"RONALD: "Sounds neat. In "Donnie Darko," the world ends when the Tangent Universe collapses, which may also be what happens at the end of "Southland Tales." For reasons that never become entirely clear, he was hired by the Baron to kidnap Boxer Santaros from a charity scavenger hunt and drive him to Lake Mead. With the help of Dion and Dream, Roland will then help stage a double murder that, caught on tape, will incriminate Boxer and destroy the Republican campaign. The other main reference points are T.S. [45], Kelly later expressed regret in releasing the latter chapters first through the original film, stating that this placed the audience at a disadvantage. Lukas Dhonts Close explores the abrupt end of boyhood, Martin McDonaghs The Banshees of Inisherin: a brilliantly nasty Irish fable, Universal Credit falls short of covering the bare essentials. A white light emerges from their hands and the ice cream truck starts floating. The project was named "Serpentine Dream Theory.," which aimed to use the telepathic effect of the drug as an advantage for the soldiers on the battlefield.Two of the solders that participated in the experiment were Roland Taverner and Pilot Abilene. The Region 1 DVD was released on March 18, 2008, in North America and the Region 2 release was on March 31, 2008, in the United Kingdom. A website was also developed to intertwine with the graphic novels and the film itself. We may have to wait for the DVD commentary to figure that one out. Two souls join into one, the forth dimension collapses. "[14], Kelly's breakthrough film, Donnie Darko, was released in the United States on October 26, 2001, the same day the PATRIOT Act was signed. For "Southland Tales," he loosely adapted the plot of the Book of Revelation and set it in an alternate version of the present day. This means that Christianity has won the "contest" for Earth and is the one true faith. Is the screenplay important for understanding the movie? What does the name Martin Kefauver refer to, other than to its anagram "Freak Man Virtue" and the late U.S. senator? Two of the solders that participated in the experiment were Roland Taverner and Pilot Abilene. In a 2011 interview, Justin Timberlake himself said, "To me, Southland Tales is performance art. "The Power" is a pretty hilarious piece of work. Meanwhile, using a sex tape given to her by Krysta Now, Cyndi Pinziki is blackmailing Frost for money and demanding the passage of Proposition 69 (a bill that restricts USIDent's powers). User Reviews And, of course, gets corrupted and goes mad. She says "The religion that is the winner of the contest will bleed" When it premiered in its original three-hour form at Cannes, last year, the response was acidic. Jericho Cane is the name of Arnold Schwarzenegger's character in "End of Days.". The name Treer is a reference to Trier, Marx's birthplace. Two months before Southland Tales was released, he announced the launch of Darko Entertainment.[15]. Vaughn sends a car to pick up Boxer and bring him back to the Frost mansion. Roland and Ronald are the Messiah and in the end they find each other and save humanity through the power of forgiveness. [30] The film was originally scheduled to be released in the United States on November 9, 2007, in partnership with Destination Films and Samuel Goldwyn Films,[31] but in eventually opened in limited release in California on November 14, 2007. On July 4th, 2005, in a fictionalized United States alternate history reality, two towns in Texas (El Paso and Abilene) were destroyed by twin nuclear attacks, killing thousands and triggering a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions, sending America into a state of chaos and hysteria, as well as a Third World War (a fictionalized version of what the nation may have become under the War on Terror), with the US government re-introducing the draft. Is "The Power" important for understanding "Southland Tales"? All of these references to Marxism aren't entirely unconnected to the film's biblical references. Southland Tales grossed $275,380 in limited release at the North American box office and $99,363 in Turkey and United Kingdom for a worldwide total of $374,743,[6] against a production budget of $17 million. Edit, In the 1980s British TV comedy 'Allo 'Allo!, the right-hand man of Herr Flick of the Gestapo is called "von Smallhausen", so maybe that's where Kelly drew his inspiration