Kimi

Kimi is a 2022 thriller film directed by Stephen Soderbergh. I'm not sure how I came across this one, but I'm so glad I did. One of my current irritations with movies is how long they are, with scenes that drag out and plots that progress sooo slowly. Not here. Taut and efficient with wonderfully realized characters and a thrilling plot, I'd watch this one again. I watched it on HBO Max.

trailer:

Roger Ebert's site gives it 3 1/2 out of 4 stars and calls it "a timely commentary on isolation and intrusion." NPR calls it "a pandemic-era thriller that's eerily keyed into our current moment". The Guardian praises it and says it "keeps things refreshingly simple and stringently devoid of any extraneous padding." Rotten Tomatoes has a critics consensus score of 92%.

Godzilla vs Megaguirus

Godzilla vs Megaguirus is a 2000 Japanese Toho kaiju monster movie. This is a direct sequel to the 1954 original Godzilla movie, ignoring everything that's happened in the other movies since then. Obviously not the first Godzilla movie you should see, it's definitely worth watching if yuo're doing a chronological viewing of them all. Which we have been doing. We have the DVD; it doesn't appear to be available on any of the services we subscribe to.

Japanese trailer:

Reviews were mixed.

Désirée’s Baby

Désirée’s Baby is an 1893 short story by Kate Chopin. You can read it online here or here or have it read to you at the bottom of this post. It begins,

As the day was pleasant, Madame Valmondé drove over to L’Abri to see Désirée and the baby.

It made her laugh to think of Désirée with a baby. Why, it seemed but yesterday that Désirée was little more than a baby herself; when Monsieur in riding through the gateway of Valmondé had found her lying asleep in the shadow of the big stone pillar.

The little one awoke in his arms and began to cry for “Dada.” That was as much as she could do or say. Some people thought she might have strayed there of her own accord, for she was of the toddling age. The prevailing belief was that she had been purposely left by a party of Texans, whose canvas-covered wagon, late in the day, had crossed the ferry that Coton Maïs kept, just below the plantation. In time Madame Valmondé abandoned every speculation but the one that Désirée had been sent to her by a beneficent Providence to be the child of her affection, seeing that she was without child of the flesh. For the girl grew to be beautiful and gentle, affectionate and sincere, —the idol of Valmondé.

*******

The Killing (1956)

The Killing is a 1956 film noir directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Sterling Hayden and Elisha Cook, Jr. Cook is a favorite with us. Rodney Dangerfield has an uncredited role in this, his first film. A lesser known noir, it deserves more attention and is well worth watching.

free via YouTube, but it's "age-restricted" for some reason so you'll have to click through to YouTube to watch it:

Roger Ebert has it on his list of Great Movies. Filmsite calls it "a stylish but stark film noir crime drama, and the definitive heist-caper movie". The Criterion Collection calls it "one of Hollywood’s tautest, twistiest noirs". Turner Classic Movies has an overview. Rotten Tomatoes has a 96% critics concensus score.

I'm drinking my usual cuppa coffee (no whitener, no sugar):

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Wildhood

Wildhood is a 2021 Canadian coming-of-age romantic drama film about a young man in his late teens who was raised disconnected from his mother's native Mi'kmaq heritage by his abusive white father. Following the discovery that his mother, whom he had long been told was dead, is in fact still alive, he takes his younger half-brother on a journey to find her. A fascinating film and a touching story. I watched it on Hulu.

trailer:

The Guardian says, "Set in Nova Scotia, Bretten Hannam’s tremendously shot film follows two boys as they flee their abusive dad and embark upon a quest". The Hollywood Reporter says, "Wildhood combines the foundation of heartrending coming-of-age narratives with the feel-good elements of road trip flicks to create a delicate, not to mention visually appealing, [second] film [for this director]." Rotten Tomatoes has a 100% critics consensus score.

Funny Girl

Funny Girl is an award-winning 1968 musical comedy film loosely based on the life of Fanny Brice. The movie is directed by William Wyler and stars Barbara Steisand in her film debut and Omar Sharif. Anne Francis and Walter Pidgeon co-star. I had seen this before but it had been decades since the last time. It's fun to see the songs in context. I watched it on Amazon Prime.

trailer:

Roger Ebert has a full 4-star review, calling Steisand "magnificent". There's a 94% positive reviewer consensus at Rotten Tomatoes.

