recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Qatsi Trilogy

New Special Features art for 2023!

**Qatsi Trilogy** is a commentary miniseries as part of the Blank Check: Special Features covering the *Qatsi* films.

## Summary

This "franchise" appeared in two Special Features March Madness tournaments: 2020 and 2022 -- each in the most esoteric portion of the bracket. In 2020 they lost in round 1 to Krzysztof Kieślowski's Three Colors films. In 2022, the Qatsis won in round 1 against Satyajit Ray's Apu Trilogy, but lost in round 2 to eventual second place finishing franchise Planet of the Apes.

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Ben promised to eat a CBD dog bone during the commentaries. And he delivered on that promise! *Crunch crunch*

## Episodes

 SF161
 SF162

## 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.
Porco Rosso

**Porco Rosso** is episode 235 focusing on the film of the same name as part of the Howl's Moving Podcastle miniseries. Posted September 15, 2019.

## Summary

> Justin Charity (The Ringer) joins Griffin and David to discuss 1992's flying pig, *Porco Rosso*. Together they examine fascism, Space Camp, turning into a pig and more.
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Box office game: Week of May 18, 2018 (re-release)
* Top 10 Highest Grossing Films in Japan
* Lots of Sinatra talk for some reason, including his triple album about flying to Jupiter.
* Alex Ross Perry hates hippies
* Griffin is a big pig guy
* Griffin tells his Space Camp story

## References

1. ↑ Porco Rosso on Audioboom. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
Star Trek

**Star Trek** is a miniseries as part of the Blank Check: Special Features covering the films of the *original* Star Trek movie franchise only. Any subsequent Trek films would be covered in their own miniseries.

## Summary

Strap in for a bunch of episodes where Griffin and David get real nerdy about Trek and Ben instructs the listener to bully themselves in various Classic Bully™️ ways.

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Star Trek (Original Series) was part of the inaugural Special Features March Madness tournament, but was knocked out in round 3 by Alien.
* The friends have stated that if they do any subsequent Star Trek films, that they would be their own series (the TNG era films and the reboot films).
* The Turkish Star Trek episode is not *technically* part of this miniseries, but is sort of a supplemental bonus episode.

## Ranking The Filmography

At the conclusion of the miniseries, the Blankies rankings will compiled from a voting thread found on the r/Blankies sub-reddit.   The two friends didn't give their rankings during the episodes, but David's were pulled from his Letterboxd list.

## References

1. ↑ u/mi-16evil, What's your Star Trek TOS Films Ranking?, reddit. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
2. ↑ u/mi-16evil, Elaine May and Star Trek: TOS Films Aggregated Rankings, reddit. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
3. ↑ David Sims, Star Trek, Letterboxd. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
The Last of the Mohicans

**The Last of the Mohicans** is episode 220 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 9, 2019.

## Summary

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> Dana Stevens (Slate) joins Griffin and David to discuss 1992's new world frontier adaptation, *The Last of the Mohicans*. Together they examine Mann and Daniel Day-Lewis spending a month in the forest of North Carolina learning the skills and tools needed to survive in the eighteenth-century wilderness, the legacy of character "Natty" Bumppo, the films of Buster Keaton and more!
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Box office game: Weekend of September 25, 1992

## References

1. ↑ The Last of the Mohicans on Audioboom. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day

**Terminator 2: Judgement Day** is an episode focusing on the movie of the same name, as part of the Podinator: Judgment Cast miniseries covering the filmography of James Cameron. Posted October 16, 2016.

## Summary

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> Sam Rogal (Magnet Theatre) joins Griffin and David to discuss the 1991 hit sequel *Terminator 2: Judgement Day*. But do the special effects still hold up over twenty years later? What influenced the decision to make Arnold Schwarzenegger a good robot? Did Planet Hollywood ever serve a dish called pasta la vista? Together they examine the performances of Robert Patrick and Linda Hamilton, the comical amount of people shot in the knees, Arnold’s post hits career and lava in the 90’s.
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Box office game: Weekend of July 5, 1991
* In the Spreadmaster's Delight episode, Griffin and David nominated it for Best Sound 1991. David also gave it the award.

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Audioboom. Retrieved on February 26, 2022.
The Keep RPG

**The Keep RPG** is episode 23 of Blank Check: Special Features focusing on the role-playing game based on the film *The Keep* as a supplement to the Cast of the Podhicans miniseries. Posted July 11, 2019.

## Summary

> Live from Big Nice, Blank Check regulars Alex Ross Perry and Emily Yoshida along with Associate Producer Angela Ferraguto join Griffin, David and Producer Ben to play The Keep role playing game. So, grab your twelve sided die, hit play and prepare to listen along as they battle the evil Molasar! Highlights include talkin' Glaeken, a special dog arm, Griffin's Joseph Gordon-Levitt impression and more!
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David Sims assumes the role of game master of this Dungeons and Dragons-style role-playing game.

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Reseased from behind the paywall July 11, 2022.
Thor

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

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.

**Thor** may refer to:

* Thor Commentary, episode 7 of Blank Check: Special Features.
* Thor: The Dark World Commentary, episode 17 of Blank Check: Special Features.
* Thor: Ragnarok Commentary, episode 30 of Blank Check: Special Features.
* Dropping a Thor, aka a poop.
T2 Trainspotting

**T2 Trainspotting** is episode 422 focusing on the 2017 film of the same name as part of Trainspodcasting miniseries on the films of Danny Boyle. Posted April 23, 2023.

