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Southland Tales

Southland Tales is a 2006 dystopian black comedy thriller film written and directed by Richard Kelly. It features an ensemble cast that includes Dwayne Johnson, Seann William Scott, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mandy Moore, and Justin Timberlake. An international co-production of the United States and Germany,[7] the film is set in the then-near future of 2008, and is a portrait of Los Angeles, as well as a satiric commentary on the military–industrial complex and the infotainment industry. The title refers to the Southland, a name used by locals to refer to Southern California and the Greater Los Angeles area. Original music was provided by Moby.

Southland Tales
Theatrical poster
Directed byRichard Kelly
Written byRichard Kelly
Produced by
Starring
CinematographySteven Poster
Edited bySam Bauer
Music byMoby
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • May 21, 2006 (2006-05-21) (Cannes)
  • November 14, 2007 (2007-11-14) (United States)
Running time
144 minutes[3]
Countries
  • United States
  • Germany
LanguageEnglish
Budget$17 million[4][5]
Box office$374,743[6]

Southland Tales premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival,[8] and was released theatrically in the United States on November 14, 2007. The film polarised critics,[9] who responded unfavourably to its running time and sprawling nature in spite of its "intriguing vision", and only made $374,743 during its international theatrical run.[6] Despite this, it has developed a cult following in subsequent years. Kelly has expressed interest in expanding the film into a franchise.[10]

Synopsis edit

On July 4, 2005, in a fictionalized United States alternate history reality, two towns in Texas (El Paso and Abilene) were destroyed by twin nuclear attacks, killing thousands and triggering a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions, sending the United States into a state of chaos and hysteria, as well as a Third World War (a fictionalized version of what the nation may have become under the War on Terror), with the US government re-introducing the draft.

The PATRIOT Act has extended authority to a new agency known as US-IDent, which keeps constant surveillance on citizens—even to the extent of censoring the Internet and requiring fingerprints to access computers and bank accounts. 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". However, its inventor Baron von Westphalen and his associates are hiding the fact that the generators alter the ocean's currents and cause the Earth to slow its rotation, and that the transmission of Fluid Karma to portable receivers (via quantum entanglement) is ripping holes in the fabric of space and time.

In near-future 2008, Los Angeles (referred to as "The Southland" by locals) is a dystopian[11] city on the brink of chaos overshadowed by the growth of an underground neo-Marxist organization. The film follows the criss-crossed destinies of Boxer Santaros, an action film actor stricken with amnesia; Krysta Now, a psychic ex–porn star in the midst of creating a reality TV show; and twin brothers Roland and Ronald Taverner, whose destinies become intertwined with that of all mankind. The Taverner twins are revealed to be the same person by the engineers of Treer, duplicated when Roland traveled through a rift in space-time, while Boxer has become the most wanted man in the world despite his political ties and his having the fate of the future, in the form of a prophetic screenplay foretelling the end of the world, in his hands.

Cast edit

Amy Poehler and Wood Harris appear as Neo-Marxist activists. Zelda Rubinstein and Beth Grant portray Dr. Katarina Kuntzler and Dr. Inga Von Westphalen, respectively, both being members of the baron's entourage. Janeane Garofalo appears as General Teena MacArthur. Cheri Oteri plays Zora Carmichaels, while Jon Lovitz plays violent police officer Bart Bookman who is in love with Zora. Holmes Osborne plays conservative Senator Bobby Frost, Will Sasso plays Fortunio Balducci and Christopher Lambert plays Walter Mung.

Production edit

Kelly wrote Southland Tales shortly before the September 11 attacks. The original script involved blackmail, a porn star, and two cops. After the attacks, Kelly revised the script. He said, "[The original script] was more about making fun of Hollywood. But now it's about, I hope, creating a piece of science fiction that's about a really important problem we're facing, about civil liberties and homeland security and needing to sustain both those things and balance them."[15] 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 . . . alternative fuel or the increasing obsession with celebrity and how celebrity now intertwines with politics".[17] With the film's premise of a nuclear attack on Texas, Kelly wanted to take a look at how the United States would respond and survive while constructing a "great black comedy."[17]

Kelly's breakthrough film, Donnie Darko, was released in the United States on October 26, 2001, the same day the PATRIOT Act was signed. Two months before Southland Tales was released, he announced the launch of Darko Entertainment.[18]

Kelly said: "[Southland Tales] will only be a musical in a post-modern sense of the word in that it is a hybrid of several genres. There will be some dancing and singing, but it will be incorporated into the story in very logical scenarios as well as fantasy dream environments."[19] Kelly said the film's biggest influences are Kiss Me Deadly, Pulp Fiction, Brazil, and Dr. Strangelove. He called it a "strange hybrid of the sensibilities of Andy Warhol and Philip K. Dick".[20] The film often references religious and literary works; a policeman says, "Flow my tears," in reference to a Philip K. Dick novel of that name. ("Taverner" is the name of the main character in the same book and suffers identity problems of his own.) Pilot Abilene (Justin Timberlake) quotes Biblical scripture from the Book of Revelation in narrating the film and allusion is made both to Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening and an altered version of T. S. Eliot's The Hollow Men.

