The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood

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Summer Reading! Jun 17, 2021

Show notes

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch is joined by Bulwark contributor Bill Ryan and Turner Classic Movie writer Greg Ferrara to talk about some of their favorite film books. This episode was inspired in part by a recurring question Sonny gets about books that can help people better understand film or become better film writers.

Obviously, you should listen to the episode; we wouldn’t be sending it to you otherwise. But here’s a cheat sheet with links to the recommended titles. (Pro tip: I’ve linked to Amazon pages, but do yourself a favor and check out the used prices if you want to save some money. Often you’ll find offerings that are “like new” at huge discounts that have little more than a remainder mark. I’ve managed to build a pretty decent library at a fraction of the price by searching for used books.)

NOTE: IF YOU WANT THE LINKS HEAD OVER TO THE SUBSTACK: bulwarkhollywood.thebulwark.com

Greg’s Picks

Vivien Leigh: An Intimate Portrait, by Kendra Bean

Steven Spielberg: A Retrospective, by Richard Schickel

Citizen Welles, by Frank Brady

A Separate Cinema, edited by John Kisch

Scorsese on Scorsese, edited by David Thomson and Ian Christie

Bill’s Picks

Made Men: The Story of Goodfellas, by Glenn Kenny

(For more on Made Men, please listen to this podcast’s interview with Glenn.)

This Is Orson Welles, by Peter Bogdanovich & Orson Welles

The Battle of Brazil, by Jack Mathews

(As discussed on the podcast, the Blu-ray of Brazil released by the Criterion Collection has both the 142 minute director’s cut and the 94-minute “Love Conquers All Cut” of the film. The Blu-ray also has a documentary based on this book. If you like Brazil, this set is well worth picking up during Barnes and Noble’s 50 percent off Criterion sale that starts July 2.)

Cronenberg on Cronenberg, edited by Chris Rodley

Flicker, by Theodore Roszak

Sonny’s Picks

Elia Kazan: A Biography, by Richard Schickel

Final Cut, by Steven Bach

Four Screenplays with Essays, by William Goldman

The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film, by Michael Ondaatje

American Movie Critics, edited by Philip Lopate

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James Emanuel Shapiro on Cannes and the Business of Film Festivals Jun 10, 2021

Show notes

On this week’s episode, James Emanuel Shapiro returns to the show to talk about the return of Cannes and what it’s like to be on the business side of a film festival. We all know about the great premieres and the fancy parties, but what about the actual business of these festivals, the markets where films are bought and sold? Plus, we’ll talk about Amazon’s purchase of MGM and, at the end, James shares some interesting data about Prime Video and iTunes’s relative place in the transactional VOD market.

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Jonathan Taplin on Working With Dylan, Scorsese, and the Rolling Stones Jun 10, 2021

Show notes

(Note: This is a two-episode week since apparently I did not upload this episode to Apple last week. But if you're listening via the Substack, you would've gotten it fine! The lesson, as always: sign up for the Substack!) Sonny is joined by Jonathan Taplin to discuss his new must-read book, The Magic Years: Scenes from a Rock-and-Roll Life. Jon was there when Dylan went electric; he was there when Martin Scorsese needed some cash to get his first early classic, Mean Streets, made; and he was there when the Stones needed someone to do the art for Exile on Main Street. He’s spent more than 50 years in the business of culture and has a great deal of insight into all the ways in which the business of art has changed over the years. And he has tons of stories to share, including one we didn’t get to on this show about a literal fight with Harvey Weinstein (you’ll have to get the book for that one). If you enjoyed the show, please share it with a friend who will also dig it.

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Frank Pallotta on the MGM/Amazon Deal, F9 in China, and the Summer Movie Season May 27, 2021

Show notes

CNN Media Reporter Frank Pallotta returns to the show to talk about a huge week in movie business news. Amazon has acquired MGM (and half of James Bond) for $8.45 billion. Summer movie season has kicked off in China, with the release of F9 and kicks off this weekend in America with A Quiet Place 2: what do new benchmarks for success look like? All this and more on a news-and-analysis packed episode. If you found the episode interesting and informative, please subscribe to Bulwark+ to help keep the show sustainable and share it with a friend! A recommendation from a friend remains the best way to grow a podcast’s audience.

