Welshguy's Movie Club

Well... destruction is a form of creation.
So the fact that I'm shooting smurfs is... ironic.
I just want to see what happens when I tear the world apart.


I want to change things.

 

I made the costume myself, looks more like it than anything i could have bought, although the fur it a bit darker that it should be


Nice pic, very haunting, like the film i suppose

 

I'm probably skipping way ahead here but would it be possible to have Equilibrium as one of Welshguy's Movie Club movies? Its one of those ones which you either love or hate.

 

I know what you mean about equilibrium and depending on my mood I either love or hate it. I think it's got some brilliant ideas in but somehow just doesn't come off. quite entertaining though

 

I dont understand why people seem to not like Equilibrium, for me it delivers every time I watch it. Got the right edits at the right time, right dialogue, right acting. Top notch film.

 

I can never quite put my finger on what's wrong with, because all of the component parts work for me, but for some reason it just falls short of being a good film.

 

I submit Dune as another movie to watch.
It's so bizarre but I love it!
[face_alien_1]

 

I haven't seen dune since I was about 12, sounds good to me

when is everyone going to watch donnie? I know it word for word but I still want to watch it again

 

Ok, i've added Equilibrium and Dune to the future movie list.

For future films i'll try and arrange it so the viewing is on the weekend, so you have more time to watch it. But since this started in the middle of the week, there's no point in waiting, so if you have Donnie Darko, watch it sometime today.

I'll post the questions up soon.

 

Ok, here's the list of questions I promised.

Feel free to expand and add any of your own, but if this works out we should be able to get a league table going for each movie.




Favourite Scene?

Favourite Character?

Where does the movie excel?

Where could the movie be improved?

What is your opinion on the movies score?

Overall Impression of the Movie and where it ranks alongside others in its genre.

Marks out of 10.

 

(Note: I havnt re-watched it yet so these might change slightly but I watch it regularly so the last time I watched it was less than a month ago)

Favourite Scene?

The opening where Donnie wakes up in the middle of the road with his bycicle and the music starts. I love that opening where he's just riding down while the music is going, I love that scene for some reason.

Favourite Character?

I wouldnt go so much as to say 'favourite' but I guess she is in some way, but the character I think was best in the movie was Kitty Farmer. (aka "I'll tell you what he said - he asked me to forcibly insert the Lifeline exercise card into my anus! ") The reason for this is due to the mindlessness of the following of this Jim Cunningham in the movie. I just love the way even after kiddie porn is found in his house she still defends him. I guess the overall reason would be the paralel I see between religion and the following of Jim Cunningham's book, as if it is what your life has to be like that you are forced to live withought fear, because of course, love is the way. Obviously not a obvious choice but I really like that.

Where does the movie excel?

The story, every good movie I have seen has been because of the story. Its a totaly original concept, obviously time travel wasnt but the way that they used that in the movie simply twisted it into something so obscure that we cant relate it to any other movie, its in a class of its own. After they got the story right everything else slotted into place like it should do. Its the main thing in a movie that needs to be right (the story) otherwise nothing else works.

Where could the movie be improved?

I dont think the movie could really be improved, tampering with it would make it just... wierd. (As is apparently proved in the directors cut with the different music) Just leave it as it is, it needs to be that way.

What is your opinion on the movies score?

The score is awesome, I've got it on my ipod. My favourite is definately Mad World, I was thinking the other day what other song would fit in that scene and I couldnt think of one, it needed to be that song in that scene.

Overall Impression of the Movie and where it ranks alongside others in its genre.

The movie overall is a experience, I wish that I was able to see it in the cinema but alas I guess that was not to be. Once you see this movie your view on the world changes, you cannot come out of that movie with no opinion on it, theres no shrugging of the shoulders and going "Eh it was alright." you either like/dislike it, or didnt understand it.

Marks out of 10.

9.5 (Nothing is perfect but this comes pretty close imo)

Favourite quote.

Samantha Darko - Whats a *******?

