Imagine being invited to a party in downtown Los Angeles, California to celebrate the release of a new motion picture. Dining on “apps and zerts,” you rub elbows with the film’s stars and raise a glass (or two) before seeing this newest creation on the silver screen. Except, there is no screening and the party runs out of food. That’s exactly what happened on August 26, 1996 at the now closed McCormick & Schmick’s to commemorate the release of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. I even have the photos to prove it.
NO SCREENINGS
To understand why this party happened, we need to look at New Line Cinema’s approach to marketing the film. Being a smaller production company, they were “forced to try unorthodox strategies to create a ‘must-see, event-like atmosphere’ for its films,” explained Sandra Ruch, New Line Cinema’s president of marketing, in a Los Angeles Times interview on August 28, 1992.
Rauch added they had “maintained a tight lid on the film as part of a marketing plan designed to heighten the ‘mystery, mystique and element of surprise’ that drove the ‘Twin Peaks’ phenomenon in the first place.” She denied that the company was afraid of negative reviews. Yet, there were hardly any advanced screenings.
The film debuted in May that years for the Cannes Film Festival and in Japanese market. The U.S. theatrical premiere was held in North Bend, Washington during the 1992 Twin Peaks Fan Festival. There may have been other advanced screenings in cities such as Dallas, a screening at the then newly-opened Mall of America (that’s another story), and in Westwood in L.A. on August 27.
But on August 26, attendees to the swanky, star-filled party in a seafood restaurant could only dream of what secrets waited to be revealed two days later.
TWIN PEAKS PIQUE
While researching my favorite David Lynch movie, I stumbled upon this article by Kevin Allman in the Los Angeles Times on August 28, 1992. I had to read it twice to believe it even happened.
The article also confirmed the origin of some photographs I found in summer 2021 while endlessly researching the internet for all things Twin Peaks. Using this recap, let’s recreate the night held 30 years ago.
MOVIELINE MAGAZINE
Our journey beings with the now defunct Movieline magazine, the first of two sponsors for the party. I picked up this September 1992 issue with Jennifer Jason Leigh in the early 2000s via eBay. It’s been sitting on my bookshelf for nearly 20 years waiting to be referenced.
Page 25 contains the reason I picked up the magazine – it’s a full-page advertisement for a Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me promotion from New Line Cinema, Bohemia Beer, and McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants in the western United States.
Mention Bohemia Beer and the above ad at any of the restaurants between August 15-26 and receive two tickets to the film, a poster or t-shirt. Did anyone do this? I’m assuming the poster was the U.S. theatrical pictured in the advertisement and the t-shirt was a promotional shirt with the film’s logo.
This establishes why the no-screening premiere party was held at this particular spot; New Line Cinema was already holding a promotion in eleven other restaurants.
KROQ-FM IN LOS ANGELES
The other sponsor was KROQ-FM (106.7) in Los Angeles. Their morning show crew had been long-time fans of Twin Peaks since the show first aired in 1990. An article from the Los Angeles Times on May 10, 1990 illustrates how much they loved the series. Doc on the ROQ, Boyd Britton, was even trying to get The Log Lady (Catherine Coulson) to join them on the air.
Their love of the show was referenced again in the Los Angeles Times on July 29, 1990. KROQ was even the first to air the now holiday classic, a Twin Peaks-themed “12 Days of Christmas.”
To me, it’s no surprise they would want to sponsor a party for something the obsessed over for years.
MCCORMICK & SCHMICK’S
There is another reason why this particular McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant was selected – it was the newest location! This full-page ad on Page 27 in the aforementioned Movieline magazine announced its opening. What better way to celebrate a new restaurant opening than with holding a party for an anticipated movie by David Lynch.
The restaurant was located on the 4th Floor of the First Interstate World Trade Center Tower at 633 West 5th Street in Los Angeles, California.
Laurie Ochoa reviewed the new addition for the Los Angeles Times on August 23, 1992. McCormick & Schmick’s began in the early 1970s when Bill McCormick purchased the 100-year-old Jake’s Famous Crawfish restaurant in Portland, OR-E-GON. Douglas Schmick was hired as the manager and would open the original McCormick & Schmick’s in Portland in 1979.
The company went public in 2004 and by 2009, they had nearly 100 restaurants throughout the United States. Today, Houston-based Landry’s owns the company and, as of mid-2021, operates 26 locations in the US and five “Boathouse” restaurants in Canada.
The McCormick & Schmick’s location in downtown Los Angeles has since closed.
RECAPPING THE PARTY
An article from September 10, 1992 in LA Weekly provided a pretty phenomenal recap of what happened that night in August.
We learn a few tidbits from both articles:
- STAR-SIGHTING – Several Twin Peaks stars attended including Sheryl Lee, Dana Ashbrook, Ray Wise, Grace Zabriskie, and Catherine Coulson. Other celebrities were there including Cuba Gooding, Jr., Edward Furlong and Finola Hughes. Even more attended as you’ll see in just a moment
- FOOD SUPPLY ISSUES – Since it was a seafood joint, they served salmon, calamari, ceviche, and crab cakes but quickly ran out of items.
- TWIN PEAKS FOOD PRESENT – Usual staples of cherry pie, coffee and doughnuts were present.
- LIQUOR FREE, SODA NOT – Open bar with most likely Bohemia Beer being offered but guests paid for soft drinks.
- GREAT STAFF – The newly opened restaurant had a “young and enthusiastic staff” who kept working hard despite the crowd and logistical challenges.
PROMISED PHOTOS
Here are several images I found from the celebration that evening. As far as I know, they are the only photos that prove this unique event actually took place.
Sheryl Lee relayed as story that night to Kevin Allman about Japanese fans holding a funeral for Laura Palmer.
“They built a corpse that looked like me, wrapped it in plastic,” she said. “Hundreds of people came to see it, bringing flowers and crying.”
Dana Ashbrook was spotted on the red carpet. If you look closely, you’ll see movie posters for Lynch’s new film crudely taped to an exterior wall.
“People have taken things so seriously,” said Ashbrook about David Lynch’s dark visions. “It doesn’t condone violence. It’s a cool movie. It’s very avant-garde. It’s not your totally predictable, totally pat movie like ‘Basic Instinct.'”
Ray Wise who played Leland Palmer showed up.
So did Grace Zabriskie who played Sarah Palmer in the motion picture and television series.
She just looks stunning, in all that early 1990s glory!
Finally, the beloved Catherine Coulson was there. I wonder if the KROQ crew lost their minds.
OTHER CELEBRITIES
A handful of other celebrities were spotted attending the party.
Cuba Gooding, Jr., who appeared in 1991’s Boyz N The Hood and would later star that December in A Few Good Men, walked the red carpet.
Finola Hughes from the Stayin’ Alive, the 1983 sequel to Saturday Night Fever, was there. Notice the KROQ posters behind her.
Cynda Williams appeared in Spike Lee’s Mo’ Better Blues in 1990. That night was at the party with an unidentified guest.
Ella Joyce who had only appeared a few months earlier in Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, a 1992 American comedy film directed by Roger Spottiswoode.
Finally, Brian Bloom joined the festivities. Brother of actor Scott Bloom and musician Mike Bloom, he played Dusty Donovan in the soap opera As the World Turns from 1983-1987.
Kevin Allman recounted his favorite overheard line from the night about Twin Peaks. One guest said, “Was it only a couple of years ago [that the show was on the air]? It already feels like nostalgia.”
It’s funny now 30 years later, this article also feels like ’90s nostalgia.
