He is sitting at a turret on the santa monica pier, and is reading from the book of revelations. The specter of karl marx surfaces in various guises, including as the namesake for the last remnant of the democratic party. Boxer santaros is an action star stricken with amnesia. Southland tales is, in my opinion, far more successful than infinite jest, and i believe that southland tales is one of the most unfairly maligned films of the 00s. While planned as a mainstream breakthrough, things didnt pan out that way. My only objection is the strong political undertone thats some what shoved down your throat. Unraveling the inside story of southland tales vice. The prequel saga collects writerdirector richard kellys donnie darko three graphic novels that set the stage to his second film, southland tales. But there is a pre911 draft of the script, an ursouthland tales completed in june 2001, that differs radically from the finished film. Dec 07, 2007 southland tales is never boring, exactly. Oct 21, 2016 revelations battle of armageddon and the seven last plagues revelations ancient discoveries duration. All of the above, and more, occurs within the boundaries of the film, but much of the backstory has already unfolded in another medium. Southland tales is an epic story set over the course of three days that culminate in a massive 4th of july celebration.
For southland tales, he loosely adapted the plot of the book of revelation and set it in an alternate version of the present day. Southland tales, one of the most polarizing movies to come out in the last decade, is many things. The film fades up on the santa monica beach at dawn. It eventually becomes clear that for all its political bluster, southland taless interests lie elsewhere. The city stands on the brink of social, economic and environmental disaster. What if there is a path to end all suffering, and hidden somewhere along the way is a primer a primer that could help us extinguish this great big mess of a planet once and for all.
The camera then shows the narrator, pilot abilene justin timberlake, an iraqi war vet who was scarred by a friendlyfire incident. It has a thick vein of selfdeprecating humour, and enough wild setpieces to keep the senses on edge i. Community content is available under ccbysa unless. See all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Its a surrealist, fractured look at our current sociopolitical climate, its satirical highs and toilet humor lows, a volatile combination of the sensibilities of andy warhol and philip k. In defence of southland tales richard kellys futuristic folly. Temptation waits, and it appears the opening three episodes of this sixpart saga took place in a comic book produced by kelly prior to the films release. The end of the world need not be biblicallybased, of course, but the film was inspired by kellys obsession with all things apocalyptic including the book of revelations his frequent use of. Southland tales will take you down that other road.
The graphic novels were written by the films screenwriterdirector richard kelly and illustrated by brett weldele. Richard kelly has written an animated prequel to southland tales. Basically the southland tales is a liberal interpretationrewrite of the book of revelations which hails the second comming of christ and the end of the world mixed in. Though it occasionally invokes the book of revelations, nothing concretely calamitous happens after the chilling opening sequence, where the abilene attack is presented from the perspective of a kid fooling around with a camcorder. Oct 30, 2007 retooling the book of revelations for cable, southland tales is a mishmash of literary citations, tv texts, pop music, and movie references. The plot line of southland is the stuff of a james ellroy or a walter mosley novelbut the climax fairly glows with the goodheartedness that revoyr displays from the very first page.
Southland tales prequel in the works from director richard. Three angels broadcasting network 3abn 1,195,868 views 58. It has a thick vein of selfdeprecating humour, and enough wild setpieces to keep the senses on edge i particularly liked the moment when seann william. Revelations battle of armageddon and the seven last plagues revelations ancient discoveries duration. Southland tales is a 2007 science fictionblack comedy film from director richard kelly, the followup to his 2001 cult hit donnie darko. Basically the southland tales is a liberal interpretationrewrite of the book of revelations which hails the second comming of christ and the end of the world mixed in with modern pop culture and socialpolitical critisism. At the risk of confusing you, because i love southland.
Ive actually, to be honest, ive taken the graphic novels and in. Like donnie darko, southland tales is confusing and strange, though it is much more complex in scope. Southland tales defies easy description, but it is easy to understand why its blend of time travel, satire, political commentary went over many peoples heads upon its release, including mine. Seann william scott and the rocks adventures in the desert alone can fill out a movie. Richard kelly has written an animated prequel to southland. The combination of a large budget and sonys decision to shelve the film after lackluster showings in a handful of cities means that its not likely to show profit for years to come. His life intertwines with krysta now sarah michelle gellar, an adult film star developing her own reality television project, and ronald taverner seann william scott, a hermosa beach police officer who holds the key to a vast conspiracy. Southland tales is a film famously influenced by collective fears and paranoia after 911. Be prepared to watch it several times if you want to understand it to its full potential. Graphitti designs and view askew in conjunction with darko entertainment are proud to present this special collection prior to the movie release.
