Masterpiece Cinema - Donnie Darko

This week's Masterpiece Cinema takes a look at "Donnie Darko" in preparation for its director's cut re-release.

Hello again, me mateys, and welcome to yet another week of yet another installment of "Masterpiece Cinema." Well, its taken me a while, but Ive finally come to it. This week:

"Donnie Darko"

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Holmes Osborne, Mary McDonnell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Patrick Swayze, Drew Barrymore, Noah Wyle.
Written & Directed by: Richard Kelly.
Genre: Drama / Thriller / Sci-Fi / Another Complete Mindjob.
Released: 2001
Running time: 113 min.
Rated: R (American rating for language, some drug use and violence).
IMDb link: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0246578/

I've kind of been avoiding writing about "Donnie Darko" because of how "in" it is. Or maybe it's just that I think its in, because I always bring it up whenever I'm discussing movies.

Even I'm kind of sick of hearing me wax on about it. But there are still people out there who havent even heard of it, let alone seen it, and I just find that unfathomable (I say, proving how great a pompous ass I am).

But the reason I decided to finally write a little something about it is because it was recently announced that a directors cut will be getting released to cinemas across North America shortly, hopefully with other countries to follow. So, being a sucker for a nice tie-in, and seeing as how the storys going to be in some way re-imagined, I figured it really was the best time to recommend everyone check it out. That way youll know if you want to put down the money at the cinema when the time comes.



Richd Kelly & JakeSo heres the premise of the film: Donnie Darko is your typical white suburban teenager living in the 1980s. Hes slightly rebellious, hes fairly uninterested in school, and hes always horny. The problem is that he also suffers from psychotic episodes, and he hasnt been taking his medication, lately. So when a demonic-faced bunny with an omnipresent voice leads him to a golf course in the middle of the night, then tells him the world will end in 28 days, he doesnt know what to make of it. But its a lucky thing the bunny, who calls himself Frank, coaxed Donnie from his bedroom. That night, a jet engine plummets from the sky, and crashes right through Donnies ceiling But nobody knows where it came from. Whatever plane it fell from has simply disappeared.

That synopsis barely even scratches the surface of all the different plot threads in this film. Henry James once referred to his story "The Turn of the Screw" as being a pudding of a story (or something as self-congratulatory as that - I really dont get the fuss about that book). Pudding, meaning a way of describing how dense and layered the plot was, and thats certainly a good description for "Donnie Darko." Its a film rife with not only plot, but ideas as well.

[BB]
I think one of the more interesting things I've heard is from this girl who discussed an essay she was writing about the film for school. She was saying how, in time travel movies (did I mention "Donnie Darko" also deals with time travel?) the very nature of time travel defies the existence of God, or at least some kind of deity, but "Donnie Darko" is different in that everything that takes place seems to have been preordained to take place. Of course, the girl was talking about her essay on a request show on the radio as part of a call-in session, so the extremely annoying host chimed in with some stupid comments about "Back to the Future" being another time travel movie before cutting to a song. Oy.




Jake G. in a scene

Why am I talking about that? Its just an example that I like. Watching "Donnie Darko" is a great instigator for contemplation and debate the mark of a truly great movie. But in addition to it being thought-provoking, its also an extremely slick little film. For the couple of million it was made for, its visually staggering. And the actors! My God, the actors! All of them stalwart professionals, all of them bringing something to the table, all of them incredible. I think it stands as service to their talent that well-known (and fairly well-known) names such as Patrick Swayze, Drew Barrymore, Noah Wyle and Mary McDonnell all show up in the film, but you kind of forget that these "stars" were even really in it. This isnt because theyre bad, or lackluster its because they so perfectly embody their characters.

