Donnie Darko (Special Edition) [Blu-ray]

Donnie Darko is a very difficult movie to characterise and assign to one or even two genres, which is also part of its appeal and fascination. It opens with the title character (Jake Gyllenhall) waking in his pyjamas, with his bike lying next to him, on a highway overlooking his hometown of Middlesex, set in an idyllic tree covered valley. Straightening up he looks out toward the rising sun on the horizon and with a knowing smile he re-mounts his bicycle and makes his way back home to the tune of Echo and The Bunnymen�s �The Killing Moon� in what is an excellent opening sequence. Right from these first few frames it was obvious that I was about to witness something very original and it had me hooked. Donnie Darko is inspired (I would guess) by the weird combination of Philip K Dick, Wes Anderson, JD Salinger and the classic James Stewart movie �Harvey�. It announces the arrival of two great new talents in Writer/Director Richard Kelly and the young actor Jake Gyllenhall, in what is a hugely original, ingenious and entertaining movie. Set in 1988, around Halloween time, this movie has the conventional leafy-suburbia-plus-high-school setting, which alludes to the horror genre of Carrie and Halloween but it is no horror movie. It also has specific elements that suggest that it�s a psychodrama about a young man with schizophrenia but this is not �A Beautiful Mind�. It also ponders the possibility of time travel but this is not science fiction. Stranger still, Donnie Darko is unusual in that (unlike most retro 1980�s pictures such as The Wedding Singer) it actually has a very cool soundtrack drawn from the period of my youth, which includes contributions from the likes of Echo and The Bunnymen, Tears For Fears and Joy Division. So, what is Donnie Darko about? Well, without giving up too much of the plot, Donnie is continuously visited by a 6 foot tall rabbit named Frank, which unlike the Pooka in the classic �Harvey� is both visible to the audience and strangely satanic. Frank tells Donnie that the world is going to end in 28 days six hours and forty two minutes but not to worry as everything is going to be all right. Guided by Frank he narrowly misses being killed when an engine from a 747 crashes through his house whilst he is lying sleeping on a local golf course and the plot thickens when it becomes apparent that the aviation authority has no record of any aircraft losing an engine. Donnie is of course undergoing therapy with a local shrink and hypnotherapist played by Katherine Ross (The Graduate, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid) and the suggestion is of course that Donnie is hallucinating, for as his sister says �he hasn�t been taking his pills�. One of Donnie�s recurring visions suggests that he can see the future before it happens and so he becomes obsessed with the possibility of time travel and a book written by a retired teacher, who is now a scary old recluse, �The Philosophy of Time Travel�. There are also many other sub-plots including Donnie being inspired by his English teacher (Drew Barrymore) and Graham Greene�s short story �The Destructors� into some playful vandalism. In addition to this Donnie�s subversive thoughts and actions begin to undermine the stability of the local community that is strangely gripped by a slimy fundamentalist guru played by Patrick Swayze. Much of this movie is darkly comic and there are some great scenes including a conversation between Donnie and his therapist, where she asks him what he thinks about at school. Like most teenage boys he inevitably replies �having s*x� before proceeding to unbutton his trousers about to m*sturbate. There is also a scene where at a PTA meeting Donnie�s mother challenges the local bigot by asking "Do you even know who Graham Greene is?" she confidently and proudly replies "Oh please! I think we've all seen Bonanza". Personally I loved this movie but whether or not you enjoy this movie probably depends upon how far left of centre you like your movies. If you are not a fan of independent cinema or movies by the likes of Wes Anderson and David Lynch then you probably wont like this. However there is much to recommend in Donnie Darko, not least the cast, which includes, Noah Wyle (ER), Mary McDonnell (Dances With Wolves), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Confessions of A Dangerous Mind) and the previously mentioned Patrick Swayze, Drew Barrymore and Katherine Ross. Jake Gyllenhaal�s exquisite comic timing and laidback personality endows Donnie's existence with a dreamlike quality at odds with his teen angst and the suburban paranoia of his surroundings. Meanwhile writer/director Richard Kelly creates a wonderful sense of tension and keeps you guessing throughout the movie that even after the final titles have rolled you are still left to mull over what you have just witnessed. Whilst critics may argue that Donnie Darko fails as a psychological study and/or horror movie, you cant help but feel they are missing the point, as it deliberately avoids easy classification to a specific genre and instead concentrates on being intelligent, ingenious and highly original. Closing appropriately to a cover version of the old Tears For Fears song �Mad World� and the lyrics �the dreams on which I�m dying are the best I�ve ever had�, neatly ties up the previous two hours and what was for me a very satisfactory cinematic experience. Destined for cult status this undoubtedly deserves five stars!

