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Post by Fiona on May 13, 2005 15:35:01 GMT -5
Hi, I'm a final year degree student conducting research into horror films, specifically Donnie Darko. I'm looking at what makes this film frightening/interesting to people. For instance Freud talks of fear being based around the return of repressed ideas, particularly from childhood. Do you think Donnie Darko fits with this idea or are there other reasons (aside from the evil rabbit!) which make this film scary?
Any answers will be gratefully received so thanks for your help in advance!
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Post by ProvidencePortal on May 13, 2005 15:48:58 GMT -5
One excellent way to not get help with your research is to post the same request over and over.
In addition, I wonder if anyone who's watched the movie would consider it a horror flick. I don't, for instance, and so wouldn't be able to provide you much in the way of answers regarding "what makes this movie scary."
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Post by Fiona on May 13, 2005 16:47:49 GMT -5
Hi, sorry I just explained over in the general thread that I didn't mean to spam I just wasn't sure which thread to post in. I read them all and they all seemed relevant so I posted in the three that I thought were most related. I apologise again if it seemed like I was spamming but it's a genuine mistake from someone who's just starting out a research project, I certainly didn't want to annoy anyone.
I think Donnie Darko is classed as a psychological horror, it doesn't fit easily into any one genre but I would definitely say that it crosses into the horror genre with it's ideas of evil and the varying plot levels. the structure is definitely one of horror/fantasy and maybe the idea of fear was the wrong word to use. My project is actually on the Uncanny and the way in which various films can make us feel uneasy and question whether what we are seeing is reality or not and when i watched Donnie Darko the first time it certainly left me questioning things!
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Post by Bigboy on May 13, 2005 16:55:53 GMT -5
Might be a stupid question, but do you mean 'reality' in the context of the movie, or 'reality' in the sense of actually real?
I have a feeling that if I start rambling on I'm going to miss the points you're after entirely. Perhaps you could post some kind of survey here. I'm sure plenty of us would be happy to answer. That way you can focus responses onto the issues you really want opinions on, and it's probably easier to collate and compare data that way!
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Post by Fiona on May 13, 2005 17:06:05 GMT -5
Initially reality in the context of the movie but it is certainly a film which I continued to think about long after i stopped watching it. One of the ideas of Freuds uncanny is that it occurs on a continuum of what is familiar and known and what is unfamiliar/unknown, where the 2 blur somewhere in the middle is where we feel most uneasy and I definitely thought Donnie Darko fitted into the middle of this. Do feel free to ramble but I will take your advice and post some specific questions tomorrow. Thank you for your help
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Post by gretchen on May 15, 2005 18:53:40 GMT -5
i'd love to help but i don't know if i'll be able to... as i really don't see DD as a horror of any type, pyschological or not.
it's absolutely psychological, but it's that second tag line that's the problem. shall we call it a psych thriller? perhaps. but then again it isn't. but i really really would never ever use the word 'horror' in conjunction with DD.
that's what caused a lot of issues with the general public in the beginning.
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Post by ProvidencePortal on May 16, 2005 7:08:26 GMT -5
that's what caused a lot of issues with the general public in the beginning. Was it initially promoted as a horror movie, G? And, Fiona -- I think the responses you've been getting are representative of what you'll probably hear about DD being horror. What is your paper topic, exactly? Maybe we can help shape that, or our discussions, in a way that will get directly at your objective.
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Post by gretchen on May 16, 2005 9:10:20 GMT -5
it was initially promoted as a horror, seeing as there was a pretty scary looking bunny and no real genre to slap it into.
audiences left feeling disappointed, confused, and misled. hell, i would have too... i still would have enjoyed the film, but would have wondered why they tried to tell us it was supposed to be a horror.
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Post by ProvidencePortal on May 16, 2005 9:51:01 GMT -5
audiences left feeling disappointed, confused, and misled. hell, i would have too... Agreed. I picked it up never having heard a single promotion for the movie; from the back of the DVD, it sounded like a supernatural/psychological thriller -- right up my alley.
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Post by greedy on May 16, 2005 12:09:20 GMT -5
i wouldn't classify DD as horror however what makes a good horror movie in my opinion is the music
with out a good music score a movie loses all of it's power (this isn't the only factor but a big one) try watching halloween with out the music it's a crappy b film at best but put it the good music scores and it adds so much to it
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Post by Twitch on May 17, 2005 3:00:10 GMT -5
Yes, I don't think this is what you're looking for if you're looking for a horror, nothing is really ever scary in DD, even Frank is only slightly disturbing.
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Post by Harry on Oct 4, 2006 2:11:44 GMT -5
What I found most scary in the film were two things, mainly. One of them was how the predicament Donnie was facing, a heavy burden, he had to carry alone, but not only that. As the nature of his problem dictates that he sees hallucinations, which affect his behaviour and social awareness, he finds himself detached from the world around him. This is somewhat hinted upon in the film during the meeting between Dr Thurman and Donnie's parents. He is trapped in a downward spiral into autism. The actions and reactions of those around him show (with the exception of Dr Thurman) that they clear have no idea as to the reason behind his strange behaviour and assume he has a worsened mental illness. When I say worsened I mean that Donnie all his life has been a sleepwalker, and I believe that the reason Donnie is chosen to be the Living Receiver is because he would not hesitate to block out a scary hallucination such as that of Frank. What I mean is, those around him believe that his mental illness is worsening and that there is nothing they can do about it. Another example of this is his aggressive actions towards others (Mrs Farmer, Jim Cunningham). He is punished for his actions but this is not helping him, this is simply enclosing him further in his own cage separated from reality. This feeling of hopelessness which both from his friends and family and himself is in my opinion definitely the most horrifying aspect of this film. That there is simply nothing that can be done to ease anyone's mind, or to stop Donnie behaving in such ways. This really hits home after the end of the film when we realise that the attitudes and behaviours displayed by everyone (everyone being either the living receiver or the manipulated) which were deemed uncntrollable had a purpose: to ensure that Donnie eventually guided the jet engine into the past and into his house, thus killing himself. Everything needed to happen the way it did because something was not the way it was meant to be: Donnie was still alive. Donnie needed to die in order for the ill-feelings and attitudes to cease. This is a most horrifying concept and I commend Richard Kelly for conceiving such a concept, whether it was his intention or not.
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Post by richie on Oct 22, 2006 18:29:28 GMT -5
no way i'm gonna top the comment above me but i'll try and give sum advice... i dont think donnie darko is a horror genre overall but in sum part there is a stong part coming through in the movie i think the real horror is the way dramatic ironny is used on the veiwer i think we all know the movie wont pan out for this young man but in some ways we dont wanna experince the horror of things like gretchiens*(spelling error) death but on the other hand it may add more to the sympothy we feel for the ppl involved i hope this is a rough veiw point 4 ppl hu read this
2nd comment *bows* l8ers
richie (huge darko fan)
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knifeplay
Full Member
Gregory Crewdson is god
Posts: 103
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Post by knifeplay on May 18, 2008 10:58:39 GMT -5
i dont think Donnie Darko was a horror at all. i think it was marketed that way when it first came out because they werent really sure what to do with it people assume horror when they see Frank, but this was not scary in the slightest
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Post by princesspinktink on Feb 27, 2010 9:20:31 GMT -5
hi i'm too doing a project on DD, on what makes it aa good cult movie! and looking at the fans, i've read some of the post here and joined som eother forum and i must say the people in this forum are the most dedicated i have found yet! so if you would mind and you get a min can you just post up some of your thoughts onthe movie, characters and actors!!! thanks!!!
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