[Rating: Solid Rock Fist Up]
The granddaddy of found footage horror films, The Blair Witch Project turns the big 25 this year. Since its inception, many (good lord many) films like it have come around. Some are completely terrifying and some so bad, they’re parodies of themselves, made for a cheap buck. A new flick that’s scaring audiences is sure to promise a fright or two when you spend a Late Night with the Devil (directed by Cameron Cairnes and Colin Cairnes).
Presented as a documentary about the events that unfolded with wannabe Johnny Carson talk show host Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian), the story begins on the scariest night of the year, Halloween 1977 and Night Owls’ most infamous episode. Delroy needs a hit on his show. The recent passing of his wife and low ratings only make his need for something big to happen to his show urgent. His latest topic, the occult, brings a psychic Christou (Fayssal Bazzi) to read the audience, and to make contact with the other side. On the flip side, skeptic Carmichael the Conjurer (Ian Bliss) wants to disprove everything that comes through the late night show. Christou soon experiences some scary shit (no spoilers) that still makes a doubter of Carmichael.
The third guest, however, is parapsychologist Dr. June Ross Mitchell (Laura Gordon) and her subject, Lilly (Ingrid Torelli). Lilly is a survivor of a Satanic church and their mass suicide. Soon, Dr. June and Lilly begin to show Lilly’s new, strange and seemingly devilish behavior to the show. No matter what, Jack needs the craziness to continue in order for him to make a name for himself at last.
The movie itself moves a bit slow for my taste. It is presented in real time to see how the specific episode was broadcasted and the events that unfolded. There is a great scene that had me nauseating early in the film. The final half hour of the movie just goes batshit crazy and makes up for most of it. I do have to give kudos to Dastmalchian and Torelli. Dastmalchian has been various sidekicks in big-budgeted films and it is great to see him in a lead role that has a lot of meat to it. Torelli on the other half is so downright terrifying from the second she walks into the set.
Though this film is nowhere near as constantly terrifying as something as recent as Hell House LLC or Grave Encounters, it still goes very hard and intense when it comes to the actual frights. I’m a huge fan of found footage, and greatly appreciated this new approach.
Christian Ramos is a classic film fan, having had the dream to host Turner Classic Movies for years now. He also has a large amount of Oscar trivia in his head, remembers dressing as Groucho Marx one Halloween, and cherishes the moment Julianne Moore liked his tweet.
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