The film was released in the UK on December 7, 2007, exclusively to UK cinema chain Cineworld in a limited number of locations. "Chord Sounds" by Moby7. 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. Kelly has said in interviews that the film was partially made in response to the rise of apocalyptic evangelism in the United States. "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". A closed system that defies the Law would be along the lines of, for example, an electric car which completely recharges itself via the process of driving it around, requiring no external power once it's been turned on. Violence has erupted throughout the city. According to Serpentine, "The future is just as [he] imagined.". Southland Tales premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and received so much negative feedback that the studio reworked the film. Edit, Operation Dream Theory was an experiment created by Treer. Edit, According to The Prequel Saga, "The Power" was written entirely by Krysta Now, who is apparently psychic. Edit, It is a mechanical ball (built by Treer) which acts as remote antennas for the wireless electricity energy fields powered by Fluid Karma. Her new screenplay, co-written with an amnesiac movie star with the extremely macho name Boxer Santaros (Dwayne Johnson), outlines the apocalypse as she is certain it will happen. This assertion seems to be based upon a flawed understanding of the the particular Law. Neo-Marxist cells have begun to converge on central Los Angeles. (This explains the final scene where "Ronald" tells Roland he forgives himhe is actually Pilot Abilene talking, explaining that he forgives him for what happened in Fallujah.) Edit, Moments before the whole Fallujah incident, when Pilot and Roland were roping down their helicopter, Pilot is nervous so Roland gives him his iPod to listen to. The Book of Revelation, or the Revelation of John, was written by an unknown person in the first century. Walter Mung recognizes him and quickly sedates him with an injection of fluid karma. 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. 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. Cane loses consciousness. The director also sought to keep the musical number performed by Timberlake, based on "All These Things That I've Done" by The Killers which he felt was the heart and soul of the film. Associated Press articles: Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. "Look Back In" by Moby5. 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 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." Edit, Fred Zinnemann, the well-known movie director of the 1950s and 60s, maybe? Roland and Ronald are the Messiah and in the end they find each other and save humanity through the power of forgiveness. Also, they had sex. "[12] He described the film as a "tapestry of ideas all related to some of the biggest issues that I think we're facing right now . Bing is freaked out by the murders, and decides that he no longer wants to be part of the group. These are all references to the seven plagues that precede the destruction of Babylon. Tide power, and the wireless transmission of electricity, are scientific realities. This means that Christianity has won the "contest" for Earth and is the one true faith. At their Venice Beach headquarters, we meet the rest of the Neo-Marxists, including Veronica "Dream" Mung (Amy Poehler) and Dion Element (Wood Harris). 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. But even with the changes, the film is still almost impossible to understand, a trait that probably hasn't helped its box office. Zora Carmichaels (Cheri Oteri), a member of the Neo-Marxist movement, buys blank bullets from Walter Mung (Christopher Lambert) in an ice cream truck filled with weapons. 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.". "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 . Eliot's "Hollow Men. Most of the information in this FAQ can be attributed to three main sources:The three graphic novels that serve as a precursor to Southland Tales. As part of his job, Jericho must tattoo a symbol from every world religion onto his body and, when the Messiah reaches maturity, the "winning" religion's symbol will bleed snake blood. [9] The idea of six graphic novels was later cut down to three. 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. 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. 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). the Indian chief Boxer encounters in the graphic novels). The novel has obvious links in its plot with Southland Tales, and the story's main character is named Jason Taverner. That's why he wakes up on the beach at the start of the movie. What follows is a hyperkinetic Fox News-style summary of the following three years in the "Southland Tales'" alternate universe: After the nuclear attacks in Texas, the United States reinstates the draft, and by October 2005, war (sponsored by Hustler and Bud Light) breaks out with Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, North Korea and Iraq -- where Pilot Abilene, the film's narrator, is injured in a friendly-fire accident. For . Dragon from Revelation 12 and 13 (Puppet of the Anti-Christ)Pilot Abeline: SALON is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark of Salon.com, LLC. 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. Dr. Severin Exx read Krysta the Book of Revelation while she was under hypnosis. [citation needed]. [4][5], Along with two other American filmmakers (Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette and Richard Linklater's Fast Food Nation), Kelly's follow-up to Donnie Darko was in competition for the coveted Palme d'Or at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival[32] and was screened on May 21 at the Grand Lumiere Theater. Ten years ago, a critical audience at Cannes sealed 'Southland Tales' fate. Why does the movie start with Boxer Santaros asleep on a beach? What is the glowing orb carried around by Dr. Kuntzler? The White Horseman, with his rifle post being his horse and his rifle his bow. 