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Eddie Muller on TCM, Film Noir, and the HFPA's Charitable Work May 20, 2021

Show notes

This week Sonny is joined by Eddie Muller, the host of TCM’s “Noir Alley” and the founder and president of the Film Noir Foundation. We discussed the Foundation’s reliance on the Golden Globes for the funding it procures to help restore long-lost film noirs to something approaching their original condition. We also talked about the world of film restoration more generally and Eddie offered up some picks for those looking to dive into the world of film noir. And make sure to pick up Eddie’s newly revised and expanded edition of Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir. I’ve already ordered my copy!

And please: If there’s a noir lover in your life—or someone you hope to convert into a noir lover—make sure to share this episode with them. Just click that little button and pass it along; they’ll surely thank you for it.

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Jon Finkel on 1996's sports movies and athletes on sports cinema May 13, 2021

Show notes

This week Sonny is joined by Jon Finkel, author of 1996: A Biography: Reliving the Legend-Packed, Dynasty-Stacked, Most Iconic Sports Year Ever. This is a movie podcast, not a sports podcast, so I understand if you’re confused. But 1996 was also notable for having some great sports movies (Jerry Maguire, Tin Cup) and some … not-so-great sports movies (The Fan, Space Jam). Plus: Happy Gilmore! We also talked about how athletes perceive their portrayals onscreen and had a quick lightning round about which classic sports flicks are better. Some controversial choices in that segment, I guarantee you; Hoosiers fans should feel forewarned.

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Jesse Nelson of Diabolik DVD Discusses the Boutique Blu-ray Biz May 06, 2021

Show notes

This week Sonny is pleased to be joined by Jesse Nelson, the co-owner of Diabolik DVD and Cauldron Films. Diabolik is one of the best places to pick up boutique Blu-ray discs from outlets like Vinegar Syndrome, Arrow, and Shout/Scream Factory, and he had a number of interesting thoughts about the state of the physical media industry. We also talked a bit about his own label, Cauldron Films, which released a wonderful Blu-ray set of the pictured movie: American Rickshaw. If you’re a fan of physical media or have one in your life, make sure to share this episode with them!

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Chris Fenton on China, the Oscars, and the MCU Apr 29, 2021

Show notes

Chris Fenton, author of Feeding the Dragon: Inside the Trillion Dollar Dilemma Facing Hollywood, the NBA, & American Business, returns to the show to talk about China’s influence on Hollywood, and vice versa. Why is the Chinese Communist Party censoring news about Chloe Zhao’s historic win on Oscar night? Should Disney be worried about the fact that she’s the director on the forthcoming MCU tentpole, The Eternals? What to make of recent misfires in the Middle Kingdom like Mulan and Raya and the Last Dragon? And why did the CCP not really care that Hong Kong got destroyed by Godzilla and King Kong? All this and more on this week’s episode of The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood! If you enjoy the chat, please hit that button below and share this post with a friend who also loves talking about movies! They’ll thank you later, trust me.

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Nicholas Jarecki on 'Crisis,' Opioids, Releasing a Movie During COVID, and Armie Hammer Apr 22, 2021

Show notes

Nicholas Jarecki—the writer and director of the opioid crisis thriller Crisis—talks to Sonny about the making and casting of Crisis, the evolving international market for feature films, and the difficulties of promoting a movie when one of the actors is undergoing a PR crisis of his own. We also talk a bit about the evolving nature of film criticism, how one researches a project about drugs while tens of thousands are dying from overdoses, and more. If you enjoy the show, please share it with a friend! Podcasts need love too.

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Megan Ganz on 'Mythic Quest' and Comedies in the Covid Age Apr 16, 2021

Show notes

This week Sonny is joined by Megan Ganz, an executive producer and creator of Mythic Quest, AppleTV+’s workplace comedy about life at the studio behind an MMORPG. Megan has worked on a number of great shows, including It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Community, so it was fun to pick her brain about the differences in production cycles on a network, basic cable, and streaming service, as well as what it’s like to produce a big show like this in the age of Covid. (Spoiler: It’s tricky!) If you aren’t watching Mythic Quest, you should be. And if you know someone who does watch that, or Always Sunny or Community, but doesn’t listen to this podcast for some reason, please share it with them! Hopefully they’ll find it entertaining and informative.

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