There’s nothing more surreal than being wrapped in plastic like a living dead girl burrito, except getting wrapped in plastic in the same spot Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) was discovered in the opening scene of the seminal 90s TV series, Twin Peaks.
“She’s dead, wrapped in plastic.”
I’ve attended the Twin Peaks Fest before and I’ve visited the filming locations on multiple occasions, but the one place on my bucket list I had yet to hit was the Kiana Lodge on Bainbridge Island in Poulsbo, WA. I had no idea there was a land route to get there. This year, on the last day of “Fest,” we caravaned up there. Kiana Lodge served as a primary filming location for the pilot episode. Not only was its famous log used to create one of the most iconic TV images, its interiors served as the Great Northern Hotel interiors (including Ben Horne’s office) and Josie, Pete and Catherine Martell’s house, The Blue Pine Lodge. I got to sit in the same exact spot Leland Palmer wept on the phone when he heard Laura was killed. I got to coquettishly lean against the same wall Audrey Horne interrupted the Norwegians to say her friend had “been murdered.”
The exact branch “Flappy” the bird sat in the opening credits.
The Kiana Lodge is a picturesque location that stands on its own because of the natural beauty of its waterline, the landscaped gardens and the ornate Pacific Northwest Totem Poles. Knowing some pivotal scenes were filmed there was definitely ice cream on my slice of cherry pie.
We even learned the location of the branch with the bird on it in the opening credits. This was all thanks to filmmaker and Peaks’ guru, Josh Eisenstadt who led the group on a walking tour of the grounds. Before the tour, he even recited all the lines and set up the scenes in order that are still missing from “The Missing Pieces.” Yes, there are still scenes that were shot that didn’t make the blu-ray and a host of others that were never filmed at all. Needless to say, I was impressed! Storytime with Josh is a thing to experience. I seriously do not know how he can remember all this, but I’m glad he can!
We had to rush through the wrapping as the tide was coming in and the water was rapidly getting close to Laura’s log. I was fortunate enough to do two different photos, one as Teresa Banks and the other with my natural hair, a’ la Laura. Unfortunately, I didn’t have David Lynch there to carefully place bits of sand on my face, but I still think the shot turned out great!
I decided to do my first “wrapped in plastic” look as Teresa Banks, the prostitute drifter, who met her demise in Fire Walk With Me. I entered the costume contest as Teresa and I had never seen anyone do her look dead and washed ashore, so why not?!
It takes an army. Four Fest volunteers wrap me snuggly in plastic at the same exact spot Laura Palmer was found about 25 years earlier.
The volunteers tweak the look and create the iconic halo of plastic around my head.
I have to say, I had it a lot easier than Sheryl Lee when it came to my corpse cameo. First of all, I didn’t have to be naked (though I faked it with a tube top). The weather wasn’t freezing cold. Quite the opposite, it was like being wrapped in a spa body wrap in the hot sun. I also only had to do it for a minute or two. The Twin Peaks Fest volunteers (who are awesome!) were all on hand to art direct and wrap us up in lightening speed. I got some pretty amazing shots thanks to Chris Forbes and my friend, Katy Acheson, who snapped some behind the scenes moments. What a way to “wrap up” an epic experience!
I don’t know how Pamela Gidley kept her mouth open and so still for the morgue scene. Josh, of course, knew! He said that Lynch put something in her mouth like dentists used to keep patients mouths open during procedures. Wish I had that!
(and one morbid one for good measure)
A lonesome foghorn blows…until next year.
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