On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason), ask what it means that Chinese theaters are apparently open again for Hollywood business. Then they discuss Netflix’s new murder mystery, The Pale Blue Eye: Is it a cut above Netflix’s standard hashtag-content, or something to watch while folding laundry on a Wednesday night? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for our bonus episode on Edgar Allan Poe. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!
'Pale Blue Eye': Worth a Laundry-Folding Watch?
Plus: China re-opens its theaters to the MCU. What does it mean?
Jan 24, 2023

Across the Movie Aisle
Audio
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!) about them.
Featuring bonus Friday episodes exclusively for Bulwark+ members.
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!) about them.
Featuring bonus Friday episodes exclusively for Bulwark+ members.
Listen on
Substack App
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Overcast
Pocket Casts
RSS Feed
Recent Episodes
Agree, the movie does not show why Poe's inclusion is clever, that he's solving a mystery and goes on to write the first detective story.
I wonder if the people who made the film assume everyone knows this?
Poe's character is integral because characteristics in the narrative will be reflected in his later work: Tell-Tale Heart, Imp of the Perverse, Murders in the Rue Morgue, etc. MUST be Poe.
Yeah, it's one of those things that's clearly constructed to be ... an origin story of sorts? Except it doesn't really need that for the overall story to work. I dunno, I didn't mind it as much as Peter but I understood his complaint.
I'm 3/4 of the way through the book and am surprised how closely the Netflix version (so far) cleaves to the book.
I adore Gillian Anderson in her many forms.
Is the public only upset with actresses playing indigenous characters? Robert Duvall gets a pass?
100%, should have been released in October.