How Does Richard Kelly Get Out of THE BOX?

[devincf]

http://chud.com/articles/articles/21...BOX/Page1.html

[Jakespeare]

Hit the nail right on the head.

It's funny, Kevin Smith is now directing other people's scripts instead of writing them when he's the last person I'd want that to happen to. Richard Kelly's a great example of someone who should be in that situation instead (although I haven't seen The Box yet admittedly).

[DarthLowbudget@]

Totally correct. It would be a shame to see Kelly kicked out of the game. He needs to right his ship before it sinks.

[TheCynic]

This is unfortunate... I still want to see Bessie on the big screen. That looks less likely every time Kelly has a new movie open.

[Mr_Cellophane]

Great Advocate, it's right on. After seeing the film, a friend commented on how Kelly is going to director jail. I had to rebut by saying he deserves no director jail, but just screenwriter jail. Give him a good script with a good structure and framework and use it to focus his exponential talents and I think we could see an incredibly talented filmmaker.

[Ray Abed]

How about Charlie Kaufman writing the next script for Kelly's project? That would be a match made in heaven right there.

Devin got it right when he mentioned Kelly's visual cinematic flare. THE BOX is a magnificent film to look at and watch unfold. We could use more directors with that much panache.

[Atomic Ross]

The problem is that I don't think Kelly has anything interesting to say, at all. He reminds me of when I couldn't meet a deadline in college and instead of proper researching I would just inflate a one-paragraph jot of data into a three-page flowery over-explanation. He's worse than a fraud or a hoax; he's a charlatan who ladles a dark gravy of tone and atmosphere and loose ideas over a thin and tasteless story.

Saying Kelly should stop writing and just direct is a bit of a cop-out I feel. Sure, Kelly can use a camera, but so the fuck what? He's had three films so far that have only as-of-yet shown that he has no idea what a good film is supposed to be. What makes that any more a writer's responsibility than a director's? Was there a massive David Koepp backlash after Kingdom of the Crystal Skull?

There's a lot of talent already out there, and I'd much rather at this point see someone else get their big shot than waiting around *yet again* to find out if Richard Kelly isn't really just a guy that was lucky enough to sell a film to the Hot Topic crowd that one time. Southland Tales was insultingly stupid and inept from top to bottom and in every fashion: story, tone, political themes, acting, throughline, and whatever else makes a movie.

He's essentially thematically made the same film three times now. What else is there to expect from Richard Kelly?

[FilmNerdJamie]

Hopefully he can rebound from this. Didn't everyone more or less write off De Palma before The Untouchables? That's what Kelly needs - something commercial.

[Jason Yavor]

I agree with Atomic Ross to a point though I have a feeling I like Darko more than him. That said I think Darko is a movie that gets worse with each viewing. After that movie came he was on my list of directors to watch. Now not so much. I'd like to see Devin's idea happen and find out what the guy can do. At the same time if that never happens I won't lose any sleep over it because I think there are probably a 100 up and coming directors waiting for their break that have Kelly's strengths. I guess what I'm saying at this point is I can take him or leave him but I'm probably not ever seeing a movie of his again if it says written and directed by Richard Kelly.

[Atomic Ross]

Originally Posted by FilmNerdJamie

Hopefully he can rebound from this. Didn't everyone more or less write off De Palma before The Untouchables? That's what Kelly needs - something commercial.

In a related note, I've just about written DePalma off SINCE The Untouchables, as well.

[Ryan S~]

Originally Posted by Atomic Ross

In a related note, I've just about written DePalma off SINCE The Untouchables, as well.

Black Dahlia and Carlito's Way would like a word with you.

[ogre]

Apparently Kelly joked around in an interview about wanting to do a Jabba the Hutt sitcom. That would be EPIC.

http://io9.com/5401755/could-there-e...he-hutt-sitcom

[bendrix]

Originally Posted by Ryan S~

Black Dahlia and Carlito's Way would like a word with you.

I'd like a word with De Palma about Black Dahlia.

[ogre]

Originally Posted by Ryan S~

Black Dahlia and Carlito's Way would like a word with you.

The Black Dahlia? Really? You enjoyed that?

[MightyWorm]

I also completely agree with Atomic Ross. I liked Darko enough, but I hated Southland Tales. I mean, really really really hated Southland Tales. If Kelly can still yet pull off a good film by letting someone else write it, cool, whatever, but I don't really care what he does either way. I've stopped paying attention.

[Ryan S~]

Originally Posted by ogre

The Black Dahlia? Really? You enjoyed that?

Loved it.

[SAIRUS]

I agree with devin with the 2nd option is the route for now. I'd also recommend this to M Night Shamayalan.

[PsycheOut00]

Originally Posted by Ryan S~

Loved it.

