Laura Dern’s College Forced Her to Drop Out Over ‘Blue Velvet’ and Called Her ‘Insane’ for Giving Up Her Education; Now the School Teaches the Film: ‘Pisses Me Off’

6 comments

1. “The best revenge is massive success”

   -frank sinatra

2. From the article (summarizing the film):

   > He launches his own investigation and crosses path with a seductive lounge singer (Isabella Rossellini) and a psychopathic gangster (Gene Hackman).

   This article tells a cool story, but Gene Hackman isn’t in “Blue Velvet.” They’re thinking of Dennis Hopper.

3. Sounds like he was at a university instead of working in the film industry for a reason

4. I was probably too young when I first saw Blue Velvet. We had it on vhs when I was like 13 and I was pumped for female nudity, but I didn’t understand any of the other fucked up shit that was happening. Probably my first confused boner.

5. > The department head was able to read the “Blue Velvet” script, and Dern remembered being called into his office and being told: “First of all, if you make this choice, you are no longer welcome at UCLA. You’ll be out. But secondly, having read this script, that you would give up your college education for this is insane.”

   In the first place, God made idiots. That was for practice. Then he made university administrators and chairs.

   (Apologies to Mark Twain)

   Also: The original script for “Blue Velvet” was quite a bit wilder than the shooting version, so the chair may have had heart palpitations.

6. How dare you stop paying us money and go off to make your own!