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MAILBAG 2022 - Ask Us Anything! (Patreon)

Published:
2021-12-26 21:54:40
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

Content

Hello Blankies, Checkmates, and Patrons of the Pod:

Happy Hozlidays! 

As we step into the new year, we wanted to kick things off with a very special Patreon episode - it's the return of the MAILBAG SHOW!

From now until NOON EASTERN TIME TOMORROW (12/27), please submit your burning questions in the comments below. 

All will be revealed on 1/11/22...exciting times, folks!

Files

Comments

Chris

Please list all your feelings on Jason Statham

Amanda Hasaka

If the WDW trip ever happens can I plan it

Joseph Browne

As the pod has grown, how has your “relationship” with the Blankies changed?

Eli Sands

David, what’s your favorite piece of film criticism or writing about movies? Thanks for doing this and happy holidays!

Baloney George

What do you think is the best straight to VHS movie?

Luca Bruno

Long time listener, first time caller: Fave TV shows/music of the year?

Justin Davila

Now that we're past Matrix 4, where are your thoughts in Streaming/Theatrical releases, and the HBO/Max model

Jake Nicholson

Any plans for a future NYC live show in 2022??

Patrick Hogue

- How much do you feel you need to be an expert on the film your covering and at what point do you feel you’re ready to discuss it? And is it inherently harder for a film you’re more unfamiliar with (or just not looking forward to covering)?

Rory Dunn

If Blank Check could remake any movie (only one for the whole team, not one per person) what would it be?

Jennifer Leite

Which Muppet is the best muppet? Also, when you are covering The Muppet movies?

Matt C

What is Griffin’s aforementioned idea for a bill Murray movie that plays on his current persona?

Luca Bruno

Also: Why hasn‘t David seen Wrath of Man yet?

Connor Crehan

Is JD Amato's personal blank check episode still in the cards? Or could you tell us what it would have been?

Jacob Dominguez

Hello friends, thank you so much for this great show. My question is this: are there any directors that you will NOT do a mini-series on under any circumstances? Maybe because of the directors personal lives or any other reasons? Thanks again for everything!❤️

Toño Bretón

why is “anaconda” such a good movie? 🐍

Jack Hallett

Rapid-fire thoughts on the MCU tv shows?

Matt Rixner

Wires exposed…can Ben talk a little about how much post-production he and the editors have to do on a typical episode? Is it just cleaning up levels or more extensive chopping?

Christina Lohr

What are your most anticipated releases of 2022?

Jake

Has ben ever been to Britain and what does David think would be Ben’s favourite part of British culture? (Although I dont know why I’m asking specifically david)

Onani Master

Do you think a Kamandi/MOTU crossover would be sick and who should write it?

William Miguel

When should we expect a Matrix commentary miniseries? 😉

JS

Movie from 2021 that is a stealth recommendation?

Austin Vetter

What Shakespeare play needs a late 90s early 2000s teen adaptation?

Spencer Sap

Question aimed at Ben (but for anyone): what are the best movies set in Jersey?

Aaron Lohan

What are your top 5 pre-1960 directors you'd like to cover?

Clinton Law

What is your biggest movie pet peeve?

Mike Ostrov

Could you each speak about how your parents' careers influenced your own? David - did your mother impart anything crucial to your own journalism?

Leroy Beckett

Merry Christmas! So excited for the Campion series! I know David studied nz film, are there any other New Zealand directors you could cover?

Leo Martin

You have often discussed the cultural moment of 2001 before 9/11. Could you describe this moment a bit further, how it contrasted you to the post 9/11 period and what would American film have been like if 9/11 did not happen

Julian O Axelrod

If you could have any past Blank Check director on the pod to discuss another BC director’s film, who would you have on and what would they cover? I’d love to hear James Cameron on Strange Days or Paul Verhoeven on The Holiday

George Seabrook

You get to bring one old school movie star back to life to pass on movie star charisma lessons to the modern school. Whose bones get to have flesh again?

Zak Schindler

what are your top 5 performances by the great joey pants?

Daniel Bartholomew

Who is David favourite football (soccer) team? Favourite football (soccer) film/ documentary?

corndair

What is the one movie/franchise David refuses to show Griffina Benducer/The Boss Baby herself?

Ross Kroeber

What is your favorite non-movie/non-TV art/experience you had in 2021? Music, books, podcasts, etc. anything, can be from this year or something you discovered from a previous year

Foster Cozart

What is Griffin’s go to Muppet movie and why?

Josh Ingram

I’m curious on your David’s thoughts of new Star Trek. I’m pretty disheartened w new trek... David. Could you rank your fav captains best to worst. Rank your fav trek movies across all franchises. Or your top 3 ships?! Thanks either way and a hello fennel! Can’t wait to get some congratulations swag. PS Prof. Crispy mentions In the avengers commentary at about 1hr 11min mask fashion...did he know the pandemic was coming?!?

Stephen Blakley

Any chance of doing commentaries on the three new Marvel films (Widow, Eternals, Spidey) once they've all gotten home releases? #Blankmass

Ian Loring

How big are your physical media collections?

Parker Suczynski

I'd love for Griff to talk a bit about what his Schmoedown experience was like, and what David and Ben thought, if they watched any of it. Phrased in the form of a question?

Molly

If you were making a Blank Check: The Movie, what actors would play you?

Dylan Murray

What Blank check covered director do you think would make the most interesting VR cinematic experience? The worst?

Sammy S.

Question for everyone: do you have a favorite musical artist you discovered on a movie soundtrack?

Matthew Conte

What two (BC-covered or 2021 or just any) movies would benefit the most if their directors swapped?

Jack Hallett

Griff have you watched Arcane? If so, any thoughts on the animation/production?

Arrison Warner

Without further explanation than saying the title what film could you say have most affected you on a political level.l?

Jake

Hey Griff and Dave! As someone who has gotten heavily into steelbook collecting because of this podcast, I’d love to hear what y’all’s favorite steelbooks are? Do you collect premiums at all? Are you guys picky about disc format and the like?

Cethan Leahy

Which of the (non video game adaptations) films you covered do you think would have made the best video game tie in? (Or if any have one, which is the best!)

Toño Bretón

can Ben please share his top 5 movies to watch on acid?

Wilson Belbin

What trilogy needs you would like get a legacy sequel?

Drew Comerford

My question is for Ben, fashion icon of tomorrow. If you could add one accessory each to Griffin and David's looks, how would you accessorize their outfits?

Hiatt Hernon

who are the biggest blank check directors you can see never being covered by the podcast?(whether it be filmography length, controversial director, the griffin and david don't like them, etc.)

Mike R

Thoughts on No Way Home? How do you tackle a Spider-Man 4 after such a big Spider Spectacle?

Matthew miller

Ben has the best taste in music. What were ya'lls album(s) of year.

xenuxxxl

What is the top 90s erotic thriller or all time and will we ever see a renaissance in the coming years?

Jason Feffer

If you could revisit/redo any 1 series from start to finish, which would you do?

Tony Rittenhouse

What are all of your favorite theater going memories of 2021? Not necessarily favorite movies but things that you had missed about the theatrical experience that you got back in 2021.

James Sansom

Griffin. You mentioned forever ago a Burt Young-Eric Roberts story that you never told. Please tell me what it was.

Bradlands

Griff, you've had highs and lows in the industry. How do you stay excited and enthusiastic about movies? For me, in a similar boat, my answer is YOU GUYS, so thanks!

Anthony Koval

Why are people mad at Spider-Man: No Way Home being campaigned for Best Picture? It’s not like Best Picture is some protected/prestigious award. Remember Green Book?

Charlie Kessler

Did any of you have your own makeshift merch as a kid? For example, I wrapped a brick in Toy Story wrapping paper (making this even more Griffin-esque) and pretended it was a fruitcake from Pee-Wee’s Christmas Special. The best part is that my parents still have it at their house after all these years.

Sam Axel-Ander

Can we expect a Michael Bay mini series anytime in the near future?

Hiatt Hernon

i had one more so i'll only do two: have you all ever thought of doing a blankies awards for all the movies covered on the pod? doing best actor/actress etc of all the movies done in a main feed miniseries? would probably be difficult, but not too much more than best of the decade!

DancingSpartan

What current late night host do you think you could beat up?

The Closing Track

Thoughts on all of the Marvel Disney+ shows that came out this year?

Nick Armstrong

Question for Griffin: do you have any Walt Becker blind spots? What do you this is his quintessential film, or his Rosetta Stone if you will?

Matthew Conte

They discussed this in detail on a pretty recent episode...maybe Mouth of Madness or Village of the Damnded?

Alex Delgado

What’s the best movie theater you guys have ever been to?

ders

If you ever did a series on a “TV auteur” showrunner like Fuller, Rhimes or (god forbid) Hawley, who would you want to cover?

