Film Review - Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day

Steven Spielberg’s original sci-fi thriller “Disclosure Day” has been released this month. I decided to review this film. Steven Spielberg directed, produced and wrote the story for “Disclosure Day”. The screenplay is written by David Koepp who’s worked with Steven on multiple films with their most successful collaboration being 1993’s “Jurassic Park”. I’m embedding the trailer from YouTube and will be reviewing the film below.

 

Disclosure Day is set in a world on the brink of a nuclear World War III. This brings parallels to the world we live in right now as we are dealing with wars and inappropriate actions by world leaders that cause unnecessary tensions between countries. The Iran War is a global catastrophe we are facing this year. In the film, there is a company called Wardex who does work for the US government and military which consists of involvement in extraterrestrial interactions and the cover up of their existence. Cybersecurity administrator Dr. Daniel Kellner stole the full archive of proof of the alien presence on earth from Wardex which has videos over the last 79 years that began with the Roswell incident. Daniel’s working for Hugo Wakefield, another ex-Wardex employee, who is involved in disclosing to the whole world the truth that we are not alone and the alien presence on our planet.

Wardex, who is against what Daniel is doing, got his girlfriend Jane Blankenship involved. They are led by Noah Scanlon who is the film's villain. Noah has access to an alien technology called “The Device” that he holds in his hand which allows him to appear to people located elsewhere and he can control their body movements. There is a sequence where he appears to Jane and controls her which is terrifying. The Device is a form of technology I love in the film. It’s also used by other characters for different purposes later on which I won’t spoil.

Parallel to Daniel’s story is the one of Margaret Fairchild, a weather presenter. She gains special abilities which include the ability to speak different languages. She suddenly speaks in Russian to her boyfriend Jackson at home and speaks Korean to a Korean professor at the TV station she works at. I like the inclusion of Korean as I watch Korean TV shows. While presenting the weather, she suddenly breaks into an alien language on TV and collapses. Moving back to Daniel, he also gains special abilities. This includes the ability to understand the alien language Margaret was speaking. This was a message by the aliens. This is where Margaret and Daniel’s stories begin to intersect. They do eventually meet and work together on the disclosure.

I think “Disclosure Day” has a great tone. When sci-fi films are done as sci-fi dramas, that isn’t my favourite sci-fi sub-genre, as it has the risk of being too slow and not very engaging for me. Steven Spielberg made a brilliant creative decision to make this film both an alien first contact story and a fast-paced thriller. While drama is one of the film’s genres, this film’s style is clearly that of a sci-fi thriller. It’s very thrilling and engaging. Action isn’t the focus of the film, but it does have action as the heroes are chased by Wardex who are trying to stop the disclosure. Daniel is involved in two exciting car chase sequences, one with his girlfriend Jane and the other with Margaret where they get pushed onto the train tracks.

Regarding Daniel’s character, we get few details of his backstory. I’m not keen on what he has done in the past for moral reasons, but more importantly his character in the present is a good hero for this story. I like the fact that the male lead of this film is born in 1990 (we see his date of birth on the screen) making him the same age as me. The female lead Margaret goes through a challenging experience in this film where she doesn’t understand what’s happening to her. She tells people she encounters facts and advice for their personal life which brings to mind the precog Agatha from Steven Spielberg’s brilliant sci-fi action thriller “Minority Report” who did something similar.

I’d like to expand on political parallels in this film I mentioned earlier. The current US administration is a dangerously incompetent one that constantly lies and is creating unnecessary division among people. In this film, the US government hired Wardex to suppress the truth about aliens which brings some similarities. In fact screenwriter David Koepp in a "Disclosure Day” interview with Polygon called “Steven Spielberg's new sci-fi movie probes a 'question of faith' about aliens and government lies” mentioned the problem of how much the current US government lies.

My biggest issue with “Disclosure Day” is that we don’t get to see enough of the aliens. I would have liked to have found out more details about why the aliens came to earth, what Wardex and the government were doing to the aliens. UFOs aren’t really featured in the film like I wanted. As an Elton John fan, I would have liked his UFO themed song “I’ve Seen the Saucers” to be included in “Disclosure Day”. The alien story didn’t offer anything new about aliens in government cover-ups. However, this film makes up for that in Steven Spielberg’s great execution.

