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.
Is 'Creed III' a Knockout? Plus: a rant about the state of movie theater exhibition!
Mar 07, 2023
Show notes
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!
How 'Poker Face' Recaptures that 70s Spirit. Plus: Scott Adams self-immolates.
Feb 28, 2023
Show notes
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!
150: Against Rewriting Roald Dahl's Books
Feb 21, 2023
Show notes
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!
149: Was 'Magic Mike's Last Dance' Mesmerizing?
Feb 14, 2023
Show notes
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!
148: Will Netflix's Effort to Cut Off Password-Sharing Backfire? Plus: Is 'Women Talking' worth listening to?
Feb 07, 2023
Show notes
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.
147: 'All Quiet on the Western Front' Hints that War Is Bad
Jan 31, 2023
Show notes
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!
146: 'Pale Blue Eye': Worth a Laundry-Folding Watch?
Jan 24, 2023
Show notes
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!
145: Is 'M3GAN' a Killer Good Time? Plus: will the VFX shops unionize?
Jan 17, 2023
Show notes
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!
144: 'Babylon': Big, Messy, and Kinda Fun. Plus: Sports are King in the media landscape.
Jan 10, 2023
Show notes
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!
143: The Best Films of 2022
Jan 03, 2023
Show notes
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?
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