from. "Three Days [Live Version]" by Jane's Addiction15. An audacious near-future pop fever dream under the guise of blockbuster aesthetics, "Southland Tales" starred Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as a movie star who keeps forgetting his past, Sarah. What does the name "Vaughn Smallhouse" refer to? Zelda Rubinstein and Beth Grant portray Dr. Katarina Kuntzler and Dr. Inga Von Westphalen, members of the baron's entourage. | Its plot hinges on a barely explained back story involving rifts in the fourth dimension. The world ends. How would that work? "Wave of Mutilation [UK Surf Version]" by Pixies2. A tide-powered generator, however, relies on an external source of power, the tides, and would not fall under that definition. [18] After the film's festival release, Southland Tales was purchased by Sony Pictures (via their label Destination Films) and Samuel Goldwyn Films, originally Sony Pictures Classics, Screen Gems and TriStar Pictures were up for US distribution rights. It has a similar plot to "Southland Tales," but with different characters and more gratuitous product placement. I still don't know what that movie is about. "RONALD: "Its a physiological requirement of the body. The first time Fortunio appears in the film, he quotes Karl Marx ("Anyone who knows anything of history knows that great social changes are impossible without feminine upheaval"), and several characters quote the song "Three Days" by Jane's Addiction ("We saw the shadows of the morning light/ The shadows of the evening sun/ Until the shadows and the light were one"). She tells him that he must board the mega-zeppelin and what he is looking for is in the Baron's private chamber. Edit, It is a mechanical ball (built by Treer) which acts as remote antennas for the wireless electricity energy fields powered by Fluid Karma. The film also evokes Kurt Vonnegut's sci-fi absurdism, Philip K. Dick's philosophical approach to time travel, and Thomas Pynchon's sprawling narratives.The film that is most obviously referenced is "Kiss Me Deadly," a 1955 film noir about a private detective who uncovers a plot to detonate a nuclear device. "[43] Manohla Dargis also gave the film a positive review in The New York Times, writing, "He doesn't make it easy to love his new film, which turns and twists and at times threatens to disappear down the rabbit hole of his obsessions. [18] Kelly's film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2006 with a length of 160 minutes. Suddenly, a bright light appears through windows and a mushroom. The Baron phones Simon Theory (Kevin Smith), an old bearded man, and instructs him to "remove the body from Utopia Three.". Edit, Richard Kelly stated in his interview with Empire, He's the snake-oil salesman who shows up in Santa Monica with the elixir of God. And why is he having an affair with Krysta Now? "[5], In January 2021, Richard Kelly announced that developments are underway to expand the film into a franchise with intention being that the original cast return. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. [22], Kelly edited the film down to the basic storylines of the characters portrayed by Scott, Gellar, and Johnson. When he first discovered the rift, we learn, the Baron decided that the first human to travel through the rift would be a movie star and that movie star would be Boxer Santaros. We quickly learn that the United States is running low on gas and has cut a deal with a "renegade scientist" named Baron Von Westphalen (Wallace Shawn) and his company, Treer. "Southland Tales" also borrows from "Repo Man," which ends with a flying car. Boxer Santaros is an action star who's stricken with amnesia. "Forget Myself" by Elbow13. He has the solution to the energy crisis and becomes the most powerful man on earth. What do all the characters in the film keep on quoting from? But now it's about, I hope, creating a piece of science fiction that's about a really important problem we're facing, about civil liberties and homeland security and needing to sustain both those things and balance them. Edit, Richard Kelly stated in his interview with Empire magazine; that the irony is, he's sort of the decoy messiah, and it ends up that Seann William Scott (Roland Taverner) is the true one. Your body would learn to how to absorb all nutrients into the body, making defecation unnecessary.RONALD: "Hmmm. If you'd like to skip