Across the Movie Aisle

Latest Episodes:

82: Art, Fussiness, and 'The French Dispatch' Nov 03, 2021

Show notes

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.

81: 'Dune' Reviewed Oct 27, 2021

Show notes

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!

80: Is Netflix's Handling of Dave Chappelle a Controversy or a Nontroversy? Oct 20, 2021

Show notes

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!

79: 'No Time to Die' Oct 13, 2021

Show notes

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.

78: Does 'The Many Saints of Newark' Do 'The Sopranos' Right? Oct 06, 2021

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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!

77: 'The Eyes of Tammy Faye' Sep 29, 2021

Show notes

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.

76: Why Shouldn't Activists Have to Compete? Sep 22, 2021

Show notes

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.

75: 'The Card Counter' Sep 17, 2021

Show notes

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.

74: Did 'Shang-Chi' Save Movie Theaters? Sep 09, 2021

Show notes

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.

73: Do the Movies Have a Conspiracy Theory Problem? Plus: "What If...?" Sep 01, 2021

Show notes

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.

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