Jeffrey (Kyle McLachlan) returns home from college after his father falls ill. On the surface, the tranquil little town is peaceful until Jeffrey finds a severed human ear in an open field. Intrigued by the mystery behind this macabre discovery, Jeffrey enlists naive high school student Sandy (Laura Dern), to help him uncover the truth. His nose for trouble eventually leads him to tortured lounge singer Dorothy (Isabella Rossellini) and sadistic crime boss Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper). Named after the 1950s pop song of the same name, Blue Velvet marks the first of many collaborations between David Lynch and legendary composer Angelo Badalamenti. As shocking as it is funny, Blue Velvet is a prime example of the musically inclined Lynch's masterful use of sound and music to set the tone of his nightmarish Americana.

David Lynch (b. 1946, United States) is a director, musician, artist, and author. After dropping out of university where he had studied painting, he studied filmmaking at the American Film Institute (AFI) in the early 1970s, where he started to film his debut feature Eraserhead (1977). The surreal horror was not successful during its initial release but eventually became a cult favourite at midnight screenings. His next feature The Elephant Man (1980) was a critical success, but his third film Dune (1984) was not well received by audiences and critics. He then revived his career with Blue Velvet, which eventually led to his influential and popular television series Twin Peaks (1990–1991, 2017). His 2001 film Mulholland Drive won him Best Director at Cannes Film Festival. Lynch is also known for making electronic pop music and reporting the weather on YouTube.