I recently acquired a press kit from Germany for Twin Peaks – Der Film or Twin Peaks – The Film. This was the German name of David Lynch’s 1992 masterpiece Twin Peaks – Fire Walk With Me, which was released in theatres on August 20. Using Google Translate, I was able to translate all the copy from German to English so I could understand how they marketed the film.
TWIN PEAKS – DER FILM – PRESSENINFORMATION (PRESS KIT)
For the German release, the film was titled Twin Peaks – Der Film (or Twin Peaks – The Movie) with the subtitle, “Die letzten 7 Tage im Leben der Laura Palmer” (roughly translated to “The last 7 days in the life of Laura Palmer”).
Jugendfilm Verleih GmbH served as distributor for the film in Germany in August 1992. The logo above is found on the film poster on the front of the press kit booklet.
Founded in Berlin in 1934, the company originally distributed children’s films and fairy tales. After surviving the Nazi era, they received a prize from the 1952 Venice Film Festival for the best national selection of films for young people. Karl Friedrich Wohlrabe expanded their distribution catalog to include international productions after assuming management in 1961.
In 1969, they acquired the rights to the Belgian comic series Les Schtroumpfs ( The Smurfs ) by the illustrator Peyo, the Lucky Luke character, and the first Asterix films. The first three Asterix films – Asterix the Gaul (1967), Asterix and Cleopatra (1968) and Asterix Conquers Rome (1976) – reached more than 20 million viewers in the Federal Republic of Germany. Luis Buñuel’s Cet obscur objet du désir also became a hit for them in 1978.
Jürgen Wohlrabe took over the company in 1979. Films such as Dressed to Kill (1981), Once upon a Time in America (1984) and True Lies (1994) made Jugendfilm one of the most important distribution companies in Germany.
After Jürgen Wohlrabe’s death in 1996, his son Marc and his mother temporarily took over the distribution business with the rights to over 600 feature films. They sold the company’s shares and the youth film subsidiary Extrafilm Produktion GmbH to Kinowelt Medien AG on October 1, 1999. Kinowelt has continued the “Jugendfilm” brand since October 2000 as the distribution label for all repertoire films in the Kinowelt library. (Source: Literature: Wohlrabe, Jürgen (ed.): 60 Jahre Jugendfilm, 1934‑1994. Berlin: Nicolai 1994).
TWIN PEAKS – DER FILM – PRESSE
I found this press kit on eBay and was delightfully surprised to find an original cover letter tucked away on the inside cover. This ephemera is some of my favorite Twin Peaks things to find as most folks don’t keep paper materials.
The letter is from Marc Hertling who was the head of Public Relations and Marketing at Jugendfilm Verleih GmbH in 1992. Christa Kistner is listed as the press representative.
More recently, Marc was listed as an agency partner with 24u-Network in Germany, while Christa has spent more than 20 years running a film dubbing production company that is now part of eVa Studios Germany.
The translated cover letter reads:
“Dear ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues,
After the extremely successful television series ‘Twin Peaks’, which deals with the solution to the murder of Laura Palmer, probably the most famous corpse in America, cult director David Lynch reveals in TWIN PEAKS – THE MOVIE now all the secrets. We finally learn the shocking truth about Twin Peaks and the last days of Laura Palmer’s life before she finally falls victim to evil.
In German cinemas from August 20th!
In addition to many faces from the television series, such as Kyle MacLachlan as Special Agent Dale Cooper and Sheryl Lee as Laura Palmer, this time the cast list also includes such illustrious names as David Bowie, Kiefer Sutherland, Harry Dean Stanton, Chris Isaak and Jürgen Prochnow.
You will find our press material attached. If you are interested in broadcastable Betacam material, please do not hesitate to contact us on 030/300 697-40.
P.S. Sheryl Lee and Kyle MacLachlan have confirmed their visit to Germany for the film’s release. The exact dates will be announced shortly.”
I would love to know more about Sheryl and Kyle’s trip to Germany for the film’s release. I have yet to find any photographs from their visit. I’d also love to know what was on the “broadcastable Betacam” material.
TWIN PEAKS – DER FILM – TITLE PAGE
The title page of the press kit is pretty straightforward – the film title and several major stars.