Casting edit

In March 2004, Kelly and Cherry Road Films began development of Southland Tales. Filmmakers entered negotiations with actors Seann William Scott, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jason Lee, Janeane Garofalo, Tim Blake Nelson, Amy Poehler, Kevin Smith, and Ali Larter. Musician Moby was approached on composing and performing the film's score.[19] Kelly met with Rick Moranis about playing Vaughn Smallhouse.[21] Kelly consciously sought out actors that he felt had been pigeonholed and wanted to showcase their "undiscovered talents."[17]

Filming edit

Filming was slated to begin in July 2004, but after a year, it had not begun. Dwayne Johnson joined the cast in April 2005, and principal photography was slated to begin August 1, 2005 in Los Angeles.[12] Filming began on August 15, 2005, with a budget of around US$15–17 million.

Post-production edit

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.[22] Much to his surprise, they loved it and wanted the film entered in competition for the Palme d'Or. He stopped editing the film and was also unable to complete all of the visual effects in time for the screening.[22] Kelly's film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2006 with a length of 160 minutes.[23] Kelly describes the negative reaction at Cannes as a "very painful experience on a lot of levels" but ultimately felt that the film "was better off because of it".[22] After the film's festival release, Southland Tales was purchased by Sony Pictures (via their label Destination Films) and Samuel Goldwyn Films, originally Sony Pictures Classics, Screen Gems and TriStar Pictures were up for US distribution rights.[24][25]

Universal Studios had originally optioned the U.S. rights, but after the Cannes screening, it was sold to Sony, although Universal still retained studio credit only and some international distribution rights. Kelly sought more financing to finish visual effects for the film, and he negotiated a deal with Sony to cut down on the film's length in exchange for funds to complete the visual effects.[26]

Kelly edited the film down to the basic storylines of the characters portrayed by Scott, Gellar, and Johnson. 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.[15] Editorial changes were made to restructure the order of the film's scenes, including re-recording all of Timberlake's voice-over. The director also added 90 new visual effects shots to the film and removed 20 to 25 minutes of footage from his initial cut.[27]

Soundtrack edit

Southland Tales: Music from the Motion Picture
Soundtrack album by
ReleasedNovember 6, 2007
GenreSoundtrack
LabelMilan Records
ProducerMoby
Moby and various artists chronology
Donnie Darko
(2002)
Southland Tales: Music from the Motion Picture
(2007)
The Box
(2009)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic     [28]

Southland Tales: Music from the Motion Picture is the original soundtrack of Richard Kelly's 2007 film Southland Tales.[28][29]

  1. "Wave of Mutilation" (UK surf version) by Pixies
  2. "Oh My Angel" by Bertha Tillman
  3. "Howl" (extended version) by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
  4. "Look Back In" by Moby
  5. "Me & Bobby McGee" by Waylon Jennings
  6. "Chord Sounds" by Moby
  7. "Lucky Me" by Roger Webb
  8. "3 Steps" by Moby
  9. "Broken Hearted Savior" by Big Head Todd and the Monsters
  10. "Teen Horniness Is Not a Crime" by Sarah Michelle Gellar, Abbey McBride and ClarKent
  11. "Tiny Elephants" by Moby
  12. "Forget Myself" by Elbow
  13. "The Star-Spangled Banner" by Rebekah Del Rio & the Section Quartet
  14. "Three Days" (live version) by Jane's Addiction
  15. "Memory Gospel" by Moby

The soundtrack for Southland Tales was released in stores and online on November 6, 2007. Amongst the songs not available on the soundtrack but featured in the film are Muse's "Blackout", The Killers' "All These Things That I've Done", and Blur's "Tender". Additionally, tracks from Radiohead, Louis Armstrong, Beethoven, Kris Kristofferson, and several tracks from Moby's Hotel:Ambient are likewise absent from the album. 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.[22]

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.[30]

Release edit

Marketing edit

Southland Tales was initially planned to be a nine-part "interactive experience", with the first six parts published in six 100-page graphic novels that would be released in a six-month period up to the film's release. The feature film comprises the final three parts of the experience. A website was also developed to intertwine with the graphic novels and the film itself.[12] The idea of six graphic novels was later cut down to three. The novels were written by Kelly and illustrated by Brett Weldele. Kelly wrote them while making the film and found it very difficult as it pushed him "to the edge of my own sanity", as he remarked in an interview.[22]

  • Part One: Two Roads Diverge (May 25, 2006, ISBN 0-936211-75-X)
  • Part Two: Fingerprints (September 15, 2006, ISBN 0-936211-76-8)
  • Part Three: The Mechanicals (January 31, 2007, ISBN 0-936211-77-6)

They have been collected together into one single volume:

The titles of the parts in the film are:[31]

  • Part Four: Temptation Waits
  • Part Five: Memory Gospel
  • Part Six: Wave of Mutilation

Theatrical release edit

 
Director Richard Kelly at a screening of Southland Tales

Following its May 21, 2006 premiere at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, where it was poorly received,[9][32] the final version of the film premiered at Fantastic Fest on September 22, 2007.[33] The film was originally scheduled to be released in the United States on November 9, 2007, in partnership with Destination Films and Samuel Goldwyn Films,[34] but in eventually opened in limited release in California on November 14, 2007. It opened in Canada, as well as nationwide in the United States, in just 63 theaters,[6] on November 16, 2007. The film was released in the UK on December 7, 2007, exclusively to UK cinema chain Cineworld in a limited number of locations.[citation needed]

Home media edit

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. The film was released on Region 4 DVD in Australia on April 30, 2008. Special features include a 33-minute documentary USIDent TV: Surveiling the Southland and a 10-minute animated short film This Is the Way the World Ends (which was not included on the R2 and R4 editions). On March 25, 2009, the R2 DVD was released in France.

