Thanks Dr Z for coming through. I've been requesting a dive on pookas for quite a while. Have you done kitsunes yet? There was a cool yet graphic episode about them in "Love, Death, and Robots".
Have y'all ever watched Steven Spielberg's Taken miniseries? The second episode starts with a young boy being abducted in a very similar way to people who claim to have seen a Puca (or some creature that pretended to be the Easter Bunny or childhood figure)
In the director’s cut, Frank is one of the manipulated dead, the manipulated dead is apart of a tangent universe that needs to get Donnie to return an artifact back from a wormhole that created the tangent universe, that artifact being a jet engine. So in order to motivate Donnie to do this, the manipulated dead will have to set an insurance trap, which means setting up the death of Donnie’s girlfriend so that Donnie could shoot Frank and inevitably end up putting the jet engine in a wormhole so that the tangent universe doesn’t collapse with the primary universe.
Frank is still a manipulated dead in the theatrical version. It is one of the consistent outcomes of a tangent universe, as mentioned in The Philosophy of Time Travel. But this video has nothing to do with that. This video is simply arguing that the INSPIRATION behind why Richard Kelly chose Frank to be dressed specifically as a scary bunny might be a nod to the Púca.
Fun fact: if you rewatch the movie, look in the opening sequence Donnie and frank actually pass eachother the exact moment the lyrics say "killing time" from the song the killing moon by echo & bunnymen
Harvey's great, actually! The movie was originally a play, so "Harvey" exists only through the protagonist interacting with him. Everyone around him thinks he's delusional, and eventually his family forces him to undergo a medical procedure that will "make Harvey go away" (implied to be a lobotomy--the play is from 1940). The protagonist is saved at the last minute, but by that point several inexplicable events have led the audience to realize that Harvey isn’t a delusion at all; he's a powerful trickster spirit who COULD do a lot of harm, but simply happens to enjoy hanging out with the protagonist. Harvey never hurts anyone and is NEVER visible, and the very minimal special effects (like a door opening without anyone there) do a great job of suggesting a benign supernatural presence. It's kind of the original "What if an imaginary friend were real?" story, and the twist is that he stays friendly. Harvey warps time and space at one point, and he still didn’t scare me, even as a kid watching the movie. I used to wish for a puca friend of my own. 😂
Very true, especially about the lobotomy implications, though it could have been about insulin shock therapy as well. Also, the theme was generally lighthearted and would have been enjoyed by younger viewers. Frank, however helpful, was extremely creepy to say the least... like a fever dream.
I’m in Ireland, and púca was one of the words we learnt in Irish for “ghost” at Halloween in school! Also taibhse, which is bit more specific, but púca is the once everyone remembered and used because it’s easier to spell 😂
The old folks passed it to us in the states - like whenever something went missing or something strange happened we'd say it was the Púca (though I didn't know the proper spelling. I thought it was pooka).
Púca means scary ghostly being. Generally it referred to the selective group magical beings known as Na bPúcaí. Taibhse means spirit and can refer to anything from a poltergeist to a forest sprite
While i do think the Puca deserves more attention, I think you should check out the directors cut. While there is a possibility Kelly took SOME inspiration from the Puca, it's is very clear that it's because of the Tangent Universe and the 4th dimensional powers granted to the Living Receiver in said Tangent Universe. The directors cut adds pages from The Philosophy of Time Travel, written by Roberta Sparrow(aka Grandma Death), and if you watch the commentary by Richard Kelly he explains that Donnie has super powers and explains most of the lore behind the movie(making it clear why and how things take place throughout the movie).
Also inspired by the Bunny-Man of Fairfax County, Virginia. An urban legend that has many variations, but typically centers around a crazed killer that wore a bunny costume during his alleged crimes. This is partly why the film is set in nearby Middlesex, Virginia.
@@storytimewithsatan5979 definitely not Iowa. The interactive website that the director Richard Kelly created to further expand on the story shows various government documents and news snippets from the state of Virginia.
@@storytimewithsatan5979 No dude, it’s definitely Virginia. It was even confirmed in the interactive-website that director Richard Kelly made to expand on the film’s lore. It showed various legal and government documents from Virginia.
@@kris242 Whoops, yeah I just visited on the wayback machine. My mistake. I guess the only question remaining really is why the principal tells Donnie his Iowa state test scores are intimidating? That lead me to this understanding originally.
