recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery Commentary

**Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery** is episode 195 of Blank Check: Special Features and a commentary for the 1997 feature film of the same name. Posted November 21, 2023.

## Summary

> BC:SF's Most Shagadelic commentary series yet kicks off with 1997’s Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery!
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> Topics include: Griffin’s conversations with teachers at a young age, the British cut, and how can Bill Clinton, George Clinton and George S. Clinton not be related.
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> **Movie starts at 20:22**
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Box office game: Weekend of May 2, 1997

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. Patreon. Retrieved on November 21, 2023.
Citizens Band/Last Embrace

**Citizens Band/Last Embrace** is episode 245 focusing on the films *Citizens Band* (1977) and *Last Embrace* (1979) directed by Jonathan Demme as part of the Stop Making Podcasts miniseries. Posted November 17, 2019.

## Summary

>
> Guest Justin McElroy is gonna be mad he volunteered to do any film when Griff and David talk about Demme's first two tries at "real" movies after his Roger Korman saga. The trio talk about CB, or "Citizen's Band," and Last Embrace, a surprisingly Judaic Thriller. The films contain oddly touching birthday party scenes, IMDB spoilers, children named Blood, and the introduction of heavy concepts that are never dealt with. Did Ben Kingsley win an Oscar? What's Justin's 30-second Tim Robbins story? Also what is Mandy Patinkin, the Patinkiest, doing in this movie?
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Both Box Office Games (September 1977 and 1979) appear in Oops! All Box Office.

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Citizens Band/Last Embrace. Audioboom. Retrieved on July 5, 2022.
Emily Yoshida

**Emily Yoshida** (@emilyyoshida on Twitter) is a writer & film critic, and podcast host.

## Biography

Her writing can be found at Vulture and in New York Magazine, and she co-hosts the call-in podcast Night Call together with Molly Lambert, Tess Lynch, and their producer Ben Hosley. She has directed films and videos, recently including the short film *Sitting* and a music video for Speedy Ortiz, "Lucky 88."

Emily is known among fans of Blank Check as "The Mother of Blankies," due to her coining the name "Blankies" for fans of the show - on the first episode of the Blank Check era of the podcast, no less. She is also, at the time of this writing, the most frequent featured guest... though Richard Lawson is hot on her heels. Among the movies she has discussed on the show are The Podcast Reawakens, Speed Racer, Titanic (Part One and Part Two), Strange Days, Elle, The Ice Storm, Batman Returns, Castle in the Sky, Babe, and Mad Max: Fury Road.

Emily has also appeared on the Blank Check Special Features episodes for The Keep RPG and Blank Check: Great Adventure.

Her favorite CD-ROM games are *Myst* and *Titanic: Adventure Out of Time*.

In 2021 she was part of the March Madness 2021 guest bracket, submitting #2 seed Alfonso Cuaron.  She defeated Katey Rich's pick Kelly Reichardt in round 1, Jamelle Bouie's pick Jackie Chan in round 2, and was defeated by Karen Han's juggernaut Gore Verbinski in round 3.

## Appearances

Emily Yoshida is the inaugural member of both the Five-Timers Club and the Double digits club, appearing on 14 main feed episodes (counted as 13 appearances) discussing 13 different movies. She has also appeared on 3 Special Features episodes discussing a movie, a karaoke song, and a role playing game.

## References

1. ↑ @blankcheckpod. A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM @emilyyoshida. Twitter. Retrieved on March 16, 2021..
Elvis

**Elvis** is episode 112 of Blank Check: Special Features and about 1979 TV movie of the same name as part of the They Podcast miniseries on the films of John Carpenter.

## Summary

>
> Ain't nothing but a pod dog. Casting all the time! This month’s bonus feature on BC:SF is the early Carpenter TV movie, Elvis (1979). Friend of the show Layne Montgomery returns joined by fellow bandmate, Aidan Shepard, of The Great American Novel. Topics: music biopics, unpacking Big Mama, Johnny Bravo, the legacy of Elvis and more!
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> Check out The Great American Novel’s new album *Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close*: https://smarturl.it/ELAIO
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Ratings game: Week of February 5-11, 1979

## References

1. ↑ Elvis on Patreon. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
Emma Stefansky

**Emma Stefansky** (@stefabsky on Twitter) is a film critic and Staff Writer for *Thrillist*. She has also been a columnist for *Vanity Fair* and *Screen Crush*, and co-hosted a podcast for *Vanity Fair, Still Watching: The Sinner.*

## Biography

>
> **"I wish I was bugs."**
> -Emma Stefansky
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Emma was a guest on The Weight of Water episode of Blank Check, together with her friend Karen Han. They have a #TheTwoFriends-like relationship where Emma is the taller and more serious-minded of the two, making her the David of the duo. Similar to David's occasional exasperation with Griffin's comedy bits, Emma sometimes is frustrated by Karen's bits including her fascination with unconventionally attractive character actors AKA "Karen's Boys."

Emma also appeared on the Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children episode.

She also claims to possess certain psychic powers that allow her to communicate with bugs and insects.

With her appearance on James and the Giant Peach, Emma became the 11th member of the Five-Timers Club.
Alice in Wonderland

**Alice in Wonderland** is episode 210 focusing on the movie of the same name, as part of the Podward Scissorcast miniseries covering the films of Tim Burton. Posted March 31, 2019.

## Summary

>
> Griffin and David welcome back Emily St. James (Vox) to discuss 2010's CGI fantasy *Alice in Wonderland*! Together they examine Burton's greatest failure.
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Regularly mentioned as a candidate for "worst movie covered on the podcast."
* Box office game: Weekend of March 5, 2010

## References

1. ↑ Alice in Wonderland on Audioboom. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
2. ↑ Description and links edited to correct Emily's name.
Aloha

**Aloha** is episode 72 focusing on the movie of the same name, as part of the We Pod A Cast miniseries covering the filmography of Cameron Crowe. Posted August 26 2016.

