Across the Movie Aisle

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) talk about Rolling Stone’s bombshell piece revealing that slightly more social media traffic around the so-called Snyder Cut was generated by bots than on the typical trending topic. And then the gang reviews Nope, Jordan Peele’s sci-fi-western-horror extravaganza. Is it a mess or profound or profoundly messy? Make sure to come back to Bulwark+ on Friday for a special bonus episode on alien design. From H.R. Giger to the Predator, what are some of the best, and worst, looks for aliens on the big screen? 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) review Where the Crawdads Sing, a movie playing exclusively in theaters. But before they do that, they ask if the “exclusively in theaters” part is a little, well, elitist, as suggested by Joe Russo in a recent interview. Make sure to swing back to Bulwark+ on Friday for a special bonus episode on southern storytelling. 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) have a little bit of fun with the idea that the folx coding Netflix’s recommendation algo should have any say in what the algo actually delivers to people. (You can read the story they’re discussing here.) And then they review Thor: Love and Thunder. Did they love it or hate it? Who can say? Make sure to come back to Bulwark+ on Friday for our special members-only bonus episode, where we’ll be talking about the mysterious case of the aging movie star. 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 if the Gentleminion craze sweeping the nation—in which teens and tweens wear suits to see Minions: The Rise of Gru and get rowdy while doing so—is a controversy or nontroversy. Then they review Elvis! Make sure to swing by Friday for the special bonus episode on our own history of rowdy moviegoing. And if you loved 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) discuss Netflix’s Spiderhead and the tumult at the world’s largest streamer. How is it that a film from the director of the biggest movie of the summer can release a movie starring a key part of the MCU and the star of one of Netflix’s biggest hits ever can just kind of … show up, and then disappear? How does this make sense from a business standpoint? Is the movie of the week model sustainable? Sadly, no bonus episode this week, as our travel/vacation schedules made coordinating impossible.

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) try to figure out why Lightyear dramatically underperformed projections. Is this a function of new customer behavior, the burgeoning culture war Disney finds itself embroiled in, or both? And then the gang reviews Lightyear, which is at best fine and at worst not fine. Very not fine indeed. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ Friday for our conversation about the movies of 1995, sparked by Lightyear’s insistence that Lightyear is a movie that would have appealed to a child in 1995 (spoiler: it would not have). 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 ways in which entertainment companies and the media inadvertently highlight and promote marginalized racists, a phenomenon noted by Kat Rosenfield in this essay for Unherd. And then the gang reviews Jurassic World Dominion, the latest big dumb movie in a series full of big dumb movies. Make sure to come back to Bulwark+ Friday for our bonus episode on David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future! 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 Magazine) discuss why Top Gun: Maverick is succeeding and whether or not it codes “conservative,” like American Sniper or The Passion of the Christ. And then they review We Own This City, David Simon and George Pelecanos’s angry look at a real-life police scandal in Baltimore streaming now in full on HBO Max. Make sure to come back to Bulwark+ for this week’s bonus episode on Friday, in which we make some more streaming recommendations for you. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s Across the Movie Aisle, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) review the biggest hit of the summer (so far!), Top Gun: Maverick. Meanwhile, the gang discusses the pluses and minuses of “militainment,” entertainment in bed with the military-industrial complex. Make sure to head back to Bulwark+ on Friday for our discussion of what makes a great summer blockbuster.

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask whether or not the firing of Frank Langella (background here and here) was a controversy … or a nontroversy. Then they review Men, the new folk-horror flick from Alex Garland. What’s the matter with men—and Men? Make sure to come back for Friday’s bonus episode, in which we’ll discuss whether Tom Cruise is the last movie star or something a little weirder. And 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) try to figure out why Netflix had to clarify to their employees that hosting a breadth of content may mean working on something they disagree with ideologically. Doesn’t everyone work at a journal of ideas that tolerates dissenting viewpoints? And then they discuss Moon Knight, the Disney+ MCU series that is only mildly distinguishable from the other Disney+ MCU series despite dealing with gods and stuff. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for our bonus episode on the renewed plague of advertisements. 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) consider the bubbling controversy (or nontroversy?) surrounding the PG-13 rating for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Then the gang reviews the new Sam Raimi-directed feature. Is this a bog-standard MCU movie or something more? Make sure to come back to Bulwark+ Friday for our bonus episode on the wonderful world of mainstream cultist Sam Raimi. And share this episode with a friend if you enjoyed it! Your recommendation is the best advertising money can buy.

