Vampires, Werewolves and Cougars, Oh No!

No Rest for the Weary

It's early Monday morning here, and I'm finishing up an exhausting, yet exhilarating weekend at work. For me, it was 4 days long, beginning on Thursday. I came in at about 8pm that night to help get everything ready for the midnight showing of The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Already the lines were wrapped around our building and down the next block. We showed the film in 4 separate screens, and to handle the capacity crowds, we recruited two local police officers and two more managers from our sister theater, the Meadowview. Out of our five screens at the Paramount, the biggest theater holds 800 people. Tickets for that show sold out a full week in advance. The other 3 screens playing New Moon have between 2-400 seats, all of which sold out on or before Thursday. Altogether we had around 2,000 people in our modest little movie house.

The biggest weekend we've ever had there was last August, for the opening of Dark Knight. We also played that on 4 screens and it ended up being the highest grossing week in our theater's history. The way tickets for New Moon were disappearing just a few weeks ago, it looked on pace to beat the Batman, and it already did in some respect: it was the fastest we've ever sold out for a midnight show.

Bad Romance

As you might've guessed, the weekend was utter madness. Women of all ages flooded the theater to the ceiling with estrogen and sexual pheromones. Yes, ALL ages. I was anticipating the droves of screaming preteens covered head to toe in Twilight garb, but I completely underestimated its lure to middle-aged women. I got a real wake up call this weekend when I found this left behind in the main theater on Friday:

Of course! Women love cheesy romance novels--why wouldn't they come see New Moon?? That's really all it is, a smut novel for kids. Hey, get 'em while they're young.

So while the vampire might find himself the dangerous and seductive object of a young woman's affection, the werewolf will learn that the hunter is now hunted . . . by cougars. Every woman over 30 (and there were plenty--without children!) was there for one reason and one reason only: Jacob, the roid-happy werewolf oozing machismo.

• New York City Single Mom (Team Jacob)
• Mommy FC is Team Jacob
• Goth Cougar Moms for Twilight

Every time he came on screen Friday night, the entire theater would shake from the shrieks of hysterical women. This is because he and every other guy in the film are shirtless indefinitely. It's as if the writer and director decided they would flip the sexist double standards of cinema on their head by finding every excuse possible to show off the male physique. If that was their intention, they overachieved. I happened to catch one scene in particular where Bella (played by the lovely Kristen Stewart) crashes Jake's motorcycle and bumps her head. The blood is barely noticeable, and its obviously not serious, as indicated by her character's mannerisms. But nevertheless, Jake has to rip off his shirt in the cold of autumn to dab what little blood there is onto his article of clothing that will most likely never recover from the stain. "Seriously? Who does that?!?"

When I mentioned this to my manager he shared the same sentiment. I asked him if he was on Team Edward or Team Jacob, to which he answered, "Team Cedric," as in Cedric Diggory from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I never cared enough to notice that this character was in fact played by Robert Pattinson, aka Edward Cullen, the vampire from Twilight.

In A Different Light

As an usher, I am required to do 'walk throughs' to make sure the film and projector are running properly and to make sure no one is on their phone or has a six pack of beer with them (which happens more than you might think). I do this no less than once or twice each set (time slot) for each separate film being shown. Altogether I worked about 12 sets of New Moon over the weekend, multiplied by 3 screens equals 36 screenings. What this means is that inadvertently, I have seen nearly all of New Moon. And I am a bit ashamed to admit it, but not all of the viewing was against my will. There is one scene in particular that made me question whether I was watching a sequel to Twilight or a sequel to The Matrix (only, a good one). I'm not sure where it fits into the plot or even at what point in the movie it occurs (which btw, is over 2hrs long), but it involves a pack of 'werewolves' (I use quotes because they are really just men who turn into over-grown wolves--I guess they didn't want to compromise the sex appeal) chasing a redhead vampiress through the forest. Part of it can be seen in this trailer:

What makes this scene so awesome is the perfect blend of gorgeous cinematography, atmosphere and special effects with a soundtrack that is refreshingly unexpected. Here, check out the song that plays during the sequence and read what moviegoers and music lovers had to say in the comments: "Hearing Damage" by Thom Yorke

