Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington bring On Cinema’s Certified Five Bags of Popcorn Tour to Thalia Hall in Chicago on March 22, 2026.
Hey Guys – It’s movie time! It was also time for music, family-friendly entertainment, and so much more when Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington brought On Cinema’s Certified Five Bags of Popcorn Tour to Chicago.
On March 22, Thalia Hall hosted the second of two sold-out shows that featured everything On Cinema fans have come to love. Movie expertise, recommendations, live music, and debates all had the audience glued to the stage – rather than the screen, although there was also a screen – as Heidecker and Turkington did what they do best.
Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington bring On Cinema’s Certified Five Bags of Popcorn Tour to Thalia Hall in Chicago on March 22, 2026.
Before Turkington, AKA everyone’s favorite film buff, shared his encyclopedic knowledge, Heidecker, who is now going by the name New Amato, explained his vision for the future of the popular web-series which is produced by and found on The HEI Network. On Cinema fans are a family, but like any family, there is some division especially regarding this potential new direction.
Prior to the show, some Gregg-heads and Tim-heads weighed-in on what they hope the future holds for the greater On Cinema universe. John Klingle is a strong believer in the direction Heidecker (Amato) is taking On Cinema which may include eliminating movie reviews completely from the project’s mission.
“New is the man of the new millennium. He’s the future. No one has innovated in as many different areas as he has. He’s leading humanity forward, and certain myopic individuals are interested in tugging him back and making themselves and making the species smaller. I’m not going to stand for that,” said Klingle. “So, I’m here to show my support.”
Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington bring On Cinema’s Certified Five Bags of Popcorn Tour to Thalia Hall in Chicago on March 22, 2026.
James Beiderbecke and Luke Adamson couldn’t disagree more. For them, the more movies the better.
“We came here to hear real life movie expertise by the one and only film buff Gregg Turkington. We know that Tim’s going to bring his bullshit Dekkar band and try to inject that into the show. I don’t care. I’m here for film knowledge and trivia,” said Beiderbecke.
Adamson added, “This isn’t about Tim’s ego. This is about film expertise.”
Another popular topic of discussion among ticket-holders was the buzz surrounding The Doodle Dots, the family-friendly animated series starring four colorful characters, named Mel, Cloud, Baxter, and Sam, that debuted during this year’s Oscar Special.
Self-proclaimed “Cloud Guy,” Mitch Adams is excited about New’s new animated enterprise, which he created with his late-father G. Amato.
“I’m here for The Doodle Dots, I hope to see some tonight. I’m a Cloud guy. I know that’s controversial, but you know, my head’s in the clouds, and that’s where I like to reside,” said Adams.
Justice Roe also finds The Doodle Dots to be an exciting advancement, but remains skeptical about one of the characters after the violent events at the Oscar Special, saying, “I enjoyed what I saw of Baxter, but after what he pulled, I don’t think that they’re going to let him in future appearances. They might have to replace him.”
Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington bring On Cinema’s Certified Five Bags of Popcorn Tour to Thalia Hall in Chicago on March 22, 2026.
Inside Thalia Hall, fans found everything they hoped for and more. The venue must have implemented a rule banning tall witches hats because everyone had an unobstructed view of all the fun all night long.
The On Cinema Certified Five Bags of Popcorn Tour gets a rating of five bags of popcorn, two cups of soda, and a little Oscar key-chain so you can take movie magic with you wherever you go.
Check out photos from Night Two in Chicago below and click here to pick-up tickets to future tour dates. More information can be found at Heinetwork.tv.
(Photos by Laurie Fanelli)