Southland tales 2006 frequently asked questions imdb. It has interesting things to say about american politics, pop culture, science, and the energy industry for one thing. Its a dystopian sci fi thrillerfarce, based loosely on the book of revelation, and. Its also darkly funny, and despite being a bit messy its really quite enjoyable. Essentially, southland tales layers apocalyptic portents from of the book of revelation onto philip k. Kelly recruits much of his cast from saturday night live. Oct 29, 2007 as a standalone book, this would be severely disappointing. To try to unravel the story of southland tales is an exercise in futility. Southland tales bluray disc, 2008 for sale online ebay. Bush administration, the war on terror, and the publics tolerance for both. Both the book of revelation and the bush administrations war on terror discourse present a vision of terror and crisis, and they both describe.
I understood it as an apocalyptic vision interpretation of the book of revelations by an american porn actress on mushrooms. Dicks flow my tears, the policeman said, where experimental drugs found in fractured, future america sends a celebrity into an alternate dimension, and makes it all relevant to the george w. Everything you were afraid to ask about southland tales. Pilot abilene justin timberlake quotes biblical scripture from the book of revelation in narrating the film and allusion is made both to robert. With southland, i set aside my usual disdain of flashbacks. As a standalone book, this would be severely disappointing. Avec the rock, seann william scott, justin timberlake. Southland tales ist ein usamerikanischer film aus dem jahr 2006.
The prequel saga is a collection of three graphic novels produced to accompany the 2006 feature film southland tales. The book of revelation, or the revelation of john, was written. But, if you can get over the many minus points, youll find that southland tales is actually quite a novel story, told in a very slick and stylish way. Nov 14, 2007 southland tales, richard kellys funny, audacious, messy and feverishly inspired look at america and its discontents, opens with the very biggest of bangs.
The more i read, the deeper i got into the story, the more affluent the story became. Boxer santaros dwayne the rock johnson is an action star whos stricken with amnesia. After i saw the first cut of kellys southland tales at cannes 2005, i was dazed, confused, bewildered, bored, affronted and deafened by the boos all around me, at the most disastrous cannes press screening since, yes, the brown bunny. Again, this does give off the feeling of being a bit rushed. The movie starts at chapter 4 where the comic books left off. Megacelebrity actor boxer santaros dwayne johnson, porn star krysta now sarah michelle gellar.
It attempts to sum up what happened so far, but you are essentially coming into the story half way through. Mar 05, 2008 southland tales is a trainwreck, but i enjoyed it. Its plot hinges on a barely explained back story involving rifts in the fourth dimension. If the end is indeed upon usapparently 59% of fundamentalist americans believe that it isits going to happen in l. Southland tales is an apocalyptic tale set in the future of 2008. Revisiting southland tales in 2017, however, its not only the. During a threeday 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.
Kelly will go on to make superior, more fullyrealised movies, but southland tales will forever occupy a special place on his cv. Nov 29, 2010 richard kelly has written an animated prequel to southland tales. Boxer santaros is an action star whos stricken with amnesia. Frankly, the best environment for southland tales to exist in. Southland tales, richard kellys funny, audacious, messy and feverishly inspired look at america and its discontents, opens with the very biggest of bangs. His life intertwines with krysta now, an adult film star developing her own reality television project, and ronald taverner, a hermosa beach police. Here, southland tales simply tells half of the important plot points through a narrator and various fictional shots from the internet. The film underperformed at the box office and was panned by critics, though it gained a cult following in its home video release. Retooling the book of revelations for cable, southland tales is a mishmash of literary citations, tv texts, pop music, and movie references.
Southland tales the movie that most likely brought you here is warped and bizarre. But now here is the directors cut, which is 20 minutes shorter, lops off a couple of characters and a few. Southland tales is a 2006 science fiction comedy thriller film and the second film written and directed by richard kelly. Southland tales dwayne johnson and sarah michelle gellar overview director richard kellys followup to 2001s surprisingly popular donnie darko is a sprawling dystopian satire featuring an allstar cast and a storyline that splinters off into strange and unexpected places. With dwayne johnson, sarah michelle gellar, seann william scott, carlos amezcua. But there is a pre911 draft of the script, an ur southland tales completed in june 2001, that differs radically from the finished film.
A nuclear bomb drops on the us but theres no mutants. The first draft of richard kellys southland tales is a. Mar 28, 2016 like donnie darko, southland tales is confusing and strange, though it is much more complex in scope. Retooling the book of revelation for cable, southland tales is a mishmash of literary citations, tv texts, pop music, and movie references. Bobby frost is probably his false prophet, krysta now. Southland tales is to coherent storytelling as the taliban is to up with people.
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