Here Comes Mr. Jordan

Here Comes Mr. Jordan is a 1941 fantasy romantic comedy film starring Robert Montgomery, Claude Rains, and Edward Everett Horton. Not my usual fare as I don't favor comedies and especially try to avoid romantic comedies, but this was a fine little film. I'll watch anything with Claude Rains in it. It's on Tubi. I watched it on my computer via YouTube (embedded below), but you can get the free Tubi app through Roku and watch it on your TV if you prefer that.

via YouTube:

DVD Talk opens with this:

Here Comes Mr. Jordan is one of those rare Hollywood classics that hasn't dated and never fails to raise one's spirits. It's one of the first and best of the Films Blanc, the splinter genre of light comedy-dramas that imagine the universe to be governed by a fanciful Hereafter. Screenwriters Sidney Buchman and Seton I. Miller put Robert Montgomery into a no man's land between heaven and earth, while sympathetic angels work to correct a cosmic error. Nominated for seven Oscars, the film won two, for Original Story and Screenplay.

Slant Magazine describes it as a "Hollywood gem". Criterion calls it "A sophisticated supernatural Hollywood comedy whose influence continues to be felt". TCM has information. Rotten Tomatoes has a critics consensus score of 100%.

The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf

The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf is a 2021 adult animated dark fantasy film focusing on the origin story of Geralt's mentor and fellow witcher Vesemir, the witcher featured in The Witcher televsion series. This is a wonderful origin story which stands on its own even if you're unfamiliar with the other witcher stories. I watched it on Netflix.

trailer:

Rotten Tomatoes has a critics consensus rating of 100%.

The Curse of Humpty Dumpty

The Curse of Humpty Dumpty is a 2021 horror film. It's one of those evil doll films, which I tend to avoid, but I'm glad I watched this one. The main character is a woman recently diagnosed with dementia. I saw it on Tubi.

trailer:

Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance

Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance is a 1972 Japanese sword-fighting film, the first in a series of six films in the Lone Wolf and Cub series based on the manga. This is interesting, and I'm glad The Younger Son introduced me to the series. The father/son pair is sweet. Right now it looks like it's available on Internet Archive. I watched it on HBO Max.

trailer:

Criterion opens its description with this: "The inaugural film in the Lone Wolf and Cub series immediately thrust Itto Ogami into the ranks of the all-time great samurai movie icons." Rotten Tomatoes has an audience consensus score of 90%.

Pinetop's Boogie Woogie

Pinetop's Boogie Woogie:

This is a live version. The song was recorded at Sun Studio by Pinetop Perkins, who died on this date in 2011 at 97 years of age.

Pull up a chair and join me in a cuppa (mine's chamomile) while you listen:

I'll be joining the T Stands for Tuesday blogger gathering. Join me?

Wanda

Wanda is a 1970 award-winning American independent drama film written and directed by Barbara Loden, who also stars. Set in the anthracite coal region of eastern Pennsylvania, the film focuses on an apathetic woman with limited options who inadvertently goes on the run with a bank robber. This is definitely re-watchable.

The director died of breast cancer in 1980 at age 48. Wanda is her only feature-length film as director.

I watched it on HBO Max.

via YouTube:

NPR concludes, "Unable to find backing for another film — [the director] wanted to adapt Kate Chopin's The Awakening — Loden died of cancer at age 48. But her legend continues to grow. On the basis of a single movie, posterity has made her a symbol of all the women filmmakers who might have had great careers but never really got the chance." Rotten Tomatoes has a critics consensus score of 92%.

A Million Ways to Die in the West

A Million Ways to Die in the West is a 2014 American Western black comedy film directed by Seth MacFarlane and starring Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Neil Patrick Harris, Sarah Silverman, and Liam Neeson. This movie is funny, and I liked it well enough as long as you're not expecting much. Critics weren't kind. I watched it on HBO Max.

trailer:

Death in Paradise 42

This 42 locker key makes an appearance as a key piece of evidence in episode 1 (Murder on the Honoré Express) of the 8th season of the tv series Death in Paradise.

