On Cinema

On Cinema
File:OnCinemaTitle.png
Genre	Comedy Film Satire Black comedy Cringe comedy
Created by	Tim Heidecker Gregg Turkington
Written by	Tim Heidecker Gregg Turkington Eric Nortarnicola
Directed by	Benjamin Burman (seasons 1–2) Eric Notarnicola (seasons 3–11) Vera Drew (season 12)
Starring	Tim Heidecker Gregg Turkington Mark Proksch Joe Estevez
Opening theme	"Enjoy The Show" by Joseph M. Saba and Stewart J. Winter
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	13 web seasons 1 podcast season 1 limited event (video series)
No. of episodes	47 & 14 specials (podcast) 110 & 17 specials (video series) (episode list)
Production
Production company	Abso Lutely Productions
Release
Original network	Podcast: Independent Video series: Thing X (2012–13) adultswim.com (2013–2020) HEI Network (2021–present)
Original release	Podcast: 2011 (2011) – 2013 (2013) Video series: 2012 (2012) – present (present)
Chronology
Related	Decker

On Cinema (also called On Cinema at the Cinema and On Cinema! and More in the Morning for the video series) is an American comedy web series and podcast starring Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington. The duo appear, using their own names, as a pair of hapless movie reviewers to promote new film releases. The show started as an independently released podcast from 2011 to 2013, before being picked up as a professionally produced web video series by Thing X in 2012–13 for its first two seasons, then moving to Adult Swim.com in 2013. The show moved to HEI Network, an independent service run by Tim, in 2021, with funding given by user subscriptions and Oscar special ticket purchases.

On Cinema at the Cinema is the hub of a 'fictional universe' that includes the podcast, 12 seasons of the video series, nine yearly live specials, a spin-off limited series entitled "The Trial", the spin-off series Decker, a movie review app, an On Cinema Live! tour, and a film entitled Mister America.

On Cinema also features a myriad of guest actors, some of whom play fictionalized versions of themselves, including Joe Estevez and Mark Proksch. The show and fictional universe have a dedicated cult following of fans who play along with the storylines via social media, often taking sides as "TimHeads" or "GreggHeads", or "Chaosheads" for those that do not take a side. Heidecker and Turkington also started Decker-Con, where they appear in character and interact with fans.

Premise

Early podcast episodes of On Cinema were usually no longer than one or two minutes. Heidecker and Turkington would "review" films without actually providing any meaningful information or critical insight. Following the shift to an online video series, episodes grew to an average length of ten minutes. With the video series, Tim and Gregg start using a rating scale of "bags of popcorn" ranging from 0–5. While Gregg respects the limit of five, Tim often goes overboard giving "6 bags" or dozens more, creating tension and confusion throughout the show. Almost every film gets a score of "5 bags"—known as a 'five-bagger'—or higher from both reviewers.

Although reviewing films remains the central conceit, the focus of the series quickly shifted from a mockery of amateur podcasting and YouTube criticism to an extended, improvisational character study of the two podcasters. Heidecker, in character on On Cinema, frequently uses his time on camera to discuss anything on his character's mind except film, such as his bizarre ailments, personal crises, and right-wing political views, or to simply berate and belittle Turkington. Turkington's character fancies himself a "film expert," his only qualification being an enormous collection of forgettable mainstream films from the 1980s and 1990s on VHS. The series continues to provide reviews that purposely offer no real critical insight. Later seasons have seen Tim lose interest in reviewing movies, instead creating a TV show, Decker, and starting a rock band, Dekkar.

Guest appearances have included Jordan Hoffman, Jimmy McNichol, Joe Estevez, Lawrence Turman, Sally Kellerman, Candy Clark, Mark Proksch, John Aprea, Peyton Reed, Keith Gordon, Nicholas Meyer, Josh Trank, and Lee Garlington, some of whom also appear in the Decker series.

Major characters

Tim Newman (né Heidecker)

Tim is the creator and host of On Cinema and the CEO of 'HEI Inc.' Despite his role, he appears to know very little about the films he is discussing, often showing complete disdain for film in general. Tim regularly uses the show as a public platform to bully Gregg, voice his far-right conservative views, or promote his other creative projects. These include alternative medicine, his action web series Decker, his book Hog Shots, and his band Dekkar. Tim is an aggressive, egomaniacal drug addict and alcoholic. He is extremely open about his personal life, devoting large portions of the show to his various health problems, addictions, and family troubles, much to the chagrin of Gregg.