directly to our question-and-answer section, click here. Set in the then-near future of 2008, the film is a portrait of Los Angeles, and a satiric commentary on the militaryindustrial complex and the infotainment industry. Edit, Richard Kelly has stated that "Kiss Me Deadly" is a huge influence on Southland Tales and that Boxer Santaros was modeled off that film's main character, Mike Hammer. It tells the story of Jericho Cane, a renegade Los Angeles police officer (and Boxer Santaros doppelgnger), who teams up with Dr. Muriel Fox, a psychic stripper (and Krysta Now doppelgnger), to protect a baby named Caleb. We learn that July 4 will be the launch date for the new Treer mega-zeppelin (the "Jenny Von Westphalen"). Pilot Abilene (Justin Timberlake) quotes Biblical scripture from the Book of Revelation in narrating the film and allusion is made both to Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening and an altered version of T. S. Eliot's The Hollow Men. Edit, Not really, but it explains why the tattoo of Jesus on the back of Boxer's neck starts bleeding at the end of the film. Edit, Several days before the movie starts, on the same houseboat on Lake Mead, Tab Taverner, Ronald/Roland's father, told Ronaldwho has amnesiathat he must kidnap his brother in order to protect him. This is the way the world ends, its characters intone, in an admittedly inane twist on TS Eliot, not with a whimper, but with a bang.. alternative fuel or the increasing obsession with celebrity and how celebrity now intertwines with politics". "Southland Tales" feels insane because it tells a truth that most of us would rather ignore: that faced with the chaos of what feels like a disintegrating society and imperiled world, we would . They will start speaking out against the Antichrist and begin overthrowing the evil empire. During their discussion, they learn that Ronald has been dreaming of Boxer. Dragon from Revelation 12 and 13 (Puppet of the Anti-Christ)Pilot Abeline: The original script was written 6 years ago just after Richard and his team returned from Sundance. The name of Dr. Severin Exx is a reference to the name of an evil doctor in the movie "Kiss Me Deadly," and Boxer Santaros' convertible is the same car driven by Ralph Meeker in the 1955 film. Boxer, although he does not remember it, is married to the daughter of a Republican senator who is in turn the brains behind an agency called US-IDent, which controls what citizens can and cannot see on the internet. Southland 's heart-pounding and ultimately heart-breaking final hour centered around the hunt for the two meth heads who killed one of the LAPD's own in last week's captivating episode. The movie plays in the background in several scenes, and in the "Prequel Saga," Krysta tells Boxer it is his favorite movie. "[41], On the program Ebert & Roeper, Richard Roeper and guest critic Michael Phillips gave the film a negative review. . [42], J. Hoberman defended the film, yet again, in his review for the theatrical cut. The Baron admits that he has been paying Krysta to deceive Boxer, but also mentions that Madeline is pregnant with the child of Brandt Huntington (Joe Campana), one of her father's assistants. "Southland Tales" also borrows from "Repo Man," which ends with a flying car (and which also referenced "Kiss Me Deadly"). What's the deal with the Treer company, and why are there all these references to Karl Marx? The critic Laura Mulvey once suggested Blue Velvet, having been released in 1986, was the ideal film for the mood of the Reagan era. He learns that "The Power" is correct: As a result of the Baron's Utopia projects, the world is coming to an end and the Earth's rotation is slowing down. Back at USIDent headquarters, we learn that Boxer was kidnapped at a charity scavenger hunt several days earlier, and a charred body, presumed to be his, has been found in the desert near Lake Mead. [citation needed]. Edit, No. The first chapter in the film ("IV: Temptation Waits") begins. Roger Ebert described the Cannes screening as "The most disastrous since, yes, The Brown Bunny. Edit, Boxer Santaros: The film was released in the UK on December 7, 2007, exclusively to UK cinema chain Cineworld in a limited number of locations. In the hopes of helping you make sense of the movie, we've decided to unravel "Southland Tales" as we've done for "Mulholland Drive," "The Wire" and, of course, "Donnie