Single Serving Cinema

Annihilation is a sci-fi mystery about a group of scientists who enter the Shimmer—a strange, mutating zone to investigate a phenomenon no one understands. As they journey deeper, the landscape—and their minds—begin to unravel. Starring Natalie Portman and written and directed by Alex Garland, Annihilation was released February 23, 2018. Where to watch Annihilation. Notes Annihilation and Decoding...

Ex Machina is a sci-fi drama about a young programmer who’s invited to test a humanoid robot’s intelligence. As the experiment unfolds, he begins to question the motives of both the robot and its creator. Starring Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, and Oscar Isaac, and directed by Alex Garland, Ex Machina was released April 10, 2015. Where to watch  Ex Machina Notes Playhouse Cinema Peaks Film Fes...

O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a Depression-era comedic-adventure-musical that follows three escaped convicts as they journey across Mississippi in search of hidden treasure, encountering bizarre characters and unexpected twists along the way—all set to a rich backdrop of American folk and bluegrass music. Starring George Clooney and directed by Joel & Ethan Coen, O Brother, Where Art Thou? was...

Andrew Finlay Stewart is an artist and musician, and the host of the podcast The Rules of the Show , which you can find on Instagram ( @therulesoftheshow ) and wherever you get podcasts.  --- Inside Llewyn Davis is a melancholic drama set in the 1960s folk music scene, following a struggling musician navigating the unforgiving New York winter in pursuit of artistic success.   Starring Oscar Isaac...

In this special annual episode, Tim and Tay highlight a few notable scenes from 2024. Not necessarily the best or our favourites, but certainly worth seeing! Links: THR Director Roundtable: Brady Corbet, Coralie Fargeat, Denis Villeneuve, Ridley Scott & More 'Dune: Part Two' Director Denis Villeneuve Breaks Down the Sandworm Scene | Vanity Fair As always, please leave us a review on...

Snowpiercer is a dystopian thriller set in a frozen post-apocalyptic world, where the last remnants of humanity survive aboard a perpetually moving train—divided by a brutal class hierarchy that erupts into rebellion. Starring Chris Evans and directed by Bong Joon-ho, Snowpiercer was released August 1, 2013. Where to watch  Snowpiercer Notes: "Snowpiercer - Left or Right" (Every Frame a...

Parasite is a social satire about a poor family infiltrating the lives of a wealthy household, leading to unexpected consequences and a scathing critique of class inequality. Starring Song Kang-ho and directed by Bong Joon-ho, Parasite was released May 30, 2019. Where to watch  Parasite . Notes: "Memories of Murder (2003) - Ensemble Staging" (Every Frame a Painting) "Notes From The...

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a gripping mystery about a disgraced journalist and a brilliant hacker who team up to uncover a decades-old family secret involving murder, corruption, and lies on a secluded Swedish island. Starring Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig and directed by David Fincher, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was released Dec. 20, 2011. Where to watch  The Girl with the Dragon Tatt...

Set in the remote wilderness of Wyoming, Wind River follows a skilled tracker and an inexperienced FBI agent as they investigate the mysterious death of a young woman on a Indigenous reservation. Starring Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen, and written and directed by Taylor Sheridan, Wind River was released Aug. 4, 2017. Where to watch  Wind River . Recommendations Tim: True Grit  (Coens, 2010) —...

Show Notes Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet, Laura Dern & Greta Gerwig Break Down a Scene from ' Little Women ' ( Vanity Fair ) Why Greta Gerwig's Little Women  is The Best ( Thomas Flight ) Synopsis Little Women is an adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel, following the lives, of the four March sisters—Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy—as they navigate personal growth, family bo...

Show Notes Saoirse Ronan on her career (Vanity Fair) Stanley Tucci, nominated for an Oscar Synopsis Lady Bird , a coming-of-age story, stars Saoirse Ronan as the eponymous unsatisfied and strong-willed teenager trapped in boring Sacramento. Written and directed by Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird was released Sept 1, 2017. Where to watch  Lady Bird Scene : [18:20-22:15] Recommendations Tim: Snack Shack (Re...

Show Notes "Kingdom of Heaven | Why The Director's Cut Is Better" by Daniel Netzel Synopsis A bereaved French peasant discovers his noble heritage and embarks on a knight’s quest, traveling to Jerusalem in search of purpose and redemption. Starring Orlando Bloom and directed by Ridley Scott, Kingdom of Heaven was released May 6, 2005. Where to watch  Kingdom of Heaven Scene  [1:29:3...

Show Notes The Brutalist  trailer Russell Crowe on working with Ridley Scott Russell Crowe on his acting skills Synopsis Gladiator follows Maximus, a second-century Roman general, who is betrayed and left for dead by Marcus Aurelius’ ambitious son, Commodus. In order to take revenge for his murdered family, Maximus must rise through the ranks as a gladiator. Starring Russell Crowe and directed by...

Show Notes Ari Aster @ Film at Lincoln Center Ari Aster on The Big Picture Podcast Synopsis Midsommar follows the depressed Dani as she joins her disengaged boyfriend on a trip to Sweden to attend a folk festival. The more they learn about the reclusive commune of which they are guests, the more unsettling their experience becomes. Starring Florence Pugh and written and directed by Ari Aster, Mids...

Show Notes Smile's viral marketing campaign Ari Aster on CBC Q Alex Wolff's struggles with the role Toni Collette's career review Synopsis Hereditary follows the Graham family as they mourn their secretive grandmother, finding out more about her sinister proclivities—and how they have inherited them— along the way.  Starring Toni Collette, and written and directed by Ari Aster, Here...

Show Notes The Wes Anderson Collection by Matt Zoller Seitz The Most Difficult Shot in Movie History (And Why It Matters) Synopsis The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissuo tells of the story of the titular oceanographer, on the hunt for the rare shark that killed his friend so he can exact revenge and film his next movie. Starring Bill Murray, written by Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach, and directed by W...

Show Notes We shot a YouTube video about film formats on 35mm film The Insane Realism of the Film That Invented the Modern Car Movie Synopsis Mad Max: Fury Road  finds the franchise’s titular hero caught in the escape of Immortan Joe’s harem of wives, under the leadership of Imperator Furiosa. Starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, and directed by George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road was released Ma...

Synopsis The film centers on the marriage of Nick & Amy Dunne, the nature of which is called into question (along with the former’s culpability) when the latter goes missing on the day of their fifth wedding anniversary. Starring Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck, and directed by David Fincher, Gone Girl was released Oct. 2, 2014. Where to watch Gone Girl . TAY’S SCENE - 23:54 - 27:02 - One Day Go...

Synopsis The movie centers on Patrick Bateman, a handsome, intelligent and successful young professional in 1980s New York that moonlights as a psychotic killer. Starring Christian Bale, directed by Mary Harron, and based on the book of the same name by Brett Easton Ellis, American Psycho was released on April 14, 2000. Where to watch  American Psycho . Scene  [17:10- 20:07]  - "Business Card...

Another season done! We wrap up in our usual fashion by comparing our rankings of the taglines from this year's movies.  Follow: SSC on Instagram Tim on Letterboxd Tay on Letterboxd

Tim and Tay are back to wrap up the season with one of their favourite movies in recent years, The Nice Guys . Tune in for a chat about "Big Russ" and the comedic stylings of Ryan Gosling.      Synopsis An alcoholic detective and a purposeless tough guy become embroiled in a missing persons case that takes them on a journey through the many corrupt echelons of 1970s LA. Starring Ryan Gos...

In this special annual episode, Tim and Tay highlight a few notable movies from 2023. Not necessarily the best or our favourites, but certainly worth seeing! Tim The Killer (Fincher) The Taste of Things (Anh Hung) The Creator (Edwards) Tay Poor Things (Lanthimos) How To Blow Up A Pipeline (Goldhaber) The Holdovers (Payne) Links: Filming  The Holdovers As always, please leave us a review on iTunes...

Tim and Tay leave pretentious and inconvenient movies behind and switch to the principal media of the modern age: streaming TV. In the first episode of Solo TV Dinner we explore Andor and how it finds impressive depth working within the Star Wars IP machine. Synopsis Andor tells the story of the titular hero’s journey from apathetic rogue to dyed-in-the-wool rebel, acting as a prequel to Rogue One...

Tim and Tay discuss what is likely the most beloved Star Wars anthology film, Rogue One . A compelling but compromised film, Rogue One introduced new visuals, themes, and characters to the cinematic Star Wars canon. Tune in for a discussion of Gareth Edwards' knack for imparting scale on the big screen and a lot more.  Synopsis Rogue One details the rebel effort to steal the Death Star plans...

Tim and Tay try to look at Star Wars with fresh eyes in this episode on the genesis of one of  film culture's most valuable, gargantuan, and mixed franchises. Synopsis Star Wars (renamed " Episode IV: A New Hope" in ‘81) tells the story of Luke Skywalker, a farm boy that gets caught up in the rebel alliance’s desperate efforts to destroy the galactic empire’s weapon of mass destruct...