With a career spanning almost forty years with nearly two hundred roles to his credit, Simon Yam can be rightly considered one of the pillars of the Hong Kong movie industry. Like many actors, he got his start in low-budget productions, with one of his first prominent roles being this flawed but interesting take on the ghost genre that was actually shot in 1984, but shelved until 1991, after Yam had become one of Hong Kong's more popular actors.

The Devil Box's director, Tommy Chin, only helmed this single entry, and one gets the sense that he channeled some of his frustration in trying express himself artistically in the bottom-line driven world of Hong Kong film-making through the lead character of Tong, a commercial director becoming increasingly disillusioned by the pedestrian work he does in order to pay the bills. Oh yeah, there's a big creepy box that he moves during a shoot which causes him to start having hallucinations of himself committing increasingly violent acts, which may or may not be based on true events.

It is this dichotomy that is at once The Devil Box's biggest strength, as well as being its' biggest weakness. The dwelling on themes of artistic merit are interesting ones, and certainly provide more of a unique backdrop to the spooky proceedings than the usual "group of dumb kids goes into a haunted house" or "sad lonely guy runs into a hot spirit" most Hong Kong ghost movies take. And to his credit, Chin does produce some suitably unsettling moments. The low budget nature of this production actually works in this capacity, as the stark simplicity of the more horror-themed portions have a raw and unnerving edge to them.

But, on the other hand, the movement between serious essaying upon the base nature of what is truly art and otherworldly shenanigans doesn't work effectively. One can take some buildup, but once the horror kicks in, it's hard to stay invested when the rug is constantly pulled from underneath, leaving the viewer topsy-turvy as to exactly what they're watching. Perhaps if Tommy Chin had been given more chances to direct, we might have seen more clearly what he was capable of as a film-maker. As such, his lone movie could never be considered a classic, but is worth checking out if you're looking for a different take on the ghost genre or want to see the beginnings of Simon Yam's illustrious career.

RATING: 6