Rating: 
Summary: A Haunting Masterpiece Of A Underground World
Review: Blue Velvet, by director David Lynch, is a American classic and disturbing from the very begining to the end. It is about a young man played by Kyle MacLachan (Dune, Twin Peaks) who discovers a human ear in a field. He gets into a dark and mysterious world with a beautiful woman with a terrifying life played by Isabella Roselini and a sadist who breathes nitrogus oxide played amazingly by Dennis Hopper. David Lynch's twisted imagination as seen through Eraserhead, Lost Highway, and most recently Mulholland Drive plays a big part of this film. From the beautiful scenery to haunting underworld, it is David Lynch's unique vision that brings this film to life.
Rating:
Summary: A very pleasing special edition.
Review: Blue Velvet is considered by many to be one of the finest movies ever made. It recieved little attention when it first came out but as years gone by it had eventually earned its cult status for being controversial and disturbing. Its also a very stunningly beautiful movie that gets better after repeated viewings. The release of this special edition is a tremendous improvement to the old release with an improved digital picture transfer and an improved sound quality. New features include an hour and ten minute documentary on the making of Blue Velvet featuring the cast and crew being interviewed and showing Lynch being interviewed when this movie was shot back in 1986. The theatrical trailer and tv spots are included as well and there is also a brief review by Siskel & Ebert at that time. Other features include deleted scenes that were shot in stills and a behind the scenes photo gallery. This DvD is very satisfying. If you are new to David Lynch's work, Blue Velvet is a wonderful place to start.
Rating:
Summary: Completely Stunning
Review: "Blue Velvet" was my second foray into Lynch, following my positive experience with "Mulholland Drive." Where "MD" was a WOW experience, "BV" totally destroyed my idea of what movies can do and rebuilt it again, bigger, better, and more powerful than before. Rarely will a movie stick with you like "BV," haunting your waking thoughts, even if you didn't like it. Rarely can a movie look like a work of art while communicating a point not necessarily original but definitely done in a new way. "BV" is a masterpiece of cinema in every sense of that word. Young Jeffrey, played by Kyle MacLachlan, arrives in his small hometown of Lumberton, USA from college after his father suffers a heart attack. While walking around his neighborhood, he finds a human ear in a field, and being the fine, upstanding citizen he is, he takes it to the police. After talking with the detective assigned to the case, Jeffrey meets his young, high-school aged daughter (a fresh-faced Laura Dern, nary 18 when this film was shot). They hatch a plan to investigate the ear case, and Jeffrey ends up in the apartment of Isabella Rossellini, and begins to discover a horrific circle of drugs, violence, and sexual deviancy surrounding the psychotic Frank (played to perfection by Dennis Hopper). Jeffrey's world unravels as he finds himself in over his head in something he doesn't understand. Although not as shocking today as it was in 1986, "BV" is highly charged, tackling taboo, closed-door issues without batting an eyelash. It isn't as weird as "MD," but "BV" still has that Lynchian feel of otherworldliness about it; Lumberton is a mirror-image of many small towns, and one must wonder if this isn't what's going on behind the neighbor's closed doors. That being said, "BV" isn't for everyone. It's not artsy-fartsy like "City of Lost Children," nor is it conventional cinema in any sense of that term. It's something unto itself, and for those that don't like Lynch's style, there won't be much of redeeming value in this film. It's cinema that requires attention and thought, and it engages the audience as much as any book or painting could - and that's saying something. The acting is all top-notch, from MacLachlan's sharply divided protagonist to Dern's almost symbolic portrayal of the "normal," to Rossellini's abused woman at the end of her rope, to Hopper's out-and-out, but believable, evil sociopath. Add to that Lynch's attention to detail, and "BV" is, in a literal sense, a perfect film. The new special edition DVD presents the film in dazzling anamorpohic widescreen with a solid (and surprisingly dynamic) 5.1 soundtrack. The "Mysteries of Love" documentary doesn't really shed any light on the film, but it does tell the story of how it was brought to the screen, which is interesting. The deleted scenes are pretty blah - the movie stands on its own. But, for the video and audio quality alone (the blues leap off the TV and kick you in the face they are so sharp), this is a reference-quality disc. Lynch may not be for everyone. If you haven't experienced Dave yet, "Blue Velvet" would make an excellent introduction. Rent "BV" before you buy it, but if you like it, this disc needs to be in your collection. Like, now. Final Grades
Film: The Ultra-Rare A+
DVD: A
Rating:
Summary: One line reviews; "Blue Velvet"
Review: Before "Blue Velvet" the cinema was a child... after it was an adolescent.
