Director Richard Kelly's had a wild ride in Hollywood. His debut film "Donnie Darko" didn't survive long at the box office, but found renewed life and hordes of fans after its release on DVD. The high-concept Jake Gyllenhaal-led pic was breathtakingly original, a dark sci-fi thriller that brought together tangent universes and an evil-looking man in a rabbit costume. But for Kelly, the true measure of his career would be whether the freshman filmmaker could follow up "Darko" with something just as clever and unique.
Five years later we got "Southland Tales," an ambitious, pre-apocalyptic, musical-tinged film narrated by Justin Timberlake and starring everyone from Dwayne Johnson to Mandy Moore. While it opened to dour critical reviews, it showed there was nonetheless still promise buried within the then-32-year-old Kelly. So what would come next? Our answer came with "The Box," Kelly's most mainstream project to date and an expansion of a short story by "I Am Legend" author Richard Matheson. Starring James Marsden and Cameron Diaz, the film begs the question: Would you take a million dollars in return for pressing a button that will kill someone you've never met?
My colleague Kurt Loder already reviewed the film so I'll dispense with the particulars, but I'll agree with him that the "The Box" is a "mess of a movie." Character traits (such as Diaz's mutated foot) are never explained, and the film meanders around its plot for the entire length of the flick, never fully embracing any direction or settling on a story. Kelly admirers may still find something to enjoy in "The Box," but casual moviegoers will probably be glancing at their watches. The film comes to DVD and Blu-ray with feature-length commentary by Kelly and a featurette delving into how the director adapted the short story for the screen, along with another focused on the visual effects. As a fan of "Darko," I wish I could recommend it.
On a more positive note, Matt Damon's "The Informant!" also hits store shelves today. The film is based on the true story of an Archer Daniels Midland (the agriculture giant) executive who believes price-fixing is occurring and offers to become a whistleblower for the government. Envisioning himself a hero, Damon's character goes undercover to rat out his employer and save the day. Damon's quirky portrayal of his ignoramus alter-ego is a sight to behold, one of my favorite performances of the year.
Two other wide-release films arrive today: the teen monster flick "Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant" and the horror-geared "Sorority Row." Neither are particularly exciting. "The Vampire's Assistant" is based on a popular book series and was destined to become a franchise, but its low box office returns probably drove a stake into that bloodsucker.
Out this Friday in theaters is the zombie flick "The Crazies," and tying in with that is the release of the original 1973 film. The pic arrives with commentary from the legendary director George A. Romero, and an interview/profile of cult actress Lynn Lowry.
Lastly is the latest DC animated flick, "Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths." A review will be going up on our comic book movie blog SplashPage.MTV.com shortly, so check in for that.
DVD & BLU-RAY NEWS
Jason Reitman's Oscar-nominated film "Up in the Air" is slated for March 9, with Peter Jackson's "The Lovely Bones" is announced for April 20. "It's Complicated" comes a week later on April 27, and fan-favorite "Carlito's Way" hits May 18.
NEXT WEEK:
Roland Emmerich's latest big-budget disaster film "2012," the animated "Ponyo," Sam Rockwell's "Gentlemen Broncos" and Blake Lively's "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee." The classic "NeverEnding Story" and the original "Clash of the Titans" arrive on Blu-ray.
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