Can we talk Donnie Darko?

[CoffeeWithMonkeys]

I know this isn't really writing related but I didn't want to put it in the coffee shop and it get overlooked or take over the conversation.

Anyway, have you seen Donnie Darko? What did you think it was about?

The first time I saw it I thought one thing, the next time I watched it I came away with a completely different view on what it was about.

 

[jomar]

Man, been so long since I've seen it. I remember it as a trippy is he crazy or not time travel parallel universe kind of thing.

 

[CoffeeWithMonkeys]

Man, been so long since I've seen it. I remember it as a trippy is he crazy or not time travel parallel universe kind of thing.

That's it. The first time I saw it I thought it was all about time travel. The next time I watched it a couple years later I thought, man this kid has serious mental issues.
I brought it up with some people and they all disagreed and said it's about time travel, nothing else.
Maybe because I have mental disorders I see him as having a completely fucked up mind.

 

[Polyacrylate]

I loved it when it came out, although it speaks to me less as I've aged. I should probably watch it again sometime and see what I think.

Yes, it's a time travel story about a kid saving the world, or a vivid fantasy at the moment of his death (unlikely, given the fantasy would involve people he hadn't yet met).

A well executed (and under appreciated) bit of dialogue:

"Donnie Darko? What the hell kind of name is that? It's like some sort of superhero or something."

"What makes you think I'm not?"

 

[Bramblethorn]

If I recall, there's a director's cut/special edition/something that leans towards the "time travel" interpretation. But I think it works better being ambiguous.

 

[Polyacrylate]

If I recall, there's a director's cut/special edition/something that leans towards the "time travel" interpretation. But I think it works better being ambiguous.

FEIW, time travel is the least weird aspect of what is going on in that movie.

The 00s being what they were, there was a canon companion website that had rather pretentious and obtuse explanations for some of the more 'out-there' elements of the story. Much of this centered around the book the old woman had written. I think the website is gone now, but some of this material can be found as bonus content on the DVD.

It created a fairly complex narrative about unstable parallel universes, terminating in an engineered self-sacrifice and time travel of consciousness. With all that said, I think the story in the film stands on its own, and there's little ambiguity that his experiences aren't just in his head. He sees too many events that are revealed to be true or real during the montage after his death.

I started to type up a detailed, spoilery summary of all the extra content, and realized midway through that it read like stoned drivel.

 

[jsmiam]

I know this isn't really writing related but I didn't want to put it in the coffee shop and it get overlooked or take over the conversation.

Anyway, have you seen Donnie Darko? What did you think it was about?

The first time I saw it I thought one thing, the next time I watched it I came away with a completely different view on what it was about.

On a separate note, it’s a great movie, however you interpret it. Also one of those movies where the actor really makes you say “wow, what a great actor. “

And I vote both, a rift in the time space continuum created a parallel universe. And giant bubbles. ;-)

 

[Bramblethorn]

Let's spare a moment for the excellent soundtrack too.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

On a separate note, it’s a great movie, however you interpret it. Also one of those movies where the actor really makes you say “wow, what a great actor. “

And I vote both, a rift in the time space continuum created a parallel universe. And giant bubbles. ;-)

I was gonna say, I watched it eventually, but all I remember is "Jake Gyllenhaal, damn" (thiswas well after I'd seen Maggie in 'Secretary'), and that cover of the Tears For Fears song.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I was gonna say, I watched it eventually, but all I remember is "Jake Gyllenhaal, damn" (thiswas well after I'd seen Maggie in 'Secretary'), and that cover of the Tears For Fears song.

It was an excellent cover, but don't forget "Under The Milky Way Tonight".

 

[Handley_Page]

I watched it.
I did not understand it at all.
My Ex thought it damned good, though.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

It was an excellent cover, but don't forget "Under The Milky Way Tonight".

Yes, also a good song.

 

[Maeven_quinn]

If I recall, there's a director's cut/special edition/something that leans towards the "time travel" interpretation. But I think it works better being ambiguous.

I saw both the original and the director's cut. Overall, I got the impression that the "right" movie is somewhere in between those two.

