| Product: |
The Last Broadcast (DVD) |
| Date: |
06/07/01 (118 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Excellent acting, Good original story
Disadvantages: A little weird in parts
The Last Broadcast is unique in that it was on of the first feature films to be cut using a consumer-based desktop PC. The film has recently been mentioned in Focus magazine as it made history, as it was the first feature film to be released digitally via satellite to theatres across the U.S. Even with all this hype The Last Broadcast has still gone relatively unknown but it deserves a lot of credit for its original plot and clever ending.
Filmmaker David Leigh decides to make a documentary on the famous murders of a TV crew in New Jersey. The incident occurred in 1995 when four men desperate for their TV station to succeed ventured into the Pine Barrens of New Jersey to do a live broadcast about the legendary Jersey Devil. Steven Avkast and Locus Wheeler are the two main charcters who own the TV show Fact or Fiction. After poor ratings they decide to do the live internet and satellite broadcast from the Pine Barrens. The pair take on some helper and set off for the broadcast full of hope. There was only one survivor from the four members that went into the woods. His name is James Suerd who was into magic and the Internet. Obviously being the only survivor he is the prime suspect and he actually gets sentenced with the murders. Suerd has a violent nature at times and this was enough to persuade the jury that he was guilty. However filmmaker David Leigh is not so convinced and decides to make a documentary and try to clear Suerd of the murders.
The film has a documentary feel throughout the movie but at certain times during the film we are also shown live footage of what actually happened before the murders. This aspect of the film is very similar to The Blair Witch Project. The film then has a surprising twist at the end, which seems to ditch the documentary and live style and completely twists the whole story. The good thing about this film is that the murderer is kept secret till the end so you don’t know if Suerd was the culprit or if it
ones some kind of supernatural force.
I would say one of the main strengths of this film is the acting. All the actors were unknown before this film and they all do an excellent job. Even some of the people who are being interviewed are believable and you would not know that it was only a film. You wouldn’t really know that they were acting. The Directors Stefan Avalos and Steven Avkast play the two main characters in this movie. The other actor worth mentioning is David Beard who plays filmmaker David Leigh. Beard’s role is like a narrotor and he tells the story of what happened in the build up to the broadcast and what he thinks happened. His role is an important part of the movie and he does a good job in keeping the audiences attention.
The Last Broadcast is a clever film though as it raises some interesting points about the internet and the convience of convicting people if there is not enough evidence. The film introduces the idea of the internet having a part to play in violent crimes. The Last Broadcast has an 18 certificate which I think is a little over the top really. The film is very creepy but there is very little violence and swearing. I suppose the only real reason for the rating is due to the nature and topic of the movie. Overall The Last Broadcast is a very original and thought provoking movie. It is a nice change from the normal Hollywood blockbusters.
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