But let's not overlook the rest of the cast who were largely unknown at the time of making this. I'm an absolute fan of both Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal now due to the strength of their performances in "Donnie Darko." Everyone in this film is so perfect, its hard to believe. Theres not a weak link in the chain. Pop culture plays heavily in my circle of friends, where we can spend entire conversations communicating in nothing but references and quotes. One of the most heavily quoted films (besides "Kill Bill" at the moment) is "Donnie Darko." I think that shows just how greatly it can imprint itself on ones psyche.
[BB]
So to leave you, I'll give you a closer look at the new poster for the directors cut of the film. And just a little distillation of all my scattered thoughts: if you're after something a little left-of-center, a little confusing, a little haunting, but very addictive, go check out "Donnie Darko." Then come back and tell me what you think. I'd love to hear from you. Next week: A game show host AND a spy? Golly!

Politics Factzone: The truth about Kim Jong Il Kim Jong Il, the leader of the free world, has decided to move on to more fertile grounds, leaving with us just the memories of 8-color rainbows, singing Korean women and couple of nuclear weapons. But who was this man whose next ambition would have been to get the next Nobel Peace prize? Here are just a few facts you should know about. more Top 5 Conspiracy Theories Related to John F. Kennedy's Assassination 26.Aug 2011 Since just after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, conspiracy theories abou...read ISRAEL KEEPING GHADDAFI AFLOAT 10.Mar 2011 ...read Glen Beck Is NOT the Anti-Christ! 10.Mar 2011 Hurtful and fiery rhetoric is now media’s default setting! This slippery and m...read Recipe for A REVOLUTION! (10 easy steps - try not to get burned!) 28.Feb 2011 Rebellion is cooking in the air. People are mad as hell, and not going to take...read THE ASSANGE CASE. CIA INTERFERED WITH SWEDISH LEGAL PROCESSES EXTREME RIGHT POLITICS A DANGER TO EUROPEAN UNITY THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY. OUT OF TOUCH, OUT OF FOCUS, OUT OF CREDIBILITY AND HOPEFULLY, OUT OF THE DOOR Opinion World governments charged with criminal negligence (in response to Megaupload case) EARTH (thecheers.org) - Federal authorities of the universe have charged the governments of all the countries in the world as well as the operators actually in power in these countries with operating a criminal enterprise, the Galaxy warriors announced Today. more The Great OSCARS 2011 – or so it would seem 5.Mar 2011 So, how exciting......a morning off, the Academy Awards. I wish I could say the...read Top 7 Expensive Bordellos. Prostitution: Shakedown, Tier Down, and Priced Out 31.Jan 2011 According to a report of the Washington DC-based US Department of State, The Ph...read The Great Secret and Reason for the JFK Assassination 11.Oct 2010 The great question is why the great secret? On June 4 1963, President Kennedy s...read Don't Do it! The 3 Worst Times to Get Tattoos 4.Oct 2010 As a general rule, tattoos gotten after 2 am are a bad idea. But in a bigger pi...read

Travel Travel Warning 13 September 2010 - DO NOT TRAVEL TO IRAN 13.Sep 2010 TRAVELWISE has been watching the situation in Iran for some months in relation ...read more TRAVELWISE TRAVEL ADVISORY 5th June 2010. DO NOT TRAVEL TO ISRAEL. 5.Jun 2010 Given the recent incident whereby the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, used...read TRAVELWISE. 16 APRIL 2010. EUROPEAN TRAVEL ALTERNATIVES 16.Apr 2010 Travelwise issues the following advice in relation to cancelled flights to, fro...read TRAVELWISE 6 APRIL 2010. AUSTRALIAN AIR TRAVEL. THE BEST WAYS TO TRAVEL BY AIR IN AUSTRALIA. 5.Apr 2010 Regular readers might have seen and read the various advisory and no-fly notice...read TRAVELWISE 2 APRIL 2010. QANTAS. 2.Apr 2010 Some concerns have been raised in relation to some of the maintenance practices...read Sport No Payoff From the Playoffs $16.50 will Get Anyone in the Hall Mr McGwire Stupid Athlete Tricks Technology Think Big! Think the World's Largest International Trade Show Top 9 cool laptop accessories for laptop geeks Twittering: I'm not that interesting Cheers Jesus' Answering Machine Brown Couch or twelve midgets in the town square How To Be Happy Drugged Out Saturday Nights Muslim Decapitation: Bad, or Simply Misunderstood?