Twin Peaks: From Z to A Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Twin Peaks: From Z to A Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 23, 2020

CBS/Paramount has released a monumental 21-disc collection encompassing the entire array of the 'Twin Peaks' experience. David Lynch's cult classic TV show has appeared on Blu-ray before, including for the first two seasons and 'Fire Walk with Me' in the 10-disc initial release from 2014 and a slimline boxed set (missing some extras). The studio released the Limited Series Event in 2017. On top of all previously released content this collection adds a slew of new bonus materials and also includes two episodes presented in 4K UltraHD. See below for breakdowns and reviews of new content as well as some photographs of the boxed set.

For a full program review, please click here (seasons one and two), here (Fire Walk with Me), and here (Limited Event Series)

Twin Peaks: From Z to A Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The UHD disc contains two cuts of the Pilot episode: the Original Version (1:34:00) and the Alternate International Version (1:52:53). Both are presented at 2160p and neither include HDR color grading. The quality appears consistent along the two versions, boasting a very fine, pleasing picture that accentuates the original source and is, of course, presented in the original broadcast 4x3 (1.33:1) aspect ratio which places vertical "black bars" on either side of the 1.78:1 display. The picture is very attractive in total, perhaps not exceedingly sharp or massively more detailed over the 1080p Blu-ray, which is superb in its own right. Here, the picture thrives more on refinement rather than transformation, yielding a tangible and pleasing uptick in fine object detail -- clothes, faces, and certainly all of the beautiful natural, and naturally accented, textures in town and out around it -- and greater overall clarity that compliments the experience rather than redefines it. The UHD renders the grain a bit more naturally and finely, resulting in a smoother, less busy picture. However, the UHD still retains the odd speckle here and there; there has not be an entirely thorough clean-up job performed on the source. Overall, this is not a monumental improvement. The UHD just gives the picture a little more room to breathe and grants it just enough refinement to carry it above the Blu-ray.

Even in the absence of HDR, the colors for Pilot have undergone some changes, appearing on the UHD disc a little less deep and dense, allowing the tones to breathe a bit without overwhelming the screen. Look at the school hallway in chapter two around the 20-minute mark (International Version). There's an appreciable variance at work on the UHD, lessening the depth and contrast on the lockers and red clothing, for instance, qualities which carry throughout: red accents on the gas station, natural greens around town, warmer wood panels and accents inside the conference room where Audrey disrupts her father's business deal, and the like. Despite the absence of HDR the SDR color variance might make more of a positive impact on the whole picture than the resolution bump.

Episode Eight from The Event Series was shot on video rather than film and is framed at 1.78:1 rather than 1.33:1. But it is similar in its UHD 2160p/SDR output in terms of core observations. There's not a gargantuan increase in textural output here. The higher resolution allows the image to find more textural finesse and slight improvements to overall clarity and object definition, but do not expect to notice any drastic improvements. In fact, one might be hard pressed to identify the UHD in a blind A-B test. Whether the color or black-and-white footage there's a steady output for clarity that refines, not redefines, the experience. It looks terrific, but so too does the Blu-ray. Slightly sharper skin details, more intimately defined clothes, crisper backgrounds and location elements are to be found, but not with obvious, overwhelming impact.

As with Pilot, there's a modest alteration to color brightness and contrast on the UHD disc. Look at a bloodied Agent Cooper at the 16:13 mark; the shot is much darker and more dense on the Blu-ray. The black-and-white footage, of which there is much throughout the episode, also yields a lighter, brighter feel but doesn't sacrifice essential depth and contrast.

For full Blu-ray video reviews, please click here (seasons one and two, Fire Walk with Me) and here (Limited Event Series)

Twin Peaks: From Z to A Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For Episode Eight from the Limited Event Series, the audio has been encoded in the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless format rather than the Blu-ray's TrueHD 5.1 lossless encode. Still, there appears to be no drastic alterations to quality of output in sampled comparisons. The Pilot episode appears to retain the same DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack as found on the Blu-ray; there are no obvious differences in sampled comparative moments.

