The Green Apron

“That is when the world will end.” Funny, that’s almost exactly the same amount of time on my first 5k. Now let’s skip back almost 2 years. The day was no different than any other when I worked downtown. This means I had forgot my lunch and had to go out. Figured between my iPod and the Onion, I could drown the world out. It worked for a few minutes until I read something that I found completely exciting. Production had been started for S. Darko. The sequel to Donnie Darko. Don’t get too excited, it ended up going directly to video stores. Not even once in theaters. Not yet at least. Notice the all the time references in these past few sentences? Remember the first. It’s most important…

EXPOSITION: I love movies, especially sci-fi and horror. I like 90 minute escapes from reality. Show me something that shouldn’t be there. Let me imagine something wonderful and ridiculous. Take me away… And just because I mentioned those two particular genres doesn’t mean that everything I watch is trash. But yeah, I’ll freely admit sometimes I like to watch the straight-to-DVD-and-soon-to-be-forgotten pure sh*t. So Donnie Darko is a movie that no one can give a definite feel for. It hits so many genres. Maybe it’s a creepy sci-fi with some drama thrown in. Maybe it’s the oddest coming of age story I’ve ever seen on the silver screen. One thing is for sure, it’s become a cult hit and one of my personal favorites since it came out 8 years ago. It has amazing visuals, a haunting score and Drew Barrymore behind it all. Her company, Flower Films, worked on the production. Cheers. She also plays a small role in the film, but it’s one that seems so real. The entire cast was spot on in my opinion. For those that have never seen the movie (or those that never understood it’s main themes), know that there are two versions. The obvious theatrical and director’s cut. I think the DC is the way to go. The differences here make it much, much easier to unravel some of the mystery.

This new movie (available at Target for $9.99) centers on Donnie’s younger sister, roughly 7 years later. The “S.” stands for Samantha. I vaguely remember the initial blurb I read saying the movie was supposed to be about her having strange visions while on a cross country road trip with her boyfriend. Well, it didn’t end up that way. She was made darker and more distant than I could have guessed. She’s also running from her family. What’s really cool is it’s the same actress from the original movie. Our little “Sparkle Motion” has blossomed into the “Frank” of this film. Similar themes are used of course. Teenage angst and the idea of God come up again. The creepy mask is here, too. And time. Time is everything. The biggest difference in this flick is that multiple people are screwing with it. This means they’re also messing with those that live and die.

Here’s the fat, this is why you should really watch it… In ‘Donnie’s’ movie, God and the meaning of life are discussed in the context of therapy. In the new tale there’s a character to represent religion and God. She claims to have a “personal relationship” with the higher being. It’s none other than my favorite showgirl, Elizabeth Berkley! She’s never ceased to amaze us with painfully, outrageous character performances. Watch for her as Trudy. She has the hots for Jesus and funniest line in the movie. Really? Can she make worse decisions? So grab the DVD and press play. In Zero Hours, Thirty-Seven Minutes and Fifty-Seven Seconds you will be witness Ms. Berkley’s commanding performance. The sequel is nowhere near as good as the first, but I think it’s definitely worth watching if interested. Don’t doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion. I had to know how the story continued. I had to look through the cellar door.

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