The particular merits of this film have been discussed by many in detail, so I’ll just say that it’s original, offbeat and compelling. Its cult status is well deserved. For 25 years it has been entertaining, intriguing and mystifying viewers. When a movie’s reputation grows instead of diminishing, it’s clearly on the road to becoming a classic.

First of all, buy this ORIGINAL 2001 release version DVD. Forget the director's cut - it's okay, but not what you'd expect. The director's cut suffers from what Jack White (of the seminal music band, "The White Stripes") meant when he said, "Art is knowing WHEN to stop." The director's cut simply doesn't, and you'll see why too if (as I did) you make the mistake of shelling out the extra green to acquire it. Take my advice: Don't. Stick with the original. You won't be disappointed. Okay, why do I call this bizarre, brilliant flick "the story of my life." Well, because on October 20, 1988 (to be exact), I had an experience MUCH like Donnie's, REALLY and TRULY, only in my case I tried to commit suicide. So when I saw "Donnie Darko," my first reaction was, "oh my god, HOW did the director know?" (about my life at that precise moment in my, much like Donnie's, "emotional problems"-riddled history?). So ... overcoming the intial "shock/epiphany" of seeing my own life played back for me in panoramic technicolor, I curled up, frightened but fascinated, beneath a snuggle blanket and watched further, transfixed by one of the most subtly original, germane, cohesive stories to reach celluloid actualization since "Dawn of the Dead" or, much more recently, "Identity" (with John Cusack); and I quickly became, not only a believer in time travel, but a living survivor of it (UNLIKE Donnie, but forgive me for (possibly) giving away TOO much here). This story HAS to be experienced; and perhaps YOU, Constant Viewer, like I do, remember where YOU were - and what YOU were doing/feeling/going through - way back in October of 1988. Whatever it was, I bet it was something you'll never forget. Like this film - you'll never forget it; and, lessee ... I'm on about my, er ... 12th or 13th viewing of it now (the ORIGINAL, NOT the director's "clutter"). I put "Donnie Darko" in my Top 5 movies of all time. For originality, for story, for great, natural, completely successful "suspension of disbelief" acting; for being, at once - a tragicomedy, a WILDLY-WEIRD (this is the understatement of the new millennium) dramedy, a fired-up, mind-frying sci/fi thriller, a uniquely-tender-hearted horror yarn, and WAY beyond, My Friends: "Donnie" is a philosophical brain burster much in the same neogenre/league-of-its-own film-making; for counterparts in creative "playfulness" behind the motion-picture camera, I can only recommend the following "warmup" exercises: see "Pi," "Primer," "Adaptation," "Happiness," "Prince of Darkness," "Being John Malkovich" and "Martin" (a little-remembered but unforgettable piece by George A. Romero, who has a brilliant little cameo in this pic as a "happy marshmallow man-child" of a Catholic priest). You'll get the idea FAST, of what you're in for with Donnie. An all-star cast will blow you away and lends immense credulity to this quirkified, whacked-out, indie knockout punch; you'll be reeling when you see here: Mary McDonnell, Noah Wiley, Patrick Swayze, Drew Barrymore! Watching Drew play the part of a high-school English teacher is definitely worth "the price of emotion" enough (interestingly, if NOT for Barrymore's bankroll (she's the executive producer of Darko's "reel world," in REAL life); fact: "Darko" probably never would have lit up our darkened screens at all, without Barrymore's vision and deep enough pockets to realize such - Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Drew!). And getting Swayze to play the role of a pedophile HAD to have been a "challenge," er ... to say the LEAST! Swayze HAD to have been "a total sport" about what he was asked to portray; like the way John Malkovich was concerning HIS OWN "journey through the looking portal." But enough said. Darken your own personal viewing room now. Slide "Donnie" into your DVD player. And "take the trip," safely and securely (yet be warned - your MIND and SPIRIT may NEVER be the same afterwards), as I have, and am living proof of, the reality, horror, and (as Kelly intended, and successfully realized), the HEALING benefits, not unlike "It's a Wonderful Life," but only MUCH DARKER implications of, "time travel." Hurry though. As Kelly remonstrates cinematically, "time is precious." Indeed. And, Frankly speaking (pun intended), time's running out.