Music of the Night

While I am reluctant to say I have enjoyed some of what I've seen in New Moon, I am anything but ashamed to say I love the soundtrack. Any haters out there just need to shut up and listen. I couldn't believe it when I first heard it. I was at a party with some old friends and new acquaintances when out of nowhere there came on a Death Cab for Cutie song I was unfamiliar with. I rushed over to the living room only to find someone had uploaded the New Moon soundtrack onto their Playstation 3, and it contained a host of reputable indie bands. It was as if the music supervisor of the project was playing a joke on the audience, saying, "Here ya little brats, turn off those damn Jonas Brothers and get educated in some good music."

1. Death Cab for Cutie, 'Meet Me on the Equinox'

2. Band of Skulls, 'Friends'

3. Thom Yorke, 'Hering Damage'

4. Lykke Li, 'Possibility'

5. The Killers, 'A White Demon Love Song'

6. Anya Marina, 'Satellite Heart'

7. Muse, 'I Belong to You (New Moon Remix)'

8. Bon Iver and St. Vincent, 'Rosyln'

9. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, 'Done All Wrong'

10. Hurricane Bells, 'Monsters'

11. Sea Wolf, 'The Violet Hour'

12. Ok Go, 'Shooting The Moon'

13. Grizzly Bear, 'Slow Life'

14. Editors, 'No Sound But The Wind'

15. Alexandre Desplat, 'New Moon (The Meadow)'

I immediately bought the soundtrack (which is saying something considering I never by CD's anymore) and I've since listened to it as much as or more than any other album this year. And what's more, I was very excited to find out at the midnight show that almost the entire soundtrack is played throughout the film! It really makes an otherwise mediocre movie seem much more interesting. Also, I've read something along those lines recently that makes a case for the actors involved, asking us to give them credit for acting so well that we forget how bad the dialogue actually is, which I have to agree with. Robert Pattinson does a good job as the sensitive, brooding vampire with an American accent (like Hugh Laurie, he's very Bristish), and Kristen Stewart does extremely well as the damaged emo teen vixen. Perhaps I am being sadistic, but I especially like the scenes where her heartache causes her to have nightmares, where rather than waking up in a cold sweat she screams bloody murder. The emotion is intense; palpable. If there were an Oscar ceremony for just teens, she would most definitely take best actress.

Eclipse

New Moon met everyone's expectations this weekend by breaking box office records. It set the record for midnight screenings with $26.3 million. It eclipsed The Dark Knight for opening day with $72.7 million. However, it only went to 3rd place for highest grossing weekend (140m), just behind Spider Man 3 (151m) and The Dark Knight (158m). Now everyone is waiting to see if it will outgross this year's biggest hit so far, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, a film that like New Moon, I felt only had one worthwhile scene. The only way I see New Moon making more than $400 million is if it has replay value and the fans come out to see it more than once. I would predict that after Thanksgiving weekend, it will have met its full potential and will begin a steep decline in sales. It simply does not reach as wide a demographic audience as Transformers or The Dark Knight. However, never underestimate the buying/staying power of obsessive teens and desperate housewives. I became rather familiar with one young lady as she came out to see the film 3 times in the same weekend!

Capitalism: A Love Affair

Ever since his first film, Roger and Me, Michael Moore has been trying to get into the General Motors headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. In his newest film, Capitalism: A Love Story, he tries one last time to get inside with his cameras for an interview with the CEO. To no avail.

Well in an ironic twist of fate, General Motors went bankrupt during post-production of the film. GM was taken over by the government and Moore's good buddy Barack Obama (heard of him?) became CEO by default. As luck would have it, Moore would not only gain entrance to the GM headquarters, he would screen his new film inside them!

Marcy Kaptur is right on the money. And to make another shameless play on words, I must say that buying a ticket to see Capitalism is a great investment--worth it's weight in gold. It was one of the more enjoyable movie theater experiences I've had all year. I laughed, I shrieked, I fumed, and I cried. There aren't too many films today that can make someone feel so depressed and yet so inspired.

