Blue Velvet (Special Edition)
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Movie Reviews of Blue Velvet (Special Edition)
Movie Review: Ludicrous precursor to Twin Peaks
Summary: 3 Stars
Director David Lynch's "Blue Velvet", a definite moiety of the theatre of the absurd, puzzles me as to what relevance it has to any sense of reality. Lynch gets kudos for his ability to shock the viewer with his bizarre characterizations and plot but to consider this film a masterpiece is a stretch.
Frequent Lynch troupe member Kyle MacLachlan plays Jeffrey Beaumont a straight laced college boy and inhabitant of small town Lumberton. He's brought home owing to an accident and subsequent hospitalization of his father. Strolling home after a visit with his dad, in a field nearby his home he discovers a severed human ear lying in the grass. He brings it to the local police detective Williams but is intrigued by the mystery of it's presence.
He soon meets up with Det. Williams high school hottie daughter Sandy played by Laura Dern. She tells MacLachlan that her father has suspicions that the ear is somehow connected to a gal that leaves in an apartment near to the field. In a sophomoric bit of snooping they decide to break into her apartment. While inside MacLachlan has to hide in the closet as she unexpectedly comes back home. The gal is a frazzled local night club singer played by Isabella Rossellini. From his hiding spot he observes the arrival of Dennis Hopper, who is excellent in this movie, playing drug addled sadistic psycho Frank Booth. Hopper who apparently has kidnapped Rossellini's husband and son, has forced her to be his sex slave. After slapping her around for awhile and indulging in some depraved sexual byplay, he departs after threatening her.
The shocked MacLachlan feels sympathy for Rossellini. He gets more deeply involved in a sick, perverted world that exists just below the surface of this sleepy, typical middle American town as he investigates the strange goings on around town. He gets more than he bargained for as he and Dern experience the crazed world created by the evil Hopper.
As an aside, Dean Stockwell is amusing as a heavily made up pimp of a bordello frequented by his good friend Hopper. In addition infrequent screen presence Brad Dourif of "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest" has a bit part in this weird flick.
Movie Review: Art thou entertainment?
Summary: 2 Stars
There are enough opinons about this movie to make it mandatory viewing for anyone who likes things a bit off center. It has interesting characters and visuals, but is short on plot and acting. Kyle McLachan and the rest of the cast are not very interesting to watch; Dennis Hopper is, but goes over the top to the point where his character is almost comical. Some satire going on here too, which not everybody "gets." Watch it once to see what all the fuss is about, but it's more something to render judgement on than to enjoy.Movie Review: Things are not always what the seem.
Summary: 4 Stars
David Lynch's "Blue Velvet" is a symbolically rich, masterfully crafted, icy and compelling. Beneath the normal, kin- and friendship-oriented world of small town America, Lynch delivers a haunting and terrible (but inexplicably fascinating) world of evil and corruption. The complex relationship between these two realms is unified by a rather simple mystery-detective plot, but, like the opening montage, this ultimately gives way to a premise of greater depth and complexity. Without summarizing plot, one could argue that the central characters in this tableau are representative of each world in some way: Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle Maclachlan), the college student and amateur detective whose seemingly innocent curiosities lead him into the complicated underworld where they evolve into voyeurism and compulsion; Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini), the tormented lounge singer whose familial ties to illicit affairs have forced and trapped her in this underworld; Sandy Williams (played in an almost-painful-to-watch-at-times manner by Laura Dern), Beaumont's budding romantic interest who is willing to help her too-curious friend but remains morally and psychologically rooted in the positive "surface" world; Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper), Dorothy's tormentor and blackmailer, and the terrifying, twisted villain who exemplifies the negativity of the underworld. The relations between these characters serve as the foundation for juxtaposing the two worlds, a contrast which is strengthened by the frequent use of symbols and subtleties (e.g. color and lighting, sometimes surreal placement of characters on the screen, the heavy profanity of Frank).