On September 8, 2008, it was announced that it would be one of the five films being released on Blu-ray on November 18, 2008. The only new special feature announced was an audio commentary by Kelly. On October 26, 2020, Arrow Video announced a Remastered version approved by Richard Kelly would be released on Blu-ray on January 26, 2021. This release includes both the original theatrical cut and the Cannes cut.

Reception edit

Cannes Film Festival edit

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[8] and was screened on May 21 at the Grand Lumiere Theater.[23]

Many critics responded unfavorably to the film's long running time and sprawling nature. Roger Ebert described the Cannes screening as "The most disastrous since, yes, The Brown Bunny."[9] Salon.com critic Andrew O'Hehir called the Cannes cut "about the biggest, ugliest mess I've ever seen."[35] Jason Solomons, in The Observer (UK), said that "Southland Tales was so bad it made me wonder if [Kelly] had ever met a human being" and that ten minutes of the "sprawling, plotless, post-apocalyptic farrago" gave him the "sinking feeling that this may be one of the worst films ever presented in [Cannes] competition."[36] A handful of the American and European critics, however, were more positive.[37] The Village Voice critic J. Hoberman, for example, called Southland Tales "a visionary film about the end of times" comparable in recent American film only to David Lynch's Mulholland Drive.[38]

Critical response edit

41% of 106 reviews compiled by review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes are positive, and the average rating is 4.9 out of 10. The site's consensus states: "Southland Tales, while offering an intriguing vision of the future, remains frustratingly incoherent and unpolished."[39] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 44 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[40]

Glenn Kenny, in his review for Premiere criticized the film's style, "Kelly's camera placement and framing are at best textbook and at worst calamitously mediocre."[41] In her review for the Los Angeles Times, Carina Chocano wrote, "You get the sense that Kelly is too angry to really find any of it funny. 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."[42] David Edelstein's review in New York magazine criticized the film's writing, "Kelly aims high and must have shot off his own ear, which is the only way to account for the dialogue."[43]

On the program Ebert & Roeper, Richard Roeper and guest critic Michael Phillips gave the film a negative review. 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.[44]

J. Hoberman defended the film, yet again, in his review for the theatrical cut. "In its willful, self-involved eccentricity, Southland Tales is really something else. Kelly's movie may not be entirely coherent, but that's because there's so much it wants to say."[45] Manohla Dargis also gave the film a positive review in The New York Times, writing, "He doesn't make it easy to love his new film, which turns and twists and at times threatens to disappear down the rabbit hole of his obsessions. Happily, it never does, which allows you to share in his unabashed joy in filmmaking as well as in his fury about the times."[32]

The film remains enigmatic to many viewers and even some of its makers. In a 2011 interview, Justin Timberlake himself said, "To me, Southland Tales is performance art. I still don't know what that movie is about."[46] In 2013, 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."[5]

Box office edit

Southland Tales grossed $275,380 in limited release at the North American box office and $99,363 in Turkey and United Kingdom for a worldwide total of $374,743,[6] against a production budget of $17 million.[4][5]

