The Last Broadcast

Rating:
Summary: Better than most high budget movies
Review: What got me about this film and what really worked for me was that I went into it not knowing about it being a movie. I thought this was a true-blue documentary about murders I didn't know about. Furthermore, the 'actors' in the movie gave no sense to me that they were reading off of a script or knew before hand what they were about to say. In fact, the lack of standard acting techniques worked wonders, and gave this film a better sense of being real. After watching the whole movie, I went back and watched again to see what I had missed about this movie. Going through it again, I could see obvious signs I had missed before that this was fiction and not real (newspaper clippings for example). And, seeing how I was so easily lulled into believing this was real, I really truely found respect in what the creators were talking about how media perception affects popular opinion. In fact, it's ironic that this movie talks about the same thing that happened to many people later on who believed this movie's controversial counterpart, The Blair Witch Project, was real. Either way, it IS a low-budget movie and one that has real merit and a good format for what it cost. The directors should be praised that they were able to do so much with so little and make a convincing and, well 'cool' movie that makes a good point about modern technology.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent when taken on its own merits.
Review: The Last Broadcast (Stefan Avalos and Lance Weiler, 1998)

The Last Broadcast would probably have slipped into obscurity were it not widely considered the film that inspired The Blair Witch Project. Like the erroneous comparisons that remain between The Sixth Sense and The Others, the two films share surface similarities, but the mechanisms that drive each are different. Unfortunately, like The Others (one of the best films of 2001), The Last Broadcast universally suffers in comparison on the surface level, but has much more working beneath the surface. Once again, my hypothesis that subtlety is wasted on the masses rears its ugly head.

The Last Broadcast is a documentary being put together by David Leigh (David Beard, last seen in Strange Brew, who also narrated Avalos and Weiler's "The True Legend of the Jersey Devil") about the 1996 Jersey Devil Murders, in which two hosts of a bad local cable show, Steven Avkast and Locus Wheeler (played by Avalos and Weiler), hire two South Jersey locals, soundman Rein Clackin (Rein Clabbers) and guide/psychic Jim Suerd (Jim Seward; you can see where they went with the names, yes?) to take them into the Jersey Pine Barrens in search of the legendary Jersey Devil. Suerd emerges from the Pine Barrens a few days later alone; Wheeler and Clackin's bodies are soon recovered, while Avkast's remains are only large sprays of blood on the snow. Filmaker Leigh is convinced of Suerd's innocence, and sets out making The Last Broadcast to prove this.

Okay, you see the parallels with the Blair Witch Project. A fictional tale (though the legend of the Jersey Devil really does exist, unlike that of the Blair Witch) being presented in a mockumentary, with lots of supposedly live candid footage. Somehow, though, I missed all the stuff in BWP about the aftermath, and how it led to the making of the film-outside-the-film. That alone should still film-to-film comparisons (though piece-to-piece are still warranted), not that it ever does. In order to appreciate The Last Broadcast for what it is, it must be taken on its own merits.

And it does have many merits. If you tuned in halfway through, you'd believe you were watching Forensic Files on CourtTV rather than a mystery film. The documentary atmosphere here is spot-on. In the latter half of the film, when Leigh hires a professional film restorer (Michelle Pulaski) to reconstruct a destroyed videocassette, there were times when _I_ thought I was watching Forensic Files (and I knew I was watching a mystery film). It's all quite wonderfully constructed (and perhaps better compared to the hour-long Blair Witch Project documentary special that aired on the Sci-Fi Channel before the film's release; it has a whole lot more in common with the latter half of The Last Broadcast than BWP ever did).

Where the film may go wrong, though, is in the last ten minutes. The jury's still out on this. I've read reviews both praising and criticizing the ending, though far more of the latter. I waffle between thinking it destroys the tone of the film and puts a decent ironic cap on it; I think the main problem is that it feels like it should have been a piece of a different film. But it is a piece of a different effective, very eerie film.

Enjoyable on many levels. Even if you didn't like the Blair Witch Project, don't let the comparisons put you off; this is worth seeing. ****

Rating:
Summary: Certainly a excellent job, however it has one flaw
Review: You can't know anything about this to get the most out of it. If by lucky chance, you've read nothing else, leave this webpage and go watch this documentary.

I was flipping channels and landed on the Independent Film Channel to what looked like a documentary. It certainly felt like a documentary. It was presented very well. And I've rarely been scared from a movie as I was when they show the discovered footage of one of the victims discovering the killer. Absolutely haunting. The acting was done so well, you could swear that no one was acting and that it was all real. Of course, there were questions and issues were being raised in my head as to how some of the coincidences kept happening in just the right way. I was wondering how someone could have done what the documentary had claimed. But right to the end, it holds true and then shocks you. Perhaps the only poor part was in the end, it goes to a third person view of the movie, instead of staying with the documentary. Other than that, the twist is worlds above anything Memento could offer.

But the problem this film has is that if you even know that there is a twist coming, its ruined for you. Luckily, in my case I was able to blindly watch this documentary and get the ultimate experience from it.

