In 1970, Richard Matheson wrote a short story called "Button, Button" (after the kids game - Button, Button - Who's Got The Button?) The plot involved a dilemma - would you kill a stranger for a large amount of money.
A woman is given a box containing a button - all she has to do is press it...
In 1986, the story was used as an episode of the revival of "The Twilight Zone".
In 2009, it was expanded to movie length, for a Cameron Diaz vehicle called "The Box".
Two years later, the idea resurfaced in "The Reckoning". This time, the woman was Ricky Gervais' little Scottish chum in "Extras".
The problem with all this is that the original source material was a SHORT STORY. And within those confines, it works fine.
But by trying to develop it to movie length, the idea becomes submerged.
And in "The Reckoning" it DROWNS. The improbabilities and illogicality of the development kill the spark of the original concept stone dead.
One to avoid.
A woman is given a box containing a button - all she has to do is press it...
In 1986, the story was used as an episode of the revival of "The Twilight Zone".
In 2009, it was expanded to movie length, for a Cameron Diaz vehicle called "The Box".
Two years later, the idea resurfaced in "The Reckoning". This time, the woman was Ricky Gervais' little Scottish chum in "Extras".
The problem with all this is that the original source material was a SHORT STORY. And within those confines, it works fine.
But by trying to develop it to movie length, the idea becomes submerged.
And in "The Reckoning" it DROWNS. The improbabilities and illogicality of the development kill the spark of the original concept stone dead.
One to avoid.