Is Steven Spielberg Out Of Touch? DISCLOSURE DAY Spoiler Free Review | Black Nerdy Scholars

[00:00:00]Hi, I'm Darrell.

[00:00:01]>> And I'm Aleah.

[00:00:01]>> And we are Black Nerdy Scholars.

[00:00:08]>> [music] >> Welcome back. Welcome back.

[00:00:10]>> Hey.

[00:00:11]>> Welcome back.

[00:00:12]>> Hey y'all.

[00:00:13]>> How have you been?

[00:00:15]>> Oh, I've been good. Uh it's the finals week, so you know, just >> Mhm.

[00:00:21]>> hoping everybody submit their [ __ ] cuz I didn't check cuz I'm not chasing anybody down. It's kind of like if you can get it now, be sweet.

[00:00:30]When I look at it on Monday to grade, get it anything in late between now and then, I don't care.

[00:00:37]>> Mhm.

[00:00:38]>> But yeah, um I'm kind of glad to be done teaching. I can just write now, which will >> you know, just help me wrap stuff up faster. What they don't tell you is really hard to teach and write at the same time, so you got >> Yeah, no, I know I get that cuz it's like for writing a dissertation or even even when it's just like doing a project.

[00:00:59]>> classes and >> Like you're doing a project and then you also have to divert your attention towards this other thing, in this case teaching. And it's like for teaching English classes, you're there are novels or texts or just even >> Yeah.

[00:01:14]>> passages that you have to read for your students that have nothing to do with what your dissertation is.

[00:01:19]>> Exactly.

[00:01:19]>> you got to Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.

[00:01:21]>> And it's >> I feel I always feel bad because I feel like I can never give them as much as I wish I could because I have to dedicate so much to teaching, so it always feels like I'm cheating them a little bit, so I feel guilty.

[00:01:35]You know, not that they even give a [ __ ] but still.

[00:01:39]>> Totally. No, I get that. I don't get that. Can I Can I ask a Can I ask a question about your ADHD?

[00:01:44]>> Yeah.

[00:01:45]>> Do you Are you able to like read more than one book at the same time? Or just like do more than one like dedicated media at the same time.

[00:01:57]>> No.

[00:01:59]>> [laughter] >> Oh, yeah. Okay, why?

[00:02:02]>> I feel like I can I feel like I can just start something >> Mhm.

[00:02:09]>> and then I feel like I hyper-fixate on it. I feel like I can stop and start something new and then like return to it in a reasonable time.

[00:02:18]I find that when I try to like multi-task with my books, one book always ends up being my focus. This This is also more so for like fun reading, not like >> Yeah, yeah. I think I mostly meant fun reading cuz I I cuz I think >> for school reading it's a little different because at least during coursework, you're kind of expected to read a bunch of different things at the same time because you have different classes.

[00:02:44]>> Yeah.

[00:02:44]>> I more so meant for like fun reading outside of outside of the academy.

[00:02:48]And I I I feel like the way you're supposed to do it is with like dedicated effort.

[00:02:55]>> Yeah.

[00:02:56]>> But I find that I am able to do each of the things that I want to do for longer when I divvy them up.

[00:03:08]>> Yes.

[00:03:09]>> Right? Cuz it's like I can binge one thing even if it's like a TV show. I can binge a TV show and then there will be a point where I'm just like, "This is no longer scratching the itch in my brain.

[00:03:19]I don't care."

[00:03:20]>> Yes.

[00:03:20]>> And if I haven't finished by then, it's going to be a lot harder for me to just finish in general.

[00:03:28]>> Mhm.

[00:03:29]>> But if it's like I'm going to watch I'm going to I'm going to do like two episodes of this and then two episodes like just having a thing I I I guess what I'm describing here is like the thing that has helped me with my brain is having dedicated cutoffs for what I'm doing so it doesn't run out the clock super duper fast.

[00:03:53]>> Yes.

[00:03:54]>> And so I've been trying to get in the habit of just reading what I want in the moment even if I'm going back and forth >> Yeah.

[00:04:04]>> Um I don't know. I think I think it's worse for books when it comes to like what what it feels like I should be doing. Like I feel like I'm doing something wrong.

[00:04:19]>> Right. Well, that's not necessarily true.

[00:04:21]>> Yeah, and it and it isn't true.

[00:04:23]We know that isn't true.

[00:04:25]>> Yes, it's there's not like a one sure-fire system of reading or even like managing what you read cuz that's really what we're talking about.

[00:04:34]>> Mhm.

[00:04:35]>> Honestly, yeah, I feel like when I just the less pressure I put on myself to feel beholden to, you know, like, "Oh, you don't you don't have to finish this book to necessarily earn the right to start another book." I find when I, you know, I stop having that mindset about it, it gets a little easier for sure.

[00:04:55]>> Cuz I and I and I don't think that this is a specifically autistic or ADHD way to think about it, but I I do know a lot of people with similar m- like m- processes.

[00:05:10]Um there's this like cliche, I guess, of of like needing needing that uh uh uh needing that threat of a deadline or a punishment or something to to do stuff, right? Uh because ADHD is is it is a issue of regulatory systems, right? It's It is regulating or an inability to regulate um attention and re- and really emotion in general.

[00:05:44]And so like my I think my my my manifest in a lot of stuff, but like it interferes with things like cooking.

[00:05:50]It's not just attention. It's It's hard to go do a thing that I want to do because it's not turning on the the the correct lights in my brain.

[00:06:02]And I And I feel like I I've conditioned myself to feel guilty >> Yes.

[00:06:10]>> or leaning on outside stimuli to like push me to do things.

[00:06:17]But it I don't know. I think forgiving myself for it, like it it is a I know some I I know people will look at us, especially with like our multiple degrees, and roll their eyes at this idea that like what we have is a disability.

[00:06:36]And it's okay to treat it, I guess. To to make this section valuable. Yeah.

[00:06:42]>> Yeah. It It feels like It feels like with certain with our disabilities or our mental our misfirings, it it feels like >> for it.

[00:06:56]>> Yes.

[00:06:57]It feels like since we can often use it to do things that are considered positive or productive, you know, like getting a higher degree.

[00:07:07]>> Mhm.

[00:07:07]>> I think people feel like less inclined to think of it as like a disability cuz it's like, "Oh, you you still can get your PhD and do all that and stuff."

[00:07:15]>> Yeah.

[00:07:16]>> It's like, "Nah, bro.

[00:07:19]It wasn't that simple. It was not."

[00:07:22]>> Yeah.

[00:07:23]Yeah, I don't know.

[00:07:24]>> fight.

[00:07:25]>> Yeah. Oh, and and and the fight doesn't go away. We just we just learned We learned the techniques.

[00:07:31]>> Yeah.

[00:07:32]>> And and are able to find a thing that works.

[00:07:35]>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:07:37]To all the for to all the neuro divergents out there, like you're you're good. You're You're fine and safe."

[00:07:43]Um find the skills that help you.

[00:07:46]>> Yeah.

[00:07:47]>> Yeah.

[00:07:47]>> No one asked you, Paul.

[00:07:49]>> All right, that's enough about ADHD.

[00:07:51]Let's get to the content catch-up.

[00:07:53]>> [music] >> I won't touch too much on Love Island since we had a whole episode >> Yeah, we just we just talked about Love Island. Dude, like we don't need to do Love Island. We can talk about Love Island in office hours.

[00:08:06]>> Yeah, for sure.

[00:08:07]>> Yeah.

[00:08:08]>> I just think Love Island >> What are you doing?

[00:08:11]>> Uh-huh.

[00:08:11]>> Time doesn't feel real in the same way.

[00:08:14]Like we're only a week in, but the time does not feel like it's accelerating with the time that we're accelerating.

[00:08:19]But >> Yeah, I know. I get it. Cuz it's also like while Love Island is happening, there are other cultural events that are hap- like the the NBA finals are happening and then the World Cup just started. And so it there is this there is this part of me that's like even even at the moments where I feel the most out of sync with Love Island and like the fandom surrounding it, there's a part of me that's like excited to be aware of a monoculture monoculture >> Yeah.

