Let's talk changes: how would you change FWWM?

[Jerry Horne]

Laura is wearing different underwear when discovered in the Pilot. I tend to notice these things.

I wanted to see Laura teaching English to Josie.

I too would have loved to see scenes between Josie and Laura.

Now thanks to your other observation I don't think I can watch those scenes without thinking what a sick bastard you are. LOL.

Detective and pervert

[Annie]

Laura is wearing different underwear when discovered in the Pilot. I tend to notice these things.

I wanted to see Laura teaching English to Josie.

I too would have loved to see scenes between Josie and Laura.

Now thanks to your other observation I don't think I can watch those scenes without thinking what a sick bastard you are. LOL.

Detective and pervert

You guys are hilarious!!!

[BOB1]

Things which are missing is one thing. It's a pity Leo's bloody shirt and lots of other details don't exactly fit with the series. Pity, too, that there's no mention of Jacoby or what the guys above miss the most Personally, the biggest continuity problem I have, is with the Diary. Every source gives different data: series, movie, book...

However, I tend to think more about what/how I would like to actually CHANGE what is in the movie. Moments I don't particularly like or think could have been done different.

Because I truly love this film, not much comes to mind... But one thing does and it's Harold Smith. Honestly speaking, the single scene which is included in the movie, makes little sense to me, nor is it well done.
Why I think it's pointless? because it doesn't really add anything to Laura's story the way it is told in the movie. OK, a mystery in her life, a diary, fire walk with me - so what? All of this is either known from elsewhere or unecessary. The scene where she discovers pages torn out is great. But that doesn't imply that she had to run somewhere and have the diary hidden away. They could just leave her freaked out, scared to death. OK, I accept of course that the scene is justified by the fact that the Diary was later found at Harold's. If we didn't have this scene, we would complain about another flaw in continuity But as much as the scene makes sense from the logics/continuity pointof view, I still find it useless in portraiting Laura - which for me is by far the essence of the film. Most of Laura's scenes I find great because they give a more and more in-depth insight of what she was going through, what kind of person she was. But the scene with Harold? It seems to me that Lenny von Dohlen - unlike some other actors - was interested in taking part in the shooting, so they thought: oh cool, let's have that freak from the series, fans will like it.

Why then I don't like this scene artistically, either? At that point of the film Harold turns up out of nowhere, we don't know who he is and what he is for (provided we want to see the film as an independent work, not just a fan extra), so what do we care about him? I didn't. While I absolutely loved Harold in the series! Still, here he was a bit of a what-the-hell-is-that-about. Add to this pointless vampire effects, Laura's speaking as if she had a cramped jaw and Harold's acting, much worse than in the series episodes.

It's quite likely my least favourite scene of Fire Walk With Me. I would simply cut it out and have some more David Bowie instead!

[marchug]

glad to see this thread come back to life. i just watched the series again in february. this time i decided to wait 6 weeks before watching fwwm. i still had the same feelings i wrote about at the start of this thread but on top of them i felt the weather in fwwm bugged me. it is supposed to be february in the northeast right? so much sun and not enough of that damp foggy world i fell in love with.

oh, deleted scenes, why have thou forsaken us?

[dugpa]

marchug, did you watch the MK2 version or the New Line version?

[marchug]

i actually have never owned fwwm on dvd (was foolishly waiting for the deleted scenes) until recently when i randomly found the new line version at a garage sale for $3. is there a big difference in the look between the two of them?

[dugpa]

Yes. New Line DVD colors are way off.

[marchug]

Yes. New Line DVD colors are way off.

ooooh. ok. imma find it and give it another watch...
thanks!

[dugpa]

MK2 is closest to what I remember the theatrical to look like. Still not 100% in my book though.

[Sourdust]

Why then I don't like this scene artistically, either? At that point of the film Harold turns up out of nowhere, we don't know who he is and what he is for (provided we want to see the film as an independent work, not just a fan extra), so what do we care about him? I didn't. While I absolutely loved Harold in the series! Still, here he was a bit of a what-the-hell-is-that-about. Add to this pointless vampire effects, Laura's speaking as if she had a cramped jaw and Harold's acting, much worse than in the series episodes.