I had earlier mentioned the full Wardex archive of alien encounters Daniel had stolen for the public good. This archive consists of videos going all the way back to the Roswell incident. We see people watching them on screens. Other videos featured on screens are those in the Wardex headquarters playing on the walls. These videos seem to be related to alien encounters throughout the world which Wardex uses to suppress knowledge of alien existence. I think the videos from both the archive and the ones playing at Wardex would be good extras for the film’s Blu-ray release. We could see some of those videos extended and perhaps even a few which were made for the film and got cut out.

I do see similarities with the 1960s sci-fi TV series “The Invaders” I like. Both of them are conspiracy thrillers about aliens on earth which the public doesn’t know about. Both Daniel Kellner and David Vincent in the show are trying to expose the truth. It differs in a major way as the film is the reverse of the show with “The Invaders” being about an alien invasion, but “Disclosure Day” has the humans being the aggressors.

I felt some of the visual effects animation wasn’t the strongest and could have been better. I thought the practical effects of the chase scenes involving a car smashing into a house and the train sequence were impressive. I have an issue with the film ending suddenly as I would like to know what happens after it. I wouldn’t call the film’s ending bad as there are good ideas involving aliens and the viewer can use their imagination of what will happen following the ending.

A theme of this film is the importance of empathy. I’m not sure if this theme came across as effectively as Steven Spielberg intended, but I welcome its inclusion. If aliens do exist and have been coming to earth for 79 years, a disclosure day could be a positively unifying moment for humanity. This message of empathy is what we need in the world right now as I’m displeased with the state of humanity at present. I don’t like the violence, cynicism and division that is so prevalent.

Disclosure Day is not the brilliant masterpiece I hoped for, but it’s also not the disappointment I feared. Steven Spielberg’s brilliant directing shines throughout the film and is more important than the issues I have with it. It’s great to have an original blockbuster in this age of sequels, adaptations, remakes and reboots. I had been wanting Steven Spielberg to make an original sci-fi film for years, so I’m glad he finally made one. This entertaining film is deeper, more intelligent and creative than the typical franchise films which are often over focused on action. I recommend “Disclosure Day” as a film to see.

Heartland Rock Piano

As the piano is my favourite instrument and I listen to a lot of heartland rock, I decided to write an article discussing the heartland rock piano sound. I mention the use of piano in heartland rock songs ranging from big hits to album tracks. I’ll start with the song “American Storm” by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band. Bill’s piano contributes wonderfully to the full band sound with his playing. The piano notes go up the scale in a very heartland rock way. In their other song “The Ring”, it’s led by the piano of Silver Bullet Band keyboardist Craig Frost. Craig brings an epic feel with his playing and has two solos. The Ring fuses heartland rock with pop rock.

The Ring - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band (1986)

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers had a piano-driven hit “Don't Do Me Like That”. Keyboardist Benmont Tench gives a memorable jolly piano part. Nearly a decade later, their song “Jammin’ Me” is a different type of heartland rock song. Benmont brings rock & roll piano sounds into a heartland rock setting. I love what the piano does in the chorus. In Billy Joel’s hit “Allentown”, he leads the song greatly with his piano playing. There is a great piano riff throughout the song.

Don’t Do Me Like That - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (1979)

Cleveland heartland rock singer Michael Stanley had released music both with the Michael Stanley Band and solo. When keyboardist Kevin Raleigh joined the band, he was a songwriter and co-lead singer. The songs I’m featuring have two keyboardists Kevin Raleigh and Bob Pelander. They both contributed piano and I don’t know who was the piano player for each song. I wonder if Kevin played piano on the songs he wrote and Bob played the piano on the songs Michael wrote. Last Night, written by both Michael and Kevin is opened by the piano which has a majestic presence on this song. There is a section in the song where the piano notes go up and down in an epic rocking way.

Last Night - Michael Stanley Band (1979)

Promises, a Kevin Raleigh written song has the verses sung by Michael with the choruses seemingly sung by both Kevin and Michael. The piano is lively and energetic. There is a nice glissando after the first chorus. The song “Lover” has a nice piano riff which comes in following the guitar intro. The piano part isn’t the loudest, but it contributes greatly to the song’s sound. My Town is an epic rocker about Michael’s hometown. While this is a guitar-driven song, the piano provides good support including prominent notes during the choruses. How Can You Call This Love written and sung by Kevin has powerful rocking piano playing. The piano goes fast with deep notes.

How Can You Call This Love - Michael Stanley Band (1983)

Bruce Springsteen’s piano player Roy Bittan played wonderful jolly piano on Bruce’s hits “Hungry Heart” and “Glory Days’. Roy gives those songs a great upbeat feel with his playing. Singer Southside Johnny’s song “It’s Been a Long Time” has three lead vocalists with the other two being Bruce and Bruce’s E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt. Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes keyboardist Rusty Cloud provides a good musical base with his piano. Bruce Springsteen wrote, was one of the producers and his E Street Band played on the song “This Little Girl” by Gary U.S. Bonds. Roy’s piano fuses rock & roll and heartland rock sounds. He brings a similar jolly sound to what he brought to the Bruce songs I mentioned. I’ll continue mentioning other artists Roy played for.

Glory Days - Bruce Springsteen (1984)

On the Dire Straits song “Skateaway”, Roy’s piano comes about a minute into the song. Roy alternates between slow playing and fast playing. In the choruses, Roy plays in an epic way with his piano rocking in sync with the drums. Roy is driving the heartland rock sound of this song. In Dire Straits' more popular song “Romeo and Juliet” from the same album, Roy plays melodically. Roy’s strongest moments in the song have a very heartland rock feel. He backs Mark Knopfler’s guitars (which are both acoustic and electric) very well. Michael Stanley did a very good cover of this song. He’s an American heartland rock artist covering a heartland rock song by an English band going back musically to where it came from. The piano by Bob Pelander is more prominent than the original. Some people will hate what I’m about to say. I think it’s better than the original.

Skateaway - Dire Straits (1980)

Even Now is my favourite Bob Seger song. It’s one of his forgotten US hits. Roy’s piano goes up and down the scale in an incredible way. The piano matches greatly with Bob’s vocals with there being sections where Roy’s notes seem to be a musical response to what Bob sang. On “Roll Me Away”, another hit from the same album, Roy gives us majestic rocking piano. Another song Roy played for Bob is “The Fire Inside”, an epic rock song nearly six minutes long. It’s led by the piano and the fact that the guitar part is acoustic gives more room for the piano to rock. Roy’s piano is incredible and detailed which includes two solos.

The Fire Inside - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band (1991)

On Jackson Browne’s “Here Come Those Tears Again”, Bill Payne plays piano in a warm way. The piano gives off its heartland rock vibes in the way the notes jump from one place to another. Jackson Browne’s epic rock song “The Fuse” has Craig Doerge play incredible heartland rock piano. Craig’s piano has deep dark notes that are so effective. The piano goes very well with David Lindley’s slide guitar. I love how Jackson fuses piano and guitar in a heartland rock setting in many of his songs. Jackson’s classic song “The Pretender” has rich piano from Craig. In parts of the song, the piano shifts from one note to another. 

The Pretender - Jackson Browne (1976)

Running on Empty is a faster rock song driven more by guitar, but Craig’s piano is still a big part of the song. It has an iconic piano opening. Craig incorporates rock & roll influences while maintaining the heartland rock sound. That Girl Could Sing is a case where Jackson played piano on one of his own songs. Jackson’s piano is catchy and has both slower and faster sections. In “For America”, the piano by Jai Winding has sections going back and forth between musical notes. It also has a few short parts led by the piano. Jai’s piano holds this guitar-driven song together very well. Jackson’s lyrics are thought provoking, especially in relation to America’s current issues and 250th anniversary.

That Girl Could Sing - Jackson Browe (1980)

So far these songs by classic rock artists were in the 20th century, with most of them being in the 70s and 80s. I’ll now feature three 21st century songs from classic rock artists. In Michael Stanley’s solo song “My Brand New Day”, Bob Pelander offers amazing, rich piano playing filled with depth. Elton John did a rare case of a heartland rock song in “England and America” ten years ago. Elton showcases his brilliant piano skills by playing different to the way he normally plays where he nails the heartland rock piano sound. Bob Seger’s “Forward Into the Past” is a guitar-driven song, but it’s supported well by Bill Payne’s piano. Bill brings out prominent piano notes in parts of the song which contribute greatly to its rock sound.

My Brand New Day - Michael Stanley (2009)

Companion Articles

I’m providing links to previous articles of mine which are companion articles as they discuss some of the same songs.

Ten Great Jackson Browne Songs by Ten Different Piano Players

Russ Kunkel’s Drumming for Bob Seger

Bill Payne’s Keyboards for Bob Seger

Ten Great Rock Songs Opening Albums

Ten Great Heartland Rock Songs

Six Strong Silver Bullet Band Work for Bob Seger

These songs show the prominent place piano has in heartland rock music. I like the fact that many of them feature a piano/organ combination. They cover a wide range on the rock spectrum going from soft to hard rock. Some of them fuse heartland rock with other styles such as rock & roll and pop rock. Most of the songs are by American artists, but I did include two English artists. They are Dire Straits and Elton John who fuse English rock with American heartland rock in the songs of theirs I featured. Elton’s song is apt for this as it’s literally about England and America. Heartland rock is a genre which has some epic long rock songs like “The Pretender” and “The Fire Inside”. I’d be interested in hearing what you think of the heartland rock piano sound.

Six Strong Silver Bullet Band Work for Bob Seger

Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band are a very successful band in American classic rock. In this article, I decided to feature six songs of theirs focusing on a contribution on each one from a Silver Bullet Band member. I will give my thoughts on the importance of their part/s in the song.

Robyn Robbins - Organ on Live Version of Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man (1976)

Keyboardist Robyn Robbins who was in the Silver Bullet Band in the 70s provides great rock organ playing in the live version of Bob Seger’s first US hit. He improves upon the instrument’s part in the original recording. Robyn’s organ is the lead instrument and gives a good musical base for this song. Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man gives a unique sound fusioning rock and soul.

David Teegarden - Double Drums on Hollywood Nights (1978)

Drummer David Teegarden plays two sets of drums on “Hollywood Nights”. This provides a powerful rock beat with it frequently having the drum effects where it sounds like it’s going up and then down. David’s drums work very well for this intense rock song which has a hard rock feel.

Bob Seger - Piano & Acoustic Guitars on Still the Same (1978)

I wanted to feature an instrumental contribution from Bob Seger himself. He’s on double duty on this ballad playing both piano and acoustic guitars. His acoustic guitars contribute to the musical texture of this song. I’m focusing specifically on his piano playing. Bob’s piano playing suits this ballad well. His piano has detail and is the song’s lead instrument. Bob gives us a nice piano solo.

Alto Reed - Saxophone on Old Time Rock & Roll (1978)

This is probably Bob Seger’s most popular song which pays tribute to 50s rock & roll music. It’s interesting as Bob recorded his vocals to the original demo of the song by the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (a group of session musicians Bob worked with in the 70s & 80s). Silver Bullet Band saxophonist Alto Reed recorded his solo as an overdub. Alto’s sax part has a warm and soulful feel suiting a rock & roll song. It provides a good contrast to Forrest McDonald’s guitar solo which came earlier in the song.

Drew Abbott - Lead Guitar on Feel Like a Number (1978)

For this intense rock song, I’m focusing on original guitarist Drew Abbott. I don’t know if Drew is playing all the guitars, but he is definitely playing the lead guitar. There is an intense rock guitar which matches well with the piano. The opening guitar riffs are catchy. These riffs also appear throughout the song. Drew plays a powerful guitar solo which is recognisably his style. This solo is fast and has a lot of energy. This song showcases what a great rock guitarist Drew Abbott is.

Craig Frost - Piano & Organ on The Ring (1986)

Craig Frost who joined the Silver Bullet Band as the keyboardist in 1979 plays piano & organ on this song. His piano part is prominent, but his organ part is low in the mix. The Ring has a pop rock feel. The guitar parts are acoustic, which gives the keyboards more room to rock. Craig plays a powerful melodic heartland rock piano sound which Bob Seger uses in his songs. There are two incredible piano solos. When Craig’s piano rocks in this song, it’s in sync with the drums played by session drummer Gary Mallaber.

These songs show what a great rock band Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band are. They can rock very well and also deliver strong ballads. The songs above are musically diverse, reflecting their creativity.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Bob Seger & the Silver Band’s breakthrough. The Silver Bullet Band had toured with him for a few years and appeared on his albums, but it was in 1976 that they started being credited with Bob on his albums. The Silver Bullet Band haven’t made an album with Bob Seger since 1995. I would like Bob Seger to make a new album with the Silver Bullet Band again. I would want an album to have the melodic songwriting and great piano use of their 1978 album “Stranger in Town”.

Sadly, Alto Reed passed away in 2020. The only remaining band members other than Bob are Chris Campbell (bass) and Craig Frost (keyboards). I’d like to see former members Drew Abbott (guitar), David Teegarden (drums) and Robyn Robins (keyboards) come back for this. Bob Seger can produce this album with his manager Punch Andrews as they produced some of his best work in many Silver Bullet Band recordings in the 70s and 80s.