Blank Check with Griffin & David

Join Pulp Men (and Woman) of the Year Griffin, David, Ben, and Marie as they discuss Park Chan Wook’s latest offering, the silly and sublime No Other Choice. We’re talking about paper, AI-proof jobs, the handsomeness of Lee Byung-hun, the possibility that Director Park is the Michael Jordan of dissolves, and the fact that this is likely Griffin’s favorite film of 2025. Plus, David breaks down over the finale of Stranger Things, and we all apologize for a bunch of stuff.

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This week, we’re only slightly hung over from last night’s New York Film Critics Circle Awards! Griffin Newman joins the pod to discuss the event, where, among dry-run Oscar speeches from Amy Madigan, Rose Byrne, and Wagner Moura, we saw Ethan Hawke fall into a fountain beneath a towering Buddhist deity.

Then we turn to the precursor circuit, where Marty Supreme’s momentum has cemented Timothée Chalamet as a frontrunner for Best Actor. We get into how he’s played the campaign circuit so far, and why Timmy and Marty are well posit...

Testing, testing…does anybody know? Is this thing on? It depends on who you ask, frankly. The Blank Check team are divided on Bradley Cooper’s latest offering, the divorce dramedy Is This Thing On? Can you just walk in off the street to do an open mic at the Comedy Cellar? No. Is Peyton Manning one of our finest athlete actors? Yes. Is Griffin’s opinion of this film possibly strained by his anxiety over the New York City mayoral election? Probably. Join us for an episode that we hope is funnier than Will Arnett’s sad sack stand-up...

Welcome to Critical Darlings, a new podcast miniseries from Blank Check: A conversation about the awards season conversation, one contender at a time. 

On Critical Darlings, critics and Blank Check alumni Richard Lawson and Alison Willmore guide you through the state of the Oscars race, from the precursors, to the campaigns, to the nominees themselves. To get things started, we begin with a discussion of the festival circuit and the curious state of this year's race; where many promising films have floundered upon their public release. Sidebars include the host's Oscar history, watching festival f...

We went back to Pandora and we all fell in love with a very special lady. She’s a bit prickly. A bit unconventional. But boy, is she something! Join us as we chat Avatar: Fire and Ash, aka VARANG: THE AWAKENING, the third installment in Big Jim’s Sully family saga. Yes, this movie’s a bit messier than the previous ones. Yes, it repeats many of the same beats as The Way of Water. No, we do not care. We are too distracted by our new Na’vi queen.

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It’s pretty hard being the governor of an unnamed state when you’re a 34-year-old woman with a husband who’s the heir to a local pizza empire and you’ve got a brother who has agoraphobia and your sleazy dad keeps leaving you weird voicemails and Julie Kavner is narrating your entire life story! Wooo, that was a lot. James L. Brooks’ Ella McCay is A LOT. Richard Lawson joins us to chat about this very strange movie that feels like a real outlier at contemporary multiplexes. If anything, Ella McCay is a refreshing throwback. Kind of. Minus a fe...

Honey Don’t? Honey probably shouldn’t have. But that’s okay, because Honey, we’re gonna talk about it anyway! Writer and illustrator Mattie Lubchansky joins us to close out our Coens series with Ethan and Tricia’s latest offering from earlier this year. How do we feel about Margaret Qualley and Aubrey Plaza as performers? How do we feel about Chris Evans’ “year of trying stuff”? How do we feel about the threatened third film in this Lesbian B-Movie trilogy, “Go Beavers!”? Well, honey, you’ll just have to listen to find out.

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Two gals and a briefcase full of dicks. What more could an 84 minute caper need? mxmtoon joins us to chat about Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke’s lesbian road trip movie Drive Away Dolls, and brings with her the fascinating perspective of someone whose first Coen movie was…Drive Away Dolls! We’re chatting about Ethan and Tricia’s unconventional relationship, the legacy of Cynthia PlasterCaster, and the unlikely leading man trajectory of Pedro Pascal. Plus, we’re mourning the dearth of lesbian bars and Geraldine Viswanathan vehicles in our current cultural climate.

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You can’t say “Macbeth” in a theater, but you can certainly say it on a podcast! Dana Schwartz joins us (in her third Blank Check appearance on a witch-centered film) to talk about Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, the first solo-directorial effort from a Coen Brother after their amicable split. We’re debating the success of Frances McDormand and Denzel Washington’s performances, learning about the history of Scottish kings, and discovering Ben Hosley’s family crest in the first Blank Check episode devoted to a work of Shakespeare. Trust us, this isn’t homework. It’s fun!

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Six segments. Four legendary movie podcasters. Three and a half hours of keeping David Sims away from his family. Welcome to our Ballad of Buster Scruggs episode! How Did This Get Made’s Paul Scheer and Jason Mantzoukas join the Two Friends to talk about the Coens’ final film together (as of this recording), a grab bag of western vignettes that could have been titled “A Million Ways to Die in the West” if Seth MacFarlane hadn’t already claimed it. We’re picking our favorite segments, chatting about the “wild west” of Netflix projects back when Scruggs was greenlit, and ra...

Would that it twere so simple to lasso that lazy ol’ moon! This week, we’re chatting about all the studio shenanigans in Hail, Caesar! with our pal Shirley Li. Speaking of Shirley, we all knew she was skilled at getting David “The Dog” Sims off the leash, but did you know that she also attended researcher JJ’s wedding?! Lore drop! Join us as we unpack the careers of Channing Tatum and Alden Ehrenreich, gush over the gorgeous near-Technicolor cinematography, and celebrate the love of da moviesh that comes through so clearly in this film.

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🎵🎶Puh-pa-please Mr. Kennedy (uhoh!) please won’t you listen to our puh-podcast🎶🎵This week we broadcast, not from a balcony, but from the Blank Check office, with guest Rachel Zegler (she connects with people, JJ’s research confirms)! Coming off of back to back Blank Checks the Coen’s took their time to release Inside Llewyn Davis, a somber comedy following a folk singer stuck in a failure loop. We’ve got two dogs off the leash, two fart detectives, the Coen’s attempting the Armageddon method of casting Llewyn, and the cold reality of pursuing the arts.

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Kathryn Bigelow is back. But are WE so back? Not quite. The gang discusses the recent release A House of Dynamite, a film in which the president listens to podcasts, Tracy Letts loves the Mets, and the city of Chicago may or may not be completely leveled by an atomic bomb. Do we kind of miss Mark Boal now? Are we praying Kathryn Bigelow directs something a little more in line with Strange Days or Point Break next? Would Ethan Hunt have saved this movie? Yes, yes, and yes.

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We love to pull the cork. Comedian (and probably the biggest Greek-American entertainer of our time) Stavros Halkias joins us to chat about 2010’s True Grit, the Coens’ true attempt to cash their post-Oscar blank check. We’re talking about Hailee Steinfeld’s incredible performance. We’re talking about Jeff Bridges’ distinctive mumbly delivery. We’re talking about how this film is a considerable upgrade over the John Wayne original in possibly every way. We’re also talking about how everyone probably smells awful in this movie. And we’re talking a lot about the Morris Chestnut network TV show “Watson” for...

The time has come for us to lock the gates. On the occasion of the end of WTF, Marc Maron joins us to talk about chaos, God, mathematics, and Jewish identity as we dive into 2009’s A Serious Man. Highlights of this episode include Marc asking, “Is this a bit?” when David opens the dossier, Marc’s discussion of his audition to play Larry Gopnik, and Marc telling Griffin that he’s proud of him. Not a dry eye in the house, folks. This is a special one.

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What did we learn, Palmer? That 2008’s Burn After Reading is pretty freakin’ hilarious, sir. Our Fran (Hoepfner, not McDormand) joins us this week to talk about Joel and Ethan Coen’s madcap dark comedy about a bunch of morons living in the DC area. The way John Malkovich says “mem-waah”...George Clooney’s homemade dildo chair…Brad Pitt’s stupid face right before getting murked…it all adds up to a splendid tapestry of silliness. Listen, laugh, and maybe you can fit in a run afterwards.

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The Two Friendos, plus “Masterpiece” Leslye Headland and “I would have had no problems handling that bag of money” Ben Hosley take on one of the most acclaimed films of the 21st century in this week’s episode. It’s No Country For Old Men week on Blank Check! We’re chatting about Anton Chigurh’s strange physicality, Tommy Lee Jones’ tired resignation, and Josh Brolin’s career breakthrough in this episode, all while lavishing praise on the Coens’ practically perfect film. Now tell us - what’s the most that you’ve ever lost on a coin toss?

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We must have waffles forthwith! We must also have Connor Ratliff on the pod to talk about Tom Hanks for the first time since the completion of his Dead Eyes series! Join us for a spirited discussion about 2004’s The Ladykillers, a film that is universally regarded as the Coens’ worst, and is also the film that ended Hanks’ legendary decade-long boffo box office streak. We’re getting into defining the parameters of the world of “Weird Hanks.” We’re getting into the…uh…uncomfortable racial depictions that mar this movie. We’re getting to the “Root of the Matter,” and we’re get...

We’ve been exposed. You’ve nailed our asses. Of course we’re going to defend this movie! 2004’s Intolerable Cruelty features George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones at the height of their powers, yet failed to connect with contemporary audiences. Guest Katey Rich joins us as we attempt to understand why. Too mean? Too talky? A lack of period trappings? Maybe they were just blinded by George Clooney’s incredible teeth. We’re talking Clooney’s directorial efforts (bad), Richard Jenkins’ 2008 (immaculate), and the name “Rex Rexroth” (difficult to pronounce) in this week’s episode, so sign your Massey pre-nup and join us! <...

This one’s a real enigma - is The Man Who Wasn’t There a film about the alienation of a man who is deeply closeted and searching for connection in a tightly wound post-war world? Is it about a wife guy who doesn’t know how to express his feelings? Is it somehow about how Beethoven was not only deaf but suffered from horrific diarrhea at the end of his life? No? Well, that’s Jordan Hoffman’s theory! Join us for a very silly episode where we go long on Billy Bob, coin a new term for a Shalhoub...

Those Soggy Bottom Boys really know how to carry a tune! Emily St. James joins us to talk about O Brother, Where Art Thou?, a wonderful film whose reputation was ultimately eclipsed by its octuple-Platinum soundtrack of “old timey” bops. When we’re on track, we’re talking peak Clooney, digital color correction, T. Bone Burnett, and the history of Southern politics. When we’re off track in this episode? Expect some discussion around Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory and the Emmy-winning run of The Practice.

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It’s the episode you’ve all been waiting for - Seth Rogen joins us to talk about the Coens’ 1998 stoner classic The Big Lebowski. It should come as no surprise that Lebowski has loomed large over Seth’s work as a writer and director, and we’re going in depth on the influence and lasting impact of The Dude. Make yourself a White Russian (but maybe take a Lactaid first), turn off The Eagles, and settle in for a hilarious three hours of film analysis and Hollywood anecdotes. Oh, and if you were wondering - in this episode, someone is...

Did we get the director of Weapons, another “true story,” on our Fargo episode? You betcha. Zach Cregger joins the Blank Check crew to discuss the Coens’ 1996 masterpiece and we’re going SCENE BY SCENE dissecting this perfect movie. “Minnesota nice,” “Dark Marge,” the Mike Yanagita scene, the origins of Jerry’s overwhelming debt, the inner life of Gaear Grimsrud, and the operatic score are just a few of the topics discussed. Did you know that Ben Hosley’s first car was an Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera? YOOU BETCHA.

Note: This episode was recorded before we saw Weapons, so no spoilers here...

(Gestures at a circle) You know, for kids! Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger of the Doughboys join us for a freewheeling, gut-busting episode about the time Joel Silver gave the Coens a bunch of money to make a “commercial film” and then it ended up being 1994’s The Hudsucker Proxy. A sampling of topics discussed: Paul Newman being hot up until the day he died (and possibly after), whether or not this movie has a Sturges protagonist in a Capra film or vice versa, whether or not the previous question even matters, the fact that Griffin has never seen The Wi...