## Summary

> First they were addicted to heroin, now they’re addicted to \*nostalgia\* (but also still heroin)! Danny Boyle returns to the squalid Scottish world of Renton, Sick Boy, Spud, and Begbie for T2: Trainspotting, and Scott Aukerman and Sprague (aka the Artist Formerly Known as Shaun Diston) join us to talk about this under-seen legacy sequel. How did Danny Boyle and Ewan McGregor’s real-life feud influence this film? Is Spud’s arc in this basically just Bubbles’ arc in season 5 of The Wire? Which is the better “much-later sequel starring Ewan McGregor in an iconic role” - this, or the Obi Wan Kenobi series on Disney+?
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* If you're a fan of CBB and bits, this is a good ep for you! If you're not, it might be... challenging.
* Box office game: Weekend of March 17, 2017

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. T2 Trainspotting. Audioboom. Retrieved on April 23, 2023.
Wonder Woman

**Wonder Woman** is episode 111 focusing on the movie of the same name, posted 4 Jun 2017. Part of The PodDCEU Cast, the podcast's continuing coverage of the superhero films of the DC Extended Universe.

## Summary

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> On the week of it’s release in May of 2017, Griffin and David discussed the newest release in DC Extended Universe: Wonder Woman. Recorded at the Sims’ residence in Brooklyn, NY.
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A good DCEU movie!

Griffin and David got into the critics' screening and were so enthused that they went straight to David's house afterward and recorded the freshest episode of Blank Check ever. The tradeoff: no Producer Ben. But at least they did the nicknames.

Patty Jenkins, director of *Wonder Woman*, is the second woman to get a $100 million budget. Ever. Isn't that nuts? (Of course, look ahead to an upcoming Blank Check miniseries for the first one.)

Please, consider the coconut - does this movie take inspiration for its plot from *Moana*? The first two DCEU movies landed with huge thuds - was this third entry the beneficiary of below-sea-level expectations by comparison? Griffin highlights a particular moment when Diana first encounters a new kind of food - is the difference-maker the fact that she and almost all the good-guy characters are exuding joy and laughing with each other, instead of brooding and twisted and weighed-down? Chris Pine is flipping the sidekick/romantic interest tropes on their heads - does the rest of the movie take advantage and subvert the gender stereotypes all the way through?

Gal Gadot is incandescent. Robin Wright is terrific. Chris Pine is attaining Kurt Russell powers of stardom and ability. The costumes and wardrobes rule. Dr. Poison is... something that is in this movie. #TheTwoFriends cover all that and more.

### Milestones and Ephemera

* The modern movie-watching equivalent of the Saltine Challenge: *Mortdecai*
* Consider the coconut!
* megastar Chris rankings: Pine, Hemsworth, Evans, Pratt
* "Oh, it's just *wonderful!* You should be very proud."
* Wanted: A Danny Huston movie where he plays, like, the comic relief or the awkward romantic lead
* Griffin placed this film as his 10th best for the year at The Third Annual Blank Check Awards. Gal Gadot also received a Mr. Positive Benny Award for being the brightest light.
War of the Worlds

**War of the Worlds** is episode 102 focusing on the movie of the same name, as part of the Pod Me If You Cast miniseries covering the filmography of Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks era.

## Summary

> J.D. Amato (My Brother, My Brother and Me) makes his third appearance on Blank Check, this week discussing 2005’s sci-fi doomsday *The War of the Worlds*. Why would this film mark the conclusion of the Cruise and Spielberg partnership? How much of tangent does Griffin go off on while discussing McG? Are we to be convinced Tom Cruise is a blue collar guy? Together, Griffin, David and J.D. delve into Dakota Fannings’ preciousness, the movie Mystery Men, the history of the actress who jumped onto the villain and with their legs snaps his neck and more. Plus, J.D. reaches out from the future and Producer Ben records ADR.
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## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. War of the Worlds. Audioboom. Retrieved on August 14, 2020.
The Prestige

**The Prestige** is episode 118 focusing on the movie of the same name, as part of the The Pod Knight Casts miniseries covering the filmography of Christopher Nolan.

## Summary

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> Host of Filmspotting: SVU podcast, Alison Willmore (BuzzFeed), joins Griffin and David to discuss one of the three magician films of 2006, The Prestige. But is this movie a sequel to Twins? How does it fit into the Nolan canon? Piper Perabo tho? Together they examine Hugh Jackman’s ham, ScarJo’s career trajectory, Theseus's paradox and throwing playing cards into melons.
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Box-Office Game: Weekend of October 20, 2006
The Truth About Charlie

**The Truth About Charlie** is episode 256 focusing on the film of the same name directed by Jonathan Demme as part of the Stop Making Podcasts miniseries. Posted February 9, 2020.

## Summary

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> Director and filmmaker David Lowery joins the two friends to talk about a weird remake of an Audrey Hepburn movie, except bad, starring Mark Wahlberg in his self-described worst role. There are insane hat choices and a very long ballroom scene. What was the last video game that Lowery played? Why is Tom Cruise wearing Ugg boot? How does Ted Levine die?  And what film did Lowery review and later realize he hadn't actually seen? THIS MOVIE HONKS!
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## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. The Truth About Charlie. Audioboom. Retrieved on February 21, 2022.
Zach Cherry

**Zach Cherry** is an actor and comedian. He currently stars on the Apple TV series *Severance*. He is Peter Newman's favorite living actor based not on *Severance* but rather on his performance in *Asssscat* at UCB. His long overdue appearance on the podcast comes a long 4 years after admitting to Griffin that he was a Blankie.

