What’s The Connection Between “Late Night With The Devil” & A Real-Life Secret Society?
"Late Night with the Devil," the hit horror film that debuted at SXSW 2023, continues to dominate streaming platforms, earning praise and shattering records.
What’s the connection between “Late Night with the Devil” and a real-life secret society? ( Photo Credit – IMDb )
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Caution: spoilers ahead. Additionally, please take the content of this article with a grain of salt, as it essentially incorporates conspiracy theories. While some elements may be grounded in reality, they are heavily intertwined with conjecture. Avoid accepting anything stated here at face value.
“Late Night with the Devil,” the hit horror film that debuted at SXSW 2023, continues to dominate streaming platforms, earning praise and shattering records. Audiences are enthralled by its eerie depiction of a 1970s late-night talk show spiraling into darkness.
Set in the late 1970s, David Dastmalchian plays the host of a fictional show called “Night Owls.” In the movie, his character, Jack Delroy, gets tangled up with a secretive society and makes a deal with them for success using occult means. Even though the movie is made up, it’s interesting to note that the cult depicted in the film is inspired by a real-life mysterious organization known for its strange rituals and controversies. Delving into the peculiar world that inspired the movie can be eye-opening.
“Late Night with the Devil” presents a pseudo-documentary style capturing the making of a crucial episode of the “Night Owls” show, tracing Jack Delroy’s ambition to dominate late-night TV. In the movie’s beginning, it is alleged that his ties to The Grove, an elusive men’s club rooted in California’s redwoods since the 1800s. Like the real Bohemian Club of San Francisco, this group is known for its secretive rituals and clout in shaping and dismantling careers. While the film’s events are fictional, its portrayal of The Grove closely mirrors the tangible Bohemian Grove, an annual retreat for influential figures held in Monte Rio, California, since the 1800s.
(Photo Credit – IMDb)
Initially, the club served as a hub for a cohort of youthful journalists, self-identifying as “bohemians,” searching for an isolated locale for engaging in social interactions with fellow enthusiasts of artistic pursuits. Collaboratively pooling their resources, they secured a lease for premises located off Sacramento Street in San Francisco, laying the groundwork for establishing the club. Full membership privileges were accorded to journalists.
To strengthen its financial position, the Bohemian Club expanded its membership to include affluent businessmen capable of providing substantial financial support. Predictably, these wealthy members quickly rose to prominence within the club, facing resistance from certain existing members. Ultimately, financial influence prevailed, leading to the gradual inclusion of renowned artists over time. Distinguished figures such as writers like Jack London, painters, composers, and even actors like Charles Coburn joined the Bohemian ranks. However, their influence often paled compared to politicians and industrial tycoons like Henry Kissinger, Herbert Hoover, Newt Gingrich, and William Randolph Hearst. The Bohemian Club counts several presidents, including Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush. The Bohemians established a tradition of festive gatherings amidst the redwoods, eventually acquiring a plot of land in the forests of Monte Rio, California, in 1899. Over time, members transformed this land into the renowned Bohemian Grove, expanding it with various structures and additional land acquisitions, resulting in a vast 2,700-acre compound. This sanctuary is purportedly heavily guarded and notoriously challenging for outsiders to access.
For many years, the activities at Bohemian Grove remained shrouded in secrecy. However, former employees and individuals who infiltrated the annual gathering have gradually divulged many details. Writer Phillip Weiss orchestrated a thorough incursion into the Grove, utilizing anti-Grove Bohemian Grove Action Network members to successfully infiltrate the week-long event.
In a 1989 article published in Spy magazine, Phillip Weiss portrayed the Grove as a congregation of the world’s wealthiest and most influential men, engaging in convivial activities such as imbibing, dining, entertainment, and clandestine discussions concerning global affairs. Nonetheless, Weiss elucidated a more somber facet of the Grove, spotlighting its verified incorporation of ritualistic elements. These encompass depictions of unclothed women and many symbols accentuating the imperative of secrecy, frequently accompanied by the dictum “Weaving Spiders Come Not Here.” The most salient emblem of the Grove is an owl, epitomized by a 40-foot statue adjacent to a sizable man-made body of water, serving as the focal point of the contentious “Cremation of Care” ceremony.
(Photo Credit – IMDb)
The Grove’s notoriety stems from its ritualistic practices conducted by influential figures. Leaked recordings provide compelling evidence of the eerie and occult ambiance surrounding the Cremation of Care ceremony held at Bohemian Grove. Participants don colorful hooded robes, solemnly observing as a procession of hooded figures, torches alight, emerges from the forest, carrying a symbolic effigy toward the water. With mentions of ritualistic burning and ominous hooded statistics, it’s no wonder the Grove evokes unease in some. This site has become a focal point for various conspiracy theories, particularly after provocateur Alex Jones garnered attention for infiltrating and witnessing the ceremony in 2000, where he alleged the presence of “Satanic” practices.
In September 1942, a crucial event took place at the Grove that profoundly impacted the world. Oppenheimer, Ernest Lawrence, and S-1 Executive Committee members attended the Manhattan Project meeting there. Many believe this meeting directly influenced the development of the atomic bomb.
Besides the rituals, the Grove has garnered significant criticism for logging redwoods and its exclusionary policies towards women. It faced numerous lawsuits over its no-women policies, notably in 1978 by California’s state government. This legal pressure led to the club beginning to hire women in 1987.
“Late Night with the Devil” may draw inspiration from conspiracy theories associated with the Bohemian Club. Nevertheless, whether the organization possesses such influence or venerates a satanic deity remains uncertain. I advise against taking everything mentioned seriously. As the author, I haven’t verified any of these details, so it’s imprudent to regard them as factual. This piece was crafted solely for entertainment purposes.
