Across the Movie Aisle

On this Tuesday’s show, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the fall’s surprise breakout at the box office: Five Nights at Freddy’s, a property you’ve almost certainly never heard of if you’re over the age of 35 but almost certainly love if you’re under the age of 18. How did Universal turn this into a monster hit despite putting it on Peacock and in theaters simultaneously? And then we review The Killer, David Fincher’s latest for Netflix starring Michael Fassbender as the titular killer. Is it a slick exercise in style, a sly comment on the whole hitman subgenre, or a scathing indictment of modernity’s detachment of labor and laborer? Maybe all three, wrapped up in a little techno-critical ribbon, a perfect gift for Fincher’s Netflix overlords. Make sure to swing by Friday for our bonus episode on the meaning of the explosion of hitmen on film in recent years and what it all might mean. And make sure to share this episode with a friend if you enjoyed it!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the cancellation of Jon Stewart’s show by Apple. Was it driven by fear of criticizing China, or, possibly, something far more prosaic? Then we set our sights on Killers of the Flower Moon, Martin Scorsese’s new film starring Martin Scorsese and his two most frequent onscreen collaborators, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. There’s much to discuss about Scorsese’s epic, which focuses on the murders of the Osage people in Oklahoma in the 1920s and asks who can tell their story. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for our bonus episode, a Martin Scorsese movie draft. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the state of the AMPTP/SAG-AFTRA talks and why this strike might drag out longer than anyone expected. Then they review the much-anticipated Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which is definitely a 165-or-so-minute movie that recreates most of a Taylor Swift concert! But is it any more than that? And does it need to be? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for our bonus episode on great movie books tied to The Hollywood Reporter’s list of 100 greatest movie books. And if you enjoyed this episode—or are a Swiftie outraged by our lack of faith in your pop overlord—make sure to share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) break down the business sense of Universal paying $400 million for the rights to a movie trilogy that just saw its first entry open to $27 million. (The streaming wars are wild, you guys.) Then they review the initial fruits of another big rights purchase: Wes Anderson’s four short films for Netflix based on short stories written by Roald Dahl. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for our bonus episode on some of our favorite short films. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, award-winning Washington Post writer Alyssa Rosenberg reports live from New York City on Toy Fair and all the hot AI trends coming to kids’ toys. And then Alyssa, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the AI-loving sci-fi original, The Creator. Spoiler alert: we talk about the things that happen in the movie, including some stuff near the end! If you haven’t seen it and want to and are worried about that sort of thing, listen to the show in a couple of days! Make sure to swing back to Bulwark+ on Friday for our bonus episode on robot movies and the decline of original sci-fi features. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) celebrate the end of the writers strike and ask a very important question: what the heck took so long for the studio execs to sit down and work out a deal with the writers? Then they review Dumb Money, Craig Gillespie’s look at the pandemic-era bubble surrounding meme stock AMC. As an underdog-beating-the-big-guys story, it’s … eh. But as a pandemic movie and an examination of the ways in which it made us all go a little nuts, it’s really quite interesting. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for our bonus episode about the end of prestige TV and the retrenchment to more populist fare. And if you enjoyed this episode, make sure to share it with a friend!

This week, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss Drew Barrymore’s aborted decision to bring her show back sans writers before the WGA strike ends and how social media pressure is helping enforce solidarity. Then they review A Haunting in Venice, the latest adventure of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for our bonus episode about Hasan Minhaj and the duty, if any, standup comedians have to the truth. And if you enjoyed this episode make sure to share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) look at the last-minute deal that brought ESPN back to Spectrum cable customers just in time for Monday Night Football. Is this deal a game-changer, or simply a delay of the inevitable diminishment of cable TV? Then the gang reviews You Are SO Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, the latest production from Adam Sandler’s shingle featuring not only Adam but also two of his daughters. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for the bonus episode on Friday; we’re going deep on the ways in which digital piracy can be used as a preservation tool instead of simply a means of theft. Many thanks to Jonathan Siri for producing this, and every other, episode of the show. If you enjoyed it, make sure to send it to a friend!