Future edit

In January 2021, Richard Kelly announced that developments are underway to expand the film into a franchise with intention being that the original cast return. The filmmaker explained that the original film is chapters 4-6, while a prequel project will explore chapters 1-3 with intentions being to do so through an animation medium; while additional projects can explore events that take place in 2024.[10] He stated that discussions are ongoing as to whether the projects should be released as films or in a long-form format through a streaming service.[47]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Kay, Jeremy (July 25, 2007). "Samuel Goldwyn to handle US distribution of Southland Tales". Screen Daily. from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Kay, Jeremy (April 21, 2005). "Universal, Wild Bunch board Southland Tales". Screen Daily. from the original on July 1, 2022. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  3. ^ "Southland Tales (15)". British Board of Film Classification. November 5, 2007. from the original on November 26, 2016. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Southland Tales (2007)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. from the original on November 19, 2013. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
  5. ^ a b c Riesman, Abraham (July 8, 2013). "Richard Kelly on Southland Tales: Complete and Unedited". Motherboard. from the original on April 28, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d "Southland Tales (2007)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon. from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2008.
  7. ^ . British Film Institute. Archived from the original on January 13, 2009. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  8. ^ a b . festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on August 22, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
  9. ^ a b c Ebert, Roger (November 16, 2007). "Southland Tales". Chicago Sun-Times. from the original on June 3, 2013. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  10. ^ a b Collis, Clark (January 22, 2021). "Southland Tales director hopes to reunite with Dwayne Johnson for planned sequel". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  11. ^ This Maligned 2006 Movie About Dystopian L.A. Is Too Real at This Point June 9, 2018, at the Wayback Machine. lamag.com (February 13, 2018). Retrieved on September 7, 2020.
  12. ^ a b c d e Cherry Road Films (April 21, 2005). . ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
  13. ^ a b c d e f Doland, Angela (May 21, 2006). "'Southland' Imagines L.A. Apocalypse". Washington Post. from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
  14. ^ . October 5, 2004. Archived from the original on August 4, 2007. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
  15. ^ a b c Peranson, Mark (May 30, 2006). . The Village Voice. Archived from the original on September 21, 2007. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
  16. ^ Hilary Goldstein (July 26, 2005). "Before Southland Tales". IGN. from the original on November 17, 2007. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
  17. ^ a b c Angela Doland (May 21, 2006). "Southland Imagines L.A. Apocalypse". Washington Post. from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2007.
  18. ^ ""Kelly launches Darko Entertainment", by Dade Hayes, Variety". September 17, 2007. from the original on December 11, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
  19. ^ a b Cathy Dunkley (March 24, 2004). "Cherry Road hot for Kelly's 'Tales'". Variety. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
  20. ^ Etherington, Daniel (2006). "Southland Tales preview". Channel 4. from the original on June 6, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2005.
  21. ^ "The Character Rick Moranis Almost Played in Richard Kelly's Infamous Southland Tales". January 28, 2021.
  22. ^ a b c d e Sean Gandert (November 14, 2007). "Catching Up With ... Richard Kelly". Paste magazine. Retrieved June 7, 2007.
  23. ^ a b Jacobson, Harlan (May 22, 2006). "Volver, Southland Tales premiere at Cannes". USA Today. from the original on May 23, 2011. Retrieved June 6, 2008.
  24. ^ Mark Bell (September 12, 2006). "How The World Ends: Conversation With Richard Kelly". Film Threat. from the original on April 13, 2009. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
  25. ^ "Anatomy of a Cannes Disaster: What Happened After 'Southland Tales' Was Booed". The Hollywood Reporter. May 9, 2016. from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
  26. ^ Jeremy Smith (July 28, 2007). "Exclusive Interview: Richard Kelly (Southland Tales)". CHUD.com. from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
  27. ^ Patrick Lee; Cindy White (July 28, 2007). . Sci Fi Wire. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
  28. ^ a b Monger, James Christopher. "Southland Tales Original Soundtrack". AllMusic. All Media Network. from the original on April 28, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  29. ^ Southland Tales - Music From The Motion Picture at Discogs.
  30. ^ "Q with Jian Ghomeshi". CBC Radio. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  31. ^ Rogers, Thomas (December 19, 2007). "Everything you were afraid to ask about Southland Tales (Salon)". Portfolio. New York University. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  32. ^ a b Dargis, Manohla (November 14, 2007). "Apocalypse Soon: A Mushroom Cloud Doesn't Stall 2008 Electioneering". The New York Times. from the original on June 16, 2013. Retrieved November 14, 2007.
  33. ^ "Official Fantastic Fest blog". from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved February 22, 2008.
  34. ^ Addie Morfoot (July 24, 2007). "'Southland Tales' opens Nov. 9". Variety. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
  35. ^ O'Hehir, Andrew (May 22, 2005). "Beyond the Multiplex: Cannes". Salon.com. from the original on December 14, 2014. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  36. ^ Solomons, Jason (May 28, 2006). "Get set for Palme Sunday". The Observer. London. from the original on September 10, 2007. Retrieved July 10, 2006.
  37. ^ Links to many post-Cannes reviews, including multiple positive reviews by American, French, Spanish, Polish, and other reviewers.[permanent dead link]
  38. ^ Hoberman, J. (May 23, 2006). . The Village Voice. Archived from the original on July 16, 2006. Retrieved July 10, 2006.
  39. ^ "Southland Tales (2007)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. from the original on August 21, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  40. ^ "Southland Tales Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. from the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  41. ^ Kenny, Glenn (November 13, 2007). . Premiere. Archived from the original on November 16, 2007. Retrieved November 14, 2007.
  42. ^ Chocano, Carina (November 14, 2007). "Southland Tales". Los Angeles Times. from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  43. ^ Edelstein, David (November 12, 2007). "Family Guy". New York. from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved November 14, 2007.
  44. ^ Southland Tales review on the At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper website.[permanent dead link]
  45. ^ Hoberman, J. (November 6, 2007). . The Village Voice. Archived from the original on November 9, 2007. Retrieved November 14, 2007.
  46. ^ Hirschberg, Lynn (October 1, 2011). "Yes They Can! Interview with Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried". W. Condé Nast. p. 150. from the original on May 26, 2018. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
  47. ^ "Richard Kelly Talks 'Southland Tales', The Time Travel Prequel & His James Cameron-Inspired 'Donnie Darko' Sequel [Interview]". The Playlist. January 26, 2021. from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2021.

