Day 133 - Blue Velvet

Day 133          Blue Velvet [1986]

                          

Screenplay                    David Lynch

Director                         David Lynch

Cinematography            Frederick Elmes

Music                            Angelo Badalamenti

Leads                            Kyle MacLachlan, Laura Dern, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper, George Dickerson

Production                     De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG)

IMDb                                 7.8/10

Rotten Tomatoes                 94%

Slightly more manageable than other works of Lynch. Mulholland Drive is often mentioned in circles as one of the greatest films of the 21^st century but films shouldn’t be too befuddling in my humble opinion. Blue Velvet is more accessible certainly, although lacked the sensational scenes that Mulholland had. This isn’t a comparison though so let’s focus on this one. A neo-noir mystery about a college boy who gets involved in the murky underworld of classic small-town America. Hopper and Rossellini give incredibly performances, they become their characters entirely and I forgot all about the Hopper I saw in Easy Rider (Day 17). MacLachlan gives a solid leading man’s performance with his weird inquisitive personality which already has you on edge before the really peculiar stuff starts. He is ably supported by love interest Laura Dern and it’s good to finally see her in something other than Jurassic Park. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to know why David Lynch is so highly rated by the critics – it’s a nice introduction to his work and is easier watching than his two earlier hits Eraserhead and The Elephant Man. I would also recommend it to anyone who is into freaky stuff as Dennis Hopper will certainly get you in the mood…

Acting                            3.5 / 4

Writing                           3.5 / 4

Cinematography             3.5 / 4

Music                                3 / 4

HWF rating                3.5 / 4