Do you understand Donny Darko?

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Great.

The ONE film that I never, ever understood and have scratched a bald spot into my scalp, is being re-released as a Director's Cut.

I love the obscure.

I love the arcane.

So WHY, oh WHY, couldn't I figure out anything, or even muster up a rat's ass worth of caring about this film?

I've talked to friends who found it "brilliant, ground breaking, one of a kind."

I must have been knitting a wool jumper in my brain the day that I saw this.

Even sites such as Movie Review Query Engine can't agree about the film. Some rate it ONE star, some rate it 10.

If you've seen it, what was your impression?

― PsychoKitty (PsychoKitty), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 14:42 (twenty-one years ago)

It starts off by bringing you on a subjective trip through the delusions of a schizophrenic, but then it turns out that the delusions are real. this is an old trick.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 14:43 (twenty-one years ago)

what part of 'donnie darko' don't you understand?

― ENRQ (Enrique), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 14:44 (twenty-one years ago)

So WHY, oh WHY, couldn't I figure out anything, or even muster up a rat's ass worth of caring about this film?

becuz it sucks becuz it sucks becuz it sucks

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 14:45 (twenty-one years ago)

A dissenting opinion (that violently reaffirms mine)

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 14:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I think it's ambiguous whether or not the delusions are real. One possible reading is that the whole thing has been his halucination as he dies.

I certainly don't fully understand it, but I still love it as (unlike David Lynch, say) it has characters you can care about. It's also very funny in parts, extremely atmospheric, and looks stunning.

― Wooden (Wooden), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 14:47 (twenty-one years ago)

One of the things that really drew me the most into Monde Donnie Darko was the accompanying music:

pulling in "directors = game master" dorks with Interpol influences is like shooting fish in a barrel

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 14:47 (twenty-one years ago)

It is all explained in the extras on the DVD. Its do with time travel & alternative realities, nothing is delusions.

but there's not enough info in the film itself to enable anyone to work it out. which is a swizz I think.

― Bidfurd, Tuesday, 3 August 2004 14:49 (twenty-one years ago)

what don't you like about Donnie Darko for fucks sake?! The direction for one is worth being confused for a couple of hours for a start!

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 14:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, this movie pretty much blows. Best part: that Tears for Fears song. Other than that, it's a movie designed primarily to be clever, except that IT'S NOT FUCKING CLEVER! IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE! DON'T SHIT IN MY MOUTH AND CALL IT A SUNDAE!

― Kenan (kenan), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 14:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah I totally figured out the time travel shit when I saw the movie the first time. But hey, don't let that stop anybody from thinking a movie that is superficially liberal, teen angst-coddling, simple-minded, full of bad acting, nonsensical and knows about Joy Division is a groundbreaking work of genius.

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 14:51 (twenty-one years ago)

btw I was finally tiring of being mean about this film but that recent Salon article really crossed the line.

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 14:52 (twenty-one years ago)

That article is wank. Still love the film though.

― Wooden (Wooden), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 14:54 (twenty-one years ago)

full of bad acting? where are you getting this 'sweeping' generalisation from?

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 14:54 (twenty-one years ago)

superficially liberal, teen angst-coddling, simple-minded, full of bad acting, nonsensical and knows about Joy Division

uhh... please explain?

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 14:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Drew Barrymore as allegedly good teacher who is allegedly fired for being TOO GOOD even though she's acting like Alicia Silverstone.

Jena Malone and the parents were a'ight actin'-wise.

I mean if people were enjoying it on some Breakfast Club camp level that'd be one thing but 9 page articles about how every detail adds up (AFTER the director's cut reveals that half the shit wasn't in his "original vision") is just YEEAARGHGHGH!!!

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 14:56 (twenty-one years ago)

I think I talked about some this on that old thread.

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 14:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I watched this twice and it made sense to me, I guess I missed uh SOMETHING

― Andrew Blood Thames (Andrew Thames), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 14:57 (twenty-one years ago)

oh and that Tears For Fears scene is murder. Film Speed fluctuations for an ENTIRE goddamn song and nothing else. F'in worthwhile and profound.

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 14:59 (twenty-one years ago)

all conservatives (Except your parents) are actually psychotics and rapists, btw.

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I go into detail on this thread from a while back.

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:02 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the film. Like others, I don't really get it. I love the 'Head Over Heels' sequence. Why not?

― the bellefox, Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:02 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't think that was being "superficially liberal" at all - it was just part of the plot. If anything DD was fairly apolitical in its thinking. Just because there are teenagers in it doesn't make it a teen-angst movie. I didn't notice any bad acting and I'd be tempted to say that many of the performances are extremely memorable. And anyway - who's to say all films have to make perfect sense the first time you watch them? Star Wars has had more read into it than Donnie Darko ever will - does that make it a bad movie?
Plus I don't remember Joy Division being referenced at all - what'chu on about?

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:02 (twenty-one years ago)

The "Head Over Heels" bit is one of the greatest bits of popular cinema this century.

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I watched this twice and it made sense to me, I guess I missed uh SOMETHING

it breaks down under scrutiny quickly and in ways that I find entirely unacceptable. it cheats, and it's all much thinner than it tries to appear. the more people love love love this movie, the more I hate it.

― Kenan (kenan), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:03 (twenty-one years ago)

all conservatives (Except your parents) are actually psychotics and rapists, btw.

Yes, there was a paedophile in the movie. What's your point?

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:04 (twenty-one years ago)

btw folks, sometimes a movie is has plotholes and leaves out crucial pieces of information. It's not necessarily your fault, let alone something to be impressed by.

"Love Will Tear Us Apart" is in the party scene.

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:05 (twenty-one years ago)

movies in not being realistic or able to withstand logic shocker.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:06 (twenty-one years ago)

"all conservatives (Except your parents) are actually psychotics and rapists, btw."

This is actually true though. They did a study. It is true of your parents too.

― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:06 (twenty-one years ago)

my point, Dog Latin, is just like The Breakfast Club's plot requires all adults to be teen-loathing and hateful, Donnie Darko requires everyone who isn't a friend of Jakey to be a conservative lunatic.

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:07 (twenty-one years ago)

I have more of a problem with the logical lapses in Alias, actually. I mean how many friggin' times can you meet with an FBI agent in public without your super-secret spy organization catching on?!

― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:08 (twenty-one years ago)

http://archive.salon.com/ent/movies/feature/2004/07/23/darko/

― cutty (mcutt), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:08 (twenty-one years ago)

i got the feeling that what's-his-name was worried that he might not get to make another film and just threw everything he wanted to say into one script. with that in mind, i gave up trying to make sense of the plot and enjoyed the atmosphere, the soundtrack, the supporting cast (with the exception of drew/noah), and jake's bambi eyes. that's more than enough good to cancel out the irritating bits. i agree that the whole cult of darko thing is ridiculous, but i'm not going to fault a movie for its fans.

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:09 (twenty-one years ago)

an actual explanation of the movie exists, informed by the web site and the director's commentary. it's internally consistent but very convoluted. if you don't like the movie to begin with, don't waste your time. the explanation won't change your mind.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:09 (twenty-one years ago)

"donny"

― cutty (mcutt), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:09 (twenty-one years ago)

this movie is targetted at teenage girls who like bad music! When will this exploitation end!

― Typhoon is Coming!!! :O (ex machina), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:10 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, Lauren, if this was treated as a problematic but interesting debut with some nice qualities then I wouldn't bother getting so dramatic about it.

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:10 (twenty-one years ago)

"requires all adults to be teen-loathing and hateful"

According to Health & Human Services statistics, 99.9% of all adults are teen-loathing and hateful. You can't fight those numbers.

― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:10 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm just glad that all this is making Drew Barrymore even more money. She should buy a pony.

― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:12 (twenty-one years ago)

scott you are the exception that proves the rule

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Is CeCe being emo about emo kids liking it?

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:12 (twenty-one years ago)

She's adorable, you know. And a credit to the first family of american theatre.

― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:12 (twenty-one years ago)

DD is okay by me. I have the DVD but don't watch it that much.

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:12 (twenty-one years ago)

haha kruschev was emo about the U.S., Jerry.

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:13 (twenty-one years ago)

although the scene where drew barrymore goes outside and screams "fuck" is fist-eatingly awful.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Donnie Darko requires everyone who isn't a friend of Jakey to be a conservative lunatic.

true, but i don't see how it could be any other way.

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:13 (twenty-one years ago)

jesus saw the moneylenders at the temple and got all emo about it

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:14 (twenty-one years ago)

drew barrymore looks like she showed up to the set of DD for one day of filming, and shat her performace out.

that scream she does in that one scene is so cringeworthy. eeek.

ha XPOST

― cutty (mcutt), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:14 (twenty-one years ago)

i liked donnie. they played echo & the bunnymen in it, you know. i used to listen to them when i was sad.

― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:14 (twenty-one years ago)

true, but i don't see how it could be any other way.

yes, you couldn't have your adolescent fantasy movie without simple-minded adolescent idiocies. See Breakfast Club comparison.

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 208 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Gah. I just want the odd clue, not a detailed exposition for bogans. :)

― Dirty Muriel (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 17 August 2004 04:44 (twenty-one years ago)

There were loads though! Mind you now I *am* wondering which I gleaned from the DVD extras... so I better not be a spoileroiler.

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 17 August 2004 05:05 (twenty-one years ago)

the problem with the film is not opacity in itself, but the fact that it's opaque in relation to itself. the film is only about itself, it's an involuted riddle lacking referents outside the text, so for it to be opaque is having its cake and eating it.

― ENRQ (Enrique), Tuesday, 17 August 2004 14:06 (twenty-one years ago)

i thought it was ok, but i have to say there was nothing in it powerful enough to encourage me to seek out the hidden meanings in the asian girl's earmuffs or anything. i have the vague suspicion that these things were just sort of totems placed in the film so as to give a sense of intricacy without any real meaning or emotion produced thereby. twin peaks verged on this much of the time: "oh! look! another owl reference!"--although as often as not, there were definite if difficult-to-explain emotional resonances in the patterning. of course some web site might prove me wrong, and the patterning might turn out to be more meaningful and potentially more emotionally rich than i had suspected. but i'm not inclined to spend any time finding out. maybe i will see the "diretcor's cut." maybe that will show the pattern of symbols and allusions to be less cut-off from the emotional currents of the plot (which i found reasonably absorbing in themselves).

does that make sense?

― amateur!!!st, Tuesday, 17 August 2004 15:42 (twenty-one years ago)

also: jena malone is such a strange presence. i want to see more of her.

― amateur!!!st, Tuesday, 17 August 2004 15:44 (twenty-one years ago)

ok so yeah "cellar door"--did we ever get to know what they were searching for there, or why the old lady wasn't home, or what the toughs were doing there, or why they wanted to kill donnie darko, or anything?

also: unearned slo-mo "intense" shots of drew barrymore and noah wyle.... i don't think drew's performance was so bad, but the character was written poorly (the character should have been cut out in the editing actually).

― amateur!!!st, Tuesday, 17 August 2004 15:45 (twenty-one years ago)

: )

― cºzen (Cozen), Tuesday, 17 August 2004 16:05 (twenty-one years ago)

well what do you think, cozen?

― amateur!!!st, Tuesday, 17 August 2004 16:38 (twenty-one years ago)

do you think I was attacking you when I was being happy with what you were saying albeit obtusely expressed?

― cºzen (Cozen), Tuesday, 17 August 2004 16:40 (twenty-one years ago)

no, i was just wondering what you thought of donnie darko.

― amaeur!!!st, Tuesday, 17 August 2004 16:41 (twenty-one years ago)

can someone add a "[sic]" to this thread title?

― amateur!!!st, Tuesday, 17 August 2004 16:42 (twenty-one years ago)

esp. this: but i have to say there was nothing in it powerful enough to encourage me to seek out the hidden meanings in the asian girl's earmuffs or anything. i have the vague suspicion that these things were just sort of totems placed in the film so as to give a sense of intricacy without any real meaning or emotion produced thereby. twin peaks verged on this much of the time: "oh! look! another owl reference!"--although as often as not, there were definite if difficult-to-explain emotional resonances in the patterning. cs I'm always wary of approaching films or books with cartography's eyes and maths' head.

― cºzen (Cozen), Tuesday, 17 August 2004 16:42 (twenty-one years ago)

also: it's something levelled at the wakowski bros. this charge of lynchian which I always worry misses the essence or special or lynch's films (or some of them, it's lazy to generalise the way I'm doing): the 'spaces' (I've no better way to call this out) created by the direction (cf. some of his films' sheer volume (listen to 'lost highway' at 3 am in an empty house one night, how loud is it?!) almost filling up the screen with unconscious craft) & what I once naively called his 'liminema' or lynch's cinema of the limin: the eking out of a threshold space (related to point 1) where ppl move and talk differently and, yeah, your cartography doesn't work no more (cf. calling his films' apotheosis the 'eye of the duck' shot.) i.e. what I'm saying is that this calling out of um 'otherness' and weirdness in um other films doesn't 1:1 with lynch cs lynch takes you or the film or um the action to another space where + doesn't + and -, well, does it -? re: donnie darko: not a film I've given a great deal of thought too and as with many films that I haven't given much thought to, little things impress. also, I liked what you said about gyllenhaal's posture and I liked his performance. it reminded me a little of tim roth in meantime, I remember t hand giving me into trouble fr liking that one though. : /

― cºzen (Cozen), Tuesday, 17 August 2004 16:49 (twenty-one years ago)

"do you understand that post?"

― cºzen (Cozen), Tuesday, 17 August 2004 16:49 (twenty-one years ago)

the polish bros. not the wakowski bros. they're the matrix bros. right?

― cºzen (Cozen), Tuesday, 17 August 2004 16:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I mean, I can't be bothered understanding it when there are possibly more i. interesting & ii. heartbreaking things to be noticed / done / watched when taking the film in.

― cºzen (Cozen), Tuesday, 17 August 2004 16:53 (twenty-one years ago)

My take - the cellar door comment, out of left field and nowhere as it was, was Drew's character being maniupulated into saying it, to make Donnie curious enough to seek it out (which he did).

Why were the toughs at Grandma Death's place? That was referenced at the start of the movie by Donnies mom and dad saying kids used to go up there and try and break in to steal jewels - "you know, shes loaded".

Also Cozen is OTM. Its not about every little thing MEANING something - its about the way all the elements weave together into a really moving, funny, interesting tale.

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 01:10 (twenty-one years ago)

(btw if you dont understand by whom and why the toughs, or drew, or anyone else was being manipulated then you *are* missing a large chunk of the plot).

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 01:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Darko II: Return of the Moebius

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 01:52 (twenty-one years ago)

The film is good shit, but listening to the director's commentary made me doubt the complexity of the film. Yeah, it's pretty interesting and well done, but there's really not a whole lot there. Once you figure out the main thematical and plot devices, it loses a lot of mysetery. (but is still a great film)

― Andrew (enneff), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 02:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Thats just it. People seem to focus on the mysteriousness of the movie, accusing it of being sub-Lynchian, or teen-gothy, or even liking the enigma and not wanting to know what it all meant... I never saw it that way. The strange and sometimes obscure parts served as atmosphere, ambeince and beauty for me - like a wonderful strange dream would perhaps. But like a dream that seems to make no sense and has many bizarre icons, I was still able to see that it also had a fairly clear plot. I dont think thats a bad thing; and I *do* think a fairly clear (if somewhat veiled) storyline, AND elements of mystery and shadow and intrigue, can co-exist.

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 03:07 (twenty-one years ago)

(btw if you dont understand by whom and why the toughs, or drew, or anyone else was being manipulated then you *are* missing a large chunk of the plot).
-- Trayce (spamspanke...), August 18th, 2004.

wait back up -- huh? i've seen the film twice and have no idea what you mean!! spoil me.

― ENRQ, Wednesday, 18 August 2004 07:42 (twenty-one years ago)

fate.

― cºzen (Cozen), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 13:27 (twenty-one years ago)

patrick swayze.

― cºzen (Cozen), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 13:27 (twenty-one years ago)

tastes, desires, motivations.

― cºzen (Cozen), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 13:28 (twenty-one years ago)

um.

― cºzen (Cozen), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 13:29 (twenty-one years ago)

(btw if you dont understand by whom and why the toughs, or drew, or anyone else was being manipulated then you *are* missing a large chunk of the plot).
-- Trayce (spamspanke...), August 18th, 2004.

i suspect this is the film's fault.

― amateur!!!st, Wednesday, 18 August 2004 16:05 (twenty-one years ago)

three weeks pass...

I just saw this film for the first time this evening (not the director's cut, but the DVD). I found it visually compelling and atmospheric, but.....like many others....I'm at a loss to explain it.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 13 September 2004 04:00 (twenty years ago)

i think the best scene was when they were talking about smurfs.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 13 September 2004 05:59 (twenty years ago)

"Dammit Donnie, why you always gotta get so smart on us??"

― Trayce (trayce), Monday, 13 September 2004 06:13 (twenty years ago)

of course the best line from donnie darko is 'i'm starting to doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion!"

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 13 September 2004 06:54 (twenty years ago)

I now kinda understand everything except for what donnie is actually doing after gretchen dies, up on the hill and stuff.

― Dead Man, Monday, 13 September 2004 08:17 (twenty years ago)

I like how the director's cut clears up about two thirds of the ambiguity, and then makes *more* ambiguity (eg. the psych). I think I enjoyed both equally, though there'd be no point watching the original version after the director's cut I imagine.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 13 September 2004 13:06 (twenty years ago)

I've seen most of it, but still slightly confused at points. The rabbit scared me anyway, so I have no interest in seeing it again!

― PinXor (Pinkpanther), Monday, 13 September 2004 13:07 (twenty years ago)

ugh the director's cut is a fucking disaster, greedo shooting first over and over again

― cinniblount (James Blount), Monday, 13 September 2004 13:18 (twenty years ago)

Richard Kelly doesn't know what 'deus ex machina' means. It's a fact. Yet he put those very words in his movie. Trying to igure it by listening to the commentary and shit has led me deceisively to believe that it's best not to know the director's intentions because the film becomes a bad joke if you do. Kelly, like Lucas before him, has heard of the 'Hero With Many Faces' thing, and so every character in the film is there to guide DD to... whatever it is he does to save the world. Also it's better if you DON'T think he's using placebos.

― Dead Man, Monday, 13 September 2004 13:25 (twenty years ago)

I just want to remind everyone that I think Donnie Darko is a much better Anakin/Vader origin story than the fucking Lucas prequels.

― TOMBOT, Monday, 13 September 2004 13:37 (twenty years ago)

yeah i tried to think of a single change or addition that improved or added to the film at all, and all i could think of was having the abyss chestbubble not turn into a hand going 'c'mere, follow me' was a good idea. o and there was a shot of drew barrymore that wasn't in it before where she looked really good. still the pacing got thrown, jokes that were quick and funny before were lenghthened out for less funny punchlines, the added footage either was redundant or poorly overexplained any ambiguity (which when dealing with the ridiculous is a plus) - midichlorians all over the place, and somehow the scene i never really liked before in the first place ("maaaaad worrrrld") became even worse when i have a fucking graphic come on screen beforehand to tell me 'here's the significane of the next scene. before - with the sparrow book and 'clues' dispersed puzzlelike on the web/dvd - worked ninemillion times better than just stuffing it on the screen, before it was fun multimedia hypertext 'play at home!', now it's 'everybody stop and let me EXPLAIN this to you' (people for whom this made no sense before - did this really really bother you? would you prefer that a movie about how adolescent angst can feel like the end of the world and adolescent love can feel like the only possible reason to save the world with goth and horror touches cuz for those feelings and at that moment - late 80s/late hughes - NOTHING could be more appropriate (the movie could've almost been ducky darko in the one scene in pretty in pink ducky's remotely sympathetic) instead became a movie about how a boy saved the universe thru some convoluted time travel and we should all be very very thankful and wake up in the middle night cuz we have some trace of the memory of the parallel universe wherein he didn't give his only begotten life blah blah blah chapter seven the manipulated mcfly?) ugh ugh ugh - just hearing 'originally there was gonna be some stuff about watership down' would've added more than what it the stuff about watership down turns out to be (more "GET THE POINT YET???" stuff)(first harbinger of this 'awwww fuck' for me: the scene with the parents in the hotel bed talking about how their son could've been 'doomed' but instead he had been spared, 'almost as if fate had other plans for him', fucking hell). i did find it very amusing that he still couldn't get the rights to 'just like heaven'.