## Summary

>
> Nearing the end of the Cameron Crowe mini series, Esther Zuckerman (The A.V. Club) joins Griffin and David to discuss the writer/director’s most recent theatrical release, 2015’s space militarization romantic comedy, *Aloha*. But doesn’t someone in Emma Stone’s camp look at this script and see at least a few red flags? Why is the movie set in Hawaii but features 99% white people? How do you make being a fighter pilot sound sexy if you’re a woman? Together, they examine Alec Baldwin’s yelling, defining gate blessings, why one can’t buy the sky and offer up their solutions to fix this film.
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What is this movie about? All together everybody: "It's about the sky."

Esther Zuckerman joins Griffin and David to talk about the legit-fascinating Aloha. Is this a case where a studio justifiably tried to cancel a blank check?

The casting for this movie got plenty of attention, in a bad way. And it gets plenty of attention here too -- to the tune of a 45-minute discussion before even getting to the movie itself. As an actor with empathy for another actor trying to develop their career, Griffin brings perspective to why Emma Stone may have taken this role when she did, and the public backlash that her casting inspired.

Where does Emma Stone's actual performance fit in, though? Is this movie the keystone for what Alec Baldwin's cultural role should be now? What did the Sony email hack reveal about the making of this movie? How in the world did this movie manage to make Bill Murray disappear? (Ben might have perked up at the mention of vaporwave here, until he realized Griffin had actually said 'vaporware.') What is Griffin's critical advice for Cameron Crowe the writer/director, going forward?

And finally: will #TheTwoFriends ever actually watch their most anticipated movie of 2015, *Hot Pursuit*? Only time will tell.

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Half Hawaiian, half Chinese, half Jamaican, half Swedish: Emma Stone's character
* The gate: blessed, not locked
* Cameron Crowe's apology for casting missteps: bad
* Once more with vigor: "It's about the sky."
* Sound effect: FINGERED.
* Future miniseries foreshadowing: David says that maybe Cameron Crowe should have directed *The Intern*. To which Esther emphatically replies, please do NOT take anything away from Nancy Meyers.
* A backstage crew member on *Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark*: Ben Hosley
* A pretty good roundup of the hacked Sony emails: Greatest Hits of Leaked Sony Emails: Angelina Jolie, ‘Aloha,’ David Fincher and More, Beatrice Verhoeven and Matt Donnelly, *The Wrap*.
* Box office game: Weekend of May 29, 2015
	+ Other movies that beat Tomorrowland (2nd week), Mad Max: Fury Road (3rd week), Avengers: Age of Ultron (5th week).
* First instance of "baybee" at the end of the description of the podcast premise

## References

1. ↑ Aloha on Audioboom. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
F9: Our Return to Theaters

**F9: Our Return to Theaters** is episode 106 of Blank Check: Special Features, and is a recap and recording of the return to Da Moviesh.

## Summary

>
> On June 25, 2021 the BC crew hosted a private screening of F9 at Alamo Drafthouse in Downtown Brooklyn. In attendance were many friends of the show. You could say people who are part of the extended Blank Check family. This special episode captures the excitement of that day.
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> A return to **da moviesh**.
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> Plus, months later, Griffin, David, and Ben follow-up about their experiences and discuss The Fast Saga franchise.
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> Produced by: Jordan Allyn
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> Editing by: Jordan Allyn and Alex Barron
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> Outro music by: Gus O’Connor
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> Featured voices:
> *(2:12 - 6:51) Emma Stefansky*
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> *(6:52 - 7:21) Alanna Okun + Brendan Klinkenberg*
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> *(7:21 - 7:57) Nelly Calhoun*
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> *(8:22 - 8:41) Ramona Head*
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> *(8:41 - 8:47) Marie Bardi*
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> *(8:47 - 9:01) Jake Lemon Strauss + Alex Perlin*
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> *(9:01 - 9:47) Ramona Head + Layne Montgomery*
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> *(9:47 - 12:56) Clare R. + Lucy R.*
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> *(12:56 - 15:58) Patrick Willems*
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> *(15:59 - 17:39) Ramona Head + J.D. Amato*
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> *(17:51 - 20:02) James Wade + Marie Bardi + Ramona Head*
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> *(20:02 - 23:30) Ramona Head + J.D. Amato + Layne Montgomery*
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> *(23:30 - 27:49) Marie Bardi +J.D. Amato*
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> *(28:00 - 29:47) Ray Tintori + Marie Bardi*
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* A companion piece to F9 Trailer - An Emergency Minisode
* Recorded June 25, 2021, right after Griffin's gallbladder removal. He recorded an Ira Glass-esque voice over for the documentary portion.
* Griffin ranked F9 as the 10th best movie of the year at The Seventh Annual Blank Check Awards.

## Quotes

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> | Griffin: |  [voice over] I did the gif of The Rock breaking the cast off his arm, saying "Daddy's gotta go to work," and leaving the hospital. But in reality what was happening to me was a gif of me very tenderly putting on a sweater trying not to hurt my tummy, and then grampa-shuffling out of a hospital while pocketing as many Jell-o cups as I could.
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> | David: |  He says he's coming.
> | Ben: |  No, he's not coming.
> | David: |  You don't think he's coming?
> | Ben: |  No.
> | Nelly: |  I actually think he *is* coming, and that's a sign he that he should *not* come.
> | David: |  He said, "Twist I'm discharged. Will be late." You saw these.
> | Ben: |  I haven't looked at my phone.
> | David: |  Oh. "*But*, daddy's gotta go to work." And then he posted The Rock taking off the cast in *Furious 7*. We're all a little concerned. He's *fine*, apparently. He assures us he's fine.
> | Griffin: |  [voice over] I mean, fine is a relative concept, you have to understand. I was *fine enough*. Certainly I think people were *worried*. My friend Sophie had to come to the hospital to sign me out. They wouldn't discharge me on my own. And she strongly advised me against going to the movie and said *"Are you sure?"* And I then had to show her a gif of The Rock flexing a cast and saying "Daddy's gotta go to work." I was very consistent in my messaging.
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## References

1. ↑ F9: Our Return to Theaters on Patreon. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
Avatar: The Way of Water

* Podatar: The Cast of Water
* Podinator: Judgment Cast

**Avatar: The Way of Water** (also known as **Podatar: The Cast of Water**) is episode 406 focusing on the 2022 film of the same name as part of Podinator: Judgment Cast miniseries on the films of James Cameron. It is the first revisit Cameron since the completion of the original miniseries. Posted December 18, 2022.

