"Every day holds a new beginning and every hour holds the promise of an Invitation to Love." 

We took a trip to Wilmington, NC, Booth, and sought out all the Blue Velvet locations. The interior of the Dorothy Valens apartment was a studio set. But it sure was hilarious trying to learn this fact. The apartment building is there for real. It's pretty spooky. The tenants are eclectic.

We stayed in a lovely B&B a couple blocks away. The owner was just as lovely as her home. She had a friend who lived in that building -- an old man who was dying of cancer; an artist. She became curious too and accompanied us over there one afternoon. Our son, Josh, was sure where the apartment would be in relation to the elevator. The first door we knocked on was opened right away. What a sight! A tall person wearing a woman's wig, a dress, high heels and a face full of poorly applied make-up. Josh told the bewildered man what we were looking for and he graciously invited us in. All I remember seeing was a counter with a couple of head forms wearing other wigs. He said he hadn't lived there long and was unaware of the filming of Blue Velvet. Josh took a quick look around and just as quickly thanked him but said it was the wrong apartment.

Next we went across the hall. Two girls opened the door. Tattoos, piercings and a Gothie looking pad. Lots of candles and art work. Very nice really. We didn't even have to step inside for Josh to nix-nay that one.

The corner unit next door. Josh thought that must be it. Nobody home. We came back later and a young woman invited us in. It looked promising. In fact for the first minutes we were there, Josh was sure it WAS the right place. This woman was a bank teller and the apartment looked nothing like Dorothy Valens'. Generic young professional style.

Later we learned it was a set. Later we saw the transvestite walking on Front Street. Wilmington is a wonderful little town! We also found Ben's apartment -- a deserted storage area above a century old seed store. The mauve paint remained but not much else was left to indicate that suave pad. There was a dead pigeon on the floor. Funny how long it took us to pin that one down!

Funny how many people will allow you into their homes when you say you're looking for former filming locations! Like the 92 year old woman who owned the Jeffrey Beaumont home. This one was almost the same with those fabulous king and queen chess piece lamps, the black Mammy salt and pepper shaker collection in the kitchen. The owner is probably long gone by now but she was so hospitable, inviting us in for hot chocolate and cookies, which we accepted.

That Big Lebowski house! As soon as I saw that scene in the film, I was sure I had been there before, but maybe not. The giveaway for me would be to know if the interior wall of the swimming pool was glass on one side. The house I had seen had a large window taking up an entire wall of a master suite that revealed the entire pool. The idea the owner (a bachelor who threw frequent parties) was that he could lie in bed watching his guests frolic in his pool. I guess there could be some sort of reciprical voyeurism if both the bedroom and pool were lit.

I'm going to find photos of my fave locations.

Susan

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

About a year ago, I was all set to move there to attend school at UNC Wilmington (they have a film studies major). I didn't recognize anything when I went down there to check out the campus, which was disappointing.

My friends who go there have said Wilmington is not the kind of place where you want to be walking around alone at night. I'd already changed my mind about going to school there anyway.

Logic Hat Online- logichat.org

I thought UNC was disappointing too, Logic, but mostly for its mock-itecture. Not old enough to be historically significant and not new enough to be interesting.  The campus is quite a ways away from the downtown area where most of Blue Velvet was filmed. Wilmington is fascinating for having both surviving buildings from the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.  The locals say that Sherman didn't burn Wilmington as he had a lady friend who lived there.  Across the street from the Dorothy Valens apartment building is a "fine example of urban slave quarters" and a great anti-bellum mansion.  I took a tour.  I was the only one on the tour.  The restaurants are good.  But I could imagine a certain degree of apprehension about walking around by the pool hall bar (famous for the deleted BV scene of mayhem) late at night.  Isn't that where Steve Buscemi got stabbed one night?
 
I don't know if she still works there, but Bonnie, the girl who dances atop the car when Jeffrey Beaumont is beaten up, was a waitress at a greasy spoon a block away from Front Street and the Cape Fear River.  
 
They were filming the first season of Dawson's Creek when we were there.  Same high school as Sandy's in BV.  
 
By the way, Booth, I can't find any good images of my favorite interiors like the bedroom or the treehouse of Juliet's neighbor in Juliet of the Spirits,  Alec's house or the milk bar in Clockwork Orange, the villa with the debauched party scene in La Dolce Vita or the spooky wonderful Venetian hotel in Don't Look Now.  Will come up with some more as I ponder further.
 
Susan

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin