Blu-ray Movie Reviews

The only truly disappointing visuals are the Log Lady intros that you have the option of screening before each episode. They were created specifically for the rerun of the series on Bravo in the '90s and haven't been cleaned up in any way, their washed-out look betraying the limitations of when and how they were shot.

Sonically speaking, Angelo Badalamenti's singular, signature score is just as important a component in the show as any of the characters. And in Dolby Digital 5.1, his haunting themes add to the weight, gravitas, or just plain creepiness of a scene (though occasionally they overwhelm the dead-centered dialogue, as in Episode 14). Scene details - the misting falls, the rustling of the woods, and especially the humming barbershop quartet in the hotel in Episode 9 - are in the surround channels with just the right level of presence.

Extras are fruitful, with the exception of one glaring omission: commentaries. While all seven episodes of Season 1 had them, there are none here - a missed opportunity, considering the care taken with the rest of the set. Each disc does contain brief interviews (3 minutes is the average length) with some of the show's directors - and Lynch's daughter, Jennifer, who wrote the best-selling Diary of Laura Palmer, also shares her insights. But all of these segments should have been longer.

On Disc 6, the "Interactive Grid" of the main characters is absolutely worth your time, but it's best to go the play-all route rather than stutter-step through each of the three categories (Origin, Production, Legacy). The interviews here - shot widescreen with better production values than those on the first set - total 40 minutes. And the interviewees are a diverse lot, including lead actor and Lynch-muse Kyle MacLachlan (Agent Cooper), Sherilyn Fenn (the mischievous Audrey Horne), Dana Ashbrook (the impetuous Bobby Briggs), and Don Davis (the precise and proper Major Briggs, who gamely recounts an, er, unique on-set incident). Keep an eye out for the half-full glass of water that appears as a set piece in some segments and not others. Each actor has a clearly defined relationship with Lynch, whom they all respect, and they're quite articulate in imparting the cultural impact of the show. As Lenny von Dohlen (who logged just four episodes as the agoraphobic Harold Smith) observes, "Great art evokes strong visceral responses."

That's as good a summation as you're likely to hear. If you want to see how mainstream TV broke free of convention and opened the door for the likes of The X-Files and Lost, then visit Twin Peaks ASAP. [NR] English, Dolby Digital, Dolby Surround, and Dolby Digital 2-channel mono; Spanish, Dolby Digital 2-channel mono; full frame (1.33:1); six dual-layered discs.

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