The Scorpion King (2002)

The Scorpion King is a 2002 sword and sorcery action adventure film. Both a prequel and spin-off of The Mummy franchise, it launched The Scorpion King film series. The film marks Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's first lead role. This is another in the category of movies that are great splashy fun to watch but that will never appear on "Great Film" lists. I watched it on Amazon Prime this time, but I had seen it before years ago on one of the kids' DVDs.

trailer:

Blood Vessel

Blood Vessel (get it? *wink wink*) is a 2019 Australian horror film that takes place in 1945 on a ship. Clever. I enjoyed this one even though there's nothing new here. Don't make it one of the first vampire movies you see, as there are so many better ones out there, but once you've plowed that ground this is a fun addition. I watched it on the Tubi app on Roku, but it's also available free on Tubi online, on Plex, on Vudu, and via multiple other free sources.

trailer:

Mr. Arkadin

Mr. Arkadin is a 1955 film directed by and starring Orson Welles. The main character is also the main character in the classic film The Third Man, but the movies aren't dependent on each other so can be viewed separately. That there are multiple versions of this film out there is an interesting story. HBO Max has the Corinth version. You can also see it here at PBS. It's not hard to find free.

Via Daily Motion:

TCM has information. Rotten Tomatoes has an audience score of 80%.

Indiscreet

Indiscreet is a 1958 romantic comedy film starring Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. I don't tend to like romantic comedies, but we shouldn't let those kinds of prejudices rule us. I'm always willing to try a film in order to broaden my horizons. This is delightful fluff. I watched it on Amazon Prime.

via YouTube:

Here's a screenshot from the movie:

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Robbing Mussolini

Robbing Mussolini is a 2022 Italian historical comedy-drama film. It was fine enough but no better than that. I watched it on Netflix.

trailer:

 

 

Paris, Texas

Paris, Texas is an award-winning 1984 road movie directed by Wim Wenders and starring Harry Dean Stanton, Dean Stockwell, and Nastassja Kinski. I like these actors when I find them and enjoyed this movie. from Wikipedia:

The plot focuses on a traumatized man named Travis (Stanton) who, after mysteriously wandering out of the desert in a dissociative fugue, attempts to reunite with his brother (Stockwell) and seven-year-old son (Carson). After reconnecting with his son, Travis and the boy end up embarking on a voyage through the American Southwest to track down Travis' long-missing wife (Kinski).

I watched it on HBO Max.

trailer:

Roger Ebert has it on his list of Great Movies. Rotten Tomatoes has a 94% critics consensus score.

The Man in the Brown Suit, by Agatha Christie

The Man in the Brown Suit is a 1924 Agatha Christie detective novel. You can read it online here or listen to it read to you at the bottom of this post. It begins,

PROLOGUE

Nadina, the Russian dancer who had taken Paris by storm, swayed to the sound of the applause, bowed and bowed again. Her narrow black eyes narrowed themselves still more, the long line of her scarlet mouth curved faintly upwards. Enthusiastic Frenchmen continued to beat the ground appreciatively as the curtain fell with a swish, hiding the reds and blues and magentas of the bizarre décors. In a swirl of blue and orange draperies the dancer left the stage. A bearded gentleman received her enthusiastically in his arms. It was the Manager.

“Magnificent, petite, magnificent,” he cried. “To-night you have surpassed yourself.” He kissed her gallantly on both cheeks in a somewhat matter-of-fact manner.

Madame Nadina accepted the tribute with the ease of long habit and passed on to her dressing-room, where bouquets were heaped carelessly everywhere, marvellous garments of futuristic design hung on pegs, and the air was hot and sweet with the scent of the massed blossoms and with more sophisticated perfumes and essences. Jeanne, the dresser, ministered to her mistress, talking incessantly and pouring out a stream of fulsome compliment.

A knock at the door interrupted the flow. Jeanne went to answer it, and returned with a card in her hand.

“Madame will receive?”

“Let me see.”

The dancer stretched out a languid hand, but at the sight of the name on the card, “Count Sergius Paulovitch,” a sudden flicker of interest came into her eyes.

“I will see him. The maize peignoir, Jeanne, and quickly. And when the Count comes you may go.”

“Bien, Madame.”

Jeanne brought the peignoir, an exquisite wisp of corn-coloured chiffon and ermine. Nadina slipped into it, and sat smiling to herself, whilst one long white hand beat a slow tattoo on the glass of the dressing-table.

