donnie darko director's cut

modage · September 02, 2004, 09:47:10 AM

okay, i saw this last night.

a brief history...... after reading whatever, i cant remember, and seeing a supercool poster i ended up seeing donnie darko on opening night in theatres and liked it a lot. what i didnt find out till later was that two of the reels were mixed up in the middle of the film, so i thought i was watching a film that was much more complex than it actually turned out to be when i got the dvd and re-watched it. i saw it another handful of times showing it to some people and have not seen it in 2 or 3 years.

so i went into the directors cut without a real good memory of exactly how the film went, not really going to notice every little change. i did notice it seemed LONG. i dont know if i was just used to the pacing, or that i was watching it on a shitty screen and it was late, or what. but the extra 20 minutes really FELT like 20 minutes. not that thats bad, it just makes it into a different sort of movie. i much preferred Under The Milky Way to the new opening song, it doesnt seem to fit as well and maybe i'm just to used to the old one, and maybe i just like it better. the new version finds 1000 little ways to tie everything together and drop clues and references in a way i dont remember the original doing. hardly a conversation or something thats being shown or anything in the film is arbitrary. EVERYthing seems to be dropping a clue/reference.

basically, i think the directors cut just makes DD into a different sort of film. the original cut moves pretty briskly and is left more ambiguous. the directors cut takes its time, finds 1000 little ways to drop clues and ends up being a much weirder experience. so i dont know that the directors cut makes it better/worse, its certainly an interesting alternative, but i just prefer the theatrical cut.

Sleuth · September 02, 2004, 10:52:48 AM

RUhi?

Mesh · September 02, 2004, 02:12:46 PM

Quote from: themodernage02the extra 20 minutes really FELT like 20 minutes.

So true. I could've sworn it was far more than 20. The pacing is all fucked up.

Quote from: themodernage02basically, i think the directors cut just makes DD into a different sort of film. the original cut moves pretty briskly and is left more ambiguous. the directors cut takes its time, finds 1000 little ways to drop clues and ends up being a much weirder experience. so i dont know that the directors cut makes it better/worse, its certainly an interesting alternative, but i just prefer the theatrical cut.

Well said, and simply said.

Paradoxically, the D'sC does make it both weirder and more expository/explanatory/clue-ridden (and I groaned at so many of the "clues"....too "clever" for my taste). Also more "obvious" and more a parable/allegory. I've softened on the better/worse question since seeing it in the theatre but for now, I like the theatrical cut way more.

Ravi · November 01, 2004, 08:24:15 PM

http://www.dvdanswers.com/index.php?r=0&s=1&c=5193&n=1&burl=

Fox Home Entertainment has officially announced the new director's cut of Donnie Darko which stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Maggie Gyllenhaal. The two-disc set will be available to own from the 15th February next year, and should set you back around $26.98 in total. The film itself should be presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen along with both English Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo Surround tracks. Extras will include an audio commentary with Writer/Director Richard Kelly and Kevin Smith, a production diary with optional commentary by Director of Photography Steven Poster, a story-board to screen featurette, a They Made Me Do It Too documentary on the cult of Donnie Darko, #1 Fan: A Darkomentary and the trailer for the director's cut. I'm afraid the artwork has yet to be released, but we'll bring you that very shortly.

Weak2ndAct · November 01, 2004, 11:39:32 PM

I finally saw this, snagged the UK 2 disc set. The Smith/Kelly commentary is decent, better than I thought. I dunno if they're going to port the 'They made...' doc that's on the UK one or do some American slant... it's funny and scary, the Brit nerds are certainly something. The production footage w/ comm. is okay, you get on-set video and some technical tidbits about the production, nothing earth-shattering.

MacGuffin · November 22, 2004, 03:13:48 PM

Quote from: RaviFox Home Entertainment has officially announced the new director's cut of Donnie Darko which stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Maggie Gyllenhaal. The two-disc set will be available to own from the 15th February next year, and should set you back around $26.98 in total. The film itself should be presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen along with both English Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo Surround tracks. Extras will include an audio commentary with Writer/Director Richard Kelly and Kevin Smith, a production diary with optional commentary by Director of Photography Steven Poster, a story-board to screen featurette, a They Made Me Do It Too documentary on the cult of Donnie Darko, #1 Fan: A Darkomentary and the trailer for the director's cut.

ono · November 22, 2004, 05:45:35 PM

That is a great cover. I'll probably buy this even though I have the first one. It was dirt cheap. I'd like to see if he's actually improved on anything. Sucks, though, 'cause Kelly has yet to prove this was some sort of fluke. Wish he'd get on with it. The cast for Southland Tales looks horrible, and Kelly's mug shot makes him look like the next Brett Ratner.

A Matter Of Chance · November 22, 2004, 06:47:55 PM

Quote from: wantautopia?the next Brett Ratner.

Long overdue...

picolas · November 22, 2004, 08:02:53 PM

i don't like the cover because that's not donnie darko's body.

tpfkabi · January 30, 2005, 02:16:35 PM

were they hoping that the rerelease/director's cut would take off and make a lot of money at the box office?
i guess it didn't pan out.

Kal · January 30, 2005, 03:18:16 PM

I dont think that was the idea... however... the Directors Cut did gross more than the original theatrical release of the film... and now they will start selling the new DVD which will also sell good...

This was a 3-4 million dollar movie and it already made over 15 million between theatrical and video... so not bad for being his first project and a very complicated one

tpfkabi · January 30, 2005, 06:04:55 PM

well, i hope Kelly had more financial dividends for the Director's Cut. it says on imdb that he was only paid $9,000 for Donnie Darko. hopefully he asked for a good percentage of the DVD sales.

Pubrick · January 30, 2005, 10:20:00 PM

Quote from: andykit already made over 15 million between theatrical and video...

thats probably how much all the new marketing crap cost.

NEON MERCURY · January 31, 2005, 09:43:43 AM

Quote from: Pubrick
Quote from: andykit already made over 15 million between theatrical and video...
thats probably how much all the new marketing crap cost.

yo! what up P?

picolas · June 10, 2005, 01:35:53 PM

spoils

some of the additions/changes were good/interesting, but i disapprove of all the new technical readouts in the eyes and the football screen/fireworks at the end.. it makes the universe seem engineered by the government/not mystical or magic at all, although the very first eye was really amazing. the shot of the jet engine travelling through the hole was totally fucked by the new screen filter and that was one of my favourite things ever. also i prefer non-cg books. showing the passages of the book gives this version a definitive interpretation/destroys the mystery i liked. i also really didn't like hearing carpathean ridge over and over and over. it cheapened it. the new sound tweaks where donnie discovers the wallet/burns down the house were good. i wish they had kept frank's "i'm.. so sorry." and left his voice alone in the movie theatre. i never noticed how bad a lot of the dialogue was..i still love the story and the universe and everything. the original's better, though.