Single Serving Cinema

Part 2 of Blunt Month & episode 20! Tim & Tay are joined by The Grey Nato's James Stacey to talk Emily Blunt, Denis Villeneuve, Roger Deakins, and a lot more in this discussion of Sicario.

Synopsis
Sicario examines the unethical nature of actions taken in the war on drugs by following idealistic FBI agent Kate Macer as she descends into covert anti-cartel operations on US and Mexican soil.

James' Scene [31:47 - 37:54]
Returning from Juarez with a high-value prisoner, Kate, Matt, Alejandro, and a Delta Force squad are trapped in traffic at the border. A tense standoff and momentary shoot-out ensue.

Tim's Scene [40:17 - 43:35]
With Guillermo successfully (if not cleanly) transported across the border, Alejandro and Matt intend to torture him for intel on the cartel’s operations. Before waterboarding Guillermo (among, potentially, other things) Alejandro speaks to another Mexican Prosecutor, Raphael.

Tay's Scene [1:22:55 - 1:32:13]
Against their better judgment, Kate and Reggie tag along as Matt, Alejandro and Delta Force operators storm a tunnel beneath the US-Mexico border.

Links

• 4:00 - Rendezvous with Rama
• 4:30 - Blank Check with Griffin & David
• 7:00 - Villeneuve on "western powers"
• 11:40 - Sheridan's original script
• 45:00 - Edited by Joe Walker
• 52: 00 -  Johan Johansson on composing a new Jaws  theme for Sicario
• 55:50 - Cinefix's breakdown of the border crossing
• 1:07:50 - "Sicario and the Value of Depicting Rape in Abstract"
• 1:18:00 - Villeneuve on "ugly poetry"
• 1:40:30 - Abrams on not hurting Tom Cruise's nose

Recommendations

• Tim: Wind River (Sheridan, 2017) —stream on Netflix.
• Tay: Harry Brown  (Barber, 2009) — stream on Hoopla.
• James: Every Frame A Painting on Youtube (and Voir on Netflix)
• Check out The Grey Nato's Bond episode

All links are verified at the time of publication and based on availability in Canada.

Next episode: Oldboy (Park, 2003)

Follow:

• SSC on Instagram
• Tim on Letterboxd
• Tay on Letterboxd

It's Blunt Month! Tim & Tay talk Emily Blunt, Tom Cruise, and why people love time loop movies in this discussion of Doug Liman's Edge of Tomorrow.

Synopsis
Edge of Tomorrow tells the story of Maj. William Cage, who enters humanity’s war against the invading aliens known as Mimics with no combat experience. After promptly dying in action, Cage awakes a day earlier, and soon realizes he is caught in a cycle: live, die, repeat.  

Edge of Tomorrow stars Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, was directed by Doug Liman, and released May 28, 2014.

Edge of Tomorrow is available as a digital rental.

Scene [1:03:05-1:10:27]
After breaking through enemy lines, Cage and Vrataski stop at a small farmhouse to refuel. While treating Vrataski's injury, Cage is forced to reveal the futility of their next move.

Links

• 4:35 - Gnomeo & Juliet
• 4:46 - Looper
• 4:50 - A Quiet Place
• 8:30 - Under The Skin
• 12:20 - Mission(s) Impossible
• 13:45 - Fair fighting in The Fast & The Furious
• 19:10 - Time-looping in the Aladdin TV show
• 19:30 - X-Files' time loop
• 21:30 - Dion Bebe's approach to filming Edge of Tomorrow
• 29:30 - Script revisions and remnants
• 32:20 - Groundhog Day

Recommendations

• Tim: Primer (Carruth, 2004)
• Tay: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen  (Hallström, 2011) — Available to rent online.

All links are verified at the time of publication and based on availability in Canada.

Next episode: Potluck—Sicario (Villeneuve, 2015) [available to rent online] with The Grey Nato's James Stacey. 

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• SSC on Instagram
• Tim on Letterboxd
• Tay on Letterboxd

Tim & Tay finally dig into Wes Anderson, one of the most recognizable auteurs of modern cinema. Tune in to hear about formalism/contrivance, needle drops,  the Wilson brothers, and more.