Some films are impossible to categorize. Donnie Darko can be seen as horror, science fiction, drama or social satire but in truth it is just art. This is the sort of entertainment that is best experienced in a relaxed state of half dreaming. The plot defies analysis and the bizarre situations that arise are strangely suited to the audience's mood. After my first viewing, I didn't know what I had seen but I knew I liked it. In fact, it took several sessions to reach a solid hypothesis as to the narrative cause and effect. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the title character, a troubling but not troubled young man who lives in a different world to the rest of us. His average family offers him all the support they can but even Donnie's psychiatrist struggles to understand his situation. The prescription of antischizophrenic drugs seems to do little to blunt his visions, nor do they stop his nocturnal missions. I particularly like the way the soundtrack was gently used to separate the normal from the abnormal. The film's mournful version of "Mad World", (originally made famous by Tears for Fears), was one of the musical highlights. One of Donnie's most interesting qualities is that he has no fear of the common-place terrors that exist for the rest of us. He tells his teachers where to shove it, asks the beautiful Gretchen to go steady after only a day, speaks out against the school's guest brain-washer and even copes calmly with murderous bullies. He is however, afraid that the world will end in 28 days and is concerned about dying alone, but then who isn't. The story is interwoven with several mysteries, only some of which are even partially explained in the film. One of the most important of these occurs while Donnie is out one night on the local golf-course, talking to a six foot rabbit named Frank. I don't know if this is an allusion to the James Stewart film, "Harvey," but it is certainly not played for laughs, as Frank is quite sinister. Sometime during this meeting Donnie's bedroom is demolished by a falling jet engine. No one knows where it came from and no airline claims their lost property, but one thing is certain, if Donnie hadn't been AWOL, he'd be very dead. Life quickly resumes. The family's notoriety fades and school life once again regains its position of central torment in Donnie's life. His beautiful and sensitive English teacher, along with his grounded and caring science teacher, (Barrymore & Wylie), fail to offset the damage done by the stressed and misguided gym teacher, Kitty Farmer. She is a disciple of Jim Cunningham, (Swayze), a motivational speaker who reaks of charm and paternalistic love; so much so that Donnie, and the audience, just can't buy into his simple solutions. The film's cast is huge but of an impressive quality, for an ostensibly independent production. All the major characters seemed to go beyond what is expected and create three dimensional beings with quirks, fears and emotions that are subtly alluded to. I particularly enjoyed Gyllenhaal's performance as Donnie. When he is in the sway of one of his visions, the cast of his eye is more disturbing than any million dollar special effect. Beth Grant, playing the Gym teacher, is also outstanding. Her new-age zealotry is the perfect representation of what is truly dangerous in our politically correct society. Along with a great cast, the script is amazing. Not just in its creativity but that it ever managed to get funding. Chock full of unlikely theories, small but convoluted set pieces and thought provoking dialogue, it made the film entertaining, even after several viewings. Small touches bring Donnie's world home to us; like the discussion of the sexual mores of Smurfs, Ms Pomeroy forcing the new girl to sit next to the guy she likes best and an old lady suffering a life-threatening obsession with checking her perpetually empty mailbox. In the end though, it is the greater plot devices that twist our minds like some drug induced mobius loop. Is Donnie some sort of psychotic super-hero? Did everyone remember an alternative future, at the end? Were Grandma Death's theories on time-travel true? If you like pat answers in your entertainment, then you'll be frustrated with Donnie Darko. If however, like me, you like to solve puzzles, you may be prepared to dive into the depths of Donnie's world. Come on in; the water's dark.