Is John Goodman the devil? Is the studio system good, actually? Is it better to be the director of a bomb than it is to be the director of a film that doesn’t exist? Filmmaker (and part of a DGA-sanctioned directing duo) Chris Weitz joins us to talk about Barton Fink, possibly the greatest film ever made about the “art vs. commerce” divide inherent to the movie business. It’s not easy to make a picture, folks.

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It’s a movie about hats, and a movie about giving folks the high hat. It’s also a movie about how Jon Polito is the greatest actor in the world. It’s Miller’s Crossing! Filmmaker Ari Aster (go see Eddington!)  joins Griffin and David to discuss the Coen Brothers’ knotty homage to the gangster genre, a film overloaded with memorable characters and witty lines of dialogue. We’re doing a deep-dive on Gabriel Byrne, litigating Marcia Gay Harden’s surprise Oscar win for Pollock, and once again examining the Coens’ body of work through the lens of Jewish identity.<...

Jesus Cock, that’s a hot new episode! John Hodgman returns to Blank Check to chat about Raising Arizona, the Coen’s swerve of a follow-up to Blood Simple that trades in the hallmarks of noir for the hallmarks of Looney Tunes. We’re talking about Nic Cage’s sad eyes, Holly Hunter’s year of iconic crying performances, rest stop public pomade, and people we are glad are dead. It’s a fun time. And yes, there’s yodelling.

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Gather round, folks - it’s time to embark upon a journey through one of the most sterling filmographies in American cinema. Our Coen Brothers series - Pod Country for Old Cast - kicks off with Joel and Ethan’s remarkably assured 1984 debut Blood Simple. Coen experts and hosts of the To The White Sea podcast Ray Tintori and Jordan Fish join us to do some serious tablesetting for the odyssey ahead, offering some context that JJ didn’t even manage to dig up. Speaking of digging - Ben Hosley has some thoughts on the subject.

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Our Amy Heckerling series comes to an end with 2012’s Vamps, a film produced too late to have an appropriate budget, and too early to be a streaming series. However - we find it charming! Caroline Framke returns to the podcast after 6 years (an eternity for us, but probably a blink for a vampire), and we talk about the pitfalls and pleasures of eternal youth, the B in Apartment 23, and how if Heckerling never makes another film, this one would serve as an appropriate career coda. 

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Michelle Pfeiffer stars as Amy Heckerling and Paul Rudd stars as ????? in a totally normal movie that might actually be a voodoo curse made against Amy’s enemies. Oh, also Saorise Ronan makes her FILM DEBUT. What a picture! The incomparable Karen Chee joins us to talk about 2007’s I Could Never Be Your Woman, a movie that was financed by a French scoundrel, released directly to Blockbuster, and features some of the most dated cultural references we’ve ever come across. Is the film good? No. Is it fascinating? We sure think so!

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Blank Check is going back to the British Isles with Danny Boyle, Alex Garland, and one extraordinarily well-endowed zombie this week as they discuss 28 Years Later. This movie has so much to love in it – wet bones, third-act Ralph Fiennes, Jodie Comer doing a thing, the Angel of the North, Teletubbies, the aforementioned well-endowed zombies, mind-bending digital photography, and did we mention THE WET BONES??? Be prepared for David to get REAL British, for Marie to cry on mic, for Griffin to bring up the manosphere, and for Ben to learn about Operation Yewtree. Gosh, we love this movie so...

The song. The hat. The…casual date rape?!!? In what should have been Amy Heckerling’s “blank check” after the success of Clueless, 2000’s Loser is a real LOSER. Filmmaker Chandler Levack joins us to chat about this technically-not-a-remake-of-The-Apartment “comedy” that gets college surprisingly wrong. Come for the Wheatus talk, stay for the in-depth power ranking of every American Pie cast member’s post-Pie career.

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pop culture obsession. Dossier excerpts, film biz AND burger reports, and even more exclusive conten...

Okay, so you’re probably going, “Is this like a Noxzema commercial or what?” But seriously, this is actually a way normal podcast about one of David Sims’ favorite movies! SNL’s Heidi Gardner (a total betty) joins us to talk about Amy Heckerling’s beloved Jane Austen adaptation, and we’re rolling with the homies. Join us for Alicia Silverstone and Paul Rudd career discussion, a lot of local Kansas City lore, and Ben’s takes on Cher’s iconic fits. 

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Griffin, David, Ben, and Marie accepted the mission. They live and pod in the shadows, for those they hold close, and for those they never meet. They also have a few notes for Tom Cruise and Chris McQuarrie with regards to Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. Join the crew as they break down all the problems of this latest (and final???) installment of the beloved franchise. Join them as they rave over some of the most incredible sequences ever to grace the silver screen - ALSO in this movie. It’s a mixed bag, folks. But speaking of ba...

The Ubriacco family are back and - can you believe it? - they’re still talking! Actor and filmmaker Max Minghella joins us to talk about Look Who’s Talking Too, the contractually-obligated, quickly produced sequel to Amy Heckerling’s surprise hit. We’re talking about Mr. Toilet Man (he eats your pee pee and poo poo), Elias Koteas’ Mr. Scary Uncle Man (he has a gun), and Mr. English Man (David Sims, who grew up in London). Plus, Ben continues to flesh out his “Look Who Hath Talked” prequel, and Griffin becomes the first person with the courage to ask, “Who w...

In perhaps the spermiest film we’ve ever covered, John Travolta and Kirstie Alley hang out with a baby voiced by Bruce Willis and Amy Heckerling gets revenge on Harold Ramis. As David Sims says early in this episode - Look Who’s Talking is a VERY RICH text. Vanity Fair’s Hillary Busis joins us to talk about this 1989 “forgotbuster,” a film that made a bozo amount of money and dared to ask the question, “What if baby talked??” We’re going deep on Travolta lore, grappling with Kirstie Alley’s later career, and following numerous tangents on everything from th...

