@_ = 
     join "\n", 
     map {/$complicated_regex/} 
     split '', 
     join ',', 
     reverse sort 
     map {lc} 
     map {do_backflips($_)} 
     keys %{ $var->{$something} }
;
[download]

Imagine some more assignments on the left and some more semicolons on the right and it's pretty much equivalent to reading any other code (except that you have to read it backwards).

I agree that even my first example as it stands isn't nearly as confusing as my second with the referencing. At least the flow of the first is linear; nesting things is much worse.