‘Stir Of Echoes’: David Koepp Discusses The 25th Anniversary 4K Release, His Friendship With Kevin Bacon, & Steve Soderbergh’s ‘Presence’ [The Discourse Podcast]

In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo returns to the past to investigate supernatural thrills while chatting with David Koepp about the 25th Anniversary 4K release of his cult-favorite film, “Stir of Echoes.” The 1999 psychological horror film stars Kevin Bacon as a man who, after being hypnotized at a party, begins experiencing disturbing visions that lead him to uncover the mystery of a missing neighborhood girl. Directed and written by David Koepp (“Jurassic Park,” “Spider-Man,” “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”), the film also features Kathryn Erbe, Kevin Dunn, Illeana Douglas, and Zachary David Cope.

READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Movies of 2025

During the chat, Koepp reflected on the enduring appeal of “Stir of Echoes” and revisited it for the special edition release decades later. He credited the film’s success to a rare synergy of creative talent.

“Movies that are creatively successful happen not because somebody did a good job – they happen because four or five people, all at once, did some of their best work. We had a great Richard Matheson novel… Kevin Bacon did this great, powerful, empathetic work. So did Katie Erbe. James Newton Howard wrote a beautiful, haunting score. There’s just a lot of people whose work hit their stride on that one.”

READ MORE: The 20 Best Films Of 2024

He also discussed his friendship with Kevin Bacon, which blossomed during the making of the film and extended well beyond.

“[Kevin and I] stayed friends. You hope to make a friend per movie. That’s what I hope for. And it doesn’t always work out that way. Kevin and I became friends for real life, not movie friends… We were just at their apartment for Thanksgiving. It’s funny because ‘Stir of Echoes’ is one of the ones that people yell at him on the street… Somebody once yelled, ‘Hey, Kev, keep Stirring the Echoes, baby!’ So, yeah, we do refer to it from time to time.”

The film was something of an unintentional twin release with M. Night Shyamalan’s breakout hit, “The Sixth Sense,” which was released just four weeks prior to “Stir of Echoes.” When discussing the timing of “Stir of Echoes,” released shortly after “The Sixth Sense,” Koepp acknowledged the comparisons and frustrations that came with it.

“We got the script and said, ‘Okay, there’s a lot of similarities here. There’s a psychic kid, ghosts.’ I said, ‘We can be basically done, and you could release it in April if you’d like to get out ahead of that.’ And the studio said, ‘Oh, we’re not worried about that.’”

Despite this, Koepp remained proud of his film’s performance and legacy.

“Our movie did well, too, but I do feel like it would have done better before [‘The Sixth Sense’]. But God, it’s ancient history.”

Support independent movie journalism to keep it alive. Sign up for The Playlist Newsletter. All the content you want and, oh, right, it’s free.

He also shared details about “Presence,” his supernatural thriller directed by Steven Soderbergh, and how it revisits his favorite themes.

“[The through-line] is not conscious, but I was complaining and worrying about something to Brian De Palma, and he said, ‘What are you writing?’ And I said, ‘You know, the same thing I always do, this family and weird stuff starts happening, and there’s all this drama among them.’ And I said, ‘I’m just worried it’s a little repetitive at this point.’ And he said, ‘Hey, it’s called who you are. There’s nothing you can do about it. Just write it over and over until you get it right.’ So that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Koepp also shared how “Presence” originated with a concept pitched by Soderbergh.

“Steven said, ‘I want to do the whole thing within the POV of the ghost,” Koepp shared. “I said, ‘Okay, one house, one family. And they’re really messed up.’ And he said, ‘Go!’ That was really fun. He had a great idea, and he knew just how to execute it.”

“Stir of Echoes” arrives on 4K Blu-Ray on December 10. You can listen to the full interview with David Koepp on this week’s episode of The Discourse.

The Discourse is part of The Playlist Podcast Network, which includes The Playlist Podcast, Deep Focus, Bingeworthy, and more. We can be heard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud,  and most places where podcasts are found. Be sure to subscribe and leave a comment or rating—we greatly appreciate your support!

The Playlist Presents – David Koepp’s Film/TV Recommendation Playlist:

1. “Conclave” (2024) – Directed by Edward Berger
2. “Caddo Lake” (2024) – Written and Directed by Logan George & Celine Held
3. “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968) – Directed by Roman Polanski