A cult-favorite, Richard Kelly's Donnie Darko (2001) was a thought-provoking, sensitive triumph for this first-time writer/director. Three years following its release, Kelly unveiled his director's cut. Painfully bloated with an excess of information, Kelly stunningly stripped this film of its previous "magic." Clearly, Kelly had never heard the cliche "less is more." The new film fails on nearly every level: in fact, even its revamped soundtrack is embarrassingly amateurish. While many audience-members found this new release more accessible, equally as many were horrified at its revealing nature: nothing was left to the imagination. Why did Kelly elect to release his original, uninspired vision to his fans? Was he "dumbing-down" a complex, existential film simply to garner a larger audience? Are there any redeeming qualities to this new release? Is there any recovering from the damage this new release has caused? Moreover, while this new-release reveals much about the director, it is also reveals much about modern audiences.

This panel will address both the uncanny success of the original film (why did it appeal to discriminating viewers?) and the grotesque director's cut (what does it reveal about the current state of film-art? what does it reveal about society?)