External links edit

southland, tales, 2006, dystopian, black, comedy, thriller, film, written, directed, richard, kelly, features, ensemble, cast, that, includes, dwayne, johnson, seann, william, scott, sarah, michelle, gellar, mandy, moore, justin, timberlake, international, pro. Southland Tales is a 2006 dystopian black comedy thriller film written and directed by Richard Kelly It features an ensemble cast that includes Dwayne Johnson Seann William Scott Sarah Michelle Gellar Mandy Moore and Justin Timberlake An international co production of the United States and Germany 7 the film is set in the then near future of 2008 and is a portrait of Los Angeles as well as a satiric commentary on the military industrial complex and the infotainment industry The title refers to the Southland a name used by locals to refer to Southern California and the Greater Los Angeles area Original music was provided by Moby Southland TalesTheatrical posterDirected byRichard KellyWritten byRichard KellyProduced bySean McKittrick Bo Hyde Kendall MorganStarringDwayne Johnson Seann William Scott Sarah Michelle Gellar Mandy Moore Justin Timberlake Miranda Richardson Wallace Shawn Bai LingCinematographySteven PosterEdited bySam BauerMusic byMobyProductioncompaniesUniversal Pictures Cherry Road Films Darko Entertainment MHF Zweite Academy Film Eden Roc Productions Persistent Entertainment Inferno DistributionDistributed bySamuel Goldwyn Films Destination Films United States Universal Pictures 1 2 Wild Bunch 1 2 international Release datesMay 21 2006 2006 05 21 Cannes November 14 2007 2007 11 14 United States Running time144 minutes 3 CountriesUnited States GermanyLanguageEnglishBudget 17 million 4 5 Box office 374 743 6 Southland Tales premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival 8 and was released theatrically in the United States on November 14 2007 The film polarised critics 9 who responded unfavourably to its running time and sprawling nature in spite of its intriguing vision and only made 374 743 during its international theatrical run 6 Despite this it has developed a cult following in subsequent years Kelly has expressed interest in expanding the film into a franchise 10 Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Cast 3 Production 3 1 Casting 3 2 Filming 3 3 Post production 4 Soundtrack 5 Release 5 1 Marketing 5 2 Theatrical release 5 3 Home media 6 Reception 6 1 Cannes Film Festival 6 2 Critical response 6 3 Box office 7 Future 8 See also 9 References 10 External linksSynopsis editOn July 4 2005 in a fictionalized United States alternate history reality two towns in Texas El Paso and Abilene were destroyed by twin nuclear attacks killing thousands and triggering a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions sending the United States into a state of chaos and hysteria as well as a Third World War a fictionalized version of what the nation may have become under the War on Terror with the US government re introducing the draft The PATRIOT Act has extended authority to a new agency known as US IDent which keeps constant surveillance on citizens even to the extent of censoring the Internet and requiring fingerprints to access computers and bank accounts 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 However its inventor Baron von Westphalen and his associates are hiding the fact that the generators alter the ocean s currents and cause the Earth to slow its rotation and that the transmission of Fluid Karma to portable receivers via quantum entanglement is ripping holes in the fabric of space and time In near future 2008 Los Angeles referred to as The Southland by locals is a dystopian 11 city on the brink of chaos overshadowed by the growth of an underground neo Marxist organization The film follows the criss crossed destinies of Boxer Santaros an action film actor stricken with amnesia Krysta Now a psychic ex porn star in the midst of creating a reality TV show and twin brothers Roland and Ronald Taverner whose destinies become intertwined with that of all mankind The Taverner twins are revealed to be the same person by the engineers of Treer duplicated when Roland traveled through a rift in space time while Boxer has become the most wanted man in the world despite his political ties and his having the fate of the future in the form of a prophetic screenplay foretelling the end of the world in his hands Cast editDwayne Johnson as Boxer Santaros Jericho Cane an amnesiac action star whose life crosses paths with Krysta Now 12 Santaros is married to Madeline Frost Santaros 13 Seann William Scott as Private Roland Taverner Officer Ronald Taverner identical twin brothers one who is a kidnapped U P U 2 officer in Hermosa Beach California 12 the other who is working for the neo Marxist group who have told him he kidnapped and drugged his brother 13 Sarah Michelle Gellar as Krysta Now Krysta Lynn Kapowski an adult film star who is working on creating a reality show 12 Gellar met with Kelly and was drawn to the original ideas in his script for Southland Tales 14 Mandy Moore as Madeline Frost Santaros Boxer Santaros wife and daughter of Senator Bobby Frost Justin Timberlake as Private Pilot Abilene an Iraq War veteran 15 He narrates the film and also mimes a musical number 13 Miranda Richardson as Nana Mae Frost the ambitious antagonist of the film Boxer s mother in law and the head of US IDent 13 Wallace Shawn as Baron von Westphalen a villain who utilizes ocean waves to create a source of power He is the great grandson of Jenny von Westphalen 13 Bai Ling as Serpentine the Baron s sultry girlfriend who is seen quite often through the film she serves as an ambiguous character that knows more than she lets on Nora Dunn as Cyndi Pinziki a porn director and principal member of USIDeath an organization with plans to destroy US IDent John Larroquette as Vaughn Smallhouse an advisor to Senator Bobby Frost 13 Kevin Smith as Simon Theory a legless Iraq War veteran who works for Baron von Westphalen 16 Amy Poehler and Wood Harris appear as Neo Marxist activists Zelda Rubinstein and Beth Grant portray Dr Katarina Kuntzler and Dr Inga Von Westphalen respectively both being members of the baron s entourage Janeane Garofalo appears as General Teena MacArthur Cheri Oteri plays Zora Carmichaels while Jon Lovitz plays violent police officer Bart Bookman who is in love with Zora Holmes Osborne plays conservative Senator Bobby Frost Will Sasso plays Fortunio Balducci and Christopher Lambert plays Walter Mung Production editKelly wrote