Movies-TV

Singing the Blues.

David Lynch's (Oscar-nominated for directing here) typical strangeness runs amok in this over-rated would-be-thriller that only comes to life when show-stopper Dennis Hopper is on screen. Lumberton, USA seems to be a typical small town, but there is darkness there. A severed ear is found one day by Kyle MacLachlan and he decides to start his own investigation with the police chief's daughter (the equally dull Laura Dern) when they come to the conclusion that the cops will never find out the real truth. Together they learn that there are really dangerous underground figures in their sleepy little town. There is the mysterious Isabella Rossellini, a nightclub singer who swears that her son has been kidnapped by drug-addicted sadist Hopper. Naturally Rossellini's highly sexual behavior bewitches MacLachlan and he gets involved in a situation that he may not be able to escape from. Once again Lynch's direction is the greatest asset here. He turns a film that could have been a pure mess into a fascinating movie-going experience. However with that said, his direction and uneven screenplay also hinder at times. Rossellini does the best she can with a character that is a bit too flat to be totally believable. In the end, Lynch's whackiness and Hopper's scene-stealing are the main attractions here. 4 stars out of 5.

Sex, knives, oxygen and bugs, YUMMY!

Relish this great director's (maybe)best film in which ordinary places turn into nightmares ( seconds into the film the hero's dad gets stung by a bee then choked almost to death by a garden hose) and nightmare turns into dream (the hero, Kyle McLachlan, is confronted by the woman he has been spying on from her closet within her flat (Ms Rosselini). She wields a VERY large knife once used as a prop in PSYCHO, orders him to strip, then kneels in front him and the viewer is uncertain whether she is going to castrate the naughty boy or fellate him. In the event she does not castrate him.) Set design Interiors reflect in every detail the weird and not so weird personalities of the characters - in Dorothy's flat (Ms Rosselini) there is a garish yellow record player next to the mauve sofa with its red velveteen cushions, pink walls, candy carpet, green steam heater and kitsch peuce green flower pots. The characters seem larger than life - has the girl next door ever oozed as much sex as Ms Laura Dern? Has there ever been a cheap nighclub singer more beautiful than Ms Rosselini and has such beauty every been stripped so bare by the end of the film, a performance of incredible courage. What is it all about? It's all about a boy's adventure. The boy (Kyle McLachlan) asks at one point "Why are there people like Frank?" speaking of whom, when Frank (Dennis Hopper) places the fingers and thums of his right hand together and points them at your forehead, be afraid, be VERY afraid. Much to relish for the cinema lover. A diamond amongst the pap.
To be treasured on DVD.

vulgar, meaningless sexual violence

What was the purpose of this film? I found nothing in it that I could even remotely relate to. It was just a jumble of deviant sex scenes, boring dialogue, & meaningless scenes involving foolish acting people. An utter piece of garbage.

Blue Velvet? Blue Vomit.

After hearing all the hype of how this is an artistic, intellectual & enigmatic film, I figured I would love it to death. Instead, I found myself *wishing* for death.It begins impressively with excellent cinematic technique and symbolism, but as soon as the first words are spoken, the film begins to sag with ridiculous, predictable and juvenile dialogue. The plot itself is tediously linear and simple, like an average Hardy Boys episode: high school kids take on the criminal underworld!But, oh, this is no Hardy Boys episode. Director David Lynch made sure of that, by injecting plenty of profanity, gore, and nudity. (And just as an aside to all you drooling fans of Isabella Rosselini... TRUST me, she & her beer-belly look awful in this movie! Save yourselves the shattered fantasies.)The scenes are extremely clumsy and overt, as if Lynch doesn't give us enough credit for figuring it out ourselves. I'll give you one example: In one scene, Laura Dern and Dune Boy (forgot his name) are sitting in a car in front of a church. Laura starts talking about her dream of God. The music switches to a church pipe organ. Then they drive off, and the camera zooms in on the church and holds the frame for 3 full seconds. (...hmmm, d'ya git the feelin he's a-trying to tell us sumthin? I dunno, Vern. Lez rewind it and watch it again.)True, compared to the Hollywood tripe that was the standard in 1986, _Blue Velvet_ is unique. But that doesn't mean it's good. I would advise you to watch Lynch's 1990 film _Wild at Heart_ in which he achieved a greater degree poetry, having refined his style somewhat. Well, you have been warned!

