[aldo_14]

http://film.guardian.co.uk/cannes2006/story/0,,1772595,00.html

According to his official biography, Richard Kelly is the director of the acclaimed Donnie Darko, the writer of the less acclaimed Domino and a contender for the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes film festival. According to the Department of Homeland Security he is a suspected terrorist who may now be prevented from travelling to Cannes next week.

Kelly, 31, appears caught in bureaucratic limbo after his passport was reportedly "held under review" by the US government. Sources suggest that the film-maker has been confused with another man, "James Kelly", who is on the terrorist watch list. Kelly's full name is James Richard Kelly.

Born in Virginia, the son of a NASA technician, Kelly made his feature debut in 2001 with the black comedy Donnie Darko, starring Jake Gyllenhaal. His latest picture, Southland Tales, is set in a dystopian Los Angeles paralysed by economic and environmental collapse. Ironically, the film is implicitly concerned with security measures taken by the US government after the events of September 11 2001.

"The paranoid conspiracy freak inside me is starting to think this has something to do with the film," Kelly admitted yesterday. In the meantime he has enlisted his mother to hunt for documents that prove his American citizenship.

The Cannes film festival runs May 17-28.

[Ace]

The Department of 'Homeland' Stupidity strikes again.

...and am I the only one still bothered by the whole Nazi/Soviet "fatherland/motherland" overtones of "homeland?"

[Herra Tohtori]

Makes me think... how many similar cases have occurred with people who are no celebrities? I mean, it's quite a coincidence that the very first one would involve a commonly known person.

How many others before this have been stripped of their passports (and citizenship, it appears) because they have the wrong name, only they didn't become known in media because they were just average people with no particular importance...?

Meh, perhaps I'm just being overly paranoid. But still, quite a coincidence, you have to admit. 

[aldo_14]

The Department of 'Homeland' Stupidity strikes again.

...and am I the only one still bothered by the whole Nazi/Soviet "fatherland/motherland" overtones of "homeland?"

Show some respect for Uncle George, comrade!

This message brought to you by the Campaign For Homeland Security.  All dissenters will be branded quails

[karajorma]

Actually I reckon they just wanted to interrogate him so that they could figure out what the **** was going on in Donnie Darko


Seriously though Herra Tohtori is correct in that it's very doubtful that this is the first time that such a stupid mix up has occured. Maybe the department of homeland security should go back to what they do best. Punishing people who infringe on the Rubix cube's expired patents!

[aldo_14]

I know someone who was pulled aside at US Immigration for having a beard.

[Ford Prefect]

He was going to the Cannes Film Festival. He's obviously some kind of terrorist. You don't set foot in that filthy bachhanalia of moral bankruptcy unless you hate freedom.

[karajorma]

Or love porn.

[aldo_14]

How much to Canne?

And the next flight?

Lovely.

[Rictor]

Donnie Darko was a comedy?

 

[Ford Prefect]

Not a "ha-ha" comedy. It was tragicomic, as many of the world's greatest works of art are. Donnie Darko takes the audience through a wide range of emotions because its philosophical goals are so ambitious.

[Ferret]

It certainly made me laugh a few times. Good film. This story is hilarious too.

[Nix]

You've got to be kidding me.  I'd rather watch Solaris - Looney Clooney edition, rather than Donnie Darko again.  Great piece of work my ass.

[Ford Prefect]

Donnie Darko gets an unfair reputation because of its large fanbase of moronic teenagers who think the movie is about themselves. Disregarding that, I think it's a very beautiful, moving film. It's an almost overwhelming stream of questions and ideas that come at you in such a swirl that you have to watch it over and over again. I'm still getting more out of it each time I watch it.

I also discovered something that may make you see it in a totally different light (it did for me, anyway): Apparently the entire film was inspired by Ambrose Bierce's "The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge". For me that completely changed how I interpreted the film's structure.

[Grey Wolf]

The Department of 'Homeland' Stupidity strikes again.

...and am I the only one still bothered by the whole Nazi/Soviet "fatherland/motherland" overtones of "homeland?"

Would you prefer the Committee of Public Safety?

[Ferret]

You've got to be kidding me.  I'd rather watch Solaris - Looney Clooney edition, rather than Donnie Darko again.  Great piece of work my ass.

Hey, Solaris wasn't terrible. Bit slow, but a very touching story. *Sniffs*

[Ford Prefect]

I agree. I admit my view of Solaris was somewhat uninformed, since I haven't read the book or seen the original film, but as a work of itself, I thought it was pretty good.

[Ferret]

I also have never seen the original or read the book from which it was based.
Anyway, one thing you can't deny is that the soundtrack was bloody brilliant. Some of the best ambient ever.

[Ace]

The Department of 'Homeland' Stupidity strikes again.

...and am I the only one still bothered by the whole Nazi/Soviet "fatherland/motherland" overtones of "homeland?"

Would you prefer the Committee of Public Safety?

Well at least Robespierre made it sound so... friendly...

[Kosh]

"Homeland Security" always sounded more like the name of a mortgage company to me.....