Congratulations! You’ve won an all-expenses-paid vacation with Griffin, David, Ben, and Jon Gabrus to Europe! Only downside is…well, you have to watch this movie. From the strange cultural stereotypes to the unfortunate lack of jokes, Amy Heckerling’s sequel to National Lampoon’s Vacation isn’t the smoothest trip. But, it certainly gives us an excuse to talk about one of the most beloved franchises of the 1980s! Join us for Stonehenge stories, a deep dive into Beverly D’Angelo’s incredible biography, travel talk, and a whole lot of Chevy chat.

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He’s the nicest bad guy in town. His last name is an adverb. And he’s got some pretty wacky bits! Sweetie pie comedian Josh Gondelman joins us to talk about 1984’s Johnny Dangerously, Amy Heckerling’s loving homage to 1930’s gangster pictures. Things we attempt to understand in this episode: the cultural legacy of Joe Piscopo; the actual joke that’s being told in the “Your Testicles and You” animated reel / is there one?; Marilu Henner’s insane memory thing; if the Danny DeVito bull scene is a parody of anything; why does Richie Rich have cent signs in his name...

We’re grabbing our Vans slip ons and heading to the mall as we kick off our Amy Heckerling series - Pod Times at Ridgemont Cast - with Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Fresh off her appearance in Sinners, actual high school friend of Griffin Newman Lola Kirke returns to the pod and things get pretty bogus. Like, David Lynch was supposed to direct this movie!!! David Sims has three performances from this on his 1982 Oscar Ballot! We develop sympathy for Mr. Hand! Griffin used to own a pair of fully black Converse sneakers! And, of course - Ben or...

Our Early Spielberg series concludes with a movie that is a super fun time and not at all distressing to watch in our current political climate! David Ehrlich joins us to discuss 1993’s Schindler’s List, the film that defined the visual language of the Holocaust and finally got Spielberg his Oscar. We’re getting into the critical debates about this film’s “watchability,” the fact that this was only Ralph Fiennes’ second screen performance, and our (likely controversial) definitive ranking of Spielberg’s full filmography.  

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God creates dinosaurs. God destroys dinosaurs. God creates Steven Spielberg. Steven Spielberg makes 1993’s Jurassic Park and changes movie history. The Big Picture’s Sean Fennessey joins us to talk about this totemic blockbuster, and we’re spending three hours talking about the bad boys of the Jurassic era (velociraptors), the bad boys of ILM (Steve ‘Spaz’ Williams and Mark Dippe), and the bad boy of movie scientists (Dr. Ian Malcolm).

Note: this episode was recorded last fall, so some of the takes you’ll hear are a bit…frozen in amber. Yup, you guessed it. Ha...

Everyone knows Captain Hook got swallowed by the crocodile at the end of Peter Pan. But what this movie presupposes is…maybe he didn’t? Let us go back to a time when the coolest thing a kid could have was a clubhouse that looked like a skatepark…when the worst thing a dad could do was own a cell phone…and when the craziest thing a filmmaker could do was agree to make a movie that started off as a child’s drawing. Lin-Manuel Miranda - most famous for starring as Captain Hook in his sixth grade production of Peter P...

Is it possible for Steven Spielberg to make a movie that doesn’t exist? Well, he sure tried with 1989’s Always, a film where John Goodman plays Monterey Jack of the Rescue Rangers, Richard Dreyfuss riffs to no one as an annoying ghost, and Holly Hunter falls in love with the most dull hottie at the Plane Depot. Our beloved Richard Lawson joins us to talk planes, boy bands, Marlboro merch, and the enduring mystery of what happened between Kathy Bates, Holly Hunter, and Fran McD in that famous apartment. 

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What if Indiana Jones had a dad who was a “grail scholar" but also his “eskimo brother" and he was played by James Bond and he had a funny little hat? We are so glad Steven Spielberg dared to imagine this scenario because we got Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade out of it! Chris Gethard - The self-proclaimed “Bad Boy of Blank Check Guests” - joins the crew to talk about this delightful film, considered a fulcrum point in Spielberg’s career where he switches perspectives from son to father. We’re talking about daddy issues. We’re asking if Kazi...

Our Spielbergian journey takes us to new dramatic heights with 1987’s Empire of the Sun, the film that brought us Christian Bale (discovered by Amy Irving!), unexpected Joey Pants and Ben Stiller appearances, and a perfect use of John Malkovich. Bilge Ebiri joins us (and the Five Timers Club) to chat about how underrated this film is within the Spielberg canon, and how this movie evolves Spielberg’s perception as a serious dramatic artist.

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After inventing the Hollywood blockbuster with Jaws, creating the world’s most loveable alien with E.T., and resurrecting the classic adventure serial with the Indiana Jones franchise, of course the next logical step in Steven Spielberg’s career was to…adapt Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel about the survival and strength of queer black women in the American south? Duh! Obviously! Comedian Kenice Mobley joins us to talk about 1985’s truly baffling and seismically important The Color Purple in our latest episode. We want to thank Quincy Jones for discovering Oprah and producing this movie. We want to ye...

👑👑 A LIVE SHOW OF MAJESTIC PROPORTIONS 👑👑

Podcasters, cinephiles, and freaks—rejoice! Blank Check will be returning to Town Hall this summer to commemorate our 10th anniversary with a long-promised tribute to one of the greatest films in cinema history.

To honor our “Decade of Dreams,” we cordially invite you to a royal audience with King Ralph, the 1991 John Goodman/Peter O’Toole comedy that dared to ask, “What if there was a King Ralph?”

It will be an evening of reflection, analysis, elaborately produced (and adequately executed...

“Doom” isn’t just describing a Temple here, folks - it’s kind of the overarching vibe of this film! George Lucas is going through a bitter divorce. Steven Spielberg is dealing with PTSD from Twilight Zone: The Movie. Harrison Ford is suffering from a back injury from falling off an elephant or something. Kate Capshaw is there. A true cloud of doom hanging over this movie! Fortunately for you all, it’s only great vibes for us and Olivia Craighead *podcasting* about Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. It’s the return of the “George Lucas got cucked by the...

