Unboxed: ‘Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery’ Blu-ray

This week saw the release of one of the most exciting Blu-ray box sets of the year: ‘Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery’. Unfortunately, the reps at Paramount decided to be a bunch of cheapskates and didn’t send us an advance screener copy. As such, we had to buy one on street date, and it will take us a little while to dig through the contents. As a teaser, here are some close-up views of the box set packaging.

The first thing to note is that the box set of course comes wrapped in plastic. Har har.

I’m not a fan of the way the back cover has a clear plastic sheet with content info simply taped to it.

I wound up scratching the heck out of the specs listing on the bottom when I tried to remove an annoying security tag.

When I first saw promo images of the box set, I wasn’t really sold on the freaky artwork that shows Laura Palmer’s homecoming queen portrait smashed, with an image of her corpse underneath. I mean, I get what this is going for thematically. I just didn’t think it looked very attractive.

The effect works much better with the box set in hand, when you discover that the cover is actually layered three-dimensionally.

The box’s lid flips up to reveal that the inner contents are stored in a series of flip-book pages.

Some pages have paper with the contents listed.

Discs are held in cardboard slots in the pages. This is not my favorite packaging design. All of the discs have black and blue zig-zag artwork.

I’ve removed the discs from the remaining photos so that you can see the artwork underneath.

When you finally hit the end, a secret compartment reveals a scrap of paper with “FIRE WALK WITH ME” scrawled on it. I’d think that a half-heart locket would be more appropriate, given the image of dirt and all, but I suppose Paramount didn’t want to pony up to have those mass-produced.

Even though I may have some quibbles, this is a very handsome package that does justice to this iconic TV series.

42 comments

  1. Scott

    Got mine yesterday. Loved the packaging. Watched the pilot and episode one last night. The 7.1 mix in both was fantastic, really atmospheric, and the score comes through very nicely. My wife made an interesting comment that when watching years ago on DVD it didn’t feel very scary or creepy. With the new mix she thought that it was indeed a lot more creepy and better fitting with the tone of the show.

    While watching the pilot episode I was very concerned about the video transfer. Very soft, and I was seeing constant flicker. However once I started the proper first episode the transfer was gorgeous! All of a sudden it was razor sharp, detailed and the flicker was gone.

    Wish I hadn’t been so tired last night, would have loved to at least made it through the first disk. However no reason to rush, just going to enjoy every moment of re-watching my favorite show in the history of television!

    • Josh Zyber
      Author

      The pilot was shot about a year before the series was officially picked up by ABC (notice Audrey’s completely different hairdo in the next episode), so you’ll see some differences in the production values and photography. I’ll keep an eye out for flicker when I do my review.

  2. I thought the pilot looked great…I didn’t experience any problems with flickering. It’s not as dirt and defect free as some of the episodes that follow, but I thought it was a huge step up from DVD.

    I just watched Episode 2 (which I always refer to as Episode 3, as I count the pilot as “Episode 1”) this morning, so I’m moving on to Disc 2 tonight.

    Buyers should know that each disc has a number of Easter Eggs…I counted nine on Disc 1.

      • They’re pretty easy to find…just a lot of work with your arrow keys.

        Of course, it makes me wonder if there’s even more hidden stuff on each disc (like revealing something if you type in a certain number or something like that).

        I’m hoping someone will put up a list of everything in a few weeks, so I can make sure I didn’t miss anything.

        • Josh Zyber
          Author

          I’m on the third disc now. So far, only easter eggs on Disc 1. Watching the new reunion piece with Lynch, MacLachlan and Amick. Holy cow, Madchen Amick hasn’t aged a day! She looks exactly the same as she did 24 years ago, and does not appear to have had any work done.

          The easter eggs on the first disc are all annoying and stupid. I can’t believe how much time I wasted finding and watching them.

          • I was just saying that to friends. If you want to get an even better idea how good she looks after all these years, watch the Witches of East End. She is actually even more attractive today than she was on Twin Peaks.

