98. Late Night With The Devil; movie review

 

LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL

Cert 18

93 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong horror, violence, gore, language

Any movie with Devil in the title immediately makes me think of cliched horror - the type of film I have seen scores of times before.

The artwork associated with Late Night For The Devil also prompted fears of the worst B movies.

Therefore, I was surprised to be enthralled by the picture, which combines horror with a dig at late-night American chat shows and their thirst for ratings.

It stars David Dastmalchian as Jack Delroy, the host of Night Owls, a show which has tried and struggled to take away the audience of interview king Johnny Carson.

This movie by Cameron and Colin Caines purports to be the master tape of the final programme - on Halloween 1977.

Delroy is portrayed as a bit of an Alan Patridge figure with a series of lame jokes and links while desperate to hang on to his slot.

Thus, he presents an episode intended to shock America and draw a huge audience.

It begins benignly enough with the introduction of a psychic (Fayssal Bazzi) who tries to prove a link with the spirit world and a cynic (Ian Bliss) who sets to prove it is hokum.

It progresses to the star guest, a teenager (Ingrid Torelli) who was the sole survivor of mass suicide at a Satanic church.

Her chaperone is a parapsychologist (Laura Gordon) who has written a book about her and, against her better judgment, is persuaded to put her into a trance.

A gripping and gory horror ensues, alongside the fevered attempt to create a show worthy of sponsors' backing.

And, for once, the found footage elements worked - with no obvious continuity gaffes.

Reasons to watch: Gripping horror

Reasons to avoid: Soke might see it as too daft

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? Night Owls is loosely based on Australia's The Don Lane Show and episodes that featured Uri Geller and Doris Stokes.

The final word. Cameron Cairnes: "The Exorcist was obviously at the forefront of our minds making this film, and I feel like it’s at the forefront of our characters’ minds as well." Hollywood Reporter

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