Zach has appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming which was covered by the podcast in the MCU series. In this, he joins the other guests to have appeared in, or worked on, a film covered by the podcast.
The Woman King

* The Woman King
* OG Pod & Basketcast

**The Woman King** is episode 394 focusing on the 2022 film of the same name and the first revisit of the Pod & Basketcast miniseries. Posted September 25, 2022.

## Summary

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> It certainly feels great to cover a good movie again! Our mini-run of new releases ends with Gina Prince-Bythewood’s crowd-pleaser - the African female warrior epic “The Woman King”. We’ve got David’s exclusive report on the film’s world premiere at TIFF (humblebrag), a deep dive on the career of Viola Davis (did you know her early industry champions were Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney?), and some thoughts on how this film taps into Prince-Bythewood’s ongoing exploration of chosen families and personal identity.
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Recorded at the new Blank Check studios!
* Matt Patches' Gina Prince-Bythewood interview.
* The referenced *New Yorker* piece: Sisterhood and Slavery in "The Woman King"
* Will we finally hear David’s TIFF Airbnb story?! No! We have to wait until a future ep!
* The Box Office game: Weekend of September 16, 2022.
	+ Sort of the same box office game as Confess, Fletch, but that game focuses on entries 16-20.
* Thuso Mbedu was nominated by Griffin for Best Supporting Actress at The Eighth Annual Blank Check Awards.

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. The Woman King. Audioboom. Retrieved on September 25, 2022.
2. ↑ Matt Patches. The Woman King director Gina Prince-Bythewood on true stories, brutal fights, and what matters when making a historical epic. Polygon. Retrieved on September 26, 2022.
3. ↑ Julian Lucas. Sisterhood and Slavery in "The Woman King". The New Yorker. Retrieved on September 26, 2022.
Rebecca Bulnes

**Rebecca Bulnes** is the host of the podcast Classroom Crush, a podcast where guests recount tales of their childhood crushes. It has featured both of the two friends and Ben Hosley as Guests.

She was a Guest on the Beetlejuice episode of Podward Scissorcast. She is known for her bubbly and horny personality and she brings it onto the podcast describing her powerful attraction to the titular ghost played by Michael Keaton. She also describes how the film inspired a goth period within her due to the character of Lydia Deetz. She owned a snake, adopted some teen angst, and said she wanted to get married in a red dress thanks to Lydia's bridal outfit.
The Portrait of a Lady

**The Portrait of a Lady** is episode 361 focusing on the 1996 film of the same name as part of The Podcastiano miniseries on the films of Jane Campion. Posted February 6, 2022.

## Summary

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> This lady might not be “on fire” but she IS wearing a 19 inch corset! Social media maven Marie Bardi joins the boys to dissect Campion’s tepidly received follow-up to “The Piano” - the emotionally claustrophobic 1996 Henry James adaptation “The Portrait of a Lady”. If “The Piano” gave Jane her Blank Check, this film is a big swing and (in our opinion) a slight miss. Topics discussed include: John Malkovich’s clothing line for the modern dandy; the unfortunate plastic surgery-shaming of actress Barbara Hershey; Viggo Mortsenson’s performance in “Green Book” (one of our favorite topics);  and, of course, the queen of AMC Theaters herself - Nicole Kidman.
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* David did **not** recuse himself, despite *The Portrait of a Lady* being originally serialized by his employer *The Atlantic*.
* David's 5 from Kidman's Oscar year:
	+ **Diane Lane, *Unfaithful***
	+ Julianne Moore, *Far From Heaven*
	+ Samantha Morton, *Morvern Callar*
	+ Emily Mortimer, *Lovely and Amazing*
	+ Natascha McElhone, *Solaris*
* Ben loves moats? Duh.
* A *very* clever letterboxd review from Griff
* Box-Office Game: Weekend of January 17, 1997
	+ Limited release weekend (December 27, 1996) is the same BOG as Michael.

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. The Portrait of a Lady. Audioboom. Retrieved on February 6, 2022.
The Podcastic Two

**The Podcastic Two** is episode 23 and a standalone episode covering the four Marvel Fantastic Four films. Posted 14 Sep 2015.

## Summary

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> In 1992, the original *Fantastic Four* movie was produced by Constantin Films solely to retain the rights of the franchise. Shot in 22 days, the low budget film was never to be officially released (unbeknownst to the crew and the mostly Canadian cast.)
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> Fast forward to early aughts and superhero films are all the rage. 20th Century Fox having acquired the licensing, and after years of numerous scripts being thrown around, finally began production on the second *Fantastic Four* movie in 2004. Though considered a failure among critics and fans, box office sales proved enough for 2007’s sequel, *Rise of the Silver Surfer*. Again, it was not good.
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> But then in 2015 a reboot directed by Josh Trank was released among rumors of fighting and re-shoots, and guys, guess what? IT’S ALSO BAD!
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> In this week’s special episode, join co-hosts Griffin and David as they discuss and rank all four films and why this may be the end for Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards), Invisible Woman (Susan Storm), The Human Torch (Johnny Storm) and The Thing (Ben Grimm).
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> Music courtesy of John Ottman “Main Titles” & The Fantastic Four “The Whole World Is A Stage”
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This episode was thought of at the time as a sort of sequel to Judging The Judge, being their second non-Star Wars episode, and another dry run on what the podcast might eventually become once it runs out of Star Wars movies.

