Like so many movie-lovers around the world, we were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of filmmaker David Lynch, whose contribution to arts and culture is immeasurable. His monumentally beloved catalogue is its own impressive, cinematic legacy rich with old friends and oddball characters who make regular visits upon our silver screen. In the wake of his passing, there is no better way for us to pay tribute to his enigmatic career than by raising a glass, dimming the lights, and firing up the projector in his honour with a selection of some of his best loved works on the big screen, as he undoubtedly intended.

“Heineken? Fuck that shit! Pabst Blue Ribbon!”

Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rosselini and Dennis Hopper turn in some of the best performances of their respective careers in director Lynch’s ultra cool and very cult 1986 neo-noir mystery thriller BLUE VELVET, which also features a standout performance from the late, great Dean Stockwell. As such, we thought it a fitting time to re-visit his turn in this oft-requested classic.

Strange, sexy, brilliant and surreal, BLUE VELVET is widely regarded as one of the best films of that decade, earning him his second Best Director Oscar nomination. The film is very much a showcase for Lynch’s stylish visuals and occasional bouts of disturing (if not weird) imagery, its moody aesthetic enhanced further by a memorable score from Badalementi (who also supervised the soundtrack). Also starring Laura Dern, and a severed human ear.

“Every viewing yields new insights. A berserko modern classic.” (Little White Lies)

“Three decades after its initial release, David Lynch’s ‘Blue Velvet’ has lost none of its power to derange, terrify, and exhilarate.” (Village Voice)

“The charged erotic atmosphere makes the film something of a hallucination, but Lynch’s humor keeps breaking through, too.” (Pauline Kael, New Yorker)

Friday, January 24 – LOW TICKET ALERT!
Doors 7:45 pm | Movie 8:15 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets HERE

BLUE VELVET (David Lynch, 1986 / 120 mins / 18A) This sensual mystery thriller is about strange happenings in a small North Carolina town. A college student stumbles across a bizarre mystery and wants to know more, perhaps too much more. The strange world he’s found lurking beneath his hometown’s picture-postcard veneer is about to become much stranger. It is also an unforgettably fascinating and foreboding world.

*Minors OK. Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service.
*Rio Theatre Groupons and passes OK for any single film only. Please redeem at the door.
*We recommend purchasing your tickets in advance at www.riotheatretickets.ca. If a screening or live event is not sold out, the remaining tickets will be available for in-person purchase at the Rio Theatre’s Box Office prior to showtime (subject to availability).
*Our box office is typically open 30 minutes before showtime.
*All seating is General Admission; please arrive 20-30 minutes prior to showtime to ensure great seats, and time for treats at concession.
*If you are looking to redeem either a Rio Theatre gift certificate or Groupon to any regular Rio Theatre screening: You can either email us in advance <[email protected]> and give us a “heads up,” or do it at the box office prior to showtime.

*All Rio Theatre tickets are final sale. No refunds or exchanges.