The film begins with a brilliant comparison of our current state of the nation to the fall of the Roman Empire, with Dick Cheney of course playing the role of 'evil emperor.'

He's so creeeeepy!!

Moore then goes on to talk about how much better we had it in the years following WWII, when people didn't complain so much about paying their taxes, and those tax dollars actually went towards creating jobs and infrastructure. "Then came along Debbie Downer," Moore says over a speech by President Jimmy Carter. People didn't seem to like his bleak messages of doom and gloom, warning us of our greedy, unsustainable and excessive lifestyles.

Enter Ronald Reagan, the capitalist cowboy who went from the wild west of Hollywood to the even wilder Wall St. and Washington. Moore's portrayals of Reagan and Bush go from the being funny to downright ridiculous. He shows a line graph attributing everything from the rise in unemployment and a spike in the sales of antidepressants to Reagan's deregulation policies. While his facts are true, he won't let you believe anyone else had anything to do with it. He receives most of his criticism for being so exaggerative, sensational, biased and leftist. But I think that's part of what make Moore's films so much fun to watch. He always has an ax to grind and he does it with such conviction, eloquence and style. He's a spiteful bastard and God bless him for it. He can take the most depressing realities about our country and make just enough fun of them that you almost forget they are real.

I'd talk more about the film, but I really urge you to go see it if you can find it playing anywhere. Besides being very enjoyable, it's also informational, dealing with some really important issues of our day. Check out his website, MichaelMoore.com, and see how you can get involved.

Also, what's your take on Capitalism? If you love it, how can we improve it? If you hate it, how can we replace it? If you think its fine just the way it is, you should probably get your head checked. And then watch this movie.

October Film Review

* Films are rated based on an average between my feelings toward the quality of the film and how much I enjoyed them overall.

Paranormal Activity 7/10
The Informant 5/10
Zombieland 6/10
Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 9/10
Where the Wild Things Are 4/10
Capitalism: A Love Story 9/10

My 31 Favorite Movies for Halloween

*Note- This list is not equivalent to my favorite movies; It is just my favorites to watch near Halloween

31. Killer Klowns From Outer Space

30. The Blair Witch Project & Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2

29. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Meyers & Halloween H20

28. Creepshow

27. The Gate

26. Shaun of the Dead

25. Bride of Chucky

24. Child's Play 1-3

23. Pumpkinhead

22. The Blob (1958) & (1988)

21. Scary Movie 1 & 2

20. Freddy vs. Jason

19. The Ring

18. Sleepy Hollow

17. Scream

16. The Evil Dead & Evil Dead 2

15. House On Haunted Hill (1959) & (1999)

14. House of 1000 Corpses

13. Michael Jackson's Thriller

Ok, so this is not exactly a movie, but it is ten minutes long and I enjoy it more than half the movies on this list. Its just so damn good! And now that Michael's joined the ranks of his zombie counter-parts, I thought I might "throw him a bone."

Or perhaps, 'give him a piece of my mind?'

12. Cabin Fever

11. Teen Witch

*So bad its scary

10. My Best Friend Is A Vampire

9. Ghostbusters

8. Beetlejuice

7. Idle Hands

6. The Nightmare Before Christmas

5. A Nightmare On Elm St.

This is probably my favorite of the whole slasher genre, mostly because it actually scared me. The beginning is super creepy, and it just keeps getting better from there. The special effects are awesome, the women are beautiful, and its even got Johnny Depp. Instant classic.

4. Donnie Darko

This is my favorite movie of all-time. But as far as Halloween's concerned, there's a few movies I'd like to watch more. The whole story takes place in October of 1988, and everything comes together on Halloween. During the party you can hear Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (or Echo and the Bunnymen in the director's cut). Its not a teen-slasher flick like it was marketed as--its much better. Frank the bunny is really creepy, and Donnie takes Gretchen to see The Evil Dead during a Halloween Frightmare Double-Feature. How much more Halloween can you get? I guess we'll find out...

