The Bicks Pod

We begin our look at the plays of Shakespeare with the one that was possibly performed first: The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Imbued with all the hallmarks of Shakespearean comedy - crossdressing heroines, witty wordplay, making fun of the peasantry - it also has several features that didn't age as well. Most notably is the controversial ending of the play, which feels not only rushed, but downright chilling in its treatment of women.

Join us for our look at the two bros of Verona, and their accompanying women. Stay for the hurried plot synopsis, analysis of the characters and language, and a few thoughts about how this early work ties into the larger Shakespeare canon.

---------

Notes: 

• This week's "Marriage Counseling" (final name to be confirmed) features two different takes on Valentine's lines from Act 5, Scene 4:

• A Spray of Plum Blossoms (Yī jiăn méi) - the 1931 Chinese film adaptation of the play, is available on YouTube (with Spanish and English subtitles)

In our first episode Aidan and Lindsay discuss the life and times of William Shakespeare. From his birth in 1564, through his early years, and on into his career triumphs, eventual death, and legacy. Along the way we'll also be talking about English history, the political and social situation Shakespeare found himself in, and the state of the English language at the time. While today's episode includes only a minor amount of bickering, we want to set the groundwork for the discussions to come!

Notes:

• A Groatsworth of Wit is popularly considered the first mention of Shakespeare as a writer in the London stage.

• "Et tu, Brute?" from Community, Season 5 Episode 2, "Introduction to Teaching"

After more than two years and almost 100 episodes covering the wonderful worlds of Twin Peaks, the films of David Lynch, and the writing prowess of Mark Frost, we're saying a not-so-tearful goodbye. Well, not so much goodbye as a "We'll see you again... in less than 25 years."

As we move on to our next shared love -- the complete works of William Shakespeare -- we are supremely thankful for all the wonderful people we've met doing our podcast, the insights we've received from other Peaks fans, and the fabulous experience of watching the show we loved come to life again after more than two decades of being away. Just like the show, we likely will be returning at some point to revisit the last works of Frost & Lynch we didn't quite get to -- Rabbits, Fantastic Four, and all the other late-career work that may still be coming -- so keep an eye here in case any new Lynch/Frost productions do come to light.

In the meantime, you're more than welcome to follow us on our updated social media accounts and contact us by email:

On Twitter - https://twitter.com/thebickspod

We hope you'll join us on April 23rd, as we start our new journey into something almost as arcane and impenetrable as Inland Empire itself -- Shakespeare's plays!

We join up with Nick and Dylan of 119! A Twin Peaks Podcast to delve into the supremely challenging mysteries of David Lynch's 2006 film INLAND EMPIRE.

Tune in for three very different interpretations of the film, and sound off with your ideas about what it all means (or tell us why you think meaning doesn't matter!)

Starring: Laura Dern, Jeremy Irons, Justin Theroux

Notes:

• You can check out 119! A Twin Peaks Podcast on Twitter (@119Podcast) and definitely go on and listen to their excellent analysis of Twin Peaks: The Return on their pod!

The Bicks dig deep to deliver on the promise of the surprising and inspirational true story of the 1913 US Open as told by Mark Frost in the 2005 film The Greatest Game Ever Played (which, in turn, was based on his book of the same name).

Starring Shia LaBoeuf as amateur golfer Francis Ouimet, the film takes us on a leisurely stroll along the links of history, with detours into the upper-crust world of the English and American class systems -- which aren't as different as you'd imagine -- before settling in on some of the most exciting and nerve-wracking sportsing action ever committed to film (and we're not being hyperbolic or ironic here!)

Starring: Shia LaBoeuf, Stephan Dillane, Elias Koteas

Notes:

The game of golf

Mulholland Drive. A modern classic, and arguably one of the high points of David Lynch's storied career. In this episode we do our very best to walk through the interpretations, the artistry, and the powerful messages woven throughout this 2001 masterpiece.

Warning: Our best really isn't good enough.

We also talk at length about the connections of this film to other David Lynch works, including Twin Peaks, as well as other cinematic landmarks, especially Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, which bears more than a few similarities to Mulholland Drive.

As part of that discussion, we also discuss an essay collection edited by Douglas Cunningham. The San Francisco Of Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo: Place, Pilgrimage, and Commemoration.

Starring: Naomi Watts, Laura Haring, Justin Theroux

The Lifetime network holds a special place in the hearts of half of this podcast team, and this episode we're taking a look at the most Frostian of Lifetime made-for-TV movies: The Deadly Look of Love.

Join us for a discussion of early-noughties feminism, the appeal and joys of Lifetime's particular romantic/life-affirming formula, and the elements of Mark Frost's work we are finally seeing as the most vital contributions to the vaunted Lynch/Frost collaboration.

Starring: Jordan Ladd, Vincent Spano

Take a slow-as-molasses journey with us across the wide open prairie as we visit David Lynch's 1999 film The Straight Story and delve into a warm dreamscape of a different kind than we're normally used to from the master of surreal dreamscapes.

Based on a true story, The Straight Story follows Alvin Straight as he attempts to make it across the Iowa/Wisconsin border to visit his ailing brother. Though he's not a well man himself, along the way Alvin makes friends and comes to a deeper understanding about his life and helps other to see the beauty in the world around them.

Starring: Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek

Notes: Eighteen Bridges article, "A High and Lonesome Sound" by Robbie Jeffrey: http://eighteenbridges.com/story/high-and-lonesome-sound-canada-rural-crisis/

It might not have been here for a long time, but it was a good time! Buddy Faro was Mark Frost's 90s-noir lovechild that brought a pair of private eyes from different generations together into a colour-saturated, quirky, and delightful private eye comedy.

Quick and witty dialogue, interesting characters, and fun abound in this great meetup between 90s and 30s-through-70s culture. Featuring a number of Mark Frost's core group of collaborators, it's a unique show that deserved a better fate than to quietly fade away after the fall season of 1998. Join us as we chat about this great series, as well as its connections to Twin Peaks and The Return.

Starring: Dennis Farina, Frank Whaley

We're talking the big three this episode: sex, lies, and videotapes. Lost Highway has them all in spades, wrapped up in the usual Lynchian elements of mystery, violence, and doubles galore.

We discuss the film's confounding interplay of memory, reality, desire, and jealousy, to try and see if there is a single, understandable plot somewhere in that mix, or if the film's best understood as a loose series of scenes, feelings, and meditations.

We also discuss some of the important production notes, and of course tie it back to Twin Peaks, as well as the other parts of Lynch's California Trilogy. So join us for a dive into transmorphing jazz players and bad wigs, as we head down the Lost Highway.

Starring: Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, Balthazar Getty

Notes:

• Lost Highway Analysis by Melmrose Projects