Zack Stoudemayer

Would you ever consider doing a "Selected Works" miniseries for a director who would otherwise have too many films to cover normally? (I'm thinking specifically of Michael Curtiz, but could apply to a lot of directors)

Adam Gainey

Which animated performance is the most deserving of a best actor/actress award? Will an animated performance ever been nominated?

Judson Greene

I have a question for David! From one Excel geek to another, how is your massive movie spreadsheet organized?

Steven Hoffart

So I actually listened to the last mailbag episode when I was working on the Burj Khalifa, repelling on it with ropes. What Mission Impossible set piece location would you most want to visit yourself, but only if you were in the experiencing it how Ethan Hunt was?

Wilson Belbin

Best character actor performance of 2021 that no one is talking about?

Matthew Conte

What movie would be best if recast with the BC crew and who would play which role?

Anthony Koval

What is your guys’ ranking of the Rocky movies? (Creed not included)

Douglas

what are essential blu rays to have in your collection purely for their special features/commentaries?

Leelee G

Who are some of your guys' favorite post-90s studio auteurs?

Matthew Chmiel

What’s the movie you regret not seeing in theaters when released?

Alex Staniloff

Will there ever be a return to form, like the Phantom Podcast, where you’ll spend multiple episodes examining a single blank check film? If so, what would that film be?

DogHuntDuck

Griffin what’s your ideal fantastic four movie pitch?

James Williams

What movies would you write the Criterion essays for?

Hector Lester-George

Which of the miniseries judged to be 'too long' would each of you most want to do if given an entire free year of the BC schedule?

Zak

What are some of your favorite books on film/film history?

Ben Pack

Where is the Super Mario World podcast, David?

Max

Until we get David's videogame podcast, what were his (and everyone else's) favorite games of the year?

Elliot Breakspear

What are David’s thoughts on Michael Mann’s appearance on the Rewatchables “3-Heat” episode with Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan?

Michael Davis

If you were forced to retire all bits but one, what bit would you keep?

Danny Wilson

Do you think that the #1 movie of the Summer will have a Superhero in it the year you turn 50? Honestly can't tell if I phrased that coherently. Pretty stoned.

Kyle Amato

What are your most anticipated blockbusters of 2022?

Danny Cox

Do you have any pitches for biopics you’d want to see? Subject, structure, castings. Any besides Caleb Landry Jones in The Ben Hosley Story

pantyscribbles

Two parter for Griffin and Ben. Griffin, if you got the chance to revisit your version of Quiz Master on the CW's Flash, would you want a full villian get up or street clothes? Ben, if you were a super villian what would your power be and what would you call your henchmen?

Étienne Fillion-Sauvé

Is Caleb Landry-Jones still the number 1 choice for the Ben Hosley story, or does Mike Faist have a chance?

Callan Michael Webster

Are you sure? I don’t recall this and according to letterboxd David didn’t even see it until the 3rd of December (after all the carpenters had been recorded)

Kayla Pate

What genre of film do you know the least about that you want to study more in depth? What does the process of “getting into” a genre involve for you?

Chris Aoyama

Are you going to do commentaries on the phase 4 marvel movies?

Stephen Browne

What are some directors on the “definitely going to cover someday” list? Sometimes I have movies I want to watch but feel like it’s worth it to save them for the eventual episodes

The Closing Track

Any chance of covering Spider-Man as a franchise on the Patreon? (I know the MCU ones were already covered but Raimi trilogy/Amazing Spidey movies) Especially with all of the discourse surrounding No Way Home.

Christopher Ayscue

David- your favorite Brooklyn pizza/sandwich/burrito places

Matthew J

How do you watch movies? Not necessarily just the setting in which you watch, but more of a psychological question about the mindset you try to use for watching them

Elliot Breakspear

If The Power of the Dog had a flashback sequence, who would be cast as Bronco Henry?

Ryan Caldwell

How do y’all deal with excessive talkers at the movies? Maybe it’s just me, but with less people going out to the theater, I feel like I’ve ran into more disruptions. Like people don’t remember how to act in a movie theater.

Jacob Montgomery

If you could start off this podcast with a trilogy other than the Star Wars prequels, what movies would you pick?

Dylan Dawson

Would you ever consider diving into world of trash cinema auteurs like Frank Henenlotter (Basket Case, Brain Damage), William Lustig (Maniac, Maniac Cops) or Jamaa Fanaka (Penitentiary, Emma Mae)? Feel like there’s a whole other layer to the onion with underground filmmakers. Prob too niche, I know, but Carpenter had me wanting you guys to dive even deeper into the Grindhouse muck. What are some of your favorite films/filmmakers of that ilk?

Daniel Marx

What do you make of the bizarre phenomenon of A24 standom? Is it a good/bad thing?

Alex

Since you didn’t cover Carpenter’s Masters of Horror eps, any thoughts if you saw them?

Aidan Howells

What're your favorite movie musicals?

Kyle Faber

In the current state of the world/industry/box office, which movie stars do you think can still get a project green lighted, if any?

Caillin McDaid

Griffin's been watching the sopranos for the first time, what's his thoughts on it?

Elliot

Please justify why you have a different opinion to me on the movies I like/dislike.

Champagne and Gummy bears

What are David’s top 5 (or 10) movie kisses? And the top 5 movies that needed a kiss but didn’t have one/enough of them?

Jackson Boren

Now that we’ve seen Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion and the Jungle Cruise made into films which Disney attraction do you think is next for adaptation and why is it the Enchanted Tiki Room?

Ian Smart

have you guys seen all of SENSE8? I think it gets so much better as it goes. And feels like (up until RESURRECTIONS) the most firm statement of the Wachowskis world-view (especially Lana’s).

Alex

Is honeydew the money melon?

Sammy Kay

Rank the 3 prestige Adam McKay flicks

Zach Terrell

Director suggestion that either party has vetoed?

Elliot

Do you fear a singularity of too many movies being released by existing blank check directors, so that they effectively fill the slate.

Matthew Van Gorder

What miniseries would you most like to do, BUT know you never will? (Length, popularity, content, age, other reasons)

Dale Jason Armstrong

My only question is if blank check productions would like to get involved with a project I’m working on. It’s a remake of Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, but it’ll be called Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: The Musical: The Movie. I already have a few songs written for it, and it would just be a very sincere musical comedy remake of the seventh installment of the Halloween franchise. The tagline can be “This time, there’s water” or “This time it’s wet for realsies”

Aaron Crabtree

What are your favorite criterion releases?

Abigail Noy

hi buds! if there were a movie made about Blank Check, how would you cast it and who would direct? love, your pal Abigail

Lastchants

David, who do you want to be the next Bond?

Tyler Krohn

Other than when Griffin and Ben saw the King Kong musical, what's your favorite play/performance you've seen?

Brian Stipelman

How much (if at all) do you think your impression of the MCU (in its totality) is influenced by the amount of oxygen it takes up in the public consciousness as opposed to its success/worth/value as an ongoing franchise?

Daniel

To Griffin, David. Have any of your hot takes or opinions on the pod ever gotten you into real strife in the real world, or within the respective film industries you both work in? For example, saying that an actor is bad in a film, and then they happen to listen to the pod / or hear about it.

J. Matthew Lucas

If The Hozliday were to fall on a day in the calendar, what day would The Hozliday be?

Alex

Also, would you guys ever do a series of directors with smaller outputs to cover in its own one-off miniseries? Mostly because I would like to hear your thoughts on something like True Stories.

Rebecca Buhner

Is David bidialectal (able to switch between American and British accents, not just do an impression of a British accent) due to spending a part of his childhood in the UK? Or was he too old by the time he moved there to develop a British accent? Every time they talk about him in London I wonder this.

Thomas Dempsey

What movie / TV show would each of you like to see adapted into a VR experience?

Alex

(also please cover bob fosse I’d like to hear more folks discuss All that Jazz 🙏)

Daniel

Ben, what are some potential ‘Ben’s choices’ cooking in the oven for a future ep?

Tyler Clark

Griffin, who’s a contemporary actor/actress you wanna do a scene with that you haven’t gotten to yet?

Drew Turro

Which directors/rumored movies stuck in development hell would Blank Check™️ Studios most like to finance if given your own blank check?

Jonathan Stark

Who's a one-hit wonder director you'd like to cover?

Justin Peterson

Hello gang, I'm not sure if this has been asked before but in your opinion out of all the directors you have covered which movie is the biggest blank Check and which is the biggest bounce, baby?

Richard Pierce McLain

Thank you guys as always for your time and effort. Love you so much. My question is this: Griffin in particular seems to have had a hard time loving movies when he watches them at home which is a mindset I identify with, do any of you (especially Griffin) have rituals or steps to make watching movies at home approximate the profundity of watching in a theater?

theeoin

You've been plugged into the Matrix, what does your RSI look like?

nw

Do you guys have any takes on the films of Jacques Demy? Obviously 'Lola', 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg' and 'Young Girls of Rochefort' are considered masterpieces but his late career is pretty weird.

Daniel

You guys often claim that X episode “may be our best ever”… which BC episode do you really think has been the best ever thus far?

Kyle Anderson

Is Adam McKay a blank check director? What are your McKay rankings?

Benedict Paul

I only recently saw The Talented Mr Ripley for the first time and absolutely loved it. It struck me that it would be an absolutely vital film to cover in any autopsy of its 3 leads' careers, made me feel the loss of Minghella more keenly and made me want to return to Italy, where I lived for a short time. What film has recently made you guys say "Hello beautiful, where have you been all my life?"

Mikko Viinikka

What are your favorite special features on movie releases? Commentaries, docs, etc. Also, can you reveal anything about your plans for March Madness yet?

Johnny Thompson

What are some stats you’d want to see about the pod? For example, how many times David gets the pod back on track, what’s the average BPE (bits per episode), what’s the most referenced theater on the pod, etc.

Quinn

If you guys could each recast a Carpenter film, which would it be and who would be in it?

Sharon Greenblatt

What are your thoughts on adding an actors turned directors bracket to March Madness? Would love to see a mini-series on Kenneth Branagh, with bonus episode on the London Olympic Opening Ceremony

Kenneth Aucoin

If you could reinvent the podcast today, what would be your format and/or topic change?

Neil Forbes

David, as a new dad, what is your current viewing, writing, recording routine like?

will margules

If you were to create a Muppet based homage to any director you have covered so far who would it be and what would it entail

Daniel

If the BC crew formed a band, who would play what instrument?

Joseph Ornstein

I love the idea of one-film filmographies and was especially interested after listening to David talk about Johnny mnemonic in the matrix episode. What one film miniseries would you most wanna do(shouts out Freddy got fingered)?

Jamal Way

How long before Kit Fisto returns as a special guest star in a Disney Plus series? Does the world get swept by Kisto fever, resulting in his own show?

Mikko Viinikka

They did briefly cover them on the Ward episode.

Sam Russell

Do you have stories of exceptionally bad theater going experiences?

Taylor Owens

Thoughts on Peter Jackson's Get Back project?

Micah Levine

Hey guys. Given your reverence of The Simpsons, I’m curious what you both make of the movie. Do we like? Is it unnecessary? Last gasp of the golden era? Mailbag’s a great space to throw down on Simpsons nerddom. Peace & love.

James The Beer Boy

I’m from the UK (somewhere that none of the Blank Check podcast has ever visited). However, I’d love to visit New York soon and find some of the places you mention on the pod very enticing. Where would you recommend a non-New Yorker to visit as a fan of the show/fan of bagels/fan of pizza?

Matthew Conte

If you had to pick one (non-March Madness winning) 20+ film director to cover who would it be?

Max Horsthemke

Would you ever consider covering a „canceled“ director such as Allen or Gibson?

Jeff Burnett

David, if the animated series The Critic was still on the air, and they asked you to voice yourself in an episode, would you do it?

Abigail Treis

Do you still think Jay and Adnan both did it

Aaron Crabtree

If you could replace any actor in any movie with Danny Devito, who would you replace?

Collin B.

If you had to do a miniseries on the career of a non-director (actor, cinematographer, writer, etc.) who would it be and why?

Rajan Awasthi

Even though Star Wars discourse is poisonous, I loved the idea for your fifth anniversary to re-discuss The Phantom Menace one last time. Are there any plans to do that for another anniversary or milestone? Much love!

Jeff Burnett

For everyone, if for some magical reason a director having a large filmography wasn't an issue, who would be your first choice to cover on the pod?

Campbell

@david will the winds of winter is ever get released ? Pls.

Michael Natale

Is there a new release you talked positively about during your time doing the show (either covered as an episode or just talked.about during one) that you've soured on since?

Matthew Conte

What would your character's name be if you were in a Coen Brothers movie?

Ian Johnson

Griffin I have to know your thoughts on the Nicole Kidman pre-show video they show at AMCs now. Despite it being about the ‘magic of movies’ does it kind of make you hate movies? Is Nicole Kidman delivering a good performance? Do you also get scared every time she looks directly at the camera like she’s about to reach through and choke you to death? I must know

Sebastian Murillo

What are your thoughts on Redlettermedia’s videos about their John Carpenter film ranking? Have they ever been considered to be a guest on an episode on the show?

Rebecca Buhner

Gillian Anderson is a good example of this if you want to see bidialectalism in practice, she grew up in the US and the UK and switches flawlessly between accents (they’re dialects more technically I guess) in a way that’s clearly not her doing an impression, she can just switch between them. It’s so damn cool. I have a linguistics background so I am particularly fascinated by this!

Jeff Burnett

Two Jackass related questions: Which stunt from the franchise would you be willing to do yourself? And what is Johnny Knoxville's best acting role?

Pardon the Pixie Dust

Of the directors you've covered, which ones had the most shockingly large range (difference between best and worst film)? Which had the smallest range?

Ed Porter

As the foremost Star Wars scholars in the world, where do you see the franchise going in the future? The Skywalker Saga has concluded (?). What do you anticipate fans will see in terms of future trilogies and tv series? Please phrase your answer in the form of a full episode devoted to Star Wars, including a spec script for a future Star Wars reboot. Thank you.

Austin Ingalls

On the backs of Get Back, what is everyone’s favorite Beatles album?

Mulder's Trunks

Is there a good actor with as big a blindspot as Ray Winstone and accents?

Matthew Conte

The 1998 erotic thriller Wild Things starring Matt Dillon, Neve Campbell, Kevin Bacon and Denise Richards: nut or butt?

Tanner Randall

What is a movie the team has covered that you'd most want to revisit?

Daniel M.

What's the most food you've ever seen someone eat in one sitting? Also, favorite movie monkey?

Daniel

We’ve heard your favourite walks in cinema… but I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say we want to hear your NO.1 Run (could be an actor e.g. Cruise, or a scene in a film) and your NO. 1 Crawl. Unite the human travel speeds.

Joy Sophonisba Hawkins

would you ever have Armond White as a guest? his podcast episode (can't remember which) on Stop Making Sense and Sign O' the Times really changed how I view certain films and his have been quoted positively... on occasion. (I know he's very polarising so I understand why you'd be hesitant)

Gimme Fiction

I love y’all. But I bet you’ve never eaten Skittles Enchiladas. Have you? I would like to know. Thanks

test

What other podcast would you like to do a crossover with that you haven’t already done one with?

Bryson

What is your least favorite film by your favorite director and your favorite film by your least favorite director?

Sarah

Is griffin seeing anyone???

Isaac Chehebar

Hey Griffin and David. Long time fan and listener of your show. What are your favorite pizzerias in NYC? What’s your take on Fascatti’s in Brooklyn Heights?

Zachary Thompson

Say you stood on a crowded street corner asking strangers to sing/hum you a piece of original movie score. Out of the people who are successfully able to do it, what percentage choose something by John Williams?

Chris Miracle

Happy Holidays! If you could pick any director to gift a blank check to who would it be and why?

Andrew

Merchandise Spotlight: I picked up an action figure from a movie you'd covered that I'd send you, do you have a PO box or somewhere we can send a toy?

Joy Sophonisba Hawkins

Also, I've always wondered how big a difference there is between UK and US popcorn. I don't understand the butter pump... are there even little salt crystals? do Americans have sweet popcorn? I don't know why I'm asking here, I don't think any of y'all would know what bri'ish popcorn tastes like...

Daniel

What film currently in development are you guys most excited about?

Ryan West

This one’s mainly for David. Congratulations, you are now the creative director for the new Mass Effect game. What’re we doing, what’s it about, where’s it set?

Nick Armstrong

Do either of you have filmmakers in mind whose careers you are not a fan of, but you still want to cover them as a miniseries because they’re short and/or interesting? Like a Len Wiseman, for example?

Matthew Conte

David spent part of his childhood WHERE??

George Toledo

If I make a post about enjoying the new Matrix movie, and someone replies with ad hominem attacks in the subreddit, which I initially respond to in good faith anyway, why would I get temporarily banned from the blankies subreddit? Why are people being allowed to troll people who do like it? Do you think that allowing critiques the level of "it's bad", or harassment of fans, is at some point is just enabling what is in all probability just trans bashing and/or weird politically loaded trolling?

Sonny Riverside

In 2022, Will you guys do a sight and sound episode? Bring on some all time favorite guests and go through their 10 picks for the Sight and Sound all time list? Please do.

Hannah H

David in the last mailbag episode you mentioned you were playing Disco Elysium - what type of cop did you end up becoming?

