Donnie Darko Party Madness!

So much Donnie Darko related stuff to write up, I’m going to break it down into a couple entries…this one will focus on the May 29 party for the film.

I’d already seen the new cut at the press screening, so had no need to go to the festival screening, which my pass wouldn’t get me into, and was sold out anyway. So I spent the early eve getting ready for the party, opting for yer basic black — extra-heavy duty Doc Martins, black pants, black short-sleeved mock turtleneck, black fringed cowboy shirt, and a newly arrived piece of swag, a baseball cap from Paul Allen’s new Science Fiction Museum that was, of course, black. I asked Diana Adams to accompany me. She was happy to, seeing it as another opportunity to promote the dance performance, Almost Quarry, that’ll take place at her gallery 6/4-7 (check www.aftermathgallery.com, reservations 206-325-6141). She wore a flowered dress, next stockings, nice shoes.

The do was at Consolidated Works. We got there bang at nine, but they were already being extra vigilant at the door, checking IDs and invites. No one about initially; saw Nick Tamburro, who’s working at the SIFF box office and who transcribed interviews for my book, She’s A Rebel (hey, I get to plug myself too!). After sitting at a table by the entry door, Diana suggested we move back to the “bar corridor,” where she said everyone would surely pass by during the course of the evening. This proved to be very true. First up we saw, who else, Todd Pottinger, who was pleased to note that Big City Dick is now sold out. Should be a great screening. Then I spied Dominique de Rivaz, director of Jagged Harmonies. I’d just interviewed her that day, so I said hi, and she sat to join us. She was wearing a great red leather shirt/jacket, and black pants I thought were all leather but actually skin in front and cloth in the back. I think she said they were lamb, not leather.

Dominique was leaving Seattle on Sunday, and disappointed she wouldn’t get to spend more time here. She’d made a trip to the top of the Space Needle in the hopes of seeing Mt. Rainier, but the weather wasn’t conducive. She was very pleased with the way her screenings had gone, they drew good crowds, got a good response, and people asked good questions. She was also happy with the quality of the projection, etc.; apparently that sort of thing isn’t always up to scratch at other fests. Her screenings were at Pacific Place, and she admitted she’d been late to her own Q&A for the second screening as she’d been watching Shreck 2 in another auditorium. Helen Loveridge came by and gently chided her for that. Dominique shared some cigarettes with us, very thin cigs that looked quite cute, despite being laden with toxins. They were also menthol, not my favorite, but I figured being so thin they wouldn’t be so bad. Diana said it was like chewing gum. Somehow the subject of Diana’s magazine came up, Sweet Action, an “intelligent porn mag for straight women,” as I’d call it. She’d brought some samples, and Dominique was quite keen to get a copy, which she then thoroughly examined. The woman who oversees SIFF’s hospitality suite stopped by (I don’t know her name, but I'm going to guess it's Claar Kreykamp), and soon both of them were poring over the mag, critiquing the photographs. I hope it doesn't give Dominique any trouble in crossing the border. Check out to Aftermath site to get your own copy. Support independent publishing!

I saw Jena Malone, “Gretchen” in DD, walking by, so I leapt off the stool to talk to her (I’d thought it would be my only chance). I asked how she liked the new cut, as she hadn’t seen it before. She did like it, really enjoyed how director Richard Kelly had integrated the extra stuff into the film; she said she really scrutinized it as she watched, trying to pick up on all the little details. Then she was whisked away by Helen. I then decided to whisk myself away, and ran smack into Mary McDonnell, the mom in DD. She has a fantastic, lovely smile. There was a little knot of folks around her. The subject was politics, and one man, a Bellevue resident, said he was a Democrat. “There are Democrats in Bellevue?” I said. “There are eight of us,” he replied. “I live in a similar situation, in the Pacific Palisades,” said McDonnell. “I used to live in Santa Monica, so I know just what you mean!” said a woman. But McDonnell said SM was a more liberal area. She was pleased when the Bellevue man remembered her appearances from ER.