          • Isn’t that just an extended version of the “Slice of Lynch” piece that was on the GOLD BOX DVD? So it’s seven years old. Although she was at the premiere a few weeks back and looked pretty good.

            All the Easter Eggs on Disc 1 are interview outtakes…I liked some, disliked others, but they were fun to find.

          • Josh Zyber
            Author

            It’s called “Slice of Lynch: Uncut” in the menu. It’s in HD and looked new, so I didn’t realize it had been ported from the Gold Box. Hmmm…

  3. NJScorpio

    Currently in the middle of Season 2 on Amazon Prime (watching for the first time). I “blind” bought this set, as I’m enjoying it so much. After sale + coupon on B&N, I paid $83 including shipping.

  4. I’m finally watching the series for the first time on Amazon Prime, and I have to say, I am really not liking it that much. I thought I would given everything involved and the mass love for it, but it’s just not that interesting to me. It has its moments of great, but too much of the time I’m not impressed. I still wouldn’t mind seeing the movie prequel, though.

    • Chris B

      How many episodes in are you? I’m only on the third and I can kind of see where you’re coming from. I find the main theme music to be kind of cheesy and dated and some of the acting is sub-par. However, since Dale Hunter is such an awesomely eccentric character and the setting is right up my alley, I’m feeling compelled to hang in there till episode 8 at least. Apparrently that’s when the killer is revealed (at the demand of the executives). By then I figure I’ll know whether it’s worth continuing or
      not…

        • Chris B

          Forgive me, but another website has stated in their review of the new box set the …”resolution of Laura Palmer’s murder comes 8 episodes in…” Since the main plot of the show is essentially a murder mystery, I assumed a resoulution would include the identity of who did the murdering…but as they say: assumption is the mother of all fuck ups. Oddly, I’m actually more intrigued to make it to episode 8, to see what the whole “resolution” actually entails.

          • It’s the seventh episode of Season 2, or Episode 15 overall that we find out who the killer is.

            I think the show wavers a bit depending on who the director is. The episodes directed by David Lynch are fantastic, as are the ones directed by Tim Hunter. I think the show loses some steam when Duwayne Dunham or Lesli Linka Glatter are at the helm, and there’s one Season 2 episode directed by Diane Keaton that marks the series’ low point.

        • Chris B

          I’m not sure if some of the show’s appeal could also be a generational thing. As I understand it, it was so groundbreaking and influential many other shows have an obvious debt to it. I’m 31 years old and never watched it in it’s original run on primetime, but have no doubt enjoyed other shows that have lifted elements of it
          for their own success. I’m guessing someone who is maybe about 10 years older and saw it when it originally aired has fond memories and is willing to forgive more of it’s faults. Make no mistake though, I find it to be somewhat rough around the edges, but I’m intrigued nonetheless…

          • Ryan

            Chris, I watched the series for the first time two years ago, when I was 32, so like you I was too young to watch it during the original run. It’s now one of my all-time favorite TV series. I have been waiting for this Blu-ray release to watch it for a second time and I can’t wait.

      • I’m on episode five of the second season. At this point I am assuming that the show just isn’t be my cup of tea. I am open to the idea, however, that I just haven’t “gotten it.” At the same time, I watched the entire Lost series and was mostly underwhelmed after about halfway through the second season.

        • Chris B

          Yeah that’s pretty far in after all…I’m gonna stay the course till midway through the first season at least, although it’s completely possible it will turn out to not be my cup of tea either. I’m not much of a TV watcher in general actually , something about the same characters and setting every week I find it hard to stay engaged, with a few exceptions of course.

          One last thing on the music Josh, I’m not sure if it’s the theme music or just that uber emotive motif that tends to play whenever someone is reciting a really intense monolgue, something about it just seems to kind of miss the mark. I’ll get another episode in tonight and pay closer attention.

