The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood

The Bulwark

Sonny Bunch hosts The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood, a new podcast featuring interviews with folks who have their finger on the pulse of the entertainment industry during this dynamic—and difficult—time. read less

Our Editor's Take

The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood podcast offers a dynamic analysis of the latest movies and their politics. Host Sonny Bunch talks with directors, producers, and critics about the film business. He also talks about TV shows like Peacock's Bupkis.

Sonny is a journalist, editor, and writer specializing in film. He writes for The Bulwark as well as The Washington Post. The Bulwark is a center-right website that promises "honest news" and "smart analysis." Sonny brings this guarantee and his movie love to his work on the show.

Moviemaking is an evolving business. The streaming wars of today mean fewer people are walking down the movie aisle at the theater. But the magic of acting keeps people watching films. Sonny talks about Hollywood's biggest nights, like the openings for Barbie and Oppenheimer. Ticket sales suggest they will be among the year's biggest Hollywood hits. The show also talks about what's to come in the industry.

Special guests on the podcast include Richard Rushfield, Shannon Moore, and Alison Macor. Sonny talks with Alison about her book, Rewrite Man. In it, she reveals the challenges of Warren Skaaron, who wrote for films such as Batman and Top Gun. How many Hollywood screenwriters, like Warren, struggled to get credit for their work? What makes working in the film industry so rewarding and so frustrating? Sometimes, Sonny concludes, it's best to do things the old-fashioned way. "Making a living is hard," he has noted.

In another episode, Alan Zilberman visits to discuss what being a film critic is like. Awards season, he explains, is overwhelming. Critics must watch as many movies a day as they can. He and his colleagues do this, knowing their input may not matter. The frontrunner gets the Oscar. At least, Alan says, that's the way it seems to go. David Thomson joins another episode to chat about the evolution of movie directors. He offers a fascinating perspective on people behind the camera. The show also talks about what's to come in the industry.

The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood may be an excellent podcast for film lovers and experts. Sonny rolls the camera on the show weekly.

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TV & FilmTV & Film

Episodes

Documenting Horror
2d ago
Documenting Horror
On this week’s episode, I’m 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 authors—Tremblay, Stephen Graham Jones, Laird Barron, Elizabeth Hand, and Mariana Enriquez—and every week he’s 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.) I’ll say, as a longtime user/reader of Substack, it’s 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 I’ve 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 “own” the readers/followers, a stark contrast from YouTube, TikTok, and other user-generated video sites. (It’ll 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!
Awards Season in Flux
Jan 11 2025
Awards Season in Flux
This week I’m 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 that’s going on out west. I want to reiterate that there are good charities that can be donated to if you’re looking to help out: If you can’t wait to donate, you can never go wrong with José Andrés’s World Central Kitchen, which has teams on the ground helping feed first responders. Two additional charities I’ve had folks recommend are Global Empowerment Mission and the California Community Foundation. I’m sure they’ll all make good use of every penny. I also think halting the awards will do little to improve anyone’s 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.