The Last Broadcast [VHS] | David Beard, Lance Weiler | Surpasses other "mockumentary" Horror Vids

The Last Broadcast [VHS] | David Beard, Lance Weiler | Reminds me of "In Search Of" with a twist...

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Unexpected Songs Two NEC MultiSync 1560... Strictly Ballroom The Last Broadcast...

	The Last Broadcast [VHS] David Beard, Lance Weiler Wavelength Releasing, 2000 average customer review:based on 149 reviews view larger image
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Comparisons to The Blair Witch Project are inevitable for the inventive, satirical The Last Broadcast, a chilling and funny mockumentary by filmmakers Stefan Avalos and Lance Weiler. Besides being made and coming to prominence around the same time (though without a Blair Witch-style marketing juggernaut), The Last Broadcast also details the doomed travails of some amateur filmmakers as they track a mysterious, murderous legend in a dark forest. Hmmm, sound familiar? Actually, The Last Broadcast takes a different tack on this premise, one more media-savvy than Blair Witch. Turns out that this is the latest installment of the X-Files-ish public access show Fact or Fiction, and its doofusy hosts (Avalos and Weiler themselves) plan on doing a live broadcast from deep in the New Jersey woods on their ongoing quest for the Bigfoot-like Jersey Devil. Teaming up with two Internet-based fans, they plunge themselves and their equipment into the wintry woods; only one man, the creepy psychic Jim (Jim Seward), returns, and is promptly convicted of the murders of the other three. While it does boast footage made by the "dead" filmmakers, The Last Broadcast is more formally structured as a documentary, complete with officious, muckraking host (David Leigh) and much behind-the-scenes footage. We're let in on the backgrounds of the victims, the 911 phone calls, the murder trial, the inconsistencies the prosecution overlooked, and the painstaking work of reconstructing the film stock, which may unlock the mystery of the true killer. Filmed entirely with digital cameras and assembled on digital systems for a mind-boggling $900, The Last Broadcast boasts a great look and a sharp, satiric eye for sending up the media--Avalos and Weiler are in calm command of their medium and message. The film does take a sharp turn that could either enrage or amaze viewers enraptured by what's preceded, but it's a minor quibble at best. And unlike The Blair Witch Project, The Last Broadcast does answer all the mysterious questions it raises. --Mark Englehart

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Surpasses other "mockumentary" Horror Vids

I used to love the old documentaries in the 70's, "In Search of", Sasquatch, Bermuda Triangle etc. As a kid, this fare was especially scary because at that impressionable age it all seemed real.
This video is a fake for sure, but presented in a reality documentary format with all of the unanswered questions and speculation teasing the viewer. Unlike predecessor and alleged copycat "Blair Witch Project", there is a mix of "raw" tape footage with interviews and TV news report clips added to good effect.
The story is this video was made for a thousand bucks if so, another thousand bucks would have really helped clean up the few holes this highly watchable video is. These directors really made the most of their budget.

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Reminds me of "In Search Of" with a twist...

I heard of this about the time "Blair Witch" came out, and just had to see it. It reminded me of the old "In Search Of" episodes, with the creepy synth music and the basic, simple camera work. I was also impressed that for such a small amount of money (purported to be under 1000 dollars,) and with such simple digital equipment, the makers did such a good job.

Now, I'm a big guy, and the ending even gave me a bit of the shakes toward the end; I found myself clutching a chair with sense of real disorientation. Some who like more conventional horror films, heavy on effect and light on story, might not like this; it takes a different sort of perspective.

Me, I liked it, so watch it for yourself, just make sure the house is locked up tight before you do...

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