Wild at Heart [Blu-ray] (1990)

Loved this film. A real rollercoaster of emotions. Really captured the mood of the time.

From the outset I will come clean and state that this is one of my favourite films; this particular shiny disc being the third version of it I have owned plus the soundtrack CD. It was the first David Lynch film I experienced 30 odd years ago and I still love it. However I seem to alone in this as none of my friends and family 'get it'. At the time of its release there was a fashion for road movies notably Thelma and Louise (1991). There was something of a formula: chrome-plated Cadillac, two fugitives on the run from corrupt police and a finale in Monument Valley. In the febrile world of Lynch's imagination these ingredients mutate in to a nightmare world of sex, violence and bizarre characters. Despite Sailor (Cage's) initial display of uber violence, the love affair between him and Lula (Dern) is the single thread of goodness and morality in this tale. As is often the case with baddies, Willem Defoe comes close to stealing the show as the grotesque, perverted villain. His prosthetic teeth and gums being the stuff of nightmares. Despite the horrors encountered on the road the film has (unexpectedly) a happy ending. Seen as a montage of memorable set piece sequences the film delivers again and again. The 'Wicked game' sequence driving through the desert at night is one of my favourite film moments ever.

‘Blue Velvet’ will always be one of my favourite films, but this pales in comparison. Yes, its great entertainment, if you like lots of surrealism, fantasy, sex and utterly bizarre characters, but this film goes too far IMHO to make it a classy or truly creditable film. If you just want a wingding or a blast for a couple of hours, to take you away from the reality of the shop floor or office then this’ll do nicely! It’ll take you so far away you’ll need your passport to get yourself back! David Lunch’s work is well known of course, and very well respected - He has had over 30 award nominations for his films, winning 4 Baftas. Quite how Diane Ladd, as Marietta, was nominated for an Oscar for her role in this - as the crazy mother of Lula is beyond me? I found her persona and depiction almost laughable, and totally hammy! Having said that, I thought Defoe as ‘Bobby Puru’ just wonderful and very much one of the highlights of the film, Cage & Dern were very good as the lovers but the story was just so stupid at times that it rather devalued what they were doing. For me Lynch tries too hard here to fill the film with weirdoes and the bizarre! - Blue Velvet gets it just right; this is simply over the top, but still good old fashioned entertainment. However, at the end you’ll say to yourself, “What the hell was that all about?”

ABSOLUTELY 💯 %FANTASTIC SERVICE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

The Region 1 full length restored Special Edition is the definitive DVD version for aficionados of David Lynch's extraordinary movie Wild at Heart. Overseen by the director himself, the lovingly restored sound and picture quality literally blows all other versions out of the water (including the Blu-Ray). Hugely generous with terrific extras, this is the disc to permanently add to one's DVD library of evergreen classics. At the time of posting this review, Amazon.com's price of nearly $65, seems astonishing when compared to Amazon.uk's lowest used price of exactly the same Region 1 issue for only £3.50. So if you've purchased this version, break out a beer, big up the sound, and chill out to Lynch's crazy road movie masterclass. The wonderful performances of Nicolas Cage and the beautiful Laura Dern are of course legendary, but revisiting the movie reminds me how Willem Dafoe stole the show with his deeply disturbing pitch perfect psycho Bobby Peru. Dafoe's performance in this role must rate as one of the truly great moments of menace in the history of American cinema.

A brilliant film. A deffinite must see.

Loved it when it first came out on DVD. But now not that impressed! Acting is overacting….. & it’s simply bizarre. How our tastes change through the years!! Didn’t finish watching it !!

Nice movie