The darkness pressed in on her last seven days. Chose a life controlled by Bob or chose death. Two worlds. Two choices. Twenty-five years later, something is happening again, and it's all because of you, dear Laura Palmer, our chosen one.
On August 28th, 1992 Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me was released in the United States. Twenty-five years is a long time in the span of a human life. Much will happen, change and evolve in a period of time of that length. Especially in today's modern world of technical instant everything. One thing has definitely stayed the same for me though, and that is that Fire Walk With Me is my all time favorite movie. I've seen it so many times. Many times alone, and many times with others. I've watched it at varying points in my life, and taken different things away from it every time.
I have written before about my own personal connection to the film in a post from 2016 called, Laura Walked With Me. I also wrote a published two-part recap of The Missing Pieces for Issues 1 and 2 of The Blue Rose Magazine. Despite my wanting to rewatch this film for the 25th Anniversary, I have Twin Peaks: The Return on the brain in a big way. I see shades of Fire Walk With Me's influence and think there is more to this story. It seems that David Lynch has found a way to continually breathe new relevance to this often overlooked film. So for now, I'm going to wait until the new series is complete before doing a full recap/review of the movie. In the meantime, I wanted to celebrate this special anniversary in two ways. One by asking my talented artist friends to create some new Twin Peaks images, some of which you can now buy as a T-shirt -->here. I also took to twitter and asked my followers to share with me some of their thoughts on seeing this amazing film in 1992. Take a look below at the terrific art and comments expressed from the fan community.
Tribute Fan Art
Created by sisters/artists @eclecticirie and @suebgraceful.
What Twitter Said
"Did you see FWWM in the theater in 1992? If so, would you share some memories with me of that experience?"
- 16 years old, skipped school with a friend to watch it on opening day at a 2:15 showing in Tampa Florida. Left speechless
- I saw it in the theaters in 92 & like many, I was disappointed. It wasn't like the show at all. In the last 25 years I've grown to love it!
- And I prefer FWWM to whole chunks of season 2 now. I think it took time for me to appreciate it & I've learned to be more flexible in my....
- ...Lynch expectations. (Sorry for the novel- I didn't realize I had so much to say!)
- 1/4 Saw it as new David Lynch film in 92 and loved it. Vivid & moving depiction of emotional family abuse. Sheryl Lee Oscar-worthy as Laura.
- 2/4 Very much missed LFB as Donna: it took me out of the movie every time Moira Kelly appeared playing Donna. Years later, I am OK with it.
- 3/4 Watched original airing of #TwinPeaks
series on TV but missed the finale. So Annie talking about “Good Dale in the Lodge” made no sense. - 4/4 As a fan of the series I expected to see more of the supporting cast, but was engrossed by Sheryl Lee as a living breathing Laura Palmer
- 5/4 addendum: Having seen some Kenneth Anger "Magick Lantern Cycle" films by that time, I felt #FWWM was itself a ritual of some kind.
- Yes, I was 15, saw it in Berkeley, CA. People were very quiet. I love it & was very moved by the ending with Coop & the Angel.
- Meant to add a "d" after love. I loved it then & I've only grown to love it even more 25 years later! So grateful to have the missingpieces!
- I remember feeling like I had just been punched in the stomach and was coming down off of an eightball and several cubes of blotter acid
- In terms of a pure cinema experience, hallucinatory had been an overused adjective, I had read a lot #FWWM was as true to that as I exp.
- Skived off college to see FWWM on the day it opened. Handful of people there. Stunned silence at the end. Nobody expecting that.
- Was 19...i can still feel the mix of excitment, sadness, joy and fear while watching it in the theater and a deep melancholy after.
- Saw it a 2nd time a week later and it was empty. When I asked for a ticket to twin peaks, the ticket girl responded "are you sure" lol.
- Went opening night. Full house. People clapped during the opening credits when each actors name came up. Everyone loved it from my memory.
- I was 13. Saw it twice in the theater. I remember being in awe of Lee's performance & bawling my eyes out at the end. It was beautiful.
- I saw it five times during its short run in Finnish theatres. It was the most shocking and beautiful thing I had ever seen. It still is.
