Interview (Written): Richard Kelly (“Donnie Darko,” “Southland Tales”)

A Denver Post interview with Richard Kelly, writer-director of Donnie Darko, Southland Tales, and The Box.

Q: There’s a strong element of dark humor in your films, but I hardly ever see you praised for it. How important is it for you as a filmmaking tool?

A: It’s what motivates me the most. When we screened “Donnie Darko” in downtown L.A. late last year, people were laughing constantly and I was very pleased and grateful that the film continues to resonate because of its humor. Comedy is one of the greatest, most powerful mechanisms for communicating your ideas. I even look at someone like Amy Schumer, who puts forward so many important messages in her comedy sketches and has really made an impact on our culture. I see her as someone who’s using comedy in a way that’s an agent for social change. It’s always a goal of mine to try and be funny if I can.

Q: What is the downside of having a cult movie — or being thought of as a cult director?

A: I’m always enormously flattered that people say that about any of my films. That’s why I do this for a living — to create things that are worth revisiting. If you’re going to put all this energy into creating a work of art, you want it to sustain multiple viewings. But I would feel better if they were all to show up on opening weekend and I could have a box-office hit. That would be nice because it would make things a lot easier. But at the end of day, all art is judged in the long term, and a film’s true worth is really only defined by what’s it’s worth many, many years after it’s released.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Jena Malone in Donnie Darko (2001)

For the rest of the interview, go here.

Twitter: @JRichardKelly.