Blue Velvet

Writer-director Alexandre O. Philippe has made quite a few full-length documentaries about films — and even just specific scenes from films, as in 78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene. Making its Madison premiere June 30 courtesy of UW Cinematheque is the 2022 doc Lynch/Oz. In six chapters (narrated by luminaries such as John Waters), the film examines director David Lynch’s fascination with 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz, and how the film's themes and iconography can be seen as connective fiber through Lynch’s varied filmography. (As a refresher of sorts, Cinematheque is also screening Blue Velvet, at 7 p.m. on June 29.)

media release: USA | 1986 | DCP | 120 min.

Director: David Lynch

Cast: Kyle Maclachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper

In small-town Lumberton, USA, Jeffrey Beaumont (MacLachlan), recently home from college, discovers a severed ear. Along with the sweet Sandy (Laura Dern), Jeffrey investigates and soon becomes enmeshed in Lumberton’s underworld and with troubled nightclub singer Dorothy Valens (Rossellini). Hopper is absolutely unforgettable as the psychotic, raving fetishist Frank Booth, who keeps Dorothy for his personal slave. After the box-office disaster of Dune, writer-director Lynch and producer Dino De Laurentiis re-teamed for this frightening, funny, and brilliantly surreal thriller that was a milestone for auteurist, art-house filmmaking in the 1980s. A 4K DCP will be screened.

Take a break from the dog days of summer and enjoy free screenings of great movies every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evening from June 28 to August 4. UW Cinematheque's summer season begins with Charlotte Le Bon's evocative Falcon Lake on June 28, followed by David Lynch's Blue Velvet on June 29. Summer selections also include local premieres, another trip to Lynchland by way of the Land of Oz, and a voyage into and beyond the Valley of the Dolls. Plus, a pair of dreamlike contemporary classics from Hungary, two by Federico Fellini starring Alberto Sordi, a Barbara Stanwyck double feature showcase on 35mm, a diptych of NYC bank heist films, and more! All Cinematheque screenings are free and open to the public.