Tim has been married at least four times. His second marriage ended in divorce between Seasons 2 and 3 after he underwent brain surgery in spite of his wife's objections. Tim later reveals he has an estranged teenage son from a previous marriage. Tim met his third wife, Ayaka, while she was staying with his family as a foreign exchange student. Ayaka and Tim's child, Tom Cruise Jr. Heidecker, died shortly after his birth following Tim's stubborn refusal to have him vaccinated. Their marriage rapidly fell apart following Tom Cruise Jr.'s death. Tim's various addictions spiralled out of control, and he became cold and abusive. After their divorce, Tim dated and married Juliana, the sister of fellow Dekkar band member Axiom. Following the events of The Trial, Tim began a relationship with Toni Newman, the sole juror who refused to find him guilty. They wed at the end of season 11, then again during the 7th Oscar special in which he took her surname and became Tim Newman, although Toni later left him near the end of season 12.

Tim has committed numerous crimes throughout the series, including property damage (mainly the destruction of Gregg's film collection), arson and felony murder of 20 people, leading to his brief ejection from On Cinema and the events of The Trial. Following this, Tim ran an unsuccessful campaign for District Attorney of San Bernardino against his own prosecutor, DA Vincent Rosetti, depicted in the film Mister America. Tim was aided by Toni Newman, the one juror to find him innocent of the charges leveled against him. Following his failed political career, Tim eventually reacquired the On Cinema brand.

In the brief instances when Tim does appear to show interest in film, he has suggested that his favorite actor is Tom Cruise (or Tom Hanks and Kiefer Sutherland on some occasions) and that his favorite film is Jack Reacher. He is an avid fan of Tom Clancy, regarding him as a great author and political commentator. Clancy's works, and the television series 24, in particular the character of Jack Bauer, are clear influences on Decker. In the 2016 presidential race, Tim endorsed Donald Trump, describing his opponent Hillary Clinton as a criminal and calling for her to be sentenced and executed.

Gregg Turkington

Gregg is a regular guest of On Cinema, sometimes acting as host when Tim is unwell or incarcerated. Gregg is a film buff and self-described movie expert, judging other experts and film scholars with disdain and uncertainty (likely stemming from a confrontation with Lawrence Turman, who derided his abilities as a reviewer). Despite his clear antipathy towards Tim, not to mention the near-constant abuse he suffers under him, Gregg repeatedly returns to On Cinema in the hopes that he will be made co-host. Gregg displays no empathy for or interest in Tim's life. Almost nothing is known about Gregg's personal life. He is mainly quiet and withdrawn, actively avoiding confrontation, redirecting almost every conversation into a movie reference and regarding real-world events and documentary films as pointless distractions. He has an extensive collection of VHS cassettes which he refers to as 'The Victorville Film Archives', boasting that it's one of the largest film archives in America. The exact size of his collection remains unknown as Gregg has not yet opened it to the public. It has also, on multiple occasions, been destroyed by Tim.

Gregg believes that On Cinema should be devoted exclusively to film criticism, despite his obvious lack of critical insight. Though not as openly hostile as Tim, Gregg is often stubborn and passive-aggressive, insisting on his incorrect knowledge when challenged and quietly criticizing Tim when he steals the limelight. He produces a number of segments for the show, such as Popcorn Classics, where he will briefly discuss a film from his library, and On Cinema On Location, where he documents various locations in Los Angeles where forgettable films were shot. He plays a secondary character on Decker, the "Master of Codes" Special Agent Jonathan Kington. The character of Kington has proved to be a source of controversy within On Cinema, with Gregg boycotting the Kingsman and Star Wars franchises, believing them to be plagiarisms of his character. Gregg wrote and directed the third season of Decker, Gregg Turkington's Decker vs. Dracula, a lengthy and ambitious project that would see the Taliban joining forces with Decker to defeat Dracula. Of the series' projected 20 episodes (including a 2-hour finale), only four were released. The series was cancelled by Tim, citing Gregg's "lack of professionalism" as the main factor in his decision, even though it was the highest rated season. During Tim's tour with Dekkar, Gregg hosted his own show Our Cinema with Mark Proksch: a micro-budget production frequently interrupted by Tim's abusive phone calls.

As the series has progressed, Gregg has shown himself to be almost as sociopathic as Tim. Between the 5th and 6th Oscar Special, Gregg stored a comatose Mark Proksch in his apartment, denying him access to medical treatment and eventually using a still-unconscious, intubated Mark as a prop for a "Living Oscar" segment (dressing him in a gold leotard and face paint, propped up on a sack truck). Following Mark's eventual revival, Gregg continued to manipulate him, setting him up as a street vendor for bootleg VHS cassettes (which Gregg mistakenly believed were public domain), leading to Mark's arrest. During the 7th Oscar special, Gregg left his 'Mobile VFA' (a car filled with VHS cassettes) running in the studio, causing a toxic buildup of carbon monoxide, rendering the entire studio of presenters and guests unconscious and resulting in the deaths of a production assistant and a caterer. After being confronted with evidence of the poisoning during the 8th Oscar special, Gregg stormed out of the building pursued by Tim's bodyguard, Michael "Larue" Matthews, who he then ran over with the Mobile VFA in an uncharacteristic rage.

