DVD Review: The Last Broadcast - Page 2

 Looking for any Hostshook that will bring back viewers, the hosts turn to Internet Relay Chat to allow viewers to send in suggestions for what the show should investigate next. One suggestion, to do a live show from the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey in search of the Jersey Devil, the legendary creature who inspired the name of the New Jersey Devils ice hockey team, intrigues the show's hosts, and soon has them assembling a crew to investigate.

The crew is comprised of Jim Suerd, a fan of the show and self-professed psychic, and Rein Clackin, audio technician. Suerd is the odd one--okay, oddest one--of the bunch. He's not quite always in the here and now, if you know what I mean. Avkast and Wheeler use him as a psychic bloodhound to lead them deep into the woods of the Pine Barrens in search of the best spot to find the Jersey Devil.

As the documentary unfolds, a reenactment of the trip is shown using video footage shot by Avkast and Wheeler as they recruit the team members, focusing especially on the Suerdmeeting with Suerd, who goes into a psychic fit. As the team is assembled, and preparations made, the documentary moves on to the fifteen hours of recovered footage from the ill-fated night in the woods. In the now familiar Blair Witch Project style of shaky close-ups, scene ambiguity, and quick-cut action snippets, Avkast, Wheeler, Suerd and Clackin are shown trying to find a suitable location for camp, bitching about this or that, and then suddenly finding that they are not alone in the very cold, very dark Pine Barrens.

Enough is shown or intimated to give you a nice creepy feeling. Throughout it all, director David Leigh's stoic voice intones the police evidence for arresting and convicting Suerd, the lone survivor, and then asks questions about the supposed guilt of Jim Suerd. And just when you think the answers are going to remain unclear, the film shifts from documentary perspective to third-person movie perspective, and follows the restoration of a critical piece of video that may show the killer's face, and the dedicated forensic video technician that will make it happen. The denouement leaves no doubt as to who the killer is. In a sudden and very brutal scene of callous murder, the killer is revealed.

Continued on the next page Page 1 — Page 2 — Page 3

Article tags

Spread the word
Bookmark and Share
Profile image for iloz-zoc

Article Author: ILoz Zoc


Founder of the League of Tana Tea Drinkers (LOTT D), expiring writer of Zombos Closet of Horror Blog, and valet to Zombos, the noted B-movie horror actor (to his few remaining and decaying fans).

Visit ILoz Zoc's author pageILoz Zoc's Blog

Read comments on this article, and add some feedback of your own
  • The Last Broadcast The Last Broadcast

    Studio: Wea-des Moines Video Release Date: 09/26/2006

Article comments

  • 1 - brad schader

    Sep 28, 2006 at 3:15 pm

    This was a fairly good and creepy movie until the end. It is one of the worst tacked-on endings I have ever seen and makes no sense at all. That is where Blair Witch passed this film, thier ending still sucked, but made more sense. I do not want to ruin it here because you really do not see it coming, but that is because it comes from no where.

  • 2 - Iloz Zoc

    Sep 28, 2006 at 3:27 pm

    Brad,
    Without going into detail, was it the switch from doc to regular movie, or the reveal that you didn't like?

  • 3 - brad schader

    Sep 28, 2006 at 3:30 pm

    To be honest, both. The reveal seemed like they realized they had no ending and the switch added to that feeling. If the movie started out 3rd person and switched to the doc form then back to 3rd it would flow better. The switch as it is now throws the audience too much before they are able to follow the story again.

  • 4 - wendy

    Jul 10, 2007 at 11:08 pm

    how can something like that do all that to those bodies?
    these questions are still being recovered but..
    i beleive in this myth because this wouldnt happen for no reason

  • 5 - ochre

    Aug 12, 2008 at 5:02 am

    This was a fairly good and creepy movie until the end

  • 6 - bryan

    Sep 08, 2008 at 3:51 am

    I'm with the above- I so loved this movie until about the last 3 minutes or so. The first time I watched it I was WTF? There were several points at the end that just make no sense. There was (at least) one other ending that could have really just blasted this film into space. But do see it if you haven't, it is much much better than the crap Hollywood has been putting out the past decade or so. The ending, while weird, is still better than most "horror" coming out recently. Oh, and video girl Shelly is quite the hottie.

Add your comment, speak your mind

Personal attacks are NOT allowed.
Please read our comment policy.
Please preview your comment.

blogcritics lists for Nov 10, 2009

fresh articles Most recent articles site-wide

fresh comments Most recent comments site-wide

most comments Most comments in 24hrs

top writers Most prolific Blogcritics for October

top commenters Most prolific Commenters in 24 hrs