Superman has had this weekend squared away for months now, so everything else is just counterprogramming. Fortunately, counterprogramming can be pretty good. Or, you know, not.

Dirty Wars: Jeremy Scahill’s journalistic quest to expose the lies that drive America’s war on terror becomes a documentary which Rad does not find terribly compelling.

The Great Chameleon: I didn’t even know this thing existed until I saw Susan‘s review in the paper. It almost reads like she’s recounting some sort of psychotic break — a fugue state only the best worst films can trigger.

Man of Steel: So, yeah, I do not approve of the Nolan/Goyer/Snyder Superman. You can only push the character so far before he just isn’t Superman any more … and that’s exactly what they do. Which is really too bad, because there’s a lot of stuff in here that would have been great in a Superman movie. And Michael Shannon continues to be awesome, even with that dopey goatee.

Much Ado About Nothing: Joss Whedon does Shakespeare, and does it very nicely. It’s not quite as great as you may have been led to believe, but it’s a very pleasant trifle, and the actors are enjoying themselves immensely. Special props to Reed Diamond and Clark Gregg, who make their centuries-old lines feel positively popping fresh.

And there we are. It’s okay if you still want to see Man of Steel anyway. Everybody else will too … and then they’re gonna be really sorry about the way they treated Superman Returns, I can tell you that right now.