Gregg's favorite film is The Hobbit. He describes himself as a "Hobbit Head" and campaigns every year for the Academy Awards to recognize Peter Jackson and give the Best Picture award to The Hobbit trilogy, believing that the Academy has "a write-in section".

Recurring characters

Dr. Luther Sanchez

Played by Zac Holtzman. Luther Sanchez, commonly referred to as "Dr. San", was a practitioner of alternative medicine, serving first as Tim's acupuncturist and later as his family physician with the birth of Tom Cruise Jr., responsible for convincing Tim not to vaccinate his child. He was for all intents and purposes a con-man, tricking Tim out of large sums of money for sub-standard acupuncture treatment with dirty needles and providing him with toxic vape pens, which would later cause the deaths of 19 people at Tim's 'Electric Sun' music festival. Though he frequently attempted to escape prosecution, he was eventually caught by police and taken into custody, committing suicide by hanging himself in his cell.

Ayaka Heidecker (née Ohwaki)

Ayaka Ohwaki, originally staying with Tim's family as a foreign exchange student, became Tim's second wife and mother of Tom Cruise Jr. They dated briefly before Ayaka moved back to Japan, only to reunite after a heartfelt plea by Tim during an episode of On Cinema. Tim was by all accounts a cold and sometimes abusive husband, made worse by the death of Tom Cruise Jr. During Tim's trial for the felony murder of 20 people at the Electric Sun Festival, Ayaka revealed that Tim forced her to abort their second child, thereby terminating their relationship. Ayaka was living in Japan with a new husband when she came back to testify at Tim's trial. She is assumed to have returned to Japan after giving her testimony.

Joe Estevez

Much like Tim and Gregg, Joe Estevez, an American actor and the younger brother of actor Martin Sheen, portrays a fictionalized version of himself. He is a close friend of Tim and Gregg, becoming the second most regular guest on On Cinema. He is friendly and forbearing despite Tim's uncertain temperament and numerous drunken tirades. He was one of the first actors to join the cast of Decker, supporting Tim in his efforts to make a feature film before the project became a web series. He plays a recurring role as President Davidson and his son, President Davidson Jr.

Tom Cruise Jr. Heidecker

Tom Cruise Jr. was Tim and Ayaka's son, named after Tim's favorite actor Tom Cruise. He died of an undisclosed illness after his father, under the supervision of Dr. San, refused to vaccinate him. Tim hotly contests this, claiming that Tom Cruise Jr.'s death was caused by a fatal buildup of black mold at Gregg's beach house, still believing vaccines to be dangerous and unethical. In the On Cinema Fourth Annual Oscars Special, Tim has 'resurrected' Tom Cruise Jr. as a fully-grown CGI mannequin for the benefit of himself and Ayaka, and later at his wedding to Toni Newman. 'Tom Cruise Jr.' encourages his parents not to mourn, announcing that he has become happy and successful before fading away warning others not to vaccinate their children.

Mark Proksch

The character Mark Proksch, played by actor Mark Proksch, is an aspiring comedian and one-time On Cinema and Our Cinema host. Mark was originally hired by Tim and Gregg to perform impersonations of famous actors (such as Charlie Chaplin, W. C. Fields, and the Three Stooges) for the Oscar Specials, to play various characters in the series Decker, or to perform other menial tasks like concession store cashier or waiter, despite his lack of acting skills and general clumsiness. He regularly experiences verbal and physical abuse at the hands of Tim. During the Fifth Oscar Special, he fell into a coma after being locked up in a scuba suit with no oxygen and is revived by accident during the New On Cinema Oscar Special. Gregg kept a comatose Mark in his apartment and during the New Oscar Special he is used by Gregg as a prop Oscar Statue despite Gregg having full knowledge of the severity of his condition. He was accidentally resuscitated by Tim during the Oscar Special, apparently sustaining some form of brain damage, leaving him extremely quiet and docile. He was arrested at the end of season 11 for selling pirated VHS cassettes at the behest of Gregg, and was assaulted by drug addicts while in custody, causing him to fall into another coma. It was announced by Tim and Gregg over Twitter that Mark died shortly after this incident. However, later tweets reveal that Mark is not dead, but roaming the streets of LA. During the Eighth Annual Oscar Special, a brief video recording the fictional Proksch surfaces and suggests that he no longer wishes to be involved with the hosts of On Cinema. However, he returns for season 12 and winds up getting hospitalized again during the events of the Ninth Annual Oscar Special.

Alessandro "Axiom" Serradimigni

Played by Alessandro Serradimigni. A guitar player Tim met at Guitar Center. The second member of Dekkar, and part of the touring On Cinema Live show. At one point, Tim became romantically involved with Axiom's sister, Juliana. During The Trial, it is revealed that Axiom donated his hand to Tim via a hand transplant. He was appointed as one of the first board members of 'HEI INC.', along with Joe Estevez and Manuel. In between the 11th Season and the 7th Oscar Special, Axiom cut ties with Tim and Manuel following the dissolution of Dekkar. He eventually returned for Tim's wedding, saving the unconscious guests from the excess carbon monoxide fumes produced by Gregg's 'Mobile VFA'. Toni has an affair on Tim with Axiom at her birthday party, enraging Tim to the point he kicks Axiom out of the band. Tim and Axiom then reunite during the Wendy Kerby Valentine's Day Special, hugging it out.