Disturbingly Great

What really strikes me about David Lynch is his insane sense of humor and juxtaposition of funny and sick, for example having a puppy and a baby playing in front of a stroke victim, Dennis Hopper's polite way of "showing a neighbor a good time", and on a side note, the importance of Pabst Blue Ribbon. I also enjoy the simplistic cliches about good vs.very bad things and the hope that some day the birds will return and everything will be good again.

I still see Blue Velvet through my tears

This movie is great.
it's oddball but has purpose. it's a modern day brother's grimm faerytale, and has all the sarcastic trappings one might expect from that description.the performances are all great, including a bizarre turn by Dean Stockwell as the suave thug Ben.
It's sexy, and exciting, and spooky in both very subtle and jarringly blunt ways.
It even works as social commentary for those of you who need an excuse to like strange films.
Go! See it! Stop READING!

Amazing.

This film is probably the most brilliant thriller films ever made and it works on many levels. Its a neo-noir depiction on a terrible society hidden beneath a beautiful, 1950s-style kind off sitcom American town. I then digs deeper in the dark-hearted world of America; introduces haunting characters such as the unforgettable villain...played by Frank Booth, who clearly deserved an Oscar nomination, let alone win, from the Academy. MacLachlan is amazing, he goes from shallow and wooden, and as the mystery builds, he becomes strong and bold. The supporting cast is wonderful, lead by the amazing Isabella Rossellini (who meets the skill of her mother, Ingrid Bergam in this film).David Lynch is a genius filmmaker, and Blue Velvet is one of his most accomplished, beautiful pieces of work. Its art-house, that mad a lasting and controversial impact on mainstream cinema. Today, the film is considered a classic and is basically showered in praise. Funny how films can fail upon their initial release, but have such recognition later on.To summarize my thoughts, Blue Velvet is a masterpiece. It is a sophisticated and complex film, memorable both in style and substance. It has so many aspects that can be discussed that I haven't gone through here such as the imagery, themes, metaphors the iconography, the representation of America and its inhabitants.The film is a view on life in turmoil. It deserves recognition and long remembrance in film history. In fact, eternal remembrance. 10/10.

Overrated, disgusting trash

Usually, before watching any movie I look up IMDb to see its rating and viewers' comments on it. I did the same before seeing the Blue Velvet. It said, mostly, that the film is extremely violent and highly disturbing, yet still a masterpiece, and it had a reasonably high rating of 7.8/10...then I watched the movie. I believe it is one of the most disgusting films I ever saw. It is no doubt intended to be full of hidden significance, or symbolism and the violence and sex seems to only be there to exploit characters. This is supposed to be "new and frighteningly surrealistic", a "a satire on suburbia", a "glimpse of the underworld". The viewer is probably supposed to be saturated with disgust to the point that he/she realizes, oh my God, that's us! Suppose, however, that you don't go along with this idea. What do you see then? You see an empty film. It is filled with meaningless nudity, violence and bizarre sex and your suppose to swallow it all and call it an artistic masterpiece.I'm perplexed at how this is now a classic movie. Pfft!

BIZARRE & OFTEN SHOCKING, BUT A DARING EXPOSE..

I adore the way in which Lynch leads you into his own microcosm, each screen is more intriguing than the previous and you become involved with the characters. Blue Velvet is no exception: a simple town boy is intrigued by a woman, and following his curiosity gets drawn into her web, only to inadvertently uncover dark mysteries. We take this genuinely and often weirdly funny walk with him, a walk that'll cling to your thoughts long after the credits have rolled.

I don't idolize Lynch as many reviewers do (although I admired his work in The Straight Story) and I believe he has too often pursued weirdness for the sake of weirdness. But at his best he has produced marvels of film making. Blue Velvet is one of the latter as it doozily exposes the hidden dark underbelly of small towns, and of people that are seldom what they seem on the surface.

More than one viewing of this film is probably necessary if you really want to get it. The first time round, I ended up thinking that this was simply a noir-ish attempt at vulgar violence. The second viewing actually made me see some of the things Lynch wanted us to see without the shock factor.

