On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) return to Pandora for James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water. Is the sequel 13 years in the making worth the wait? And then they discuss the oncoming streaming crunch. What does it mean that fewer shows will be made in the coming quarters? Make sure to swing back by Bulwark+ on Friday for a special bonus episode: it’s a James Cameron draft, people. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

141: Does 'Avatar: The Way of Water' Justify a Trip to Theaters?

Here’s the elevator pitch: It’s “Left, Right, and Center” meets “Siskel and Ebert.” Three friends from different ideological perspectives discuss the movies and controversies (or nontroversies!) swirling around them.
Bulwark+ members enjoy weekly bonus episodes here (https://atma.thebulwark.com/) .

TV & Film

News

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) debate OpenAI’s use of a voice that sounds suspiciously like Scarlett Johansson.



Then they head into the Wasteland to review Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.



Make sure to swing by Friday for an apocalyptic bonus episode. And if you liked this episode, please share it with a friend!

AI and the Wasteland

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the rise of YouTube as a serious vector for televisual consumption. Then they review The Idea of You, a movie that doesn’t really work on any level yet has put up bonkers numbers for Prime Video. If you enjoyed the episode, please share it with a friend!



A programming note: No bonus episode this Friday thanks to the upcoming holiday, but that just gives you more reason to check out last Friday’s episode on the late, great Roger Corman.

Why 'The Idea of You' Doesn't Really Work

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss Apple’s disastrous new iPad ad. But did people overreact to the image of creative tools being turned into a wafer-thin iPad? And then they reviewed Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, a movie with lots of ideas, though one that also doesn’t dive into them deeply enough. Make sure to swing by Friday for our bonus episode, a tribute to Roger Corman and the world he helped spawn. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!

'Apes' Together, Strong?

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discussed whether or not steamy movie scenes are back (per the New York Times) or on their way to extinction (per the Economist). Then they reviewed The Fall Guy, an imperfect movie that’s still a perfectly good time to watch. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for our bonus episode on the rise of mid-TV. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

The Perfectly Pleasant 'Fall Guy'

On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) asked if Jerry Seinfeld was right about the state of comedy. (You can read his full interview with David Remnick here.) Then they review Challengers, an erotically charged relationship movie set in the world of professional tennis. Make sure to swing by Friday for a bonus episode on the cinematic soundscapes of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!

141: Does 'Avatar: The Way of Water' Justify a Trip to Theaters?

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