His ‘Darko’ follow-up, the woefully absurd and moronic “Southland Tales,” was mostly destroyed by critics and unanimously ignored by movie-going audiences and Kelly is all-too conscious of the fact that the results was a pretty severe blow to his career (the film grossed a pathetic $273,420 on a nearly $18 million budget).
So the next move? Ingratiate yourself to audiences and studios as quickly as possible. “With ‘The Box,’ I hope to make a more mainstream popcorn film,” he told USA Today… today.
Solution? Apparently hire “A-list” actress Cameron Diaz (was this written circa “Charlie’s Angels”??) and pilfer an idea from “The Twilight Zone” TV series: a couple find a box containing a button. If they push it, they will receive $1 million. The rub? Someone they don’t know will die.
Christ, that doesn’t reek of bad sci-fi episode of the week now does it? (the film also stars James Marsden and Frank Langhella) Maybe Kelly doesn’t care as he sounds like he’s given up on the indepedent film route and again, is very aware of his potential fate. “There is no place for small movies to catch fire. We got with Warner Bros. as a means of survival.”
Kelly is calling the sci-fi thriller his first “grown-up” film and says even though he’s willingly selling-out, he’s going to do it without compromise. “We don’t feel like we are watering ourselves down.”
Suuuuuuuuuuuuuure, you’re not.
