recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Comedy Points

The physical Comedy Points coin sold by the Blank Check Shop. Desing by Joe Bowen.

### Bit Status

Active

**Comedy Points** is a system of rules for distributing points to people, usually for saying something particularly witty or amusing. The system was originally developed by Griffin and his friends, including Sam Rogal, some years ago.

## Summary

On Blank Check, Griffin will sometimes give comedy points to David or Ben, usually 3 or 5 at a time but sometimes reaching into the millions or even trillions.

Be warned, though: keeping track of the comedy points you've earned results in the loss of all comedy points. (That hasn't stopped u/radiantbaby123 from compiling an unofficial and unauthorized tally... search the Blankies reddit.)

## Merchandise

In August 2020, physical comedy points coins were available for purchase in the Blank Check online shop. The physical coin represents five comedy points, and One side of the coin features an image of #TheTwoFriends and the reverse has the number 5. The description of the coin suggests possible uses beyond just comedy, like a John Wick-style exchange. The design is by Joe Bowen.

## Examples

Comedy Points have been awarded many, many times through the life of the podcast and those instances are too numerous to list. However, the Comedy Point system has also featured several ad-hoc variants as the situation dictates. Currently the following other types of "points" are thought to have been given out by either David or Griffin at different times on-mic in the history of the show.

* Honesty Points - #046 Lady in the Water
* History Points - ?
* Profundity Points - #071 We Bought A Zoo, #169 Incredibles 2
* Insight Points - #072 Aloha
* The Rules of Comedy Points - #073 Roadies, at 33:00
* *American Beauty* Points - #077 Aliens (or maybe it was really just regular comedy points for any *American Beauty* reference?)
* Truth Points - #079 Terminator 2: Judgement Day
* Topical Points - #092 Split, at 1:28:00
* Entrepreneur Points - #099 Catch Me If You Can
* Story Points - #118 The Prestige, #143 RoboCop
* School Points - #120 Inception
* Self-Comedy Points - #123 Interstellar
* Yelling Off-Mic Points - #134 The Hurt Locker
* Gungan Points - #137 Justice League
* Hero Points - #143 RoboCop
* Little Shit Points - #143 RoboCop
* Rhyme Points - #143 RoboCop
* *Home Alone* points - #160 Spanglish
* Heartwarming Points - #169 Incredibles 2
* Burp Points - #169 Incredibles 2
* Good Reference Points - #176 Ride with the Devil

Many thanks to redditor u/ooojos for compiling the bulk of this listing.

## References

1. ↑ Comedy Points Coin on the Blank Check Shop.
Corpse Bride

**Corpse Bride** is episode 9 of Blank Check: Special Features focusing on the movie of the same name, as part of the Podward Scissorcast miniseries covering the films of Tim Burton. Posted March 11, 2019.

## Summary

>
> Blank Check's resident technical expert, J.D. Amato, joins Griffin and David to discuss 2005's stop motion animation flop, Corpse Bride. Together they examine the many shortfalls of this "Burton" project, go off on a long tangent on Danny Elfman phoning in his lyrics and share their plans for future complicated episodes!
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* The episode was released from behind the paywall on March 11, 2022.
* Ant-Man and the Wasp is Nicki and Paolo. Captain Marvel is The Pendulum. The dark world is The Constant. The tattoo episode is the Incredible Hulk.
* Box Office Game:
	+ Limited: Weekend of September 16, 2005
	+ Wide: Weekend of September 23, 2005

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Corpse Bride. Patreon. Retrieved on June 2, 2022.
Big Eyes

**Big Eyes** is episode 212 focusing on the movie of the same name, as part of the Podward Scissorcast miniseries covering the films of Tim Burton. Posted April 14, 2019.

## Summary

>
> Richard Lawson returns to discuss the late-Burton effort: 2014's Big Eyes. But why are the eyes so big? Should Christoph Waltz be the star of his own network TV sitcom? How did Burton pull off making the focus of this movie about the main character's abuser? Together they examine the eyes (which are big), Margaret Keane's history and Alita: Battle Angel (which is also known as Big Eyes 2.)
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> Plus, check out past (and future) guests Richard and Joanna Robinson's podcast Still Watching: Game of Thrones.
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> Get Richard's book All We Can Do Is Wait!
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Box office game: Weekend of December 26, 2014

## References

1. ↑ Big Eyes on Audioboom. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
Doctor Sleep

**Doctor Sleep** is episode 154 of Blank Check: Special Features focusing on the 2019 film of the same name as bonus for the Pods Wide Cast miniseries on the films of Stanley Kubrick. Posted November 11, 2022.

## Summary

>
> For the Kubrick bonus ep, Griffin, David, and Ben discussed the director’s cut of the Shining sequel, *Doctor Sleep*. Topics include: how director Mike Flanagan incorporated elements from both the novels and film adaptation, Ewan McGregor’s career, spinoff tv series ideas, how Rose got her hat and more!
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* David's original review of the film: *Doctor Sleep*: A Horror Sequel That Tries to Do the Impossible
* Mr. F
* David's night time Alamo order: Cookies and peppermint tea!
* Some people's opinion of Mike Flanagan: The Sleepytime Honk Shoo king, Captain of the Sleepy Train to Night-Nightville, Snoremaster General.
* Fank Langella's *Deadline* Op-Ed: Fired By Netflix, Frank Langella Refutes Allegations Of “Unacceptable Behavior”
* Rebecca Ferguson as "Rose the Hat" was nominated by Griffin for Best Supporting Actress in The Fifth Annual Blank Check Awards.
* Box office game: Weekend of November 8, 2019

## Quotes

>
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> | Griffin: |  Is that a hat on a hat? That it's a movie about a kid who's psychic and also his dad loses his mind?
> | Ben: |  It's *Rose* the Hat.
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## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Doctor Sleep. Patreon. Retrieved on November 11, 2022.
2. ↑ David Sims. *Doctor Sleep*: A Horror Sequel That Tries to Do the Impossible. The Atlantic. Retrieved on November 11, 2022.
3. ↑ Frank Langella. Fired By Netflix, Frank Langella Refutes Allegations Of “Unacceptable Behavior”. Deadline. Retrieved on November 11, 2022.
4. ↑ @ 0:28:26
Ferrari

* Podrrari
* Cast of the Podhicans

**Ferrari**, or **Podrrari** is episode 458 focusing on the 2023 film of the same name, and is the first revisit of the Cast of the Podhicans miniseries on the films of Michael Mann. Posted January 7, 2024.