 

Good answers there Odj, I particularly liked your Kitty/Jim metaphor regarding religion. That's someting I hadn't twigged on before and now that you've said it, its so obvious and adds yet more to the story.

It adds extra resonance due to the fact that so much child abuse had been going on/is going on in the Catholic Church. It makes me sad for humans as a species that even after all the evidence and crimes committed by these people in powers, they still cannot turn they're back on the thing that allowed such cruelty to be suffered upon young children.

Half way through it now. Will post my views soon.

 

Favourite Scene?

It was a toss up between the Smurf scene and the Mad World montage at the end. I went for the Mad World montage because it was such a powerful and thoughtful ending, whereas the Smurf scene is just a bit of pop culture referrence humor.

Favourite Character?

I would have to go for Frank. Without him the film still would have been an amazing journey through time and destiny, with him it becomes something different. He adds so many dimensions to the film (both literally and figuratively ) that I would go as far to say that he makes the film. He is the one with the answers and the path, the one who leads Donnie to his true destiny.

Favourite Quote?

"First of all... Papa Smurf didn't create Smurfette, Gargamel did. She was sent in as Gargemel's evil spy,
with the intention of destroying the smurf village. But the overwhelming goodness of the Smurf Way of Life transformed her. And as for the whole gang-bang scenario... it just couldn't happen. Smurfs are asexual.
They don't even have reproductive organs under those little white pants.
That's what's so illogical about being a smurf... what's the point of living if you don't have a ****?"

Where does the movie excel?

For me the movie excels in its uniqueness. There?s never been anything like it and there probably never will be again. Time travel, giant bunny rabbits, motivational speakers with dark secrets, high school angst, comedy, horror, family drama, great music, great acting, it has everything a film fan could want, while still giving you the things you are familar with.

Where could the movie be improved?

I'd like to have had a DVD extra where Richard Kelly sits down in front of a camera and tells us exactly what every single point of the movie means! But then I guess that would take away some of it's magic. There are so many theories on the net regarding the time travel aspect that it makes your head spin. I guess not knowing is one of the main reasons why we keep on coming back to this modern classic. Watch it enough times and who know, things may just slot into place.

What is your opinion on the movies score?

For me this movie scores big points with it's score. Wheras most movies use generic sounding themes and cues, this movie takes the "real" music of the era it's set in and uses it to build a world of characters and situations that connect with people on a much more personal level.
Case in point being how off putting it is watching the directors cut, when Donnie rides down the road at the start of the movie to a different piece of music! You'r just sitting there thinking how much it sucks and how wrong it is. The change of music in the direcors cut is like the changing one of the main characters, such as putting Paul Walker in the movie instead of Jake Gyllenhaal...

Overall Impression of the Movie and where it ranks alongside others in its genre.

Other's in it's genre? Does it have a genre?
In years to come I think Donnie Darko will be one of those movies that people our age will look back on and remember as something special. And god knows those movies are few and far between, so it makes you appreciate it all the more.
The thing about Donnie Darko is that it was the fans that made it the success it is today. Not the critics, not some fly by night fad, not a massive advertising campaign. Us. We sought out the movie and claimed it for ourselves when everyone else was ready to dismiss it as a poor, bizarre failure.

Marks out of 10.

9/10. Stay clear of the Directors cut and you'll enjoy one of the best movies of the last ten years.

 

Favourite Scene?

I really like the scene going down the corridor in donnie's school. The way it introduces all of the main characters involved with the school. the music used and the camera work give a very short scene a great feel. Similarly i also like when it cuts between the almost grotesque talent show and donnie burning down cunningham's house. I think it's really well edited and advances quite a few characters without anyone actually saying anything

Favourite Character?

The eponymous Donnie is probably my favourite. It's a fantastic performanmce from gyllenhaal that somehow manages to be believable while being firmly in the realm of the unbelievable. Obviously donnie is what draws the whole film together and you follow him through his journey and the choices he makes. He's not a hero, he's just a regular person who's a bit mixed up

Where does the movie excel?

