When Donnie Darko arrived a decade ago, it caught a whole bunch of people off-guard.  Here was this kid– this Jake Gyllen-something– being directed by this director– Richard-something-or-other– in a truly bizarre little indie flick, one with a killer soundtrack, a few truly surprising guest stars (how long had it been since we’d seen Patrick Swayze do something that wasn’t corny?), and a plot that rewarded repeat viewings.  It was no wonder that Donnie Darko turned out to be a nearly-instant cult classic.  Now it’s ten years later, and 20th Century Fox is re-releasing the Donnie Darko Blu-ray to commemorate its tenth anniversary.  Has the film gotten better over time, worse, or has it remained just as good as it was upon release?  And, more importantly, is this 10th anniversary edition worth picking up if you’ve already purchased Richard Kelly’s best film on Blu-ray? Find out after the jump, folks….

With 2010 coming to a close, and the imminent arrival of an entirely fresh, unexplored, and unpredictable decade of cinema, what better time to start bombarding you with top ten lists of past highlights? We’ve done top ten posters, top ten trailers and top ten Christmas movies (and an alternate Christmas list for those who disagreed with the first).

This time: scores and soundtracks. There is a distinction between the two, but it’s murky, and as more and more films are using a mix of both original scores and pre-existing tracks, who are we to try to keep them separate?  Hit the jump for more.

Richard Kelly made a great name for himself with Donnie Darko, but his follow up films show a great visual talent, and someone who gets easily lost in his own ideas. The Box is no exception, though it’s tighter and smarter yet less fascinating that his previous fiasco Southland Tales. James Marsden and Cameron Diaz play a married couple given a gift: a box with a button in it. Frank Langella plays the man who tells them what it’s for: if they press the button, someone they don’t know will die, and they will be given a million dollars. My review of Richard Kelly’s The Box after the jump.

Earlier today I sat down with writer/director Richard Kelly (“Donnie Darko”, “Southland Tales”) to talk about his upcoming movie “The Box”.  For those who don’t know, the movie is set around a deceptively simple moral dilemma.  An average couple is offered an opportunity to get themselves out of financial difficulty: a million dollars, in exchange for the knowledge that their acceptance of this gift will result in the death of one person somewhere in the world – someone they don’t know.  The big question is, “What will they do?” But writer/director Richard Kelly is also asking, “What would you do?”

While some interviews are rushed, our conversation was extensive and if you’re a fan of Richard Kelly or just curious about “The Box”, then you’ll definitely want to watch this. He talked about how the Arcade Fire came to the project, when will the score be released, the writing process, how his dad really worked at NASA and how he influenced James Marsden’s character, is the Blu-ray of both “Donnie Darko” and “Southland Tales” the final editions of those films, what will be on “The Box” Blu-ray, what is he working on now, and so much more. Take a look after the jump: