Both Antonio and myself were in attendance at the legendary Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar location, a cinema that has left a BIG impact on my life as not only the home to many SxSW and Fantastic Fests but also a world class cinema with top notch projection and sound AND a terrific food menu of course. We split up and checked out both opening night Midnighters selections. (Editor’s note: Post has been updated to include Jason’s reaction as he saw the movie at a later screening.)
TALK TO ME
ABOUT: When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.
JASON’S REACTION: Coming from a pair of famous YouTubers, filmmakers Danny & Michael Philippou have blown right out of the gate with their first feature with a bizarre premise involving a terrifying hand and a bunch of young people who become obsessed with what it can do. TALK TO ME takes some familiar horror elements but I found the obsession and addiction it brings to be quite original, and newcomer Sophie Wilde is outstanding here in a complicated role and there’s also a good Australian cast also featuring Miranda Otto (THE LORD OF THE RINGS series) in a small part. A24 is the distributor in the US and should become something of a cult hit when it gets released.
LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL
ABOUT: October 31, 1977. Jack Delroy’s syndicated talk show ‘Night Owls’ has long been a trusted companion to insomniacs around the country, but a year on from the tragic death of Jack’s wife, ratings have plummeted. Desperate to turn his fortunes around, Jack plans a Halloween special like no other, unaware he is about to unleash evil into the living rooms of America. LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL “Late Night With The Devil” is the recently rediscovered recording of what went to air that fateful night.
ANTONIO’S REACTION: A good found footage film about a tv stunt gone wrong where a late night talk show host does an interview with Satan through a possessed little girl. Think THE EXORCIST meets The Late Show with Johnny Carson. It does a great job in capturing the 70s TV cinematography and its fashion. Towards the end of the show heads will be twisted and bodies incinerated. It will be a bloody good show, with an incredible opening narration by Michael Ironside.
JASON’S REACTION: I absolutely loved this Midnighters selection that proposes a evil forces literally making their way into a late 70’s TV show. What sets this one apart is the TV footage looks and sounds very authentic to a show of the time (in its original 1.33 aspect ratio) but it stays interesting when it intercuts to 16mm black and white footage in between the televised segments. There is also one truly terrifying horror sequence that really made me cringe, in a good way, and the lengths this movie goes to entertain is pretty spectacular. The filmmakers have a really good idea here, including a terrific lead performance by David Dastmalchian that reminds me of old school Griffin Dunne. I really see a huge reaction to this one when it’s released and finding a wide audience. Certainly the best that I have seen out of the Midnighters section of the festival so far.
This film and many others like it will be showing at South By Southwest taking place March 10-19. For more information point your browser to www.sxsw.com!