Even so, this one may not be for everyone, but a must for Lynch fans.

wow

what would draw me to see this very unusual film. was it the music ? maybe. the chance to see isabella rossellini nude . no but it would help.was it the chance to see a great mordern classic.dang right. the film tells a tale of a small town where a young man comes home to visit his ill father at the hospital. as he walks home he sees a ear in a field and takes it to a friend of the family at the police station.when he gets a call about the ear he isn't told much but his daughter does. they learn it has to with a lounge singer who's husband and kid his being held for ransom.when he inspects her apartment he sees frank a drug dealing sadist ( only dennis hopper could play him so good) who allong with a partner is selling drugs out of a building. the film is unusual but , aren't david lynches films weird. most scenes in this film are parrodized of coppied ( warren beatty tried to copy issabella rosselini singing with madonna) if you love a good film see blue velvet.( three cheers for david lynch )

My Inspiration

I almost had to wait another two years when Im 18 before being able to see this. I made the mistake of trying to watch it when tired and I fell asleep, my mom woke up. She came into the living room to read in coordinance with the infamous rape scene. Next morning she told me I couldn't watch it because it will teach me the wrong way to treat women(as if im so manipulative but thats another story). Well the next day after school they went to my sisters basketball games. House was free for 6 hours.I cherished those 6 hours especially the two when this piece was playing. The directing is something Im sort of aspiring to now. Into my memory I wrote down every scene. If I ever get into film this will be my biggest influence. This is unusual I never pay so close attention. My thoughts disagreed though this time and Ill remember this as a directing masterpiece.The films beginning though was forced into action too fast. When Lynch could have led us to discover certain things. He instead chose to just have it spelled out for us through some dialogue. Specifically, after the boy's first visit to the apartment. He--when telling the inspector's daughter--comes to many assumed conclusions, that sadly were all right. I disliked this way of moving the plot along. The boy also healed extraordinarily fast and the parents of the young blonde were poorly shapen and without much background, merely set pieces.9/10

I have never seen anything quite like Blue Velvet. Lynch's finest hour.

I'm going to add my chorus of praise to this 80s gem. Nothing, and I repeat nothing has had such an impact on me as Blue Velvet did, when I first saw it on television several years ago. I was horrified beyond comprehension, but astounded at how amazing it was. The film details a young man who discovers, along with his teenage friend, a disturbing, violent underworld of a beautiful All-American town. What is interesting is Lynch has set this disturbing underworld in a Utopian, sort-of "1950s soap opera" town. All of the negations add to the film's uniqueness. It is a very exaggerated, yet effective method of pointing out hypocrisy. Overall, the film is brilliantly acted, darkly scripted, superbly directed, and has dazzling art and set direction.The acting by MacLachlan was average, maybe even cartoonish. But this is clearly intentional, because this only adds to the feel of the soap opera kind off setting. However, Mr Dennis Hopper, could not be more brilliant as the terrifying perverse, and deranged antagonist. This was the perfect role for him, and he was simply brilliant. Hopper's character will forever be one of the most evil villains in the history of the movies. (thus being recognized in the AFI's 50 Greatest Villains). Isabella Rossellini turns in a fine performance as the damsel in distress, femme fatale Dorothy Vallens, as does Laura Dern.The directing, honestly, could not be better. Lynch deserved the Oscar for Best Director. This is one of his greatest films, and undoubtedly, or along with Mulholland Dr., his trademark film. It even tops the cult classic Eraserhead, and the unflinchingly sad Elephant Man.The story gives itself to you; if you do some critical thinking, you will get more about the characters and their motives. I don't think you will get lost if you just watch the movie, but I do think you will miss out on some really cool details, but that is up to you, the viewer. An absolute stunner. The greatest, most refreshing film I've ever seen. I'm giving it a ten because a twenty is not a valid rating on the IMDb.I'm now off to buy the DVD!

