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Film & TV on DVD - John Doe Film News & Reviews

 
Greetings Film Fiends and welcome to John Doe's Film Blog. 30 years of dedicated celluloid obsession has meant that I have seen a few films. Drawing attention to some of the lesser discussed gems that I love. Cult classics, obscure curios and quality genre pictures. This blogs purpose is to translate some of my passion for these films and with luck, inspire you the reader to go check em out.

Director Richard Kelly’s follow up to Donnie Darko is... Footage Included

Richard Kelly’s Southland Tales


Southland Tales
The Graphic Novel for the Film (Available Now)
Well gang, John Doe says thanks for your patience. Was really down for the count there with a solid dose of disease but he’s back on his feet now and just thought he’d wish you all a happy resurrection, rebirth and any egg symbolism that’s appropriate. (So was Jesus a zombie when he became one of the undead?)




Enough Easter related babble on to some cinema news. JD was over at Writer/Director Richard Kelly's My Space Account this morning and there was an updated report that may interest readers.

After being stuck in post production limbo for about a year, It seems his follow up to the revolutionary Donnie Darko titled Southland Tales may finally get to see the light of day.

Rumour have been circulating that preview screenings for the film went badly, despite footage below showing that it did fine at Canne last year. Audience members supposedly complained that they found the plot indecipherable and did not understand what they saw. (Sounds promising, I heard the same reaction to darko at early screenings)


The result was that the producers Sony, wouldn’t shell out the cash for some extra FX and since then the wheels of time have just kept spinning. Now they have finally sucumbed and will give Kelly the funds to finish his second feature.

From what I’ve read, the genre bending, blending and breeding Southland Tales has a multi tiered plot line that takes place over July 4th weekend 2008, a now pre-apocalyptic L.A future.

Centring around a memory starved action star (the Rock), a porn ho (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and a police officer (Sean William Scott) that get wrapped up in a massive global conspiracy right in the middle of a heat wave.
“The story is set in a futuristic Los Angeles as it teeters on the brink of social, economic and environmental disaster.” - Richard Kelly

Southland Tales
The Director on set
No release date as yet, but now that funds are available there should be an official trailer and new posters soon according to the Directors Blog. If you want to spoil the plot then the Graphic novel pictured above is available now to buy.

Could have been fun but the cast just plain frightens, none of them have done anything Mr Doe can sit through. Though, it does appear that their moronic presence is intentional to add comedy to the philosophical and hypothetical dialogue. Plus this man maanaged to cast Patrick Swayze and Drew Barrymore in surprisingly appropriate parts.

Johnny was such a big fan of the Writer/Directors Debut feature Donnie Darko and really admires the cinematic style and flair that he brings to his ambiguous storytelling. He won’t give up hope just yet because these clips do actually make him laugh and hopefully in context they may inspire the imagination.

Please check out the entertaining official Southland Tales site and an unofficial fan site www.richard-kelly.net



An amusing clip where porn stars are now like Fox News panellists attempting to intellectualising about abortion, war, disease and other fun topics.




Here is a scene where the action star and the porn star try to solve the riddles of the end of the world.




Canne audience reaction at the end of the films Premiere last year


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Comments
12 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]
1. April 8th 2007 @ 07:18. Nina Says:
I agree that the casting is a bit worrying, but as you said, he managed to squeeze good performances out of Swayze and Barrymore. I'm hoping it will be as convoluted and confusing as Donnie Darko, so I can enjoy driving myself mad trying to get my head around it.
2. April 8th 2007 @ 07:38. JohnDoe Says:
Happy Easter Sunday Nina,

The cast is truly the stuff of bad horror, but thos eclips did give me a giggle in a laugh at them way and maybe thats what hes going for?

I dont mind a bit of confusion as long as there is a final string that unravels coherently.
3. April 8th 2007 @ 11:03. Brenton Says:
Woohoo

I loved Donny Darko. Kelly seems to have a knack for using very orthodox mainstream actors in unorthodox ways.

Been waiting on this one a long time.
4. April 8th 2007 @ 23:36. Tracy Says:
Great news, John.....love the excerpts!!!
5. April 9th 2007 @ 02:20. yoda76 Says:
I agree that the casting is a bit worrying

Sometimes actors are not allowed to shine due to dodgy scripts. Someone like Kelly knows what he's doing - I'm pretty sure that the casting will likely prove to be a revelation.

Brad Pitt in '12 Monkeys', anyone?

;o)
6. April 9th 2007 @ 02:30. JohnDoe Says:
Hi Brenton, glad to see your excited.
Who knows when it will finally reach us in Oz though probably 2009 if I know our distribution methods.


Your Welcome Tracy...they do amuse in that pamela Anderson mauled by a shark kinda way

Hi Yoda,
I dont know at least Pitt had made things i could sit through before Monkeys..eg: Kalifornia...

As I said it looks like their moronic pressence is meant to make us laugh at them, not with them so it may yet work having the Rock and Buffy together....Like all here I still hold out hope because Kelly's debut was impressive.
7. April 9th 2007 @ 02:55. Luke Says:
I dunno, it could be good... but then again, it could be very bad.

The Rock was great in Be Cool, and Sean William Scott has the potential to be a fun actor (I loved 'Evolution')
8. April 9th 2007 @ 06:39. JohnDoe Says:
Hi Luke,

I agree it could go either way, but Im basing my hopes purely on the Writer/Director.

I liked the Rock when he did his camp shtick on Saturday Night Live with the Ladies Man, but Be Cool got old fast. The film itself was a huge let down too though I did like Get Shorty.

Evolution is a guilty pleasure but Sean William annoyed the shit out of me in it, if I could fast forward past him I would.
9. April 13th 2007 @ 05:08. Bryn Says:
I didn't watch the clips ... wanna wait ... did i miss something with the cannes clip ... jus' some clappin' goin' on ... i thought it wasn't well recieved ...??
the cast is very scary!
10. April 13th 2007 @ 07:33. JohnDoe Says:
Great to have you back buddy,

The Canne clip was to show that the film wasn't blasted everywhere, despite word on the street...so you didnt miss anything...

As for the cast, it chills me right down to my celluloid sinew!
11. April 16th 2007 @ 07:54. Bryn Says:
Did he push the envelope on this one? re: censors??
12. April 16th 2007 @ 08:02. JohnDoe Says:
Im not sure, but you can read all about the prouction over at the Directors My SPace account.

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