The King's Seal of Approval: David Dastmalchian's Indie Horror Movie Earns Stephen King's Glowing Review

Summary

David Dastmalchian is elated about the commendation Stephen King has given to Late Night with the Devil and feels privileged to have the endorsement of such an esteemed author.

This independent horror film has also garnered admiration from prominent artists like Kevin Smith and Marc Bernardin.

Stephen King's influential role as a reviewer has been evident in recent years, where he frequently shares his opinions on various projects. With his support, the success of a film or show can be significantly enhanced.

Actor David Dastmalchian, who recently appeared in an adaptation of Stephen King's work, responds eagerly to King's highly positive review of Late Night with the Devil. In the film, Dastmalchian not only stars as Jack Delroy, the host of a late-night talk show called Night Owls, but also serves as the producer. The intriguing storyline revolves around a recovered master tape from a Halloween episode, where a live broadcast took an unexpected turn as Delroy interviewed a parapsychologist who was the sole survivor of a mass suicide by a Satanic church. Alongside Dastmalchian, the movie features Laura Gordon, Ingrid Torelli, and Ian Bliss in supporting roles. Late Night with the Devil has been making waves in the festival circuit, receiving enthusiastic reviews early on.

During an exclusive interview with Screen Rant at San Diego Comic-Con 2023, David Dastmalchian expressed his excitement in response to Stephen King's enthusiastic review of his independent horror film, Late Night with the Devil. The actor and producer was thrilled to receive praise not only from King but also from renowned figures in the creative industry such as Kevin Smith and Marc Bernardin. Dastmalchian shared his amazement at seeing a screenshot of King's post, stating, "It's unbelievable. The fact that the King himself endorsed our film is mind-blowing."

King Has Become A Key Reviewer In Recent Years

Since then, it has garnered some enthusiastic endorsements. Recently, Jim Lee expressed his admiration for it, having had the chance to view it in advance. Other notable figures like Kevin Smith and Mark Bernardin also had the opportunity to see it and were equally impressed. The response from critics has been extremely positive, but more importantly, audiences have been incredibly thrilled and pleased by it. One of the most memorable moments was during the Overlook Film Festival in New Orleans, where I had the pleasure of witnessing a crowd filled with people screaming, cheering, and expressing their enthusiasm for the film. That kind of reaction is what truly matters to me. I absolutely love it. I absolutely love it.

King's praise for Late Night with the Devil came just over a month after the release of The Boogeyman. The Boogeyman is an adaptation of the author's short story, and in the film, Dastmalchian played Lester Billings. Lester Billings is the grieving father who unintentionally passes the Boogeyman curse on to Sadie and her family. While critics had mixed opinions about the movie, King was extremely enthusiastic about it. In fact, he was so impressed that he emailed Rob Savage to express his interest in continuing their collaboration. The director, equally excited about working with King, was keen on adapting The Langoliers.

King has gained attention in recent months for frequently taking to Twitter to share his thoughts on various projects. This trend started in 2019 when he praised Netflix's Money Heist and continued with surprising recommendations like the Gerard Butler thriller Plane and Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods.

More recently, King has been recommending a range of genres, including HBO's The Wire, Idris Elba's Hijack on Apple TV+, and The Flash from the DC Extended Universe. Although The Flash didn't achieve box office success with King's endorsement, the horror show From has received a viral boost from his continued praise. This creates hope that Late Night with the Devil will also achieve mainstream success when it finally has a wide release.