The Symbolic Powerhouse Unseen
April 28, 2008 by cadeveo
On my way back. Give it a few weeks. In the meantime, here’s one of the most arresting segments from Richard Kelly’s ambitiously uneven, much-maligned and little-seen Southland Tales. Those of the rabbit hole persuasion and well-read arch-ironists alike should appreciate the movie immensely, what with its multiple layers of symbolism and the use of the Eye-in-the-Pyramid as symbol of the happless, delusional, neo-Marxist revolutionaries who fight against the crass, neo-conservative technocrats who run the State. In the movie, that is. There’s also some of that ol’ time apocalyptic religion to boot.
Watch this clip closely. You might miss something:
Skidoo.
When you say “you might miss something,” are you referring to the smiley faces with bullet holes and the recent serial murder case brought back up by the NYPD?
That’s one of several things, yes!
In more recent Richard Kelly news, his next movie is supposedly an adaptation of a Richard “I Am Legend” Matheson story called “The Box,” which was the basis of an old “Twilight Zone” episode. Cameron Diaz will be in it; she was formerly Justin Timberlake’s arm candy, or he hers.
In a less encouraging vein, there will be a Donnie Darko “sequel,” just with none of the same people involved, revolving around Samantha Darko, now in her latter teens (mid-90’s nostalgia? already?), who is also seeing demonic bunnies and objects falling from the skies. I predict it will have all the success of other stellar studio cash-ins on cult classics like Blair Witch Project 2, Carrie 2 and Shock Treatment (aka Rocky Horror Picture Show 2, ignominably done with Richard O’Brien).