Alien focuses on the crew of a commercial spaceship who investigate a distress signal and unknowingly bring a deadly alien lifeform aboard. One by one, the crew is hunted in the isolation of deep space.Starring Sigourney Weaver and directed by Ridley Scott, Alien was released May 25, 1979.Where to watch Alien.NotesPeaks Central Film FestivalChestburster in Spaceballs RecommendationsTim: The Hidden (Sholder, 1987) — where to watchTay: Repo Man (Cox, 1984) — where to watchFollow: SSC on Instagram Tim on Letterboxd
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1:27:24
SSC 97: Annihilation (Garland, 2018) w/ James Stacey
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.NotesAnnihilation and Decoding Metaphor (Folding Ideas)MandelbulbRecommendationsTim: Evil Does Not Exist (Hamaguchi, 2023) — where to watchTay: Rush (Howard, 2013) — where to watchJames: Devs (Garland, 2020) — where to watchFollow: SSC on Instagram Tim on Letterboxd
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1:35:13
SSC 96: Ex Machina (Garland, 2013)
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 MachinaNotesPlayhouse CinemaPeaks Film FestivalThe Idea of "Bumping The Lamp" (via kaptainkristian, not Every Frame a Painting)RecommendationsTim: Companion (Hancock, 2025) — where to watchTay: Automata (Ibáñez, 2014) — where to watchFollow: SSC on Instagram Tim on Letterboxd
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1:17:06
SSC 95: O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Coens, 2000)
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 released December 22, 2000.Where to watch O Brother, Where Art Thou?NotesDown From The Mountain (music documentary)Eudora Welty's photographyRecommendationsTim: Sullivan's Travels (Sturges, 1941) — where to watchTay: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (Coens, 2018) — where to watchFollow: SSC on Instagram Tim on Letterboxd
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1:25:26
SSC 94: Inside Llewyn Davis (Coens, 2013) w/ Andrew Finlay Stewart
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 and directed by Joel & Ethan Coen, Inside Llewyn Davis was released December 6, 2013. Where to watch Inside Llewyn DavisRecommendationsAndrew: Sprout Wings and Fly (Blank, 1983) — where to watchTim: Amadeus (Forman, 1984) — where to watchTay: Eden (Løve, 2014) — where to watchFollow: SSC on Instagram Tim on Letterboxd
Single Serving Cinema looks at one critical scene in a movie every other week. We explore how the scene is constructed, what the scene achieves, and what it can tell us about the movie as a whole. Hosted by Tim & Tay.