## Summary

>
> Vroom vroom! Michael Mann is BACK. Bilge Ebiri is BACK. How do you say “we’re so back” in Italian? Join us as we talk about cars that go fast (Ferraris), hair that grows long (Adam Driver’s, normally), faces that have seen smart phones (Shailene Woodley’s) and character actors that could have been in this movie (Paul Giamatti, but specifically as Pig Vomit). Masculinity is a cage, machines that work the best are the most beautiful, and we all think that the Mille Miglia seems like a bad idea. No grazie!
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Box office game: Weekend of December 29, 2023. They don't actually play the game since they recorded before the film's release.

## Quotes

Intro:

> "*You get into one of my podcasts - you get in to win.*"
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## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Ferrari. Audioboom. Retrieved on January 7, 2024.
Eat Drink Man Woman

**Eat Drink Man Woman** is episode 172 focusing on the film of the same name as part of the Podback Mountcast miniseries. Posted August 5, 2018.

## Summary

>
> Alison Willmore (BuzzFeed) joins Griffin and David to discuss 1994’s family and food dramedy, *Eat Drink Man Woman*.
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## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Eat Drink Man Woman. Audioboom. Retrieved on May 12, 2022.
Amy Nicholson

**Amy Nicholson** is a well-known film critic, author, and podcast host based in Los Angeles.

## Biography

She has written for a number of outlets, including *Variety* and *LA Weekly*. She is also a podcast host (the film podcast The Canon, and Unspooled  with fellow past-and-future-guest Paul Scheer) and an author (Tom Cruise: Anatomy of an Actor).

Amy was on the Memento episode of Blank Check. She chose the movie because it is only one of the two Christopher Nolan films she enjoys. (The other being The Dark Knight.)

She has had a number of Blank Check guests on her own podcasts as well, such as Richard Lawson, David Ehrlich, and Jordan Hoffman.
2023 March Madness Update 1

**2023 March Madness Update 1** is episode 168 of Blank Check: Special Features and a recap of the first round of the March Madness 2023 tournament. Posted March 20, 2023.

## Summary

>
> Having reached the Sweet Sixteen in our March Madness brackets, the BC gang recapped the fierce competition so far and discussed the second round of match ups.
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> (Warning: Due to the Chip Smith virus this episode release was delayed.)
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* New Ben Nickname: The Class Act. He's also using his full name 'Benjamin' to be more classy.
* Despite everyone's wishes Griff's naked neighbor is a returning character but this time... he's clothed (for a minute)! Spoilers for the 127 Hours episode: lots of 🍆.
* Jackson would have included a *Mortal Engies* episode. Alas.
* Marie isn't picking anything! Don't @ her on Twitter.
* If the *Asterix* movies ever become available in the US it's an immediate miniseries.
* No English filmmakers survived the first round - Danny Boyle fatigue?
* Love him or hate him, Baz is the type of filmmaker this podcast was made for.
* Truffaut constantly gets owned - might just retire him from MM
* Claire Denis bodied Dutch Verhoeven - do listeners not want to watch Dutch porn?
* **Patreon**
	+ Turtles are so hot right now
	+ Superman is the only Patreon combatant in every tournament so far - he will be retired
	+ Apu Trilogy might also get retired
	+ Second round matches (i.e. (Jelly vs. *Hellraiser*)(Dick vs. SNL)) are chaos due to ... poor seed planning
	+ Ben's putting his thumb down on the scale for *Mortal Kombat*
	+ Even more possible Jelly Trilogy companions: *Serving Sara* and *Shallow Hal*
* **Chip Smith Updates**: His construction project digging the tunnel to hell has wrapped up. Chip endorses Sergio Leone and *Cars* so use that information however you want.

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. 2023 March Madness Update 1. Patreon. Retrieved on March 20, 2023.
28 Weeks Later

**28 Weeks Later** is episode 167 of Blank Check: Special Features focusing on the 2007 film of the same name as bonus for the Trainspodcasting miniseries on the films of Danny Boyle. Posted March 11, 2023.

## Summary

>
> In the first Danny Boyle bonus episode, Griffin, David, and Ben discuss the follow-up to 28 Days Later. Topics include: Idris Elba’s career, the etymology of the surname Poots, the American tradition of ‘prom’ and more!
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Hackney
* Griffin doesn't *say* anything about his SAG ballot 😉
* Box office game: Weekend of May 11, 2007

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. 28 Weeks Later. Patreon. Retrieved on March 11, 2023.
Best of the Attack of the Podcast

**Best of the Attack of the Podcast** is episode 90 and a compilation of Griffin, David, and Ben's favorite moments from the Attack of the Podcast miniseries. Posted 8 Jan 2017.

## Summary

>
> Presenting a best of episode with all the favorite moments from our mini series on *Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones*.
>
>

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 second "Best Of" covers the second miniseries of the podcast. Hear all the highlights of the ten episodes discussing *Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones*! With laser-rapier sound effects!

Some of the clips were chosen at the suggestion of listeners. At the end is a supercut of Dexter Jettster talk. Classed it up in a major way with a piano sonata for atmosphere.

