203. Nostalgia Test Now! Autonomous

Dan, Manny, & Billy put the 2026 micro-vertical series Autnomous to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST (NOW)!

 

“What do you do? I drive Uber and kill f***ing people."
-Manny Coelho

 

What better way to celebrate Spooky Season than with a horrifyingly insane conversation about a possibly possessed autonomous car. In this episode, the boys dive deep into a 16-episode micro series by the creators of ZombieCon Vol.1 (168. Nostalgia Test Now! ZombieCon Vol.1 & 169. Nostalgia 101: Making ZombieCon Vol. 1 w/ Erin Áine & Kyle Valle) on Screamify Autonomous. Director Kyle Valle & writer/actor Erin Áine are courageous filmmakers, actors, and writers, and their latest indie endeavor ventures into the wild west of verticals, which according to a Creative Screenwriting article from June 2, 2025, “A vertical drama refers to a narrative that is specifically created and formatted to be viewed on mobile devices in a vertical (portrait) orientation. This format is a direct response to the increasing dominance of mobile platforms in everyday media consumption.”

This is uncharted territory and Autonomous takes a huge swing bringing horror to the vertical world.

The boys breakdown their skepticism of autonomous driving, Waymos, and one of the main character’s, Derek, age. There’s a detailed conversation about how Autonomous was filmed, the advantages and disadvantages of the vertical aspect ratio, and some of the practical aspects of the “GoMo” (the autonomous car), like how many were used, if they used a regular camera in the car to create that claustrophobic feeling, and why couldn’t they just jump out of the car. There’s also questions about how the script might have been written, where Dan, Manny, & Billy feel there could’ve been some heightening for scare factor, and they pitch several ideas for sequels and an expansive cross-over universe between Autonomous and ZombieCon.

Before they put it to the test, the guys give high praise for Erin Áine’s power acting and how they need to find her a co-star that can match her command of each scene, and make sure you listen for the extra horror film conversation that happens as Dan signs off.

So, bow to your AI overlords, get drunk in a Waymo like it's a limo to your prom, and throw caution to the wind while being driven into the woods by a possessed machine because what else are we going to do?!

Watch Autonomous on Screamify: screamify.com

Check out Kyle and Erin’s other projects at Big Squid Productions: bigsquidproductions.com

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Approximate Rundown

00:00 Cold Open Chaos

00:24 Welcome Back Check In

01:56 No Edits and Support Plugs

02:47 What Is a Vertical Micro Series

05:26 How They Shot It

06:04 Autonomous Premise and Cast

07:09 Waymo Talk and Safety Fears

11:19 Story Setup and AI Job Loss

12:18 Spoilers and What We Wanted

13:39 Monster vs Serial Killer Debate

20:49 Character Drama and Exposition

23:08 Bigger Themes and Horror Craft

25:06 Ending Fixes and Jake Theory

25:41 Open Ending and Final Girl Twist

26:46 Demon Hand or Scooby Doo

27:34 911 Call and GOMO Conspiracy

28:59 Vertical Storytelling Challenges

35:20 Flash Fiction and Vine Lessons

37:42 Horror Genre and Future Sequel

38:53 Tech Horror and Better Kills

42:09 Cast Praise and Universe Ideas

47:33 Final Thoughts and Support the Show

49:51 Low-Budget Horror Success Stories

51:09 Poltergeist Talk and Wrap Up Episode Quotes

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