Even though I knew this would be a very unique and refreshing take on found footage, it strayed so far into its own production style, I couldn’t take my eyes off it. The transition from the late night show production, to the found footage can switch between segments, mixed in with some black and white shots even in tense moments was a dope experience all the way through. It never felt like it grew stale as it kept doubling down on the bat shit crazy events to push Jack Deleon (David Dastmalchian) into a mental spiral that he always knocks out the park.
I’ll start with how much I love David Dastmalchian in his supporting roles in films like Oppenheimer, Prisoners, The Dark Knight, The Suicide Squad, Dune, the Belko Experiment, and so many more. But getting him in this lead role for this type of a film was perfect, i don’t know how many leads in Hollywood could have embodied this role so well and made it work to the degree that David did. He grabs the Brass Ring here with Late Night With The Devil and proves he can run the show of any film he is leading.
The Production Was So Spectacular I Forgot This Wasn’t An Actual Late Night Show On My TV
This is the films high point along with the acting performances. This looks so much and feels so much like a 70s late night talk show it’s insane. The lighting on set is perfect, the set designs are amazing, and the effects are so refreshing and unique I was impressed all throughout. Some of the shots. The scenes and shots used throughout are used to complement the story and interactions so well. The practical effects are amazing and the CGI being ramped up to 10000 when used it exactly what you want in this film’s climax. With the lower budget of around $2 million, it uses the budget extremely well. It focuses on using color, a simple stage design, and the brown and oranges coupled with dark shots of the set and crowd when shown. It works perfectly and the effort and care to have the set and scenes look like they did are an A+ in my book.
They hired Matthew Temple as director of photography, who has a lot of experience in camera work back in the 80s. Using his experience and scrap book influences of the 70s translated to the awesome feel and design we saw portrayed on screen. The lighting, use of filming in a warehouse style studio, and color scheme that I already mentioned shot on the set give you the real talk show feel. Even when the third act hits and visual effects are used heavy, you get a lot of blue and oranges that work well against the background and pop on the set while shit is hitting the fan. Spending roughly 150K on the visual effects and doing nearly 300 visual effects paid off greatly for them.
Lilly, Mr Wriggles, Holy Shit Lilly
If the performance David Dastmalchian didn’t already sell you on this unique film working so well, Lilly sells it to the fucking moon. Holy shit she is incredible and probably my favorite character and best plot point of the entire film. Even movies that specialize in possessions and exorcisms don’t do as well to portray a possession and get the makeup and effects done as well as they did with Lilly. The makeup is spectacular, the voice overlay isn’t overdone like in so many films and it is terrifying all in its own that I legitimately hoped the little girl acting isn’t scarred after seeing her performance. Everything with her appearances works. She is always making eye contact with the hard camera on set and Jack has to continuously remind her she can look at him, while talking as an innocent young girl you can tell something else is in the background pulling the strings. Even at one point June touches her and she shies away.
The demon possession scenes were done so damn well I can’t get over it. Also contributing to the tv show feel was when Mr. Wriggles starts with the “Jack and Jill went up the hill to fuck” jingle, the first time she cusses it goes through but the second one is censored out. Felt very real like if a studio missed someone cussing live but was alert to catch the following words to bleep out. Tremendous detail there. She talks of how she has met Jack before, which develops even more how Jack may have something to do with supernatural/cult forces that have been hinted at during the beginning and throughout. Then even after the hypnosis trick showing that the possession could be a hoax, it’s revealed on the footage that the possession was indeed real and we all saw exactly what was really happening. Throughout the little girl being savaged by the possession and all the insane supernatural things happening, Jack gets caught up further and further with what he has created and is attempting to garner ratings by doing. He is enamored by Lilly and the popularity this will bring him.
Climax Had a 10/10 Premise, but a 7/10 Execution
The last 20-30 minutes surely banks on bat shit crazy effects and mayhem to bring us home. The entire studio gets terrorized, June getting brutally strangled in the air before having her throat slit, Carmichael appearing to burn alive, and Gus dying, who I loved. The demonic possession comes into full force and is just killing everyone around. Then we spiral into a crazy frenzy of events in Jack’s head. You begin seeing some of his failures from the past and how bad things were going when trying to get ratings and compete with John Carson. This ultimately lands us into a scene with the cult members of the Grove that was mentioned prior, and a wild scene with his wife that lays out that he sacrificed her to the cult for the fame and popularity of his late night show and himself. Absolutely amazing premise and crazy idea that unfolds throughout while you can tell Jack feels guilty but is also feeling like it is worth it while the late night show unfolds and they get good news that they essentially will be discussing extension of the show in the morning.
I’ll defend this premise because I loved the concept and idea behind it, I just feel like it could have been executed better. I know it’s hard to prolong such crazy scenes and imagery but it felt rushed and by the time I recognized what was happening and what was done the film had ended. Poor Lilly is also killed because it seemed the lesson was that Jacks actions ultimately was the cause of the death of all these people and the death of an innocent possessed girl ultimately. However I do know many that loved the ending and said it needed to stray far and far into craziness to drive the buildup home for the viewer. I think this movie was extremely well done on its lower budget and we really need movies like this with original ideas and breakout performances in film so people will take chances and create magic like we saw here!
The Cinema Speakeasy Theatre Room 
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