In 1995 a four-man team from the cable-access program Fact or Fiction braved the desolate New Jersey Pine Barrens determined to deliver a live broadcast of legendary monster, the Jersey Devil. Only one came out alive. The lone survivor was sentenced to life in prison, but filmmaker David Leigh is convinced that he’s innocent. Could the Jersey Devil still haunt the barrens?
101 Films presents trailblazing thriller The Last Broadcast (1998). Released on Blu-ray for the first time, Stefan Avalos and Lance Weiler’s chilling feature debut is a landmark in the history of the found footage genre. This Limited Edition Blu-ray release includes a new 30 minute interview with the directors, newly-commissioned slipcase artwork from legendary comics artist Stephen R. Bissette, and a booklet with expert writing on the film and the found footage genre from the directors of feature documentary “The Found Footage Phenomenon” (2021).
For thoughts on The Last Broadcast, please check out our discussions on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
The Last Broadcast is presented on Blu-Ray with its original 1.33:1 pillarbox presentation which looks about as good as you could possibly hope. As the filmmakers discuss in the supplemental features, this film was shot on video using entirely consumer grade equipment. From my understanding of certain explanations, despite the appearance that some portions may have actually been shot on film given the apparent jump in quality, this was achieved by deinterlacing the original video image and presenting it as a progressive image while other shots were manipulated in a way to make things look even more degraded in quality. All of this is to say, the film is never going to look shining and new, but it was never supposed to.
While maybe not as aesthetically pleasing as some discs, having this movie presented on Blu-Ray does allow the movie to exist in its most satisfying state. This is a very nice looking transfer that eliminates nearly all of the unintended deficits while persevering the original look. When you consider the enterprising way in which the movie was shot, it is impressive how great everything looks. There does not appear to be any issues with compression artifacts or any other such digital anomalies. The track does show off some faint detail in the clothing of the subjects and in the facial features. Colors present as vivid as the original format will allow. This presentation is the most accurate to what audiences would have seen on screen when it originally debuted in theaters.
Audio Quality
The new Blu-Ray is presented with an LPCM 2.0 track which suits the material perfectly well. The words of the subjects are the standout aspect of the movie, and they mostly come through quite well in relation to the competing sounds. The talking head interviews hold up with less distortion than the material out in nature with less stability. The most impressive aspect of this track is the gently unsettling score which comes through with a nice fidelity. There are some sound issues due to the source material, but the most important thing is that the track remains faithful to the intention of the creative team. English subtitles are provided for those who desire them. This one sounds as good as it possibly can in this Blu-Ray collection.
Special Features
The 101 Films Blu-Ray of The Last Broadcast includes a booklet featuring the essays “Welcome To The Digital Age: The Last Broadcast And The Horrors Of The Internet” by director Phillip Escott and “Fact or Fiction?” by director Sarah Appleton. In these two pieces, the filmmakers behind The Found Footage Phenomenon discuss the themes and how the film plays with internet culture along with the place of truth in filmmaking and the found footage genre. These both provide a great amount of context and insight into the film and genre as a whole. The only criticism is that the presentation can be a bit hard to read due to its aesthetic layout. The on-disc special features are as follows:
- Audio Commentary #1: Co-directors Stefan Avalos and Lance Weiler provide their first commentary track from 1999 along with sporadic insights from cast members. Throughout these tracks the pair discuss the motivation behind certain decisions, the cast they were able to convince to participate in the shoot, how they were able to shoot in certain locations, the work they were able to do during post production, leaning into the overly dramatic moments, the background character details that never made it into the movie and more.
- Audio Commentary #2: Co-directors Stefan Avalos and Lance Weiler return for their second commentary track from 2006. This track has a very different energy since these two are not recording together, instead recording on opposite coasts and editing together for a mostly cohesive experience. While you might expect these tracks to share a lot of overlap, there is a lot to be gained from the perspective they have earned from living with this movie for many years and distributing it around the world.
- A New Broadcast – Interviews with Co-Directors Stefan Avalos and Lance Weiler: A new 31-minute interview with the two creatives in which they further reflect back on the legacy of the feature from the modern day including their influences, what spurred them to embark on this project, the freedom of not asking for permission to create, the nitty gritty of shooting on video and learning how to give it a film-like look, coaching the non-actors on their characters, comparisons to the The Blair Witch Project, the film’s legacy and more.
- Behind-The-Scenes – Production: A nearly eight-minute archival featurette in which Avalos and Weiler discuss the process of developing the narrative, the performers, settling on a style to present the material, the shooting locations and more.
- Behind-The-Scenes – Post-Production: A nearly five-minute archival featurette in which Avalos and Weiler discuss how they used early photoshop to create various aspects of the film, getting the aesthetic they wanted even when shooting on video, creating sound effects and more.
- Behind-The-Scenes – Distribution: A six-minute archival featurette in which Avalos and Weiler discuss the actual process of projecting the film, getting on the festival circuit, releasing the film digitally worldwide and more.
- Exclusive Interviews: A nearly 16-minute collection of raw footage from the “expert” interviews which shows the extended process of the non-actors performing their scenes which the filmmakers cut down into the clips we find in the movie.
- Clips From Fact or Fiction: A 15-minute collection of footage from the fake Fact of Fiction show featured in the film.
- Jim Seward – Alive And Well Performing Two Folk Songs: A six-minute performance of two songs.
- Lucas – What Really Happened?: A five-minute piece in which one of the Fact or Fiction co-hosts breaks down what actually (didn’t) happen and the process of ending up in Los Angeles to support the project.
- Gallery Of Gore: A two-minute image gallery is provided here of special effects shots, promotional material and more.
- Trailer: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
The Last Broadcast is a feature with unsettling elements, but it does not commit to being a horror film in the way which other found-footage films explicitly do. This approach allows for a more intellectual examination of storytelling and the place of truth within it, but it also means longer stretches for your mind to begin to wander a bit. The film actually feels most stable when it commits completely to this idea instead of the spiral to a conclusion which is entertaining but does not feel completely earned. Overall, the film is a fairly interesting landmark in the evolution of cinema worthy of exploration. 101 Films has released a Blu-Ray that sports a solid A/V presentation and a host of special features that greatly enhance the experience. Fans of the found footage genre should be delighted. Recommended
The Last Broadcast is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: 101 Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.