Blank Check with Griffin & David

It’s our biggest episode EVER as Alex Ross Perry brings his own dossier of talking points to tackle 1978’s iconic HALLOWEEN. We explore the history of American independent cinema as seen through the lens of the low-budget horror genre, and determine who’d be included in the slasher villain Mount Rushmore (Chucky isn’t carved into the rock; he’d be working at the gift shop). Join our Patreon for fr...

John Carpenter puts his own spin on Howard Hawks’ iconic western RIO BRAVO and Griffin learns about “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” - it’s our ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 episode! Screenwriter and film critic April Wolfe (2019’s BLACK CHRISTMAS) joins us as we discuss the most dramatic vanilla ice cream cone of all time. Is this one of Carpenter’s best musical scores? Gonna go ahead and say YES....

Our long-awaited John Carpenter series kicks off with his ultra-low budget oddity debut DARK STAR. Ben goes Hollywood (actually, “Hosleywood”) to record with Emily Yoshida - the Mother of Blankies herself - *in person* in Los Angeles, and the gang debates possible names for the series. We landed on “They Podcast” - which is a departure from Griffin’s far sweatier suggestions. Join us as we set the...

What if there was a beach that made you old? Only the mischievous mind of M. Night Shyamalan could conjure such a place! The gang (including Shyamalan Superfan and Blank Check social media manager Marie Bardi) dives into M. Night’s latest offering. Is it a “Glassterpiece”? Does Griffin even know what age he is anymore? Did Ben always have those wrinkles on his face? Join our Patreon for franchise...

Welcome to the slam, it’s time to jam - it’s our first in-person recording since the pandemic! Griffin’s brother James Newman returns to the pod to chat BASKETBALL, a topic that Griffin now knows slightly more about after watching The Last Dance. Is LeBron a bad actor? Does anyone really understand the complicated metaphysics of the Warner Bros Serververse? Join us as we discuss! Join our Patreon...

It’s the direct-to-Crackle sequel to our original Clifford episode from four years ago! Clifford superfan and comedy legend Tom Scharpling (“The Best Show,” his new memoir “It Never Ends”) joins us to wax poetic on Martin Short and eulogize the great Charles Grodin. The guys also give pitches for an actual Clifford sequel. Would it involve a prison break? Ben thinks so! Join our Patreon for franch...

Dust off your mullets, because it’s the return of PORCH CINEMA with another Ben’s Choice Blank Check Spectacular! The boys talk David Spade, Kid Rock, and Direct-to-Crackle sequels, as they determine the secret ingredient to Ben-approved content - carry a mop on the poster. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and ...

John Singleton’s filmography comes to an inauspicious end with “Abduction,” a film that tests the viability of “Taylor Lautner as Action Star.” Longtime friend of the pod Jason Concepcion (Crooked Media’s Takeline and ALL CAPS NBA) joins us as we mourn the untimely passing of Singleton and try to parse why this movie fails so spectacularly. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus epi...

What if there were four brothers? Has anyone thought of this before? Jonathan Braylock (Black Men Can’t Jump in Hollywood) joins us to talk about the niche genre of “snow crime,” the “what ifs?” of Singleton’s career in the 2000s, and the four classic archetypes of brothers.  Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Instagram, Threads, Facebook an...

It’s happening - the Two Friends finally devote an entire episode to THE FAMILY. Special guest (and Fast Franchise Devotee) Jon Gabrus joins us to talk about the Singleton-directed second installment in the saga, just in time for the release of F9. No Vin? No problem! We’ve got a very hungry Tyrese! Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Instagr...

Who says you can’t go home again? John Singleton returns to South Central with BABY BOY and we imagine a trip to Tyrese’s backyard Benihana, a thing that actually exists. Special guest Ayo Edebiri (Big Mouth) returns to the pod with some crackling insights (and an inspired Shrek tangent) as we discuss the legacy of what some call Singleton’s stealth best film. Join our Patreon for franchise commen...

He’s a bad mother...pod your cast! Demi Adejuyigbe (The Amber Ruffin Show) joins Griffin and David to discuss the cultural legacy of Detective John Shaft - most specifically, John Singleton’s 2000 interpretation. Is there enough sex in this version of Shaft? What does Shaft mean when he says, “Giuliani Time!” ? Does Jeffrey Wright put too much paprika on the sandwich? Listen here! Join our Patreon...

