Inside the tangent universe

One of the better films of this decade was released in October 2001. Donnie Darko, a bewitching suburban sci-fi tale about time travel, a sleepwalking teen (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) and a giant metal rabbit, was a charming little movie, directed by first-timer Richard Kelly, whose release got buried by events from the month before. The film’s soundtrack was exemplary, with 1980s Anglopop vying with bewitching incidental music by Michael Andrews. The film’s denouement was underscored by a haunting cover of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World,” produced by Andrews—who records under the nom-de-disque Elgin Park—and sung by Gary Jules. Then a funny thing happened: Jules’ version of the song went to No. 1 in England in the final weeks of 2003, two years after the film’s release. Now Jules’ solo album is being released by Universal Records in the States, and Jules himself will play at Harlow’s, 2706 J Street, on Thursday, March 11. The show starts at 9 p.m., tickets are $10, and the show is 21-and-over.