Since Team NZ was defeated in the America’s Cup today by one freaking second, I’d rather think about the movies I’ve been watching lately.
I finally mustered up the courage to watch David Lynch’s ‘Blue Velvet‘ again. The last time I saw this film I was a very young and green pimply faced virgin, and I found it quite unsettling! Even after how many ever years it’s been, it’s still unnerving. Creepy highlights include: Frank Booth’s (Dennis Hopper) sick relationship with Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini); the creepy sound effects (which reminded me of Eraserhead) which endow inanimate objects such as buildings and garden taps with a malevolent personality; and Lumberton, the golden era 1950’s small town USA complete with its quirky radio station where the film is set. I’ve got to say I didn’t enjoy this as much as other Lynch films (including Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive, The Straight Story, The Elephant Man, and Fire Walk with Me), but it far more interesting than most of the dross out there.
I also checked out the classic Belle de jour, which put simply is about a wealthy young married woman who decides to work at a house of ill repute on weekday afternoons. Her husband remains unaware, and semi-erotic weirdness ensues as the situation gets complicated very quickly. Dark and strange, but well worth seeing.
