Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington have built 'On Cinema at the Cinema' into a decade-long satirical series parodying movie reviews. The show, now in its 16th season on the HEI Network, features improvised chaos and ongoing narratives about its bickering hosts. The 13th Oscar Special streams live on March 15.
'On Cinema at the Cinema' began in 2011 as a parody podcast recorded between takes of the film 'The Comedy,' according to Turkington. Initially meant to 'make us laugh for a few minutes,' it evolved into a video series distributed by Adult Swim on YouTube for the first 11 seasons. After Adult Swim ended its digital production, the show moved to the subscription-based HEI Network, complete with its own cryptocurrency, HEI Points.
In weekly episodes, Heidecker and Turkington's characters review new theatrical releases, rating them on a scale of one to five bags of popcorn. Heidecker's persona favors films with Tom Hanks or Tom Cruise, declaring in the intro, 'When you got movies like Tom Cruise in them, you can’t lose!' Turkington's character, posing as a film expert, often praises flops, such as giving 'The Incredible Burt Wonderstone' five bags in Season 2.
The series weaves a continuous narrative through the hosts' off-screen lives, including social media feuds and major arcs like Heidecker's district attorney campaign in Season 11, documented in the 2019 film 'Mister America.' Other plots involve a deadly music festival in Season 9, leading to a five-hour improvised trial reenactment for second-degree murder.
Heidecker explains the improvisational approach: 'In the first couple of seasons... I could tell these stories about what’s going on in between the episodes, and you didn’t have to shoot any of that stuff.' Director Eric Notarnicola describes the set as a 'playground' for real-time adjustments.
Annual Oscar Specials devolve into disorder, like the 2015 event where Heidecker ended by eating Chinese food on camera. This year's 'The Last Oscar Special' streams March 15 at 4 p.m. PT via heinetwork.tv. Future plans include the 'Five Bags of Popcorn' tour at Los Angeles' Wilshire Ebell Theatre on April 17 and expanding the HEI Network to support emerging artists.
Fans engage deeply online, divided into 'Gregg-heads' and 'Tim-heads,' mimicking the hosts' styles in comments.