Month: June 2026

Disclosure Day suckered us in again

In point of fact: it has been no less than 25 years since Steven Spielberg helmed a quantifiable, undisputed, world-wide mega blockbuster. That movie was Saving Private Ryan and it graced our screens in 1998. There have been a few notable movies since, sure (Minority Report, War of the Worlds). But the last movie in his unmatched career that your humble Average Dude would consider an annual watch was nearly a decade ago (Ready Player One, a marvelously original geek-fest). Since that last W, Spielberg has brought us a mere trio of movies: The Fabelmans (yawn), West Side Story (don’t even get me started), and Disclosure Day. Here then, is my unvarnished review. As one of the greatest cinematic villains of all time said…

Kind of like Edward Snowden

Disclosure Day promised to be the ‘story’ of how an everyman of great conscience threw off the shackles of secrecy to bring truth to the people regarding one of the biggest questions the world has had since before I was born…are we alone in the universe? Dr of cybersecurity David Kellner, working for a shadowy government agency, steals evidence of E.T. existence and skedaddles out of town, intent on spilling all the beans. Somewhere along the way, he is granted mathematical super-powers by the aliens. Powers that allow him to interpret their language, which manifests in a series of guttural throat clicks.

Speaking of that…

For reasons unexplained, the aliens have decided to imbue a weather announcer from Kansas City (GO CHIEFS!) with some level of empathic super-powers. One of those abilities seems to be speaking in their tongue (if indeed they have that appendage). I won’t go into any further detail on those powers. That’s for you to discover on your own. If so inclined.

Disclosure Day hits hard, but not how you expect

So, why such a meager score? I mean, this is Spielberg! His bona fidas are well-established. He is the GOAT. He’s the Tom Brady of blockbuster movies. Do I even need to list them? That was rhetorical, I do not. There are no less than 10 of his movies on my annual watch list. That’s why this very ‘meh’ offering hits hard.

We are all wondering the same

The short list of problems with Disclosure Day: it is a muddled, meandering chase story with a villain posessing all the technology known to man (and some definitely NOT known to man) and yet seeming totally inept. I mean, come on. They let their greatest secrets sneak out the door and their private army is unable to capture a lone rogue scientist who is pretty much on foot. The ‘why’ of so much that happens never get answered in this WAAAY overlong mess. I have been heard to liken Disclosure Day to a Junior in High School student writing a screenplay that is part Close Encounters and part E.T. Brutal but accurate, I think.

The elephant in the room

There are some of us (myself included) that believe Steven Spielberg’s very public comments – that Disclosure Day will make you question your faith – to be nothing more than an attempt to get people talking about his movie. And perhaps to get a few people looking to find out what the heck he is talking about. Oh, and to spend their money. That’s what your humble Average Dude thinks.

The alternative is that Spielberg is so completely unknowledgeable about the core tenants of Christianity that he thinks the suggestion that a movie about aliens existing is going to shake it’s foundations. Its as if the concept wasn’t done (and done much better) in 1977 by little movie titled Close Encounters of the Third Kind. If true, that would actually worse than using social media to gin up controversy and interest.

Nah, I think it’s the former. Certainly the architect of some of the most beloved cinema in history – and that includes two movies where the existence of God and the divinity of His son are primary elements – knows something about our faith. So yeah, I think it was a marketing tactic. In the end though, it’s not going to win him any fans. And neither will this movie.

The big reveal

So, in utter disappointment, I am revealing that Disclosure Day deserves only a 2.2 out of 5. At best, it’s a slog. A yawner. Lackluster and uninspired. At worst, it’s a desperate attempt to relive his past glories.

And no. It does not shake my faith in God. Not one jot or tiddle. If that helps you to decide whether or not to spend your money, time and corn on it, then my job here is done.

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Obsession shocks the world, but not how you think

Everyone loves an underdog, don’t they? All the great Hollywood stories start with an underdog. Rocky. The Karate Kid. Cinderella Man. Even Star Wars. All classics, all tales of the little guy overcoming every obstacle, beating the odds and emerging on top. We eat it up. Maybe it’s because we all see ourselves as an underdog? I have opinions on that subject, but they aren’t for this venue. Whatever. It is hardly debatable that we, as a nation and possibly a human race, root for the guy (or girl) refusing to submit to the inevitable. And that’s the real attraction of Obsession.

The story told in Obsession is basically this: lovelorn wimp Bear (Michael Johnston) is so desperate to have the affection of long-time friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette) that he is willing to place his futile hopes on a witchcraft novelty toy, the One Wish Willow. For $6.99, Bear purchases what any sane person would know to be an impulse-buy of no actual value to force Nikki to give him what he desires…her love. It’s not hard to wrap your head around Bear’s motivations on their face. Self-serving, immature, even delusional want. The motivations of a child. It’s not until you dig a little deeper that Obsession starts to get ugly (or uglier, if you like).

Credit where credit is due

Right from jump street, I want to say that the two lead actors gave very serviceable performances. If Johnston isn’t a spineless wimp IRL, then he did a remarkable job in the role. His character was 100% cringe and that seems like it would be hard to believably pull off. Navarrette absolutely sold the part of an obsessed, psychotic girlfriend. I imagine that would be an easier part to play because it only demands that you commit to the over-the-top antics (think Jim Carey in nearly every role). So, kudos to them. Well done.

As for every other role in Obsession…well…I feel like pretty much anyone with a lick of acting courage could have filled the bill. Oddly, the only name of note was Andy Richter, of Conan Obrien second banana fame. How or why he was in this movie is a mystery. Blink and you’ll miss him, if you even knew who he was to begin with. But whatever.

You just got Punk’d. By a rookie.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock when it comes to Hollywood news, you already know the story behind the story. Obsession was written and directed by YouTuber Curry Barker and is his first wide-release horror movie. It was made on a budget of $750k and shot over a period of just weeks. To this date, it has grossed over $166M. Eat your heart out, Scream 7.

Obsession now exists in the rarified air of The Blair Witch Project in terms of budget-to-revenue percentage. If Hollywood isn’t panicking right now, the studios have surely created a department of non-mainstream talent acquisition. With ever rising production costs and insane star salaries, they’d be fools not to take note of the Obsession lesson.

I’m still trying to figure that out

So how did Obsession get so popular? In a time when theaters are struggling, what is putting butts in seats for this movie? I have a couple of theories, and none of them are awesome. I’d be very interested in having open discussions. Here goes nothing…

Content consumption is at an all-time high and not slowing down. In the long-ago, CC was considered an event. Dad and Mom would get gussied up to go to the theater and see the latest Humphrey Bogart movie.

Then along came television. Content Consumption took a massive leap upward. Moms would watch their ‘stories’ while folding the laundry. Kids would get up early on Saturday to watch cartoons. Then came HBO (now over 50 years old, and that bakes my melon). CC is now available 24/7.

Not long after, cable tv. The internet and streaming services. All content, all the time, in your pocket, on a device with more computing power than the room-sized magnetic tape spinning devices that sent astronauts to the moon. All in our lifetime.

So, it comes as zero surprise that a little guy YouTuber created something that captured an amazing amount of attention. When content comes from everywhere, constantly bombarding us with choices for our addiction to distraction, lightning was going to strike somewhere away from the Hollywood machine. And you can bet it won’t be the last.

But there has to be more to it, doesn’t there?

When I look at the male lead character for Obsession, I see a pitiable, weak, directionless, borderline slacker in the company of other slightly less pitiable characters. And I wonder…does this very low-T character resonate with young adults these days? Are they so scared that they can’t muster the courage to ask a girl out? So desperate that they will try anything? Even novelty witchcraft? Do young men sit in their cars alone at night screaming in frustration because they lack the confidence to go after their current heart’s desire?

These are some of the deeper issues that the popularity of Obsession brings to mind. Just observing the decline of maturity and stoicism in youth today. I guess that kind of empathy is something that usually comes with age.

SO…your humble Average Dude is going to give Obsession a wimpy 2 stars out of 5. A sad score for a sad movie. I went to see it partly out of curiosity, partly because my best friend’s eldest wanted a Dude’s night and it was his choice. We both agreed that we should have seen Backrooms instead.

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I was really looking forward to finding out how the horse got on the roof*

Your humble Average Dude is a fan of Nate Bargatze’s comedy, and I’m not really sure why. Is it because he has a very self-effacing style? Is it because he has amazing deadpan delivery and perfect timing? Could it be because his comedy is clean enough to watch with your grandmother? Or Mother Superior? Possibly. But there are lots of clean comics out there. And most comics have an understanding of timing. So what is it about Nate Bargatze that has captured us and propelled him to the point where Hollywood comes calling? I don’t know and at the end of the day, I don’t really care. I just know that I’m totally here for it.

Admittedly, I think I’ve only seen one full Nate Bargatze standup show start to finish. But nearly every single day I watch at least one of his YouTube or Facebook shorts. They make my day better. For about 30 seconds a shot, I get to forget all the doom-scroll negativity or day-to-day drudgery. And I love that. I need that.

But can he stick the landing?

I’ll admit I had some concern about the transition from standup to cinema. It seems like most comedians who get a level of success in clubs and then on Netflix eventually try to make the leap. Some are successful (Eddie Murphy is the one that comes immediately to mind). But there are others that just. Can’t. Do it.

Take Bert Kreischer. Probably the funniest standup show of my lifetime was The Machine. I laughed until my face was a soaking wet mess and my gut hurt for a day. So I was psyched to see the movie adaptation of that story. If you missed it (and you probably did), my review of that movie was…not great. But I’m a courageous fellow, so I rolled the dice on The Breadwinner. That, and Mrs Average Dude wanted to see it. Plus, there really wasn’t much else to see this week (what a surprise).

Mr Keaton, you are needed on set

I don’t know how many of you will remember the 1983 movie Mr Mom starring Michael Keaton. When people think about the home life role reversal scenario, that movie is kind of the OG gold standard to which all others are compared. So, The Breadwinner really isn’t breaking any new ground here. Hard-working provider dad is thrust into the world of the hard-working homemaker and finds out how hilariously inept and unprepared he is. Sitcoms have been mining this trope since the beginning. It’s classic situational comedy. I don’t really need to describe the movie any more than that.

It would be akin to beating a puppy in public

What sets The Breadwinner apart is both obvious and difficult to capture. Personality. Character. Likeability. These are qualities that Nate Bargatze possesses in quantum amounts. And in today’s world, those qualities are in high demand. Nate Bargatze is an unapologetic family man. His comedy is intelligent and clever (his SNL bits are priceless). He never yells, never debases anyone. He is non-political. His comedy is not divisive. How can he NOT be popular? I have not seen or heard of a single person, institution or entity that has anything bad to say about him or his comedy. In today’s social landscape, that’s unheard of.

The Black Widow Effect

As funny as Nate Bargatze is, it’s not unfair to point out that The Breadwinner imports more than one or two of the star’s standup moments. So it’s not 100% original material, sad to say. And there is a pretty decent supporting cast. Colin Jost, also a stay at home dad, is hilariously on-the-nose. Will Forte was even more inept in his role and they played off each other like two of the Three Stooges.

So yeah, Bargatze had help. But in the end, the heart of this movie is the audience belief that Bargatze is that guy, with all the faults and foolishness and misguided good intentions. I don’t know if that’s actually who he is, but I choose to believe it is. Because I want to believe it.

So, I am glad to give The Breadwinner a very decent score of 3.7 out of 5. There were plenty of chuckles and laughs (if no outright gut-busters). It was an entertaining and wholesome movie. Maybe you wait for it to get to Netflix, I would not blame you. But I don’t hate that I saw it in my moviehaus. Either way, wherever you want to see it, go ahead. That’s my recommendation. Couldn’t we all use an hour and 35 minutes of wholesome? Rhetorical. Of course we can.

*Oh, and FYI, the horse never does get on the roof. I deducted .1 for dishonsety on the movie poster.

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