Blue Velvet is a 1986 American
mystery film written and directed by
David Lynch. The movie exhibits elements of both
film noir and
surrealism. The film stars
Kyle MacLachlan,
Isabella Rossellini,
Dennis Hopper and
Laura Dern. The title is taken from
The Clovers' 1955
song of the same name. Although initially detested by some mainstream critics, the film is now widely acclaimed,
[1][2] and earned Lynch his second
Academy Award nomination for Best Director. As an example of a director casting against the norm,
Blue Velvet is also noted for re-launching Hopper's career and for providing Rossellini with a dramatic outlet beyond the work as a fashion model and a cosmetics spokeswoman for which she had until then been known.
he screenplay of
Blue Velvet had been passed around multiple times in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with many major studios declining it because of its strong sexual and violent content.
[3] The independent studio
De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, owned at the time by Italian film producer
Dino De Laurentiis, agreed to finance and produce the film. Since its initial theatrical release,
Blue Velvet has achieved
cult status, significant academic attention and, alongside
Eraserhead and
Mulholland Drive, is widely regarded as one of Lynch's finest works