... it keeps going and going. Donnie Darko is one of those films that, even with a re-release, never really got out of its cult status because most people are too afraid to think. I'll get more on that later. The main character in the movie, Donnie, is obviously borderline schizo. Or so it seems. But I won't spoil anything for you. Basically, he sees a vision of an oversized bunny which prophesizes that the world will end in a little under a month. Donnie gets to experience everything he's ever wanted to do during this time and still has some left to save the world. As simple as that synopsis may sound, it can't do the film justice. There are plenty, and I mean PLENTY, of subplots that are pretty interesting. The characters are also worth a look because, although not every one of them experiences growth, the majority of them who do grows in an odd yet interesting way. The direction and cinematography are pretty good, even if they do hint at past movies like E.T. and Silence of the Lambs. The effects are excellent for an independent film, and the simplistic, ambient score matches nicely with the movie's atmosphere. The plot might be the determining factor whether this film appeals to you or not. As you may have heard, the whole film, beginning, middle, and ending, are open to discussion. Although Kelly did a good job of handing us the appetizer and main course of the meal, the bastard kept the dessert. But I think this helps with the longevity of the movie; it's easily one that begs to be talked about, scrutinized, and criticized. Another determing factor might be its subtle preaching. One might not catch on to it early on but as the film progresses, it becomes more evident. Sometimes I think that the movie tries to address too many things at once, resulting in a, if you will, mental overload. But again, this can be cured with repeat viewings. I hope Kelly didn't run out of ideas after this film. I truly believe that this movie is his welcome call to the artform, both scriptwise and direction-wise. This work is among my all-time favorites not because of what it is but what it tries to be, and that beats the many offerings Hollywood has given us recently, which never tries to be anything even though they can be something. EDITED TO ADD: Director's Cut (Rating = 4 stars, since I can't place two reviews here.) I've recently watched the two versions back to back and decided to compare the two. Pros: - The addition of a few pages of The Philosophy of Time Travel into the movie makes the plot easier to comprehend for first-time viewers. - Almost all of the deleted scenes are placed back into the movie. As a result, it feels more complete and in some instances, adds more poignancy to the film, the best of which shows Donnie's relationship with the rest of his family. - Some of the special and sound effects have been revamped, all for the better. Cons: - For someone who has seen the original version and have discussed it at length with others, the Director's Cut almost feels like it dumbs down the complexity of the former. I for one recommend seeing the first before the Cut. Formulate and research your theory first before Kelly does it for you =) - I have a big, if not HUGE, problem with the changes in music. Echo & the Bunnymen's "The Killing Moon" is replace by INXS' "Never Tear Us Apart" during the beginning of the movie. While the latter is a good song itself, "The Killing Moon" was such an integral part of original version. It's instead relocated to a another scene where one needs to listen carefully in order to hear it. Some of the score have also been altered or moved around. It's an all-around nice version of the film though. There are a few good things added or changed, but there are also bad. This altered version doesn't take away the major aspects that made the original version/story/whatever good though. Again, here's to hoping that Kelly will eventually squeeze more genre-bending, mind-blowing, odd spectacles in his career.

