http://filmjournal.net/danielstephens ...after hours at Cafe 80s Sat, 07 Jun 2008 15:02:46 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I've been locked in the editing room with some raw footage of a paranormal investigation at Castle Keep in Newcastle, making a Most Haunted-style film about possible ghostly activities. I watched The Exorcist to get in me in the right frame of mind which, essentially, made me me simply terrified ... http://filmjournal.net/danielstephens/2008/06/07/castle-keeps-ghosts-short-documentary/ Vantage Point Links: Trailer / Imdb Directed by Pete Travis; screenplay by Berry Levy; starring Dennis Quaid, William Hurt, Forest Whitaker, Matthew Fox, Edgar Ramirez, Bruce McGill, Sigourney Weaver Dennis Quaid has always been an actor I’ve admired. His emotion is right their in his face – in the jagged contours of ... http://filmjournal.net/danielstephens/2008/03/14/vantage-point-pete-travis-2008-usa/ Dir. Dennis Dugan; screenplay by Allen Covert/Nick Swardson; starring Rob Schneider, David Spade, Jon Heder, Jon Lovitz, Craig Kilborn, Molly Sims I’ve been very critical of director Dennis Dugan over the last few years. Who could blame me? He gave the world the awful Saving Silverman and followed it up with ... http://filmjournal.net/danielstephens/2008/03/02/the-benchwarmers-dennis-dugan-2006-usa/ Directed by James Wan; written by Ian Jeffers; starring Kevin Bacon, Kelly Preston, Garrett Hedlund, Staurt Lafferty, John Goodman Death Sentence TRAILER: CLICK HERE It you want to see a movie that so perfectly encapsulates deux ex machina look no further than James Wan’s Death Sentence. It’s an unoriginal piece of ... http://filmjournal.net/danielstephens/2008/02/22/death-sentence-james-wan-2007-usa/ Written and directed by Woody Allen; starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Scarlett Johansson, Brian Cox, Emily Mortimer Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ Chris Wilton graces the screen in Woody Allen’s Match Point with the hideous manifestation of greed and self-loathing. At times it’s like watching the over-privileged, middle-classes spitting on poor-peasant viewers who ... http://filmjournal.net/danielstephens/2008/02/20/match-point-woody-allen-2005-uk/ Directed by Gary Sherman; written by Brian Sherman, Brian Taggert; starring Nancy Allen, Heather O'Rourke, Tom Skerritt Talk about smoke and mirrors. Director Gary Sherman, he of Dead and Buried fame (or perhaps shame, depending on who you are speaking to), utilises this old magicians trick to, at least at ... http://filmjournal.net/danielstephens/2008/02/19/poltergeist-iii-gary-sherman-1988-usa/ Dir. John Dahl; screenplay by David Levien and Brian Koppelman; starring Matt Damon, Edward Norton, John Malkovich, John Turturro, Gretchen Mol, Famke Janssen Rounders, a film about Poker culture and the people who are involved (directly and indirectly) with the highs and lows of the game, could be a definitive ... http://filmjournal.net/danielstephens/2008/02/18/rounders-john-dahl-1998-usa/ I remember Dawn Simpson telling me today’s audience were into ‘snacking’ when I interviewed her about the Propeller short film channel. It’s very true as there’d be no audience for You Tube if it wasn’t. We want our media delivered to us at any time, during any situation, and on ... http://filmjournal.net/danielstephens/2007/11/12/future-shorts/ The issue of who actually made the 1982 classic horror film Poltergeist has raged ever since an article appeared in the L.A. Times questioning who was directing the movie. On the day of the newspaper’s on-set visit Steven Spielberg was directing some on-location shots with Hooper no where to be ... http://filmjournal.net/danielstephens/2007/10/09/who-directed-poltergeist/ The first month was great – too good, in fact – and there I was parading the virtues of online DVD rental and how perfect my supplier Love Film was. Oh dear, how wrong was I. Don’t let the ‘2 weeks free trial’ con you into thinking you’re getting a ... http://filmjournal.net/danielstephens/2007/10/02/dont-use-love-film-for-your-online-dvd-rentals/