WE LIKE FEEDBACK, 2003

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Eric wins the Nicest Critical (and Best-Written) Letter Written about the Donnie Darko Article award, even though he calls Rusty's methods "immature and ignorant" (and has a comma splice).

I think you are being a little too harsh, perhaps, on the movie "Donnie Darko".  It wasnt bad.  Of course, it was slightly confusing, and riddled with pop culture references, but it was also interesting and entertaining.  If you are going to attack a movie's merit, it would benifit you to focus on something other than the names of the characters, that sort of seems immature and ignorant.  Also, If you hate this movie so much, then why did you publish an essay about it?

Eric

Candice wrote a response to Tommy Burton's "Ten Album Covers That Rock My World" (about Leon Russell and the Shelter People, for the record--no pun intended). Thanks, Candice, for giving us a nice letter around here for a change.

If you guys like record covers... my dad has an awesome record of Leon Russell's. I don't know what the record is called (sorry), but it has the song "A Hard Rain Is Gonna Fall" (a Bob Dylan cover) on the it. I fell in love with him just looking at his face on the cover. The big glasses on him, that sparkle, makes the whole thing. Anyway, just like your prologue on your website, I don't know if it will do anything for you, but to me it's intriguing.

Candice

No, we liked Back to the Future. The writer of this letter didn't specify which movie he was talking about.

what the fuck are you talking about, the movie was amazing. i cant see how you are comparing to bullshit movies... i honestly dont see how it was bad. it was complicated, and you can have your own theory on it. maybe its not the most realistic movie being about time travel and what not, but the movie was out and out amazing, i must say i highly look the other way on this one. what do you dislike about it so much?

Another email about "Donnie Dorko." For the record, it's hard to make specific references to a movie you haven't seen. And there is nothing confusing about Donnie Darko, ladies and gentlemen. It's a very straightforward movie.

i read the review you posted on donnie darko and alls i can say is that its total bullshit. have any of you basement dwellers actually watched the movie? and if you did you obviously dont possess the intellegence to understand even the plot much less the complete overview of the movie. the more i read it the more it makes me sick. is it because you dont retain the I.Q. required to figure it out? perhaps. or do you just have bad taste in movies. it could be both. but as far as im concerned your review is is like saying that walt disney was a genious. for those of lesser intellegence, he wasn't.

Garrett Layman

Another email about the "Donnie Dorko" article (excerpt). A nice letter, actually, relatively speaking.

i can clearly see that u do not understand what the movie donnie darko really means [followed by explanation]. So if u still dont understand sumthin or think the movie is dumb please email me back.

A response to Jordan of below article (excerpt).

I read the article you gave and it has virtually the same support you had. "It was stupid." "Retarded, retarded, retarded." "What a dumb movie!" No, that's not technically support... Spell immediately disregards the ability to actually like the movie. In lamens terms: "Sure, you SAY you like the movie, but you really don't because you're stupid and I'm not and I have the amazing ability to reach inside your mind and find that your opinion is wrong. And also, stupid"... Assumptions are such grand support, aren't they? Supports 6 and 4 of Spell's article will not be addressed, as they are just stupid.

A found link at Kamera.co.uk written to fans of Donnie Darko, referencing Rusty Spell's article "Donnie Dorko" (excerpt).

If you think you like this film, read this article ["Donnie Dorko"]. Jordan.

A letter written to Rusty Spell about the article "Donnie Dorko."

5 May 2003

I've seen the movie Donnie Darko, and I think it was a damn good movie. Explain to me why I should conform to your beliefs and think that movie was shitty. First off the writer is a very creative person, I don't see you making any movies, probably cause your imagination is lame. But thanks for your web page bashing the movie, it shows me how ignorant, and arrogant people really are.

Andrew Frymark

A found online article referencing Rusty Spell's article "The Myth of the Movie-Going Experience" (excerpt).

There is even a man by the name of Rusty Spell, a self-pronounced writer and film critic who has made a case [for preferring movies at home to theaters] online... Well, I beg to differ.