Donnie Darko

In Silico tied me down and forced me to watch Donnie Darko, a movie I'd missed seeing when it came out because I was overseas, but is exactly the sort of movie he knew I'd dig. Now I can't stop watching it.

Produced by Drew Barrymore (who also plays a minor role) and directed by a complete nutjob, the movie did some clever things. I especially liked a lot of the simple yet sophisticated cinematography, and I loved the kick-ass retro-80’s soundtrack. [I even fed the entire soundtrack into the Pandora music system just to see what I’d get. Of course my brother won’t introduce me to Pandora for another 28 days – but that doesn't stop me.]

The movie would be difficult to describe even if I wasn't concerned about spoiling the plot. I could say it’s a spooky Halloween-time movie, or that’s it’s a clever psychological thriller, or maybe even an insightful commentary on mental-illness - but no matter how I described it, five minutes into the movie you’d still decide it’s not the sort of movie you were expecting. It’s unique – and I guess that’s what I like most about it. It's a movie that spurs you to think and adjust. I certainly wouldn't describe it as incredibly deep, but it does challenge the audience to search out the meaning behind it all.

I still can't beleive I hadn't seen this one sooner (especially considering it's endorsement by my evil-wonder-twin Wil Wheaton.) F.Y.I. - I'd discovered Primer months earlier than him but this continues to piss me off.