## Summary

>
> The gang went to see AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER and we all got soaking wet. Fully submerged. Drenched! We’re communing with space whales, chugging coffees with Edie Falco, and learning how to hold our breath for long stretches of time to commemorate the release of James Cameron’s long-awaited sequel to the biggest movie of all time. Are we one with Eywa now? How does Kate Winslet’s Na’vi accent stack up against her previous linguistic efforts? Is the Regal Cinemas Agave Aquarita the perfect cocktail to accompany your trip back to Pandora? Will Marie end up buying the Lego “Home Tree” set, or is that too complicated for the crew?
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Big news!! Ben renounces dry and is back to being classic Soakin' Wet Benny!
* Merchandise spotlights: Special popcorn buckets and soda cups! Kinder Surprise eggs! LEGO Home Tree set!
* Marie builds the Tulkun LEGO set.
* Slow Xmas 2 is here!!
* Box office (prediction) game: Weekend of December 16, 2022
* The movie was a multiple nominee at The Eighth Annual Blank Check Awards including:
	+ Griffin: #7 in his top 10 for the year
		- Best Adapted Screenplay
	+ David:
		- Best Supporting Actress - Sigourney Weaver

### Sponsors

* DadGrass dog bone is confirmed for Ben to munch on during the Qatsi commentary series.

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Avatar: The Way of Water. Audioboom. Retrieved on December 18, 2022.
2. ↑ @blankcheckpod (2023-1-6). I have built him, he is my best friend.. Twitter. Retrieved on January 19, 2023.
3. ↑ @blankcheckpod. Tweet Dec 19, 2022. Twitter. Retrieved on December 19, 2022.
2022 March Madness Preview

**2022 March Madness Preview** (also known as **2022 MARCH MADNESS PREVIEW**) is episode 126 of Blank Check: Special Features and a preview of the upcoming March Madness 2022 tournament.. Posted February 26, 2022.

## Summary

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> Let’s get ready to rrrruuuummmbbbblllllleeeeee!
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> Join us for a special preview episode of this year’s March Madness tournament where we answer all of your burning questions - How are we dividing up Hitchcock’s filmography? Which series would Griffin and David’s parents want to guest on? Which Halloween movies would we cover as part of that franchise? Would we do a 9-hour commentary for “Get Back” as part of a Beatles series? Will David make it to his preview screening of “The Batman” on time?
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> A quick housekeeping note - as Chip Smith owns the rights to the entire 20th Century, our March Madness recap episodes going forward will be under his purview. We’re not really sure what to expect, but we can assure you that shit will get weird.
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Early Hitchcock = *Blackmail* through *Rebecca* or maybe as far as *Suspicion*.
* Altman would be *M\*A\*S\*H* through *Popeye*.
* David's mom would be a guest on a Powell & Pressburger series!!!!! Griffin's mom would be a guest on a Truffaut mini!!!!
* A Kubrick mini would possibly include the moon landing on Patreon.
* Some of the folks who have appeared on multiple years of March Madness might get retired from future brackets.
* Griffin's picks: Keaton and Altman. Marie's pick: Welles.
* MARIE HAS NEVER SEEN *E.T.*

# Special Blank Check March Madness Announcement

## Special Blank Check March Madness Announcement

### Unlisted Guest(s)

Ben Hosley
Marie Bardi

### Reddit thread

Link

**Special Blank Check March Madness Announcement** (also known as **SPECIAL BLANK CHECK MARCH MADNESS ANNOUNCEMENT!**) is a main feed announcement episode covering the changes to the upcoming tournament. The episode audio has since been deleted.

## Summary

>
> Our favorite time of year is just around the corner - it’s our 2022 March Madness tournament, where YOU have the power to decide which filmmaker we add to our schedule! In this short episode, we explain this year’s theme (filmmakers of the 20th Century!), explain how to vote (NOT on twitter, sorry bots), and offer some other exciting Blank Check news on the horizon.
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## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. 2022 MARCH MADNESS PREVIEW. Patreon. Retrieved on February 26, 2022.
2. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. SPECIAL BLANK CHECK MARCH MADNESS ANNOUNCEMENT!. Audioboom. Retrieved on February 26, 2022.
A Star Is Born

I just wanted to get another look at you

**A Star Is Born** (also known as **A Pod is Cast**) is episode 186 focusing on the 2018 movie of the same name, part of the group of Standalone episodes... and a member of the rarely invoked Blank Check tradition to cover movies of great note during their initial theatrical run. Posted 7 October 2018.

## Summary

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> On the week of it’s release in October of 2018, Griffin and David discussed *A Star Is Born*.
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Hey!

I just wanted to get another PODCAST at you.

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Griffin's range in a falsetto: admirable
* This is in fact the first single-director miniseries! There is later talk in the Don Jon episode about *that* being the first, but simply is not true. It has subsequently been expanded into a full miniseries titled A Pod is Cast following the release of Maestro.
* The film was a multiple nominee and winner at The Fourth Annual Blank Check Awards including:
	+ David: #4 in his top 10 for the year
		- Best Supporting Actor - Sam Elliott
		- Best Actor - Bradley Cooper - Winner
		- Best Director - Bradley Cooper
	+ Joe: #7 in his top 10 for the year
		- Best - Actor - Bradley Cooper
	+ Putterers and Murmerers - Bradley Cooper
	+ The Wetties - Jackson Maine
* Box office game: Weekend of October 5, 2018

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. A Star is Born. Audioboom. Retrieved on May 16, 2022.
2. ↑ u/dtbrown101, Erasure., reddit. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
Decision to Leave

**Decision to Leave** is episode 441 focusing on the 2022 film of the same name as part of the I'm a Podcast, But That's OK miniseries on the films of Park Chan-wook. Posted September 3, 2023.

## Summary

> Decision to Leave? More like, decision to watch a good movie! EMMY AWARD WINNER (but more importantly, David Sims Best Supporting Actress Nominee of 2017) joins us to discuss Park’s most recent film, a romantic noir that gets text messaging absolutely right. We’re getting into everything, from the complexities of Tang Wei’s performance, to the concept of “sand beaching,” to S. Craig Zahler’s tight ponytail. Plus, we give our final Park rankings, and announce our next series, the worst-kept secret in podcasting.
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Box Office Game:
	+ Korea: Weekend of July 1, 2022
	+ US: Weekend of October 14, 2022
* Lin-Manuel Miranda really is doing alot of the heavy lifting getting to the Guest EGOT with the EGT. Michael Cerveris provides another T; Patton Oswalt an EG; and Tatiana Maslany, Dan McCoy, Elliott Kalan and Scott Aukerman add Es.
	+ The closest to an O have been Lin-Manuel Miranda, James Schamus, Michael Rianda and Chris Weitz who were all previously nominated.

## Quotes

Intro:

> "*The moment you said you podcasted me, your podcast is over. The moment your podcast ends, my podcast begins.*"
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## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Decision to Leave. Audioboom. Retrieved on September 3, 2023.
David Rees

**David Rees** (on Twitter, @david\_rees) is a cartoonist, writer, artist, and television host.

## Biography

He was the host of the acclaimed "Going Deep with David Rees" and the author of "How To Sharpen Pencils," which he wrote after the great success of his Artisanal Pencil Sharpening service in Brooklyn NY. Trivia note: while attending Oberlin College he lived just down the hall from NPR host and podcaster Linda Holmes.

David was a guest on the A.I. Artificial Intelligence episode of Blank Check. He talked about his appreciation of the dark sci-fi of the movie, whereas many critics and moviegoers of the time considered it to be cheesy Spielberg optimism.

He also was featured during the drop-in segment "TARS Talk" on the Interstellar episode of the show, where he had the opportunity to talk about his great appreciation for the unusual design and conception of the TARS and CASE robots in the movie. Even though the segment was named TARS Talk by #TheTwoFriends (after the popular drive-time radio show and podcast Car Talk), Rees said he preferred CASE and wouldn't mind if TARS' humor setting was set to 0%.
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me Commentary

**Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me** is episode 196 of Blank Check: Special Features and a commentary for the 1999 feature film of the same name. Posted December 1, 2023.

## Summary

> YEAH BABY! BC:SF's commentary series on the Austin Powers franchise continues with 1999’s Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Topics include: The original title for the film, tales-of-old about Friend of the Show / Family of the show Peter Newman, and what the 2023 version of Mojo is.
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> **Movie starts at 1:21**
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Box office game: Weekend of June 11, 1999

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Patreon. Retrieved on December 1, 2023.
Best of the Revenge of the Podcast

**Best of the Revenge of the Podcast** is episode 91 and a compilation of Griffin, David, and Ben's favorite moments from the Revenge of The Podcast miniseries. Posted 15 Jan 2017.

## Summary

> Presenting a best of episode with all the favorite moments from our mini series on *Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith*.
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>

Three "Best Of" episodes were compiled by Producer Ben Hosley, as a way to give new listeners to the podcast an introduction to the show's history and origins. These three extra-long episodes covered The Phantom Podcast miniseries, the Attack Of The Podcast miniseries, and the Revenge Of The Podcast miniseries. They appeared back to back to back in January 2017, and serve to document a truly heroic feat of editing -- while Ben was deathly ill, no less, from the sound of it. Thankfully everyone survived.

This third "Best Of" covers the third miniseries of the podcast. Hear all the highlights of the ten episodes discussing *Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith*! With laser blaster sound effects!

Some of the clips were chosen at the suggestion of listeners. At the end is a supercut of Chewbacca talk. Who is this guy??!? He doesn't do anything in the whole Phantom Menace trilogy!

## References

1. ↑ Best of Revenge of the Podcast on Audioboom.
Bowen Yang

**Bowen Yang** (on Twitter @BowenYang) is an actor, stand-up comedian, writer, and podcaster based in Brooklyn, NY. His writing can be found at *Vulture*. Bowen has appeared in television shows such as "Broad City" and "The Outs," and has had work featured on CollegeHumor and the Onion News Network. He has also been a member of the Pop Roulette sketch comedy team and put on live shows like "Live on Broadgay" and "Drag Court." New for the 2018-19 television season, Bowen is a writer at "Saturday Night Live."

But most notably for Blank Check listeners, Bowen co-hosts the Las Culturistas podcast together with Matt Rogers. When Matt and Bowen appeared together on Blank Check as guests, truly it was a meeting of the titans - at least, titans in the world of rising-star New York-based comedy podcasts focusing on topics in pop-culture and media. But seriously, this was a big crossover event, and in the episode all four of these gentlemen were clearly revved up and excited to be podcasting together.