This week, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask if Taylor Swift and AMC got the better of the studios by agreeing to a direct distribution deal for her forthcoming Eras Tour movie concert. Given the way studios are messing with the release calendar in response to the ongoing strikes, was this a smart short-term play to fill a revenue gap for AMC, or something that augurs a whole new business opportunity? Most importantly: Will Alyssa browbeat Sonny into seeing the movie? We’ll have to see. Then the gang discusses The Equalizer 3, director Antoine Fuqua’s concise cinematic case for Just War Theory. Make sure to swing by Friday for our bonus episode on old-man action movies. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the sticking points between the AMPTP and the WGA, and why the stickiest may wind up being data divulging. Streamers don’t want to give it up; the union doesn’t want to give up a golden opportunity to force success-based residuals. What might a compromise look like? Then they review Gran Turismo, which is either a perfectly generic sports movie or a terribly generic sports movie. It all depends on your point of view. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for our bonus episode on Friday. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!

On this week’s show, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss fraud at the Korean box office and why rumors of studios and distributors inflating receipts are regular fodder for the conspiratorially minded. Then they review Strays, a movie that made some of them laugh despite themselves. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for our bonus episode Friday about the sad state of the R-rated comedy. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

This week, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) look at Disney’s shaky economic and creative output and discuss how it serves as a sort of canary in the entertainment industry’s coal mine. Then they review Full Circle, the entertaining-but-convoluted new show on Max (formerly, HBO Max) from Steven Soderbergh and Ed Solomon. Make sure to swing by Friday for a bonus episode on the Barbie culture wars. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!

This week, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the controversial (or nontroversial?) practice of digitizing extras. Setting aside issues of informed consent: Is this an existential threat to the Screen Actors Guild, or simply a necessity in the world of spiraling production costs and the risks of Covid-era shutdowns? Then the gang reviews They Cloned Tyrone, Juel Taylor’s They Live-inspired sci-fi satire. Is the Netflix film a hit or a miss? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for a tribute to William Friedkin, one of Hollywood’s great directors. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask if you’re ready for the nascent Mattel Cinematic Universe (as chronicled by the New Yorker here) currently being developed by Hollywood. If you enjoyed Barbie, you’re gonna love Uno! Speaking of: did we love Barbie? It’s the hit of the summer—and could wind up being the highest-grossing movie of the year—but is it any good? If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask if movie theaters could wind up being the biggest casualty of the ongoing actor’s strike despite this weekend’s huge box office returns for Barbenheimmer. Then they review Oppenheimer, which is a clear frontrunner for best picture of the year. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for our Nolan Draft. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

This week, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) try to figure out why the studios and the actors are so far apart in their negotiations. Spoiler: It’s not entirely about the money. (Though it is, in a larger sense, always about the money.) Then they review Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning: Part One, the latest entry in Tom Cruise’s decades-spanning series. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for Friday’s episode on Cruise, his evolving career, and how he managed to get the focus off of his personal life over the last decade. And if you enjoyed the episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask why WB keeps stepping on rakes by doing things like demanding GQ rewrite pieces about David Zaslav and messing with critics by scheduling Barbie screenings on the same day as Oppenheimer screenings. (Late-brekaing update here: the studio seems to be adding screening dates for Barbie in at least some cities with Oppenheimer conflicts.) Then they review Past Lives, which is getting a lot of buzz as one of the best movies of the year. Is it? We’ll return to that topic on this week’s bonus episode, in which we judge the best movies of the first half of 2023. And if you enjoyed this episode, as always, we ask that you share it with a friend. A brief aside: An episode like this one is particularly important to share if you want to see more reviews of indie films and fewer reviews of Indy (or Marvel or DC or whatever) films. We can see the downloads; we know what movies people are interested in listening to reviews of. We sometimes get complaints from folks who want more talk about movies for adults … but we also know what people actually listen to reviews of. (Spoiler: not movies for adults.) I always ask folks to share it with a friend and I’d love to see this one shared with many friends because, God knows, I only have so many more $300 million multiverse movies in me.

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask if the apparent dismantling of Turner Classic Movies is a controversy or a nontroversy, before musing over what the channel should look like in a streaming-first world. Then they review Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Can James Mangold replace Steven Spielberg? Is it even fair to ask him to do so? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for our bonus episode on the most “significant” political movies. And if you enjoyed the episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) try to figure out how this Vulture feature on the work that went into making Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse depicts an abusive workplace. Then they review Wes Anderson’s new film, Asteroid City, a movie about a fictional play anthologized on a fictional TV show set in a fictional town. (The essay collection Sonny mentions, Do Not Detonate Without Presidential Approval, is available from Penguin Random House here; he strongly recommends checking it out if you desire to learn more about the influences on the film.) Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for a discussion of some of our favorite stage adaptations. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) talk about the summer of nine-figure bombs. With movies like Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Elemental, and The Flash all slated to lose more than $100 million at the box office—and movies like The Little Mermaid and Fast Xunlikely to break even—is it time for Hollywood to start getting insane action budgets under control? Then they reviewed The Flash, a multiversal mess of a movie. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for the bonus episode on Friday about Cormac McCarthy (RIP). And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss whether or not the digital censorship of The French Connection is the inevitable result of our puritanical desire to protect present audiences from past prejudices. Then they discuss Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Sure, it’s a little boring, but at least it’s more coherent than Revenge of the Fallen! (The FAQ referenced in the episode can be found here.) Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for our bonus episode on toy-based movies. And if you enjoyed the episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask what the future of indie theatrical films looks like if festival purchases continue to crater. Then they talked about one of the best films of the year (so far!), the amazingly inventive and spectacular-looking Spider-Man, which snared all three in its beautiful web. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for our bonus episode on Friday about cliffhanger movies. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend! A recommendation from a friend is the best way to help your favorite podcast grow.

On this week’s show, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) argue over whether or not “kink” is the right word to use when discussing a movie about a teenage mermaid. Then they discuss just went wrong with Disney’s latest live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid. Make sure to swing by for the bonus episode, in which we critique Disney’s addiction to the dollars generated by these monstrosities as creativity-killing coporate endpoints. And if you enjoyed the episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman explain why the phrase “go woke, go broke” obscures more than it illuminates in the case of Disney and its various business dealings/struggles. Then the gang reviews Fast X, a bad movie with a very interesting (although also possibly bad) performance at the heart of it. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for our bonus episode this week on the destruction—and, soon, recreation—of the cable bundle. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask if people should stop fighting the war on spoilers once and for all. Then they review the new J-Lo movie The Mother, Netflix’s number one movie. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for a special live bonus episode this Friday. (Looking forward to seeing some of you folks at the Crystal City Alamo Drafthouse tonight for the WarGames screening. Make sure to say hi if you stop by.) And if you enjoyed the episode, share it with a friend!

Only four tickets are left for Across the Movie Aisle live, on Tuesday, May 16 at 7:30 PM at the Crystal City Alamo Drafthouse. (They’re marked as handicapped but there are actual chairs there and the rest of the tickets are sold out, so they’re fair game.) We’re showing WarGames and then talking about it (and other apocalypse-minded movies) afterward. Tickets are just $7! If we don’t sell it out, Paul Newman’s gonna have my legs broke! This week, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss how the writer’s strike is going to impact the present by looking at how it changed the industry in the past. If it goes on for more than a few months, I hope you’re ready for a spate of reality programming the likes of which we’ve never seen before. Then we review the summer’s first blockbuster: Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3. As three folks who have grown a little tired of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we were all pleasantly surprised. But is it too little too late for the Once-Mighty Marvel Machine? And make sure to swing by for the bonus episode on Friday, when we’ll be previewing the rest of the summer. Big movies, small movies, medium-sized movies: it’s a Goldilocks summer, folks. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

Before we get started, wanted to share a cool little thing I learned literally yesterday. Typically at a movie theater—or, at least, the movie theaters I’ve been to—the handicapped seats are just empty spots where you can fit a wheelchair. At the Crystal City Alamo Drafthouse, they’re actual chairs that can be taken out to provide a space for wheelchairs. There’s a cool little animation on the site and everything. I bring this up because there are only 11 seats left for Across the Movie Aisle’s live show on May 16th (two weeks from today!) and they’re almost all in that handicapped row. I think it’s okay for the non-wheelchaired to pick them up at this point, given that it’s basically a sell-out show? On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) talk about the WGA strike. Why are writers hitting the picket line? What don’t studios want to give up? What will the industry look like after this work stoppage? All that and more during this discussion. (Full disclosure: we taped this Monday afternoon, more or less assuming that the strike would happen.) Then we reviewed Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant, an almost shockingly earnest war movie from the king of Brit-gangster movies. We’ll talk more Guy Ritchie on the bonus episode this week. And speaking of bonus episodes: last Friday’s got lost in the shuffle, so we just posted it this morning. You can listen here if you’re a paid-up member of Bulwark+. And if you aren’t, you should be!

Just a quick reminder to pick up tickets for Across the Movie Aisle live at the Alamo Drafthouse in Crystal City on Tuesday, May 16, where we’re presenting the Matthew Broderick classic WarGames. There are only 20 tickets or so left, but I’ve got good news: they’re the best seats in the house! The front row! You’ll be very close to Alyssa, Peter, and me as we do the show! Can’t ask for more than that. This week, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) lament the end of Netflix DVD. It was a golden age of exploration for budding cinephiles, and streaming still can’t quite match its breadth. Then the gang does something a little different: with the multiplex back to something approaching full power, there are too many movies to discuss! So we each grabbed a new (or newish) release to talk about. Alyssa’s handling The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Peter got Beau Is Afraid, and Sonny took on Evil Dead Rise. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for our bonus episode about the xennial relationship to social media. And if you enjoyed the episode share it with a friend!

