Measuring Flicks

Max and Jeff just can't stop watching bangers. This time around, it's Akira Kurosawa's taut and masterful High and Low (1963). For the metaphors, cinematography, and shot composition alone, this one's worth the price of admission.And then there's Toshirō Mifune.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Max and filmmaker Jeff Morgan wrap up their conversation on Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Cure.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Max and Jeff it down to chat about Kiyoshi Kurosawa's hypnotic masterwork of psychological horror, Cure.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Part II of Max and Jeff's conversation about Ti West, Quentin Tarantino, the nature of art vs. the nature of Content, economic philosophy and the consequences of capitalism on human expression.Also on Tongan Ninja, which, if you're flying high on a Friday night, is available for free on YouTube, and is an absolutely fantastic time.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

It's the triumphant return of Jeff Morgan, with the cherry on top of the Masterpiece Mountain he helped build over the course of Metropolis, Dark City, La Jetée, 12 Monkeys, and Yojimbo. One film to rule them all:Tongan Ninja.Which you pretty much have to watch on YouTube. In 240p. Believe me when I say this is the best way to watch it. (And if you happen to have him around, sit down to chat about it with Jeff afterwards; it makes for an absolutely excellent afternoon.)Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringflickspodcast@gmail.com

Part II of Max and Connor's discussion of Interstellar (2014), in which we determine what the point of all those push-ups actually was.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Having gone already to the bottom of the ocean, Max and Connor continue their exploration of FINAL FRONTIERS by shooting through both a wormhole and a supermassive black hole like a baseball off a vampire's bat, with Christopher Nolan's 2014 brain-and-heart-breaker, Interstellar. We're positive we got a lot of the science stuff wrong, but we're equally certain we got a lot of the heart stuff right. If you haven't seen this one yet, go and watch it on the biggest, loudest setup you can cobble together, get a session in with your therapist, and then come on back and plunge into the outer cosmos with us. You'd be a lot cooler if you did.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Max and Cassandra wrap up their discussion of 2005's Elizabethtown, before driving off across America with the windows down and Cameron Crowe's favorite songs blasting.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Max and Cassandra's exploration of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl continues with the film that started it all: Elizabethtown (2005). Does this flick deserve all the vitriol? Or is it just the victim of sneering dismissals by cynical critics whose mothers didn't hug them enough when they were young? Is it good? Is it bad? Is Kirsten Dunst's Clair actually a manic pixie dream girl at all? All this and more!Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Measuring Flicks is back in the arthouse again with director Lee Chang-Dong's brilliant Murakami adaptation Burning. Confronted with one of the most deliciously ambiguous slow-burn thrillers either of them have ever seen, Max and very special guest Alex dig into what precisely they saw, what precisely it means, and why the hell cat-sitting for someone involves so much whacking off in plain view of the whole neighborhood.Also, if you've seen this movie, please. Answer us this:DID HE DO IT?MeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.comPatreon.com/QuillAndFilm

Max and Cassandra (of Cassandra Explains It All and Drenched In Drama) kick off their monthlong exploration of the cinematic archetype and cultural phenomenon that is the Manic Pixie Dream Girl with 2004's Garden State. Are MPDGs just a holdover of outdated feminine societal structures from eras past? Infantilized male fantasies? Freudian Mommy stand-ins listless dudes feel okay about kissing? Are there two funk songs about Danny DeVito hidden in this episode somewhere? Find out! Tune in! Drop out!Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Hop back in the tub for Part II of Underwater, with Max and Connor! Plus: Suede Rainbow Live from the Barrel Room!Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Connor's back in the studio to avoid talking about 2020's Underwater. Why? We have no idea. The flick is actually really good, super fun, legit scary, well-made, well-paced, and filled with good performances and a subtle touch of world-building that's creepy and insidious as hell.We just hadn't seen each other in about a year, so what we ended up with was two film nerds hanging out and having a blast for a couple of hours. I hope you all enjoy as much as we did. It's good to be back, and to have Connor back in the madness.If you want to go check out the Child's Play episode we recorded immediately after this one, bop over to… Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Ryan Gosling goes out strong with an Oscar-nominated turn as a crack-addicted middle-school teacher whose life is on the verge of absolute collapse, and whose only hope might be one of his pre-teen students…if only she can avoid a life selling crack on the street to scumbags like him. It's a very Measuring Flicks Christmas Special with very special guest Cassandra Crose! It's 2006's…HALF NELSON.(Also, check out Cassandra's podcasts ‘Cassandra Explains It All,' and ‘Drenched in Drama,' wherever you listen to your stories.)Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.comCassandra's Patreon: Cassandra Explains It AllCassandra's Patreon: Drenched in Drama

Part II of our discussion of Fritz Lang's prescient 1927 masterpiece, METROPOLIS, with special guest Jeff Morgan!Support the show! Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmTalk to us! MeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.comJeff's Stuff: Prometheus Motion Pictures

Jeff Morgan is back again with another iron-clad classic for the fellas to frolic around in. It's a look into the future from somewhere in the past, and honestly? Fritz Lang pretty much called it. At long last, and long overdue, it's…METROPOLIS (1927)!Like the show? Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmChime in! MeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.comJeff's stuff: Prometheus Motion Pictures

