Southland Tales

[Jeremy Blackman]

Thanks to a suggestion from @WorldForgot I watched the Cannes cut. Definitely liked it more, and I think I came away with a better understanding and generally more on its wavelength. Viewing it with more distance from the Bush era is helpful in a way I can't quite explain. And think I meshed a little better with its Verhoeven Total Recall vibe.

The broad comedy still didn't work for me, but most other things did. I actually loved the ending. It kind of achieves the iconic feeling Kelly seems to be going for – perhaps even aided by the Neil Breen-style effects.

Moderate spoilers

Dwayne Johnson is the most interesting part of this movie for me. It's refreshing to see the normal human size version of him. He would obviously never do this movie today, but you can see how playing a messianic figure might have attracted him, even though the real chosen one turns out to be someone else. You can see his narcissism blooming here.

Side notes:

There must be a gun-related death every 5 minutes in this movie, right? The guard tower shootings were effectively unsettling, but elsewhere it felt like a shortcut for drama. Made me think of Dogme 95.

So that skinny white kid just casually murders hundreds of people before jumping to his death? Quite a choice.

Is the ATM-dragging sequence the progenitor of Fast Five's safe-dragging sequence?

[WorldForgot]

Total Recall iz definitely the wavelength! Love that.

LOL -- hadn't thought of the Neil Breen connect. Cannes Cut has a nice homemade quality to it, in a way 

It's crazy how much the last twelve-ish years have changed this movie -- especially in how it interacts with The Rock. It lends 'Boxer vs Jericho' a very interesting meta-bend if we're to think about whether Dwayne (and John Cena...) care that they are forever tethered to WWE and if there was another archetype in there vying to get out.

Something that I love about this movie maybe is how it gives underdog actors the chance to give layered performances by playing within their shtick.

For me some of the broad comedy that doesn't land mostly sits with the new-agey tech cult. Its communist 'dirt-bag left' types certainly land for me. And the Senator/Surveillance state deadpan definitely makes me laugh. Even though I first saw this movie in 2017, years after its release, it feels so clear that this movie only works AFTER the Rock has become huge. I don't know how that makes sense but it does. Nobody trusted The Rock, and when this released in its messiest form it felt like both Richard Kelly and the Rock were out of there depth, I bet. With the benefit of a post-Trump perspective.... and even a post-Obama perspective... I think it's a very fun, worthwhile sci-fi Los Angeles Apocalypse comedy. One of the best Philip K Dick love letters out there.

[Jeremy Blackman]

Something that I love about this movie maybe is how it gives underdog actors the chance to give layered performances by playing within their shtick.

What do you think about Sarah Michelle Gellar in this movie? I thought she was one of the most likeable characters, even if she was undercut by a few jokes.

The desperate snack-eating surveillance agent still landed with a thud for me. The various gun-pointing switchups in her final scene just made no sense.

It's also a little unclear to me why/how characters forget about the government snipers. We see this happen with two of the most savvy characters. In a way I like that, though; the police state has become so entrenched that it blends into the background and you forget there's an armed lifeguard in any public place.

Its communist 'dirt-bag left' types certainly land for me.

Sure. Somewhat unrealistic that they're so well-funded, though.

With the benefit of a post-Trump perspective.... and even a post-Obama perspective... I think it's a very fun, worthwhile sci-fi Los Angeles Apocalypse comedy. One of the best Philip K Dick love letters out there.

This movie aging well was certainly not on my bingo card. But it has. A world in which the most powerful people in the world are a deranged tech billionaire and characters from Veep seems just about right.

[WorldForgot]

I do like Sarah Michelle Gellar in this! I grew up a big fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer so I appreciate any role that lets her be both femme fatale and counterculture porn popstar. When I think of this film's three leads it's clear to me how much this production would have had to push uphill in '06. Almost like the reputation of the cast was essential to what makes it work as much as for what tanked it on release.

That and the overproduced, misguided theatrical edit.

Idk if cheetos/chips surveillance agent works for me everytime. Sometimes, but probably not often. What does work is when her coworkers are talking about her. "Darla is on LAX toilet duty..." and they're concerned for her. There are throwaway moments like that that totally tie the movie together for me. Like the hired sound mixers enthused; "They're so good at improv ~ "

[WorldForgot]

SOUTHLAND TALES screening on DCP

Friday Aug 26th, The AERO THEATRE in Santa Monica will be showing the Cannes Cut with Richard Kelly in attendance.