 5 companions, one man and four women, traveling through the Carpathian Mountains when their carriage breaks down and loses a wheel. Imre (the man) and Marlene are secretly lovers and while they go in search of the wheel, the driver is killed by the horse. The group walks along in hopes of reaching a nearby castle now owned by Wendell Marlow (Paul Naschy) who in reality is Count Dracula. He makes the travelers welcome, feeds them and offers them shelter until someone can come and take them on their way.

Legend has it that Dracula can return to human form when a virgin offers her love to him willingly, an offering that will include making a blood sacrifice to bring back his deceased daughter as well. Of course this means that at least one of these women must be the love of his life and willing to do so. Unfortunately there are other vampires among the household and they begin picking off the guests who in turn set out to transform their friends as well. Along the way plenty of flesh is exposed, the typical Euro-horror inclusion of lesbian attraction between the female vampires, gore enough to satisfy those seeking it as long as they keep in mind the film was made in Spain and in 1973 and a lack of concern from the characters over the disappearance of their friends. And yet…it works.

Part and parcel of the reason it works is the performances on display. Each of the actors here presents their character with enough conviction that they are believable as opposed to caricatures we’ve seen in other films. They do seem like friends, they do seem to care for one another (even if they don’t question each other’s disappearances) and they offer performances that don’t come across as low budget at all. I’ve only come across Naschy in recent years (I know, forgive me) but each time I watch one of his films I see a passion for the genre that many tend to want to deviate from. Instead he embraces it. His performance here is one of the most subtle from him I’ve seen.

All of this being said the true test of this release is how it looks. With all previous efforts to present this film have been severely lacking, offering washed out prints, visible scratches and a version from Elvira that included her performance as that character, I wondered what this version would look like. It was the first thing I’ve seen from Vinegar Syndrome so I had no idea what to expect.

What I found was that this is a company that gets what fans want. Unlike those previous incarnations of this film this one was given star treatment with a transfer that is stunning to view. Gone are the washed out colors and scratches replaced by a crisp and clean print that fans will clamor for. Without those distractions the cinematography can now be appreciated and for the most part the film is well shot. If that wasn’t enough, the disc comes with the inclusion of several extras including a commentary track with director Javier Aguirre and actor Paul Naschy, a video interview with actress Mirta Miller, both an English dub and Spanish language soundtracks, a still gallery, an 8 page booklet and reversible cover artwork.

Horror fans and Naschy fans will want to toss aside any of those previous releases of this film and add this one to their collection immediately. With any luck Vinegar Syndrome will find access to more films Naschy has done and release them in the quality format that they have here.

Click here to order.

SCARRED BUT SMARTER-LIFE N TIMES OF DRIVIN N CRYIN: FAMILIAR ROCK DOC

With the popularity of MTV coupled with VH1 music fans have had access to the life and times of rock bands from the 70s forward in more detail than we would probably like. At the same time we’re a society that loves to look at an accident as we drive by rather than look away, one that scrambles for the latest scandal found on the checkout lane tabloids and loves to see the rich and famous fall down to our level. Sadly the reality is that many we would think fall into that wealthy category never quite got there no matter how much fame they garnered. Take Drivin’ n Cryin’.

The southern rock band that formed in 1985 was hugely popular on the local circuit but took a while to break out nationally. Now when I say southern rock band don’t misunderstand, this isn’t an Allman Brothers of Molly Hatchet style band. Drivin’ n Cryin’ was straight up rock and roll. But as with most bands a taste of fame led them down some wrong paths and the end result was losing the possible stardom they could have achieved.

Combing music videos with interviews and home footage, director Eric von Haessler puts together a story of a band that began as friends and ended up broken apart by success. The movie presents the story of how they came together, how the central figure of the band was and remains Kevin Kinney and how egos, drugs and the record business can tear apart a band that people love and turn them into something else completely. As I said, it’s a familiar tale but at the same time no two stories of how this combustible mixture results in the story of a band is the same.

My exposure to the band is probably the same as most, their hit single “Fly Me Courageous”. What is really upsetting and anger inducing is to listen to the songs played in this film that make up the rest of their catalog and wondering why no one ever played them on the radio. It makes you regret not having their albums on your shelf or their downloads on your iPod. Watching and listening to this movie might help to change that.

But it’s not just the music that makes this movie work. It’s the people involved in their story, the various band members who have come and gone, their battles in and outside of the studios and more. The creativity that oozes from each and their contributions when combined is a part of the band’s history. The way they got caught up in the whole LA experience of stardom and the effect it had on them both as a band and as individuals. Best of all it’s all told in their own words, in the interviews they all do.

By the end of the movie you’ll find yourself cheering for a comeback for this band. An odd choice of words, comeback, because actually they never left. Kinney still plays with a version of the band, perhaps not in arena settings but to appreciative crowds none the less. He still has the outlet to display is creativity and skill.

This movie isn’t just for fans of the group. It’s for music fans, rock fans and those who enjoy finding out just what goes on behind the scenes. Go in looking for those things and you’ll come away with hope for a band that some say “could have been” but who in reality still are. Let’s hope that they get not just the recognition but the respect they deserve.

Click here to order.