Across the Movie Aisle

This is a tease of the bonus episodes on Thursdays! They have video too over at the Substack! MovieAisle.substack.com. Go sign up! 

On this week’s special bonus episode, you get video, you get audio, you get it all. You get everything. (I’m still tinkering with the Riverside video editing software but … it’s pretty good? Just need to figure out how to incorporate clips and the such. Maybe next week you’ll get the intro and outro music the audio episodes have.)

On this week’s episode, Sonny, Peter, and Alyssa said goodbye to Diane Keaton, a key part of one of all of their favorite movies, The Godfather. Then they reviewed Tron: Ares, a music video in search of a purpose. Make sure you swing by movieaisle.substack.com on Thursday for our bonus episode. 

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend. And if you have a problem with the sound quality, let Sonny know in the comments! He’s tweaking some stuff. Playing with Audition’s presets and the such. 

Before we get to the episode, a quick note: we are spinning off Across the Movie Aisle into its own separate thing; it will no longer be part of the Bulwark network of shows, but it will still exist on Substack at movieaisle.substack.com. If you listen via Apple, nothing much will change for the moment; if you listen via Substack there may be a few changes for you. But we’ll cover that next week in our first episode at the new spot. —SB

On this week’s episode, Sonny, Peter, and Alyssa look at the perilo...

On this week’s episode, Sonny, Peter, and Alyssa discussed Apple’s move to shelve the TV show The Savant in the wake of multiple bouts of politically inspired violence. Then they reviewed One Battle After Another, the latest movie from Paul Thomas Anderson starring Leonardo DiCaprio. (Here’s a link to the New York Times profile of PTA mentioned briefly in the podcast this week.) Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for a bonus episode about PTA. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, delayed slightly due to technical difficulties, Sonny, Peter, and Alyssa broke down the struggle between Jimmy Kimmel, Disney, Nexstar/Sinclair, and Brendan Carr at the FCC. Is this just business as usual at the FCC, or has the regulatory administration overstepped its bounds here. Then we said goodbye to Robert Redford, looking at some of his 1970s classics like All the President’s Men, Three Days of the Condor, and The Sting, among other titles. If you enjoyed the episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch, Alyssa Rosenberg, and Peter Suderman discuss Comedy Central’s decision to pull a recent South Park from the rerun rotation after the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Then they review The Long Walk, a movie that is either appropriately brutal or exploitatively violent. Which? Hard to say, but the end result is pretty depressing, regardless. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Thursday for a bonus Stephen King adaptation draft. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend.

On this week’s episode, Sonny, Alyssa, and Peter asked why Activision would turn down a chance to have Steven Spielberg direct a Call of Duty movie. Then they reviewed Highest 2 Lowest, the latest collaboration between Spike Lee and Denzel Washington. Spoiler: We all loved the score, which is apparently a controversial opinion in some quarters! (Also the rest of the movie is pretty good too.) Make sure to swing by Thursday for a bonus Spike Lee draft. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny, Alyssa, and Peter discuss the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots at Disney World, as chronicled in this New York Times piece. Then they review Caught Stealing, the new Darren Aronofsky film that’s being marketed like a Guy Ritchie caper but is something else entirely. Some spoilers over the last 15 minutes or so of this pod, so just keep an ear out if you’re worried about that sort of thing. Swing by the Bulwark on Thursday for a bonus episode on High and Low and King’s Ransom, the movie and book...

On this week’s episode, Sonny, Alyssa, and Peter highlight the shocking success of Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters at the box office last weekend and muse about what it means for the streamer’s overall strategy. Then they review the first three episodes of Alien: Earth, the gory, thought-provoking new show on Hulu. Is it another hit for Noah Hawley (who made the TV shows Fargo and Legion?) Or a misfire lost in its own metaphors? If you enjoyed this episode, leave a comment or share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny, Peter, and Alyssa discussed the problem of productions fleeing Georgia for other locales with bigger tax incentives. Then they reviewed Nobody 2, one of the rare films to, possibly, be a too-tight 90. No bonus episode this week, see you guys next Tuesday!

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch, Alyssa Rosenberg, and Peter Suderman discussed how to best respond to South Park’s war on the Trump Administration and its cronies. Then they reviewed Weapons, the funniest scary movie of the year (so far!) that nevertheless has a poignant, melancholic core. (There are spoilers in this chat, so just let it be known that all three recommended it heartily if you’re worried about that sort of thing.) Make sure to swing by Thursday for a discussion of the shifting political winds in Hollywood. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it wit...

