Were wrapping up our Fincher series with his latest release - a stripped-down, gig-economy hitman thriller - THE KILLER. Is Michael Fassbenders unnamed hitman actually good at his job, or a total goober? How do your friends at Blank Check feel about The Smiths? Where do the Two Friends put MANK in their final Fincher rankings? And - is Griffin okay, or has he fallen too deep inside the Gaylor Swift rabbit hole? Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheck...
Nov 26, 2023•2 hr 25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Nerts! Are you folks ready to get MANK-PILLED? We advise that you start by mankro-dosing David Finchers 2020 exploration of the life and times of cantankerous screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz. The Big Pictures Sean Fennessey joins us to chat about Finchers first Netflix feature, and were asking all the important questions. Would this film have a better reputation if it had been titled manK! ? Will there be a film made 40 years from now entitled SORK about Aaron Sorkin, David Fincher, Mark Zucke...
Nov 19, 2023•3 hr 35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Amazing Amy meets Awkwardly-Smiling Affleck in Finchers darkly comic masterpiece - an instant classic from that first shot of Rosamund Pikes pretty head. The delightful Esther Zuckerman (who will definitely NOT gone girl her boyfriend) joins us to discuss this impressive work of adaptation. Were asking all the big questions - is Amazing Amy actually a good childrens book? Did Tyler Perry take any directing tips from David Fincher when he made BOO! A MADEA HALLOWEEN? Would this movie work as well...
Nov 12, 2023•3 hr 13 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? More like The Girl Who Go On Computer! The Girl with the Fruit Tattoo - Fran Hoepfner - joins us as we dive into Finchers 2011 Nordic noir. How does Finchers take on Stieg Larssons international best-seller compare with the original Swedish version? What does Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander have in common with ET? Does Christopher Plummer have the greatest octogenarian acting decade of all time? WHEN WILL BEN HOSLEY MAKE HIS WITCH HACKER MOVIE? Guest Links: Subsc...
Nov 05, 2023•3 hr 53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let us take a walk down memory lane to when the Metaverse was but a twinkle in Zucks eye, to when Aaron Sorkin was just a much-respected writer and not yet a (groan) directorto when the idea of a prestige film about millennial tech bros seemed like a ludicrous proposition. My, how times have changed! THE SOCIAL NETWORK is one of the most influential and consequential films of the 21st Century - prescient, quotable, and eminently rewatchable. You know whats cooler than a two hour podcast? A THREE...
Oct 29, 2023•3 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast 2007s THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON is a film that dares to ask the question, What if he baby but old? Despite the meme-ification of David Finchers trip to the uncanny valley, we are pleased to make our belated case for why this movie is GOOD, actually, and in step with the themes of Da Finch Mans body of work - not a sappy outlier. Vanity Fairs Richard Lawson returns to the podcast as we all grapple with mortality, wistfully opine about tugboats, and develop an absurd running bit about la...
Oct 22, 2023•3 hr 37 min•Transcript available on Metacast This is the Zodiac speaking. I have recorded this podcast episode with Griffin, David, and the genius Leslye Headland because I am tired of the tangents on every other episode so far this Fincher series. With this episode, were getting into the CRAFT, the OBSESSION, the MADNESS, the MINUTIAE of David Finchers Gordian knot of a true crime mystery. What is the scariest scene in ZODIAC? Which of the three main actors gives the best performance? Are Aqua Velvas good? Like my identity, there is no de...
Oct 15, 2023•3 hr 33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Were scootin through some wild Manhattan real estate this week and locking ourselves into David Finchers PANIC ROOM with the wonderful Eva Anderson! Can you believe that Jodie Foster wasnt even supposed to be in this movie? And that David Fincher was the one who braided Jared Letos cornrows? Just kidding about that last one. Come for Griffins formative crush on young Kristen Stewart, stay for the inexplicable amount of talk about Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - a show that has absolutely nothing...
Oct 08, 2023•3 hr 53 min•Transcript available on Metacast The first rule of Fight Club? Dont talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club? DONT TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB. For those of you who like following the rules, we have an edited version of this episode available on Patreon wherein we do NOT talk about the seminal 1999 film FIGHT CLUB. But for the rest of you sickos, weve got a supersized episode with Project Mayhems own Alex Ross Perry. In this episode, we discuss our picks for the iconic DVDs of the DVD era, dive into the career of SERIOUS ...
Oct 01, 2023•3 hr 28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Congratulations! If you are listening to this episode, it means youve discovered the key in the mouth of the wooden clown we placed in your driveway. Actor, musician, and handsome man Brendan Hines joins us this week as we lead you on an immersive, life-changing experience through David Finchers The Game. We understand you may have some questions. How much did this whole thing cost? Is cocaine a requirement for every Michael Douglas movie? Whats Deborah Kara Unger up to these days? Did Charles M...
