Blue Velvet DVD Review:


The Movie

Tom Beaumont comes home from college to help run the family hardware store after his father suffers a stroke. On his way home from a visit one afternoon, Tom stumbles across a human ear in a field. Tom does a little looking and finds himself caught up in a nightmare that exists just beneath the veneer of his idyllic small town.

After being in and out of print on video for almost fifteen years, Blue Velvet has finally gotten a proper release on DVD. The film, the closet thing to a straightforward movie David Lynch has ever done, is reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt in the way it probes the dark corners of small town life. There is an odd, dreamlike quality to the film, but at the same time it seems less weird than its reputation, especially considering Lynch’s other work.

The performances make this movie. MacLachlan is excellent as Tom Beaumont. He really evokes the innocence of the character, makes us believe that terrors like the ones he stumbles onto would not have ever occurred to him before he found the ear. Isabella Rossellini is heartbreaking as the tortured and mysterious Dorothy Valens, a masochistic lounge singer. The stand out, though, is Dennis Hopper as Frank Booth, a psychopath who holds Dorothy in his iron grip. Hopper gives the kind of intense, scene-chewing performance that only he seems capable of. His character exudes violence, and every scene he is in makes us fear for the future of the characters around him.

Blue Velvet is a classic that remains as disturbing today as the year it was released.

10 out of 10

The Video

The richness of the colors in this film is important, and they can be seen on this DVD in all their glory. Too often on video were the colors washed out, faded and bleeding together, but MGM has given us a transfer of the highest quality where we can appreciate the depth of Frederick Elmes’s photography. The print is flawless, beautiful. Blue Velvet is presented in its original 2.35:1 widescreen ratio.

10 out of 10

The Audio

Blue Velvet is presented in 5.1 surround sound. While not the best example of what surround sound is capable of, everything comes through crisp and clear. There is a French language track presented in stereo surround and a Spanish language track in mono, but you’d be better off sticking with the 5.1; nothing beats it.

8 out of 10

The Extras

The bonus material really gives some insight in how the film came to be. Some of the features include:

--“Mysteries of Love” documentary

--Deleted scenes montage

--Original “Siskel & Ebert” review

--Collectible booklet

The documentary gives great insight into the film, David Lynch, and the actors’ reactions to working with Lynch. It’s also interesting to see Roger Ebert’s reaction to the film; he looks absolutely shocked by what he has seen. All in all, the extras give a great behind the scenes look at the film.

9 out of 10

Overall

This classic film gets top treatment on DVD. The film itself is worth buying, but the bonus features make it more than worth buying.

Overall DVD rating: 10 out of 10

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