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch, Alyssa Rosenberg, and Peter Suderman ask why The Wizard of Oz is being mutilated via the alchemy of AI to be shown on the enormous 16K-resolution screen at The Sphere … and why Sonny is, honestly, kind of into it. (You can watch the CBS Sunday Morning segment on Oz at The Sphere here.) Then they review The Naked Gun, a movie so funny it brought this episode to a screeching standstill when Alyssa couldn’t keep it together while trying to recount one of the jokes. Funny movie! You should go see it! No bon...

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discussed the New York Times’s decision to move away from traditional reviews for certain cultural products. (You can read the Richard Brody piece discussed here.) Then they reviewed The Fantastic Four: First Steps, a perfectly fine movie that strenuously avoids really digging into any of the ideas the film hints at. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Thursday for a bonus episode on one of the worst movie lists ever made. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with...

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discussed the cancellation of The Late Show. Is this move being motivated by politics or the declining economic prospects of linear TV more broadly? Then they reviewed Eddington, Ari Aster’s gonzo look at life in 2020, the year of Covid and The Doomscroll. Make sure to swing by Thursday for a bonus episode on Christopher Nolan’s gutsy strategy for The Odyssey. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

Apologies: an editing snafu led to last week’s episode being reedited and uploaded in the initial version of this post. 

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask why Keanu Reeves, of all people, is the most-impersonated celebrity by scammers and how AI is being used to take money from lonely elderly people. (For more, read Rebecca Keegan’s great piece in the Hollywood Reporter on this terrifying, saddening subject.) Then they review Superman, an oddly Dubya-coded superhero movie. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Thursda...

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discussed the bad precedents set by media outlets being bullied by Donald Trump into backing down from defending the free press. Then they review Jurassic World Rebirth, a dino adventure more interested in the ethics of big pharma than big dino. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for a special bonus episode. 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) discuss Denis Villeneuve’s new gig: director, Bond director. Is he the man for the job? And who should he bring on as his James Bond. What does James Bond even mean in the modern world? Then they review F1: The Movie, Apple’s first big theatrical hit. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Thursday for a bonus episode on the New York Times’s top 100 movies since 2000. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!

In this bonus episode, Sonny, Alyssa, and Peter draft their favorite Danny Boyle films—from 28 Days Later to Slumdog Millionaire, Sunshine to Steve Jobs. But the real star of the show? Boyle’s new film 28 Years Later. The crew breaks down why it might be one of the best movies of the year—and how it redefines the legacy sequel.

Danny Boyle says he couldn’t — and shouldn’t — make Slumdog Millionaire today. Sonny Bunch, Alyssa Rosenberg, and Peter Suderman dive into the cultural appropriation debate, the limits of identity in art, and how this all relates to Boyle’s latest film, 28 Years Later. They also tackle how these same culture-war battles are reshaping YA fiction, Hollywood, and who gets to tell which stories.

In this bonus episode of Across the Movie Aisle, Sonny Bunch, Alyssa Rosenberg, and Peter Suderman debate the state of the romantic comedy. Is When Harry Met Sally the unbeatable blueprint for the entire genre? Why have rom-coms fallen off—and are they finally making a comeback?

They break down everything from Ephron classics and screwball oldies to Judd Apatow bros and modern rom-cons.

In this episode of Across the Movie Aisle, host Sonny Bunch is joined by Alyssa Rosenberg and Peter Suderman to unpack the outrage over indie film platform MUBI’s investment ties and whether ethical boycotts are even coherent in modern capitalism. Then they dig into Celine Song’s latest film Materialists, a rom-com that tries to be profound—but might just be pretty nonsense.

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the latest effort by conservatives to break into the world of big-time film production, this effort headed by Leonard Leo of the Federalist Society. Then they review The Phoenician Scheme, a movie some might describe as … conservative? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for our bonus episode on Wes Anderson and his forthcoming box set. 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 the fractured media landscape makes it harder to mint movie stars. (You can read the discussed piece by Nicholas Quah here.) Then they review Lilo & Stitch, which has turned out to be a smash hit for Disney. Turns out families like having things to take young kids to, who knew. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for a breakdown of our favorite animated Disney movies. 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) discussed how AI is both helping animators lip sync cartoons and also completely inventing books for summer reading lists. Then they review Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning, the conclusion of a series that has grown up with—and grown wary of—the digital age. Will ‘The Entity’ be the death of us all? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for a bonus episode about the increasing respectability of video game movies. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a frien

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) say goodbye to Max and take a mild victory lap in the process. Then they review Friendship, the new cringe comedy from Tim Robinson and A24. Is it the feel-bad movie of the year or just a feel-bad movie? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for our summer preview 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) discuss Spencer Kornhaber’s feature in The Atlantic asking if this is the worst period of American pop culture ever. Then they review the first nine episodes of Andor ahead of the series finale that hits Disney+ today. (Some spoilers through the ninth episode, but none for the last three, which debut at 9 p.m. Eastern time.) Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for a bonus episode on Sinners and The Studio. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a fr...