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason), discuss the dumbest cons and nons of all time. Then they review The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, the new meta-movie from Nicolas Cage. Make sure to check out the bonus episode at Bulwark+ on great movies about movies. And if you liked 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), look at Netflix’s disastrous quarter and ask how they can right the ship. And they review The Northman, director Robert Eggers’s vision quest to the gates of Valhalla. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for our bonus episode on historical epics! And share this episode with a friend if you enjoyed it!

Hey folks, just dropping in a quick episode to say we're off this week. But we'll be back next week!

This week, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) talk about the best movie of the year (so far!): Everything Everywhere All at Once, the trippy new sci-fi action-comedy family-drama multiversal epic from the directing duo known as Daniels. Meanwhile, in cons and nons, the gang revisits “The Slap” for, hopefully, the last time. Make sure to come back to Bulwark+ on Friday for a special bonus episode on Michael Bay’s Ambulance and the state of original action movies. And a programming note: we’ll be off next week thanks to a confluence of traveling and vacation schedules.

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the near-simultaneous Grammy win by Louis C.K. and delays of Will Smith movies following his attack on Chris Rock at the Oscars. Is cancel culture canceled? Or are these perfectly reasonable actions? Then the gang discusses Apollo 10 1/2, which just showed up on Netflix out of nowhere and is the best movie Oscar-nominated director Richard Linklater has ever made on the subject of boyhood. Make sure to come back to Bulwark+ for our bonus episode on the new kinda-hit movie Morbius, which is a disaster on every level. 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) discussed the most controversial moment at the Oscars, and no, I’m not referring to Zack Snyder’s sweep of the fan favorite categories. We break down Will Smith’s attack on Chris Rock, using Smith’s recent memoir and his efforts to be less people-pleasing and more true to himself as a jumping-off point. Then they reviewed The Lost City, Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum’s delightful action romcom. Make sure to come back to Bulwark+ on Friday for the bonus episode about Sean Combs’s … odd interpretation of The Godfather, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. 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 make sense of the latest controversy (or possibly nontroversy!) roiling the waters of YA Twitter. Meanwhile, Peter and Alyssa try to convince Sonny that Drive My Car is better than he thinks it is. Will they succeed? Listen now to find out. And make sure to come back to Bulwark+ for Friday’s bonus episode, in which the trio discusses what should win, and what they think will win, each of the major categories. 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 rock and a hard place Disney CEO Bob Chapek found himself in when he was pressured by employees to respond to Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Then the gang reviewed Turning Red, the new Pixar picture sent straight to Disney+. Make sure to head to Bulwark+ on Friday for our special bonus members-only episode on the joys of Pixar. 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) argue the merits and demerits of AMC charging folks more to see The Batman. Then they talk about whether or not you should see The Batman! Is it any good? Is it too long? Is it weirdly empty, politically and aesthetically? They’ll let you know! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for ATMA’s bonus episode on Friday, where the gang will be talking about how Volodymyr Zelensky’s experience as an actor has helped Ukraine win the propaganda war.

This week, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post) and Peter Suderman (Reason) discussed the efforts of cultural institutions and their response to Russia’s war on Ukraine and reviewed the best picture-nominated Coda, which just won the best ensemble category at the SAG Awards. Full disclosure: We taped this week’s episode Monday afternoon and by Monday evening the ground underneath our cons and nons segment had shifted slightly. These are the dangers of podcasting in the midst of a fast-moving conflict. For more on the culture’s efforts to slow Russian aggression, you can read my essay at The Bulwark today. Make sure to come back to Bulwark+ for this Friday’s bonus episode on Cyrano and the state of the modern musical at the box office. (Spoiler: things look bad for the genre!)

