Movie Baters with The Farx Brothers

The Farx brothers—Kyle, Kirk, and Nick—team up with Movie Man T to ‘bate (debate) Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest mind-bender, One Battle After Another . In this segment, the crew shares their PTA film rankings, dives into immigration themes, questions the double standard around borders (countries vs. states), and unpacks the loaded use of the word genocide . Follow MovieManT  https://www.instagram....

The Farx brothers—Kyle, Kirk, and Nick—sit down with writer, producer, and new Z-Fest director Damian Walker in this closing segment. Damian dives into his start in filmmaking, his rise through the Twin Cities festival circuit, and what it’s like to take the reins at Z-Fest. He also pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to run a festival—and teases the big changes on the horizon. Follow D...

The Farx brothers—Kyle, Kirk, and Nick—keep the horror films ‘bate (debate) rolling with writer, producer, and Z-Fest director Damian Walker. In this segment, they dive into Weapons , unpack the uses of its side characters, and spar over what qualifies as elevated horror. Damian also argues why 1994 was a golden year for film—and shares what it was like being a judge at the Z-Fest film festival. F...

The Farx brothers—Kyle, Kirk, and Nick—welcome writer, producer, and Z-Fest director Damian Walker for a ‘bate (debate) about… horror films. To start off, the crew breaks down Z-Fest’s newest rules on AI use. Then the discussions turn to Oscar bait vs. actual Oscar-worthy films, favorite Final Destination sequels, and a dive into the difference between objective and subjective when it comes to fil...

The Farx brothers—Kyle, Kirk, and Nick—sit down with cinematographer, director, editor, and writer Dan Dockery. In this closing segment, he reveals how he got started in film, going all the way back to his public access days, what pushed him into directing, and his top seven must-haves on any film set. Plus, as a passionate camera enthusiast, Dan gives a look at the diverse gear in his arsenal. Fo...

The Farx brothers—Kyle, Kirk, and Nick—and filmmaker Dan Dockery lock into a three-armed brawl over Adam Rifkin’s The Dark Backward . They dig into how it stacks up against Street Trash and The Greasy Strangler , dissect Marty Malt’s so-called arc, and explore the fine line between shock and sheer weirdness. Plus, Dan shares the two times a DVD of The Dark Backward played a small but memorable rol...

The Farx brothers—Kyle, Kirk, and Nick—welcome cinematographer, director, editor, and writer Dan Dockery for a three-armed ‘bate (debate) on Adam Rifkin’s The Dark Backward . In this segment, the crew dives into the film’s cast (featuring the one and only Bill Paxton) and draws parallels to Eraserhead and Tim Burton’s dark universes. Plus, they peel back the greasy layers of the corporate behemoth...

The Farx brothers—Kyle, Kirk, and Nick—sit down to interview writer-director Owen Royce. In this final segment, Owen discusses his time at MCTC, where he gained hands-on experience shooting on film and reflects on the many people he met there. He dives into the making of his latest short film, Search Light and reveals what’s next—along with some honest advice on avoiding burnout. Follow Owen Royce...

The Farx brothers—Kyle, Kirk, and Nick—find themselves alongside writer-director Owen Royce in a deep-space ‘bate (debate) on Close Encounters of the Third Kind . He dives into why this classic tops his list of Spielberg films. The crew then shifts into a broader convo about Star Wars , Star Trek , and the sci-fi mechanics of space travel. Later, they explore the art of filmmaking—from the power o...

The Farx brothers—Kyle, Kirk, and Nick—welcome writer-director Owen Royce for a ‘bate (debate) on Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind . Buckle up as Owen takes the crew on a wild and extraterrestrial ride diving into topics like time and space—and how the human mind collapses moments of time. From there, they explore probability waves, near-death experiences, and the eerie phenomenon of...

...as a Farx Brother. In this non-bone-us, bonus minisode, Kyle had the unique opportunity to collaborate with a passionate and creative team on a project that brought together bold ideas and authentic storytelling. On September 29th, 2022, along side Alissa Efteland (Production Designer, Co-Director), Jon Dittman (Writer, Producer), Kyle chats it up with the vibrant energy of host, Dan Stocke. Re...

The Farx brothers—Kyle and Kirk—sit down with filmmaker and theatre director Vanessa M. H. Powers for an inspiring finale. Vanessa opens up about growing up in the small town of Hutchison and in a household where art was encouraged. She dives into her ongoing journey as a theatre director, her transition into filmmaking, and how Oxford Comma Films LLC came to be. Plus, Kyle recounts a story involv...

The Farx brothers—Kyle, Kirk, and Nick—brew up another ‘bate (debate) on Weapons with Vanessa M. H. Powers: director, editor, theatre maker and head of Oxford Comma Films LLC. In this segment, the crew dissects whether Weapons has a sexist undertone, kills its gays, or dares to tackle school shootings. Then, they discuss whether it could charm the awards circuit. One Farx brother even compares the...