Manuel Giusti

Played by Manuel Giusti. The third member of Dekkar, and part of the touring On Cinema Live show. Much like Axiom, Manuel is overwhelmingly loyal to Tim, embarking on numerous doomed creative ventures with him, including a guest appearance as Special Agent Jonathan Kington on the film-within-a film In Service to Our Flag shown in the fourth season of Decker. After Tim suffered horrible burns on his face in season 8, Manuel is chosen by Tim to be a skin donor. He was the best man at Tim and Toni's second wedding. When Wendy Kerby is brought in to form the musical group D4 and takes up residence in the Rock House, Tim explicitly forbids any physical contact between Wendy and Manuel.

John Aprea

Played by John Aprea as a fictionalized version of himself, Aprea is an associate of Tim and Gregg's first appearing on the 1st Oscar Special. He later serves as a guest host of On Cinema and a recurring Decker actor. Despite their working history together, Tim frequently forgets or misremembers his name. Aprea tends to maintain a professional composure lacked by many of the other characters.

Toni Newman

Played by Terri Parks, Toni first appeared on the movie Mister America and continued on the main show. Toni was originally a juror in Tim's trial for murder who voted not guilty because she believed in his innocence. She was subsequently hired as the campaign manager for Tim's district attorney campaign, then as the CFO for Tim's new company. They married at the end of season 11 and again during the 7th Oscar Special. While Toni is more competent than Tim in some areas, she is often equally disorganized and doesn't hesitate to employ illegal tactics to achieve her ends. Toni, while drunk at her own birthday party, has an affair with Axiom, enraging Tim. She goes to rehab and later returns sober, revealing that she was constantly under the influence of alcohol the entire time she was a juror and with Tim, and admitting that he was guilty. She then kicks Tim out of her house and files for divorce, resulting in Tim and LaRue stalking her and stealing files from her rehab.

Michael "LaRue" Matthews

Played by Michael Matthews, LaRue was originally a bit actor from the TV show Decker, and was subsequently hired by Tim as his bodyguard and private detective. Michael is a right-wing militant who believes in various conspiracies theories typically found on the Internet and is regularly sent by Tim on errands to obtain dox/personal information on his supposed enemies. He's also a gun enthusiast, which starts the On Defense series, host of Xposed, and an amateur rapper that performed with Tim's new band DEK4R. After LaRue was run over by Gregg during the 2021 Oscar Special, he has had to make use of an electric mobility aid vehicle.

Wendy Kerby

Played by Jessica Ruth Bell. Wendy is a singer who frequents Tim and Toni's church and first appeared in the 2021 Oscar Special. She later joined Manuel and Axiom in the Rock House for the show of the same name and co-hosted the Wendy Kerby Valentines Day Special with Tim. She runs off set, presumably not to return, after she is creeped out by Tim's behavior during the Valentines Day Special.

Series overview

Main article: List of On Cinema episodes

See also: List of Decker episodes

Season	Episodes		Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
Podcast	47 (& 14 specials)		September 20, 2011 (2011-09-20)	April 22, 2013 (2013-04-22)
1	10 (& 1 special)		December 2, 2012 (2012-12-02)	January 17, 2013 (2013-01-17)
2	10 (& 4 specials)		February 7, 2013 (2013-02-07)	April 25, 2013 (2013-04-25)
3	10 (& 1 special)		July 7, 2013 (2013-07-07)	December 18, 2013 (2013-12-18)
4	10 (& 1 special)		January 8, 2014 (2014-01-08)	March 12, 2014 (2014-03-12)
5	10		July 2, 2014 (2014-07-02)	September 3, 2014 (2014-09-03)
6	10 (& 1 special)		February 4, 2015 (2015-02-04)	April 8, 2015 (2015-04-08)
7	10 (& 1 special)		September 9, 2015 (2015-09-09)	November 11, 2015 (2015-11-11)
8	10 (& 1 special)		March 2, 2016 (2016-03-02)	November 11, 2016 (2016-11-11)
9	10 (& 1 special)		February 26, 2017 (2017-02-26)	May 15, 2017 (2017-05-15)
The Trial	6		November 15, 2017 (2017-11-15)	November 28, 2017 (2017-11-28)
10	10 (& 2 specials)		January 16, 2018 (2018-01-16)	May 25, 2018 (2018-05-25)
11	10 (& 2 specials)		January 25, 2019 (2019-01-25)	November 27, 2019 (2019-11-27)
12	10 (& 5 specials)		December 19, 2019 (2019-12-19)	February 14, 2022 (2022-02-14)
13	1 special		March 22, 2022 (2022-03-22)	TBA

Podcast

The On Cinema podcast was produced independently by Tim and Gregg. The podcast consists of Tim, along with Gregg as a "special guest" for every episode, covering movies poorly and with little insight, and often engaging in arguments. Gregg later developed a more pretentious "film buff" persona, and Tim took a turn to being obnoxiously political, sometimes devoting entire episodes to conspiracy theories, much to the chagrin of Gregg.