Blankie favorite Jamelle Bouie returns to the pod to discuss “Rosewood” - an ambitious historical epic whose failure at the box office (against not one, but TWO Star Wars re-releases) may have necessitated a shift for Singleton towards more commercial fare. The careers of Ving Rhames, Jon Voight, and Michael Rooker are spotlighted, as well as the surprising filmography of Rosewood’s screenwriter G...

We’re going back to school with John Singleton, Omar Epps, and...Zangief?! Micah Peters (The Ringer) joins the Two Friends as they discuss “Higher Learning” - an ambitious movie that wrestles with the Big Issues of the American experience: race, gender, sexuality, and the career of Tyra Banks. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Instagram, Th...

Jourdain Searles (Bad Romance Pod) joins The Two Friends to discuss “Poetic Justice” - a film that is NOT about Janet Jackson teaching a poetry class, contrary to Griffin’s assumption. The episode also features a delightful Billy Zane tangent and includes probably the most Maya Angelou poetry of any Blank Check installment yet. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow...

Join us as we pour one out for John Singleton, the subject of our new miniseries - PODZ N THE CAST. Griffin and David welcome Aisha Harris (NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour) to chat about Singleton’s iconic debut feature, which saw him Oscar-nominated straight out of film school at the age of 24. Take that, Orson Welles. Griffin also lays out his “Cloverfield Monster” theory of movie-watching, and the...

He’s the kid from Third Rock. The Boy from Brick. The hitRECordjoe himself. Blank Check proudly presents a special one-film miniseries on the directorial career of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, so far consisting only of the baffling 2013 porn-addiction comedy DON JON. “The Boys” Sean Clements and Hayes Davenport of Hollywood Handbook join us as we ask the important questions, like, “Why does this movie no...

Telling the truth is a dangerous business - but movies and podcasts can go hand-in-hand! We conclude our Elaine May series with one of the biggest bounces in Hollywood history - the unfairly maligned Ishtar. Clint McElroy (The Adventure Zone) joins us as we discuss blind camels and the “liberal feminist” Warren Beatty. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blan...

Grab 15 cups of cream, brush up on your Meisner Technique, and listen in as The Two Friends (Griffin & David) discuss the Two Friends MIKEY & NICKY, with special guest Olivia Craighead (Iconography podcast). While we’re still discussing the films of Elaine May, this episode also serves as a celebration of “Short King With A Tall Face” John Cassavetes, and recognizes 1976 for what it was - a banner...

Writer and comedian Avery Edison joins this week to discuss 1972’s The Heartbreak Kid! Topics include: how May’s directing elevated the Neil Simon screenplay, the performances from Cybill Shepherd, Jeannie Berlin, Charles Grodin, the delightful cringe of the comedy, and more! Check out Avery's scripted podcast Swings And Roundabouts! Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes....

Heavens! It’s technically April, but we’re talking MAY! The guys kick off our Elaine May mini series with her debut feature A New Leaf, while also diving deep into her history as an improv and sketch comedy trailblazer. This episode also marks the return of Ben’s nicknames, and includes a wild ride through the top box office hits of 1971. Billy Jack, anyone? Join our Patreon for franchise commenta...

Griffin and David welcome back Joe Reid for the 6th annual Blankie Awards Ceremony for Excellence in Films. Together they present their own personal nominations and winners for the upcoming 93rd Academy Awards. This roundtable discussion looks at all the major categories, as well as, references deep cut cinema you may have missed. Check out Joe Reid's podcast This Had Oscar Buzz! Join our Patreon...

Griffin and David are finally doing it! They are CONSIDERING THE COCONUT! In addition to the coconut they also have an in-depth conversation about Musker and Clements’ final (and best?) film together, 2016's Moana. A departure from their typical 2D animation style, and a shift from Disney’s typical Princess / Prince structure, their first fully CG film delves into a Polynesian mythology AND makes...

Just when they thought they were out, Musker & Clements are called back in to helm 2009's The Princess and the Frog. After 7 years in directorial semi-retirement, John and Ron bring Disney animated films back to its musical roots in this historic fairytale starring Disney's first Black princess. James III (Black Men Can’t Jump In Hollywood) joins this week to discuss the missteps, Keith David’s bo...

This is the BOUNCE BABY!!! This week, the gang heads to 2002’s Treasure Planet. But what would the Phil Collins bump have done for this movie? Can a CGI character have a wig, when everyone’s hair is fake? Should this movie have been called “Poochie Planet”?  They are joined by guest Emma “BOOKS” Stefansky (@stefabsky, entertainment staff writer @thrillist). Also, stick around until the end to hear...