Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkingtons On Cinema podcast

[Cuellar]

Never watched these, but I saw a full four hour video of the trial and I wanted to watch that so I thought I needed the backstory - I've been binging them, now halfway through season 5. I think the first Oscars special was a real highlight, the second one was good, but the amateurish nature of the first was excellent.

Tim getting drunk and giggling and stuffing popcorn in his mouth when Gregg's VHS of the Godfather falls out when John Aprea is trying to sign it made me cry with laughter.

[Chollis]

Is there a better quality version of the 1st Oscar than the one on youtube?

[selectivememory]

The trial was absolutely amazing. Every now and then I think about Gregg sitting in the gallery munching popcorn with a smug look on his face while a grieving mother gives testimony against Tim.

I'm a fan of the later seasons of Decker. It definitely peaked with Hawaii, but for all the talk of it becoming just another Adult Swim show, I don't think it would make any sense to someone who wasn't aware of its origins and familiar with all the in-jokes and character quirks. I know it kind of separated from the On Cinema timeline, but within it there are still great Tim and Gregg character moments, plus cameos from people like Mark, Dekkar and Dr San that are obviously way more funny if you're familiar with their OC characters. There was one moment when Mark popped up doing a WC Fields impression and the look on Gregg's face was magnificent. I also remember there being references to the Star Trek controversy in it. You'd have no way of understanding why it was funny if you hadn't seen OC.

[Yussef Dent]

As someone else said, just wait til you get to The Trial.

For my money, big a fan as I am, there are some pretty weak moments - if not entire seasons - later on in the run.  But then they'll always throw in something like The Trial to remind you just how great it is.

I tend to find that whilst some episodes seem a bit duff, they will feature something in them which is teeing up something else in the next episode or further down the line. That's not to say there hasn't been a couple of blind alleys they've ran down, the RioJenesis thing in particular as Tim's issues with quack medical schemes, with this one being similar to Brain Force Plus, is a well trodden path. Nevertheless, in the world of On Cinema, as a sponsor that's the kind of crap Tim would like to associate himself with but thankfully he wasn't peddling it for too long.

Like a few people it was this thread that got me intrigued by it. At the root of it On Cinema is two characters doing a terrible film show for 8-10 minutes, it's not that much of a premise, but the whole myriad of what they've created from it is bloody fantastic. I started watching at series 3, but went back to the start of it all after a bit (series 3 is where it really hits its straps though for me). As daunting as it may seem initially, it's completely well worth investing time in, and I'll be another one to say how superb the trial is.

[Enrico Palazzo]

Decker vs Dracula was a wee bit of a chore.

[ajsmith2]

Is there a better quality version of the 1st Oscar than the one on youtube?

Fraid not, in fact the version that's up is probably the highest res there ever was.  I think a combo of being them not treating it as seriously as later OS's and lower standards for live stream picture quality earlier on in this decade.

Despite that, it's still my favourite of the Oscar Specials. It's the fact it's just Tim and Gregg and is so raw. The mega corpsing is fun too.

[Cuellar]

I think the poor quality is totally a part of its charm.

[BritishHobo]

Gregg really loved Tom Cruise Heidecker, that's what breaks my heart.

I'm currently drunk-watching season 8, but that's what breaks my heart. He really cared.

[BritishHobo]

I cannot believe how much this show has sucked me in. This is insane. It's just two blokes talking guff about films

[Pearly-Dewdrops Drops]

The all-time greatest On Cinema plotline, and the truest to life if you actually know someone like Gregg (or are, or have been in the past a bit like Gregg yourself...), is Gregg's refusal to admit he was wrong about Star Trek II.

I won't spoil all the payoffs for those still working through the timeline.

[garbed_attic]

Gregg really loved Tom Cruise Heidecker, that's what breaks my heart.

I'm currently drunk-watching season 8, but that's what breaks my heart. He really cared.

Hmm I'm a Gregghead but I still think Gregg mostly cared about Tom Cruise Heidecker for his acting abilities!

[The Lion King]

I really enjoyed Tim's Jackson Hole era. The whole Hogshots idea and eating Bison because it's rich in amoeba acids. That whole patriot of the earth get up was incredible. The full on Alex Jones stuff feels a bit on the nose but it makes sense for him to end up there as deep down he always had it in him

[BritishHobo]

Gone back to watch the Oscars specials before starting season 8. Oh my god.

Every year me and my partner stay up and watch the Oscars, taking the next day off work. She's always done it, and it's very important to her as a tradition. Wondering how to break it to her that I will now need to have this on during all future ceremonies.

Actually in tears at Gregg's O S K E R videotape domino finale in the second special. "It's O S C A R. Gregg." "It's spelled both ways." "It is not spelled both ways."

