** Updated ** Specific questions on Donnie Darko - please help

[VBboy]

Just finished watching what had to be the worst and most confusing movie I've ever seen. "Donnie Darko". The biggest pile of unrelated meaningless poop ever! What a waste of time.


Ok, I don't care if this spoils the movie for the potential viewers My questions (forgive me if they're naive):

1. Why did he wake up in on the road at the beginning of the movie?
2. What caused that wormhole above his house?
3. Was he just a patient in some mental institution, imagining all of that?
4. Was he trying to run away from the "end of the world" when he went up on that mountain at the end of the movie? Why did he take the girl with him there?
5. Why was there that rabbit who made him do things, more specifically to flood the school, vandalizing the statue, etc?
6. Were you disappointed when the rabbit took his costume of? I really really wanted for it to be some kind of monster from another time/dimension, not a guy in a costume.
7. Was there any significance in the following events: "Patric Swuaze" turning out to be into kiddie pr0n; the large oriental girl liking Donnie; Drew Barrimore getting fired; and many other things I won't mention
8. What did you think the movie was about? E.g. "Terminator" was about the man vs machine war, "Memento" was about the guy with memory problems, "American Pie" - about high school guys trying to get laid.

And if you haven't seen it, take a look here, maybe you will rent it and then tell me.

 

[Orsorum]

One interesting interpretation.

 

[The Dancing Peacock]

great flick, you should learn how to use the search function.

several threads on this. There's even a webpage or two. Google is your friend.

 

[TallBill]

hmmm.. i kinda wanna see this to see what its all about

 

[VBboy]

Originally posted by: The Dancing Peacock
great flick, you should learn how to use the search function.

several threads on this. There's even a webpage or two. Google is your friend.

No, I've read MANY reviews. I just don't get why they made a movie on something like this, and how to interpret it. I follow the plot, I just don't understand what's so special here.

 

[NuclearFusi0n]

did you download the 2cd xvid + ac3 from Bittorrent?

 

[0roo0roo]

the bullsh*t you have to know to understand...


"Philosophy of Time Travel
Here are the book's contents, transcribed from the website:
Foreward
I would like to thank the sisters of the Saint John Chapter in Alexandria, Virginia for their support in my decision.

By the grace of God, they are:

Sister Eleanor Lewis
Sister Francesca Godani
Sister Helen Davis
Sister Catherine Arnold
Sister Marry Lee Pond
Sister Virginia Wessex

The intent of this short book is for it to be used as a simple and direct guide in a time of great danger.

I pray that this is merely a work of fiction.

If it is not, then I pray for you, the reader of this book.

If I am still alive when the events foretold in these pages occur, then I hope that you will find me before it is too late.

Roberta Ann Sparrow
October, 1944

Chapter 1
The Tangent Universe

The Primary Universe is fraught with great peril. War, plague, famine and natural disaster are common. Death comes to us all.

The Fourth Dimension of Time is a stable construct, though it is not impenetrable.

Incidents when the fabric of the fourth dimension becomes corrupted are incredibly rare.

If a Tangent Universe occurs, it will be highly unstable, sustaining itself for no longer than several weeks.

Eventually it will collapse upon itself, forming a black hole within the Primary Universe capable of destroying all existence.

Chapter 2
Water and Metal

Water and Metal are the key elements of Time Travel.

Water is the barrier element for the construction of Time Portals used as gateways between Universes at the Tangent Vortex.

Metal is the transitional element for the construction of Artifact Vessels.

Chapter 4
The Artifact and the Living

When a Tangent Universe occurs, those living nearest to the Vortex will find themselves at the epicenter of a dangerous new world.

Artifacts provide the first sign that a Tangent Universe has occurred.

If an Artifact occurs, the Living will retrieve it with great interest and curiosity. Artifacts are formed from metal, such as an Arrowhead from an ancient Mayan civilization, or a Metal Sword from Medieval Europe.

Artifacts returned to the Primary Universe are often linked to religious Iconography, as their appearance on Earth seems to defy logical explanation.

Divine Intervention is deemed the only logical conclusion for the appearance of the Artifact.

