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| Film vitals |
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· Year: 1998
· Directors: Stefan Avalos, Lance Weiler
· Writers: Stefan Avalos, Lance Weiler
· Cast: David Beard, Jim Sewart
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| Information |
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· Shot in the New Jersey Pine Barrens on digital cameras for a grand total of $900 (not including the cameras, which the crew already owned).
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| Synopsis |
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In December of 1995, four men went into the New Jersey Pine Barrens to track the legendary Jersey Devil for their cable access TV show. The next day, only one emerged, and the horribly mutilated bodies of the others were later found deep in the Pines. This is a docudrama of the events leading up to their deaths.
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Jack Witzig
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Oct 21, 1999/Dec 8, 1999/March 13, 2000/Mar 19, 2000
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RATING
Out of 100 |
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88
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| COLD ANALYSIS |
| 3.5 -ATMOSPHERE |
| 1.25 -GORE |
| 2.75 -HUMOR |
| 0.75 -SCARES |
| 3.0 -TENSION |
Recent years have seen a lot of experimental filmmaking. Pulp Fiction, Being John Malkovich, and, perhaps more to the point, The Blair Witch Project. The Last Broadcast fits comfortably into that group of films--it was designed and executed with originality, intelligence, savviness, and at times a good amount of humor. The acting is, by and large, quite good, especially for a group of self-described non-actors. It's a tribute to the writers' skill that we get to know the characters, despite the separation between us and them that is forced upon us by the film's documentary format. In fact, the strongly doc feel of The Last Broadcast is, in a way, its characters' greatest boon--we feel for them in the same way we might feel for the subject of a documentary about drug addiction or spousal abuse. That the film captures an intense feeling of harrowing inevitability is remarkable and remarkably effective. Other subtle details lend a realistic and (dare I say it) postmodern feel to the film, including the highly effective soundtrack and certainly the constant influence of the internet on the plot. This is the first horror film not only deeply involving but also truly defined by the digital age.
And lastly, maybe I'm biased--I live not much more than a short drive from the Pine Barrens--but it's incredible that this film is as effective as it is in expressing the lonely, edgy feel that pervades that region. Consider me duly impressed--this is one of a very small number of films which I enjoy and appreciate more every time I watch it.
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