If that was the case why did Frank apologize for something that never happened yet? He was sorry for what he single handedly caused, he was telling Donnie to follow another path and not the one that was originally destined for him to die in.
He gives him on his journey, as she also referenced. But he's still messed with mentally through the whole process too, that's part of how he comes to terms with the journey
Yeah Pretty Much So Called Frank Was From The Future To Show Donnie What Happens And How He Can Shift To Another Dimension But He Would Have To Die In The Dimension That He Was Currently In Or He Could Stay But He Would Have To Sacrifice So Many People To Do So Including His True Authentic Love And His Family 💕 I'm So In Love With That Movie It's One Off My Favorites 🤗
This fits the theory that Donnie is a Trickster/Time god (like Loki or Tempest) or some kind of Celestial stuck in a human form and breaking the flow of fate in the Universe. Frank is theorised to be either the dual persona of the god stuck in Donny attempting to bring the other half back to serves it purpose and let Donny's fate play out as it is supposed to. Or another Trickster/Messenger god (think more like Hermes) looking for the other god to restore the flow of fate and time. Donny's blackouts are supposed to be when the god/being inhabiting him gathers enough control and influence to make Donny do things the god/being would do if left to its own devices (ie creating a mobius loop having Donny avoid his own death, flood the school, burn down the self help guys home, etc)
I just watched Harvey and immediately thought of Donnie Darko and had to rewatch it (this is within the last week) because i was thinking the same thing.😮😮😮 the timing of all of this is startling.
The director has said Frank was inspired primarily by watership down which is featured in the movie, not Harvey the rabbit. He's a reverse ghost designed to help donnie on his journey to save the universe
Ooh, I like this interpretation much better than the one a lot of Donnie Darko fans give! (It’s been described to me as a twisted version of “It’s a Wonderful Life” but where the protagonist is convinced that his death is better for everyone 😅😢)
I always thought it had more to do with a popular theory at the time that the 4th dimension was time and by avoiding his initial death Donnie had basically thrown a wrench i to the timeline, with frank being a fourth dimensional being guiding him back to where he was supposed to be. That would explain the weird visions he followed, they were literally instructions telling him where to go.
Have you done a video on Bunnicula, the vegetarian vampire rabbit, if you don’t mind me asking? I’d love to get your thoughts on him in relation to pucás and vampires. ❤❤❤
Actually the symbolism of the rabbit goes much deeper spiritually. It signifies rebirth and resurrection. As well fertility since hes very sexually aware and wants to have sex which he does. Donnie is afraid to die so all the experiences he goes through is helping him with his fear of death.
Cant be rebirth or ressurrection. Becaise donnie survives the plane debris only to be killed by it at the end. No rebirth no coming bck. He symbolizes predestination. He tells donnie the whole movie he cant change anything yet he keeps trying. And finally figures it out.
@@petercastagnetta9591 unless it's a loop (or spiral). It could be that him dying in the end was the dream we woke up from at the very start of the movie.
@@pbsstoried Too many skinwalker tales around the campfire. The Deer Woman tale my grandfather told me as a child was the one that always stuck in my mind. While walking alone in the woods, always be aware of a beautiful woman who lurks there. If her lower body is obscured by foliage... Its because she's hiding her hooves. A big wa-do (thank you) from The Nation.
Except that Frank didn’t take Donnie on a purposeless journey. Frank allowed Donnie to sacrifice himself in exchange for the lives of his mother, sister, girlfriend and (ironically) Frank himself.
But paradoxically, Frank wouldn't exist to save Donnie if Donnie just stayed in his room which is the natural flow of events. Donnie sacrificed himself, yes, but he sacrificed himself from a tragedy technically of his own and Frank's devising. Bootstrap paradox at its finest, as Frank's intervention is only possible if Frank intervenes... Because Donnie would have just died right off from the plane engine. But then again, the plane engine wouldn't have killed Donnie if he had never sent it back either. I think I'm beginning to understand now. Frank originates from a timeline without the plane engine where Halloween night unfolds as we see in the film. The temporal anomaly, potentially divine intervention occurs, and the engine falls back in time. Frank didn't go back so Donnie could sacrifice himself, he went back to atone for his murder of Gretchen and to make amends with Donnie before his death by giving him the memories of the good times with Gretchen before his certain demise to course correct time.