3. Hocus Pocus

I don't care who you are, you gotta love Hocus Pocus. I remember seeing this in theaters and absolutely loving it. And Thora Birch (its ok, she was older than me). Its got Sarah Jessica Parker and a cat that gets smooshed. C'mon, what could be better?

Stupid virgins.

2. The Monster Squad

Its the Monster Squad. What more can I say? I grew up on this movie and its one of my favorites of all-time. Nothing beats the group of kids in this cast and the dialogue written for them. Somehow they found the perfect balance- its like a sincerely edgy kid's movie. Its not too gruesome for children, and its not too stupid for adults. Its just...perfect.

1. Halloween

Yes, that's right. And not just Halloween, but Halloween 2, 4 & 5 as well. I love the entire series (except 3 of course--we all know that one doesn't count). And although it may seem cliche, they truly are my favorite movies to watch this time of year. I've watched them every Halloween for probably the past 10 years. Donald Pleasence as Dr. Loomis just never gets old. (Ok, he gets really old by the 6th movie) He always acts with the same intensity--without him, Michael would only seem half as scary. And the absolute best part of these movies: The music. There is an atmosphere to the original series that is unlike any other. It has single-handedly changed the holiday for good. When I was younger, I would look forward to hearing it every time I'd trick or treat. Now its the whole reason I go to Fright Fest. Halloween just wouldn't be Halloween without the Halloween soundtrack.

It just so happens that the best movies to watch on Halloween are the Halloween movies.

Honorable Mention:

These are classic Halloween movies that everyone can enjoy. Each one of them however, I've only seen one time and don't remember very well, so it wouldn't be fair to consider them "favorites." Either way, you should definitely check them out if you get the chance...

>Universal Studios Classic Monsters

>Young Frankenstein

>Its the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!

>Halloweentown

>Earnest Scared Stupid

>Nosferatu

>Psycho is one of my all-time favorite horror flicks, but I don’t necessarily like to watch it around Halloween. Its good any day of the year.

>Poltergeist, but only because I forgot to put it on the list of Scariest Movies Ever. Again, I’ve only seen it once, and “it was all a long time ago.”

And these aren't really 'Halloween movies,' I just like to pretend they are:

>The Burbs

>The Stuff

>Troll 2

So that's my list. I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any thoughts or suggestions, make sure to leave a comment. Also, if you feel so inclined, leave me a list of YOUR favorite movies for Halloween!

Donnie Darko in Visual Culture

While many popular films could not exist without their literary counterparts, the story of Donnie Darko could not survive in any medium other than film. The story itself is only the tip of the iceberg; to really understand it’s profound, overall meaning, one must watch the film with all of the audio and visual components in place. It is a very deep, dark narrative, comprised of and interwoven with commentaries, archetypes, symbols and themes. Samples of those present throughout the film include fantasy, reality, philosophy, politics, family, love, dreams, mental illness, the struggles of science vs. religion and good vs. evil. It is a story of tragedy, but also of triumph, told as much through its visuals as through its dialogues. In the following text we will explore the film’s overall meaning and underlying themes through the use of its powerful images and symbols.

The story takes place in October of 1988, and the Bush-Dukakis presidential race is in full swing. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Donnie Darko, a white, upper middle class teenager coming of age in the suburban community of Middlesex, Virginia. He is the middle child of a near-nuclear family, with two sisters and two loving parents. His mother has him seeing a psychiatrist to cope with his mental illness. Because of it, Donnie feels lost and confused as teenagers often do, but also lonely and somewhat alienated by those around him. Ironically, he begins to find his way once his condition gets worse.

Due to his illness, Donnie has a chronic habit of ‘sleepwalking,’ usually outside of the house. Miraculously, it saves his life one night when a detached jet engine falls directly into his room. During his dream-like state, Donnie encounters a hallucination of a man in a haunting rabbit costume—his mischievous imaginary friend, Frank. After another visit to his psychiatrist, it is believed that Donnie suffers from daylight hallucinations, characteristic of paranoid schizophrenics. As these hallucinations with Frank continue, Donnie begins to unravel truths about the community and is given insight into the unseen world around him. Like the classic hero on a quest, Donnie has only 28 days to overcome the obstacles in front of him, solve the mysteries of the universe and save the world from certain doom.

