The Bicks Pod

Episode 5 - The Wars of the Roses

As we enter the world of Shakespeare's history plays, we figured it was time for a backgrounder on the period of history being shown, as we understand it today. Starting with the dynastic feud that ran the course of almost all of Shakespeare's English history plays - the twin tetralogies with their numerous Henrys and penchant for big battles - the Wars of the Roses. 
Follow along as we give you a condensed version of the history, opine about the nature of kingship, and talk about the recursive impact of Shakespeare: the way he wrote about history, and subsequently helped shape the way that same history has been viewed ever since.
Notes:
(lineage chart from: https://thehistoryofengland.co.uk/resource/wars-of-the-roses-family-trees/)
Crusader Kings II (Currently on sale for the Steam Summer Sale)
Europa Universalis IV (Also on sale)
The Wars of the Roses: England's First Civil War by Trevor Royle
The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
Episode 1 of Britain's Bloody Crown (Aidan incorrectly titled it the Hollow Crown) the documentary that neatly summarizes the book Aidan read
British History's Biggest Fibs with Lucy Worsley - Episode 1: The Wars of the Roses
Britain's Real Monarch with Tony Robinson

Special Episode - All Is True - Film Review and Discussion

This week we take a break from the canon to talk about the fandom. We talk the latest Kenneth Branagh Shakespeare film, this time a late-stage biopic entitled All is True. We watched the film and walked away with some very specific feelings - some positive, some negative, and some conflicted.
While we agreed that neither of us would name it our favourite work of Shakespeare as a character on film, we also agreed that it had a lot going for it, including the incredible cast and gorgeous visuals. To hear our full take on the movie, listen on!
Notes:
Lindsay's review of the film can be found on 25 Years Later
All is True on IMDB

Episode 4 - The Taming of the Shrew

Aidan and Lindsay tuck into the epic battle between Katharina and Petruchio in Shakespeare's early comedy The Taming of the Shrew. In a play about breaking the spirit of a strong woman, the conversation here travels around feminism and the social order of Elizabethan England, Shakespeare-adjacent texts, philosophy, and questions of who really is the titular Shrew in this story? Join us for a spirited discussion that ends with our debate: Should the famous ending of the play be read/portrayed satirically?
Notes:
The Taming of A Shrew, which echoes Shakespeare so much people think it must be related to his work, is the focus of this overview by Dr. Michael Delahoyde of Washington State University.
Zeffirelli's The Taming of the Shrew (1967) stars Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton and co-stars a number of popular character actors from the time (Michael York and Victor Spinetti, yo!) and is fun in parts and aggravating in parts but it's a lavish production. If you only watch one production of Shrew, let it be this one.
Taming of the Shrew (1929) starring Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks is available in its entirety on Dailymotion and we highly recommend checking it out for a unique take on this play!
10 Things I Hate About You is a fun '90s take on Shrew and it's worth a look for purely nostalgic reasons alone. It comes in the middle of this weird resurgence in popularity of Shakespeare's works in the last decade of the 20th century, and is a rather loose adaptation of the play, but if nothing else it's kind of a neat little film. Check it out! 
Our favourite Shakespearean editions, from the Folger Shakespeare Library, have put out a version of The Tamer Tamed online. 
"Local Elevator" by Kevin MacLeod is the song we sampled for our brief intermission early in the episode.
Aidan misspoke when discussing our next play. Henry IV was actually written several years after Henry VI, and there are only two parts to that particular historical Henriad. We are in fact heading into the long discussion of Henry VIs - Parts 1, 2, and 3!

Episode 3 - The Women of Shakespeare

In today's episode, we dive into the world of Shakespeare's women. Broadly divided into rough categories -- maids and mothers and queens and villains -- we look at the changing roles of women, from Shakespeare's earliest written women to the later ones. Questions covered include: Was Shakespeare a feminist? Did changing societal roles for all people of all classes influence Shakespeare's writing of his women characters, or was it the other way around? Are Shakespeare's women truly that revolutionary? Join us to find out our thoughts on all this and more!
Notes:
You can find Tina Packer's book Women of Will at most bookstores.

Episode 2 - The Two Gentlemen of Verona

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.
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Notes: 
This week's "Marriage Counseling" (final name to be confirmed) features two different takes on Valentine's lines from Act 5, Scene 4:
By penitence th’ Eternal’s wrath’s appeased.And that my love may appear plain and free,All that was mine in Sylvia I give thee.
 
The text itself is not super clear on what this means, so Lindsay and I took it upon ourselves to determine just what Shakespeare meant by these words. Was he literally giving Sylvia to Proteus? Or is he simply transferring the love he has for Sylvia to his best bro friend? Listen and hopefully we can help you come to your own understanding of this oft-maligned part of this play. 
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)
The essay featured in the Folger's edition of the play is entitled "The Two Gentlemen of Verona: A Modern Perspective" by Jeffrey Masten. We couldn't find a full copy of the text, but it is a very good read if you can get your hands on it.
 

Episode 1 - The Bicks Do Shakespeare: An Overview

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.
Shakespeare in Original Pronunciation
The Great Vowel Shift, in handy visual form (though you still need a linguistics minor [at least] to understand it):
James VI and I's Daemonologie, published in 1597 in Scotland and 1603 in England.
Sound clips: 
"Et tu, Brute?" from Community, Season 5 Episode 2, "Introduction to Teaching"
"There are more things in heaven and earth..." from Hamlet (2000)
"It is a tale told by an idiot..." from Macbeth (1983)
"All the world's a stage..." from As You Like It (1978)
"Double, double, toil and trouble..." from Macbeth (1983)
"Once more unto the breach dear friends..." from Henry V (1989)
"Parting is such sweet sorrow..." from Romeo and Juliet (1996)

Bickering Peaks - The Epilogue

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/thebickspodOn Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thebickspod/Email - thebickspod@gmail.com 
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!

David Lynch - Inland Empire

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 TherouxDirected by: David LynchWritten by: David LynchProduced by: David Lynch
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!