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Check out 8 GOOD films from The Box's Richard Matheson
The Box has been on the receiving end of some pretty harsh reviews—it's currently at 49% on the Tomatometer. But whatever you do, don't blame Richard Matheson, the horror master who wrote "Button, Button," the short story on which the film was based.
Other directors have managed to make great movies out of Matheson's novels and short stories. Here are some of the highlights.
The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
The tops. The Coliseum. One of the greatest science fiction thrillers ever made, it's an excellent adaptation of Matheson's novel The Shrinking Man that has absolutely nothing to do with Jason Alexander getting out of a cold swimming pool. There's already been one horrid remake with Lily Tomlin that treated the whole thing as a campy joke—and various other clueless bids to make another low-comedy version have been bouncing around Hollywood ever since.
The Last Man on Earth (1964)
Matheson's classic vampire novel I Am Legend has been filmed four times—five times if you count a rarely-seen short subject. Pretty much all of them miss the point. This is probably the closest one to what he had in mind, even if it suffers from logy pacing and the prospect of a world where the closest thing we have to a normal person is Vincent Price is probably the single scariest thing about it.
Duel (1970)
Following his own scary encounter with a vindictive truck driver, Matheson penned the truly relentless short story. It was filmed by a young up-and-coming director named Steven Spielberg, who did such a memorable job that the TV movie was re-run multiple times before it was expanded for release in theaters. Look close during a critical scene and you'll catch a glimpse of Spielberg, sitting in the back seat behind frazzled driver Dennis Weaver. Hi, Steve.
The Legend of Hell House (1973)
Based on Matheson's novel Hell House and frequently mixed up with The Haunting and The House on Haunted Hill, this one casts Roddy McDowell among the investigators plumbing a manse known for (direct quote) "drug addiction, alcoholism, sadism, bestiality, mutilation, murder, vampirism, necrophilia, cannibalism, not to mention a gamut of sexual goodies." Sounds like my old frat.
Somewhere in Time (1980)
This time-travel romance based on Matheson's novel starred Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour and garnered some truly horrible reviews at the time—but the many people who love it adore it beyond all measure. Pack the hankies.
What Dreams May Come (1998)
This quest through the afterlife, based on the Matheson novel of the same name, is almost as divisive as Somewhere in Time. We recognize that the people who hate it really, really hate it, but the people who love it adore it almost without reservation. Consider us in the latter camp. When the grieving husband played by Robin Williams finally locates his lost wife in the depths of hell, the screen starts blurring.
Stir of Echoes (1999)
Ordinary guy Kevin Bacon sees dead people, and follows the mystery that spawned them. Like Matheson's original novel of the same name, it's one of the rare low-key ghost stories more about the unraveling of a puzzle than any battle with supernatural menace.
I Am Legend (2007)
Wil Smith's post-plague nightmare joins the rest of the adaptations of Matheson's novel in missing its climactic point. But even though it fails to capture the author's great twist, it nevertheless presents a compelling journey through its shattered world—that starts to stumble only as it lurches toward its desperately compromised ending. Even if it ain't pure Matheson, we'll give it a passing grade.
Please note: This is only a survey of theatrical movies based on Matheson's own original work. By design, it omits Matheson-scripted adaptations of works by others (The Raven, Dracula, The Night Stalker) and even his great TV movie about alcoholism (The Morning After), Matheson-based episodes of TV anthology shows ("Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," "Little Girl Lost" and an earlier version of "The Box" from various incarnations of The Twilight Zone) and TV movies that never achieved theatrical release (Trilogy of Terror and The Morning After).
By havok5178 at 2:12 PM ON 11/06/09
Seriously, do you all have nothing better to do than bag on a movie that most people haven't even seen yet? I think you all have had 4 stories up this morning trashing Kelly.
And this list is ridiculous. I Am Legend was one of the most ridiculous movies of the year, What Dreams May Come was a train wreck better watched with the sound off, and Stir of Echoes...okay, SoE was good. If you all don't like the movie, that's fine, but give the guy a break. Richard Kelly has never made himself out to be anything other than what he is. He makes weird movies. Some people get them and love them. Most people don't. Get over it.
By Vlib at 2:27 PM ON 11/06/09
"We recognize that the people who hate it really, really hate it, but the people who love it adore it almost without reservation."
