🚨 ANNOUNCING A SUBSTACK SUMMER / FALL MOVIE CLUB -⛰️⛰️TWIN PEAKS EDITION! 🚨

Hosted by the author of A Skeleton Key To Twin Peaks, 2nd Edition

Dive into the mysterious world of Twin Peaks, where nothing is as it seems. Unravel the secrets of a quaint town haunted by the murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer—watch this legendary series with the author of the first book of analysis & appreciation for Twin Peaks The Return, focusing on the journey FBI Agent Dale Cooper undertakes on a quest to save his soul from mortal corruption!

WHY IS TWIN PEAKS CONSISTENTLY RATED ONE OF THE GREATEST TELEVISION SHOWS EVER MADE?

Even If You’ve Never Watched Twin Peaks Before And Wonder What The Big Deal Is…

It’s NOT because it was directed by David Lynch!

It’s NOT because of the music or the actors!

It’s because of THE STORY!

Let’s explore Twin Peaks together this Summer and Fall!

Everyone is welcome, including FREE subscribers!

Participate in chapter conversations as I unlock my new book for our weekly Movie Club!

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How The Movie Club Works

Each week, we will watch one episode of Twin Peaks, and (hopefully) we’ll have a lively and values-based discussion about the moral implications of this art we’ll share.

Step 1: Find and watch this week’s assigned episode.¹

BONUS STEP: Read the week’s additional assignment (may require the purchase or library checkout of other author’s books).

Step 3: I will send out a Sunday Weekly Syllabus with a 5-10 minute audio (maybe sometimes video) clip where I discuss this week’s assignment with a non-spoiler intro/spoiler things to think about that episode.

Step 4: Discuss and share our takeaways and theories in the newsletter comments section.²

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This viewing of Twin Peaks will begin with a highly truncated tour through Seasons 1 & 2 (1990-1991), followed by the film Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me (1992), and then a complete viewing of all 18 episodes of Twin Peaks The Return.

I will emphasize the story of Dale Cooper (not Laura Palmer) in this viewing. While Laura may be “The One” (you’ll find out more about this), the story of Twin Peaks is Dale Cooper’s tale, and we will be minimizing the noise of what’s happening on the surface in Twin Peaks (the fictional town)and what happened in the past with Laura Palmer’s tragic life. This event will not be a trauma fixation but an exploration of redemption from the darkest point of moral and spiritual corruption.

During our viewing of The Return, I will unlock that week’s chapter from the 2nd Edition of my book (previously available only to paid subscribers on Substack), hoping to stoke deeper discussion on the themes and moral implications of Twin Peaks The Return, leading up to the public release of my ebook.

*Paid subscribers will be included in the gratitude section of this edition.

Finally, I will be recommending supplemental reading during this course from other authors I know and can vouch for in terms of quality and competence.

See you in the trees.

Suggested Supplemental Reading

While I will be providing chapters of my book to all readers (for a limited time during this event), this whole process is leading up to the ebook launch of the 2nd Edition of my book, A Skeleton Key to Twin Peaks.

But, to truly get the most out of your viewing experience over the next several months, I highly recommend buying or requesting the following books from the library.

The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer by Jennifer Lynch, 2011

The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer chronicles Laura's life from age 12 to her death at 17, and is filled with secrets, character references, and even clues to the identity of her eventual killer. Fans of the show will love seeing their favorite characters again, and Laura's diary makes compelling reading as she turns from a naive freshman having her first kiss to a "bad girl" experimenting with drugs, sex and the occult.

Essential Wrapped in Plastic: Pathways to Twin Peaks by John Thorne, 2016

Wrapped In Plastic magazine studied the celebrated television series Twin Peaks and the follow-up feature film Fire Walk With Me for thirteen years. Many important essays and interviews from those pages have been revised and reorganized for The Essential Wrapped In Plastic: Pathways to Twin Peaks. These reviews are supplemented by comments from actors, writers, producers, and other creative personnel who provide intimate and first-hand remarks about Twin Peaks. Each critique also includes an analysis of scripted scenes deleted from the final televised episodes, allowing for a deeper understanding of how Twin Peaks was being crafted as it went along. Vibrant and provocative, Twin Peaks is an enduring masterpiece.

MY LIFE, MY TAPES: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF F.B.I. SPECIAL AGENT DALE COOPER by Scott Frost, 2022

A collection of transcripts from Agent Dale Cooper’s audio tapes, from his childhood to the day he is assigned to Laura Palmer’s murder. The book includes Dale’s upbringing in Philadelphia, family, education at Quaker institutions Germantown Friends School and Haverford College, first stumbles with love, obsession with the FBI, and the relationship between him, Windom Earle, and Earle’s wife, Caroline. Many of these tape transcripts are dictated to “Diane”, though a later tape states that Cooper enjoys the thought of Diane listening to his tapes so much that he will address all tapes to her, whether she will ever listen to them or not.

Additional Reading

Some viewers may find value in the following books. Understand that I will not apply the Auteur Theory to my analyses; other viewers are welcome to do it. I will not discuss David Lynch’s intentions or the other artists' behind-the-scenes thoughts about making this art. I will only be approaching it from the point of view of what is on-screen. That being said, learning how the art was made can be of value.

REFLECTIONS: AN ORAL HISTORY OF TWIN PEAKS by Brad Dukes, 2014

Reflections goes behind the curtain of Twin Peaks and documents the series’ unlikely beginnings, widespread success, and peculiar collapse. Featuring first-hand accounts from series co-creator Mark Frost and cast members including Kyle MacLachlan, Joan Chen, Sherilyn Fenn, Piper Laurie, Michael Ontkean, Ray Wise, Billy Zane, and many more – Reflections explores the magic and mystique of a true television phenomenon, Twin Peaks.

FIRE WALK WITH ME: YOUR LAURA DISAPPEARED by Scott Ryan, 2022

When it was released in 1992, Fire Walk With Me was not well received, to say the least, by critics or ticket buyers. Author Scott Ryan (Moonlighting: An Oral History, The Blue Rose Magazine) was among the few Twin Peaks fans who saw the film on the day it was released and loved it from the beginning. He takes an in-depth look at the film, its legacy, and the people who created it, weaving in his own story of how the film has inspired him throughout his life and still does.  The book features interviews with cowriter Bob Engels, editor Mary Sweeney, lead actress Sheryl Lee, and other cast members, as well as Ryan’s essays covering the different iterations of the script and Angelo Badalamenti’s superb score. This is an ambitious, unique exploration of one of the darkest films ever created by the master himself, David Lynch.

Twin Peaks Unwrapped by Ben Durant and Bryon Kozaczka, 2021

The Twin Peaks Unwrapped Podcast has over 200 episodes, and now it has a book. Hosts Ben Durant and Bryon Kozaczka have interviewed just about every actor on Twin Peaks, as well as all the writers, fans, and crazy theorists. This book compiles all they have unwrapped about David Lynch and Mark Frost's Twin Peaks over the past few years.

1. If you’re having trouble finding Twin Peaks to stream (it should be available on the Showtime app), consider purchasing it online or requesting it from your local library.

2. No assholes allowed. In my newsletter comments section, I will ruthlessly enforce the banhammer on anyone causing drama or trauma. Sharing ideas about art is not a competition!