Darko." Directed by Richard Kelly, a guy who can only make cult classics . So "The Power" is an adaptation of the Book of Revelation, written by a character in a movie called "Southland Tales" that is itself an adaptation of a screenplay based on the Book of Revelation? Why does the messiah (e.g. But if Southland Tales follows the same logic as Donnie Darko, as laid out in that film's DVD extras, when the fourth dimension is corrupted, it causes the creation of two parallel universes: the Tangent Universe and the Primary Universe. They are eventually killed by those who are tormented by their prophecies.Revelation 22:5: The Treer company is a German defense contractor that employs Dr. Inga Von Westphalen, a zeppelin designer and the Baron's mother. Roland, Ronald, Pilot, etc.) Musician Moby was approached on composing and performing the film's score. It foretells the end of the world and the Second Coming of Christ (Pilot Abilene keeps reading it on the soundtrack). Second, fluid karma is the name used by Treer for the "hydroelectric energy field" produced by the their Utopia tidal generators. Cindy meets Vaughn Smallhouse at a restaurant and gives him a copy of the sex tape. The song he listens to is "All These Things I've Done" by The Killers, while he was listening to the song, the "friendly fire" incident occurs. "ZORA: "A modified organic diet and transcendental meditation. [17] The film often references religious and literary works; a policeman says, "Flow my tears," in reference to a Philip K. Dick novel of that name. I ended up watching it in lockdown because the film streaming service Mubi, which has released its library in full online, called it breathtaking, exuberant, and Pynchon-esque. Southland Tales EXPLAINED - Breakdown & Heavy Analysis - YouTube FOR MORE MOVIE EXPLANATION VIDEOS PLEASE LIKE AND COMMENT THIS VIDEO! Edit, Richard Kelly envisioned the story as being told across multiple formats. etc., although it bears a resemblence to Eastern religious concepts such as Qi and Ki. Nana Mae Frost (Miranda Richardson), the wife of Republican candidate Bobby Frost, inaugurates the Los Angeles USIDent headquarters. [18], The track "Memory Gospel" was used from time to time by the CBC Radio One program Q in the background of an opening monologue given by host Jian Ghomeshi. Fluid karma also makes telepathy possible between those that are using it. Although it's part of a different section in the book, Revelation also refers to the Whore of Babylon -- dressed in scarlet and covered in gold -- as a symbol of Babylon's corruption. Surrounded by his entourage, which includes Serpentine (Bai Ling); the Baron's mother, Dr. Inga Von Westphalen (Marion Card); Dr. Katarina Kuntzler (Zelda Rubinstein) and Dr. Soberin Exx (Curtis Armstrong) -- all dressed like a Cirque du Soleil troupe -- the Baron explains how fluid karma works: by "quantum entanglement.". It's OK to be confused by Richard Kelly's "Southland Tales.". The title refers to the Southland, a name used by locals to refer to Southern California and Greater Los Angeles. There will be some dancing and singing, but it will be incorporated into the story in very logical scenarios as well as fantasy dream environments. Edit, The Treer company is a German defense contractor that employs Dr. Inga Von Westphalen, a zeppelin designer and the Baron's mother. Quick and essential guide to domestic and global politics from the New Statesman's politics team. Boxer's original self was incinerated in a car bomb triggered by Serpentine, while the duplicate Boxer is still roaming. They have been collected together into one single volume: The titles of the parts in the film are:[27], The film premiered May 21, 2006, at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, where it was poorly received. There is no real-life equivalent to the movie's "organic compound" which grants people telepathy etc. Edit, Richard Kelly stated in his interview with Empire, They're representations of every major religion on Earth. Starla is in love with Boxer and, in a fit of delusion, has assumed the role of Dr. Muriel Fox, a character from the screenplay. What is the glowing orb carried around by Dr. Kuntzler? NEXT UP REVOLVER (2005)!Southland Tales competed for. "Tiny Elephants" by Moby12. This means that Christianity has won the "contest" for Earth and is the one true faith. 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