CINEMA TOAST SEASON 1:
Created by Jeff Baena, and produced by the team at Duplass Brothers Productions “Cinema Toast” is a wildly experimental new series from an eclectic group of celebrated indie filmmakers who’ve re-edited and re-scored footage from public domain films and overdubbed them with performances of contemporary actors to tell new, wholly original stories that premiered on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, on Showtime with a set of ten episodes.
The varied voiceover cast includes Fred Armisen, Alison Brie, Nicole Byer, Colman Domingo, Chloe Fineman, Jake Johnson, Chris Meloni, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Christina Ricci, Dan Stevens, Lorraine Toussaint & more.
“When the pandemic first hit and all paths to traditional production seemed unlikely at best, I racked my brain to find a way to still create,” said Baena. “That’s when the idea hit me to re-dub and re-shape old material into something transcendent that extends beyond just a comedic curio.”
Cinema Toast features stories spanning genres including drama, horror, and comedy. Per Showtime, Plaza’s psychological thriller “Quiet Illness” pieces together footage of Loretta Young to create a portrait of an emotionally tortured modern woman, while Cunningham’s “Attack of the Karens” shows just how timely the classic Night of the Living Dead is when re-contextualized within this last year in America.
Where can I watch “Cinema Toast”?
Exclusively available for streaming on Showtime, you can also access the show on VOOT!