When I got my chance, I also asked how she liked the new cut. She said she really enjoyed the chance to watch it as a film, instead of just examining her own performance. Was it hard to keep coming back to talking about a piece of work years after you’d finished? She said no, actors were sort of used to it, and I guess considering DVDs with their commentary, that’s very true. Speaking of, some DD fans came up with their DD DVDs to show Mary. A man nearby asked to get her picture, and he turned out to be Richard’s brother, Layne (not sure if that’s the right way to spell it). So I chatted with him. He’d arrived in town a day before Richard, so had more time to look around. I mentioned how Dominique had told me the beds at the W were the most comfortable she’d ever slept on, and Layne agreed; “Especially if you’ve got a hangover.” Apparently he’d overdone it at the Pike Place Brewery one evening! I mentioned how the DD folks I’d spoken to were all so nice, there was a warmth about them I didn’t always get in an interview. He agreed they were a close group, especially, he thought, because they hadn’t been working for big bucks. Layne was just as nice as the rest of ‘em!

I then caught up with Karla, rushing up and asking her a question, then apologizing for interrupting her conversation. She said it was no interruption, and only then I noticed she was talked to Jena Malone. So we hung out with her for a bit. She’s 19, but I guess they didn’t card her — she was drinking a beer! A woman sitting nearby called out to her “Hey — what was that Donnie Darko movie about anyway? It was confusing!” That has to be my quote of the night. Jena leaned over and said something, I couldn’t hear what; it sounded like it might’ve been about there being various interpretations. “I like that better than the director’s explanation,” the woman said. I wonder what that was? Jena admitted it was sometimes difficult at these parties; people just constantly coming up to talk to you. She said the interviews today had been kind of similar, just bang-bang-bang, one after the other. She gives awesome answers though, as you’ll see when I transcribe that interview. I was very impressed that the stars were out mingling with the hoi polloi instead of hiding in the VIP room where you have to be “in the know” or meet a gatekeeper in a good mood to get access. “How long did it take to film that scene in the hallway?” another man asked Jena, pressing a DVD copy of his short film on her in the process.

I also went over to chat with Nancy Juvonen, one of DD’s producers; she was the one who’d first read Richard’s script and showed it to Drew (I missed Drew at the party; apparently she’d already been and gone). She was wearing a nice rainbow colored coat. I said how she must feel vindicated, having the film eventually generate the acclaim to where it now got this fresh release. I can’t recall all of her answer, I’d had a few vodkas by then, but we rambled over being true to one’s vision, and how nice to not have committee after committee after studio boss after their bosses messing with your project until it had no resemblance to how it originally started. I said how it made sense to have the new cut premiere at SIFF, as we've a history of resurrecting films here, such as Repo Man, The Witches, Heart Like A Wheel, and others, that marketing folks weren't so sure what to do with. Then they had good Seattle test screenings (or SIFF screenings) and took off. I also asked something I’d wanted to know for years. In September 1994 I was backstage at a Hole concert in Seattle. Drew was then going out with Eric Erlandson in Hole, so she was there too. I have a clear memory of Frances Bean’s nanny telling Drew how to get a fake ID in Washington (a loophole since closed, I note). And since then, I’ve always wondered — did she get one? Nancy laughed and no, Drew had never had a fake ID. Well, as I say, I’d always wondered.

Ran into bartender Joy. She actually hadn't been as keen on the new edit; thought it spoonfed too much of the story to you; she liked a little mystery. I've heard some varying comments. Most people like the new edit, but some didn't feel it added anything (I read one online review that even liked it less). Another grumble from folks who attended the screening was that they didn't find out where the party was until the screening, and even then it wasn't announced (or at least they didn't hear it), they had to ask someone. "And no directions either," one woman said (she'd left her car near the Egyptian).

They were passing out bits of food all night, little hors d’oeuvres like cucumber cubes with cheesy stuff, little corn chips with cheesy stuff, rabbit-shaped shortbread cookies (the servers also wore rabbit ears, another DD tie-in), and little sticks of cotton candy. Things began winding down, especially as the bars began shutting down. Jena was apparently going to be whisked off to some after-party that we weren’t privy to, but Diana did manage to pass her a Sweet Action before she left. Hope she likes it. As we left we were actually given bags of swag, with a DD poster and soundtrack, CDs The End (co-sponsor) probably didn’t want, and some random stickers. Karla and the other Tableteers that had shown up (including wonder Mike who set up this blog, and Kristopher), were planning to drink elsewhere, but Diana and I felt we’d had enough (I know I had), so we toddled off to our respective homes.