# Donnie Darko (2001) - Non Spoiler thread



## Dave (Jul 18, 2002)

*Anyone seen this?*

Does it even exist?

This Fantasy film features heavily in lists of top scifi and fantasy films, but I must admit to never having heard of it before.

Highschooler Donnie Darko is plagued by visions of a 6 foot tall giant evil rabbit who orders him to commit acts of violence and predicts the impending end of the world. 

Sounds like a darker version of James Stewart's 'Harvey'!!!

It comes well recommended on various websites, but there is no accounting for taste!


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## Tabitha (Jul 18, 2002)

As I was reading your plot outline I was thinking of Harvey too - sounds bizarre.

Here's the imdb entry:  http://us.imdb.com/Title?0246578

Looks like quite a few famous people are in it, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze and Noah Wyle included.  Might have to check it out.


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## Dave (Jul 18, 2002)

You watch it first. If it's any good tell me then!


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## Tabitha (Jul 18, 2002)

...hmmm, I think I might have the losing side of this agreement 
But I'll look out for it.


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## Dave (Jul 19, 2002)

I tried to rent this today, but couldn't find it  

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/DonnieDarko-1110922/


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## King Donut (Jul 26, 2002)

I've been looking all over the place for this movie! No-one has it.


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## Tabitha (Jul 30, 2002)

According to the website, my local rogers video store has it - I might be checking it out soon!


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## Tabitha (Aug 3, 2002)

Right I just watched this - after the guy in the video store told me it was "awesome", I raised an eyebrow and rented it anyway, and I was far from disappointed.  I knew nothing about it beyond what Dave had posted above, so I had no expectations as far as the storyline was concerned.

It was awesome - the kid in the video store was spot on.  The 'bunny' is a very scary apparition, whose voice really creeped me out.  

The storyline is basically that Dave outlined above.  A teenager experiences disturbing visions in which a bunny-suited character named Frank tells him that the world is going to end (or alternatively, that Frank is going to kill someone), and instructs the tenn, Donnie, to commit various apparently senseless acts of vandalism. 
Believe it or not, time travel, God and Graham Greene all seem to be central themes in the film.  I highly recommend it, although it is a puzzler - I am finding it difficult to review it properly because I still haven't really digested what was going on.  The message boards over at rotten tomatoes are helping give me some clues though 

Check it out if you can, I would love to chat with peeps on here about it.


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## Dave (Oct 15, 2002)

The reason I've never heard of this in the UK, is that it hasn't been shown here yet!

It's just been on BBC1's "Film 2002" with Jonathan Ross. He was absolutely raving about it. He's already seen it three times and thinks that it's the best thing by a new director since he can remember.

How it can have all those things in the plot, as well as wormholes, I've no idea though?

His only criticism was the wooden acting by Drew Barrymore, apparently she part financed it.

It also has a totally '80's soundtrack. Ross also said that the soundtrack is great, making some poor jokes about it.

It opens on 23rd October 2002, but sounds like it doesn't have a very wide screening. That's most perculiar when it obviously has a cult following, some fairly big stars, and many, many positive reviews. I grant you that it's weirdness might put off a lot of mainstream film-goers.


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## Tabitha (Oct 17, 2002)

That's crazy that this film has taken such a long time to get over here.  However this does seem to work both ways - when I was leaving Canada, they were advertising a "Coming Soon" movie called "Formula 51", which would be familiar to British cinema goers as "The 51st State", already out on video over here.

I will be going to see Donnie Darko again when it gets to a cinema nearby, I was trying to describe the plot to a friend recently and just manage to talk myself into a corner.  Looking forward to trying to figure out exactlly what was happening in the film.


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## Dave (Oct 26, 2002)

Jonathan Ross really likes this film!

This was in his Daily Mirror column today. It is also online at:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/columnists/jonathanross/page.cfm?objectid=12310746&method=full&siteid=50143




> _Daily Mirror, Films Column, 25/10/02_
> HORROR movies aimed specifically at youngsters have been a fixture at cinemas all over the world since the 1950s, when some bright spark realised that undemanding teenagers liked nothing more than a small scare to help them snuggle up together in the back row on a Saturday night.
> 
> I Was A Teenage Werewolf and I Was A Teenage Frankenstein even, as the titles might have suggested, featured actual teenage monsters.
> ...



I don't know if I'm going to have time to catch it


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## Tabitha (Oct 29, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Dave _
> *
> I don't know if I'm going to have time to catch it   *


I recommended it to a friend up here and he thought it was the best film he had seen in a very long time.
It really is just something different.


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## Dave (Oct 29, 2002)

I was going to go to see this today, but it's not on at any of my local cinemas, and I haven't time to go far to the big multiplexes and get back in time to pick up my son from school. I might just wait until the DVD release. 

When more people have seen this I think there might be a lot of discussion on it. It could even become a new film mini-forum.


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## Ivanhoe (Nov 2, 2002)

Donnie Darko has grow to become one of my favorite movies. It is emotional, sensual, inteligent and sad. A diferent kind of movie. 

Don't miss it Dave.


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## markpud (Apr 15, 2003)

Yes, this is an excellent film!!! Well worth watching if you haven't yet Dave..

And it's due out on R2 DVD on the 19th of May http://www.playserver5.com/play247.asp?page=title&r=R2&title=111689


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## Tabitha (Apr 15, 2003)

FYI - Donnie Darko is already out for the DVD rental market here in the UK.  I am going to buy it when I can too!


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## markpud (Apr 17, 2003)

already out where?? Play usually have them amongst the first...


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## Tabitha (Apr 18, 2003)

Well, I currently have it in my possession rented from www.movietrak.com 

I guess your local rental emporium would have it right now.  
Only the rental copy is available so far on region 2 though, gotta wait a few weeks for the full release.


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## markpud (Apr 18, 2003)

Ah ok, I'm not one for renting, so I may treat myself to the DVD when it's released proper


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## Dave (Apr 18, 2003)

Thanks, I will definitely be renting this as soon as I can. I wanted to see it at the cinema but I was just too busy at the time. I must see what all the hype is about. I'm not a big fan of Jonathan Ross, but he was gushing about this everywhere he writes or reviews.

I think that the marketing of it has been perculiar (Why we in the UK had to wait over six months for the film release, the video still not out yet, etc.) It could probably have been a really huge film if it had been marketed better  (i.e. Harry Potter).


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## Tabitha (Apr 18, 2003)

I don't know why they handled the movie in such a strange matter, and from a UK perspective I only really have the Edinburgh take on it, and I can tell you that it was pretty big news here for a long time.  It showed in a lot of cinemas for several months, and is still a late-night movie in some places.  I persuaded all my friends to go and see it, I think it got good word of mouth, and I would be interested to know what the UK gross was in the end.  I have a feeling it would be very high for such an under-hyped film.


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## Dave (May 2, 2003)

I've seen it now, and I liked it a lot. No one has actually talked about it yet though.

Since the plot is complex, and the solution doesn't come till the end, and I have a few spoiler-ridden questions, I'll begin a new thread called "Donnie Darko - Discussion".


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## ray gower (Jun 15, 2003)

You can add me to the list of people that have seen it now. Thanks for the tip Dave! If I had been left with the description on the DVD cover I wouldn't have bothered.

It is a good film, with enough side plots and twists to keep it fascinating


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