"Donnie Darko" is already one of the certifiable cult classics of the 2000s, joining perhaps "The Royal Tenenbaums" and "Requiem for a Dream" who already achieve such status in still a young decade. What sets this film apart from the others, however, is its sheer unclassifiable ness: family drama, horror, science fiction and humor are all mixed in this cinematic stew where "Pretty in Pink"-meets-"Slaughterhouse-Five"-meets-"Catcher in the Rye." The outcome is a highly original film that dives into fundamental questions of life itself, all of which makes great entertainment. Set in the tightly-clinched sphincter of late-1980s Reagan America, we meet East Coast Catholic high schooler Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal), a troubled teen with emotional problems that worry his concerned and supportive family. Donnie's world isn't in good shape either: Dukakis is losing badly to George Bush; his fellow high schoolers and friends are brash and racist; his education filled with meaningless fear-and-love emotional studies. The neatly trimmed lawns, big homes and fine green trees of his hometown of Middlesex, Virginia disguise the brewing trouble that is lurking all around. Donnie unexpectedly begins to sleep walk at night, leaving his house to wake up in the morning on hillside roads and golf courses. During one such walk, a disjointed voice lures him out of the house and onto a golf course, where Donnie discovers a guy in a demonic bunny suit named Frank telling him that the world will end in twenty-eight days. This sparks a chain of events that not only puzzle Donnie, but virtually everyone around him, calumniating in a hallucinatory finale where the audience is asked to question what it means to be alive and ultimately what it means to be alone in a complicated and sometimes frightening universe. With a strong cast that includes Patrick Swayze as an ultra-conservative emotional speaker, Noah Wyle and Drew Barrymore as Donnie's progressive English and science teachers, Maggie Gyllenhaal (Jake's real-life sister) as Donnie's `80s-brat sister, and the always great Mary McDonnell as Donnie's confused but loving mother, "Donnie Darko" has a great depth of actors which brings these colorful characters to life. The also fabulous soundtrack includes a slew of `80s favorites, like Echo and the Bunnymen, Tears for Fears, the Church, and Joy Division. Its most talked about song, "Mad World" an excellent remake of the Tears for Fears classic by Gary Jules, is absolutely haunting when played near the film`s conclusion. Attesting to its power, it went to number one in the UK in December 2003, nearly two years after being released. In all, "Donnie Darko" is a great movie to watch on Friday or Saturday night with all the lights turned off, and possibly a cup of coffee once it's ended to talk about it. Like a good wine, "Donnie Darko" has become more popular since its subdued release in 2001, and with time, has only gotten better.

I came very close to not buying this DVD, based on the bad reviews, but I am SO glad I did! The negative comments from others led me to expect a horrible abomination from the theatrical cut, but it actually wasn't as bad as I feared. Different, yes, but not bad. Yes, the sound effects are different (for a reason), yes the song tracks are different (for a reason), yes, some of the visual effects are different (for a reason). (The reasons are all fully explained in the commentary of this edition.) What you have to understand is that the director, Richard Kelly, considers this a "remix" version of the film, not a "replacement" version. He's not pulling a George Lucas and trying to usurp previous versions with this one instead; he was given the chance to make an additional version, so he did. What is awesome about this edition, however, is not the changes from the theatrical version, but Kelly's commentary track with Kevin Smith, because it finally makes everything so perfectly clear! When I first saw the original film on the theatrical DVD release, I kind of understood it, but not completely. Then I watched the deleted scenes and the extras (the Philosophy of Time Travel excerpts) on the original DVD and I got a much better understanding of the film. With the director's cut, the deleted scenes and the POTT excerpts have now been added into the film, so if you've never seen the theatrical release you might find this one easier to understand. Completists should be aware that some of the deleted scenes that have been restored to this version are NOT available in the deleted scenes on the theatrical release DVD - they are making their first appearance here. But it's when you listen to the director's cut commentary that we finally get the full explanation of what Kelly meant to convey. I won't spoil anything here, but even if you think you sort-of understand what the "manipulated living" and the "manipulated dead" and the "receiver," etc all mean (from the POTT excerpts), it's never really made completely clear until this commentary with Kevin Smith -- even Kevin Smith admits there are things he didn't understand until this meeting with Kelly, like what the other characters were (subconsciously) doing throughout the story to influence Donnie. And there is one relationship between two characters that I don't think anyone but Kelly got until now. Now, this might mean that Kelly is just really bad at getting his point across on a dramatic, script level - otherwise why would it have taken this many tries to get the true plot structure clear to the audience? Unless he meant this film to be the "2001: A Space Odyssey" for its generation: deliberate vagueness to leave it open for individual interpretation. And for those wanting to know why Kevin Smith was chosen to assist in the commentary, it's because Kelly was attempting to make the movie more like a comic-book film (despite his own admission of not being knowledgeable about comic books) and asked Kevin Smith along to talk about whether or not he succeeded. Bottom line, which version do I prefer? Well, the theatrical version, but mostly because I prefer its song selections to the director's cut song selections (song choices and song placements, which both changed). But to truly understand this film, you need to be familiar with the deleted scenes, the extras, AND the director's cut commentary - all of which are in this edition.

