Single Serving Cinema

Tim & Tay talk about the new era of animation in this discussion of Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. Tune in for a comparison of Peter Parker and Miles Morales, a celebration of innovative animation, and more. Synopsis Unsure of who or what he wants to be, Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales is bitten by a radioactive spider and develops special powers. When he meets the current Spider-Man, and...

Tim & Tay talk about the cinephile's classic Cinema Paradiso , as selected by our Instagram contest winner. Synopsis A celebrated Sicilian director returns home for the funeral of an old friend, recounting his coming-of-age through flashbacks centered around the village’s cinema. Starring Phiippe Noiret and Jaques Perrin, and directed by Guisepe Tornatore, Cinema Paradiso was released on...

Tim & Tay talk about the Oscars, rom-coms, and a lot more in this discussion of When Harry Met Sally. Synopsis Maybe more-than-friends Harry and Sally navigate the dating world through their thirties, learning whether there really are any true rules defining the relationships between men and women.  Starring Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, written by Norah Ephron, and directed by Rob Reiner, When...

Tim & Tay talk Spider-Man and the beginning of a new cinematic era. This episode covers the idea of post-9/11 New York as a character, Willem Dafoe's arch take on the comic book villain, and much more. Synopsis When unpopular and unassuming high schooler Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider, he gains miraculous powers that soon throw his life into disarray. Starring Tobey Maguir...

Tim & Tay discuss Signs, the changing trajectory of Shyamalan's career over the past two decades, and what we talk about when we talk about "coverage".  Synopsis A former priest comes to terms with his loss of faith as strange phenomena on his farm and around the world suggest the arrival of an invading alien species on earth. Starring Mel Gibson and written, directed, and edite...

Tim & Tay dive into the often unfairly-maligned filmography of M. Night Shyamalan. We talk about iconic twists, patient child acting, and much more in this episode on The Sixth Sense (1999).  Synopsis Bruce Willis plays Malcolm Crowe, a child psychiatrist struggling to connect with his wife in the fallout of a traumatic home invasion. Colm attempts to help Cole Sear, a young boy haunted by vis...

In this special episode, Tim and Tay highlight a few notable movies from 2022. Not necessarily the best or our favourites, but certainly worth seeing! Disclosures Aftersun  (Wells, 2022) All Quiet On The Western Front  (Berger, 2022) Tim The Fablemans  (Spielberg, 2022) Speak No Evil  (Tafdrup, 2022) Tar  (Field, 2022) Tay Crimes of the Future  (Cronenberg, 2022) Triangle of Sadness  (Östlund, 202...

Tim and Tay kick off the New Year by reflecting on movie trends from 2022. The two hosts share concepts from the previous cinematic year that they hope will continue in 2023 and beyond.  Tune in for our Pick 3 episode in 2 weeks! Follow: SSC on Instagram Tim on Letterboxd Tay on Letterboxd

Tim and Tay are once again joined by James Stacey ( The Grey Nato ) to talk about our final Denis Villeneuve pick for our potlucks: Prisoners . We discuss to what degree this movie has aged well, Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, and the consistent cinematographic mastery that Roger Deakins brings to the movies he shoots.  Synopsis When two young girls are kidnapped in the Pennsylvania suburbs over T...

Tim & Tay attempt to talk meaningfully about one of the most iconic war movies of all time. Dig in for a discussion of J-cuts, audience surrogacy, and Tom Hanks' onscreen presence.  Synopsis After surviving D-Day, an army rangers squad is tasked with finding a paratrooper in wartorn France in order to escort him safely home. Starring Tom Hanks and directed by Stephen Spielberg, Saving Pri...

Tim & Tay are joined by Kyle Snarr to discuss Christopher Nolan's war epic Dunkirk . We talk about time strata, IMAX, and more.  Our guest this week is Kyle Snarr, a gear guy, auto enthusiast, and film buff. He’s the Head of Partnerships at Worn & Wound , the co-founder of Cantonment Co. (a TGN favorite), and a big fan of SSC. Synopsis Allied soldiers cornered by the German threat in...

Tim & Tay close out this year's month of horror with a bonafide classic: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre . They discuss the film's legacy, how its horror functions, and more.  Synopsis A group of five friends travels by van across rural Texas to visit a grandfather’s grave site. They stop at an old farmhouse where they face an unimaginable terror in the form of a deranged cannibalistic f...