@@cryptkeeperthe9634 Yeah, I had this thought the last time I saw the movie that Donnie is one of the Manipulated by Frank (the one who gets shot) in order to save his own (Frank's) life. The one with super powers seems to be Frank who knows the end of the temporary universe, manipulates Donnie into sleepwalking, shows Donnie visions and opens the wormhole to send the jet engine back. I think the Tangent Universe was created by the bullet that hit Frank and Frank is using these abilities at the point of impact. I think this is against what the director had thought, but if Donnie was the one with powers, why couldn't he get the bully off of himself during Gretchen's death scene? I'll have to think about this more.
Actually the writer of the movie said in one of his interviews he doesn’t know why but he randomly thought of a bunny for the character frank, in the documentary about the movie on TUBI.
Awesome! I love this theory. "Donnie Darko" is one of my all time favorite movies, and I always thought Frank looked cool. Any connection between pucas and the spirits of the dead given Frank's fate/ cyclical origin in the movie?
Some argue that they have roots in the fae folk, which would make them able to cross the veil. We will be covering more of this lore in a full episode!-Dr. Z
Good gods - I live for this kind of knowledge! I'd never heard of a Puca before this video! Between this and Gaiman's thought form god beliefs... Emily Zarka is the Queen of Folklore and I would long to have her come to my local book festival next year in Falmouth UK!
I wish I could post the picture I took of an apparition I caught on camera at the San Antonio Ghost Tracks. The figure looked like it had on a Donnie Darko bunny sweatshirt. It looked like it had a big skeleton type head with huge eye sockets and maybe ears. If you look up San Antonio ghost tracks, I posted a picture of it on Google reviews.
Donnie was asleep from the entire movie. From when he got up and rode his bicycle home was a dream. You can't put an exe through a 20 foot bronze statue or cut a solid iron pipe with an axe. As asleep as I am now.
This is such a cop-out. What would be the point of the movie if Donnie was "asleep" the entire time? Why does he dream that his family is mourning his death at the end and his girlfriend never met him? Just because a character's environment is dreamlike, doesn't mean that they are literally "asleep". People say this about Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut as well. These movies use dreams as a means of exploring the subconscious. There is no difference between waking and dream life for the characters in these movies, the two realities meld into one. Donnie was able to put an axe into a bronze statue because he has enhanced strength due to him being the Living Receiver.
I would say he isnt there to mess with donnie but he is trying to save himself (frank) and like you said they are seen on halloween the first encounter is october 3rd or 2nd i think so probably
Its inspidred by the bunny man it is said in a book the bunny man is a guy who escaped prison and killed kids parents then kidnapped them then was running one day after killing a family he got hit by a train and died and is said he haunts a bridge
So basically Donnie died in the beginning. The whole time he was coming to terms with his death and thats why it seems like he has the ability to time travel and communicate with interdimensional beings like Frank. Thats also why the plane turbine crashes exactly again where it crashed in the beginning as if it never happened before Frank was motivating Donnie to let go by showing him what his life would've been like if he stayed alive. Donnie never had a choice entirely since he was already dead but his potential life in the "present and future" could've served as a form of purgatory and it motivated him to make a choice and leave sooner than he had to because he didn't want to suffer by watching the people he loved suffer 😢 The other dimension was the after life and his own personal heaven
I've watched the film plus soundtrack several times. Every time I watch it I understand it better. The rabbit was unerving LaM, museum in Lille FR has big scary bunny, So this monster has been depicted many ways over the yebrilliant job to donnie darco
I've heard stories before where it's described as looking like a black rabbit. That could just be a modern American misunderstanding of the creature though. According to Wikipedia, it's a shapeshifter that has black fur and a rabbit is one of the many common forms it takes.
Frank is the temporally displaced soul of his sister's boyfriend after having accidentally run over Gretchen. Donnie's continued existence, while giving him time with Gretchen, ultimately sees her untimely demise. Perhaps the stray timeline was Frank's gift, but paradoxically Frank can only exist if Donnie lives past the plane engine, and Donnie only leaves to survive because of Frank. So which happened first? Debatably though, it's questionable if Gretchen would have survived in either timeline as its implied that her psychopathic father had found them as evident from her Mom being gone which was the reason she went to Donnie's house in the first place. It's hard to say. It's a curious thing.