― cinniblount (James Blount), Monday, 13 September 2004 13:49 (twenty years ago)

(the movie could've almost been ducky darko in the one scene in pretty in pink ducky's remotely sympathetic)

hahaha

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 13 September 2004 13:56 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

Watched the Director's Cut yesterday and I partly agre with Cinniblount here. I really disliked some of the cheesy graphics - namely the eye-close-up, the pictures of the sea and the horrible PS2-style grid thing. After being confounded by the original these bits seemed like lazy after-thoughts thrown in because he'd got so much schtick about people not understanding it.
There were some excellent bits yes, and I think I know the bit Blount mentioned about Drew Barrymore (is Donnie's gaze lingering on her a bit too long?).
Still I don't think the film merited a director's cut all the same.
Oh - and what the fuck happened to "The Killing Moon" at the beginning of the movie being replaced by "Never Tear Us Apart"? That was a very weird decision.

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 06:59 (twenty years ago)

four months pass...

just saw the director's cut. obv the more oblique original is far better for all the reasons already stated.

still, Kelly has an interesting eye, and a flair for really haunting and beautiful images (and im not including the really obvious surreal stuff in the director'c cut and original, but more throwaway stuff). i look forward to a film from him which uses his great visual style without the diminishing returns of an film which presents itself as a solvable puzzle.

― ryan (ryan), Monday, 7 March 2005 01:03 (twenty years ago)

I understand that it blows huge monkey asses.

― yaydrian (PUNXSUTAWNEY PENIS), Monday, 7 March 2005 01:06 (twenty years ago)

Oh - and what the fuck happened to "The Killing Moon" at the beginning of the movie being replaced by "Never Tear Us Apart"? That was a very weird decision.

Thats actually how Kelly wanted it in the first place but for reasons I'm not sure about, he wasn't able to get permission, so went with Killing Moon instead.

So they put INXS back in the dc? Ugh. Considering I know most of whats in the dc as I take it that was all in the DVD extras anyway, I'm not sure I need to see it, not to pay to anyway.

― Trayce (trayce), Monday, 7 March 2005 01:18 (twenty years ago)

i never particularly loved the original, but goddamnit the director's cut is a travesty.

― latebloomer: my cats are wobderful (latebloomer), Monday, 7 March 2005 01:37 (twenty years ago)

I've only seen the director's cut and really love the movie. I like how there's an echo effect whenever you see the bunnyman...

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 7 March 2005 03:55 (twenty years ago)

How would one go about blowing a huge monkey ass, anyway?

― sunburned and snowblind (kenan), Monday, 7 March 2005 06:29 (twenty years ago)

Spencer, you might have been joking, but OTM anyway. Things like "The Killing Moon" at the beginning of the original make so much more sense of using Echo and the Bunnymen on the soundtrack, considering the overall creepiness that is Frank and everything.

There are a great many movies that are more imagistic and symbolic and intuitive (such as Lynch) than logical, and that are actually ruined by attempts at a left brain linear deconstruction.

Anyway, there's no more reason to take the director's explanation as "the truth" than the projectionists or the popcorn vendor's or one audience member who has a schizophrenic daughter or another who is a theoretical physicist or the street person with bunnyphobia who is barred from the movie theatre...

― David A. (Davant), Monday, 7 March 2005 07:28 (twenty years ago)

Spencer, you might have been joking, but OTM anyway.

I wasn't joking at all!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 7 March 2005 08:09 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

'Kay, Director's Cut vs Theatrical Release: FITE.

I wonder if this is a function of which you saw first. I saw DC first and then found TR to be sorely lacking when I saw it afterwards. Tonight I made my roommate (who'd only seen, and loves, the TR) watch it and he though it was corny in comparison since they spell out more and leave less to the imagination. At the least, I just like the DC for the more fleshed-out scene of Cunningham's visit to the school and the Watership Down debate where Gretchen puts Donnie in his place, possibly my two favourite scenes in the movie. Also for the "I think we should buy him a moped" conversation. Plus, I much prefer "Never Tear Us Apart" as a first song to "The Killing Moon." I also like that the drugs are just placebos for the confirmation that it's not all just in his head.

― Sundar (sundar), Wednesday, 24 January 2007 07:23 (eighteen years ago)

I can see why someone might prefer to have the time travel stuff left more unexplained since the "philosophy of time travel" stuff seems more or less like bullshit anyway but I dunno, maybe I just like the movie more for the little things like those scenes above? I don't think it detracts at all from the atmosphere or the sense of the urgency and importance of the teen love.

― Sundar (sundar), Wednesday, 24 January 2007 07:25 (eighteen years ago)

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