## References

1. ↑ Best of Attack of the Podcast on Audioboom.
Chip Smith

Chip Smith and the green cloud he's dating.

President of FIFA

**Chip Smith** is a character played by David Sims.

## Biography

Mr. Smith lives on the moon. Prior to moving to the moon, he was a journalist in Las Vegas. He was introduced in the Showgirls episode as a reporter for the Nude Reviews.

He appeared as a robot in the March Madness 2021 Recap - Round 3 episode, claiming responsibility for the presence of bots in the tournament. He gifted David Sims some weapons-grade plutonium as a baby gift. The bot informed the gang that Chip will never die.

Mr. Smith collects celebrity skulls and bears a striking resemblance to Esky the mascot of Esquire magazine.  His famous catchphrase is "Another pickle!"

During March Madness 2022, he hired En Hosley as his advocate through the promise of exotic bones. As part of the contract, Mr. Smith siphoned off the B in Hosley's name. Producer En shared that Chip has a 6D chess board in his house and that he's responsible for disposing of all discarded the moon-porcupines that Chip uses to take notes.

During March Madness 2023, newly installed FIFA President Chip Smith appeared to confront the #twofriends for using the 'World Cup' for March Madness. In the past year he has been spending his time developing *Cyberpunk 2077* and ChatGPT, and trying to trade his 20th Century copyright to Elon Musk for Twitter. He denies any involvement in financing *The Whale*.

### ChipCoin

   ChipCoin is a piece of merch/moon currency created by Smith. From the Blank Check shop:

>
> You've heard of Bitcoin. You've possibly even heard of Dogecoin. Now, Moon Impresario and Agent of Chaos Chip Smith is issuing his own coin, and Blank Check is pleased to offer it to you! According to Mr. Smith, the coins have no value on Earth but can be used as tokens in his "forwards/backwards machine" on the Moon. Is he inferring that he's created a time machine? We cannot be certain. But we do know that these Chip Smith Coins will be a fabulous addition to any Blankie's collection.
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> (“NO” CASH VALUE, NOT LEGAL EARTH TENDER)
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> * 2.25” high polished silver moon coin
> * double-sided
> * die struck
> * In the event of Lunar travel, Blank Check cannot guarantee successful usage of the "forwards/backwards" machine. Operate at your own risk.
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> Design by Dan Engler.
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>

## **References**

1. ↑ Mike Natale @NKOAS. Apologies for leaking this still from the Zoom call. Twitter. Retrieved on March 10, 2021.
2. ↑ u/TheMonotoneDuck. He's Coming. reddit. Retrieved on March 5, 2023.
3. ↑ u/DanEngler. The definitive list of facts about Chip Smith. reddit. Retrieved on January 18, 2021.
4. ↑ March Madness 2020 Recap - Round 2
5. ↑ March Madness 2019 Recap - Round 2
6. ↑ Blank Check Shop. CHIP SMITH CHIPCOIN. Shopify. Retrieved on January 6, 2021.
Caged Heat/Crazy Mama/Fighting Mad

**Caged Heat/Crazy Mama/Fighting Mad** is episode 244 focusing on the three earliest films of Jonathan Demme: *Caged Heat* (1974), *Crazy Mama* (1975), and *Fighting Mad* (1976). Posted November 10, 2019.

## Summary

>
> It’s the first episode of a new mini-series. You voted for him, you’ve only yourself to blame for JONATHAN DEMME. Probably one of the directors with the most range of films - from rom coms to serious dramas - Griffin and David start with the first three of his films, each a strange genre movie: Caged Heat about a prison break; Crazy Mama about women doing crimes; and Fighting Mad which pits farmers vs coal companies. What is the appeal of women’s prison movies? Literally what is Michael Richards doing all day? Can art be non-political nowadays? And what exactly makes Demme SO iconic that he’s such an influencer?
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* The Box Office Game for all three films (April 1974, November 1975, and October 1976) appear in Oops! All Box Office.

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Caged Heat/Crazy Mama/Fighting Mad. Audioboom. Retrieved on July 5, 2022.
Ant-Man

**This article is a disambiguation page for Ant-Man**

The following is a list of links to pages that might share the same title.

Please follow one of the disambiguation links below or search to find the page you were looking for if it is not listed. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

**Ant-Man** may refer to:

* Ant-Man Commentary, episode 23 of Blank Check: Special Features.
* Ant-Man and the Wasp Commentary, episode 35 of Blank Check: Special Features.
Benedetta

Producer Benedetta

**Benedetta** (also known as **Producer Benedetta**) is episode 354 focusing on the 2021 film of the same name and part of the Podship Casters miniseries on the films of Paul Verhoeven. Posted December 12, 2021.

## Summary

>
> Alert the horny police, because we’re taking ourselves to a nunnery with the Dirty Dutch Daddy himself - Paul Verhoeven! The gang goes bonkers for *Benedetta*, and Producer Ben-edetta reveals that he has an almost-saint in his family - one more miracle, and Ben gets to go to the Vatican! We discuss the connections between *Benedetta* and Verhoeven’s previous films (Sister Benedetta is a bit of a Catherine Trammell, and not just because she likes the ladies), do a smelly deep dive into the history of Professional Flatulists, and say a few prayers asking God to let Verhoeven make a big Hollywood movie again.
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Ben is related to a ~~saint~~ beatified dude! The Blessèd Michael J. McGivney and if there's a second miracle Ben will get to go to the Vatican! GET PRAYING BLANKIES!!
* It's not that Griffin *didn't* like *Encanto* necessarily, it's just that there were other digestive factors at play.
* Bilge Ebiri's rave review of *Encanto*: Encanto Is the Best Disney Animated Film Since Frozen (Vulture).
* Box-office game: Weekend of December 3, 2021
* The movie was a nominee at The Seventh Annual Blank Check Awards including:
	+ Griffin: #6 in his top 10 for the year
		- Best Adapted Screenplay
		- Best Actress - Virginie Efira