Chapter 6
The Living Receiver

The Living Receiver is chosen to guide the Artifact into position for its journey back to the Primary Universe.

No one knows how or why a Receiver will be chosen.

The Living Receiver is often blessed with a Fourth Dimensional Powers. These include increased strength, telekinesis, mind control, and the ability to conjure fire and water.

The Living Receiver is often tormented by terrifying dreams, visions and auditory hallucinations during his time within the Tangent Universe.

Those surrounding the Living Receiver, known as the Manipulated, will fear him and try to destroy him.

Chapter 7
The Manipulated Living

The Manipulated Living are often the close friends and neighbors of the Living Receiver.

They are prone to irrational, bizarre, and often violent behavior. His is the unfortunate result of their task, which is to assist the Living Receiver in returning the Artifact to the Primary Universe.

The Manipulated Living will do anything to save themselves from Oblivion.

Chater ??
The Manipulated Dead

The Manipulated Dead are more powerful than the Living Receiver. If a person dies within the Tangent Dimension, they are able to contact the Living Receiver through the Fourth Dimensional Construct.

The Fourth Dimensional Construct is made of Water.

The Manipulated Dead will manipulate the Living Receiver using the Fourth Dimensional Construct (see Appendix A and B).

The Manipulated Dead will often set an Endurance Trap for the Living Receiver to ensure that the Artifact is returned safely to the Primary Universe.

If the Endurance Trap is successful, the Living Receiver is left with no choice but to use his Fourth Dimensional Power to send the Artifact back in time into the Primary Universe before the Black Hole collapses upon itself.

Chapter 12
Dreams

When the Manipulated awaken from their Journey into the Tangent Universe, they are often haunted by the experience in their dreams.

Many of them will not remember.

Those who do remember the Journey are often overcome with profound remorse for the regretful actions buried within their Dreams, the only physical evidence buried within the Artifact itself, all that remains from the lost world.

Ancient myth tells us of the Mayan Warrior killed by an Arrowhead that had fallen from a cliff, where there was no Army, no enemy to be found.

We are told of the Medieval Knight mysteriously impaled by the sword he had not yet built.

We are told that these things occur for a reason."

 

[VBboy]

Originally posted by: NuclearFusi0n
did you download the 2cd xvid + ac3 from Bittorrent?

No, I rented it because I saw the damn trailer. The cover of the DVD was super scary so I thought it would be in the style of Jeepers Creepers, but with an actual ending. I was very wrong.

 

[placebo139]

cool, since you got the actual DVD, watch the movie again with the director's commentary in the background. that's what I did and TRUST ME, they explain A LOT of things and clarify the entire movie.

 

[VBboy]

Originally posted by: placebo139
cool, since you got the actual DVD, watch the movie again with the director's commentary in the background. that's what I did and TRUST ME, they explain A LOT of things and clarify the entire movie.

Thanks for your suggestion, but I am not wasting another 2 hours for a creepy and confusing movie. I also hate it when the something like that happens to the main character.

 

[bGIveNs33]

IMO, it was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. I would highly suggest you watch the director commentary scenes. Alot of things that they left out I thought were pretty important.

 

[VBboy]

Originally posted by: bGIveNs33
IMO, it was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. I would highly suggest you watch the director commentary scenes. Alot of things that they left out I thought were pretty important.

Maybe, but what kind of movie requires you to watch the commentary to understant it?! I mean, I can make a movie too, and then explain in my commentary wtf was going on it..

 

[NewSc2]

RIGHT ON VBBOY! I don't like this movie at all and it was completely overhyped for me. I thought at best this movie is a 2.5/4 stars, mainly for effort in trying to create this alternate universe, but it FAILED miserably in its presentation and towards the end I really didn't care what happened and the ending bit just confused me to a point beyond caring.

I would be much more interested in the movie if the first parts actually made the movie interesting to the point where I would start delving into possibilities of how the world worked (i.e. in Memento towarads the middle I kept trying to guess what was really going on) but I didn't enjoy much of the first parts of the movie or the latter parts of the movie much. The scary rabbit thing, the loser-ish main character, nothing really caught my attention.