A running joke that was carried over to the video series is Gregg's confusion between Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, stubbornly insisting that Tim is the one with the movies reversed, rejecting any evidence to the contrary.

Season 1

The video series debuts on Thing X, a parody website created by Adult Swim, having changed its name to On Cinema at the Cinema. The series is similar to the podcast, taking place on a set meant to look like a movie theater. Gregg is still never acknowledged as more than a guest, and begins his recurring segments "Popcorn Classics", where he brings in forgotten VHS movies to showcase, and "On Cinema On Location", where he travels to filming locations of obscure movies, respectively.

Season 2

Tim reveals he has blood clotting in his brain but rejects surgery because of "side effects, the whole medical industry, and Obamacare", while Gregg pushes for him to get surgery. Late in the season, Tim introduces the first special guest other than Gregg: Ayaka Ohwaki, a foreign exchange student from Japan staying with Tim's family.

The first On Cinema Oscar Special airs, where Tim and Gregg livestream the Oscars and drink champagne. Tim gets very drunk and vomits on some of Gregg's VHS tapes which causes Gregg to walk off the set.

Season 3

Thing X merges with Adult Swim's website, and the series moves with it. The season begins with Tim in a head bandage and in pain, as he went through with the brain surgery, although his wife divorced him for this choice. Gregg begins his goal of watching "500 movies in 500 days", hoping to make the Guinness Book of World Records. Tim kicks Gregg off the show after Gregg drives all the way to San Francisco for an "On Location" segment, to rebuke Tim & (incorrectly) insist that San Francisco was the location of Star Trek II. John Aprea and Ayaka are guests on the next episode, where Tim reveals he is dating Ayaka. In the season finale, Gregg returns to the show as Ayaka was deported back to Japan.

Season 4

Tim begins season four with many health problems and introduces his personal doctor, Dr. San (Zac Holtzman), an alternative medical doctor treating Tim with "natural" remedies, including acupuncture. Dr. San begins coming onto the set with Tim, despite Gregg's objections. However, Tim's face becomes infected and he denounces Dr. San. Ayaka sends a letter to Tim on the show, announcing she is pregnant with Tim's child.

In the second Oscar Special, Tim and Gregg drink champagne, with Tim, again, getting belligerently drunk. Mark Proksch is introduced for the first time, doing impersonations of W. C. Fields and Charlie Chaplin.

Season 5

Tim moves to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and buys a motorcycle to commute back and forth to Hollywood for the On Cinema taping. He becomes a proponent of 'simple living' and state rights, embracing his Republican values. Tim premieres his new show Decker, with Gregg initially angered by the fact Tim used footage of him without asking, although he later warms up to the role after positive fan feedback.

Tim announces that Ayaka has had an abortion, despite being opposed to that medical procedure. However, Gregg interviews Ayaka via Skype from Japan, revealing she gave birth and named the boy Tom Cruise Heidecker Junior, after the actor Tom Cruise. Ayaka moves back to America with Tom Cruise Junior, and into Gregg's apartment, after Tim denies paternity. This upsets Tim and he moves permanently to Jackson Hole, making Gregg host of the show.

Season 6

Gregg begins his first season as host, with a pre-recorded VHS tape of himself as the co-host. Tim returns as host in the second episode after he realized his new friends in Jackson Hole were white supremacists. He rekindles his relationship with Ayaka, and moves into Gregg's apartment with her and Tom Cruise Junior. In the season finale, Tim proposes to Ayaka and she accepts.

In the third Oscar Special, Peyton Reed comes on the Special to promote his new film Ant-Man and announces that Gregg has been cast as a minor character in the movie, which upsets Tim. In the finale segment, Gregg introduces James Dean, the former actor who was believed to be dead since 1955. Tim does not believe this is the real James Dean, leading to him verbally and physically threatening Dean before trashing the set.

Decker: Port of Call: Hawaii premieres during the season, with Tim and Gregg repeatedly traveling to Hawaii to shoot, exhausting them. Gregg accidentally spoils the planned ending, resulting in Tim shooting a new ending where he destroys all of Gregg's tapes. After this, Gregg leaves the show and plans to start his own.