Well, I guess that kind of checks out. I noticed if Frank never called Donnie outside, in the first place, Donnie would have died when the engine fell in his room to begin with, so in a way…Frank did start him on a pointless mission ? Or maybe that’s just a plot hole. Or maybe the universe made an oopsies. Idk, it’s a time traveling sci-fi flick first and foremost, so I’m willing to forgive inconsistencies lol
What other monster film character would you like to learn about?
Thanks Dr Z for coming through. I've been requesting a dive on pookas for quite a while.
Have you done kitsunes yet? There was a cool yet graphic episode about them in "Love, Death, and Robots".
Deer Woman.
When the drum stops, she'll reveal herself...
@@R.Merkhet damn, i love "Good Hunting"! So cool narrative and elements!
Have y'all ever watched Steven Spielberg's Taken miniseries? The second episode starts with a young boy being abducted in a very similar way to people who claim to have seen a Puca (or some creature that pretended to be the Easter Bunny or childhood figure)
Ginger Snaps movie!
In the director’s cut, Frank is one of the manipulated dead, the manipulated dead is apart of a tangent universe that needs to get Donnie to return an artifact back from a wormhole that created the tangent universe, that artifact being a jet engine. So in order to motivate Donnie to do this, the manipulated dead will have to set an insurance trap, which means setting up the death of Donnie’s girlfriend so that Donnie could shoot Frank and inevitably end up putting the jet engine in a wormhole so that the tangent universe doesn’t collapse with the primary universe.
Aha! Just saw that cut today now I get it ..(sort of). .
There is much more it is refernce in a way to alice in wonderland and to rabbits creatung tunnels and holes
Frank is still a manipulated dead in the theatrical version. It is one of the consistent outcomes of a tangent universe, as mentioned in The Philosophy of Time Travel. But this video has nothing to do with that. This video is simply arguing that the INSPIRATION behind why Richard Kelly chose Frank to be dressed specifically as a scary bunny might be a nod to the Púca.
*Ensurance Trap
How does shooting frank put the engine back tho ? I don’t understand that part
Fun fact: if you rewatch the movie, look in the opening sequence Donnie and frank actually pass eachother the exact moment the lyrics say "killing time" from the song the killing moon by echo & bunnymen
Couldn't find the scene tf.
@@ODWGKTADGAFfanis in the beginning when he's riding his bike back home
Literally echo and the bunny man
...and the killing moon is about satanic child sacrifice. Read the lyrics, and you will spot it.
Franks voice could sooth the soul out the body
Because he's Death 😅
So, Bugs Bunny is also a puca?
I don't think Leon Schlesinger wants to traumatize with a creature like that
The dudes who made Looney Tunes were well educated, I would be quite surprised if Bugs being a rabbit was just a coincidence.
He *does* like to drive people crazy
Interesting point…
They weren't all frightening.
I'm loving these new shorts contents! Keep them going guys! Great work!
And we love making them! ❤
“Harvey” looks wayyy more terrifying😂😂
Harvey was chill though.
Harvey's great, actually! The movie was originally a play, so "Harvey" exists only through the protagonist interacting with him. Everyone around him thinks he's delusional, and eventually his family forces him to undergo a medical procedure that will "make Harvey go away" (implied to be a lobotomy--the play is from 1940). The protagonist is saved at the last minute, but by that point several inexplicable events have led the audience to realize that Harvey isn’t a delusion at all; he's a powerful trickster spirit who COULD do a lot of harm, but simply happens to enjoy hanging out with the protagonist. Harvey never hurts anyone and is NEVER visible, and the very minimal special effects (like a door opening without anyone there) do a great job of suggesting a benign supernatural presence. It's kind of the original "What if an imaginary friend were real?" story, and the twist is that he stays friendly. Harvey warps time and space at one point, and he still didn’t scare me, even as a kid watching the movie. I used to wish for a puca friend of my own. 😂
Very true, especially about the lobotomy implications, though it could have been about insulin shock therapy as well. Also, the theme was generally lighthearted and would have been enjoyed by younger viewers. Frank, however helpful, was extremely creepy to say the least... like a fever dream.