Tim & Tay discuss this month's listener selection: A Nightmare On Elm Street (Craven, 1984). We explore this month's alchemical production, Freddy's anointing as an iconic boogeyman, and the unbeatable premise of this franchise.  Synopsis A group of teenagers are plagued by a recurring nightmare in which they are pursued by a badly-burned man with knives for fingers. Their fear...

Tim brings one of his favourite horror movies to the podcast: Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria. The hosts talk horror remakes, Tilda Swinton and more in this discussion of the witchy and dense take on Dario Argento's original horror classic. Synopsis Susie Bannion, a naive midwesterner, travels to a divided Berlin to join the mysterious Markos Dance Company. Starring Dakota Johnson and Tilda S...

Tim and Tay talk meta-narratives, a new era of horror and Matthew Lillard in this discussion of We Craven's revolutionary post-modern classic Scream . Synopsis A masked killer stalks high school students in this meta and modern horror classic. Starring Neve Campbell and directed by Wes Craven, Scream was released Dec. 20, 1996. Scream is available to stream on Shudder . Scene  [00:00-13:08] A...

Tim and Tay talk flatulence, Daniel Radcliffe's career and more in this discussion of DANIELS' 2016 breakout film Swiss Army Man. Synopsis A hopelessly lost man discovers and befriends a dead body and uses its miraculous, if gross, abilities to survive the wilderness and make his way home.  Starring Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe, Swiss Army Man was directed by DANIELS, and released Janu...

Tim and Tay talk cinematic realism, anamorphic lenses, and Kevin Garnett's acting skills in this discussion of Uncut Gems . Synopsis Diamond district jeweller and gambling addict Howie Ratner makes bet after bet in pursuit of his big win.  Starring Adam Sandler, and directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, Uncut Gems was released August 30, 2019. Uncut Gems is available to stream on Netflix .  Scen...

Tim and Tay talk Verhoeven, love-triangles and squibs in this discussion of 1997's StarshipTroopers. Synopsis Johnny Rico joins his high school friends in a galactic war against bugs from outer space, and soon comes face to face with both the highs and horrors of a life in military service.  Starring Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, and Dina Meyer, Starship Troopers was directed by Paul Verh...

Jordan Peele's Nope dropped right before we entered out alien movie month, so you know we had to do a bite-sized bonus episode on it. No scene, no proper format—just a fast chat about the movie right after our second viewing. Nope concerns ranch-owning siblings OJ and Emerald Haywood who attempt to document a thrilling and terrifying phenomenon in order to gain fame and fortune. Starring Dani...

Tim and Tay are once again joined by James Stacey (The Grey Nato) to talk about another Denis Villeneuve movie: Arrival . We discuss this movie's patience, the cinematic  function of the Louise's transformation, and more in this potluck episode.  Synopsis When twelve alien ships appear on Earth, a linguist must determine how to communicate with the visitors before more paranoid and viole...

Tim and Tay become obsessed with the flesh in this discussion of David Cronenberg's body-horror masterpiece The Fly.  Synopsis An attempt to change the nature of transportation results in a horrible accident for ambitious scientist Seth Brundle. Starring Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis, and directed by David Cronenberg, The Fly was released on August 15, 1986. The Fly is available to stream on...

Tim and Tay dig into one of their favourite Canadian filmmakers, David Cronenberg, in this talk on A History Of Violence . Despite its lack of body horror, gore and goop, this character drama remains a distinctly Cronenbergian creation, Synopsis Small-town diner-owner Tom Stall makes national news by easily dispatching two criminals who threatened his staff. Seeing him on TV, dangerous men from th...

CORRECTION: Contrary to what we discuss in this episode, the thirtieth episode (planned as a potluck for Arrival) will release in August, not July. We will save the alien theme and listener vote for that month. July's theme will be announced on Instagram soon. ---   Tim & Tay close out (early career) Keanu month with the film that cemented him as an action star willing to do his own stunt...

Tim & Tay kick off Keanu month with one of his most iconic blockbusters: Point Break . We talk about Keanu's unique offering as an actor, '90s action cinematography, and meatball sandwiches.  Synopsis Federal Agent Johnny Utah infiltrates a group of bank-robbing surfers and soon begins to question his loyalties. Starring Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze and Lori Petty, and directed by Ka...

Tim & Tay follow through on their promise to rank the taglines from each and every movie covered in season one. Tim's List The Thing - Man is the warmest place to hide. The Royal Tenenbaums - Family Isn't A Word... It's A Sentence. In The Mouth of Madness - Lived any good books lately? Drag Me To Hell - Christine Brown has a good job, a great boyfriend, and a bright future. But...