Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me is the 1992 prequel to Lynch's Twin Peaks TV series. The movie bombed in the early '90s, but revisionist thinking has crowned it as a great Lynchian achievement these days.
The public may have been turned off by the tone of the film, which was darker than that of the series. A lot of criticism came from the movie's treatment of sexual abuse, and it does seem like there is a lot of it.
It's a star-studded cast featuring David Bowie, Chris Isaak, Heather Graham, Peggy Lipton, Harry Dean Stanton, and Kiefer Sutherland, to name a few of the notables.
The Twin Peaks Estate is located in remote Australia, where the grapevines are cooled by the Southern Ocean. Their Semillon Sauvignon Blanc wine is a little heavier on the Semillon, which is quite Australian. And, as Agent Cooper might say, it's a damn fine grape.
The talk of 1986 was, at least in movies, David Lynch's magnum opus of weirdness, Blue Velvet. My close friend Tom took his girlfriend to see it during its opening weekend. He called me on Monday, advising me to see it, while warning me not to take a date. "Don't let the title fool you," he said. "It's not a date movie."
It is a disturbing film, but after seeing Lynch's Eraserhead, I expected nothing less. Many critics panned Blue Velvet, citing its extreme violence, brutal sexuality, and dreamlike quality. Their views have largely mellowed over the years. Now the film is hailed as a masterpiece. Maybe the critics were inhaling whatever Frank Booth was having.
Dennis Hopper's Frank Booth is the most unhinged and deranged character of the Hopper pantheon. His psychotic violence and reliance on some sort of gas, which he huffs from an oxygen mask, are both horrifying and spellbinding. If you think to yourself, "Hey, I once knew a guy like that," you are lucky to still be alive.
Kyle MacLachlan, who played Jeffrey Beaumont in Blue Velvet, owns a Washington state winery called Pursued By Bear. Their 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is a fine accompaniment for the film. It sells for $70. You won't find it on the wine list at This Is It, but you won't find a wine list there, either. Just order a Pabst! Blue! Ribbon!
In 1980, The Elephant Man brought Lynch to commercial and artistic success. The story of Joseph Merrick, a severely disfigured man in 19th century London, was critically acclaimed and a big hit at the box office. The film garnered a heap of Oscar nominations, notably for Best Picture and Best Actor for John Hurt. However, no wins resulted.
At the time, the line, "I am not an animal. I am a human being," became a part of pop culture. Mostly used by ignorant people trying to be funny, the phrase was often spoken in tortured bellowing, cheaply imitating Hurt's incredibly moving performance.
The movie was produced by Jonathan Sanger, with Mel Brooks as an uncredited EP. His name did not appear in the credits for fear movie-goers would expect a comedy.
New Zealand's Elephant Hill winery sells a red blend for $150. It's called Hieronymus, which means it will also pair if you're eyeballing some Dutch masterworks or binge watching Bosch again.
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