Ohhh interesting. If I remember to or it crosses my path in future, I will def be interested
🪻 Especially when Harvey resurfaced on that episode of Curb from last season .... 🙈
I’m in Ireland, and púca was one of the words we learnt in Irish for “ghost” at Halloween in school! Also taibhse, which is bit more specific, but púca is the once everyone remembered and used because it’s easier to spell 😂
Aight, there's two words today that I've never heard before. Only 938,749,832,998 more to go.
The old folks passed it to us in the states - like whenever something went missing or something strange happened we'd say it was the Púca (though I didn't know the proper spelling. I thought it was pooka).
Púca means scary ghostly being. Generally it referred to the selective group magical beings known as Na bPúcaí. Taibhse means spirit and can refer to anything from a poltergeist to a forest sprite
One of the best films ever!
Shoutout to big bunny suit "Harvey" in Farscape!
I loved that John named the mentel clone of Scorpious, Harvey to distinguish him.
That was a great show
While i do think the Puca deserves more attention, I think you should check out the directors cut. While there is a possibility Kelly took SOME inspiration from the Puca, it's is very clear that it's because of the Tangent Universe and the 4th dimensional powers granted to the Living Receiver in said Tangent Universe. The directors cut adds pages from The Philosophy of Time Travel, written by Roberta Sparrow(aka Grandma Death), and if you watch the commentary by Richard Kelly he explains that Donnie has super powers and explains most of the lore behind the movie(making it clear why and how things take place throughout the movie).
Still one of my fav movies of all time
Love this. My son's favorite movie.
A classic 🤌
One of my favourite movies for ever. It’s new every time watched.
When I saw the thumbnail, I was thinking, "oh that reminds me of the giant invisible bunny from Harvey." And then y'all mentioned it! :)
I had no idea. This explains so much. Thanks.
I absolutely adore the Púca! Do you think you’ll ever do a full video on them someday?
Already one in the works!-Dr.Z
@@pbsstoriedOoooooo! So excited!
An interesting take. Never thought about frank this way.
Also inspired by the Bunny-Man of Fairfax County, Virginia. An urban legend that has many variations, but typically centers around a crazed killer that wore a bunny costume during his alleged crimes. This is partly why the film is set in nearby Middlesex, Virginia.
It's set in Iowa. Middlesex, Iowa.
@@storytimewithsatan5979 definitely not Iowa. The interactive website that the director Richard Kelly created to further expand on the story shows various government documents and news snippets from the state of Virginia.
@@storytimewithsatan5979 No dude, it’s definitely Virginia. It was even confirmed in the interactive-website that director Richard Kelly made to expand on the film’s lore. It showed various legal and government documents from Virginia.
@@kris242 Whoops, yeah I just visited on the wayback machine. My mistake. I guess the only question remaining really is why the principal tells Donnie his Iowa state test scores are intimidating? That lead me to this understanding originally.
I had never heard of a puca, or that creepy Harvey movie. Haha! So fascinating! I definitely want to make some puca drawings now.
OMG I adore this movie this is so cool I didn't know Puca's were a thing
So glad you can pronounce Samhain. Watching Reid from Criminal Minds say "Sam-hayn" killed me
If that was the case why did Frank apologize for something that never happened yet? He was sorry for what he single handedly caused, he was telling Donnie to follow another path and not the one that was originally destined for him to die in.
He's actually there to help Donnie in the movie, not mess with him.
He gives him on his journey, as she also referenced. But he's still messed with mentally through the whole process too, that's part of how he comes to terms with the journey
Yeah Pretty Much So Called Frank Was From The Future To Show Donnie What Happens And How He Can Shift To Another Dimension But He Would Have To Die In The Dimension That He Was Currently In Or He Could Stay But He Would Have To Sacrifice So Many People To Do So Including His True Authentic Love And His Family 💕 I'm So In Love With That Movie It's One Off My Favorites 🤗
I didn’t interpret what he did for Donnie as help. Their interactions just seemed like an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object: inevitable.
@@______IV I Love You 💓
@@MichaelErnest666 : I really needed that today. Ty!
This fits the theory that Donnie is a Trickster/Time god (like Loki or Tempest) or some kind of Celestial stuck in a human form and breaking the flow of fate in the Universe. Frank is theorised to be either the dual persona of the god stuck in Donny attempting to bring the other half back to serves it purpose and let Donny's fate play out as it is supposed to. Or another Trickster/Messenger god (think more like Hermes) looking for the other god to restore the flow of fate and time. Donny's blackouts are supposed to be when the god/being inhabiting him gathers enough control and influence to make Donny do things the god/being would do if left to its own devices (ie creating a mobius loop having Donny avoid his own death, flood the school, burn down the self help guys home, etc)
He's an avatar (an incarnation of God) taking on a human form. Look into Hinduism and the Bhagavad Gita.