Blue Velvet fully and richly deserves its reputation. It is simply one of the most extraordinary, exhilarating films ever made

Upon returning to his small, seemingly idyllic hometown to visit his sick father, Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan, looking a lot like a younger Lynch) finds a severed, decaying human ear in a vacant field. He quickly makes friends with sunny blonde Sandy Williams (Laura Dern, with major 80s hair), the daughter of the detective assigned to the mysterious case. Jeffrey becomes intrigued, and starts an investigation of his own to find out who the ear belonged to.When I first saw Blue Velvet in 1986, I didn't like it. I was fascinated and shocked and couldn't stop watching, but I didn't "like" it. Now that I've seen it several times, I do consider it one of director David Lynch's masterpieces (my favorite Lynch works are The Elephant Man and the Twin Peaks pilot).Jeffrey and Sandy's research takes him to Dorothy Valence (Isabella Rossellini, in an amazing, poignant performance), a sultry lounge crooner whose affair with a seething psychopath, Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper, who plays the crazy to chilling perfection), leads Jeffrey deep into danger. Blue Velvet blurs the lines between comedy, drama, tragedy and suspense, which makes for an unsettling yet mesmerizing masterpiece.

A neo-noir masterpiece

Blue Velvet is a masterpiece of modern cinema and neo-noir. It is veiled in mysteries that I still have not cracked after more than 10 viewings. It is simply one of my favorite films. Blue Velvet is a particularly well acted film. Dennis Hopper is incredible. His role as Frank Booth has been ranked as one of the best villains in cinema history. Isabella Rossellini also did a miraculous job as Dorothy Vallens. Her portrayal, which even Roger Ebert found impressive, is sometimes heartbreaking and sometimes heartwarming, which is quite an amazing thing to accomplish in her first film role ever. While Blue Velvet is one of David Lynch's more "conventional" films, it still holds that mysterious, hard to crack aspect that David is so great at creating. It contains little details that allow you to discover more with each viewing. Blue Velvet is also loaded with clever, deep symbolism and imagery that keeps you astounded every time you see it -- which makes it a totally original film on every viewing. The blue lighting, the picket fence and flowers, the well-dressed man disguise, the kink in the hoes during Jeffery's father's stroke are all examples of the amazing imagery found in Blue Velvet. If you have never seen it, do so as soon as possible. You should not be disappointed.

a masterpiece??- i think not

I just purchased this movie from amazon and just got done watching it and this is definetly no masterpiece like the reviews on hear that i read. It is definetly bizarre and stupid at times like the reviews say but this is nothing great.i found alot of parts of the movie to be boring and dragged on n on.I love films that are controversial and bizarre at times but this movie was just out there, not in a good way either in a boring stupid crazy way. It just wasnt good. I admit the charachters did a great job portraying a bunch of insane people and played thier roles well but i just didnt think the story was that great. I gave it 3 stars cause it had somthing going for it but basically it was boring and that annoying blue velvet song i couldnt wait for the movie to end- oh yea and to the reviewer who said ( people dont get the film or understand it) - i understood it and it was still boring and the story nothing knew or great. I dont know what all the hype behind this movie is about- all it was was a wierd mystery story with insane characters who i felt no sympathy for at all and i didnt enjoy watching them either-they didnt interest me at all only the kyle macglachlan character.my opinion is either skip it or just rent it or see it once then decide.

Hardy Boy in Hell

...

Here Lynch's characters, though outrageous, mildly believeable and at times monsters, are more real than in his later efforts, WILD AT HEART, TWIN PEAKS and LOST HIGHWAY, and his plot, which was called Hitchcockian in early reviews, makes much more sense than in anything he has done since (with the exception of the self-consciously normal STRAIGHT STORY).

The performances are world class. The movie ressurrected the career of Dennis Hopper and allowed him to go on to make millions in WATERWORLD and SPEED playing a watered-down version of his Frank character. It also made stars out of Laura Dern and Kyle MacLachlan -- and sank the career of Isabella Rossellini, who was dating Lynch at the time.

Though the shocking plot which centers around the sexual abuse of the Rossellini character and an innocent young man (played by MacLachlan) who tries to save her comes with the "not for everyone" warning, at least there is an emotional depth to the horrors that I found missing in the gothic WILD AT HEART and the tedious TWIN PEAKS.

Why don't they make films like this anymore?

