Arrow Films Brings 4K Restoration of "Donnie Darko" to Theaters

Arrow Films recently sent us information for the upcoming release of the 4K restoration of Richard Kelly's cult film "Donnie Darko". The cult film stared Jake (Nightcrawler, Brokeback Mountain, Nocturnal Animals) and Maggie Gyllenhaal ("The Honourable Woman", The Dark Knight), Jena Malone (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Neon Demon), the late heartthrob Patrick Swayze (Dirty Dancing, Ghost), Drew Barrymore (E.T., "Grey Gardens", "Santa Clarita Diet") Oscar nominees Mary McDonnell (Dances With Wolves, Passion Fish, "Battlestar Galactica") and Katharine Ross (The Graduate, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Stepford Wives), and television favorite Noah Wyle ("ER", "Falling Skies").

"Donnie Darko" premiere at the Vista in Los Angeles on March 30th, and officially open in Los Angeles at the Cinefamily and in New York at Metrograph on March 31st. The film will also screen in additional cities in April.

Press Release:

Arrow Films has announced the March 31st domestic theatrical debut of the 4K restoration of Richard Kelly's cult hit Donnie Darko. Following a wildly successful re-release in the UK for its fifteenth anniversary, the film will return to theaters in cities across the United States. Fifteen years before "Stranger Things" combined science-fiction, Spielberg-ian touches and 80s nostalgia to much acclaim, Kelly set the template and the benchmark with his debut feature, Donnie Darko. Initially beset with distribution problems, it would slowly find its audience and emerge as arguably the first cult classic of the new millennium. The 4K restoration of Donnie Darko will premiere at the Vista in Los Angeles on March 30th, and officially open in Los Angeles at the Cinefamily and in New York at Metrograph on March 31st.

Described by director Richard Kelly as "The Catcher in the Rye as told by Philip K. Dick", Donnie Darko combines an eye-catching, eclectic cast: pre-stardom Jake (Nightcrawler, Brokeback Mountain, Nocturnal Animals) and Maggie Gyllenhaal ("The Honourable Woman", The Dark Knight), Jena Malone (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Neon Demon), the late heartthrob Patrick Swayze (Dirty Dancing, Ghost), Drew Barrymore (E.T., "Grey Gardens", "Santa Clarita Diet") Oscar nominees Mary McDonnell (Dances With Wolves, Passion Fish, "Battlestar Galactica") and Katharine Ross (The Graduate, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Stepford Wives), and television favorite Noah Wyle ("ER", "Falling Skies") and an evocative soundtrack of 80s classics by Echo and the Bunnymen, Tears for Fears and Duran Duran.

The brand-new 4K restoration was produced by Arrow Films from the original camera negatives and supervised and approved by Kelly and cinematographer Steven Poster. The 4K restoration premiered to a packed audience at the National Film Theatre in London on December 17th, 2016, with an introduction by Richard Kelly. A screening of the Director's Cut followed the next day. The re-release opened nationwide in the UK on December 23rd, eventually grossing £70,000.

Both the theatrical cut and the director's cut are being made available to venues via a partnership with Cartilage Films, and locations will vary.

Donnie Darko will also return for weeklong runs in Denver, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Phoenix and San Francisco on March 31st, and in El Paso and Detroit on April 7.

Special screenings include Jacksonville, Austin, Dallas, Honolulu, Lubbock, Baton Rouge, Sioux Falls, Oklahoma City, Tucson, Durham and Stamford throughout March and April.

"The Neon Demon" Review by Tim Hellman

'NEON DEMON': Five Stars (Out of Five)

Nicolas Winding Refn's newest masterpiece, about a young aspiring model trying to make it in L.A.'s blood thirsty modeling world. Refn directed and co-wrote the movie; with Mary Laws and Polly Stenham. It stars Elle Fanning, Jena Malone, Bella Heathcote, Abbey Lee, Karl Glusman, Christina Hendricks, Desmond Harrington, Alessandro Nivola and Keanu Reeves. The film received very polarizing reviews from critics (like nearly all of Refn's movies do), and it was a bomb at the Box Office (also like nearly all of his other films). I loved it!

16-year-old Jesse (Fanning) moves to Los Angeles with dreams of becoming a famous model. Her parents passed away, and she's having to make it in the big city alone. Once there, she meets an aspiring photographer, named Dean (Glusman), who takes pictures of her, for her portfolio, and begins to date her. Everyone Jesse meets sees something special in her (in her appearance that is), and she has no problems getting modeling gigs. This causes a lot of jealousy among the other models, which makes it a very dangerous business for Jesse to fit into. As the film shows us, the modeling world is extremely cutthroat; and people will eat each other alive just to make it (figuratively, and perhaps literally).

The movie, like all of Refn's films, is definitely not for everyone; it's the type of flick that most people will either love or hate (that's why it's reviews are so polarizing). I loved it. It's definitely disturbing, gross, fucked up, bizarre, and completely insane; but I love all of those things (in movies, that is). It's stylistically awesome; and it's filled with mesmerizing visuals, and an awesome soundtrack (which is very nostalgic, 80s sounding electronic music). The film is reminiscent of David Lynch's 80's work (but better); and it also feels like a much darker (and more fucked up) 'BLACK SWAN' (but better). The movie also has great (and very insightful) commentary on the looks obsessed society we all live in; which is a topic I'm very much interested in (having always been made fun of for my unique appearance). It's something that a lot of people deny, but nearly everyone is guilty of (either in a knowing, or unconscious way). I don't buy that Elle Fanning is the most beautiful woman around (she's not my type, besides the fact that she's way too young), but she plays the part well. Jena Malone, Bella Heathcote and Abbey Lee are all scene-stealers though; and I read that Malone helped Refn improvise a lot of the film, including one really fucked up sex scene. Of course Refn's direction, and his co-written script, are masterful as well. It's one of the most memorable films I've probably ever seen!

Official Stills from Nicolas Winding Refn's Upcoming Film "The Neon Demon"

Amazon Studios and Broad Green Pictures recently released stills for the Nicolas Winding Refn's upcoming film "The Neon Demon". The film stars Elle Fanning (Maleficent, Super 8), Jena Malone (Inherent Vice, The Hunger Games series), Bella Heathcote (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Dark Shadows), Abbey Lee (Gods of Egypt, Max Max: Fury Road), Karl Glusman (Love, Stonewall), Keanu Reeves (John Wick, The Matrix series), Christina Hendricks (“Mad Men,” Drive) and Desmond Harrington (“Dexter,” The Dark Knight Rises).


"The Neon Demon" hits theaters in limited release on June 24th.

Plot Synopsis:

When aspiring model Jesse moves to Los Angeles, her youth and vitality are devoured by a group of beauty-obsessed women who will use any means necessary to get what she has in The Neon Demon, the new horror thriller from Nicolas Winding Refn.