Season 7

Gregg returns to the show after Tim promises to let him write, direct, produce the next season of Decker. He also moves to Victorville, California, and opens the Victorville Film Archives in a storage locker, where he also lives. Tim gives Ant-Man a rare one bag of popcorn which upsets Gregg, leading to him accusing Tim of paying $15,000 to have a minor role in the new Fantastic Four movie. Tim starts a rock band named "Dekkar" with a man named Axiom. Their debut single "Empty Bottle" is released on the show, which annoys Gregg as it is not movie related. Season 3 of Decker, titled Gregg Turkington's Decker vs. Dracula, is cancelled after three episodes after Tim lambasted Gregg for making a "mockery" of the franchise, irritating Gregg.

Gregg tells Tim that Dr. San, who Tim has been looking for since season four, is Ayaka's boss at her job. Tim storms off the set, set to confront him. However, in the next episode, both Tim and Dr. San forgive each other. Dr. San takes over as Tom Cruise Junior's new pediatric doctor. By the season seven finale, Tim announces that Tom Cruise Junior has died.

The fourth Oscar Special features periodic musical performances by Dekkar, much to the annoyance of Gregg. An animated rendering of Tom Cruise Junior as a young adult comes on stage, in which Tim and the animated Tom Cruise Junior come out against vaccination. Dr. San does a DNA test of James Dean, which proves that he is in fact, James Dean, angering Tim.

Season 8

The show moves to Victorville, where Tim has now moved into the storage unit with Gregg. Together, they buy an abandoned movie theater and open it as the "Victorville Film Center" where instead of playing new releases, a nightly showing from Gregg's VHS collection of Popcorn Classics is played. Mark is hired as a concessions cashier.

Dr. San prescribes Tim a "nutritional vape system" in which Tim replaces all meals and food with an electronic cigarette full of supposed nutrients. Tim's physical condition worsens as he keeps using the vape, as he comes to the set sweating, bruised, hallucinating, and unfocused. Eventually, Tim goes to an actual doctor who informs him the vape and his blood are full of LSD, cocaine, and multiple other legal and illegal drugs. Tim quits the vape system and swears off Dr. San once again. Tim announces that Ayaka is pregnant with their second child. After Tim tries to get Ayaka to get an abortion, she leaves him and moves back to Japan. Tim begins a romantic relationship with Axiom's sister, Juliana.

A fire is started in the storage unit after Tim's vape pen overheats one night, burning the entire facility down including the Victorville Film Archive. Tim suffers third degree burns on all of his body, including his face and hands. After insurance will not cover the cost of the fire, he returns to the show in bandages so he can keep working to pay for the damages and lawsuits, which exceed $1,000,000. Tim returns to a surprise intervention from Gregg, Joe Estevez, John Aprea, Mark, Ayaka, Ayaka's father, and Axiom, encouraging Tim to live a healthier life. Upset, he yells and kicks everyone but Axiom out, and announces plans to start an electronic music version of Dekkar, now called "DKR". A remixed, electronic version of Empty Bottle is released, and Tim announces that Juliana is pregnant with his child while Ayaka will go through with her pregnancy too.

Season 9

Tim moves back to Hollywood and opens "Six Bag Cinemas", a new movie theater with recliner chairs and a waiter (Mark) that brings food to customers during the movie. The Victorville Film Center is burned down, with Gregg suggesting that Tim burned it down for insurance money. Tim's skin dies after he stops using facial cream for his burns. Needing a skin transplant, Tim chooses Manuel from DKR to donate skin off of his lower back and buttocks for Tim's face and left hand.

Tim hosts the Electric Sun Desert Music Festival in Apple Valley, California, where Dr. San gave out free samples of his vape system, resulting in 20 deaths and over 100 injuries. Tim and Dr. San are arrested and jailed on murder and manslaughter charges. Gregg takes over as host with Mark as his co-host, and spend two episodes disparaging Tim. Tim returns on bail, and with his lawyer, Doug Lyman, pin the 20 deaths on Dr. San and the Apple Valley authorities who did not respond in time. However, Dr. San commits suicide in jail, so the relatives of the 20 who died now primarily blame Tim for the deaths. At the end of the season, Tim tells Gregg that he will never forget what he said about him on the show, no matter what happens.

The Trial

Tim is put on trial for the death of the "Electric Sun 20". Frustrated with his attorney Mark Dwyer, Tim decides to represent himself and proceeds to threaten the prosecution led by Vincent Rosetti and its witnesses and falsify evidence. Tim is issued multiple contempt citations. Nicholas Meyer, director of Star Trek II and co-writer for Star Trek IV, appears as one of the witnesses in an attempt by Tim to settle the San Francisco Star Trek argument with Gregg. Ultimately, Tim is found not guilty for only one of the 20 deaths, as that victim died of a heroin overdose. A mistrial is called for the remaining 19, due to a hung jury with 11 guilty and 1 not guilty verdicts.