Along the way he meets a girl named Gretchen Ross and is given a new outlook on life. Suddenly he understands that his purpose is not just to destroy his enemies, but also to take the second chance he was given at life and use it for good. After unlocking the secrets of time-travel and an encroaching alternate universe, Donnie decides to give his life in exchange for the woman he loves, his family, and possibly the entire known world.

Donnie’s character is most often considered a superhero or a martyr. The name “Donnie Darko” is an almost absurdly alliterative superhero name. Because of Donnie’s sacrifice, he draws many comparisons to Christ.

Donnie is challenged by a false prophet named Jim Cunningham, a motivational speaker at the school who is viewed throughout the community as a savior. This image of him is set up when he awakens Donnie on the golf course following his first encounter with Frank. When Donnie looks up, he can barely make out Cunningham’s face as the sun is directly behind his head, stirring up images of Christ. Donnie knows Cunningham is a fake, and through a series of rebellious acts, succeeds in tearing down his façade for everyone to see. For this reason, Donnie could just as easily be considered an antihero, liken to Holden Caulfield of Catcher In the Rye. Like Holden, Donnie rebels because he’s crying out for help. And as a result, he too has become an icon for teen angst. Perhaps the most powerful visualization of his destructive behavior comes near the beginning of the movie after Donnie vandalizes the school. The director pans out above the commons to display the bronze statue of the mascot with an ax driven into its head and graffiti that reads, “They made me do it” written underneath.

Many of the symbols and coincidences used in the film are only relevant within the context of the film itself and are there as instruments to pull together the plot, while many others attempt to communicate a more powerful, universal message. The vessels with which to deliver these messages are the characters, and each of the main characters is associated with a certain animal that symbolizes their role in the struggle between good and evil. This struggle culminates in the second act of the film.

The health instructor, a religious fanatic named Kitty Farmer, teaches Jim Cunningham’s self-help program for overcoming fear and living a more fulfilling life. The program basically states that on either side of the emotional spectrum there is love and fear. To demonstrate this point, Ms. Farmer puts on the board what is called the “lifeline,” with fear and the left side, and love on the right. The camera then cuts back and forth between the shot of the lifeline exercise and Donnie’s reactions to it in his chair. In that shot, Donnie is centered, with Cherita Chen to his left (our right), and Seth Devlin, the bully, to his right (our left). It is the classic image of man’s struggles with good and evil, with the devil on one side and the angel on the other. The two are sitting behind Donnie so that it appears that they are in fact on his shoulders. It is quite obvious that Seth represents evil as not only is he a bully with the last name “Devlin,” but the first time he is shown, he is taking a hit of cocaine in his locker with a sticker inside of it that reads “What Would Satan Do?” Cherita Chen’s role as the angel isn’t revealed until further into the second act.

During the lifeline exercise, Donnie is called to the board to read an example and place an ‘x’ on the appropriate side of the spectrum. In his example, a character named Ling Ling finds a wallet full of money and returns the wallet but keeps the money. A few days later, Donnie finds a wallet on his walk home from school…Jim Cunningham’s wallet. At this moment, Frank mutters to Donnie, “Now you know where he lives.”

The night of the school talent show, Donnie takes Gretchen to the theatre to see a The Evil Dead as part of a “Halloween Frightmare Double Feature”—the significance of course being that the film involves a time portal. During the movie, Gretchen falls asleep and Donnie sees Frank sitting next to her. Frank shows him the portal and tells him to “Burn it to the ground.” Donnie leaves Gretchen to dream, and as he walks out of the theatre, the marquee reveals that the film playing alongside The Evil Dead is The Last Temptation of Christ—not only a clear juxtaposition, but also a clever foreshadowing.