The main underlying idea is certainly a haunting one: behind every facade and every seemingly normal appearance is an existence of a deviant nature. I do not believe that Blue Velvet is a perfect film, though: even though its story is complex and difficult to assemble it often progresses conspicuously slowly and unevenly. The film presents several jarring and somewhat confusing breaks of flow over its 124-minute duration. Several important scenes are depicted in brief shots and, in the spirit of the underworld that the film illustrates, low light. Similarly, many lines are whispered. While some of these effects are essential to the artistic aspirations of the film, it may be difficult for the viewer to perceive all of them. A second viewing is often necessary, but, unless a viewer cannot endure this film, a second viewing is probably inevitable. This is not a film for everyone. It is offbeat, like David Lynch always is. Harsh but wonderful.
Movie Review: Hypnotic, disturbing, and beautiful
Summary: 5 Stars
David Lynch's fever-dream Blue Velvet stands as an important cinematic work. Told with innocence and visual poetry, the film brings us into a realm of darkness and light, perversion and love. Although the film may be too disturbing or bizarre for some, it radiates with undeniable compassion. I do not want to reveal too much about the story or the movie itself, because it's truly an experience. However, I must say that the way in which Lynch delivers the final payoff through the film's ending is masterful.
This Special Edition DVD contains many interesting features, a number of which are hidden and must be found using the arrows on your remote control. It should be noted, however, that the "deleted scenes" feature is actually a montage of still photographs. Also, the "Mysteries of Love" documentary--although very informative--does not delve too deep into the film's meaning. In fact, if one wants an interesting documentary that reveals some interesting info on David Lynch, I recommend checking out the documentaries on the Special Edition DVD of Twin Peaks.
Overall, I highly recommend this DVD, especially to lovers of cinema.
Movie Review: DARK...DARK....DARK...
Summary: 5 Stars
After watching Mulholland Drive and reading the screenplay for Lost Highway, I was hooked on David Lynch. So why not watch his "masterpiece", this "classic"? I decided that I just had to pick it up and well..it was dark. That word perfectly describes the movie. First of all, most of the movie takes place in the dark and what you see on screen is shocking and hard to stomach. I have to aggree with what Siskel said in his review back in 1986..saying that this did to him what Psycho much earlier had done to him. And I aggree. It's like the newer version of Psycho. And well, it succeeds wonderfully.
For 1986, this movie shocked me as it had some very questionable and disturbing content. For 1986 on a 6 million dollar budget, this movie is nothing short of outstanding, And still today, 20 yrs later, it is extremely watchable and really creepy. It sent chills down my spine and the ear part made me gag.
David Lynch's movie is a masterpiece.
Jeffrey is a college student living in a small town with a small life. His father is in the hospital, he lives with his two aunts and so his life isn't too exciting. That's until he finds an ear in a field. This leads to his investigation with his friend, turning girlfriend, Sandy. It all centers around a mysterious lady named Dorothy, living all alone in her apartement. Jeffrey decides to sneak in and he finds DARK THINGS. Frank (Dennis Hopper) is a very bad man. A man who is somehow posessing Dorothy and having her do stuff for him. Weird stuff. He breathes air through a mask and it is that that makes the movie. This mask is chilling and so bizarre. It makes his character. Frank is one of the creepiest characters in cinema history. His line
"Mommy!" and "Don't you fu****' look at me!" are genious.
David Lynch has created one of the most memorable vilains I have ever seen..if not the most memorable.
The movie keeps on going at this dark pace and mysterious and shocking events occur. Some scenes will makes your jaw drop for sure!
Dennis Hopper gives a bewildering performance. Best Supporting Actor!! He gives one of the best performances for a vilain of all time! Not since Gary Oldman in the professional have I been so impressed. But here I am a lot more impressed.
The conclusion is well thought out. In conclusion, David Lynch's movie is mesmerizing, absolutely brilliant. It is as good as Mulholland Drive if not better. It's very hard to watch but is such an interesting study of good and evil and human actions and emotions. It is a critical study that is summed up in this line: "it's a strange world." As well as gross and sick may I add! Great job mr. Lynch, this is the modern Psycho and may even be better than Psycho. It's only Psycho's score that puts it on top!