Review Summary: Back to the Beach House
I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by banality, starving hysterical naked,
dragging themselves through the virtual streets at dawn looking for an angry tweet,
angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night,
who poverty and insecurity and hollow-eyed and high sat up typing in supernatural darkness of cold-water flats floating across the tops of cities contemplating beauty,
who bared their brains to Mark Zuckerberg under the blinding light of the algorithmic feed,
who passed through universities with radiant cool eyes hallucinating cross-platform collaborations among the scholars of art,
who were expelled from INT. RECORDING STUDIO LOBBY - EVENING
VICTORIA steps out of the recording studio, her face beaming with satisfaction. MERCUTIO stands near the entrance, a subtle air of tension between them.
MERCUTIO:
(Smiling, with a touch of sarcasm)
Well well, another great day in the studio?
VICTORIA:
(Grinning, playfully)
Indeed, Mercutio. My music casts its spell once again - what brings you here?
MERCUTIO:
(Leaning against the wall, his tone slightly edgy)
I thought we could grab a bite, escape the realm of artifice and indulge in something real. How does that sound?
VICTORIA:
(Slightly defensive)
Real? Are you implying that my music lacks authenticity?
MERCUTIO:
(Keeping his composure)
No, VICTORIA, not at all. Your music has its enchantment. It's the best beautification of Hollywood clichés I know.
VICTORIA: […]
MERCUTIO: Burger?
VICTORIA: Sure. [INTERMISSION : BURGER ADVERT]
TALKING TV (Screaming): Open the holiday book! Pictures you took! Light the fire, see their smiles!
Chaotic visuals, explosive colors, and morphing shapes.
Taste the psychedelic feast! Surrender to sizzling sensations! Cosmic collision of flavors!
Flashes of ingredients, intense sound effects.
Feel the heat! Inferno of flavor! Indulge in dreams! Crave more! Stars in the sky! No additives.
Frenetic collage, blazing flames. Distorted screen, amplified sound.
TALKING TV (Continues Screaming): Open the holiday book! Pictures you took! Light the fire, see their smiles!
Imploding screen, vibrant burst, loud static, fading to INT. BURGER JOINT - EVENING
VICTORIA and Mercutio sit in a booth, savoring their burgers. The air between them still carries a subtle tension. They put it aside for a moment of casual conversation.
VICTORIA:
(Chewing a bite of her burger)
You know, Mercutio, sometimes I find beauty in the most unexpected places. Like the lights of passing cars at night. Each one tells a different story, a fleeting moment in vibrant colors.
MERCUTIO:
(Smiling politely, trying to engage)
Ah, each car a tiny universe with its own narrative? Mesmerizing. I guess.
VICTORIA:
Yeah, it's like these ordinary moments hold hidden enchantment if we just take the time to notice. The way the lights streak and merge, forming patterns, it's like poetry in motion.
MERCUTIO:
(Nods, growing increasingly disinterested)
Yes, yes, poetry in motion. But you see, I'm more interested in complexities, struggles… you see that movie, Everyone Everywhere All At Once?
VICTORIA:
(Slightly puzzled)
Yeah, I thought it missed the mark. The whole parallel universe thing made the world seem bigger, but they overlooked all the amazing stuff already there.
MERCUTIO: It was a laundrette.
VICTORY: I liked it the way it was.
MERCUTIO: But that's the beauty of it. The vastness, the infinite possibilities. It's like a reminder of our own insignificance in the grand scheme of thin
Lynchian mystique, a mirage in the desert of modern consumption, elusive and haunting. Julee Cruise's voice, once a siren's call, now banana and derivative in the hands of imitators. The search for authenticity in a world of commodification, a fool's errand. We keep reaching for something just beyond our grasp, hoping for a glimpse of the sublime. But like the dreams in Twin Peaks, it slips through our fingers, leaving us with only a sense of longing and a faint memory of what could have been [his jaw reattaches to his body]gs. All there is is beauty, right? And, like, herstory?
VICTORIA:
(With a touch of annoyance)
Sure, I get it. But sometimes, I feel like they just used it as a distraction. I don't need parallel universes to feel alive.
MERCUTIO:
Jesus Christ this burger is delicious.
VICTORIA and MERCUTIO’s conversation about movies is momentarily interrupted by a news report playing on a nearby TV screen.
TV REPORTER (on the TV screen): Breaking news: Unidentified flying objects have been sighted across major cities worldwide. Experts are speculating that this could be the beginning of an alien invasion.
VICTORIA and Mercutio exchange stunned glances, their burgers forgotten as they focus on the alarming news.
VICTORIA:
(Whispering, wide-eyed)
Mercutio, did you hear that? An alien invasion? It's like something out of a sci-fi film.
MERCUTIO:
(Nervously)
This can't be real, can it? Aliens invading our planet?
Just as they exchange their disbelief, a powerful tremor shakes the burger joint, causing glasses to shatter and patrons to panic. BURGERS undelivered. The ground outside rumbles as the alien ships descend from the sky, emitting an eerie glow.
VICTORIA:
(Grabbing Mercutio's hand)
Mercutio, look!
The atmosphere grows tense as PHOEBE BRIDGERS and SIMON PEGG burst into the burger joint, armed with machine guns. They swiftly take aim at the alien invaders, unleashing a hail of bullets. The chaotic scene unfolds, with the sound of gunfire and screams filling the air. VICTORIA, overwhelmed by the unfolding chaos, tries to find meaning in the midst of the madness.
VICTORIA:
(Shouting over the commotion)
There's always hope!
But her words fall on deaf ears as PHOEBE and SIMON continue their relentless assault, their faces grim and determined. The realization dawns on VICTORIA that hope alone might not be enough to overcome the overwhelming odds they face.
In the midst of the chaos, a familiar scream pierces the air. LAURA PALMER, her face filled with terror, enters the burger joint. Her presence adds to the sense of dread and impending doom.
VICTORIA:
(Screaming)
Laura! What's happening? What do we do?
LAURA, her voice filled with anguish, offers no solace.
LAURA PALMER: [Screaming]
VICTORIA's heart sinks as the weight of the situation settles upon her. The world around her crumbles, both figuratively and literally, and the once-enchanting moments of life seem distant and insignificant in the face of such dire circumstances. LAURA PALMER splits in half and simultaneously metamorphoses into THE LIVING GHOST OF ELIZABETH FRASER’S GHOST. Screaming harmony.
MERCUTIO:
(Grimly)
Victoria, we need to get out of here. It's not safe. There's nothing we can do to change the course of this madness.
VICTORIA reluctantly follows Mercutio's lead, their hands tightly intertwined as they navigate through the chaos and attempt to escape the impending doom.
As they make their way to the exit, VICTORIA can't help but glance back, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and longing for the world they are leaving behind.
VICTORIA:
(murmuring to self)
Should I stay should I go? Are you high are you low?
MERCUTIO:
Oh my God, stop.
More BURGERs arrive. They pay the price.
