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Blue Velvet

  • 19861986
  • RR
  • 2h
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
195K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
484
40
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Isabella Rossellini and Kyle MacLachlan in Blue Velvet (1986)
Watch {VideoTitle}
Play trailer1:26
2 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Crime
  • Drama
  • Mystery

The discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have... Read allThe discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped her child.The discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped her child.

IMDb RATING
7.7/10
195K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
484
40
  • Director
    • David Lynch
  • Writer
    • David Lynch(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Isabella Rossellini
    • Kyle MacLachlan
    • Dennis Hopper
Top credits
  • Director
    • David Lynch
  • Writer
    • David Lynch(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Isabella Rossellini
    • Kyle MacLachlan
    • Dennis Hopper
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 810User reviews
    • 227Critic reviews
    • 76Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 18 wins & 18 nominations total

    Videos2

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:26
    Official Trailer
    'Blue Velvet' | Anniversary Mashup
    Clip 1:31
    'Blue Velvet' | Anniversary Mashup

    Photos188

    Laura Dern, Kyle MacLachlan, Hope Lange, and Ken Stovitz in Blue Velvet (1986)
    Kyle MacLachlan in Blue Velvet (1986)
    Isabella Rossellini, Kyle MacLachlan, J. Michael Hunter, and Jack Nance in Blue Velvet (1986)
    Kyle MacLachlan, Frances Bay, and Priscilla Pointer in Blue Velvet (1986)
    Kyle MacLachlan in Blue Velvet (1986)
    Laura Dern in Blue Velvet (1986)
    Kyle MacLachlan in Blue Velvet (1986)
    Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet (1986)
    Isabella Rossellini and Kyle MacLachlan in Blue Velvet (1986)
    Dean Stockwell in Blue Velvet (1986)
    Kyle MacLachlan in Blue Velvet (1986)
    Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet (1986)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Isabella Rossellini
    Isabella Rossellini
    • Dorothy Vallensas Dorothy Vallens
    Kyle MacLachlan
    Kyle MacLachlan
    • Jeffrey Beaumontas Jeffrey Beaumont
    Dennis Hopper
    Dennis Hopper
    • Frank Boothas Frank Booth
    Laura Dern
    Laura Dern
    • Sandy Williamsas Sandy Williams
    Hope Lange
    Hope Lange
    • Mrs. Williamsas Mrs. Williams
    Dean Stockwell
    Dean Stockwell
    • Benas Ben
    George Dickerson
    • Detective Williamsas Detective Williams
    Priscilla Pointer
    Priscilla Pointer
    • Mrs. Beaumontas Mrs. Beaumont
    Frances Bay
    Frances Bay
    • Aunt Barbaraas Aunt Barbara
    Jack Harvey
    • Mr. Beaumontas Mr. Beaumont
    Ken Stovitz
    • Mikeas Mike
    Brad Dourif
    Brad Dourif
    • Raymondas Raymond
    Jack Nance
    Jack Nance
    • Paulas Paul
    J. Michael Hunter
    • Hunteras Hunter
    Dick Green
    • Don Vallensas Don Vallens
    Fred Pickler
    • Yellow Manas Yellow Man
    Philip Markert
    • Dr. Gyndeas Dr. Gynde
    Leonard Watkins
    • Double Edas Double Ed
    • Director
      • David Lynch
    • Writer
      • David Lynch(screenplay)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    College student Jeffrey Beaumont returns to his idyllic hometown of Lumberton to manage his father's hardware store while his father is hospitalized. Walking though a grassy meadow near the family home, Jeffrey finds a severed human ear. After an initial investigation, lead police Detective John Williams advises Jeffrey not to speak to anyone about the case as they investigate further. Detective Williams also tells Jeffrey that he cannot divulge any information about what the police know. Detective Williams' high school aged daughter, Sandy Williams, tells Jeffrey what she knows about the case from overhearing her father's private conversations on the matter: that it has to do with a nightclub singer named Dorothy Vallens, who lives in an older apartment building near the Beaumont home. His curiosity getting the better of him, Jeffrey, with Sandy's help, decides to find out more about the woman at the center of the case by breaking into Dorothy's apartment while he knows she's at work. What Jeffrey finds is a world unfamiliar to him, one that he doesn't truly understand but one that he is unable to deny the lure of despite the inherent dangers of being associated with a possible murder. Still, he is torn between this world and the prospect of a relationship with Sandy, the two who are falling for each other, despite Sandy already being in a relationship with Mike, the school's star football player. —Huggo
    • sexual aberration
    • small town
    • rape
    • drugs
    • kidnapped child
    • 197 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Now It's Dark.
    • Genres
      • Crime
      • Drama
      • Mystery
      • Thriller
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated R for strong disturbing violent and sexual content, some graphic nudity, and pervasive language
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In an interview, Dennis Hopper claimed that writer/director David Lynch would never say the word "fuck" during filming, he would simply point to the line in the script and say "that word". Hopper laughed, saying "He can write it, but he won't say it. He's a peculiar man." Lynch has said this isn't exactly true, but he didn't want to charge the atmosphere anymore than it already was.
    • Goofs
      Dorothy lives on the seventh floor of Deep River Apartments, a building which only has six floors. This is done purposely and occurs similarly in many movies to deter sightseers, fans and psychos from disrupting people who live in the real location. For similar reasons, "555-" is nearly always used on film and TV as the first three digits of phone numbers, to prevent people from trying the number and annoying people.
    • Quotes

