Magnolia, Donnie Darko and Requiem for a Dream

well, i don't see any contradiction. mostly, when movies are rated like that and there's so-called "bad" (i.e. *natural*) language and sex, it's rather a good sign, and one can expect an interesting movie.
this one is about drugs and much more, relationships, ideals... so yes, it does touch what are unfortunately American taboos.

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We're a generation of men raised by women. I'm wondering if another woman is really the answer we need.

I thought Donnie Darko was probably the most confussing/interesting/kick arse movie I have seen in a good bit. Once I "got" the movie after thinking about it for awhile I liked it alot more.

I did rent Magnolia and I thought it was just so-so. Tommy was fantastic in it though, might be the best I have ever seen him. The movie was full of interesting characters but it didn't seem to go anywhere for me. It is me least favorite of the three movies. I reccomend watching it just for the preformance of Tommy alone.

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nothing can be as bad as uncertainty - when worlds collide

It's about drug addictions. The movie follows several people with different and similar habits. The special effects and camera work are excellent. The subject material is rough and very difficult to watch sometimes. Telling you to go ahead and watch this film depends a lot on how old you are.

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Ya got me feelin' hella good so let's just keep on dancin'

1) Magnolia - Haven't seen it

2) Donnie Darko - I'm one of its fans, but I'm not one of those obsessed cult/fan people. It's a hard movie to rent, cuz you really need to watch it a few times. For the most part the soundtrack is great, especially "Mad World" and "The Killing Moon" by Echo and The Bunnymen. There was also another song I liked, but I can't remember it right now. The group may have been "The Church". All 80's music. There aren't a ton of great performances or anything, but Jake does a good enough job, and everyone else does what they need to do, but nothing more. Patrick Swayze's got a pretty "funny" role in it. I'd definitely recommend it, but it's not one of my all-time favorites or anything.

3) Requiem for a Dream - Saw it and liked it a lot, but it's quite disturbing. It's got some scenes that make you wince and wanna' turn away, but I've got a strong stomach so it didn't bother me all that much. The soundtrack for Requiem is awesome. It was all done by some Greek orchestra whose name I can't recall right now, but it goes with the movie perfectly, and it's very dark, very ominous, and very addictive. I bought the soundtrack a few days after seeing the movie. Ellen Burstyn is awesome in it, but kinda' freaky, lol. She gets [/b]REAL[b] cracked out. Jared Leto was surprisingly good, and I'm surprised I haven't seen him pop up in more stuff since then, cuz I thought his performance was pretty damn good. Another actor who surprised the hell outta' me was Marlon Wayans. I mean, he's not in the entire movie, but when he is, he does a heck of a job. A far cry from the Wayans Brothers show and "White Chicks", or "White Girls", or whatever the hell it was called. Definitely rent-worthy, for me, it was buy-worthy, but why should anyone listen to me, I wear an aluminum foil hat so my thoughts can't be stolen, and then I come and post them here voluntarily!! What's my problem!??

Was it Everybody Wants to Rule the World? I love that song...I had a couple of their cds and the band name escapes me right now...
Tears for Fears!!!

Requiem is top notch stuff. The editing is amazing. I found the film to be more about addiction in general after subsequent viewings. The drugs are on the forefront, to be sure, but one also needs to consider Ellen Burstyn's character. Although she does eventually go plummeting into drug addiction, television, food, and even an idea (that of getting on the game show) are also shown to be addictions. This film is powerful and magnificently done.

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"Everybody wants to rule the World" used to be one of my favorite songs as a kid, (cuz I have a huge ego), and it was also at the end of a classic movie, "Real Genius" with Val Kilmer, but I don't think it was in "Donnie Darko" (was it?), and if it was, it wasn't the song I was talking about. I just looked it up, and the song was "Under the Milky Way Tonight", by The Church, whose "Best Of" cd I have somewhere at home. I believe it was played somewhere during the Halloween Party scene in the film. And speaking of Halloween, isn't candy great!!??

The Church.
Hmmmm...
I've never heard of them. Are they an 80's band that's over now or do they still turn out music?

* 2004 TOUR DATES FOR THE CHURCH* .:: 15/08/2004 ::. by Moderator.
AUSTRALIA

NOV Fri 12 - ADELAIDE SA The Gov. 59 Port Rd. Hindmarsh Ph 08 8340 0744. Support - Andrew P. Street.

