Lana Del Rey may have scored a well-deserved sleeper hit with "Summertime Sadness," as well as a recent Nylon cover, but she's kept her fans in the dark regarding more significant career developments, such as the ambiguous status of her next album — and, of course, if her (very) long-awaited short film, Tropico, will ever see release. Good news on that last part: It will! On December 5th, Lana will finally unleash her cinema project, a 30-minute epic directed by Anthony Mandler. Featuring Paradise's "Body Electric," Gods & Monsters," and "Bel Air," the release will also correspond with a four-track iTunes EP, also called Tropico. From what we've gleaned over the past five months, the film will feature dark biblical symbolism (including Jesus and Mary Magdalene figures), model Shaun Ross, strip clubs, and the general Hollywood decay that fascinates Lana and would put John Wayne to shame. And based on the new, official trailer below, it may also feature a stylized shoot 'em up, Spring Breakers style, continuing Lana's knack for incorporating eerie devastation and violence into her otherworldly videos.
Tropico was mysteriously referred to as "the farewell project" by Lana in a tweet months ago, though no one is sure what exactly the significance of this statement is. Maybe it's closure on the enormously successful Born To Die/Paradise era; it could be the death of a particular persona; it could signify the end of Lana Del Rey's career as we know it (hopefully not). According to rumors, Tropico was originally set to premiere in both NYC and the Hollywood Forever Cemetery (!). That no longer seems to be the case, but how brilliant would that have been? (Billboard)
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