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The Kovak Box
The Kovak Box
Actors: Timothy Hutton, Lucía Jiménez, David Kelly, Georgia Mackenzie, Gary Piquer
Director: Daniel Monzón
Genres: Indie & Art House, Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Mystery & Suspense
R     2007     1hr 42min

David Norton is used to being in control. As a best-selling author, he decides the fate of his characters; his heroes, his villains, their lives and deaths. But what happens when his fictional world becomes all too real?...  more »
     
     

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Movie Details

Actors: Timothy Hutton, Lucía Jiménez, David Kelly, Georgia Mackenzie, Gary Piquer
Director: Daniel Monzón
Creators: Daniel Monzón, Albert Martinez Martin, Alessandra Moresco, Antonia Nava, Carla Pérez de Albéniz, Carlos Fernández, Jorge Guerricaechevarría
Genres: Indie & Art House, Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Mystery & Suspense
Sub-Genres: Indie & Art House, Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Mystery & Suspense
Studio: First Look Pictures
Format: DVD - Color,Widescreen - Closed-captioned,Subtitled
DVD Release Date: 05/15/2007
Original Release Date: 01/01/2006
Theatrical Release Date: 01/01/2006
Release Year: 2007
Run Time: 1hr 42min
Screens: Color,Widescreen
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Total Copies: 4
Members Wishing: 0
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Languages: English
Subtitles: Spanish

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Member Movie Reviews

Ted C. (quark51) from CORTLAND, NY
Reviewed on 11/23/2009...
Interesting movie.
0 of 4 member(s) found this review helpful.

Movie Reviews

Sunday, Gloomy Sunday
Amanda Richards | Georgetown, Guyana | 05/28/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)

"Timothy Hutton plays David Norton, a successful sci-fi writer who is invited to speak at a conference in Majorca. While enjoying the amenities he takes the opportunity to propose to his girlfriend, but their celebratory evening is cut short after Norton finds a DVD on the bed, which is found to contain some disturbing material. While he ponders the strange gift, she receives a mysterious call on her cell phone and decides that she

"Might as well jump. jump !
Might as well jump.
Go ahead, jump. jump !
Go ahead, jump." *

Simultaneously, Silvia (Lucia Jimenez) awakens after an evening of carousing with a friendly disc jockey, and while she is in the shower she is interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone, the caller ID reading "Gloomy Sunday". The next thing she knows, she's thinking

"Might as well jump. jump !
Might as well jump.
Go ahead, jump. jump !
Go ahead, jump." *

She awakens in hospital, and learns that she has jumped off the balcony in an apparent suicide attempt, foiled by the fortunate placement of a canvas awning, more suited to catching the rays of the sun than falling nudes.

At the hospital she sees the grief-stricken David, and realizes that something is terribly wrong on the island. Sure enough, a rash of unexplained suicides erupts, and after she is attacked by a hypodermic wielding man, the two join forces to solve the mystery. The trail leads them to Frank Kovak, a scientist given to creative experimentation, and subsequently to Norton becoming a leading character straight out one of his books.

After a slow start, this film picks up nicely, and although Timothy Hutton is an unlikely choice for a leading man in an action film, his co-star Jimenez more than makes up for his shortcomings. David Kelly does not quite master the "evil villain" role, but manages to personify an extremely sinister and creepy old coot with an almost visible aura of rottenness hanging in the air around him.

The movie draws largely from an urban legend about a depressing Hungarian song re-titled "Gloomy Sunday" (sung in the movie by Heather Nova, but also covered by Billie Holiday, Paul Robeson, Mel Tormé, Sinead O'Connor, Sarah McLachlan and others), said song being more than enough to make you think that you

"Might as well jump. jump !
Might as well jump.
Go ahead, jump. jump !
Go ahead, jump." *

The premise has been handled better in other movies, but once you get past the first part, you should enjoy this one.



Amanda Richards, May 27, 2007


*Note: The lyrics in this review are from "Jump" by Van Halen. This song is not featured in the movie, and has no link to the movie, but I exercised some artistic license, as the words to "Gloomy Sunday" are just too darned depressing.
"
A tight, interesting thriller.
R. Broz | San Diego, CA | 06/08/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Timothy Hutton plays a Science Fiction author who, although he has written many novels, is best known for his first book about a song that haunted him. The song returns with a vengeance in the film and it is up to him to find a way to stop it from killing others. This was a nice tight thriller with fine acting by Hutton and David Kelly who may be familiar from Charlie and the Chocolate factory or Waking Ned Devine. It kept me guessing until the end (which is fairly hard to do). The background of beautiful Mediterranian locations make this a great movie to help escape from the summer heat."
This box worth exploring into
David J. Carney | point pleasant,nj usa | 05/22/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was somewhat surprised with this one.David Norton is a writer who's story Gloomy Sunday is comming to life.His girlfriend tosses herself out of a window after answering her cell.David watches a DVD where a monkey bashes himself inside a glass container.To tell you everything in here would be a crime.Its a puzzler watching this one.The acting is very good and directing is also very good.I throughly enjoyed this one!"