"Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Jake Gyllenhaal as DONNIE DARKO Jena Malone as GRETCHEN ROSS Drew Barrymore as KAREN POMEROY James Duval as FRANK Beth Grant as KITTY FARMER Maggie Gyllenhaal as ELIZABETH DARKO Mary McDonnell as ROSE DARKO Holmes Osbourne as EDDIE DARKO Katharine Ross as DR. LILIAN THURMAN Patrick Swayze as JIM CUNNINGHAM Noah Wyle as DR. KENNETH MONNITOFF Rated R Studio: Newmarket Films and 20th Century Fox Directed by: Richard Kelly Back to DVD Review Home |
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It is said in the special features of this DVD that most people are turned on to “Donnie Darko” by someone’s recommendation. And I found that kinda funny because that’s exactly what happened to me. Like most people who have seen this film, I missed it in its initial theatrical run and didn’t even see it when it first hit video.
For me, it was a clerk at my local Speedway. He doesn’t work there anymore, but I’d see him a lot behind the counter when I was getting some munchies after hitting a 24-hour video store down the road. I don’t remember his name, but I remember him constantly telling me to check out this little film called “Donnie Darko.” He admitted it wasn’t a great film, but somehow he was inspired to not only buy a copy for himself but to also tell random people at Speedway to check out the film.
I checked out the movie and thought it was decent. Then I didn’t give it another thought. I knew on a very peripheral level that it was a cult film, but I never understood the depth of the fans obsession until I watched the new director’s cut - or rather when I watched the special features on this 2-disc set.
The film itself is like a John Hughes movie on acid. It tells the story of a high school psychotic named Donnie Darko (Jake Gylenhaal) who is prone to sleepwalking and visits from a mysterious and evil-looking bunny rabbit named Frank. One night, Frank lured Donnie out of his home before Donnie’s bedroom is struck by a wayward jet engine. This event sends the normally boring suburb of Middlesex into a tangent universe. Frank the Bunny predicts the world will end in 28 days, and it’s up to Donnie to save reality.
I was watching this film early in the morning, and my wife came out of the bedroom to see the last ten minutes. When the credits started to roll, she said, “What the hell happened?” and I responded with a simple, “I can’t even begin to explain it.”
The movie itself opens up some interesting doors and contemplates things that nerds like me always thought about in high school - tangental universes and time travel. Maybe that is what touched the fans of this movie. When I first saw it, I didn’t understand it all that much (although I understand that I’m not alone with that). And while the director’s cut makes things a little more clear, it’s still a bit out there.
Fortunately, these DVD provide plenty of clues to understanding the film. First, there’s a great commentary by director Richard Kelly and his buddy Kevin Smith. While Smith has nothing to do with the film, he provides an excellent foil for Kelly to explain what in God’s name is happening in the movie. After listening to the commentary, I have an excellent grasp of the film.
The second disc features an hour-long production diary with optional commentary by D.P. Steven Poster. This is really only interesting for the film production angle. Having worked in indie film, I appreciated this, but it was far from the highlight of the disc.
Several scenes are presented in storyboard-to-screen sequences. There’s also a “They Made Me Do It Too” featurette about the cult fans of the film. While I liked the movie, I found the fans to be utterly annoying and pretentious. And it was quite irritating to hear some of the U.K. fans pompously state that American audiences just weren’t intelligent enough to “get it.” Sadly, it appears the Darko fans, like many off-the-wall cult fans, are too big for their britches.
However, the best special feature is the “#1 Fan: A Darkomentary,” which is a spoof of cult fans in general. Shot without the knowledge of the filmmakers, we are presented with an obscure caricature of the wacky fan. The highlight of this film is how the fan-boy ambushes James Duval and Richard Kelly at the San Diego Comic-Con. Their reactions alone demonstrate that there was more truth than fiction in this little “fan film.”
Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Widescreen (2.35:1) - Enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Spanish subtitles. English subtitles for the hearing impaired.
