FeaturesThe biggest winners and losers of summer 2023From the highs of Barbenheimer to the lows of The Idol, here's everything that worked and everything that didn't this summerCindy White, Drew Gillis, Jen Lennon, Mary Kate Carr, and 1 more
FeaturesFall 2023 preview: 14 burning questions about big TV shows, buzzy films—and the strikesWill more movies be delayed? Can The Marvels save Marvel? How much reality TV is too much? We've got some pressing questionsCindy White
FeaturesRemembering Paul Reubens: 15 unforgettable moments from a remarkable careerFrom Pee-wee Herman (of course) to Buffy to Murphy Brown (and much more), a look back at Paul Reubens' legacy of laughterCindy White
Features10 onscreen himbos who paved the way for KenAs Barbie's ridiculously good-looking doofus continues to dominate the conversation, let’s count down pop culture’s most beautiful dim-witted menChristina Izzo
Apocalypse ThenThreads served up a bleakly British depiction of our impending nuclear doomFrom the moment I launched this column, all the comments and Twitter replies have said the same thing. “This movie is nothing compared to Threads.” “When are you going to get to Threads?” “Your refusal to write about Threads tells me you are a…Sean O'Neal
Apocalypse ThenIf you want to see how we’ll handle nuclear apocalypse, watch Miracle Mile As the Cold War wound to a close at the tail end of the 1980s, with relationships thawing between the Soviet Union and America to a complete détente in December 1989, perhaps no one was more conflicted about the world being released from the…Sean O'Neal
Best OfThe art of the "Under Pressure" needle dropFrom Scrubs to Smash to Grosse Point Blank, The A.V. Club evaluates whether these films and TV series really earned their Queen-David Bowie momentMary Kate Carr, Saloni Gajjar, Drew Gillis, and 2 more
Best OfThe best movies to watch right now on MaxNow that HBO Max is just Max, let's check out some of the great films—from 2001 to The Flash to Dune (the good version)—the streaming service has to offerThe A.V. Club
Best OfThe best comics of 2020From the shiny hardwood floor of a basketball court to the far reaches of space, this year’s best comics took readers to all sorts of distant lands. Granted, “distant” gained a new meaning when people were expected to stay in their homes as much as…Oliver Sava, M.L. Kejera, Tiffany Babb, Justin Carter, and 1 more
Best OfThe best of The A.V. Club: Our favorite pieces from 2020There’s been nothing expected, predictable, or usual about the year that ends at the end of this week. Little comforting, either. In the final days of 2020, the reasons remain so apparent and prevalent that to mention them here borders on the…The A.V. Club
Field Guide To ParentingEnjoy the actual most wonderful time of the year with our Halloween kids’ guideWhen in doubt, just head for another rewatch of Over The Garden WallGwen Ihnat, Jesse Hassenger, Nick Wanserski, and 1 more
Field Guide To Parenting7 off-the-beaten-path graphic novels for your kids’ reading pleasureWhether serving as a gateway to chapter books or an entry into comics in their own right, graphic novels can help parents transition from reading to their kids to having them curl up with a book by themselves. The kids get to feel more independent,…The A.V. Club
Field Guide To ParentingBooks, music, and a spooky movie for your kids’ holiday programmingIt’s the most wonderful time of the year, as the song says, the time when parents pull out all the old favorites to enjoy with their kids: The Polar Express (book only, avoid the movie), A Charlie Brown Christmas, various Grinch incarnations (animate…The A.V. Club
Field Guide To Parenting8 great Halloween kid scares, from inept witches to flying sharksAs we get older, Halloween gets a bit more sinister—just look at the current crop of jump scares in multiplexes right now. But for kids, Halloween remains more purely fun than scary, and the only thing that edges the year-end holidays ahead of the…The A.V. Club
For Our ConsiderationShock and “nah”: The A.V. Club’s biggest Golden Globes snubs and surprisesDespite some shutdown-related schedule shuffling, the nominations for the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards were announced Wednesday morning with the help of virtual presenters Taraji P. Henson and Sarah Jessica Parker. Netflix is far out in front in…Danette Chavez and Katie Rife