    • I have a soft spot as I have been a Fan since Ep 02 when it originally aired in the 80’s. But I can see anybody watching today and asking what the big deal is about. But you have to realize this was years before TV allowed Dennis Franz’s but to be shown on TV and the word “shit” had been uttered yet other than on Pay TV. The subject matter on a Prime Time show albeit 10pm was pretty ground breaking and David Lynch was at his best having Released Blue Velvet a few years before and Wild at Heart the same year as Twin Peaks. Visually too it was a very Cinema like experience and had a lot of great actors. I still love it and will watch these soon since I have been waiting for these blurays since the Gold Box came out. I still have my original VHS Box set as well.

        • Josh Zyber
          Author

          The Twin Peaks episode numbering is confusing. Officially, the pilot is not numbered, and the second episode is labeled “Episode 1.” That’s why the numbers only go up to 29 even though there are 30 episodes.

          • Nah, I just mean I intended to type 01 rather than inferring that I had missed the first ep back in the 80’s. Imagine watching Twin Peaks without getting to watch the pilot?

          • Josh Zyber
            Author

            The initial Season 1 DVD set from Artisan Entertainment could not include the pilot. Instead, it provided a booklet with a written plot summary of what happened in the episode. Not quite the same thing.

            The pilot was never released separately on DVD either (at least, not in the U.S.). It didn’t appear on DVD in this country until the Definitive Gold Box collection in 2007.

  5. Ah, the box set is produced by Charles de Lauzirika? That’s good news! The man has produced very solid efforts in the past (The Blade Runner boxset, for one, and most of Ridley Scott’s other films). He’s even a director in his own right!

      • Although I wish as part of the Blade Runner Box set they had made special packaging for the discs as with Alien and Twin Peaks. In the extra special suitcase edition it was still just the 4 disc set in standard Bluray packaging.

    • Apparently Charles de Lauzirika produced the Special Features on the Gold Box DVD set as well, possibly worked on more too. Just confirmed looking at my Gold Box set.

      • There’s a good podcast online with de Lauzirika if you want to track it down…it’s for a new series of podcasts called “FIRE TALK WITH ME” from one of the guys who used to (still does?) write for Ain’t It Cool News. The first podcast is the de Lauzirika interview.

        • Cool will check it out. I have heard about the podcast a number of times but with the Embarrassment of media riches we live in today, finding the time to read,listen to or watch everything I want is not easy. Thank goodness that a lot of this stuff can be saved to a server etc.

  6. I got mine on Tuesday as I had it preordered as soon as I read about the set on the Bits and here. Love the set except hate the way that the section holding the discs can’t be taken out for easier access. But that is a pretty minor thing. The packaging is beautiful and I actually appreciated the fact that the back is unblemished with marketing speak and other stuff. One thing I did not see mentioned in your unboxing was the texture of the packaging. The box is a very heavy type container with the texture and feel of an expensive Hardbound book. I really feel that they knew the audience with this release and Easter Eggs are a great part of that audience and was part of the original show so it feels right at home here.

  7. Hey Josh, is this another box set that will only sell 10.000 copies in America? You told us about the bleak outlook for catalog releases, so I’m wondering how much of a success this will be …

    • Josh Zyber
      Author

      I can’t make predictions. Maybe this will be a huge seller. The show has a significant fan base. I don’t know. All I can say is that the average catalog title will not sell 10,000 copies, and may struggle to sell even 1,000 copies. This conversation came up in the context of the Nightbreed “Limited Edition,” and there’s really very little chance that a movie like Nightbreed will move 10,000 copies.

  8. I got this last summer as a birthday gift but just recently pulled it off the shelf to watch Fire Walk With Me in HD. I was disappointed that there are audio sync issues throughout the film on both english audio tracks despite any adjustments i make with my player. I couldn’t even finish watching it. Also my box didn’t come with the FWWM scrap paper insert. Total disappointment!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *