Southland Tales

the content of the movie is so dead-on it's no surprise it mostly went unnoticed for 15 years, as things of that nature tend to go

Southland Tales is not your typical science fiction movie. It's not your typical thriller, or even your typical independent film (if there is such a thing). I don't know exactly what kind of film this is, and I don't think the creators of Southland Tales really know either. One thing for sure, this film is hysterical, as long as you don't take it too seriously.Richard Kelly follows his dark cult film Donnie Darko with this portrait of an alternate version of America where darker events and imaginative technological developments have led to a more extreme version of the present day. Terrorist acts on American soil beyond 9/11 have led to more US military incursions around the globe and greater governmental control over civil liberties. It is mid-2008, and people connected to the Iraq war and the upcoming Presidential election are involved in a mysterious technological/mystical/religious/drug -addled conspiracy. The film centers on Boxer Santaros, a movie star married to the candidate for vice presidency's daughter, who suffers from amnesia. He finds himself in the company of Krystal Now, a porn star branching into the reality show/music/energy drink business, who tells him he's directing and producing a thriller about the end of the world based on his own screenplay, which she has actually written herself. And the storyline gets much more convoluted from there.The best way to make sense of this movie is to read Southland Tales: The Prequel Saga, a graphic novel written by Richard Kelly, which covers the events prior to the movie. No wait, it still won't make much sense. Well, it will at least explain some of the loose ends in more detail, such as how the characters got into the situations they're in at the beginning of the film: how Pilot Abilene (Justin Timberlake) and Roland Taverner (Seann William Scott) ended up in a friendly-fire incident that scarred them both; how the body in the box ended up in Simon Theory (Kevin Smith)'s possession; and what the heck Santaros mumbles when he gets overwhelmed. Reading the graphic novel will lessen (not eliminate) the number of times you say "Huh?" while watching, but nothing will stop the ever increasing times, as the movie continues, you'll say "What?" in greater frequency and volume.And therein lies the charm of this crazy, patch-work quilt of a movie. As you watch, you'll find yourself moving from willing disbelief to confusion to frustration and then to utter hysteria as the farcical nature of the labyrinthine story line overwhelms you. This will be easier for some to accept than others, for Richard Kelly didn't really intend for Southland Tales to so absurd, but unfortunately that's what it ends up being. The antics of the characters, and the depictions by the actors, are more and more hilarious as the film goes on.There are too many uniquely memorable scenes and lines to encapsulate here, but some of the best are: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's depiction of Santaro's nervous fidgeting; Cheri Oteri as a psychotic henchman, accompanied by a deadpan Jon Lovitz channeling Rutger Hauer channeling Hannibal Lecter; Amy Proehler (from Saturday Night Live - theres's a lot of Saturday Night Live alumni here) and Wood Harris (from "The Wire") pretending to be a bride and groom in a domestic disturbance; Chris Lambert dealing arms out of a ice cream truck; Seann William Scott playing twin brothers who are both constantly injected with designer drugs causing them to interrupt their deadpan deliveries with cross-eyed collapse (over and over again); Wallace Shawn as a mad scientist wearing mascara and his thinning hair moussed into a curlicue on his forehead; Bai Ling revealing a hideous mole (apparently real) in her plunging (no, more like missing) neckline; and one of my favorite actresses, Sarah Michelle Gellar, as Santoro's scheming porn-star love interest, delivering her lines with a waifish tone and "come hither" look. Gellar, and all the actors, do the best they can with the script, better suited for the world of comic books, but they can't keep the film from devolving into an unintentionally ridiculous commentary on the policies of Bush administration, and the director's view of the world Bush and his people tried to create.Watching the film as a serious attempt as political commentary melded with futuristic science fiction will lead to frustrated disappointment, but the viewer who is looking for a wacky, comic-book-style ensemble performance will find the 2 and ½ hour film (that's 2 ½ hours, be prepared for that) a enjoyable release from reality, even worthy of repeated viewing. If you're in the right frame of mind, you'll find tons of moments to talk about after the film is finished, like whether Gellar meant to sway on her high heels as she walks away in one scene, or Johnson's personal belief about suicide, or Justin Timberlake's singing and dancing interlude (yes, that's right). If you come to this film knowing what it's like, then, like the red-headed stepchild of the family or the runt dog of the litter, it may soften your heart and become a favorite of yours.