For full audio reviews, please click here (seasons one and two, Fire Walk with Me) and here (Limited Event Series)

Twin Peaks: From Z to A Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Z to A boxed set contains a massive amount -- days worth -- of new and returning on-disc bonus content; a Twin Peaks super fan couldn't want more. All of the new content appears on the final two discs in the Blu-ray collection and are briefly reviewed below. For coverage of the carryover content, please click here (seasons one and two, Fire Walk with Me) and here (Limited Event Series)

The set ships in a box that is not quite cube shaped, but it's close, measuring in at 6" across at the front and about 6.5" tall and deep. On the box's outer four sides is a 360-degree view of the Douglas Firs made so famous in the mountains around Twin Peaks, covered by a dense fog along the top. There is some modest embossing work as well to give a tactile feel to some, not all, of the trees along the top third. The front of the box includes the show's title in red, embossed, and the words "From Z to A" in white below, debossed. The top is white with the show's title embossed. The bottom is black and includes a small white production credit. The box opens up on a 45 degree angle, essentially making two three dimensional right triangles. Inside is a small scale reproduction of the show's weird and mysterious "Red Room" defined by the red curtains on the walls and the creamy colored floor with the zigzag patterns running through it. On one side, under plastic, is a removable acrylic cut-out featuring a standing Laura Palmer kissing a seated Dale Cooper, recreating one of the show's most famous moments. It measures about 4.5" across and about 4.75" from bottom to its tallest point. It will stand upright on a desk or shelf. On the other side is a small box built into the packaging that holds everything else (as it ships there's also a single air pocket inside). In that box is, most obviously, the two sets of discs inside glossy cardboard packaging that also recreates the room's floor pattern. As the cases unfold, six discs are housed on one side and four on the other. The UHD disc, with both episodes on it, ships in a single cardboard sleeve, disappointing that there is not superior packaging presentation. It does depict a famous shot from the series' open of the saw blades being sharpened on the front while the rear shows a key moment from episode eight from the Limited Event Series. Also included is "Red Room Gallery," a box containing 25 color cards, each depicting various images from the Red Room. It also includes the numbered certificate of authenticity (the set is limited to 25,000 copies).

Disc One - The First Season:

• Log Lady Intros
• For Pilot: International Version
• Recaps and Previews: For Episodes 1 and 2.

Disc Two - The First Season:

• Log Lady Intros
• Recaps: For Episodes 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.
• Previews: For Episodes 3, 4, 5, and 6.
• Season 1 Image Gallery
• Twin Peaks Sneak Peeks
• Promos

Disc Three - The Second Season:

• Log Lady Intros
• Previews: For Episodes 8, 9, and 10.
• Recaps: For episodes 9 and 10.
• A Slice of Lynch: Uncut
• Promos
• Season 2 Image Gallery

Disc Four - The Second Season:

• Log Lady Intros
• Previews: For Episodes 11, 12, 13, and 14.
• Recaps: For Episodes 11, 12, 13, and 14.
• Series Deleted Scenes
• Outtakes

Disc Five - The Second Season:

• Log Lady Intros
• Previews: For Episodes 15, 16, 17, and 18.
• Recaps: For Episodes 15, 16, 17, and 18.
• Return to Twin Peaks
• Location Guide
• The Glastonbury Archives

Disc Six - The Second Season:

• Log Lady Intros
• Previews: For Episodes 19, 20, 21, and 22.
• Recaps: For Episodes 19, 20, 21, and 22.
• Postcards from the Cast
• Promos

Disc Seven - The Second Season:

• Log Lady Intros
• Previews: For Episodes 24, 25, and 26.
• Recaps: For Episodes 23, 24, 25, and 26.
• Cast Interviews (Interactive Grid)
• Crew Interviews

Disc Eight - The Second Season:

• Log Lady Intros
• Lucy's Special Announcement (1080p, 0:51): Lucy broadcasts the finale's airdate.
• Recaps: For Episodes 27 and 28.
• Secrets From Another Place: Creating Twin Peaks

Disc Nine - Fire Walk with Me:

• The Missing Pieces: Deleted/Extended Scenes
• Archival Interviews

Disc Ten - Fire Walk with Me:

• Between Two Worlds
• Moving Through Time: Fire Walk with Me Memories
• Reflections on the Phenomenon of Twin Peaks
• Trailers
• Fire Walk with Me Photo Gallery
• Atmospherics

Disc One - A Limited Event Series:

• Series Promos Produced by David Lynch
• Twin Peaks: Phenomenon

Disc Two - A Limited Event Series:

• Comic-Con 2017: Twin Peaks Panel

Disc Seven - A Limited Event Series:

• Crew List
• A Very Lovely Dream: One Week in Twin Peaks
• Richard Beymer Films
• Rancho Rosa Logos
• Behind-the-Scenes Photo Gallery

Disc Eight - A Limited Event Series:

• Impressions: A Journey Behind the Scenes of Twin Peaks

Disc Nine - A Limited Event Series:

• NEW! Behind the Curtain (1080p): A comprehensive behind-the-scenes, fly-on-the-wall, all-access look into the making of A Limited Event Series broken into 18 parts, the first dozen of which appear on this disc. The pieces cut around to show rehearsals, shooting, conversations with Lynch, and so much more. For anyone wanting to experience the roles, rounds, and realities of life on a major TV production, with a David Lynch/Twin Peaks twist, this is sure to satisfy that desire. This supplement really defies further explanation beyond commenting on its extreme, but often enthralling, exploration of the day-by-day work on the set. Perhaps the biggest takeaway is Lynch's meticulousness on the set. The footage was photographed by Jason S and was edited by Jonathan Angus with assistance from Robert Lay. Included here are Part 1 (19:03), Part 2 (29:53), Part 3 (28:19), Part 4 (25:30), Part 5 (28:23), Part 6 (22:51), Part 7 (24:56), Part 8 (26:09), Part 9 (22:35), Part 10 (18:30), Part 11 (24:01), and Part 12 (21:53).
• NEW! On the Couch with Kimmy and Harry (1080p, 6:48): Harry Goaz and Kimmy Robertson discuss their history with the area where Twin Peaks took place, returning to the show after a lengthy hiatus, changes from then to now, the sense of family amongst the cast and crew, and their hopes for the show's future legacy.

Disc Ten - A Limited Event Series:

• NEW! Behind the Curtain (1080p): Included are Part 13 (26:26), Part 14 (27:13), Part 15 (29:25), Part 16 (32:00), Part 17 (29:56), and Part 18 (27:33).
• NEW! A Talk with Kyle MacLachlan and Sheryl Lee (1080p, 1:29:19): Moderator Kristine McKenna sits down for an extensive interview with the "anchors of the Twin Peaks narrative."
• NEW! Roadhouse Music (1080p): A number of musical performances from the Twin Peaks experience. Included are Shadow by Chromatics (3:47), Mississippi by Cactus Blossoms (4:15), Lark by Au Revoir Simone (4:33), Snake Eyes by Trouble (4:01), Tarifa by Sharon Van Etten (4:51), She's Gone Away by Nine Inch Nails (6:14), A Violent Yet Flammable World by Au Revoir Simone (5:02), Human by Hudson Mohawke (3:43), No Stars by Rebekah Del Rio (7:22), Saturday by Chromatics (3:16), Just You by James Marshall (As James Hurley) (3:21), Wild West by Lissie (3:54), Axolotl by The Veils (3:04), Out of Sand by Eddie Vedder (3:45), The World Spins by Julie Cruise (6:54), and Sad Song by Au Revoir Simone (4:13).

Twin Peaks: From Z to A Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is unquestionably a magnificent boxed set, bringing together the entirety of the Twin Peaks experience -- all three seasons and the feature film -- plus hours of additional new supplemental content on top of the massive collection of previously released supplements. It also includes two of the series' finest episodes in 4K, albeit without HDR color grading. But the question is whether it's worth the expense. For those who already own The Entire Mystery and A Limited Event Series, it's honestly iffy unless one is a super fan, particularly considering that the UHD picture quality, while fine, isn't a significant leap forward for either of the two episodes. For anyone who has yet to invest in the franchise on Blu-ray, then absolutely: this is the finest series collection available as well as one of the best TV sets the format has yet to offer. It comes with my highest recommendation though, as stated, repeat buyers should weigh the cost versus the content.