The reason why Blue Velvet is still so successful with audiences today can probably be attributed to one reason, every film that has tried to imitate Blue Velvet's fable of exposing picket-fenced America's dark side has failed, most of them anyway. That's what makes Blue Velvet so shocking, so intriguing, so nightmarish and so masterful. Only David Lynch could master another film as extraordinary; its easy to see why Blue Velvet caused such a sensation in 1986, and is managing to do so again today. The reason it caused a seismic scandal is because we live in a world of plummeting standards, mindless violence, and gratuitous sex, it's refreshing---and entirely rare---when you come across a major motion picture that the whole family can enjoy. If you're looking for that kind of film, Blue Velvet is more than the mother lode.It's a slice of small-town life, were everything seems simple, were everyone bakes Apple Pies, watches murder mysteries on television, and likes to keep they're gardens trim and tidy. Its the kind of town were the last murder probably occurred a hundred years ago. Or so you'd expect. Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan, David Lynch's muse), who resides in this town, lives with his parents and elderly Aunt Barbara (veteran actress Frances Bay). With his father hospitalized after a massive heart attack, Beaumont stumbles across a mystery at the heart of sleepy little Lumberton. Beaumont teams up with high school sweatheart Sandy Williams (Laura Dern, "Wild at Heart", "Jurassic Park") and Sandy's father---a Lumberton detective---to delve into the mystery that has their little town on edge, and ultimately to snap the cuffs on a gang of dastardly baddies (headed up by Dennis Hopper in a stellar role as the villainous Frank Booth).Isabella Rossellini (former face of Lancome cosmetics) serves up a particularly memorable role as singer who seems to be on the verge of a mental breakdown, or is in the process of one, Dorothy Vallens, menaced by Booth and his rowdies, who manages to keep up a fighting spirit and lift everyone's spirits with cheerful, all-American musical standards. Grandpa and AMC-fans will particularly get a kick out the film's 1950's musical score, including golden oldies like Roy Orbison's "In Dreams" and Bobby Vinton's yesteryear hit "Blue Velvet".Blue Velvet also exhibits some flawless cinematography, by Frederick Elmes (who did the camera-work for 2003's "Hulk") shows off the green gables, rose gardens, red curtains, blue velvet gowns, and white picket fences of an all-American town to pristine perfection. I don't think any director has realized the zany human cosmology of a small American town since Sam Wood's 1949 version of "Our Town".While "Blue Velvet" heads over to the seamier side of town to plumb the more mysterious goings-on, don't fret---Lynch keeps rein over the more frightening elements of this salute to the Heartland. Like any Hardy Boys outing, things may get a little tense, but there's nothing too rough for the tots here, and good wins out in the end. Lynch proves you can put together an all-American classic and STILL manage to have a happy ending, like the latest Disney film, or "Wizard of Oz".I don't think anyone could remake a film like this today, and if they'd attempt to do so, I'd laugh right in their faces.

"It's a strange world, isn't it?"

That line of dialogue from David Lynch's unquestioned masterpiece BLUE VELVET describes Lynch's film universe perfectly. With the new SPECIAL EDITION dvd out we truly get a glimpse inside the making of a great film and how it can immediately be misunderstood by someone like Roger Ebert. The behind the scenes documentary is great with interviews from many of the film participants. To enter the world of David Lynch is to cross into an unknown vortex of subconscious desires, fears, and dreams. The film brilliantly shows us the illusion of the perfect smalltown life vs. the city underworld right next door. The images stay with you long after the movie is over. Dennis Hopper is absolutely perfect in a harrowing, funny, and brutal psychopath filled with self loathing and anger. I just saw a revival showing at a theater in Los Angeles and I highly recommend to anyone to see it in a theater if possible. On the big screen the movie envelops you into its world from which there is no escape. BLUE VELVET is definitely not for everyone, and that's ok. Lynch wasn't trying to make a film for the masses, but rather as a complete personal expression in the movie art form.

Mysteries

Blue Velvet is a masterpiece of modern cinema and neo-noir. It is veiled in mysteries that I still have not cracked after 8+ viewings. It is simply one of my favorite films.
Blue Velvet is a particularly well acted film, especially for an early David Lynch film (no offence David). Dennis Hopper is incredible. His role as Frank Booth has been ranked as one of the best villains in cinema history. Isabella Rossellini also did a miraculous job as Dorothy Vallens. Her portrayal, which even Roger Ebert found impressive, is sometimes heartbreaking and sometimes heartwarming, which is quite an amazing thing to accomplish in her first film role ever.

