[42], J. Hoberman defended the film, yet again, in his review for the theatrical cut. Then, a mushroom cloud appears on the horizon, and history jumps the tracks. In the "Southland Tales" universe, when war broke out following the nuclear attacks in Texas, Treer was contracted to build several mega-zeppelins to ferry troops and equipment across the world. Fifteen years after Southland Tales was booed out of the Cannes Film Festival, director Richard Kelly tells Inverse he embraces the chorus of jeers. He then asked her to forecast the last three days on Earth, and she made her prediction in the form of a screenplay: "The Power." Three days before the movie starts, Krysta Now was vacationing on a houseboat on Lake Mead with Ronald Taverner, Tab Taverner (Ronald's father) and Fortunio Balducci. This would be a perpetual motion machine, and could not work. Boxer and Roland run out in a panic. The second section of the film ("V: Memory Gospel") begins. When Boxer and Taverner went through the space-time rift, they traveled 69 minutes back in timecreating duplicate versions of themselves. Original music was provided by Moby . | 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. The mega-zeppelin launch is at hand. He called it a "strange hybrid of the sensibilities of Andy Warhol and Philip K. That would be Fluid Karma. [38], Glenn Kenny, in his review for Premiere criticized the film's style, "Kelly's camera placement and framing are at best textbook and at worst calamitously mediocre. What happens in the screenplay? Lots of scary apocalyptic stuff will happen (judgment, plagues and the like), before Jesus Christ will ride in on a white horse and establish the new kingdom of God. 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. Like its contemporary David Lynchs Inland Empire (which used the then modern aesthetic of digital video to emphasise the way technology allowed the user to be present in two places, and therefore exist in two different states) it exaggerates the ugliness of 2006 the tribal tattoos and the awful CGI, the typefaces that look like something from a bitchin Geocities website until what was merely bad taste looks absurd, a dark dream that takes place in a strip mall food court. Amongst the songs not available on the soundtrack but featured in the film are Muse's "Blackout", The Killers' "All These Things That I've Done", and Blur's "Tender". A conversation between Zora and Ronald in "Fingerprints" (Book 2 of the graphic novels) sheds some light on this: The first three chapters of the story are told in a graphic novel called Southland Tales: The Prequel Saga, which among other things explains Roland Traveler's back story, Boxer's journey from the desert back to Los Angeles, and the true origin of Krysta and Boxer's screenplay. Boxer walks up to the Frost mansion, where his wife, Madeline Frost (Mandy Moore), and the Frost team are waiting for him. Published May 20, 2016. Edit, Those who use Fluid Karma are "Chemical Bleeders" (e.g. Is Krysta Now (Sarah Michelle Gellar) based on anyone? The film was released on Region 4 DVD in Australia on April 30, 2008. For half of Kelly's epic film about the end of the world, characters are quoting T.S. Southland Tales also predicted that the government was always watching us. What are all of those tattoos on the body of Boxer Santaros (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson)? If Proposition 69 passes, US-IDent will essentially be shut down or have its powers severely restricted. Kelly's movie may not be entirely coherent, but that's because there's so much it wants to say. What was in the 20 to 25 minutes cut out of the original version showed at Cannes? The reason for the exclusion of some of these tracks, like the song by The Killers was as a result of a dispute with the record label. Inside the levitating ice cream truck, the two Taverners continue to hold hands. 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. The other main reference points are T.S. Southland Tales premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and received so much negative feedback that the studio reworked the film. Thinking it's her sex tape with Boxer, she takes it with her. What's the deal with the Treer company, and why are there all these references to Karl Marx? She may also be representative of the Whore of Babylon (ancient Babylon situated in what is now Iraq) and her energy drink the "Cup of Abominations".Madeline Frost Santaros: She became psychic when a plane she was onUnited 23flew through the rift in space-time above Lake Mead. What does the name Martin Kefauver refer to, other than to its anagram "Freak Man Virtue" and the late U.S. senator? 9 in D Minor, op. 