The Count was prompt to avail himself of the privilege accorded to him—a man of medium height, very slim, very elegant, very pale, extraordinarily weary. In feature, little to take hold of, a man difficult to recognize again if one left his mannerisms out of account. He bowed over the dancer’s hand with exaggerated courtliness.

“Madame, this is a pleasure indeed.”

So much Jeanne heard before she went out closing the door behind her. Alone with her visitor, a subtle change came over Nadina’s smile.

“Compatriots though we are, we will not speak Russian, I think,” she observed.

“Since we neither of us know a word of the language, it might be as well,” agreed her guest.

By common consent, they dropped into English, and nobody, now that the Count’s mannerisms had dropped from him, could doubt that it was his native language. He had, indeed, started life as a quick-change music-hall artiste in London.

“You had a great success to-night,” he remarked. “I congratulate you.”

“All the same,” said the woman, “I am disturbed. My position is not what it was. The suspicions aroused during the War have never died down. I am continually watched and spied upon.”

“But no charge of espionage was ever brought against you?”

“Our chief lays his plans too carefully for that.”

“Long life to the ‘Colonel,’” said the Count, smiling. “Amazing news, is it not, that he means to retire? To retire! Just like a doctor, or a butcher, or a plumber——”

“Or any other business man,” finished Nadina. “It should not surprise us. That is what the ‘Colonel’ has always been—an excellent man of business. He has organized crime as another man might organize a boot factory. Without committing himself, he has planned and directed a series of stupendous coups, embracing every branch of what we might call his ‘profession.’ Jewel robberies, forgery, espionage (the latter very profitable in war-time), sabotage, discreet assassination, there is hardly anything he has not touched. Wisest of all, he knows when to stop. The game begins to be dangerous? —he retires gracefully—with an enormous fortune!”

“H’m!” said the Count doubtfully. “It is rather—upsetting for all of us. We are at a loose end, as it were.”

“But we are being paid off—on a most generous scale!” Something, some undercurrent of mockery in her tone, made the man look at her sharply. She was smiling to herself, and the quality of her smile aroused his curiosity. But he proceeded diplomatically:

“Yes, the ‘Colonel’ has always been a generous paymaster. I attribute much of his success to that—and to his invariable plan of providing a suitable scapegoat. A great brain, undoubtedly a great brain! And an apostle of the maxim, ‘If you want a thing done safely, do not do it yourself!’ Here are we, every one of us incriminated up to the hilt and absolutely in his power, and not one of us has anything on him.”

He paused, almost as though he were expecting her to disagree with him, but she remained silent, smiling to herself as before.

“Not one of us,” he mused. “Still, you know, he is superstitious, the old man. Years ago, I believe, he went to one of these fortune-telling people. She prophesied a lifetime of success, but declared that his downfall would be brought about through a woman.”

He had interested her now. She looked up eagerly.

“That is strange, very strange! Through a woman, you say?”

He smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

“Doubtless, now that he has—retired, he will marry. Some young society beauty, who will disperse his millions faster than he acquired them.”

Nadina shook her head.

“No, no, that is not the way of it. Listen, my friend, to-morrow I go to London.”

“But your contract here?”

“I shall be away only one night. And I go incognito, like Royalty. No one will ever know that I have left France. And why do you think that I go?”

“Hardly for pleasure at this time of year. January, a detestable foggy month! It must be for profit, eh?”

“Exactly.” She rose and stood in front of him, every graceful line of her arrogant with pride. “You said just now that none of us had anything on the chief. You were wrong. I have. I, a woman, have had the wit and, yes, the courage—for it needs courage—to double-cross him. You remember the De Beer diamonds?”

“Yes, I remember. At Kimberley, just before the war broke out? I had nothing to do with it, and I never heard the details, the case was hushed up for some reason, was it not? A fine haul too.”

“A hundred thousand pounds worth of stones. Two of us worked it—under the ‘Colonel’s’ orders, of course. And it was then that I saw my chance. You see, the plan was to substitute some of the De Beer diamonds for some sample diamonds brought from South America by two young prospectors who happened to be in Kimberley at the time. Suspicion was then bound to fall on them.”

“Very clever,” interpolated the Count approvingly.