Bowen and Matt were both guests for the Brokeback Mountain episode of Blank Check. Bowen brought some good analysis of the atmosphere in which that movie was nominated for Oscars, and memories of how even progressive allies seemed to feel the need to joke and depoliticize the themes on display in the film. Clearly he is a great Connoisseur of Context and a wonderful fit for Blank Check.
Bright Star

**Bright Star** is episode 364 focusing on the 2009 film of the same name as part of The Podcastiano miniseries on the films of Jane Campion. Posted February 27, 2022.

## Summary

>
> You may as well call this episode “Ode to a Whishaw” because we love that gentle gent! Fran Hoepfner joins us (and joins the Five-Timers Club!) to discuss Jane Campion’s 2009  John Keats biopic *Bright Star*, a movie that prompts Griffin to wonder if he, too, would die of tuberculosis if he took a long walk in the rain in 1820. Of course we talk about Hampstead Heath (David being canonically from London), of course we wonder what the hell happened to Paul Schneider (canonically incredible in this movie), and of course Ben is obsessed with Fanny Brawne’s epic Regency Era fits!
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Griffin tried to watch after attending an all-day Jackass movie marathon with Ben. resulting in some excellent KeatsxJackass quotes.
* Quentin Tarantino's fan letter to Campion about Bright Star
* Box office game: Weekend of September 18, 2009
* Fran's poetry recommendations:
	+ *About: Blank* by Tracy Fuad
	+ *To Love an Island* by Ana Portnoy Brimmer
	+ *Mother/land* by Ananda Lima

## Quotes

>
>
> | Griffin: |  [à la Johnny Knoxville] I’m John Keats and this is catching tuberculosis.
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> | Fran: |  This is a movie about having a boyfriend with a roommate. And that roommate could be anything.
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## References

1. ↑ The episode description says 2006, but it came out in 2009.
2. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Bright Star with Fran Hoepfner. Audioboom. Retrieved on February 27, 2022.
3. ↑ u/AnAimlessJoy. Quentin Tarantino's fan letter about Bright Star. reddit. Retrieved on March 3, 2022.
Batman & Robin Commentary

**Batman & Robin** is episode 140 of Blank Check: Special Features focusing on the 1997 feature film of the same name. Posted June 21, 2022.

## Summary

>
> #NotAllBatMen commentary series continues with 1997’s *Batman & Robin*! Topics include: Clooney’s acting ticks, the careers of Uma Thurman and Alicia Silverstone, hail vs rain, The Wife sandwich, and more!
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> **Movie starts at...1:57**
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* If they do Austin Powers, Ben'll have to deal with his *embarrassing* nomination of the "walk" from the first film during Talking the Walk 2021: Ranking the Walks.
* Box-Office Game: Weekend of June 20, 1997

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Batman & Robin. Patreon. Retrieved on June 21, 2022.
Blank Check: Special Features

**Blank Check: Special Features** is the name of the Blank Check Patreon. The Patreon was launched in January 2019 with a $5/month patron tier. Some special features complement a main feed episode, while others are standalones or audio commentaries.

## Summary

The Patreon was launched in 2019. On the 1st and 21st of each month, #thetwofriends post franchise commentary episodes. On the 11th they post an additional grab bag episode. They are sometimes additional episodes as part of the current miniseries, mail bag episodes, or other standalone episodes or events. The patreon has also become a place for emergency minisodes, March Madness commentary, outtakes and other bonus audio from main feed episodes, and some of Ben's more esoteric audio experiments.

Beginning in 2022, episodes started being released from behind the paywall. Episodes will be unlocked at noon EST 3 years from their original release date.

### Stretch Goals

#TheTwoFriends set up some goals for the Patreon. Some of them had to be postponed due to the pandemic, but they're still on the table for future episodes.

* 1,000 checkmates: Reached 12/17/2018, the day after the public launch.
* 2,000 checkmates: The U.K. Bit is unretired. Reached 1/3/2019, implemented immediately.
* 3,000 checkmates: Live at the Barclays Center. Reached 3/18/2019, fulfilled 5/11/2019.
* 4,000 checkmates: Blank Check: Great Adventure. Reached 7/12/2019, fulfilled 8/11/2019.
* 5,000 checkmates: Trolls: The Experience. Reached 12/22/2019, fulfilled 8/11/2020.
* 6,000 checkmates: Trip to Disney World to explore Galaxy's Edge. Reached 3/23/2020.
* 7,000 checkmates: Congratulations Fashion show. Reached 7/26/2020.
* 8,000 checkmates: The Bambino Cocktail (but not really). Reached 2/12/2021.
* 9,000 checkmates: Reached 6/20/2021.
* 10,000 checkmates: Reached 12/14/2021.
* 11,000 checkmates: Reached 4/15/2022.
* 12,000 checkmates: Reached 10/30/2022.
* 13,000 checkmates: Reached 3/19/2023.
* 14,000 checkmates: Reached 5/8/2023.
* 15,000 checkmates: Reached 6/5/2023.
* 16,000 checkmates: Reached 7/30/2023.
* 17,000 checkmates: Reached 9/21/2023.

## Special Events

*Main articles: March Madness and Special Features March Madness*
Beginning in 2020, the two friends began conducting a secondary March Madness tournament for Blank Check: Special Features. The Patreon tournament is held in tandem to the main feed tournament to determine the next franchise for which they'd record commentaries. The inaugural winner was the Mission: Impossible franchise which began in June 2020. The runner up was the Alien franchise, which they covered beginning in October 2020. The 2021 winner, The Twilight Saga, began in May 2021. The 2022 winning franchise, Roger Moore Bonds, began in August 2022, and the 2023 winner Ocean's began in July 2023.

## Episodes

The speaker symbol (🔊) provides a link to the audio. Episodes with the check symbol (✔️) have been released from behind the paywall.

