The Fifth Annual Blank Check Awards

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**The Fifth Annual Blank Check Awards** (also known as **The Blankies** - not to be confused with "blankies" who are fans of the podcast) is episode 255 and the fifth 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 in 2019. Posted 2 Feb 2020.

## Summary

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> Griffin and David welcome back Joe Reid for the 5th annual Blankie Awards where together they present their own personal nominations and winners for the upcoming 92nd Academy Awards. This roundtable discussion looks at all the major categories, as well as, references deep cut cinema from 2019 you may have missed.
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These guys.... there is so much far-ranging and freewheeling discussion of all these films and performances. Give it a listen for all the details.

Meanwhile, Prodoer Ben is tremendously pleased when they keep the running time manageable. Relatively speaking, of course. They blasted through these this year as if they were sane people.

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Joe has joined the Five-Timers Club! Steady wins the race :-)
* Check out Joe's podcast with Chris Feil, **This Had Oscar Buzz**, it's manna for most Blankies. Twitter, webpage, iTunes
* Joe's "Oh my god" reaction to Griffin's song intros...
* As is traditional, at the end of the Blankies, it's Ben's Awards! They just keep getting better. Prodoer Ben cannot be stopped.
* The on-mic reactions to the Fast & Furious 9 trailer did eventually get recorded for the Patreon, FYI.
* David Sims, 2020 Bad Boy
* More information to be filled in over time with re-listens
* Several movies were nominated that have been covered on the show:
	+ *Toy Story 4*, part of the Toy Story commentaries
	+ *Glass*, part of Pod Night Shyamacast
	+ *Doctor Sleep*, a bonus episode for Pods Wide Cast
* Two past and future guests were nominated: Jamie Bell for *Rocketman* and Lulu Wang for *The Farewell*

## And The Blankie Goes To...

### Reddit Blankies Acting Awards

**Supporting**

1. **Florence Pugh (*Little Women*)**
2. Brad Pitt *(Once Upon a Time in Hollywood*)
3. Jennifer Lopez (*Hustlers*)
4. Joe Pesci (*Hustlers*)
5. Song Kang-ho (*Parasite*)
6. Willem Dafoe (*The Lighthouse*)
7. Al Pacino (*The Irishman*)
8. Laura Dern (*Marriage Story*)
9. Daniel Craig (*Knives Out*)
10. Park So-dam (*Parasite*)

**Lead**

1. **Adam Sandler (*Uncut Gems*)**
2. Adam Driver *(Marriage Story*)
3. Lupita Nyong'o (*Us*)
4. Florence Pugh (Midsommar)
5. Awkwafina (*The Farewell*)
6. Leonardo DiCaprio (*Once Upon a Time in Hollywood*)
7. Brad Pitt (*Ad Astra*)
8. Ana de Armas (*Knives Out*)
9. Antonio Banderas (*Pain and Glory*)
10. Elisabeth Moss (*Her Smell*) / Scarlett Johansson (*Marriage Story*) (TIE)

## More Awards

**2020 Putterers and Murmurers Awards**

* Bill Camp, *Dark Waters*
* K Callen, *Knives Out*
* Rob Morgan, *Just Mercy*
* Tommy Lee Jones, *Ad Astra* [actually Sweaters and Fretterers]

**WORST Putterer and Murmurer**

* Meryl Streep, *The Laundromat*

**David's Best Scores**

* *Uncut Gems*
* *The Last Black Man in San Francisco*
* *Little Women*
* *Monos*
* *Marriage Story*

**Griffin's Gnarliest Supervillains**

* Thanos, *Avengers: Endgame*
* Pennywise, *IT Chapter Two*
* Ricky T. J\*\*\*r, *(retired bit)*
* The actual bomber, *Richard Jewell*
* Olivia Wilde, *Richard Jewell (winner)*

## Ben's Awards

*Editorial Note: As ever, we remind listeners that no typed-out description can ever do justice to Ben. Ever. Do yourself a favor and (re-)listen to the episodes!*

**Films That Should Be Remade With Babies, Animals, Puppets, also Fruit, and now Clowns too, Maybe a Robot or Two Could Be Cool, or Now It's Chains, That's a New Thing**

* The Baby Irishman -- Tiny little criminals and gangsters!
* How about *The Lion King*, with real animals? Go full *Roar*.
* *The Souvenir* -- a comedia del arte thing with marionettes and shadow work
* *Malificent: Mistress of Evil*... or Fruit -- she is a dark bruised pear
* hold on to your boundaries..... what if there is a world in which the J\*\*\*r wasn't the only clown? The whole city was clowns! (David: you mean Washington DC? Is this set in the Senate?)
* *Knives Out*, but I want it to be chains, Chains Out, the murder is chain-centric

**The Wetties - The Golden Mops**
A traditional pick, and then a bunch of movies that made Ben cry -- they made *him* get wet!

* *The Lighthouse* (traditional pick)
* *The Farewell*
* *Cats*
* *Judy*
* The *Mulan* trailer

**Ummm... No Thank You**

* *The Two Popes* - c'mon, enough popes. Too Many Popes!
* *1917* - too old
* *Motherless Brooklyn* - seriously, offensive on behalf of stuttering advocates
* *Portrait of a Lady* - needs more fire
* *Toy Story 4* -- sorry Griff

**Honorable Mentions**

* The Safdies, as always for their achievements in scumbummery -- this time for *Uncut Gems*
* *Climax*, for the best Voguing scene of all time
* *Her Smell*, for being punk as fuck
* *The Beach Bum*, for being Ben's Current Lifestyle award

**Special Recognition**

* Achievement in Hotness, 2019: David Sims. By bestowing a prize of a sleeveless flannel shirt, he shall now be rebranded for 2020 as "Bad Boy."

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. The Fifth Annual Blank Check Awards. Audioboom. Retrieved on February 21, 2022.