It’s a wonderful night for Blankies! Join us and This Had Oscar Buzz’s Joe Reid as we survey the year that was 2024 in cinema. Not to spoil too much, but some things that happen in this episode: Griffy Crystal sings a tribute to The Brutalist to the tune of “Bootylicious,” Nosferatu wins zero awards but shows up to present every category, Griffin is obsessed with Hundreds of Beavers, David hates The Bikeriders, Joe invents an incredible new bespoke category, and as always - Ben ranks his wettest films of the year.

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We’re putting out a bit of a throwback episode for the most iconic (literal) blankie in film history - this week’s E.T. episode is guestless, with Griffin going rogue off the dossier, David making fun of Griffin for being an adult who likes toys and animation, and Ben getting emotional over a family film…decade of dreams, baby! Join us as we gush over the child performances, creature creation, and authentic emotionality of Spielberg’s canonical hit. Did you know that the Italian guy who designed E.T. kind of looks like E.T.? Or that Researche...

You’re a young movie fan. It’s 1981. STEVEN SPIELBERG is teaming up with FREAKING GEORGE LUCAS (!?!?!) to make a movie with HAN SOLO…can you imagine how hyped you’d be?? Marvel Comics legend Brian Michael Bendis joins us to recount the colossal impact of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK in this rollicking adventure of an episode. Jewish mysticism and weird Nazi stuff! Alfred Molina getting covered with a bunch of live spiders! Karen Allen coming up with an incredibly detailed backstory for Marion and Spielberg being like, “sure, whatever”! Danny DeVito almost being cast as Saleh?!?! You bet we’re ge...

He invented the summer blockbuster. He inspired millions of people around the world to “watch the skies.” And now, he has sent Griffin Newman into an existential crisis over the question “what is comedy?” Our friends Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger of The Doughboys join us to talk about Steven Spielberg’s infamously unfunny 1941. Why IS this film - loaded with so many comedic superstars - boring as shit? Is the opening scene one of the most embarrassing exercises in hubris ever committed to screen? Would this movie be better if they just inserted the entirety of Dumbo into it? Why do...

Five curious tones. A mountain of mashed potatoes. Bob Balaban with a beard speaking french. After the industry-changing success of JAWS, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND feels like a classic “blank check.” But it’s a little more nuanced than that! JD Amato returns for his 10th mainfeed appearance this week, and we’re getting into all of the production drama, real nerdy practical effects shit (cloud boxing!), and the complicated feelings we have towards the behavior of the adults in this movie. Seems like young Stevie Spielberg has some divorce trauma he’s working through! Has anyone ever made...

Dunnnh dun. Dunnnh dun. Never before had two notes provoked such terror as they did in JAWS, the 1975 classic that invented the summer blockbuster, catapulted Steven Spielberg to Hollywood legend status, and inspired generational trauma about water. Actor and recognizable famous person Timothy Simons joins us to talk about this classic shark tale, and we go long on Scheider, Dreyfuss, Shaw, and the career of journeyman director Joseph Sargent (?). Which member of the Blank Check crew would be least likely to get attacked by a shark? Obviously Ben, because he respects water. What the hell did Chief Brody think...

Young whippersnapper Steven Spielberg continues his run of dusty, road-centric films with 1974’s THE SUGARLAND EXPRESS, and we’re along for the (surprisingly chill) ride. Writer Esther Zuckerman joins us to discuss the cinematic persona of Goldie Hawn, William Atherton’s strange period of leading-man roles, the harmonica stylings of Belgian jazz legend Toots Thielemans, and Spielberg’s brief but fruitful collaboration with cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond. Note - we recorded this episode a few months in advance. We no longer endorse the whole Hawk Tuah thing.

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2025! Blank Check Year 10! Year of Miracles! In honor of our record 10th year of podcasting, we’re doing something we’ve never done before - going back to fill in the gaps on a filmography we’ve previously only partially covered. And what a filmography it is - folks, welcome to PODRASSIC CAST. We’re starting our exploration of the first half of Steven Spielberg’s career with his remarkable 1971 debut feature DUEL, a movie that was originally made for TV but later released with extra footage for a theatrical run. Driving is scary. Being this talented right off the bat is...

What year is it? Well, it’s 2024 - but not for long. It’s our last episode of the year! Director of this year’s I SAW THE TV GLOW Jane Schoenbrun joins us to talk about the conclusion of Twin Peaks: The Return, and, by default, the conclusion of our David Lynch series. In a show that intentionally defies the very concept of resolution, how do we put a bow on things? Well, we try! Shout out to Freddie and his glove. Oh, and Merry Christmas. Trauma is originary and unending.

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Dougie gets it on (or, more accurately, Naomi Watts gets HER Dougie on), guest Fran Hoepfner pitches her artisanal slime for adults (don’t steal the idea), and we relitigate LOST for the hundredth time in this penultimate episode of our Twin Peaks: The Return coverage. Can adults get mono? Why is it so hard for Lucy and Andy to buy a chair? THAT is the Audrey Horne plot? Will someone please have sympathy for David Sims, who isn’t going gray yet and desperately wants a cool subway-themed videogame?

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This is the podcast. These are the (two) friends. Drink full, and descend. The famous “Atomic Bomb” episode of The Return stands as one of David Lynch’s most defining works, an “origin story” for Twin Peaks, and one of the most experimental hours ever to air on narrative television. In a rare moment of “double dipping,” Twin Peaks S2 guest Connor Ratliff joins us again to discuss this landmark episode, offering a David Lynch impression that is superior to Griffin’s, which you probably thought could not be topped. We’re offering theories and explanations this episode, but we’re also talking...