On this week’s episode, Peter’s off today, so Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark) is joined only by Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post) to discuss what, precisely, Donald Trump hopes to accomplish with his movie tariffs. Or what they’d even look like, really. Then they review Thunderbolts*, a well-reviewed standalone Marvel movie. What is this, 2014? Make sure to swing by on Friday for our bonus episode on AI actors. 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) discuss the aging up of our movie star roster. Then they review The Accountant 2, a buddy comedy masquerading as an action movie. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for our bonus episode about Revenge of the Sith. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend! 

Alyssa is off this week, so Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark) and Peter Suderman (Reason) are joined by Ben Dreyfuss (Calm Down) to discuss all things Sinners. In cons and nons, they ask if Coogler’s unusual deal granting him copyright on the movie 25 years hence will really “destroy the studio system.” And then they review the film, which has done boffo box office and earned a coveted A from CinemaScore audiences. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for a bonus vampire movie draft. 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) discuss the myriad ways in which tariffs could hurt (and maybe in one very minor way help) the entertainment business. Then they review Warfare, the latest film from Alex Garland and co-writer/co-director Ray Mendoza. No bonus episode on Friday, but we’ll be back with a full episode on Monday where we’ll be reviewing Sinners. 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/Coruscant) ask if the wild behavior of teens and tweens at A Minecraft Movie is good or bad for the moviegoing experience. Then they review The Studio, AppleTV+’s new panic attack in television form. Is it too stressful to be funny? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ this weekend for a bonus episode on Val Kilmer (rest in peace). And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

Apologies: Due to an audio editing error, Peter Suderman’s track wasn’t audible in the first version of this file that went out. Everyone’s here now! 

—SB

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) examine how Donald Trump’s “warrior for free speech” at the FCC, Brendan Carr, is using his position to punish companies whose speech the president doesn’t like. Then they review A Working Man, which is like a lesser Beekeeper. But is that enough? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday...

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) examine how Donald Trump’s “warrior for free speech” at the FCC, Brendan Carr, is using his position to punish companies whose speech the president doesn’t like. Then they review A Working Man, which is like a lesser Beekeeper. But is that enough? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for our bonus episode on Variety’s suggestions on how to save movie theaters. 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 Tom Ortenberg and Briarcliff’s mission to distribute contentious movies like The Apprentice and Magazine Dreams is a controversy or a nontroversy. (You can find the Wall Street Journal article referenced in the episode here.) Then they review Snow White, a disastrous misfire on virtually every level. Make sure to swing by for our bonus episode on Friday about consolidation in the nerd-media business space. 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) discuss Joe Russo’s war on Harvey Weinstein (but not for the reasons you might think). Then they review Black Bag, a movie that makes marriage look fun. (Kinda. Depending on the fun you like.) Make sure to swing by Friday for a bonus episode on how to resurrect movie marketing. 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) try to fairly adjudicate Kathleen Kennedy’s run at the Disney-owned Lucasfilm. Then they review Mickey 17, a movie that’s more committed to timely satire than big ideas. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for an episode on the new literalism. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend! 

On this episode of Across the Movie Aisle, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) said goodby to Gene Hackman, who was found dead at the age of 95 last week. Then they discussed the Oscars, hosted by Oscar O’Brien. How was the show? What about the winners? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for a bonus episode with some reading recommendations. And if you enjoyed this episode, I hope you 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 Amazon’s newfound ability to greenlight James Bond vehicles without the approval of the Broccoli family or Eon Productions. What does this mean for the British superspy? Then they review the first proper MCU movie in nearly 18 months. Has absence made the heart grow fonder for Captain America: Brave New World? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for our bonus episode on Friday, when we’ll be reviewing The Gorge. 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 blight of the Inappropriate Laughers. (Here’s a gift link to the New York Times piece we reference.) Then they review I’m Still Here, the, uh, other foreign language film nominated for best picture at this year’s Oscars. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for our bonus episode Friday on the next generation of movie stars. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!

Some websites and podcasts start putting out their best-of lists on December 1. Not Across the Movie Aisle. We want to make sure you had plenty of time to see all the award-season stuff. If it takes until February, well, so be it. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!