Meanwhile at the talent show, Cherita Chen performs an interpretive dance called “Autumn’s Angel.” In the performance she portrays a swan. The swan is a symbol of gracefulness and calmness, also sensitivity, love and beauty. Cherita possesses all of those attributes and is therefore synonymous with all that is good in the world. It is only fitting that Jim Cunningham hosts the talent show as he introduces the following act, Sparkle Motion. Sparkle Motion is a five-piece, preteen dance troupe in which Donnie’s little sister Samantha is the lead dancer. In at least three separate scenes, Samantha is in someway associated with unicorns. Her role as the virgin/unicorn is first indicated during the dinner scene at the beginning of the film when Donnie and his older sister Elizabeth (Maggie Gyllenhaal) are talking about pregnancy. Samantha asks innocently, “When can I squeeze one out?” To which Donnie replies, “Not until eighth grade.”

The unicorn symbolizes Samantha’s innocence being compromised. She is a virgin, but is put on stage with other young girls to perform a dance routine with adult implications. This particular sequence is shown simultaneously with that of Donnie burning down Jim Cunningham’s house as Frank had instructed. There is a literal image when Donnie throws gasoline all over Cunningham’s narcissistic self-portrait and lights it on fire, but there is also a more subtler, symbolic one. Upon either side of the painting are the heads of two male deer, or stags. The stag is a masculine symbol, representing male independence. The phrase, “going stag” is used when someone attends a party or dance by them self. A girlfriend of Donnie’s mother makes it known earlier in the film that Jim is single. The fact that he is single however, may have more to do with the other symbolic implication of the stag, which is castration. This becomes shockingly clear whilst in the aftermath of the fire, it is discovered that behind his painting was a safe containing child pornography.

In the closing sequence of the film, we are given a simultaneous view of everyone’s life at the moment of Donnie’s death. Jim Cunningham is shown crying in his bed, perhaps because of his personal struggle with pornography, but most likely due to the fact that he is terribly alone in his cavernous mansion. The immediate shot following his shows a painting of a male and female deer on the wall of Kitty Farmer’s bedroom—of course suggesting her obsession or infatuation with him, and the irony of the fact that her daughter is also a part of Sparkle Motion.

The final and most obvious of the zoomorphic symbols is the rabbit. The rabbit often appears in folklore as the trickster archetype, as he uses his cunning to outwit his enemies. The best examples of this in American culture are the cartoon character Bugs Bunny, and the White Rabbit from Lewis Carroll’s book, Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland. It is Frank, the rabbit, who leads Donnie “down the rabbit hole” or “to the light,” which allows him to see more than his peers and therefore enabling him to save the world. Frank essentially gives Donnie his superpowers. The scene where Donnie takes Gretchen to the theatre may even be compared to Plato’s allegory of The Cave; the image inside of a theatre draws many parallels to Plato’s description of the cave. Frank shows Donnie “the truth” and then releases him from the theatre or “the cave.” Donnie then returns to rescue Gretchen.

Frank also encourages Donnie to wreak havoc during his hallucinations. Both of his major acts of vandalism are lifted directly from Graham Greene’s “The Destructors,” a book he was assigned to read in English class. Another story the class covers during the course of the month is “Watership Down” by Richard Adams, an epic tale about a group of rabbits escaping the destruction of their home and their journey to find a new one.

The teacher assigning these books, Ms. Pomeroy, played by the lovely Drew Barrymore, is inevitably fired for going against the curriculum. On more than one occasion, she can be seen next to an American flag. While she is not represented by an animal, she is synonymous with American values. She symbolizes liberty and freedom, more specifically freedom of speech. She is a champion of storytelling and somewhat of a muse to Donnie. She believes in him and encourages him, aiding him in his quest. When she is fired, she tells Donnie that a famous linguist once said that of all the combinations of words in the English language, “Cellar Door” was the most beautiful. This of course was a clue for him to go back to Grandma Death’s house and look inside the cellar. Upon leaving, a small flag can be seen coming out of Ms. Pomeroy’s box of belongings, symbolizing the threat to American’s rights by organized religion and religious fanatics.

