Blue Velvet18

Directed by David Lynch | USA | 1986 | 2h 1m | Starring Isabella Rossellini, Kyle MacLachlan, Dennis Hopper, Laura Dern, Dean Stockwell

A severed human ear is discovered, drawing a clean-cut amateur detective into the dark and twisted underbelly of his seemingly idyllic hometown. As his investigation deepens, he becomes entangled in a dangerous and disturbing relationship between a troubled nightclub singer and a psychotic gangster. After the big-budget disappointment of Dune, David Lynch returned with this subversive melodrama, exposing the sinister secrets lurking beneath the polished surface of suburban America. Marking the first of Lynch’s many collaborations with composer Angelo Badalamenti, Blue Velvet earned Lynch his second Oscar nomination for Best Director and is now celebrated as a landmark of 1980s American cinema.

One-off screening plus a guest introduction. Part of our David Lynch Weekender – click here to purchase a limited Weekend Pass.

David Lynch Weekender

Reviews

‘Erotic, neurotic, euphoric and at all times unutterably twisted and bizarre…The film releases a toxic narcosis of fear.’
★★★★★
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

‘Isabella Rossellini’s singer Dorothy is a heart-rending open wound, Dennis Hopper’s Frank Booth one of cinema’s great nutjobs, and Lynch’s control a thing of nightmarish beauty.’
★★★★★
Jamie Graham, Total Film

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Blue Velvet between June 17, 2023 and March 15, 2025.

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Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road.We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We only show a few adverts – less than most cinemas – and we only play a couple of trailers, so please don’t be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!

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