### Milestones and Ephemera

* On Avatarland/The Second Blank Check Mailbag, David lists this as his pick for the worst episode they've ever done, reasoning that it was too much explaining, tried covering too many films in one episode, too much yelling about comic book shit, and was just "not our thing." Griffin agreed it was their "sophomore slump."
* Aloha episode: 2016
* The Podcastic Two Part Two: 2025?

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. The Podcastic Two. Audioboom. Retrieved on August 30, 2022.
Toy Story Toons

**Toy Story Toons** is episode 61 of the Blank Check: Special Features, and a commentary episode as part of their coverage of Toy Story franchise. Posted June 11, 2020 and released from behind the paywall on June 11, 2023.

## Summary

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> This bonus BC:SF takes a deep dive into the extended Toy Story franchise. Griffin, David and Ben discuss the 2 television specials (the Halloween-themed *Toy Story of Terror!* and the Christmas-themed *Toy Story That Time Forgot)*, as well as, selected short films (*Hawaiian Vacation*, *Small Fry*, and *Partysaurus Rex*) and of course *Forky Asks a Question*. Plus, David ranks his top 10 toys...AS TOYS!
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## Ranking the Toys

In this episode, David gave his ranking of the Toy Story toys *as toys*, not as characters.

1. Buzz Lightyear
2. RC car
3. Duke Caboom
4. Jessie
5. Mr. Potato Head
6. Woody
7. Barbie
8. Rex
9. Bullseye
10. Zurg

* Outside the top 10: Slinky dog, Legs, Ham, Etch-a-sketch.
* Reason's Woody's not lame: Hat, cowboy, mix of hard and soft.

## References

1. ↑ Toy Story Toons on Patreon. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
Stop Making Podcasts

**Stop Making Podcasts** is a miniseries focusing on the Films of Jonathan Demme. The miniseries began in November 2019.

## Summary

The subject of this miniseries was picked by the Blankies during March Madness 2019. This series is tied with Podcast Away for the podcast record for the most number of films covered with 20 films over 16 main feed episodes and 1 Patreon episode.

The miniseries is preceded by the Howl's Moving Podcastle miniseries on the films of Hayao Miyazaki. It is followed by the Mad Pod: Fury Cast miniseries on the films of George Miller.

### Milestones and Ephemera

* The miniseries is the result of March Madness 2019, where Demme won against George Miller — the subject of the subsequent miniseries.
* Producer Ben nickname: **Stop Making Benz**.

## Episodes

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

## Ranking Their Filmography

* At the conclusion of the miniseries, the Blankies rankings were compiled from a voting thread found on the r/Blankies sub-reddit. where the results were later posted.
The Quick and the Dead

**The Quick and the Dead** is episode 372 focusing on the 1995 film of the same name as part of Podcast Me to Hell miniseries on the films of Sam Raimi. Posted April 24, 2022.

## Summary

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> Considered a bit of a “blank check” for actress Sharon Stone (she used her clout to bring Sam Raimi, Russell Crowe, and a babyfaced Leonardo DiCaprio to the project), “The Quick and The Dead” may have been too quirky for mainstream audiences and too earnest for the post-Tarantino generation of cinephiles back in 1995. But boy, does it slap in 2022! Roman Mars - The golden-voiced host of “99% Invisible” - joins us as David offers his definitive Russell Crowe performance ranking, and as we finally get an excuse to go long on the screen persona of Gene Hackman.
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Box-office game: Weekend of February 10, 1995

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. The Quick and the Dead. Audioboom. Retrieved on April 24, 2022.
Untitled slow christmas compilation volume 1

**untitled slow christmas compilation volume 1** is a holiday vaporwave album released by Ben Hosley on December 13, 2020.

## Background

Producer Ben first teased the album on the Polar Express episode. In the subsequent episode, Hosley confirmed the album was forthcoming and the title was "untitled slow christmas album".

The album features tracks by Hosley, Alex Barron, Chris Wade, Brian Russo, Rachel Jacobs, John Ambrosio, and Harry Nelson.

The album was released on December 13, 2020 on bandcamp.

A follow-up album, Slow Xmas, was released in 2021.

## References

1. ↑ untitled slow christmas compilation album volume 1 on Bandcamp. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
Total Recall

**Total Recall** is episode 144 focusing on the 1990 movie of the same name, as part of the Podship Casters miniseries covering the Hollywood years of Paul Verhoeven. Posted January 21 2018.

## Summary

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> Joining Griffin and David this week is Andrew Jupin and Stephen Sajdak, 2 of the 4 co-hosts of the We Hate Movies podcast. Together they discuss 1990’s *twisted* sci-fi thriller, *Total Recall*. But how much creative control did Arnold have over this film? What is Michael Ironside actual first name? Are all the Johnny cabs designed so that if a passenger skips on the fare the robot driver’s head explodes? Their conversation includes peak practical effects, Robert Costanzo playing himself in the film and if the story that unfolds is in fact all just a dream.
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#TheTwoFriends welcome to the studio Andrew Jupin and Stephen Sajdak, half of the foursome behind the podcast We Hate Movies. They normally cover just bad movies, though - I mean, it's right there in the title. What will happen when they confront a movie that they like?

