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Late Night with the Devil is a film that has received both critical acclaim and online criticism. The film is currently entangled in a contentious situation due to its alleged utilization of AI-generated imagery.
The film was written and directed by Australian siblings Cameron and Colin Cairnes, with David Dastmalchian as a late-night TV host who must navigate a disastrous Halloween special. The film consists primarily of unaltered footage from the fictitious 1977 Halloween broadcast, replete with period sets, costumes, and other details.
Late Night with the Devil's directors responds to AI usage debate
The controversy surrounding the film emerged from a review written by a user on Letterboxd on March 19, 2024. The review highlighted the presence of AI in all the cutaway scenes of the film.
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Following the review, discussions sparked over the usage of AI in the much-anticipated film, and X users began sharing pictures from the film's trailer, explicitly pointing out the parts where AI was present. As per Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 97%. However, since its debut in US theaters on March 22, 2024, the film has received unfavorable responses from some audiences.
Many viewers noted the film's TV ads featured AI-generated imagery, notably the one with a dancing skeleton with Night Owls beneath. As the Letterboxd user noted, many people thought the movie's primary live TV broadcast's {We'll be right back} theme was also AI-generated. The reactions have been some viewers dismissing the film's AI usage, while others are outraged.
Few X users even reproduced the film's skeletal art to demonstrate that they could make something as excellent as AI in hours. Others contend that AI-generated art is nowhere near as impressive as human-made art. They also said that Late Night With the Devil's creators should have hired an artist instead of AI since they would have done a better job.
In response to the sparkled debate, directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes released a statement to Variety on March 21, 2024. They defined the precise extent of AI usage in Late Night with the Devil's artistic expression.
“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."
The statement continues,
"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.”
Late Night With the Devil has been released in US theatres on March 22, 2024.