## References

1. ↑ u/radiantbaby123. A mere 36 patrons til Bambino Time!. Reddit. Retrieved on October 3, 2022.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Blank Check with Griffin & David. Graphtreon. Retrieved on November 28, 2022.
Back to the Future Part III

**Back to the Future Part III** is episode 294 focusing on the 1990 film of the same name as part of the Podcast Away miniseries on the films of Robert Zemeckis. Posted October 18, 2020.

## Summary

>
> In *Back to the Future*, Marty ends up in 1955, the same age as his parents. In the sequel he has to jump between that timeline and a bizarre 2015. The natural conclusion to this blockbuster trilogy? A wild western! It's a classic formula! For *Back to the Future Part III*, we're talking ninja turtles, the magic of Tom Wilson and Mary Steenburgen, and why ZZ Top should be in more movies. The bad boy of the internet himself, Josh Gondelman, (*Desus and Mero*, Make My Day) joins!
>
>
>
>

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Back to the Future Part III with Josh Gondelman. Audioboom. Retrieved on October 18, 2020.
Ant-Man and the Wasp Commentary

**Ant-Man and the Wasp** is episode 33 of Blank Check: Special Features and a commentary episode on the Marvel Cinematic Universe film of the same name. Posted October 21, 2019.

## Summary

>
> Enjoy another BC:SF MCU commentary recorded at Big Nice studios in New York City! Griffin, David and Producer Ben discuss *Ant-Man and the Wasp*.
>
>
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>

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Released from behind the paywall on October 21, 2022.
* **Movie starts at 0:01:58**
* Ben revelation?! Hank Pym : ants :: Ben : Plants
* Ben tries to give Griffin another makeover.
* Box office game: Weekend of July 6, 2018

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Ant-Man and the Wasp. Patreon. Retrieved on April 17, 2022.
Fanfare: The Return

**Talking Fanfare** is episode 85 of Blank Check: Special Features. Posted February 11, 2021.

## Summary

>
> Back by popular demand, Griffin, David, and Ben return to explore beyond the major studios in part 2 of talking fanfare! Special guest the Fanfare Burglar. And more original BCP pitches.
>
>
> Reference this companion playlist and listen along.
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>

### Milestones and Ephemera

* This episode doesn't really feature any movie-specific variants. They touch on several fanfares they've talked about during the podcast including Dreamworks, Studio Ghibli, Pixar, and Scott Free,
* The episode contains a temporal pincer movement, referencing a future episode.
* Ben describes some more Blank Check Pictures fanfare:
	+ "We see a vat, chains submerged in purple goop. Chains are raised and we see a dripping knife and the handle says Blank Check Pictures."
	+ "Orchestral music with timpani heavily featured. Guy climbs into a cannon with a lit fuse. Cannon goes off, he's shot into the clouds. The camera rises and we now see his body fly by a floating golden burger statue where Blank Check Pictures has been incorporated as parts of the burger." The guy does puncture a hole in the picture, into which the camera zooms to start the movie.
	+ "I was thinking too, 'What's the opposite of clouds?' Sewers! Down the drain we go, twisting through pipes. We see a light at the end of the wet tunnel. The rush of water settles and a broke dirty doll floats into the screen. The scene transforms into an illustration of the doll's face and it says Blank Check Pictures."
* Griffin suggested calling the episode "Talking Fanfare 2: Monsters Unleashed" which David says would be apt because they talked quite a bit about Weinstein.

## References

1. ↑ Fanfare: The Return on Patreon. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
Crocodile Dundee Commentary

**Crocodile Dundee** is episode 81 of Blank Check: Special Features as part of the Crocodile Dundee Franchise commentaries. Posted January 1, 2021 and released from behind the paywall on January 1, 2024.

## Summary

>
> That's not a podcast...this is a PODCAST!
>
>
> Yes, Checkmates welcome to 2021. BC:SF is starting the new year off right with a new franchise commentary series on the Crocodile Dundee movies. Seriously how did Paul Hogan become an international star and how did this character make such an impact?
>
>
> In their first installment of the CD marathon, Griffin, David, and Ben watch the 1986 film that started it all: *Crocodile Dundee*!
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> **The movie starts at...7:57**
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>

## References

1. ↑ Crocodile Dundee on Patreon. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
Dunkirk

**Dunkirk** is episode 124 focusing on the movie of the same name, as part of the The Pod Knight Casts miniseries covering the filmography of Christopher Nolan.

## Summary

>
> In the final episode of our mini series devoted to the filmography of Christopher Nolan, Bilge Ebiri (Village Voice) joins Griffin and David to discuss 2017’s war thriller, Dunkirk. But how do the movie’s different temporalities align? What are other ways to conceal Tom Hardy’s face and body? Will Nolan’s next genre pursuit be a musical or a comedy? Together they discuss Mark Rylance getting pegged by Hollywood as the gentlest man, the mastery of Nolan’s large scale action sequences, Kevin Costner’s oil machine and Tulip Fever. Plus, announcing the next mini series on the films of Kathryn Bigelow.
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* The movie was a multiple nominee at The Third Annual Blank Check Awards including:
	+ David: #4 in his top 10 for the year
		- Best Director - Christopher Nolan
		- Best Score
	+ Joe Reid:
		- Best Director - Christopher Nolan
	+ Ben:
		- A Wetty award
28 Days Later

**28 Days Later** is episode 414 focusing on the 2002 film of the same name as part of Trainspodcasting miniseries on the films of Danny Boyle. Posted February 26, 2023.

