The M&M Report: Movie Theaters Are Back and So Are We

Devin and I, recording in the same room for the first time in 17 months (!!!), celebrate the safe reopening of movie theaters and take stock of two movies we saw together (!!!) in Los Angeles: Old and Zola.

(Note: This episode was recorded in late July, before recent urges in cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19.)

Back to the Movies: 3:28 – 17:00
Old: 17:09 – 35:54
Zola: 36:00 – end

Read the (bad) Kara Swisher piece dismissing the excitement around movie theaters, and the Rolling Stone article upon which Zola is based.

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The M&M Report: The Cultural Legacy of the Trump Presidency

Devin and I take stock of the, uh, busy last four years and attempt to make sense of their effect on the landscape of American popular culture. 

(Note: This episode was recorded on the first weekend in January, before the insurrection, the second Trump impeachment, and the early days of the Biden administration.)

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The M&M Report: Bring Back Movie Theaters (Someday)

From opposite coasts, Devin and Mark reflect on fond memories of seeing movies in theaters (with other people sitting close to us and breathing the same air for multiple hours) and tentatively ponder whether those experiences can continue once the pandemic eventually subsides.

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Further reading:

• A.O. Scott, How Much Do You Really Miss Going to the Movies?
• Justin Chang, Democracy and the movies: Simple acts of solidarity under threat
• Scorsese, Eastwood say U.S. movie theaters may not survive pandemic

The Emmys Are Still On, Somehow

Devin and I try to make sense of what the Emmy Awards will look like, and what they mean, during the pandemic. Plus, they highlight some worthy and not so worthy nominees, and Devin shares a particularly exasperated take on a notable contender.

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The M&M Report: We’re Still Here

Devin and Mark return from an extended hiatus to provide some personal updates and share what they’ve been thinking about during the protests for racial justice and as the pandemic times continue.

They also discuss the protracted saga over when (if?) Christopher Nolan’s Tenet will premiere in U.S. theaters (14:20), the quarantine production of Malcolm & Marie with John David Washington and Zendaya (27:55), and whether depictions of police and courts in movies and television will change (39:02).

Note: We did not mean to imply that The M&M Report is the last great American dynasty; that was just Devin’s favorite song on folklore.

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Further reading:

Variety: Christopher Nolan’s ‘Tenet’ Delays August Release

Deadline: Reopening Hollywood: How Zendaya, John David Washington & ‘Euphoria’ Creator Sam Levinson Started & Finished A Secret Movie During The Pandemic

GQ: Robert Pattinson – A Dispatch From Isolation

Vulture: How does it feel to make police shows in 2020?

The M&M Report: How COVID-19 Will Affect Pop Culture

Devin and Mark, still in quarantine after a month, take stock of how the pandemic has temporarily (and perhaps permanently) transformed the entertainment industry and our relationship to it.

Topics include: Film and TV production; SNL and late-night shows recorded remotely; movie theater closures; scrambled release calendars and canceled events; what the future may hold for pop culture devotees like us; and, finally, Drake.

Some further reading:

• Deadline: What will happen on film/TV sets once they do eventually resume production
• New York Times: Reporting on possibilities for fall movies and the Oscars
• IndieWire: Steven Soderbergh leading a DGA committee on restarting production
• Los Angeles Times: Film sets are notoriously unsanitary
• Vulture: What happens for the rest of the year?

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The M&M Report: What to Watch While You’re at Home

Devin and Mark, self-quarantining in their respective homes, review and recommend the first season of the USA drama series Briarpatch, created by former Grantland TV critic Andy Greenwald (0:00-32:40) and share some streaming suggestions to fill time while you’re at home for the next while (32:40 – end).

Oh, and we also talked about Contagion.

Mark’s picks:

• Halt and Catch Fire, four ten-episode seasons on Netflix
• The filmography of Kelly Reichardt (River of Grass and Wendy and Lucy on Kanopy; Meek’s Cutoff on Hulu; Night Moves and Certain Women available for rent)

Devin’s picks

• High Maintenance on HBO Now (fourth season currently airing)
• The Sopranos on HBO Now and Amazon Prime

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The M&M Report: Instant Reaction to the 2020 Oscars

Mark and Devin convene immediately after the end of the telecast of the 92nd Oscars to discuss winners, losers, favorite moments and lingering frustrations.

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The M&M Report Predicts the 2019 Oscars

BEST PICTURE

Mark: Parasite

Devin: 1917

BEST ACTOR

Mark: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker

Devin: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker

BEST ACTRESS

Mark: Cynthia Erivo, Harriet

Devin:  Renée Zellweger, Judy

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Mark: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Devin: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Mark: Laura Dern, Marriage Story

Devin: Laura Dern, Marriage Story

BEST DIRECTOR

Mark: Sam Mendes, 1917

Devin: Sam Mendes, 1917

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

Mark: Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won, Parasite

Devin: Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Mark: Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit

Devin: Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Mark: Elton John, “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman

Devin: Elton John, “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again,” Rocketman

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Mark: Parasite

Devin: Parasite

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Mark: Honeyland

Devin: American Factory

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Mark: Toy Story 4

Devin: Toy Story 4

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Mark: Roger Deakins, 1917

Devin: Roger Deakins, 1917

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Mark: Hildur Guðnadóttir, Joker

Devin: Hildur Guðnadóttir, Joker

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Mark: Jacqueline Durran, Little Women

Devin: Jacqueline Durran, Little Women

BEST FILM EDITING

Mark: Jeff Groth, Joker

Devin: Andrew Buckland and Michael McCusker, Ford v Ferrari

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Mark: Naomi Donne, Tristan Versluis and Rebecca Cole, 1917

Devin: Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan, and Vivian Baker, Bombshell

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Mark: Barbara Ling, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Devin: Dennis Gassner and Lee Sandales, 1917

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Mark: Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler and Dominic Tuohy, 1917

Devin: Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler, and Dominic Tuohy, 1917

BEST SOUND MIXING

Mark: Mark Taylor and Stuart Wilson, 1917

Devin: Mark Taylor and Stuart Wilson, 1917

BEST SOUND EDITING

Mark: Oliver Tarney and Rachael Tate, 1917

Devin: Oliver Tarney and Rachael Tate, 1917

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Mark: Hair Love

Devin: Hair Love

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT FILM

Mark: Nefta Football Club

Devin: The Neighbors’ Window

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM

Mark: Learning to Skateboard in a War Zone If You’re a Girl

Devin: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)

 

The M&M Report: Previewing the 2020 Oscars

Devin and Mark look back on the films of 2019 and preview the 2020 Oscars. Topics include a galaxy brain take on 1917; an incoherent rant about Joker; warm words for Parasite, Marriage Story and The Irishman; and some earnest recommendations for great movies that got zero Oscar nominations.

Listen here. And subscribe to The M&M Report!