The Last Broadcast: The last scene may be found infuriating
Released a year before the classic found-footage film The Blair Witch Project, The Last Broadcast (1998) is a curious film that is perhaps more divisive than its more well-known counterpart. Taking the format of a mockumentary, The Last Broadcast hopes to shed light on the ritualistic murder of two young budding TV presenters and a sound engineer, one whose body is not to be found.
With a plot incredibly similar to that of Blair Witch, you may find yourself accusing the writers of ripping off The Last Broadcast – but this may not have been the case. Want to know more? Read on.
Plot
Documentary filmmaker David Leigh delves into the chilling case of the Fact or Fiction murders. This intriguing film follows Leigh’s relentless pursuit of truth as he investigates the mysterious deaths of cable TV hosts Steven “Johnny” Avkast and Locus Wheeler, whose remains were found under baffling circumstances. The body of one of the Hosts and a Sound Engineer was found, but another body still remains missing.
At the heart of the story lies Fact or Fiction, a show delving into unsolved mysteries and the supernatural. Despite its initial success, Leigh uncovers the show’s decline, teetering on the brink of cancellation. Enter Avkast’s idea to rejuvenate the show with a live Internet Relay Chat (IRC) segment, sparking a fateful chain of events. Through this IRC chat, one viewer suggests investigating the Jersey Devil.
As the team embarks on a quest to uncover the truth behind the Jersey Devil, a mythical being haunting the Pine Barrens, tensions rise. Joined by Rein Clackin, a sound expert with a knack for recording the paranormal, and Jim Suerd, a troubled supposed psychic, the group ventures into the heart of darkness. However, as the live broadcast unfolds across television, the internet, and amateur radio, the expedition takes a sinister turn.
Amidst the eerie landscape of the Pine Barrens, only Suerd emerges from the shadows, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions and chilling revelations.
Was The Blair Witch Project a rip-off from The Last Broadcast?
I did a bit of digging into this. The main story arc is almost identical between the two movies, only Blair Witch is viewed through the unravelling of the events as they happened, rather than a documentary made about the incident.
An E! Entertainment news report conveyed Avalos and Weiler’s evident outrage, highlighting the absence of any filed lawsuits thus far, but suggesting the possibility of legal action in the future. Meanwhile, Haxan’s Myrick and Sanchez chose to maintain their silence, opting instead to defer to a concise statement issued by their publicist Jeremy Walker. The statement clarified that the duo conceived the film in 1992 and officially registered it with the WGA in 1996.
So is this proof? I simply don’t know.
Review
The Last Broadcast immerses you in the experience of watching a real documentary unfold before your eyes. Its detail-rich format captures your attention from start to finish. If you thrive on information-packed narratives, you’ll appreciate the depth of insight this film offers. I found it particularly compelling how every assumption was rigorously examined, with thorough analysis probing the credibility of each claim.
However, amidst the wealth of data, there were moments where it felt like the film veered into redundancy. Some segments seemed to revisit previously covered ground, leaving me wondering if we hadn’t already explored this territory. While the meticulous investigation is commendable, at times it felt like certain details were repeated, detracting from the overall impact.
Admittedly, my personal fondness for nostalgia may bias my otherwise objective assessment. Yet, I couldn’t help but revel in the documentary’s overtly-nineties graphics and presentation style. As a self-professed aficionado of all things reminiscent of all things horror from 1990 to 1999, I found myself engrossed by this aspect of the film.
For me, the film held strong at an 8/10 rating throughout, until the unexpected twist in the final scenes. Regrettably, the ending significantly sullied from the overall quality of the film. Departing abruptly from its found-footage format, it felt contrived and ultimately unsatisfying. It was a “What the actual f**k?” moment?!
So in summary, this film had it all for me. Found-footage format? Check. Interesting and nostalgic visuals? Check. A detailed mockumentary with a detailed lore? Check. Satisfying ending? Nope! The Last Broadcast is a gourmet meal of mostly tasty parts, but just as you are about to finish, the chef climbs and squats on the table, and does a huge steaming dump on your plate!
