"Blue Velvet"

Bluuuue Velvet (1986)

I'm watching Blue Velvet and you're watching it with me.

Kyle MacLauchlan plays a young man name Jeffrey Beaumont whose father has just had a heart attack. Later, in a field, he comes across a severed ear covered with ants. He breaks into the apartment of Dorothy Vallens (no relation to Ritchie). When she comes home early he hides in her closet till he's discovered. She's pissed, but instead of calling the cops, she makes him strip, and- on her knees- she kisses him.

They're interupted by Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper). He's pissed and huffing something. Jeff is back in the closet watching Frank rape Dorothy ("Don't you fucking look at me!" Frank keeps saying).

He's in and out.

Jeff comes out of the closet and gets Dorothy to bed. Rossellini has an intersting role- going back and forth between dominating to submissive. Roger Ebert has said he has a big problem with this movie- he feels that Rosselini is forced to degrade herself for no good reason- the story, the movie, doesn't justify the position that she puts herself in, and the situations that she/her charcater has to endure. I can't say whether or not it's worth it. I can say that she puts everything into her performance. (Did I mention I'm drunk on vodka? Just thought I should mention that. I don't always write this bad, sorry.)

I've been watching reruns of season 2 of Twin Peaks, amazed by how young Kyle Maclauchlan looks- and he's just a kid in this film.

Laura Dern too. A few years later she's in Wild at Heart. For a young woman she gives a very strong performance as Jefrey's girlfriend. She's still stunning; the last time I saw her she was playing the Poet Lauriet (that's probably spelled wrong) of the Bartlett administration on The West Wing. Still beautiful and interesting to watch.

I've seen parts of this movie before and always wanted to see the whole thing. Watching it you can see the progression to Twin Peaks- related images and themes. The moods that thet set are similar. I love a work of art that sets a mood. I've got no interst in movies that have a message or motive.

Clue sets a mood. My roommate has the DVD and I'm gonna try to watch it this weekend.

While everyone does a fine job in their role, ultimately it doesn't matter if things had been diferent. Chris Isaak could've been Jeffrey, Hellen Mirren might've been Dorothy and Sally was almost played by Molly Ringwold. None of that would've made a difference. It's the story and the music- it's the mood that this movie sets that makes it special.

n a side note, everyone in the movie looks exactly like mid-1980s, but miraculously they don't look dated like it was St Elmos Fire or something. That's an achievemnent.



And look at Brad Dourif- he's got the Miami Vice clothes but he's still a creepy guy from One Flew Over the Cukoos Nest and The Exorcist III.

And Dean Stockwell. I'm not sure but I think he's playing Joe Pesci's character from JFK. He might've been in as many Columbo episodes asd Peter Falk. I'll always remember him as Tony, Tony The Tiger, the best thing about Married to the Mob- even better than Matt Modine.


Gary Oldman in must've been thinging of Hopper in this movie when he did The Professional. He's super-creepy when he does what he he does with whatever those thing are. I think that song "That Thing You Do" was writtten about him.


(Note: You should see all the shit I just deleted. Retarded. Even worse than what you've just read.)