Across the Movie Aisle

On this week’s episode, we discuss the startling news that Amazon-MGM has decided to bail on distributing Luca Guadagnino’s forthcoming film about Sam Altman and OpenAI. Is this simply a matter of reconciling conflicts of interest, or is something more dastardly involved? Then they review Toy Story 5: The One With Screens. Does it live up to its predecessors? Or is it something to be half-watched on a tablet while folding socks? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Thursday for our special bonus episode on the best animated featuers of the 21st century. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!

On this week’s episode, Sonny, Peter, and Alyssa debate the ethics of writing bogus reviews to scam the futures markets. Then they review Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day, which is kind of a mess. Make sure to watch Widow’s Bay; we’re going to be discussing it for a special bonus TV episode later in the week! And we’ll have a bonus episode in which we determine the greatest Spielberg run. So much content for you! Yell at us in the comments if we were too mean to Disclosure Day, we might have been. We’re mean because we love Steven Spielberg so much and this was a big miss!

A programming note: As mentioned in this episode, we are going to add a monthly bonus episode for paid members dedicated to TV shows. First up: Widow’s Bay, which wraps up its first season June 17. We’ll talk the whole first season of Apple TV’s buzzy new show for an episode that should post that weekend (the 20th or 21st), depending on our own schedules! 
As for this week’s episode: We discussed Dan Lin’s plans for Netflix on the heels of his statement to the New York Times that Netflix is out of the theatrical game and then reviewed Masters of the Universe, a movie that has no reason to exist and seems to kind of resent its own existence. Weird place for a movie to be, tbh. If you have a good spot for another Fisto joke, leave it in the comments!

On this week’s episode, we dive into a VERY exciting week at the box office. What does it mean that Backrooms and Obsession both may well end up outgrossing The Mandalorian and Grogu. Maybe nothing. But maybe a lot! And then we review Backrooms, which is about to become the highest-grossing-film ever released by A24 in just five days. On Thursday we’re going to chat about Tilly Norwood, who promises not to murder all of us in our sleep. If you want to hear that one, though, you’ll need to be a subscriber, so sign up now!

On this week’s episode, we asked what on Earth Paul Schrader is doing getting dumped by an AI girlfriend. Then they reviewed The Mandalorian and Grogu, a movie that is nominally set in the Star Wars universe and has Star Wars-like elements but feels somewhat … lacking … for those of us with a long-term relationship to the series. But did Sonny’s kids love it? And is that all that really matters? You’ll want to listen to this week’s episode ahead of our bonus episode, which contains the definitive ranking of all Star Wars live-action theatrical movies. That episode is roughly as long as a normal episode. I’m just telling you now: You’re going to want to hear the whole thing. Sign up now if you haven’t already!