ROTTEN TOMATOES: Richard Kelly Talks The Box Comments

Richard Kelly Talks The Box

by | November 03, 2009

Summary

It's been a long and somewhat bumpy ride getting "The Box" to theaters, but director Richard Kelly is finally on the verge of releasing his latest film. He talks about the journey -- and what's next -- in a new interview with Collider. Back to Article

(1-14 of 14 posts) | Reply

De4ective Detectiv3 writes:
on Nov 03 2009 04:32 AM

They should just call this movie 'Lazy Plot Device'. The trailers give way too much of this movie away. I'm beginning to think Richard Kelly isn't all he's cracked up to be, Donnie Darko doesn't really hold up on multiple viewings. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt until he gets to direct a few more films.

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BUCK69 writes:
on Nov 03 2009 05:54 AM

De4ective Detectiv3, this is our day to disagree: Donnie Darko gets better with each viewing. The idea that we're all interconnected and the blind consequences of the seemingly meaningless choices that we make and actions that we take is fascinating and thought provoking. It's one of the few movies that accurately points-out one of the paradoxes of time travel: any minor change in what we do can have unforseen, far reaching, unpredictable consequences.

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Gordon Franklin Terry Sr writes:
on Nov 03 2009 06:07 AM

Donnie Darko . . . I respect DONNIE DARKO as a work of art yet it seems to go out of its way to be weird as if the director consciously seeks to emulate David Lynch; the director seems to resemble a young, protege of David Lynch like Chris Farley used to emulate John Belushi.

THE BOX has already been "filmed" as a NEW TWILIGHT ZONE episode. But this is 25 years later about and "nobody's" seen the Twilight Zone episode entitled: THE BOX.

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Functionally Godarded writes:
on Nov 03 2009 07:37 AM

In reply to this comment (#2558203)
It's not like Richard Kelly is trying to hide the fact that it's based off of the Richard Matheson short story. And, from what I've read about the movie, the trailer doesn't give anything away about the final 2/3s of the movie - it's just the premise. I can't stand when people make judgments about something that they don't even know about.

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Bigbrother writes:
on Nov 03 2009 08:28 AM

In reply to this comment (#2558223)
Thanks, I knew I'd read this in High School English class, I just couldn't think of who wrote it.

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CFM writes:
on Nov 03 2009 08:36 AM

I agree with Functionally Godarded. I too can't stand when people make judgments about something that they don't even know about.

Still, ramblings of the ignorant is what makes these forums entertaining.

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Gordon Franklin Terry Sr writes:
on Nov 03 2009 10:26 AM

The Premise of THE BOX is universal. THE TWILIGHT ZONE told the same story in 20 minutes that Kelly will take 90 minutes to tell.

I'll wager TEN FRANZETTA UPLOADS that the final 2/3rds of the movie is either a cat and mouse chase or a "futile" attempt at "reversing the process once set in motion."

Information concerning the TWILIGHT ZONE episode of "TH BOX:"

(I hold an M.ED. in Special Education and am in the KAPPA DELTA PI: INTERNATIONAL HONORS SOCIETY of EDUCATION)--I know a lot of things.)

Button, Button (The Twilight Zone)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Button,_Button_(The_Twilight_Zone)

Episode no. Season 1
Episode 20b
Written by Richard Matheson
Directed by Peter Medak
Original airdate March 7, 1986

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Gordon Franklin Terry Sr writes:
on Nov 03 2009 10:31 AM

oh, F. Goddarded has one of the same pics as Gigaherc; FIGURES.

(I hadn't seen the twilight zone episode for THE BOX (Button, Button) since it aired in 1987.
(I'll be sure to "look up everything" and post it to suit you.)

people are a drag--
especially when they underestimate the intelligence of others and then go on to say challenging, unhappy things.

