“Late Night with the Devil” is a found footage horror film that made headlines for its use of AI.
So let’s dive into some trivia and facts about the film.
- Late Night with the Devil is a 2023 found footage horror film
- It is written, directed and edited by Cameron and Colin Cairnes
- It stars David Dastmalchian as the host of a 1970s talk show
- On Halloween night he invites a purportedly possessed girl onto the show in an attempt to boost ratings
- Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss, Fayssal Bazzi, Ingrid Torelli, Rhys Auteri, Georgina Haig, and Josh Quong Tart also star in supporting roles
- It is an international co-production of Australia, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates
- Late Night with the Devil had its world premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) on 10 March 2023
- It received acclaim from critics
- Garnering praise for its performances, production design and technical aspects
- Though it also received criticism for utilizing AI-generated art in its imagery
- On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 96% rating
- Based on 112 critics’ reviews
- With an average rating of 7.9/10
- The website’s consensus reads: “Delightfully dark, Late Night with the Devil proves possession horror isn’t played out — and serves as an outstanding showcase for David Dastmalchian”
- Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 72 out of 100
- Based on 19 critics
- Indicating “generally favorable” reviews
- In the week leading up to the film’s release, some reviewers pointed out the use of AI-generated art in several cutscenes, which were not present in the version screened at SXSW
- They called for a boycott of the film
- In response to the controversy, directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes said: “In conjunction with our amazing graphics and production design team, all of whom worked tirelessly to give this film the 70s aesthetic we had always imagined, we experimented with AI for three still images which we edited further and ultimately appear as very brief interstitials in the film”
- Star David Dastmalchian said: “So I think [Cameron and Colin] said it really well, and I stand by what they said and I completely stand by this movie as a thoroughly original piece of work that so many man hours went into this incredible artistic craftsmanship to be set in this world. So it’s a good conversation to have. It’s an important conversation. We’ve got to have it”
- The film was theatrically released in the United States on 22 March 2024
- Then in Australia on 11 April 2024
- And will be available for streaming on Shudder on 19 April
- The film opened on 22 March 2024 in 1,034 theaters in the United States and Canada
- It earned $2.8 million in its first three days
- Earning the largest opening weekend for a film released by IFC Films
- Media outlets noted that the total included a $666,666 gross on its third day
- Production on Late Night with the Devil was announced on 13 February 2022, with the Emirati studio Image Nation and the American genre label Spooky Pictures attached
- Describing their decision to base Late Night with the Devil around a late-night talk show, writer-director duo Cameron and Colin Cairnes stated: “In the ’70s and ’80s, there was something slightly dangerous about late-night TV. Talk shows in particular were a window into some strange adult world. We thought combining that charged, live-to-air atmosphere with the supernatural could make for a uniquely frightening film experience”
- The Cairnes brothers offered the role of Jack Delroy to David Dastmalchian after reading an article Dastmalchian wrote for the magazine Fangoria about regional TV horror hosts
- Dastmalchian accepted the part after being sent a lookbook designed to resemble a 1970s TV Guide, along with the film’s script
- Dastmalchian’s casting was announced on 24 June 2022
- Late Night with the Devil was shot in Melbourne, Australia
- The film utilizes practical special effects, including puppetry, along with digital visual effects
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