It is happening again - we’re covering TV! Or is it an 18-part movie? Much to ponder. We’re heading back to the Pacific Northwest (and Vegas…and New York…and the Red Room…and outer space?) in our first of four episodes covering Showtime’s 2017 series “Twin Peaks: The Return.” So far, we’ve got tulpas, Caleb Laundry Bag, three distinct versions of Dale Cooper, Dr. Jacobi’s gold shovels, Michael Cera doing a bad Marlon Brando impression, creamed corn barf, Matthew Lillard, a cryptic final message from the Log Lady, and a whole slew of David Lynch’s favorite con...

Only on Blank Check would an episode about David Lynch’s deeply destabilizing INLAND EMPIRE turn into a heartfelt celebration of creativity and the human experience. David Rees joins us and brings receipts - including literal receipts for every movie ticket he purchased in 2007 and his high school newspaper review of Twin Peaks (a pan) - as we gush about David Lynch’s singular position in American culture. Plus, we delve into tons of Laura Dern context, discuss dreams where you inhabit a different person, and spend an inordinate amount of time talking about the Snuffy Smith comic strip.

Is it a dream? Is it about a dream? Is it a TV pilot? Is it the greatest film of the 21st century? In any case, Leslye Headland returns to the podcast to talk about David Lynch’s endlessly fascinating 2001 masterpiece MULHOLLAND DR. We may not have all the answers, but we do have a lot of thoughts about Hollywood, about Billy Ray Cyrus, about actors being shoved down audiences’ throats, about diners, about Patrick Fischler’s eyebrows, about the diner owned by Patrick Fischler’s dad, about Naomi Watts’ friendship with Nicole Kidman, about Corky Romano…the list goes on.

We apologize in advance if you had a profound emotional experience with the new Robert Zemeckis joint - HERE felt like more of a “Here?? What???? Why?” to us. Dinosaurs, Benjamin Franklin’s cuck son, a man dying from laughter, a horny couple who invent the LA-Z Boy, airplane man (who does NOT die from airplane), and the double whammy of the Black Lives Matter movement and Covid all come together to create a strange boomer diorama that misses much of the quotidian beauty of Richard McGuire’s graphic novel. Will Bobby Z. ever make a good movie again? Griffin’...

Walt Disney Pictures Presents A Film By David Lynch. And what a beautiful, expectation-defying, G-rated, cold-glass-of-beer film it is. Dana Stevens joins us to talk about 1999’s The Straight Story, a film that showcases Lynch’s fascination with Americana and his deep empathy for characters on the margins. Join us on a journey through the Midwest (Griffin can’t drive, but he’s a great passenger), where we talk about braunschweiger, cheese castles, bundles of sticks, Chicago theater actors without photos on their IMDB pages, and the fascinating career of actor Richard Farnsworth. Dude was in Gone With the Wind! Duration: 02:13:33

1997’s Lost Highway - is it (as David Sims wrote on Letterboxd), “a movie about headache”? Is it David Lynch’s most visually beautiful film? Is it a dry run for Mulholland Dr? A radical reimagining of Bill Pullman’s screen presence? A psychogenic fugue? Lynch’s commentary on the OJ Simpson trial? An excuse for David Sims to go off on the concept of “free jazz”?? Folks - we are pleased to tell you that it is all of the above and more. The great David Lowery joins us to talk about Lynch’s deeply haunted neo-noir nightmare - a film that dare...

What if they made a sequel to the Joker movie that was pretty much the finale of Seinfeld but it’s also a half-assed jukebox musical, and EVERYONE hated it? What if Michael Keaton had a 35-year-old pregnant daughter, but he also had precocious 9-year-old twins and a Los Angeles art gallery on the verge of financial collapse? Both scenarios lay the groundwork for two of the most “they don’t make ‘em like this” films of the year, and BOTH conclude with the same Daniel Johnston song. You can’t make this stuff up, folks! Join the crew for a fever...

One of the more harrowing films we’ve covered on the podcast (and the second film we’ve covered in 2024 with a memorable “gobble gobble” line), 1992’s TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME was not the quirky, enjoyable plotline wrap-up fans of Twin Peaks wanted. David Lynch instead challenged the audience to identify with Laura Palmer’s humanity and pain, making her a real person - not just a girl wrapped in plastic. THE FIRST OMEN director Arkasha Stevenson joins us to talk about how this film (and WILD AT HEART) inspired her to become a filmmaker, the uncanny experience o...

If we told you this was the first time we’d covered a Nicolas Cage movie on the podcast - would you believe us? Well, baby - it’s true. And what a movie it is! The luminous Tatiana Maslany returns to talk about David Lynch’s smokin’ hot outlaw romance WILD AT HEART - a film that won the Palme d’Or and took Lynch away from the set of Twin Peaks. Get ready for lots of Cage career discussion (a favorite topic of Griffin Newman), a bunch of actor speak, and multiple “hey, did you know David Lynch was a...

For a brief shining moment, Middle America went crazy for the surreal soap opera stylings of David Lynch and Mark Frost. We’re talking ABC, primetime, airing against “Cheers”-level mainstream. And then it all came crashing down. Listen as we take our first step into the intoxicating world of Twin Peaks - one of the most influential television series of all time and the project that would come to define Lynch for the rest of his career. Eva Anderson - who literally grew up in the town Twin Peaks was filmed in and can tell you for a fact t...

For a brief shining moment, Middle America went crazy for the surreal soap opera stylings of David Lynch and Mark Frost. We’re talking ABC, primetime, airing against “Cheers”-level mainstream. And then it all came crashing down. Listen as we take our first step into the intoxicating world of Twin Peaks - one of the most influential television series of all time and the project that would come to define Lynch for the rest of his career. Eva Anderson - who literally grew up in the town Twin Peaks was filmed in and can tell you for a fact that t...

Lend us your (severed) ears! This week, we’re jumping back into our Lynch series with a trip to Lumberton, USA, as our beloved Jamie Loftus joins us to chat about 1986’s BLUE VELVET. We’re going deep on the star persona of Kyle MacLachlan, David Sims’ obsession with Dean Stockwell, and David Lynch’s unironic obsession with Americana. How does a movie that deals with such deeply disturbing themes end up being so watchable? That’s that Lynchian magic, baby!

