Here’s the elevator pitch: It’s “Left, Right, and Center” meets “Siskel and Ebert.” Three friends from different ideological perspectives discuss the movies and controversies (or nontroversies!) swirling around them. You’ll have to sign up for the Substack to get bonus episodes and you can do that at movieaisle.substack.com.
We're All 'Barbie' Girls, It's a 'Barbie' World
Aug 01, 2023
Show notes
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!
'Oppenheimer' Is Transcendent Cinema.
Jul 25, 2023
Show notes
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!
The Actors Strike! What Do They Want?
Jul 18, 2023
Show notes
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!
The Subtle Pleasures of 'Past Lives'
Jul 11, 2023
Show notes
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.
'Destiny' Comes for Indiana Jones
Jul 04, 2023
Show notes
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!
The Perplexing Confection of 'Asteroid City'
Jun 27, 2023
Show notes
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!
The Summer of Flops!
Jun 20, 2023
Show notes
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!
Was the Censorship of 'The French Connection' Inevitable?
Jun 13, 2023
Show notes
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!
'Across the Spiderverse' Is the Best-Looking Movie of the Year (So Far!)
Jun 06, 2023
Show notes
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.
What Went Wrong with 'The Little Mermaid'?
May 30, 2023
Show notes
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!
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