Dutch filmmakers whet our Half-Life 2 appetite with superb short

A group of Dutch filmmakers is setting the internet ablaze with a nine-minute video titled What's In the Box? When it was first discovered online, many believed the video was a viral marketing ad for Half-Life 2: Episode 3 because of the use of Half-Life 2 sound clips and imagery -- like the Combine soldier chatter and the large, Citadel looking structure in the video. However, the video also includes other popular references, such as the music from Lost and the initial isolation found in 28 Days Later.

Two of the people involved, Tim Smit and Steven Roeters, recently won a film competition landing them a meet-and-greet with Discovery Channel's Mythbusters. In an article from their college campus paper following the competition, the pair mentioned they were hard at work on a film titled What's In the Box? So, unless they forgot to mention Valve contracted them for a viral marketing ad, this one remains labeled as an homage of sorts.

The official site for the short film seems to indicate the story isn't finished yet, and we honestly cannot wait to see what happens next. Watch the incredible short after the break.

[Thanks, enfo]