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Gordon Franklin Terry Sr writes:
on Nov 03 2009 10:40 AM

FYI on Button, Button (aka THE BOX) from
http://scottedelman.livejournal.com/30197.html

(now we all know about The Three Endings)

having to post auxiliary information and appendices to PROVE to people I'm intelligent wastes a lot of space, you know)

The reason this collection has been reissued is that the title story is being made into the movie The Box, directed by Richard Kelly and starring Cameron Diaz and James Marsden. I sat down and reread the story this afternoon, and suddenly remembered the TV adaptation done of it for the 1980s' incarnation of The Twilight Zone. I had forgotten that the two versions use completely different twist endings, and I wondered ... which one will the movie use? Or will there be yet a third ending? I pulled out my DVD boxed set to compare the two.

For those who aren't familiar with either of the versions, the (non-spoiler) premise for the plot is as follows.

A couple is given a small wooden box with a button mounted on one side. "If you push the button," the couple is told, "somewhere in the world, someone you don't know will die." But if they do push it, they'll receive $50,000. Most of the story is taken up by the husband and wife debating whether they should or shouldn't push that button.

The short-story and TV versions match up fairly closely so far, with a few changes that don't really affect the kicker of the story. Thanks to inflation, the $50,000 bounty from the 1970 short story was raised to $200,000 for the 1986 episode. Other changes altered the dynamics of the couple. The husband, ethical in Richard Matheson's short story, has become the stuttering and ineffectual Brad Davis in Logan Swanson's adaptation. And the wife, rather than loving but tempted, is played as a mean and embittered Mare Winningham.

But the endings are where the two versions veer wildly apart.

The button ends up getting pushed both in the original short story and in the adaptation, but%u2014

In the original short story, once the button is pushed, the switcheroo is that the husband dies in an accident, causing the wife to protest as she receives his insurance as her reward:

"You said I wouldn't know the one that died!"

"My dear lady," Mr. Steward said, "do you really think you knew your husband?"

In the Twilight Zone adaptation, however, both members of the couple survive the pushing of the button, and when the mysterious stranger arrives to deliver a suitcase full of cash and to pick up the box, the wife asks%u2014

"So what happens now?"

"Why ... You spend the money. And I hope you enjoy it. The button unit will be reprogrammed and offered to someone else with the same terms and conditions."

"Someone else?"

"Yes. I can assure you it will be offered to someone whom you don't know.

%u2014with the twist being that they will soon themselves be killed by the next greedy person down the line.

So%u2014do you think Hollywood will use either of these twist endings? Or will they come up with a third?

And aside from that%u2014how do you turn a tight 11-page short story or 18-minute teleplay into a full-length movie without destroying it?

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Dave J. writes:
on Nov 03 2009 11:57 AM

I 100% agree with Gordon on this one; a really good example is M Night Shamalyn. I love "The Sixth Sense" but when you keep on recycling old premises to which people are quite aware about, people won't be interested anymore. I can only speak for myself, but why in heck do I want to waste 2 hours of my life when a dilemma can be solved within a spawn of a 22 minute episode from the Twilight Zone, absolutely makes no sense.
Unless he makes it into a horror movie then that is something else.

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M.C.P. writes:
on Nov 03 2009 11:58 AM

Think Gordo ran out of Lithium today, doh!

"I'm not a killer. I'm just someone who wanted to make things right. Can't I just let myself forget what you've told me? Can't I just let myself forget what you've made me do. You think I just want another puzzle to solve? Another John G. to look for? You're John G. So you can be my John G... Will I lie to myself to be happy? In your case Teddy... yes I will." Leonard Shelby - Memento

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Escapefromalcatraz writes:
on Nov 03 2009 02:17 PM

Dude, I would be banging on that button before the creepy guy even got out of the living room! Check please. :)

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hammershu writes:
on Nov 03 2009 08:39 PM

I thought Donnie Darko was pretty good. Southland Tales is absolutely atrocious. The Box doesn't look good at all. Richard Kelly is overrated. Gordon I can't stand your posts...but I agree with you 100%. Wow...never thought I would say that.

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MADDAZ writes:
on Nov 04 2009 10:14 PM

Im pretty sure I saw this on The Twilight Zone nearly twenty years ago and really enjoyed that episode. Not sure if its a 90 minute movie thou but I enjoyed Donnie Darko so maybeohhh thats right, I forgot about Southland Tales. That movie was as bad as Mullholland Drive. Think I will give it a miss.

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