Single Serving Cinema

Tim & Tay head into the holiday season with a hit musical that marks an early technological predecessor to IMAX: White Christmas. Tune in for a chat about blockbusters (old and new), Vista Vision, and Danny Kaye.

Synopsis
White Christmas tells the story of two World War II veterans and entertainers who team up to save their former commanding officer's struggling inn, finding love along the way. Starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen, White Christmas was directed by Michael Curtiz and released Oct. 14, 1954.

Where to watch White Christmas.

Notes

• VistaVision primer
• IMAX vs. Lie-MAX (and IMAX locations)

Scene [1:24:08 - 1:29:11]

At the cast party, Judy and Phil plan to fake an engagement in order to encourage "mother hen" Betty (Rosemary Clooney) to "leave the roost", and pursue her own love of Bob (Bing Crosby). 

Recommendations
Tim: West Side Story (Spielberg, 2021)—where to watch
Tay:  It Happened One Night (Capra, 1934)—where to watch 

Follow:

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

Tim & Tay attempt to get in the holiday spirit with this discussion of Richard Donner's somewhat uneven Dickensian adaptation, Scrooged.

Synopsis
This modern-day, quasi-meta adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic "A Christmas Carol," tells the story of a cynical TV executive who undergoes a transformative journey of self-discovery during the holiday season.

Starring Bill Murray and Karen Allen, Scrooged was directed by Richard Donner and released Nov. 23, 1988.

Where to watch Scrooged.

Notes

• Zero de Conduite
• Between Two Ferns

Scene [18:05-24:20}

Working late the night before Christmas Eve, Frank encounters the fully formed ghostly presence of his old boss, Lou Hayward, who acts as a harbinger, warning Frank that he will be visited by 3 Christmas ghosts.

Recommendations
Tim: The Muppet Christmas Carol (Henson, 1992)—where to watch
Tay: The Abyss (4K Remaster) (Cameron, 1989)—where to watch

Follow:

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

Tim & Tay are joined by Erica Sherwood to talk about an undeniable classic: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. We discuss world-class child actors, Spielberg's insane lighting choices, and E.T.'s penchant for day beers.

Synopsis
Stranded on earth, a kind alien befriends a young boy in California and attempts to stay one step ahead of the authorities while finding his way home.

Starring Henry Thomas, and directed by Stephen Spielberg, E.T. came out June 11, 1982.

Where to watch E.T.

Notes

• Henry Thomas' final audition
• The Nolan Crosscut

Scenes
ERICA: 43:00
Elliot goes to school leaving ET at home by himself. This scene is the fun and games moment of their strong otherworldly connection.

TIM & TAY: 19:25-25:33
Elliot stays up waiting for the mysterious creature to return. When the creature appears, Elliot makes the choice to bring him inside. 

Recommendations
Tim: Starman (Carpenter, 1984)—where to watch
Tay: The Brother From Another Planet (Sayles, 1984)—where to watch

Follow:

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

Tim & Tay dig into the surprisingly odd yet undeniably heartfelt children's cult classic, The Iron Giant. Tune in for a chat about the loss of innocence, seamless melding of traditional and computer animation, and Christopher MacDonald.

Synopsis
A young boy in Cold War-era Maine befriends a giant robot from outer space, and must protect it from both paranoid government agents and its own potential for violence.

Starring Eli Marienthal and Vin Diesel, and directed by Brad Bird, The Iron Giant was released July 31, 1999. 

Where to watch The Iron Giant.

Scene: 50:28-53:53
After witnessing the death of a deer, Hogarth explains the concepts of life, death and the soul to his Iron companion. Souls don’t die.

Recommendations
Tim: Never Let Me Go (Romanek, 2010)—where to watch
Tay: Tomorrowland (Bird, 2015)—where to watch

Follow:

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

Tim & Tay honour the late, great William Friedkin by talking about one of the most successful films of all time: The Exorcist.

Synopsis
After exhausting all conventional forms of medicine and care, a distraught mother asks the catholic church to perform an exorcism for her suffering, manic daughter.

Starring Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair and Jason Miller, and directed by William Friedkin, The Exorcist was released Dec. 26, 1973.

Where to watch The Exorcist.

Scene: 39:15 - 44:48
Chris hosts a large gathering at the house only to be disrupted by a harrowing warning from Regan.

Recommendations
Tim: The Exorcist III (Blatty, 1990)—where to watch
Tay: Leap Of Faith (Phillippe, 2023)—where to watch

Follow:

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

Tim & Tay get dig into one of the most accessible horror movies of the modern era, and one that maybe doesn't hold up under close scrutiny. Tune in for a discussion of world-building, high concept strategy, and more.

Synopsis
A family lives their lives in silence, trying to survive in the presence of alien creatures that hunt by sound.

Starring John Krasinski and Emily Blunt, and directed by John Krasinski, A Quiet Place was released April 6, 2018.

Where to watch A Quiet Place.

Scene: 54:26 - 1:00:43]
The Abbott family begins their journey home after a seemingly routine supply run. The youngest, Beau, puts batteries into a noisy toy, which tragically sounds off as the family traverses a bridge. Beau is almost immediately destroyed by an unknown creature as the family can do nothing but watch in horror cut to Title Card.

Recommendations
Tim: Hush (Flanagan, 2016)—where to watch
Tay: Don't Breathe (Alvarez, 2016)—where to watch

Follow:

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

Tim & Tay get to talk horror once again in this discussion of Neil Marshall's The Descent. We explore this movie's legacy in a genre that has somewhat forgot it, wise filmmaking on a lower budget, and much more.  

Synopsis
A day of spelunking turns into a nightmare after a group of friends gets trapped underground and pursued by terrifying predators.

Starring Shauna Macdonald and Natalie Mendoza, and directed by Neil Marshall, The Descent was released July 8, 2005.

Where to watch The Descent.

Links:

• Tay's Horror Marathon
• Oscar horror montage
• The Descent palette 

Scene: 54:26 - 1:00:43]
Broken and battered, the six women arrive atop a pile of animal bones and are quickly descended upon by cave-dwelling beings and are forced to fight for their lives.

Recommendations
Tim: Bone Tomahawk (Zahler, 2015)—where to watch
Tay: The Dive (Erlenweinn, 2023)—where to watch

Follow:

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

Tim and Tay are joined by Bunny Stephenson (Instagram / Letterboxd) to talk about our second David Fincher pick for our potlucks: Fight Club. We discuss the movie's exquisite portrayal of brutal violence, its not-so-subtle homoeroticism, and the reception of this satirical take on '90s  men's existential crisis.

Synopsis
A depressed man’s life is changed after he meets a charming and inspiring anarchist that shows him a life beyond the materialistic world.

Starring Ed Norton & Brad Pitt, and directed by David Fincher, Fight Club was released Oct. 15, 1999.

Where to watch Fight Club.

Bunny's Scene [33.28-41.00]
Meet Tyler Durden.

Tay's Scene [01:00:20 - 01:04:30]
Let's make soap.

Tim's Scene  [2:05:43-2:09:36]
Tyler & Jack's last fight.

Links

• Every Frame a Painting— "And The Other Way Is Wrong"

Recommendations

• Tim—Woodstock ‘99: Peace, Love & Rage (Price, 2021) [where to watch]
• Tay—Hobo with a Shotgun (Eisner, 2011) [where to watch]
• Bunny—The Lighthouse (Eggers, 2019) [where to watch]

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

Follow:

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

Tim & Tay take on capitalism in this episode on Nightcrawler. This slick and unsettling film stars Jake Gyllenhaal in his best performance, and explores ambition, tenacity, and the other characteristics most valued by the modern western world.

Synopsis
Lou Bloom, an ambitious and resourceful Los Angeles resident, methodically tests the moral and economic limits of sensational local news production.

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and directed by Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler  was released Oct. 31, 2014.

Where to watch - Paramount+

Links:

• (with apologies to) Kevin Rahm

Scene: 39:24-44:30
Arriving at an accident before the cops and paramedics, Lou manipulates the crime scene and gets his footage, beating out the other Nightcrawlers like Joe. When delivering his footage, he begins to coerce Nina into a date.

Recommendations

• Tim: Broadcast News (Brooks, 1987)—where to watch
• Tay: City of Tiny Lights (Travis, 2016)—where to watch
  
  

Next episode: Fight Club (Fincher, 1999)

Follow:

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

• RackaRacka on Corridor Crew

• Tim: Wolfguy: Enraged Lycanthrope (Yamaguchi, 1975)—where to watch
• Tay: The Raid: Redemption (Evans, 2011)—where to watch
  
  

Follow:

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