The Eighth Blank Check Mailbag

**The Eighth Blank Check Mailbag** is episode 200 of Blank Check: Special Features. Posted January 11, 2024.

## Summary

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> It's January 11th, so that can only mean one thing! THE 8th BLANK CHECK MAILBAG! The gang answers listener submitted questions, as well as some voicemails from friends of the show. Topics include: Ben earring updates, physical media pickups of 2023, the quintessential Blank Check Episode and so much more!
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> Special thanks to Tim Simons, Karen Han, David Ehrlich and Asa Ehrlich-Maezono, Hayes McKeon and Katey Rich + Charlie.
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Griffin amended his Love Guru timeline, he recalled after the recording that the Guru Pitka was in the draft of *Austin Powers II: The Wrath of Khan* that he had read. He also now has a complete Austin Powers TCG collection.
* 2024 intention is do TMNT on Patreon this year and more *I, Daniel Blake* bits.

## Questions

**The Great...**

* Ang Lee's Dad - 20th anniversary speed round, best performance in each movie:
	+ Ocean's Twelve - Griffin: Damon, David: Finney, Ben: Cheadle
	+ The Village - Bryce Dallas Howard
	+ Shaun of the Dead - Griffin: Pegg, David: Dylan Moran is also good
	+ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Griffin: Rickman (amended to Thewlis), David: Thewlis
	+ Sideways - Giamatti
	+ Anchorman - Griff/David: Rudd, Ben: Ferrell
* Steven Kendall - given the failure of Fast X and recent Diesel accusations where do you think the F&F franchise goes next?
* Daniel Nelmes - would you rather be forced to pretend to Godfrey Reggio that you loved Naqoyqatsi or to Mike Meyers that you loved The Love Guru?
* Andy C. - which 2023 film would be best improved by replacing all the actors with skeletons? Ben: *The Boys in the Boat* or *Ant-Man and the Quan-Tomb Realm*
* Adam Truelove - if Ben could live in the world of any 2023 film which would it be? Fight Club or *TMNT: Mutant Mayhem*, although he hasn't seen it
* Lewis Redfearn - are there any 1 film directors you predict will have a Blank Check career? Griffin: Celine Song, Philippou Brothers; David: A.V. Rockwell, Raine Allen Miller
* Brandon Stewart - thoughts on Cameron's remasters of The Abyss and True Lies?
* Antonio Melgar - David which Broadway shows did you dig? Annie Baker's *Infinite Life*, *Sweeney Todd*, *Primary Trust*
* Scott Cooney - if Griffin could have his soul eternally bound to one of his toys à la Chucky, which would it be? 36" tall Marvel Legends Galactus
* Erin - how's Ben's earring doing? He has the same stud from 5 months ago and it still hurts and is itchy. He might need to abandon it.
* Colby Day - if you were given a blank check to produce the Oscars who would you ask to host and what changes would you make?
* VM from Tim Simons - in movie based text threads, what is something you wish people would never text you again and what is something you want to hear more often?
* Bryan Sweeney - David, who is on your *Taskmaster* Mt. Crushmore? Hugh Dennis, Sally Phillips, Charlotte Ritchie, Joe Thomas
* José Luis Enríquez Chiñas - Griffin, when a character you are playing wears a necktie or bow tie do they tie it for you?
* Cameron Palin - what are the best physical media pickups you got this year?
* Jack Read - which Sesame Street character would make the best and worst guest? Big Bird is the Bilge Ebiri of Sesame Street
* Connor J. - a restaurant calls you to make a signature Blank Check cocktail menu. What are some of the drinks available? Probably something like the Aqua Velva from Zodiac, Mojito from Miami Vice and a couple others.
* Jason O'Rear - What's a movie that you think would be most improved with the addition of Paul from Paul (2011)? Griffin: *Paul*
* Jacob Geller - The show has been running for almost a decade now- what are the episodes y'all think have best captured the energy of what you want to be doing with Blank Check? Which ones make you go, "yeah, we really nailed it with that one"? Some discussed were The Holiday, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, Aloha, Inception, The Prestige, Starship Troopers
* Mike Finnerty - can David please dedicate 3 minutes of this ep discussing his relationship to English football in the late 90s/early 2000s?
* David Sims - what are we having for lunch?
* Griffin Newman - Ben, what is this? A gift for ARP.
* Gabriel Gauvin - Ben, thoughts on lobster: The food?
* Sami Pöyry - My 2- and 5-year-old daughters demand to hear Griffin's Mank theme song every night before going to bed. Now they want to know what is a mank. I cannot be bothered to watch that movie so please, in a manner that can be understood by 2-year-olds, explain.
* ExciteMike64 - Does Griffin plan on ever talking about Robocop: Rogue City?
* VM from Karen Han - if you were the studio exec in charge of the live action Legend of Zelda movie who would you pick to direct and star? David: Céline Sciamma, a young George Miller. Ben: Peter Jackson. Hunter Schaefer to star. Michael Shannon/Gannon.
* Chet Kazalski - what feature could movie theaters add that would improve the movie going experience? Quality control.
* Anthony Pierre Coco - David: what *Saw* trap would you have the best chance of surviving? Which would make you go “ehh, I’ll just die” the quickest?
* Berkreviews.com - Would you ever consider a Blank Check Trading Card Game - Think of all the Nicknames as Cards. Comedy Points as health.
* VM from Asa Ehrlich-Maezono - why won't dadda let me watch *Cars*? Cause your father is a snob.
* Gavin Parks - worst movie you’ve seen in 2023? Griffin: *Fast X*; David: *Silent Night*; Ben: *Last Voyage of the Demeter*
* Liam Haber - what reality shows do you think each of the core four would do best on?
* Tim Turner - if you had a Monopoly-esque "Get out of Director Jail" card, which filmmakers would you be most tempted to use it on? Griffin: <beep>; Both: Richard Kelly, Elaine May
* Jacob Montgomery - the podcast is able to record an episode from space. What movie would be covered?
* VM from Hayes McKeon - what's the *Chappie* deal? Griffin finally relates the *Chappie* deal story.
* Stan - Ben question, favorite music release of 2023? Ben: Wednesday - Rat Saw God; Griffin: Olivia Rodrigo - Sour
* VM from Katey Rich + Charlie - Charlie's top ten: 8. The Super Mario Bros. Movie; 7. Titanic 3-D; 6. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse; 5 (tie). Wish & Wonka; 4 (tie). Nimona & TMNT: Mutant Mayhem; 3. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves; 2. Elemental; 1. Leo
	+ Last year's Charlies awards

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. The Eighth Blank Check Mailbag. Patreon. Retrieved on January 11, 2024.