Synopsis
An emotionally distant father attempts to reconnect with his separated wife and three adult children after he loses his place to live.

The Royal Tenenbaums, directed by Wes Anderson, stars Gene Hackman, Angelica Houston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Luke Wilson, and Ben Stiller. It hit theatres Dec. 28, 2001.

The Royal Tenenbaums is available to stream on Disney+

Scene [58:35 - 1:05:20]
Henry Sherman follows up on his suspicions and invites the family in as he reveals Royal is faking his illness. The scene follows Royal's exit from the Tenenbaum house.

Links

• 5:00 - The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (Anderson, 2005)
• 5:25 - Wes Anderson's filmography
• 20:36 - Aaron Sorkin's "contrived" dialogue
• 21:00 - His Girl Friday (Hawks, 1940)
• 21:31 - Panic Room (Fincher, 2002)
• 22:20 - "Dirt on the Camera Lens" (Mike Rugnetta)
• 26:00 - "What Is Bayhem?" (Every Frame a Painting)
• 34:00 - Mean Streets (Scorcese, 1973)
• 38:00 - RLM on The French Dispatch
• 56:30 - Suspicion (Hitchcock, 1941)

Recommendations

• Tim: No Escape (Dowdle, 2015) — stream on Prime
• Tay: Submarine (Ayoade, 2010) — stream on Prime (Sundance Now)

All links are verified at the time of publication and based on availability in Canada.

Next episode: Listeners' Choice—Edge of Tomorrow (Liman, 2014), available to stream on Netflix

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• SSC on Instagram
• Tim on Letterboxd
• Tay on Letterboxd

Tim & Tay talk needle drops, the New Year, and old friends in this discussion about The Big Chill. Tune in to hear why this script is a great example of graceful exposition without the usual crutches. 

Synopsis
A once-close group of college friends reunites over the course of a weekend to mourn their departed friend, reflecting on how they and the world have changed since they were last together.

The Big Chill, released Sept. 28, 1983, was directed by Lawrence Kasdan, and stars Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly and JoBeth Williams.

The Big Chill is available to stream on Amazon Prime.

Scene [13:35-19:45]
As the central cast of characters departs from Alex’s funeral, Karen begins playing "You Can't Always Get What You Want" on the organ, transitioning into a needle drop in the film that brings about a series of character interactions during the funeral procession.

Links

• 3:45 - The Big Bounce (Armitage, 2004)
• 4:40 - New Year's Eve (Marshall, 2011)
• 7: 25 - Lawrence Kasdan
• 38:02 - How To Do Visual Comedy (Every Frame a Painting)
•  1:04:30 - GQ on Jeff Goldblum

Recommendations

• Tim: Start your own film club!
  
  
• Tay: Le Déclin de l'empire américain (Arcand, 1986). Stream on Hoopla

All links are verified at the time of publication and based on availability in Canada.

Next episode: The Royal Tenenbaums (Anderson, 2001). Stream on Disney+

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• SSC on Instagram
• Tim on Letterboxd
• Tay on Letterboxd

In this special episode, Tim and Tay highlight a few notable movies from 2021. Not necessarily the best or our favorites, but certainly worth seeing!

Disclosures

• Licorice Pizza (PTA, 2021)
• Drive My Car (Hamaguchi, 2021)
• The Worst Person in the World (Trier, 2021)
• Red Rocket (Baker, 2021)
• The Tragedy of Macbeth (Coen, 2021)
• Petite Maman (Sciamma, 2021)
• Summer of Soul (Questlove, 2021)

Tim:

• INSIDE (Burnham, 2021)—stream on Netflix
• Pig (Sarnoski, 2021)—stream on Crave
• The Power of the Dog (Campion, 2021)—stream on Netflix

Tay:

• No Time To Die (Fukunaga, 2021)—rent on Google
• Censor (Bailey-Bond, 2021)—rent on Google
• Nightmare Alley (del Toro, 2021)—catch in the theatre, if it's safe to do so!

Links:

• 6:32 — In The Earth (Wheatley, 2021)
• 8:20 — Locked Down (Liman, 2021)

As always, please leave us a review on iTunes and spread the word to your friends!

