Is "The Power" important for understanding "Southland Tales"? Richard Kellys Southland Tales, a science-fiction comedy about the aftermath of the Third World War, is set in Los Angeles circa 2008, roughly three years after a sudden nuclear attack on Texas. Then why do people keep on injecting it into their neck? "Southland Tales" also borrows from "Repo Man," which ends with a flying car (and which also referenced "Kiss Me Deadly"). Boxer (The Rock) dances with Krysta (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Madeline (Mandy Moore); he stops dancing, knowing that he's going to die, and the tattoo of Jesus on his back starts bleeding. One critic wondered if Kelly had ever met another human being. There is no real-life equivalent to the movie's "organic compound" which grants people telepathy etc. In a 2011 interview, Justin Timberlake himself said, "To me, Southland Tales is performance art. 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. Southland Tales is dizzyingly maximalist, never happy with one set-piece if it can introduce five. Its story overlaps with the movie, so it explains some of the back story. After much trial and error with monkeys, Baron decided to send Boxer through itchosen because of his political ties and his celebrity persona. Abilene injects himself with fluid karma, collapses, and, in a dream sequence, dances a routine to the Killers' "All The Things You've Done," while nurses twirl around him. It may seem really amateurish at first, letting things like that "this is the way the world ends" quote fly from all directions throughout the film. Comedy Drama Mystery During a three-day heat wave just before a huge 4th of July celebration, an action star stricken with amnesia meets up with a porn star who is developing her own reality TV project, and a policeman who holds the key to a vast conspiracy. 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. Edit, The Treer company is a German defense contractor that employs Dr. Inga Von Westphalen, a zeppelin designer and the Baron's mother. Spirituality has nothing to do with it. Why that happens when the Taverners touch, only Richard Kelly knows. Somehow I doubt that will ever happen. Pregnant woman from Revelation 12 and 13 (Puppet of the Anti-Christ)Bobby Frost and Vaughn Smallhouse: The movie plays in the background in several scenes, and in the "Prequel Saga," Krysta tells Boxer it is his favorite movie. Beasts from Revelation 12 and 13 (Puppet of the Anti-Christ)Baron Von Westphalen: Thomas Rogers is Salon's former Arts Editor. Before Fortunio encountered Boxer, he was introduced to Krysta, who promised him that she would get him an "interstate travel visa" to get him back into California. As they hold hands, the truck begins to float into the sky with Martin Kefauver on board. The two Rolands found each other in the end, but the movie ends before we can see what actually happens to them. Despite being critically and commercially unsuccessful, the film has developed a cult following in later years. Fortunio and his buddies break into USIDent, killing all of the employees, including Nana Mae Frost. Roland, a Hermosa Beach police officer, became involved in a "deep conspiracy" and he would be in grave danger if anyone found out that he was alive. The PATRIOT Act has extended authority to a new agency known as US-IDent, which keeps constant surveillance on citizenseven to the extent of censoring the Internet and requiring fingerprints to access computers and bank accounts. Edit, The term fluid karma is used to refer to two things in the movie. 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. On January 25th Arrow Video released a Blu Ray double pack of Richard Kelly's 2006 film Southland Tales.Disc 1 includes a new 2K restoration of the Theatrical Cut, along with a new retrospective documentary on the legacy and making of the film, while Disc 2 contains the longer, rarely seen Cannes Cut, which screened at that festival back in '06 to a glacial response. What exactly happens at the end of the movie? It does get easier to understand, though, if you've read the Book of Revelation. Once there, Boxer meets Simon Theory, one of the Baron's employees. This is a reference to a Philip K. Dick book called Flow My Tears the Policeman Said. This means that Christianity has won the "contest" for Earth and is the one true faith. 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." Southland Tales is unashamedly maximalist, rushing through as many set pieces as Kelly can conjure whilst simultaneously touching upon practically every theme a work of art can contain. What are all of those tattoos on the body of Boxer Santaros (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson)? It has a similar plot to Southland Tales, but with different characters and more gratuitous product placement. A newsletter showcasing the finest writing from the ideas section, covering political ideas, philosophy, criticism and intellectual history - sent every Wednesday. So the parallels with the Bible are kind of buried. 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. He wakes up in a bed in his apartment in Treer Plaza. Roland and Ronald (Seann William Scott) meet and shake hands. Tide power, and the wireless transmission of electricity, are scientific realities. 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. "[44], In a 2013 interview, Kelly said he considered this work as "the thing that I'm most proud of, and I feel like it's sort of the misunderstood child or the banished child. Original music was provided by Moby . Blue, in an hour you feel new, and you can forget about Mellow yellow or Agent Orange, 'cause hey, I'm giving you blood red." Zora abruptly pushes Ronald from the car, and runs over Bing. Ultimately, we may have to vote with our thumbs at some point. One Taverner repeats, "friendly fire," while the other says, "I forgive you." Your body would learn to how to absorb all nutrients into the body, making defecation unnecessary.RONALD: "Hmmm. They also added in a newly animated opening prologue called the Doomsday Scenario Interface. Kelly sent the organizers of the 2006 Cannes Film Festival a rough cut of Southland Tales on DVD assuming that it would not be accepted. The world ends. Presumably, Tab was afraid that the Baron's people would find out that Roland had survived the trip through the time rift. A tide-powered generator, however, relies on an external source of power, the tides, and would not fall under that definition. Several days before the movie starts, on the same houseboat on Lake Mead, Tab Taverner, Ronald/Roland's father, told Ronald -- who has amnesia -- that he must kidnap his brother in order to protect him. 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. 