The stuff you say in that last paragraph sounds pretty fake to me, Raq. Never trust internet sources about cult phenomena. I've seen the movie with commentary and, though spectaculary uninteresting and unhelpful, it certainly mentioned nothing at all about a backstory like that.

I think of Donnie Darko as almost entirely a mood piece. If you actually start to think about the plot, it gets nonsensical - I actually almost like it best as a surreal exploration of a schizophrenic break, except I also love the ending, which doesn't work without the time travel bit.

Anyway, it sure has really, really good music.

I remember going to see Donnie Darko in the cinema with a couple of friends, loving it, then realising as we left the cinema talking about it that we all had completely different ideas about what had happened, which just made me like it more.

I didn't think it was the kind of movie where you were supposed to care

Then why stay to the end?

Totally psyched! I just heard that DELICATESSEN is finally out on DVD. I know Joss had horrible things to say about him from ALIEN RESURRECTION, but someone who's given me DELICATESSEN, CITY OF LOST CHILDREN and AMELIE gets a lot of slack for being an ass.

The stuff you say in that last paragraph sounds pretty fake to me, Raq. Never trust internet sources about cult phenomena. I've seen the movie with commentary and, though spectaculary uninteresting and unhelpful, it certainly mentioned nothing at all about a backstory like that.

Well, some of that was established by the website. I'm pretty sure Dr. Monnatoff's CIA background is in there, and that he dies in a suspicious car accident, so his wife sends the book on to someone else. And there were bits of heavily censored FAA reports about the plane engine if I remember right. I don't think any of that stuff mattered particularly, it's just filling in more of the details of the world.

I thought the commentary was pretty clear, though. Oh, unless you're talking about the director's cut version.

Do people who liked/hated Darko have a similar response to David Lynch movies? Because I related it to it in much the same way. I have the strong sense that there's a reason or a meaning for everything that happens. I often have no idea what those reasons are, but that's okay, because it feels deliberate, and the lack of clarity feels equally deliberate.

I think there's an on-again off-again debate about whether we should have a general TV thread or not...you could kick that debate off again!

Oh no. That's way too political.

I have the strong sense that there's a reason or a meaning for everything that happens. I often have no idea what those reasons are, but that's okay, because it feels deliberate, and the lack of clarity feels equally deliberate.

Yeah, I had the same feeling. In fact, I've never watched the Director's Cut because I have no desire to hear his so-called clarification of the movie. Reminds me of Picnic At Hanging Rock and The Last Wave in that way.

Do people who liked/hated Darko have a similar response to David Lynch movies?

No, I react to Lynch movies in pretty much the same way you do. Donnie Darko, for me, was like watching a first-year film student's attempt to imitate Lynch. So so painful. (The only reason I didn't walk out is because I was watching it on DVD, and DH wanted to see it through to the end because he's like that, and my computer is in the same room as the TV.)

was like watching a first-year film student's attempt to imitate Lynch

This was the exact reaction I had to watching Mulholland Drive! And I used to love David Lynch. I haven't gone back and watched his older movies but I'm thinking maybe I wouldn't like his stuff as much now.

I was feverish when I saw Donnie Darko and I liked it pretty well. I think that may have been the perfect way to see it. I only watched it the one time so I'm not sure how it would hold up for me.

You should try Mulholland Drive again. I hated it on first watch and decided on the second that it was the best Lynch since Blue Velvet.

Then why stay to the end?

To find out whodunnit...or hopefully get enough clues to figure it out.

Which is why I thought Darko failed as a puzzle movie, because I don't think you could figure it out just from watching the theatrical release. I don't know, maybe smarter people could. My husband was working the tangent universe angle, and had just written a piece about singularities, and I've heard the folktales about metal items being time artifacts, but even putting those together we didn't come up with what the writer/director was getting at without reading "The Philosophy of Time Travel."