Blue Velvet

One of the most influential films of our time, David Lynch's "Blue Velvet" is the epitome of "one of a kind." There's nothing like it. No movie feels like it, except, maybe, another Lynch film. The filmmaker is so singular in his vision that it's no surprise that The Criterion Collection has chosen many of his films for release ("Eraserhead," "Mulholland Drive," "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me"), but it is a surprise that "Blue Velvet" – one of his most iconic works – has taken so long to join this esteemed cinematic library.

Working with his "Twin Peaks" partner in crime Kyle MacLachlan, Lynch casts the actor as Jeffrey Beaumont, a man who makes the unsettling discovery of a severed human ear lying in a field in an idyllic suburban community. What follows is a deeply disturbing tale that shatters the illusions of its small town's picturesque reputation. With Laura Dern, Isabella Rossellini and the terrifying Dennis Hopper joining the cast in an eclectic trio of roles, "Blue Velvet" is aces all around. Haunting, powerful, and undeniably intense, this is one of Lynch's finest works, and an acceptable entry point into his oeuvre.

This new 4K digital restoration by The Criterion Collection was supervised directly by Lynch himself, as was the 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack (Lynch is an aural obsessive, and there is also an alternate original 2.0 surround soundtrack for interested parties). Cinephiles will rejoice, however, at this release's long list of delicious bonus features, which include:

� The Lost Footage: Fifty-three minutes of deleted scenes and alternate takes assembled by Lynch
� "Blue Velvet" Revisited: A feature-length meditation on the making of the movie by Peter Braatz, filmed on-set during the production
� Mysteries of Love: A seventy-minute documentary from 2002 on the making of the film
� Interview from 2017 with composer Angelo Badalamenti
� It's a Strange World: The Filming of "Blue Velvet," a 2019 documentary featuring interviews with crew members and visits to the shooting locations
� Lynch reading from "Room to Dream," a 2018 book he coauthored with Kristine McKenna
� Excerpts by McKenna from "Room to Dream"

"Blue Velvet"
Blu-ray
$31.96
https://www.criterion.com/films/29144-blue-velvet