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Benedetta with Marie Bardi. Audioboom. Retrieved on December 12, 2021.
Commentary

*For movie commentaries, see the Commentary category.*

**Commentary** is episode 4 and the fourth part of the The Phantom Podcast miniseries. Posted 13 April 2015.

## Summary

>
> Griffin and David in a bonus episode for all you GDP die hards, watched the Phantom Menace (one more time!) and recorded their commentary. So get out that blu-ray and listen along with the hosts as they offer up their thoughts in real time. You won’t regret it?
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Joining Griffin and David for this episode is Connor Ratliff, the actor who plays the host of UCB East's "George Lucas Talk Show," to discuss the director's commentary special feature included with the initial DVD release of the Phantom Menace. Together they review what members of the production crew (including director George Lucas, producer Rick McCallum, sound designer Ben Burtt, animation director Rob Coleman and more) have to say about the filming of this movie and discover new evidence of what went wrong.

Do we agree Phantom is like the act one of a play or should the focus have been on making a better stand alone movie? Why is it revealing that 85% of the dialogue had to be ADR? Is reshooting 45 more minutes of footage a year later after principal photography not embarrassing? Could Phantom hold up as a silent film?

Also, Griffin talks merch where he spotlights Pepsi collectible soda cans and the golden Yoda, Connor’s fake Phantom Menace rumors that make it to Spin magazine, and what is the best joke in the film.

This episode marked the first time a guest was invited onto the podcast. It also marked the first time that a guest had some difficulty in maintaining the central bit of the show's first year, wherein the hosts maintained that they had only seen the Star Wars movies in order of the Episode numbers and were unaware of any Star Wars works beyond the movie under discussion. Get used to that!

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Amount of this which is real: None
* Wood: Too much
* Merchandise Spotlight!

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Commentary. Audioboom. Retrieved on August 30, 2022.
Death Becomes Her

**Death Becomes Her** is episode 295 focusing on the 1992 film of the same name as part of the Podcast Away miniseries on the films of Robert Zemeckis. Posted October 25, 2020.

## Summary

>
> Now armed with an arsenal of wild special effects, Zemeckis takes it up a notch with 1992's *Death Becomes Her* – the first to include computer-generated skin on film. Katey Rich returns as we reminisce Bruce Willis putting effort in, irritating European monologues, the thrilling billing and why Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn make a perfect cult pair.
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Some fun billing order chat! In the film the top three stars share a title card and are credited Hawn, Willis, Streep. It's reversed for the poster, but Willis is centered but dropped down. In the trailer, they're announced Streep, Willis, ***and*** Hawn.
* News story about Rick Moranis getting punched: Rick Moranis sucker-punched in head on Manhattan's Upper West Side
* Blockbuster directors who have an itch to direct a musical but won't commit: Zemeckis, Spielberg (*Temple of Doom*), and Raimi (*Spider-Man 3*).
* Ben likes a dramatic descend.
* Griffin reads verbatim from the Wikipedia page for the film, uncredited.

## Quotes

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## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Death Becomes Her with Katey Rich. Audioboom. Retrieved on October 25, 2020.
Alison Willmore

**Alison Willmore** is a film critic for BuzzFeed News and is based in New York. She is also a host of the podcast Filmspotting SVU: Streaming Video Unit.

## Biography

Alison was a guest for The Prestige episode of Blank Check. She said that this was the only Nolan movie that she really likes/loves as she is not generally a fan of the director.

Alison's dog Sammo is on Instagram.
Boyz n the Hood

**Boyz n the Hood** is episode 323 focusing on the 1991 film of the same name as part of the Podz n the Cast miniseries on the films of John Singleton. Posted May 9, 2021.

## Summary

>
> Join us as we pour one out for John Singleton, the subject of our new miniseries - PODZ N THE CAST. Griffin and David welcome Aisha Harris (NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour) to chat about Singleton’s iconic debut feature, which saw him Oscar-nominated straight out of film school at the age of 24. Take that, Orson Welles. Griffin also lays out his “Cloverfield Monster” theory of movie-watching, and the boys discuss the reasons for Ice Cube’s success as a movie star (“great sneer!”)
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## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Boyz n the Hood with Aisha Harris. Audioboom. Retrieved on May 9, 2021.
Blankies

**This article is a disambiguation page for Blankies**

The following is a list of links to pages that might share the same title.

Please follow one of the disambiguation links below or search to find the page you were looking for if it is not listed. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

**Blankies** may refer to:

* Listeners of the podcast, referred to as Blankies.
* The annual Blank Check Awards, referred to as The Blankies.
Blank Check: Great Adventure

**Blank Check: Great Adventure** is episode 26 of Blank Check: Special Features where the gang goes to Six Flags. Posted August 11, 2019. It was released from behind the paywall on August 11, 2022.

## Summary

>
> Welcome to our episode on the recent BC road trip to Six Flags Great Adventure and Atlantic City! This is Part 1. Among the many highlights there includes: throw up, King Kong on Broadway takes, Dark Knight Coaster malfunction, Joker face paint, and so much more! Featuring appearances from Emily Yoshida "mother of Blankies," Alex Ross Perry and wife Anna, as well as, associate producer Angela Ferraguto!
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* A Patreon milestone stretch goal! 4000 checkmates! The specific stretch goal was: "If met, David has consented to ride Six Flags Great Adventure's Dark Knight Coaster and record an episode about it."
* Some *incredible* pics in the Patreon photo album
* Even more *incredible* Patreon exclusive video
* Audio from the Car 2, aka the cool car, en route. In the car are Griffin, Ben, ARP, and his wife Anna. As you might expect, they left about an hour after Car 1.
* Lots of Whoopi talk! She seems very cool!
* Ben barfed in his iced coffee cup, and thankfully there is no audio of it.
* LOTS of subsequent barf talk. **If you’re sensitive to puke chat, maybe skip this one.**
* King Kong Korner! Recorded after the Spider-Man: Homecoming Commentary where they talk about getting free tickets. Lots of puppet content.

