Way back in November 2008, we mentioned that Richard Kelly's follow up film to Southland Tales (I film I quite like thank you very much - yet I'll acknowledge I am in the minority), a science fiction thriller titled The Box was done shooting, but would not be released until November 2009. It seems that things are on schedule towards that date, with the release of the first trailer for the film. And from watching the trailer, Kelly has reigned in the excesses seen in Southland Tales, but still, down under the multiplex genre-surface is the pop-literary kernels displayed in his films to date: Faust's bargain with a twist. I wonder if this will capture the humanity and fragility and confusion on display in Donnie Darko, or if it will be a little easier to digest. Either way, I remain interested, as Richard Matheson adaptations go, chances of improving on the recent blockbuster I Am Legend are damn near certainty; and this despite the severe liability of Cameron Diaz as the leading lady. The supporting cast is pretty fab though: James Marsden, Frank Langella, Holmes "Daddy Darko" Osborne and James Rebhorn.
Norma and Arthur Lewis, a suburban couple with a young child, receive a simple wooden box as a gift, which bears fatal and irrevocable consequences. A mysterious stranger, delivers the message that the box promises to bestow upon its owner $1 million with the press of a button. But, pressing this button will simultaneously cause the death of another human being somewhere in the world; someone they don't know. With just 24 hours to have the box in their possession, Norma and Arthur find themselves in the cross-hairs of a startling moral dilemma and must face the true nature of their humanity.
To the folks at Warners: TIFF Playdate, please.
Donnie Darko is obviously excellent and I really wanted to like Southland Tales. I can take individual pieces of it and enjoy them, I loved how it looked, hell - I even enjoyed JT's Killers singalong, but as a whole it just didn't work, but I've always admired the what Kelly was trying to achieve and have never held it against him. I'm in.
Hopefully somebody reigned in Kelly this time. I haven't seen Southland Tales due to (a) the bad press, and (b) the fact that his director's cut of Donnie Darko ruined what is one of my favourite films. Luckily I still have the original theatrical version.
I figured if having his way meant he could trash a pretty much perfect film, I wouldn't take a chance on his grand folly. But I'd like to try this film. It looks interesting... I just want to hear that somebody stopped him from going all George Lucas on it and made sure it is still a decent film.
this looks like a remake of an episode of steven spielbergs amazing stories
and thanks to the casting of diaz i have no interest of seeing this potential mess
Yeah, its ruined from the original story, which was either Tales of the Darkside or 2nd Twilight Zone series.
I wish i had a monkey hand.
I loved Donnie Darko but only managed half of Southland Tales - watching it I got the impression that there was a whole plethora of information that we were meant to know already, except it was all in Richard Kelly's head.
This looks nuts though. The good kind.
Mike: Well, as much as I love it, so did Donnie Darko. Haven't seen Southland Tales yet, though.
Naaaeeeehhh. Looks like it could be another failure. With that said, I haven't seen Southland Tales for obvious reasons. Although a friend talks highly of it.
Diaz doesn't have the power to sink a movie on her own. While she isn't great, she isn't that bad either. Just because an actor is mainstream doesn't make them bad. In Being John Malkovich she played her role very well. The biggest problem with her is she is usually in crap films, not so much that she is a crap actress. If given the proper vehicle she can be quite enjoyable. I could think of a lot worse actresses for the part.
'Southland Tales' has those same Kelly-themes of sacrifice and redemption that 'Donnie Darko' and his script for 'Domino' had, as well as moments of some small beauty. I'd like to see what was cut. And whatever else he gets released.
I'd also like to have those stick-out-to-the-side monkey toes like Cornelius in 'Escape from the Planet of the Apes'
hmm.. who's copying whom? strangely i saw this short on youtube this evening, with nearly the same plot!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrKnhOJ-R80
Loved Darko. Hated Southland. Trailer piqued my interest, but Diaz's performance looks terrible.
Also, why is the end of the trailer cut like an action movie?
This trailer looks closer to Darko than to Southland. While I do note that Diaz can be in garbage, and frequently is in garbage, the trash is usually attempts at comedy, which this does not look to be. So I'm hopeful.
This actually looks really good! I'm in for sure. Hope this is Kelly'
s return to form.
The Box looks promising. I LOVE the technique Kelly used to make a digital camera perform like an old 70s model.
Southland Tales - confusing as hell, over-dramatic in the wrong spots, cheeky in the other wrong spots, but yet I couldn't stop watching. I know why. It's a beautiful mess.
Southland Tales is like watching a 2 hour trailer constructed to pique your interest to see the real movie...except there is no real movie. So many setups, but few follow-throughs. Tons of money shots, with too few reasons to actually have them. Lots of people speaking dialog with seemingly no context, but it sounds good.
It's like watching a Rube Goldberg machine that takes 2 hours to light a match that sets off a lady finger firework.
*pop!*
"It’s like watching a Rube Goldberg machine that takes 2 hours to light a match that sets off a lady finger firework.
*pop!*"
Ha. Well Said. This is kinda like someone channel hopping through a satellite TV station for 2 hours straight. Which, honestly, I think Kelly was aiming for to some degree.
NEVER use the Saw music in a film trailer. If I hear the Saw theme I just associate it with shit films like Saw 2,3,4,5 and all the other ones that'll roll out. Aside from that terrible trailer music choice, it looks interesting, but I think the editing done for the trailer is just to reel in idiots who like crappy horror movies and doesn't show Kelly's depth properly.
I agree mc85. If i saw this trailer and it was by a different director then I wouldn't be interested.