Mike Flanagan has doubled down on his love for new horror movie Late Night with the Devil, amid controversy over the film's use of AI. The directors, Cameron and Colin Cairnes clarified its use in a statement to Variety.
"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," they said to the publication. "We feel incredibly fortunate to have had such a talented and passionate cast, crew, and producing team go above and beyond to help bring this film to life. We can't wait for everyone to see it for themselves this weekend."
On his Letterboxd account, horror maestro Flanagan shared support for the film, after originally posting a positive review back in November 2023. "Yeah, the movie remains absolutely excellent, and remains highly recommended," he wrote in an update to his review, dated March 21.
He continued to share his support in the comments. "This is an excellent movie, I highly recommend it, and that's all I have to say about it," he told one Letterboxd user, adding in another comment: "The comment section of my Letterboxd account is not the forum to litigate issues of AI in the industry. This is an excellent movie worthy of your time and support. Beyond that, gonna start blocking people."
AI has been a major topic of discussion in the film industry, especially within the context of the WGA writers' strike and SAG-AFTRA actors' strike which took place last year. Late Night with the Devil was shot in 2022.
The film is a found footage horror movie centering on a late night talk show host who ends up caught in a supernatural, Satanic event thanks to a young guest he's interviewing live on air. David Dastmalchian stars.
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