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Horlbeck Runtime Scale

Runtime evaluation metric.

Horlbeck Runtime Scale has run in 9 episodes. The most recent 9 are listed below — open any episode at its timestamp to hear the segment.

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‘Borat’Bill Simmons

Minus 16 on the Horlbeck scale, likely the shortest movie they've done (84 minutes)

‘Borat’Kyle Brandt

Notes an intro clip is longer than the movie, but says the short runtime is fine and could even be shorter

‘Tropic Thunder’Bill Simmons

Movie was 107 minutes, rated a plus-7 on the Horlbeck scale, though it feels like a plus-14

‘There’Bill Simmons

119-minute runtime, so plus-19; thinks you could shave 5-10 minutes to make it tighter, but defends keeping the Hitchhiker scene and Jonathan Richmond musical segments

‘There’Chris Ryan

Would cut Jonathan Richmond and the Hitchhiker scene, joking it would get the movie down to 'like an hour,' but then walks it back saying the Hitchhiker scene is non-negotiable

‘There’Sean Fennessey

Doesn't propose cuts; says he loves the Jonathan Richmond stuff and thinks it's a great choice that feels very 90s

‘Ghostbusters’Bill Simmons

Rates Ghostbusters's runtime as 'hour 45' on the Horlbeck scale, says it's 'kind of perfect' and he wouldn't cut anything

‘Ghostbusters’Chris Ryan

Says 'anything in the hour 40 is fine' runtime-wise

‘Eddie and the Cruisers’Bill Simmons

Agrees 95 minutes is a strength, noting it fit perfectly into HBO's schedule (done at 9:35 into a comedy special), reinforcing the runtime as a plus.

‘Eddie and the Cruisers’Craig Horlbeck

95 minutes, five under par ('five under par... pretty impressive'). Says the short runtime is a core reason the movie is enjoyable — at two and a half hours it would be 'unwatchable.'

‘Eddie and the Cruisers’Van Lathan

Doesn't state a runtime number but agrees short runtime helps — argues it's better to just enjoy a fun 90-minute movie ('sit down for 90 minutes and have a good time') than overanalyze it.

‘Crazy, Stupid, Love’Bill Simmons

Plus 8 minutes (could cut out 10 minutes from the plus 18)

Episode	Host	Answer
‘Borat’	Bill Simmons	Minus 16 on the Horlbeck scale, likely the shortest movie they've done (84 minutes)
‘Borat’	Kyle Brandt	Notes an intro clip is longer than the movie, but says the short runtime is fine and could even be shorter
‘Tropic Thunder’	Bill Simmons	Movie was 107 minutes, rated a plus-7 on the Horlbeck scale, though it feels like a plus-14
‘There’	Bill Simmons	119-minute runtime, so plus-19; thinks you could shave 5-10 minutes to make it tighter, but defends keeping the Hitchhiker scene and Jonathan Richmond musical segments
‘There’	Chris Ryan	Would cut Jonathan Richmond and the Hitchhiker scene, joking it would get the movie down to 'like an hour,' but then walks it back saying the Hitchhiker scene is non-negotiable
‘There’	Sean Fennessey	Doesn't propose cuts; says he loves the Jonathan Richmond stuff and thinks it's a great choice that feels very 90s
‘Ghostbusters’	Bill Simmons	Rates Ghostbusters's runtime as 'hour 45' on the Horlbeck scale, says it's 'kind of perfect' and he wouldn't cut anything
‘Ghostbusters’	Chris Ryan	Says 'anything in the hour 40 is fine' runtime-wise
‘Eddie and the Cruisers’	Bill Simmons	Agrees 95 minutes is a strength, noting it fit perfectly into HBO's schedule (done at 9:35 into a comedy special), reinforcing the runtime as a plus.
‘Eddie and the Cruisers’	Craig Horlbeck	95 minutes, five under par ('five under par... pretty impressive'). Says the short runtime is a core reason the movie is enjoyable — at two and a half hours it would be 'unwatchable.'
‘Eddie and the Cruisers’	Van Lathan	Doesn't state a runtime number but agrees short runtime helps — argues it's better to just enjoy a fun 90-minute movie ('sit down for 90 minutes and have a good time') than overanalyze it.
‘Crazy, Stupid, Love’	Bill Simmons	Plus 8 minutes (could cut out 10 minutes from the plus 18)