The Farx brothers—Kyle, Kirk, and Nick—are joined by Vanessa M. H. Powers, multi-hyphenate filmmaker and founder of Oxford Comma Films, for a ‘bate (debate) on Weapons . The crew dive into whether Weapons could snag Best Cinematography, weighing it against other films like Prisoners and Barbarian , and take a spoiler-free stab at cracking Weapons’ central theme. Follow Vanessa M. H. Powers https:/...

The Farx brothers—Kyle and Kirk—sit down with actor and director Kari Layland for a revealing conversation. In this final segment, Kari dives into her journey from portrait photographer to filmmaker, the making of her first short film, and her bold plans for a feature film. Plus, Kari shares how she got her kids involved in film. Follow Kari Layland https://www.instagram.com/kari__layland/?hl=en F...

The Farx brothers—Kyle, Kirk, and Nick—are back faster than a phone booth costume change, teaming up once again with Kari Layland in a heated ‘bate (debate) over James Gunn’s Superman . They dive into what other titles the Man of Tomorrow might have donned, whether he truly has an arc or is just flying and punching, and unpack the kryptonite-laced challenge of rebooting an entire cinematic univers...

The Farx brothers — Kyle, Kirk, and Nick — leap into action faster than a speeding bullet with Kari Layland for a ‘bate (debate) on James Gunn’s Superman . In this segment, they dive into the politics behind the Man of Steel and unpack the classic slogan: “Truth, Justice, and the American Way.” Then, the crew takes on Krypto the Superdog and calls out today’s blockbuster trend: CGI action films th...

The Farx brothers, Kyle and Kirk, and returning champ Nick Michael sit down to interview filmmaker Jarrod Crooks. In this closing segment, Jarrod shares how he broke into filmmaking, dishes on his two features The Big Gift and the in-progress Vexx Torn , and lays out his approach for getting his films seen. Plus, Nick opens up about his evolving writing process over the years. Follow Jarrod Crooks...

The Farx brothers, Kyle and Kirk, team up with returning champ Nick Michael and filmmaker Jarrod Crooks to lay down the law in this ‘bate (debate) on Police Story . The crew dives into Jackie Chan’s big stunt, the heightened sense of reality and death in cinema, and they take a crack at defining comedy itself. Then things get serious as Jarrod shares his use of AI in a recent short film, reignitin...

The Farx brothers, Kyle and Kirk, and returning champ Nick Michael welcome indie action filmmaker Jarrod Crooks to a high-octane ‘bate (debate) on Police Story . They dive into their personal connections to Jackie Chan’s films, how Jackie’s work transformed on its journey to American screens, and what Jarrod learned from Hong Kong cinema. Plus, the crew discusses their respective production names....

The Farx brothers, Kyle and Kirk, with returning champ Nick Michael to interview writer, director, and producer Nick Swedlund. To wrap up the series, the crew dives into the soft skills of leadership when it comes to directing, Swedlund’s experience co-directing the short film Blue Check , and what led him to attend the American Film Institute (AFI). Plus, Swedlund shares behind-the-scenes insight...

The Farx brothers, Kyle and Kirk, and returning champ Nick Michael continue their journey west with Nick Swedlund. Join them for a ‘bate (debate) on Sanctified in this extra-long segment packed with anamorphic lens talk, what was left on the cutting room floor for Sanctified, and a breakdown of trope vs. echo. Things take a turn as Swedlund shares his unfiltered take on the Minnesota film scene. H...

The Farx brothers, Kyle and Kirk, along with returning champ Nick Michael, welcome writer, director, and producer Nick Swedlund for a good old-fashioned ‘bate (debate) on his latest feature film, Sanctified . They kick things off by asking: does North Dakota really count as “the West”? Swedlund shares how The Tree of Life changed the way he sees cinema, and the crew goes head-to-head on westerns t...

The Farx brothers—Kyle and Kirk—watch Friendship . The film follows Craig (played by Tim Robinson), a lonely suburban dad who becomes obsessed with his charming new neighbor, Austin (played by Paul Rudd). What starts as a quirky bromance spirals into a cringey, unsettling descent into emotional chaos. Follow Us https://www.youtube.com/@JKProductionsMN https://www.instagram.com/jkproductionsteam/ h...

The Farx brothers, Kyle and Kirk, with Movie Man T meet at high noon for a ‘bate (debate) on Eddington . In this final showdown, the crew discusses the gunfight scene, the film’s messy situationship, and the surprising thread of empathy—especially toward right-leaning characters. Plus, Kyle plugs his friend’s band, Sunflower Fox and the Chicken Leg. Follow MovieManT  https://www.instagram.com/tayl...