Afleveringen
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On this weekâs episode, Iâm joined by Jeremy Workman, the director and producer of Secret Mall Apartment. We discussed the difficult process of getting your subjects to trust you, the trickiness of distributing an indie documentary in the modern cinematic landscape, and the importance of having a big star like Jesse Eisenberg willing to do a little press for you. The movieâs playing in theaters now; you can see if itâs in a cinema near you here. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!
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On this weekâs episode Iâm rejoined by Scott Mendelson of The Outside Scoop to talk about the state of the box office thus far through 2025. Itâs better than 2024âthank you, Minecraftâbut not as good as 2023. Plus, we delve into some of the discussion surrounding Sinnersâs box office, particularly the foreign and domestic splits. Does its strength in North America demonstrate that Hollywood should be less concerned with appealing to foreign audiences and more worried about making big bucks (and better movies) for the homegrown crowd? All that and more on this episode; if you enjoyed it, I hope you share it with a friend!
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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On this weekâs episode, I talked to Andrew Ortenberg of Briarcliff Entertainment about distributing tricky movies like The Apprentice and Magazine Dreams. How have the economics of cinematic distribution improved for distributors with the infrastructure in place to handle it? How have the various video-on-demand tiers shifted over the last few years? What should folks keep in mind before they declare a movie a hit or a flop? And why are family movies an under-utilized resource for the indie set? All that and more on this weekâs episode. If you enjoyed it, please share it with a friend!
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On this weekâs episode, Iâm joined by New York Times film critic Alissa Wilkinson to discuss her new book about Joan Didion, We Tell Ourselves Stories. I mentioned the book in a newsletter a couple of weeks back, but I wanted to focus on the ways in which the political world has borrowed showbizâs penchant for image calibration, from the ways in which issues are decided upon to the means by which politicians decide which voters to target. Didion, of course, was a natural observer of these shifts, having spent years in Hollywood before becoming one of the nationâs most interesting political observers. If you enjoyed this episode, I hope you both pick up a copy of Alissaâs book and share this with friends!
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On this weekâs episode, Iâm joined by Ray Mendoza, who cowrote and codirected the new A24 movie Warfare with Alex Garland (Civil War, Ex Machina). We discussed the journalistic process of rebuilding the dayâs actions portrayed in the film from the memory of those who participated, Mendozaâs work with Garland on Civil War, and the cinematic experience of trying to help people understand what itâs like to go into battle after getting your brain rattled. The movie releases on April 11, and I strongly recommend watching it in a theater to get that fully immersive sonic effect. And if you enjoyed this episode, I hope you share it with a friend.
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I am pleased to be rejoined this week by Bobby Miller to discuss his new novel, Situation Nowhere. Imagine Brazil by way of Idiocracy but goopier: Thatâs Situation Nowhere. We talked about some of his influences, the state of our increasingly recursive culture, and why we need to bring back shaming folks for selling out. If youâre in Los Angeles, check out Bobbyâs event on Saturday at The Redwood Bar! And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend. (And listen to last yearâs episode with Bobby about the Blu-ray release of his film, The Cleanse.)
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On this weekâs episode Iâm joined by Ross Benes, the author of the forthcoming book 1999: The Year Low Culture Conquered America and Kickstarted Our Bizarre Times. It comes out in a few weeks and I hope you take a gander at it; we spent most of our time discussing the ways in which professional wrestling and the Insane Clown Posse help explain the phenomenon that is Donald J. Trump and his ascent through the political landscape, but thereâs more to the book than that. And if you enjoyed this episode, I hope you share it with a friend!
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Sonny Bunch sits down with filmmaker Jonathan Gruber to discuss his new documentary, Centered, which explores the life and legacy of Joe Lieberman. As the first Jewish Vice Presidential candidate, Lieberman made historyâonly to later shake up politics by breaking with his own party. With the film releasing today, they dive into his career, key political battles, and the impact of centrism in modern politics.
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A weird question I sometimes get is this: âI want to get into buying movies on disc, Sonny, but I donât know where to start.â I say itâs weird because the answer seems obvious to me: just buy movies you like to watch! But there are issues I take for granted like formats and resolutions, so I thought it would be useful to talk to Aidan Ryan of the Boston Globe about his recent piece in that newspaperâs magazine focused on the Gen Z/Young Millennial cohort that has gotten really into collecting movies on disc. From the dollar DVD bins to the high-quality UHD 4K collectors sets put out by the boutique labels, these younger collectors run the gamut. If you have questions of your own, feel free to leave them in the comments and Iâll do my best to answer them. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!
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On this weekâs episode, Iâm plesaed to be rejoined by Brandon Struessnig to discuss one of my favorite packages of the year, Vultureâs annual stunt awards. Who were the big winners? What were some of the surprises? Just how long did it take George Miller to shoot that war rig sequence in Furiosa anyway? All that and more on this weekâs episode. Make sure to check out the winners before listening to us discuss them. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!
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This week I was joined by Jake Rademacher, the director of Brothers After War to talk about his new documentary checking in with folks who have returned from the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq and how they are reintegrating into society. Itâs a powerful and moving documentary, and I highly recommend checking it out if you get the chance, particularly if you have a veteran in your life. You can find showtimes nearest you here. And if youâre a veteran, you should still be able to get free tickets to the film by signing up at VetTix.org and searching for Brothers After War. If you enjoyed this episode, I hope you share it with a friend!
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On this weekâs episode, Iâm joined by the New York Timesâs James Poniewozik to discuss SNLâs (rather lengthy) 50th anniversary celebration. (Hereâs a gift link to Jamesâs piece on his favorite episode of SNL.) We discuss the show, how it has changed, and how changes in how people watch the show change its meaning (and our relationship to it). I also asked James about his book, Audience of One: Donald Trump, Television, and the Fracturing of America and how to best cover Trump without succumbing to the siren song of scolding; that clip starts a little before minute 30 if you want to skip all the SNL chatter. (But why would you?) If you enjoyed the episode, I hope you share it with a friend!
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On this weekâs episode, Iâm joined by Jake VerKesenâsome of you in the comments might know him by his handle, Jake VKâon the long and winding road to turning an idea for a micro-budgeted indie movie like I Agree With You from a dream into a reality. We discuss the paperwork, the delays, the fundraising, the shooting, the food, the editing, and, finally, the showing, that goes into getting an indie movie made and delivered to the people.
As discussed on the episode, the movieâs not out just yet, but hopefully yâall will get a chance to see it soon. You can follow the filmâs progress on its Substack and add I Agree With You to your Letterboxd watchlist. -
On this weekâs episode, Iâm rejoined by writer/director Philip Gelatt and novelist Paul Tremblay (author of Horror Movieand The Cabin at the End of the World, among other scary books) to discuss the new Substack-hosted docu-horror series Etch. The concept is pretty cool: Philip has interviewed a quintet of horror authorsâTremblay, Stephen Graham Jones, Laird Barron, Elizabeth Hand, and Mariana Enriquezâand every week heâs dropping another episode that combines that interview with a reading of a short story and video illustration. (Not quite a movie, exactly, more like creepy imagery.)
Iâll say, as a longtime user/reader of Substack, itâs exciting to see folks push the boundaries of what the site can be. I think most people see Substack as a newsletter/podcast site, and most of the video Iâve seen on Substack has been, more or less, video versions of podcasts. (We have a lot of those here at The Bulwark!) But this is a great example of a creator deciding to bypass the studios and the streamers and just make something he wants to see in the world using the broadcast tools provided by Hamish McKenzie and his team at Substack and doing so in a way that allows you to âownâ the readers/followers, a stark contrast from YouTube, TikTok, and other user-generated video sites. (Itâll be great when they drop a streaming-style app.) If you are into horror, I highly recommend checking this out. And if you enjoyed this episode, I hope you share it with a friend! -
On this weekâs episode, Sonny Bunch is rejoined by Jesse Nelson of DiabolikDVD and Cauldron Films to discuss the state of home video. We get to the tariff discussion around 32 minutes in, but before that, Jesse dispels some of the concerns about Sonyâs recent announcement that theyâre discontinuing recordable media like Blu-ray, what collectors are looking for from his store, and how he and his business partner go about deciding out what titles to distribute via their label, Cauldron Films. As mentioned on the episode, I enjoy Diabolikâs âBrowse by Labelâ page to see what weird stuff is hitting Blu-ray and UHD in the upcoming months. Make sure to check out Cauldronâs lineup; that Mad Foxes set seems pretty cool. If you enjoyed the episode, please share it with a friend!
