For many, high school can be full of crazy times.  For me, it was definitely that, but also something more.  I was getting deep into my writing, I was finding my place among others, I was getting a little taste of things to come, and most of all, my outlook on little things in life were starting to take a unique turn.

I attribute this to my love of movies, as a lot of stuff I’d watch gave me many ideas and would steer me in a new direction in some way.  One of those movies, was Donnie Darko.

For those who never heard of the movie, here’s the skinny.  A high school kid named Donnie Darko (played brilliantly by Jake Gyllenhaal) goes through bizarre occurrences as he deals with high school, home life, and his own psyche.

These occurrences start when he gets recurring visits from a person named Frank who wears a bunny suit and tells him that the world is going to end unless he performs various tasks.  What kind of tasks?  Well, I don’t want to spoil any story details, but let’s just say that some of what he does doesn’t go unnoticed in his home town.

At the time, I knew I was watching something special.  The way it combines elements from various genres and, in the process, takes on a life of its own was and still is the main thing that leaps out to me.  I’d stated before that I was writing a lot, and this was also the time in which I was making videos for fun, so I started to feel the movie’s effect inspiring the kind of stories I want to tell.

The whole film has this weird tone behind it that truly adds to the whole experience.  It’s a psychological thriller, it’s a bit of a sci-fi film, it’s a coming-of-age story (a really bizarre one, but one nonetheless), and it’s even satirical and oddly funny at times.

It definitely requires multiple viewings if you want a good grasp on all the things behind the story and its ideas.  Plus, there was a really cool website that’s now archived here if you really want to dive into the background.  Whether the trippiness factor works for you or not is going to vary from person to person, I have talked to people who found other movies trippier than this, Primer being a perfect example.  The website does fit perfectly with the feel of the movie though and takes it further, so I definitely suggest checking it out

Overall, it’s a cool movie and is a cult-classic for many good reasons.  It’s imaginative, it’s quotable, it has an eerie score, and it’s got a good soundtrack for fans of 80s music.  It also has a solid cast including Patrick Swayze, Drew Barrymore, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Noah Wyle, Mary McDonnell, and Jena Malone.  They all do a stellar job in this and have great chemistry with one another, creating many memorable scenes.  If you’re ever looking for a real mind-trip, I highly recommend Donnie Darko.

So until next time, always remember that no matter what life tosses your way, you can lift some weights or take a karate lesson so that the next time it tries to do this, you can kick it in the balls and move on.  Have fun everybody! o/