What's In the Box?

I just wish that people would properly relaunch a Twilight Zone/Night Gallery-inspired speculative fiction show. The Box could have been a killer 2-part, 45-minute-apiece season opener. The movie they ended up with had me right there with it for a while and off and on, but I became less and less hooked as things went on. Everything just felt undisciplined and indulgent rather than lean, tight, and suspenseful. There was a great deal of potential here that just evaporated.

With the exception of an interview with Richard Matheson, all of the extras are Blu-ray exclusive, following a trend. The director's commentary track with Kelly is worth a listen as are all the other ones out there that he's on. More interesting than the movie to me was The Box: Grounded in Reality, wherein he digs into his personal relationship with the material. The best part of the special effects featurette (Visual Effects Revealed) is the short bit on Frank Langella's CG-assisted disfigurement, which looks really solid, all things considered. The DVD edition includes the Matheson featurette and none of the other extras, so be aware if you're buying or renting, and make the right choice.