Episodes

  • Why 'Oz' Is Coming to The Sphere in Vegas

    Why 'Oz' Is Coming to The Sphere in Vegas
    Aug 5 2025
    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.
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    44 mins
  • The Perfectly Fine 'Four'

    The Perfectly Fine 'Four'
    Jul 29 2025
    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!
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    51 mins
  • Canceling 'The Late Show': Business or Politics?

    Canceling 'The Late Show': Business or Politics?
    Jul 22 2025
    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!
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    53 mins
  • The Scourge of Celebrity AI Scams

    The Scourge of Celebrity AI Scams
    Jul 15 2025
    Apologies: 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!
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    46 mins
  • Paramount's Bad Trump Deal

    Paramount's Bad Trump Deal
    Jul 8 2025
    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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    46 mins
  • Is Denis Villeneuve the Right Guy for 'Bond'?

    Is Denis Villeneuve the Right Guy for 'Bond'?
    Jul 1 2025
    On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss Denis Villeneuve’s new gig: director, Bond director. Is he the man for the job? And who should he bring on as his James Bond. What does James Bond even mean in the modern world? Then they review F1: The Movie, Apple’s first big theatrical hit. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Thursday for a bonus episode on the New York Times’s top 100 movies since 2000. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!
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    44 mins
  • The Ultimate Danny Boyle Movie Draft

    The Ultimate Danny Boyle Movie Draft
    Jun 26 2025
    In this bonus episode, Sonny, Alyssa, and Peter draft their favorite Danny Boyle films—from 28 Days Later to Slumdog Millionaire, Sunshine to Steve Jobs. But the real star of the show? Boyle’s new film 28 Years Later. The crew breaks down why it might be one of the best movies of the year—and how it redefines the legacy sequel.
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    18 mins
  • Danny Boyle Says He Shouldn’t Have Made Slumdog. Should He?

    Danny Boyle Says He Shouldn’t Have Made Slumdog. Should He?
    Jun 24 2025
    Danny Boyle says he couldn’t — and shouldn’t — make Slumdog Millionaire today. Sonny Bunch, Alyssa Rosenberg, and Peter Suderman dive into the cultural appropriation debate, the limits of identity in art, and how this all relates to Boyle’s latest film, 28 Years Later. They also tackle how these same culture-war battles are reshaping YA fiction, Hollywood, and who gets to tell which stories.
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    40 mins