The Last Broadcast (1998)

The Last Broadcast: Directed by Stefan Avalos, Lance Weiler. With David Beard, Jim Seward, Stefan Avalos, Lance Weiler. A film crew ventures into the forest in search of the mythical ‘Jersey Devil’.

“Let me start off by saying that if you went into this thinking it would be a Blair Witch project prequel, you are wrong. The concept is that this film is a documentary, although this would be a TV-grade u0026#39;mid afternoonu0026#39; documentary, based around the murders of 3 crew members on a program called u0026quot;Fact or Fictionu0026quot; in the New Jersey pine barrens. Itu0026#39;s meant to look like one of those cheap afternoon shows with guys u0026#39;huntingu0026#39; for the lochness monster, or big foot, or even the Jersey Devil. One of those paranormal docs, or a murder investigation program theyu0026#39;d have on Au0026amp;E or a channel like that. Something youu0026#39;d find in the middle of the afternoon, when nothing else was on, and get kinda creeped out watching it. That was this films goal, and they captured that cheap quality PERFECTLY! Everything about this aspect works, and it works splendidly. And itu0026#39;s played totally straight. The people interviewed feel authentic, and the eerie monotonous narration works, cause this is what the guys narrating the tea-time documentaries would be doing. Go watch any of those u0026#39;true crimeu0026#39; type programs, and you will find this same style of narration.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eItu0026#39;s this stab at the familiar that gives the film itu0026#39;s tone. First it presents itu0026#39;s alleged murderer, Jim Suerd, who is a strange and anti-social young man, who was the only survivor of the killings which ended the lives of the crew working on the fore-mentioned program. Heu0026#39;s presented in a good, and creepy fashion. His mannerisms are awkward, and he claims to be a psychic, although we are also told that he is an amateur magician, and skilled in trickery. If the documentary was solely about him it would still feel creepy and interesting. BUT(!) When it begins to sway towards the supernatural, and the mystery of who the killer is begins to widen, tensions really begin to raise.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis film is brilliant on atmosphere, it really is. The tensions seem to constantly be rising, and everything seems to be building towards something…which makes it all the more aggravating that it had to have such a terrible ending. I wonu0026#39;t spoil it for you, but I can just say that it totally butchers the mood set by the film, and is actually very jarring; as if it wasnu0026#39;t even part of the original project and just tacked on at the end.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFor me, this film would have been near perfect, had it ended differently. It could have gone any direction with the several mysteries it established, as long as it kept with the tone and Iu0026#39;d have been fine. But instead they opted for this terrible completely off tone piece of–well like I said I wonu0026#39;t spoil it. Iu0026#39;d say give it a watch, but the wasted potential makes for a bitter viewing. It actually made me mad that I liked the film leading up to the end, because it butchers it that immensely.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e~6 out of 10~ For itu0026#39;s great capturing of a sub-genre, but loses a lot of points because of that ending. That F*****g ending..”