TWIN PEAKS – DER FILM – ACTORS AND CREW
The third page lists major actors and crew who worked on Twin Peaks – Der Film. It’s an interesting mix of who received top billing. I learned a new German word – “Holzfäller” – which means “Lumberjack.” Also of note, Cheri Reed is listed as costumer while Patricia Norris is listed as Production Designed (she also designed the film’s costumes).
TWIN PEAKS – DER FILM
Brief information about Twin Peaks is found on page 4, which roughly translated reads:
A small, idyllic town framed by a valley.
Population: 51,201 (still).
A secret diary, a pact, a malevolent alter ego and a ring.
Dreams, hallucinations, bad premonitions. Entertaining love stories, a red room, white lines and a teenager who risks his life…
This is the world of TWIN PEAKS.
TWIN PEAKS – DER FILM SYNOPSIS
The film’s synopsis provided by David Lynch is found on pages 5-6, which translated reads:
“Twin Peaks The Movie” is the chronological processing of the last seven days in the life of Laura Palmer.
The prequel begins with a horrific scene that foreshadows the tragedy that will soon strike the seemingly idyllic town of Twin Peaks. We see Teresa Banks’ dead body floating along the Wind River in Washington State. FBI boss Gordon Cole calls in his best agent Chester Desmond to deal with this strange case.
From the moment Desmond leaves the plane in the neighboring state of Oregon – where he is greeted by Cole and his abnormal cousin Lili – solutions to clarify the mysterious case present themselves in mostly surprising forms and in always unexpected moments.
Desmond concludes that the malevolent current that wiped out Teresa Banks’ life will seek and find more victims.
After inspecting a run-down trailer park, the home of Teresa, Desmond stumbles upon a meaningful solution that goes beyond mere tragedy.
This is when Agent Dale Cooper intervenes, whose intuitive skills are urgently needed in this matter. He feels that the case is fraught with unusual mysteries concerning the nature of time, space and consciousness. While these outstanding minds fight against the tide of evil that is already looking for a new victim, we follow the activities of Laura Palmer as she approaches her redemption from the demons.
Already burned, Laura experiences physical and emotional extremes that make it impossible for her to ever lead a normal, orderly life again. We witness the private debauchery of Laura’s friends and relatives in Twin Peaks, and over time it becomes obvious many residents live on the edge of the abyss and that the beautiful Laura is almost beyond that.
The synopsis continues:
A ‘visit’ from an FBI agent believed dead sheds further light on the conspiracy threatening Laura’s life. He has also already suffered from Laura’s persecutors, but is helpless in the face of what is happening and cannot save her. The promise of great calamity is becoming more and more apparent.
Laura realizes that the threads of a destructive web are tightening around her and that the true source of her torture will soon be revealed. Her nightmares become more real, her drug abuse and sexual excesses increase. The downward spiral of her life seems to be drawing ever closer circles, and so it happens that Laura ends up with her friend Donna in the disreputable, wild nightclub ‘The Power and the Glory’ on the American-Canadian border. There the journey to hell continues and her friend Donna finally becomes aware of the extent of Laura’s obsession.
Suddenly she has to face the terrible truth that her friend is living. Laura, on the other hand, knows that the party is coming to an end. She cannot continue to live as a bearer of the evil that has taken possession of her heart and soul.
Only one escape route remains. In the end it is clear that the ravenous, black power has far from finished with Twin Peaks and that Laura will continue her fight from another place…
TWIN PEAKS – DER FILM – PRODUCTION NOTES
Pages 7-9 contain extensive notes about the film’s overall production.
Like everywhere else, in the town of Twin Peaks you will find worlds of the visible and the invisible. In the visible world, the sun rises and sets, people go to work, trucks roar along the highway. In the invisible world there are ancient forces, some malevolent, some friendly, power struggles, ebbs and flows.
Hot events – a love story, a murder, a car accident – create further tension. Those trapped in the psychic inferno realize that they are surrounded by fire but are unable to extinguish the flames. Another frightening and invisible force is fate, which manifests itself in the indiscriminate cruelty of the universe. Those who deserve to suffer are not always the ones who actually suffer. Innocent people can be randomly selected for torture.
Luck often plays a role too. Some people enter the wrong alley at the wrong moment; For others, nothing happens at all in dangerous situations. They are not even aware of the danger that surrounds them. Human drives such as love, fear and lust, which often serve as breeding grounds for evil, are on a constant collision course with these invisible forces.
