Donnie Darko

Donnie Darko is a 2001 film, the first by writer and director Richard Kelly. Set in 1988, the movie is a psychological science fiction film about a boy named Donnie Darko who, after narrowly escaping death, has visions of a giant rabbit named Frank who predicts when the world will end. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Donnie, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Soundtrack

Production

Richard Kelly commissioned Michael Andrews, a San Diego musician and television and film composer who had worked as a member of a range of bands, including The Origin with Gary Jules, whose two solo albums he had produced, and The Greyboy Allstars. Kelly said that he was confident that Michael Andrews could do the job: "I met with Michael and I just knew right away that he was really, really talented and that he could come up with a really original score. He would allow me to be in there and be really kind of editorial with how I wanted the score to be." http://www.everloving.com/dd-bio.html

Related Topics:
Michael Andrews - The Origin - Gary Jules - The Greyboy Allstars

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Michael Andrews relocated to Los Angeles to work on the film between October and December 2000. As Michael Andrews states, the low budget for the project encouraged him to play a diverse range of instruments for the soundtrack: "The film was pretty low budget so my portion of the money was pretty thin. I couldn't hire anyone, it was just me. I played everything; piano, mellotron, mini marimba, xylophone, ukulele, organ. I also brought in two female vocalists Sam Shelton and Tory Haberman. But no guitar because Richard said no guitar or drums; he just wasn't into it. I was down with that - I've played guitar my whole life." http://www.everloving.com/dd-bio.html

Related Topics:
Piano - Mellotron - Marimba - Xylophone - Ukulele - Organ

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Like many of his role models for soundtrack composing such as John Barry and Ennio Morricone, Michael Andrews wanted to put a song on his otherwise instrumental score. He eventually chose "Mad World" (1982) by Tears for Fears, who were one of his and childhood friend Gary Jules' favourite bands while growing up. Andrews enlisted Jules to sing the song, while Andrews himself played the piano. Other songs from the film include "The Killing Moon" by Echo & The Bunnymen (another of Andrews' and Jules' favourite bands), Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart", The Church's shimmering "Under the Milky Way" in the cathartic party scene, and "Proud To Be Loud" by the '80's incarnation of the metal band Pantera.

Related Topics:
John Barry - Ennio Morricone - Mad World - 1982 - Tears for Fears - Echo & The Bunnymen - Joy Division - The Church - Pantera

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In the subsequent director's cut, a number of musical choices are changed. In the film's opening, "The Killing Moon" by Echo and the Bunnymen is replaced by "Never Tear Us Apart" by INXS. "The Killing Moon" later replaces "Under The Milky Way" by The Church during a scene in a party.

Related Topics:
Echo and the Bunnymen - INXS - The Church

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Album

The score was not put on a soundtrack album until Andy Factor, a friend of Michael Andrews, released it on his Everloving Records independent label in 2002. As Donnie Darko was not a hit at first, there was little interest in the soundtrack in the US. However, the film enjoyed more popularity in Europe especially in the UK where its total box office was greater than for the whole of the US, and so the Donnie Darko soundtrack album was released.

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This sparked interest in the soundtrack and in the song "Mad World," taken from the original soundtrack, was a 2003 Christmas Number One in the UK singles chart. It has also made the charts in a number of other countries including Ireland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Australia in 2003 and 2004.

Related Topics:
2003 - UK - Singles chart - Ireland - Denmark - Netherlands - Australia

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Much discontent existed upon release of the soundtrack for its lack of numerous songs featured within the film, including "The Killing Moon" by Echo and the Bunnymen, "Head Over Heels" by Tears for Fears, and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Joy Division.

Related Topics:
Echo and the Bunnymen - Tears for Fears - Joy Division

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