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.
The Delightfully Cranky 'Highest 2 Lowest'
Sep 09, 2025
Show notes
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!
Disney's Economic Inequality
Sep 02, 2025
Show notes
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, respectively, on which Spike Lee’s new film, Highest 2 Lowest is based. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!
The Lost Boys of 'Alien: Earth'
Aug 26, 2025
Show notes
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!
'Nobody 2' Is Deadly, Dull
Aug 19, 2025
Show notes
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!
'Weapons': 2025's Funniest Scary Movie
Aug 12, 2025
Show notes
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 with a friend!
Why 'Oz' Is Coming to The Sphere in Vegas
Aug 05, 2025
Show notes
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 bonus episode this week, but we’ll be back Monday with a brand new one.
The Perfectly Fine 'Four'
Jul 29, 2025
Show notes
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 a friend!
Canceling 'The Late Show': Business or Politics?
Jul 22, 2025
Show notes
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!
The Scourge of Celebrity AI Scams
Jul 15, 2025
Show notesApologies: 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 Thursday for a bonus episode about Superman’s place in the cinematic canon. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!
Paramount's Bad Trump Deal
Jul 08, 2025
Show notes
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!
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