First, I feel obligated to say that Donnie Darko and Fight Club are two of my favorite movies, although I don't see how they are all that similar. DD appeals to people in an individual sort of way, playing to the loneliness that people feel, people relate to the film becuase of a shared exclusion. Viewers can relate to the world of DD because we already have our own insicurities that the movie plays off of.

On the other hand FC seems to draw its interest through inclusion. Rather, you want to be a part of the mythical world that David Fincher creates.

While DD fails to make much sense because of a high-strung psuedo-philosophical "message", FC loses track of itself because of the forced "hollywood ending". Reading the book by Chuck Palahniuk will help make sense of FC, while reading Alejo Carpentier's Concerto Barogue (sp?) gives another perspective on the theories intended by the creators of DD.

you can call me unsophisticated but I thought the movie was overly weird. Just weird in every way. Maybe Im not intellegent enough to get the hidden meanings and messages but I didnt see what was so great about it.

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Originally posted by rockbotle:
First, I feel obligated to say that Donnie Darko and Fight Club are two of my favorite movies, although I don't see how they are all that similar. DD appeals to people in an individual sort of way, playing to the loneliness that people feel, people relate to the film becuase of a shared exclusion. Viewers can relate to the world of DD because we already have our own insicurities that the movie plays off of.

On the other hand FC seems to draw its interest through inclusion. Rather, you want to be a part of the mythical world that David Fincher creates.

While DD fails to make much sense because of a high-strung psuedo-philosophical "message", FC loses track of itself because of the forced "hollywood ending". Reading the book by Chuck Palahniuk will help make sense of FC, while reading Alejo Carpentier's _Concerto Barogue_ (sp?) gives another perspective on the theories intended by the creators of DD.

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Well said rockbottle....I must say that as stubborn as I am I have to...agree...with you!

Good movie. Kind of creepy, though.
Love Jake Gyllenhaal.

I see DD on similar terms as "Butterfly effect".

Given the choice both protaganists decide that the world would be a better place without them.

Sort of like a reverse "It's a wonderfull life" for generation give up.

Give Donnie Darko credit though. The scientific explanation for the end is amazing, anyone know it? I read it a few years back, but I have since forgotten it. I think that Jake fit the part so well, when I saw it I wanted to cry, even five minutes into the film I already knew Donnie. It was amazing...

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Originally posted by wong828:
Hell, I just thought it was magical realism, subcatagory teen, subcatagory suburban. But well done.

I mean we can think psychiatric disassociation.

Or we can think wormholes and quantum mechanics, but why ruin a wet dream?

I mean the Aliens pics is monster in a box. Predator is creatures hunting man. And since their sequels never expand much beyond the original premise, they get tiresome after a point, just higher body count as the story gets more ridiculous. Then we see cross-overs. I mean Alien v. Predator is coming out as a movie, but in the comics, Alien had already met Superman AND Batman.

Donnie Darko has it right: the suggestion that random events occur in the universe, and that much of that universe is a mystery, and Donnie for the most part don't have a clue.

Big deal Dart Vader turns out to be Dad...

You're probably being a little harsh there (though sure Donnie does not evoke the level of seriousness people are pinning on him), but the film is incredibly vague in its predicaments, and even with the intrusion of playful bunny and paedophilia on the golf course, it fails to impress the theorist. This film, really, isn't about anything much than some wacked-up 28 days (whatever it was) in some hormonal teenager’s INTP head.
You approach this from a non-lateral point of view, you're stuick on an island thinking "what an ass"

personally, it isn't the science in the film that I like, it did provoke thought for while, but I realised I was getting nowhere. And I like mystery.

Anyway, I love the atmosphere of the film, the emotional aspect, the simple things...

like the scene in which he asks out Gretchen ...the slow-motion parts even though it's such an out-dated technique...or the beginning scene (maybe it's because I'm a sucker for Echo and the Bunnymen, who knows?)...one of the user ratings of the film accuses it of having 'artless photography', personally, I'm not bothered (in this case at least). The actors make the characters believable (especially Jake Gyllenhaal) and it's the characters that tend to sell a film to me.

anyway, this is a music-minded person talking about a film in a film-minded enviroment, so people are bound to think I'm some sort of philistine.