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check: Great Adventure on Patreon
2. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Great Adventure. Patreon. Retrieved on August 15, 2022.
3. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Bonus Jersey footage bay-bee. Patreon. Retrieved on August 15, 2022.
Beneath the Planet of the Apes Commentary

*This article is about the commentary on the film Beneath the Planet of the Apes from 1970. For other uses see Planet of the Apes (disambiguation).*

## Beneath the Planet of the Apes

### Reddit thread

Link

**Beneath the Planet of the Apes** is episode 175 of Blank Check: Special Features and a commentary for the 1970 feature film of the same name. Posted May 1, 2023.

## Summary

> Our original Planet of the Apes commentary series continues with the second installment: 1970’s Beneath the Planet of the Apes. Topics include: the lack of mole people, The Simpsons, who decides a zone is forbidden, and more!
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Still waiting for SunnyD to live tweet the movie...
* Possible future commentary franchise: The Flintstones

### Box Office Game

Week of June 3, 1970

1. Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
2. Anne of the Thousand Days
3. The Grasshopper
4. M\*A\*S\*H
5. Let It Be

Other films in the top ten: Woodstock, Airport, King of the Grizzlies, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, The Out-of-Towners

## Quotes

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> | Griffin: |  I rewatched both  *Dracula: Dead and Loving It* and *Robin Hood: Men in Tights* recently--
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## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Beneath the Planet of the Apes. Patreon. Retrieved on May 1, 2023.
2. ↑ @grifflightning (Apr 14, 2023). Beneath the Planet of the Apes.. Twitter. Retrieved on May 2, 2023.
3. ↑ @0:36:59
4. ↑ @0:38:55
Diana Kolsky

**Diana Kolsky** is a stand up, actor, writer, and improviser. She is a co-host of Ménage à Trois Radio, a comedic sex and relationship podcast co-hosted with her husband Murf Meyer.

Diana was a guest on the Signs episode with her husband and podcast co-host Murf Meyer where they provided energy and charm aplenty for the discussion of the muted Shyamalan thriller.
Cast Away

**Cast Away** is episode 299 focusing of the 2000 film of the same name as part of the Podcast Away miniseries on the films of Robert Zemeckis. Posted November 22, 2020.

## Summary

>
> Zemeckis and Hanks reunited once again. Another box office and critical success. Filmed over two years, *Cast Away* captures both talents performing at the top of their respective games. Writer and director, Nia DaCosta (*CANDYMAN*) joins BC this week to discuss the movie's legacy after 20 years, the different elements that make a story about one guy stranded on island so compelling, Wilson the volleyball, and of course extensive talk about another classic American film: *Sully*.
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Box-Office Game: Weekend of December 22, 2000

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Cast Away with Nia DaCosta. Audioboom. Retrieved on November 22, 2020.
Don Jon

**Don Jon** is episode 322 focusing on the sole directorial effort Joseph Gordon-Levitt—the 2013 film of the same name and a standalone episode. Posted May 2, 2021.

## Summary

>
> He’s the kid from Third Rock. The Boy from Brick. The hitRECordjoe himself. Blank Check proudly presents a special one-film miniseries on the directorial career of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, so far consisting only of the baffling 2013 porn-addiction comedy DON JON. “The Boys” Sean Clements and Hayes Davenport of Hollywood Handbook join us as we ask the important questions, like, “Why does this movie not star Channing Tatum?” “How did he get ScarJo and Julianne Moore to do this?” “What is HitRecord?”
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* The text of the episode art reads: "My pod, my pad, my ride, my church, my boys, my cast".
* *Don Jon* was the first Teaser Freezer on the very first episode of Hollywood Handbook.
* On the r/blankies subreddit, users posted their rankings for the JGL miniseries.  Unsurprisingly, *Don Jon* was rated first in his filmography.
* Although there's plenty of talk in this episode about this being the first one-episode series for a director with just one film, *Blank Check* previously covered single-film arcs with Bradley Cooper's A Star Is Born and Genndy Tartakovsky's Hotel Transylvania (though *HT* covers multiple films in one episode).
* Box-Office Game: Weekend of September 27, 2013

## Quotes

>
>
> | Griffin: |  It's so telling that they didn't make *The Woman in Black* which was a surprise hit, but they did make The Woman in Black sequel—*Angel of Death*.
> | David: |  Which they foolishly did not call *The Woman Back in Black*.
>
>

## References

1. ↑ @blankcheckpod. Also a bonus image of Griffy Danza, who doesn’t understand TiVo. Twitter. Retrieved on May 2, 2021..
2. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Don Jon with Hollywood Handbook. Audioboom. Retrieved on May 2, 2021.
3. ↑ u/dtbrown101. Erasure. reddit. Retrieved on November 22, 2021.
4. ↑ Hollywood Handbook Wiki. Jake Johnson, Our Close Friend. Fandom. Retrieved on May 3, 2021.
5. ↑ u/Foolish\_Ivan. In hopes of giving mi-16evil a break, what are your Joseph Gordon-Levitt rankings?. reddit. Retrieved on May 21, 2021.
Escape from New York

**Escape from New York** is episode 340 focusing on the 1981 film of the same name and part of the They Podcast miniseries on the films of John Carpenter. Posted September 5, 2021.

## Summary

>
> Grab your eyepatches - it’s Snake Plissken time! Karen Han joins the gang to chat Carpenter’s action classic *ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK* - which was actually filmed in St. Louis! Topics covered include NSFW tattoos, Lee Van Cleef’s badass gravestone, the 90s documentary where Ernest Borgnine just drives a bus, and John Carpenter’s rather pedestrian taste in video games. “Fallout 76”??? C’mon, John!
>
>
>
>

#### Box Office

June 15, 1981

1. Superman II
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark
3. Escape from New York
4. For Your Eyes Only
5. Stripes

* Other movies: The Fox and the Hound, The Great Muppet Caper, S.O.B., Cannonball Run, The Four Seasons

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Escape from New York with Karen Han. Audioboom. Retrieved on September 5, 2021.
Avengers: Infinity War Commentary

**Avengers: Infinity War** is episode 31 of Blank Check: Special Features and a commentary episode on the Marvel Cinematic Universe film of the same name. Posted September 30, 2019.

## Summary

>
> Writer, comedian, actor and judge, John Hodgman, stops by Big Nice studios in New York City to discuss 2018's franchise game changer, *Avengers: Infinity War*!
>
>
> Check out his new book Medallion Status (Oct. 15th) AND go see John live on his book tour coming to a city near you!
>
>
>
>

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Released from behind the paywall on October 1, 2022.
* **Movie starts at approximately 0:21:11.**
* Before the movie starts, lots of *Medallion Status* talk, Klonopin talk, and *Tag* talk.
* Hodgman loves Branagh as Poirot.
* Hodgman is with Griffin on Incredibles 2, David on Infinity War.
* Loki: Whiny edgelord.
* More talk of Benedict Wong's attendance of Talking Maul Live @ DCM19.
* The first thing David learned to cook was a tuna melt.
* Box office game: Weekend of April 27, 2018

## QUOTES

>
>
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>

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Avengers: Infinity War. Audioboom. Retrieved on April 15, 2022.
College/Steamboat Bill, Jr.

**College/Steamboat Bill, Jr.** is episode 428 focusing on the 1927 and 1928 films of the same names as part of Podcast Jr. miniseries on the films of Buster Keaton. Posted June 4, 2023.

## Summary

> After his “blank check” for THE GENERAL bounced, Buster Keaton found himself creatively and financially shackled. Thus, 1927’s COLLEGE lands on the lesser end of the quality spectrum (not to mention a very difficult watch with Buster putting on blackface for a scene - yikes). But, his follow-up STEAMBOAT BILL, JR. features some of the most memorable and dangerous stunts of Keaton’s career, and acts as a beautiful send-off to his period as a self-sufficient filmmaker. The wonderful John Hodgman joins us to chat about both films and his life-long love of Buster. Plus - as always with a Hodgman episode - we go down several delightful rabbit holes: Doctor Who, beans, Goofy’s “George Geef” period, large pants, and more!
>
>
> Guest Links:
>
> Get Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches now in Paperback
>
> Check out Up Here on Hulu
>
> Watch Dicktown on Hulu
>
> Listen to the Judge John Hodgman Podcast
>
>
>
>
>

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Hodgman's no-bits high school look
* "What, No Beans?" explained
* The song 'Steamboat Bill' which is referenced by both this film and 'Steamboat Willie'
* Merchandise spotlight: Ben bought a vintage 'slap stick', and for all of his contributions to the show Griffin gifted to John the Playmobil set discussed in A Master Builder.
* Hodgman's unboxing video.

### Box Office Game

**College**

August 1927

1. Painting the Town
2. Twelve Miles Out
3. The Poor Nut
4. The Big Parade
5. Madame Pompadour

**Steamboat Bill, Jr.**

1928

1. Yellow Lily
2. Ramona
3. Don't Marry
4. Something Always Happens
5. Tenderloin

Others in the top 10: Skyscraper, The White Sister, Glorious Betsy, Diamond Handcuffs, Steamboat Bill, Jr.

## Films

College 1927 - by Buster Keaton -Full Movie-Full MovieSteamboat Bill - 1928 - HD movie (Buster Keaton)Full Movie
## Quotes

>
>
>
>

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. College/Steamboat Bill Jr.. Audioboom. Retrieved on June 4, 2023.
2. ↑ sprobeforebros (June 2, 2023). What is 'What! No Beans?" a reference to?. Reddit. Retrieved on June 5, 2023.
Elizabethtown

**Elizabethtown** is episode 70 focusing on the movie of the same name, as part of the We Pod A Cast miniseries covering the filmography of Cameron Crowe. Posted 11 Aug 2016.

## Summary

>
> Blank Check returns to Cameron Crowe’s filmography with an in-depth discussion of 2005’s tragic comedy, *Elizabethtown*. But how would one best describe the custom exercise bike Bloom’s character outfits with knives? Would Marc Maron have been better suited for the lead role? Wait, Paula Deen is in this movie? Together, Griffin and David examine the careers of Kirsten Dunst and Alec Baldwin, writer Nathan Rabin’s coining of the term “manic pixie dream girl,” Ashton Kutcher’s previous involvement in the project and the proper regional pronunciation of Louisville, Kentucky.
>
>
>
>

Failure, or fiasco? Griffin and David investigate the first Cameron Crowe film to be regarded as something other than a success, critically or popularly.

Acting with an American accent here, and coming off his dynamic 30-second performance in Denim Invasion, here's Orlando Bloom! He sounds like a tugboat in a Nick Jr. cartoon and cannot emote - and he was a replacement for Ashton Kutcher who had been let go after filming started because the chemistry just was not working at all. Crowe was known to cast his actors remarkably well before now, and suddenly he went catastrophically 0-2 on this one role. What happened here? The script isn't that much different conceptually from *Jerry Maguire*, so... what happened here? The shoe that the main character designed.... lost a billion dollars? What happened there?

