Spoiler Alert
The difference between Late Night with the Devil and Ghostwatch is that the former film hides Jack Delroy’s (David Dastmalchia) past from viewers to later be shocked by. Although both concerns live coverage about why a young teenage girl is haunted, and as for who controls whom, that depends on who is her keeper. Also, the question of broadcasting this look into what goes bump in the night may cause more harm than good. What’s being played out is like That’s Incredible! I had that reality TV show and Johnny Carson in the back of my mind while watching this film.
While this latest effort is firmly rooted into recreating the look of the 70s, it rarely delved into why this era was ripe for events to happen like the Satanic panic. There are quick references to certain trends–namely the influence of The Exorcist and The Omen–and without that added gravitas, this film doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb. Without these particular references, I thought Cameron and Colin Cairnes‘ movie didn’t fully hit its mark. I’d give this film a low grade more than anything else. The British film really does it better, because it keeps you invested through various characters, especially Craig Charles!
At least the terror and lower budget CGI effects in Late Night sell how old this ‘found footage’ is. Lily (Ingrid Torelli) is effectively creepy since she’s aware she’s the host to a demon named Mr Wiggles. The scene stealer here is really Carmichael (Ian Bliss) who is a more hardened sceptic who would even scare James Randi, a stage-magician who was famous for debunking claims of psychic phenomenon back then.
What’s seen are archival tapes found by some historian and what he watches is what we watch. But instead of being very fly on the wall, there’s two changing POVs which get distracting. However, when we finally see how the television host is out of his element, the chaos gets crazier and the film ends with a title card saying please pardon this interruption.
Just who’s behind that never gets answered. We’re to assume there’s some brave lad in the control booth realising what has happened, and its cuts to the final frame. Usually these types of abrupt conclusions work quite well, and that’s about the only saving grace for this movie and others. Whether that’s a signal for bringing this style of wrapping a tale up in horror movie making, let’s hope so. To leave viewers equally unsettled and asking questions is the best way to go.
2 Stars out of 5
A Late Night with the Devil Trailer
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