Film Review - "Late Night With the Devil'

This homage to the 1970s and the tone of horror back then is appreciated even when the execution might be questionable. The camp factor and suspension of disbelief compensate for a great deal in terms of what the budget might have restricted them to. This is aided by the found footage nature of the movie.  I think a big strength of the film is that it does not try to be another A24 or Millenial Teen Horror movie. It does not care about your feelings. Sure some of the concepts including the possessed girl might be well-worn horror tropes but they are approached from a fresh perspective. 

The movie ie might not take itself seriously but never crosses over into comedy, which it's unsure if that is, in fact, its intention. The humor comes across as an awkward diversion to avoid feeling the tension. This might be the most realistic part of the film. You never really care about the characters that much to become invested in their impending demise. You also can not say this movie has a happy ending, which is another plus in my book, as I prefer horror to be as bleak as possible, with no hope, which is horrifying in the emotional sense.  The movie plays with darker concepts, but never plunges you firmly into them, but still works for what they are going for. 

The best thing about this movie is so far this year Hollywood, as leaned in on remakes and rehasing movies rather than offering the audience a choice of picking fresh new content. This feels like when it comes to horror this has been worse, as "Immaculate" and the Omen prequel were almost the same movie, I did not review both because it would have been redundant, at least this is not a remake, and feels like some creative chances were taken, I think the very fact they did so made this work perhaps even more than the reality of what was committed to film as I was relieved to at least have the option of something new even if it was winking in the direction of a particular era, making that easily forgivable.  

The Devil's Rock

It's been a minute since i have been able to sit through a horror movie that keeps my attention in one sitting. With the devil's rock i did just that , small cast and the budget flaws seen in the gore effects budget add up to this not reaching a wide audience but it entertained me. Breaking away from the more conventional premises, i think demons don't get there fair share on the screen , as most movies of the past ten years have been vampire, were-wolf, serial killer and ghost flicks , so any monsters that break the mold are welcome. No i have not made it through troll hunter yet , but i am about to watch wake wood .
The nazi's dabbling in the occult is another welcome subject in horror for me , and this movie is chalk full of it though , a limited range in the presentation of the subject, the movie gives winks to inglorious bastards as much as it does the exorcist . Well acted and what they had at there disposal they made the most of , the succubus in her natural state , looks like the little sister of tim curry from legend, so like a metal album cover , i would have gone the hp lovecraft route on this one and had less be more , because the full monty on it looks like a stripper on halloween. Granted even then this is heads above alot of the straight to d vd garbage or the syfy movie dreck, but what i feel like keep a good movie instead of great one.I think this lack of realism took away the fear factor , say what you will but the paranormal activity movies scare the shit out of movie and they are made on nothing. if you like occult based horror with a high suspension of disbelief then this one is for you.