Boy oh boy, the development of the original version of *Total Recall* is a long story with many different producers and directors and actors attached or discarded. After the group enumerates all the twists and turns, it's on to Verhoeven and Arnold. Is this the most sincere - or least satirical - Verhoeven has ever been, and yet is this a logical extension of the satire in RoboCop? With a blank check budget and sort of a critic-proof story, which CGI/makeup/effects hold up today... and why is it actually good for the movie that the infamous three-boobed lady is not one of them?

And of course, Ben's favorite Kuato: let's talk about him. Is this the best puppet acting performance short of Frank Oz?

Along the way is talk of McG's saga with Superman, strategies for method actors to beat cancer, tourists taking pictures with iPads, and something about Lloyd Teams that sails far over the heads of everyone not deep into the NYC improv scene. But if you're in that niche, thrill at the shoutout!

This episode was sponsored by Casper Mattresses. At first they say, we need to find a way to make these ad-reads work for millenials, and not use old out of date references. Ding dong! A wild Snorlax Pokémon barges in! Griffin needs a way to put it to sleep - David proposes using a Casper Mattress and explains why... and it works, the Snorlax is asleep! casper.com/check, promo code CHECK at checkout for a listener discount.

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Fancy Mars: not pictured.
* The Man on the Mac: David Sims
* Person most responsible for choosing Paul Verhoeven as a miniseries subject at this particular moment in our society's history: Griffin
* Box office game: Weekend of June 1, 1990

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Total Recall. audioboom. Retrieved on May 21, 2022.
The Spy Who Loved Me Commentary

**The Spy Who Loved Me** is episode 148 of Blank Check: Special Features and a commentary for the 1977 feature film of the same name. Posted September 11, 2022.

## Summary

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> Yes, it's Moore Bond! BC:SF's commentary series continues with 1977's The Spy Who Loved Me! Topics include: 70's wood grain, British luxury cars, Dive restaurant, swimming, Zach Cherry, and more!
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### Milestones and Ephemera

* Lots of martini talk.
* Some indoor fountain talk. Should Ben get a fountain? Should the future home of Blank Check Studios get a fountain?
* Did the Broccoli family invent broccoli? Probably not. According to Broccoli family lore, Cubby Broccoli was descended from the "Broccolis of Carerra" who brought were the first to cross-breed rabe and cauliflower.  It is possible that they brought a particular cultivar of broccoli to the US from Italy or that they were successful in propagating broccoli in the United States -- a feat attributed to numerous Italian immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries.  The plant itself has existed for about 2000 years so it is unlikely they "invented" it.
* Jaws

#### Box office

August 3, 1977

1. Star Wars
2. Orca
3. The Deep
4. New York, New York
5. The Other Side of Midnight

* Other movies in the top 10: The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Rescuers, A Bridge to Far, The Spy Who Loved Me, The Last Remake of Beau Geste

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. The Spy Who Loved Me. Patreon. Retrieved on September 12, 2022.
2. ↑ John Culhane. ‘Broccoli . . . Cubby Broccoli’ : How a Long Island vegetable farmer became the man who produced all of the real James Bond movies. LA Times. Archived from the original on 2022-01-09. Retrieved on September 13, 2022. “According to research done in Florence by Broccoli’s wife of 30 years, Dana, the brothers were descended from the Broccolis of Carrera, who first crossed two Italian vegetables, cauliflower and rabe, to produce the dark green, thick-stalked vegetable that took their name and eventually supported them in the United States.”
3. ↑ Stansell, Zachary; Thomas Björkman (2020-10-01). From landrace to modern hybrid broccoli: the genomic and morphological domestication syndrome within a diverse B. oleracea collection. *Horticultural Research 7: 159*. Retrieved on September 13, 2022.
The Rise of Skywalker

*For the Patreon episode, see The Rise of Skywalker Commentary*
*This article is a stub. You can help Blank Check with Griffin and David Wiki by expanding it.*

### Reddit thread

Link

**The Rise of Skywalker** (also known as **The Rise of Podcaster**) is episode 250 focusing on the film *Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker*, posted December 22, 2019. It is part of the podcast's continuing coverage of the Star Wars Sequels.

## Summary

> On the week of its release in December of 2019, Griffin, David, and special guest Ang Ferraguto discussed *Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker*.
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The Podbreak Cast

**The Podbreak Cast** is a miniseries covering the films of Elaine May beginning in April 2021.

## Summary

April IS May!

Elaine May was featured in several March Madness tournaments. In 2018 she was was 30th seed, winning round 1 against Wes Anderson and losing in round 2 to Michael Mann. In 2020 she was in the Razzies bracket, winning in round 1 against Blake Edwards but losing in round 2 to Barry Sonnenfeld.

The series is preceded by The Poddle Mercast on the films of Musker & Clements, and followed by Podz n the Cast on the films of John Singleton.

### Milestones and Ephemera

* The miniseries art contains more text than any other, including the names of 29 different pairs (real and fiction). It says:

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> Romeo and Juliet, Ben and Jerry, Mama and Mia,
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> Kobe and Shaq, Mario and Luigi, Bill and Ted,
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> Piggy and Kermit, Bonnie and Clyde, Wayne and
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> Garth, Beavis and Butt-head, Shrek and Donkey,
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> Popeye and Olive Oyl, John and Yoko, Barack and
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> Michelle, Romy and Michelle, Kenan and Kel,
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> Butch and Sundance, Laverne and Shirley, Doc and
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> Marty, Mikey and Nicky, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan,
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> Woody and Buzz, Sam and Diane, Bugs and Daffy,
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> Lois and Clark, Lewis and Clark, Madison and Park,
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> Hollywood and Vine, Smits and Bits,
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> ...and now Griffin & David...
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> who are two friends...
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> who host a podcast.
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>

* Ben nickname for the series: **The Hozbreak Kid**. The name had been workshopped as a potential nickname but was only given the final seal of approval during the Old Dogs live show.

