Our Danny Boyle series comes to an end with a mind-bending movie that dares to ask the question, What if The Beatles didnt exist? Severances Zach Cherry makes his long-overdue first appearance on the pod to profess his love Boyles most recent film, while David nearly has a stroke from trying to wrap his brain around all its logic loops. Were asking all the big questions - if the Beatles never existed, would Charles Manson? If cigarettes never existed, how would that change the colonization of th...
Apr 30, 2023•3 hr 42 min•Transcript available on Metacast First they were addicted to heroin, now theyre 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 McGregors real-life feud influence this film? Is Spuds arc in this basically just Bubbles arc in season 5 of The Wire? Which is the ...
Apr 23, 2023•2 hr 26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Calling all Sorkinistas - were walking, talking, and putting 1,000 songs in your pocket! Based on Walter Isaccsons best-selling biography of the original Apple Genius, STEVE JOBS puts Danny Boyle in David Finchers shoes. What did we learn about this movie from the notorious Sony hacks? Is Michael Fassbender too hot to play Steve Jobs? Would it surprise you to learn that Ben Hosley is a life-long Mac user? Olivia Craighead returns to the pod and joins the Five Timers Club in spectacular fashion w...
Apr 16, 2023•3 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Probably the only film in history to hinge on the shaving of pubic hair as crucial plot point, Danny Boyles 2013 film TRANCE iscertainly something! Filmmaker Nia DaCosta takes a break from post-production on THE MARVELS to return to the podcast as we peel back the layers of this twisty hypnosis thriller. What is this movie actually trying to say? We dont know. However, we *do* know that Vincent Cassel is wayyyy sexy, and that the films notorious electric razor sound effect was an unforgivable mi...
Apr 09, 2023•2 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to another installment in the If This Happened to Ben Hosley, It Wouldnt Have Gone Down Like That series of films - its 127 HOURS! Hollywood Handbooks Sean Clements returns to the pod as we all discuss what we would do if, like real-life outdoorsman Aron Ralston, we got literally stuck between a rock and a hard place. What is gnarlier - cutting off your own arm, drinking your own pee, or hosting the Oscars the same year you get your first acting nomination and completely self-sabotaging ...
Apr 02, 2023•3 hr 43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Danny Boyle is about to win the Oscar. How did he do it? A) He Cheated, B) Hes Lucky, C) Hes a Genius, D) IT IS WRITTEN. Critic Siddhant Adlakha joins us to dissect the improbable success of Boyles 2008 Dickens-by-way-of-Mumbai hit SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. Were getting into everything, from the films reputation in India to the 2009 Oscar ceremony with Hugh Jackman, from UK teen TV sensation Skins to the unexpected success of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in primetime. Jai Ho! Join our Patreon for f...
Mar 26, 2023•2 hr 22 min•Transcript available on Metacast The time has come for us to board the Icarus II (awful name for a spaceship) and stare directly into the sun. First mentioned as a movie that rules way back when we were only a podcast about the Star Wars Prequels, Griffin and David finally get to cover Danny Boyles 2007 Science Fiction flop SUNSHINE. Were getting into everything - the iconic score, the brilliantly restrictive use of colors, the hot scientist named Brian Cox (not Logan Roy) who served as a model for Cillian Murphys character, an...
Mar 19, 2023•3 hr 31 min•Transcript available on Metacast How did Danny Boyle choose to follow up the ultraviolence of 28 Days Later? With a winsome kids movie about morality and currency conversion, of course! Filmspottings Adam Kempenaar joins us to revisit 2004s Millions, which he originally covered in the second episode of Filmspotting back in 2005 (!) Why did Danny Boyle want to make a family-friendly film? Should this have been a musical? Was there ever a point in time where it seemed like Britain would adopt the Euro? Plus, the most important qu...
Mar 12, 2023•2 hr 13 min•Transcript available on Metacast Once again we gather together to celebrate excellence in the motion picture industry - but rest assured, we have our own Blankies Crisis Team standing by to avoid any catastrophes after last year! Joe Reid of This Had Oscar Buzz joins us for our eighth ceremony, and we shine a spotlight on all the best performances, wettest films, and putteringest murmurs of 2022. Plus - a very special top ten list from a surprise guest. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @...
Mar 05, 2023•3 hr 36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Fast zombies, a deserted London, and potato-quality digital cinematography - 28 DAYS LATER proved to be a genre-defining hit for Danny Boyle after the disappointment of THE BEACH. Humorist and Blankie favorite David Rees returns to the podcast to take us back to the immediate post-9/11 period, a mood and time which this film conjures instantly. Join us for a deep dive into the zombie canon, a tangent on the famed Young British Artists of the 1990s, a primer on Canadian anti-capitalist band Godsp...