Part II of our discussion of Terry Gilliam's best time-travel movie, 12 Monkeys (1995). Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.comJeff: prometheusmotionpictures.com

Jeff Morgan continues to melt our minds with Terry Gilliam's ecologically-minded time-travel head trip, 12 Monkeys (1995).Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.comJeff: PrometheusMotionPictures.com

Jeff Morgan's Tour of the Masterworks continues with Chris Marker's mind-exploding still-image picture experience La Jetée. It's weird to cover something that is, essentially, the exact opposite of our wheelhouse: we do motion pictures. La Jetée is a, uh…hmm. “Non-motion picture”.And one of the best we've ever seen.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.comJeff Morgan: Prometheus Motion Pictures

The Kurosawa conversation expands into an examination of the pressures exerted by the online age on the art life. Jeff drops some wisdom, but only one drops his sword after the final draw…Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.comCheck Jeff out at Prometheus Motion Pictures!

Unofficial Pledge of the FZK and literal film legend Jeff Morgan is back for Measuring Flicks' first crack at the work of Akira Kurosawa. You've seen the poster in Bosch's office. You've see A Fistful of Dollars. You've seen Last Man Standing.If you haven't seen Yojimbo, you haven't seen anything yet.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.comCheck out Jeff's stuff HERE: Prometheus Motion Pictures

Part II of our discussion of the mind-bending Dark City (1998). Jim either becomes enlightened or goes off the deep end. The fellas learn a lot about the nature of reality, and the genius of tons of cuts!Support the Show: Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmTalk to Us, Goose: MeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Jeff Morgan returns to take over the podcast, warping our minds and our very concept of Reality with Dark City (1998).Where has this flick been all our lives? From the director of The Crow, it's the granddaddy of The Matrix. Gnostic philosophy in a timeless Neo-noire sci-fi occult package.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Ryan Gosling appreciation month rolls on with one of the best dramas the boys have see yet: it's Nicolas Winding Refn's neo-noir masterpiece, Drive (2011). Star-studded cast, stunning cinematography, and one of the best scores we've heard all season—what's not to love? If you've only ever seen the trailer, you ain't seen nothin' yet.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Director John Scheibe talks his doc IRON TOWN, and what lies ahead for The Yonder Studio. You can watch the documentary at TheYonder.Studio. (While you're there, you should definitely check out Perhaps We Wrong Them as well.)If you like the show, you can find out how to support it over on Patreon.com/QuillAndFilm. Or drop us a line at MeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Max sits down with award-winning filmmaker and festival darling John Scheibe to talk about his latest short, the breathtaking PERHAPS WE WRONG THEM. You can find the film atTheYonder.StudioIf you like what you hear, head on over to Patreon.com/QuillAndFilm to find out how you can help support the show, or drop us a line at MeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

The fellas duck and weave their way through Ryan Gosling's intense and impressive performance as a Jewish Neo-Nazi in 2001's The Believer. It's a harrowing and powerful bit of art (that maybe gets a little too arthouse for its own good at times, but hey, it was 2001), and one hell of a delicate topic for discussion. Cue the comedic breaks!Patreon.com/QuillandFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Wrapping up our discussion of 2007's brilliant Lars and the Real Girl. Truly a love story for the ages, and a perfect date night flick. (No, really.)Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

This is the podcast episode of Measuring Flicks which is about Bianca. Bianca stars in the moving picture Lars and the Real Girl, which is about a real girl and a lie named Lars, that is Ryan Gosling inside. The story is about how the Lie that is Ryan Gosling inside dies and is broken and is reborn, and is about Bianca.Buy now.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

More Nick Cage than you waggle a Flick at! The strapping young men get down to brass tacks and golden guns in the conclusion to their outpouring of love for THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

It's the movie we all knew we wanted, in our secret hearts: Nicolas Cage playing himself in an action comedy movie about movies, with Pedro Pascal as his opposite number.Honestly, if you need more than that, I mean…who hurt you?Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Max and Karl wrap up their (surprisingly emotional) discussion of 2021's Pig. This movie took both of us by surprise. Astoundingly good.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Pig is a hard movie to write a blurb about. It's infinitely blurbable—the problem is catching the actual experience of watching this incredible film. I could write: It's John Wick with a pig. Or: It's the story of a truffle hunter's love for his pig. But that misses it entirely (even if both are true). It's one man's journey into the underworld to reclaim some small fragment of his humanity, and his life, by helping a wicked man reclaim some of his own.It's a truly beautiful film, and an incredible experience. Buy it, tell people about it. Watch it more than once—you get so much more once you know the flavors to look for.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Nicolas Cage month (ha—more like quarter) continues, with Martin Scorsese's surreal and frenetic drama, BRINGING OUT THE DEAD (1999). Burned-out EMT has a terrible week, shot like a nightmare, and scored with U.S. Soul and UK punk. Nicolas Cage is brilliant. So is Ving Rhames, John Goodman, Patricia Arquette, Marc Anthony (yeah, the excellent singer with the awesome clothing line)…everybody. It's great. It's great.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Wrapping up our discussion of 1997's Con Air. Sorry about our voiceover guy. He drinks.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Welcome back to the Cage. Come on in, the water's fine.I mean, the swimming pool is empty except for a little girl having a tea party with a serial murderer, but it's really more an expression, anyway. This is an audio medium, so there's no water ever, really--just in your imagination, and if you're anything like us, you're imagining that imaginary water glistening in the sun on the golden brow of Nicolas Cage.It's Con Air (1997).Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

