Friday, November 02, 2007
Cult Appeal of 'Darko' Film Spawns Stage Version
NPR: "Richard Kelly's 2001 film helped propel Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal to stardom and has become a cult favorite through relentless midnight screenings across the country."
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5 comments:
I never know what to make of screen to stage adaptations, especially this one. I think that there is a reason that Donnie Darko is a cult classic, and while it has a significant fanbase, how many of them are theatre-going types? It may be hard to draw an audience. On the other hand, I am very curious about some of the technical aspects of the show. Specifically the commercial jet engine that falls in Donnie's room and the liquid paths coming out of their chests. If the production team can pull these off, they are nothing short of genius.
After hearing that someone who was skeptic at first did enjoy it, it may not be as impossible as I thought. I'd really like to see how this play does as far as actually drawing in the crowds and type of audience they are looking for. It's unfortunate hearing about all of these intriguing productions and then knowing I won't get a chance to see them at all, but maybe some production photos will suffice. Or pirated youtube videos....
I've seen Donnie Darko several times and I strongly believe that it is not possible to be turned into a play. The film skips around goes back in time plays things in reverse has many montauges and goes back to different parts in the movie at certain times so it wouldnt be able to be accurately done on a stage i think. The music to Donnie Darko is very good and visually its a great film and those two aspects could be accurately portrayed but there are a lot of titles, video effects and time issues that would compromise the film.
Wow, I didn't know this was actually onstage right now. 70 scenes?!?! That's crazy. I'd really love to see how successful it is and how much had to be changed to be able to follow conventions of stage performances. I guess it's a cool idea, but it kind of reminds me of the time they put the Lord of the Rings onstage...
oops...
There is a brilliance in the way in which Donnie Darko was filmed. In order to make this story even be remotely appealing, I feel as though they would have needed to find other vices that translate better in the theatrical space. This includes the technical effects and cinematography and just about everything that makes that movie brilliant...
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