http://giallo-fever.blogspot.com/2007/01/rings-of-fear-enigma-rosso.html

 I found this film randomly. It looks like there are some bloody obvious similarities! I had this idea that Lynch in particular likes watching B-movies, foreign horrors, British horror films, and so on. From time to time. Hammer horrors and so on. This one can't be a coincidence can it? I won't list the obvious markers between this film and TP - even if the film may not be the best ever!

That god damn trailer's more popular than Uncle's Day in a whorehouse!

That's a good un Booth! You cheeky thing.

People who haven't read the blog on the film RINGS OF FEAR/ENIGMA ROSSO http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0077505/ may not realise that's a quote from the film. Delightful.

But you can't deny some ridiculous pointers that Lynch chucked a load of ideas into TP from this film -

-young girl wrapped in plastic -detective in old-style trenchcoat investigates

-coffee -the original title (RIDDLE IN RED)/RINGS OF FEAR - the RIDDLE IN RED sounds very TPeaksy, the RINGS OF FEAR sounds more intriguing in light of the owl cave ring...

then there's the school in this film, St. Teresa's...! Blimey!

Then there's a secret diary, clues in the forms of symbols and signs, and a terrorising figure unidentified but for a name, Nemesis.

And obviously this film and Twin Peaks share rich and evocative dialogue, as Booth pointed out. Cheers.

Are you sure there are thousands of films along those lines? I've not seen any of them.

But what about girls found wrapped in plastic? I've not seen any others like that. Have you seen the first photo from this film in my first link? It looks exactly like the TP pilot.

What about the school called St Teresa's? Just a coincidence?

I'm not saying Lynch has wholesale stole all of these things, but you have to think surely he has seen this film and nicked a few things. It being a foreign film too would possibly make him think its more obscure and then less likely to be known by many people. Maybe he just liked this film a lot?

I know Lynch has said he likes B-movies. I think the simplicities of a film like this would appeal to Lynch, in its not dressing its story up in profundities. I don't think he looks at his own films as profound, they just turn out how they do for whatever reason. They work on a more intuitive level. I always regarded alot of the plot details and intrigue in INLAND EMPIRE, all the things about the Polish gypsy curse and so on - details which I love - to have a B-movie quality to them.

If I were you I wouldn't bother with watching this film unless its the newest DVD release in widescreen. Even that may not have all that good a pic quality.

The other dvd releases and any downloads you may find are about the worst quality transfers of a film - they resemble third generation copies from a bad original with almost unlistenable sound.

OMG you have no idea i'm not saying anything.....

What's unfortunate is that I'd be perfectly happy finding it for download/on youtube/a link site. This film is not available ANYWHERE. Damn.