Richard Kelly's second film after Donnie Darko, this also features time travel. I purchased the graphic novel and it helped understand the story a bit better.

I feel Richard Kelly is a genius, blending science fiction plots into the modern film the way many top writers do. It seems the reviews are going towards the negative for this film. I agree: odd. But if you want entertainment, a movie with sci fi themes that you can follow, Southland Tales is it.I just watched it for fun. I didn't plan on reviewing it, but, since so many think the film is "terrible", I saw a reason to write.In short, you have what others are saying: A picture of how the world ends. You have Justin Timberlake, The Rock, and a ton of other young actors, or actors who seem to specialize in more B films. This is, in many ways, a B film. It comes close to the complexity of Donnie Darko, one of my favorite films of all time. And it's far more ambitious, almost, almost realizing its ambition. While the film is odd, so was Donnie Darko. While it has some odd science fiction elements, so did Donnie Darko. The point with Donnie Darko was you didn't feel like you were traveling around the world in a huge, sprawling epic, which is what Southland Tales is.You have travels through time and memories and lost identities. You also have B movie stars rising above their general acting skills. It's a portrait of a future that could be.The soundtrack was done by Moby, which truly fit in with the odd film that Richard Kelly has here. I am not sure if I would buy it; perhaps you should watch it first. It's an odd epic for people with odd tastes.

There's just something the movie that really drew me in. For one the soundtrack is just dead on. When this first came out direct to DVD and Dish I just happened to catch it late one night and this was right as the 2008 election was happening. And they nailed the problems we all felt then as well into the past and future, seeing as we keep doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome each time. And ever 4 years, it seems to fit right back into our problem of career politicians, regardless of who they are, taking advantage of their positions. It also boasts a great cast with a lot of people you wouldn't expect to see. Since when did the Highlander need to start selling guns and rockets out of an ice-cream truck LOL “that’s a heat seeking, ground to air missile, from Siberia bitch. You can’t afford it” I mean rock the sword at least!

J’ai acheté ce film version DVD normal, car le Blu-ray ne passe pas !

10/10 remastered quality.

Sarah Michelle Gellar interpreta un'attrice porno che scrive una sceneggiatura basata su una vita alternativa in un mondo alternativo che poi è la realtà in cui vive realmente. Maritato il premio a Cannes. Film non certo leggero, ma educativo.

Pelicula inedita en españa por lo que es imposible encontrarla doblada al castellano. Esta edicion ofrece subtitulos para la pelicula en español usa.

If you plan to watch/buy this movie, please make sure you buy the extended or directors cut version otherwise, like me, you will be completly dumbfounded as to what is going on. even with the extended version, you may have to watch it a few times before you fully understand the story.The film is set after a nuclear attack on America and how, due to terrorism, America has become a fascist, police state where everything is monitored (like big brother/1984)the story revolves around the southland and a new structure 'utopia 3' that uses the ocean to generate an energy field, like a pulse (called fluid Karma) that will power everything remotely and is in abundance. however, unknown to most of the characters of movie, the tidal generator has slowled the earths rotation by a fraction of a degree and certain anomilies have occured; such as crime sky-rocketing and a rift in time.the film has an all-star studded cast and everyone plays their parts superbly. there are alot of sub-plots, alot of characters but they all tie into the main plot of the story.There's alot of comedy in the film, it's dark and most is overshadowed by the confusing plot...tip, don't miss a second of the movie, it's one you have watch all they way through to the end.There are a few references to Philip.k.Dick in the movie who was a brilliant sci-fi writer from the 50's - 80's and alot of the film is almost a hybrid of his novels. 'flow my tears, the policeman said' is an example.In all I loved it, having watched it ten times to understand it, I can now truley appreciate the film and how the characters of the movie are just as clueless as to whats happening as the audience watching it.I recommend this for a sci-fi fan or movie buff...but if your looking for something to watch on a one-off on some wet sunday night, dont bother! you'll only get confused, frustrated and end up hating a really brilliant film.