After the excellent Superman, I was quite excited to see what else the new DC universe would throw out to us. I guess that makes me a bit of a sucker as just because Kara is related to Kal-El does not mean she makes a good film.
To be honest, I can't remember much of it, but that doesn't mean it was bad, just a bit... bland. Perhaps it was a cash in, maybe it was lazy (probably both), but there just wasn't much here for me to recommend.
There is one scene in this movie that "unlocked" it all for me: a swooping shot of a guy trying to avoid police by creeping around and jumping over fences. That such a vanilla sounding scene is one of the most memorable in the film is not harsh criticism - on the contrary, my hot take was "ah yes, this is a Spielberg film, it's so good".
I've spoken about the (admittedly unoriginal) idea that a film is more than just the sum of its parts. That's not a magical statement - just one that describes how a good film needs lots of things working together to really deliver. The great directors know this, but also realise that it's not difficult[1] to do - you just have to be solid.
Disclosure Day has a solid plot, solid acting, and is a solid production. That alone places it above most contemporary releases. It was easy to watch and digest - despite skipping the first act. It may have overstayed its welcome; I would have a preferred a version that ended ten minutes before it actually did. But that wasn't enough to wrack the movie for me.
Definitely recommended.
[1] Or perhaps I'm confusing natural ease with them making it look so easy?
Fun fact: the 1987 version of this film was one of the first I was taken to the cinema for - you know, back when you could list every film you had ever seen in the cinema. I can't say I recall my feelings about the movie back then, but as an adult I clearly put it in the "disappointing failure" bucket.
This 2026 version is also a bad film. It's made poorly, the story is boring, the acting and action passable. The characters lack any kind of charisma or personality, which I'm yet to decide is the fault of this movie or the source material. The jokes deserve a slow clap for the effort.
And yet such is what it got right, namely the fan-service, is so, so good that, shamefully, I'm almost able to forgive the film for all its other plentiful shortcomings. I say "almost" because the 2+ hours runtime is pretty painful.
I'm hopeful then, that a sequel will not only nail the nostalgia but also sharpen the edges and return the truly great MotU film that we all deserve.
Dropsite news has been one of my go to sources of news information since the war on Iran began. Apart from leaning in the same direction, there's something about the... dispassionate way in which they present facts and stories that really registers. In a world where our collective spider senses tingle so hard when reading the news, Dropsite brings a sense of objectivity and, well, truthfulness that you would struggle to find elsewhere.
Today Ibraaz hosted Jeremy Scahill, Sharif Abdel Kouddous, and Nika Soon-Shiong, all from Dropsite, to present a talk on new media. It was for sure a pitch, but an effective one, a lot reaffirming what fans of the news source already knew. There's value in hearing the story anyway - today brought a sense of passion that can't be found in objective reporting. All three speakers were sharp, articulate and confident - something that is sometimes lost behind a screen.
A note about the space - Ibraaz immediately threw me back to the vibe felt City Circle at Abrar House, except perhaps a little more prestigious and posh. I hope it becomes a regular venue for these type of events.
I can't remember a time I've been so enthralled by speakers - and in a moment I'm beginning to see as my return to the talk circuit I left over a decade ago, it's a good affirmation that I'm coming back at the right time.
File this under "you'll either love it or hate it". Backrooms probably had an an unfair start in this season of fear films (Hokum and Obsession both being excellent), but even if we put that aside the labouring, meandering pace (more time is spent outside of the Backrooms than inside) and disappointing payoff meant I had to check my watch more times than I would have liked to.
Add to that the (albeit deliberate) lack of resolution and you're left wondering what the point is. One to skip.
I'll get straight to the point. This isn't a great book. It might have been a good blog post. What might be mistaken for accessibility is its lack of depth - numbers fly around not meaning much (unless you happen to be an economist already perhaps?). A lot of this might be due to losses in translation.
It's a shame because the message trying to cut through is a pretty simple one. It is also compelling, which is where the real danger lies - unless this argument is made robustly and decisively, it is unlikely to make it to the masses who rely on more alluring sources for their information.
On the other hand, this might just be the fodder needed to generate more messaging to the voting public to make a different choice. I hope the downstream effects are real, because as it stands this book alone won't cut it.