Looking back from a time when the phenomenon has been called out, is it intolerable to watch a Manic Pixie Dream Girl inexplicably try and rescue a broken guy that is just giving her nothing? What happened to Kirsten Dunst after this job - did this experience affect her career and life paths? When is Judy Greer going to get a star vehicle worthy of her?

Producer Ben is on FIRE in this episode, hitting line-drive jokes all over the ballpark. It even leads to a new nickname...two if you count the very first mention of Dan Lewis (it took a long time for that to resurface).

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Ben's name for the bespoke self-harm contraption in the film: The Suicycle.
* Ben's Gripe: sick of the viewpoint in Crowe movies, which is *always* from some upperclass white guy being mopey.
* 12-year-old Griffin: "Ladies and Jellybeans: New York's Cutest Comic."
* What is the proper pronunciation of 'Louisville?'
* Eating on-mic: ayup, Griffin in the studio with a bagel
* New Ben nickname: White-Hot Benny
* "Someday we'll do our big Gore Verbinski miniseries. Pod Verbincast." "Yeah that's not bad. Podrates of the Castibbean?" "Pretty good, pretty good! We gotta do it, now."
* :Alec Baldwin as host of Match Game: "I cannot recommend it enough... he has just stopped pretending that he's not a miserable mean person."
* the saddest song in the world, to Griffin: "Moon River"

## References

1. ↑ Elizabethtown on Audioboom. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
A Life Less Ordinary

**A Life Less Ordinary** is episode 411 focusing on the 1997 film of the same name as part of Trainspodcasting miniseries on the films of Danny Boyle. Posted February 5, 2023.

## Summary

>
> After the smashing success of TRAINSPOTTING, Danny Boyle reteamed with star Ewan McGregor and writer John Hodge to…make a movie where Dan Hedaya plays the Archangel Gabriel, Stanley Tucci plays a cuck dentist, and Ewan has one of the worst haircuts in the history of cinema? Shockingly, 1997’s A LIFE LESS ORDINARY was not a hit. Actress and comedian Janet Varney (The Legend of Korra, “The JV Club”) joins us as we attempt to make sense of this bizarro road trip romance.
>
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>

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Box office game: Weekend of October 24, 1997

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. A Life Less Ordinary. Audioboom. Retrieved on February 5, 2023.
Austin Powers

**Austin Powers** is a commentary miniseries as part of the Blank Check: Special Features covering the three *Austin Powers* films plus *The Love Guru*.

## Summary

Prepare to get shagadelic on the Patreon feed. Yeah baby!

Austin Powers has appeared in Special Features March Madness twice. In 2020 it lost in the second round to Star Trek and then in 2021 it reached the Elite Eight before losing to The Mummy.

## Ranking The Franchise

At the conclusion of the miniseries, the Blankies rankings will compiled from a voting thread found on the r/Blankies sub-reddit.
Babe

**Babe** is episode 57 of Blank Check: Special Features focusing on the film of the same name. The episode is a supplement to the Mad Pod: Fury Cast episode Babe: Pig in the City. Posted May 1, 2020 and released from behind the paywall on May 1, 2023.

## Summary

>
> BAA RAM EWE!!! George Miller didn't direct *Babe* (an infamous point of contention we dive into) but we couldn't not cover this 1995 classic. Griffin, David, Ang, and Emily Yoshida called each other up on Zoom to revisit James Cromwell's Oscar nominated performance, life and death drama in kids movies, and a certain little pig who goes a long way.
>
>
>
>

### Milestones and Ephemera

* James Cromwell Random Roles interview
* Griffin's family lived on a farm in Ireland for a bit?? WAIT WHAT???
* Box office game: Weekend of August 4, 1995.

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Babe. Patreon. Retrieved on September 10, 2022.
Ali

**Ali** is episode 223 focusing on the movie of the same name, as part of The Cast of the Podhicans miniseries on the films of Michael Mann. Posted June 30, 2019.

## Summary

>
> This week, Jamelle Bouie (The New York Times) joins to discuss 2001’s unorthodox biopic, *Ali*. Together they examine the relationship between Ali and sports broadcaster Howard Cosell, the Peter Newman interview, Will Smith and the rest of the excellent cast's performances and so much more. Plus, Jamelle tries the *Spies in Disguise* challenge!
>
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Box office game: Weekend of December 28, 2001

## References

1. ↑ Ali on Audioboom. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
All That Jazz

**All That Jazz** is episode 385 focusing on the 1979 film of the same name as part of Pod That Jazzcast miniseries on the films of Bob Fosse. Posted July 24 2022.

## Summary

>
> It’s SHOWTIME, folks - and boy, are we jazzed about this episode! Broadway icon and actual Blank Check listener Lin-Manuel Miranda joins us to talk about what many consider to be Bob Fosse’s masterpiece, 1979’s “All That Jazz.” LMM surprises Griffin and David by bringing along an original copy of the film’s script, which offers some fascinating insights into Fosse’s blurring of the lines between memoir and fiction. We discuss the parallels between “All That Jazz” and LMM’s recent screen adaptation of Jonathan Larson’s “tick, tick…BOOM!” - two projects that are concerned with the creation of art in the face of mortality and self-doubt. Plus - Ben gets a very special birthday present.
>
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Lin played Roy Scheider playing Joe Gideon playing Bob Fosse in *Fosse/Verdon* 🤯
* Lin brought a first draft copy of the script which had none of the names changed so Joe Gideon was Bob Fosse, etc. He texted John Kander to tell him and Kander said it's even more complicated than that because Fosse apparently told Fred Ebb that the lyricist character was based on Stephen Schwartz.
* The Gambler on the Muppet Show
* The episode was recorded on Birthday Benny's birthday and Lin did a birthday rap of all his nicknames!
* A wonderful reminder of how great Untitled slow christmas compilation volume 1 and Slow Xmas are. Great all year!
* Features a Scorsese Vinyl story.
* The second Palme d'Or winner to be covered on the pod after The Piano.