Daniel Davis

Favorite set of films done by an actor in a row, like five or six or so movies they were in back to back?

Rebecca Buhner

Cannot believe my enthusiasm made me fall for this!

jack read

The holidays have come and gone, but I'm curious: if you were participating in a secret gift exchange with every Blank Check director, whose name would you be most excited to draw? What would you give them?

Jonathan Popalis

What’s the plot of the inevitable legacy sequel of Beetlejuice? All living cast members available and will likely need at least a cameo.

Daniel

Griff, what is your favourite film about sport? David, what is your favourite film about toys/merchandise/collectibles?

Mac Pohanka

koyaanisqatsi or Baraka?

Adam Mincks

Ben was really happy with the chain representation in the “West Side Story” ep. what are Ben’s Top Five Chain movies (I have a feeling his good friend/penpal Pinhead will probably show up at or near the top)?

Ben Ritter

Since you refuse to do an episode on it, what are your thoughts on Mr. Corman?

Elias

Griffin, David, Ben, did any of you check out the Fox Noir collection on Criterion? If so, any favourites? Fans of the genre, in general?

Zak Goldberger

I never know what to ask whenever a podcast opens up their mailbag. So my question for you is: What question should I ask?

Daniel

Ben, what is a film you’ve seen, that: 1. You think is good. 2. Griffin and David haven’t seen it. Does such a film exist, and what would it be?

Benji Black

You have the power to bring one dead filmmaker back to make one last movie. You have zero say in what they make and they have access to today's filmmaking technology. Who are you bringing back and why?

Cody Fram

If you could take any film from the last decade and swap directors with John Carpenter, what film would it be?

Nick Clerget

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints were the independent movies that got me into watching more movies. What were your independent movie starters?

Tom Fiddian

Dear Spreadmaster, What is the most surprising/controversial pick, that Pod doesn’t know about, on any of your spreadsheets?

Jason O'Rear

Hey gang! What is a movie or genre you could give a sermon on (à la ARP with Halloween)? Thanks for the all the work on pod!

Brian Conoley

If you had to cast Produer Ben in a movie, who would you have direct him, what genre would it be and who would his co-stars be? This could be Night Eggs, a movie that already exists or something else all together. I would do a reverse Encino-Man, no politics like Idiocracy, but rather have Ben sent back in time to show cave-people how to get wet, down and dag nasty.

himartin84

What's something (be it a movie, music artist, restaurant, life advice, etc.) that you want to recommend that you might not otherwise have a chance to talk about on the show? Thanks for keeping us (or at least me) sane and being such a great podcast through these turbulent times.

Nate Goodman

Can we get a special Merchandise Spotlight from Ben previewing what items will be available from Congratulations once it goes live?

Beardmask

Since Hollywood latches on to trends, what trend would you like to see post-Superheroes? Should pirates come back? Space in general? And when can we get a dang Shazam commentary? I need it.

Brennen Kauffman

Now that we're almost a year out from the previous Blankies, has Griffin caught up with or re-evaluated any of the big Oscar movies of 2020? Has his opinion on Nomadland changed?

Dylan Rome

What is the biggest 'Blank Check' movie in terms of budget and content (that can either be a clear or a bounce) of 2021 and of the past few years? Some nominees I can think of are The Irishman, Mank, Welcome to Marwen, West Side Story, Matrix: Resurrections, and Don't Look up.

Kyle Nazario

Dear Blank Check, There is a herd of deer in my neighborhood that seems unafraid of humans. One time a mother deer followed me for a block after I walked too close to a fawn. This freaks me out. This is not a joke or a bit. These things are everywhere. What should I do? Kyle from Gainesville, Florida

Gray

David - what’s your history with DnD? What was your favorite character you played? Or were you the forever-DM? ⚔️

Cole Sansom

If Kevin James is the King of Queens, and Pete Davidson the King of Staten Island, who are the respective monarchs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx?

Theo Gibb

Whats a movie that you love in a genre that you typically hate?

Jacob Geller

After two years of zoom recordings, how are y'all feelings about the difference between virtual and in-person records? Has your thinking on this evolved?

Lizz

Which do you think is 'blank checkier' - a director getting to make whatever original idea they want, or adapt any existing property they want? The first seems obvious, sometimes original ideas require more convincing and faith. But also perhaps taking on a property with existing value and the expectations and obstacles that come with that requires just as much clout.

Joshua Ochoa

Can David call his next place House of Smoochi?

Andrew Duvall

In the film “Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe”, Werner Herzog eats his shoe. My question is two-fold: 1) What are your favorite movie titles that require little context and 2) What celebrity do you think would be the most interesting to watch prepare and eat their own shoe?

Ruairi Carroll

Will you do a Patreon series on "Geezer Teasers"?

George Dunne

What's the best kiss of 2021?

J. Whitham

I know David has exquisite gaming tases because he is a fan of Michael Brough's Imbroglio but was wondering if he ever tried Cinco Paus and is so any thoughts on it?

Terry Ballard

Crossover event with Pod Save America? What movie do you cover?

Kenny Pickett

I'd like your dream Fantastic Four casts for all options of possible Fantastic Four movies. Who would you cast in a "traditional" FF movie, a movie where the FF is all people of color, a gender swapped FF movie, and an FF movie with all actors over the age of 50.

Evan

Hello lads I got a trip to NYC for Christmas what’s three things I need to do/see

Jake Cruickshank

For Griffin, how do you stay in the funny zone?

Karen O'Keeffe

David consistently rates certain genres of movies lower on Letterboxd - for example, Set It Up (final line from review “it’s fucking perfect and I love it”) is only rated a 3. What gives?

Peter Angelinas

This is for Ben - we know that dirt, sand, wet, big and chains are the keys to a great picture. What’s next on the horizon for things that Ben thinks are fucking rad?

Khoa Nguyen

Have the two friends ever played Metal Gear Solid? There’s so much Carpenter in there. Also, Kojima is a wild blank check video game director

Terry Ballard

Deer are no joke. They are vicious when flight or fight kicks in. Buy a bunny and take them on walks with you. They are natural allies and the deer will see you as a vicarious friend.

Fresh Ragu

Can you assuage my concerns about the future of commercial filmmaking after the theatrical bombs of 2021?

Andrew

Could you guys name some of your favorite comic runs? Would love to hear your recommendations! Love the show!

Bek Yuldashev

Why haven’t you yet done a porch classic episode on King Ralph?

Andy Germuga

If you could pick one other franchise to insert Jim's Dad into, what would it be and why?

Brian Irwin

At the start of a new director would you consider announcing the next director? I know the reveal is fun at the end, but with the way movies come on and off of streaming the extra lead time may allow us to catch a few more movies when they are 'free'.

Eric Gressman

my favorite part of BC is getting a portrait of a director through watching a catalogue and getting the context connoisseurship alongside. I think lots of art is best served this way. Whos a non-film artist you like who would produce a "good arc" for a BC-like treatment? For me it'd be someone like Lee Krasner or Henri Toulouse-Lautrec but that's I like paint. Might be Bethesda Studios or Jhonen Vasquez or some toy designer instead. Also have u seen finch holy shit

Brian Irwin

Depends on what you are into, but if you have not been before hit Katz (or a better option) Deli and get a plate of food that could feed you for your entire trip. I dig the highline for a nice little walk if you are in Manhattan. Catch a live podcast at someplace like the Bell House :)

HartleyJane

Is there a movie, tv show, song, book or artist that you discovered for the first time during the pandemic that really resonated with you?

Terry Ballard

I can't imagine Ben reacting to the Metal Gear Series... and now I want nothing else. "He's hiding in a dang box", He has a crocodile head for a dang hat", "That Mantis is reading my dang memory card" (I don't know how old you are but that last thing actually happened.

Terry Toner

Do you guys have a singular "Christmas" moment from Da Moviesh/tv that instantly transports you to that time of year no matter to when you see it??

Dave Kaleta

What has been your non-film favorite media (tv, music, podcast, book) that helped you get through 2021?

Alex Bagnara

Is Wes Anderson someone we should never expect to see covered on the show? He was discussed a lot during the Walk this year but rarely hear him mentioned as a contender. I know his career is essentially blank check’s to do his own thing but was curious if that took him out of consideration.

Mike Finnerty

Out of all the Premier League teams you could have supported, why did David pick Arsenal? Was it a case of them being closest to the house? Your tweets about England during Euro 2020 were great fun, what was your reaction when England played America at the 2010 World Cup? Thanks for keeping me sane this year, please do a Wes Craven series.

Kathleen May

Yes hello, my question is, can David please spend several minutes of this episode doing his Guy Ritchie voice?

Abigail Andrews

Blank It! I'd like to know whether Griffin or David have ever met Lindsay Duncan since The Phantom Podcast? Or ever come close?