Rating:
Summary: The candy-coated Clown they call the Sandman...
Review: Blue Velvet is among the most effective two hours of film ever made. The story of a young man on break from college who goes back to his home town to help out in his father's hardware store seems innocent enough. But by the time he is being held and beaten by drug addled lunatics while overweight floozies dance on the top of the car to Roy Orbison music you know you are in some very dark and sinister territory.
Dennis Hopper gets under your skin and you fear him as much as any monster or villian in film history. He is a madman with limitless rage and what's worse is he has an equally freaked out entourage that seem to encourage him to ever more sadistic behavior.
The truly amazing thing about Blue Velvet is how it draws such sharp contrasts. Laura Dern is just a normal high school girl, but compared to Hopper's character she is as wholesome as an angel. She represents decency and goodness and lends temporary relief from the madness of the film.
But by the third act, the director throws these contrasts together and the movie erupts with intense drama.
The scene where Jeffrey has Laura Dern and Isabella Rossellini together in the car and Laura Dern's character finally realizes the truth of their relationship is simply fantastic. You want to crawl under your sofa and hide your head, but you absolutely must keep watching. And then after all is said and done, you remember the quiet little moments. Ahhh...heineken.
Rating: 
Summary: Great movie but surprisingly poor transfer
Review: I won't say anything more on the movie. it's a "love it or hate it" kind of movie. But I have to point out the very poor transfer. It's full of digital artifacts and my dvd player confirms this by showing a transfer rate that is an average of 4-4.5 and drops very often under 2.5. this is really poor and unacceptable from a "Special edition" version. I guess they had to use such a high compression to fit all the extra material. but I'd rather watch a good quality dvd than some dull extras.
Rating: 
Summary: Strange as Fiction
Review: When I was thirteen on summer vacation in France, while flipping through the channels looking for commercials with naked girls in them (a pleasure we sadly don't have in America) I came across what I much later learned to be 'Blue Velvet', dubbed in French. I can honestly say I have yet to have a more confusing moment in my life. Many years later the film was suggest to me by a film buff, and not realizing it was the movie I had caught a few scenes of when I was younger, I realized that my confusion had nothing to do with the French dubbing. It took me another couple of years to appreciate 'Velvet' and while I feel it is imperfect, it is a rare and exceptional, artistic film. David Lynch is one of the great American auteurs, and his films are beautiful, surreal, and ultimately all his own. While most of the time we look for the kinds of movies we already like, there is nothing more exciting to me than finding something that is different from anything else I've ever seen. While Lynch's talent is has not fully matured here, he does create a compelling story with some of his characteristically bizarre characters, and expresses his unique style of dialog and film editing. It is also more grounded than some of his later work, which makes it more accessible to many viewers. This is obviously a must for Lynch fans (who have certainly already seen it), and for anyone else who truly loves original cinema. *** for a unique vision of a (then) learning artist
Rating:
Summary: Good stuff, through and through!
Review: Yes, I was a little disapointed that the deleted scenes were just filmographed stills to creepy music, but it seems insignificant when compared to what else this DVD offers. Like a feature length documentary on this artistic but unpretentious, outworldy sick and strange but jovial guy and his best movie to date. It's also funny to watch Ebert berate the movie while totally missing the point of the film, complaining about the violent sex scenes and disregarding the better, more significant aspects of the film. For those who think Lynch's movies are a bit esoteric and experimental for your tastes, this is probably the most grounded with the most coherent style. It's like they took an Ed Wood film and crossbred it elements of Salvador Dali and William S. Burroughs. It's a lot more cohesive than Lost Highway or Mulholland Drive, but doesn't totally sap Lynch's style like Dune. It's absurdly mysterious, disturbing, and gut wrenchingly hilarious all at the same time. Definitely worth every penny.
