It's a but confusing to call the beginning of FWWM featuring Chris Isaak, Kiefer Sutherland and Cooper as a prologue seen as it is quite long and FWWM itself is a kind of prologue to Twin Peaks.

Howver, it seems to me that FWWM, an already long film, doesn't really need any of this. I suppose I can only really know this by watching the film beginning with Laura and Donna walking down the road.

How much do you think that the cutting of this part would detract from the film.

Some of the US cable versions actually do start with Laura and Donna walking down the street.

I like the Sam, Chet, and Carl. Great stuff!!!! You get a better insight about Theresa Banks and what was really going on in Leland's mind.

It's a crucial, very important part of the film, cutting it would be.....just insane... It gives you information about the ring, about the strange stuff related to Teresa's murder, the Tremonds, the LMFAP, etc.

Besides, it's awesome... The mood, the disturbing moments, Deer Meadow as some kind of Twin Peaks doppleganger, you get to see Harry Dean Stanton, Kiefer Sutherland and amazing characters like Irene or Cable. And without seeing it you wouldn't know who is the guy Bobby kills or why Laura reaches her left arm in her bed...among other things...

No Way! That part of the movie is amazing, I only wish that there were more of it!!! Sometimes I put on FWWM and just watch that first 30 mins or so.

I LOVE LIL

I think it is absolutely integral to the movie. Besides the reasons Gordon states, I think it explains why Cooper is the only one able to penetrate Twin Peaks, which is shown via the prologue to be as "another world" from the places around it. The first stedicam shot of Laura and Donna sidewalking comes as a shock after the first half hour of (mostly) static and flat shots (with important and meaningful exceptions).

Check out the scene in Gordon's office where he is standing in front of a 2-dimentional representation of the "reality" of Twin Peaks. His secretary helps solidify Gordon's place in this 2-D world by walking "out of" his realm and towards the camera. To me the prologue firmly establishes, through camera technique, the world outside of Twin Peaks as "Flatland;" which I guess makes Dale the enlightened "square."

It's all right there in Edwin Abbott's book!

I think that this is a wonderful part of the movie, and more closely resembles the show than the rest of it... however it does make it even messier than it would have been otherwise... though to cut it out Lynch would've had to rethink the entire movie. And even though I really enjoy the movie, changing it's structure would've been a really good idea.

I wasn't really suggesting that it be cut. I just think that maybe there would have been a better way to integrate it into the film. It does have a brilliant atmosphere though.

Really, I think a lot of the things in the movie could've been integrated or presented better. Why are so many of the characters missing? Why does the movie constantly avoid direct connections to the show's plot, yet is still incomprehensible unless you've seen the whole thing? If the movie is supposed to give you the show's back story, why does it avoid doing so and make details that should be clear murky and vague? But I guess it doesn't really matter... it's a fascinating and beautiful film as it is... I was just thinking the other day that for better or worse, the one thing that's consistent in Twin Peaks is that it never goes in the direction you think it's going to... there's always some bizarre twist to keep the show different and interesting, even when it's slumping.