3. Blue Velvet (1986)
The song: 'In Dreams' by Roy Orbison Of course, the titular song hardly escapes unscathed from the clutches of David Lynch but it's the Big O's 1963 single that is especially dragged through the mud here. Our protagonist Jeffrey, (Kyle MacLachlan) is holed up in the back of Frank's (Dennis Hopper) car. Frank happens to be a sadistic sexual deviant whose every utterance makes the skin crawl. And here, having his men grab Jeffrey from the car and pin him between their shoulders, is where the music plays it part. At Frank's request, one of his goons goes back to turn on the car radio. Out plays 'In Dreams'. As the song plays into the dead of night, Frank places a blade to Jeffrey's throat and menacingly whispers along to the lyrics. The fact that Jeffrey had punched him moments ago has given Frank a bloody nose and the red lips of a clown. And the song, a suitably dreamy (and therefore, in Lynch's hands, suitably creepy) ballad becomes the soundtrack to a very disturbing scene indeed.