Well, dear readers, another Thanksgiving is behind us, even though I’m attending a Thanksgiving celebration this very day. We call that a post-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving. I had an odd Thanksgiving in that I had no Thanksgiving feast or partay, but I had a very enjoyable day nonetheless. I didn’t sleep too late, and I got up and did about two hours of work at the piano. I hadn’t intended to do so, but I did so anyway. Other than that, I just puttered around the house, read a few magazines, went out shopping (just before Gelson’s closed) and got some foodstuffs to nibble on, then I sat on my couch like so much fish. Whilst sitting on my couch like so much fish, I ate two turkey sandwiches, which were ever so yummilicious.
Yesterday, I had a Thanksgiving marathon, only instead of the usual Twilight Zone Thanksgiving marathon, I broke open the new Gold Edition of the complete Twin Peaks series. I hadn’t seen the show since its original airing. I began with the pilot episode, and then watched six more episodes. TV rarely comes up with anything original, but Twin Peaks was certainly original – nothing like it had ever hit the airwaves from a major network. Watching the show now, it is as strange and weird and quirky and off-the-wall as it was back then. Of course, it’s been ripped off countless times, and, in fact, without it pushing the envelope as it did, I don’t think we’d have the TV programs we have today. It was truly a groundbreaking show in that regard. The casting is perfect and, for TV and movie fans, really fun. I mean, when you have the likes of Michael Ontkean, Peggy Lipton, Richard Beymer, and Russ Tamblyn in one TV show, that’s fun. I know the show made donuts more popular than they’d ever been, and the same goes for berry pies. The show back then was addictive and it is addictive still. The episodes actually written by creators David Lynch and Mark Frost are the best, and the episodes directed by Mr. Lynch are clearly in a different league. The other episodes are all work to varying degrees, but some of them try to hard for the quirkiness in the writing, while others try to hard for quirkiness in the direction. The show only lasted twenty-nine episodes, so the American public wasn’t quite ready for it – it would probably do better today, and certainly would if it were premiered on an HBO or Showtime. The transfers, according to the box, are all off the camera negatives, but frankly they look a little brown to me – a little blue would help, certainly. Other than that, they’re sharp and clean as a whistle. Actually, whistles aren’t necessarily clean, so what nincompoop made up that saying? Also included in the set is the International version of the pilot, which actually provides an ending – avoid it at all costs. Whether you like David Lynch or not, he is one-of-a-kind and a unique artist. Some of his stuff I really love (The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive) and some I really don’t like at all (Inland Empire, Lost Highway, and quite a few others). But Twin Peaks just works and I’m having a lot of fun revisiting it after all these years.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I think I’ll watch another episode or two of Twin Peaks before having my beauty sleep.
Today, I shall get up early and see what the crowds are doing at The Grove. All those Twin Peaks shows have got me craving donuts, and there’s a wonderful donut shop at the Farmer’s Market. But, I know if I don’t get there early, I won’t be getting a parking space.
Then, around four-thirty, I’ll head out to the Wechter home environment, where I’ll be partaking of a Wechter Thanksgiving feast, which I’m very much looking forward to.
When I get home, I’m sure I’ll watch another three or four episodes of Twin Peaks – my plan is to finish all twenty-nine episodes by Sunday evening. I may also revisit the follow-up film, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. I may even have the DVD here somewhere.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have an early-morning donut, check out the sales at The Grove, have a post-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving, and watch some episodes. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player, and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, a Julie London two-fer from the 60s, and a wonderful Quincy Jones album from the 60s entitled Golden Boy. DVD, obviously Twin Peaks. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, as I gird my loins for a huge post-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving feast.