SO LONG, DAVID LYNCH

You held a style that was all your own, as Eraserhead proved in spades, and that uniqueness, that defiance of artistic conformity with all of its weird, Wizard of Oz trim, carried throughout your specialized career. 

The Elephant Man, which became an irrefutable classic, sealed your status, followed by the epic, Dune (one that's aged far better than some, including yourself, dared predict), Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, Lost Highway, The Straight Story, Mulholland Drive, Inland Empire and My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? (a collaboration, no less, with contemporary visionary, Werner Herzog). These features, in turn, were accompanied by your sporadic shorts and serialized experiments: Dumbland, Rabbits and On the Air (ah, such real, surreal stuff).  

Then there's Twin Peaks, the oddest of murder-mystery shows, which grew supernatural through its progression, only to deliver a science-fiction punch. Thereafter, its theatrical prequel, Fire Walk With Me, and Showtime's sequel series, The Return, drove home your saga's unconventional blend to brave, new, unexpected heights.  

You were a prolific voice actor (playing Gus the bartender for twenty-two episodes of The Cleveland Show) and an amazing, avant-garde painter, with the fruits of your labor spotlighted in David Lynch: The Art Life. (To hear you reflect and watch you create dispatches a sensation that's not been equaled anywhere else.) 

And as an actor, you went on to redefine your precious quirks, in particular as Twin Peaks' FBI Deputy Director Gordon Cole, but also in Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans (as the legendary John Ford), Lucky (with Wild at Heart/Twin Peaks/The Straight Story's Harry Dean Stanton), Zelly and Me (with Blue Velvet/Wild at Heart's Isabella Rossellini), Lumiere and Company, My Beautiful Broken Brain, Girlfriend's Day, European Nights, Barracuda, Heart Beat, Nadja ... and A Fall From Grace. 

You were a quiet yet forceful man of discerning taste, who took to Pennsylvanian texture and grave, factory grime. In other words, you invested your heart and soul into all that you touched, with a body of work that no one can ever emulate or top: a vast, unorthodox assemblage that will only grow greater over time.  

R.I.P. ANGELO BADALAMENTI...

Along with the late Julee Cruise's sweet vocals, your lush chords distinguished David Lynch's Twin Peaks, but your inebriating style flowed into other special sectors, as well.

For Lynch, there's Blue Velvet, Mulholland Dr. and Wild At Heart; and beyond such, The Wicker Man '06; Rabbits; City of Lost Children; Dark Water '05; Law and Disorder '74; A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors; The Straight Story; Naked in New York; Gordon's War; and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. 

As a result of your eclectic queue, your talent filled ears with elation, mysticism and more often than not, strangeness.  

That made you one of kind, Mr. Badalamenti, and like any artist so unique, your loss hits hard, but you can rest assured that your indelible residue will never cease to stylize our perceptions and dreams: the mark that only a genius could make.  

HAPPY TWIN PEAKS DAY 2022

 

GOODBYE, PEGGY LIPTON...

Even when I was a little boy, you struck me as exceptionally pretty and talented. In the same vein, "The Mod Squad" gave me an early view of televised "pulp", presenting an array of thought-provoking topics. You, Peter Cochran and Clarence Williams made it all so real, so that many of the show's stories still haunt me.  

You offered much the same ebullience to "Twin Peaks", stealing the scene within each offbeat scenario. (Thanks to your charming portrayal, the lovely Norma Jennings will always hold a special place in my heart.)

In truth, you invested the same brimming charm into all of your portrayals, whether Kevin Costner's underrated "The Postman", Charles Bronson's edgy "Kinjite"; the hilarious "Purple People Eater", or your guest starring roles on "Bewitched", "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour", "The Virginian", "The Hitchhiker" and "The Invaders" (to name but a few).

You left us way too soon, but your beauty and charm will continue to be felt, appreciated and adored whenever our reverent eyes fall upon you. 

SO LONG, HARRY DEAN STANTON...

As a top-notch, character actor, you weren't afraid to roam all genres, from westerns like "Ride the Whirlwind" and the "Missouri Breaks" to prime dramas like "Cool Hand Luke"; "Dillinger"; "The Straight Story"; "Wise Blood"; "Cockfighter"; "Lucky"; and the poignant "Paris, Texas". 

To fans of the fantastic and the surreal, you'll be best remembered for your roles in "Alien" (as good ol' Brett); "Escape from New York" (as the crafty Brain); "Alien Autopsy"; "Christine"; "Death Watch"; "The Green Mile"; "Marvel's Avengers"; "One Magic Christmas" (as the angelic Gideon); "Rango"; "Repo Man"; "Twin Peaks"; "Inland Empire" and "Wild At Heart".

