Today, we're introducing Push The Envelope, a new podcast where The A.V. Club editors and celebrity guests come together to discuss the Emmys, Oscars, Grammys, Globes, and more. From dream nominations to current snubs and surprises to favorite moments from past ceremonies—if someone’s passing out trophies, we’re talking about it.. Future episodes will cover everything from the VMAs and Tonys to the latest critical darlings of all forms of entertainment, but Push The Envelope kicks off with four ...
Aug 28, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 31
For the past three weeks on Film Club, our critics A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife have embarked on a deep dive into the films of Christopher Nolan. And our final installment in the series is as twisting and complex as it gets, as we discuss the blockbuster trio of Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014), and Dunkirk (2017). Is Nolan’s reputation for making chilly films that are full of ideas, but short on emotion, justified? Have our opinions of his work changed after spending the last month seeped in h...
Aug 28, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Season 2Ep. 30
Last week on Film Club, critics A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife discussed Christopher Nolan’s massively popular Dark Knight trilogy. This week, in the third part of our month-long series on Nolan’s filmography, they’re pulling a Memento and dicing up the timeline to discuss the movies the director made directly before and directly after his first trip to Gotham. It’s two smaller-scale thriller adaptations for the price of one: Insomnia, Nolan’s work-for-hire remake of a Norwegian detective thriller, an...
Aug 21, 2020•46 min•Season 2Ep. 29
For the second installment in our month-long series on the films of Christopher Nolan, critics A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife revisit the blockbuster comic-book franchise that made him one of the world’s most celebrated directors. Nearly a decade later, which entry in the trilogy holds up best? And how did this particularly operatic take on the caped crusader shape both the future of big-budget moviemaking and Nolan’s own style? Visit: https://www.avclub.com/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/theavclub F...
Aug 14, 2020•1 hr 25 min•Season 2Ep. 28
Later this month, audiences around the world (including—though this is less certain—some in the United States) will finally lay eyes on what once looked like the movie event of the summer, Tenet. In honor of the belated release of this time-bending thriller, we’re spending the rest of August talking about the filmography of its celebrated director, Christopher Nolan, who’s become possibly the premier blockbuster craftsman of the new millennium. Today, to kick off our four-part series, critics A....
Aug 07, 2020•45 min•Season 2Ep. 27
The year is about halfway over, and though no new movies have hit theaters in months, plenty of very good ones have made their way to streaming platforms, video-on-demand, and virtual cinemas since everything shut down in March. Which got us thinking: If next year’s Oscars honored only the current crop of 2020 releases, which ones would be most worthy of consideration? On the first new episode of Film Club since June, critics A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife offer their picks for the best movies, perfor...
Jul 31, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Season 2Ep. 26
It’s almost July, and if release calendars can be believed (they probably can’t), we might see a few movies creep into theaters again. (Christopher Nolan’s Tenet and the live-action Mulan remake are both currently scheduled to debut in multiplexes by the end of next month.) Whether that actually happens remains to be seen, of course. For now, we’re still stuck watching movies at home—and plenty of new ones arrived over this last month. On the last new episode of Film Club for three weeks, A.A. D...
Jun 26, 2020•49 min•Season 2Ep. 25
A few weeks ago on Film Club, our critics reminisced about movie theaters, many of which are still closed because of the pandemic. But the multiplex will reopen eventually. What, by contrast, will become of the video store, which was endangered long before COVID-19? On today’s episode, A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife are joined by fellow A.V. Club contributor and former Film Club cohost Ignatiy Vishnevetsky to discuss the past and potential future of brick-and-mortar movie renting, along with their own...
Jun 19, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 24
There’s a new Spike Lee joint available today on Netflix. Da 5 Bloods, about a group of Black veterans returning to Vietnam decades later in search of both their fallen brother-in-arms and some gold they buried during the war, has earned Lee mostly glowing reviews (though not from our own reviewer, Ashley Ray-Harris). In honor of the film’s release, our critics sat down with Robert Daniels, who runs the website 812FilmReviews and has written for RogerEbert.com and The Playlist, to talk about Lee...
Jun 12, 2020•52 min•Season 2Ep. 23
Welcome to this week’s second installment of Film Club, The A.V. Club’s weekly movie-discussion series. On this very special, format-breaking episode, our critics encroach on TV editor Danette Chavez’s turf to discuss the strange world of The X-Files. Since its premiere almost three decades ago, Chris Carter’s sci-fi drama grew from beloved cult favorite, to pop culture juggernaut, garnering prestige and acclaim along the way. By total coincidence, A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife both found themselves ...