Frank isn't sending Donnie on a purposeless journey. He saved Donnie's life and outed Patrick Swayze as a child pornographer.
But that all gets erased at the end...
I have my volume aaallllll the way up and it still sounds like you're whispering to me from two rooms away.
I just watched Harvey and immediately thought of Donnie Darko and had to rewatch it (this is within the last week) because i was thinking the same thing.😮😮😮 the timing of all of this is startling.
Just beyond the cellar door, thats where youll find them.....
The director has said Frank was inspired primarily by watership down which is featured in the movie, not Harvey the rabbit. He's a reverse ghost designed to help donnie on his journey to save the universe
Reverse ghost designed?
Purposeless? Frank sent Donnie on a journey to literally save the world.
Ooh, I like this interpretation much better than the one a lot of Donnie Darko fans give! (It’s been described to me as a twisted version of “It’s a Wonderful Life” but where the protagonist is convinced that his death is better for everyone 😅😢)
I always thought it had more to do with a popular theory at the time that the 4th dimension was time and by avoiding his initial death Donnie had basically thrown a wrench i to the timeline, with frank being a fourth dimensional being guiding him back to where he was supposed to be. That would explain the weird visions he followed, they were literally instructions telling him where to go.
My first thought was the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. The rabbit hole was a wormhole and Wonderland was a parallel universe.
Have you done a video on Bunnicula, the vegetarian vampire rabbit, if you don’t mind me asking? I’d love to get your thoughts on him in relation to pucás and vampires. ❤❤❤
Ahh bunnicula brings back childhood memories
This just blew my whole perspective
Yes ! I loved this movie and I always told people about these guys
Actually the symbolism of the rabbit goes much deeper spiritually. It signifies rebirth and resurrection. As well fertility since hes very sexually aware and wants to have sex which he does. Donnie is afraid to die so all the experiences he goes through is helping him with his fear of death.
Cant be rebirth or ressurrection. Becaise donnie survives the plane debris only to be killed by it at the end. No rebirth no coming bck. He symbolizes predestination. He tells donnie the whole movie he cant change anything yet he keeps trying. And finally figures it out.
@@petercastagnetta9591 unless it's a loop (or spiral). It could be that him dying in the end was the dream we woke up from at the very start of the movie.
I remember seeing that the director based Frank on the Fairfax VA Bunnyman, as that was his home state and both bunnyman are associated with Halloween
I've been to that bridge. The weird thing is, when I went to sleep that night, anytime I was about to drift off the bridge popped into my mind.
Thanks for the nightmare fuel, Dr Zarka.
I picked a bad day to switch to decaf....
Sorry, my friend!
@@pbsstoried
Too many skinwalker tales around the campfire. The Deer Woman tale my grandfather told me as a child was the one that always stuck in my mind.
While walking alone in the woods, always be aware of a beautiful woman who lurks there. If her lower body is obscured by foliage... Its because she's hiding her hooves.
A big wa-do (thank you) from The Nation.
strange violent and wild journeys, so a ridealong movie
Except that Frank didn’t take Donnie on a purposeless journey. Frank allowed Donnie to sacrifice himself in exchange for the lives of his mother, sister, girlfriend and (ironically) Frank himself.
This is somehow funny?
@@Demention94 no where in this comment was said it was funny
But paradoxically, Frank wouldn't exist to save Donnie if Donnie just stayed in his room which is the natural flow of events. Donnie sacrificed himself, yes, but he sacrificed himself from a tragedy technically of his own and Frank's devising.
Bootstrap paradox at its finest, as Frank's intervention is only possible if Frank intervenes... Because Donnie would have just died right off from the plane engine. But then again, the plane engine wouldn't have killed Donnie if he had never sent it back either. I think I'm beginning to understand now.
Frank originates from a timeline without the plane engine where Halloween night unfolds as we see in the film. The temporal anomaly, potentially divine intervention occurs, and the engine falls back in time. Frank didn't go back so Donnie could sacrifice himself, he went back to atone for his murder of Gretchen and to make amends with Donnie before his death by giving him the memories of the good times with Gretchen before his certain demise to course correct time.
