The BBC's infamous Ghostwatch had a poltergeist invading a TV studio during a live broadcast. Late Night With The Devil sees a failing late-night American chat show (Night Owls With Jack Delroy) and its tragic host in a desperate bid for ratings glory during Sweeps Week with a Halloween episode that conjures a demon. After a nicely-crafted prologue that sets out the characters and the show's story well, the legendary episode is played out in full, complete with 1970s stylings, mise-en-scene and (pre-widescreen) TV format presentation all recreated faithfully and convincingly, although the black-and-white widescreen in-studio footage during the commercial breaks jars a little. It is all driven by a very watchable and well-judged performance by David Dastmalchian, aided capably by the studio guests, a psychic, a sceptic, a parapsychologist and her charge, a strange girl survivor of a satanic cult who is (allegedly) possessed by a demon (tying in with the 1970s obsession with The Exorcist). It perhaps loses a little credibility towards the end with its Halloween III nod, over-the-top effects and the host's stylised unravelling grip on reality, but at its heart, the film has a simple and somewhat slight conceit that is delivered well overall.
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