Donnie Darko - Parapolitical message hidden in movie?

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Re: Child Porn Motivation speaker, linked to Clinton and Bus

Postby streeb » Sun Apr 02, 2006 1:18 am

I just re-watched it, and noticed a couple of things that might be relevant to the question of m/c:<br><br>During the discussion of Graham Greene's "The Destructors", Ms. Pomeroy is framed in such a way that only the name Greene is visible. After a cutaway, the word "Destructors" is prominent. <br><br>When Ms. Pomeroy is fired, she expresses fear that the kids "are slipping away." The Principal's reply is shockingly cold: "I'm sorry that you have failed. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another appointment." <br><br>The hypno/crotch-fondle sequence is a fairly explicit juxtaposition of Donnie's sexuality with an altered state.<br><br>Donnie wears a Slinky around his neck during one of his time travel discussions with Dr. Monnitoff. It's jarring at first, because it looks like cheesy electronic apparatus.<br><br>Donnie and Gretchen's illustration for their Infant Memory Generator is either comical, or disturbing, depending on your reading of it. Infant Memory Generator? Hmm...<br><br>In the montage at the end, after Donny chooses to die, Cherita Chen seems to have an orange-shaped clock on her bedside table (Clockwork Orange? I'd love to know what book it's sitting on).<br><br>I also think that the back-to-back shots of the weeping Cunningham and the disturbed looking Kitty Farmer suggests that Kitty at least is aware of Cunningham's activities.<br><br>Incidentally, my initial reaction to the guy in the red jogging suit, when I watched the film a few years ago, was that he looked like John Wayne Gacy. The movie has a sense of dread that isn't quite tangible, but somehow seems connected to the notion of children in peril. As someone who came of age in the 80s, I have to say the period mood is bang on. <p></p><i></i>
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The eighties, pederasty, the bullies

Postby thoughtographer » Sun Apr 02, 2006 1:34 am

Good points, streeb. Growing up around the same time, it really irks me when I hear children of the nineties pick this movie apart and say that it doesn't reflect the time period of the eighties just because it doesn't look like the overblown consumer nostalgia they're used to. Sure, it's not perfect, but that Halloween party scene could have been my life -- right down to the exact Joy Division song.<br><br>I tend to share a similar view of the pederasty/abuse subtext of the movie. I need to watch it again soon, because there are some important scenes with the "bullies", Seth and Ricky that don't really come through fully in the script alone. I think their roles tie into this line of thinking.<br><br>I mean, Cunningham was clearly abusing children in the neighborhood, so it stands to reason that Kelly would have included the victims in the story in a more than tangential fashion. I think Seth and Ricky knew what was up. Maybe I'm giving him more credit than he's due, but I don't think so.<br><br>Here's another dialog driven scene of note:<br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>WASTE GROUND – LATE AFTERNOON<br><br><Ronald Fisher, Sean Smith and Donnie Darko are shooting bottles><br><br>Ronald Fisher: Beer and pussy, that’s all I need.<br><br>Sean Smith: We gotta find ourselves a Smurfette.<br><br>Ronald Fisher: Smurfette?<br><br>Sean Smith: Mm-hmmm.<br><br>Ronald Fisher: Not some, like, tight-ass Middlesex chick, you know? Like this cute little blonde that will get down and dirty with the guys. Like Smurfette does.<br><br>Donnie Darko: Smurfette doesn’t fuck.<br><br><Donnie shoots a bottle><br><br>Ronald Fisher: That’s bullshit. Smurfette fucks all the other smurfs. Why do you think Papa Smurf made her? Because all the other Smurfs were getting too horny.<br><br>Sean Smith: No, no, no, not Vanity. I heard he was a homosexual.<br><br>Ronald Fisher: Okay, well, you know what? Then she fucks them while Vanity watches Okay?<br><br>Sean Smith: <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>What about Papa Smurf? He must get in on the action.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>Ronald Fisher: <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Yeah, what he does, he films the gang-bang. Later on, he beats off to the tape.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>Donnie Darko: First of all, Papa Smurf didn’t create Smurfette. Gargamel did. She was sent in as Gargamel’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 <laughs> is 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, you know, about being a Smurf. What’s the point of living if you don’t have a dick?<br><br>Sean Smith: <sighs> Damn it, Donnie. Why do you gotta get so smart on us?<br><br><A car horn is heard in the distance><hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--> <p><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>"A crooked stick will cast a crooked shadow."</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=thoughtographer>thoughtographer</A> at: 4/1/06 10:43 pm<br></i>
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Re: butterfly effect, and a few more

