pod me if you cast

The debut of our new mini series on the filmography of Steven Spielberg begins with 1997’s Lost World: Jurassic Park. Post-Oscar wins for Best Director and Best Picture, Steven took four years off before directing this sequel. In that time he founded his own studio DreamWorks. Griffin and David would argue this level of creative control is the biggest blank check that any filmmaker has ever had. Presenting Pod Me If You Cast. But seriously what IS chaos math? Why does this film unfold similarly to a video game? What does Isla Nublar roughly translate to? Together #thetwofriends discuss the careers of Laura Dern, Vince Vaughn, Jeff Goldblum, convenient islands, life finding a way and a epic Pete Postlethwaite monologue. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow ...

Griffin and David look to Spielberg’s next film (also released in 1997) Amistad. But what are the glaringly problematic issues with this movie? Could a more suited director and screen writer have been brought onto the production? How long has Sir Anthony Hopkins been phoning it in exactly? Together they examine the career trajectory of Matthew McConaughey, Peter Firth receives comedy points and assess the cast in a performance review. 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

In our third episode of Spielberg: The DreamWorks Years mini series, Griffin and David are joined by Richard Lawson (Vanity Fair) to discuss 1998's war drama Saving Private Ryan.

David Rees (Going Deep with David Rees) joins Griffin and David to discuss 2001’s robot boy sci-fi: A.I. Artificial Intelligence.

Joanna Robinson (Vanity Fair) joins Griffin and David to discuss 2002’s dystopian thriller: Minority Report.

This week, Griffin and David discuss 2002's coming of age scammer drama based on a true story: Catch Me If You Can. 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

This week’s guest, Jerah Milligan (Comedy Central), finally completes our trifecta of co-hosts from the excellent podcast Blank Men Can’t Jump In Hollywood joining Blank Check. The topic of discussion: 2004’s stranded at the airport dramedy The Terminal. But exactly how much Stanley Tucci does a movie need? What was behind the absurd Michael Douglas cancer story? Is it clear where exactly is Krakozhia? Together, Griffin, David and Jerah examine Catherine Zeta-Jones’ career trajectory, jazz photos, Shrek 3, saltine cracker sandwiches and more. Plus, Jerah shares a personal account of being trapped in the airport and Producer Ben is hungover AF.

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.

Emily St. James (Vox) joins Griffin and David this week to discuss 2005’s Israeli espionage thriller, Munich. But is this movie’s lasting legacy being a reference in Knocked Up? What does it mean when Jeffrey Wells leaves behind his hat? What was with those sex scenes? Together, they go on the record with Oscar picks, examine Eric Bana’s career trajectory, ponder when Spielberg lost his virginity and go off on a tangent about the film Crash.

David Ehrlich (IndieWire) returns to Blank Check to discuss 2008's polarized franchise reboot, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. But are the rumors true that there is a superior early version of this screenplay? Is George Lucas to blame for the most of the criticism? And is it clear that Mutt Williams is a greaser type character? Together they examine, the new old Harrison Ford movies slated for release, the culture around the death of celebrities, the many follies of Shia LaBeouf and also explore Ray Winstone impressions.

Joe Garden (The Onion) joins Griffin and David this week to discuss the mo-cap animated action/mystery, The Adventures of Tintin. But what was Peter Jackson’s involvement in the project? How is the character Tintin like a fine sparkling wine? Is Will & Grace really coming back? Together, they compare the film to the original children book series by Hergé, examine the lessons children were taught in the 1930’s, again revisit Mystery Men and also suggest what actor would make a good Professor Calculus for any future sequels.

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.

Griffin and David look to Spielberg’s 2012 historical drama, Lincoln. But exactly how many Abraham Lincoln biographies did screenwriter Tony Kushner read? Does this movie remind one of a long winded story about an old mill? Was Liam Neeson really considered for the lead role? Together they examine the great facial hair, Hal Holbrook’s wet eyes, Dan Lewis’ process for getting into character and the many blankets used in this movie. 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

Griffin and David this week gush over 2015’s Cold War drama, Bridge of Spies. But how does this film fall into Tom Hanks’ beginning a new phase in his career? What is the standing man? What was the Coen Brothers’ involvement in the screenplay? Together they passionately discuss Mark Rylance’s Academy Award winning performance as Russian spy Rudolf Abel, Hanks’ mastering of being a good man and having the sniffles, and solidify a new shorthand for describing Spielberg’s filmmaking that involves a spice rack. 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...

In the final episode of our mini series devoted to Spielberg’s DreamWorks years, Blank Check reviews 2016’s animated giant adventure, the BFG. But why is saying ‘BFG’ so satisfying? Does this film have a plot? What podcasts does the Queen listen to? Together hosts Griffin and David discuss Spielberg directing the farts, Melissa Mathison’s last screenplay, being ‘mum’ and announce their next mini series! 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

They said it couldn’t be done. Remaking possibly the most revered movie musical of all time?! A fool’s errand! But folks, we’ve learned a very important lesson…NEVER DOUBT STEVEN SPIELBERG. Especially when he’s teaming up with Tony “Dank” Kushner! David pinpoints the exact moments he wept during his multiple viewings of this most recent iteration of “West Side Story”; Ben praises all the dust and hot people; Griffin thinks that he probably needs to see it again. Grab your dancing shoes and meet us at the gym - it’s our final episode of 2021, and it’s time to MAMBO, Blankies!   Plus, check out the Slow Xmas 2021 holiday music compilation now on Spotify and Bandcamp ! Please support the bands/artists featured on this a...

For the first time in years, both Griffin and David are in agreement on a new Steven Spielberg film - what a picture! We’re 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 2000s when MiniDV was available? Join our Patreon at patreon.com/blankcheck Follow us @blankcheckpod on Twitter and Instagram ! Buy some real nerdy merch at shopblankcheckpod.myshopify.com or at teepublic.com/stores/blank-check