The Church, "Under the Milky Way"

A couple nights ago when I was lounging around, enjoying my break from novel writing, I came under the spell of the boob tube and watched the last half of Donnie Darko.

I saw Donnie Darko once a long time ago. I was stone and very impressed; it was the most cinematically beautiful movie I had ever seen. Of course, that may have been an effect of the weed, inflating aesthetics as it always does for me. (Marijuana even made Man of the House a great movie. Bobblehead, you remember that.) Also mesmerizing, even sober, is Donnie Darko’s choice soundtrack of eighties goodies, including The Church’s “Under the Milky Way.”

The video is typical late-eighties shit (braided scenes of band singing and an intriguing story), but the song is hypnotic. Its placing in the movie (the theatrical release) when Gretchen and Donnie descend the staircase in step and return to the Halloween party is perfect. It is the kind of poignant scene that makes you feel so warm and peaceful inside that you get goosebumps.

Here’s a surprise: Seth Rogen is in Donnie Darko. Yep — Seth motherfucking Rogen, way back in the day when he was still unknown. He plays one of the bullies, which seems fitting.