Overheard during a viewing of Richard Kelly’s Southland Tales

“Why does he do that thing with his fingers?” [alluding to the Rock’s signature gesture, a nervous twiddling to express nervousness or fear]

“If he twiddles his fingers any more, I’m going to scream.”

“I didn’t realize he was a twin.” “Never mind.”

“That’s the guy from Highlander!”

“Why are the Red Hot Chili Peppers in charge of that ambulance?”

“Watching Wally Shawn french kiss Maggie Chung is upsetting.”

“The fourth dimension is about to collapse… you crazy bitch.” (That was actually in the movie, not something we said.)

I couldn’t watch any more after an hour or so and so turned to the web for some meta-analysis. I liked Roger Ebert’s review: “The dialogue consists largely of statements that are incomprehensible, often delivered with timing that is apparently intended to indicate they are witty. All of the actors seem to have generated back stories for their characters that have nothing to do with one another. Only Wallace Shawn emerges intact, because he so easily can talk like that, but a spit curl does not become him. Justin Timberlake is the narrator, providing what are possibly quasi-rational explanations for movies in other time dimensions…. These people mostly seem to have dressed themselves earlier in the day at a used costume store.”

You do have to give it credit for being completely nuts, though.

2 thoughts on “Overheard during a viewing of Richard Kelly’s Southland Tales”

  1. Agree on all counts. Also turned it off, reluctantly, after about an hour.

    Chris Nealon (quoted on Joshua’s blog, http://www.janedark.com):
    “Fight Club + Buckaroo Banzai + Moby = Southland Tales ÷ Donnie Darko = 0.”

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