The M&M Report

Mark and Devin convene for the 12th year in a row to recap the Oscars telecast they just watched -- this time, the 97th annual. 

Taylor Swift has, since the pandemic began, ascended from precedent-shattering pop superstardom to something even grander. She's released four full-fledged (and long) new albums; re-recorded and expanded the tracklists for four of her previous albums; captivated global audiences with the massive-scale Eras Tour and accompanying blockbuster film; picked up two more Album of the Year Grammys; weathered a breakup from a rebound; rebounded from the previous rebound; gained a new appreciation for Football Culture ("seemingly ranch," anyone?); played a supporting role in the film Amsterdam (lol); and announced her intention to write and direct a full-length feature film. If you're exhausted just reading that list of accomplishments, imagine how she must feel pulling them off. The Tortured Poets Department, her latest album, gave Mark and Devin an opportunity to imagine just that, and to ponder how they feel about Taylor Swift's stratospheric omnipresence. They're joined by Erin Vail, a beloved returning guest and self-proclamed "medium- to high-level Swiftie." Further Listening: Swiftology (Podcast hosted by Erin Vail and her friend Alexa) Pop Pantheon Live! Tortured Poets & the State of Taylor Mania (with Brittany Spanos, Nora Princiotti & Hunter Harris) (hosted by DJ Louie XIV) Further Reading: Why Taylor Swift Is the Reigning Queen of Pop (Jody Rosen, New York Magazine, 2013!!!) Taylor Swift: Folklore review – bombastic pop makes way for emotional acuity (Laura Snapes, The Guardian, 2020) Taylor Swift, 30-Something, Is Revising Her Own Love Stories (Lindsay Zoladz, New York Times, 2022) Movie Review: Look What We Made Her Do (Wesley Morris, New York Times, 2023) Person of the Year: Taylor Swift (Sam Lansky, Time, 2023) How Taylor Swift Won Back the Public (Nate Jones, Vulture, 2024)  

Devin and Mark convene for the 11th year in a row to recap the Oscars telecast they just watched -- this time, the 96th annual. Plus, Mark reveals a surprise for Devin live on mic.

Devin and Mark run through some of the most notable movie releases of 2023 before sharing some personal favorites. Come for Discourse Corner and stay for an attempt to read a funny tweet that goes horribly, delightfully awry. 2:15 - 6:30 : Barbenheimer 6:30 - 23:00: Barbie Discourse Corner 23:00 - 39:45: Oppenheimer 39:45 - 1:01:40: Killers of the Flower Moon/Mark hits back at "Movies should be short" people 1:01:40 - 1:10:30: American Fiction 1:10:30 - 1:19:15: The Holdovers 1:19:15 - 1:26:00: Past Lives 1:26:00 - 1:29:00: Poor Things 1:29:00 - 1:36:45: Anatomy of a Fall 1:36:45 - End: May December / a Good (?) Tweet Music: Dua Lipa, "Dance the Night" (editorial note from Mark: still goes)

We (finally) reconvene several months after the series finale of Succession to discuss the final two episodes, "Church and State" and "With Open Eyes"; our broader feelings about how the story wrapped up; what changed in our reactions on second viewing; and the continued relevance of the show. How does Shiv's big decision sit now that some time has passed? And is this podcast just a thinly-veiled exercise in getting to repeat our favorite lines back to each other? (no comment) 

Devin and Mark reflect (at length!) on the incredible four-season run of Succession in anticipation of the HBO show's final two episodes. Why do we care so much about characters who are hellbent on ruining the world? What distinguishes this show from others on similar subject matter? How has the show approached wrapping up its story earlier than even some members of the cast expected? And why did Cousin Greg betray us so? (Part two will look back on the series as a whole after the final episode airs. The penultimate episode, "Church and State," aired the night after they recorded.)

Devin and Mark convene for the 10th year in a row to recap the Oscars immediately after the telecast finished airing on ABC. 

Mark and Devin are back to share their thoughts on some of the most notable and buzzed-about pop culture experiences of the year...after a brief check-in on the aftermath of The Slap. (Please do check out Will Smith's apology video in full if you haven't already.) Nope: 6:00-20:30 The Rehearsal: 20:30-30:20 Severance: 30:20-40:00 Movie theaters: 40:00- Rothaniel: 45:15-52:50 The White Lotus: 52:50-1:01:00 Abbott Elementary: 1:01:00-1:08:40 Top Gun Maverick: 1:08:40-End

Mark and Devin convene virtually for the M&M Report's eighth annual episode recorded immediately after the Oscars telecast on ABC. Uh...some things happened...

Devin and Mark, 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 they 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.

