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PODCAST

Blank Check with Griffin & David

Blank Check Productions

Not just another bad movie podcast, Blank Check reviews directors" complete filmographies episode to episode. Specifically, the auteurs whose early successes afforded them the rare ‘blank check’ from Hollywood to produce passion projects. Each new miniseries, hosts Griffin Newman and David Sims delve into the works of film’s most outsized personalities in painstakingly hilarious detail. Produced by Ben Hosley.

tv & film film reviews

All Episodes

111:06

Going In Style with James Urbaniak

Blank Check with Griffin & David ·

2024/06/09

After years of citing him as a potential series, we’re finally Brest men. In this inaugural episode of our “Podverly Hills Cast” series, we’re taking a look at Martin Brest’s debut feature, 1979’s understated and deeply enjoyable old man heist film “Going in Style.” James Urbaniak joins us to chat through the beginning of Brest’s career, and the storied personas of George Burns, Art Carney, and Lee Strasberg. Cream cheese and jelly sandwiches on toasted rye for everyone! This episode is sponsored

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180:45

Furiosa with Kyle Buchanan

Blank Check with Griffin & David ·

2024/06/02

We return to the Wasteland this week with Furiosa, and we’ve got quite the tour guide. Kyle Buchanan - author of Blood, Sweat & Chrome, THE book on the making of Mad Max: Fury Road - joins us as we do a definitive post-mortem on George Miller’s latest. Going up against the reputation of Fury Road was always going to be an uphill battle for the Anya Taylor-Joy starrer, and we go into all the ways in which this film matches, exceeds, or misses the highs of 2015’s action classic. Kyle brings with

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170:43

Paprika with Emily Yoshida

Blank Check with Griffin & David ·

2024/05/26

Come join the dream parade, folks - we’re talking about Paprika! Mother of the Blankies Emily Yoshida is with us to chat about Satoshi Kon’s final film - a film that FEELS like a swan song especially in hindsight. In this episode, we address the elephant in the room (those Inception comparisons), dive into the serialized story Paprika was based on, and Griffin makes the important connection between Paprika’s “DC mini” device and this being a “BC mini” (series). Plus, we establish 2024 as “The Year

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132:47

Tokyo Godfathers with Reece Feldman

Blank Check with Griffin & David ·

2024/05/19

They call them the Godfathers of Tokyo…and we call him the KING of TIKTOK (in an old man newscaster voice) - Reece Feldman joins us to chat about Satoshi Kon’s beautiful Christmas fable about a trio of unforgettable characters on the fringes of society. We talk about how animation is truly a medium and NOT a genre, as evidenced by this film. We talk about Ice Age (another animated movie where outsiders care for a baby). We talk about whether or not David might get roped into watching Ice Age a

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144:31

Millennium Actress with Hoai-Tran Bui

Blank Check with Griffin & David ·

2024/05/12

Our Satoshi Kon series continues with his 2003 film Millennium Actress, a moving exploration of memory, history, and the magic of da moviesh. Writer Hoai-Tran Bui returns to the pod as we discuss the strange history of Dreamworks’ arthouse animation arm (Go Fish pictures), the luminous screen presence of Setsuko Hara, and the added poignancy this film takes on in light of Kon’s untimely passing. Plus, Griffin publicly addresses the Penny Marshall debacle, and the gang contemplates a version of

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121:29

Perfect Blue with Bowen Yang

Blank Check with Griffin & David ·

2024/05/05

Welcome to the filmography of Satoshi Kon - a thrilling series of funhouse mirrors and puzzlebox narratives that proved what is possible in the animation form. The icon, the legend, the culturista himself Bowen Yang joins us to talk about Kon’s feature debut, the shocking and influential pop-idol thriller PERFECT BLUE. We’re talking about famous “bad girl” transitions in pop history. We’re talking about Digimon villains. We’re talking about obsessive fandoms. And, most crucially, we learn a new