I'm a big fan of the original Donnie Darko movie theatrical version, however if you have the mind of a scientist and theoretical physicist like me this one is way better and Superior to the theatrical. I'm blown away that anybody would give this a bad review it is ultra awesome I will always love that theatrical as well but this will always be my favorite.

Long movie

星４つの理由。ドニー・ダーコ UMDビデオの仕様。日本の某携帯ゲーム機で再生可能 でした。音声は英語2.0ステレオ、字幕は無し、となっております。画面は16:9。 例えば、夜ベッドで眠っている時に、空から飛行機のエンジンが墜ちて来て、自分が 死んでしまったとしたら、それは運命？、それとも自分自身で決めた選択の結果？、 と色々と、考えさせられる映画だと思いました。 主人公のドニー・ダーコ、転校生のグレッチェン・ロス、その他の登場人物、そして 銀色のウサギ・・・。謎の多いストーリーだと思います。個人的には、学生時代に、 綺麗な転校生が来たら、恋しちゃうよね、と思ったりもしました！？。 ラストは、賛否両論あると思いましたが、ドニー・ダーコが幸せそうな笑顔でベッド で寝ている姿のシーンは、印象に残りました。挿入歌『マッドワールド』も雰囲気が あり、良かったですね。読んでいただき、ありがとうございます。

Daughter loves this movie. Arrived in perfect condition.

This is by far one of may favorite films of all time its just so wonderfully different from anything else I've ever seen. Donnie Darko (2001,Richard Kelly) is set in America during a election time for Michael S. Dukakis vs Bush. How ever that isn't really what the films about even though its mentioned a couple of times, the film is about Donnie Darko (Jake gyllenhall) a troubled boy with mental issues despite him being very bright for his age. Donnie is sleep walking and is constantly coming across a strange character called Frank dressed in giant bunny costume. Frank makes Donnie do things in his sleep such as arson and destruction of property. Donnie is disturbed by what he's dreaming about and has therapy for his dreams hoping they'll stop with the help of some medication he's prescribed. As things begin to get out of hand Donnie becomes more and more obsessed with the idea of time travel which throws yet another possibility for Donnie's strange habits into the mix of what is already a confusing story. The film has moments of awe as well as sadness and deals with issues such as the meaning of life, the belief in god and the existence of parallel universes/ time travel (I know there not the same thing but share similar characteristics).The moral issues and philosaphys this film takes into account may boggle your mind but this film is so unique and strange it's something of impressive step in the right direction for entrepreneurs in the film industry ,e.g. "Being John Malcavitch" a unique story and a film no one even wanted to make but when it was created it grossed millions and a cult fan base. This Film deserves as much credit , and yet sadly won't but at least has fans and is worth the purchase for the price Amazons charging. It has a sequel which I haven't seen, neither do I want to, it really doesn't look like a proper sequel and isn't worth watching when this film raps up loose ends and stands well enough on its own. Closing point: i was slightly disappointed with this copy seeing as there is a final cut which has a more detailed explanation of what's going on as well as some extra footage, so if you're going to buy any buy the director's cut its worth it.

Très bon film de mon adolescence