Wow. So my boyfriend and I went to the movie store to rent a film. I like dumb horror movies, so I browsed the variety of terrible films they had to offer while he went off in search of Michael Moore's 'Sicko'. So then I found the worst of all of them (as I would soon find out). It looked good on the cover and the description on the back seemed decent enough. The fact that there was an IMDb quote on it as a review was proof that it would be bad in a good way. So the next night, we put it in the DVD player and from the first five minutes, we were so incredibly confused.The movie is utterly incoherent, with badly placed time-jumps from past to future that leave you asking a major 'WTF?' The plot has no sort of coherent story -- other than the vague allusion to a local myth about a murder, but this only actually comes into play in the movie in the last twenty minutes of it. So pretty much for the first hour you have this: random, confusing time jumps; incoherent plot; parents who don't age; bad acting; bad dialogue; a boy who magically changes hair colour; and a host of obnoxious characters for you to get bored with!The movie moves so slow that it's a chore to actually sit there and watch. I'd rather be scrubbing the toilets, honestly. Don't bother with it.

The Toybox was a really good watch. It bought together visual tastiness with a juicy narrative and, at the risk of this sounding like a junior cookbook recipe, created a creamy dose of well needed British horror.I especially like the inclusion of animations withing the film. It helped to create a certain tone that was held throughout. There are some random moments like unexpected clowns appearing from nowhere but this helps to control the films unique identity by leaving some questions unanswered. The movie includes some quality acting from the likes of Suzanne Bertish and although not all of the other actors could keep up this pace none created a noticeable let down for me.I can definitely recommend this for a decent watch

The film opens and at first not knowing what to expect I was a little dubious, the opening seems like a made for TV film which was putting me off but in the end it worked so well as it contrasted with the descent to chaos which occurs at this films climax. The camera work becomes more and more erratic and panicked, going to hand held it really gives a sense of claustrophobia to the film, a feeling I guess is quite integral considering the fact that I'm pretty sure the reason Brian goes mad is hes locked in a box for hours as a child.The scenes towards the end in Brians shed were some of the most atmospheric I've ever seen and even compared against larger budget films they hold their own, they reminded me in particular of the climax of "Apocalypse now". Maybe that was deliberate, I don't know but the film is full of literary references that adds to the strong story telling theme running through out the film and creates a great depth to it.The writing is similarly brilliant. Not knowing what to expect allowed me to be taken down every twist of Sedazzari's tale. I was left unable to tell where the truth began entirely and at what point the brother and sisters imagination left. Fairytale and psychological horror are entwined every step of the way to create a definitely original film that holds many surprises.The dialogue is blunt and honest, in all to many films characters speak as though they've been rehearsing their lines, Sedazzari's characters speak like people speak, with no flair, they speak directly as if they're thinking what to say as it happens and the outcome is all the more believable for it. The characters are also complete and even though many appear as somewhat stereotypical you are given reason as to why each is the way they are and by the end you sympathise with all of them and forgive them all for their laws, they are all victims of each other. All their faults belong to the hothouse effect of living together and no one is left predictable or one sided, none of them are to blame for being the people they are.I suppose if I should eventually round this up and come to some form of conclusion or judgement I'll leave you with this. At a point in time when their seems to be a new horror film released every week each as placid and unoriginal as the next not to mention predictable and shallow "The Toybox" is a breath of fresh air that I think "Brand New" films should carry on and if they go the way they are carve a name out for themselves.Definitely worth the journey!

This is a very original slice of black comedy and horror, with good acting and excellent production standards. But what I was really blown away by was the hand held camera work in the last third of the film. If Toybox had been made by a major studio, the execs would have reigned the film-makers in, but instead they really pushed out the envelope here. I would say it's the best hand held camera work I've seen - since Festen.I am training to be a camera operator myself and it was inspiring to see something so different and exciting. What cameras did they use? I'm dieing to know. Overall a very good film.I would have liked to seen more rats in the finale, and overall more blood. Maybe it was budget limitations, or an artistic decision - the less is more view.But if that was true all great films would only be a few minutes long. Come on guys give us more blood and rats next time. More is more.