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. The Book of Revelation is the last book in the New Testament. Boxer gets into a convertible and drives off. He said, "[The original script] was more about making fun of Hollywood. Running time: 160 minutes. Edit, According to The Prequel Saga, "The Power" was written entirely by Krysta Now, who is apparently psychic. Edit, Richard Kelly stated in his interview with Empire, He is the doomsday prophet, the witness of everything. Martin climbs on top of the truck and launches a missile at the mega-zeppelin. The two Rolands found each other in the end, but the movie ends before we can see what actually happens to them. Eventually, the Antichrist will show up and take over the world. "Chord Sounds" by Moby7. The mega-zeppelin explodes, and its pieces scatter across L.A. What's the relation between Walter Mung and Veronica "Dream" Mung? When it premiered in its original three-hour form at Cannes, last year, the response was acidic. It's not exactly easy to follow, and its meaning is still heavily debated, but if you read it as a prophecy, this is one way of interpreting it: In the future, the world will be a miserable place filled with war, famine and disease. Why did Roland Taverner end up driving Boxer Santaros through the space-time rift? 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. Ronald and Roland Taverner, furthermore, are not twins, but copies of the same person. Together the two have written a screenplay, called "The Power," that tells the story of the end of the world. A blockade in the Strait of Hormuz impedes the flow of oil to the United States, causing an increased demand for alternative fuel sources. After losing a game of cards, Fortunio needed to make his way back into California, and Krysta offered to set him up with a visa. 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. Why that happens when the Taverners touch, only Richard Kelly knows. [9] The idea of six graphic novels was later cut down to three. The site's consensus states: "Southland Tales, while offering an intriguing vision of the future, remains frustratingly incoherent and unpolished. Holmes Osborne plays conservative Senator Bobby Frost, Will Sasso plays Fortunio Balducci and Christopher Lambert plays Walter Mung. Kelly's previous cult masterpiece Donnie Darko (2001) and the . On this occasion the beginning of the end is predicted not by a high-schooler but by an adult performer: Krysta Now (Sarah Michelle Gellar), a former porn star, has shrugged off the bangs and whimpers of her previous employment with a new career as a Kardashian-style mogul, and a seer. It's easy to empathize with his position, not so easy to remain engrossed in a film that's occasionally inspired but ultimately manic and scattered. "ZORA: "A modified organic diet and transcendental meditation. Musician Moby was approached on composing and performing the film's score. A website was also developed to intertwine with the graphic novels and the film itself. Southland Tales had a rough go of it. This means that Christianity has won the "contest" for Earth and is the one true faith. How Kelly persuaded the likes of Wallace Shawn, Amy Poehler, Justin Timberlake, Cheri Oteri, and Mandy Moore to go along for the ride is confounding. What does the Latin inscription "oderint dum metuant" on the UPU cars mean? "[16] Kelly said the film's biggest influences are Kiss Me Deadly, Pulp Fiction, Brazil, and Dr. Strangelove. [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. alternative fuel or the increasing obsession with celebrity and how celebrity now intertwines with politics". You could argue that all of Southland Tales occurs in the Tangent Universehence the film's alternate history of the past three years, and its weird mishmash of pop culture. And, of course, gets corrupted and goes mad. Using the graphic novels, the Book of Revelation, friends and whatever else we could find, we've pieced together everything you need to know (or at least everything we've been able to figure out) about "Southland Tales.". When Boxer and Fortunio met up with Krysta, she recognized Boxer and managed to convince him that she was an actress researching a role in his new movie, "The Power." Nowadays, the debate surrounding freedom, privacy,. Back in the dumpster, Roland Taverner wakes up as his hands begins to glow. It turns out that Fortunio has been on the Baron's payroll all along. Anything important or cool? 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's a sign that he is at the edge of uncertainty as to who he is. The Anti-ChristSerpentine: [18] Much to his surprise, they loved it and wanted the film entered in competition for the Palme d'Or. They are available together in the one graphic novel as Southland Tales: The Prequel Saga. 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. This article is viewable at Salon.com here and is intended to give to viewer a better perception of the movie itself and answer questions not cleared up in the movie.An interview with Richard Kelly from the February issue of the film magazine Empire. Amy Poehler and Wood Harris appear as Neo-Marxist activists. You could argue that all of "Southland Tales" occurs in the Tangent Universe -- hence the film's alternate history of the past three years, and its weird mishmash of pop culture. Where does the information in this FAQ come from? Madeline walks in and tells him that he has been speaking in his sleep. Does Sarah Michelle Gellar have a sex scene in this movie? 