On August 16-17, 2024, the North Bend Theatre in North Bend, Washington held three screenings of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me with special guest Sheryl Lee. This is the second of three trip reports from the screenings held in the Real Twin Peaks of Snoqualmie Valley. This report covers the afternoon screening which began at 3:00 p.m. on August 17.
NORTH BEND THEATRE IN NORTH BEND, WASHINGTON
After starting my morning with breakfast at the Salish Lodge and Spa, I headed over to North Bend for the afternoon showing of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. The screening started at 3:00 p.m. with doors opening closer to 2:00 p.m. One thing I love about the town is the magnificent Mount Si towers over everything. That afternoon, the 4,000-foot mountain was looking beautiful against a cloud-filled blue sky.
The theatre placed a chalkboard A-frame sign with the film’s title and a drawing of half a gold heart with Sheryl Lee’s name. The 3:00 screening was sold out!
Folks trickled into the theatre starting after 2:00. Videographer and son of the theatre owners Sam Burrows scanned QR codes to check people in.
I was thrilled to see my favorite Pacific Northwest band, Wisteria Lodge. You may recall I’ve featured them on Twin Peaks Blog in previous articles such as the VIP Party held at Twede’s Cafe during the Real Twin Peaks 2024 event.
Once inside, fans could pick up postcards featuring Sheryl Lee as Laura Palmer and the North Bend Theatre’s gorgeous neon marquee.
There was another commemorative ticket for the 3:00 p.m. show (I signed up for all three so I could have the complete set).
The specially designed poster by artist Mr. V1deo was still available in the lobby. Bartender Rich showed off the poster to a fellow Twin Peaks fan in between pouring drink specials like the Fire Walk With Me Mimosa.
The Theatre also brought out two small key chains first offered during the Real Twin Peaks event in February. I remember having things like these when I was a child. When you held them up to the light, you saw hand-drawn artwork of scenes from the Twin Peaks pilo
One scene was Donna Hayward and Laura Palmer enjoying their picnic with James Hurley. The other featured the most iconic entrance in all of television – Special Agent Dale Cooper’s drive into the town of Twin Peaks.
I loved seeing all of the Twin Peaks t-shirts that fans wore to these special screenings.
The theatre quickly filled up as time ticked closer to 3:00 p.m. Aside from this special Twin Peaks-themed event, the North Bend Theatre offers plenty of other unique programming and films. I was happy to see they were in the middle of a Cary Grant festival this summer. His movie Charade was shown on August 18 following the screenings of Lynch’s 1992 film.
Before the film started, I captured a great shot of fellow Bookhouse Boy, Twin Peaks Blog author and prop enthusiast, Jason Mattson. He provided the screen-used chair that Special Agent Dale Cooper sat in during Twin Peaks: The Return.
I also got to see David Israel who runs TwinPeaksTour.com, which offers guided tours of the Real Twin Peaks. Our selfies have become a tradition with every visit I make to Snoqualmie Valley.
Shortly after 3:00 p.m., Beth Burrows, owner of North Bend Theatre, welcomed the audience and started a 4K version of Lynch’s masterpiece. To get the crowd energized, she yelled, “I say ‘Twin,’ you say ‘Peaks.'” Attendees joined in her call and response until the lights dimmed and the sounds of Angelo Badalamenti’s opening jazz filled the room.
There really is no greater joy than seeing Carl Rodd (Harry Dean Stanton) on the big screen in the historic theatre where Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me debuted 32 years ago. I could watch the Deer Meadow scenes on repeat all day.
SHERYL LEE’S HANDPRINT CEREMONY
Following the screening, Beth returned to the microphone and introduced Sheryl Lee for a second handprint ceremony. Here is a look at that introduction and special moment in the historic theatre.
The handprints will be permanently installed outside the North Bend Theatre in front of the ticket booth.
This is how the second handprints looked after Sheryl was done making the impressions and autograph.