Season X

During the fifth Oscar Special, Mark is locked tight into a standard diving dress while doing an impression of Matt Hooper from Jaws, being hospitalized for asphyxiation. Tim revamps On Cinema with a new intro and set, along with its first sponsor: Rio Jenesis, a protein shake company that creates a "germ shield" that Tim drinks. Gregg announces that he has resurrected the VFA, which appears to now be several bins full of VHS tapes stocked in Mark's hospital room, and has started collecting and wearing movie promotional hats to Tim's vocal displeasure. Episodes 4 through 6 were filmed in 360-degree video.

Tim faces a civil suit from one of the families of the "Electric Sun 19". His assets, including On Cinema and Decker, are being seized and he claims he might soon be facing bankruptcy. With help from his attorney Mark Dwyer, Tim manages to convince the family of one of the victims, the Delgados, to let him try to earn money for them with his various assets. The Delgado Media Holdings company is created and they hire Gregg as the managing editor, giving him creative control. Gregg's role quickly increases to that of host, while Tim's role was diminished to announcer. In the season finale, an irate Tim destroys the set, insults the Delgados, and announces his campaign for district attorney of San Bernardino County against the incumbent Vincent Rosetti.

Feature film

Main article: Mister America

A film marquee for Mister America drawing on an On Cinema at the Cinema joke for the defunct loan website Moneyzap.com

In July 2019, it was announced that Magnolia Pictures was going to release a feature film called Mister America, based on the On Cinema universe. The movie focuses on the storyline about Tim's failed campaign to become District Attorney for San Bernardino County between seasons 10 and 11 and introduces Toni Newman, the lone juror who voted not guilty at Tim's trial, who becomes Tim's campaign manager. The film was directed by Eric Notarnicola and debuted on October 4, 2019 at Beyondfest, held at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre.

Season 11

The sixth Oscar Special is produced by Delgado Media Holdings and hosted by new arrival Rafael Torres, though Gregg otherwise is in charge of the show. Tim eventually invades the broadcasting studio to take back control of the special and to promote conspiracy theories from QAnon, and manages to erase Gregg's video tape collection with the help of a magnetic vest. Mark, still comatose, is used by Gregg as a "living Oscar". Tim later resuscitates Mark by accidentally knocking him over.

Delgado Media Holdings is sold back to Tim with the help of a suspicious online banking website called MoneyZap. Tim is quickly hit with debt from the Delgados' company (now renamed HEI Inc.), a lawsuit from Rafael Torres, and substantial cash owed to MoneyZap, which has interest rates on its loans exceeding 300%. Toni Newman joins HEI Inc. as its chief financial officer along with board members Joe Estevez, Axiom, Manuel, and militant conspiracy theorist Michael "LaRue" Matthews. LaRue joins Dekkar and they release a third version of "Empty Bottle", with rap lyrics warning of the deep state. On advice from Toni, Tim disbands Dekkar and fires Joe Estevez from HEI Inc. At the end of the season, Tim announces that he and Toni have married.

Gregg also starts his Mobile VFA, which consists of him simply selling his old VHS tapes on the flea market. Later, he starts up a VFA Classic Movie program, where he sells public domain movies with commentary dubbed over the originals. Gregg bundles the original A Star Is Born with the 2018 adaptation, which gets Mark arrested for bootlegging. Mark gets put into a coma again while in prison, and goes missing after being discharged from the hospital.

Season 12

In the seventh Oscar Special, Tim annulls his marriage to Toni, in order to stage a more elaborate second wedding with her at the special. Gregg arrives at the wedding dressed as the Joker, driving his car housing the Mobile VFA onto the set to celebrate the 39th anniversary of the film Arthur. Gregg leaves his car running throughout the special, causing the entire production crew and wedding party to eventually fall unconscious due to carbon monoxide poisoning and leading to two deaths.

The show moves from Adult Swim to HEI Network, a subscription streaming service created by Tim, in early 2021. Tim and Gregg host separate Oscar specials in 2021, with Tim hosting his on HEI Network and Gregg hosting his on YouTube. Tim hosts his show with Toni, in a studio similar to that of a conservative talk show program, while Gregg hosts his special independently through his phone in his car. Tim reluctantly calls Gregg after being dissatisfied with Axiom's movie knowledge and asks him to come onto the show. Tim reveals footage of a fan finding Mark, who then says he wants nothing to do with either Tim or Gregg again. Gregg storms off set after LaRue declares him guilty for the carbon monoxide poisoning from the year prior, gets back in his car, and runs over LaRue after he gets in the way, handicapping him. Wendy Kerby, a singer from Tim and Toni's church, is introduced as the next big pop star. Gregg sells off the VFA to Tim in exchange for no charges being pressed. Between seasons, HEI Network releases a previously taped live special and the pilot to "Rock House", a reality show starring Axiom, Manuel, and Wendy. HEI Network also launches its own cryptocurrency, HEI Points, with the intent to replace the United States dollar by 2022.

Season 12 starts with a new intro, theme, and set. Toni, drunk at her birthday party, has an affair with Axiom at the "Rock House". Toni goes to rehab for her drinking problems while Axiom is kicked out of Dekkar, with Wendy Kerby taking his place, and the band is renamed to D4. Toni is released from rehab and tells Tim she is leaving him, confessing that she knew he was guilty during the Electric Sun 20 trial but was "out of her mind" from her alcoholism for the entire time she has known Tim. Mark is again spotted by a fan, this time performing as Spider-Man on a street in Hollywood. Tim convinces Mark to return, doing a pilot called "Mark's Cavalcade of Characters". Gregg reveals that he is working with Joe Estevez on a new movie, Deck of Cards, focusing on "the original Joker", the playing card. Other pilots are made, including LaRue's "Xposed" and Gregg's "Popcorn Shuffle", with "Xposed" being chosen for a full season of its own.

Tim and Wendy Kerby host a Valentine's Day special in 2022. After an awkward staged sketch where Tim tries to instigate a kiss between Wendy and Manuel, she becomes uncomfortable and abruptly leaves, leaving D4 is unable to perform. Manuel convinces Tim to patch things up with Axiom, and the three give an impromptu Dekkar reunion.

Season 13

The ninth Oscar Special takes place at the planned site of the HEI Ranch, Tim's proposed business and media center, located on a remote stretch of land near Apple Valley, California, where little work has been done. Gregg unveils the VFA Tour Bus, made from a hastily remodeled van. Mark falls down a hill while doing a Spider-Man impression, hospitalizing him. Tim introduces G. Amato, a financial backer who also has more HEI Points than anyone else. LaRue plays private tapes of Toni talking about her marriage with Tim where she reveals embarrassing information about Tim. The cast and crew are harassed by locals who drive dirt bikes on set, point rifle lasers, sabotage the power from the generator, and ultimately fire upon the crew at the end of the special. Gregg evacuates everyone in his tour bus except for Tim, who stays behind and confronts the locals. Tim fought the assailants and shattered several ribs, and was ordered to remain away from the stretch of land.

Deck of Cards released on September 2, 2022, albeit heavily edited by Tim, making a program similar to Decker. Season 13 debuted October 26, with the program being retooled into a morning show titled On Cinema! and More in the Morning. Tim is now accompanied by Kaili Amato, who is related to G. Amato of The Amato Group, who have provided funding and the new venue for the series. Kaili and Tim have expanded the focus from films to social media, celebrity gossip, and other forms of media.

Production

Heidecker has stated that On Cinema was started out of a desire to mock the podcasting community. The first episode was recorded on the set of The Comedy, where Heidecker and Turkington were working together, after Heidecker proposed the idea between takes. In April 2017, On Cinema initiated a Patreon page for funding, most of it going to the Oscar specials, with some of the higher options including receiving producer credits, walk-on roles for the Oscar specials, or live custom Skype reviews from Gregg Turkington.

In 2013, the On Cinema Film Guide app was released, featuring the voices of Turkington and Heidecker reviewing over 17,000 films.

In January 2021, during an online Q&A session, Gregg Turkington confirmed that On Cinema will return for another Oscar Special, and when asked about the future of the series, Tim Heidecker added future On Cinema shows will be released independently, having parted ways with Adult Swim.

Reception

The show has a dedicated cult following of fans who interact with the storylines via social media, often taking sides as "GreggHeads" or "TimHeads" in the frequent personal conflicts between the hosts which are often only tangentially, if at all, related to films or cinema. During the annual live Oscar special, Tim and Gregg both frequently provide interactive elements via online polls for fans to vote on. This cult following is especially found on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, the latter through Gregg and Tim's respective profiles, of which Gregg has completely devoted to the persona of his alter-ego. Heidecker and Turkington have also appeared in character on the podcasts Kreative Kontrol with Vish Khanna and The Best Show in 2015 and 2017.

Heidecker and Turkington also started Decker-Con, where new episodes of Decker are shown to fans and the cast appears as their "On Cinema" characters to field questions.

For "The Trial", Heidecker and Turkington upended the traditional review aspect of the series, and staged an elaborate mock event where Tim's character was on trial for murder, which lasted over a week. It received acclaim from observers, some of whom called it "brilliant" and "ambitious."

Touring

Marquee for the live show in Atlanta, GA

In 2018 and 2019, Heidecker and Turkington initiated a nationwide On Cinema Live! tour with special guests from the On Cinema/Decker universe such as Joe Estevez, the band Dekkar and special content created only for the tour, such as live reviewing various major release films, including Superfly, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Ant Man & The Wasp.

External links

• On Cinema at IMDb
• On Cinema podcast first website via Tumblr (no longer maintained)
• On Cinema at the Cinema episodes via YouTube
• Dekkar band site (redirects to Adult Swim's Decker webpage)
• Tim Heidecker District Attorney campaign site
• On Cinema Timeline
• HEI Network website