Blue Velvet (1986)
Director: David Lynch
Writer: David Lynch (screenplay)
Stars: Isabella Rossellini, Kyle MacLachlan, Dennis Hopper
I remember when I first saw David
Lynch’s 1986 surreal classic, Blue Velvet. I got home after hanging out with
friends and noticed I recorded it in my DVR. Without knowing much about it, I
hit the play button and found myself equally wowed and disturbed by Lynch’s
haunting masterpiece.
What makes Blue
Velvet a horror film? Good question! It’s the idea that a candy-colored, peaceful, little town has hidden secrets. The film tells the tale of Jeffrey
Beaumont (Kyle Maclachlan), a college student called home to care for his
comatose father. While strolling through a field, Jeffrey finds a severed ear
covered in ants and takes it to the police.
It’s
at the police station where Jeffrey overhears a detective (George Dickerson)
discuss the case and takes it upon himself to investigate. Jeffrey finds
himself in one hell of a nightmarish ride involving a femme fatale lounge
singer (Isabella Rossellini) and a deranged gangster named Frank Booth. Boy,
Blue
Velvet is a masterful Neo-Noir film that has a lot to say. In the opening
scene, we get beautiful and semi-satirical shots of Lumberton (the film’s
setting). Everything is nice and peaceful, but then we see a glimpse underneath
the soil, of large insects crawling creepily, implying this isn’t an ordinary
town. Perhaps it’s also saying that no town is ordinary. The first half of Blue Velvet is entirely buildup. Through hallway shots and POV shots through
closets, we know we’re about to see something that will shock us.
- Austin Maggs
Trailer: