Natalie Metzger on producing indie films in the age of COVID

October 22nd, 2020  |  37 mins 7 secs

Sonny is joined today by Natalie Metzger, VP of development and production at Vanishing Angle. She is a Spirit Award nominated producer whose credits include GREENER GRASS, THUNDER ROAD, THE ROBBERY, and THE WOLF OF SNOW HOLLOW.

Mark Graham on How to Decide What to Watch

October 15th, 2020  |  31 mins 42 secs

This week, Sonny is joined by Mark Graham, the Editor-in-Chief of Decider, a website dedicated to helping solve one of society's most pressing and important issues: What movies and shows should I watch? In this episode we talk about how Mark and his team decide what to cover for Decider and why, looking at how non-traditional audience metrics help determine what’s worth writing about. Plus! Mark offers up some tips for would-be freelancers on getting your work published.

Phil Contrino on movie theaters and cinema safety

October 8th, 2020  |  31 mins 46 secs

Sonny is joined this week by Phil Contrino, the Director of Media and Research for the National Association of Theatre Owners. Topics of discussion include the state of the movie theater business (spoiler: it’s kind of dire at the moment, given news that Regal’s U.S. screens are shuttering again), the relative safety of moviegoing as opposed to dining out or attending church (spoiler: it’s much safer!), and what role the government might play in helping ensure theaters don’t go out of business.

Zack Stentz on Camp Cretaceous, Rim of the World, and Netflix

October 1st, 2020  |  34 mins 2 secs

This week, Sonny talks to Zack Stentz (“X-Men: First Class,” “Thor,” “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”) about his work with Netflix on the film “Rim of the World” and the hit new show, “Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous.” What’s it like pitching the service that has everything? How is the world of TV evolving as different streaming services aim for different markets? And how can filmmakers working with kids protect them from being exploited?

The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood With Chris Yogerst

September 24th, 2020  |  35 mins 33 secs

This week, on the Bulwark Goes to Hollywood, Sonny talks to Chris Yogerst about his new book, “Hollywood Hates Hitler: Jew-Baiting, Anti-Nazism, and the Senate Investigation into Warmongering in Motion Pictures.” Chris is an assistant professor of communication at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the department of Arts & Humanities. He has written for the Washington Post, Hollywood Reporter, and most frequently at the Los Angeles Review of Books.

The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood with Chris Fenton

September 17th, 2020  |  48 mins 13 secs

This week, Sonny talks to “Feeding the Dragon” author Chris Fenton. For seventeen years, Fenton served as president of DMG Entertainment Motion Picture Group and GM of DMG North America, internationally orchestrating the creative and business activities of DMG—a multi-billion dollar global media company headquartered in Beijing. He is currently CEO of Media Capital Technologies and a Trustee of the US-Asia Institute.

The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood with Gerry Daly

September 10th, 2020  |  49 mins 43 secs

This week, Sonny talks to Gerry Daly, who has 15 years experience in home entertainment sales, including 13 years with 20thCentury Fox, working in Category Management. Also, at one time was an elections & politics blogger with a fairly sizeable audience, quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and New York Post.

The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood with David Guglielmo

September 3rd, 2020  |  35 mins 15 secs

Sonny Bunch talks to David Guglielmo, who in only a few years has cast over 20 feature films, including the critically acclaimed THE STANDOFF AT SPARROW CREEK as well as the upcoming RUN HIDE FIGHT, premiering at this year’s Venice International Film Festival. Additionally Guglielmo writes, directs, and produces his own independent films such as NO WAY TO LIVE and HOSPITALITY.

The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood with James Shapiro

August 27th, 2020  |  40 mins 23 secs

alamo drafthouse, hollywood, movies, theaters

Sonny is joined today by James Emanuel Shapiro, who has been an executive in the entertainment industry for 20 years working in home video entertainment, exhibition festival programming and in distribution. He most recently worked at the Alamo Drafthouse where he started their analytics department and contributed to Alamo forming their internal booking department.

The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood with James Tager

August 20th, 2020  |  33 mins 33 secs

beijing, censorship, china, communist party, hollywood

Sonny Bunch talks to PEN America’s James Tager, the lead author of PEN’s new report, “Made in Hollywood, Censored by Beijing,” to talk about the ways in which China uses the levers of business to ensure that Hollywood’s products reflect the Communist Party line.

The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood with Tony Davis

August 13th, 2020  |  46 mins 33 secs

3d presentation, movies, tony davis, tv

This week on The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood, Sonny talks to Tessive founder Tony Davis, who until last year headed the technology group at RealD, the company that enables 3D movie presentation in over 30,000 theaters around the world, about 3D’s successes, failures, and future in an uncertain exhibition landscape

The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood with Richard Rushfield

August 5th, 2020  |  32 mins 34 secs

covid-19, disney, disney+, mulan, richard rushfield, streaming, theatres

In the inaugural episode of The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood, Sonny Bunch talks to Richard Rushfield about Disney’s decision to charge for early access to MULAN, the future of streaming, and the death of theaters.