Late Night with the Devil (2023) | Episode #98

In this episode of the Such a Nightmare podcast, hosts Katherine Troyer and Toni Tresca discuss the 2023 horror film Late Night with the Devil.

Episode Highlights: We begin by addressing the monster in the room: the film's use of AI and the subsequent backlash this film faced as a result. Ultimately though, we argue that it is unfair that most folks only want to talk about the AI issue, because this film deserves to be discussed on its own merits...for both its accomplishments and its misses. We explore what we see as the the film's successes in terms of concept, cinematography, and acting. We also examine how, in our opinion, the film's final act falls flat and what we would have rather seen in those last minutes. 

A Dose of Scholarship: While there isn't too much written about Late Night with the Devil (at least that doesn't near-exclusively focus on the AI use), we do reference some interesting articles in this episode. For a nuanced examination of AI, check out this Harvard Business Review piece on AI augmenting, rather than replacing human intelligence. Sarah Hughes' 2017 article in Journal of American Studies "American Monsters: Tabloid Media and the Satanic Panic, 1970-2000" offers a great examination of how media shapes our cultural anxieties and fears.

This podcast episode first aired on September 13, 2024.

As always--a big shout out to Jackson O'Brien--editor extraordinaire!

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