The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood
The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood

The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood

The Bulwark

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Episodes

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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.

Recent Episodes

Bringing Memories of 'Warfare' to Life
APR 4, 2025
Bringing Memories of 'Warfare' to Life
<div>On this week’s episode, I’m joined by Ray Mendoza, who cowrote and codirected the new A24 movie <em>Warfare</em> with Alex Garland (<em>Civil War</em>, <em>Ex Machina</em>). We discussed the journalistic process of rebuilding the day’s actions portrayed in the film from the memory of those who participated, Mendoza’s work with Garland on <em>Civil War</em>, and the cinematic experience of trying to help people understand what it’s 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.</div>
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31 MIN
Dystopian Mediocrity
MAR 28, 2025
Dystopian Mediocrity
<div>I am pleased to be rejoined this week by Bobby Miller to discuss his new novel, <a href="https://thebobbymiller.com/situationnowhere"><em>Situation Nowhere</em></a>. Imagine <em>Brazil </em>by way of <em>Idiocracy</em> but goopier: That’s <em>Situation Nowhere</em>. 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 you’re in Los Angeles, check out Bobby’s <a href="https://x.com/BobbyMiller/status/1904550025725903186">event on Saturday at The Redwood Bar</a>! And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend. (And listen to <a href="https://www.thebulwark.com/p/a-movie-isnt-real-until-you-can-hold">last year’s episode</a> with Bobby about the Blu-ray release of his film, <em>The Cleanse</em>.)</div>
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34 MIN
The Low Culture That Brought Us to Trump
MAR 21, 2025
The Low Culture That Brought Us to Trump
<div>On this week’s episode I’m joined by Ross Benes, the author of the forthcoming book <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/1999-the-year-low-culture-conquered-america-and-kickstarted-our-bizarre-times-ross-benes/21667128?ean=9780700638574&amp;next=t"><em>1999: The Year Low Culture Conquered America and Kickstarted Our Bizarre Times</em></a>. 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 there’s more to the book than that. And if you enjoyed this episode, I hope you share it with a friend!</div>
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36 MIN
The 2000 Election That Changed America (with Jonathan Gruber)
MAR 18, 2025
The 2000 Election That Changed America (with Jonathan Gruber)
<div>Sonny Bunch sits down with filmmaker Jonathan Gruber to discuss his new documentary, <strong><em>Centered</em></strong>, which explores the life and legacy of Joe Lieberman. As the first Jewish Vice Presidential candidate, Lieberman made history—only 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.</div>
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19 MIN
How to Build Your Own Movie Library
MAR 15, 2025
How to Build Your Own Movie Library
<div>A weird question I sometimes get is this: “I want to get into buying movies on disc, Sonny, but I don’t know where to start.” I say it’s 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 <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/03/05/magazine/dvd-movies-physical-media-comeback/">his recent piece in that newspaper’s magazine</a> 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 I’ll do my best to answer them. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!</div>
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38 MIN