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Case Study:Donnie Darko Donnie Darko

Donnie Darko is a 2001 American written and directed by Richard Kelly. It stars , , , Mary McDonnell, , , Noah Wyle, Stu Stone and . The film follows the adventures of the troubled title character as he seeks the meaning behind his doomsday-related visions. Synopsis

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. When Donnie returns home, he finds that a jet engine has crashed into his bedroom. Is Donnie living in a parallel universe, is he suffering from mental illness - or will the world really end? Production

Filming Donnie Darko was filmed in 28 days which, by coincidence, virtually matches the time that transpires in the film from October 2, 1988, to the Friday or Saturday weekend party before on Monday, October 31, 1988.The budget for the film was $4.5 million Casting

Donnie Darko’s cast was mostly selected through auditions except Drew Barrymore,Drew Barrymore’s movie company produced the movie at the time,the movie was not one that appealed to a very mass market hence why it’s regarded as a “cult classic” and Barrymore knew this which is why she decided to act in the movie knowing her currency as an actress would help the movie actually take off, the movie also features a very young Jake Gyllenhaal,Maggie Gyllenhaal and Patrick Swayze. Music

In 2003, the piano-driven cover of Tears for Fears' "" featured in the film, as part of the end sequence, was a hit for composer Michael Andrews and singer , topping the charts in the United Kingdom and Portugal.

One continuous sequence involving an introduction of Donnie's high school prominently features the song "Head over Heels", by Tears for Fears, Samantha's dance group, "Sparkle Motion", performs with the song "Notorious", by , and "Under the Milky Way", by The Church, is played after Donnie and Gretchen emerge from his room during the party. "Love Will Tear Us Apart", by , also appears in the film diegetically during the party and shots of Donnie and Gretchen upstairs. The version included was released in 1995, although the film is set in 1988. The opening sequence is set to "The Killing Moon" by Echo & the Bunnymen.

In the re-released director's cut, the music in the opening sequence is replaced by "Never Tear Us Apart" by INXS; "Under the Milky Way" is moved to the scene of Donnie and Eddie driving home from Donnie's meeting with his therapist; and "The Killing Moon" is played as Gretchen and Donnie return to the party from Donnie's parents' room Costumes

Donnie Darko features mostly normal suburban American clothes however Frank the Bunny’s costume from Donnie Darko was a pop culture hit and has had toys and several types of merchandise made on it. Failed Marketing

Donnie Darko finished production and came out 1 month after the September 11 attacks,the movie features a plane crash so it was not very well advertised besides being shown at Sundance, no trailers were shown on TV , or at theaters and the posters were not widely advertised either since Donnie Darko was going straight to video until the last few minutes. Budget

Donnie Darko cost about 4.5 million dollars to make with most money going into the various visual effects. Release

Due to Donnie Darko’s lack of marketing,extremely limited demographic appeal and the inclusion of the plane crash, it almost went directly to home video,eventually director convinced Newmarket, a production and distribution company to distribute the movie a year later Box Office

Donnie Darko received a very limited release initially due to it releasing 1 month after the september 11 attacks Donnie Darko had its first screening at the , on January 19, 2001, and debuted in United States theaters on October 26, 2001, to a tepid response. During its opening weekend, it was shown on only 58 screens nationwide, grossing $110,494 Despite its poor box office showing, the film began to attract a devoted fan base. It was originally released on VHS and DVD in March 2002. During this time, the Pioneer Theatre in 's East Village began midnight screenings of Donnie Darko that continued for 28 consecutive months In the United Kingdom, Donnie Darko sold 300,000 tickets within the first six weeks of its release, based mostly on word-of-mouth marketing. Critical Response and accolades

The film received critical acclaim, with praise towards the acting, atmosphere and unconventional writing. gives the theatrical version of the film an 86% rating, and the director's cut a 91% rating The site's critical consensus reads, "Richard Kelly's debut feature Donnie Darko is a daring, original vision, packed with jarring ideas and intelligence and featuring a remarkable performance from Jake Gyllenhaal as the troubled title character." gives the theatrical version of the film a score of 71 out of 100, based on 21 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", whereas the director's cut received a much higher score of 88 out of 100, based on 15 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim" Andrew Johnson cited the film in Us Weekly, as one of the outstanding films at Sundance in 2001, describing it as "a heady blend of science fiction, spirituality, and teen angst." Jean Oppenheimer of New Times (LA) praised the film, saying, "Like gathering storm clouds, Donnie Darko creates an atmosphere of eerie calm and mounting menace—[and] stands as one of the most exceptional movies of 2001.“ Writing for ABC , Megan Spencer called the movie "menacing, dreamy, [and] exciting" and noted "it could take you to a deeply emotional place lying dormant in your soul.“ gave the theatrical version of the film two and a half stars out of four, but later gave the director's cut three stars out of four. Accolades

2001: Richard Kelly's Donnie Darko script won "Best Screenplay" at the Film Critics Society. Donnie Darko also won the "Audience Award" for Best Feature at the Sweden Fantastic Film Festival. The film was nominated for "Best Film" at the Sitges Film Festival and for the "Grand Jury Prize" at the Sundance Film Festival. The film was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards including Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay and Best Male Lead for Gyllenhaal.