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158:16

Basic with BenDavid Grabinski

Blank Check with Griffin & David ·

2024/04/28

Our McTiernan series concludes with 2003’s BASIC - a film that Griffin thinks should instead be titled “COMPLICATED” - get it? Because there are so many plot twists?? The great BenDavid Grabinski joins us to chat about John Travolta’s run of big, skeezy characters post-FACE/OFF, McTiernan’s ultimate Achilles heel (getting too confident in his ability to fix impossible movies), the screenwriting career of studio wunderkind James Vanderbilt, and the truly terrible acting of Giovanni Ribisi. Plus, the

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151:19

Rollerball with Zach Cherry

Blank Check with Griffin & David ·

2024/04/21

Finally, we arrive at the film that helped put John McTiernan in both “director jail” and “jail jail” - the incoherent nu-metal fart that is 2002’s ROLLERBALL. Zach Cherry continues his trend of appearing on episodes covering movies that led to actual court cases, and we do our best to try to explain what happened (both on-screen and off). Why is this film set in Borat’s Kazakhstan? What was up with the extended nightvision scene? Is Griffin insane for being a Chris Kline apologist? Plus - Ben

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146:33

The 13th Warrior with David Lowery

Blank Check with Griffin & David ·

2024/04/14

What if there was a 13th Warrior? What if there was a version of Beowulf so grounded in reality that the climactic battle with Grendel just kind of felt like a shrug? What if Antonio Banderas was the lead in Gladiator instead of Russell Crowe? We’re just asking questions! Filmmaker David Lowery makes his long-awaited return to the podcast to talk about John McTiernan’s Michael Crichton adaptation, a movie that should have kept the title of the original book - Eaters of the Dead. Such a sick title

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142:34

The Thomas Crown Affair with Amanda Dobbins

Blank Check with Griffin & David ·

2024/04/07

A Fiji water bottle. “Sinnerman” by Nina Simone. That Magritte painting with the bowler hat. A SCINTILLATING, AGE-APPROPRIATE ROMANCE WITH TWO OF THE GREATEST HEIST SEQUENCES IN MOVIE HISTORY. We’re talking Tommy C (1999), baby! The delightful Amanda Dobbins joins us for her long-awaited Blank Check debut, and this episode is about as fun as you’d expect. Do we think this movie is better than the Norman Jewison original? Yes. Do we go long on the filmography of Rene Russo? Yes. Do we explain how

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139:22

Die Hard with a Vengeance with Shea Serrano

Blank Check with Griffin & David ·

2024/03/31

John McTiernan back with the Die Hard franchise after the spectacular flop of Last Action Hero. Bruce Willis and Samuel L Jackson back together after Pulp Fiction. Die Hard with a Vengeance is definitely part of the “we are so back” canon. Shea Serrano (who owns every McTiernan movie on VHS) joins us to chat about this explosive action threequel that features a surprising amount of New York theater actors and a bunch of childhood games and riddles. Also, you don’t need us to tell you this but -

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223:36

Last Action Hero with Paul Scheer & Jason Mantzoukas

Blank Check with Griffin & David ·

2024/03/24

You either love this movie or you hate it, and guess what - we’re landing all over the LOST ACTION HERO spectrum this episode! Paul Scheer & Jason Mantzoukas join us once again for a clock-busting, rip-roaring time, and we’re unpacking all of this movie’s meta madness. Is John McTiernan able to parody his own work? Should the kid have actually killed people in this movie (as in the original, edgier script)? Will David have an aneurysm if this episode recording doesn’t end at a reasonable

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138:55

Medicine Man with Jamie Lee

Blank Check with Griffin & David ·

2024/03/17

Oh baby, this one’s a STINKER! Sean Connery finds the cure for cancer but then he loses it (??). Lorraine Bracco delivers all of her dialogue like someone making a comment and not asking a question at a Q&A. They’re both playing scientists - but where’s the CHEMISTRY?? Comedian and writer Jamie Lee returns to Blank Check to talk about John McTiernan’s attempt at a serious adult drama, 1992’s MEDICINE MAN. We spend most of the episode trying to recast this movie to make it somewhat palatable. But