Devin and Mark are healing the world with podcasting—about Bo Burnham's new special (?)/movie (?)/musical (?)/uncategorizable work of semi-autobiographical art that's streaming on Netflix and setting Twitter and TikTok ablaze. We pick favorite songs and moments; dissect the piece's complicated and conflicting ideas about the Internet and mental health; and try to understand how Burnham and his work achieved a rare kind of pop culture ubiquity. Read Craig Jenkins on Burnham's music; Richard Brody on the tradition of "cinematic selfies"; and Lili Loofbourow on the special's artifice. Listen to Who Weekly on Bo Burnham's celebrity persona.

Mark and Devin convene virtually for the M&M Report's eighth annual episode recorded immediately after the Oscars telecast on ABC--and Mark is mad.

Devin and Mark break down what to expect and what they're hoping to see during the 93rd Oscars on April 25. They also ponder how it feels for Oscar season to be occurring during ~these times~, and whether anyone even knows the show is just around the corner. A few worthwhile reads: Movies Survived 2020. The Oscars Diversified. There's More to Do. (Wesley Morris, The New York Times) What Frances McDormand Would (and Wouldn't) Give to ‘Nomadland' (Kyle Buchanan, The New York Times)  Yes, this Oscar season has no blockbuster contenders. Why that's a good thing (Justin Chang, The Los Angeles Times) The Many Lives of Steven Yeun (Jay Caspian Kang, The New York Times Magazine) What Nomadland Gets Wrong About Gig Labor (Wilfred Chan, Vulture) ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7': The Sixties Told in Sorkinese (K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone) Oscar Producers Reveal Plans For Show And Covid Safety Procedure: “There Is No Universe In Which We Put Anybody At Risk” (Pete Hammond, Deadline) I'd Like This To Stop: Praise For A Promising Young Woman (Ayesha Siddiqi)  Promising Young Woman is a sneering, winking provocation of a movie (Roxana Hadadi, Polygon) Stream Let Them All Talk on HBO Max and First Cow on Showtime

Mark and Devin 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.)

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. 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

Mark and Devin 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.

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. 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?

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?

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). 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

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

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.

Mark and Devin welcome back West Coast correspondent Erin Vail for scorching hot takes on Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker and ~feelings~ about Little Women.

Special guest and Dunkirk stan Meg Kearns joins Devin and Mark to look back on the the 2010s at the ~cinema~. Topics include Marvel hegemony, Social Network bops, a hot take on Manchester by the Sea, reflections on #MeToo, feelings about Greta Gerwig and Barry Jenkins, and the Dark Universe for some reason. Extra Recommendations from Devin: Stories We Tell, Locke, Brooklyn, Arrival, Everybody Wants Some!!, O.J. Made in America, Columbus, Logan Lucky, The Meyerowitz Stories: New and Selected, Widows, The Favourite, The Farewell Extra recommendations from Meg: Bachelorette, Brooklyn, Cold War, Crimson Peak, The Handmaiden, The Invitation, Loving, Magic Mike XXL, Mad Max: Fury Road, Minding the Gap, The Nice Guys, Mission: Impossible 4-6, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Parasite, Sleeping With Other People Extra recommendations from Mark: Another Year, Before Midnight, Captain Phillips, Certain Women, Edge of Tomorrow, First Reformed, Fruitvale Station, The Florida Project, The Immigrant, Margaret, Personal Shopper, The Rider, Roma, Selma, Short Term 12, The Tree of Life, The World's End

Devin and Mark dig deep to discuss Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story, in select theaters now and on Netflix Dec. 6. (No spoilers until the 18-minute mark!) Listen to Sean Fennessey's interview with Noah Baumbach, and read the New Yorker's 2013 profile of the director.

Devin and Mark untangle their recent lack of enthusiasm for TV and explore the current state creatively and commercially of the television landscape.

Devin and Mark look ahead to the fall movies they're excited to see and the fights they're assuming they'll have.

Devin and Mark welcome returning guest Erin Vail to check in on the delightfully upsetting Succession as it begins its second season on HBO.

Mark and Devin examine their evolving relationship with the social media platform Twitter and offer some recommendations for using it in personally fulfilling ways.

Devin and Mark, along with horror correspondent Kevin Werner, debate and discuss Us, Jordan Peele's follow-up to Get Out. Listen to Sean Fennessey's interview with Peele. Read Reggie Ugwu's profile of Lupita Nyong'o. Ponder Jordan Crucchiola's interpetation of the ending. Subscribe to Devin and Kevin's politics podcast Friendly Fire.

Mark and Devin briefly discuss Bo Burnham's film Eighth Grade. Then Mark gets an alternate perspective on the movie from a recent graduate of eighth grade.

For the sixth year in a row, Devin and Mark react to the Oscars telecast minutes after it ends.

Devin and Mark discuss some of the major storylines surrounding the upcoming 91st Academy Awards on February 24 and explore why they are so invested in the annual ceremony. In between, they fight about Vice, one of the films that received the most Oscar nominations.

