Boxwalla is a really unique subscription box service that offers four different types of subscriptions: Food, Beauty, Books, and Film. Subscribers can subscribe to multiple boxes, or can hop around among the four boxes from shipment to shipment. Fun! I love movies! Boxwalla's website states:
'Art Cinema is Boring.' The Film Box challenges this notion by demystifying the work of the best filmmakers, by creating a context within which to view them.
Boxwalla kindly sent us this box for review purposes. (Check out our review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
This review is of the Boxwalla Film, $49.95 every other month, box.
The Subscription Box: Boxwalla Film
The Cost: $49.95 per shipment (every two months)
The Products: Two films from The Criterion Collection plus an insert are mailed to you. Additional material is emailed to you before and after you have watched the films.
Ships to: U.S. for free, Canada for $11.95, Internationally for $18.95
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Boxwalla's packaging is beautiful! The box is really high quality and very sturdy. It could easily be used for storage or gifts. This letter was included with information about the films that I was sent. Honestly, I never read it before I watch the movies because I hate any kind of spoiler! I always read it afterward, though, and it is always helpful.
February's theme was "Love Makes Poetry." I received a post-film discussion, as promised, which I also read after watching the films. It, too, was very helpful. I have to mention here, that Boxwalla sends their film box at the very end of the month, and the post-film discussion follows 3-4 weeks later. This month it was even later, which affected the availability of this review.
Film #1: Breathless - Value $18.49 on Amazon (retail price $29.89)
I first saw this iconic movie from 1960 about 20 years ago, and I completely hated it. I'm glad I got the chance to see it again now that I'm older and have a broader perspective. I didn't love it this time, either, but I have seen and learned enough in the interim to understand that this film paved the way for many of the films I do love. It was the first film to use natural light, real settings, ad-libbed conversations, unpadded scenes, and real sounds without a musical soundtrack. This was the rule breaker! Some of my favorite movies of all times are from the Dogme '95 movement, which adheres to these principles strictly.
Film #2: In the Mood for Love - Value $27.39 on Amazon
Having never seen Chungking Express, I was totally unfamiliar with the work of Wong Kar-Wai or his films until I saw this movie. This was a film set in the 1960's (but made in 2000) about another strained love story. This film was a sharp contrast to the previous film in most other ways. There was constant music, rich colors, and interesting camera work, and loads of scene construction, even including occasionally written panels to make sure you know what's happening. I really enjoyed this film, even though it had that "overproduced" feeling. I guess in some cases, overproduction works.
This is a peek at the post-film discussion that was sent following the movies via email.
Both movies are part of The Criterion Collection, which is an organization that works to preserve and restore classic and modern films that are considered important. The films are published in editions that offer the highest technical quality as well as fantastic supplemental material.
One other thing I wanted to mention is that Boxwalla Film has finally started a discussion group on facebook! Subscribers can now meet up online to chat about the movies!
Verdict: This was another awesome box from Boxwalla Film, and I loved the love story theme for February (although I wish they had come in time for Valentine's day)! I am really getting a great classic film education with this subscription. This month I feel like I really enjoyed the second film, whereas I "appreciated" the first. In terms of value, the cost is a little high, but I feel like there is real value in the curation, pre- and post-film discussions, bonus features, and related materials. I think this is a great way to build up a killer classic film collection!
What do you think of the Boxwalla Film box?
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