Next episode: The Big Chill (Kasdan, 1983)—stream on Amazon Prime

Follow:

• SSC on Instagram
• Tim on Letterboxd
• Tay on Letterboxd

Tim & Tay talk family, the American Dental Association, and more on this episode about the Christmas classic Home Alone.

Synopsis
When eight-year-old Kevin McCallister is forgotten at home by his vacationing family, he must defend it against a pair of persistent burglars.

Home Alone stars Macaulay Culkin, Catherine O’Hara, Joe Pesci, and Daniel Stern, was directed by John Hughes, and first hit theatres Nov. 16, 1990.

Home Alone is available to stream on Disney+

Scene [38:46-44:44]
Kevin attempts to buy a toothbrush from a department store, but before he can pay at the counter, Old Man Marley enters. Stricken by fear, Kevin runs out of the store with the toothbrush without paying. He evades a police officer on a public ice rink and then has a run-in with Marv and Harry who almost hit him with their car as they pull out of a driveway. They follow him up the road because Harry doesn't "like the way that kid looked at [him].”

Links

• 11:15 - Jingle All The Way (Levant, 1996)
• 12:00 - Skyfall (Mendes, 2012)
• 13:50 - It's A Wonderful Life (Capra, 1946) & White Christmas (Curtiz, 954)
• 20:30 - SSC 03: Krisha
• 22:09 - SSC 05: Ocean's 12
• 51:25 - John Candy's role

Recommendations

• Tim: After Hours (Scorsese, 1985). Available to stream on Crave
  
  
• Tay: Krampus (Doherty, 2015). Available to rent on Google Play

All links are verified at the time of publication and based on availability in Canada.

Next episode: Our Top 3 Movies of the Year

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• SSC on Instagram
• Tim on Letterboxd
• Tay on Letterboxd

Tim and Tay talk ambiguous and not-so-pretentious art films in this discussion on David Lowery's The Green Knight.

Synopsis
This adaptation of the epic Arthurian poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight tells the tale of Gawain as he embarks on a quest to make a name for himself in the eyes of King Arthur’s court and all of Britain.

The Green Knight stars Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, and Ralph Ineson, was written and directed by David Lowery, and first hit theatres July 30, 2021.

The Green Knight is available to rent on Google Play.

Scene [57:18—104:27]
Beaten, battered, and mentally defeated, Gawain enters a small seemingly abandoned cabin to rest. Awoken by a young girl, Gawain initially panics. The girl, Winifred, asks him for his help to find her head. Taken aback, he agrees to enter into a pond to retrieve it.

Links

• 2:30 — Director David Lowery's "Notes on a Scene"
• 14:10 — Annihilation (Garland, 2018) + "Annihilation & Decoding Metaphor"
• 25:30 — "The ending is the conceit" (Film Crit Hulk)
• 57:45 — The Green Knight posters

Recommendations

• Tim: "The Invisible Horror of The Shining" by kaptainkristian on YouTube
  
  
• Tay: The Devil's Backbone (del Toro, 2001) 

All links are verified at the time of publication and based on availability in Canada.

Next episode: Home Alone (Columbus, 1990). Available to stream on Disney+

Follow:

• SSC on Instagram
• Tim on Letterboxd
• Tay on Letterboxd

In our first audience-selected episode, Tim and Tay attempt to seize the meaning of one of the most quoted school-based movies of all time: Dead Poets Society. We explore how Peter Wier's strong direction helps unify great performances and specific camera work to serve the story being told.

Synopsis
An unconventional English teacher urges his students at a stuffy Vermont boarding school to “seize the day”, broadening their horizons to new forms of self-expression, much to their parents’ and other educators’ dismay.

Dead Poets Society, starring Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, and Kurtwood Smith, and directed by Peter Weir, was released on June 2, 1989.

Dead Poets Society is available to stream on Disney+.

Scene [53:42–58:00]
Mr. Keating assigns a poetry assignment to the class and on the day of presentations, Todd is finally pushed to confront his fears of expressing himself. The scene stars Ethan Hawke, Robin Williams, Josh Charles, and Matt Carey.

