1980s Highly Controversial Dark Crime Thriller Finally Gets Gorgeous 4K Upgrade
Movie buffs everywhere have The Criterion Collection to thank for serving as the primary source for delivering 4K revamps of some of the most classic titles in cinematic history. June will see the arrival of some pretty exciting titles with David Lynch’s 1986 neo-noir mystery, Blue Velvet, arriving not just with a 4K restoration but also with plenty of other exciting extra features. Led by a notable case that includes Isabella Rossellini (Death Becomes Her), Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks), Dennis Hopper (Easy Rider), Laura Dern (Jurassic Park), and Brad Dourif (Child’s Play), the film’s special release is an absolute must-have for your at-home collection.
The Story
Pulling its name from the Tony Bennett-performed 1951 song of the same title, David Lynch’s Blue Velvet follows a college student’s homecoming to visit his ill father. Unknowingly, the young man finds himself in the criminal case of a lifetime after he stumbles upon a severed human ear that’s been tossed into a field. Unable to rip himself away from the bizarre mystery, the student embarks on a very dangerous and lust-filled relationship with a local lounge singer with a set of her own problems.
A Critical Favorite
It should come as no surprise that Blue Velvet was a favorite amongst the critics and a shoo-in at the award circuit the year it came out. David Lynch would nab an Academy Award nomination for Best Director and also earn a nod at the Golden Globe Awards alongside supporting man, Dennis Hopper. Like many other productions to come from the artsy mind of Lynch, the film has managed to hold a cult-like status even almost 40 years later.
Special Features
As far as special features those who add the 4K Blue Velvet release to their collection can expect, the copy comes with a 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack that’s been given the stamp of approval by the filmmaker himself. There’s also nearly an hour of footage that was left on the cutting room floor, three documentaries surrounding the creation of the movie, Lynch’s recitation of his co-penned 2018 book Room to Dream, and more. Essentially, Criterion is giving fans four movies in one to celebrate the legacy of one of Lynch’s most beloved titles.
David Lynch
By the time he unleashed Blue Velvet onto the world, David Lynch had already been in the business of blowing minds with his breakout film, Eraserhead, which was followed by The Elephant Man. His neo-noir sensual crime drama came just two years after he took a stab at what would be the first feature-length adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune, which has made its way back into pop culture via Denis Villeneuve’s box office-topping set of films. Carrying himself into the next decade with the uber-popular TV series, Twin Peaks, and other films including The Straight Story and Mulholland Drive, Lynch’s last offering to cinema fans was with 2006’s Inland Empire.
Future Criterion Releases
Along with Blue Velvet, June will also see the Criterion releases of such titles as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Querelle, Bound, Victims of Sin, and The Underground Railroad.
Source: The Criterion Collection
