Devin and I briefly review Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade, one of our favorite films of last year. Then I’m joined by Nina, a current ninth-grader with a different take on the movie’s depiction of her age group.
movie
The M&M Report: “Stronger”
The M&M Report: 2016 in Review
Devin and I reflected on a turbulent year for world affairs and a fruitful year for pop culture in the final M&M Report of 2016. Thanks to all who have listened this year. See you in 2017!
Timecodes
Frank Ocean’s Blond (0:00-9:40)
the Longform podcast (9:40-18:15)
Atlanta (18:15-33:40)
O.J.: Made in America (33:40-42:20)
The Lobster (42:20-47:30)
Hell or High Water (47:30-54:50)
Moonlight (54:50-End)
PROGRAMMING NOTE: We’ve made a behind-the-scenes change. If you haven’t done so already, you need to RE-SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on iTunes or the podcast provider of your choice in order to receive new episodes in your feed. We know this extra step is time-consuming, but we’re excited about what it means for the future of the podcast. Tell your friends! (And if you’ve already done it once, no need to do it again.)
The M&M Report: “Bridge of Spies”
On this episode of The M&M Report, Devin Mitchell and I discussed Steven Spielberg’s first spy thriller Bridge of Spies with special guest Matt Dewilde. Disputes ensued!
Peruse the M&M Report category page for previous episodes of the podcast. Thanks for listening!
The M&M Report: “Sicario”
On this episode of The M&M Report, Devin Mitchell and I discuss the Denis Villeneuve-directed thriller Sicario (also known as “Sicari-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”, now playing in limited release.
Too long, didn’t listen: this movie’s really good. Go see it. (And listen!)
Peruse the M&M Report category page for previous episodes of the podcast. Thanks for listening!
The M&M Report: “Inside Out”
This week on The M&M Report, Devin Mitchell and I discussed Pixar’s Inside Out. Devin’s two-word description of the movie at 6:55 pretty much stands on its own, but we also discussed the ins and the outs of Inside Out and reflected on the last two decades of Pixar as they unfolded parallel to our childhood.
I also reviewed the movie for my blog,. Check out The Dissolve’s interview with director Pete Docter for more context about the film’s development. And A.O. Scott’s New York Times review is well worth your time.
Peruse the M&M Report category page for previous episodes of the podcast.
“Chef”: Well Seasoned
Jon Favreau’s Chef is bloated at times and bites off more than it can chew, but it’s a frequently sumptuous and fully fleshed-out meal with side dishes as potent and satisfying as the main entree. The seasoning is exquisite, the presentation is dazzling and you’ll leave the theater full and content.
Now that’s enough food metaphors for one review, right?
After a lengthy foray into blockbuster filmmaking with the Iron Man franchise and the regrettable Cowboys and Aliens, multi-hyphenate filmmaker Favreau returns to his roots with this low-budget, star-studded, light-fare dramedy that indulges some of the director’s passions and incorporates many of his favorite famous actors. The movie doesn’t always make the best use of these supporting players, but Favreau’s finely tuned performance and the affecting relationship between his character, Chef Carl Casper, and his adolescent son Percy (EmJay Anthony) keep the film afloat.
“Neighbors”: Keeping Up Appearances
Neighbors, in which a married couple with a newborn child squares off against the rowdy band of fraternity brothers next door, might seem disingenuous in the wake of recent sexual assault scandals in the world of Greek life. But director Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and screenwriters Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O’Brien assuage those concerns with a big-budget studio comedy that’s just a tad smarter than you’d expect, and considerably funnier.
The majority of the movie takes place on a single suburban street, in and around two adjacent homes. In one, Mac and Kelly Radner (Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne) grapple with the trials and tribulations of raising a daughter, maintaining their relationship and staying sane. In the other, Delta Psi president Teddy (Efron) and his brothers aspire to earn a place on the fraternity’s coveted wall of history-making party antics. Naturally, these two goals can’t easily co-exist. Mac and Kelly initially, and haphazardly, attempt to win over the bros with their rusty youthful charm, but things turn sour once the couple realizes their baby is more important than some ‘shrooms and a carefully orchestrated “swordfight.”
“Labor Day” and “That Awkward Moment”: A Reminder That Terrible Movies Are Still Out There
Oscar season spoils us. The major Hollywood studio pack the fall release schedule with thoughtful movies directed by skillful filmmakers and brimming with exceptional performances from Hollywood’s acting elite. 12 Years a Slave! Gravity! Nebraska! Her! American Hustle! Movies are so awesome.
Then awards season really kicks into gear, right around the time when everyone and their mother is reaching back into their memory banks to fill out their Top 10 lists summarizing the year in film. We’re reminded of all the great experiences we had at the movies even before fall began. Remember when we cried at the sight of Oscar Grant cowering in front of a policeman at the end of Fruitvale Station? Remember when Cate Blanchett tore into her role as an entitled woman stripped of her privilege in Blue Jasmine? Remember when Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley reminded us that teen romance isn’t all sweaty vampires and broody mopes in The Spectacular Now? Movies are so great.
And they are. But the reality of Hollywood’s long-standing business strategy makes it very difficult for us to maintain that belief in the first few months of every new year. With their Oscar hopes secured, the studios take out the trash, dumping their most impressively unambitious projects of the year into the trash receptacle known as January.
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”: Too Real
In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Ben Stiller plays a man who can’t stop himself from indulging his flights of fancy. If only the movie were as untethered from reality. The central problem with this amiable but slight adventure, directed by Stiller from a script by Steve Conrad and a short story by James Thurber, is its unwillingness to be as whimsical as it clearly wants to be. Aside from an unexpected homage to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Walter Mitty’s fantasies are largely earthbound, and the movie surrounding them is watchable but rarely surprising.
The title character is a charmless slip of a man, perpetually clutching his briefcase like a life preserver. He struggles to hold a conversation for more than a few seconds, and he’s too shy to confront his burgeoning feelings for his comely co-worker Cheryl Melhoff (Kristen Wiig). He deals with the world by retreating into his shell, imagining an alternate universe in which he’s a hero, a Casanova, an aggressor and an adventurer, only to be jolted back to reality by the encroaching return of his banal conversation. Tasked with circling the globe to recover the missing cover photograph for the final issue of Life magazine, Walter learns that he’s much healthier when he allows his fantasies to bleed into his real life.
Lieberman, No Lie 