At managing to avoid cliche. at no point does it give in and try to appeal to wider audience or explain itself. it is what it is, if you don't like it then it doesn't try to win you over. in that sense it feels as close as mainstream cinema can come to art

Where could the movie be improved?

A tough one, mainly expanding a few characters such as Seth (more explanation of why he hates donnie so much?), possibly gretchen

What is your opinion on the movies score?

Brilliant, the fact it manages to stick largely to songs released around the time but employs them in such a dramatic way is astounding. Essentially, the way the music compliments the direction particularly in the scenes I mentioned as my favourite and the opening scene is a big part of what makes it great

Overall Impression of the Movie and where it ranks alongside others in its genre.

Generally, i believe it absorbs you more than any other film i've ever watched. It manages to balance teen coming of age drama, fantasy and drama without becoming convoluted and ridiculous. As such it's incomparable to other films because of its uniqueness, which is exactly what makes it so great

Marks out of 10.

9, although i can't really think of a good reason not to give it 10

Favourite quote can be found in my signature

 

Its quite interesting to see other peoples opinions even though we all love the same movie there seems to be different things which make it interesting to each of us.

 

Favourite Scene? The infamous smurf scene... I mean, it's going on about adrogynous smurf gang bangs...

Favourite Character? The man himself, Mr. Donnie Darko. Followed closely by Gretchen.

Where does the movie excel? Possibly the amibiguity of the characters, and the fact that I had to watch the movie four times in order to understand it. Everytime I watch it, something else is made a little clearer to me. Such as last night, the fat girl became evident. I still have NO idea what she IS in the movie... Everything stands for something in the movie, I can't quite work out her metaphor however...

Where could the movie be improved? I don't think it could be. I like the fact that it's a macarbre indie film that no one quite understands. It's like Donnie himself in that aspect...

What is your opinion on the movies score? The music ties in brilliantly, and the new edition of Mad World by Gary Jules surpasses the old techno/synthesizer 80's version...

Overall Impression of the Movie and where it ranks alongside others in its genre.
I think, for the "indie" genre of films shall we say, Donnie Darko IS the best film there is. It gets people thinking, and sure, the purists say it was too popular to be indie, but surely that's actally a GOOD thing right? Rather than sitting for two hours watching an indie film about ANOTHER kid who's girlfriend breaks up with him, and woe betide he has to get another.... *YAWN*
Marks out of 10. 8... That's high for me.

 

So is it every week we get a new movie to review/talk about?

 

NEWS FLASH!

Don't know if everyone knew this but me, but Film4 is going to be free perminantly! So it looks like Welshguy's Movie Club will have some choice movies to review in the future!
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Loved everyones reviews. I found myself agreeing with pretty much everything that you all said. But I guess that's the good thing about Donnie Darko, there's a lot to like.

In answer to your question Odj, I was hoping to have one viewing every week, though there have been certain films on the last couple of days that I would have loved to have reviewed here, such as Trainspotting and The Motorcycle Diaries. But due to lack to time and poor preperation, they passed by without me managing to get everyone to watch them.

No matter. Onward and upwards!

Just checked the listings and The MotorCycle Diaries is on again Thusday at 9pm. Is that ok with everyone for the next movie?

 

Sounds alright to me, never seen the movie before so I should be able to give a clean review on it. Not to keen on the adverts still.

 

another film in my DVD collection, hurrah! sounds good to me

 

Sounds good to me.
Have you seen the F4 adverts with the lobster?
I think I want to steal him...

 

Lobster? Isn't that Dame Judi Dench? With Ewan McGregor next to her as a tomato. Though you could be referring to something different.

Ok, sounds like we got a general agreement on the next movie.

Subtitles and adverts be damned!

 

Ha ha, i don't have to put up with ads, unfortunately though i don't speak spanish

 

Usted debe aprender español.

 

Wait a sec, the movie is in spanish? :-\