## Ranking Her Filmography

At the conclusion of the miniseries, the Blankies rankings will compiled from a voting thread found on the r/Blankies sub-reddit.   They gave their rankings at the end of the Ishtar episode, and they remarked that the ranking was difficult for each of them and none of the films should feel bad for being last!

 **2** | The Heartbreak Kid
 **3** | A New Leaf
 **4** | Mikey and Nicky

## References

1. ↑ u/mi-15evil, What is your Elaine May ranking?, reddit. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
2. ↑ u/mi-16evil, Elaine May and Star Trek: TOS Films Aggregated Rankings, reddit. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
The Return of Jafar + Aladdin and the King of Thieves

**The Return of Jafar + Aladdin and the King of Thieves** is episode 89 of Blank Check: Special Features covering the straight to DVD sequels to Aladdin as part of The Poddle Mercast miniseries on the films of Musker & Clements. Posted March 11, 2021.

## Summary

>
> Dearest Checkmates,
>
>
> We regret to inform you we have returned to Jafar. For this, we apologize. And for a certain "King of Thieves."
>
>
> Humbly, Griffin, David, and Ben did their best to avoid him, but alas, among topics such as Disney's catalog of feature-length home entertainment releases, toilet phones, the recent Investor Day 2020, a first listen of Olivia Rodrigo's Drivers License...it is Jafar.
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
> *BC:SF*
>
>
>
>

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Ben dropped his phone in the toilet, because of Jafar. This scoop was referenced in the temporal pincer movement in an earlier Poddle Mercast episode.
* Turok ≠ Toruk
* We Regret To Inform You That It Is Jafar

## References

1. ↑ The Return of Jafar + Aladdin and the King of Thieves on Patreon. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
The Podcastiano

**The Podcastiano** is a miniseries covering the films of Jane Campion beginning in January 2022.

## Summary

The two friends are going Camping! Perhaps the most cursèd series art to date, wherein Griffin has the most possible Little Stinker energy. The series promises to be the most peen heavy of any director they've covered!

Campion appeared in March Madness 2021 as the number 4 seed in David's bracket. She beat The Archers in the first round and Karyn Kusama in the second but was knocked out by Wong Kar-Wai in the third.

The series was preceded by They Podcast on the films of John Carpenter. It is followed by Podcast Me to Hell on the films of Sam Raimi.

### Milestones and Ephemera

* The name of the miniseries is best pronounced in a bad Italian accent. It definitely works better in print than out loud.
* The miniseries schedule was announced in December 2021.
* Campeen count: 🍆 🍆 🍆🍆 🍆
* Ben Nickname: **Bronco Hosley**.
* Inspired by the mini, blankie Josh Abraham drew a of cartoons of all the Campion movies that are INCREDIBLE.

## Ranking Her Filmography

At the conclusion of the miniseries, the Blankies rankings will compiled from a voting thread found on the r/Blankies sub-reddit.  Given the amount of peen in Campion's filmography, they planned on rating all the penises (but didn't).

## References

1. ↑ @blankcheckpod, In 2022, we're going CAMPING, Twitter. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
2. ↑ u/heretodraw. I drew cartoons of all of Jane Campion's films. reddit. Retrieved on March 8, 2022.
3. ↑ An argument can be made that this is an artistic blank check that she made early knowing she wouldn't be able to do it later.
4. ↑ u/mi-16evil. What's your Jane Campion ranking?. Reddit. Retrieved on June 13, 2022.
5. ↑ u/dm\_your\_thesis, In celebration of her win, the Jane Campion aggregated rankings, reddit. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
Two Friends

**Two Friends** (not to be confused with #thetwofriends) is episode 357 focusing on the 1986 film of the same name and the first episode of The Podcastiano miniseries on the films of Jane Campion. Posted January 9, 2022.

## Summary

>
> We’re kicking off our Jane Campion miniseries with her feature-length debut, auspiciously titled “Two Friends” - perhaps she has a competitive advantage? The backwards-structured script (the OG temporal pincer movement) leads the crew to reflect on their own adolescence…did you know David was already six feet tall at the age of twelve? And Ben was rocking size twelve shoes in middle school? Griffin may get a singular chest hair in 2022? Come for our Campion-filmography table setting, stay for a surprising amount of Simpsons discussion.
>
>
>
>

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Call Griffin Mr. Homework, because he... did his homework (aka watched her short films *Peel*, *Passionless Moments*, and *A Girl's Own Story*).
* The 1986 Palme d'Or Game?
* Box-office game for New York scereening April 24, 1996: Weekend of April 26-28, 1996.

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Two Friends. Audioboom. Retrieved on January 9, 2022.
The Terminator

*For the Patreon episode, see The Terminator Commentary*
*This article is a stub. You can help Blank Check with Griffin and David Wiki by expanding it.*

## The Terminator

### Running time

1:58

**The Terminator** is episode 76 focusing on the movie of the same name, as part of the Podinator: Judgment Cast miniseries covering the filmography of James Cameron. Posted September 25, 2016.

## Summary

Rachel Sanders (Buzzfeed) joins Griffin and David to discuss James Cameron’s 1984 game changing action sci-fi, The Terminator. But why did this movie become a model for major studios for the next 30+ years? How has the special effects aged? What happened to Pugsley the iguana and did he continue to work in Hollywood? Together they examine the outstanding performances of Hamilton, Schwarzenegger and Biehn, the weird sex scene, Cameron’s many marriages and O.J. Simpson rumored as a potential Terminator.

### Milestones and Ephemera

* In the Spreadmaster's Delight episode, Griffin nominated it for Best Makeup 1984.
Toy Story 2 Commentary

**Toy Story 2** is episode 59 of the Blank Check: Special Features, and a commentary episode as part of their coverage of Toy Story franchise. Posted May 21, 2020 and released from behind the paywall on May 21, 2023.

## Summary

>
> Well, Checkmates that day has finally come. Griffin’s top favorite film of all time: *Toy Story 2*. David, Ben and Ang did their best to rein him in remotely, but there is only so much they could really do. So please enjoy this commentary episode packed with facts, insight and passion from an obsessed toy boy.
>
>
>
>

### Milestones and Ephemera

* In the Spreadmaster's Delight episode, Griffin nominated it for Best Adapted Screenplay 1999.

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Toy Story 2. Patreon. Retrieved on January 3, 2023.
Ride with the Devil

**Ride with the Devil** is episode 176 focusing on the film of the same name as part of the Podback Mountcast miniseries. Posted July 8, 2018.

## Summary

>
> Peter Labuza (The Cinephiliacs podcast, Village Voice) joins Griffin and David to discuss the 1999 Civil War epic, *Ride with the Devil*. But is Jim Caviezel a weirdo? Does Tobey get his nub back? What is a skuzzin? Together they examine the careers of Tobey Maguire, Jeffrey Wright and Jewel, the film theory of James Schamus and dumb people trying to one up each other.
>
>
>
>

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Box office game: Weekend of November 26, 1999
* In the Spreadmaster's Delight episode, David nominated it for Best Adapted Screenplay 1999.

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Ride with the Devil. Audioboom. Retrieved on May 12, 2022.
The Podcast Reawakens

**The Podcast Reawakens** is episode 39 and second episode focusing on *Star Wars: The Force Awakens*, as part of the podcast's continuing coverage of the Star Wars Sequels. Posted January 11, 2016.

## Summary

> Emily Yoshida (The Verge, A/V Club) joins Griffin and David to revisit *Episode VII: The Force Awakens*. Together, they discuss Emily’s childhood Star Wars fan fiction, an origin story based around a shared love of Beetlejuice, address the Mary Sue controversy and officially announce the podcast renaming! Also, Griffin’s merchandise corner looks at a newly issued Monopoly and presenting Producer Ben’s Sno-corner.
>
>

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Griffin claims the next miniseries will be called "P. Cast Shyamalan." It isn't.
War Horse

**War Horse** is episode 106 focusing on the movie of the same name, as part of the Pod Me If You Cast miniseries covering the filmography of Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks era.

## Summary

>
> Pilot Viruet (Vice) returns to Blank Check to talk about the WWI horse romance film, *War Horse*. But what is basically the main motivation for every character in this film? Is there a backstory behind naming the horse Joey? Will the word ‘horse’ be said thousands of times? Together, they examine the original stage production of War Horse, Jeremy Irvine’s audition process and apple face, Niels Arestrup career trajectory in 2011 including playing the part of ‘Jam Man’ and the Untitled Horse Mystery Project."
>
>
>
>

### Milestones and Ephemera

* The Box Office Mojo - Category: Horse Game:

1. Seabiscuit
2. War Horse
3. The Horse Whisperer
4. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron
5. Hidalgo
6. The Electric Horseman
7. Secretariat
8. Racing Stripes
9. Black Stallion
10. Dreamer (inspired by a true story)

* Not in the top 10: Flicka (11), All the Pretty Horses, Black Beauty (19)

* Variations of the word horse are said 570 times.

## References

1. ↑ War Horse on Audioboom.
2. ↑ This film is on this list but I am speculating on the placement because it is the only one where David did not explicitly say the ranking. xoxo, antlers
The Podcast Awakens

**The Podcast Awakens** (also known as **Griffin and David Present: The Podcast Awakens**) is episode 37 focusing on *Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens*, as part of the podcast's continuing coverage of the Star Wars Sequels. Posted 20 Dec 2015.

### Summary

> One day after the release opening of *Episode VII: The Force Awakens* (SPOILER ALERT!), Griffin and David discussed their impressions on the first installment of the newly revamped franchise. Together, they examine the film’s similar story structure to *A New Hope*, who would take new characters Resistance pilot Poe Dameron and protagonist Rey out on a classy dinner date, Kylo Ren being an evil nerd and why director J.J. Abrams accomplished where George Lucas had failed with the prequels: making an actual Star Wars movie.
>
>

At the end of their "Year of Star Wars," Griffin and David put the cherry on top and went to see the brand new *Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens*. Ben did not go see the movie yet... so after the intro he left the room until the end of the show. Uncharted territory!

All the tightly bottled tension has gone out of the room now that this anxiously anticipated new movie has finally come out. Even Griffin's tangents are accepted with delight.