While Blue Velvet is one of David Lynch's more "conventional" films, it still holds that mysterious aspect that David is so great at creating. It contains little details that allow you to discover more with each viewing (SPOILERS*** such as: when Jeffery finds the ear in the beginning of the film, the camera zooms into the ear canal. In the final scenes of the films, after Frank's dead and all is well, the camera zooms out of Jeffery's ear canal. Wow.)
Blue Velvet is also loaded with clever symbolism and imagery that keeps you astounded every time you see it. The blue lighting, the picket fence and flowers, the well-dressed man disguise, the kink in the hoes during Jeffery's father's stroke are all examples of the amazing imagery found in Blue Velvet.
This DVD version of Blue Velvet does a fine job with the transfer, nothing that shouldn't be there. The DVD itself is not loaded with features, but I particularly found the missing scene montage a great addition. These scenes are still missing to this day and somehow they managed to find still frames from some of these scenes. There is also an easter egg hidden in the DVD, but t is pretty pointless.
Overall, this is a great film and a good DVD. If you are looking to replace a VHS copy, go for it because this is worth it. If you have never seen it, do so as soon as possible. You should not be disappointed.

Named after a fabric that is extremely hard to clean

Blue Velvet (1986) David Lynch. People either love his work, or hate him. Lynch's movies often follow a strange narrative and often require at least two viewings to get the clear picture. "Blue Velvet" seems to differ away from the path. Named after a fabric that can be created from any fiber and is extremely hard to clean, "Blue Velvet" is just that. The movie begins in the small town of Lumberton, it begins peaceful and normal. But the story takes a small twist when Jeffery finds a severed ear in a field. The film takes on a classic 1950-1970's young detective feel to it. The young innocent guy and gal trying to figure out where the ear came from. The movie takes a deep and dark turn once Jeffery hides in the closet of Dorothy Vallens and sees the dark side of life. Jeffery wants to look away, but is drawn too the darker side. The film begins to take a Jekyll and Hyde feel with day and night. During the day the film reverts back to the teenage detective feel, and during night it shifts to a world of pleasure, pain and danger with Jeffery in smack in the middle of it. Jeffery has become tainted by his nightlife and tries to come clean and leave it to the cops and leaves Dorothy alone, but much like velvet, it's very hard to come clean. The night life follows Jeffery home. Many other characters begin to take on a two faced feel to them, Frank dons a disguise as a well dressed man, the yellow man works as a detective and a mob enforcer, or Dorothy, who is only shown during the night time as an abused woman who has lost her husband and child. Dorothy is only shown twice during the day, when Jeffery visit visits the apartment and everything seems fine, and during the end of the movie when she is in the park with her son.On the surface "Blue Velvet" seems to be a straight foreword romantic thriller, but there are signs that it may all just be a dream like Mulholland Drive. Mulholland Drive begun with a zoom in to a pillow and the sound of someone fainting, in "Blue Velvet", the camera zooms into an ear. During Blue Velvet there's several shots of a flickering candle in the wind. These shots are shown throughout the movie, but are heavily shown in it's entirety when Jeffery is having a nightmare after his night out with Frank. The dream comes to an end at the end of the movie when the camera zooms out of the ear, and the final scene is with Jeffery and Sandy are happy in a bright world much like the opening scene of the movie. Where Mulholland Drive was a dream about guilt, regret and anger, Blue Velvet could very well be a cautionary dream about slipping deeper into the darkness of Jeffery's own mind and what he's afraid of becoming.As a painter, David Lynch knows that all the components are needed to create a good movie. Lynch's knowledge as a painter and director comes through with well angled shots and great color placement. Lynch's obsession with sound is also utilized, the perfect songs are used and fits the mood perfectly, carefully going from bubblegum pop songs to dark and menacing themes. "Blue Velvet" is the first movie where David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti worked together, creating a professional relationship that has lasted 20 years. Fans of Lynch's work will find plenty of Lynch trademarks within "Blue Velvet": Highway at night (night ride with Frank), red curtains (in the diner, also a Lynch trademark), women in trouble (Dorothy), use of dreams (see above), extreme close ups (zoom into the ear), and head injury (severed ear).On the surface many people will find "Blue Velvet" to be one of the easiest Lynch film to understand, it could be taken as a romantic thriller with a few weird twists, or it could very well be something deeper and darker.