      Frank Booth: Hey you wanna go for a ride?

      Jeffrey Beaumont: No thanks.

      Frank Booth: No thanks? What does that mean?

      Jeffrey Beaumont: I don't wanna go.

      Frank Booth: Go where?

      Jeffrey Beaumont: For a ride.

      Frank Booth: A ride! Now that's a good idea!

    • Alternate versions
      A German version omits the entire scene where Frank first rapes Dorothy that Jeffrey witnesses from inside her closet, and it is only implied that he raped her.
    • Connections
      Edited into Blue Peanuts (1987)
    • Soundtracks
      Blue Velvet
      Performed by Bobby Vinton

      Written by Lee Morris and Bernie Wayne

      Provided courtesy of CBS Records

      Publisher: Vogue Music

    User reviews810

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    A masterpiece
    A very strange movie but incredible. A young man (Kyle MacLaclan) comes home to help care for his sick father. Soon he's in love with a detective's daughter (Laura Dern) and mixed up in a mystery involving Dorothy Valdes (Isabella Rossellinni) and psycho Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper).

    Probably David Lynch's best film. The story has gaps in logic, but it's secondary to some incredible wide screen imagery (this has to be seen letter-boxed...no two ways about it). Lynch has said in interviews that he thinks of the image first then works it into the movie. You can tell...things that make no sense at first gradually make sense later on. This movie also demands multiple viewings...I was so shocked the first time I saw it, I couldn't concentrate on it...it took THREE viewings to finally get it.

    As to what the movie is about...it depends who you ask. Some people said it's the Hardy Boys on drugs...others say it's about a boy's sexual awakening...others see it as good vs. evil...each one is a valid statement! To me, that's a true art film...one that means multiple things all at once.

    The performances are top-notch. This film made MacLachlan...him and Laura Dern work well together and give nice low-key performances. Dern is just great...but she does look pretty silly when she tries to cry. Rossellinni is nowhere near as good as her mother (Ingrid Bergman) was, but she deserves credit for taking such a risky role. She's pretty good. Hopper is WAYYYYYYY over the top as Booth...he's both horrifying and hilarious...a great performance. And let's not forget Dean Stockwell as "suave Ben". His "performance" of "In Dreams" is a definite highlight.

    Be warned--the film is very extreme. There's explicit violence, plenty of nudity, sex and tons of profanity. Not for the squeamish. Still, I loved it from beginning to end. One of my favorite films of all time.
    helpful•311
    89
    • preppy-3
    • Jul 29, 2002

    FAQ13

    • Why was Jeffrey crying?
    • How could had Blue Velvet ended?
    • What was Frank Booth's drug?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 23, 1986 (Italy)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • MGM
      • Official Facebook
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Blue Velvet - Verbotene Blicke
    • Filming locations
      • Carolina Apartments, Market Street, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
    • Production company
      • De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $6,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $8,551,228
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $789,409
      • Sep 21, 1986
    • Gross worldwide
      • $8,618,766
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

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    May 12Slash Film

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