After twelve years since releasing a live action film, Zemeckis comes back to the living with 2012's addiction drama, Flight. Olivia Craighead (Iconography podcast) joins #thetwofriends to discuss the misleading trailer and marketing, consider Melissa Leo, and help answer technical questions like how to roll a plane. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and X! Buy some real nerdy merch. Connect with other Blankie...
Dec 20, 2020•2 hr 23 min•Transcript available on Metacast What's today? Why its Christmas Carol day! Film critic Emily St. James (Vox) returns to discuss Disney's 2009 take on the classic holiday tale. The gang talks Jim Carrey's career, the best and worst Christmas movies, and Keeping up with the Clauses. Check out untitled slow christmas compilation volume 1! Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and X! Buy some real nerdy merch. Connect with other Blankies on our Redd...
Dec 13, 2020•3 hr 31 min•Transcript available on Metacast This is Beowulf! Yes, in 2007, Bobby Z took the Old English epic poem and, once again using cutting edge mo-cap technology, delivered a 3-D movie that this week's guest, Jordan Hoffman, aptly describes as "resembling a PlayStation 3 cut scene". Also discussed is Crispin Glover's performance as Grendel, Angelina Jolie's hatred for this film, the background behind the Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary screenplay, and the PG-13 rating despite all the violence and horniness. Check out Jordan's new podcast...
Dec 06, 2020•2 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the final days of 2020, Blank Check enters Zemeckis' motion capture technology period with The Polar Express. Joey Sims joins as we discuss the nuance of the Train Conductor character, North Pole logic and delve into everyone's personal relationship to the holiday season and Christmas. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and X! Buy some real nerdy merch. Connect with other Blankies on our Reddit or Discord Fo...
Nov 29, 2020•2 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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. Join our Patreon for ...
Nov 22, 2020•2 hr 7 min•Transcript available on Metacast The central thesis to this week's episode on What Lies Beneath: folks, they just don't make them like they used to! Starlee Kine (Election Profit Makers) joins to discuss the "grown-up" movie, the performances from Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford, where the screenwriting falls short, and the paranormal. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and X! Buy some real nerdy merch. Connect with other Blankies on our R...
Nov 15, 2020•2 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Actor, Jamie Bell joins this week to discuss 1997's Contact! Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and X! Buy some real nerdy merch. Connect with other Blankies on our Reddit or Discord For anything else, check out BlankCheckPod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 08, 2020•2 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jamelle Bouie (NY Times) returns to Blank Check to discuss Forrest Gump! Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and X! Buy some real nerdy merch. Connect with other Blankies on our Reddit or Discord For anything else, check out BlankCheckPod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 01, 2020•2 hr 27 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and X! Buy some real nerdy me...
Oct 25, 2020•2 hr 28 min•Transcript available on Metacast In Back to the Future, Marty ends up in 1955, the same age as his parents. In the sequel he has to jump between that timeline and a bizarre 2015. The natural conclusion to this blockbuster trilogy? A wild western! It's a classic formula! For Back to the Future Part III, we're talking ninja turtles, the magic of Tom Wilson and Mary Steenburgen, and why ZZ Top should be in more movies. The bad boy of the internet himself, Josh Gondelman, (Desus and Mero, Make My Day) joins! Join our Patreon for fr...
Oct 18, 2020•2 hr 21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Man wouldn't it be weird to have a future controlled by a rich blond bully who hates women, steals things and is awful to everyone? Robert Zemeckis predicts a wild, kooky, and somewhat accurate 2015 with Back to the Future Part II. Comedian Nicole Byer (Nailed It, Newcomers, Why Won't You Date Me) helps us make sense of the different timelines, unpack the connection to Trump, analyze the film’s strategic approach to the sequel and the ultimate disappointment that hoverboards continue to not exis...
Oct 11, 2020•2 hr 56 min•Transcript available on Metacast A noir for kids. Disney and Warner Bros characters together for the first and last time. Live action drama with kooky Tex Avery-style animation. There's really no movie quite like Who Framed Roger Rabbit. How long did "bumping the lamp" take? What's a contemporary take on Jessica and Roger Rabbit's relationship dynamics? How does the film's story mirror Hollywood? We invited the Doughboys themselves, Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger to help us find out! Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries an...