It's quite likely my least favourite scene of Fire Walk With Me. I would simply cut it out and have some more David Bowie instead!

I think Harold was a difficult character to integrate in any case. The Law of Economy of Characters says you cannot have characters that are superfluous to the plot, and that's what he basically is. He's only necessary to explain the disappearance of Laura's diary. That's probably why Lynch added the "fire walk with me" bit, which has some relevance for the whole black lodge mythology.

I agree that the scene makes no sense without the context of the series, but then again, a lot of scenes or characters in FWWM don't (Philip Gerard?). Besides, it's probably one of those scenes that people would have wished was in the movie if it hadn't been filmed or had been deleted, the same way people ask for scenes between Laura and Jacoby, or Laura and Josie. There's really no point in having any of those scenes except for nostalgic reasons. I'm actually glad they cut most of the extraneous characters in FWWM.

Still, I think they could have handled Harold better in FWWM. He's a very sympathetic character. His presence would have been a nice counterbalance to all the weirdness going on, so yeah, it's a wasted opportunity.

[perno]

I agree that the scene makes no sense without the context of the series, but then again, a lot of scenes or characters in FWWM don't (Philip Gerard?).

Does the film make any sense without the show ?

I've seen it before I ever watched the series. I loved it ! But it made no sense to me at this time.

[Sourdust]

I agree that the scene makes no sense without the context of the series, but then again, a lot of scenes or characters in FWWM don't (Philip Gerard?).

Does the film make any sense without the show?

Not even with the show most of the time, to be honest Non-fans probably thought they didn't get it because they had missed the show, but I suspect most fans were equally adrift. It's not exactly a big screen version of a television episode. It confounds a lot of expectations.

[BOB1]

I agree that the scene makes no sense without the context of the series, but then again, a lot of scenes or characters in FWWM don't (Philip Gerard?).

You have a point of course but on the other hand the Gerard scene ("you stole the corn") was an amazing piece of filmmaking and whether it made any sense or not it's stunning. And the scene with Harold isn't.

Does the film make any sense without the show ?
I've seen it before I ever watched the series. I loved it ! But it made no sense to me at this time.

Exactly - lots of people who happened to see the movie first say the same. And your question is an excellent one. My answer? It makes sense on an emotional level, while it doesn't on a logical one (even if we consider the "logic" of a dream*). It is not exactly a self-contained film in my opinion which is obviously a flaw from the 'objective' point of view. Doesn't bother me very much
Hmm, perhaps it could bother me, though - if I wanted to share with someone and show them one of my favourite films, I'd have to show themthe whole series first and then FWWM... not very handy!


* I'd say it only makes sense on a logical level if you combine the logic of a dream with the knowledge of the series but not without the latter.

[bosguy1981]

I agree that the scene makes no sense without the context of the series, but then again, a lot of scenes or characters in FWWM don't (Philip Gerard?).

Does the film make any sense without the show ?

I've seen it before I ever watched the series. I loved it ! But it made no sense to me at this time.

I'd love to be able to wake up someday with all my Twin Peaks knowledge erased from my brain and see Fire Walk With Me. I'll never get to know what it's like to see it on its own and judge it as a David Lynch film without all the "series trappings" because I was such a diehard fan of the TV show, and I walk into every viewing armed with that.

I can't even begin to imagine how these scenes would really play for somebody who didn't have any background about the TV show. But I'm really curious about it, which is why that one-day-only Twin Peaks erasure from my brain seems appealing. But ONE. DAY. ONLY!

[Hank_Jennings]

It is not exactly a self-contained film in my opinion which is obviously a flaw from the 'objective' point of view. Doesn't bother me very much
Hmm, perhaps it could bother me, though - if I wanted to share with someone and show them one of my favourite films, I'd have to show themthe whole series first and then FWWM... not very handy!

This "flaw" makes no sense to me. There are plenty of more films out there far more difficult to "understand" than FWWM, with or without the TV series, which stand on their own. Persona, & Hour of the Wolf by Bergman come to mind. I'd also say The Trial by Orson Welles is pretty difficult.

Anyone who has seen plenty of surrealist films would have no problem with FWWM on its own. A few viewings would be needed, but thats normal. FWWM is a relatively simple film.