The Box Cameron Diaz does The Twilight Zone

19 July 2009, 8:28 am

In 1970 Richard Matheson had his short story called ‘Button, Button’ published in Playboy. I first heard of Button, Button when it was made into a New Twilight Zone episode that was about twenty minutes long.

In the Twilight Zone’s Button, Button a couple is given a box with a button on top and told that if they push the button they will get a lot of money and someone they don’t know will die. After much wringing of hands, the wife pushes the button and the man who gave her the box returns. He gives the couple their money and tells them that the box will now be given to some else-someone they don’t know. Cue the Twilight Zone music.

Richard Matheson’s story had a different resolution than the Twilight Zone gotcha ending. Maybe the new Cameron Diaz film The Box will be more like Matherson’s story and less like the Twilight Zone. But then, I liked the Twilight Zone version. Then there is the matter of length, this was a short Twilight Zone bit, and it was a short story to start with. How are they going to pad this out to two hours?

The Box stars Diaz and James Marsden as a cash-strapped couple who get a visit from a mysterious stranger played by Frank Langella. The trailer for The Box looks ok, and there seems to be a lot going on. It was always clear that something supernatural was going on and it looks like they expanded that part of the story. Inflation has hiked the reward for killing someone from $50,000 in the short story and $200,000 in the Twilight Zone to a cool $1,000,000 dollars for the film.

I know that good ideas are hard for Hollywood types to come up with, as it now seems that everything really has been done before, but recycling old Twilight Zone episodes has got to be a new low. Maybe the longer format of a feature film will give The Box more impact, or maybe it will be just a long Twilight Zone episode.

In either case, I doubt that Richard Matherson will like it. He hated The Last Man on Earth and I Am Legend. He also hated the Twilight Zone treatment given to Button, Button. I see the headlines now-Richard Matheson hates Cameron Daiz’s Box. Or maybe Richard Matheson Loves Cameron Daiz’ Box. Only time will tell.