Southland Tales shortly before the September 11 attacks The original script involved blackmail a porn star and two cops After the attacks Kelly revised the script He said The original script was more about making fun of Hollywood But now it s about I hope creating a piece of science fiction that s about a really important problem we re facing about civil liberties and homeland security and needing to sustain both those things and balance them 15 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 alternative fuel or the increasing obsession with celebrity and how celebrity now intertwines with politics 17 With the film s premise of a nuclear attack on Texas Kelly wanted to take a look at how the United States would respond and survive while constructing a great black comedy 17 Kelly s breakthrough film Donnie Darko was released in the United States on October 26 2001 the same day the PATRIOT Act was signed Two months before Southland Tales was released he announced the launch of Darko Entertainment 18 Kelly said Southland Tales will only be a musical in a post modern sense of the word in that it is a hybrid of several genres There will be some dancing and singing but it will be incorporated into the story in very logical scenarios as well as fantasy dream environments 19 Kelly said the film s biggest influences are Kiss Me Deadly Pulp Fiction Brazil and Dr Strangelove He called it a strange hybrid of the sensibilities of Andy Warhol and Philip K Dick 20 The film often references religious and literary works a policeman says Flow my tears in reference to a Philip K Dick novel of that name Taverner is the name of the main character in the same book and suffers identity problems of his own Pilot Abilene Justin Timberlake quotes Biblical scripture from the Book of Revelation in narrating the film and allusion is made both to Robert Frost s The Road Not Taken Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening and an altered version of T S Eliot s The Hollow Men Casting edit In March 2004 Kelly and Cherry Road Films began development of Southland Tales Filmmakers entered negotiations with actors Seann William Scott Sarah Michelle Gellar Jason Lee Janeane Garofalo Tim Blake Nelson Amy Poehler Kevin Smith and Ali Larter Musician Moby was approached on composing and performing the film s score 19 Kelly met with Rick Moranis about playing Vaughn Smallhouse 21 Kelly consciously sought out actors that he felt had been pigeonholed and wanted to showcase their undiscovered talents 17 Filming edit Filming was slated to begin in July 2004 but after a year it had not begun Dwayne Johnson joined the cast in April 2005 and principal photography was slated to begin August 1 2005 in Los Angeles 12 Filming began on August 15 2005 with a budget of around US 15 17 million Post production edit 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 22 Much to his surprise they loved it and wanted the film entered in competition for the Palme d Or He stopped editing the film and was also unable to complete all of the visual effects in time for the screening 22 Kelly s film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2006 with a length of 160 minutes 23 Kelly describes the negative reaction at Cannes as a very painful experience on a lot of levels but ultimately felt that the film was better off because of it 22 After the film s festival release Southland Tales was purchased by Sony Pictures via their label Destination Films and Samuel Goldwyn Films originally Sony Pictures Classics Screen Gems and TriStar Pictures were up for US distribution rights 24 25 Universal Studios had originally optioned the U S rights but after the Cannes screening it was sold to Sony although Universal still retained studio credit only and some international distribution rights Kelly sought more financing to finish visual effects for the film and he negotiated a deal with Sony to cut down on the film s length in exchange for funds to complete the visual effects 26 Kelly edited the film down to the basic storylines of the characters portrayed by Scott Gellar and Johnson 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 15 Editorial changes were made to restructure the order of the film s scenes including re recording all of Timberlake s voice over The director also added 90 new visual effects shots to the film and removed 20 to 25 minutes of footage from his initial cut 27 Soundtrack editSouthland Tales Music from the Motion PictureSoundtrack album by Moby and various artistsReleasedNovember 6 2007GenreSoundtrackLabelMilan RecordsProducerMobyMoby and various artists chronologyDonnie Darko 2002 Southland Tales Music from the Motion Picture 2007 The Box 2009 Professional ratingsReview scoresSourceRatingAllmusic nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 28 Southland Tales Music from the Motion Picture is the original soundtrack of Richard Kelly s 2007 film Southland Tales 28 29 Wave of Mutilation UK surf version by Pixies Oh My Angel by Bertha Tillman Howl extended version by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Look Back In by Moby Me amp Bobby McGee by Waylon Jennings Chord Sounds by Moby Lucky Me by Roger Webb 3 Steps by Moby Broken Hearted Savior by Big Head Todd and the Monsters Teen Horniness Is Not a Crime by Sarah Michelle Gellar Abbey McBride and ClarKent Tiny Elephants by Moby Forget Myself by Elbow The Star Spangled Banner by Rebekah Del Rio amp the Section Quartet Three Days live version by Jane s Addiction Memory Gospel by Moby The soundtrack for Southland Tales was released in stores and online on November 6 2007 Amongst the songs not available on the soundtrack but featured in the film are Muse s Blackout The Killers All These Things That I ve Done and Blur s Tender Additionally tracks from Radiohead Louis Armstrong Beethoven Kris Kristofferson and several tracks from Moby s Hotel Ambient are likewise absent from the album 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 22 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 30 Release editMarketing edit Southland Tales was initially planned to be a nine part interactive experience with the first six parts published in six 100 page graphic novels that would be released in a six month period up to the film s release The feature film comprises the final three parts of the experience A website was also developed to intertwine with the graphic novels and the film itself 12 The idea of six graphic novels was later cut down to three The novels were written by Kelly and