“The ‘Colonel’ is always clever. Well, I did my part—but I also did one thing which the ‘Colonel’ had not foreseen. I kept back some of the South American stones—one or two are unique and could easily be proved never to have passed through De Beer’s hands. With these diamonds in my possession, I have the whip-hand of my esteemed chief. Once the two young men are cleared, his part in the matter is bound to be suspected. I have said nothing all these years, I have been content to know that I had this weapon in reserve, but now matters are different. I want my price—and it will be a big, I might almost say a staggering price.”

“Extraordinary,” said the Count. “And doubtless you carry these diamonds about with you everywhere?”

His eyes roamed gently round the disordered room.

Nadina laughed softly. “You need suppose nothing of the sort. I am not a fool. The diamonds are in a safe place where no one will dream of looking for them.”

“I never thought you a fool, my dear lady, but may I venture to suggest that you are somewhat foolhardy? The ‘Colonel’ is not the type of man to take kindly to being blackmailed, you know.”

“I am not afraid of him,” she laughed. “There is only one man I have ever feared—and he is dead.”

The man looked at her curiously.

“Let us hope that he will not come to life again, then,” he remarked lightly.

“What do you mean?” cried the dancer sharply.

The Count looked slightly surprised.

“I only meant that a resurrection would be awkward for you,” he explained. “A foolish joke.”

She gave a sigh of relief.

“Oh, no, he is dead all right. Killed in the war. He was a man who once—loved me.”

“In South Africa?” asked the Count negligently.

“Yes, since you ask it, in South Africa.”

“That is your native country, is it not?”

She nodded. Her visitor rose and reached for his hat.

“Well,” he remarked, “you know your own business best, but, if I were you, I should fear the ‘Colonel’ far more than any disillusioned lover. He is a man whom it is particularly easy to—underestimate.”

She laughed scornfully.

“As if I did not know him after all these years!”

“I wonder if you do?” he said softly. “I very much wonder if you do.”

“Oh, I am not a fool! And I am not alone in this. The South African mail-boat docks at Southampton to-morrow, and on board her is a man who has come specially from Africa at my request and who has carried out certain orders of mine. The ‘Colonel’ will have not one of us to deal with, but two.”

“Is that wise?”

“It is necessary.”

“You are sure of this man?”

A rather peculiar smile played over the dancer’s face.

“I am quite sure of him. He is inefficient, but perfectly trustworthy.” She paused, and then added in an indifferent tone of voice: “As a matter of fact, he happens to be my husband.”

CHAPTER I

Everybody has been at me, right and left, to write this story from the great (represented by Lord Nasby) to the small (represented by our late maid of all work, Emily, whom I saw when I was last in England. “Lor’, miss, what a beyewtiful book you might make out of it all—just like the pictures!”).

I’ll admit that I’ve certain qualifications for the task. I was mixed up in the affair from the very beginning, I was in the thick of it all through, and I was triumphantly “in at the death.” Very fortunately, too, the gaps that I cannot supply from my own knowledge are amply covered by Sir Eustace Pedler’s diary, of which he has kindly begged me to make use.

So here goes. Anne Beddingfeld starts to narrate her adventures.

...

*******

Affliction (1997)

Affliction is a 1997 drama film I watched because James Coburn is in it. Coburn won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work here. Based on the 1989 novel of the same name by Russell Banks, the film also stars Nick Nolte, Sissy Spacek, and Willem Dafoe. Just pause a moment and consider that cast. How can you not watch it?! It's available free on Tubi or on Freevee.

trailer:

Roger Ebert gives it a full four stars, particularly noting "Nolte and Coburn are magnificent in this film". Rotten Tomatoes has a critics consensus score of 88%.

Jug Face

Jug Face is a 2013 horror film about a backwoods community who worship a creature in a mud pit because in exchange for occasional human sacrifices the creature heals them of illnesses. I watched it on Tubi. It's also free on Pluto and with a regular subscription on Amazon Prime.

trailer:

It got good reviews, especially of the actors' performances.

Warriors of Future

Warriors of Future is a 2022 Hong Kong science fiction action film. It takes place in 2055 after wars have ravaged the Earth due to the prevalent use of advanced military robots and global warming and pollution have destroyed the environment and ruined the atmosphere. I'm happy to see more science fiction movies being made, and I enjoyed this one. I watched it on Netflix.

trailer:

Rotten Tomatoes has a critics consensus score of 88%.