Links

• 2:45 - Mr. Holland's Opus (Herek, 1995)
• 9:45 - Earlier versions of the script
• 11:00 - Ebert's review
• 12:50 - Community's DPS spoof
• 15:00 - Take The Lead (Friedlander, 2006)
• 36:20 - CODA (Heder, 2021)

Recommendations

• Tim: Election (Payne, 1999). Available to rent on Google Play.
  
  
• Tay: Overlord  (Julius Avery, 2018). Available to rent on Google Play.

All links are verified at the time of publication and based on availability in Canada.

Next episode: The Green Knight (Lowery, 2021). Available to rent on Google Play.

Follow:

• SSC on Instagram
• Tim on Letterboxd
• Tay on Letterboxd

Tim and Tay go back to high school to talk about Mean Girls. This teen movie has palpable star power, solid writing, thoughtful direction, and undeniably meme-able lines, making it an evergreen entry in the overcrowded and easily dated high school movie genre. 

Synopsis
When a naive, homeschooled junior named Cady attends American high school for the first time, she is quickly accepted into the Plastics, a clique of the highest strata. Cady soon falls for the ex-boyfriend of the clique leader, Regina Goerge. After Regina gets back with her ex, Cady and her friends Janice and Damian hatch a plot to take Regina down.

Mean Girls stars Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams, was directed by Mark Waters, and first hit theatres on April 30, 2004.

Mean Girls is available to stream on Netflix.

Scene (55:38–1:03:18)
After securing her position as the new queen bee, Cady plans a small get-together while her parents are out of town in hopes of locking down Regina’s ex, Aaron Samuels. A full-blown party ensues, and lines are crossed as she has her moment with Aaron, is forced to face her excluded friends, and truly sends Regina over the edge by not inviting her, resulting in a high school crisis for the ages.

Links

• 6:00 - Mary Jane Ford on costuming
• 14:55 - Clinton uses Mean Girls gif 
• 20:45 - Aaron Samuels' dumb smile
• 34:30 - ModernGurlz - "Analyzing the Outfits in Mean Girls"
• 41:00 - Rosalind Wiseman on  Mean Girls

Recommendations

• Tim: Everybody Wants Some (Linklater, 2016). Available to stream on Prime.
  
  
• Tay:  Eighth Grade (Burnham, 2018). Available to stream on Crave.

All links are verified at the time of publication and based on availability in Canada.

Next episode: Dead Poets Society (Wier, 1989)—thanks for voting in our Instagram poll! Stay tuned for future votes, we'll be holding one for every other episode going forward. 

Follow:

• SSC on Instagram
• Tim on Letterboxd
• Tay on Letterboxd

Tim and Tay couldn't resist putting together what was intended to be a short episode on the sandy sci-fi epic Dune. Once we got talking about wormsign, ornithopters and "the voice", it was hard to stop. 

Based on Frank Herbert’s seminal novel of the same name, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, heir to a dukedom and a potentially even greater destiny as he begins a new life with his parents on the dangerous desert planet Arrakis. As political unrest foments war over the planet and its valuable spice melange, Paul fights to stay alive and find his role in the desert-dwelling Fremen society.
 
Starring Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, and Oscar Isaac and directed by Denis Villeneuve, Dune was released on October 22, 2021.

Dune is technically available on HBO Max in the US—but you should see it on as large a screen as you can!

SCENE (58:52–108:13)

Paul, Leto, and Guerney accompany Imperial Ecologist Liet Kynes on an ornithopter ride into the desert to the site of a sand crawler; a colossal desert machine used to refine and harvest precious spice. After an equipment malfunction, they must react quickly to save the sand crawler crew from an incoming sandworm.

The scene stars Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto, Timothy Chalamet as Paul, Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Liet Kynes, and Josh Brolin as Gurney.

Links

• 1:10—Dune sequel greenlit
• 22:00—Rebecca Ferguson talks sandworm scale
• 37:00—Hans Zimmers' anti-groove

Recommendations

• Read the book!
• Notes on a Scene—Denis Villeneuve discusses the gom jabbar
• The Director’s Cut podcast w/ Denis Villeneuve and Christopher Nolan

Follow:

• SSC on Instagram
• Tim on Letterboxd
• Tay on Letterboxd