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask if the Oscars made a big mistake by allowing a potential Boaty McBoatfacing situation by opening up voting to the Twitter-based masses. And the gang reviewed Uncharted. Is Tom Holland the new Leonardo DiCaprio? Is the video game movie curse dead and buried? Is the movie any good? Make sure to come back to Bulwark+ for the bonus episode on Friday; we’ll have an episode on Steven Soderbergh’s new film, Kimi, for your listening pleasure. 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 Magazine) discuss the Oscars nominees, whether or not multiple hosts can save flagging interest, and whether or not a Twitter poll can interest audiences who feel as though the awards show snubs popular pictures. And then the gang reviews Death on the Nile, Kenneth Branagh’s followup to his adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express. Make sure to swing by the Substack on Friday for our special members-only episode on the films of Ivan Reitman, who passed away over the weekend. 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 myriad reasons no one cares about the Olympics and the shameful acquiescence to Chinese human rights abuses by so many in the sports media. Then the gang reviews Nightmare Alley, which just received four Oscar nominations, including a surprise best picture nod! And make sure to check out our bonus episode, in which Sonny and Peter try to explain the joy of Jackass to Alyssa.

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the raging controversy over Neil Young’s decision to remove his music from Spotify as a result of their partnership with Joe Rogan. From disinformation to audio quality to the sprawling nature of the internet to the limitless nature of boycotting people you disagree with, the topic simultaneously touches on a number of disparate topics roiling our digital—and irl—waters. (See Neil Young’s statement here; Joe Rogan’s response on Instagram here; and Sonny’s essay on the matter in the Washington Post here.) The gang also reviewed Asghar Farhadi’s Cannes favorite A Hero this week and touched on the ways truth is both slippery and concrete at the same time. And make sure to check out our special bonus episode on Peter Dinklage’s problem with Disney’s effort to remake Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. 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 Magazine) discuss a rather terrible “breaking news” item about West Side Story’s Rachel Zegler in the Daily Beast and the broader trend of using random nobodies on Twitter as a hook for stories designed to gin up hate toward celebrities. Then they review The Lost Daughter, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s movie about a bad mom that has struck a chord with pandemic-era audiences. And on the bonus episode the gang talks about Netflix’s very bad week. 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 just how bad this profile is for its subject, Joss Whedon. Then they review The Tragedy of Macbeth, Joel Coen’s adaptation of The Bard’s play starring Denzel Washington as the titular tragic figure. And in the bonus episode, Sonny and Peter try to convince the notoriously horror-averse Alyssa to check out the Scream movies.

This week, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the complete absence of buzz about The Golden Globes and what that means for the state of moviegoing in general. Then the gang reviews Paul Thomas Anderson’s new film, Licorice Pizza. And on a sad bonus episode, they pay tribute to a quartet of major talents who have recently passed: Sidney Poitier, Peter Bogdanovich, Betty White, and Bob Saget. If you enjoyed the show, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss consolidation in the book industry and whether that contributed to the potential cancellation of a book celebrating Norman Mailer’s centennial. Then the gang reviews Don’t Look Up, Netflix and Adam McKay’s messy satire. And on the bonus episode, our three hosts pick their favorite satires—and there’s a surprising thread running through them. Make sure to share this episode with a friend if you found it entertaining!

This week Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) unveil their five favorite movies of the year. A surprising amount of unanimity in this year’s lists! The gang reviews The Matrix Resurrections, Warner Bros. and Lana Wachowski’s super-meta reboot of the beloved franchise. And on the bonus episode, our hosts pick their favorite non-Matrix Wachowski movie. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny, Alyssa, and Peter talk about the biggest movie of the year: Spider-Man: No Way Home. Before that, in cons and nons, they ask why Disney released three pickups from Fox—West Side Story, Nightmare Alley, and The King’s Man—in such close proximity not only to each other but also what was likely to be, again, the biggest movie of the year. And on the special bonus episode, the gang tries something a little different: A Spider-Man movie draft! Make sure to listen to that and vote on the winner. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Alyssa Rosenberg of the Washington Post returns from maternity leave to join Peter Suderman (Reason) and Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark) to discuss whether or not the New Yorker was too mean to Succession star Jeremy Strong in their profile of the actor. And the gang reviews Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story remake: even the notoriously musical-averse Sonny is wowed by it. Make sure to check out the special bonus episode on Steven Spielberg’s greatest collaborators. And please share this episode with a friend if you enjoyed it!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch, Peter Suderman, and Chris Orr tackle Jane Campion’s western (or maybe not quite western?) The Power of the Dog. Is this a basic attack on toxic masculinity, or something a little more interesting? On cons and nons, the guys bid a not-so-fond farewell to Chris Cuomo, who has finally been fired from CNN. And the show ends on a slightly sad note, as Sonny pays tribute to Fred Hiatt, the editorial page editor at the Washington Post. Make sure to check out the bonus episode on another Netflix western, The Harder They Fall. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch, Peter Suderman, and Chris Orr look at the transition of power at Twitter and muse over how to fix the service that has an outsized—and potentially ill—effect on society. And the gang reviews House of Gucci, Ridley Scott and Lady Gaga’s overlong and over-accented look at one absurd Italian family. And on the bonus episode, the guys fete the career of Adam Driver, who has worked with a dozen or so A-list directors during his brief Hollywood career. If you love the show and want access to that bonus episode, make sure to sign up for Bulwark+!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch, Peter Suderman, and Chris Orr highlight the first genuine, nominations-guaranteed piece of Oscar bait of the season: Will Smith’s King Richard, a look at the man behind the women who would go on to become the greatest female tennis players of all time. And in controversies and nontroversies, the guys debate whether or not Sean Baker, director of Tangerine and The Florida Project, deserves to have his new film, Red Rocket, destroyed pre-release because he liked a tweet by Tulsi Gabbard—and the danger of ideological uniformity in the critical corps. Make sure to check out our members-only bonus episode on Will Smith’s body of work, and share this episode with a friend if you enjoyed it!

On this week’s episode Sonny Bunch, Peter Suderman, and Chris Orr talk about non-fungible tokens, and the scarcity and value of art. They also review Belfast, Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical look at growing up in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. And on the bonus episode they consider the most disposable—and, possibly, most-watched—movie of the year, Red Notice. If you enjoyed the episode share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch, Peter Suderman, and Chris Orr ask whether it’s a controversy or a nontroversy that Big Bird is reassuring kids that getting shots won’t hurt them. And they review Eternals: Is it Marvel’s first DC movie? And on the bonus episode and in honor of Eternals earning the MCU its first splat on Rotten Tomatoes, the gang discusses their favorite rotten movies from beloved franchises. If you enjoyed the episode, share it with a friend!

This week, Sonny Bunch, Peter Suderman, and Chris Orr review The French Dispatch, Wes Anderson’s love letter to the New Yorker and art of all kinds. And we discuss the disastrous state of affairs in world cinema, where rising authoritarianism threatens the cinematic arts from Hong Kong to Kabul. What can the U.S. do to help? And on a special members-only episode, Sonny, Peter, and Chris discuss their favorite performances in Wes Anderson movies.

On this week’s episode of Across the Movie Aisle, Sonny is joined by Peter Suderman and Chris Orr, who will be filling in for Alyssa while she’s on maternity leave. We discussed the tragedy on the set of Rust, a film that was in production until Alec Baldwin accidentally shot and killed the director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, and wounded director Joel Souza. What are some of the things that went wrong here, who, ultimately, is to blame, and how bad has the discourse gotten around it? Sonny and co also reviewed Dune, the new epic in theaters and on HBO Max. And in the bonus episode, the three discussed which of the movies by director Denis Villeneuve is their favorite, and why. If you haven’t already, subscribe now to listen to that one today!

On this episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask whether Dave Chappelle, his new special, and the way Netflix has handled internal and external fallout from its airing, are controversies, or nontroversies. Then the gang reviews The Last Duel, a/k/a Medieval Me Too. (For more on The Last Duel, you can read Sonny here, Alyssa here, and Peter here.) Make sure to listen all the way to end for a special programming note! And check out our bonus episode on our favorite Ridley Scott movies. There are so many to choose from!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) highlight the IATSE union work stoppage that seems pretty inevitable at this point. What do Hollywood’s trade unions want, in terms of money and work-life balance? Then the gang sets their sights on Bond, James Bond. Did they enjoy Daniel Craig’s final turn as 007? And, in the bonus episode, they discuss whether Craig is their favorite Bond or a mere also-ran. If you enjoyed the show share it with a friend! If they don’t want to sign up via Substack they can get it a day later on Apple.