Feb 26, 2023•3 hr 44 min•Transcript available on Metacast Mother is back, and shes taking us all to THE BEACH! Emily Yoshida makes her long-awaited return to the pod to speak about her experience in the writers room of the still-unproduced TV version of Alex Garlands titular novel. Were asking all the big questions - when did Leonardo DiCaprio stop being baby and become a big boy on screen? Why is no one practicing ethical non-monogamy or doing heroin on this island? Is it cool to like Moby again after that weird Natalie Portman thing? How would starri...
Feb 19, 2023•3 hr 33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Knock knock! Whos there? M. Night Shyamalan, of course! Were answering the door and ushering in the apocalypse with a look at Nights latest offering. 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
Feb 12, 2023•2 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast After the smashing success of TRAINSPOTTING, Danny Boyle reteamed with star Ewan McGregor and writer John Hodge tomake 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, 1997s 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. Join our Patreon for franchise ...
Feb 05, 2023•2 hr 29 min•Transcript available on Metacast The UKs answer to PULP FICTION, Danny Boyles TRAINSPOTTING exploded into theaters and became a global phenomenon, thanks to an iconic marketing campaign. Who *didnt* have this poster up in their dorm room? Search Party creator Charles Rogers returns to the pod to talk about how his own dorm TRAINSPOTTING poster contributed to his coming out at college, and how Danny Boyles radical empathy and fearlessness makes this film so much more than a movie-of-the-week cautionary tale. Join our Patreon for...
Jan 29, 2023•3 hr 44 min•Transcript available on Metacast UK house music, a *very* active camera, and Ewan McGregor looking like a SNACKthats right, folks - were covering Danny Boyle! With the England bit retired, were finally giving dual citizen David Sims the time and space to actually reminisce about his very British upbringing. A sensation in the UK upon release, SHALLOW GRAVE introduced Boyle as the cinematic voice of Cool Britannia - yet the film remains an under-seen gem in the States. In this episode, the boys discuss what they would do with a ...
Jan 22, 2023•2 hr 15 min•Transcript available on Metacast Henry Selick waited thirteen years to make his follow-up to CORALINE, and it feels like weve been waiting even longer to hear Davids TIFF Airbnb story - a yarn that finally gets unspooled with the help of friend Shirley Li. After that business is taken care of, we try our best to describe Selicks WENDELL & WILD - a film that ranks among the more convoluted of the movies weve covered on the pod. Yet - we still find a lot to love about this tale of demons, hair creme, and private prisons! Stop mot...
Jan 15, 2023•2 hr 19 min•Transcript available on Metacast The ultimate connoisseur of context, the guru of camera gear - our friend JD Amato makes his triumphant return to the main feed to walk us through the magic and genius of Henry Selicks masterpiece CORALINE. For listeners who never had the chance to catch this film in its original 3D release, we attempt to describe Selicks absolute mastery of the form. We go long on the history of Laika studios, from Will Vintons California raisins, to the ultimate nepo baby Travis Knights (aka Chilly T) ascensio...
Jan 08, 2023•3 hr 16 min•Transcript available on Metacast The gang went to see AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER and we all got soaking wet. Fully submerged. Drenched! Were communing with space whales, chugging coffees with Edie Falco, and learning how to hold our breath for long stretches of time to commemorate the release of James Camerons long-awaited sequel to the biggest movie of all time. Are we one with Eywa now? How does Kate Winslets Navi accent stack up against her previous linguistic efforts? Is the Regal Cinemas Agave Aquarita the perfect cocktail t...
Dec 18, 2022•3 hr 17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Just in time for Brendan Frasers big comeback, were taking a look back at his misguided collaboration with Henry Selick - 2001s bizarro flop MONKEYBONE. Justin McElroy (no relation to Bridget Fondas Dr. Julie McElroy) returns to the podcast after having watched this film a whopping seven times (!!) to unpack all the madness. Why are there no rules or logic to the films Dark Town underworld? What was the appeal of Chris Kattans Mango character on SNL? Was this film the nail in the coffin for the ...
Dec 11, 2022•3 hr 34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bugs! So many bugs! AndRichard Dreyfuss?? The Bug Queen Emma Stefansky returns to the podcast to celebrate all the creepy crawlies in 1996s JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH. Were talking about stone fruit, Randy Newman, and cinemas sexiest spider in this episode. Plus, we rank our favorite bugs AND our favorite Roald Dahl adaptations, and we learn about how Ben got his scar. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and X! B...
Dec 04, 2022•3 hr 42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Were wearing our Hot Topic sweatshirts and enunciating every dramatic syllable to pay tribute to one of the greatest animated films of all time - Tim Burtons (but really Henry Selicks) THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. Academy Award-nominated animator and Blankie Michael Rianda (THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES) joins us to talk about this multi-holiday classic, which is basically just a movie about a creative weirdo trying to fit in at Disney. Is this the boniest movie weve covered on the podcast? ...