#### Box Office

Christmas, 1979

1. Star Trek: The Motion Picture
2. The Jerk
3. Kramer vs. Kramer
4. The Black Hole
5. The Electric Horseman

* Other movies in the top 10: 1941, Apocalypse Now, The Rose, <Sean Connery voice> Cuba </Sean Connery voice>

### Sponsors

* David's quick on the draw, speed is of the essence with Stamps.com.
* The Puzzler shows up with some more non-puzzles about Indeed.
* No Brooklinen-Manuel Miranda this time for Brooklinen!

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. All That Jazz. Audioboom. Retrieved on July 24, 2022.
Elena Lazic

**Elena Lazic** (on Twitter as @elzaic) is a French film critic and writer based in England. She is an Associate Editor at *Seventh Row*, and has written for publications such as *The Guardian*, *SciFi Now*, *Little White Lies*, *Mubi Notebook*, and more. You can find her writing at her own site here .

#TheTwoFriends were lucky enough to have Elena as a guest on The Parent Trap episode of Something's Podda Cast, along with her identical twin sister Mani Lazic. What perfect thematic synergy with the film under discussion!

Elena and Mani sound enough alike that even their own mother has mistaken them for one another on the phone, so don't feel bad if you can't tell them apart on the podcast - just think of it as a bargain where we get to hear twice as many interesting things said by the same voice.
Ant-Man Commentary

**Ant-Man** (also known as **Aunt-Man**) is episode 21 of Blank Check: Special Features and a commentary episode on the 2015 Marvel Cinematic Universe film of the same name. Posted June 21, 2019.

## Summary

>
> Checkmates! This is such a loopy and fun episode! Also, I LOVE ANT-MAN!
> - Producer Ben
> Griffin, David and Ben's conversation on 2015's Ant-Man include such highlights as Deadpool knowing he's melting a computer, Ben's fashion picks for Griffin and David drinks in some hot Rudd. And as always recorded at Big Nice studios in New York City!
>
>
>
>

### Milestones and Ephemera

* **Movie starts at approximately 0:14:44**
* The episode was released from behind the paywall on June 21, 2022.
* That Paul Rudd Vulture quiz: Can you tell which Paul Rudd is older? (We doubt it)
* Revealed David nickname: Karen Han calls him **The Kiss King**.
* If *Green Book* had been about an ant playing drums, David would have given it best picture.
* Box office game: Weekend of July 17, 2015

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Ant-Man Commentary. Patreon. Retrieved on April 27, 2022.
Chris Gethard

**Christopher Paul Gethard** is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is the host of "The Chris Gethard Show," a talk show based in New York City since 2011. He's a hero of Griffin and David's. His trademark emotional frankness and empathy for 'weirdoes' is in ample evidence on his own shows and in his writing, as well as his guest appearances in other projects and on other shows.

## Biography

Blank Check host Griffin Newman and Producer Ben Hosley first met while making the podcast Talkin' TCGS, later TCGS After Party, which was an after-show podcast affiliated with "The Chris Gethard Show." David Sims also gained podcasting experience as a guest host on those podcasts. See The Phantom Podcast page for more of the history with UCB that brought the three of them together to start up the Griffin and David Present podcast.

Chris was a Blank Check guest on the Performance Review 3.0 episode of Revenge Of The Podcast. As a devoted New York Knicks basketball fan, during that episode he made numerous basketball references in discussion with David (somewhat to the dismay of non-sportsfan Griffin) and demonstrated his love for the character of Kit Fisto the Jedi Knight. Chris later returned to the show to discuss As Good As It Gets, but in addition to talking about that movie #TheTwoFriends made sure to check in on Chris' thoughts about the Star Wars Sequels.
Alien: Resurrection Commentary

**Alien: Resurrection** is episode 77 of Blank Check: Special Features as part of the Alien Franchise commentaries. Posted November 21, 2020 and released from behind the paywall on November 21, 2023.

## Summary

>
> More Alien franchise commentary! Griffin, David, Ang and a “sleepy” Ben got together for a late night zoom watch of *Alien: Resurrection*. From Ron Perlman’s mug to Ripley playing basketball we cover it all!
>
>
> **The movie starts at...17:22**
>
>
>
>

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Introduces the Alien drinking game:

1. Someone doesn't listen to Ripley
2. Drippy pipe
3. Close up of alien teeth
4. Someone says "The Company"
5. Someone dies

* Ben gets very sleepy and snuggly with Pig.
* Box-office game: Weekend of November 28, 1997

## References

1. ↑ Alien: Resurrection on Patreon. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
2. ↑ @blankcheckpod on Twitter: "The official Alien franchise drinking rules we ran with. God speed." Retrieved December 20, 2020.
Captain America: Civil War Commentary

**Captain America: Civil War** is episode 22 of Blank Check: Special Features and a commentary episode on the Marvel Cinematic Universe film of the same name. Posted July 1, 2019.

## Summary

>
> Comedian Alejandro Kolleeny stops by Big Nice to discuss 2016's *Captain America: Civil War*. Highlights include: further comedy point origins, villain voicemails, Vision's J. Crew looks, writing a sitcom for Ben and more!
>
>
> Follow Alejandro Kolleeny on Twitter! @lejandroKllny
>
>
>
>

### Milestones and Ephemera

* **Movie starts at 0:12:20.**
* The episode was released from behind the paywall on July 1, 2022.
* Griffin *hates* vests.
* Ben's summary: The one where they go to Bucky's apartment.
* Ale has seen Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice over 30 times and thinks it's "a masterpiece."
* Box office game: Weekend of May 6, 2016.

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Captain America: Civil War. Patreon. Retrieved on August 17, 2022.