Mark and Devin wrap up 2018 with reviews of some of their favo(u)rite movies of this year: Roma (0:00 - 13:20), Widows (13:20 - 23:20), Can You Ever Forgive Me? (23:20 - 29:00) and The Favourite (29:00 - 37:30). Plus: brief mentions of one movie that Devin saw but Mark didn't (The Front Runner, ) and one movie that Mark watched but Devin didn't (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs).

Devin walks Mark through a therapy session as they unpack the current state of Saturday Night Live. Topics: Political satire (0:00 - 19:30) Alec Baldwin (19:30 - 27:00) Weekend Update (27:00 - 38:00) Pete Davidson (38:00 - 46:00) Mark's theory on hosts (46:00 - 50:00) Why we keep watching (50:00 - End) Some sketches we discussed: Robert Mueller/"The Bachelorette" #resistance bros at the bar Watching the presidential election returns Melissa McCarthy as Sean Spicer Adam Driver as a despicable oil baron "The Sink" "Wells For Boys" "Black Jeopardy" with Tom Hanks Killer ceiling fan Adam Driver monologue Cast jealousy over Pete Davidson's new stardom Pete Davidson talking Ariana on Weekend Update Pete Davidson proposing to Maggie Rogers Pete Davidson's Dan Crenshaw joke Other stuff: Taran Killam, ousted cast member, discusses the show's relationship with Trump Alec Baldwin's "retirement from public life" Mark's Vox list of non-political "SNL" sketches The M&M Report on Don't Think Twice Ariana Grande, "Pete" Dan Crenshaw in the Washington Post

Devin and Mark swap takes on shows they've been watching recently. The Good Place: 0:00 - 3:00 BoJack Horseman: 3:00 - 8:30 Insecure: 8:30 - 13:30 Forever: 13:30 - 19:45 Succession: 19:45 - 28:15  American Vandal: 28:15 - 33:10  Big Brother: 33-10 - End

Devin and Mark go off the deep end. Watch as they dive in.

Mark and Devin celebrate the five-year anniversary of their podcast (!) by exploring their pop culture origin stories and uncovering a few embarrassing secrets along the way. The soundtrack for this episode is Katy Perry's "Roar," which was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on the day Mark and Devin released the first episode of The M&M Report.

Mark and Devin look ahead to a busy movie season and preview their most anticipated releases: Widows (2:30-6:00), If Beale Street Could Talk (6:00-9:55), Backseat (9:55-18:05), Roma (18:05-23:15), Mary Queen of Scots (23:15-25:15), First Man (25:15-31:55) and The Land of Steady Habits (31:55).

Mark and Devin accept the impossible mission of marveling at the action in "Mission: Impossible — Fallout" while keeping top of mind the sinister implications of Tom Cruise's stardom.

Devin and Mark return from a long hiatus to discuss Set It Up (0:00-21:00) and First Reformed (21:00-End).

It's a full episode about the emotional devastation that comes with being a trained assassin (or being near one), courtesy of Killing Eve on BBC America (0:00-17:45) and Barry on HBO (17:45-End).

Mark and Devin review Steven Soderbergh's latest post-retirement film Unsane, which is not the work of a man who has committed to retirement in any literal sense.

Devin and Mark hit "record" on AN episode just minutes after the 2018 Oscars. This is not that episode. But it's close enough.

Mark and Devin try very hard not to spoil The Good Place (0:00-4:50)...and then they just give up and spoil it, because (the after)life's too short (4:50-End). After you listen, check out TV critic Alison Herman's interview about the show with her philosopher father.

West Coast correspondent Erin Vail returns to nerd out with Devin and Mark over Star Wars: The Last Jedi (0:00-23:20). Then they poke gentle fun at The Post for being, well, not unsubtle (23:20-38:50). Before she leaves, Erin drops a few pop culture recommendations of her own (38:50-end). For more Erin content, check out her podcast, writing for The Prompt and consistently delightful Twitter feed.  

Devin and Mark review Aaron Sorkin's directorial debut and 2017's most luscious romance (not the same movie).

Devin and Mark bid a fond (?) farewell to 2017 with a look back at the third season of Mr. Robot.

Devin and Mark review Lady Bird, a good movie.

Kevin Werner rejoins the podcast as a special Missouri correspondent to debate Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri with Devin and Mark.

Devin and Mark review The Florida Project, an intriguing and heart-wrenching film worth seeing amid a weak fall movie season.

Mark and Devin examine the recent spate of sexual assault and harassment allegations against Hollywood superproducer Harvey Weinstein. They consider how such heinous crimes could have been permitted to continue for more than three decades, and what this escalating news story says about the hidden culture behind the entertainment products they love to consume. If you want to offer feedback or constructive criticisms about this episode, please reach out on Twitter or by email. We're not scholars on these subjects, and we're eager for comments from perspectives other than our own.