The ambiguity of the original didn't do much for me. Mystery is cool... as long as you have the impression that the author knew the answer. That's not what I got from the original Donnie Darko. The strange combo of mysticism and science from the director's cut was better in my opinion.

Of course, we all know the real draw of the movie is our collective desire to burn down the suburbs with our angst and alienation. That could be me just reading into it though. Am I reading into it?

 

[MichaelGH]

Donnie Darko? Fuck that shit! Blue Velvet!

 

[ElectricBlue]

It was an excellent cover, but don't forget "Under The Milky Way Tonight".

Went to see The Church earlier this year on their thirtieth anniversary tour - an excellent live act. I remember seeing them back in the day at the Queanbeyan Worker's Club; whoa, what a dive! A top band.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Donnie Darko? Fuck that shit! Blue Velvet!

It's possible to like more than one thing at a time

 

[MichaelGH]

It's possible to like more than one thing at a time

Not Heineken and Pabst Blue Ribbon though.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Not Heineken and Pabst Blue Ribbon though.

You're talking to somebody who finds all beer revolting. It tastes horrible to me, like something that's spoiled.

But I understand that not everybody has the same taste buds I do, so I don't wander into beer lovers' threads to tell them why beer sucks.

 

[Hypoxia]

Not Heimlichs and poor blow jobs though.

Not simultaneously, for sure.

Meanwhile, I've never seen Donnie Darko and had to check Wikipedia to get a clue. Giant rabbit, huh? That leads to Harvey and Roger, the mad Bunnyman, Marvel's White Rabbit (not the song), and even Sexy Beast.

Do android foxes dream of electric rabbits?

 

[TomorrowGent]

<i>Deleted</i>

 

[Hypoxia]

Can't we get back to giant rabbits? I grew up next to Grandpa's poultry patch and rabbit hutches full of big bouncy bunnies. I can't say that's where I learned about sex. Big bunnies probably infested my dreams because every weekend, we ate some -- deep-fried with all the fixings. Did nightmare bunnies tell me what to do, think, and say? Even before the skull fracture? Those make good excuses.

Another plot bunny for my library: Radna, a talking invisible rabbit always somewhat taller than Shari, has been her best friend since she started talking. Radna is shy and stealthy, warning the girl not to spill their secret. Fast-forward to young adulthood. Radna turns out to be a nutzo control freak, directing Shari into numerous pranks, dilemmas, and kinks. Fuck like a bunny? Yeah, that too. But would viewing Donnie Darko send her over the edge?

 

[MichaelGH]

What's the point of that post? You have a negative attitude, and you're attacking a thread that needs no attacking. Are you a bully?

If you want to talk about Blue Velvet, start a thread.




My friends and I all had the same bookie in our twenties, and we'd tell each other about our bets and we'd root for each other to win, opposing bets not withstanding. It's what friends do, because it makes life more fun. We had one friend who'd never bet, and he always thought it was funny to root against us. We started having these BBQs to watch our games (Football, because you can make a day of it) or a sit-in beer & bash at a sport's bar, but this friend just wouldn't stop hoping we'd lose. It didn't even take a season before we stopped inviting him to our little parties. I have no idea what he's doing now.

Do you get the point, Michael?

This film clip may clear up things. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=snhiofL2Rh4

Anyway it was just a joking reference because the director of Donny Darko has often been accused of parroting the director of Blue Velvet. Not anything to be taken seriously, my bad if I offended.

 

[SimonDoom]

You're talking to somebody who finds all beer revolting. It tastes horrible to me, like something that's spoiled.

.

I'm very disappointed to hear this.

I still have a high opinion of you. It's just . . . not quite as high as before.

 

[SimonDoom]

I've never seen this movie.

Is it worth seeing?

I know it's got Jake Gyllenhall and it's weird and there's a giant creepy rabbit, but that's all I know. Do you recommend it?

 

[ElectricBlue]

Anyway it was just a joking reference because the director of Donny Darko has often been accused of parroting the director of Blue Velvet. Not anything to be taken seriously, my bad if I offended.

I suspect TomorrowGent missed the subtlety. That's a bit of fan geekdom that I'm sure any Donny Darko fan would know .