Good movies are thoroughly enjoyable without having to go onto some website to figure it all out. Memento was confusing, yes, but wasn't this confusing, and even going on the website here would help somebody understand, there isn't much left to understand when you finish watching the movie.

 

[NuclearFusi0n]

Originally posted by: VBboy

Originally posted by: bGIveNs33
IMO, it was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. I would highly suggest you watch the director commentary scenes. Alot of things that they left out I thought were pretty important.

Maybe, but what kind of movie requires you to watch the commentary to understant it?! I mean, I can make a movie too, and then explain in my commentary wtf was going on it..

the commentary is for the people that don't understand it...sucks to be you i guess.

 

[NuclearFusi0n]

look, it's just a simple mindfvck movie. if you can't handle mindfvck, don't watch it.
Stick to stuff like "xXx" :Q

 

[VBboy]

Originally posted by: NuclearFusi0n
look, it's just a simple mindfvck movie. if you can't handle mindfvck, don't watch it.
Stick to stuff like "xXx" :Q

I hated XXX (but don't flame me in this thread ) I like sophisticated/complex movies, but I was very disappointed by this Darko stuff. I was waiting for something to happen, but it just didn't.

 

[NewSc2]

Originally posted by: NuclearFusi0n
look, it's just a simple mindfvck movie. if you can't handle mindfvck, don't watch it.
Stick to stuff like "xXx" :Q

FYI, I thoroughly enjoyed "mindfvck" movies like Memento and Fight Club and countless others, and I enjoy a good action film sometimes, but Donnie Darko is somewhere on the bottom on the movies I've watched. Ever seen Soul Survivors? A good example of a bad mindfvck movie. It's a scary movie with a girl who keeps seeing her deceased bf, and you're supposed to try and guess who's trying to kill her and who killed her bf, but by the end the presentation was just so horrible that when you found out who it really was you didn't care.

 

[billandopus]

IMDB. Check the user comments/reviews ...

 

[VBboy]

Just read some comments and reviews. Still seems very overhyped. I guess I just have to live with it

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: VBboy
Just finished watching what had to be the worst and most confusing movie I've ever seen. "Donnie Darko". The biggest pile of unrelated meaningless poop ever! What a waste of time.

Can someone explain it to me? I don't understand why most reviewers gave it high marks, usually 8 out of 10 and 4 out of 5 stars.

Edit: I don't want to discourage potential viewers, so here is why I didn't like it:
I thought it would be a horror flicks judging by the picture on the DVD box. Then I thought there'd be monsters. Then I watched for 2 hours and was like WHAAAA...?! Sure, maybe it was a great movie for what it was trying to accomplish, but I couldn't figure out what that was.


And if you haven't seen it, take a look here, maybe you will rent it and then tell me.

:| you have no clue how good that movie is

 

[bGIveNs33]

Originally posted by: VBboy
Just read some comments and reviews. Still seems very overhyped. I guess I just have to live with it

Overhyped means when movie critics give it raving reviews and you see trailers on TV for the movie 3 months before it comes out... and then when it comes out, it sucks. Donnie Darko is a extremely low budget film that you hardly ever hear of.... and the only time you hear about it is through word of mouth. The consumer reviews(for lack of better word) give the film incredible reviews. Totally different from overhyped.

 

[Jzero]

It was amazing. Still want to see it again, but haven't gotten around to it. I didn't have any trouble understanding it, although I did spend 1/2 hour after the movie talking about it with my bro...

 

[VBboy]

A slight bump because of the updation

 

Bumping this instead of starting the 1000th thread on Donnie Darko. I saw it twice this weekend and have one question:

Donnie killed himself to save his mom, Gretchen, and the world. But his little sister is going to die anyway because she is going to be on the plane with the bitch gym teacher when it crashes. Or did I miss something?

 

[NokiaDude]

I just finished watching this and it touched me just like A.I. Now I want to buy this DVD!!!! Its an AWESOME movie!!! It so complex I'm going to watch it again.