illustrated by Brett Weldele Kelly wrote them while making the film and found it very difficult as it pushed him to the edge of my own sanity as he remarked in an interview 22 Part One Two Roads Diverge May 25 2006 ISBN 0 936211 75 X Part Two Fingerprints September 15 2006 ISBN 0 936211 76 8 Part Three The Mechanicals January 31 2007 ISBN 0 936211 77 6 They have been collected together into one single volume Southland Tales The Prequel Saga 360 pages Graphitti Designs ISBN 0 936211 80 6 The titles of the parts in the film are 31 Part Four Temptation Waits Part Five Memory Gospel Part Six Wave of Mutilation Theatrical release edit nbsp Director Richard Kelly at a screening of Southland Tales Following its May 21 2006 premiere at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival where it was poorly received 9 32 the final version of the film premiered at Fantastic Fest on September 22 2007 33 The film was originally scheduled to be released in the United States on November 9 2007 in partnership with Destination Films and Samuel Goldwyn Films 34 but in eventually opened in limited release in California on November 14 2007 It opened in Canada as well as nationwide in the United States in just 63 theaters 6 on November 16 2007 The film was released in the UK on December 7 2007 exclusively to UK cinema chain Cineworld in a limited number of locations citation needed Home media edit 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 The film was released on Region 4 DVD in Australia on April 30 2008 Special features include a 33 minute documentary USIDent TV Surveiling the Southland and a 10 minute animated short film This Is the Way the World Ends which was not included on the R2 and R4 editions On March 25 2009 the R2 DVD was released in France On September 8 2008 it was announced that it would be one of the five films being released on Blu ray on November 18 2008 The only new special feature announced was an audio commentary by Kelly On October 26 2020 Arrow Video announced a Remastered version approved by Richard Kelly would be released on Blu ray on January 26 2021 This release includes both the original theatrical cut and the Cannes cut Reception editCannes Film Festival edit 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 8 and was screened on May 21 at the Grand Lumiere Theater 23 Many critics responded unfavorably to the film s long running time and sprawling nature Roger Ebert described the Cannes screening as The most disastrous since yes The Brown Bunny 9 Salon com critic Andrew O Hehir called the Cannes cut about the biggest ugliest mess I ve ever seen 35 Jason Solomons in The Observer UK said that Southland Tales was so bad it made me wonder if Kelly had ever met a human being and that ten minutes of the sprawling plotless post apocalyptic farrago gave him the sinking feeling that this may be one of the worst films ever presented in Cannes competition 36 A handful of the American and European critics however were more positive 37 The Village Voice critic J Hoberman for example called Southland Tales a visionary film about the end of times comparable in recent American film only to David Lynch s Mulholland Drive 38 Critical response edit 41 of 106 reviews compiled by review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes are positive and the average rating is 4 9 out of 10 The site s consensus states Southland Tales while offering an intriguing vision of the future remains frustratingly incoherent and unpolished 39 On Metacritic the film has a score of 44 out of 100 based on 26 critics indicating mixed or average reviews 40 Glenn Kenny in his review for Premiere criticized the film s style Kelly s camera placement and framing are at best textbook and at worst calamitously mediocre 41 In her review for the Los Angeles Times Carina Chocano wrote You get the sense that Kelly is too angry to really find any of it funny 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 42 David Edelstein s review in New York magazine criticized the film s writing Kelly aims high and must have shot off his own ear which is the only way to account for the dialogue 43 On the program Ebert amp Roeper Richard Roeper and guest critic Michael Phillips gave the film a negative review 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 44 J Hoberman defended the film yet again in his review for the theatrical cut In its willful self involved eccentricity Southland Tales is really something else Kelly s movie may not be entirely coherent but that s because there s so much it wants to say 45 Manohla Dargis also gave the film a positive review in The New York Times writing He doesn t make it easy to love his new film which turns and twists and at times threatens to disappear down the rabbit hole of his obsessions Happily it never does which allows you to share in his unabashed joy in filmmaking as well as in his fury about the times 32 The film remains enigmatic to many viewers and even some of its makers In a 2011 interview Justin Timberlake himself said To me Southland Tales is performance art I still don t know what that movie is about 46 In 2013 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 5 Box office edit Southland Tales grossed 275 380 in limited release at the North American box office and 99 363 in Turkey and United Kingdom for a worldwide total of 374 743 6 against a production budget of 17 million 4 5 Future editIn January 2021 Richard Kelly announced that developments are underway to expand the film into a franchise with intention being that the original cast return The filmmaker explained that the original film is chapters 4 6 while a prequel project will explore chapters 1 3 with intentions being to do so through an animation medium while additional projects can explore events that take place in 2024 10 He stated that discussions are ongoing as to whether the projects should be released as films or in a long form format through a streaming service 47 See also edit nbsp Film portal List of American films of 2007 99 Francs A Scanner Darkly and its film adaptationReferences edit a b Kay Jeremy July 25 2007 Samuel Goldwyn to handle US distribution of Southland Tales Screen Daily Archived from the original on April 16 2022 Retrieved October 5 2021 a b Kay Jeremy April 21 2005 Universal Wild Bunch board Southland Tales Screen Daily Archived from the original on July 1 2022 Retrieved October 5 2021 Southland Tales 15 British Board of Film Classification November 5 2007 Archived from the original on November 26 2016 