Sep 24, 2023•3 hr 33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Who loves Da Finchman? These guys do! MTV Movie Award-losing duo Mitch and Nick of the Doughboys join us to talk about David Finchers breakthrough hit - the nasty noir SE7EN. What can you expect from this episode? Lots of talk about playground rumors related to what this movie does and doesnt actually show, a full taxonomy of Kevin Spaceys on-screen persona, the true identity of the Zodiac killer, and a VERY Doughboys description of the films gluttony murder. Guest Links: Listen to Doughboys Joi...
Sep 17, 2023•3 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast The time has come for us to talk about one of the most successful, most influential, most respected American filmmakers of the past 30 years. Thats right, were talking about the director of ALIEN3, David Da Finchman Fincher! Were kicking off The Curious Pod of Benjamin Buttcast in style, pressing play on our Alien Quadrilogy Blu-Ray with guest Matt Singer - and you better believe were watching the extended cut in Mu-th-ur Mode! Join us as we give some light background on young Dave Fincher, alle...
Sep 10, 2023•3 hr 34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Decision to Leave? More like, decision to watch a good movie! EMMY AWARD WINNER (but more importantly, David Sims Best Supporting Actress Nominee of 2017) joins us to discuss Parks most recent film, a romantic noir that gets text messaging absolutely right. Were getting into everything, from the complexities of Tang Weis performance, to the concept of sand beaching, to S. Craig Zahlers tight ponytail. Plus, we give our final Park rankings, and announce our next series, the worst-kept secret in p...
Sep 03, 2023•2 hr 16 min•Transcript available on Metacast We couldnt be more excited to talk about the film we consider to be Parks masterpiece - the gorgeous, twisty, and ultimately moving THE HANDMAIDEN. Mother of the Blankies Emily Yoshida joins us to unpack this puzzlebox of an erotic thriller, a brilliant adaptation of Sarah Waters Fingersmith. Come for the coining of a new Blank Check phrase (thanks, researcher JJ!), stay for a very crucial touch of the Tucc tangent. By the way - what does that octopus actually do?? Join our Patreon for franchise...
Aug 27, 2023•3 hr 46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Remember when the star of TVs Prison Break (Wentworth Miller, human map) wrote a screenplay that landed on the Black List and ended up serving as the material for Park Chan-Wooks only English film to date? What a time to be alive! Mia Wasikowska superfan Emily St. James returns to Blank Check to offer her take on 2013s Stoker, a movie that is not NOT about vampires. Join us as we fawn over Parks stunning directorial choices (that shot where Nicole Kidmans hair transitions into grass!), go long o...
Aug 20, 2023•3 hr 31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Move over, Dracula. Eat your heart out Edward Cullen. A new sexy vampire is in town, and he just happens to be a PRIEST! Park Chan-Wook reunites with the wonderful Song Kang-ho to put his own stamp on the popular genre with 2009s THIRST. Inverses Hoi-Tran Boi joins us to chat about this darkly funny (and devilishly sound-designed) film, an adaptation of Emile Zolas classic novel Thrse Raquin. How do the rules of vampirism translate to a culture where everything is cooked with garlic? Join our Pa...
Aug 13, 2023•2 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast From the twisted mind of Park Chan-Wook, itsa surprisingly sensitive romance set in a mental hospital? Writer and Comedian Karen Chee joins us to chat about 2006s IM A CYBORG, BUT THATS OKAY - a real outlier in Parks career, and a commercial disappointment after the global success of his Vengeance Trilogy. Would it surprise you to learn that this film was inspired by, of all things, TOY STORY? Is this the best Park film to remake with a cast of Muppets? Are any of the films mental illnesses base...
Aug 06, 2023•2 hr 58 min•Transcript available on Metacast DA MOVIESH ARE BACK, BABY! Film Director Barbie joins the gang to chat about Christopher Nolans latest and an historic weekend at the multiplex. Whats the best format for seeing OPPENHEIMER? Which of the many character actors in this film makes the biggest impression? Will David make his sexy Christopher Nolan voice a new recurring bit? Plus - we address the SAG strike (solidarity!), the social media discourse around this film (so dumb!), and Ben admits that science used to seem cool. Join our P...
Jul 30, 2023•3 hr 7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Its 2023. An all-powerful AI program named the Entity is sewing chaos and threatening the fragile equilibrium of the world as we know it. It is also throwing sick parties. Meanwhile, over at Blank Check HQ, the BENTITY has a few tricks up his sleeve to surprise Griffin, David, and Marie with a mission of their own as they break down Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarries latest big-screen extravaganza. Special thanks to IMF team members Teo Rapp-Olsson and Patrick Willems. Support their work! Pat...
Jul 23, 2023•3 hr 33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Park Chan-Wooks loosely-linked Vengeance Trilogy comes to a starkly satisfying end with 2005s LADY VENGEANCE - a normal flickthats all we have to say! Just kidding - we have LOTS to say about this one, with its stacked cast of lady convicts and grief-stricken parents. Our beloved Karen Han returns to the pod to correct our terrible Korean pronunciations and to tell us about Jump Like A Witch - a Korean reality series wherein famous female celebrities attempt to form a basketball team. Plus - it ...