[BritishHobo]

Up to the Our Cinema special. These are incredible. I wish I had watched them in order, as while nothing massively plot-heavy happens, it's shed light on a few Decker things, like James Dean, and Mark playing the Three Stooges. Also Tim's gradual meltdowns really are a hell of a thing. I love the balls of him ringing about ten times in the Our Cinema special, and then defensively saying he's only rung twice.

"I'm not fucking around. I'm on the sixty-fourth floor, and there's a window here..."

"Well, jump. Mahar - uh - Moonlight won, for... Best Supporting Actress, bye bye."

[Cuellar]

I often find Tim mispronouncing every name a bit tedious but I just watched one where he calls Colin Firth 'Colin Filth' without missing a beat and did a big snort of laughter.

[Bazooka]

I know Decker gets less praise than the main On Cinema format, but it gets me bang for my buck more gag laughs,largely because of Joe Estevez. It is a wonderful universe though, as others have said a good time to dive in.

[gmoney]

Caught up with loads of these over the last week. They're a lot of fun. The main thing for me is that Gregg Turkington is such a subtly brilliant physical comedian. Tiny things like him turning his entire body to look at Tim, or him shuffling around in his ill fitting suit at the Oscar specials. I think the biggest laugh I've had from the entire run was him radiating smugness during the Star Trek 2 On Cinema On Location VT.

[Chollis]

Caught up with loads of these over the last week. They're a lot of fun. The main thing for me is that Gregg Turkington is such a subtly brilliant physical comedian. Tiny things like him turning his entire body to look at Tim, or him shuffling around in his ill fitting suit at the Oscar specials. I think the biggest laugh I've had from the entire run was him radiating smugness during the Star Trek 2 On Cinema On Location VT.

Haha, I just watched that Star Trek episode "CASE CLOSED".

The desolate look on his face after Tim says he won't be asking him back as a guest, and the shit eating grin after Ayaka returns to Japan following the stolen tape argument.

He's a brilliantly observed character, but I also love the rare times he corpses, I just watched the popcorn testing episode and you can see him losing it at 8:32

https://youtu.be/_1g-Q7Nim6A?t=510

[BritishHobo]

Him awkwardly milling about and occasionally mock-shooting during his tribute to James Bond is a fuckin joy, I could watch it for hours.

I've also just finished season nine and oh my god, the look on his face after Tim's threat - staring into eternity as the Six Bag Cinema music plays. Holy shit.

[famethrowa]

What was the business with Sully? I kinda missed what happened there.

[famethrowa]

On a Tim tangent, I'm concerned that no-one else will understand and appreciate the song "Weatherman" from the Heidecker and Wood album the way I do.... I love the track and the whole parody/homage lineage of it gives me a special glow.

[Cuellar]

Fucking hell the seemingly genuine fear in 'James Dean's face when Tim screams at him in the 3rd Oscar special is great. Poor old guy, I guess he was told something like that might happen, but he still seems terrified.

[garbed_attic]

Fucking hell the seemingly genuine fear in 'James Dean's face when Tim screams at him in the 3rd Oscar special is great. Poor old guy, I guess he was told something like that might happen, but he still seems terrified.

In fairness, he does then seem to throw a real knife at Tim!

[Cuellar]

Haha, so he does. "He's a son of a bitch!" I really love old James Dean.

[famethrowa]

Haha, so he does. "He's a son of a bitch!" I really love old James Dean.

That engine noise during the James Dean montage is so hilariously annoying.

[hermitical]

Well hello cheeky....

[kittens]

"I have very little respect for those who mire themselves in the muck of knowing useless trivia and pointless data about movies"
made me burst out laughing. is the book out now then?

[BritishHobo]

Is Amazon UK accurate in having it priced at forty-three quid?!

[Puce Moment]

Caught up with loads of these over the last week. They're a lot of fun. The main thing for me is that Gregg Turkington is such a subtly brilliant physical comedian. Tiny things like him turning his entire body to look at Tim, or him shuffling around in his ill fitting suit at the Oscar specials.

After the live On Cinema event at the Soho Theatre I made a note to watch him interacting with fans (most of them CaB people tbh) and he really did not seem so different to his character. Maybe he was still in character, but he has this rather odd high shouldered, stiff way of moving that I love.

[weaseldust]

i read an interview with tim recently where he said he was with gregg and their tour manager, looking for vhs tapes in charity shops to sell at the live shows and gregg really gets into it and tim turned to the tour manager and said 'the funny thing is, there's a lot of gregg in gregg' and the tour manager looked at him and said 'there's a lot of you in tim!' 'really?' 'yes'
https://believermag.com/an-interview-with-tim-heidecker/