COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - THE KILLING BOX (SCORPION RELEASING BLU RAY)
Horror movies often avoid the trappings of history in the narrative by having the stories play out in non-descript and assumed times and places. This is not to say that some genre films do not blend history and horror, instead, many horror films exist apart from historical events rather than alongside them. Recent films like OVERLORD go to the most popular setting for American historical events on film, World War II, which isn’t too dissimilar from MICHAEL MANN’s misunderstood cult classic, THE KEEP. One important part of American history is our own Civil War, which is not often the backdrop for many horror films…at least none that I could name without looking one up. This is the setting for a relatively unknown 90s horror film, THE KILLING BOX from SCORPION RELEASING. Is this North vs South story a battle worth fighting, or is it lost before it even starts?
The Killing Box aka Grey Knight aka The Lost Brigade
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
During the Civil War, a Union soldier is recruited to investigate a series of crucifixions by a renegade band of Confederate Soldiers. He enlists the help of his old mentor and a mute runaway slave girl, the only witness to the renegade band's attacks. With the addition of some trigger-happy Yankees, the brigade is now complete. Unfortunately, they soon realize they are not hunting ordinary Confederates. Life and death are on the line, but when the enemy may not even be alive, it becomes a gruesome tale of horror.
HOW IS IT?
One of the best things about the abundance of horror films is that you can’t possibly see them all. People have tried, and no one can conclusively say they have watched every horror movie ever made. This means that if you take chances on first-time watches you are also likely to come across hidden gems that are new to you, but not to the world. Such is the case with The Killing Box, a 90s Civil War meets Horror movie that's only fault is that it probably could’ve used a more sufficient budget or at least better management of it. Still, this is a short, sweet, and strange little horror film that is worth a watch for those looking for more periodic horror in their viewing diet.
The Killing Box has a bit in common with another recent sleeper genre-bender, Bone Tomahawk. While the latter is objectively a better film, the former is one that I can almost guarantee most horror fans of all generations are not that familiar with. This Civil War-era horror tale is about a band of renegade Confederate soldiers who may or may not be from the same regiment that was killed previously by Union soliders. The sole survivor of the band of Confederates is jailed, and then reluctantly volunteered to go out and find this band of possibly undead soldiers. The story itself has a bit more nuance involving a mute enslaved Black woman and some connection to the mystical, but that’s the core of the narrative for all intents and purposes. As a whole, this is a fun and interesting idea for both the context and surrounding, as well as the semi-Western take on the search and recovery tropes. While the story really doesn’t get a lot of action until the last act, what keeps you engaged is the cartoonish-like performance from Corbin Bernsen. He’s chewing up the scenery in almost every shot, and it helps a lot to offset some of the lulls in actions that could drag the middle of the film.
The Killing Box’s biggest issue is that it is a good idea without the proper budgetary execution to get the scale right. The film does a serviceable job of capturing the period well without requiring extensive sets and costumes, but then you see they paid Martin Sheen to say all of 2 minutes of dialogue and you wonder if perhaps the money spent on him could’ve been better served elsewhere. Maybe putting at least one action setpiece in the second act that isn’t just interpersonal drama? I can’t attest to if that casting decision really broke the proverbial bank, but what can be said is that there is a good idea here that needs more nurturing. The supernatural elements are interesting, but underdeveloped in favor of a short runtime, which I can get behind. Still, this idea and concept has a lot of legs and is certainly a film worthy of checking out, and dare I say even, remade?
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
SCORPION RELEASING has been steadily releasing a bunch of miscellaneous MGM films over the past few years, and The Killing Box looks to be another in that library. For this release, the film is presented in 1080p HD with a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The film quality is fine, however, the film source itself is very washed out and grainy. Something a lot of early 90s films were known for, and while I wouldn’t expect there to be any serious investment in color corrections, it is something of note when you watch the film. Images from this release are used throughout this review and can be seen below:
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
The Killing Box has a stereo 2.0 DTS-HD soundtrack as well as English subtitles. The sound mix is just fine for this release, with no noticeable issues in quality throughout. Additionally, the balance of the dialogue against the rest of the soundtrack was quite even. Even for a bare-bones release like this, I’m glad that Scorpion Releasing made sure to include a subtitle track.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
There are no special features accompanying this release.
LAST RITES
The Killing Box is the true meaning of a “hidden gem”, with an interesting story bookended with some great action, this is a film definitely worth your time if you want to see something a little different than your average horror film. With a quality A/V transfer, this gets a high recommendation as another historical horror to add to your movie museum.
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you to the fine fiends over at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for providing a review copy for the crypt! THE KILLING BOX is available NOW, and can be purchased via MVD DIRECT or RONIN FLIX!
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