May 29, 2020•50 min•Season 2Ep. 22
Welcome to a brand new episode of Film Club, The A.V. Club’s weekly movie-discussion series. The culmination of a remarkable rise from an independent production helmed by a self-taught filmmaker to the Toronto International Film Festival, Andrew Patterson’s buzzy indie-sci fi movie The Vast Of Night makes its debut on Amazon Prime today. It’s an inspiring story, but is it also a great film? Our critics A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife weigh in. Visit: https://www.avclub.com/ Like: https://www.facebook.c...
May 29, 2020•18 min•Season 2Ep. 21
We’re rolling into a long weekend, and with multiplexes around the country still closed, movie lovers will have to get their fix at home. Among the more high-profile options available to rent or stream are two films once headed for theaters: the hijinks-heavy, crime-themed romantic comedy The Lovebirds, starring Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani; and Capone, Josh Trank’s look at the ignoble final days of the fearsome Chicago gangster, played here by Tom Hardy. Are either worth your time and/or money?...
May 22, 2020•40 min•Season 2Ep. 20
Welcome to a brand new episode of Film Club, The A.V. Club’s weekly movie-discussion series. The original Friday The 13th film was released on May 9, 1980 to middling reviews but staggering financial success, grossing $59 million on a estimated budget of $550,000. 40 years on and a dozen films later, the quintessential slasher franchise continues to lumber through our pop-culture consciousness. This week on Film Club, Katie Rife and A.A. Dowd are running down the Friday The 13th series, from Cam...
May 15, 2020•1 hr 20 min•Season 2Ep. 19
Ever since 1975, when Steven Spielberg’s Jaws gobbled up every box-office record in sight, Hollywood has treated the warmer weeks of the year like a launching ground for its most expensive, extravagant productions—a whole season of would-be blockbusters, vying for our moviegoing attention from the beginning of May until the end of August. There will, of course, will be very few, if any, blockbusters coming to a theater near you this summer. On a brand new episode of Film Club, critics A.A. Dowd ...
May 08, 2020•50 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Welcome to a brand new episode of Film Club, The A.V. Club’s weekly movie-discussion series. Though some states are permitting theaters to begin re-opening with restrictions, it will be sometime before moviegoers flock back to theaters. There are still concerns about the health risks of large public gatherings, and there are just no new movies coming to theaters. That means, for the foreseeable future, many movie lovers will be doing the majority of their movie watching via various streaming pla...
May 01, 2020•59 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Welcome back to Film Club, The A.V. Club’s weekly movie discussion series. This week, A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife get back to basics again with an extended discussion of two new releases. First, they dig into True History Of The Kelly Gang, a western film inspired by the true stories of Australian bushranger Ned Kelly and his gang of outlaws. Then, a discussion of HBO’s Bad Education, also inspired by a true story and starring Hugh Jackman in one of the best performances of his career. Visit: https...
Apr 24, 2020•43 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Welcome back to Film Club, The A.V. Club’s weekly movie-discussion series. In addition to this week’s regularly scheduled installment—which you can listen to here—we’re coming to you again with our first ever interview episode. Ryan Oestreich, general manager of Chicago’s historic Music Box Theatre, was kind enough to hop on a call with our critics A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife for a pleasant chat, which you can listen to below. In the episode, you’ll hear Oestreich discuss the challenges of running ...
Apr 17, 2020•43 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Remember going to the movies? Our critics sure do. Multiplexes and arthouses are shutdown around the world, but that won’t stop film editor A.A. Dowd and senior writer Katie Rife from waxing nostalgic about the moviegoing experience. In this week’s installment of Film Club, our critics dig into their personal histories of going to the movies, share some of their most memorable experiences, and a discuss a brief history of the pastime. Visit: https://www.avclub.com/ Like: https://www.facebook.com...
Apr 17, 2020•32 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Over the last couple weeks, Film Club has taken a few creative detours. With no new wide releases to discuss, our critics A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife have taken this opportunity to examine the pandemic’s impact on the film industry, pilot a new A.V. Club feature, and discuss the “F” CinemaScore. Today, its back to basics with an extended discussion on three relatively new films, all of which you can watch from the comfort of your own home: the Irish sci-fi horror Sea Fever, the Vin Diesel star-vehi...
Apr 10, 2020•44 min•Season 2Ep. 13
CinemaScore, for the uninitiated, is a Las Vegas-based market research firm that bills itself as “the industry leader in measuring movie appeal.” On a film’s opening day, their representatives stand outside of theaters and ask hundreds of moviegoers to grade the films they just saw on an A-to-F scale, the average of which becomes the “CinemaScore.” But while the metric has become a useful marketing tool for studios, it has also underlined the divide between the general public’s reaction to a fil...
