As I continue building this archive of all things Twin Peaks, I love finding unique ephemera to add to the collection. This Image Entertainment update about new laserdiscs from March-April 1993 is a great example. The magazine was complimentary and not something many folks may save. Thankfully, I found this item in a lot of catalogs from the early 1990s on eBay.
TWIN PEAKS LASERDISCS IN IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT UPDATE FROM MARCH-APRIL 1993
Image Entertainment Inc. was founded in 1981 as a distributor of the new home video format Laserdiscs. This vinyl record-sized discs offered better sound and video quality compared to the then dominate home video options of VHS and Beta. In the late 1990s, the company changed its distribution to DVDs and later Blu-rays. In 2012, Image was acquired by RLJ Acquisition, Inc. and was merged with Acorn Media. The “Image Entertainment” name stopped being used on-screen in 2015 and was only known as a subsidiary of RLJ Entertainment until 2018. AMC Networks purchased that company on Nov. 1, 2018.
Before the arrival of DVDs, Image Entertainment leaned heavily into LaserDisc. They published an annual catalog along with “Image Updates.” These complimentary magazines were an advertising tool for Laserdisc collectors and video rental shops.
The March-April 1993 update offered a look at Academy Award-winning best pictures on Laserdisc from a variety of film studios.
IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT UPDATE FROM MARCH-APRIL 1993 | THIS MONTH…
Image Update was a publication of Image Entertainment, Inc. which was located in Chatsworth, California. Garrett M. Lee served as editor and Dennis Rood was associate editor in 1993. The Creative Director was Mary Schepis with art direction by James Flynn.
Garret penned an update on the inside cover highlighting a number of films including Twin Peaks.
“‘Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me,’ a prequel to the cult-favorite TV series will be released on laser as an exclusive widescreen edition. We will also be bringing out a boxed set of ‘Twin Peaks’ episodes from the first season of the television series. So all of you Lynch-o-philes should be pleasantly satiated.”
Lee also mentioned a documentary about Hugh Hefner that David Lynch and Mark Frost produced.
“If you didn’t catch it in its limited theatrical release, don’t miss ‘Hugh Hefner: Once Upon A Time.’ This is a brilliant documentary detailing the rise of the Playboy empire and the man that founded it all. Produced in association with David Lynch, this film offers rarely seen footage of the Playboy Mansion as well as clips from Hefner’s television appearances over the years. One really is made aware of just how much of this nation’s attitudes toward sex and morality were formulated in this man’s dreams. Fascinating stuff from start to finish.”
This is the front of the Hugh Hefner LaserDisc. If you look closely, you’ll see it’s a “Lynch/Frost Production.” The Executive in Charge of Production was Ken Scherer who David Lynch nicknamed the “Camp Counselor.” Mr. Scherer was hired by around May 1990 as the chief operating officer (COO) of the production studio.
The back of the LaserDisc contains the following synopsis with a mention of Twin Peaks:
“Imagine Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane by way of Madonna’s Truth or Dare and you have a sense of Hugh Hefner: Once Upon a Time.
Producers David Lynch and Mark Frost, the same slightly-skewed team that brought you Twin Peaks and American Chronicles, have turned their lens on the founder and editor of PLAYBOY magazine. The pair was given access to exclusive footage including home movies of Hefner’s childhood, tantalizing glimpses of life inside the Playboy Mansion, and other rare, behind-the-scenes footage of the man and his empire. This personal look, combined with candid interviews of both friends and enemies, makes this film a remarkable psychological travelogue on the man and his life.
At first glance, Hefner’s story seems like a fulfillment of the American dream as he celebrated what he called the Good Life. His quest, though, has its dark side. This fim explores his obstacies to that success, from his roots in a conservative Chicago family to his confrontation with the many faces of puritanism that dominated American society.
This is the tale of a man who created an empire of dreams and prevailed over all obstacles to become a part of the mythology of 20th century America. It is a compeling fim that you simply must see!”
IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT UPDATE FROM MARCH-APRIL 1993 | PAGE 13 – NEW LINE
Page 13 of this update contains LaserDiscs from New Line Cinema. They include details about Desperate Motive, Death Ring and Time Runner. At the bottom of the page is an ad for Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me that uses the North America publicity image for the film – Laura Palmer at the Red Diamond City Motel pictured inside the half of a burning heart necklace.
The film’s synopsis is also included:
Free from the censorship restrictions of television, David Lynch, along with his “original Lynch mob,” once again returns to that idyllic setting in the pacific northwest, where just beneath its tranquil surface lurks a sinister world of weird villagers with dark erotic secrets.
- Exclusive widescreen edition (Panavision®)
- Starring Sheryl Lee, Kyle MacLachlan, James Marshall and a host of cameos including: David Bowie, Chris Isaak, Harry Dean Stanton and Kiefer Sutherland
- Directed by David Lynch
- Music by Angelo Badalamenti
- Cult drama
- Street Date: Mid May / Order Cut-Off: 3/19/93
Other details of the LaserDisc include a run time of 134 min with an ID #2334LI, a retail of $39.99 and a UPC of 14381-2335-6.
Image Entertainment also advertised Twin Peaks: The First Season on LaserDisc. I love how they call out the show as “Cult television.”
- The first seven episodes of David Lynch’s surreal cult television series focusing on a murder investigation amid small town Americana. Pie, coffee and unpredictability abound in this memorable chunk of television.
- Digital Dolby Surround Stereo
- Starring Kyle MacLachlan, Sheryl Lee, Michael Ontkean, Joan Chen, Piper Laurie, Lara Flynn Boyle and Richard Beymer
- Produced by David Lynch
- Music by Angelo Badalamenti
- Cult television
- Street Date: Mid May / Order Cut-Off: 3/19/93
Additional marks include a runtime of 334 minutes with an ID #2202WV, a retail of $124.98 and a UPC of 14381-2202-6.
Items like this catalog are a rare gem in the ever growing archive, from a time when LaserDiscs were cutting edge technology.
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