Rating:
Summary: Crystal blue persuasion
Review: I suspect that serious collectors of all things Lynch will find it worthwhile to upgrade to this edition of one of his best films. If you're new to this director, 'Blue Velvet' or the recent 'Mulholland Drive' are (to my eyes and ears) the prime representations of his artistry, which has a distinctive palette and is not for all tastes, especially during family viewing occasions (well, depending on your family). I'll refrain from summarizing the plot lines, which interested readers can find elsewhere, and focus on the latest presentation. I owned the previous MGM issue of this Lynch classic and aside from a lack of extras, the DVD was a good video and audio presentation. I vacillated about upgrading to this newly-remastered edition, my attitude fueled by cynicism (MGM capitalizing on post-Mulholland Lynchitis) and by some negative comments about the bonus interviews (which implied they were nothing but vapid fawning over Lynch's genius). In the end I bit the bullet and was pleased I did. The new Lynch-supervised transfer is crystal-clear, the primary advantage being improved dark/light contrast. Since 'Blue Velvet' is a study in the light and dark aspects of the human soul, this is an appropriate enhancement. On the other hand, the new transfer did not strike these eyes as a major improvement in the color department, which was a particular strength of the original. Dollar for dollar I would probably not recommend replacing your old one solely on the basis of picture quality. When I turned to the bonus interviews I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of the commentary, especially in light of the negative comments I alluded to earlier. Isabella Rosselini and Dennis Hopper, who play the two basket-case characters (Frank and Dorothy) in this film, come across with the most insightful remarks. Hopper had just emerged from drink-and-drug rehab when he took on 'Blue Velvet' and is candid about how his earlier drug experiences infused his mannerisms and reactions on the set. Lynch had originally conceived of using helium in the mask, to give a surreal squeakiness to Frank Booth's voice, but Hopper hated the way this sounded, so the idea was dropped. Hopper points out that he interpreted his gas-mask as a source of amyl nitrate or nitrous oxide, both of which are used for a temporary rush while doing the dirty deed. Lynch had never heard of such a thing, which only serves to illustrate another aspect of the Boy Scout behind some of the extraordinary (and often viscerally in-the-gutter) visions he conjures up. Rosselini describes, in some detail, a serious sadness and insecurity that came over her after the film was released, and no, it was not embarrassment over her nude scenes. I appreciated the detailed accounts about other behind-the-scenes contributors, especially the late Alan Splet, who is responsible for the audio things that go bump in 'Blue Velvet'. Indeed, he was a long-time associate of Lynch, going back to 'Eraserhead', and the originator of the low-frequency rumble that infuses so much of Lynch's audio spectrum. The other major bonus, a behind-the-scenes montage, is educational but not overwhelming. As other reviewers pointed out, it is not raw footage, but a sequence of stills, and your mileage will vary. The package describes the audio as Dolby 5.1, and some audiophiles have questioned aspects of the surround sound. I'm content to just let my TV blare away, but if audio is of ultimate importance to you, you might want to dig deeper into other commentary before purchase.
Rating:
Summary: Bluer than Blue
Review: Sixteen years on, it's curious to look back at the cultural firestorm sparked by David Lynch's "Blue Velvet." While this seminal work of American surrealism hasn't lost its ability to disorient and unsettle, it is nonetheless a film that wouldn't seem too out of place these days as an HBO original. Lynch oversaw a new transfer of "Blue Velvet" for this MGM special-edition DVD. Butchered by pan-and-scan in most of its video incarnations, the film is presented in dramatic anamorphic widescreen. Lynch's artistic images are markedly enhanced by their journey through the digital domain. Some of the upgrades are on display right away: the title images of blue velvet and the color-saturated opening shot of roses against a white fence. These visuals are tough to top, but overall the movie looks great and sounds OK. The lengthy "Mysteries of Love" documentary, by making-of specialist Jeffrey Schwarz, interviews the stars and key crew members. The creator of "Eraserhead," and "Mulholland Drive" is actually a "boy scout," they say, who uses expressions like "peachy keen" and takes meetings over shakes at Bob's Big Boy. But then there are those weekend photo projects with dead chickens. ... Those interviews are current, but Lynch isn't talking so the docu utilizes grainy 1987 footage of him talking with reporters but no new shots of the press-shy director. Lynch's low-light segments look like clips from a dated crime docu, giving the enterprise a dash of oddness that he probably appreciates. A must for fans of this peculiar film, including those who own the earlier widescreen DVD.
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