## Summary

>
> Fast zombies, a deserted London, and potato-quality digital cinematography - 28 DAYS LATER proved to be a genre-defining hit for Danny Boyle after the disappointment of THE BEACH. Humorist and Blankie favorite David Rees returns to the podcast to take us back to the immediate post-9/11 period, a mood and time which this film conjures instantly. Join us for a deep dive into the zombie canon, a tangent on the famed “Young British Artists” of the 1990s, a primer on Canadian anti-capitalist band Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and a moment of disbelief when Rees discovers that Brendan Gleeson played Donald Trump in Showtime’s THE COMEY RULE.
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* David Rees' zombie watching: *Night of the Living Dead* (1968), *The Crazies* (1973), *Dawn of the Dead* (1978), *Return of the Living Dead* (1985), *28 Days Later*, *Rec* (2007), *World War Z* (2013), *Train to Busan* (2016), *Blood Quantum* (2019).
* David Rees' book recommendations: *A Problem from Hell* by Samantha Power, *War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning* by Chris Hedges
* Mystery of Melancholy of a Street by Giorgio de Chirico
* Brendan Gleeson in *The Comey Rule* LOLOL
* YBA, Formaldehyde shark, My Bed
* Eccleston reading *Dulce et Decorum Est*
* Box office game: June 27, 2003

### Sponsors

* The DadGrass ad read includes some pretty peak Griffin drug content, so don't skip it!

## Quotes

>
>
> | Griffin: |  How do you put it again, David?
>
>

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## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. 28 Days Later. Audioboom. Retrieved on February 26, 2023.
2. ↑ @ 0:47:48
3. ↑ @ 1:05:53
Crocodile Dundee II Commentary

**Crocodile Dundee II** is episode 83 of Blank Check: Special Features as part of the Crocodile Dundee Franchise commentaries. Posted January 21, 2021 and released from behind the paywall on January 21, 2024.

## Summary

>
> In 1988, two years after the first film, Michael J. "Crocodile" Dundee returned to the silver screen. But this time...he's serious! Crikey!
>
>
> Listen along to the second installment of their CD marathon, as Griffin, David, and Ben discuss the merits of fishing with dynamite, 1980’s movie tropes, the joyless acting from Paul Hogan, and more!
>
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>
> **The movie starts at...11:12.**
>
>

## References

1. ↑ Crocodile Dundee II on Patreon. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
Batman Returns

**Batman Returns** is episode 201 focusing on the movie of the same name, as part of the Podward Scissorcast miniseries covering the films of Tim Burton. Posted January 27, 2019.

## Summary

> Emily Yoshida (Night Call podcast) is back to discuss 1992's demented superhero sequel, *Batman Returns*. But was this the first movie to notice Christopher Walken talks kind of funny? Is The Penguin's black mouth ooze attractive? Who are your favorite cloud villains? Together they examine the iconic performances from Danny DeVito and Michelle Pfeiffer, Batman as the love interest, parental backlash, and chubby digits.
>
> Check out Emily Yoshida's recent articles for Vulture.
>
>

After directing one of the biggest movies ever in Batman and making another financially successful film firmly in his own style in Edward Scissorhands, Warner Brothers let Burton go buckwild with well over double the budget of the first Bartman picture. And parents weren't too happy about it.

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Griffin, David, and Emily love the wackiness of the movie, The Hoz doesn't quite get on their wavelength
* A near record amount of mic peaking from Danny Devito Penguin impressions
* Merchandise Spotlight: There was a Robin action figure released for Batman Returns, based on the likeness of the Marlon Wayans but skin painted white because he was paid a large amount of money to not by in the movie. (Guess they didn't want Robin doing a jazz set).
* ~~"Humblebrag"~~ bit is officially retired at the request of the Mother of Blankies.
* Box office game: Weekend of June 19, 1992

### Sponors

* Brooklinen - Griffin loves Brooklinen products, but he would really like if they would be so kind to send him a free bath mat because he bought the wrong size
* Joybird - NBA Legend Larry Bird comes into the studio to give a "very enthusiastic" pitch for being a spokesperson for Joybird furniture.
* Stamps.com - Griffin has a new year's resolution to never leave his apartment, but he can use Stamps.com to send a CD-R of his podcast audio to the Audioboom studios so that Ben can mix it in. Turns out Griffin can't leave because he owes a lot to the garlic boys.

# Kiss from a Rose

## Kiss from a Rose

### Audio link

Patreon

**Kiss from a Rose** is bonus audio from the **Batman Returns** episode released in the Blank Check: Special Features feed. Posted January 27, 2019.

## Summary

> At the end of the Bartman Returns episode it was revealed that Producer Ben had texted Griffin during the recording. The message was to sign off the episode by singing Seal's "Kiss from a Rose". Ben believed that this was the wildly popular single from this movie. It is actually from Batman Forever. Either way they still sing along to a karaoke version and here is that b-b-b-bonus audio checkmates!
>
>

### Milestones and Ephemera

* They discuss this song in the Batman Forever Commentary, but sadly do not sing it again.

## References

1. ↑ Batman Returns on Audioboom
2. ↑ Kiss from a Rose on Patreon
Count Dooku

**Count Dooku** is episode 17 and the fifth part of the Attack of the Podcast miniseries, about *Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones*, posted 20 Jul 2015.

## Summary

>
> Griffin and David, together with special guest Morgan Evans (MTV), pick up where they left off last episode (right after Anakin murders men, women and children) and take you, the listener, off to the bug planet of Geonosis!
>
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> Together, they examine the revelation of Count Dooku, the comic fodder of C3PO, assembly line sequence antics, fighting beasts for entertainment, dark force lightning, and please remember everyone: pop-ups are for kids!
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All in all it's a loopy episode. Like nearly every other guest, Morgan has to occasionally be lassoed into maintaining the bit where this is the last Star Wars movie ever made. Also, Griffin tries mightily to suppress the urge to impersonate the Neimoidians once more, especially when David lobs a nice big softball to him.

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Q: Who is the Squidward in Star Wars? A: Watto
* Entrance fee to the Geonosian Colosseum: 3 bug coins
* The origin of "Flubber"!

