Dean Stockwell in Blue Velvet

Hopper still edges him out, but to be fair, Dennis has a lot more to do. But Stockwell is nevertheless sensational in his one-scene wonder. I see Ben as a forerunner to Robert Blake's Mystery Man, of the theater impresario at the Silencio, maybe even of the Man From Another Place. I think there's something mystical about him, the way that Frank Booth (an erratic madman driven by his basest urges) is deferential to him, almost to the point of worship. Frank doesn't just respect Ben; he fears him.

The scene with Ben is my favorite part of any movie.

The performances are all great, including a bizarre turn by Dean Stockwell as the suave thug Ben.

An absolute marvel. His one scene is by far the highlight of the movie. In fact, that entire sequence is so riveting (from the moment Frank takes Jeffrey on a night drive all the way to him getting viciously beaten up) that I honestly feel like the rest of the movie is slightly lacking because it never soars to those heights again. I mean, it's tough to top Stockwell's "In Dreams" performance (one of the most haunting, bizarre, weirdly hilarious, and truly original things I've ever seen in a movie) and there are some great moments in the third act (the Yellow Man's upright corpse, for one), but Blue Velvet IS Blue Velvet because of that middle section.