CONVERSATION WITH SHERYL LEE – AUGUST 17, 2024
Following the handprint ceremony, Sheryl Lee and her theatrical booking agent and conversation host Mike McGraner took to the stage about 5:30 p.m.. Sheryl sat in the screen-used Red Room chair from the third season.
You can see the entire 31-minute conversation on the Twin Peaks Blog YouTube channel.
One of the first questions asked was about Jennifer Lynch’s “Secret Diary of Laura Palmer” which Sheryl Lee referenced when preparing for the role.
“Jennifer [Lynch] is incredible and what she wrote is just so powerful,” explained Sheryl Lee. “It was a wonderful resource as an actor to have her material and her words. I’m a huge fan of hers. Having read it then when I was younger and then going back when we recorded it for Audible, it wasn’t that long ago so realizing ‘Wow, she was so young when she wrote that.’ That was such a potent resource for an actor. I have a lot of gratitude to her.”
Another attendee asked Sheryl how she felt about “being the face that brought so many people into Twin Peaks.” Sheryl gave credit to the entire cast and crew of David Lynch and Mark Frost’s wonderful and strange show.
“I don’t feel like the face,” she explained. “I think that’s the starting point. Twin Peaks is an entire collaboration of extraordinary artists in every department – behind the camera, sound, music, every actor, you know, hair, wardrobe, set design. All of it is … Mother Nature herself is a huge part of [the show]. When I see any picture of Laura, I don’t associate it as me, as a picture of me. It’s like a picture of just someone you see in an early history book or something, like, ‘Oh, that person is familiar to me.’ But I don’t have that association of being the face of something or anything like that.”
Questions turned to Twin Peaks: The Return when a guest asked how Sheryl Lee interpreted the final scream in Part 18. Mike quickly interjected that he forgot to ask folks not to ask secrets questions and the audience laughed.
“The scream is for me is just a search for the truth of where and what is being called for in that moment,” Sheryl responded. “[The scream] is in a space of non-linear time and collective pain, if that makes sense.”
Mike followed up by saying, “David [Lynch] would have said ‘Pass.'” Everyone laughed again.
One guest came from Spain to visit the film locations in Real Twin Peaks and he purchased the last two tickets for this special screening. He asked Sheryl when she works with David Lynch if she has to ask if a scene is a dream, reality or is this a metaphor.
“I would not dare ask,” exclaimed Sheryl as the audience erupted again in laughter. “I would not dare. It’s not because he would be upset if I asked but there’s no answer to that [question]. I mean how do you this isn’t a dream? That we all just showed up in your dream. Just synchronistically there is only two tickets left.”
Sheryl dazzled again with her heartfelt answers and radiant smile.
David tried to get an answer to a mystery from Twin Peaks: The Return when he asked, “In the Return when the find the missing pages of the diary, there is still one page missing. If you know the answer, can you tell if Carrie Page is that missing page?”
The audience gasped
“That is so cool the way you just did that,” Sheryl retorted.
Mike quickly shouted, “Next question.” Laughter and clapping everywhere.
“That was really, really good,” continued Sheryl. “Fascinating. Very interesting. I’m going to go explore that and get back to you in another 25 years.”
More laughter as Mike pretended to hand Sheryl a mobile phone saying David Lynch was on the line for her.
The entire conversation with Sheryl offered a glimpse into how she approached Laura Palmer as a young actress first entering television and film. The time passed so quickly so I invite you to watch the entire conversation.
When the conversation concluded, Sheryl posed for a big group photo with everyone at the North Bend Theatre.
Mike also grabbed a selfie with Sheryl and the audience before her meet and greet moment was moved outside the theatre.
TWIN PEAKS FANS AT THE NORTH BEND THEATRE
I loved meeting so many Twin Peaks fans from around the world at this event. Here is a small gallery with some who attended the 3:00 p.m. screening.
MORE EVENT PHOTOS ON FLICKR
See even more event photos from the August 16-17, 2024 screenings at North Bend Theatre in this Flickr Gallery.