Havok, reading comprehension much?
By ScottyT at 2:36 PM ON 11/06/09
What Dreams May Come and Stir of Echoes were both absolutely fantastic!
I liked I Am Legend, but I wish the "alternate ending" would have been in the theatrical cut -- would have made a pretty entertaining movie much better!
Haven't actually seen any of the others, maybe I will try and catch a couple of them this weekend.
Solid post, thanks!
By mbach at 2:42 PM ON 11/06/09
Where's Trilogy of Terror?
By Grighb at 2:50 PM ON 11/06/09
From the article.
"This is only a survey of theatrical movies based on Matheson's own original work. By design, it omits... (long excision here) TV movies that never achieved theatrical release (Trilogy of Terror and The Morning After)."
By VichusSmith at 2:51 PM ON 11/06/09
havok, it's opinion on the internet. If you don't like it, then why waste your breath on it?
BTW, where are you getting that most people don't like Richard Kelly movies? Evidence?
Also, just because he makes "weird movies" doesn't mean he's above an ass-kicking if the movies blow. Are you saying because they're weird, people don't "get it?"
Southland Tales, to me, deserves the treatment Sci-fi Wire is giving The Box.
I'm still interested in The Box, because there's hate and love for it, and I want to see what the real deal is.
I am fascinated at how many eyes can watch the same thing and have so many varied opinions on it. We live with criticism every day, it shouldn't be so special to me, but it is just stunning to read pure venom vs. pure praise.
By Stopthemadness at 4:16 PM ON 11/06/09
I actually enjoyed all the movies listed here, except for Somewhere in Time (I never watched it). The Legend of Hell House scared the crap out of me as a kid. And to this day, I still think it's one of the scariest ghost movies ever filmed.
By rj472 at 6:33 PM ON 11/06/09
No "Omega Man?" I personally thought it was better than "I Am Legend."
By Michael at 8:09 PM ON 11/06/09
I agree with rj472: Even though THE OMEGA MAN isn't loyal to Matheson's novel, it's a much better adaptation than I AM LEGEND.
The adaptation of "Button, Button" that was part of the 1980s incarnation of THE TWILIGHT ZONE blows away THE BOX.
And THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN and STIR OF ECHOES rock!
By Sithboy at 2:58 AM ON 11/07/09
Oh man, I haven't thought of Somewhere In Tme in a long, uh, time! Christopher Plummer rocks in anything, and I remember being creeped out by that last penny scene! Course, I was about 10.
By stargazer1682 at 10:46 AM ON 11/07/09
I love somewhere in time and I've read the book too, it's great.
By savage at 4:23 PM ON 11/07/09
If you're a die-hard Matheson fan, be sure and hunt down his small collection of Western short stories he wrote. "By the Gun" and "Jounral Of Gun Years." They are outstanding and nothing typical-western about them.
By greg at 5:19 PM ON 11/07/09
Tor Books is currently reprinting Matheson's westerns, including JOURNAL O FTHE GUN YEARS, THE MEMOIRS OF WILD BILL HICKOK, and THE GUNFIGHT.
By Barca at 5:39 AM ON 11/08/09
Omega Man was a much better movie than 'I am Legend'!
By M at 10:49 PM ON 11/08/09
The Last Man on Earth (1964) was good, not high budget definitely, Vincent Price was great. The Omega Man also a classic. What Dreams May Come was based on what the author believed was the real nature of life after death.
By SPotter at 11:38 AM ON 11/09/09
I am stunned, shocked, and appalled that Adam-Troy Castro lists “I am Legend” as a good movie!!! “Legend” was an incredibly expensive piece of garbage. The writers took a great story, twisted and warped it, threw in some really marginal acting, and put out one of the worst films of 2008. I really wish that “SyFy” would get some critics that actually know what they’re talking about.
By syfysucks69 at 4:29 PM ON 11/09/09
Syfy (sounds like a slang term for syphilis...but I digress) please please please hire some movie reviewers who understand their target audience. Who ever has been doing these for the last few months sounds like they would prefer to be reviewing movies for the Lifetime movie of the week. Get a clue...
By shadow at 2:39 PM ON 11/10/09
The Box? What's next... The Nose.
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