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Filmphernalia
Screenopticals: Tom Cruise in Action, The Matrix, and Die Hard
Back when I watched action
movies, Tom Cruise was not
even remotely on the map of
action movie stars. But seeing
someone ask on X (Twitter)
recently whether Cruise is one
of the greatest action heroes of
all times, I had to look up Tom’s
filmography on IMDb to see
what action roles he has taken
over the last two plus decades.
Comparing it roughly to the
credits of action actors I knew
(I’m watching action movies
again), the Screenopticals
section was added to the site
address this question.
Writing about The Matrix was on
my mind since media created a
little buzz about the movie as
an allegory for transgenderism
a few years ago. The topic made
some headlines as the creators
of The Matrix – the Wachowski
siblings – claimed so during an
interview and then went back
and forth on it, according to
various sources. How valid is
this interpretation? And who
decides? These questions are
addressed in the screenoptical.
Then there is the unsettled
debate of whether or not Die
Hard is a Christmas movie. I say
no and give my reasons.
Read these screenopticals on
Filmospheric site (carousel).
FilmBuzz — Usual, Unusual, and Unheard
Epoch Times, December 5)
At his 100th
birthday, Dick Van
Dyke is seen
dancing.
Kevin Spacey Accused of
Sexual Assault by Three
Men; Headed to Civil Court.
(Reality Tea, November 28)
The Conjuring: Last Rites
(2025) earns $494 million
globally. (Box Office Mojo,
December 5)
Netflix to Acquire Warner
Bros. Entertainment Assets
in $72 Billion Deal. (The
ist
Dick Van Dyke turns 100 —
and he’s still dancing.
(Deseret News, December
12)
Rob Reiner and Wife Found
Dead in Their L.A. Home.
(Parade, December 14)
Brigitte Bardot, 1960s
sultry sex symbol turned
militant animal rights activdies
at 91. (The Associated
Press, December 28)
Scripter’s Haven — Sharks Shorts Contest
The story begins here and now...
This year’s Sharks Short Film
Scriptwriting Competition is now
open to submissions. This is a
free-to-enter international
screenwriting contest, based in
the United Kingdom (UK). The
fun part of this contest is that
they give you a brief (prompt)
and you create a script of up to
5 pages (or less) around it.
Deadline: January 31, 2026
I have participated twice (2022
and 2024). The first time my
script The One Egg Challenge
was one of the top 10 finalists.
The second time, my script A
Touch of Purple didn’t make it to
the finals. Now I am participating
again (and loving it). Let’s do it!
To enter the contest, visit
https://filmfreeway.com/
KinsaleSharksShorts.
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Q&A: Guillaume Campanacci — Styling the Shot
Actor, director, cinematographer,
and editor Guillaume
Campanacci tells about styling
his shots.
Where do you prefer B&W
against color?
Color dominates modern life;
B&W lets characters exist in a
more intimate, timeless space.
But the story always dictates it,
not myself.
When do you choose moving
camera shots?
I move the camera when a
character’s inner world is shifting,
when energy needs to flow,
tension needs to grow, or the
audience should feel physically
pulled into the moment rather
than simply observing it.
Do your actors do their own
makeup?
On Devils in Disguise, yes. On
my other films, it depended on
budget. I have zero interest in
make-up, except if it's a part of
the character's look.
How do you enjoy your work on
the shot as a cinematographer
as against editor of the footage?
Cinematography
is instinct,
capturing emotion in the moment.
Editing is architecture,
discovering rhythm and the
film’s true heartbeat. I love
shifting between them: one is
impulse, the other revelation,
and both complete the story
Campanacci’s Whenever I’m
Alone With You and Devils in
Disguise are now available on
Prime Video and Tubi.
Guillaume Campanacci
Retro Fandom — Airwolf Flies Again!
For those of who grew up with
the ‘80s TV sensation Airwolf,
buckle up for another flight!
The YouTube channel Airwolf
Fan Movies has created a short
Airwolf fan film called “Valley of
Fire” as an episode related to
the original show. Here’s the
plot in brief (from the video’s
description):
Two stolen WWII aircraft (aided
by a mysterious, high-level
F.I.R.M. operative) and some
skillful Russian pilots leads to
an aerial confrontation on
Hawke's briar patch, the Valley
of the Gods. But those aren't
the only old ghosts to return
from Airwolf's past.
Fun fact about the film: it’s not
AI (as I mistakenly thought at
first), but good old-school frame
-by-frame editing out of passion
for the memories of Airwolf.
Check out the short film and
other Airwolf fan videos by this
group on YouTube at
www.youtube.com/
@AIRWOLFMovie.
Fandom never
dies; it flies!
Film Quiz — Can You Guess the Movie?
mood goes. :)
Instead of posting a still from a
movie and asking about the
movie’s name or a certain actor
in a particular role, as I have
done for years on my personal
website, I switched gears and
tried a new kind of quiz. It’s
borrowed straight from my other
website. For future quizzes,
maybe a mix of older and new
formats can be tried—as the
For this quiz, see the group of
images below and see what
movie name you come up with.
Send your answers to:
editor@ernestdempsey.com.