Christian Thom

I bought a digital projector and can now watch 3D movies. I know Griffin’s a fan, so outside of Avatar, Coralline, and Gravity do #thetwofriends have any ‘must see’ 3D movies?

Peter Gilbertson

Chip Smith coins. I need to know more. Or does that put me in Chip’s enemy list.

Andrew Amon

Ok just a few quick one's A: Griff--- Shake Shack or In and Out? B: David--- Art House or Shlock? C: Ben ---- Flower or Wax/Shatter? For the the two friends and the PRO-- doer. Any chance of you fine fellows covering David Lynch, would 🖤 to hear everyone's take on a totally blank check director. Thanks for all the laughs, Andy

Ana

Are there any walks you feel like you missed in hindsight after Talking the Walk 2021: Ranking the Walks?

Andrew Haworth

Hello Ben, I would appreciate a Ween update. Have you tried to get Griffin and David into them? Favorite songs? Been to a liveshow? Always psyched to hear about someone's Ween journey!

Kenn Edwards

You’re always listing your favorites by director, but what’s your list of favorite directors? top 5/10 including anyone you’ve already covered?

Nate Shu

I know you've sworn off covering TV after Roadies, but if you were to hypothetically apply the Blank Check format to television, what showrunners would you want to cover (Ryan Murphy, David E. Kelly, Shonda Rhimes, Josh Schwartz, etc.)?

Seth B

Does Ben like caves and if so does he prefer ‘mites or ‘tites?

Kenn Edwards

What Talking the Walk submissions did you see on the reddit that you forgot and wish you could’ve included?

Begemott

You've been asked about best and worse, but who is the most 5/10 director? Who can really deliver a perfectly mediocre film on a regular basis?

Wade Hollomon

I'd love to ask Griffin about the balance between working in the Film and TV industry and talking about movies publicly! I notice that Griffin doesn't rate movies on Letterboxd and generally looks for a positive take on every film, but I'm not sure how much of that is personality versus professional courtesy. I ask this as someone who co-hosts a movie podcast but has been trying to break into the Film and TV industry! Thank you for giving me something to look forward to every Sunday.

Bria Cotton

Ryan Gosling’s “Wolfman” appears to be picking up steam, do you have any hopes/fears/musings about the project and the future of classic movie monsters? Thank you in advance ✨

JOSHUA BUCK

Who is the biggest star actor/actress who you have not covered in any miniseries?

Mike Ostrov

I'm in Gainesville, too. I have no tips. I've only ever encountered them on the Hawthorne Trail, where they dart at a twig snap.

Mac Pohanka

What is your favorite screen here in NYC? Im a sucker for lincoln square imax but love the big screens at alamo bk. I miss the huge one at sunshine rip

George Toledo

Hamilton Burger is asking: "Two friends! What would each of your signature Matrix fight moves be? And Ben, are you more like the Architect or the Analyst? Hamilton Burger out."

Xavier

Griffin, Have you played warioware? Much like colliding portals I feel like the vibe convergence would create a dangerous singularity.

Begemott

David: GotY???

Fred

Would Ben Affleck be good in Matt Damon roles and vice versa? Ben Affleck as Jason Bourne, Matt Damon as Batman ect

Dustin Philipson

I’ve noticed that David seems to be growing weary of all the inflammatory discourse over whose ‘canceled’ & who isn’t (thinking of his James Woods love) — am I reading him right? I’m kinda in that camp myself; being just a few years ahead of you guys, age wise (I’m in the Xennial camp) — I grew up in the last of the ‘analog era’ age groups (i.e. pre internet outrage)… I seem to remember a lot more wiggle room back in the 90s to separate the artist’s personal affairs & their art. Thoughts? Am I just turning in to the ‘get-off-my-lawn’ guy?? Regardless, Love you guys 😎💟

Jason Teiken

James Bond is mentioned a lot in the box office game/discussed as a potential franchise for Patreon. I really want to know each of the two friends’ (and Ben’s) top 5 Bond films. Either the Brosnan era or Craig era would be perfect for Patreon commentaries btw.

Hendoh Bendoh

What are you guys looking forward to this year?

Paul Aftanas

Is hot dog a sandwich? And why is the answer yet.

Joshua Batty

Which Broadway or Off-Broadway play/musical that has not yet been turned into a movie would you most like to see adapted for the silver screen? (Maybe a Joey Sims question?)

George Toledo

might be wrong but I have long thought that a hot dog is a kind of sausage. looking forward to an official verdict though.

Matt Vaughan

Who is the successor to Leonardo DiCaprio as the 'uncrowned-but-hopefully-someday' Oscar winner? I used to think it was Gyllenhaal, and it still might be, but Adam Driver seems to be in contention now, though he doesn't have years of 'c'mon, when is he gonna get it?'.

Ang Lee's Dad

Speed round: I'd be curious to hear your favourite performance from some actors who have barely or never been covered on the show. Gene Hackman, Ben Stiller, Donald Sutherland, Julia Roberts, Sean Connery, Matt Dillon, Audrey Hepburn.

Ryan Toohey

What movies did your teachers make you watch in school?

J Em

Marie's Choice ep when?

Aaron Waller

Who is your favorite filmmaker that you don't think you ever will cover on the podcast for one reason or another?

Avri Rosen-Zvi

Would love to hear your thoughts on recent Disney/Pixar movies - Encanto and Luca and the Lightyear trailer!

Matt Alexander

Wondering if Griffin can elaborate on what he said about The Matrix and Napoleon Dynamite being the two biggest visual influences on movies in recent decades? Also how does Ben feel about Napoleon Dynamite? Can we have more Napoleon talk in general? Thanks

Ingi Óskarsson

Why do they use swords instead of guns in the matrix reloaded?

Bryson

What are some of the “prized items” in your physical media collection?

Ray Goldberg

I needed to read that like 5 times

Daniel Knag

Of course it is. But is an egg soup?

Jordan

This is only tangentially film related, but can we hear the blank check takes on Taylor Swift? Particularly now that she’s re-releasing her albums and directed a short film for one of her songs

Nicholas Razzante

Griffin will you please recount my favorite Toy Story anecdote of all time??? It was not covered on the commentaries and I am desperate to hear Ben and David’s reactions. (Andrew Stanton tells the story on the commentary track during the Mrs Nesbit scene, it involves one upping Arnold and maintaining a G rating)

Casey

What are some of your all time favorite reviews? Ebert's review of "Aliens", mentioned during your commentary, is up there for me. He admired it while at the same time it left him "wrung out and unhappy". It has always stood out to me through the years.

Scott Cooney

If you could recommend one (and only one) movie or franchise to your cohost that you know they haven't seen, what would it be?

Kevin

What are your thoughts on "Bless Us All" being cut from Muppet Christmas Carol? Are there any other notable examples of Scenes Deleted from the Theatrical Release?

Kevin Salat

Related to the physical media question above, what are some of your favorite Criterion releases that you have / particular special features? The 2.5-hour “Charles Laughton Directs ‘The Night of the Hunter’” is a favorite of mine.

Reuben

How would you consider doing miniseries? Noting this has been covered in the Wachowski’s & Crowe’s series. Twin Peaks is a must if doing Lynch, like Angels in America is for Nichol’s But like what about, for example, Marvel Miniseries? Or, in particular, a director like Mike Flanagan?

Bern Roche Farrelly

I know there is some Buster Keaton love in the pod, when will you do some older films? Does anyone have the numbers so they can play the box office game for the week of April 21st 1924, when Sherlock Jr was released?

Anthony Proli

What are your thoughts about Wrigley Scott’s two films this year and how his contempt for the ruling class influences the portrayal of the Guccis as well les Carrouges and les gris

Jared Rayment

Not a question, but I think you guys should bring back eating on mic. Hear me out. Exclusively, on Patreon. For the commentaries. When I listen to the two friends watching a movie and talking about it while sitting on a couch, it feels like I’m watching movies with some pals. And hearing them eat is a part of that experience.

Scott Sawtell

We all know Griffin’s favourite animated movie. What is Davids? Also, for both Griffin and David, what are some non American animated movies you recommend?

Mac Pohanka

What movie would you like to see get “The Producers” treatment? A film turned into a musical followed by a film adaptation of that musical

Ryan Morse

Ben if you could re-design a famous statue or monument would what it be and what would you do to it?

emma c

On the James Cameron mini, I was absolutely shouting at my phone each time y'all discussed Michael Biehn's credits with nary a mention of his Tombstone performance as Johnny Ringo opposite Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday, two mid-nineties icons in my opinion! Top to bottom the cast of this very fun movie is absurdly stacked, and I feel the Two Friends may have given it short shrift. Is it a porch classic? Tombstone thoughts?