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. Protector of the Messiah/False ProphetRoland Taverner: [28][29] After significant edits, the final version premiered at Fantastic Fest on September 22, 2007. That needs to change, The autonomous future is nearly here with Wejo, The need to grow Londons EV infrastructure at speed and scale, Ben Wheatleys In the Earth is a trippy eco-horror, Twenty years of feminist classic Legally Blonde, Cary Grants turn in the 1950s romcom Indiscreet is a lesson in effortlessness, The big consultancy con, with Mariana Mazzucato, The rise and fall of Nicola Sturgeon Audio Long Reads, Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance, HR, Training and Organisational Development, Information and Communications Technology, Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives, Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities, Science and Technical Research and Development. "Forget Myself" by Elbow13. The Tangent Universe is an alternate reality to our own. The Book of Revelation, or the Revelation of John, was written by an unknown person in the first century. "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? Pilot Abilene, who has been watching the scene from his gun turret, shoots and kills Starla. The Book of Revelation is the last book in the New Testament. And then you would miss all the jokes and stop enjoying the dance sequences. Southland Tales begins on Independence Day 2005 in an eminently recognizable Bush-era Texas. Krysta is brought to the Frost mansion, where she is confronted by Madeline. 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. He had Roland Taverner kidnap Boxer and drive him through the rift. When Fortunio and Boxer arrive at the rendezvous point, this is where the two are introduced to one another The film features an ensemble cast including Dwayne Johnson, Seann William Scott, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mandy Moore, and Justin Timberlake. Also, a very subtle reference took place when Bart Bookman (Jon Lovitz) had just killed Dream and Dion: he said "Flow my tears". Their hands begin to glow. . "Kelly launches Darko Entertainment", by Dade Hayes, "How The World Ends: Conversation With Richard Kelly", "Anatomy of a Cannes Disaster: What Happened After 'Southland Tales' Was Booed", "Exclusive Interview: Richard Kelly (Southland Tales)", Southland Tales - Music From The Motion Picture, "Apocalypse Soon: A Mushroom Cloud Doesn't Stall 2008 Electioneering". Edit, No. This assertion seems to be based upon a flawed understanding of the the particular Law. Zelda Rubinstein and Beth Grant portray Dr. Katarina Kuntzler and Dr. Inga Von Westphalen, members of the baron's entourage. Also, they had sex. Which quotes from the Books of Revelation are used in the film? Taken as a purely Christian parable, then this is the book of Revelations and God ending the world and humanity in it's present form. The police break into Neo-Marxist headquarters and kill Kenny Chan. [18] Much to his surprise, they loved it and wanted the film entered in competition for the Palme d'Or. Edit, Richard Kelly stated in his interview with Empire, If Roland Taverner pulls the trigger and kills himself, the ice-cream truck will fall and the gateway it opens will close, and it's that gateway that may be humankind's salvation, so suicide represents surrendering to defeat. Taverner reveals that he hasn't produced a bowel movement in six days. [45], Kelly later expressed regret in releasing the latter chapters first through the original film, stating that this placed the audience at a disadvantage. "And God wiped the tears from his eyes, so the new Messiah could see out to the New Jerusalem." Happily, it never does, which allows you to share in his unabashed joy in filmmaking as well as in his fury about the times. Sign up to receive information regarding NS events, subscription offers & product updates. Before being drafted, Pilot Abilene was also a movie star. Who was behind the attacks in Abilene and El Paso? When Ronald arrives at the home of Fortunio Balducci (Will Sasso), a movie producer, to meet Boxer and Krysta, Boxer explains that he and Krysta have written a screenplay called "The Power," about a "paranoid schizophrenic cop" named Jericho Cane. Quick and essential guide to domestic and global politics from the New Statesman's politics team. The purpose of these novels is to explain much of the back-story and set the viewer up for parts IV, V and VI in the movie itself.An article titled Everything you were afraid to ask about Southland Tales. [42], J. Hoberman defended the film, yet again, in his review for the theatrical cut. In the graphic novels, Krysta says it's Boxer's favourite film. 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. Krysta says she's putting it all in, Cyndi asks why she would do something that stupid, and that's what causes her to tell Cyndi she's sleeping with "a large and powerful man." Edit, Richard Kelly stated in his interview with Empire, He is the doomsday prophet, the witness of everything. In Donnie Darko, the world ends when the Tangent Universe collapses, which may also be what happens at the end of Southland Tales. What does the Latin inscription "oderint dum metuant" on the UPU cars mean? There are now two versions of each co-existing in the same universetwo Boxer Santaros and two Roland Taverners. 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. In "Donnie Darko," the world ends when the Tangent Universe collapses, which may also be what happens at the end of "Southland Tales." The other main reference points are T.S. Boxer meets Fortunio on the beach after his rendezvous with Starla. But even with the changes, the film is still almost impossible to understand, a trait that probably hasn't helped its box office. The name Treer is a reference to Trier, Marx's birthplace. As part of his participation in the Neo-Marxists' plot, Ronald must pretend to be his brother Roland and accompany Boxer during his movie research. 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. 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"). He learns that his account has been blocked, so Kefauver and Ronald use the Hummer to rip the ATM from the wall. Edit, Yes, there is a soundtrack available to buy, from Amazon.com or any other retailer that specializes in music. Why does Boxer keep twiddling his fingers? The mega-zeppelin explodes, and its pieces scatter across L.A. Roland runs to meet him inside the ice cream truck. HitFix's Alan Sepinwall reviews "Reckoning," the season finale of the TNT cop drama "Southland," and says it worked as a perfect series-ender in the event of cancellation. 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