▁ ▁Kelly ' s ▁break through ▁film , ▁Don nie ▁Dark o , ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁the ▁same ▁day ▁the ▁P AT RI OT ▁Act ▁was ▁signed . ▁Two ▁months ▁before ▁South land ▁T ales ▁was ▁released , ▁he ▁announced ▁the ▁launch ▁of ▁Dark o ▁Entertainment . ▁ ▁Kelly ▁said : ▁"[ S outh land ▁T ales ] ▁will ▁only ▁be ▁a ▁musical ▁in ▁a ▁post - mod ern ▁sense ▁of ▁the ▁word ▁in ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁hy brid ▁of ▁several ▁gen res . ▁There ▁will ▁be ▁some ▁dan cing ▁and ▁singing , ▁but ▁it ▁will ▁be ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁the ▁story ▁in ▁very ▁logical ▁scenarios ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁fant asy ▁dream ▁environments ." ▁Kelly ▁said ▁the ▁film ' s ▁biggest ▁influ ences ▁are ▁K iss ▁Me ▁Dead ly , ▁P ulp ▁F iction , ▁Brazil , ▁and ▁Dr . ▁Str angel ove . ▁He ▁called ▁it ▁a ▁" st range ▁hy brid ▁of ▁the ▁sens ib ilities ▁of ▁Andy ▁War hol ▁and ▁Philip ▁K . ▁Dick ". ▁The ▁film ▁often ▁references ▁religious ▁and ▁literary ▁works ; ▁a ▁polic eman ▁says , ▁" Flow ▁my ▁tears ," ▁in ▁reference ▁to ▁a ▁Philip ▁K . ▁Dick ▁novel ▁of ▁that ▁name . ▁(" T aver ner " ▁is ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁character ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁book ▁and ▁suff ers ▁identity ▁problems ▁of ▁his ▁own .) ▁Pil ot ▁Ab il ene ▁( Just in ▁Tim ber la ke