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). "[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. This has opened up a rift in the space-time continuum on the outskirts of Lake Mead. How did the Taverners end up with the Neo-Marxists in Venice Beach? Southland Tales begins on Independence Day 2005 in an eminently recognizable Bush-era Texas. He wakes up in a bed in his apartment in Treer Plaza. If this is a parallel with the Book of Revelation, then who's whom? It has a similar plot to Southland Tales, but with different characters and more gratuitous product placement. While Ronald is briefly distracted, Boxer is beckoned over by Serpentine, who has been hovering nearby. What's the deal with the "I'm a pimp, and pimps don't commit suicide" motto? 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. Then, after several detours, Krysta and Boxer made their way to Los Angeles, where Boxer went on a nighttime stroll on the beach, injected himself with fluid karma and passed out. He had Roland Taverner kidnap Boxer and drive him through the rift. Fluid karma is an "organic compound" that the Treer company discovered while drilling off the coast of Israel. Both vehicles come to a rest in the middle of a shootout and Walter Mung is killed. Beasts from Revelation 12 and 13 (Puppet of the Anti-Christ)Baron Von Westphalen: The name may also reference the actor Fortunio Bonanova who starred as Carmen Trivago in the film Kiss Me Deadly, itself a considerable influence on Southland Tales. Edit, The term fluid karma is used to refer to two things in the movie. The reasons for this are never really explained, but Caleb is the child of Tawna and Rick McBride, a couple in Palmdale, Calif. Caleb does not produce bowel movements, but when he farts, the Earth shakes. It never becomes clear what exactly happened in the desert. That's why he wakes up on the beach at the start of the movie. One theory is that duplicate souls from alternate timelines are not meant to exist together in a single timeline. In the universe of the film, Dr. Inga Von Westphalen is also the granddaughter of Jenny Von Westphalen, Karl Marx's wife. [12] Editorial changes were made to restructure the order of the film's scenes, including re-recording all of Timberlake's voice-over. "Me & Bobby McGee" by Waylon Jennings6. Why that happens when the Taverners touch, only Richard Kelly knows. 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. All three graphic novels were written by Richard Kelly, with artwork by Brett Weldele. When Boxer (and Roland) traveled through the rift, it created duplicate versions of bothone set of duplicates traveled 69 minutes back in time, while the "originals" stayed in their original time. Many of his answers are contained in this FAQ. And why is he having an affair with Krysta Now? The Baron has built an enormous machine off the coast of California that generates an electromagnetic energy field called fluid karma. Treer knew of these effects and decided to use it to their advantage in the war. But despite the reaction, Kelly managed to secure a distribution deal and, on Nov. 14, released a shortened version of the film in U.S. theaters. According to the "Prequel Saga," "The Power" was written entirely by Krysta Now, who is apparently psychic. Support 100 years of independent journalism. Meanwhile, Martin Kefauver (Lou Pucci), a young man dressed in hip-hop gear, meets Pilot Abilene at the "Fire" Arcade, where he exchanges pot for fluid karma. Cheri Oteri plays Zora Carmichaels, while Jon Lovitz plays violent police officer Bart Bookman who is in love with Zora. Vaughn sends a car to pick up Boxer and bring him back to the Frost mansion. Movie star Boxer Santaros (Dwayne Johnson) plans his next film with the . Or is it just bullshit by Richard Kelly? The movie begins in earnest when Boxer wakes up on a beach near the Santa Monica pier. The idea with the severed thumbs is that the Neo-Marxists have figured out a way to create a free-floating voter. It opened in Canada, as well as nationwide in the United States, in just 63 theaters,[6] on November 16, 2007. We may have to wait for the DVD commentary to figure that one out. Much of Pilot Abilene's voiceover consists of direct quotations from the Book of Revelation. Two months before Southland Tales was released, he announced the launch of Darko Entertainment.[15]. Edit, "The Power" is a pretty hilarious piece of work. Boxer's original self was incinerated in a car bomb triggered by Serpentine, while the duplicate Boxer is still roaming. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. If these scenes are anything to go by, very minuscule moments in them that were cut can be noticed and they are now more compact and give the bare essentials in the theatrical cut. Kelly wrote Southland Tales shortly before the September 11 attacks. 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. Thomas Rogers is Salon's former Arts Editor. Ambitious and arresting to the eye -- the gray palette serves the film well -- it's too bad that Southland Tales is also pretentious, chaotic, and tries too hard. Boxer meets Fortunio on the beach after his rendezvous with Starla. That's why he wakes up on the beach at the start of the movie. 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