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. [19], Many critics responded unfavorably to the film's long running time and sprawling nature. It is unhinged, and occasionally exhilarating, and quite often funny. Two of the solders that participated in the experiment were Roland Taverner and Pilot Abilene. What's Justin Timberlake doing in all of this? Zora Carmichaels and Bart Buchman return to the Neo-Marxist headquarters, where we learn that the two are lovers and have planned the murder of Dion and Dream. Edit, Those who use Fluid Karma are "Chemical Bleeders" (e.g. Roland, Ronald, Pilot, etc.) Second, fluid karma is the name used by Treer for the "hydroelectric energy field" produced by the their Utopia tidal generators. || Southland Tales Movie Ending Explained in English#endingexplained endingexplained Copyright Disclaimer: No Copyright in. 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. Is the screenplay important for understanding the movie? Richard Kelly's science-fiction comedy was widely derided on release in 2006, but it has since found a cult audience. Edit, No one really knows, it's never implied in the film who was behind it-Richard Kelly did mention he was given an article called "American Hiroshima" which revolved this plan of Al-Qaeda's to buy nuclear weapons off Russian mobsters and smuggle them into Texas over the Mexican border and detonate them in mid-sized cities. Director Richard Kelly Writer Richard Kelly Stars Dwayne Johnson Sarah Michelle Gellar etc., although it bears a resemblence to Eastern religious concepts such as Qi and Ki. [20][21], Universal Studios had originally optioned the U.S. rights, but after the Cannes screening, it was sold to Sony, although Universal still retained some international rights. 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. Suddenly, a bright light appears through windows and a mushroom. Why is 'Kiss Me Deadly' featured numerous times in the film? During their discussion, they learn that Ronald has been dreaming of Boxer. Several soldiers were selected (Pilot, Roland, Rick [from the graphic novels]) as test subjects and were injected with Fluid Karma before going out into battle. Cheri Oteri plays Zora Carmichaels, while Jon Lovitz plays violent police officer Bart Bookman who is in love with Zora. The world ends. No, it's not just you. Most of the screenplay is included in The Prequel Saga. Muriel and Jericho take the child after its parents are killed, and, under Muriel's guidance, drive to a farmhouse, where they are met by Serpentine, the Baron's mistress. And why is he having an affair with Krysta Now? 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. He is a pimp and pimps don't commit suicide.". 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. She is pursued by Zora and Bart, who have discovered that Krysta has taken Dion and Dream's murder tape by mistake. Roland and Ronald (Seann William Scott) meet and shake hands. (Krystas pop album is called Teen Horniness is Not a Crime.) According to the "Prequel Saga," "The Power" was written entirely by Krysta Now, who is apparently psychic. The project was named "Serpentine Dream Theory." 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. On the soundtrack, Pilot Abilene says, "Revelation 21: And God wiped away the tears from his eyes so the new Messiah could see into the new Jerusalem, his name was Officer Roland Taverner from Hermosa Beach, California. This is where "Operation Dream Theory" came into play. 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. The movie plays in the background in several scenes, and in the "Prequel Saga," Krysta tells Boxer it is his favorite movie. What was in the 20 to 25 minutes cut out of the original version showed at Cannes? 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 grenadedisfiguring him. . Fluid karma also makes telepathy possible between those that are using it. The other characters have all played their part and are redeemed in the end to enjoy eternal life. They are eventually killed by those who are tormented by their prophecies.Revelation 22:5: Edit, Yes, there is a soundtrack available to buy, from Amazon.com or any other retailer that specializes in music. Edit, Fortunio found Boxer lying on a road in Nevada, so he saved him and both of them try and figure out a way to get across the Nevada border back into California. Elsewhere, in a luxurious apartment, Boxer crawls into bed with Krysta Now (Sarah Michelle Gellar), a former porn star with a reality television show. The other main reference points are T.S. A conversation between Zora and Ronald in "Fingerprints" (Book 2 of the graphic novels) sheds some light on this: But, unexpectedly, police officer Bart Buchman (Jon Lovitz) pulls up and shoots both of them for real. [22], Kelly edited the film down to the basic storylines of the characters portrayed by Scott, Gellar, and Johnson. Its story overlaps with the movie, so it explains some of the back story. Kids are shooting home video of their Independence Day barbecue. Holmes Osborne plays conservative Senator Bobby Frost, Will Sasso plays Fortunio Balducci and Christopher Lambert plays Walter Mung. The quick and essential guide to domestic and global politics from the New Statesman's politics team. Janeane Garofalo appears as General Teena MacArthur. He learns that his account has been blocked, so Kefauver and Ronald use the Hummer to rip the ATM from the wall. If "Southland Tales" is a semi-straightforward reinterpretation of the Book of Revelation, then Baron Von Westphalen is the Antichrist, Sen. Bobby Frost is probably his false prophet, Krysta Now is the Whore of Babylon, the two witnesses are probably Boxer Santaros and Roland Taverner, the white horse is the levitating ice cream truck, and Christ is Ronald and Roland Taverner. In Donnie Darko, the world ends when the Tangent Universe collapses, which may also be what happens at the end of Southland Tales. That's why Taverner always feels so guilty. There are now two versions of each co-existing in the same universetwo Boxer Santaros and two Roland Taverners. [12] Editorial changes were made to restructure the order of the film's scenes, including re-recording all of Timberlake's voice-over. To Serpentine, `` the Power '' was written southland tales ending explained an unknown person in the same universetwo Boxer asleep! 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