last week, hilarie and i took in a viewing of david lynch's blue velvet, a bit of nostalgia for the both of us. blue velvet, along with most lynch films, always gives me a lot to consider, but after this viewing i was left with an additional pondering.  for those of you unaware, the film was shot here in wilmington, and is a film that many wilmingtonians are quite prideful of, as it is considered (along with firestarter) to be one of the launchpads in making wilmington a film community.  and so, possible that were it not for blue velvet, hilarie, kelly, and i might not have found our way here, and might not have come together as SGP.  though i didn't raise my glass to blue velvet over turkey and cranberry sauce this past thanksgiving, it is a film i am finding myself thankful for today...

let's take a look...

as i realize a good portion of our followers are of the generation-z persuasion, i should mention that this film is not for the faint of age or faint of heart.  so before the kiddies run out to watch, talk with your parentals about blue velvet, as it contains a heaping load of violence, cusswords, sexy times, and naughty drug use. and. for those of you whose choices in cinema lean toward style over substance, you may want to avoid it as well.  lynch is no straightshooter, which is precisely what has deemed him an icon, yet in all fairness, in the avant-garde ilk he is probably one of the most mainstream (see: twin peaks).  still, expect to be taken on a ride.

it all starts when a young lad named jeffrey beaumont finds a vagrant ear in a field...leading to a self-investigation on its origin leading to a blooming relationship with a ho-hum teenage gal played by laura dern and a not-so-teenage lounge singer played by isabella rossellini leading to lots of voyeurism leading to murderous plots leading to...

by the by, laura dern looks sensational in blue velvet -

- doesn't she?

dorothy vallens is one of the most iconic characters in film for sure, and isabella rossellini plays her remarkably, a desperate crooner of bobby vinton's "blue velvet" whose husband and son are kidnapped by the bad, bad, bad, bad bad frank booth (dennis hopper) who has a penchant for her singing, her blue velvet robe, and nitrous...

[dennis hopper/SGP fun fact:  hopper used to own the masonic temple building which houses the theater that was used as the location for the pilot episode of Friendship Union Community Theater.]

scene to watch for:  dean stockwell's notorious performance of roy orbison's "in dreams." duh.

best line - sandy (to jeffrey): i can't tell if you're a detective or a pervert.  jeffrey: well, that's for me to know and you to find out.

and don't forget to watch out for lincoln st.  that's where all the badness happens.  maybe in an alternate universe i'll pop lincoln booth on that street and see what happens...

pabstblueribbon/n.gray