NOV Sat 13 - MELBOURNE VIC Corner Hotel, 57 Swan St. Richmond Ph + 61 3 9427 7300 Support - George Byrne + Smallgoods

NOV Fri 19 - SYDNEY NSW The Metro, 624 George St. Ph 02 9287 2000 http://www.metrotheatre.com.au Support Menage a Trois (Peter Koppes daughters band + George Byrne)

NOV Sat 20 - BRISBANE QLD The Zoo, 711 Ann St The Valley Ph 07 3854 1381 Support Chris Pickering (The Horse You Rode In On and Boatpeople)

All tickets are on sale now!



Secret Warm Up Gig

Wed Nov 10 - Inner Sydney Venue

http://www.thechurchband.com/news/

Thanks for the link. Now I know who they are! They sing that song, "Almost With You"! I loved that song...

Magnolia is a great film in that in that it's been able to transform so many movie fans, and even movie lovers, into hardcore cinéphiles [yes, there's a difference]. Interestingly, this makes it a bit like the bee, which dies when it uses its sting: the moment that it turns someone into a cinéphile, Magnolia suddenly becomes susceptible to people discovering the films that inspired it. That said, if this is what happens to you, you'll always have a soft spot for the film, even if its initial effect on you eventually wears off. Anderson's Punch-Drunk Love is ultimately much more interesting, though I've not seen Magnolia in about a year and I need to revisit it again myself.

Donnie Darko doesn't know whether it's coming or going and is generally overrated. You should eventually come to this conclusion even if you fall for it that first time [as I did]. In the end, it's a little like a sign that points to nowhere: a film that thinks its amazing, and tries to get by on that thought alone.

Requiem for a Dream is a little bit like Magnolia in that its initial effect ["Oh, my God, this is cinema!"] eventually wears off, though it did so much too you and effected you so deeply the first three or four times 'round, that it'll forever have a soft spot in your cinéphilic heart.

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www.esotericrabbit.com

dear reader, please add "Silver Bullet's opinion is" at the beginning of those statements!

i've seen that movie like 7 times (i know, only) and am planning to watch it again (and again), and just like with my ex, although there are people like Bullet to repeat over and over that i'll get over her/it some day...
it doesn't happen!!!
one year Donnie Darko, one year lovelornness, and i still think and feel the same about both!

Yes, I'm sorry. I retract all my comments. Please, believe the guy who doesn't make sense.

like i said, add "Silver Bullet's opinion is that..."
but don't forget to add "chicagofrog's opinion is..." before any of my statements too!
difference is, i know that what one feels, thinks... is just ONE opinion amongst others.

back to where they came from.

If anyone here is aware of opinions being opinions it's me. Just because I don't explicitly say so in all my posts doesn't meaning anything.

Although I loved the movie, I can agree with you on the point that it's like a sign that points to nowhere. It takes a couple viewings to understand the direction. As far as "a film that thinks it's amazing" that's inaccurate because it didn't do very well in theaters. It picked up speed after it went to DVD. I don't really think people thought much of it until then. I believe it was nominated at Sundance but didn't win anything...
...anyways, it's the viewers that deem it "amazing" not the makers.

It should also be noted that Donnie Darko more or less requires outside sources to understand it, a fundamental flaw. I don't dislike the film(but I would guess that I will start to on more viewings), but it's sort of lame to have to navigate through a site or listen to the director drone on about what everything means.

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You're not hopeless...

I can't say that I fully know exactly what the director was trying do because I haven't gone through any of that additional stuff. You don't have to "get it". The first time I watched it, I made my own mind up what it all meant. The second time I saw it, the people I watched it with asked me questions because I had seen it before. I told them what I thought happened and they added their thoughts and we came to a makeshift conclusion. Who cares what the real meaning behind it is? Maybe if I was a die hard fan, but I really don't care that much. It's a good movie on it's own without a perfect explaination.

I find it to be a pretty good movie. But considering it is widely hailed as God's gift to film, and has become an opiate of the faux depth in all of us, I tend to judge it more harshly than lesser known(also, better) surreal films, such as Mulholland Dr.

Lesser known?
Opening weekend Mulholland Dr. did $960,558 in the US. Donnie Darko did $24,728. Mulholland Dr. won masses of awards and got all kind of press because of the lesbo thing...that's not an accurate comparison at all.