We're getting our feet under us again and wrapping up our look at the black and white era with Buster Keaton's most famous film, The General (1927). Is it a masterpiece? We're not sure. The stunts are pretty incredible, but all the stuff in between the stunts…well, you'll have to tune in and find out. The episode is a blast, at least. Stay tuned for the dubstep and the battlefield amputations, because nothing says comedy like sad fiddle and screaming.Also old-time foot fetishists.We're back, baby.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

The fellas finally circle back to wrap up their discussion on one of the last great masterpieces of the Silent Era, and catch up after a couple hard months apart. Not to break the fourth wall or anything, but it was really good to hear Karl's voice and see his face again (albeit back to being on the other side of a screen for a little while). Stay tuned—we're back, wrapping up one more silent film, and then face-first into NICOLAS CAGE!Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Just a quick update about why the show's been on hiatus, with some bangin' jams at the end. Thanks to our listeners for their patience and support while Max finds his footing, and thanks to our Patrons for the new iMac, without which there could be no Jamz this Sweaty.(Apparently the youthz have some new slang. Let's go.)MeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

This week, the boys sit down to discuss Charlie Chaplin's final silent film, Modern Times. Enduringly relevant, hilariously funny, and surprisingly powerful, even all these years later: if you haven't seen it, watch it, and if you have seen it, then listen to us talk about it! This episode was a blast.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

PRIVATE EYES AND FUNNY GUYSThe fellas wrap up their brandy-fueled discussion of The Maltese Falcon (1941). Part 2 of 2.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

PRIVATE EYES AND FUNNY GUYSWe're kicking off Season 5 with a memorial month for Max's grandmother, a lifelong film fan with a fondness for classics, funnies, and film noir. What better way to begin our celebration of her memory (and her impeccable taste) than with John Huston's brilliant adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's novel THE MALTESE FALCON. Bogart, Astor, Lorre, Greenstreet, Elisha Cook Jr….and the coolest desk lighter you've ever seen. Toss on your fedora and down a hand of brandy: we're going back to black and white, shadow and smoke, blood and deadly broads.And brandy. Like, a lot of brandy.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Max remembers his Grandma Linda, and takes a little time to heal before the boys spin up the next reel.

Sister Sara Hartley joins us in the studio to talk The Last Starfighter (1984), directed by Nick Castle. (Yes, that Nick Castle.) A fantastic sci-fi adventure, and a great talk down memory lane.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Part 2 of 2 of our discussion of Kathryn Bigelow's harrowing and masterful K-19: The Widowmaker (2002).MeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.comPatreon.com/QuillAndFilm

THE GUNS OF AUGUST (in October) wraps up with K-19: The Widowmaker (2002), directed by Kathryn Bigelow. We were ready for a masterpiece. We just weren't ready for all the…melting people.Wow.Measuringflickspodcast@gmail.comPatreon.com/QuillAndFilm

Part II of our discussion of Twelve O'Clock High (1949). One of the best war films either of us has ever seen. Stunning, stark, and powerful.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

THE GUNS OF AUGUST begins with a bang, with Gregory Peck, a script by Sy Bartlett and Beirne Lay, Jr., and a powerful directorial vision in Henry King, Twelve O'Clock High (1949) could only have been a masterpiece. One of the finest, most honest films ever made about the cost of war .MeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.comPatreon.com/QuillAndFilm

The fellas sit down, do some shots, and throw some movies into the ring in a cinematic duel to the death for the first time in nearly two years. It feels good to be back to the format again. On the card for today's bout:Brokeback Mountain, Her, Portrait of a Lady On Fire, Secretary, The Jerk, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, The Man with Two Brains, Roxanne, The Love Bug, Two-Lane Blacktop, Christine, and Maximum Overdrive.Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

The boys wrap up their exploration of PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR with the massively underrated 2000s classic, The Cell. Vincent D'Onofrio, J. Lo, and a baby-faced Vince Vaughn rampage around in a psychedelic mental hellscape for a couple hours, with great writing and absolutely stunning cinematography, set design, and costuming to play around in. What's not to love?Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com

Our month of PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR continues with Part II of our long discussion on Jacob's Ladder. Gnosticism, Eckhart Tolle, angels, demons, Vietnam, tentacle porn…this movie's got it all. (Including, possibly, the hidden truths that will allow you to break free from the stifling confines of this fabricated hell-realm we assume to be reality because we lack any other metaphysical point of reference. Maybe.)Patreon.com/QuillAndFilmMeasuringFlicksPodcast@gmail.com