It’s been more than a year since Richard Kelly’s post-apocalyptic fantasy Southland Tales got annihilated at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, and you’re probably wondering what could possibly persuade you to give the long-delayed film a shot theatrically.
How does this trailer strike you?
I’m genuinely curious, because… I really like whatever the fuck it is I just watched. After chatting with Kelly last July at Comic Con, I think it’s entirely possible that the film got away from him during principal photography, and, rather than winnow, he just threw everything at unsuspecting audiences in Cannes. This was a mistake – the only respected critics to throw down in its defense were Amy Taubin and Manohla Dargis – for a number of reasons, the biggest being that Kelly hadn’t completed a major chunk of the film’s visual f/x. But now that he’s lopped off twenty minutes and actually finished the movie, I think we owe it to Kelly to view the film on its own terms; unless you were in Cannes, all you have to go on is this trailer.
And it’s a good, not great one. Of course, you could affix The Pixies’ "Wave of Mutilation" to the theatrical trailer for The Seeker, and I’d declare it a must-see. You’ll finally get your chance to pass judgment on Southland Tales this November 9th… maybe (Samuel Goldwyn has opted for a limited release). This could be the surprise of the fall.