out of
It's been debated for decades: can the ending of a film ruin its overall impact? There are some films that suggest the answer is yes (The Devil's Advocate, anyone?) and there are some that suggest otherwise (the recent The House on Haunted Hill, for example). But I must admit, while I do consider The Devil's Advocate to have the worst ending of a film ever (due in part to the superbly crafted two hours that came before the denouement), The Last Broadcast is an extremely close second. This isn't just a bad ending either. It's a disaster of filmmaking. There are just some moments in film where you sit back and think, "What the hell was that?" This is one of those moments.
But for $900, do we expect more? Yes, that's right. This film was made for $900 (or so the press release notes state). Occasionally, the cheap budget works to the film's success. And yet, with as small as the budget is, I expected something better. The filmmakers obviously spent a lot of time working on this project, and it shows. The editing is well done and the story is actually quite suspenseful. So I can only ask why the filmmakers didn't spend more time making sure the film ended with something worthy of what preceded it. It's a scene that defies logic and confuses the viewer. I had to watch it twice just to figure out what happened. And what is revealed to us (the identity of the killer) is so preposterous and silly, I ended up laughing when I should have been horrified.
The Last Broadcast is more or less about two TV show hosts who venture into the woods with a couple of fans--only one of them comes out alive. Sound familiar? Much has been made of the similarities of this film and the box-office smash The Blair Witch Project, and while they do share a similar premise, they each approach the situation in different ways. Directors Stefan Avalos and Lance Weiler were outraged that The Blair Witch Project got so much attention while their little film was pushed away. The problem is... The Blair Witch Project is worthy of its success--The Last Broadcast is not. Avalos and Weiler's film will get some publicity for being the supposed "inspiration for The Blair Witch Project," but once people start watching, they won't be pleased.
First and foremost, this is a mockumentary. It is fake, but it passes itself off as reality. Everything in the film suggests realism--the interviews, the live video broadcasts, the use of IRC as a plot point--and for the most part, it succeeds. The film centers around the tragic deaths of three people in their search for the so-called "Jersey Devil." Steven Avkast (Avalos) and Locus Wheeler (Weiler) are the hosts of the cable-access show "Fact or Fiction?" The show grew into popularity quickly, and then fell back into obscurity when its ingenuity wore off. The two hosts desperately needed to find something to boost their ratings. They found that in the legend of the Jersey Devil.
Of course, they couldn't do it alone. They needed help from their viewers, and thanks to the internet, two fans volunteer to help: Jim Suerd (Jim Seward) and Rein Clackin (Rein Clabbers--do you see a running joke on the names?). Both believe they can help in their own ways, but both also may be hiding some deep, dark secret. They all go into the forest... only Jim Suerd comes out alive. His fate sealed by the video footage recorded, Jim Suerd is given the death penalty, but never makes it: he apparently committed suicide before he could be killed (or was he murdered?).
Our narrator, David Leigh (David Beard--aren't these names getting hilarious?), doesn't think Suerd could have done it. Viewing the tapes, there are many segments which have been ruined, including that which reveals the identity of the true killer. In order for Suerd to have done it, he would have had to leave his tent, chase down all three members, kill them (gruesomely and violently), and get back to his tent within 45 minutes. Leigh also has doubts concerning Rein Clackin, whose body was never discovered. Perhaps he did it. Leigh investigates everything, even going into the woods to find more clues. Nothing helps. His only hope is a section of footage which reveals the killer. He gives this to Michele Monarch (Michele Pulaski), a video expert who is determined to clean up the footage. What they find is supposedly "more horrific than anything they ever imagined." And yes, it's true. It is more horrific than anything imagined, because it makes absolutely no sense. Logic flies out the door, and with it, so do our hopes of a worthy ending. What we are given is one of the worst plot twists ever filmed. Also, just for a sidenote, in case you are sensitive to violence, you might want to turn the movie off before the end, since we are witness to a very graphic and disturbing murder scene.
And for the love of God, why did anyone choose David Beard for the narrator? He might just be the most boring actor/filmmaker on the face of this planet. His monotone voice is capable of putting anyone to sleep. Thankfully, he isn't on screen much, and he mostly relies on the testimonials of experts for voiceovers. The rest of the actors do semi-credible work, particularly Avalos and Weiler who seem right at home. Seward is strange enough, but there never is an explanation for his manic behaviors. The best performance, however, is given by Michele Pulaski, who has the difficult job of making video restoration interesting as well as being a key factor in the final scene.
Directors Avalos and Weiler have crafted a coherent mockumentary here that exploits the use of video cameras to a decent effect. Done entirely on their home computer using Adobe Premiere (the same software used in virtually every film school), the film's editing is crisp and clean, and the footage isn't difficult to watch. They do manage to create some tension and suspense when we are about to find out who the killer is, but the climax is a major letdown. Say what you will about The Blair Witch Project's ending, at least it worked (and worked extremely well). Here, the ending is the film's only major problem. And it's a shame, since the investigation is quite fascinating. This is one of those rare films in which the ending destroys the film's impact.
The Last Broadcast isn't rated due to the fact that the creators didn't have the funds to submit it to the MPAA for rating, but it definitely is in R territory. The graphic murder scene at the end is enough for that rating. In fact, the ending murder is so disturbing, it borders on snuff. The directors don't hold anything back, and instead zoom in closely on the victim's face. It's just not necessary to show. For those who hated The Blair Witch Project, this may just be the film you were hoping for. For those who liked The Blair Witch Project, this will show you just how successful that film really was at scaring viewers. The Last Broadcast may be the inspiration for that film, but it certainly isn't better.
| Rating: out of
|
© 1999 Boyd Petrie |