Guys, guys, just let Ethan Hunt deal with this. Or Rick Santoro... in a way.

On topic: yet again an Advocate on the point. I'd side with Atomic Ross weren't for the fact that his argument is a bit radical. Kelly may have made -for you- the same movie thrice, but you just can't compare directing a movie to just writing it as they're two totally different processes altogether (starting from the fact that you're generally under more responsibilities with the former). Or to make my point: people just don't blame Koepp cause apart from being just one element in the machine, he could always fight back with stuff like Carlito's Way, War of the Worlds or whatever other quality work he may have been part of, which have actually been a few during a 20-year career span.

ETA: speaking of which, Matheson vs. Matheson, The Box vs. Stir of Echoes?

[Bucho]

A very nicely put together bit of writing again Devin. It would be a shame to see Kelly let his directorial skill go to waste on his undernourished writing ability and slip down the Shyamalan chute.

[LazerRanger]

I have to admit I have only seen Donnie Darko and I never really clicked with it. But even so I could tell her was a talented director so I'm also hoping he avoids the Shymalan path and maybe takes a chance doing someone else's script to have a little more outside influence.

[Atomic Ross]

All you people citing Carlito's Way really need to go watch it again. It's an utter piece of shit.

[devincf]

Good god you have a skewed sense of quality.

[Ryan S~]

Originally Posted by Atomic Ross

All you people citing Carlito's Way really need to go watch it again. It's an utter piece of shit.

*blink, blink* I know taste is subjective but I would really fail to see how it's an utter piece of shit. It may not be your taste or your style but from a filmmaking perspective it's a helluva script and one of DePalma's best directorial efforts.

[Sonic Boom]

Originally Posted by Atomic Ross

All you people citing Carlito's Way really need to go watch it again. It's an utter piece of shit.

I know everybody's entitled to their own opinion but yours sucks.

Devin's advice for Kelly is pretty sound. Like Shyamalan, he's a tremendously talented guy who needs to focus on just directing.

[Atomic Ross]

Really guys? Carlito's Way? I am thinking of the right movie, right? The one where the flamboyant Puerto Rican gangster falls in love with the ballerina? The one where Pacino narrates the film he dies in? The one where Pacino first trotted out his ham-fisted scenery-chewing self parody?

Yeah, it's an objectively terrible film. In many ways.

[Darth Diggler]

I haven't seen the film yet, but I assume that Gwyneth Paltrow's head is in the box, right?

[Rando]

I'm confused, I thought THE BOX was Kelly's shot at a mainstream-ish movie?

[Atomic Ross]

Originally Posted by Rando

I'm confused, I thought THE BOX was Kelly's shot at a mainstream-ish movie?

Oh, it was. It was.

Or at the very least, was marketed that way.

[dajuice7]

Looks like I'll be the third person in this thread to mention the Shyamalan parallels. Kelly no doubt has many interesting concepts bouncing around in that head of his, but he's having trouble coalescing them into anything reasonably coherent. I hope Darko doesn't turn out to be a fluke, but his Director's Cut and his subsequent work do nothing to dispel that possibility.

[Beldar]

I recall Kelly mentioning PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK as one of his all-time favorites and an influence on Darko. If he went with Devin option A, he should look to that film if he wants to try out his ideas on a small budget.

[LeRolls]

After Donnie Darko I was really expecting a lot from this guy. Oh well....

[Atomic Ross]

Originally Posted by dajuice7

Looks like I'll be the third person in this thread to mention the Shyamalan parallels. Kelly no doubt has many interesting concepts bouncing around in that head of his, but he's having trouble coalescing them into anything reasonably coherent. I hope Darko doesn't turn out to be a fluke, but his Director's Cut and his subsequent work do nothing to dispel that possibility.

I always saw Shyamalan as a visual master who just couldn't formulate a reason to make a movie. He had ideas he wanted to see filmed, but nothing that would actually denote the need for a feature-length movie. There's a lot of that going on with Kelly, but I've never thought Kelly had half of Shyamalan's visual flare.

Both directors share the flaw that each of their films have the same basic structures and mechanisms, repeating themes from previous films with no better or worse alacrity than before. I guess if we're tossing people into directors' jail, Kevin Smith would have to go in for the same charge. While these directors have all shown a growth in their visual conception, none have shown any in terms of content, and seem obsessed with minutiae that at first were lauded as their respective talents.

The long and short of it, these guys seem to be one-trick ponies, and I'd much rather see some new talent try to be the next Spike Jonze or Paul Anderson or Darren Aronofsky than waiting for the Richard Kelly boat to get here. If he really wants a future in film, he should go work as an art director or producer. I see no real talent displayed elsewhere.