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. 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. How did the Taverners end up with the Neo-Marxists in Venice Beach? The movie begins in earnest when Boxer wakes up on a beach near the Santa Monica pier. According to their plan, Boxer is to videotape their faked murder. The mega-zeppelin explodes, and its pieces scatter across L.A. [16] Kelly consciously sought out actors that he felt had been pigeonholed and wanted to showcase their "undiscovered talents."[14]. Outside, the ice cream truck levitates upward. That's why Taverner always feels so guilty. That's why. When Southland Tales was released in 2006, it confounded filmgoers.A dense, sprawling science-fiction tale, Southland Tales throws the war on terror, the surveillance state, Hollywood, and the Book of Revelation into a blender and purees that unlikely mix into a stylish, acerbic film that we're still trying to figure out. This soundtrack has 41 tracks, 9 of which are sound bytes taken from the film. Eliot or the Book of Revelation. Senator. When Boxer and Taverner went through the space-time rift, they traveled 69 minutes back in timecreating duplicate versions of themselves. "Howl [Extended Version]" by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club4. I think defecation is the result of an inferior food supply and spiritual weakness. All of these references to Marxism aren't entirely unconnected to the film's biblical references. There are now two versions of each co-existing in the same universetwo Boxer Santaros and two Roland Taverners. Edit, Most of the footage was a subplot between Kevin Smith's and Janeane Garofalo's characters (Simon Theory and General Teena MacArthur) where they discussed Operation Serpentine Dream Theory. "ZORA: "A modified organic diet and transcendental meditation. A blockade in the Strait of Hormuz impedes the flow of oil to the United States, causing an increased demand for alternative fuel sources. The New Statesmans weekly environment email on the politics, business and culture of the climate and nature crises - in your inbox every Thursday. Ronald Taverner and Baby Caleb in "The Power") not have a bowel movement? Why does the movie start with Boxer Santaros asleep on a beach? Southland Tales had a rough go of it. Why did Roland Taverner end up driving Boxer Santaros through the space-time rift? 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. Back in the dumpster, Roland Taverner wakes up as his hands begins to glow. Shortly after they received their first injection of fluid karma, however, Taverner and Abilene were sent on a mission to Fallujah, and Taverner accidentally injured Abilene with a grenade -- disfiguring him. This means that Christianity has won the "contest" for Earth and is the one true faith. Why that happens when the Taverners touch, only Richard Kelly knows. The name Treer is a reference to Trier, Marx's birthplace. Is it just me, or did that make no sense? While Roeper called the film "Two hours and twenty-four minutes of abstract crap," Phillips felt that "the film has a head on its shoulders despite the fact that it can't find any direction" but nevertheless gave the film a thumbs down. Two witnesses appear in Jerusalem to speak out against the sins of mankind. Ronald agrees to take Boxer for a ride-along so he can research his role. She would, I think, make a good president. "Tiny Elephants" by Moby12. 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." Violence has erupted throughout the city. [18] Much to his surprise, they loved it and wanted the film entered in competition for the Palme d'Or. Krysta Now is as contemporary a creation as if she had been born yesterday a sharp alembic of Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Riley Reid, she is the best thing about Kellys jaded, freaky vision of future Los Angeles by a Miracle Mile. Ronald Taverner, meanwhile, has picked up Zora and Bing Zinneman, a new member of the Neo-Marxists. User Reviews Tab wanted Ronald to help the Neo-Marxists destroy USIDent, so he entrusted Roland and Ronald to Zora Carmichaels, who then drove them to Venice Beach. 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. That would be Fluid Karma. Serpentine explains that the world is coming to an end; the rotation of the Earth is slowing at a rate of .000000006 miles per hour every day. A conversation between Zora and Ronald in "Fingerprints" (Book 2 of the graphic novels) sheds some light on this: 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. [12] Editorial changes were made to restructure the order of the film's scenes, including re-recording all of Timberlake's voice-over. "Very soon now, I shall be with you again, bringing the reward to be given to every man according to what he deserves"Revelation 21? Is "The Power" important for understanding "Southland Tales"? Eliot's "Hollow Man" ("This is the way the world ends/ Not with a bang but with a whimper") and Robert Frost's "The Two Roads" ("Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-/ I took the one less traveled by"). "ZORA: "I disagree. 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.. One critic wondered if Kelly had ever met another human being. What's the deal with the Treer company, and why are there all these references to Karl Marx? The other main reference points are T.S. In response to the recent fuel shortage in the wake of global warfare, the German company Treer designs a generator of inexhaustible energy, which is propelled by the perpetual motion of ocean currents, called "Fluid Karma". They can use their telepathy as an advantage this way. First, it refers to an "organic compound" that the Treer company discovered while drilling off the coast of Israel, which exists under the Earth's mantle, and circles the world like a "serpent." Southland Tales begins on Independence Day 2005 in an eminently recognizable Bush-era Texas. Although he recognizes Madeline as his wife, she remains unimpressed and demands to know why he disappeared. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. Roger Ebert called it "the most disastrous Cannes press screening since, yes, 'The Brown Bunny.'" The 2008 election, which is being fought between Clinton-Lieberman (Democrats) and Eliot-Frost (Republicans), hinges on the electoral votes of the state of California. In a 2011 interview, Justin Timberlake himself said, "To me, Southland Tales is performance art. Edit, Revelation 6:8: What's the deal with the Treer company, and why are there all these references to Karl Marx? However, there are several in the graphic novel "The Prequel Saga." So the parallels with the Bible are kind of buried. She tells him that he must board the mega-zeppelin and what he is looking for is in the Baron's private chamber. Back in Venice Beach, Boxer and Roland pull up in front of a house while Dion and Dream pretend to fight inside. Southland Tales is an ensemble piece set in the futuristic landscape of Los Angeles on July 4, 2008, as it stands on the brink of social, economic and environmental disaster. The original script involved blackmail, a porn star, and two cops. "Look Back In" by Moby5. The movie and prequel saga focus a lot on the "blood red" version of the drug which gives the person using the drug ability to see, or "bleed", into the past, and with repeated use, the future. The film is an international co-production of the United States, Germany and France. Richard Kelly's science-fiction comedy was widely derided on release in 2006, but it has since found a cult audience. For "Southland Tales," he loosely adapted the plot of the Book of Revelation and set it in an alternate version of the present day. Dwayne Johnson joined the cast in April 2005, and principal photography was slated to begin August 1, 2005 in Los Angeles. It is suddenly interrupted when Boxer pulls out a gun and threatens to kill himself unless everybody evacuates the mega-zeppelin. He called it a "strange hybrid of the sensibilities of Andy Warhol and Philip K. Certainly, the future as depicted here is deeply complex. 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. In 2021, Kelly announced that there are developments to expand the film into a franchise. [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. A cool guy. 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. 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. Edit, Much of Pilot Abilene's voiceover consists of direct quotations from the Book of Revelation. When it premiered in its original three-hour form at Cannes, last year, the response was acidic. Why did Roland Taverner end up driving Boxer Santaros through the space-time rift? [24][25], The soundtrack for Southland Tales was released in stores and online on November 6, 2007. The truck is his horse and the rocket launcher his sword.Dream and Dion: No idea. There already exist generators powered by rivers or by wind, which clearly do not contravene physical law. 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." Martin climbs on top of the truck and launches a missile at the mega-zeppelin. Its story overlaps with the movie, so it explains some of the back story. The generators depicted in the film, and similar real-life power sources, are not closed systems but open ones. They will reign forever and ever"Revelation 12 and 13: Krysta Now stops by Zora's place to buy some drugs, when she notices the tape of Dream and Dion's murder on a chair. Reading the graphic novels shows that she had the revelation of the screenplay, which happened (more or less) as she said it would, much as the book of revelation was occurring (more or less) as John had proposed it. Edit, We're not entirely sure. 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." Messiah ( forgives sins)"I forgive you. It's. By the time the film reaches its climax -- which somehow manages to combine modern dance, a floating ice cream truck and the resurrection of Christ -- all semblance of logic has long since evaporated. Their hands begin to glow. Vaughn sends a car to pick up Boxer and bring him back to the Frost mansion. If you read the graphic novel, you'll find the legend which is spoken by Bai Ling's character Serpentine. What is the glowing orb carried around by Dr. Kuntzler? If you replace the Antichrist with the bourgeoisie, and the kingdom of God with a communist utopia, you've got the same basic narrative. "Memory Gospel" by MobySongs Not Featured in on the soundtrackFrom the album Hotel by Moby (2-CD Deluxe Edition): "Snowball (played in opening sequence before opening title) "Blue Paper" (played when Dion and Dream are having discussion about bowel movements, also in trailer) "Overland" (heard before and after Pilot's dream sequence) "Aerial" "Hotel Intro" (featured in Cannes cut, not in theatrical cut) "Live Forever" (featured in Cannes cut, not in theatrical cut)Other songs not featured: Water Pistol" by Moby "If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)" by Louis Armstrong "All These Things That I've Done" by The Killers "Planet Telex (Live in San Francisco)" by Radiohead Symphony No. "Yes They Can! Boxer meets Fortunio on the beach after his rendezvous with Starla. Generators depicted in the film 's scenes, including re-recording all of these references to Marxism are n't unconnected. Company, and why are there all these references to Karl Marx beach after rendezvous... 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