Oct 04, 2020•2 hr 26 min•Transcript available on Metacast It was the #1 film of 1985. It’s a theme park ride. An animated series. It spawned video games. Comic books. Musicals. It’s in the goddamn Library of Congress! And key to this series, it guaranteed Robert Zemeckis big crazy budgets for decades. Has there ever been a bigger “blank check" than Back to the Future? Now make like a tree and start the episode already! Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and X! Buy som...
Sep 27, 2020•3 hr 55 min•Transcript available on Metacast How did Robert Zemeckis go from commercial flops to a career-defining time-travelling trilogy of blank checks? It’s all thanks to his “guarantor” from 1984 - Romancing The Stone, starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. We invited Filmspotting’s Adam Kempenaar and Josh Larsen to dive into Zemeckis’ first commercial success and how it set the tone for a decade of hits. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and...
Sep 20, 2020•2 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast How Did This Get Made’s Paul Scheer (Black Monday, The League) returns with Jason Mantzoukas (Big Mouth, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) for a rare-Rated R Zemeckis – Used Cars (1980). Topics in this episode include the unique star power of Kurt Russell throughout his career, unpacking the bad luck sequence, and a general look at the state of major studio comedies. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and X! Buy some real ne...
Sep 13, 2020•3 hr 59 min•Transcript available on Metacast Your March Madness winner series has arrived! Chosen by the listeners, our latest subject is Robert Zemeckis, a Hollywood hitmaker who gives us plenty to cover. But before we get to Forrest Gump and Back To The Future, we're starting with 1978's I Wanna Hold Your Hand, which centers on a group of girls sneaking into the Beatles games Ed Sullivan show performance. Patrick Willems (@patrickhwillems) helps us kick it all off as we talk iconic dork performances, the best Beatles movies, and the conf...
Sep 06, 2020•2 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast In The Old Guard (2020), Charlize Theron, Kiki Layne, and a group of immortal warriors define why it's worth living to fight another day. Plus they look extremely cool doing it. This week, we wrap up Gina Prince-Bythewood's series with her most recent film, released on Netflix mid-pandemic. How has 2020 affected the release and how we watch it (preferably from a porch)? What do we want to see out of a sequel? What's the best Netflix movie formula? Join Griffin, David and Ben as we list our favor...
Aug 30, 2020•2 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast The pressures of fame as a young pop star navigating the music industry. An overbearing, success driven mother. A quote loving cop with a big heart. Beyond the Lights is an epic film packed with drama, comedy, music and romance. This week, comedian Ayo Edebiri (Iconography podcast) returns to discuss Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s career trajectory, viral realism, wearing the Larry Crowne and Ayo's work as the unofficial showrunner for The Kominsky Method. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonu...
Aug 23, 2020•2 hr 13 min•Transcript available on Metacast A coming-of age story. Racism in America. Complex connections to motherhood. The Secret Life of Bees adaptation had a lot of themes to tackle. This week we look back to 2008 and compare the strengths and weaknesses of Prince-Bythewood’s biggest commercial success. Critic, comedian and co-host (Bad Romance Podcast) Jourdain Searles returns to talk meeting celebrities at the worst moments, Hollywood’s attempts to depict the south, and underrated Queen Latifah performances. Join our Patreon for fra...
Aug 16, 2020•2 hr 22 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s rare we get to start a mini-series with a classic. 20 years after its release, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s directorial debut still stands the test of time as a top-tier cinematic love story. This week’s all about Love and Basketball (2000), which would set the tone for her career. But what’s the story that led her there? Carl Tart (The Good Place, Comedy Bang Bang) joins as we discuss how Sanaa Lathan fought for her big break, the impact of seeing a romance between two Black leads on the big sc...
Aug 09, 2020•2 hr 26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Alas, our Nora Ephron series has come to an end! For our last ep, we’re happy we get to end on a high note and a touch of the Tucc… with 2009’s Julie & Julia. Returning to not only offer her chef expertise but share but how this movie molded her life is noted sister, Romilly Newman! We talk Meryl Streep’s Oscar nomination, why Amy Adams’ half works just as well, and why this film encapsulates Nora’s career so perfectly. Stay tuned ‘til the end for our rankings and announcement about our next ser...
