film american mystery film written directed blending psychological horror film noir film stars title taken song initially receiving divided critical response film widely acclaimed greatest films 1980s earned lynch second academy_award nomination best director example director casting norm noted launching career providing dramatic outlet work fashion model known commercial critical failure lynch attempts developing personal story somewhat characteristic style displayed debut screenplay passed multiple times late 1970s early 1980s major studios declining strong sexual violent content independent studio owned time italian film producer agreed finance produce film initial theatrical release achieved cult status generated significant academic attention regard thematic symbolism widely regarded lynch best works film consistently ranked greatest american films time publications including entertainment_weekly blue velvet chosen american_film_institute greatest mystery films plot returns logging home town north_carolina father suffers near fatal stroke walking home hospital cuts vacant lot discovers severed ear takes ear police detective detective daughter sandy tells details ear case suspicious woman isabella connected case increasingly curious enters apartment posing distracted man dressed yellow suit door later refers yellow man steals spare key sandy attend nightclub act sings blue velvet leave early sneak apartment hides closet returns home wielding knife discovers threatens kill believing curiosity merely sexual aroused makes begins encounter interrupted knock door hides closet witnesses visitor inflict bizarre sexual include unidentified gas possibly dry frank extremely foul violent climax fit pleasure rage continually refers daddy baby want fuck frank kidnapped husband son force perform sexual favors frank leaves sad desperate tries seduce demands hit refuses tells leave moves leave asks stay leaves experience sandy asking people like frank sandy turn tells wonderful dream interprets sign hope humanity sandy find attracted sandy boyfriend visits apartment tells knows attends performances club sings song club spots frank audience piece blue velvet fabric cut follows frank spends days shortly men calls dressed man yellow man exit industrial building frank frequently visits concludes men criminal associates frank tells new findings sandy briefly kiss feels uncomfortable going immediately visits sex refuses hit pressures emotional blind rage knocks backwards instantly horrified derives pleasure frank catches forces accompany apartment ben partner crime holding son ben lip performance dreams sending frank sadness rage frank takes lumber yard stands frank punching frank drag car frank kisses face beats dreams wakes day place walks home overcome guilt despair goes police station notices sandy father partner yellow man officer named later sandy home father amazed story warns stop amateur investigation sandy dance love confronted sandy boyfriend confrontation group finds naked battered distressed lawn barely conscious reveals intimacy causing sandy upset later insists returning apartment tells sandy immediately send police including father apartment finds husband dead gunshot head identifiable missing ear yellow man gordon bears head wound appears suffered crude tries leave sees dressed man coming stairs recognizes frank disguise talks police radio lies location inside apartment frank enters apartment hearing location police radio frank searches wrong room gun hides closet hid visit apartment frank fires sporadically knocking dead standing opens closet door fatally shoots head gun drawn enters sandy moment later sandy ahead relationship note unusual appearance town montage sequence ends film shows son reunited cast production film story originated ideas filmmaker mind period time starting early idea feeling title lynch told second idea image severed human ear lying field don know ear needed opening body hole ear sits head goes right mind felt perfect lynch remarked interview idea classic rendition song mood came song mood time things time lynch eventually spent years writing drafts stated good problem lynch said maybe film lot went away completing elephant man lynch met producer coffee read enjoyed lynch script think wanted produce asked lynch filmmaker scripts director ideas told wanted sneak girl room watch night maybe point clue murder mystery loved idea asked write treatment went home thought ear field production announced august lynch wrote drafts satisfied script film conditions point ideal lynch film cut deal gave complete artistic freedom final cut privileges stipulation filmmaker cut salary work budget million deal meant smallest film slate consequently lynch left production far work kind feeling chances experiment material completely different considered mainstream time start company distribute cast included relatively unknown actors gained exposure film ads early 1980s daughter actress italian film director biggest film having starred played central role lynch critical commercial failure science fiction epic based novel later recurring collaborator lynch remarked kyle plays interested mysteries life person trust strange world said lynch choice accepted role reportedly having got play frank frank confirmed making documentary mysteries love produced special edition role lynch met restaurant accepted role nineteen years old cast successful actresses time turned including scene appears naked outside inspired real life experience lynch childhood brother saw naked woman walking neighborhood street night experience traumatic young lynch cry forgotten principal photography began february completed april film shot screen gems studio wilmington north_carolina provided exterior scenes scene raped battered proved particularly challenging townspeople arrived watch filming picnic wishes lynch continued filming normal lynch cut townspeople left result police told lynch longer permitted shoot public areas wilmington lynch original rough cut ran approximately hours deliver hour movie cut small character scenes cuts request example frank rape scene audience supposed frank actually hitting instead film cuts away closet seen cut satisfy concerns violence lynch thought change scene disturbing lynch announced radio interview january footage deleted scenes long thought lost discovered later appeared special edition blu ray disc release film final cut produced lynch runs hours interpretation despite initial appearance mystery film operates number thematic levels film owes large debt 1950s film noir containing exploring conventions seemingly villain questionable moral outlook hero unusual use dark cinematography represents establishes lynch famous vision introduces common elements lynch work later including distorted characters world damage skull brain significant trademark film depiction dark seemingly small town film seeing hidden film plot central idea lynch characterization films symbols motifs known particular style characterised largely time written extensively descriptions like dark red key scenes specifically apartment lynch trademark film compared stark treatment evil premise films curiosity leading investigation draws lead characters hidden underworld crime film thematic framework james early gothic fiction films shadow doubt night hunter entire notion film noir lynch called film things hidden small city people like lynch films immersed pop culture imagery 1950s 1960s 1980s feminist film theorist argues establishes family child parents deliberate references film noir underlying theme resulting violence claims read symbolic domestic violence real families instance frank violent acts seen reflect different types abuse families control represent hold abusive husband wife reads innocent youth horrified violence inflicted