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BL!NDMAN x 'Donnie Darko'

VIDEODROOM 2024
VIERNULVIER & Film Fest Gent present
  • Thu 10.10
    20:00 - 22:15
    THEATERZAAL
    Tickets

We kick off VIDEODROOM with a bang: the renowned saxophone quartet BL!NDMAN performs live their new soundtrack to the cult film 'Donnie Darko'. This dark sci-fi gem from 2001 grew into one of the cult films of the early 2000s largely through word of mouth. Director Richard Kelly's debut had a forgettable run in cinemas, released just two months after 9/11 with promotional focus on a plane crash, seemingly destined to fail. Despite this rocky start, 'Donnie Darko' became a true underground hit on DVD, a 'must see' for cinephiles drawn to eccentric cinema.

'Donnie Darko' is best described as a surreal odyssey filled with bizarre visions, intricate time travel, and a standout performance by a young Jake Gyllenhaal. He compellingly portrays a troubled teenager grappling with hallucinations and paranoid thoughts aided by antidepressants, complicated by the haunting presence of a sinister man in a rabbit suit offering cryptic glimpses of the future. Spoiler alert: it's far from reassuring.

 

bizarre visions, intricate time travel, and a standout performance by a young Jake Gyllenhaal

Part of

Despite its potential as a bleak psychological drama on paper, 'Donnie Darko' blends mystery and darkness with delightful, pitch-black humor and visual ingenuity. These elements contributed to its cult success as a Lynchian mind-bender. The film rightfully secured the 2nd spot in Empire's "50 Greatest Independent Films of All Time" and 53rd in Empire's "500 Greatest Movies of All Time."

 

‘’De verschillende verhaallijnen wil ik met BL!NDMAN benadrukken zonder in de cliché’s van een traditionele ‘horror-movie’ begeleiding te vervallen. De typische eighties-songs (Duran Duran, Echo & the Bunnymen, Joy Division, …) worden uiteraard als zodanig behouden. Het is een arsenaal aan instrumenten (Saxen, percussie, turntables, electronics … ) dat de klank van de film een lijfelijke aanwezigheid zal geven. De musici op podium maken deel uit van een andere parallelle wereld, een stam elders in tijd en ruimte.’’

Eric Sleichim - BL!NDMAN