Adorable family recreates iconic movie scenes using cardboard boxes
After moving to a new country with their newborn child Orson, Leon and Lilly Mackie found themselves with a large surplus of cardboard boxes lying around. So the Mackies did what every other family would do with a large amount of cardboard boxes: they used them to recreate iconic movie scenes.
Leon and Lilly Mackie of Wellington, New Zealand are the brainchildren behind the blog Cardboard Box Office. The family uses the cardboard boxes and their seemingly endless creativity to recreate some of the most iconic scenes in film history, which they post to their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts.
The Godfather, Star Wars, and The Lord of the Rings have all been given new life on the cardboard screen, with the Mackie family starring as their central cast.
"We were new parents living away from our family and friends so we spent a lot of Saturday nights at home," Leon told ABC via email. "Because of this we started getting pretty creative with how spent our time with Orson and it eventually led to the blog. I think the reason we've kept doing it is that it is something we all enjoy."
The family clearly is having a ball in the photo series, with baby Orson stepping in for characters like Marty McFly and Forrest Gump, as Leon and Lilly channel characters like Vincent Vega and Ellen Ripley, respectively. While the sets may look elaborate, the family says there is rarely a detailed plan to each of their builds.
"We start off by thinking of a film that meets a certain criteria we've set (the film has to be well-known while also featuring either an iconic set, costume, creature, or vehicle)," Leon told ABC. "After deciding on a scene we spend about 10 minutes wandering around the house finding things that could be incorporated into the set."
While the family has sucessfully recreated many Oscar-wining films and big summer blockbusters, there's only been one film where they've had to call it quits: Ang Lee's Life of Pi.
"We chucked in the towel because the tiger I had made looked ridiculous. Even by our standards," Leon said.
Leon says that the family's favorite cardboard set they built was of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, and one movie they'd love to bring to cardboard life would be Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior.
"Visually it's just got so much potential and the vehicles are very much thrown together which would match our style. Actually, Lilly's away for work this weekend so maybe Orson and I will give that one a go. Have a boy's night," Leon said.
Photos used with permission.
