D.O.A. pics find their cult pulse
Superstar DVDs include 'Darko,' 'Lebowski'
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But every now and then, a box office flop breaks the mold and becomes a superstar in its afterlife. From Richard Kelly's "Donnie Darko" to the Coen brothers' "The Big Lebowski," films that might easily have been forgotten based on their initial theatrical perf have found a second life in homevid and unlikely ancillary markets.
Call it a case of the tortoise and the hare, Hollywood-style.
Despite earning a meager $517,000 during its 2001 bigscreen run, "Donnie Darko" has achieved cult status in the ensuing years, spawning everything from T-shirts to action figures and even a second theatrical run that outperformed the original outing. The little movie that could has even spawned a direct-to-DVD sequel, "S. Darko: A Donnie Darko Tale," due out May 12 (though Kelly has no involvement).
"It played in theaters for about two weeks; then it disappeared," recalls Kelly, noting the unusual convergence of circumstances that surrounded the film's first theatrical release. "We had the misfortune of trying to open a movie (six weeks) after Sept. 11 that had (a scene with) a jet engine falling out of the sky. Those two months prior to a movie coming out are so essential. And no one was working."
Still, the film managed to find enough of a foothold in the public consciousness to survive long after its brief theatrical run. "Donnie Darko" has since earned $14.5 million in video rental income alone.
Similarly, fans of "Lebowski" throw semi-annual Star Trek-style conventions in bowling alleys across the country. The 10th-anni DVD re-release last year featured footage from Dude-obsessed fan gatherings.
Though a film like "Paul Blart: Mall Cop's" $31.8 million opening weekend haul was nearly twice as much as "Lebowski's" total domestic take, it's hard to imagine fans staging confabs at shopping centers a decade from now.