@@cryptkeeperthe9634woah... mind = blown
@@cryptkeeperthe9634 Yeah, I had this thought the last time I saw the movie that Donnie is one of the Manipulated by Frank (the one who gets shot) in order to save his own (Frank's) life. The one with super powers seems to be Frank who knows the end of the temporary universe, manipulates Donnie into sleepwalking, shows Donnie visions and opens the wormhole to send the jet engine back. I think the Tangent Universe was created by the bullet that hit Frank and Frank is using these abilities at the point of impact. I think this is against what the director had thought, but if Donnie was the one with powers, why couldn't he get the bully off of himself during Gretchen's death scene? I'll have to think about this more.
Love puca. They're awesome monsters.
My cousin dreamt about this "entity" when we were six
Actually the writer of the movie said in one of his interviews he doesn’t know why but he randomly thought of a bunny for the character frank, in the documentary about the movie on TUBI.
seems Wonderland's White Rabbit was the black sheep of his family
He’s helping Donnie. So no. And it’s just a Halloween costume.
Yep you nailed it
Nah Franks a real one, helped Donnie save the universe
Storied: (this video)
Richard Kelly: uh i just wanted a scary furry
Thanks, I knew Frank was some kind of trickster
Man, Springtrap's looking pretty rough around the edges these days...
Awesome! I love this theory. "Donnie Darko" is one of my all time favorite movies, and I always thought Frank looked cool. Any connection between pucas and the spirits of the dead given Frank's fate/ cyclical origin in the movie?
Some argue that they have roots in the fae folk, which would make them able to cross the veil. We will be covering more of this lore in a full episode!-Dr. Z
all of them refer to following the rabbit down the hole.
Remember Frank is just a human in a costume, who happened to die in the previous Time loop
Good gods - I live for this kind of knowledge! I'd never heard of a Puca before this video! Between this and Gaiman's thought form god beliefs... Emily Zarka is the Queen of Folklore and I would long to have her come to my local book festival next year in Falmouth UK!
If that was the case why did Frank save him in the beginning of the movie?
Puka and Frank sounds like our shadow, and a sign of schizophrenia 😅
Who Framed Puca Rabbit?
Isn't Frank's mask the costume that one kid who died designed?
Was it a Halloween costume? Because Halloween and Púca would make sense
I was just trying to find Darko US’s new song Bunny Suit.
Nah chief , frank is guiding Donnie to the path he is destined to take to prevent the collapse of both the real and tangent universe
Frank is a man that died in a Halloween costume. Watch the movie
Franks little tasks that he gives Donnie aren’t purposeless, in fact its the opposite
My favorite movie
Frank is a good bunnyman
It’s actually said to be based off the bunnyman from Virginia…hence why Frank supplied Donnie with an axe…that was the bunnyman’s weapon of choice.
I wish I could post the picture I took of an apparition I caught on camera at the San Antonio Ghost Tracks. The figure looked like it had on a Donnie Darko bunny sweatshirt. It looked like it had a big skeleton type head with huge eye sockets and maybe ears. If you look up San Antonio ghost tracks, I posted a picture of it on Google reviews.
Donnie was asleep from the entire movie. From when he got up and rode his bicycle home was a dream. You can't put an exe through a 20 foot bronze statue or cut a solid iron pipe with an axe. As asleep as I am now.
This is such a cop-out. What would be the point of the movie if Donnie was "asleep" the entire time? Why does he dream that his family is mourning his death at the end and his girlfriend never met him?
Just because a character's environment is dreamlike, doesn't mean that they are literally "asleep".
People say this about Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut as well. These movies use dreams as a means of exploring the subconscious. There is no difference between waking and dream life for the characters in these movies, the two realities meld into one.
Donnie was able to put an axe into a bronze statue because he has enhanced strength due to him being the Living Receiver.
@@eastonsmith53 why don't you explain how he took an ax through a solid iron pipe and then put the ax for the head of a statue 15 ft in the air?
I would say he isnt there to mess with donnie but he is trying to save himself (frank) and like you said they are seen on halloween the first encounter is october 3rd or 2nd i think so probably
finally a solid theory! thank you! rad vid!!!! \m/-_-
Okay they would be CELTIC Folklore then!
Its inspidred by the bunny man it is said in a book the bunny man is a guy who escaped prison and killed kids parents then kidnapped them then was running one day after killing a family he got hit by a train and died and is said he haunts a bridge
I've been saying that this is basically a datk version of "Harvey"
Okay, I just saw the movie today. I must say that now that I know what Frank truly is, I feel more sorry for Donnie.
Nice! I learned something today!! 🤓
Richard Kelly grew up within 100 miles of the Bunnyman Bridge; coincidence?
Puca is such a cute name for a creepy rabbit 😅
Ayo that’s my old ENG 105 teacher Dr. Zarka
So basically Donnie died in the beginning. The whole time he was coming to terms with his death and thats why it seems like he has the ability to time travel and communicate with interdimensional beings like Frank. Thats also why the plane turbine crashes exactly again where it crashed in the beginning as if it never happened before
Frank was motivating Donnie to let go by showing him what his life would've been like if he stayed alive.
Donnie never had a choice entirely since he was already dead but his potential life in the "present and future" could've served as a form of purgatory and it motivated him to make a choice and leave sooner than he had to because he didn't want to suffer by watching the people he loved suffer 😢
The other dimension was the after life and his own personal heaven
I didn’t get it at all 😢 the end was even more crazy to understand when she’s on her bike and doesn’t know who Donnie was
How do you know this? Where would I go to learn this? Like what books should I start with?
Flip the chemical composition of adrenochrome counter clockwise and you get a bunny rabbit …
The dude was just in a creepy Halloween costume. The guy hit Donnie's girlfriend then Donnie shot the guy who then helped him time travel to save her
Still couldn't figure out the movie. Nice shirt Dr. Z.😊
I've watched the film plus soundtrack several times. Every time I watch it I understand it better. The rabbit was
unerving
LaM, museum in Lille FR has big scary bunny, So this monster has been depicted many ways over the yebrilliant job to donnie darco
Dr Angela Puca, of Angela's Symposium here on UA-cam has some explaining to do.
Púca is an irish word for ghost. Ive never heard a story that liks it to being a rabbit. Have you got any sources?
I've heard stories before where it's described as looking like a black rabbit. That could just be a modern American misunderstanding of the creature though. According to Wikipedia, it's a shapeshifter that has black fur and a rabbit is one of the many common forms it takes.
Naw man I watched it yesterday and I was so lost throughout the whole movie
Can you do one on Skinwalkers?
Well no, not really, this was a take on the bunny man of Virginia. A story from Virginia’s past, in the same area of the movie in a different time.
Soooo you didn't watch the movie?
I thought the same but the director denied that’s what it’s based on
Gargoyles and Griffins please 😊❤
Why is there a Beauty and the Beast by Elenore Abbott illustration here? Since they're not the same kind of shapeshifting monster.
Cool! I never made that connection. Still, I liked Harvey better. Who wouldn't?
Because the movie and the character share the same name, could you clarify? You prefer Harvey over Frank or you prefer Harvey over Donnie Darko?
Donnie Darko was a cool movie, but if I had to be bound to a Pucca, I'd pick Harvey over Frank.
I get the ambiguity. Thanks for calling me on that. I've got to see Donnie Darko again.
For a cool scene from Harvey, search "What's a Pooka?"
I thought it was the bunny man
It could be also from alice in wonderland and many othrr things. Rabbits create tunnels and holes
I like this
Frank is the temporally displaced soul of his sister's boyfriend after having accidentally run over Gretchen. Donnie's continued existence, while giving him time with Gretchen, ultimately sees her untimely demise. Perhaps the stray timeline was Frank's gift, but paradoxically Frank can only exist if Donnie lives past the plane engine, and Donnie only leaves to survive because of Frank. So which happened first?
Debatably though, it's questionable if Gretchen would have survived in either timeline as its implied that her psychopathic father had found them as evident from her Mom being gone which was the reason she went to Donnie's house in the first place. It's hard to say. It's a curious thing.
Well, I guess that kind of checks out.
I noticed if Frank never called Donnie outside, in the first place, Donnie would have died when the engine fell in his room to begin with, so in a way…Frank did start him on a pointless mission ?
Or maybe that’s just a plot hole. Or maybe the universe made an oopsies.
Idk, it’s a time traveling sci-fi flick first and foremost, so I’m willing to forgive inconsistencies lol