I would personally love to see more philistines over her. Music keeps humming along with new members and interesting discussions, and we need some new blood and perspectives over here at film too. Welcome to the site, even if I'm late.

I don't usually post much over here in movies, but Donnie Darko is probably my favorite movie ever. I've gotta say that I don't really understand the whole thing even after watching the movie many times, but that's part of the reason I can watch it over and over and still love it.

Does every movie need a tidy ending that makes perfect sense? Donnie Darko is different in a lot of ways, and I think that's a big part of its appeal.

Part of the reason I liked the movie so much is because I can relate to Donnie in a lot of ways, probably more than anyone else here.

Sometimes a movie or album comes along that doesn't really make sense in a conventional way, and you can't explain the exact reason that it's so moving, but that doesn't make it any less brilliant. For whatever ineffable reason, this movie evokes really strong emotions in me. Part of the reason has to be the soundtrack though. I mean, how brilliant is Gary Jules stripped-down, haunting version of Mad World at the end? It fits the scene and the mood perfectly.

The thing I enjoyed most about Donnie Darko was it's portrayal of a passage of enlightenment, one that challenged religion and questioned deep, previously taboo philosophical standpoints. It exaggerated the ridiculousness of various religious aspects through the channel of Mrs. Farmer and self help dude, and emphasized dogmatic contradictions with Molotov and Drew Barrymore’s character in their restrictions and ostracism. It's one of those movies that hits home on issues that make little sense within a religious discourse, and uses Donnie to represent a unexpressed modernistic rejection of previously pervasive solidarity, one which is now rapidly losing validity where it seems that ‘everyone dies alone’! I also thought their portrayal of hypnotism was cool in its ability to remove the super ego and be able to view unconsciousness at a level of that eradicates orthodox credence. It’s definitely a movie that makes you think, and it’s beginning to frustrate me when people express their dislike for it for stupid reasons. People who discredit it and discard it as ‘stupid’ or ‘overcomplicated’ seem to be those frustrated with their inability to cope with an advanced text that makes you think and challenges the world as we know it, instead of one designed for apathetical people content with being braindead and having everything spelled out for them. I’m not saying that movies that aren’t complex don’t have alternative merits, I just get frustrated with naïve people who obliviously assert their hate for something they can’t understand. I have more stuff to say but I cbf atm and I’m in a rush!. It’s a great movie!!

best movie of all-time. period.

proud for bumping an old thread

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Part of the reason has to be the soundtrack though. I mean, how brilliant is Gary Jules stripped-down, haunting version of Mad World at the end? It fits the scene and the mood perfectly.

yes, the soundtrack was key in this film.

every time i hear any of the songs on here i can remember the exact scene, and most of the lines. haha.

i don't think i can do that to any other movie.

i think Donnie Darko was one of the best films i've EVER seen.i'm not really into movies that make me think, but this one was so awesome. i watched it 4x in a row.I LOVE this movie.Mad World is a really good song too!

Donnie Darko= Masterpiece

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Originally posted by DANNY ARCHER®:
Donnie Darko= Masterpiece

couldn't have said it better myself.

its sutch a brillent film, i think that what rockbotle sed was amazin an that i cudnt of sed it better my self not bein big head or en-thin but u cud of talked about the simalarities of donnie to fightclub instead of just say that there diffrent lik "the aspect of another world that he cr8ted in his mind to his views of the aspect of the world, too fightclubs story how its simmler coz he also uses a scapoe goat againts the world, so its a basic fight between donnie and fightclub sayin "im more crazy then you!!!!"

Thinking back on Donnie Darko I thought the movie was overrated. I viewed the film as being angsty, full of over the top philosophical points that had little context within the movie. I felt it was just a channel to lash out against conservatives. My opinion is that Donnie Darko thought it was being clever but really wasn't. I just thought the whole movie felt extremely fake and unconvincing. I am a big fan of Lynch and I can accept a movie not meant to be understood on first viewing but I just don't see how much I could really get out of DD on a second viewing. I ask myself, what is the point?