Podcast
The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood
Hosted by The Bulwark · EN
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.
40episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Which Directors Have the Most Hollywood Juice?
4d ago00:49:39Tap to summarizeOn this week’s episode, I’m joined by Nate Jones of Vulture to discuss his monumental effort to rank the 100 most powerful directors in Hollywood. We discussed how the audience has shifted from stars to IP to maybe, now, directors, and what that means for the industry. Plus: Who did his inside sources think he rated too highly … and too lowly? All that and more on this week’s (if I do say so myself) very fun episode. Debate amongst yourselves: Who has the most juice in Hollywood … and who should have the most juice?
Transcribe →Can Subsidies Bring Film Production Back to the USA?
2w ago00:59:42Tap to summarizeOn this week’s episode, I’m rejoined by Chris Fenton to discuss efforts to pass a federal tax credit that would help reshore American film production and his own made-in-America film, Bad Counselors, which hits theaters next week. Things got a little spicy as we debated some of the downsides of these programs—and how they might come to pass—but let’s make sure to maintain a respectful tone in the comments if you choose to weigh in.
Transcribe →How the Screen Has Changed Us
3w ago00:44:58Tap to summarizeOn this week’s episode, I’m rejoined by renowned critic and film historian David Thomson to discuss his new book, A Sudden Flicker of Light: A Revisionist History of Movies. It’s a bracing tome, given its thesis: That the film screen has fundamentally altered who we are and how we interact with the world, in ways mostly negative. I’ll have more on this book in my newsletter this week, but I really hope you pick it up; there’s a lot to chew on in it.
Transcribe →Comcast and NBC Universal Are Breaking Up: What Does That Mean?
4w ago00:31:04Tap to summarizeThis week I’m joined by CNN’s media analyst Brian Stelter to discuss the big news of the week, Comcast’s decision to spin NBC Universal off into a separate company. What will happen to the broadcast network? Who might some of the suitors be for the standalone company? All that and more on this week’s episode. If you enjoyed it, please share it with a friend!
Transcribe →The Increasing Entanglements of Hollywood and AI
Jun 2600:37:35Tap to summarizeOn this week’s episode, I’m joined by Ben Fritz of the Wall Street Journal to discuss his exclusive on the partnership between Google and A24 and what it portends for the rest of the studios who are either diving into the world of AI filmmaking or cautiously sitting on the sidelines waiting to see how things shake out.
Transcribe →The Mount Rushmore of TV
Jun 1900:44:25Tap to summarizeOn this week’s episode, I’m rejoined by my first guest, the great Richard Rushfield, to talk all things TV. What’s the deal with Fox buying Roku? What does the post-peak-TV era look like? And, perhaps most importantly, who is on the Mount Rushmore of television? All that and more on this week’s episode. Leave your pick for the all-time-top-four TV figures in the comments!
Transcribe →The Wild West of 1980s Movie Financing
Jun 1200:40:44Tap to summarizeI’m joined by Peter M. Hoffman this week to discuss his new memoir, Karmic Winds, about his time in Hollywood as the tax lawyer who could figure out how to get movies financed and get people paid. Fans of 1980s action movies will recognize many of the names here, as Hoffman was a key figure in the Golan and Globus empire before becoming CEO of Carolco Pictures during their epic run of films that included Basic Instinct and Terminator 2. We also discussed the way tax laws helped—and then hindered—getting movies made, and Peter’s own unfortunate run-in with IRS authorities. If you want the full story, make sure to check out his book, which goes into much more detail than we had time for here.This episode gets a bit in the weeds about tax law and the such, but I’d love to hear from folks about their favorite Carolco films. One that we touched on very briefly is Jacob’s Ladder, a movie I’ve always found fascinating in part because I don’t think it entirely works. Or at least, it didn’t for me … but Peter’s book highlights the ways in which the film reflects the Tibetan Book of the Dead, which may just be the key to unlocking it all. I’m excited to go back and revisit it with that idea in mind.
Transcribe →Bringing 'Day of the Dead' Back to Life
Jun 500:58:37Tap to summarizeI’m super-excited about this week’s episode, as I’m getting to talk about one of my favorite zombie movies (Day of the Dead) with one of the creators of that film (John Harrison, the first assistant director and composer of its iconic score) and one of the producers at one of my favorite boutique Blu-ray labels (Jeff Roland from Shout Factory/Scream Factory). We talk all about the making of the film, of course, but also the making of this set: one of my favorite special features on the bonus disc is a 30-minute-or-so doc about the actual restoration of this film. How they tracked down the interpositive, what they had to do to get the transfer into shape for a 4K release, how they had to mix the sound, etc. I really cannot recommend this set enough: it comes out June 16, but I strongly recommend picking up a copy now, as these collector’s editions can be hard to keep in stock. Obviously, the fans of Romero’s films are going to want it. But I would pitch it to anyone who appreciates a good piece of archival work: There are documentaries on this thing that will simply help you understand the world of physical media better. Plus a fun new audio commentary featuring Drew McWeeny and Daniel Kraus. And, of course, a pristine new transfer that gives extra depth and definition to all of those scenes set in the underground mines where most of the movie takes place.
Transcribe →Three Movies to Prep For Our Viral Apocalypse
May 2900:47:17Tap to summarizeJust as a heads up: This episode was posted on the Takes feed over the weekend, but I wanted to make sure and share it with y’all because a.) it was a lot of fun and b.) I did a weirdly large amount of work for it, having to rewatch three films and read a bunch of stuff. But I wanted to make sure you guys heard it in case you haven’t subscribed to the Takes feed. (And if you haven’t, for shame! You’re missing JVL and me riffing on the terrible America 250 concert!)
Transcribe →Turning Sex and Dragons Into Streaming Money
May 2200:50:33Tap to summarizeOn this week’s episode, I’m rejoined by Julia Alexander to discuss her latest piece for Puck on why romantasy—the subgenre of fine literature dedicated to dragons and sex—has had a hard time gaining a foothold on streaming services despite burning up the book charts. We also chatted about Amazon’s advertising ambitions and how it hopes to use its supposedly profitable video division to drive business elsewhere on the site … and whether or not the company is getting so big, it might make sense for the government to force some parts of it to split off. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!
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