This is how it has always been, and this is where we find ourselves today: creatures between light and shadow, while the unknown and invisible beckons us from both directions.
In the hugely successful television series “Twin Peaks,” director David Lynch described the aftermath of the mysterious death of Laura Palmer, a high school beauty whose body and soul became the playground of a battle between good and evil. In the prequel, the feature film “Twin Peaks: The Movie,” Lynch returns to the strange small town in the American Northwest to explore the converging forces that led to Laura Palmer’s depravity and eventual death.
The metaphorical horror story written by David Lynch and Bob Engels, is a dark meditation on magic and incest, about mental and physical violence.
In order to tell the story, it was necessary that the actors from the television series also appear in the film. Sheryl Lee once again plays the beautiful Laura Palmer.
“The role allowed me to embrace the dark side of myself,” she says. “Furthermore, working with David was a wonderful, creatively fascinating and challenging experience; something that doesn’t happen to every actor. I conquered many of my fears because of working with David.”
Numerous crew members from the television series are also back: cameraman Ron Garcia, production and costume designer Patricia Norris, and composer Angelo Badalamenti, whose music was a vital part of the series.
Filming of “Twin Peaks The Movie” began near Seattle on September 4, 1991. Four weeks later, the crew went to Los Angeles, where the rest of the film was produced at various locations and in the studio. The final blow fell at the end of October.
Kyle MacLachlan is Special Agent Dale Cooper. About his work with David Lynch he says: “It’s like a double cappuccino in the morning and a tall glass of Cabernet in the evening.”
Laura Palmer’s father Leland is portrayed by Ray Wise.
“From a creative perspective, the filming was liberating and stimulating at the same time. But the most important thing was the fact that it was pure fun! Like driving in a convertible through the sunny landscape, which, by the way, I can see in the film!”
Also Dana Ashbrook, Laura Palmer’s first boyfriend Bobby Briggs, is enthusiastically: “David is great. A fabulous man with whom I would shoot at any time and any place!” About his role as Bobby Briggs he says: “It wasn’t particularly difficult for me, to get back in. I had mine during filming for the television series, I thought about everything that was going to happen Laura’s death happened!”
Sheryl Lee adds: “David has let me do things like that I didn’t even know that I was capable of doing it. I have exceeded my own boundaries and myself as a person and Actress can develop enormously. After completion During filming I felt a strong sense of freedom; I was inspired and I am very grateful to David.”
Moira Kelly, who plays Laura’s best friend Donna Hayward, explains: “Last summer I was in Los Angeles and talked to David for an hour. Then he called me in New York and asked if I was interested in the role of Donna ‘Of course I was!'”
“Working with him is incredibly exciting. He will go down in the annals of film history as one of the greats. It was an honor to be in front of the camera for him. For me, filming is always comparable to a circus act, but “Twin Peaks – The Movie” far exceeded that. It was one circus act after another! David is a rebel. He doesn’t care what others think or say about him and his work. He just does it!”
“Twin Peaks The Movie” introduces new characters: Harry Dean Stanton as a trailer park manager, as well as David Bowie, Chris Isaak and Kiefer Sutherland, who play three FBI agents. Each had their own personal reasons for wanting to work with Lynch.
David Bowie: “It’s like giving a 14-year-old permission to change the world for eight weeks. I would recommend working with David to anyone. He’s a dedicated madman.”
About his role as missing FBI agent Phillip Jeffries, he says: “I play a well-traveled lawman who has seen a lot and is incapable of doing anything else. The life of a rock star is very similar to that,” he laughs .
Kiefer Sutherland is FBI agent Sam Stanley, while rock star Chris Isaak appears as his colleague Chester Desmond.
“Many people think that David Lynch is a threat to society, but during filming I got to know him as a nice, good-natured person. Only the sweets that he constantly gave me to suck always made me a little tired.”
And David Lynch himself?
He says: “‘Twin Peaks – The Movie’ is my best work so far. Something I’m damn proud of!”
TWIN PEAKS – DER FILM – DAVID LYNCH’S BIO AND FILMOGRAPHY
Pages 10-11 contain a brief biography about David Lynch and a short filmography.
David Lynch, director and actor
David Lynch was born on January 20, 1946 and initially wanted to study painting.
