Movie #14- "Blue Velvet" (1986)

"Blue Velvet" is a film that I should have been a big fan of in college.  It was daring, challenging, and strange.  Yet it wasn't until "Twin Peaks" (and I didn't immediately jump on that bandwagon either) that I discovered the world of David Lynch.  The connection between the two is striking, especially the visuals Lynch creates.
I guess what pushed me toward this film was Lynch's appearance during the recent season of "Louie".  His character seems to be a throwback to an earlier Hollywood and someone that walk out of a Lynch movie.  I tried to describe "Blue Velvet" to a co-worker, and while you can hit the plot points, it really doesn't sell the film.  The best way I could surmise it was as a nightmare version of a Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew mystery.  The idealistic view of the 1960s, combined with a seedy darkness of modern times.  I don't imagine many actresses willing to venture into the the territory Isabella Rossellini explores and Dennis Hopper is one of the most menacing characters on film.  Lynch carefully balances beauty and darkness, sometimes combining the two such as the scene with Dean Stockwell singing "In Dreams" into a caged light.
"Blue Velvet" is truly not for everyone's taste, as evidenced by Roger Ebert's less than stellar review.  But it one that will catch your attention.

Rating: 8/10
Movies I've previously seen: 2
First time viewings: 12