Postby OpLan » Sun Apr 02, 2006 10:37 am

I rented butterfly effect yesterday,I'm going to buy it tomorrow.<br>I can't believe I missed it first time around.It's put me in a sombre mood..I couldn't sleep and now I feel how donnie darko looks when hes talking to his bunny friend.I could see why victims of child abuse would be freaked by it.I have a friend who would love the alternate reality aspect,but his childhood experiences mean I'm not going to tell him about it.<br>Tommy reminds me of GW bush..both the bat swinging psycho and the born again bible nut..by the time the dog and sack incident is shown,I couldn't help thinking about "I'll get you and your little dog too"..<br>There was a flim called "Pi" aired last night..I'm afraid I got distracted by pc problems,so I still haven't seen it..but its another film that people here should find interesting..a mathmatician gets involved with a 'bible code'..<br>..and a few weeks ago,they aired a 'comedy' about anger management..jack nicholson plays a headshrink..<br>I felt uneasy at the air rage incident for some reason..terrorism giving officious flight attendants the perfect excuse to wield what little power they have..but besides that,it was the feeling of helplessness i got from it-it was obviously the stupid flight attendant being a bitch but he got maced and 'prosecuted'..I felt very strongly it was meant to make air travellers in america sit down and shut the hell up..and what the hell is it with ex mayor ghouliani having a cameo spot in the puke-inducing climax?<br>It's quite a strange film...I watched it through knitted eyebrows rather than tears of laughter..I think I would have dumped her and slapped jack nicholson in the chops for putting me through the whole nightmare..<br>try and track down a short sci-fi movie called 12:01PM..I think groundhog day was based on the same story..make sure its the one starring the gang leader from the original robocop,because they made a horrible made for tv movie with a very similar title (12:01 without the PM)<br>Sorry for rambling..I'm zombied out and wired on coffee..I need to stay awake the rest of the day now or tomorrow is going to be really messed up if I'm like this again.<br>oh...and don't forget Killer Klowns from Outer Space..just for laughs..unless you're scared of clowns..<br><br> <!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://www.joblo.com/images_arrow_reviews/arrow-killerklowns.jpg" style="border:0;"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--><br><br>(Image linked from www.joblo.com)<br><br>one last point re the smurfs speech..<br><br>"That’s what’s so illogical, you know, about being a Smurf. What’s the point of living if you don’t have a dick?"<br><br>I know he's referring to male smurfs and not smurfs in general..but is there an implied slur against women here?<br>It's been a while since I watched darko,but I remember thinking about the anti-woman aspect when I first saw that scene.<br>Is the directors cut worth watching?<br> <p></p><i></i>
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Re: butterfly effect, and a few more

Postby thoughtographer » Sun Apr 02, 2006 2:47 pm

<!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=6977">Hmm</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--> <p><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>"A crooked stick will cast a crooked shadow."</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--></p><i></i>
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hmmm

Postby thurnandtaxis » Mon Apr 03, 2006 12:12 am

here's some more info on Southland Tales, apparently the website<br>itself is proposed to become part of the multi-media experience along with the trilogy of graphic novels and trilogy of feature films:<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.southlandtales.com/">www.southlandtales.com/</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--> <p></p><i></i>
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Re: hmmm

Postby thoughtographer » Mon Apr 03, 2006 12:26 am

Thanks! I was looking for the first issue today, but I hadn't set foot near a comic store in about seventeen years, and had to split to my niece's b-day party.<br><br>It looks great though. I'm not too familiar with the artist, but he reminds me of Sienkiewicz a lot. <p><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>"A crooked stick will cast a crooked shadow."</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--></p><i></i>
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Re: hmmm

Postby thurnandtaxis » Mon Apr 03, 2006 12:50 am

thoughtographer<br><br>you can steer clear of the ol' "Android's Dungeon" till MAY 31st...<br>that's when the first one comes out. <p></p><i></i>
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Re: hmmm

Postby thoughtographer » Mon Apr 03, 2006 1:19 am

Oh shit, thanks again. I read "MAY", but saw "MARCH". <p><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>"A crooked stick will cast a crooked shadow."</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--></p><i></i>
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Re: hmmm

Postby bvonahsen » Mon Apr 03, 2006 6:15 am

I love Donnie Darko.<br><br>The image in the film of the "transparent tube" comes from Slaughterhouse Five. If you'll recall, the 4th dimensional beings the tanstaaflians (tanstaafl - "there ain't no such thing as a free lunch") said that we humans looked to them like "a long pink worm". That's because they could see our entire lives as a whole single being, from birth to death, and not as one particular moment. <br><br>So the long transparent tube that emanates from ones chest in Donnie Darko is really there all the time. You have to go into an altered or enlightened state in order to see it. Once you do, it makes sense to not fight what is inevitable anyway and accept whatever destiny the universe has for you. What Donnie calls "following God's path".<br><br>Another thing, the movie doesn't make it very clear but from the website you learn that Frank is manipulating Donnie through mind control. He is the one who is really behind everything in the movie and it is his duty to move Donnie to his bed and to accept his role. <br><br>At the end of the movie, I had the definate feeling that everyone kind of sort of knew what had just happened. Only it felt like it was all a dream. Donnies' therapist wakes with a start and sits up. That's the impression that I had.<br><br>I love the line:<br><br>Donnie: "Why are you wearing that silly rabbit suite?"<br>Frank: "Why are you wearing that silly man suite?" <p></p><i></i>
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...

