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SOUTHLAND TALES is, quite simply, bizarre. It resembles a futuristic comic book whose dismembered pages have been flung about the room, defying understanding of a plot, while providing some strange moments of entertainment mixed with metaphor and farce. If this grab bag concept of a film doesn't appeal, then skip this film. But for the adventuresome viewer this is a funny lollipop of a movie.

July 4, 2005 and an atomic bomb explodes during the usual follies of the holiday. What happens from that point to the effects on contemporary Los Angeles is an amalgam of American responses to current events of potential annihilation of the country and the appearance of a lot of strange characters whose minds are either tethered by amnesia or by corrupted views of reality, or who are simply out of sync with what is happening. The cast for this bit of acidic and sour fluff that resembles disconnected fragments of the fertile imagination of writer director Richard Kelly ('Donnie Darko') includes a fine Dwayne Johnson (excellent here!), Seann William Scott, Nora Dunn, Miranda Richardson, Jon Lovitz, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mandy Moore, Justin Timberlake, John Larroquette, Christopher Lambert and many others. Just don't try to make sense of it and sit back and watch the crazy antics of a cast having fun with one view of the apocalypse. It is entertaining...Grady Harp, March 08

This movie cannot be summarized or explained easily so I will provide my impressions of this strangely fascinating movie. First off, it's a long movie (over 2 hours) and the first 15 mins. confused me until I just let go of any normal movie expectations and sat back to enjoy the freak show that is Southland Tales. There is no way this film is going to appeal to the masses and if odd movies appeal to you, then you better run out to see it at the handful of theaters playing it or wait for the dvd release. I know I can't wait for the dvd release (please let there be commentary) for repeated viewings. This movie was so crammed full of insight, digs and jokes that I couldn't catch every single thing. This mind blowing version of what the USA might be like in the very near future is crazy but addictive. I found the scene where someone questions after a commercial, "Did I just see two cars f**k?" "Yes, but that was the European version" to be very telling. The smarmy salesman easily tosses aside any moral questions. Are Americans being sold swamp land by Corporations? Some might even question if the viewer is being sold a load of crap dressed up as fine art. I think not. The aggressive subtext was a nice touch too. Be prepared for very crude dialogue - I found it amusing but it might not appeal to others. The against-type casting was a stroke of brilliance (Sarah Michele "Buffy" Gellar as a porn star and Mandy Moore as a I can't say without giving things away). Obscure references were a treat such as the Baron's "Dune" overtones and Kevin Smith (not easily recognizable) evokes the Wizard of Oz. I loved the light handed social commentary. This film never came off as preachy but made it's point of view on serious issues nonetheless (it's not for the war in Iraq for starters): they used a heavy technology vibe to get some points across (there are many scenes with several computer screens on view with running commentary underneath each screen); the national anthem was being sung in Spanish to start and then continued in English; the energy crisis resolution was pure sci-fi; and the Revelations from the Bible, as read by Timberlake, were played out by the characters (Revelation that apocalypse will be brought on by a pregnant woman (Moore) surrounded by a dragon (tattoo on Mei Ling's back) and two beasts (you get the point). A lot of attention was given to the minute detail of this movie and that dedication showed. The "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy" subplot was amusing and only one example of what this movie was all about to me - a joke, and it invited us all to enjoy it with them. At IDent, all the employees wore these see-through plastic jackets that meant what? They looked out-of-place and silly. Soon, the same exact question was sarcastically being asked by an onscreen actor. Another example is when Kysta Now (porn star) attempts to sell her screen play (who doesn't in LA? apparently not even a looming doomsday can stop Hollywood) with such typical blondness ("apparently, the future is much more futuristic then scientists thought") that one actor cannot keep a straight face. Everyone else is nodding along but this one actor cannot stop laughing to himself. It all seems to be a joke and some of the actors got it and some didn't. It's almost as if two sets of scripts were handed out on this film, one set said it was a dark comedy and the other set said this was a serious film about the future of America. Fans of the director's earlier work (Donnie Darko) will not be disappointed. This movie stands out as a film with edge that many viewers will not fully comprehend (myself included) but can certainly appreciate. Well worth watching on the big screen to help with the enormity of the what is going on in this film but waiting for the dvd with cribnotes might help.

See, here's the thing. This film is like 2001: a space odyssey; it's meant to be "experienced," preferably after two bottles of NyQuil.

It's a hands down amazing film. Well shot, paced, edited, cast, and scored.

But it's borderline insane. Watch with care, but don't hate on the guy for being original.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Video But...
I do like that my favorite actors Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Justin Timberlake, and others are in it. Read more

Published 18 days ago by Ernest Debrew III

1.0 out of 5 stars Crazy a$$ movie
Nothing to review here, Dont watch it. Its not action. Its not nothing. End of Story.
Tell me i warned you

Published 2 months ago by Real Named Person

5.0 out of 5 stars Weird Maybe, But WoW What a Great Movie
Southland Tales may leave some viewers scratching their heads, saying, "What the heck is going on" but it is a wonderful production that deserves higher praise than it received... Read more

Published 3 months ago by Free 3D Model Downloads and We...

4.0 out of 5 stars great movie
the first time i saw this movie i thought it was great but i was a little lost there is a lot of stars in it and i couldnt believe i had never heard of this move

Published 4 months ago by munkyman

4.0 out of 5 stars It's a movie.
This is a movie. It is stylish and stuff. I was entertained but since individual taste is purely individual there's not much to say about it. Read more

Published 4 months ago by Eric

1.0 out of 5 stars Can I watch the new Star Wars movies now?
Wow. Just...wow. This movie is bad. No plot. No character development. No action. Bad special effects. Bad casting. Pointless asides. An ambiguous ending. Read more

Published 5 months ago by J. Rossi

1.0 out of 5 stars A thousand monkeys at a thousand typewriters...
They say that if you had a thousand monkeys typing away at a thousand typewriters over a thousand years, you'll eventually get something great, like Shakespeare. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Jonathan

4.0 out of 5 stars It's not Donnie Darko, but it's still a good Richard Kelly flick.
Many people are to critical on their reviews of this film. You can't compare it to Donnie Darko, just take it for what it is.. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Ben

1.0 out of 5 stars Garbage. It isn't worth the one star.
If you're looking for masochism, than this movie is for you. It is nothing but two hours of misanthropic garbage designed to make humans feel as bad about themselves as possible... Read more

Published 6 months ago by Jennifer A. Brownell

2.0 out of 5 stars 21st-Century " They Live "??? NOT!!!
For the first 2 HOURS OF THIS MOVIE I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. Now the most helpful critical reviewer hearkened the director to having " David Lynch-like aspirations " and if this... Read more

Published 7 months ago by MarieLover

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