The Toybox Blu Ray Review (Skyline Entertainment)

The Toybox is a 2018 horror film produced, edited, & directed by Tom Nagel (ClownTown). Charles (played by: Greg Violand from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, ClownTown, The Devil’s Toy Box, & The Assassin’s Code) tries to bring his family together after the loss of his wife. He is joined by his sons Steve (played by: Jeff Denton from Frankenstein Reborn, Dracula’s Curse, Automaton Transfusion, & ClownTown), Jay (played by: Brian Nagel from ClownTown, Ouija House, Dog Eat Dog, & The Accident), daughter in-law Jennifer (played by: Denise Richards from Wild Things, Starship Troopers, The World is Not Enough, & Valentine), & granddaughter Olivia (played by: Malika Michelle). Charles gets a killer deal on a used RV so he decides to take a road trip to help the estranged family bond again after experiencing loss & pain. They see a stranded vehicle with Mark (played by: Matt Mercer from Contracted 1/2, Beyond the Gates, The Mind’s Eye, & Avengers Assemble) & his sister Samantha (played by: Mischa Barton from The O.C., The Sixth Sense, Lawn Dogs, & Assassination of a High School President) soon after so they offer them a ride. After driving into the middle of nowhere, an accident leaves everyone stranded in the scorching in the isolated desert. The unsuspecting travelers soon find themselves in a fight for survival when they slowly discover the terrible secrets connected to late serial killer Robert Gunthry (played by: special FX artist David Greathouse from Dollman vs. Demonic Toys, Late Phases, Yoga Hosers, & ClownTown) within the walls of the RV.

What if Christine was a used RV instead of a 1958 Plymouth Fury? That’s what you basically get with The Toybox. It’s actually a pretty cool concept & takes the whole family road trip from hell idea to a whole another level. The fight for survival idea has been done so much but this adds a nice twist to it. It had a very fun script & the small cast with a few recognizable names really brought it to life. David Greathouse was entertaining as serial killer Robert Gunthry. He looked like a hippie version of Bob from Twin Peaks. It had a nice pace to it, the suspense & thrills show up at the right moments here. I love how they used practical effects for this production. I was impressed some of the gruesome shots in this. I could easily see this being made in the late 80s with it’s vibe. It’s a nice throwback to the genre. The isolation & closed setting made this get more value for it’s low budget. It was better than expected & I am glad that I had the chance to check it out. RECOMMENDED for road trip, survival, & killer vehicles fans!!!!

Let’s talk about the high definition presentation from Skyline Entertainment & Steel House Productions. This 1080p (2.35:1) transfer looks real sharp especially for it’s small budget. It looks bigger than it is. The isolated & deserted atmosphere adds to the already terrifying environment. It has two different audio options including English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 & English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 on this BD-R disc. Both are very solid, dialogue is clean, & it really picks up during the suspenseful moments in the film. It also has English subtitles.

Let’s discuss the special features on this blu ray disc. “Audio Commentary” with actor/writer/producer Jeff Denton, writer/producer Jeff Miller, & actor/producer Brian Nagel. They chat about the cast & crew. They talk about their experience on the project. They go over the locations for the film. They discuss some issues they had with the production. They mention they used all practical effects here & the special FX team is from the show Face off. They talk about the technical aspects of the production. They bring up the music & the main song used for it. They chat about script changes & their experience playing this at film festivals. They joke around to lightened up the mood & all have great chemistry on the track.”Behind the Scenes” is a little over 9 minutes. It has all kinds of behind the scene footage here from filming. Especially the special effects material. It’s a cool little inside look for the feature. It also has the “Trailer” for The Toybox. It was released in various formats including DVD & Video on Demand. It’s available everywhere right now, CHECK IT OUT!!!!