frank tempted means possessing takes approach film considering expression innocence lynch work claims represents sexual force mother figure forbidden object work symbolism symbolism heavily consistent symbolism film insect motif introduced end scene camera kept suburban lawn underground nest bugs generally recognized metaphor underworld soon discover surface suburban paradise severed ear finds overrun black ants bug motif film notably bug like gas mask frank wears excuse uses gain access apartment claims insect frank sinister consistently identified yellow jacket wears possibly reminiscent type wasp finally robin eating bug fence topic discussion scene film robin mentioned earlier sandy recounted dream represents love conquering evil severed ear discovers key symbolic element leading danger troubles begin audience treated sequence camera canal severed ear notably camera ear canal end film finally comes ordeal unscathed ear canal shot reverse ear yard summer day soundtrack blue velvet soundtrack supervised makes brief cameo appearance pianist performs soundtrack makes heavy usage vintage pop songs blue velvet dreams orchestral score inspired filming lynch placed speakers set streets played set mood wanted convey score makes direct quotations 15th symphony lynch listening regularly writing screenplay lynch originally opted use song scene sandy share dance obtain rights song time use song lost highway years later entertainment_weekly ranked soundtrack list greatest film soundtracks 100th position critic wrote haunting soundtrack accompanies title credits narrative noir mood film lynch worked music composer time film asked write score like russian beautiful thing dark little bit scary success lead contribute lynch future length films included sound team long time lynch collaborator sound editor designer won academy award work black stallion nominated reception box office premiered competition world film festival august toronto film festival september days later united_states debuted commercially countries september theatres united_states opening weekend film grossed total eventually expanded theatres domestically grossed total released internationally australia west_germany china canada hong_kong japan followed subsequent video releases film performed overseas grossing australia hong_kong critical reception received critical acclaim united_states release currently certified fresh score rotten tomatoes based reviews average rating critical consensus states audiences walk away subversive surreal fully understanding story walk away deeper perception potential film storytelling film score metacritic based critics indicating generally favorable reviews washington_post said film showcases visual stylist utterly command talents contributes extraordinary score slipping seamlessly jazz violin figures romantic sweep classic hollywood score claimed lynch isn interested communicating interested personality movie doesn progress gets good end new_york_times critic expressed admiration film directed praise performances miss far outside bounds ordinary acting performances best understood terms sheer lack entirely material exactly called called instant cult classic concluded saying fascinating confirms lynch stature superb technician best encountered dark alley los_angeles_times called film brilliantly disturbing film roots small town american life called shocking visionary controlled looking review critic wrote film wearing attained classic status respectable losing sense danger film critic rolling_stone named best film 1980s referred film american masterpiece film critic included list best films fifth spot detractors general criticism critics film vulgar approach sexuality violence claimed film film detractors roger_ebert film critic chicago_sun-times supported view praised performance convincing courageous criticized depicted film accusing degraded camera ask actress endure experiences bargain putting important film online session said depicted said visit good director honoring birthday later revealed views lynch great director feelings remain unchanged blue velvet accolades lynch nominated best director oscar film won independent spirit award best female lead won los film critics association award categories best director lynch awarded best director awards legacy initially gained relatively small theatrical audience north_america met controversy artistic merit soon center national time achieved status american classic late 1980s early 1990s release film widely known cult film known dark depiction suburban america followed vhs laserdisc dvd releases film increasingly known american audiences marked entrance hollywood mainstream comeback significant hiatus work performance character left imprint popular culture countless tributes cultural references parodies success film helped propel hollywood mainstream graphic displays previously censored themes similar case frequently compared significant recognized films era spawning countless parodies media film dark stylish erotic production design served number films parodies lynch later work notably drive rolling_stone_magazine cited influential american films dedicated book film themes motifs frequently appears critical assessments time great films ranked greatest films 1980s best examples american finest examples work poll american critics ranking outstanding films decade placed fourth extra terrestrial german film entertainment_weekly book special released ranked thirty seventh greatest films time film ranked guardian list greatest films film ranked list greatest films poll online film community held came ninety fifth greatest film time total film ranked time best films critics list public poll respectively december film critics poll ranked film fifth list best films years special entertainment_weekly issue new film classics chosen blue velvet ranked fourth addition time greatest films rankings american_film_institute awarded film honors lists ninety sixth years thrills selecting cinema thrilling moments ranked thirty sixth greatest villains years heroes villains june afi revealed best films classic american film genres polling people creative community blue velvet acknowledged eighth best film mystery genre premiere magazine listed played fourth list greatest movie characters time calling funny creations cinema history film ranked eighty fourth hour program movie moments frequently sampled musically array bands solo artists taken names inspiration film august unveiled latest list greatest films time ranking ninth nominated following afi lists afi years movies afi years songs dreams afi years movies 10th anniversary edition blue velvet released blu ray november special 25th anniversary edition featuring seen deleted scenes film previously released dvd early announced feature length documentary film entitled blue velvet revisited exclusively scenes footage production autumn release film based extensive unreleased footage shot set german filmmaker invitation cult commissioned provide soundtrack film released october collection previously unreleased photos published inspired film baroque pop singer recorded cover version classic rendition song blue velvet endorse clothing line music video accompanied track aired television commercial filmed post war video drew influence lynch video plays role performing private concert similar scene ben dreams version lip blue velvet little person dressed approaches hidden revealing fraud lynch heard music video praised telling got fantastic charisma interesting thing like born time got appealing people didn know influenced dark song american heavy metal band album state directly inspired film specifically character phrase appeared liner notes rush album roll bones drummer later explained phrase occurs comedy classic blue velvet
Blue Velvet (film)