At the Academy of Fine Arts in Pennsylvania, Lynch, who had become more interested in moving images, received some money from the American Film Institute to make a 16mm film. Title: “The Grandmother”. Length: 34 minutes.
He prefers filmmaking because he wants to expand the atmosphere of an image through movement. With his films, Lynch wants to invite the viewer to travel into their innermost being. Lynch: “I love the stories in the films, but I also appreciate the incomprehensible things that happen inside you.”
In 1972 he began work on “Eraserhead” – a film that made him a cult figure. The following is “The Elephant Man”, based on the life story of John Merrick. John Merrick became a sensation at fairs in Victorian England due to his physical deformities.
The $40 million production “Dune The Desert Planet” is neither an artistic nor commercial success. Lynch has to fight for survival and he can only shoot “Blue Velvet” because producer Dino de Laurentiis limits the budget to five million dollars.
When ABC offered him the opportunity to direct a television series in 1990, Lynch spontaneously accepted. “Twin Peaks”, the mixture of soap opera, crime thriller and melodrama, hits like a bomb. The constant refraction through ironization and juicy black humor is setting new ratings records.
“Wild at Heart”, Lynch’s cynical road movie, was awarded the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1990 and became a… Box office hit.
With “Twin Peaks The Movie”, the prequel to the successful one TV series, David Lynch is once again a masterpiece succeeded, which provides the viewer with puzzles, questions, symbols and surrealism bombed.
TWIN PEAKS – DER FILM – ACTOR AND CREW BIOGRAPHIES
The remaining pages of the press kit, pages 12-16, contain short biographies about the cast and crew.
Sheryl Lee – About the person
Sheryl Lee made her acting debut as the dead Laura Palmer in David Lynch’s popular “Twin Peaks” television series. Known as a stage actress, Lee also played Laura’s doppelganger and cousin Madeleine Ferguson. This gave David Lynch the idea of having her act as a fairy godmother in his feature film “Wild at Heart.”
Lee, who got her acting start at the National Conservatory Theater in Denver, graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena, California. She had an important role in Lawrence Kasdan’s “I Love You to Death”.
Moira Kelly – About the person
Moira Kelly is an interesting new discovery in the film business. After completing her studies at Marymount Manhattan College in New York, she received a role in the television film “Love, Lies and Murder”, where Sheryl Lee also appeared alongside her. She recently appeared in front of the camera as a young orphan alongside Dustin Hoffman in “Billy Bathgate”. With the box office hit “The Cutting Edge”, directed by Paul Michael Glaser, she made a big leap to the top this year.
In “Twin Peaks – The Movie” Moira Kelly is Donna Hayward, Laura Palmer’s best friend.
David Bowie – About the person
His incredibly successful career consists of two components: music and film. His screen career began with “The Image” in 1967. Other credits include “Ziggy Stardust”, “The Man Who Fell To Earth”, “Just a Gigolo”, “The Hunger” by Tony Scott, Martin Scorcese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ” and now “Twin Peaks The Movie.”
Chris Isaak – About the person
With his role as an FBI agent, Chris Isaak has taken the most important step in his acting career to date. Isaak, the singer and writer who is popular with critics and audiences alike, can look back on three music albums to date. With “Heart-Shaped World” he pulled off a million-seller, and the song “Wicked Game” (from “Wild at Heart”) was in the top ten in many countries.
Isaak was also seen in Jonathan Demme’s “Married to the Mob” and “The Silence of the Lambs”.
Harry Dean Stanton – About the person
He is one of the great character actors in Hollywood, and in his role as trailer park manager Carl Rodd he can once again show his best side. Stanton, who settled in Hollywood in 1957, starred in more than 60 films throughout his career. His numerous credits include “Cool Hand Luke,” “The Godfather Part II,” Robert Altman’s “Fool for Love” and Ridley Scott’s “Alien.”
Stanton, known for his brilliant portrayal of eccentric and strange characters, also appeared in a major role in Wim Wender’s “Paris, Texas.” The film won the Palme d’Or at Cannes for Best Film in 1984
He has just finished filming Bob Rafelson’s “Man Trouble” (a youth film released on October 15, 1992).
