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Jeffrey (Kyle MacLachlan) returns to his hometown when his father
suffers a stroke, and since this town is the epitome of small
town America, it comes as no surprise that Jeffrey would become
bored with his surroundings. One day while throwing rocks (which
is a sure sign you have nothing going on) Jeffrey finds an ear.
A human ear. Jeffrey turns it in to a police detective he knows,
who also happens to be the father of Sandy (Laura Dern), and not
content with letting the police handle it, Jeffrey finds out more
about the case from Sandy, Deciding to find out why a local singer
(Isabella Rossellini) has been linked to the investigation, eventually
he sneaks into her apartment and finds out more than he wanted
to know...
Writer-director David Lynch gives Mayberry a swift kick in the
balls in BLUE VELVET, the movie that was the best film of 1986.
Lynch's stylistic direction is hauntingly beautiful, and even
the dolts at the Academy Awards had to acknowledge it with a nomination.
The intensity and stark brutality of the scenes are nothing short
of mesmerizing, as are the enchanting musical moments. The performances
are terrific, and none are better than Dennis Hopper as the maniacal
Frank Booth. Without a doubt Booth is one of the best all-time
screen villains. Not only is the character terrifying, he is also
funny. It is a rare difficult combination, but Hopper pulls it
off.
Brilliant and influential are words that come to mind when describing
BLUE VELVET, but not to some critics. Roger Ebert is one of my
favorite critics, but he missed the boat on this one when he slammed
it with a one star review. He even wrote more than one review
so that he could discuss the disparity between his opinion and
the opinions of other film critics. He rejects the film's attempt
to be disturbingly serious in some scenes when the film itself
is not serious. Well, he might have a valid point, but BLUE VELVET
is still an incredibly entertaining film even though it does exhibit
inconsistencies in tone. Another film critic, Leonard Maltin,
did not think much of BLUE VELVET, saying it was "too strange
to be easily enjoyed" and yet he gave Lynch's ERASERHEAD
three stars?! Some of the best films are ones that polarize the
critics, and BLUE VELVET certainly fits that description.
Video: How Does The Disc Look?
For most people this anamorphic transfer will be a revelation.
I am accustomed to the pan and scan video presentation, and I
was shocked to learn that BLUE VELVET was originally shown at
2.35:1, which is obviously much wider than a 4:3 TV frame. From
the first few aesthetic moments in the film it is clear how much
scenery people have been missing with the pan and scan version.
Not only were the previous home video versions cropped, but they
were also plagued by poor transfers. If you have an old VHS or
laserdisc of BLUE VELVET, then throw it out now, because this
DVD version far eclipses previous incarnations.
Colors are fully saturated with no signs of bleeding. The image
is almost entirely free of scratches and other age marks. Detail
and contrast are satisfactory, although black level seems a little
wanting during the darker scenes. Grain is faintly noticeable
at times. There is some shimmering present, but this distraction
never lasts for long and is not worth much of a complaint.
Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?
Lynch aggressively uses sound to enhance his already spellbinding
images. I remember hearing that when his films play in the theater
he wants the music to be very, very loud. So I was not surprised
when the music gave my speakers a real workout. This is just one
aspect of the excellent dynamic range. More than once are we treated
to the roar of car engines. And when Dennis Hopper yells, it is
almost like he is in the room with you, which is unnerving to
say the least. The surrounds are used extensively for both the
music and ambient effects like crickets chirping. Directional
effects are not plentiful but they are present when appropriate.
Oh, and did I mention that this is only a 2.0 surround track?
Trust me, the absence of a 5.1 track is no great disappointment.
By the way, the packaging indicates the presence of English closed
captioning, but no captioning is actually provided, although French
and Spanish subtitles.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There? A partially letterboxed trailer and some liner notes
are the full extent of the extras. I wish there had been more,
but reportedly Lynch has taken little interest in home video releases
(which might also explain why most of his films have received
subpar transfers), so the lack of a commentary track and other
extras comes as no surprise.
Parting Thoughts
If you have been bitching about MGM's lackluster commitment
to quality, here is your chance to put your money where your mouth
is by purchasing one of MGM's better efforts. If you like BLUE
VELVET then this disc is highly recommended.
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