Jul 16, 2023•2 hr 14 min•Transcript available on Metacast What is an Oldboy? How do you feel about Greek Tragedies? How did Choi Min-Sik achieve that iconic (and insane) hairstyle? Was giving the 2004 Palme dOr to FAHRENHEIT 9/11 over this film one of the greatest mistakes in the history of arts and culture? All those questions answered and more as critic Alison Willmore joins us to talk about OLDBOY, the first major Korean breakthrough in the American filmbro canon. Guest Links: Read Alison's writing at New York Magazine Especially Theory: Top Gun: Ma...
Jul 09, 2023•2 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Park Chan-Wook kicks off his famous Vengeance trilogy and we kick off another episode where we talk about Ted Dansons late 90s sitcom BECKER! Critic, friend of the pod, and Crystal Skull-apologist David Ehrlich joins us to chat about Parks Sympathy for Mister Vengeance - a film that shows that revenge is not a dish best served cold, but is actually kind of sad and futile. Come for Ehrlichs story about his teen trip to Seoul (when he had lunch with Director Park!), stay for the throwback memories...
Jul 02, 2023•2 hr 21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Park Chan-Wooks 2000 breakthrough and Korean box office juggernaut - JSA (Joint Security Area) - is the rare international murder-mystery that dares to ask the questionwhat if the real smoking gun was FRIENDSHIP?? Join us as we unpack this poignant and twisty thriller, and maybe some of you can unpack on your own time why Griffin chooses to bring up THE LITTLE RASCALS when talking about Korean geopolitics. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod o...
Jun 25, 2023•2 hr 36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Its a brand new era for Blank Check - Griffin is in his arriving early to work era. Ben is in his Bad Boy 2.0 era. And were all in our WORLD CINEMA era as we kick off our series on South Korean master (and March Madness champion!) Park Chan-Wook. Join us as we offer a brief overview of the evolution of Korean cinema - from 1960s landmark THE HOUSEMAID up through decades of government censorship - and introduce the career of one of our finest filmmakers. However - were gonna be real with you all....
Jun 18, 2023•2 hr 56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Our Buster Keaton series comes to a conclusion as his period of creative independence does, with his first two features for MGM: THE CAMERAMAN and SPITE MARRIAGE. The former? Debatably a meta-masterpiece, with a Chinatown setpiece for the ages and one very adorable monkey. The latter? Well, you can see the downward spiral start to take shape. In this episode, we fill in the later years of Busters life and career, give our final Keaton rankings, and attempt to cheer Ben up after a very demoralizi...
Jun 11, 2023•2 hr 59 min•Transcript available on Metacast After his blank check for THE GENERAL bounced, Buster Keaton found himself creatively and financially shackled. Thus, 1927s 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 Keatons career, and acts as a beautiful send-off to his period as a self-sufficient filmmaker. The wonderful John Hodgman joins...
Jun 04, 2023•2 hr 25 min•Transcript available on Metacast One of narrative cinemas earliest training sequences, and one of cinemas most famous trains - thats right, were covering Buster Keatons 1926 films BATTLING BUTLER and THE GENERAL. Gentleman, scholar, and action movie aficionado Jamelle Bouie joins us to unpack this weeks double feature, providing some essential historical context for THE GENERALs unfortunate Civil War setting. Plus, Ben starts researching how one buys a train. Guest Links: Read Jamelles writing at The New York Times Listen to Un...
May 28, 2023•3 hr 39 min•Transcript available on Metacast This weeks Keaton double feature sees our unflappable hero chased by two types of terrifying crowds: angry would-be brides, and a herd of cattle. How does he outrun them both? Jamie Loftus joins us to chat about Buster Keatons tremendous on-screen running (up there with Tom Cruise), his enduring sex appeal (we love a hot tired guy), and his compassion for animals (giving the bovine star of GO WEST a week off to have sex). Plus, because Jamie is THE Hot Dog Queen, we get into a very involved, ver...
May 21, 2023•2 hr 20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Buster Keaton released two features in 1924 - Sherlock Jr., a film that was considered a commercial disappointment at the time but has grown in stature over the past century, and The Navigator'', a colossal box office hit that hasnt aged nearly as well. Actor and lover of old-timey things James Urbaniak makes his long-awaited debut on the pod (originally promised back in our Shyamalan days!) and were getting into the billiards bits, boat gags, razor puns, and movie magic that make this double fe...
May 14, 2023•2 hr 22 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Great Stone FaceThe Little Boy Who Couldnt Be Damagedwhatever you call him, Buster Keaton is one of the most important figures in film history, and we couldnt be happier to be spotlight him in our latest series PODCAST JR. Our beloved Dana Stevens - writer of the fantastic Keaton tome Camera Man - joins us to set the table as we dive into the filmography of one of Griffins favorite artists. Were going into Busters start as a vaudeville child star (sometimes in Irish face), the qualities of h...
May 07, 2023•3 hr 40 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