Ray Wise – About the person
He is one of America’s most famous television faces and has appeared in series such as “Dallas”, “The Colbys”, “Beauty and the Beast”, “Hart to Hart” and “Lou Grant.” Born in Akron, Ohio, Wise won the Obie Award in 1983 for his performance in Sam Shepard’s play “The Tooth of Crime.” He can look back on more than eighty plays, including “Tartuffe” and “Romeo and Juliet”. He made his screen acting debut in Wes Craven’s “The Thing from the Swamp.” He also appeared in “Cat People,” “Robocop,” “Natty Gann” and “Race for Glory.”
Kyle MacLachlan – About the person
He owes the beginning of his career to David Lynch, for whom he appeared in front of the camera in “Dune The Desert Planet” in 1984. This was followed by “Blue Velvet” and his role as FBI agent Dale Cooper in the “Twin Peaks” television series. The feature film of the same name is his fourth collaboration with David Lynch.
After attending Seattle University, MacLachlan became a member of the prestigious Oregon Shakespeare Festival and appeared in “Romeo and Juliet,” “Julius Caesar” and “Henry V.” to see. The role of Special Agent Dale Cooper made him an overnight star. MacLachlan also had roles in Oliver Stone’s “The Doors” and Jack Sholder’s “The Hidden.”
He is currently in front of the cameras in Prague for a film adaptation of Franz Kafka’s book “The Trial”. Harold Pinter wrote the screenplay and David Jones directed.
Patricia Norris – Production Design
Patricia Norris has been nominated for an Oscar six times and has worked for David Lynch three times on “The Elephant Man”, “Blue Velvet” and “Wild at Heart”. She is also responsible for the pilot of the “Twin Peaks” television series.
Mary Sweeney – Editing
After completing her studies, she initially worked as an editor for numerous documentaries and feature films. Various things followed Projects at Lucasfilm and David Lynch’s offer, “Blue Velvet”. “Wild at Heart”, the “Twin Peaks” television series and the David Lynch/Mark Frost comedy series “On the Air” can also be found in her filmography.
Ron Garcia – camera
Ron Garcia has had an equally successful career in film and television. Garcia’s inimitable style was first noticed by David Lynch while working on the “Twin Peaks” television series. Afterwards it was clear that only one person would be considered for “Twin Peaks – The Movie” – Ron Garcia.
His feature film credits include “Storyville,” “Side Out,” “One From the Heart” and “Disorganized Crime.”
Angelo Badalamenti – music
Badalamenti has already been awarded a Grammy for composing the music for the “Twin Peaks” television series and has been awarded gold records in fifteen countries. Badalamenti’s songs have been interpreted by George Benson, Patti Austin, Mel Tillis, Melba Moore and Roberta Flack, among others. He worked on “Black and White” for Michael Jackson. His professional association with David Lynch began in 1986, with the music for “Blue Velvet”. This was followed by “Wild at Heart” and now “Twin Peaks – The Movie”.
In his studio in Manhattan he also composed the music for the films “Weeds”, “Tough Guys Don’t Dance” and Joel Schumacher’s “Cousins”. Badalamenti is also responsible for the theme song for this year’s Olympic Games.
Robert Engels – co-author
He originally wanted to become an actor after successfully completing his studies at the University of Minnesota. However, in New York he decided to direct and he has successfully directed numerous plays on Broadway. After easily finding a buyer for his first screenplay, Engels settled in Los Angeles to write. His work on the television series “Wiseguy” was followed by the “Twin Peaks” series for David Lynch.
This successful collaboration now led to “Twin Peaks – The Movie”. He is currently writing two new ones with David Lynch scripts.
The final page is about producer Francis Bouygues who provided financing for the film.
Francis Bouygues, producer
Ciby Pictures is a subdivision of the Bouygues Group, a global industrial group from France. Since 1986 they have also been intensively involved in the audiovisual sector. President and owner Francis Bouygues founded an independent film production company in 1990 based in Paris and Los Angeles. According to Bouygues, the goal is to produce great classics with mass appeal.
Projects funded by Ciby include Pavel Lounguine’s “Luna Park”, Pedro Almodovar’s “High Heels” and Jean-Loup Hubert’s “La Reine Blanche”.
In preparation are “Little Buddha” by Bernardo Bertolucci, “The Piano” by Jane Campion and Claude Pinoteau’s “L’Expédition”.
Eight to twelve films are planned per year; Wim Wenders and Maurice Pialat have already been signed.
“Twin Peaks – The Movie” is the first American co-production (with Lynch/Frost Productions). Ciby will also finance Lynch’s next three films.