There was only ever one Harry Dean Stanton, and the cinema has never been the same (or better) for it. 

Twin Peaks: Enter Season 3

Somewhere between the romantic terror of "Dark Shadows" and the wry chicanery of "Fargo" lies David Lynch and Mark Frost's wickedly quirky "Twin Peaks": the tale of "defunct" Laura Palmer, a young lady who appeared wholesome on the surface, but whose dark secrets did her in and revealed so much more than anyone dared imagine. 

Just as fans demanded "Star Trek'"s return, lovers of the surreal soap opera have insisted on the same. Alas, the wait has taken far longer than it did Gene Roddenberry's science-fiction saga to resurface, though there was hope for a "Twin Peaks" continuation after the theatrical prequel/sequel, "Fire Come Walk With Me." (That should have spawned a series of offshoots, if only matters had gone accordingly.)

At least producer/creators Lynch and Frost are in charge of the new Showtime endeavor, despite a nearly three-decade hiatus (and an infuriatingly false start in '16). At least to sweeten the pot, our creators are accompanied by many of our original favorites, including our dimensionally anguished lead, F.B.I. Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan); Bobby Briggs (Dana Ashbrook); Shelly Johnson (Madchen Amick); Big Ed Hurley (Everett McGill); Dr. Jacoby (Russ Tamblyn); Andy Brennan (Harry Goaz); Lucy Moran/Brennan (Kimmy Robertson); Sarah Palmer (Grace Zabriske); Leland Palmer (Ed Wise); and that not-to-be-forgotten daughter, Laura (Sheryl Lee). 

Others will make supporting manifestations of varying degrees, such as Sherilyn Fenn's Audrey Horne; Peggy Limpton's Norma Jennings; James Marshall's James Hurley; Richard Beymer's Ben Horne; David Patrick Kelly's Jerry Horne; Wendy Robie's Nadine Hurley; David Lynch's Gordon Cole; David Duchovny's Denise Bryson; Al Strobel's Phillip Michael Gerard; Michael Horse's Deputy Hawk; Catherine E. Coulson's Log Lady; and Miguel Ferrer's irascible Albert Rosenfeld. Carel Struycken's Giant will also revisit (hurrah!), but where oh, where is Michael J. Anderson's Dancing Dwarf/Man From Another Place? (Come now, there's no way he can't be shimmying and speaking in reverse behind some crimson curtain. If not, what a pity...)

We're at least guaranteed a faithful flow of wayward messages and cryptic codes. If it were any other way, it wouldn't be "Twin Peaks". For this particular saga, only slanted, slow-burn reveals will do. 

"Twin Peaks: The Return" enters our dimension Sunday, May 21 at 9 pm. Tune in and dream those wild dreams. Perhaps have a piece of pie while you're at it. Agent Cooper would respect you for that.

SO LONG, MICHAEL PARKS...

You were an pensive and prolific actor, sharing your talents across the genres, never timid to invade the realm of exploitation and the realms of science fiction, horror and fantasy. Your versatile abilities seasoned such films as "The Dead One"; "Django Unchained"; "Death Proof"'; "Death Wish V"; "From Dusk Till Dawn"; "Kill Bill"; "Planet Terror"; "Red State"; "The Savage Bees"; and "Tusk". You were also a welcome co-starring presence on such inspired series as "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour"; "Fantasy Island"; "SeaQuest 2032"; and "War of the Worlds". 

However, you'll always be best remembered for the quiet, James Dean aura you brought to "Then Came Bronson": a television odyssey that remains unsurpassed for its emotional depth and keen characterization. 

I'm certain your creativity and talent will extend into the afterlife, but here on Earth, you'll be sorely missed.

GOODBYE, MIGUEL FERRER...

Like your talented father, you covered so many bases in the acting field. You're one of the primary reasons "RoboCop" became a classic, and you gave such fine seasoning to the weird world of "Twin Peaks". You also left your mark in "Deepstar 6"; "The Harvest"; "The Guardian"; "Star Trek III"; "Iron Man 3", "Brave New World '98"; the H.G. Wells tribute, "The Man Who Wasn't There"; plus three, cool appearances on HBO's "Tales from the Crypt". And let's not overlook what might be your finest performance ever in the eerie "Stephen King's Night Flier", as well as your supporting presence in the mini-series adaptation of the author's "The Stand". Your versatile voice also strengthened so many DC, animated outings, with on-target vocalizations for Aquaman; Deathstroke; Martian Manhunter; Sinestro; Vandal Savage; and the Weather Wizard. So sad you've left us so soon, but I and others will continue to relish the splendid sustenance of your expansive work.