Retrieved November 24 2016 a b Southland Tales 2007 The Numbers Nash Information Services LLC Archived from the original on November 19 2013 Retrieved December 9 2012 a b c Riesman Abraham July 8 2013 Richard Kelly on Southland Tales Complete and Unedited Motherboard Archived from the original on April 28 2018 Retrieved April 28 2018 a b c d Southland Tales 2007 Box Office Mojo Amazon Archived from the original on March 27 2019 Retrieved February 6 2008 Southland Tales British Film Institute Archived from the original on January 13 2009 Retrieved November 11 2012 a b Festival de Cannes Southland Tales festival cannes com Archived from the original on August 22 2011 Retrieved December 13 2009 a b c Ebert Roger November 16 2007 Southland Tales Chicago Sun Times Archived from the original on June 3 2013 Retrieved November 4 2022 a b Collis Clark January 22 2021 Southland Tales director hopes to reunite with Dwayne Johnson for planned sequel Entertainment Weekly Retrieved January 29 2021 This Maligned 2006 Movie About Dystopian L A Is Too Real at This Point Archived June 9 2018 at the Wayback Machine lamag com February 13 2018 Retrieved on September 7 2020 a b c d e Cherry Road Films April 21 2005 The Rock Heads to Tales ComingSoon net Archived from the original on October 18 2012 Retrieved August 2 2007 a b c d e f Doland Angela May 21 2006 Southland Imagines L A Apocalypse Washington Post Archived from the original on November 2 2012 Retrieved August 2 2007 Gellar Heads To Southland October 5 2004 Archived from the original on August 4 2007 Retrieved August 2 2007 a b c Peranson Mark May 30 2006 Goodbye Southland Goodbye The Village Voice Archived from the original on September 21 2007 Retrieved August 2 2007 Hilary Goldstein July 26 2005 Before Southland Tales IGN Archived from the original on November 17 2007 Retrieved August 2 2007 a b c Angela Doland May 21 2006 Southland Imagines L A Apocalypse Washington Post Archived from the original on November 2 2012 Retrieved June 7 2007 Kelly launches Darko Entertainment by Dade Hayes Variety September 17 2007 Archived from the original on December 11 2018 Retrieved December 11 2017 a b Cathy Dunkley March 24 2004 Cherry Road hot for Kelly s Tales Variety Retrieved August 2 2007 Etherington Daniel 2006 Southland Tales preview Channel 4 Archived from the original on June 6 2015 Retrieved September 16 2005 The Character Rick Moranis Almost Played in Richard Kelly s Infamous Southland Tales January 28 2021 a b c d e Sean Gandert November 14 2007 Catching Up With Richard Kelly Paste magazine Retrieved June 7 2007 a b Jacobson Harlan May 22 2006 Volver Southland Tales premiere at Cannes USA Today Archived from the original on May 23 2011 Retrieved June 6 2008 Mark Bell September 12 2006 How The World Ends Conversation With Richard Kelly Film Threat Archived from the original on April 13 2009 Retrieved August 2 2007 Anatomy of a Cannes Disaster What Happened After Southland Tales Was Booed The Hollywood Reporter May 9 2016 Archived from the original on December 3 2020 Retrieved January 15 2017 Jeremy Smith July 28 2007 Exclusive Interview Richard Kelly Southland Tales CHUD com Archived from the original on September 30 2007 Retrieved August 2 2007 Patrick Lee Cindy White July 28 2007 Kelly Talks Southland Changes Sci Fi Wire Archived from the original on October 11 2007 Retrieved August 2 2007 a b Monger James Christopher Southland Tales Original Soundtrack AllMusic All Media Network Archived from the original on April 28 2018 Retrieved April 28 2018 Southland Tales Music From The Motion Picture at Discogs Q with Jian Ghomeshi CBC Radio Archived from the original on July 21 2012 Retrieved February 28 2018 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link Rogers Thomas December 19 2007 Everything you were afraid to ask about Southland Tales Salon Portfolio New York University Retrieved April 28 2018 a b Dargis Manohla November 14 2007 Apocalypse Soon A Mushroom Cloud Doesn t Stall 2008 Electioneering The New York Times Archived from the original on June 16 2013 Retrieved November 14 2007 Official Fantastic Fest blog Archived from the original on July 8 2011 Retrieved February 22 2008 Addie Morfoot July 24 2007 Southland Tales opens Nov 9 Variety Retrieved August 2 2007 O Hehir Andrew May 22 2005 Beyond the Multiplex Cannes Salon com Archived from the original on December 14 2014 Retrieved December 8 2014 Solomons Jason May 28 2006 Get set for Palme Sunday The Observer London Archived from the original on September 10 2007 Retrieved July 10 2006 Links to many post Cannes reviews including multiple positive reviews by American French Spanish Polish and other reviewers permanent dead link Hoberman J May 23 2006 Code Unknown The Village Voice Archived from the original on July 16 2006 Retrieved July 10 2006 Southland Tales 2007 Rotten Tomatoes Fandango Archived from the original on August 21 2015 Retrieved August 22 2020 Southland Tales Reviews Metacritic CBS Interactive Archived from the original on April 17 2022 Retrieved March 30 2017 Kenny Glenn November 13 2007 Southland Tales Premiere Archived from the original on November 16 2007 Retrieved November 14 2007 Chocano Carina November 14 2007 Southland Tales Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on October 20 2020 Retrieved March 30 2017 Edelstein David November 12 2007 Family Guy New York Archived from the original on October 26 2020 Retrieved November 14 2007 Southland Tales review on the At the Movies with Ebert amp Roeper website permanent dead link Hoberman J November 6 2007 Revelation The Village Voice Archived from the original on November 9 2007 Retrieved November 14 2007 Hirschberg Lynn October 1 2011 Yes They Can Interview with Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried W Conde Nast p 150 Archived from the original on May 26 2018 Retrieved May 26 2018 Richard Kelly Talks Southland Tales The Time Travel Prequel amp His James Cameron Inspired Donnie Darko Sequel Interview The Playlist January 26 2021 Archived from the original on January 28 2021 Retrieved January 29 2021 External links edit nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Southland Tales Southland Tales at IMDb nbsp Southland Tales at AllMovie nbsp Shaviro Steven 2010 Chapter 4 Southland Tales Post Cinematic Affect New Alresford John Hunt Publishing ISBN 978 1 846 94687 5 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Southland Tales amp oldid 1215240928, wikipedia, wiki, 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