By Dan Lima Staff Writer

In the wise words of actor Kyle MacLachlan, “There are opportunities in life for gaining knowledge and experience. Sometimes it’s necessary to take a risk.” Certainly, everyone takes risks for knowledge and experience. In MacLachlan’s case, this phrase couldn’t ring more true during the filming of “Blue Velvet.” The creative genius of the late David Lynch will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come. A man of many talents and a devout lover of all things surreal, Lynch quickly made Hollywood history through his unconventional and experimental filmmaking. He made his directorial debut in 1977 with the body horror cult classic “Eraserhead,” which gained traction through midnight movie runs. Operating under that same creative wave, he released “The Elephant Man” in 1980, a heart-wrenching feature film telling the real-life story of Joseph Merrick. In 1984, however, Lynch struck out of luck when his adaptation of “Dune” bombed at the box office. Following that failed experiment, he set out to develop a more “personal story,” resulting in the neo-noir masterpiece “Blue Velvet.” MacLachlan takes the lead role in his second Lynch film following “Dune.” He plays Jeffrey Beaumont, a college student returning to his hometown of Lumberton, North Carolina, to visit his father in the hospital following a stroke. He comes across a severed human ear on his way back and reports it to the authorities, who tell him to stay out of the case. With the help of the detective’s daughter, Sandy Williams (Laura Dern), Jeffrey uncovers a criminal conspiracy involving the mysterious lounge singer Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini) and the vicious mobster and drug lord Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper). The back of my T-shirt says it best: “Blue Velvet is a detective thriller. A love story. A hate story. A comedy. It’s a movie landmark whose impact may reach far beyond its own era.” A detective story that will leave you with one phrase on your mind: “It’s a strange world, isn’t it?” Much like the rest of Lynch’s catalogue, “Blue Velvet” leaves it up to the viewer to decipher the themes, symbolism, and mystery displayed on screen. Things like “context” and “explanation” are too out of character for him. The key lesson to take away is that things aren’t always what they seem on the surface. The movie itself is presented as a mystery film, but can also be seen through many different lenses. Lynch uses filmography, storytelling, and atmosphere to juxtapose the charming air of small-town America with morbid imagery of sex and violence, reflecting what happens behind closed doors. Symbolism can be found anywhere, from the use of lighting to the soundtrack featuring songs like “Blue Velvet” by Bobby Vinton and “In Dreams” by Roy Orbison. Calling back to my opening quote, many people involved in “Blue Velvet” took risks during the production. Laura Dern had to drop out of UCLA two days into the semester for shooting. But it all turned out for the best, because “Blue Velvet” is now part of UCLA’s film curriculum. When “Blue Velvet” hit theaters Sept. 19, 1986, the reception was quite polarizing. Some viewers were particularly intimidated by Hopper’s performance and the humiliation of Rossellini’s character. Some reportedly walked out, and one man even fainted and had to have his pacemaker checked. Over time, the film has been re-evaluated, and it is now considered among the best American films. Lynch’s rise to stardom would bleed into the next decade, where he and MacLachlan would join forces once again to create the surrealist mystery show “Twin Peaks” in 1990. Other releases of that decade include “Lost Highway” and the Twin Peaks prequel “Fire Walk With Me.” Lynch released “Mulholland Drive” in 2001 and “Inland Empire” in 2006 before retiring from filmmaking completely, his reasoning being a lack of inspiration paired with the industry’s growing focus on blockbusters. He did, however, release the follow-up final season for “Twin Peaks” in 2017. Lynch unfortunately passed away just last year on Jan. 20, but his cult fanbase keeps his creative spirit alive by cherishing his masterful work. “Focus on the doughnut, not on the hole” as he’d say.