Be sure to listen to Sixteenth Minute (of Fame)

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Lend us your (severed) ears! This week, we’re jumping back into our Lynch series with a trip to Lumberton, USA, as our beloved Jamie Loftus joins us to chat about 1986’s BLUE VELVET. We’re going deep on the star persona of Kyle MacLachlan, David Sims’ obsession with Dean Stockwell, and David Lynch’s unironic obsession with Americana. How does a movie that deals with such deeply disturbing themes end up being so watchable? That’s that Lynchian magic, baby!

Be sure to listen to Sixteenth Minute (of Fame)
Buy Jamie’s Book: Raw Dog: The Naked Truth Ab...

We’re taking a break from David Lynch to answer one of the year’s biggest questions - Is Burton Back, Baby? Ummmm…kind of! Grab your “Handbook for the Recently Deceased” commemorative popcorn tin and join us as we attempt to untangle the very messy BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE. Which sequences wowed us with their sparkling ingenuity? Which plotlines would we excise from the script? What song would you possess people to lipsync to and why is it Bloodhound Gang’s “The Bad Touch”? And - the most important question of all - why has David Sims not been publishing movie reviews lat...

We’re taking a break from David Lynch to answer one of the year’s biggest questions - Is Burton Back, Baby? Ummmm…kind of! Grab your “Handbook for the Recently Deceased” commemorative popcorn tin and join us as we attempt to untangle the very messy BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE. Which sequences wowed us with their sparkling ingenuity? Which plotlines would we excise from the script? What song would you possess people to lipsync to and why is it Bloodhound Gang’s  “The Bad Touch”? And - the most important question of all - why has David Sims not been publishing movie reviews lately, w...

The sleeper must awaken. The filmography must contain a flop. We’ve arrived at the Planet Arrakis aka the Desert Planet aka DUNE (1984) - David Lynch’s attempt at wrangling Frank Herbert’s space epic into a single studio blockbuster. Did it work? Not really. Do we have fun talking about it? Hell yeah, we do! John Hodgman joins us to talk about all things “spice” - including the infamous glossary of Dune terms handed out in theaters, and a wild anecdote about Peter Berg reading Dune on an airplane. We talk about Lynch’s decision to turn down directing Ret...

The sleeper must awaken. The filmography must contain a flop. We’ve arrived at the Planet Arrakis aka the Desert Planet aka DUNE (1984) - David Lynch’s attempt at wrangling Frank Herbert’s space epic into a single studio blockbuster. Did it work? Not really. Do we have fun talking about it? Hell yeah, we do! John Hodgman joins us to talk about all things “spice” - including the infamous glossary of Dune terms handed out in theaters, and a wild anecdote about Peter Berg reading Dune on an airplane.  We talk about Lynch’s decision to turn down directing Return of the...

We’re getting in touch with our emotions this week, as Alex Ross Perry joins us to talk about Lynch’s deeply-felt, sensitively-rendered 1980 classic THE ELEPHANT MAN. Is this the most “normal” movie in Lynch’s filmography? What does “normal” mean, anyway? As with all Alex episodes, questions are posed and hotly debated, such as: What filmmakers, aside from David Lynch, made their most important work in the later part of their careers? What is the Lynch film that young people vibe with most strongly now? Did Michael Jackson actually attempt to purchase the Elephant Man’s bones? When will the Cinemat...

We’re getting in touch with our emotions this week, as Alex Ross Perry joins us to talk about Lynch’s deeply-felt, sensitively-rendered 1980 classic THE ELEPHANT MAN. Is this the most “normal” movie in Lynch’s filmography? What does “normal” mean, anyway? As with all Alex episodes, questions are posed and hotly debated, such as: What filmmakers, aside from David Lynch, made their most important work in the later part of their careers? What is the Lynch film that young people vibe with most strongly now? Did Michael Jackson actually attempt to purchase the Elephant Man’s bones? When will the Cinematrix p...

In heaven (and in podcasting), everything is fine. Welcome to TWIN PODS: FIRE CAST WITH ME, a series on the films of David Lynch - former Eagle Scout and totally normal human man. With his 1977 debut feature ERASERHEAD, Lynch burst on to the scene somewhat fully formed as an artist, confused by normal social interactions and motivated by a seething hatred of Philadelphia. The last part of that sentence is only partially a joke. Join us as we discuss where Eraserhead fits in the pantheon of first features we’ve covered on Blank Check, where this film ranks in th...

In heaven (and in podcasting), everything is fine. Welcome to TWIN PODS: FIRE CAST WITH ME, a series on the films of David Lynch - former Eagle Scout and totally normal human man. With his 1977 debut feature ERASERHEAD, Lynch burst on to the scene somewhat fully formed as an artist, confused by normal social interactions and motivated by a seething hatred of Philadelphia. The last part of that sentence is only partially a joke. Join us as we discuss where Eraserhead fits in the pantheon of first features we’ve covered on Blank Check, where this film ranks in the “Dang...

Welp, our Kevin Costner series ends not with a bang, but a whimper. With the pulling of Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 from theaters, we are left to only speculate what the future holds for Costner’s self-funded crazy passion project. What we can tell you is that Chapter 1 doesn’t really feel like its own self-contained movie. Plotlines are established, characters are introduced, and then…Giovanni Ribisi shows up.   

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Welp, our Kevin Costner series ends not with a bang, but a whimper. With the pulling of Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 from theaters, we are left to only speculate what the future holds for Costner’s self-funded crazy passion project. What we can tell you is that Chapter 1 doesn’t really feel like its own self-contained movie. Plotlines are established, characters are introduced, and then…Giovanni Ribisi shows up.    

Watch Kev on The Rich Eisen Show 

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You know the Butcher? That freakin' nutjob that goes around just chopping people up? Well, we’re about to spend nearly three hours talking about him! Join us as we unpack TRAP - the devilishly entertaining new thriller from M. Night Shyamalan, with special insights from our own David Sims, who spent much of this year interviewing Night at his compound in Philadelphia. We’re talking about a bunch of things - dads, serial killers, how much we don’t like going to concerts, the sexy elephant mascot of the New York Liberty, Josh Hartnett’s career arc - when we’re no...