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) break down the strange story of Ozy Media, the various scams of which have been chronicled by the NYT’s Ben Smith in recent weeks, and the overall state of media accountability. Then they review The Many Saints of Newark, David Chase and HBO’s new prequel to The Sopranos currently in theaters and on HBO Max. And in the members-only bonus episode, the gang debates the biggest question in the history of prestige TV: What, exactly, happened to Tony Soprano at the end of the series? Sign up now to listen today!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the legal back and forth between Disney and the estates of Marvel’s most famous creators, including those of Steve Ditko and Stan Lee, as well as fan reactions to the (very slight!) possibility that copyright termination notices will be the death of the MCU as we know it. Is legal wrangling the kryptonite (sorry, mixing universes) that will slay the biggest film franchise in movie history? The gang also reviews The Eyes of Tammy Faye, asking why it feels so slight given the overtly theatrical nature of the subject in question. And make sure to check out our members-only bonus episode on musical biopics and why the genre feels fairly moribund; if you aren’t a member yet, you have five days left to take advantage of our 30-day free trial offer.

This week Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post, and Peter Suderman (Reason) take a look at the controversy swirling about CBS’s instantly canceled show, The Activist. What’s so bad about making activists compete for attention dollars? And the gang reviews Cry Macho, the latest from director-star Clint Eastwood. Is he too old for this movie, or is Sonny a despicable ageist. Make sure to check out our bonus episode on our favorite Eastwood-directed movies. If you’re a Bulwark+ member you can listen to the show on your preferred podcast app today via a personalized RSS feed; this episode will drop on Apple et al. tomorrow if you don’t want to help keep the show sustainable and you can find your preferred service here. If you’re not a Bulwark+ member, sign up today for a 30-day trial that will get you the personalized RSS feed, unlock the bonus episode above, and grant you access to the comments section of this episode.

This week Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), Peter Suderman (Reason), and Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark) discuss the pros and cons of advice columns and whether or not it’s okay—or, frankly, just plain hilarious—to lie to advice columnists. And the gang reviews Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter (Sonny’s review here; Peter’s here). Make sure to check out our bonus episode on Oscar Isaac’s great decade of work, and share this episode with friends if you dug it! Our survival depends on listeners like you.

Alyssa (The Washington Post), Peter Suderman (Reason), and Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark) know folks are a little tired of MCU-centric episodes, but this week demonstrates why it’s a constant topic of conversation: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings grossed $75 million over its first three-day weekend and almost $95 million once Labor Day was included. Does this prove Disney was correct to keep the film off of home video for at least 45 days? Or are the people complaining about not getting to see the movie at home right? And we review the latest MCU outing. Don’t worry: next week we’ll get to something that fewer people will watch, we promise. And make sure to check out our bonus episode on the tragic death of Michael K. Williams (The Wire). If you enjoyed Shang-Chi or just liked listening to us talk about it, please share the episode with your friends! We’d greatly appreciate it if you did.

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the controversy (or possibly the nontroversy?) surrounding Spike Lee’s inclusion of 9/11 Truthers in his new documentary about New York City’s last 20 years. (To get a full sense of the issue, make sure to read this Slate piece by Jeremy Stahl on what Lee included.) Do filmmakers have a conspiracy theory problem? Are they poisoning the minds of their vulnerable listenership? And the gang also discusses Disney+’s What If … ?, the new animated series highlighting alternate universes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Spoiler: It’s not great, Bob. And make sure to check out our members-only bonus episode on Candyman, a movie Alyssa was too scared to watch but which Sonny and Peter found fascinating; you can sign up here to listen now if you haven’t already.

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) argue about whether or not the controversy swirling around Jeopardy’s hosting post is a controversy or a nontroversy. Why didn’t Sony do a better job of vetting their host? In the back half of the show, the gang reviews Reminiscence, the neo-noir from Westworld mastermind Lisa Joy starring Hugh Jackman. Is it worth making a trip to the theater or checking out on HBO Max? And make sure to check out the special bonus episode on taking kids to the theater. As one of us mentioned after we wrapped taping, this episode is like the Rosetta Stone to Across the Movie Aisle and its hosts: if you want to understand who we are, you have to understand the cinematic forces that shaped us.

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) address whether it’s a controversy or a nontroversy that the star of Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is calling out the head of Disney for saying the film’s release—a 45-day theatrical run followed by the film’s release on streaming—is an “experiment.” Is this all a ploy to turn the movie into a righteous cause rather than a popcorn-consumption excuse? Then the gang reviews Free Guy, the new Ryan Reynolds action-romcom. It too is only in theaters: is it worth checking out? And make sure to check out our members-only bonus episode on Vietnam movies and the ways in which film can serve as a lens for national trauma, a subject that certainly has absolutely nothing to do with the current news cycle.