T
Films like The Orphanage and The Conjuring demonstrate that the past is not only a foreign land, but also a frightening one. This horror film is also set in the 1970s and falls on the same spectrum of kitschy and unsettling. The talented David Dastmalchian shines as the sickly-looking Jack Delroy, a fading late-night variety show host in the US. We have seen Dastmalchian take on various character roles in recent years, from a Harkonnen mentat in Dune to one of Oppenheimer’s critics, as well as Polka-Dot Man in Suicide Squad. In this film, he finally gets the well-deserved lead role.
Delroy’s resume reveals that he has been overshadowed by Johnny Carson in the ratings, is a member of a secretive group, and has become a widower due to his wife’s battle with lung cancer. His 1977 Halloween special is his chance to make a comeback, but everything relies on the master tapes that make up Late Night With the Devil. After the first guest, a psychic named Christou, is forced to leave due to illness, paranormal debunker Carmichael becomes the second guest and ruins the party. Delroy hopes to redeem himself with his third guest, parapsychologist June and her teenage ward, Lilly, who was once held captive by a cult and is believed to be possessed by a minor demon.
Writer-directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes – who sound like a light-entertainment act themselves – capably bottle the strained ersatzness of studio television and shake it up into droll fizz: “Ladies and gentlemen, please stay tuned for a live television first, as we attempt to commune with the devil. But not before a word from our sponsors.” The black and white B-roll footage between segments is where the dapper but mildly exploitative Delroy reveals his careerist colours, like a vampiric Jimmy Fallon with slip-ons and sideburns.
Although it is well-known now thanks to Jimmy Savile, Rolf Harris, and others of their kind, that the supposedly pleasant TV shows of the 70s had dark secrets behind them, the Cairnes brothers fail to truly present anything truly unsettling. Even the finale, which showcases impressive special effects and delves into occult themes, falls short in challenging the usual lightheartedness of primetime television (even though it is a bloody take on it). Nonetheless, the directors and Dastmalchian, who is full of false seriousness, have a good time with a new concept that serves as a reminder that seemingly innocuous entertainment can also have a sinister side.
Source: theguardian.com