You know the Butcher? That freakin' nutjob that goes around just chopping people up? Well, we’re about to spend nearly three hours talking about him! Join us as we unpack TRAP - the devilishly entertaining new thriller from M. Night Shyamalan, with special insights from our own David Sims, who spent much of this year interviewing Night at his compound in Philadelphia. We’re talking about a bunch of things - dads, serial killers, how much we don’t like going to concerts, the sexy elephant mascot of the New York Liberty, Josh Hartnett’s career arc - when we’...

Free-grazers and CR-heads - this is your week. The icon, the legend, the Ringer’s own Chris Ryan joins us to talk about Kevin Costner’s understated 2003 western OPEN RANGE. We’re finally doing a deep-dive on the Taylor Sheridan empire (aka Chris tells us what Mayor of Kingstown is actually about) as we set up the later part of Costner’s career in the run-up to Horizon. We spend a good amount of time lauding the consistent greatness of Robert Duvall and Annette Bening. You can practically hear the relief in our voices when we talk about how this mov...

Free-grazers and CR-heads - this is your week. The icon, the legend, the Ringer’s own Chris Ryan joins us to talk about Kevin Costner’s understated 2003 western OPEN RANGE. We’re finally doing a deep-dive on the Taylor Sheridan empire (aka Chris tells us what Mayor of Kingstown is actually about) as we set up the later part of Costner’s career in the run-up to Horizon. We spend a good amount of time lauding the consistent greatness of Robert Duvall and Annette Bening. You can practically hear the relief in our voices when we talk about how this movie is...

This week’s movie has everything - fake teeth on Giovanni Ribisi, a mule performing Shakespeare, Tom Petty, Kevin Costner’s irresistible sperm…you read that correctly. This film has a major plot line that revolves around Kevin Costner’s sperm. Our beloved Emily St. James joins us to talk about Kevin Costner’s colossal 1997 flop, the post-apocalyptic ode to the US Postal Service - THE POSTMAN. There are parts of this movie that are truly moving. There are other parts of this movie where Kevin Costner and Will Patton wrestle in slow motion. It’s a fascinating text.

Duration: 02:30:22

In a first for Blank Check, we’re covering a filmmaker who has acted alongside our own Griffin Newman! In our premiere episode covering the directorial career of Draft Day co-star Kevin Costner, we’re unpacking his 1990 Best Picture winner, DANCES WITH WOLVES. Costner as personal mythmaker, Costner as “movie sports guy,” Costner as “hot guy who women all want to sleep with (?)”, Costner as man who decided - at a crucial (and early!) point in his career - to take a huge risk by making a 3-hour epic in an old-fashioned genre. He’s a fascinating figure. Come west with us...

The first "G" in "Gigli" is pronounced like the "J" in “Jacques,” the second “G” is silent. Rhymes with "really." Now that that’s out of the way - we conclude our Martin Brest series with the turkey of all turkeys. The Bennifer original sin, the project that should have gotten Justin Bartha put in prison. That’s right, folks. We’re talking about one of the canonical “Worst Movies Ever Made” - 2003’s GIGLI. Screenwriter Jen D’Angelo joins us to talk about this fascinating cultural object, and makes a case that Ben Affleck is “good in this movie, actually.” Griffi...

He’s hot. He’s got frosted tips. He loves peanut butter. His lil swimmers may or may not look like skulls. He’s death, baby! And we’re meeting him this week! Vanity Fair’s Richard Lawson returns to the pod to chat about 1998’s three hour long “symphonic metaphysical romance” MEET JOE BLACK. How does this film play in a post-Succession, “eat the rich” context? How do we feel about the infamous Jamaican patois scenes? What are our memories of the weekend the Phantom Menace trailer came out in theaters? All that and more awaits you on the other side of th...

Warning - this episode contains an ungodly amount of Pacino impressions. Listener discretion is advised.

“Actor’s actor” and local boy from Queens David Krumholtz becomes the second cast member of Oppenheimer and first person immortalized in Griffin’s beloved Disney Emoji Blitz to guest on our Martin Brest series as we talk about 1992’s dire SCENT OF A WOMAN. Would this movie be less terrible if it were at least 40 minutes shorter? What if the original first choice for Lt. Col. Frank Slade - Jack Nicholson - had done this film instead of Pacino? What if we swapped...

In a first for Blank Check, Ben Hosley produces an entire episode while handcuffed and under threat of legal action. What else would you expect from a MIDNIGHT RUN episode? The great Alan Sepinwall returns to the pod to talk about Martin Brest’s fantastic cross-country buddy caper, a film that proved that DeNiro could do comedy and that Charles Grodin might be the funniest man alive. We’re talking about the unofficial Larry the Cable Guy sequel (?), the famous casting what-ifs (Cher!), and the magic that went into making this movie so breezy, effortless, and fun. We didn’t how...

An indelible synth theme by Harold Faltermeyer. A scene-stealing turn from Bronson Pinchot. A banana in a tailpipe. EDDIE FREAKING MURPHY. It’s no wonder that Martin Brest’s Beverly Hills Cop is one of the most beloved action comedies (and still the highest-grossing R-rated film adjusted for inflation). We couldn’t be more thrilled to have two of the hottest action directors in Hollywood - Bad Boys: Ride or Die’s Adil & Bilall - join us to talk about Brest’s blockbuster second feature, bringing all the expertise from their years spent developing Beverly Hills Cop 4. We’re getting into...

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! 

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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 him plenty of behind-the-scenes details and sh...

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 of Dreams” (Kon and Lynch on Blank Check!!), and Emily, Ben, and Griffin discus...

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 million times if his daughter finds out...

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 “Millennium Actor” with Clint Eastwood.  

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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 piece of Ben lore that involves a famous reality tv star.

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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 return of Journalist Eddie Brock, our pitches for different versions of CHANGING LANES (which they should remake every five years), an...