Before we get to today’s episode, a piece of exciting news: Across the Movie Aisle is teaming up with the Alamo Drafthouse in Crystal City for a special screening of the Matthew Broderick classic Wargames (1983) on Tuesday, May 16, at 7:30 PM. Alyssa, Peter, and Sonny will all be there, and they’re going to be taping a bonus episode of the show in addition to hanging out and enjoying a draft or two. Click on this event page to buy tickets (make sure to pick Tuesday 5/16 and Crystal City.) Make sure to share this with friends who might enjoy either the pod or simply watching a movie about cinema’s apocalyptic moment! On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) talk about Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision to strip the HBO from HBO Max so as not to scare off fans of Dr. Pimple Popper. Then they discuss Netflix’s hit comedy Murder Mystery 2. Is this the lowest-common-denominator fuff WBD should be chasing? Did, gasp, one of our enlightened group of elite critics really enjoy this picture? You’ll have to listen to find out! Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for our bonus episode on the best movies of the century (so far!). And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss a rumor that the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences want to broaden the theatrical exhibition requirement. Would this benefit theaters or just serve as a way for entrenched streaming powerhouses like Netflix to shut out mid-level distributors? Then the gang discusses Tetris, a movie that inspired confusing feelings in Peter and Sonny who, for one of the first times ever, felt ideologically pandered to by a major motion picture. Make sure to swing by Bulwark Plus for our bonus episode Friday on our favorite retro games. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend! A quick programming note: We are off next week, thanks to a confluence of travel and vacation schedules, but will be back the week after.

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark) and Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post) ask if the well-oiled machine that is Marvel studios is about to see the wheels come flying off. (Peter is out this week, but have no fear: He should be back next week.) And then they discuss John Wick: Chapter 4, a movie that is not only immensely fun to watch but also, possibly, sneaky-deep? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for our bonus episode this week on the great action franchises of the last 40 years or so. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) talk about departing NYT film critic A.O. Scott’s thoughts on fandom and its effect on the way we talk about movies. Then they review HBO’s hit show The Last of Us and ask a very important question: Was Joel right? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ this weekend for a bonus episode on the late, great Lance Reddick. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) talked about the Oscars. Sonny is shockingly happy. Peter is down on the whole thing. Alyssa, meanwhile, wonders how we’ll look back on this show’s snub of Tár in years to come. Then the gang reviews 65, the movie about Adam Driver fighting dinosaurs that has too little hot Driver-on-Dino action. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for our members-only bonus episode on Friday. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) talk about Vulture’s exposé on the state of theatrical exhibition. Does it actually matter to audiences? And then the gang reviews a movie that seems to have won audiences over regardless of projection quality: Creed III. Is Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut a knockout? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for a bonus episode on Oscar’s disrespect for stunts. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss Scott Adams’s decision to commit reputational suicide by Twitter Cops. Then they heap praise upon Poker Face, the show worth subscribing to Peacock for. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for a deeper discussion of movie and TV detectives. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask if the decision to rewrite Roald Dahl to bring him more in line with the perspective of sensitivity readers is a controversy or a nontroversy. (The title of this podcast is a hint! For more on this insane story, make sure to check out Charlie’s newsletter.) Then they discuss the latest MCU blockbuster, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, a movie that looks like it’s half-done and feels like it’s half-written. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for our bonus episode about the state of the box office recovery. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask if all the famous faces at the Super Bowl mean it’s time to make selling out a dirty word again. Then they review Magic Mike’s Last Dance, a movie that doesn’t seem quite sure as to why it exists. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for an episode on Channing Tatum, one of our last movie stars. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

This week, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark) and Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post)* discussed Netflix’s plan to crack down on password sharing. It’s a fun story because there are lots of tiny violins to break out: not only for the people who think they should get something for nothing but also Netflix itself, for allowing/encouraging this behavior for so long. Then Alyssa and Sonny discuss Women Talking, the best picture nominee. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for our bonus episode ranking the streaming channels. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend! *Sadly, Peter Suderman (Reason) is out; he’ll be back next week.

