# Has anyone caught on to Southland Tales yet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 28, 2008, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-caught-on-to-southland-tales-yet/450927 "2008-05-28T20:32:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-caught-on-to-southland-tales-yet/450927/1 "2008-05-28T20:32:42Z")
The first time I watched this movie I was intrigued but confused. Then I read the very in depth [Salon.com](http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/feature/2007/12/19/southland_tales_analysis/) examination and few things were cleared up. By the second viewing I was certain this film was special. But, so far I’m the only one as far as I can tell. The film works best for me viewed more as a piece of performance art than a narrative. But whatever it is I find it darkly funny and evocative. Has anyone else caught on to this one yet? ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-caught-on-to-southland-tales-yet/450927/2 "2008-05-29T22:40:39Z")
It kept getting ruined for me by how bad The Rock is as an actor; that bizarre fluttering of his fingers to show he was nervous–I could take only so much of that and no more. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-caught-on-to-southland-tales-yet/450927/3 "2008-05-29T23:23:50Z")
My wife and me actually saw this in the theater, and at the end of it were just looked at each other and said - pretty much in unison - “What the _fuck_ was that?!?” I can only assume that Mr. The Rock was deliberately terrible. I know he’s a terrible actor, but he went far beyond ordinary incompetence to a level of badness that can only be achieved with considerable effort. Which is not to say we didn’t enjoy the film in the same way one enjoys a really impressive multiple car pile-up. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-caught-on-to-southland-tales-yet/450927/4 "2008-05-30T05:05:04Z")
Practically unwatchable, for me. Felt Kelly took a few bits and bobs from Donnie Darko that people responded to and blew them up to unsubtle proportions. He should stick with personal stories. ETA I actually quite like The Rock and think he’s got potential… in the right role, with the right director. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-caught-on-to-southland-tales-yet/450927/5 "2008-05-30T08:31:40Z")
I rented it and tried to watch it, but gave up after about 40 minutes or so. Whatever effect it was trying for, it failed. ---
**Author:** ![Omi\_no\_Kami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Omi\_no\_Kami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omi_no_Kami)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-caught-on-to-southland-tales-yet/450927/6 "2008-05-30T08:45:01Z")
[QUOTE=Cat Fight] ETA I actually quite like The Rock and think he’s got potential… in the right role, with the right director. [/QUOTE] I’m no fan of The Rock, which’ll probably bias my opinion, but I’m of the opinion that whomever directed _The Mummy Returns_ did us right by not giving him any dialogue: as a hostile, screaming beefstick he performed convincingly. ^^