Postby Ted the dog » Mon Apr 03, 2006 1:20 pm

"Good points, streeb. Growing up around the same time, it really irks me when I hear children of the nineties pick this movie apart and say that it doesn't reflect the time period of the eighties just because it doesn't look like the overblown consumer nostalgia they're used to. Sure, it's not perfect, but that Halloween party scene could have been my life -- right down to the exact Joy Division song."<br><br>lol...yeah..I totally agree, 100%. <br><br>"it didn't take place in an upscale suburb of chicago, so how could it have taken place in the 80's?!!" <p></p><i></i>
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Re: HAHAHA, oh yes

Postby thoughtographer » Mon Apr 03, 2006 1:35 pm

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>See, all these movies take place in a town called Shermer, in Illinois. And there's all this fine bush running around, and we could kick all the dude's asses because they're all whiney pussies. Except Judd Nelson - he was harsh. But best of all, there was no one selling weed. So I says to Silent Bob "Man, we could live phat if we were the blunt-connection in Shermer, Illinois!" So we collected some cash we were owed, and caught a bus. But when we got here, you know what we found out? <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>There is no Shermer in Illinois. What kind of shit is that?! Fucking movies are bullshit!</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--> <p><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>"A crooked stick will cast a crooked shadow."</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--></p><i></i>
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...

Postby Ted the dog » Mon Apr 03, 2006 1:40 pm

lol! <p></p><i></i>
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Noah Wiley's character's obit

Postby Ted the dog » Mon Apr 03, 2006 1:42 pm

<br><br>I think this is what JD was talking about....worked at NASA, then the CIA, sideswiped by a car and killed.<br><br>From the donnie darko website:<br><br><br><br><br>From the Middlesex Times-Dispatch August 13, 1999<br>Article ID 254367,1999,15,32,0087<br><br>LOCAL TEACHER KILLED<br>by Samantha Rosenthal<br><br>(MIDDLESEX)<br><br> <br> <br>Dr.Kenneth Monnitoff<br>Photo: Karen Pomeroy Monnitoff<br> <br>A physics teacher from the prestigious Middlesex Ridge School was killed yesterday evening in a hit and run accident. Dr. Kenneth Monnitoff, 41, was driving his Volvo station wagon down Old Gun Road when he was side-swiped and driven off the road by an oncoming driver, colliding with a tree.<br><br><br>Authorities have been unable to locate the assailant, who eye-witnesses report was driving a black sedan.<br>Monnitoff, a beloved figure in the community, graduated from MIT in 1980. After a brief career working for NASA in their Norfolk facility, he began to work with the CIA in Washington.<br>In the late eighties he left his government job and began his teaching career. <br><br><br>He is survived by his wife, Karen Pomeroy Monnitoff, an English professor at UVA, and their two children, Alice (7) and Mary (4).<br><br><br>Funeral services are expected to be announced shortly. <br> <p></p><i></i>
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Accidental Death

Postby JD » Mon Apr 03, 2006 2:54 pm

Yeah now I remember - the death was suspcious too.<br><br>Interesting career path for a Ph. D. in Physics, eh?<br><br>"Old Gun Road" - is this name significant?<br><br>"Middlesex" - is this name significant?<br><br>Are any of the names, Monnitoff, Pomeroy, Rosenthal significant?<br><br>There is an underscoring in this writing that Donnie's school was an elitist institution. Watching the movie I never got so much of an impression of this; just figured it was a run of the mill private school.<br><br>The Smurf talk - it really stands out in the movie. Some commentators said it dragged the level of the movie down; that this was used to try to show Donnie was smart (not really any other incident employed to suggest this) - I think it is more. I liked some of the the talk on this thread about it; on the right direction but I think there is still more out there.<br><br>I haven't seen the movie or drilled into the website for a fair while; just brought up the topic on a whim so can't remember a lot of details.<br><br> <p></p><i></i>
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Re: Accidental Death

Postby thoughtographer » Mon Apr 03, 2006 3:04 pm

There's tons more out there. If you have the original DVD, examine all of the "Cunning Visions" material (there's an 'easter egg' somewhere in there) for more connections.<br><br>I wish I had the patience to give a summary of my thoughts, but this is only one movie, and the wheel still turns. <p><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>"A crooked stick will cast a crooked shadow."</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--></p><i></i>
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