In the director’s cut of Donnie Darko, there is a scene where the class watches the animated film version of Watership Down. Afterwards, Ms. Pomeroy prompts the class with a question about the film, which ultimately ends up in an argument between her, Donnie and Gretchen. Gretchen focuses not on what happens in the story, but merely the fact that the author is sharing a piece of himself with everyone who reads it. The irony is that they are discussing a story whose author shuns or denies any symbolic meaning in a film that revels in it. To close the discussion, Ms. Pomeroy explains that the rabbits were saved not by themselves, but their creator, or in this case, the author. To describe it, she uses the phrase, “deus ex machina,” which literally translates to “god from the machine.”

‘Deus ex machina’ is a plot device that refers to ancient plays when God would suddenly appear in the final act via trap door to resolve all of the plot complications. It has always been criticized—viewed as cheating to create a satisfactory ending (i.e. War of the Worlds). Nevertheless, many fantasy and science fiction authors have embraced ‘deus ex machina,’ occasionally teasing critics by mentioning it (i.e. Matrix Revolutions). After Elizabeth’s boyfriend, Frank, saves Donnie from the Seth Devlin but also inadvertently kills Gretchen, Donnie mutters, "deus ex machina." At the time, it appears that he might be referring to Frank's intervention, but it is actually Donnie’s realization that he could act as the 'deus ex machina’ by traveling back in time to save Gretchen and the rest of the world.

The ‘deus ex machina’ or ‘god within the machine’ is represented throughout the film in the form of an eye. The ‘eye’ is historically seen as a symbol of wisdom. It appears primarily as a sketch on Donnie’s wall and is used as a comic book image (continuing with the superhero theme) to express a higher knowledge or higher power at work. The drawing is visible at both the beginning and end of the film when the jet engine falls into his room, signifying the opening and closing of the tangent universe. The hint that there is a higher power at work comes not only from Donnie’s conversations with his psychiatrist and his science teacher, but from Frank. There are three key scenes where attention is diverted to Frank’s right eye: First, when Donnie sees Frank’s reflection in the bathroom mirror and stabs his eye with a knife. Secondly, when Frank takes off his mask in the theater to reveal a gunshot wound to his right eye. And lastly, at the very end, just before the screen jumps into the next frame, Frank can be seen rubbing his right eye, as if he had just dreamt of losing it. The hallucinations of Frank are messages to Donnie from this ‘higher power,’ instructing him on how to close the portal to the tangent universe, which will eventually collapse in on itself, creating a black hole and taking all of humanity with it.

There is an eerie coincidence surrounding the American release of the film Donnie Darko. It came to theaters just in the wake of September 11, 2001. It is speculated that the film’s failure at the box office was due to the fact that it was marketed as a ‘teen slasher flick.’ The few of those who went to see it, expecting horror, may have been even more horrified by the images of a jet engine crashing through the American flag hanging from the ceiling of Donnie’s bedroom. All of a sudden the conversations surrounding the Bush-Dukakis race, in addition to the theme of religious fanaticism and its threat to the United States, became hyper-relevant.

It is no surprise then that the film performed much better in the UK. British audiences connected especially well with its 1980’s new wave soundtrack. The acoustic, piano version of Tears For Fears’s “Mad World” by Gary Jules became a smash hit. The song was chosen for the final sequence of the film for its literal lyrics: “The dreams in which I’m dying are the best I’ve ever had….When people run in circles it’s a very, very Mad World.” Despite the dark, depressing subject matter of the song, it went all the way to #1 on the UK charts during the Christmas of 2002. The warm reception of the film overseas inspired a documentary called, “They Made Me Do It: The Cult of Donnie Darko.” In it, a number of die-hard fans describe what the film means to each of them. Thanks to the many storylines and subplots woven into the film through the use of symbolism and powerful imagery, it has a much different meaning to everyone who watches it. The film is about possibilities, and the unknown—about the futility of searching for God; Its about mental illness and alienation. At the heart of it, Donnie Darko is about coming of age, and how scary the world can be when making that transition. It’s about enlightenment and seeing more to life than what is visible. It’s about believing the unbelievable and the changing the course of the future.