![WASC looks for more than the basic California State standards. According to chairperson Mike Woo, “As new rules and new concerns come up through society, [WASC] look[s] is the school doing something about that. Like the biggest trend post-COVID is mental wellness. So is your school doing something to address the mental health of the students? Along with are they still doing the proper academics?”](https://theburlingameb.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_3401-1200x1200.png)
![“For me personally, I want [others] to see the music program as a strong union because we can really bring out the life of our school,” Vega said. “We need music, you know? Otherwise, things would be really silent and dead.”](https://theburlingameb.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/unnamed-1200x801.jpeg)
Watch Donnie Darko: It’s perhaps the greatest movie of all time
Photo courtesy of The Thin Air
A scene from “Donnie Darko” where Donnie is being visited by Frank, a satanic bunny-like figure, at a movie theatre.
January 6, 2021
I began to watch and analyze films in middle school as I matured and my curiosity about my surrounding environment grew. I found that indulging in movies both entertains me and leaves me thinking about specific topics.
From my experiences of watching movies, the movie that I would consider the best would be none other than Richard Kelly’s “Donnie Darko” which stars Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Seth Rogen, Jena Malone and Patrick Swayze. No other movie has succeeded in master dictation of an intriguing storyline and a mind-bending ending.
“Donnie Darko” is a sci-fi/fantasy cult classic film that was released in 2001 and takes place in a suburban neighborhood in 1988. A teenager named Donnie Darko, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, sleepwalks out of his home to a field where he meets a stranger named Frank, a figure dressed in a sinister bunny costume who tells Darko the world will end in 28 days. Over the next month, Donnie is plagued by hallucinations and strange thoughts. Is Donnie going insane, is the world actually ending, or something else entirely?
Despite its lack of success after its initial release at the box office, I have never seen a movie that better executes a sophisticated and compelling plot with such a mind-bending end. Throughout the whole movie, my eyes were pasted to the screen. The film’s plot is filled with many ideas and themes regarding reality, time-travel, and mental health. All these aspects that were mentioned and unraveled in the film were enacted at the end of the movie leaving audiences shocked and even confused at the finish. The movie’s conclusion is left unclear and subjective on purpose to leave the viewers with the task of deciphering the masterpiece on their own, setting it apart from other films and being the reason for its greatness. Audiences are meant to be left coming up with their own interpretation of the truth of Donnie’s mental state and actions.
“Donnie Darko” is a true masterpiece in the world of film. It’s nearly impossible to adequately explain its true greatness without spoiling the premise. So, I highly recommend you watch and piece together the movie for yourself. Watch it. You will not be let down.
“Donnie Darko” is for free streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, and Pluto TV. Enjoy.
John Fordham • Sep 23, 2021 at 1:28 am
Without doubt one of the most haunting, indeed stupefying, films I have ever seen. This is cinema at its greatest, on a par with films like “2001 a Space Odyssey”, “The Wizard of Oz”, “Monty Python’s Life of Brian” (nothing wrong with comedy as long as it is great comedy) or “Some Like It Hot”. If you haven’t seen, it PLEASE do. It is mind-expanding yet still leaves you with a thousand questions (which are probably unanswerable anyway). If you like films that are crytal clear and neatly tied up however you may not find it quite to your liking. That is your misfortune. De gustibus…..
Hobbi Hilda • Sep 20, 2021 at 4:59 pm
Worst movie ever!!
My grandmother could make a better film, spending $200.00.