Apr 03, 2020•37 min•Season 2Ep. 12
With nothing new coming to theaters for the foreseeable future, Film Club, our weekly movie-discussion series, is switching gears and entering the Premise Dome. Each week our critics A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife will take two movies with similar setups—think Armageddon and Deep Impact, or Smallfoot and Abominable—and duke it out over which is superior. This week’s matchup features two movies from 2013 about the President Of The United States under siege with only a lone Secret Service agent to prote...
Mar 27, 2020•41 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Welcome to a brand new episode of Film Club, The A.V. Club’s weekly movie-discussion series. Normally on the show, cohosts A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife talk about the most notable new films coming to a theater near you. But because of the Coronavirus, nothing notable or otherwise is coming to any theaters this week (or the next one or the one after that and so forth). So instead, our critics had a long discussion about how this global health crisis might affect the film industry and its future, and ...
Mar 21, 2020•49 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Since its trailer was released last July, Blumhouse’s The Hunt has drawn the eyes and ire of many on folks in the MAGA crowd—with the President himself weighing in on the matter. The studio subsequently canceled the film’s September release, citing concerns about “timing” in the wake of the Dayton and El Paso mass shootings. Several months later, the Craig Zobel-directed satire is uncanceled and dropping in theaters today. On today’s first episode of Film Club, our critics A.A. Dowd and Katie Ri...
Mar 13, 2020•21 min•Season 2Ep. 9
For the better part of two decades—starting with Toy Story in 1995—Pixar seemed like one of the most reliable forces in Hollywood filmmaking. But their latest—Onward, starring Tom Holland and Chris Pratt—is a clear reminder that the beloved animation studio is just as fallible as the rest of the industry. On today’s episode of Film Club, our critics A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife discuss the merits and missteps of the 22nd film from Pixar. Plus, a discussion of Kelly Reichardt's First Cow—a gentle, to...
Mar 06, 2020•23 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Welcome back to another edition of Film Club. This week, senior writer Katie Rife is joined by contributor Ignatiy Vishnevetsky to discuss a pair of new releases: writer/director Leigh Whannell’s ingenious update on The Invisible Man, and Corneliu Porumboiu’s deligthful neo-noir, The Whistlers. Visit: http://avclub.com Like: http://www.fb.com/theavclub Follow: http://www.twitter.com/theavclub Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 28, 2020•21 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Welcome back to another episode of Film Club. Today, our critics A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife sit down to discuss Sonic The Hedgehog—Paramount’s completely unnecessary adaptation of the beloved 90s video game character—and Downhill—the American remake of Ruben Östlund’s marital drama about a male ego in crisis, Force Majeure. Visit: http://avclub.com Like: http://www.fb.com/theavclub Follow: http://www.twitter.com/theavclub Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 14, 2020•22 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Welcome back to another edition of Film Club. After hitting all of Sunday’s Best Picture nominees, A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife are back to discussing the week’s new releases, starting with the latest entry in the new-and-improved DCEU, Birds Of Prey. Directed by Cathy Yan and starring Margot Robbie, Birds Of Prey is a wildly colorful mess of a movie—but it’s also really fun. Visit: http://avclub.com Like: http://www.fb.com/theavclub Follow: http://www.twitter.com/theavclub Learn more about your ad ...
Feb 08, 2020•16 min•Season 1Ep. 5
In honor of the fast-approaching 92nd Academy Awards—airing this Sunday, February 9—Film Club is looking back at the Best Picture nominees we didn’t cover last year. Today, A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife discuss Parasite and Jojo Rabbit. For further Oscars discussion, check out our previous Film Club episodes about fellow Best Picture nominees—Marriage Story, The Irishman, Little Women, 1917, Joker, Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood, and Ford v Ferrari. Visit: http://avclub.com Like: http://www.fb.com/t...
Feb 07, 2020•38 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Welcome back to another edition of Film Club. Film editor A.A. Dowd is unable to join us this week, as he is in Park City, Utah covering this year’s Sundance Film Festival—check out his excellent coverage here. In his place, contributor Ignatiy Vishnevetsky joins senior writer Katie Rife to discuss Reed Morano's The Rhythm Section and Kantemir Balagov's Beanpole. Visit: http://avclub.com Like: http://www.fb.com/theavclub Follow: http://www.twitter.com/theavclub Learn more about your ad choices. ...
Jan 31, 2020•23 min•Season 2Ep. 3
In honor of the fast-approaching 92nd Academy Awards, airing Sunday, February 9, Film Club is taking a break from covering this week’s film releases (do we really need to cover The Gentlemen?) to look back at the Best Picture nominees we didn’t cover last year. Today, A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife discuss Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood, Joker, and Ford v Ferrari. Look out for our episodes on Parasite, and Jojo Rabbit in the coming weeks. Visit: http://avclub.com Like: http://www.fb.com/theavclub Fol...
Jan 24, 2020•33 min•Season 2Ep. 2
