Night Train - Wooden Box

[Rusty85]

This was a pretty good low budget flick with some good stars. Anyone know anything about the main wooden box they're all after?

 

[Rusty85]

Really? No one's got any info on it? It was a neat little prop.

To fill in for those that haven't seen it, Danny Glover, Steve Zahn, and Leelee Sobieski are all on a train and find a wooden box that mysterious man has in his possesion once he dies. Once they each look inside and see what's in it they start to become obsessed with it and try and plot to take it for themselves. It pretty much starts to make them crazy in a way, lol.

The box itself looks about 6 inches wide, 10 inches long, maybe four high. Its got a button that opens some shutters that are behind a carved wooden window. And in the bottom is a slot for the key to open it.

Oh, and in the movie it's pretty much indestructible unless its opened with the key.

 

[epilepticsquirl]

damnit man. You're vague yet intriguing description of this box has forced me to add this to my netflix queue. From the previews i found it looks interesting enough. Maybe a cool puzzle box to store little thing a lings. Time to wait for the mail.

 

[Grey]

It's an OK movie, i'd get pictures if I still had it. The prop was probably the best thing about the movie and Steve Zahn was underused.

 

[Rusty85]

Yeah true. It was better than I thought it was going to be though.

 

[santicity]

Great, now I have to go and watch this movie. Sounds like a good stay-in movie for fun

 

[Rusty85]

Haha, yeah its a great B-movie for a rainy day. I loved it for some reason, maybe the idea behind the box and my love for props. The way the key works is also a neat idea and would be another great prop to go along with it. I don't want to spoil anything, but you'll know what I'm talking about when you see it.

Here's about the only pic I could find on Google.

View attachment 46789

 

[epilepticsquirl]

my netflix comes in today, so I should be able to watch it either later tonight or tomorrow tonight. I love campy B-movie's and that box is pretty alluring!

 

[epilepticsquirl]

So I just finished watching the movie. It was enjoyable for me, you have to get past a couple of things but I liked it. Leelee was also a nice treat. I have to admit that box is pretty cool. I'll post some screen caps in a bit. I wonder if it was a found item or not. Either way I like how it opens.

 

[Rusty85]

I checked out the behind the scenes, and I'm pretty sure it said they fought over who got to build it. The guy who did the effects (couldn't see his name as I was rushed) said they built three, including the puppet version that opens at the end. There's some great shots in the movie of it, one that I know of for sure in the behind the scenes. I can't get screen-caps or else I would have tried to post them a while ago, lol.

I wonder if they were actually constructed from wood. They sure appear to be in a lot of the shots, unless its just a convincing paint job. And the way the rings the agents carry are used as the keys was a pretty cool idea.

 

[epilepticsquirl]

Here are some of the better screen grabs that i was able to get. Got a pretty decent head on view of the ring to! The box is growing on me and I really dig it. Even though i'd love to have an opening box, i don't possess the kind of precision for those kind of cuts. I'm pretty confident, however, that I can make a static version with maybe only the top portion lifting up. I'll have to see what I can tinker with.

 

[Rusty85]

Thanks for posting the caps, it looks like you got some good reference pictures. Did you happen to catch how the shutter opens inside? Never really shows it since its from the Box's POV, but it'd be an interesting feature, although I'm sure much harder. Looks like a button maybe?

If you do any extras, I'd definitely be in for one! If I can help at all, let me know and I'm there. I have some experience with building props and models. Not as much as a lot of people here, but more than the norm.