This is topic Donnie Darko - Haunting Image in forum General Sci-Fi at Flare Sci-Fi Forums.


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Posted by Balaam Xumucane (Member # 419) on :
 
So I recently watched the Director's Cut of Donnie Darko. I like the theatrical cut better, though it's interesting. One thing the commentary with Kevin Smith and Richard Kelly did not explain was this image:

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Specifically why it seems SO familiar. It's from one of Donnie's premonitions/hallucinations. Does anyone know or have any ideas about where this imagery might have come from? Been inspired by? Sky and hallway? Water and hallway? A painting? A children's book? Videogame? It's been bugging me since I saw the movie the first time. It's amazing. I just don't understand why. Please don't tell me it's from a tangent universe.
 
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
 
The only thing that comes to mind is the Crimson Permanent Assurance sketch/supporting feature from Monty Python's The Meaning of Life. Although that was a stylised city surrounded by sea.

But it is a strange image, yes. Obviously meant to represent Donnie's flooding of the school, but what else? The idea that there's a big wide world beyond school?
 
Posted by Austin Powers (Member # 250) on :
 
Actually there was no sea surrounding the city in the CPA sketch. It actually looked more like a desert.
The fact that the building is "sailing the wide accountancy/accountansea" play on words didn't mean that there was the actual sea. After all. the build was standing in a city before they broke it loose.

The image in Donnie Darko didn't seem very familiar to me.
 
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
 
Reminds me of Gateway To The Mind's Eye, a 3-D monatge movie that Thomas Dolby did the soundtrack/songs to.
 
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
 
The blue sky, clouds, water etc. remind me of the video clip to Tori Amos's "Caught a Lite Sneeze".
 
Posted by Balaam Xumucane (Member # 419) on :
 
Never seen it. Interested though. I was always curious about the Thomas Dobly thingy too. Maybe it was a music video.

Scary enough, one of the first things I thought of was that film, Lee. I couldn't remember its name, so thanks. I looked at some stills, but none of them was it.

Anyway I decided to listen to the commentary on the theatrical release DVD again, and Richard Kelly does start describing it before Jake cuts him off:
quote:
RICHARD KELLY
...Donnie senses something. His senses are on overload right now. He's been gifted with this new ability. And this dream sequence here is symbolic of the drowned school. The school hallway. It's inspired by a famous photograph, uh. I don't recall the photographer, but it's an escalator composited into the ocean. Where you see the escalator, black and white photograph coming down into the ocean and the scale of the ocean makes the escalator look as though it's--

JAKE GYLLENHAAL
That shot right there I just have to say we were shooting really late and I was really hungry and I remember they got pizzas on the set...

Fuck I wish he'd finished his thought or remembered the photographer's name. It's strange the image I remember as being in color. Specifically, the blue of the water... Crap this is really bugging me now.
 
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
 
This just goes to prove how useless DVD audio commentaries are. And especially how moronic actors are.
 
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
 
(I intensely enjoy DVD audio commentaries; but, I like annotated stuff in general. ((And the Fight Club actor/director track is by far the most interesting on that disk, as a data point in the defense of thespians.)))
 
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
 
The only honest-to-god enjoyable director's commentary I have ever seen is on the Spaced DVDs. Although Ghostbusters wasn't bad.
 
Posted by B.J. (Member # 858) on :
 
Is this picture by Scott Mutter what they're referring to?

B.J.
 
Posted by Mucus (Member # 24) on :
 
I rather enjoyed the Futurama commentaries actually, lots of fun and even math jokes [Smile]
(Mucus is in the Math faculty)
 
Posted by Balaam Xumucane (Member # 419) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by B.J.:
Is this picture by Scott Mutter what they're referring to?

By George, I think he's got it. Well the one they're talking about in the commentary anyway. Thanks, B.J.

Cool as that image is, I don't think it's the one I'm thinking of. I almost wonder if it might not be some obscure Rene Magritte painting. Seems like his stripes. This one is close:

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Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by PsyLiam:
The only honest-to-god enjoyable director's commentary I have ever seen is on the Spaced DVDs. Although Ghostbusters wasn't bad.

The commentary for John Carpenter's The Thing is pretty good: lots of technical details and you can imagine Kurt Russell and John Carpenter are drinking beers during it: they even make Quaker Oats jokes when Wilfred Brimley is onscreen. [Big Grin]
 


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