Aug 02, 2020•2 hr 18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Years were spent trying to figure out the perfect way to bring back the 60s sitcom, Bewitched. The result was a confusing, critical bomb. How do you go wrong with a hot Oscar winner, SNL star, a handful of Daily Show correspondents, and the Ephron sisters? Blank Check attempts to find out. Dana Schwartz joins #thetwofriends to discuss 2005's Bewitched! Plus, a special bonus interview with Alex Ross Perry and Jason Schwartzman on his experience working with Nora Ephron. Join our Patreon for franc...
Jul 26, 2020•3 hr 37 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s an extra-sized episode featuring director Alex Ross Perry for this strange film about lotteries or something. Which Seinfeld characters are the Two Friends, Ben, and Ang? What awesome tidbits did Alex pick up from the Lucky Numbers commentary? What are the merits of the films of all the other Friends (from Friends)? The Seinfeld theme is composed by Jonathan Wolff. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and X!...
Jul 19, 2020•3 hr 51 min•Transcript available on Metacast AOL may have aged out but has this classic rom-com? We invited Who? Weekly's very own Lindsey Weber and Bobby Finger to discuss another Nora Ephron box office hit–You've Got Mail (1998). We get into the all-star cast with Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Dave Chapelle, Greg Kinnear, Parker Posey, meet cutes, and Nora's New York City. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and X! Buy some real nerdy merch. Connect with other Bl...
Jul 12, 2020•2 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, Blank Check tackles one of film’s greatest mysteries, John Travolta’s career in the 90s. In Michael (1996), he plays an angel who visits earth to bring people together, but get this…he’ a bad boy! With the cast rounded out with Andie MacDowell, William Hurt, Bob Hoskins and of course, Sparky the dog, it did well at the box office but where does it land in the scope of Nora’s career? Kevin Porter (Good Christian Fun, Gilmore Guys) joins! Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and ...
Jul 05, 2020•2 hr 15 min•Transcript available on Metacast The friends are joined by Search Party director Charles Rogers to discuss this mixed bag of mixed messages of a Christmas movie that shows maybe Norah Ephron can't do black comedies. Don't worry if you haven't seen it, because this is mostly an extensive discussion about Steve Martin's career, Liev Schreiber being great in drag, and the Sondheim musical Assassins. Check out Search Party Season 3 on HBO Max, RIGHT NOW! For the month of June we will be spotlighting groups dedicated to and run by B...
Jun 28, 2020•2 hr 52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Only Nora Ephron could make a rom-com where the leads interact for 2 minutes an instant classic. The BC crew makes a Tom and Meg inspired long distance call to Katey Rich (Vanity Fair) for Ephron's sophomore hit, Sleepless in Seattle (1993). We get into how rom-coms have risen and fallen, the lure of cool boat houses, and the enigma that is Chet Hanks. For the month of June we will be spotlighting groups dedicated to and run by Black trans and non-binary people who need our help. This week's org...
Jun 21, 2020•3 hr 33 min•Transcript available on Metacast "Everything is copy." is the code Ephron lived by and no film fit that better than her directorial debut, This is My Life (1992). After the success of When Harry Met Sally, Nora and Delia Ephron teamed up for a comedy about two sisters and their mother's rise on the comedy scene in NYC. Comedian and host of Sirius' The Michelle Collins Show, Michelle Collins, joins to talk Julie Kavner's career, realistic movie standup, and weird child actors. For the month of June we will be spotlighting groups...
Jun 14, 2020•2 hr 52 min•Transcript available on Metacast It laid the groundwork for her entire film career. It set the mold for every rom-com that followed. Though it wasn’t her directorial debut, you just don’t do Nora Ephron without covering When Harry Met Sally. We invited Slate critic and podcast host Dana Stevens (Culture Gabfest, Flashback) to discuss the 1989 classic and ask the big questions. How is Billy Crystal so damn charming? Which Meg Ryan hairstyle is best? And most importantly...can men and women be friends??? Join our Patreon for fran...
Jun 07, 2020•2 hr 24 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's a Ben's Choice bay-bee! Dry, dusty tombs ✓ Crazy convoluted tech ✓ Vast intergalactic conspiracies? ✓✓✓ 1994's Stargate really does have it all. This week Ben gets to makes his case for this Egyptian/Sci-Fi Roland Emmerich cult favorite, and why it's best viewed from a porch. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and X! Buy some real nerdy merch. Connect with other Blankies on our Reddit or Discord For anythi...
May 31, 2020•2 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
