Fifteen years before Stranger Things combined science-fiction, Spielbergian touches and 80s nostalgia to much acclaim, Richard Kelly set the template and the high-water mark with his debut feature, Donnie Darko. Initially beset with distribution problems, it would slowly find its audience
and emerge as arguably the first cult classic of the new millennium. Donnie is a troubled high school student: in therapy, prone to sleepwalking and in possession of an imaginary friend, a six-foot rabbit named Frank,who tells him the world is going to end in 28 days 06 hours 42 minutes and 12 seconds. During that time he will navigate teenage life, narrowly avoid death in the form of a falling jet engine, follow Frank s maladjusted instructions and try to maintain the space-time continuum. Described by its director as The Catcher in the Rye as told by Philip K. Dick, Donnie Darko combines an eye-catching, eclectic cast pre-stardom Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, heartthrob Patrick Swayze, former child star Drew Barrymore, Oscar nominees Mary McDonnell and Katherine Ross, and television favorite Noah Wyle and an evocative soundtrack of 80s classics by Echo and the Bunnymen, Tears for Fears and Duran Duran. This brand-new 4K restoration, carried out exclusively for this release byArrow Films, allows a modern classic to finally receive the treatment it deserves.
RICHARD KELLY is a writer and director best known for creating the visionary cult classic DONNIE DARKO. His first feature, Richard produced the film straight out of college to immense critical acclaim. Nominations for DONNIE DARKO included the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay at the Independent Spirit Awards. His second feature, SOUTHLAND TALES (2008), screened in competition at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and starred Dwayne Johnson, Sarah Michelle Geller, Kevin Smith, and Miranda Richardson. In 2009, Richard wrote and directed his third feature, THE BOX, starring Cameron Diaz, James
Marsden, and Frank Langella. Richard has also written and produced numerous other successful feature projects throughout his career, and currently has several projects in various stages of development.
Donnie Darko has been exclusively restored for this release by Arrow Films. Both the theatrical and director’s cut versions of the film are presented in the original 2.35:1 aspect ratio with 2.0 and 5.1 stereo mixes. The original 35mm camera negative was scanned in 4K resolution on a pinregistered 4K Lasergraphics Director scanner at Deluxe Media, Burbank. Although the original 35mm camera negative served as the primary restoration source for both the theatrical and director’s cut versions, a 35mm digital intermediate element was scanned for some sections unique to the Director’s Cut. Film grading and restoration was completed at Deluxe Restoration, London. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris and light scratches were removed through a combination of digital restoration tools. Additional grading was performed at Deluxe, Culver City, under the supervision of director Richard Kelly and director of photography Steven Poster. The original 2.0 and 5.1 stereo mixes were transferred and supplied by Lakeshore Entertainment.