For Our ConsiderationMcConaughey goes commando and other revelations from the new Dazed And Confused oral historyDazed And Confused is a chatty film, from a writer-director—Richard Linklater—more attuned than most to the cinematic qualities of conversation. Although it was based on Linklater’s hometown of Huntsville and “played” by the state capital, Austin,…Erik Adams
For Our ConsiderationDoom scrolling: The scariest horror stories on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTokAnyone with any sense knows that the last thing you should be doing in 2020 is posting. How is one to resist smashing that blue button, though, when one of the breakouts of Sundance 2020 was a stylish midnight movie adapted from a viral Twitter…Randall Colburn
For Our ConsiderationDid Bruce Willis try to sabotage Game Of Thrones? plus other untold stories from a new oral historyGame Of Thrones’ fifth season was one of molting. Throughout those 10 episodes, HBO’s fantasy epic shed itself of the last layers of George R.R. Martin’s existing narrative, emerging as a new creature independent of the story the author was…Randall Colburn
Memory WipeThat time King Of The Hill visited my hometownThe animated comedy (now set for a reboot on Hulu) took a rose-colored detour to Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1999Gabrielle Sanchez
Memory Wipe10 years after the original Gossip Girl's finale, what's the show’s legacy?Hint: It’s something the HBO Max reboot can’t recaptureLauren Chval
Memory WipeWith "Mr. Hankey, The Christmas Poo,” South Park gave a Hanukkah gift to holiday outcastsThanks to “The Lonely Jew On Christmas,” South Park spoke to viewers who didn't celebrate December 25th—but lived through it anywayMatt Schimkowitz
Memory WipeFinding common ground with Stand And Deliver 30 years laterIn 1982, 18 students at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles passed the Advanced Placement Calculus test, which was unprecedented for a predominantly Latino school in California. Rather than applaud the tireless efforts of the students—and their…Danette Chavez
PrimerA timey-wimey guide to the modern era of Doctor WhoFor a while, getting into modern Doctor Who was easy. The long-running BBC show is broken up into two distinct eras: The “Classic Era,” which ran from 1963 to 1989 (followed by a mid-’90s TV movie) and the “Modern Era” (or “NuWho” as it’s sometimes…Caroline Siede
PrimerStep into the magical, mind-bending world of Hong Kong horror moviesFrom The Boxer's Omen to Oily Maniac, our guide to horror, Hong Kong styleKatie Rife
SponsoredNo, it’s not Mexican Halloween: A beginner’s guide to Day Of The DeadThis post is sponsored by el Jimador Tequila as part of its Day Of The Dead Special Coverage section on The A.V. Club.Danette Chavez
PrimerUnlock the mystery of Agatha Christie’s enduring appealAgatha Christie, the so-called “Queen Of Crime,” remains a titan in the mystery genre. She has an expansive oeuvre—66 detective novels, 153 short stories, and 17 plays over a 53-year career—and a cavalcade of distinctions. Her works have been…Matthew Crowley
Staff PicksDolly Parton’s America shows why we will always love the country legendLike many people, I have become a Zoom aficionado as of late. I’ve also downloaded Netflix Party Chrome extensions and tried to master Marco Polo. But with little news to discuss even when we get to see each other’s faces online, my friends and I…Gwen Ihnat
Staff PicksHere’s to staying in: A decadent yet simple New Year’s Eve menuThe best meal I ever made was a New Year’s Eve dinner a few years back. Nothing about it was particularly unusual—bacon, a big piece of meat, dark chocolate. I’m not in the habit of preparing heavy, decadent meals, and neither are my friends who’d…Laura Adamczyk
Staff PicksThe task at the center of this mobile game is simple yet satisfyingWhen it comes to my mobile games, I favor simplicity of structure above almost all else. Something to play on the train, in a dentist waiting room, in those few moments in bed before sleep, in which no real thought is required beyond the instantly…Alex McLevy