Three Colors: Blue

Blue is the award-winning first film in the Three Colors trio of films themed on the French Revolutionary ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity. According to director Kieślowski, the subject of the film is liberty, specifically emotional liberty, rather than its social or political meaning. Set in Paris, the film is about a woman whose husband and child are killed in a car accident. Suddenly set free from her familial bonds, she attempts to cut herself off from everything and live in isolation from her former ties, but finds that she cannot free herself from human connections. The film is a masterpiece, and I regret not having seen it before now. I watched it on HBO Max, though I have all three films on DVD.

trailer:

Criterion says, "Juliette Binoche gives a tour de force performance as Julie, a woman reeling from the tragic death of her husband and young daughter." Empire Online concludes, "This superb French arthouse modern classic still beguiles." Roger Ebert has it on his list of Great Movies. Rotten Tomtatoes has a critics consensus score of 98%.

There are several coffee-related scenes in the film, but I've removed the screenshot.

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The Wife's Story

The Wife's Story is a short story by Ursula K Le Guin. You can read it online here or listen to it read to you at the bottom of this post. It begins,

He was a good husband, a good father. I don’t understand it. I don’t believe in it. I don’t believe that it happened. I saw it happen but it isn’t true. It can’t be. He was always gentle. If you’d have seen him playing with the children, anybody who saw him with the children would have known that there wasn’t any bad in him, not one mean bone. When I first met him he was still living with his mother, over near Spring Lake, and I used to see them together, the mother and the sons, and think that any young fellow that was that nice with his family must be one worth knowing.

*******

Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice

Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice is the first in a trilogy of 1970s Japanese sexploitation movies featuring the Hanzo the Razor character. From Wikipedia:

The film incorporates elements of exploitation film, and is highly sexual: Hanzo has an outlandishly large penis which is a frequent theme (though we never actually see it in all its uncovered glory), and he uses his impressive member to interrogate women, usually by rape, to reveal cases' hidden secrets and truths.

I made it as far as the rape by our hero of his boss' mistress as part of his interrogation. She pretty quickly moves from "no, no" to "don't stop". It went on so long I got tired of it and quit watching. Ask me about what he does in his private exercises leaning up against a wicker basket filled with uncooked rice. Go ahead. Ask. The soundtrack is a hoot.

Even the trailer is age-restricted, so you'll have to click on "watch on Youtube" to view it:

Blasted (2022)

Blasted is a 2022 Norwegian (dubbed in English) science fiction comedy alien invasion film. Mindless silliness. There's nothing wrong with that. I watched it on Netflix. To be honest, Netflix is the streaming service I could most easily do without. I could subscribe for a month every year or so and binge what I've missed. I'm not sure it's worth the cost as a continuing subascription.

trailer:

 

 

Valley of the Dead

Valley of the Dead is a 2020 Spanish zombie action movie that takes place during the Spanish Civil War. The zombies are the result of Nazi experimentation, and there's something irresistible about Nazi zombies. It's a fun film with lighthearted touches, but I wouldn't call it a comedy. I tend to like the zombies, whether slow or fast, old or new, few or many, and I enjoyed this film. That said, I wouldn't recommend it as one of your first zombie movies. There are better ones out there and better introductions to this horror subgenre. I watched it on Netflix.

trailer:

Heaven of Horror says it's more of a war movie than a horror film. The Review Geek opens its review with this: "Valley of the Dead is certainly not original, but it’s also not a bad zombie flick either."

Son of a Preacher Man

Son of a Preacher Man:

recorded in Memphis by Dusty Springfield, who died on this date in 1999 of breast cancer at the age of 59

Blue Velvet

Blue Velvet is a 1986 neo-noir mystery thriller film directed by David Lynch and starring Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper, Laura Dern, Hope Lange, George Dickerson, and Dean Stockwell. This is one of those films that shows up on lists of important films and that I never wanted to watch but wanted to have already seen. I had heard just enough about it to turn me off while hearing enough about it to feel like I should see it. I watched it on HBO Max. I'm glad I did. I should've watched it much sooner.

trailer:

Criterion says, "With intense performances and hauntingly powerful scenes and images, Blue Velvet is an unforgettable vision of innocence lost, and one of the most influential American films of the past few decades." Roger Ebert did not like it, giving it only 1 star. Rotten Tomatoes has a critics consensus score of 95%.

The song Blue Velvet is featured: