AI goes public
Friday, June 12 — Happy Friday! It seems like AI is all that’s on anyone’s mind recently (including mine), but I wanted to start off this newsletter with sharing a very interesting bit of insight from The Dailies newsletter (a great newsletter, if you’re not already subscribed) about the big three of AI companies – SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI – all going public at the same time.
I shared this on my Instagram the other day, but the fact that all three of these companies are suddenly looking to raise capital simultaneously signals something about the perceived “cheapness” of AI – and, while these companies don’t deal specifically with Hollywood, the cost-saving aspect of the technology does seem to be what Hollywood execs care about the most. The reality is, however, it takes data centers that rack up giant electricity bills to make AI work. A $500,000 AI-generated film might sound like a steal, but when $400,000 goes toward making the AI functional, it begs the question of scale – how many customers can an AI company serve before they have to start charging customers more?
As stated in The Dailies: “Hollywood spent years bracing for these firms to make content infinitely cheap. The filings suggest the opposite. The real cost is tens of billions in servers and power.”
Without further ado … Action!
📽️ The Journey Home Film Festival: ATL Edition runs today and tomorrow from 6-11 p.m. at Morehouse College.
🎧 The Fox Theatre will host John Cusack for a screening of the film “High Fidelity” on June 26 as part of its Coca-Cola Film Series.
🎞️ The Georgia Shorts Film Festival runs from June 19-21 at 7 Stages Theatre in Little Five Points.
🎥 The Atlanta Film Society is hosting a new iteration of its PA Academy called “The PA Academy 2.0” this August, offering training for those interested in the entertainment industry.
🥊 In celebration of the film’s 50th anniversary, “Rocky” will play with a live orchestra at Atlanta Symphony Hall in November. Tickets go on sale today.
🔪 Michael Mann’s 1986 crime thriller “Manhunter,” which was partially filmed in Atlanta, will return to theaters for its 40th anniversary, now with a new final cut.
🤝 The Directors Guild of America has signed a tentative four-year deal with streamers and studios.
🦁 Despite Netflix’s unprecedented theatrical deal with Greta Gerwig for her upcoming “Narnia” movie, Dan Lin, the chairman of Netflix’s film division, told the New York Times Netflix will not be making a move toward more theatrical releases.
⚖️ Paramount has reportedly offered up a list of concessions to California AG Rob Bonta to prevent an antitrust lawsuit from California and 10 other states in the wake of its $110 billion deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery.
This week’s newsletter has a tribute to the SCAD students that Rough Draft editors worked with on film stories this semester, as well as reviews of two new films – Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day” and the action movie “The Furious.” Plus, a closer look at the art that I’m taking an interest in lately, what’s in theaters this week, and some reading and listening recommendations for your lunch break.
Thanks for reading!
Sammie
⚽🐶🇨🇭 Join Atlanta’s most unique Soccer World Cup Watch Party! Watch Switzerland vs. Qatar at Fetch Park Buckhead tomorrow, June 13 at 2 p.m. Explore Switzerland through music, culture, games, and giveaways, and friendly dogs. No dog required—everyone is welcome! Register here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
SCAD x Rough Draft film story partnership
🍎 Please excuse the sap, but it’s time for me to play proud mentor!
Over the course of May, Editor-in-Chief Beth McKibben, Executive Editor Collin Kelley, and I mentored students in Paige Gray’s writing class at the Savannah College of Art and Design, walking them through the finer points of research, sourcing, writing, and editing. We do this every year, but this year was particularly special to me because the subject the students’ stories revolved around was film!
I’m so proud of the stories our students wrote and how hard they worked this semester. I’ve been posting my group’s stories periodically over the past two weeks, and just published the last two yesterday. Beth and Collin will continue to post their students’ stories throughout June.
🍿 Check out all the fine work our SCAD students have done here!
Art worth bidding on
SPONSORED BY AHLERS & OGLETREE
🖼️ Ahlers & Ogletree’s Modern & Contemporary Art & Design Auction brings 600 lots, including fine art, sculpture, designer furnishings, ceramics, folk art, and architectural elements.
Artists include Picasso, Dalí, Chagall, Keith Haring, Benny Andrews, and Rafael Coronel, with standout design pieces from George Nakashima, Philip Moulthrop, and Ronald Schmitt.
➞ Whether you’re a seasoned collector, interior designer, or first-time buyer, there’s something here worth bidding on. Preview June 15–16 (10 a.m.–5 p.m.), with a reception Tues., June 16, 5–8 p.m. Get more information.
‘Disclosure Day’ fails to capture the wonder of Spielberg
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW
👁️ “Disclosure Day” is Steven Spielberg’s first movie about aliens since 2005’s “War of the Worlds.” On the surface, it feels like we are – to borrow internet parlance – “so back.”
Back? Sure. But with some caveats.
It’s a tall order, asking the man who made “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” to reach those same heights again. “Disclosure Day,” while still a Spielberg movie – that is to say, immensely well-made and entertaining – falls short of those heights, failing to capture the specificity of character and the human condition that pushes his best work into the pantheon of greatness.
👽 Read my full review here.
‘The Furious’ is hardcore martial arts done right
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW
🥋 If you’re an action fan, the phrase “fight choreography” probably means something to you.
But it’s been a minute since I’ve seen a movie commit to the idea of fighting as dance as much as Kenji Tanigaki’s “The Furious.” The movement is like ballet, operatic, almost – just with more gore.
The Hong Kong action movie follows a tried-and-true setup. We meet Wei (Xie Miao), a handyman whose daughter Rainy (Yang Enyou) is kidnapped by a shadowy child trafficking ring, following him as he fights his way through a myriad of goons to get her back. “The Furious” does a better job at sketching out the emotional crux of Wei’s quest more than most, but the martial arts is really the calling card of the film, and it speaks for itself – acrobatic, gritty, and bonkers in equal measure.
👊 Check out my review here.
At the Movies!
If you’re looking for a movie to see in theaters this week, here’s what you’ve got to look forward to!
Movies releasing this weekend:
👁️ “Disclosure Day”
🔨 “The Furious”
🚆 “Stop! That! Train!” (pictured)
🇯🇵 “Jinsei”
Special Events:
🎙️ Soul Cinema Sundays: “The Five Heartbeats” in 35mm @ The Plaza (Sunday)
🐟 “Ponyo” – Studio Ghibli Fest 2026 @ The Tara (Saturday-Wednesday)
👑 WABE Cinema Social: “Miss Juneteenth” @ The Tara (Saturday)
👽 Cineprov Riffs the Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai @ The Tara (Saturday)
🔎 “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” @ Springs Cinema & Taphouse (Sunday-Monday)
💄 “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” @ Landmark Midtown Art Cinema (Saturday-Tuesday)
🌎 “Elysium” @ Landmark Midtown Art Cinema (Sunday-Wednesday)
⚽🐶🇨🇭 Join Atlanta’s most unique Soccer World Cup Watch Party! Watch Switzerland vs. Qatar at Fetch Park Buckhead tomorrow, June 13 at 2 p.m. Explore Switzerland through music, culture, games, and giveaways, and friendly dogs. No dog required—everyone is welcome! Register here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
What I’m reading … and watching … and listening to!
🤓 Reading: I’ve been loving Janice Hadlow’s “The Other Bennet Sister,” which follows the trials and tribulations of Mary Bennet, the younger and far more awkward sister of Elizabeth Bennet of “Pride and Prejudice” fame. I think Jane Austen fans will really dig this – it captures the strength of Austen’s wit, romance, and class commentary.
🏴☠️ Listening: I’ve been onto Sturgill Simpson’s (ahem, Johnny Blue Skies) new album “Mutiny After Midnight” for a minute now. But while the album was only available on physical media when it originally came out, Simpson has decided to release it to streaming as well. I love the vinyl, but I am really glad I can finally listen to “Make America F*k Again” while I’m driving through my neighborhood.
👙 Watching: We just went to Barnes & Noble Cumberland to take advantage of their huge closing sale, and got a TON of Criterion DVDs. Jacques Deray’s “La Piscine,”Nancy Savoca’s “Dogfight,” and Jacques Tourneur’s “I Walked with a Zombie” are just some of the amazing movies we picked up.
Lights, Camera, Action!
🗣️ In celebration of the release of “Disclosure Day,” Bilge Ebiri compiled an oral history of Steven Spielberg’s historic career for Vulture, cobbled together from interviews with the likes of Tom Hanks, Goldie Hawn, David Koepp, Robert Zemeckis, and more. Check out the full piece here.
🎸 Let’s swerve into music for a minute. Olivia Rodrigo’s new album “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love” comes out today, and I finally caught up with her interview on the New York Times’ “Popcast.” She addresses her creative process, the alleged Taylor Swift beef, and more.
😀 In celebration of Mel Brooks’ upcoming 100th birthday, “The Big Picture” talked through the comedy legend’s filmography and discussed his lasting legacy on the art form. Check out the episode here.
🖊️ Today’s Scene was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.