Nov 27, 2022•3 hr 47 min•Transcript available on Metacast For the first time in years, both Griffin and David are in agreement on a new Steven Spielberg film - what a picture! Were playing both film critics and armchair psychologists in this episode as we unpack THE FABELMANS, a movie that is less sentimental and more complex than one would assume based on the poster. What sets this film apart from the ever-growing stack of filmmaker origin stories? Is this the de-facto Best Picture frontrunner? Why the hell was Griffin shooting on super 8 in the early...
Nov 20, 2022•3 hr 40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Cruise. Kidman. Kubrick. Ehrlich. Were concluding our Stanley Kubrick series with 1999s EYES WIDE SHUT and a trip to cinemas most famous masked orgy. Indiewires David Ehrlich joins us as we discuss liminal spaces, the late-90s ABC sitcom Dharma & Greg, Nick Nightingales skills as a piano player, and Sydney Pollacks barrel chest. Are there more Christmas lights in this movie than there are in an NYU students dormroom? What is the platonic ideal of a Tom Cruise hairstyle? Did making this movie kil...
Nov 13, 2022•3 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Alright, maggots, listen up! Weve got the Action Boy himself - Jon Gabrus - back on the podcast to talk about Kubricks bifurcated Vietnam War classic FULL METAL JACKET. Were retiring the retired bit in order to talk about Matthew Modine as Private Joker. Were getting into the etymology of poontang. Were attempting to articulate what makes a movie feel like an 80s movie and why this film absolutely doesnt. And - were gonna end up on a very long tangent about the talking head comedy shows of the m...
Nov 06, 2022•3 hr 32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Just in time for Halloween, were checking into the Overlook Hotel - a haunted place not unlike the Beachwood, Ohio, Homewood Suites that Griffin and guest Timothy Simons stayed in while they were filming DRAFT DAY! Is THE SHINING about Native American genocide, or is it about how Stanley Kubrick thought ghosts were kinda nice? Is Shelley Duvall the MVP of this movie? Would Ben absolutely thrive as the hotels caretaker - taking inspiration from the stocked kitchen pantry to whip up some delicious...
Oct 30, 2022•3 hr 54 min•Transcript available on Metacast NASA-quality lenses, a himbo canon-worthy performance from notoriously chill and normal guy Ryan ONeal, and some flirty ribbon games all combine to make what we consider to be Kubricks warmest and most sumptuous film - 1975s Barry Lyndon. Karina Longworth of You Must Remember This makes a long-awaited first appearance on the pod to wonder - did Barry actually end up sleeping with his cousin? What are the rules of dueling? Should children be allowed to ride horses? And more! Join our Patreon for ...
Oct 23, 2022•2 hr 13 min•Transcript available on Metacast Attention all droogs: grab your Nadsat dictionaries and your bowler hats, its time to drink some drug-milk! Weve got our very own Alex - Ross Perry, that is - on the pod to go long on Kubricks controversial X-rated dystopian nightmare, 1971s A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. Were reminiscing about our rebellious teenage years, which for Alex included a trip to New York to see The Prodigy in concert, and for David included a Pinter phase. Did you all know that David grew up in England? Plus - Ben learns that M...
Oct 16, 2022•3 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Open the pod cast doors, HAL - its time for us to talk about one of the most important movies in cinema history. Jordan Hoffman - the friend of the pod who best represents both the diamond-hard Sci Fi and psychedelic head-trip factions of 2001 fandom - returns to Blank Check, and were doling out the knowledge *and* the giggles. When is the ideal moment to partake in order to get the trippiest experience from 2001? Is Griffin starting to change his mind about Kubrick not being funny? Do Arthur C....
Oct 09, 2022•3 hr 38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Gentlemen, you cant fight in here, Sean Fennessey is finally on our podcast! The Big Picture Pod host joins Griffin and David to talk about Kubricks razor-sharp satire, the Peter Sellers tour-de-force that is Dr. Strangelove. Were asking all the questions - Could Sellers have played *every* character in this movie? Is the film paradoxically funnier because Kubrick isnt really a comedy guy? Would George C. Scott hate this podcast? Would you give Tom Jones a middling three stars on Letterboxd? And...
Oct 02, 2022•2 hr 22 min•Transcript available on Metacast It certainly feels great to cover a good movie again! Our mini-run of new releases ends with Gina Prince-Bythewoods crowd-pleaser - the African female warrior epic The Woman King. Weve got Davids exclusive report on the films 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-Bythewoods ongoing exploration of chosen families and pe...
Sep 25, 2022•2 hr 53 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
