Blue Velvet (1986)

The gruesome discovery of a severed human ear he found in a field leads a young man on a dark and dangerous journey into a dark and sinister underworld that exists in his hometown.

Director:

David Lynch

Writer:

David Lynch (screenplay)

Stars:

Isabella Rossellini, Kyle MacLachlan, Dennis Hopper

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 22 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Isabella Rossellini	...	Dorothy Vallens
Kyle MacLachlan	...	Jeffrey Beaumont (as Kyle Maclachlan)
Dennis Hopper	...	Frank Booth
Laura Dern	...	Sandy Williams
Hope Lange	...	Mrs. Williams
Dean Stockwell	...	Ben
George Dickerson	...	Detective Williams
Priscilla Pointer	...	Mrs. Beaumont
Frances Bay	...	Aunt Barbara
Jack Harvey	...	Mr. Beaumont
Ken Stovitz	...	Mike
Brad Dourif	...	Raymond
Jack Nance	...	Paul
J. Michael Hunter	...	Hunter
Dick Green	...	Don Vallens

Storyline

A man returns to his home town after being away and discovers a severed human ear in a field. Not satisfied with the police's pace, he and the police detective's daughter carry out their own investigation. The object of his investigation turns out to be a beautiful and mysterious woman involved with a violent and perversely evil man.

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Plot Keywords:

police | detective | police detective | singer | nightclub | 

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Taglines:

It's a strange world.

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 September 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Terciopelo azul

Filming Locations:

109 Keaton Avenue, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$8,551,228 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ranked #4 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the 100 Greatest Movies since 1983.

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Goofs

In the club, a guitar solo is heard, while no guitarist is present.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Radio announcer: It's a sunny, woodsy day in Lumberton, so get those chainsaws out. This is the mighty W.O.O.D., the musical voice of Lumberton. At the sound of the falling tree, it's 9:30. There's a whole lotta wood waitin' out there, so let's get goin'.
Nurse Cindy: Mr. Beaumont? Your son Jeffrey's here to see you.

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Connections

Referenced in The Curse of El Charro (2005)

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Soundtracks

"Blue Velvet"
Performed by Isabella Rossellini
Written by Lee Morris and Bernie Wayne
Publisher: Vogue Music

User Reviews

More than meets the eye...

There is far more to 'Blue Velvet' than meets the eye. You can't label this as drama, satire, or black comedy. It just doesn't work.

'Blue Velvet' is an example of our world's disarray. This film is VERY genius in its portrayal. We see a hokey, innocent town that yields a dark secret.

The symbolism is great. White picket fences, waving fireman, hokey acting, and a sunny day show the apparent innocence. But a stroke, black insects, a candle getting blown out, etc. show us something else.

I love how when we see the innocence, everything is hokey. The music, acting, dialogue... everything. But when the darkness appears, everything becomes serious. The script improves, the acting is better... everything. That's something that was missed by most viewers.

David Lynch is brilliant, but he also has a great sense of humor. Jokes aren't funny... absurdity is funny.

Lightness and darkness seemingly coexist in this lumber town... each in their own place. When a curious fellow returns home, he disrupts the balance and the two forces go to war. Yet, we don't really even know which side he's on. I love how Jeffrey always wears black and white. I love all the symbology of this film.

If you haven't seen this yet, break away from the Hollywood cookie cutter movies and prepare to have your mind challenged and entertained.

Makes a fun party movie, too. ;o)

10/10