Stuart Urback

Is David still planning on doing a game podcast?

Linus Babcock

What is David’s opinion on the Movie Trivia Schmoedown? If he was younger and not currently married with a young child how would does he think he would fair with the current competition?

Sean Harrigan

Do you default to a comfort watch or something new on flights?

Scott Sawtell

Recently you needed to grapple with James Woods the person with his magnetic performances. Is there anyone where you just cannot watch them on screen due to their toxicity in real life?

Lance Conzett

Who are some of your favorite undersung film critics? I’m a bit biased because he was my editor for short time, but Jim Ridley at the Nashville Scene was a treasure (and his book “People Only Die of Love in the Movies” is wonderful). What say you guys?

Max Cargill

Are there any video games based on movies that you loved to play?

Morgan

what are everyone’s favorite trailers?

Matt Genné

Thinking about David’s love of Star Trek and Griffin’s of Toy Story, how do you decide when it’s time for another series that’s particularly and personally important to one of you? Follow up: and what would that be?

Edward Savoy

Are there any movie takes you’ve had that you’ve substantially reconsidered since you first issued said take?

Graig Kent

More toy talk for the real nerds. Has Griffin bought David and/or Ben action figures? If so what were they, and how were they received. And have David and/or Ben subsequently gone on to buy any movie related toys for themselves?

Dane

Hey Bois I live in Queensland Australia and George Clooney and Julia Roberts are currently shooting a movie here. I was just wondering if you can tell when a movie has been shot somewhere and if that gives it a different feel? Like New York movies vs LA movies vs Vancouver movies etc. I definitely notice Australian scenes in Marvel movies.

Jared Precht

Big fan of the podcast. So much so that I need it to fall asleep most nights. Just curious as to your top holiday/Christmas films? Thanks for all you do.

William Evans

David - Can we get a rundown on the games you completed in 2021? Do you have a Game of the Year?

Graig Kent

We know ruling over all of them is Christopher Walken, the King of New York

Davis Maureen

Where can I preorder a pair of “Buried Jeans” brand jeans? Followup question: If each one of you could do an episode by episode podcast about a TV show of your choice, which one would it be and why?

gagneet

what would your malignant’s name be? what would it be doing with your body?

Gordon Mihan

David, I know you’re very private about your family but how has having a child changed your relationship to movies? Obviously as a professional film critic you watch movies for your job but I was just curious if you’ve seen or felt a change in yourself. Personally, as a new dad myself baby and child endangerment in movies / tv freaks me out way more than I thought it would!

John Rochester

Especially when we know they’re watching several movies in one sitting, it feels like a better hang when they decide what to order in and then later on it arrives.

Michael Davis

David, as a British boy myself, i’m interested to hear what you feel like the major cultural differences are between the English and American relationship with movies, since you’ve experienced both (*pause for comedy*)

Dean Manness

Will Downton Griffy Newmz be making a return to the Movie Trivia Schmoedown next season for another title run?

Jibril Gagale

With all the discussion and debate about how Disney has or hasn’t handled the 20th/Searchlight titles this year, which studios do you think are nailing distribution and promotion right now?

charlie baker

when is ben’s fashion line launching???

J

When are y’all gonna tackle Peter Jackson? I feel like his arc is different than similar directors (Spielberg, Lucas, Zemeckis, Cameron, Raimi) and has a lot of tics and interests that separate him from that pack. He’s got the early horror schlock, then Heavenly Creatures, then LOTR, then post-LOTR, then the Hobbits. Now he’s in this pretty creatively successful documentary groove where a series now could end on a relative high note rather than a fart like Zemeckis. Plus, David made an offhand comment about not really liking LOTR back in the Matrix Revolutions episodes and I would just love to hear his take on them.

SuiteTooth

Who is a guest you’ve tried really hard to get on, and that you’ve lost hope that you’ll ever get them?

Richard Barry

My wife would like to know: What percentage of the time they spend talking about movies with each other does the podcast represent?

Craig K

Is there a movie you wanted to see but waited too long and decided to never go back for it? That’s the shape of water for me. Assume it’s good but at this point why now

Matt Kazinka

When people you love are visiting New York City for the first time, what do you encourage them to go see? And for movie lovers, especially, are there any local theaters you take people to for a uniquely New York moviegoing experience?

Philip Abbruscato

2021 was an interesting year for Adam Driver. What’s your ranking of his performances in Annette, The Last Duel, and House of Gucci?

Anthony D’Elia

If you could be a little stinker and fully erase any movie from existence entirely, what movie would it be and why?

John Rochester

Has Ben seen Valhalla Rising? Between the violence, the Norsemen, the hallucinogens and the mostly wordless Mads Mikkelson of it all, it seems like premium Ben content.

masonlusk

I’d love to write some original music for Night Eggs. What sort of instruments and elements would Ben like to hear? Any temp music ideas?

Ray Tobing

Do you actually listen to other podcasts? I hope you’re safe to say behind the paywall.If so, which do you recommend.

Daniel Monteshenko

Love the podcast - thanks for your great work everyone! Also, in your opinions, why is Apichatpong Weerasethakul such an important filmmaker?

JCRO

Would you ever do a classic film maker blank check…Orson Welles, Preston Sturges, Frank Capra…?

Nick Kelly

Have the two friends ever done any screenwriting?

Kevin Carey

Why don’t you ever consider a QT miniseries given that he’s paradigmatically a blank check filmmaker?

Jo Eb

Love the show and was curious about Alex Garland and Coen Bros miniseries

Nate Pester

This is primarily for Griffin, but if you were an Imagineer and could design an attraction for Disneyland from of an existing Disney movie, which movie and what type of an attraction will it be?

jorgamund

Have you ever thought of going full weeb and doing a Hidekai Anno miniseries? That'd be all 4 Rebuild of Evangelion movies + the Shin Godzilla movie

Jonathan Eby

Any hopes for 2022? Movies, podcast or otherwise?

fred reed

I know it seems too obvious to do good director’s movies, but after this 58 year oddysey through Carpenter’s mediocrity I have to ask, “Where is my Zodiac episode?”

Benjamin Wagner

Does the Merovingian know he’s in a movie?

Daoud Tyler-Ameen

When your lives as entertainment and media professionals inevitably start to encroach on your emotional relationship with the art you love (movies or whatever else), what are your tricks for snatching some of it back? Do you have ways of protecting certain cultural experiences as “just for me,” free from any expectation to package your feelings for a wider audience?

Jenny Potter

What was everybody’s favorite movie of the year?

Agent Chodey Banks

Which actors are essentially unknown right now, but (in your opinion) will be huge stars 10 years from now?

Hayley

Has Ben ever seen the 1994 bad boy island movie No Escape starring Ray Liotta, Lance Henriskron, and Kevin Dillon?

Alexander Lyons

Is there a reliable blueprint a struggling director can use to regain their footing? Are there any patterns that emerge from the last seven years?

A

I assume having a child has slowed this down considerably, but is David still considering doing a video game podcast?

OG McDuck

Did the moth suit chafe a lot?

Gareth

Inspired by Alana Haim in “Licorice Pizza,” what are your favourite debut performances of all time?

Oscar Heanue

When you watch as many movies as you do, how do you avoid feeling burnt out or overwhelmed? Do you feel like you always have adequate time to process your feelings about a movie before shifting focus to the next one?

Jon M

Is there any franchise that could release a long after sequel and replicate the critical and cultural success of Fury Road? That movie seems like a miracle and I can't think of anyone but George Miller to pull this feat off.

Jack Warren

If Blank Check Pictures had unlimited capital, to which director you've covered would you give the ultimate blank check?

Scott Sawtell

I am pretty sure that is their 1st show in January.

Scott Sawtell

Is fan service a net positive or net negative? When is it good and when is it bad?

MG

Who is the Dave Matthew's Band of directors and why?

Hennyfromtheblock

How great do you think the casting was for older Dottie in A League of Their Own? It still blows my mind.

Luis Loza

If you could have any movie you've covered directed by any director you've covered (e.g. A version of Back to the Future directed by Nolan) which would it be and why?

Jim Ferguson

Play the “Box Office Game” for Blank Check episodes. What are the top 5 most listened to episodes of the show and what are Griff’s guesses?

Jake Williams

Is there a preexisting song or piece of music that you've drastically changed your opinion about, after hearing/seeing it used in a motion picture?

Spencer Sap

But then we’d have episodes about mediocrity like gone girl and mank

Charlie Dennis

If Ben were to design a theme park, who/what would be the mascot?

James Dillenbeck

When is the mini series on the works of Jackson Rathbone gonna drop?

