Internet Janitor
The price of ambition can cost you your life.
Late Night with the Devil is a fantastic film, a Shudder original that thankfully also got to spend some time in theatres. This is exactly the kind of movie that horror needs: something original. It’s a throwback movie from 1977, with all the trappings of late-night shows, both then and now. It proves David Dastmalchian is a leading man and is a star-making vehicle for him.
It is 1977, Halloween and most importantly, for the late-night talk show, Night Owls, sweep week. It is make or break for the show who needs to have a great Halloween outing to save themselves. For better or worse, it’s going to be one hell of a time. THe host, Jack Delroy (played by David Dastmalchian from The Suicide Squad) has his biggest smile on when he welcomes a lady young lady, freed from a deminc cult, to talk directly to the devil himself.
Within a sea of remakes, reboots and reimagining for horror to keep its momentum, we need something new. While Late Night with Devil pays many an homage to films like The Exorcist, it is its own beast. The pacing is odd, but it works and keeps going on the strength of its atmosphere and that of the entire cast. Despite the insanity that unfolds before our eyes, it all seems like a real show. Albeti one of desperate people willing to let many a terrible thing slide to get their ratings up.
A point of trivia: the character Ian Bliss is very clearly based upon the life of a man named James Randi, whom I highly recommend you look up. Like Bliss, Randi was a former magician who dedicated his life to exposing frauds and would flaunt a large cheque to anyone who could unequivocally prove their powers. No one ever claimed the money.
The film is not overly violent, perhaps PG-13, but this does not matter, and being R-rated is not and has never been a requirement for a great horror film. It carries a feeling of unease, campy fun, it’s serious ut not overly serious. As we delve into the tidbits of Jack’s history and begin to understand he’s an unreliable narrator, the film ultimately will let you decide for yourself.
Was host Jack Delroy a good man, or was he a monster?