Staff PicksIt is with a heavy heart that we report that Tidal is good nowYou have already read the headline. I know that you do not want to hear this, and probably do not care, but I swear, it is appreciably and quantifiably better than any other streaming service. I say this as someone who was a fairly happy Spotify…Clayton Purdom
The College TryCan a lifelong anime skeptic learn to love it?How much of the stuff that you don’t like have you actually given a fair shake? I’m posing this question to you, the reader, as cover for the shame of my own answer. There are things—things with widespread, dedicated followers who can’t imagine not…Sean O'Neal
The Past PageThe last page: Heather, The TotalityHeather, The Totality is ruined by its ending. Weiner makes it clear that Bobby is out to harm Heather, whether through rape, murder, or some kind of deranged fantasy where they run off together. She notices his attention, and is at the right age to…Ryan Vlastelica
The Past PageThe last page: Mrs. FletcherOne of the pitfalls that can come with writing a this-is-the-way-we-live-now novel is that the author will need certain characters to represent certain types, which means they come off more as devices than complex figures. Ultimately, this is the…Ryan Vlastelica
The Past PageThe last page: IdahoWhat I found most striking upon finishing Idaho was that the fate of the daughter who ran away after her mother murders her sister—who was never found dead or alive—remains a question at book’s end. Emily Ruskovich resists giving us the answer to…Caitlin PenzeyMoog
The Past PageThe last page: Dark MatterIt’s no secret to reveal that Dark Matter’s protagonist, Jason Dessen, ends up in an alternate timeline, having been somehow transferred to another reality where his life is completely different. Even a cursory description of the book’s ad copy…Alex McLevy
To Do ListAVQ&A: What’s your pop-culture New Year’s resolution for 2023?The A.V. Club team shares the movies, TV shows, games, and books they’re planning to consume in the coming yearSam Barsanti, Mary Kate Carr, Saloni Gajjar, and 7 more
To Do List6 under-the-radar shows, movies, and more for your long weekend“Director and showrunner Sam Esmail’s approach here is almost the opposite of the J.J. Abrams ‘mystery box’ style of storytelling: Rather than teasing a bunch of eye-catching bells and whistles, he has stripped away everything but the beginnings of…The A.V. Club
To Do List5 offerings (that aren’t horror films) to get you in the October spirit“Home” starts off with an infant being buried alive, and finds a handful more terrifying places to go from there. The episode has images you can’t believe they ever got on network television, and, indeed, it’s been pulled from syndicated streamings.…The A.V. Club
To Do ListWhat to watch, listen to, play, and read this weekend“Throughout the series, former ’90s TV star BoJack Horseman (Will Arnett) has been trying to redeem his worst actions, and also get back on top in the entertainment game. This season, it looks like both of those things might just happen, as he gets…The A.V. Club
Watch ThisJeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones chew scenery in 1994’s other mad-bomber thrillerWatch This offers movie recommendations inspired by new releases or premieres, or occasionally our own inscrutable whims. The summer movie season is upon us, which means it’s time for a semi-annual tradition: singing the praises of the most unloved,…Jesse Hassenger
Watch ThisYoung Sherlock Holmes was Harry Potter before Harry PotterWatch This offers movie recommendations inspired by new releases or premieres, or occasionally our own inscrutable whims. With the animated film Sherlock Gnomes hitting theaters Friday, we’re looking back on other interpretations of the famous…Sean O'Neal
Watch ThisThe guys behind Crank took live-action video games a step further in GamerWatch This offers movie recommendations inspired by new releases or premieres, or occasionally our own inscrutable whims. With Tomb Raider in theaters Friday, Ready Player One screening at SXSW, and Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle now on home-viewing…Ignatiy Vishnevetsky
Watch ThisAt the frozen end of the earth, a lie by omission can get you killedWatch This offers movie recommendations inspired by new releases or premieres, or occasionally our own inscrutable whims. Because it’s still winter, this week we’re looking back on films set in very cold places.A.A. Dowd