Tyler Jennings

Has there been any thought at all put into some way for y'all to cover the X-Men franchise while taking into account the whole "one of worst people in the world directed most of them" aspect of it? It's such a bizarre franchise with so many peaks and valleys, especially in comparison to the other comic based franchises that have cropped up in the years since the first one. It would be super fascinating to go deep on each of them and the whole series trajectory but, ya know, fuckin' bryan singer ¯\_(-_-)_/¯

Jimi

With David's love of the Star Trek franchise and Prometheus, I was curious if he has watched The Expanse?

Benjamin

Why do you think books of collected film criticism have basically disappeared and whose would you most want to see collected?

P

Any updates on the burger report?

Ben

Griff, do you still have your complete Disney Infinity collection, and if you were put in charge of Disney Infinity how would you fix it?

Kevin M

What are movies you love, but you’re nervous to recommend to an acquaintance? For me it’s Hard Candy. Elliott Page and Patrick Wilson give amazing performances, but the content feels to intense to recommend to someone at a dinner party.

y2kpodcst

hi guys i have a question about a possible director that some people might have suggests but i would like to make a case for the animation director Simon wells it would be interesting considering his work on the short lived amblin animation studios and being the director of one of the biggest bombs mars needs moms plus i would like an explanation why david rated the film prince of Egypt two and a half stars on letterbox keep up the great work

Once Upon a Stream

Do you think that Adam Driver will have to resort to a “put himself in legitimate peril” performance a la Leo in The Revenant to win an Oscar?

Martin Schneider

Is there a filmmaker that you have such divergent views on that it would not be possible to do a miniseries on that filmmaker?

Valentina

Campion is going to break the rule of no more TV on the main feed but are there any other directors you’d like to cover where covering some of their TV work is also essential? And if so what show would you cover? JJ Abrams and the first season of Lost is one example for me. Also David, thoughts on Felicity??

Matthew Conte

What are some genres you think every director should try at least once? For me, I think everyone needs to do a heist and a musical.

ian

In light of all the problems NBA teams are having with players being unavailable due to COVID, who on the podcast team would be the best NBA player?

Rad Rodge

What’s the worst-looking movie that you still nonetheless love despite how it looks? I’m thinking mainly of cinematography here, but other visual aspects like production design could figure in. Not a movie where something visually repellent seems meant to provoke the audience on purpose, I mean a movie you still truly love even though it truly looks like garbazh

steve kemp

What director’s filmography would make you take a hiatus from the pod if chosen?

Aidan Wall

Are there any movies have you have covered on the pod and then entirely changed your minds about?

Andrew Reck

Ben - The Lourve Museum just opened a new bone exhibit, who is your Bona Lisa?

Alberto Manuel Lamoso

Is there a director or franchise you want to cover but worry about it being too niche or unpopular?

beef209

You're in a fight w/ a person equal to your size and fighting ability and can choose either a baseball bat or a six-inch non-serrated knife as your weapon. Knowing your opponent gets the other weapon you don't choose, do you choose the knife or the bat as your fighting weapon?

Tate

With Spielberg’s WSS being a great picture, and seeing as you’ve both talked about your love for Sondheim’s Assassin’s, who would be your pic to direct? Any casting ideas as well? Thnx love u bye

Alexander Marzoña

Friends! A few questions - Who was your favorite first time guest in 2021? Any you want to/can tease for 2022? Will Griff play in Schmoedown next season? Has Ben met Dagnino/Gucci yet?

Joshua Ochoa

Can we get Rachel Zegler to guest on the pod? Looks like WSS needs the marketing bump since it’s failing despite being one of the best films of the year.

Ian Davis

2021 was a prettty excellent year for music. What were some of your favourite albums of the t

Jon

You discussed on recent episodes that horror has been a bit of a blind spot for #thetwofriends. What other movie blindspots do you have? Are there any films/filmmakers/genres that you feel like you need to see but haven't gotten around to yet?

Dan Dalton

Does Griffin love anything as much as David loves an on-screen kiss? I'm thinking a repeated action in films rather than a piece of merch.

punchsoberlove

If you accidentally killed Tim Allen Santa and had to take up the mantle of Santa, what would your vibe be? How fast would you fire Curtis?

Ioan Thomas

Is Harmonie Korine’s Gummo the best film ever made? Discuss

Eliot Nest

MacGuffins Breakdown? But, why try?

Abby Sonday

Gonna throw out a few questions here. Answer all or none but hopefully just one. - In the Directors on Directors interview between Cameron and Villneneuve, the King of the Seven Seas (Cameron, henceforth known as Ocean Master) throws out the possibility of making a 2hr film that gets released in theatres and having a six hour version that would drop on streaming. Is this something you can see happening in any way/shape/form given the shifting landscape of theatres and movie distribution. If you want the tight, condensed version you have to see it in a theatre. I imagine the hypothetical 6 hr version would have more subplots, lore etc. Could work well for certain projects but could also be unwieldy balancing act to make both versions work. - What are some movies from 2021 that you think should exist? Movies that you thought would gain traction or deserve to have made a cultural impression but have since vanished into the ether. - Ben, have you heard of or seen the Kutna Hora Bone Church near Prague and why is it not the official home of Bone Sound Inc? - What are some of your favourite pieces of non-film media from 2021? Books, comics, games, podcasts, series, music etc. - If any formerly great director who now makes largely bad movies (Burton, Zemeckis etc) were to make a Liman-esque Faustian bargain where their movies consistently oscillate between great and awful, who would you pick?

D

UK listener (sounds of Big Ben tolling) what are your thoughts on the differences between UK and American comedy, sitcoms in particular? Are there any UK sitcoms you particularly love or hate? There is much US comedy I enjoy but live action sitcoms do little for me, any you recommend?

Michael Armstrong

as #thetwofriends you guys seem to agree a lot about movies, actors, performances etc - what's a glaring, irreconcilable exception? Something griff loves but david hates or vice versa

Oscar

Which film that kicked off a franchise is most deserving of Halloween 2018 treatment? Getting a direct sequel that ignores all the crap or gold in between.

Will Watt

David! Firstly to reassure you (as mentioned way back in the Near Dark episode), Fopp - still near seven dials- and HMV are still going! My question is this: what was the best film going/film-related experience you had while you were on holiday in London? Happy new year beauty boys

Will Mithen

I love your work, but have one minor bugbear: I feel like in your early seasons you built towards an analysis that captured each directors career as a whole. At some point that stopped happening. Why? Did you notice when/was it deliberate? (Or was it when you started

Jake Yosafat

Inspired by the Lionsgate Theme Park attempts covered on the Twilight episodes; if you could take any director’s filmography covered on the podcast to-date, just that director, and make a theme park out of his/her/their movies, who would it be? Lucas, Zemeckis, Cameron, Spielberg (although mostly pre-pod filmography), Nolan and Musker/Clements already have covered IP in theme parks in droves, but what if you could only do a single filmography as parks/lands? Who ya got?

JF

Griffin - loved your run on Trivia Schmoedown this year - two quick questions 1 will you be back and 2 if you win a championship belt do you get to keep a copy of it or do you have to really pass it on if you lose?

Will Mithen

increasing your production of episodes, recording out of order?) I’d love to hear you run down the directors you’ve covered since as to your analysis of what their career was about, the through line, the thing they keep returning to etc. (Carpenter seems clear - a career defined by its interactions with the studio system)

Kenn Edwards

Who is a blank check director you think you SHOULD do that you DO NOT WANT to do?

Len

What is your favorite decade for movies?

brendan beal

Seriously, he never repeats himself and ALWAYS has the most original quips

DJV

I’m all a-tingle when you briefly inch toward an Orson Welles run or a “Frankenstein” commentary series. What’s a man gotta do to get some really old movies up in here?

Jeramy Wainwright

Everyone always wants you to cover older movies, but what about movies that haven’t even been made yet? Ever considered a series on a filmmaker from the future?

Robert Stammitti

More apropos than ever given a key segment of the most recent episode—how do the two friends and Ben feel about How To with John Wilson?

Paul Oyama

Would you ever consider doing some sort of annual Blank Check all-star team? (in sports parlance David may understand, like the way All-NBA teams work). Lineups of Picture/Actor/Score/etc, but specifically limited to movies covered on the podcast in a given year. I think it could be a fun way to celebrate the filmographies covered each calendar year

bola

Helloooooo. Why is it that despite living in the UK for such a large chunk of his childhood, David does a below par English accent?

FreakaJebus

Any thoughts on the films of Stuart Gordon? I know you've just covered a horror director, and he's got like 20 movies, but I'd love to hear episodes on Re-Animator, From Beyond, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and Robot Jox at the very least.

Liam

What’s the best pizza?