Rating:
Summary: Another Favourable Review, But the ending what up with that?
Review: Ok I was really expecting this movie to be bad, I enjoyed the Blair Witch and because of this I wanted to see the film which "Influenced" the making of TBWP. Apart from the Footage and the whole woods thing (which there isnt a great deal of in Broadcast) I found this movie more like The Curse of the Blair Witch. I enjoyed this movie, it gave out a somewhat eerie vibe, and although the acting wasnt great, the format looked like the cheesy "In Search of..." type doco's. The only problem and the reasons for the 2 stars is *shock horror* the ending, something I didnt get at all, and have spent hours debating with friends over (I wont elabarate). Being in Australia, and not having the Hollywood Video chain, I on a crazed Amazon.com shopping spree I add this want to see film to my cart, and I did actually think it was well worth it, in saying that I wouldnt recommend it either, if you wanna see it try and try to rent it first. Over all I think TBWP and TLB both stand up as their own, and well made films in there own right, I would have to say TBWP is a far better film, was it the $50,000(well depends what sorce you read) compared to $900 maybe, Was it the Blair Witch took you on a more hightened emontional level, Yes I think so, was it the fact that the Blair Witch didnt try and tie all the ends? Yes. Some will agree with me, some wont, the only thing I can say is check it out, see what you think, Its up to you.

Rating:
Summary: Maybe it should've been called "The Leeds Broadcast"...
Review: So do you think that guy babbling about The Blair Witch Project actually being "based on true events" is for real, or just making some bizarre, stretched attempt at a joke? Seriously, I know some people bought that in 1999, but people don't STILL believe the marketing campaign, do they? Anybody? Bueller? Bueller?

Anyway, The Last Broadcast. Excellent, incredibly innovative movie, though I'm admittedly biased; being a New Jersey native who grew up with legends of the Jersey Devil, there was pretty much no way I wasn't going to like this. Still, really good acting, as evidenced by how many people buy this as a real documentary when they miss the first few minutes. As to the ending, I'm one of those who thought it was great, completely blowing your mind the way good Twilight Zone episodes always did... sure, it fooled everybody, but that's what it was SUPPOSED to do; did these people get mad at the end of The Sixth Sense too? Regardless, can't say enough good things about the film. I've only got the VHS version, but I'd love to get the DVD to see the trailer and hear the commentary.

Rating:
Summary: Nice companion to BWP
Review: This is basically a good "mockumentary" film and, like The Blair Witch Project, leaves you thinking about it after you're done watching it. The only thing I didn't like was the mechanical pace of the movie. If it whould have been more relaxed in it's presentation instead of being so tight, it wouldn't have looked like a PBS presentation! I mean Dateline shows are more free and easy.

Rating:
Summary: if you have ever seen investigative reports
Review: this movie mimics investigative reports on a cable channel(hmm)called a@e that it begs the ? why do people call this film original.it's highly entertaining,compelling,and a testament to what can be accomplished with a definitive plan,a computer,and a friend who can manipulate digital video with the best of them.if you get a chance(if you have cable)watch IR first,then watch this film,because this was their most obvious inspiration.It might sound like i was bored by this film,and that would be false,because i was riveted to the screen until the evil force that murdered these likable lunkheads was revealed,much the same way i was riveted to the screen until columbo caught the killer when i was a youngster.In conclusion,these filmmakers have crafted an entertaining(if you're patient)engrossing,intriguing who-dunnit.95% of the film was shot on a digital video camera,which seems to be the future,and the production values,in light of this fact are extremely high.This isnt blair,its more of a spoof of all the documentaries you might have seen on tv and how the truth can be manipulated depending on who has control of the images contained in that doumentary.Just watch it,i still contend that in order to seperate themselves from a "real doc",they tacked on a confusing and contrived ending that greatly detracts from the entire film and raises even more ?s at the conclusion.

Rating:
Summary: Maybe it should've been called "The Leeds Broadcast"...
Review: So do you think that guy babbling about The Blair Witch Project actually being "based on true events" is for real, or just making some bizarre, stretched attempt at a joke? Seriously, I know some people bought that in 1999, but people don't STILL believe the marketing campaign, do they? Anybody? Bueller? Bueller?

Anyway, The Last Broadcast. Excellent, incredibly innovative movie, though I'm admittedly biased; being a New Jersey native who grew up with legends of the Jersey Devil, there was pretty much no way I wasn't going to like this. Still, really good acting, as evidenced by how many people buy this as a real documentary when they miss the first few minutes. As to the ending, I'm one of those who thought it was great, completely blowing your mind the way good Twilight Zone episodes always did... sure, it fooled everybody, but that's what it was SUPPOSED to do; did these people get mad at the end of The Sixth Sense too? Regardless, can't say enough good things about the film. I've only got the VHS version, but I'd love to get the DVD to see the trailer and hear the commentary.

Rating:
Summary: Nice companion to BWP
Review: This is basically a good "mockumentary" film and, like The Blair Witch Project, leaves you thinking about it after you're done watching it. The only thing I didn't like was the mechanical pace of the movie. If it whould have been more relaxed in it's presentation instead of being so tight, it wouldn't have looked like a PBS presentation! I mean Dateline shows are more free and easy.

Rating:
Summary: The Last Broadcast- The Real Blair Witch
Review: A big well done to Steven Avalos and Lance Weiler for this highly original film, with an interesting twist. Although slow in places I favoured this film to the Blair witch project as there was a lot more to this film. For example, the interviews were far more interesting, especially with the film restoration scenes. As for all of this "emotional attatchment" certain reviewers felt, maybe that's what the writer's and director's wanted to happen- hence the big twist. It's a great shame that the Blair Witch Project got all the credit that the Last Broadcast deserved.