Customer Reviews
Donnie Darko 
2008-10-06
Almost as good as if i bought it brand new with the exception of knowing i bought it online, good condition and recieved in exceptional time. five stars :)
Heavy...Or, Lite? 
2008-10-02
I just watched "Donnie Darko" last night w/my son who is 16. My son said, he loved it, awesome. You can really take this movie 2 ways, not getting it at all, or totally loving it. I was somewhere in the middle. It was both funny, and chilling at the same time. It reminds me of a movie I saw a long time ago, called: Jacob's Ladder. Without spoiling the end of the flick for those who haven't seen it, I do encourage you to check it out. I saw someone's earlier review stating it was kind of like a Napolian Dynamite Nightmare, in that, it's again, kind of like, you either get it, or you don't. I can see alot of people coming off of this movie with a question mark....but, I totally get the end, it was fantastic. I saw it on cable, one of the reviews said they has watched the commentary a second time around, and connecting the dots was very well put. I can very much see how this flick has and will become a cult classic. Check it out! ;)
Like a Nightmare Version of "Napoleon Dynamite" 2008-09-18
When my son brought this movie home, I thought it was going to be another predictable teen slasher. Not at all! This combination sci-fi/moody teen/drama-comedy/time paradox leaves you haunted, for all the questions left unanswered. The plot is indescribably complicated. You can't tell whether Donnie is hallucinating the giant evil bunny (a la Harvey) that tells him the world is going to end in 28 days, or whether you have joined him in a bizarre parallel world, where all the laws of science and the universe are warped, while others are living normal lives all around you. Is he seeing the future? Reliving his past? Or is it an alternative reality or a reversal of fate? Entwined within the plot are cutting condemnations of Society in the fat girl, the pyromaniac, stuck-up teachers, unyielding parents, snotty neighbors and self-help gurus. It all culminates in a fateful Halloween party. Unforgettable scores of '80s hits includes the theme, "Mad World." The cast includes executive producer Drew Barrymore and Patrick Swayze. Like a nightmare, this movie will keep haunting your thoughts long afterward.
Where Is Donnie? 2008-09-12
-This review was written in conjunction with the standard edition of the DVD, not the 2-disc Director's Cut-
2001 was a year full of outstanding films, but one film stood out from all of the others for its sheer inventiveness, its brilliant vision, and its director's ambition. No, I'm not talking about The Lord of the Rings (although, my previous statement could easily be applied to that film as well). Richard Kelly's feature debut film as a director, Donnie Darko, is a fascinating science fiction drama. The film looks at the life of a troubled `80s teen named Donnie Darko, who suffers from blackouts, sleepwalking, and bizarre hallucinations. The film features an awesome soundtrack (which is unfortunately unavailable on Amazon.com) and some nifty camerawork and visual effects. Since its initial release, Donnie Darko has developed a loyal fanbase across the globe, especially in the U.K. where the film first achieved its cult classic status.
The story tells us of an emotionally troubled teenager, Donnie Darko, who begins having hallucinations (or are they) of a man in a rabbit costume. The man refers to himself as simply Frank, and he warns Donnie that the world will end in 28 days. Meanwhile, Donnie's family struggles with his peculiar behavior and his general disregard for their feelings. After meeting a new girl at school named Gretchen, Donnie seems to find new purpose in life, but his blackouts become more severe. During these episodes he vandalizes the school and even burns down his neighbor's house. Soon Donnie discovers that he and everyone around him are being manipulated by a mysterious force, the Deus ex Machina (roughly translated this means God of the Machine). If Frank's prediction is right and the world were truly to end, the sky to open up, and the universe torn apart, could anyone or anything stop it? This is the ultimate challenge of Donnie Darko. Can he save the world from oblivion?
The film features an all-star cast including Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore, Beth Grant, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary McDonnell, Holmes Osborne, Katharine Ross, Patrick Swayze, and Noah Wyle. The film's director, Richard Kelly, proves himself to be one of the most extraordinary up and coming filmmakers.
For a greater understanding and appreciation of this film, I also recommend the following:
The Hero with a Thousand Faces
The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers
A Brief History of Time
The Evil Dead
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
High School Flashback Collection
Back to the Future - The Complete Trilogy
The Last Temptation of Christ
Stephen King Gift Set
"Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?" 2008-09-07
This review is for the regular version, NOT the Director's Cut.
I love this movie, even though I don't get it worth a squirrel's nuts. I read this whole recap of the plot, bit by bit, at Salon.com, and I was TOTALLY wrong about what I thought was happening in the film (I'll spare you the details; this is a movie you cannot spoil for people) and yet I STILL LOVE IT.
