Twin Peaks - International Version (1990) ****1/2

I'm not in the habit of writing TV show reviews (as I mentioned in my review of the 2017 return of Twin Peaks), but I decided to revisit the international version of the pilot episode of Twin Peaks (1990–1991) to celebrate the 30th anniversary today of the first airing of the pilot. The international version, made for the European market and released on VHS and laserdisc, acts as a standalone TV movie with a closed ending. It's basically identical to the US pilot but adds approximately 20 minutes at the end, revealing Laura Palmer's killer (though not their human identity) and features footage from the Red Room, which David Lynch repurposed in later episodes of the series.

While I certainly prefer the US version (my favorite pilot episode of my favorite TV show) because, well, of course it leads you into the rest of the series (and the entire first season is close to perfect), the international "movie" works quite well on its own (though the thought that if the show hadn't been picked up we never would have got all those great future moments is distressing). Either way you slice it, here is where we were introduced to the many incredible and unforgettable characters, mannerisms, imagery, dialogue, and music that inhabit(s) the wonderful and strange world of Twin Peaks.

You can find my David Lynch Feature Films Ranked list here.