This movie is like a good covers album, which is a known talent of J.J. Abrams'. He has his strengths and weaknesses; but which one is his direction of action scenes? Who gives the most valuable and least valuable acting performances, or should this be judged as an ensemble? Will #TheTwoFriends find a Christmas present to Ben? Tune in as they speculate on Rey's family history, make analogies to The Magicians books, share their Hot Take on the final shot, and there's even a merchandise spotlight already!

And, as always, Harrison Ford is a fuckin' babe.

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Crazy new saxophonist that's gonna take over the world: Daisy Ridley
* Benedict Cumberbatch's character in Star Trek Into Darkness: Whiteman Nobody
* Will Colin Trevorrow get to direct *Star Wars Episode IX* as planned? Griffin: "Look, anything could happen."
* One hour and 56 minutes, a new high for a studio-recorded episode at the time. Were we really ever so young?
True Lies

**True Lies** is episode 81 focusing on the movie of the same name, as part of the Podinator: Judgment Cast miniseries covering the filmography of James Cameron.

## Summary

Griffin and David this week discuss 1994’s action comedy remake, True Lies. But how does this film relate to Cameron’s marriages? Was the character Spencer Trilby, played by Charlton Heston, an intentional Nick Fury rip off? Just how gross is the interrogation scene? Join #thetwofriends examine Jamie Lee Curtis’ career, the BAFTA awards, the Flintstones movie and balloon metaphors. Plus, the return of Yarnel!
Watch With Us

**Watch With Us** is episode 11 and the bonus supplement to the The Phantom Podcast miniseries. Posted 1 Jun 2015.

## Summary

Wherein Griffin and David give running commentary alongside the entirety of *Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace*.

Griffin and David, in a bonus episode for all you "Griffin and David Present" diehards, 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?

### Milestones and Ephemera

At the time of this recording, clocking in at just over 2 hours 27 minutes, this episode was the longest single episode of the podcast. It retained this title for more than two and a half years, only finally relinquishing the title to The Last Jedi episode.

* Griffin on pre-adolescent Tron-adjacent sexual behavior: "Girls were fingering boys."
* Gungan: Fat
* Exciting Fun Fact from the hosts: this episode was recorded from David's couch, which he later threw away.
The Ward

**The Ward** is episode 353 focusing on the 2010 film of the same name and part of the They Podcast miniseries on the films of John Carpenter. Posted December 5, 2021.

## Summary

>
> We’ve spent four months in the Mouth of Madness with the Horror Master, and we’ve reached the end point of Carpenter’s directorial career...for now. A man who has \*actually collaborated with John Carpenter\* - Drew McWeeny (writer of Carpenter’s installments in the Masters of Horror series) - joins us to recontextualize our journey through Carpenter’s filmography with some exclusive behind-the-scenes tidbits. The Two Friends also discuss the strange career trajectory of Amber Heard (starting with the festival-smash-that-doesn’t-exist ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE), present their final Carpenter rankings, and reveal which Auteur they’ll cover on the podcast next. Plus - Ben learns the fun British term “video nasty” from David who grew up in England?
>
>
>
>

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Drew is the second guest to be an extra in a film the podcast has covered! He was an extra in Clifford! The other extra is of course Marie Bardi in Wide Awake.

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. The Ward with Drew McWeeny. Audioboom. Retrieved on December 5, 2021.
Yesterday

**Yesterday** is episode 423 focusing on the 2019 film of the same name as part of Trainspodcasting miniseries on the films of Danny Boyle. Posted April 30, 2023.

## Summary

> Our Danny Boyle series comes to an end with a mind-bending movie that dares to ask the question, “What if The Beatles didn’t exist?” Severance’s Zach Cherry makes his long-overdue first appearance on the pod to profess his love Boyle’s most recent film, while David nearly has a stroke from trying to wrap his brain around all its logic loops. We’re asking all the big questions - if the Beatles never existed, would Charles Manson? If cigarettes never existed, how would that change the colonization of the New World? If John Lennon is alive in this universe, does this mean that Paul is actually dead? When does Ana de Armas show up?
>
>
>

### Milestones and Ephemera

* Box office game: Weekend of June 28, 2019
* Deadline's Hollywood accounting story: ‘Yesterday’ Net Profit Statement Shows It’s The Same Old Song On Hollywood Accounting
* Daniel Pemberton's unused Universal fanfare

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Yesterday. Audioboom. Retrieved on April 30, 2023.
2. ↑ Anthony D'Alessandro (May 5, 2020). ‘Yesterday’ Net Profit Statement Shows It’s The Same Old Song On Hollywood Accounting. Deadline. Retrieved on May 1, 2023.
Toruk: The First Flight

**Toruk: The First Flight** is episode 86 focusing on the Cirque du Soleil show of the same name - "inspired" by the film Avatar, as part of the Podinator: Judgment Cast miniseries covering the filmography of James Cameron. This is also the first episode where the Reddit fan site, r/blankies, is mentioned at the end of the podcast.

## Summary

>
> On September 11th, Blank Check & friends attended the Cirque du Soleil/Avatar crossover Toruk: First Flight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. But is this show more than just rope dancing? Was the Toruk app worth the download? Does this tie into the upcoming 4 sequels slated to be released? Join #thetwofriends, guest Rachel Lang and Producer Ben as they guide you through the live experience including reverse puppetry, how much they spent on their drinks, the condiment stands, election predictions and dangling.
>
>
>
>

### Milestones and Ephemera

* New Ben Nickname: **The Fart Detective**

## References

1. ↑ Blank Check Podcast. Toruk: The First Flight. Audioboom. Retrieved on May 8, 2022.