- I was only 16 at the time, but I remember thinking it was the weirdest, most beautiful thing I'd seen. Really moved me.
- The first time I saw it a girl left in tears during the movie. I hope it was just because of the movie and not any real memories of hers.
- I saw it twice. Both times the crowd just sat stunned at the end and actually stayed thru the closing credits.
- I did. I remember only 4 people in the theater but it was amazing. I wished more people at that time had given it a chance.
- I was 22. I remember loving it but left it feeling sad at the same time. Like the current series I liked it more after a second viewing.
- Had to drive about an hour down Route 22 (you know where that is!) and watched it with my fiancee(now wife) in a theatre w about 20 others
- I saw it opening night and twice after during its run. Mind blown but love for it came slowly over multiple viewings at home.
- Yes i did. There was only two other people in the theatre. #FWWM.
- I was so excited to go! I arrived & was refused entry due to my age. A friend went with his gf next day and they couldn't explain it to me.
- Unfortunatly no. It didn't play where I lived. I remember being so angry.
- I dragged my poor girlfriend at the time to see it. I loved the movie. She didn't. We didn't last.
- Dont ask me why. was 38 then and not scared of ghosts but i didnt realize it was a monkey and thought for makeup it looked too real 5/5
- The dancing man, mike in his truck were effective. The monkey at the end freaked me out. I thought it was a real demon!!!!! 4/5
- I thought the first half was brilliant some of Lynch's best. The 2nd part only ok. Acting and script seemed tired...but a few moments 1/4
- ..an intermission. I heard one person say they liked it but thought it was "self indulgent"' (code for artist doing his own thing) 2/3
- Yes. At the time TP was having a dip in popularity so not a big crowd. I remember the projector broke at one point so it was like.. 1/3
- I seen it also when it opened... I am a die hard Peaks fan..but was not a fan of FWWM.. still too many holes in story..
- I then watched seasons 1-2 I couldn't figure out where it was going when the murder was solved it took afew bad ones to get it back on track
- No but saw it on British TV soon after it flopped in cinema which am thankful for as it got me into the whole twin peaks thing
- I probably would have, I wasn't born yet though :-)
- Took my youngest brother and was a bit embarrassed by some of the sex scenes
- Saw twice in Tokyo. You may not believe this, but FWWM was a hit in Japan! Just saw it again last night; found the movie aged well.
- Although my life was not as troubled I saw it as a rare, accurate portrayal of going off the rails. Yet, Laura had intrinsic worth 1/
- 2/2 ...and that was made clear. I saw it by myself and, pre-internet, had no-one to discuss it with. Wrote out theories in longhand
- While it was sick & unnecessary 2 exhume #LauraPalmer 4 #FWWM the new, wonderful #TwinPeaks is answering 4 all those mistakes
- Saw #FWWM as a sneak w/ #TwinPeaks fans. Hated it!!!
Was like watching a combination pretentious art house/bad snuff film
- My cousin left the theater with hives. It really disturbed him. I was confused by its tone & dangling plot threads. Annie? Wyndham? Aliens?
- I did see #FFWWM in the theater in 1992. I hated it because it was so depressing. I have grown to love it. I own 2 DVDs of it now.
- I saw it twice in a raw
- I live in Argentina and it wasn't released in theatres, it went straight to VHS. So I missed it!
- I loved FWWM from the beginning and much more now!!
- Saw it eight times in theatre in Montreal in 1992. Used to grab lunch from Burger King and sneak it in. Every viewing revealed a new layer.
- I saw it in the theater with @saraconfessions who hadn't really watched the show and probably wondered what she was doing there.
- sadly was a very empty cinema!
- I however loved it, it just felt like the right choice to bring the show full circle and was blown away by Sheryl Lee's performance
- Friend and I used to take turns to pick movie so naturally this was my choice at first opportunity. She was perplexed but didn't hate it
- Saw it at a sneak preview in Tallahassee Florida. Packed house, stunned silence, massive walk-outs. I loved it. Saw it again the next night
- Just loved ever second
Thanks so much for everyone who took the time to comment. Fire Walk With Me is an amazing film. I'm so happy to see it getting the much deserved love and appreciation it should receive from fans today.
