SSC 98: Alien (Scott, 1979)

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

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

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

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

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

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 FairAs always, please leave us a review on iTunes and spread the word to your friends!This month: The Coen Brothers!Follow: SSC on Instagram Tim on Letterboxd

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 SnowpiercerNotes:"Snowpiercer - Left or Right" (Every Frame a Painting)First past the post pollingRecommendationsTim: Train to Busan (Yeon, 2016) — where to watchTay: The Platform (Gaztelu-Urrutia, 2019) — where to watchFollow: SSC on Instagram Tim on Letterboxd

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 Underground" by Inkoo KangRecommendationsTim: Cheap Thrills (Katz, 2013) — where to watchTay: Kajillionaire (July, 2020) — where to watchFollow: SSC on Instagram Tim on Letterboxd

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 Tattoo.RecommendationsTim: Fire Walk With Me (Lynch, 1992) — where to watchTay: The Killing of Chinese Bookie (Cassavetes, 1976) — where to watchFollow: SSC on Instagram Tim on Letterboxd

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.RecommendationsTim: True Grit  (Coens, 2010) — where to watchTay: Hell or High Water (Mackenzie, 2016) — where to watchFollow: SSC on Instagram Tim on Letterboxd