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On this weekâs supersized episode of The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood, Iâm rejoined by Matthew Ball to discuss his epic examination of the state of the video game industry and how its growing pains reflect what weâve seen in other entertainment industries like film. Iâd recommend at least scanning his report (you can download the pdf here) even if youâre not a gamerâI am, as discussed in the opening moments, at best a âfilthy casualââbecause if youâre familiar with the growth patterns of nearly any industry, youâll likely find some congruences.
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On this weekâs episode, Iâm joined by Bill Ryan and Dennis Cozzalio to discuss their contribution to the new Arrow Limited Edition release of Inglourious Basterds on 4K. The booklet features a blog-era (remember blogs?) conversation about the film that occurred when it was initially released, in addition to, among other things, a postcard with a recipe for apple strudel (whip cream NOT optional). Itâs a great set with lots of extras and I highly recommend picking it up if you can find a copy. We discussed the initial response to the film and our own feelings about it some 15 years or so later, as well as that weirdly exciting moment of online film criticism. If you enjoyed the episode, I hope you share it with a friend!
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This week Iâm joined by Richard Rushfield and Katey Rich of The Ankler to discuss the state of the awards season post-Golden Globes and in the midst of the Los Angeles fires. (Indeed, Los Angeles resident Richard is in the city to give us an on-the-ground update of the state of things from his perspective. Please excuse any background noise/distortion that you may hear as a result!) We talked about how the Globes might affect the Oscars, how the Globes has devolved into an incestuous web of self-dealing, and how the fires might affect Academy Award voting patterns. We also discussed the new Ankler Pundits prediction site, which I am honored to have been asked to take part in. Check it out and feel free to mock my picks.
And look: I understand the impulse to avoid discussing awards given everything thatâs going on out west. I want to reiterate that there are good charities that can be donated to if youâre looking to help out:
If you canât wait to donate, you can never go wrong with JosĂ© AndrĂ©sâs World Central Kitchen, which has teams on the ground helping feed first responders. Two additional charities Iâve had folks recommend are Global Empowerment Mission and the California Community Foundation. Iâm sure theyâll all make good use of every penny.
I also think halting the awards will do little to improve anyoneâs financial standing and will in fact hurt the folks who work for all the ancillary events. Not just the awards shows themselves, but the parties, the limo drivers, the caterers, the dress designers, people whose whole year is made or broken by this stretch in Los Angeles. Awards may feel silly but even silly things can be worthwhile, particularly when your livelihood depends on it.
If you enjoyed this show, I hope you share it with a friend. -
On this weekâs episode, Iâm joined by Steven Hyden, whoâin addition to being the author of books on Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, and Radiohead, and a prolific author at Uproxxâserved as the story producer on HBOâs new film, Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary. In addition to discussing just what it means to be a story producer on a documentary, we discussed the making of this film, the evolution of the term âyacht rock,â and why (some) artists have (slowly) warmed to the term. I really canât recommend the documentary enough: itâs both entertaining and informative. And if you enjoyed this episode, I hope you share it with a friend!
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On this weekâs episode, Iâm joined by Brandon Wainerdi to discuss DKâs hefty and handsome new reference book, Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy. We discussed how he broke into writing about Star Wars, researching his entries for the book, and why so much of what we obsessives know about Star Wars comes not from the films but the surrounding products. Brandonâs interview podcast, Talking Bay 94, is a must-listen if youâre a fan of the series. Iâll just say, on a personal note, that this is a really beautiful book: lots of illustrations, tons of information. If you have a precocious tween who loves Star Wars in your life, you could do much worse than this as a gift for them this Christmas. And if you enjoyed this episode, I hope you share it with a friend!
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