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136:56

The Hunt For Red October with Jamelle Bouie

Blank Check with Griffin & David ·

2024/03/10

We love da submarinesh! Host of “Unclear and Present Danger” Jamelle Bouie joins us this week to talk about middle aged white guys, airport novels, and naval recruitment propaganda. That’s right - we’re talking about John McTiernan’s adaptation of Tom Clancy’s THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER! Come for our thesis on why Alec Baldwin played the best version of Jack Ryan, stay for Ben and Jamelle’s impassioned pleas for a Highlander patreon series. And of course, there will be Connery impressions.This

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165:20

The Ninth Annual Blank Check Awards with Joe Reid

Blank Check with Griffin & David ·

2024/03/03

The pomp. The pageantry. The awkwardness of trying to shoehorn any of this year’s Oscar nominees into “Moon River” - that’s right, folks. The Blankies (and host Griffy Crystal) are back! Joe Reid of “This Had Oscar Buzz” joins us once again to celebrate the momentous year in cinema that was 2023. We’re handing out fake awards, making outrageous claims, and we’ve got a special musical performance that brings the house down. Enjoy!This episode is sponsored by: Mubi (mubi.com/howtohavesex) Join our

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187:45

Die Hard with Kevin Smith

Blank Check with Griffin & David ·

2024/02/25

Thirty-six floors. Thirteen (fake) terrorists. One perfect action movie. Kevin Smith - who was in a Die Hard movie AND directed Alan Rickman in DOGMA - joins us again for a supersized episode on McTiernan’s signature film. We’re getting into Bruce's wine cooler commercials. We reveal the surprising Shakespeare play that influenced McTiernan’s direction of this story. We’re nerding out about the spatial and organizational PERFECTION that makes it such a classic. And we’re paying loving homage to two

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173:38

Predator with Jon Gabrus

Blank Check with Griffin & David ·

2024/02/18

GET TO THE CHOPPA! Griffin attempts his best (actually, worst) Arnold voice this week as we head to the jungle with Jon Gabrus and some bic razors. For almost three hours, we’re dissecting every little bit of PREDATOR - the glow-stick goo alien blood, the Alan Silvestri score, Arnold’s calves, Arnold’s biceps, Arnold’s long red polo shirt, Arnold’s chiseled cheekbones, the way Arnold says KILL ME!!! - you can expect lots of Arnold talk.The filmed special of Blank Check on Broadway Live at The

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113:54

Nomads

Blank Check with Griffin & David ·

2024/02/11

Okay, action freaks! We’re kicking off our John McTiernan miniseries - POD HARD WITH A VENGECAST - with a film that is not at all indicative of the greatness to come. Nomads! A movie where Pierce Brosnan attempts a garbage French accent and is terrified by some punks in a van. That’s kind of the whole thing. Anyway - get ready for a spirited conversation about plenty of other topics, like: the filmography of Tom Shadyac! John McTiernan’s super cool dad! Gerard Depardieu’s face! The strict rules of

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159:03

The Mirror Has Two Faces with Bobby Finger & Lindsey...

Blank Check with Griffin & David ·

2024/02/04

If Yentl was about connecting with her absent father, and The Prince of Tides was about forgiving her difficult mother, The Mirror Has Two Faces is just about BARBRA! Who Weekly’s Bobby Finger and Lindsay Weber join us as we close out our Streisand series with her final film, a strange Frankenstein of a Judd Apatow, Albert Brooks, and Nora Ephron romcom. Should Lauren (“Betty”) Bacall have won the Oscar that year? Should Pierce Brosnan and Jeff Bridges have swapped roles? Is “the perfect bite” the

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149:01

The Prince of Tides with Katey Rich

Blank Check with Griffin & David ·

2024/01/28

Can you hear the crawdads sing? Or is that just our Nick Nolte impression? Our favorite Carolinian Katey Rich joins us to chat about Streisand’s 1991 adaptation of Pat Conroy’s bugnuts novel, a story that includes some serious ethical breaches made by alluring therapist Susan Lowenstein. Listen along as Katey shares some tidbits from the book that did NOT make the screen adaptation (a tiger, for example), Griffin relates to Jason Gould’s attempts to be sporty, and David offers his hot take that this

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563 results

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