[00:08:53]>> while it's happening.

[00:08:55]>> It's It's cool to see it though.

[00:08:56]>> of those left. Yeah.

[00:08:58]>> Yeah.

[00:08:59]>> And it's really exciting.

[00:09:00]>> Sunday?

[00:09:02]>> Yeah.

[00:09:04]But even then it's like it wasn't like it was during season 2. You Euphoria Sunday during season 2 was was a lot more exciting than season 3.

[00:09:14]>> Oh, no. You Euphoria Sunday does does not count. You can't apply that to season 3. I'm sorry.

[00:09:20]>> Yeah. No, I agree.

[00:09:21]>> We were there under duress. Season 2 though, it was for the love of the game.

[00:09:25]>> Yeah.

[00:09:27]Yeah. I know. It's really exciting to be a part of like these big events that everyone I don't know. The It feels like culture.

[00:09:33]>> Yes.

[00:09:34]>> Which is exciting. Anyway, what was Oh, sorry. Finish your thing. I was going to say >> Oh, no. I was just I was going to be like when we I was at karaoke and somebody said type [ __ ] type [ __ ] and someone was like, "Have you all been watching Love Island?" I was like, "Yeah." "Corbin."

[00:09:48]>> [laughter] >> So, it's cool having those moments with people you don't necessarily know that well, even.

[00:09:55]>> Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. All right, besides Love Island, what have you been consuming?

[00:10:00]>> This is not much better, but no, also Interview with the Vampire.

[00:10:04]I've been reading Interview with the Vampire, the novel.

[00:10:07]>> novel?

[00:10:08]>> Yes, by Anne Rice.

[00:10:09]>> Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:10:11]>> Who, like, she's a very interesting person.

[00:10:13]>> 1980-something?

[00:10:16]>> I think the Interview with the Vampire came out like 1975, six, or something.

[00:10:22]It was older than I thought.

[00:10:23]>> novel >> Cuz I was like, "Oh, this is like >> you hit it right on the head.

[00:10:29]>> This is quite gay, you know, in many ways, but in like more overt ways than I expected.

[00:10:35]>> Anne Rice low-key looked like Edna Mode.

[00:10:38]>> She does.

[00:10:39]>> All right, that's that's not important.

[00:10:41]Anyway, Interview with the Vampire original novel.

[00:10:43]>> Yes.

[00:10:45]Something that shocked me how gay the original text is and like or you know, you expect a lot of gay subtext always with stuff like this, but a lot of it just I'm like, "Oh, this is just over >> For the people that aren't familiar, can you give us a quick synopsis?

[00:11:00]>> Yeah, of course. What am I doing?

[00:11:02]So, Interview with the Vampire, um, the book is about this man named Louis de Pointe du Lac. He's a Creole plantation owner from New Orleans. You know, he had slaves and whatnot, and he ultimately is telling his story to this, uh, interviewer. I think he's a reporter, or you know, he's he's a young boy who's up-and-coming doing journalism and whatnot, but he's telling the story of how he became a vampire and essentially his adventures or misadventures with the French vampire, uh, Lestat de Lestat Lioncourt de Lioncourt. And yeah, you find out all about him, his vampire journey, how he tried to kill Lestat, his pseudo daughter that they turned, Claudia.

[00:11:51]Um, I'd say prior to the TV show, the most popular adaptation was with Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.

[00:11:58]>> yeah. And like '94?

[00:12:01]>> Yes. And the thing about the adaptations is they just progressively get gayer.

[00:12:05]Like it was really a lot of really homoerotic in the movie and whatnot, and quite homoerotic in the book. Then the show, it changes a lot, and um, they actually have like Lestat and have him >> explicit, could you express the homoeroticism?

[00:12:25]Just to paint a quick picture. Cuz it's not like they're just like >> [laughter] >> I was going to say something more crude than I'm comfortable with.

[00:12:33]But you know what I mean. It Explain the actual parameters of the eroticism of this vampire novel.

[00:12:41]>> Well, one I feel like vampires are like a breeding ground for homoeroticism just cuz of like, uh, the close relationship between like the fledgling and the uh, the maker and whatnot. Um, just like how it you interact with the body as a vampire. Like, oh, like this dude got his He got his teeth in your throat. Like that's what >> a there's a phallic penetrative act >> Yeah.

[00:13:07]>> that like spreads this intoxicating influence from one another, yeah.

[00:13:15]>> Yes.

[00:13:16]>> also all the ties to the Catholic Church.

[00:13:18]>> Yeah, also Anne Rice was actually she was a formerly Roman Catholic, so you see that a lot in her texts. Um, Louis is like he struggles with his you know, of course religion like uh, what where is the role of God in my vampire life?

[00:13:33]Like does my soul belong to Satan? Like stuff like that.

[00:13:39]There's also like it gets gained the sense that like Louis and Lestat basically parent a child together. Like they taking Claudia like Lestat makes a lot of references to like motherhood and feeling like a mother like wanting to be a mother.

[00:13:56]>> And they're both boys.

[00:13:58]>> Yeah, they're both boys. So there's a lot of clearing of gender and whatnot with the relationship. Honestly and Rice has even alluded to like she feels like she might have been a gay man.

[00:14:10]Which I kind of feel bad for her. Yeah, cuz I feel like she was kind of like a little too early for the She could have been living her life as a gay man if she was born a little bit later. So I was like, oh, kind of sad but also you might not have made the vampire books you wrote.

[00:14:25]>> Yeah.

[00:14:26]>> Without your your gay trauma Anne Rice.

[00:14:29]But yeah, now we got the actual show where it's like actually gay.

[00:14:33]And Louis is black which I thought was an interesting uh added a lot of Is he still a plantation owner? Cuz that's Riley Ritchie, right?

[00:14:43]And or Jacob Anderson. Yeah, is that actor in the show?

[00:14:46]>> Yeah, so his family he he's descended from like cuz his father owned a plantation. So they were like black slave owners.

[00:14:54]And Louis is >> Okay.

[00:14:55]>> Yeah, and Louis is also a pimp too which I think >> [laughter] >> Okay, go on.

[00:15:02]>> Yeah, so I think that kind of like continues the legacy of him dealing in like the trading and selling of bodies.

[00:15:09]Yeah, so the libidinal economy and whatnot.

[00:15:13]So yeah, honestly >> not know. Sorry, say your thing.

[00:15:17]>> All right, I was like I think it's cool to see how like a show can be like taking me on the book and made into something perhaps that could have never existed in like its time period but like now we can have like gay Louis straight up gay Louis and Lestat.

[00:15:31]Well, also Lestat is pansexual not let me not mislabel my king.

[00:15:35]>> Yeah.

[00:15:36]>> Um But yeah, what are you going to say?

[00:15:38]>> I was going to say I didn't realize how many novel I didn't realize it was a series.

[00:15:42]>> Oh yeah, there was like 13 books >> Like I knew the vampire Lestat was a sequel to Interview with the Vampire but I thought it was like a like it's a movie, right? It's not a show?

[00:15:54]>> It's uh Interview with the Vampire is a show. So the first two seasons Uh the first two seasons cover the first book and then the now the season that we're in now it's technically like The Vampire Lestat is like separate in the sense that you're changing narration like you're going from Louis to Lestat's narration.

[00:16:12]>> this season 3 of Interview with the Vampire or is it its own sequence? Like like I technically like is it its own show or movie? Cuz I thought it was a film.

[00:16:25]>> Does both work if that makes sense?

[00:16:28]Because I feel like it's its own like it exists in a standalone.

[00:16:32]>> Would people understand it closer to a spin-off than a third season?

[00:16:39]>> I'd say yeah. I I would just say the way it functions it makes more sense to think of it as a spin-off just because the whole thing is like Lestat is so just he hates how Louis has betrayed him in this novel and whatnot and this is his response from his perspective on uh what happened between him and Louis and just you know, you're seeing Lestat trying to be a rockstar and whatnot and um I think it's cool because like him and Louis just have completely different narration styles.

[00:17:11]>> Mhm.

[00:17:12]>> Like Lestat is super erratic and um but almost in a way like you're like, "Oh, he seems really to you know, he he wants to get all the truth out." Louis is more like a memoir, it's very polished. Um >> Mhm.

[00:17:26]>> He of course he feels very unreliable in a different way than Lestat, if that makes sense.

[00:17:32]>> Yeah. I cuz >> [snorts] >> I I haven't watched the show.

[00:17:37]I I don't think I've seen the Tom Cruise movie. Definitely haven't read the book.

[00:17:42]When I saw some of the advertisement for the Vampire Lestat, I assumed it was a spin-off.

[00:17:50]Come to find out it is a sequel novel in a long series.

[00:17:55]>> Yeah, there's like 13 >> There's like 13 books in the the the Vampire Chronicles. Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles.

[00:18:03]>> Yeah. I hope it can at least get to the Vampire Armand. One thing about Armand is he's never actually been portrayed in media cuz you know, he's not in the original movie. So this is the first time we're seeing Armand portrayed in you know, anything. So and he's just amazing. So I hope he gets >> It's it's like a character that that is really important but only way into the dynamics of a series.

[00:18:28]>> he's he's he matters to Louis. He matters especially more in the series now cuz he dates him and Louis have like a on and off thing kind of thing. But like Armand's like the orchestrator. He kind of just seems like this like pathetic loser who's in between Louis and Lestat. But you find out he's like this super powerful vampire and he's orchestrated all these events that have happened between people. So I'm like, you know, I definitely hope we can get to his book. Um it's really popular. So I feel like it's very possible.

[00:18:59]>> I I I that kind of character is always really interesting to me cuz that's how I feel about like Robin, the figure of Robin in Batman.

[00:19:09]>> Where it's like there hasn't been an on-screen Robin real like in the Robin suit since um Chris O'Donnell in like 1999 or something like that.

[00:19:22]>> But he's such a fascinating character.

[00:19:24]>> He's he's so interesting.

[00:19:26]>> Yeah.

[00:19:26]>> And or even even more than Robin, Nightwing.

[00:19:31]>> Yeah.

[00:19:31]>> Like the the the most recent Nightwing was in uh Titans, like live action was in Titans. Um in which he starts as Nightwing and it kind of just I I've only seen the first like parts of the first season. So like Titans heads, like correct me if I'm wrong. Um but it like alludes to and it explains some of the relationship between him and Batman, but we don't get to see it.

[00:19:56]>> Yeah.

[00:19:57]>> Um And like I'm really interested like I I love the character of Robin.

[00:20:03]And it just bumps me out that Batman live action franchises never last long enough for it to make sense to have a child there. Let alone a second or third one, right? Cuz it's like I don't think there's been an on-screen Jason Todd, well except in Titans. Um >> Do you think that they would make it to >> Do you think we'd make it to there in uh Robert Pattinson's Batman?

[00:20:28]>> I think we'll get a uh a Dick Grayson.

[00:20:32]>> Yay.

[00:20:32]>> I think we'll get a Dick Grayson.

[00:20:34]In it in the Pattinson in Matt Reeves' the Batman series.

[00:20:38]Um definitely not this next one. Maybe the third one will be about introducing Robin and then a fourth one will be Batman and Robin.

[00:20:49]>> I feel like >> that's highly optimistic and also would be like a decade from now.

[00:20:53]>> It'd be cool if in like 15 years he can get his stand-alone, you know.

[00:20:59]>> Yeah.

[00:21:01]Yeah.

[00:21:03]Anyway, a thing that I've been doing >> Yeah.

[00:21:06]>> [laughter] >> Oh, here's the Armand and Armand and Dick Grayson getting a stand-alone.

[00:21:12]Ally.

[00:21:13]>> Um [laughter] >> The thing that I've been considered The content I've been on I've started replaying PERSONA 5 SPECIFICALLY.

[00:21:21]>> OH. [screaming] >> YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. Cuz they just announced they just revealed the teaser for Persona 5.

[00:21:27]>> 6?

[00:21:28]>> Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. This one's green. Ooh, and that's like literally all we know about it. There have been some some leaks about the protagonist.

[00:21:37]Um but other than that, we like know absolutely nothing. And I'm really excited cuz I love Persona.

[00:21:43]>> I I played I need to finish it cuz you know that [ __ ] is long as [ __ ] That [ __ ] is long. I get kind of frustrated cuz I probably told you this already, but what what is the little blonde the little blonde boy? I really want to make my main character Yeah.

[00:22:00]He's like the bestie.

[00:22:02]>> The the god.

[00:22:05]>> Uh why why is it slipping my mind?

[00:22:09]>> Like I was long crashed out Akihiko.

[00:22:15]>> Ryuji.

[00:22:16]>> Yeah.

[00:22:18]>> Yeah.

[00:22:18]>> Yeah, I really like he's who I would like personally want the main character to date if I could just pick any of like the sidekicks.

[00:22:26]>> Yeah.

[00:22:27]>> The girls don't really I mean, I like them, but you know, they're just I don't necessarily like them for him.

[00:22:34]>> Yeah, no, I get that.

[00:22:35]I think I think So, Persona the Persona series if anyone's hasn't been hasn't been invested in this. Persona is a RPG JRPG franchise made by Atlus Studios that is half social sim, half dungeon crawler, and each game is disconnected except the ones that aren't. Um and they roughly follow a teenage boy that during the day has to go to school and do teenage stuff, but at night like fights demons in the underworld or wherever like they are >> to get on the train and [ __ ] to go to school.

[00:23:20]>> Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And so it's like you have to you you go to class, you do studies, you have to you can hang out with people after school.

[00:23:26]Um and then you go fight demons.

[00:23:31]In Persona 5 specifically, you're like fighting crime by >> Corrupt ass school like your PE teacher and stuff.

[00:23:38]>> Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Or like McDonald's CEO.

[00:23:42]>> [laughter] >> Um where in Persona 5 >> the dungeons are you like entering the psyche of corrupt people and changing their hearts, which I got to say feels really illegal. Like it like obviously the game treats it that way, like police respond, but like there's something moral about that process that doesn't sit perfectly right with me. And maybe I'm too woke. Maybe maybe I'm too woke for this. Um >> It's a little weird.

[00:24:21]>> I think the concept of like non-consensually fundamentally altering someone's consciousness >> Yeah.

[00:24:33]>> not like >> Is that non-con >> Isn't isn't isn't that a form of torture? Like don't you like Can't don't you like condition people?

[00:24:45]>> Oh, yeah, like a >> Obviously, it's not the same. But to me >> That's what you're saying.

[00:24:50]>> it feels like in the same realm of like abusing like abusing a person to the point where they like submit even if you don't use violence, right?

[00:25:01]Where it's just like they didn't ask to be they didn't consent to change. But also all these people are like evil and actively causing harm. So I it's not I'm not >> I feel like that's how that's the technicality they probably Well, not technicality, but that's how they get away with it.

[00:25:18]>> Yeah.

[00:25:19]>> It's like let's alter the consciousness of the worst thing you know.

[00:25:22]>> Yeah.

[00:25:24]Cuz then it's like I don't know. But I don't want to get too deep into it.

[00:25:28]Cuz I cuz I I I know people would probably hear this and say that I'm dragging it and that's okay. I'm >> [laughter] >> cool with that. Um Beyond our ability to change again.

[00:25:37]>> Chat, is this too woke?

[00:25:39]Chat, you have to tell me.

[00:25:41]Computer?

[00:25:43]>> Yeah. Cuz I've I've been thinking about the the the romances in the part of the thing that I wanted to talk about or the play the game for is I wanted to I've been thinking a lot about the romance in those games.

[00:26:00]>> Yeah.

[00:26:00]>> And on my end >> know, I'm always thinking about romance.

[00:26:03]>> I find it odd that you can romance like teachers and like grown adults.

[00:26:11]>> You can?

[00:26:12]>> At least in five.

[00:26:15]One of the romance options is the home school teacher or the home room teacher.

[00:26:20]>> How >> Kawakami?

[00:26:22]I don't remember her >> Is that like on the same timeline of him just being at school? He's like, "Hey teacher, you want to go on a date?" Like >> So in five, spoilers for five, this game that's that's like seven years old.

[00:26:36]Your home room teacher is having money troubles.

[00:26:39]>> Sorry.

[00:26:39]>> Hold hold on.

[00:26:41]Hold on. And so she's been she's been working on like during night shifts as a like call like order uh um maid.

[00:26:59]And she has to wear the maid uniform when she cleans.

[00:27:03]>> Oh, it's worse.

[00:27:04]>> Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And so, when you hang out with her out of school, you can like call her to your house to clean, but it's like when you're there, you're like spending time together. And it's just like jail. [laughter] >> Didn't Didn't Haley Beck just get caught for that [ __ ] like not too long ago?

[00:27:24]>> Yeah. It's interesting because like it almost feels like the romance mechanics at least for this particular storyline, it feels more close it feels closer to like a hentai game [laughter] than like a >> Yeah, there there is a little bit of like a um >> Like a touhou game.

[00:27:41]>> harem e like kind of feel to it.

[00:27:45]But the the thing that I the thing that wasn't the interesting part for me because I I know that there's like cultural differences. I I don't I'm not the arbiter of Japanese culture, so who knows how regular this is. I know ages of consent are decent. I I mean, I think it's weird.

[00:28:02]>> teacher.

[00:28:03]>> Uh for the teacher. Yes.

[00:28:05]>> You shouldn't be doing it to your student, but the onus is on the teacher.

[00:28:08]>> I agree, but also I know some people would be like things are different in Japan, and I'm like okay, whatever. I don't want to fight about that.

[00:28:15]>> Have your difference away from me.

[00:28:17]>> that I find interesting is that I know online when people have this conversation, there's a group of people that that play Persona that were like, "Well, I'm an adult. Why would I not want to be with an adult? You're weird for romancing the kid."

[00:28:38]And I think that's dumb.

[00:28:42]>> Yeah.

[00:28:43]>> But I do want I like I do find it interesting because I don't think it's wrong.

[00:28:49]I just think it is a inherently different way of interacting with the role play of the game.

[00:28:55]>> I think yes, I think this really raises an interesting question of how people play uh games like this and like the role of self-inserting >> Yeah.

[00:29:05]>> and like how you approach these kinds of games cuz for me at least when I think of like the boy, I don't remember his name. But I think of him as >> Oh yeah, you do name him. Obviously.

[00:29:17]In my first play through I named him Elia which which is dumb as [ __ ] cuz they're like >> What's dumb? No, it's your game. There's nothing dumb about that.

[00:29:24]>> felt silly cuz I felt like it's just everybody else's name is like Japanese.

[00:29:30]>> Well, one of them's name is Ann.

[00:29:32]>> Oh, that's fair.

[00:29:32]>> only she's biracial.

[00:29:34]>> Oh yeah, Louisiana. But you know what?

[00:29:37]Good point. But yeah, I feel like I think of him as a separate entity from me. I don't think of him >> yeah.

[00:29:42]>> as me. I think >> I think we would play it as a narrative, right? And my read of the narrative is that he is a teenager and so it would make sense to have the teenager be with other teenagers.

[00:29:55]>> Yeah.

[00:29:56]>> Right? And so I wouldn't want the teenager to be with an adult. But if people are playing it as that is me I don't think that is a wrong way to play.

[00:30:08]I just think one, that's not how I do it. I I fundamentally I that that is not how I would approach ludonarrative.

[00:30:19]>> Yeah.

[00:30:19]>> Um but I don't think it's inherently wrong.

[00:30:23]>> Yeah, I agree.

[00:30:24]>> like this is my insert. I'm going to I'm going to kiss the adult cuz I'm an adult.

[00:30:32]You know?

[00:30:33]>> Yeah.

[00:30:34]>> Yeah, yeah, yeah. Anyway, Persona 5 good. Persona 4 Persona Persona 4 remake also coming out. Going to play that, too.

[00:30:42]>> Oh, cool.

[00:30:43]>> Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:30:44]>> Let's cop that.

[00:30:45]>> Yeah. All right. Let's do it. Let's get into the discussion of the day.

[00:30:53]>> [music] >> Disclosure day.

[00:30:56]>> Disclosure day.

[00:30:58]>> What am I?

[00:30:59]>> Steven Spielberg >> I had rings on.

[00:31:02]>> Yeah, where where are your [ __ ] rings?

[00:31:04]>> Uh, I'm naked.

[00:31:06]>> [laughter] >> Uh, Steven Spielberg's disclosure day has come out. First impressions.

[00:31:13]Oh, so first Oh, wait. Hold on. We're Let's Let's Let's do the the um disclosure first. We're going to do the spoiler-free review first. Spoiler-free first. We're going to do spoilers later.

[00:31:23]Come back to this time, wherever that number is, and that's where the spoiler spoilers come in. But, okay. Non-spoiler review first impression.

[00:31:34]>> Did you go into this without knowing about what it was about?

[00:31:37]>> I knew vaguely it was about >> I mean, is this Does this count as a spoiler? Cuz it is kind of like if you >> I don't think so.

[00:31:46]>> What's in the synopsis? Let's read the Let's read the synopsis and like make sure >> like it How it gets you is it's being uh an alien movie.

[00:31:57]>> Google says uh a meteorologist and a cybersecurity expert find themselves at the center of a movement to expose the government's government cover-up of extraterrestrial secrets. Okay. So, it involves The thing I knew going into it is it involves aliens somehow.

[00:32:16]>> But, it directly is dealing with like this cover-up and this corruption that is happening.

[00:32:20]>> more about like governmental secrets than it is about aliens are real.

[00:32:27]But >> Yes.

[00:32:28]There were I feel like the cool even though I'm like the coolest shots Some of the coolest shots for me were the alien >> Before you get into this I I agree, but I get before we get into the specifics >> Yes.

[00:32:39]>> I thought it was fine.

[00:32:41]>> Yeah, that was cool.

[00:32:43]>> I thought it was okay.

[00:32:43]>> Solid alien movie.

[00:32:45]>> I know that's not hot and sexy. I know it's not hot and sexy to just be like this movie's okay.

[00:32:50]I know people people are more interested in it's super it's the best movie ever made or it's super hot garbage. Like Steven Spielberg is washed. He's cooked.

[00:32:59]I think the movie's fine.

[00:33:00]>> I think Honestly, I hate to say it, but I feel like that's the reality like most movies I'm going to see are going to be fine.

[00:33:07]>> Yeah.

[00:33:08]>> I don't think most movies are going to be like egregiously bad or like super amazing. Like a decent movie can aim to just be fine.

[00:33:16]>> I think for people interested in the genre and interested in my take as far as alien movie goes >> going to be your >> This isn't this isn't going to scratch your itch.

[00:33:30]>> No.

[00:33:30]>> I think Project Hail Mary >> I still need to see that.

[00:33:34]>> is much better than this.

[00:33:38]I think Project Hail Mary is really really good and if you're looking for like fun like if you're looking for it not I don't want to say fun. If you're looking for alien movie, this this is this really isn't it.

[00:33:50]>> I was like yeah, like it seems like aliens are back in style. I mean I don't know if they ever went out of style honestly, but we've had some decent aliens.

[00:33:59]>> went out of style.

[00:34:01]They definitely went out of style.

[00:34:02]>> I think they came back with like Alien Romulus. Is that what it was called?

[00:34:07]>> I don't know if I agree with that.

[00:34:11]Hmm.

[00:34:12]>> Do you think they were back before then?

[00:34:14]>> I I No. I think they are I think that I think this is the the coming back. I think especially starting at Project Hail Mary I think we're going to see more quality alien stuff.

[00:34:28]>> Okay.

[00:34:30]>> Especially it's like Steven Spielberg did it and a bunch of people are going to be like, "Well, if Spielberg did it."

[00:34:36]Like, you know what I mean? Um >> [laughter] >> Yeah, okay. So, things we liked. Things we liked about the movie, no spoilers.

[00:34:44]>> I liked some of the questions they were posing, even if I felt like they weren't I wasn't satisfied with how much they were explored, if that makes sense. Like who has the rights to information, who's responsible for the spread, or like who's responsible for what we can know and how much we know.

[00:35:02]>> Yeah.

[00:35:02]>> Um I'm I'm always a suck I'm always a sucker for a good religious question or whatever, but I felt like it was very I >> Yeah, I don't think it was fleshed out very well. It felt to me kind of tacked on.

[00:35:15]>> It did it low-key feel like the scene where they were discussing God it low-key felt like he chat chat GPT that.

[00:35:22]>> Yeah, yeah. Like it didn't it didn't it I don't know.

[00:35:26]I I I would rather have the movie be noticeably more about the intersection between alien extraterrestrial aliens and Christianity or just religious faith or significantly less cuz I I just don't it didn't I I wasn't very sold by it.

[00:35:44]>> It felt like the girlfriend was just sort of tacked on or Josh O'Connor's character's girlfriend.

[00:35:50]>> Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:35:52]>> It didn't I felt like maybe she could have been utilized better, but it just felt like she was there.

[00:35:57]>> Played by Eve Hewson.

[00:35:59]>> I actually do like her as an actress.

[00:36:00]>> That also reminds me let let me get a quick disclosure days directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Steven Spielberg and David Koepp and I heard it was originally David Koepp's script that Steve Spielberg tweaked, but I I haven't looked too deep into it.

[00:36:18]>> Okay.

[00:36:19]>> starring Emily Blunt, uh Josh O'Connor, Eve Hewson, Kaitlyn Dever, >> My man, my man, my man. And Colman Domingo and others, obviously. Oh, and Wyatt Russell, but like, whatever.

[00:36:32]>> And so it was like, at least when I see it from the cast, I'm like, okay, this is a strong cast.

[00:36:36]>> I agree.

[00:36:39]But I didn't find them very strong in the movie. I'll say, Emily Blunt acts down in this film. Like, she is she is genuinely putting in all-star performance.

[00:36:53]>> And that panic attack?

[00:36:54]>> Oh, she's she's acting she's acting circles around Colman Firth and like Colman Domingo. And I'm not saying that to say that Emily Blunt like isn't a Like, all of these people should be hitting big. It felt like Colman Firth Like, I think I was most disappointed by Josh O'Connor.

[00:37:13]I I am not a professional actor. I I am not a credibility on acting. It felt very shallow. I I did not feel so like convinced by him.

[00:37:26]>> Honestly, I feel like his character in general just kind of felt more like an afterthought in comparison to Emily Blunt's character.

[00:37:35]Like, I know it was supposed to be like they're they have this um he is the he's what how they Oh wait, is this getting to the spoiler territory?

[00:37:44]>> He is the cybersecurity expert.

[00:37:47]>> But yeah, we you know you know how he's supposed to be able to communicate. He he understands that.

[00:37:52]>> Don't Yeah, don't say any more than that.

[00:37:54]>> Okay, yeah.

[00:37:54]>> That that is spoilers. Because I do have a I do have a point about that. That that that >> like I wasn't super sold on their like >> Cuz I I don't agree with you about the afterthought thing. I don't feel like his character was an afterthought. I just feel like the screenplay itself was really weak.

[00:38:12]I feel like most of my problems with this film are the screenplay. Cuz Em- again, Emily Blunt incredible. Emily Blunt incredible. John Williams uh does the score and when there is score it's John Williams baby.

[00:38:26]>> It's beautiful.

[00:38:27]>> But also a lot of times was were really quiet and and it like distractingly so.

[00:38:33]Um and I also think the camera was hot during this film. Steven Spielberg, he can wield a camera. Like I I obviously it's like he's in the the the [ __ ] chair and stuff. But there's so many interesting camera tricks. There were so many really cool things with mirrors and glass. There like >> Just That one shot with Colman Domingo out the window.

[00:39:00]>> Yeah.

[00:39:00]>> Talking to Emily Blunt's ear. He says something and the light is like reflecting on his face.

[00:39:06]>> I remember there was that scene when they were in like the motel and it's like it goes from Joshua Connor on the phone and then as he starts walking the camera pulls back and up into an overhead shot and I was like, oh baby, that's a movie.

[00:39:19]Oh, this well I'm in this is a movie.

[00:39:21]The camera is so energetic and filled with life.

[00:39:25]>> He's still got >> He like he's got Go figure. Steven Spielberg still got the sauce. Like >> He does.

[00:39:33]>> He He directed the [ __ ] out of the camera.

[00:39:37]It just felt like to me a lot of the actors kind of phoned it in. And also to me the the script was very or the script was very weak.

[00:39:48]>> I don't feel like they had most of the characters they didn't have too much to work with.

[00:39:52]>> Yeah.

[00:39:54]Which is so baffling because >> I kind of get it cuz how they started the story in media in medias res.

[00:40:03]>> Yeah.

[00:40:03]>> So you know, you're right in the middle.

[00:40:05]But I felt like maybe not because of that, but I felt like the characters were just lacking in >> Yeah.

[00:40:13]>> They felt hollow.

[00:40:14]>> Yeah.

[00:40:16]Oh, okay. Okay. I In that I still don't agree, but in that description, I get what you mean when you say Josh O'Connor's character felt tacked on because obviously any text beginning in medias res and then like getting to the actual opening to the movie, there is some like transition to do. And when we finally encounter Emily Blunt's character, it's like it feels totally different, but that's on purpose.

[00:40:42]>> Yeah.

[00:40:42]Yeah.

[00:40:44]>> It felt so different that it made the part it made the like essentially prologue to me feel hollow or or rushed.

[00:40:55]>> Yeah, cuz I think I think the movie's too long.

[00:40:59]Yeah, I was I think the movie's too long.

[00:41:01]>> long. Two and a half hour movie. I think 30 minutes could have been cut.

[00:41:07]And I feel like it moves from point to point too fast.

[00:41:13]>> Yeah.

[00:41:14]>> Like there's too much [ __ ] in the movie.

[00:41:17]>> You know what it might have been better as? Like a mini series or something.

[00:41:21]>> Oh my god, thank you.

[00:41:24]>> [laughter] >> That is exactly how I felt in the movie theater. While I was watching, I was like I I think the word that I can best use to describe Disclosure Day is dated.

[00:41:38]>> Yeah.

[00:41:39]>> It felt out of date. It felt like this isn't how we do blockbusters anymore.

[00:41:43]This isn't how we tell stories like this anymore.

[00:41:46]>> Have you seen Arrival?

[00:41:48]>> Uh with uh Amy >> Adams and like Jeremy Renner?

[00:41:52]>> That's That's Denis Villeneuve?

[00:41:54]I still haven't seen it yet.

[00:41:55]>> Yeah, it it felt like more like that like the tail like that era. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Even like 10 years ago.

[00:42:03]>> Yeah. Cuz it's it's just like it it is a Steven Spielberg summer blockbuster, but it feels like it would have been a summer blockbuster a decade, two decades ago. It just doesn't feel like that's how we That doesn't feel like how audience of today interact with what a summer blockbuster is.

[00:42:27]>> Mhm.

[00:42:27]>> And I think to that point in it feeling dated, to me it felt like this screenplay feels like it should have been a like eight-episode streaming >> Yeah.

[00:42:41]I I felt like it would have given more time to delve in what I found interesting. Yeah. I I was really intrigued with the alien language and uh the the language being math cuz you know of course numbers are universal. That's the only universal language between all of us.

[00:43:01]>> As I was watching the film, there were moments that I was like, "Man, if this were a TV show, I could see how this scene would be so different." I could see I could I could mark where an episode would end and an episode would begin because there is there there are like I wouldn't even say twists, but like reveals that happen.

[00:43:23]>> Yeah.

[00:43:24]>> And it feels like not enough time was spent building up to a reveal to make it feel like it is a reveal.

[00:43:30]>> We needed a whole episode in the past with aliens.

[00:43:33]>> The right. Right. There there there so many sections I was like, "This should be its own episode."

[00:43:40]Um but like I mean Steven Spielberg's never going to do a TV show, right? I don't think he has before, right?

[00:43:47]Oh no, he did he has. He did Band of uh Band of Brothers.

[00:43:52]Right? That's how That's what that's called?

[00:43:54]>> Oh.

[00:43:56]>> I'm pretty sure.

[00:44:01]>> Yeah.

[00:44:02]>> He did Band of Brothers, yeah.

[00:44:03]>> WHY AM I SAYING PEACHY the brain?

[00:44:06]>> Yeah. And Band >> I don't know who that?

[00:44:08]>> Band of Brothers is a lot of people's favorite TV show. It's like it's it's like one of those shows that has a that is like a classic but not in our circle.

[00:44:19]You know what I mean?

[00:44:21]Cuz it's not like it's I think >> It's military show?

[00:44:26]>> Yes. So you and I are raised and trained in a specific kind of like theatrical arty space.

[00:44:35]>> Yeah.

[00:44:36]>> And that usually is not synchronous with like [snorts] military media.

[00:44:43]>> Yeah.

[00:44:45]>> And so this that I've heard that show was like artsy in the high like like golden age TV in all the ways you would expect except it's about army men.

[00:44:57]And so it feels like it's just not been on our radar. It's it's on the list for me. Like I I've I've only heard it's an incredible TV show.

[00:45:04]Yeah, no.

[00:45:04]>> I think I feel like Disclosure Day should like I don't want to say should have. I think I would have I liked the screenplay of this if it were an eight-episode show.

[00:45:16]>> I could see this Apple TV show.

[00:45:18]>> I I said Apple TV too cuz I had the same feeling watching this as I did watching um uh uh Silo with Rebecca Ferguson. It has the same vibe and the same progression. Not the same pacing but like a very similar like okay, this is when we find out this kind of information and here's the action set piece that we need.

[00:45:42]Which I oh, another major complaint I have about this movie. The action in it is bad.

[00:45:49]I like I I just I think the the uh antagonists in this are whack.

[00:45:58]>> I'm just not really convinced by And And mind you, I love Colin Firth. I He's my Mr. Darcy. There'll never be a Mr. Darcy that ever touches Colin Firth.

[00:46:09]>> Yeah.

[00:46:09]>> But I just Why was he here?

[00:46:11]>> Yeah, I I felt so weak. No tea for the director. So weak.

[00:46:15]I felt I felt like he was underutilized.

[00:46:17]>> I won't Okay, not underutilized. His His script did not give him >> Yeah.

[00:46:23]>> much.

[00:46:23]>> I feel like the character he played Not to drag this plane out. I feel like we should have learned more about him, which would only have been possible in a TV show.

[00:46:36]>> Yes.

[00:46:36]>> Yeah, cuz there's stuff that we learn about it.

[00:46:39]He like we we get like hints of a backstory, but it's not >> Well, oh, he has a fill of his character.

[00:46:44]>> Stop spoiler spoilers.

[00:46:47]IT'S OKAY. BLEEP THAT OUT. Bleep that out. Um Uh >> I mean, she ain't there.

[00:46:52]>> [laughter] >> Bleep that out, too.

[00:46:54]Um Specifically, the like agents, right?

[00:47:00]Like they're supposed to be on the run.

[00:47:02]>> What are they?

[00:47:03]>> They're like black hat private like government but not government agents, and they are goofy.

[00:47:12]They are like Looney Tunes Three Stooges bumping into each other. They're like It's like storm troopers but not even stylized.

[00:47:22]>> to say that.

[00:47:23]>> They're They're They're wacky and thrown around and just like it's embarrassing.

[00:47:27]They are not convincing at all.

[00:47:29]>> And I'm like, I'm supposed to believe this is like a serious government >> Right. It's like you guys are [ __ ] dorks.

[00:47:35]>> [laughter] >> Like it it's it's so it it takes me out of any of the action set pieces because all of the the the action is just it it it's being driven by cartoon characters. And so much of the film is supposed to be grounded and serious, and it it's it it's like not a thriller, but it it feels like it's shot as if it is a thriller. And then you get these GOVERNMENT AGENTS BEING WHOA, like thrown around and it's it's just so out of sync for me.

[00:48:12]Uh it's such a bummer.

[00:48:14]>> Yeah.

[00:48:15]>> Anyway, I think I think before we get into spoilers, I think this movie is like this is the kind of movie that as a kid and this might speak more to like millennials and late older Gen Z. This is like the kind of movie you would walk in on your dad watching and he's half paying attention to it and you suddenly lock in.

[00:48:36]>> Yeah.

[00:48:37]>> This is this is that type of movie. This is a dad movie.

[00:48:41]And I don't mean that that's not the criticism. That that's not a criticism.

[00:48:46]>> I think it's I think it's like that kind of movie. If you want interesting alien stuff, I don't think this is for you. If you >> If you're trying to see something on discount Tuesday, it's cool.

[00:48:58]>> I think it's really cool.

[00:49:00]>> disclosure day.

[00:49:01]>> I think I mean, I will always say support your local theaters.

[00:49:07]>> Yeah.

[00:49:08]>> I think Emily Blunt >> is really amazing.

[00:49:11]>> worth it. Like genuinely like acting really high acting from Emily Blunt. She >> This is probably one of the best roles I've seen her in.

[00:49:23]>> And it's such a bummer cuz so much of the rest of the movie is really >> Okay.

[00:49:28]>> mid. It's fine. It is an okay movie. I know it's not sexy, but it's okay.

[00:49:34]It's fine. It does seem like reviews are giving it roughly like sixes, sevens, some eights, like that area.

[00:49:44]>> I I would I would settle >> [sighs] >> I think yeah, 3.5 out of five for me, I think. And so much of that is Emily Blunt.

[00:49:55]I I can't express enough. And then the third star is the camera.

[00:50:00]Yeah. Oh, and the point five is that one shot with the alien. Yeah.

[00:50:05]And the deer. Okay. All right, we're now moving into spoiler territory. Spoiler spoiler territory.

[00:50:14]The [snorts] sound she makes with her mouth. Oh, but the clicking sound is really cool. Though it does Hold on. Can um Can Can we get woke for a second?

[00:50:22]Sure, yes.

[00:50:27]What do you think about the alien language not just in this, but often. This is This is not the only one.

[00:50:38]But the alien language being like a clicking language when there are real life people on this planet right now that have clicking [snorts] languages?

[00:50:53]Like do you know what I mean? Ob- Obviously I'm not saying that Steven Spielberg's doing something racist. Just like put Put that aside.

[00:51:00]Like what meaning can we make out of the the clicking language? You know what I mean?

[00:51:05]Cuz the way that it's pitched in the movie, as you said as you alluded to before, the language is that that they use to translate is math. It's a math language. He's making me mad.

[00:51:18]Yeah. Yes.

[00:51:20]Um but but it's it's the way that that is framed is as this like deeply other heightened unknowable thing when there are real human tribes and communities with knowable language and knowable like clicking dialect.

[00:51:42]I think my mind of course goes to the Gothic cuz that's where I study. Sure.

[00:51:48]And I'm thinking of aliens and how I would think of like perhaps other Gothic monsters and what they represent to >> Sure.

[00:51:54]>> their respective societies at the time.

[00:51:57]And so much of the monsters in the Gothic, of course, have to do with this fear of immigration and multiculturalism.

[00:52:05]So, I'd be willing to bet if you took aliens back and like think about what they represent and this fear of like being invaded, it I think that would fall under the reverse colonialism narrative, which is essentially like uh colonial countries, the fear that what they've done to like other places will be done unto them.

[00:52:28]So, I think um I would definitely think that this idea of aliens is probably derived from this idea of like this foreign um essentially this immigrant.

[00:52:40]>> Mhm.

[00:52:41]>> So, I think I think there's definitely something there with what you're saying and how um alien language often gets interpreted or like displayed as like this clicking or like collection of sounds that are like not They sound foreign or other, you know, to us.

[00:52:57]>> And like to to give all of these creators the benefit of the doubt, because I I don't want this section to be construed as like like why are you making it about race?

[00:53:06]I think to to make a thing that sounds like it's like never been done before, the human mind typically just combines a bunch of stuff that have been done before, right?

[00:53:19]There's this prompt that I I I like went around Tik Tok years ago, but it was like draw something that never like you tell somebody to draw something that never exists and you're going to draw you're going to see a collection of a bunch of things that do exist.

[00:53:32]>> Yeah.

[00:53:33]>> Right.

[00:53:33]>> So, yeah, it's I think it's cuz you know, they're going to be like why are you making it about race? I think it it's always going to be about race, but not necessarily in like this like direct connective way that people think.

[00:53:45]>> Yeah.

[00:53:45]>> Like like he went, "Ah, I'm going to model this awful like thing."

[00:53:50]>> went racist mode on the new disclosure.

[00:53:52]Like it's it's not that at all.

[00:53:54]>> I think I think it's just so ingrained in our our lexicon of uh sci-fi representations and like and aliens and whatnot that like it's still indeed like the reverse colonialism narrative, but I don't think like necessarily um like Steven Spielberg didn't come up with that. It's just what it's amounted to.

[00:54:20]>> Yeah. The speaking of like Steven Spielberg and the language of like sci-fi, I can't help but feel like Disclosure Day is like a spiritual sequel to ET.

[00:54:32]Like in a way it's it's like a boy and a girl encounter an alien.

[00:54:37]And then have to fight the government to help it.

[00:54:40]>> It feels like ET mixed with Arrival. At least maybe cuz I'm like super thinking of like the math aspect of like uh cuz you know the uh Steven Chiang, I think that's Wait, Ted Chiang, who wrote uh the short story that Arrival is derived from. His whole thing is like he does >> it's derived from a short story.

[00:55:02]>> Yeah, uh Ted Chiang, he's really cool. I tried to teach him to the students. They was not [ __ ] with it.

[00:55:08]They sucked. But yeah, it's from Story of Your Life and other short stories.

[00:55:13]But like I found it very intriguing cuz he's like absolutely like a science and mathematical kind of guy, which I'm not. But like he writes about it in a way that I find like I'm like, "Oh, this is interesting. Like I'm interested in your your numbers and stuff." Like there's like this whole fugly ass short story where it's like a girl is um she solves like an unsolvable equation and like it's from the boyfriend's perspective, but she solves an unsolvable equation and basically loses her mind. So, you know, uh thinking of like sci-fi in that way.

[00:55:47]But, um isn't that wild? Like, the language is always in math, which I get, but then it always is verbalized like this you know, the click. Also, I I I wonder what Steven King was not Steven King.

[00:56:01]>> Steven Spielberg.

[00:56:02]There are a lot of famous Stevens. You got to >> And they be cooking. They But, yeah, he wanted to >> Day by Stephen Sondheim.

[00:56:12]>> He wanted to use AI for direction.

[00:56:14]>> Did he really?

[00:56:16]>> Yes, and Emily Blunt was like, "No."

[00:56:18]>> [laughter] >> Good. Good. Good on her. Oh my god. I also I had this bit about walking out of it.

[00:56:25]I had this bit about Steven Spielberg, where it's like, "This is the second movie about a boy and a girl encounter an alien, and the government's the bad guys." And in both of them, the aliens have a specific head shape and look and like color to the point where I'm like "Did Steven Spielberg get abducted as a kid?

[00:56:46]Just cuz it feels like he knows the truth, >> [laughter] >> and he's been trying to tell us for 20, 30 years now."

[00:56:53]>> 40 years.

[00:56:54]>> feel like I want to give his aliens a hug in a way that I don't necessarily want to give hugs to other alien movie characters.

[00:57:01]>> Yeah.

[00:57:02]Um more about more about uh spoilers. So, Emily Blunt is Emily Blunt is like she her and Joshua Khan did the story.

[00:57:13]Sorry, you you look like you have something to say.

[00:57:15]>> Uh I was like just I don't I was like that I know there's like a Hansel and Gretel sort of analogy with that >> two were like picked by the aliens to be like the translator and the mouthpiece for them as they work towards disclosing, ergo disclosure day, their existence in the universe and on Earth.

[00:57:36]>> A brief brief tangent. I always like I always think it's funny thinking about it or like oh, the aliens were sitting there like hey, we're going to pick these two little white kids to be our to be our little vessels. I just think it's always funny or at least when I'm imagining it how the aliens decide to pick the kids in question. Like I wouldn't understand why they pick kids cuz one, you know, kids are impressionable and I think kids are able to like handle information like that in a way that would probably collapse the adult brain.

[00:58:09]>> Well, which that is one of the central themes of the movie, right? The like whole point of disclosure day one of the the biggest talking points about the movie is is about about information, about how the government and private entities withhold information and like questions of like should this information be released, who does this information belong to, who's responsible if information let like can change the world gets out.

[00:58:36]>> Yeah.

[00:58:37]>> Um and then also again, what feels tacked on it's like how do we negotiate extraterrestrial life with uh human religions and the answer that is basically given in the movie is like we accept both.

[00:58:58]And I'm like I just it it just felt it just felt really I don't know cuz when when uh Jane, Eve Hewson's uh character when she first learns about the alien, her first thought is like well, we can't tell anybody. What happens to everyone's faith in God? And I rolled my eyes so hard. Not because I'm like super anti-God, but it just felt like tacky.

[00:59:24]>> Yeah, I'm like it felt >> In the middle of a war?

[00:59:27]>> genuinely >> I don't think I think that's the least of our worries right now, finding out if aliens are real. I feel like most people would even be like, [ __ ] hey, this is kind of cool.

[00:59:38]>> Yeah.

[00:59:39]I most people wouldn't believe it. And like I I do >> Oh, this is true.

[00:59:43]>> I do value that the movie is not afraid to be as directly optimistic as overtly optimistic about this kind of thing.

[00:59:56]This this movie does have faith in people.

[00:59:59]Where it's like, hey, these government secrets should come out and yes, it might be tenuous, >> Hurt.

[01:00:07]>> but people will adjust and grow from it.

[01:00:11]>> I have to say, you know whose performance was also nice, just like a very minor role, the reporter at the end.

[01:00:17]>> Yes, yes, yes, yes, yeah. Hold on, what is that What is that woman's name?

[01:00:21]>> I was like, why am I getting emotional?

[01:00:24]>> What is that woman's name?

[01:00:29]I don't know. It Let's check the >> I got to say I love when that happens in a movie.

[01:00:35]Like someone like kills it in their like 1-minute or 2-minute scene.

[01:00:40]>> I don't know.

[01:00:42]But yeah, no, there's a reporter towards the end that like is on is in the movie for like 5 minutes and eats it down.

[01:00:49]>> Yes.

[01:00:50]>> Does she have a name or is she just reporter?

[01:00:52]>> Oh, cuz it's hard to find her cuz if you look up reporter, it just says Emily Blunt's character, of course.

[01:00:57]>> Yeah.

[01:00:59]Um um um um Let me see, Courtney Grace.

[01:01:02]Yes, the actress Courtney Grace.

[01:01:05]>> A.

[01:01:06]>> She plays the NBC anchor in Disclosure Day.

[01:01:08]>> She >> ate down. That was >> She did.

[01:01:12]>> Really surprising. I was like, whoa. But also by that point, I'm like, god damn, this movie's long. This movie >> I'm like >> is long. I don't think the I don't think the montage at the end needed to be as long as it was.

[01:01:28]>> Yeah.

[01:01:29]>> Of like watching the information be disseminated. And honestly, I I don't agree with the feeling, but in the moment I was like I think the movie could have ended right when they're like, "This is disclosure day."

[01:01:43]As soon as As soon as it's like red light green light or red light "Hi, I'm Emily Blunt. This is disclosure day." I wouldn't be mad if it was just cut to black right there. I think that would have been baller, but because >> like we just said, thematically, the movie is so much about the the optimistic Excuse me, the optimistic belief that and how people will respond to world-shattering >> Building a relationship with >> I I I get why it was valuable. I just think it was too long.

[01:02:14]>> I did like how I as it was like ending, I'm like, I really hope they don't try to tell us what the alien says there. I just hope they kind of like cut it there without us actually knowing what's said, you know? And then they did that. So, I was like, okay.

[01:02:30]>> I do think like I also, like speak speaking to the themes, I do think it is really a thing I like about the screenplay. The only words um that we get translated out of the alien are in the beginning when like they translate the clicks. And it's what?

[01:02:48]It's like don't be afraid or something like that. Don't be afraid of what you don't know.

[01:02:52]>> Yeah, don't be afraid of what you don't know.

[01:02:54]>> Don't be afraid of what you don't know.

[01:02:55]And then at the very end, it cuts, but we get the very last word of the film is listen.

[01:03:01]And it's like, oh, yeah. That that's good. That like that's good stuff.

[01:03:06]Like that that that >> I felt like they did a good job of utilize what they chose to have the alien actually say was I I I think they Whoa, I forgot how to talk.

[01:03:20]What? The alien actually says, I felt like that was a good utilization of, you know, very few words being exchanged.

[01:03:27]>> Yeah, I thought that was really good.

[01:03:29]Um >> Oh, I I like the shot, of course, with the deer >> [laughter] >> and the alien.

[01:03:35]>> I I I didn't like the deer. I didn't like the any of the Like the CGI animals took me out of it. Not like Maybe I'm being picky.

[01:03:44]>> I like when they spun the camera.

[01:03:46]>> Uh-huh.

[01:03:46]>> It was like, "Woo, I'm a deer. No, now I'm an alien. Ah."

[01:03:51]>> Yeah.

[01:03:52]I just didn't like I didn't like the CGI animals when they were there. I I know that there's probably very little way to do it any other way than that. But, um I don't know. They were uncanny in a way that really took me out.

[01:04:04]>> It It felt like CGI in a way that >> Yeah.

[01:04:07]>> doesn't belong to our time anymore.

[01:04:08]>> Yeah.

[01:04:09]Again, dated. It just kind of feels like the whole movie is a little too late.

[01:04:14]>> of a damn dog.

[01:04:15]>> Um >> Like a cat.

[01:04:17]>> And And one one last point, uh unless you have obviously if you have more stuff. One one point that I want to make in reference to us talking about how think that the movie could have worked could as a TV show.

[01:04:32]One of the things that you that when the movie first starts, when we meet Joshua O'Connor, we aren't like there's no reason to assume that Joshua O'Connor is also one of the like chosen.

[01:04:45]>> Yeah.

[01:04:46]>> Right. It It's presented as if he's just a guy that like believes in the cause and got wrapped up in this like like conspiracy thing.

[01:04:54]Right? And then like it starts hinting and then it's like, "No, you're one of them." And then like the the big wheat field like sign happens. And I thought that was unconvincing.

[01:05:07]It felt like >> LIKE THAT'S PART OF WHY I YOU KNOW, I I I keep using after-thought, but I feel like that goes into why I feel that way.

[01:05:16]>> Yeah.

[01:05:17]>> Because I don't feel like he was uh his role as the chosen just didn't >> Yeah.

[01:05:24]>> feel I wasn't sold by him being a chosen and also him working for this company.

[01:05:30]And then, you know, he just so happens to hold the information that directly like >> Well, it's implied that the the alien is kind of pulling the strings the whole time.

[01:05:38]>> Yeah, cuz he ends up on the path because it seems like both their respective paths were related to the aliens. Cuz he becomes like the cybersecurity guy, so you know, that's related to him understanding the language via the math.

[01:05:51]And then she becomes a reporter, and she's like the spokesperson.

[01:05:54]>> In in in that, one of the things that they bond over, he he Joshua Connor's character explains that like because he's so proficient at math, it like ruined all of his relationships and made him so lonely.

[01:06:09]>> And I wish that was presented to us before we found out that he was one of the chosen, which I think could have been done better in a TV show, right? If like if he would have had like a past security Yeah.

[01:06:21]And then we get the reveal on like episode like at the end of episode four.

[01:06:26]Right? Where it's like, "Oh, actually, you're one of them, too." After like imagine spending three episodes as like reading this as if Emily Blunt is the chosen one, only to then find out, "No, there are two."

[01:06:40]>> they mock that.

[01:06:41]>> Right? I think that would be more interesting to me, but I also like TV shows.

[01:06:48]Which is which is I think the hardest part about having that feeling towards the film. Cuz some people just don't like TV. Some people like a film as a two-and-a-half-hour romp as a versus like two nine-hour nine 10 hours. But I love TV.

[01:07:04]>> In my head, just in my head, I know this isn't reality, I'm "Oh, you don't like movies? You like movies, but you don't like TV? Come on, man." I I mean, I get it.

[01:07:12]>> connected.

[01:07:13]>> I I I agree with you, but I do get it.

[01:07:17]Because so, like I think film and TV have a different relationship to endings.

[01:07:25]>> Yeah.

[01:07:26]>> Right? Cuz like there is one beginning and one ending in a movie.

[01:07:33]Even in a series, it's like the next beginning is is disconnected in a way. Whereas like a TV show would have a series of beginning and endings. It has to begin an episode while it begins a series, and then it has to end that episode before it ends the series, right? Like there there's a different rhythm >> Yeah.

[01:07:56]>> that is different.

[01:07:59]>> I think it's it's or at least with how we go about time and whatnot in our society, it's a little easier to commit to a movie cuz you can just kind of go in and out maybe perhaps in a way that a TV show requires more like continuous return to the same thing.

[01:08:18]>> Especially these days, like cuz many most shows aren't built for like syndication.

[01:08:23]>> Yeah.

[01:08:24]>> you could go in and out of Full House, but you can't go in and out of Pluribus, you know?

[01:08:29]>> Yes.

[01:08:31]>> Yeah. Uh final thoughts on Disclosure Day?

[01:08:37]>> Emily Blunt, you're great.

[01:08:39]>> Emily Blunt is really great. Uh uh if you like Spilled Milk Rooms, you'll probably like it. If you like dad movies, you'll probably like it.

[01:08:47]>> Uh I used to have a crush on her in The Devil Wears Prada when I was little.

[01:08:51]>> Period.

[01:08:53]>> [laughter] >> Yeah.

[01:08:53]>> All right. Um while we explore that crush, where else can they find us, Leah?

[01:08:59]>> You can find us on any place that they have podcasts, as well as TikTok and Patreon.

[01:09:06]>> And on Patreon for $5 a month, you get off you get access to office hours, our podcast after the pod where we're a little looser, little little riskier, and maybe consume a little legal substance. Here's a sneak peek.

[01:09:19]>> Furious.

[01:09:20]>> what it felt You know what it feels like? The people that are like, "She did this to herself." It feels like the same people that are like, "Um we didn't bully you for liking anime. You You did that to yourself. We all liked anime the whole time. You were just like colorist or did this thing."

[01:09:39]>> We didn't outcast you. You're just [ __ ] weird.

[01:09:41]>> Yeah, and it's like, "NO. NO. NO. NO.

[01:09:44]>> [laughter] >> YOU DID THAT SHIT."

[01:09:46]>> SO, if you can afford it, please send it our way. If not, please like, comment, and subscribe the video. And until we see you next, stay black, stay nerdy, and read books.

[01:09:55]>> Please read. [music] >> Read books. Read sci-fi. Like I This movie's and and Project Hail Mary have gotten me in a real like sci-fi mood.

[01:10:03][music] I've been really thinking >> Oh, you should read You should read Ted Chiang.

[01:10:07]>> Okay, yeah. I I I also I I'll I'll put that on the list. And also, I um really want to read um Axiom's End by Lindsay Ellis.

[01:10:17]>> Oh, I've heard of that.

[01:10:18]>> Yeah.

[01:10:19]>> [music] [music] [music] [music]