The A.V. Club Presents Film Club

Last week, a new movie based on the popular fighting game series Mortal Kombat made its way to theaters and HBO Max. And though the action in the film is appropriately bloody (plenty get finished, in the parlance of Midway games past), almost everything else about this blockbuster fits the dispiriting profile of your typical video-game adaptation. Which got us wondering: Why are films made from games always so lousy? On this week’s brand-new episode of Film Club, hosts A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife welcome fellow A.V. Club staffer (and Games editor) William Hughes to discuss the history of console-to-multiplex entertainment—including a few picks for the rare video-game movies they do like. And if you enjoy this discussion, check our bonus episode picking apart the good, the bad, and ugly of Mortal Kombat itself.

Visit: https://www.avclub.com/

Like: https://www.facebook.com/theavclub

Follow: https://twitter.com/theavclub

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Academy Awards finally air this Sunday, some 14 months after last year’s ceremony and Parasite’s big win. To put a lid on this protracted awards season, Film Club wraps up its month-long, four-part series on the major categories with a discussion of the Best Picture lineup. Can anything stop Nomadland? And does anything deserve to? Before Hollywood’s big night, join critics A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife for one last round of Oscars talk.

Visit: https://www.avclub.com/

Like: https://www.facebook.com/theavclub

Follow: https://twitter.com/theavclub

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With the Academy Awards ceremony roughly a week away, we’re closing in on the end of this unusual and unusually long awards season. On the third installment of Film Club’s four-part series discussing the major categories, critics A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife take a closer look at this year’s Best Actor contenders, as well as the extremely competitive Best Actress lineup, which might be the closest race of the night. Will it be Viola Davis, Carey Mulligan, or Frances McDormand? And who should it be? We’ll get into that and much more on this penultimate round of Oscars talk.

Visit: https://www.avclub.com/

Like: https://www.facebook.com/theavclub

Follow: https://twitter.com/theavclub

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This year’s Academy Awards are still a few weeks off. Leading up to Hollywood’s biggest night, Film Club is taking a close look at each of the major Oscar categories to determine what will win and what should win. On the second installment of their four-week series, critics A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife dive into the writing awards, Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay. After that, they pivot to a discussion of this year’s Best Director race. Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher fans, listen at your own risk.

Visit: https://www.avclub.com/

Like: https://www.facebook.com/theavclub

Follow: https://twitter.com/theavclub

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Thanks to the ongoing pandemic, this year’s Academy Awards have been pushed to the late date of April 25. That gives us another whole month to unpack, critique, and trace the trajectory of the forthcoming 93rd Oscars. In the first of a four-week series on the major categories, critics A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife dive into the Best Supporting Actress and Actor races—making predictions, singling out their favorites, and noting the unprecedented significance of a Hollywood veteran scoring Oscar and Razzie nominations for the same performance. What will win and what should? Let’s discuss.

Visit: https://www.avclub.com/

Like: https://www.facebook.com/theavclub

Follow: https://twitter.com/theavclub

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In just a few days, moviegoers and HBO Max subscribers alike will be treated to the title-fight rematch of the year, as Japan’s most famous radioactive reptile takes on the biggest ape of them all for the first time since 1962. And while The A.V. Club spent this past week of Watch This tracing Kong’s big-screen franchise evolution, it’s time to pay a little attention to his rival’s equally estimable body of work. That’s right: On this week’s kaiju-friendly episode of Film Club, critics A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife are looking back on the 70-year history of Toho’s biggest star, Godzilla. Can we get a Skreeongk?

Visit: https://www.avclub.com/

Like: https://www.facebook.com/theavclub

Follow: https://twitter.com/theavclub

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week’s full episode of Film Club, A.A. Dowd and fellow A.V. Club staffer Alex McLevy discuss the DCEU—its origins and evolution, its strengths and weaknesses, its best and worst installments. What they don’t get into much there is the new director’s cut that inspired the topic of conversation. For that, check out this very special bonus episode of the podcast, wherein the Alexes break down the fabled Snyder Cut (now streaming on HBO Max) and discuss whether it’s better or worse than the version we all saw and disliked a few years ago. Fair warning: There will be spoilers.

Visit: https://www.avclub.com/

Like: https://www.facebook.com/theavclub

Follow: https://twitter.com/theavclub

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

By popular and very persistent demand, this week saw the improbable release of a kind of holy grail of superhero-cinema fandom: the fabled, four-hour Zack Snyder cut of Justice League, which fans have been clamoring for since the heavily rewritten, reshot, and recut version of the movie landed like a hunk of kryptonite back in 2017. In honor of the occasion, regular Film Club host A.A. Dowd and special guest Alex McLevy (who’s filling in for Katie Rife this week while she covers the SXSW Film Festival) look back on the franchise Snyder launched eight years ago, tracing its origins and course corrections, while talking about what works and what doesn’t in super-sized spectacles like Man Of Steel, Batman V Superman, and Wonder Woman.

Visit: https://www.avclub.com/

Like: https://www.facebook.com/theavclub

Follow: https://twitter.com/theavclub

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Criterion Collection is set to release a new box set collecting seven films by the celebrated Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar Wai on March 23. And considering that he’s on both of their short lists for their favorite director of all time, A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife jumped at the chance to talk in depth about Wong’s singular visual style, dreamy pet themes, and languid cast of alienated characters. From hitmen in the throes of an existential crisis to neighbors embroiled in an emotional affair in ‘60s Hong Kong, this week’s Film Club is for the hopeless romantics.

Visit: https://www.avclub.com/

Like: https://www.facebook.com/theavclub

Follow: https://twitter.com/theavclub

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s still not especially safe to go to a movie theater in America. Fortunately, those looking for the comfort food of a new new Hollywood comedy don’t have to leave their homes to find one; several major new studio yukfests are available to stream right now. On a brand new episode of Film Club, critics A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife discuss three of them: the long-awaited sequel Coming 2 America; the zany Kristen Wiig vehicle Barb And Star Go To Vista Del Mar; and the newest live-action adventure for the cartoon duo Tom and Jerry. Which of these once-theatrically-bound movies brings the laughs? And what do they collectively have to say about the state of Hollywood comedy?

Visit: https://www.avclub.com/

Like: https://www.facebook.com/theavclub

Follow: https://twitter.com/theavclub

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.