Deciding which version of Donnie Darko to watch? Maybe you have already decided. Here are some thoughts you should consider before choosing.

Donnie Darko was one of the most original films that I have seen in a long time. While I missed its original run, a friend pointed me toward the DVD release and I have been a fan ever since.

Recently, I was part of a small group that lobbied the Roxy to show the director's cut and I attended the midnight showing. Unimpressed by the director's ammendments, I started to think long and hard about the two competing versions and have come to some conclusions that I'd love to share.

After sitting with both copies (which I own) I concluded the following:

The Original (O from here on in) reflected a very smart selection of music, a fast paced vision that offered something of a puzzlement that the mind fixated on for sometime after. O allowed for much discussion, thought, opinion, and the believe that the viewer-participant had something they had discovered that needed to be shared. In fact, I shared my copy with Joe at Film Buzz and he acquired a copy for the store.

Next came my subsequent viewing of the Director's Cut (DC). A horrid collection of revised music selection, computer graphics, and scene additions that offered a faux pretense of making it more accessable but resulted in a laughable re-imagining of the same content without the punch. That said, the DC offers one of the best commentary tracks as Kevin Smith (Clerks, Dogma, etc...) rips apart Mr. Kelly's pretentious explanations about the extras. So vicious is the attack that the director/auteur finally admits that this DC is not definitive....

IN OTHER WORDS:

The director openly admits that this version should not be considered the last word in the Donnie Darko saga... Perhaps the first time a director admits that his Director's Cut is not necessarily up to par.

So, watch the orginal religiously... watch the Director's Cut for Kevin Smith's brutally honest commentary, but respect both works for Richard Kelly allows the audience to decide their own truth. What a refreshing concept.

George Lucas take note... cause Greedo did not fire first!