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Count Dooku. Audioboom. Retrieved on August 30, 2022.
Blue Steel

**Blue Steel** is episode 129 focusing on the movie of the same name, as part of the Pod-19: The Widowcaster miniseries covering the filmography of Kathryn Bigelow. Posted October 1, 2017.

## Summary

>
> Jordan Hoffman (Engage: The Official Star Trek podcast) joins Griffin and David to discuss 1989’s crime thriller, Blue Steel. Would Jamie Lee Curtis and Bigelow’s careers been different if this film had been more successful? Does it pass the Bechdel test? Is Kevin Dunn one of our most frustrated actors? Together they examine Ron Silver’s performance, tongue shtooping and share Richard Jenkins stories.
>
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>

Jordan Hoffman (host of the Star Trek podcast *Engage*) joins Griffin and David and starts things off with an extraordinarily well-told tale of seeing *Blue Steel's* Richard Jenkins at the recent Toronto Film Festival. He then points out that this movie shows Kathryn Bigelow's efficiency: within 20 seconds we are rooting for Jamie Lee Curtis. It is the kind of thing Bigelow later stopped doing after her blank check bounced and subsequently refocused on a more impersonal approach.

Was Tom Sizemore just robbing a convenience store and happened to be filmed by a movie camera? Are these the best squibs ever in a movie? Is this whole film flipping the normal cop-movie script on audiences to talk about about gender fluidity? How tied to this era of NYC is Ron Silver?

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Bechdel Test: pass
* John McTiernan: weirdo
* The Dixie Chick who left the Dixie Chicks: non-contagious
* Box office game: Weekend of March 16, 1990

### Sponsors

This episode was the first to be sponsored by an advertiser, with Mack Weldon taking the honor. Griffin later said he purposefully dragged out the ad copy read because it was the first one; presumably he wanted to relish every moment. Not only that but it was integrated so smoothly that David was rendered nearly speechless. Promo code BLANK, folks!

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Blue Steel. Audioboom. Retrieved on July 26, 2021.
Best of the Decade Blankies Awards

**The Best of the Decade Blankies Awards** AKA "The Blankies" (not to be confused with "blankies" who are fans of the podcast) is episode 45 of the Blank Check: Special Features and the sixth entry in the series of standalone Blankies episodes, where Griffin, David, and guest Joe Reid get to "pick the Oscars!" and reveal their picks for the best in film of the 2010s. The episode was released on Patreon February 10, 2020.

## Episode Summary

> "The Two Friends welcome back Joe Reid, co-chairman of the Blankies committee, for a special edition of the Blankie Awards: Best of the Decade. Together they discuss their own personal nominations for the 2010s, it being tough to make the five and the heroic pilot, Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, portrayed by Tom Hanks in 2016 film “Sully” who you may recall performed a forced water landing in the Hudson River of New York City."
>
>

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Several movies were nominated that have been previously covered on the show:
	+ *Black Panther*, part of the Special Features MCU Commentaries
	+ *Cloud Atlas*, part of The Podchowski Casters
	+ *Interstellar*, part of The Pod Knight Casts
	+ *The Last Jedi,* part of The Star Wars Sequels and Special Features Star Wars Commentaries
	+ *Lincoln*, part of Pod Me If You Cast
	+ *Mad Max: Fury Road*, part of Mad Pod: Fury Cast
	+ *The Wind Rises*, part of Howl's Moving Podcastle
	+ *Assassin's Creed*, a Ben's Choice.
	+ *Beyond the Lights*, part of Pod & Basketcast
	+ *Steve Jobs*, part of Trainspodcasting
	+ *The Social Network*, part of David Fincher
* One film by a Blank Check Guest was nominated: *Her Smell*, directed by Alex Ross Perry

## Other Awards

* **Putters and Murmurs of the Decade:** Tom Hardy
* **Best Peaches of the Deacde:**
	+ *Call Me By Your Name* (2017)
	+ *Parasite* (2019)
	+ *Batman v Superman* (2016)
* **Best movie that thinks your better than me:** *The Town* (2010)
* **Blank Checks**
	+ **Biggest Clear:** *Mad Max: Fury Road* (2015)
	+ **Biggest Bounce:** *Cloud Atlas* (2012)
* **Griffin**
	+ **Best Casting of the Decade:** *Short Term 12* (2013)
	+ **Best Actor of the Decade:** Tom Hanks
* **Joe**
	+ **Best Actress of the Decade:** Amy Adams

## Statistics

### Most Decorated Movies

The Blankies committee nominated 93 different movies. The most nominated film was *Moonlight* by a wide margin, and 18 movies achieved at least three nominations.

### Yearly Breakdown

The most heavily nominated year overall, and for David and Joe individually, was 2016 with 27 total nominations. The highest nominated year for Griffin was 2011, which was the second most nominated year overall.

## References

1. ↑ Best of the Decade Blankie Awards with Joe Reid on Patreon.
Final Thoughts

**Final Thoughts** is episode 10 and the tenth and sort-of final part of the The Phantom Podcast miniseries. Posted 26 May 2015.

## Summary

All great investigations must at some point come to an end, and the case study of the Phantom Menace has (finally) reached its conclusion. But the show will continue on - stay tuned at the end to find out where #TheTwoFriends will go next!

Listen in as hosts Griffin and David share some last thoughts, read and play clips of fans' own interpretations, and even Produer Ben shares some of his own #hottakes.

Also, Griffin unveils a surprise item in this week’s merch corner (!!!!!!), listeners endure the tragedy of the recording studio's microphones being unable to pick up certain sounds they longed to hear, what to look forward to in future episodes of Griffin and David Present, and lastly an astonishing revelation about the Star Wars saga is uncovered.

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Chapstick: Applied
* Number of McG references so far: like two maybe?
* Merchandise Spotlight!