Daniel Douek

Every year my wife and I do our own year end awards and one category we do that I'd be curious to get your take on is best minor performance. This is an award recognizing actors who appear in only a very limited role in a movie (a couple scenes at most), but who leave a mark regardless - the canonical example is Gloria Foster in the matrix though I also really love Robot Advocate Bob in Jupiter Ascending. This year, for example, I'd nominate Richard Kind for his delivery of "we're saying the same thing!" in Tick, tick...BOOM!). What I like about this award, besides it just being fun to talk more about movies, is that even movies I don't love can have great single scene performances that are worth recognizing. What do you think?

Tomas Marinara

Is Jimmy Smits' performance in In The Heights his most bit heavy? Or is the reigning champion still The Tommyknockers mini series?

Matthew H

Which of these scenarios would you put your money on: A) Tom Cruise wins an Oscar for M:I 8, B) wins for something else, C) never wins an acting Oscar Or, what is the best/definitive Charles Dickens adaptation?

Olivia Eason

What are some of your go-to films to show someone the art of directing, as opposed to the other crafts in a film?

Whitney N Vann

What great director has had the biggest rise, fall, and late career restoration? Altman, Friedkin?

Eddy Colloton

Night Eggs casting? Anya Taylor-Joy as a hacker witch?

Mike Ishman

Are there plans for a live show in 2022, assuming all of this subsides at some point? Are there episodes you wish you could go back and re-do?

SuiteTooth

Do you have a quick Marvel performance review of the NINE properties that came out in 2021?

Alex Murphy

What is the weirdest or most or most interesting one-off from an otherwise conventional or middlebrow filmmaker?

Adam Reiner

Now we all remember Ben's Mount Chainmore from last year. But what if Ben was given a sequel, another mountain for favourite/iconic figures. What would the theme be and who would be on it? (e.g., Mount Dustmore for dry guys or Mount Flushmore for wet icons). Also, is Ben aware of the Mario characters called Dry Bones?

BudCort

Can we finally hear Griff’s MIB 2 pitch?

Dustin Philipson

Rewatched ‘V for Vendetta’ last night, and it struck me: isn’t this truly the Wachowski’s first ‘blank check’ film? Similar to other films they’ve worked on (‘The Invasion’), it would appear that they practically directed this film (uncredited) — thoughts? It’s such a great film (with their fingerprints all over it), it seems like it deserves at least a ‘BC SF’ ep, no?

Andy Harwood

Who are David's favourite Britpop bands, excluding Blur and Oasis?

Dustin Philipson

Have you guys ever thought of a ‘Blank Check’ visual-medium series? I very much consider the ‘2 friends’ our modern-day equivalent of ‘Siskel & Ebert’ Note: I’ve asked more than one question here in the feed! Haha — I hope it doesn’t disqualify me 🥴😄

Tim Turner

They talked about MIB2 before, in the Avatarland/Mailbag patreon episode

Will Hoff

I'd love to hear about some of y'all's favorite films to watch around the holidays, especially ones that aren't all about Christmas. This year we rewatched Gerwig's Little Women, and I look forward to rewatching The Green Knight next year. Thanks!

Tim Turner

Who is the best actor who has never been in a good movie? And what would be your pitch for a movie that best uses their talents?

Daniel

Are there any directors or actors either of you would decline to interview or work with based on conversations or research you've done on this podcast?

alex

do you have a sense of how directors in general progress as artists as they age? It seems like they tend to make less compelling work later in their careers, but this might just be motivated in my mind by recent miniseries (ie for every zemeckis or carpenter, there's a spielberg or coens who just don't slow down).

Aidan

i know im late but just popped in my head. when do you think we get an avatar 2 trailer? at a disney event? in front of BP 2? james cameron live edits it from the bottom of the sea on twitch?

Lauren Elwood

Just saw the email thought I’d attempt —— David, maybe I’ve missed it somewhere, but what ARE your favorite kisses in film?? Also have you heard the Sufjan Stevens kissing quote because I think it would align with your interests

PoochieVince

You guys talk about soundtracks a fair amount so I was wondering is there a soundtrack you love to a movie you've never seen? Mine is Tron Legacy

Chet Kazalski

Ceasing the opportunity. Griffin, can you finally tell us the story of the Chappie Deal?

Brendan Cassidy

Could David say more about his journalism career before the AV Club? I believe he has only ever mentioned his time as a city reporter on a Talking the Walk ep, could he elaborate on this time and explain how it dovetails into writing Always Sunny recaps?

Brendan Cassidy

My parents were born and raised New Yorkers ( mother lived in Inwood, Father: the Bronx) and but they went rural well before I was born. Could you talk a little about being city kids? ( without doing the UK bit.) What neighborhoods did you grow up in and how has seeing NYC change over 30 years effected your world views?

jimmy leavens

If you could change a movie’s composer, which composers would you have redo a score?

Brendan Cassidy

Does Griffin have thoughts on Ball in the House(2005, released in US as Relative Evil)I read this script in highschool and followed its development analogous to Griffin and the Simon Kimberly script. Is Ball in the House even on Griffin’s radar? I only ask because his Dad, coincidentally, has an Executive Producer credit.

Lucien WD

If you could watch a Get Back style doc on the collaborative writing or editing process of any film, what would it be?

Conner McClughan

Who do u think aaron sorkin would cast in his making of "friends" movie?

Rouj B

When you cover LOTR and The Hobbit will you do the theatrical or the extended? Hopefully the extended.

Monique's Pajama Club

Does Robert Wuhl deserve to be a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and if so, why?

Devanshu Sinha

Love the show! Question regarding patreon commentaries. When you cover a franchise, does that bound you to covering any future installments? Like will you guys do a commentary for MI 7 or the new Marvel flicks?

Ruthellen Cheney

Is there a way to do a Patreon commentary on something super old. Since the recent Dark Universe queefed a slow death, would you guys ever consider doing a Universal Monsters commentary? (Or anything classic Hollywood for that matter). Thanks! Love you bozos!!

Josh Holden

Did the recent MCU Disney+ shows change your perspectives on any characters you guys may have have been sour upon during the original MCU commentaries, the main example being Sebastian Stan as Bucky?

Domenica

i just want to listen to david talk about clueless and griffin talk about thr muppets

Blake Anderson

Which succession character do each of the boys and Marie identify with?

Allogistics

Should we be worried about auteur films in 2021 largely flopping or not connecting with audiences ( outside of dune)

Allogistics

What do you three think of Denis Villeneuve and his movies. He is often considered cold and sterile but his films seem to have resonated strongly over the last few years ( arrival hits differently being a father in a pandemic that’s for sure)

Cole Simons

Favorite film in your personal collection (steel book, Criterion, Arrow etc)?

Jason Fortin

Will Ben ride another horse?

Finch

When we doing next gen trek films?

Ayrian Norman

Does Jonathan Lynn count as a BC director? Would love to see it!

Michael

Griffin often talks about depression watch marathons, which I'm sure we're all familiar with. What would you three consider to be your most embarassing/desparate-for-comfort marathon watch and what time of your life did you experience it? I remember binging all the Lord of the Rings extended editions, plus all the special features, in a single 13 to 14 hour session. I started at like 1 pm and finished around 3 am. I was your classic sad boy just out of college with no life direction. I also marathoned Red Dwarf at the time, which, regardless of how you feel about the show's quality, has a lonely premise and that canned, empty melancholy found in most sitcoms - not great for depression.

Campbell

I’m not trying to ask one of those “would you ever consider covering….” I’m just wondering if Richard Linklater is a blank check director? I feel he has a lot of movies that a borderline. Thoughts ?

Sean Kennedy

Yoyo, I wanna hear you guys talk about Star Trek. When ya'll we're doing the Patreon miniseries on the TOS movies Griffin mentioned he was watching all of TV shows in chronological order starting with TOS. Wondering where he's at at this point, does he have any thoughts, ect. Cheers and thanks! Happy New Year!

modaymoday

Are you guys gonna do RESURRECTIONS? It's been so polarizing (I kinda loved it) & would love to hear what you guys thought. Keep podding, Happy New Year!

Hayley

Please weigh in on all the Marvel tv shows!

Conner McClughan

Who would you have cast in Aaron sorkin's inevitable early days of SNL movie?

Finch

Am I Fennell?

Joe Miller

A studio approaches you, they what to bring back the roadshow model in an attempt to juice the theatrical experience. What do you add? How do you make it more attractive to modern audience. (Assume Covid is not an issue at this point in the future)

Peter Elfers

David - top video games of 2021/what games have been keeping you entertained between the baby/pandemic (if you even have time)?

Shane Warbrooke

If you could have any director you've covered remake someone else's big bounce, who would it be? For example The Wachowskis' Lady in the Water or Stephen Spielberg's Memoirs of an Invisible Man etc

jimmy leavens

Who’s your favorite composer and what movie would you like them to redo the score to if you could?

Erick Pessoa

Griffin, David and Ben, who surprised you the most by telling you he/she/they listen to Blank Check? Anybody unexpected?