2002: Donnie Darko won the "Special Award" at the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films's 28th Saturn Awards. The movie also won the "Silver Scream Award" at the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival. Kelly was nominated for "Best First Feature" and "Best First Screenplay" with Donnie Darko, and Gyllenhaal was nominated for "Best Male Lead," at the Independent Spirit Awards. The film was also nominated for the "Best Breakthrough Film" at the Online Film Critics Society Awards.

2005: Donnie Darko ranked in the top five on My Favourite Film, an Australian poll conducted by the ABC.

2006: Donnie Darko ranks #9 in FilmFour's 50 Films to See Before You Die.

Other awards

#14 on 's list of the 50 Best High School Movies.

#2 in Empire's "50 Greatest Independent Films of All Time" list.

#53 in Empire's 500 Greatest Movies of All Time 2008 poll. What is a cult classic A or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase, an elaborate subculture that engage in repeated viewings, quoting dialogue, and audience participation. Inclusive definitions allow for major studio productions, especially box office bombs, while exclusive definitions focus more on obscure, transgressive films shunned by the mainstream. The difficulty in defining the term and subjectivity of what qualifies as a cult film mirror classificatory disputes about art. The term cult film itself was first used in the 1970s to describe the culture that surrounded underground films and midnight movies, though cult was in common use in film analysis for decades prior to that.

Cult films trace their origin back to controversial and suppressed films kept alive by dedicated fans. In some cases, reclaimed or rediscovered films have acquired cult followings decades after their original release, occasionally for their camp value. Other cult films have since become well-respected or reassessed as classics; there is debate as to whether these popular and accepted films are still cult films. After failing in the cinema, some cult films have become regular fixtures on cable television or profitable sellers on home video. Others have inspired their own film festivals. Cult films can both appeal to specific subcultures and form their own subcultures. Other media that reference cult films can easily identify which demographics they desire to attract and offer savvy fans an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge. Home Media

The film was originally released on VHS and DVD in March 2002. Strong DVD sales led to release a "Director's Cut" on DVD in 2004. , President of Newmarket Films, has described the film as "a runaway hit on DVD," citing United States sales of more than $10 million.

The film was released in the U.S. on Blu-ray on February 10, 2009, containing both versions. The movie was then re-released on July 26, 2011 as a four-disc, 10th anniversary edition, once again containing both versions in HD, and the theatrical version on DVD.

The film was released as a two-disc Blu-ray special edition in the UK on July 19, 2010, by Metrodome Distribution, and featuring both Original and Director's Cut. It also included commentaries from director Kelly and actor Gyllenhaal, Kelly and , and cast and crew, including Drew Barrymore.

In December 2016, Arrow Films released a limited edition 4K resolution Blu-ray of the film in the UK, supervised and approved by director Kelly. This release includes both the Director's and Theatrical cuts and was accompanied by a Dual format Blu-ray and DVD release.[19] In the US, it was released in April 2017. Cult Appeal of Donnie Darko

Donnie Darko’s appeal doesn’t lie in the science fiction or the marketing,the actual appeal of the movie is similar to what a lot of punk bands receive, Donnie Darko is less a science fiction and more a parody of upper class christian conservatism and the cultures surrounding it,the parodies allow the audience who may live in the same type of towns to connect to the film and Donnie a lot more , Donnie is furthermore very relatable,his parents are much more ready to accept that he has a mental illness and sedate him with pills then actually help him,he actually says what a lot of youth might be thinking when watching the film or in their real lives when he hits back at authority,his interactions with characters around him feel natural and realistic,he’s essentially a real person in a movie and people can connect to that Lasting Legacy

Donnie Darko introduced a lot of new concepts, while it’s appeal mostly came from its main character, its actual legacy comes from the concepts introduced in the film,the concepts include the blending together of science fiction and science ,the movie includes a lot of science that has actual physics theorists and theories behind it,it and several christopher nolan films helped proved that Sci Fi Films dont need to be expensive blockbusters and can have intricate plots and relatable characters.