Jake Gyllenhaal is just awesome. He plays Donnie SUPERBLY. Every single person in this movie is PERFECTLY casted, from Donnie's parents, sister, and therapist, to that awful awful woman who insists that Graham Greene was on Bonanza. And Noah Wyle, Drew Barrymore, and Patrick Swayze are ingenious background players. Jena Malone is great, Frank-the-Bunny is great, Roberta Sparrow, even that chunky Asian chick who says "Chut up." EXCELLENT EXCELLENT casting is my point.
Also, this is one of those movies that you don't have to really "get" 100%. I certainly didn't. And I watch regularly. It proverbially lives in my DVD player so I can just push play whenever the heck I feel like it. (Okay so sometimes I switch it with Fight Club but that's besides the point). Here's the deal:
- the movie is based primarily in the notion of time travel. It's science-fiction disguised as not-science-fiction, which makes sense because it's both and neither.
- it's one of those "makes a big statement about humanity" movies. I like that. Some people don't.
- don't expect the ending to wrap everything up. In fact, it'll probably just confuse you further.
- you NEED to watch the ENTIRE movie before you cast judgement, at least in my opinion.
- if you don't like to think, ponder, be confused, question, rewind, ask people what the heck is going on, and genuinely say "huh" then this movie's not for you. Call me dumb but I've seen this film at least fifty times since I own the DVD and I still can't crack the code of the website.
The whole movie is excellent from the storyline to the casting, but it's a mystery wrapped in an enigma shrouded in shadow. If you don't like that, watch something else.
Great Movie, VERY Confusing. 2008-08-30
During the presidential election of 1988, a teenager named Donnie Darko sleepwalks out of his house one night, and sees a giant, demonic-looking rabbit named Frank, who tells him the world will end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds. He returns home the next morning to find that a jet engine has crashed through his bedroom. As he tries to figure out why he survived and tries to deal with people in his town, like the school bully, his conservative health teacher, and a self-help guru, Frank continues to turn up in Donnie's mind, causing him to commit acts of vandalism and worse. The new Director?s Cut includes a production diary of the film (with optional commentary by Director of Photography Steven Poster), a story-board to screen featurette, the Director?s cut theatrical trailer, They Made Me Do It Too ? The Cult of Donnie Darko and the #1 Fan: A Darkomentary.
The dark side of Physics 2008-08-25
Donnie Darko is what happens when Stephen Hawking gets high and writes a film. This dark, surreal movie is brilliant if a little confusing. The director's cut is MUCH easier to digest, as all the cut scenes actually EXPLAIN what the hell is going on. If you enjoy the ideas of Theoretical Physics, hallucinations, and/or insanity you should check out Donnie Darko.
Brilliant! 2008-07-26
Bizarre and Brilliant! I love the way this movie plays with reality and imagination. The viewer is thrown into the world of a bi-polar, highly intelligent young man, Donnie Darko, who is sleepwalking his way toward disaster. There is a strange way to prevent all the tragedy and the 'way' is exposed after Donnie's near death experience awakens him to the possibility of portals and time travel. Will he go back through the portal to save lives, even though it may bring an end to his own life? I love tales that 'bend the brain', and this one sure works on the ole noodle.
Chrissy K. McVay - Author
Life in the Tangent Universe 2008-07-18
The Good Things
*Very interesting filming style. Lots of vivid, memorable imagery. Good special effects that don't overwhelm the film.
*Rather interesting story (although it's very weird and hard to figure out; at the very least, everything came into full circle though).
*Interpreting the story is only half of the fun. There are also many thought-provoking elements regarding theology, the nature of humanity, the nature of youth, and the nature of space and time.
*Characters are good; acting was great. I could almost relate to the title character, as he tried to stand up against so many self-righteous adults.
*Frank is probably the freakiest bunny rabbit I've ever seen.
*Good music.
The Bad Things
*Good luck trying to figure it out! Aside from being strange, it's also quite complex.
Definately the strangest high-school film I know of, but also probably the most thought-provoking. It's definately more than a story about a schizophrenic kid; there are many different elements, both visual and in the content, that are crammed into the film. At the very least, it will leave you trying to figure out the plot. Then, perhaps you'll be thinking about the characters or the themes. It's definately food for thought.
The DVD has good video and sound quality. The two-disc special edition includes a fifty-minute production diary, about forty minutes of fan cult featurettes, some storyboard comparisons, and the trailer.
This is why I don't review movies... 2008-07-18
Well, the first intriguing aspect of Donnie Darko is the fact that it combines quite a bit of variety into the movie. I like the fact that it's a science fiction movie mixed in with a little bit of (black) comedy and stars a teenager just like you or I, a bit of a teenage aspect to it, but not in any phony way like anything that Not Another Teen Movie makes funs of. Considering that fact, the acting is great, it's nice and long (long movies are pretty much necessary to make character development), and it pretty much knocks down some barriers on the teenage aspect, more realistic and not stupid like one would think of a teenage movie.
Just buy the damn thing.