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) highlight the dumbest Oscar controversy of all time—did Andrea Riseborough’s friends send too many emails on her behalf in helping her secure a best actress nomination?—and try to explain the broader culture war reasons this has blown up into A Whole Thing. Then they review All Quiet on the Western Front, the Netflix original that secured nine Oscar nominations and hints, ever so subtly, that war might be bad. (The message is there, but it’s all subtext; only a keen viewer will discern it.) Make sure to swing by Friday for our bonus episode on antiwar films and whether any of them can truly be “antiwar.” And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason), ask what it means that Chinese theaters are apparently open again for Hollywood business. Then they discuss Netflix’s new murder mystery, The Pale Blue Eye: Is it a cut above Netflix’s standard hashtag-content, or something to watch while folding laundry on a Wednesday night? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for our bonus episode on Edgar Allan Poe. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

This week, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the growing push for unionization in the visual FX industry. What will it mean for the industry—and for movie lovers—if special effects artists are treated like actual, you know, people. Then they discuss the first big hit of the new year, Blumhouse’s M3GAN. Is this your standard killer doll movie? Or is there something more? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for a bonus episode on The Menu. And if you enjoyed this episode please share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask if they’ve all been focused on the wrong thing when it comes to the future of streaming. Movies, TV shows: none of these things really matter compared to … sports. At least, financially. And then they discuss Babylon, Damien Chazelle’s woozy and wicked ode to/condemnation of Old Hollywood excess. Sure, it’s a movie about movies, but hey: movies matter too! Speaking of which, on this week’s bonus episode we’re talking about movies about movies on this movie podcast about movies. Make sure to swing by and check it out!

Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ring in 2023 by looking back at 2022. What were their 10 (or so!) favorite films of last year?

This week, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) review the first of Rian Johnson’s two Knives Out sequels for Netflix, Glass Onion. Is it a mystery worthy of Benoit Blanc or something a little lesser? Before that, the gang discusses the biggest business stories of the year: streamers, sports, theaters, China, and more all get a mention. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to share it with a friend; listeners like you are our best advocates. And we hope you had a happy holiday!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) return to Pandora for James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water. Is the sequel 13 years in the making worth the wait? And then they discuss the oncoming streaming crunch. What does it mean that fewer shows will be made in the coming quarters? Make sure to swing back by Bulwark+ on Friday for a special bonus episode: it’s a James Cameron draft, people. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask if awards season fare has a place at the multiplex any longer. Are prestige pictures doomed to a streaming-only existence in the near future? Or will audiences come back? And then we review the streaming service Apple TV+’s award season venture Emancipation. Does it have a shot at Oscar gold? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ this Friday for our bonus episode on streaming service Netflix’s awards season animated fare, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. We are truly living in a golden age of stop-motion animation. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) talk about the Sight and Sound’s decennial 100 Greatest Films of All Time list, which crowned a new champ … but not without controversy. Then we reviewed The Fabelmans, Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical movie about his childhood and how the art of film shapes his relationship with the world. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for our bonus episode on Friday, in which we’re discussing Andor is it the latest Star Wars property to be “the best since Empire?” You better believe it! If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week's episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason), talk about the sad state of Junot Diaz. Semafor's Ben Smith interviewed the novelist about his odd career limbo; why can't folks who were accused of misbehavior before being exonerated get their reputations back? Then the gang shifts to a cleaner Me Too target: Harvey Weinstein and the movie She Said, based on the book by Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor about their efforts to unveil the producer's monstrous behavior towards women. Sadly the movie isn't that good, and we try to understand why. (On this episode we also mention Ken Auletta's book, Hollywood Ending; Sonny talked to him a couple of months back about Weinstein and his enablers.)Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for our bonus episode on Chinese protests against draconian Covid lockdowns and the desire among the people for “cinema freedom.”

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the late-night drama in Burbank, where former Disney CEO Bob Iger replaced current Disney CEO Bob Chapek. From tumbling stock prices to unhappy talent to a messy reorg, things weren’t going well … but is Iger the guy to right the ship? And then the gang reviews Martin McDonagh’s latest, The Banshees of Inisherin, a darkly comic parable about friendship in a time of civil war. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for this week’s bonus episode on our favorite foodie movies. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) try to figure out why Warner Brothers can’t get a handle on one of their most valuable intellectual properties, the Harry Potter franchise. Then they review Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the MCU’s effort to grapple with the untimely death of Chadwick Boseman. Is it something you should rush out and see, or can you wait for it to show up on Disney+? Make sure to swing back by Bulwark+ on Friday for a special bonus episode in which we talk about books for kids and young adults that we love.