Blank Check — Patreon: The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free)

Published 2023-09-24; 2:33:00 by the feed.

As extracted (engineer-sonnet-2026-10-13)

The extraction calls the show “Blank Check with Griffin & David (Patreon)” and the episode “The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free)”.

Hosts: Griffin Newman, David Sims, Ben Hosley. Guests: Brendan Hines.

Subject films: The Game (1997).

On the transcript: Auto-transcribed with no speaker labels and heavy mangling of proper names; many sentences are fragmentary. The host who reads the dossier is not named, so most attributions are low confidence. Timestamps run to about 2:26:57.

Films that came up

passing (118)

The Avengers · The Social Network · House of Cards (TV) · The Curious Case of Benjamin Button · The China Syndrome · One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest · Coma · Looker · Westworld · The Great Train Robbery · Jurassic Park · The Andromeda Strain · The Terminal Man · Rising Sun · Disclosure · Congo · Sphere · The 13th Warrior · Timeline · The American President · The Jewel of the Nile · A Chorus Line · Ace in the Hole · The Bad and the Beautiful · Black Rain · The War of the Roses · Shining Through · Basic Instinct · The Ghost and the Darkness · A Perfect Murder · Dial M for Murder · Wonder Boys · Traffic · Money Never Sleeps · Don't Say a Word · The Sentinel · It Runs in the Family · The In-Laws · Haywire · Behind the Candelabra · Uncharted · Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny · Lie to Me (TV) · Alien 3 · Super Mario Bros. Movie · Into the Sun · Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines · Terminator Salvation · Catwoman · Swordfish · Days of Heaven · U Turn · Blank Check (1994) · The Lord of the Rings · Saturday Night Live (TV) · Baby Doll · Giant · Zodiac · The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo · Gone Girl · Highlander III: The Sorcerer · Highlander · Highlander II: The Quickening · White Noise · Stander · Heaven's Prisoners · Silent Hill · Payback · The Long Night · Vengeance: A Love Story · Silent Hill: Revelation · 88 Minutes · The Matrix (sequel) · Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning · Sons of Anarchy (TV) · Memento · Batman Begins · Trees Lounge · Lonesome Jim · Interview · Animal Factory · 30 Rock (TV) · The Santa Clause · The Sopranos (TV) · You're the Worst (TV) · Jury Duty (TV) · What Women Want · Gladiator · 1492: Conquest of Paradise · White Squall · Under Siege · On Deadly Ground · The Postman · Rush Hour · Midnight Run · Loose Cannons · Porky's · Baby Geniuses · Black Christmas · Welcome to Mooseport · Green Lantern · Captain America: Brave New World · Thunderbolts · Ed Wood · Waking Ned Devine · Saving Grace · Lucky Break · The Rocker · Military Wives · Titanic · L.A. Confidential · Air Force One · Hoodlum · Excess Baggage · A Life Less Ordinary · The Way of the Gun · Demolition Man · George of the Jungle

compared (20)

Se7en · Romancing the Stone · Fatal Attraction · Wall Street · Falling Down · Panic Room · Succession (TV) · 8mm · The Net · Hardcore · The Player · A Christmas Carol · It's a Wonderful Life · The Trial · Carlito's Way · Total Recall · Escape Room · Escape Room: Tournament of Champions · The Truman Show · Conspiracy Theory

subject (1)

The Game

anecdote (13)

The Tick (TV) · Lock and Key (TV) · Crime Wave · The Sky Is Falling (unmade) · The Crowded Room (unmade film) · Crash · Scorpion (TV) · Suits (TV) · Variety · G.I. Jane · Fire Down Below · Money Talks · The Full Monty

dismissed (1)

The Most Dangerous Game

Claims (91)

  1. people (cast): Kevin Spacey → Seven. Spacey is the only Fincher movie lead he's in, per the host.
    “that's the only Fincher movie he's in, right?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:05:44 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. people (cast): Kevin Spacey → House of Cards (TV). Spacey was in House of Cards.
    “Oh, and then, of course, they did House of Carts.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:05:51 · Griffin Newman (0.30 sure it was them)
  3. unmapped (brought Fincher on): Kevin Spacey → The Social Network. The hosts say Spacey optioned the book and got Fincher on board.
    “And was the one who got Fincher on board.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:06:00 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  4. unmapped (sibling Fincher films): Seven → The Game. Hosts argue over whether The Game is better than, or as good as, Se7en.
    “I think this movie is not seven.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:08:16 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  5. unmapped (hairdresser): Carrie Smith → Michael Douglas. Smith's two main stars are Michael Douglas and Keanu Reeves.
    “her 2 are Michael Douglas and Keanu.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:14:08 · Brendan Hines (0.50 sure it was them)
  6. unmapped (produced): Michael Douglas → One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Douglas produced it.
    “the big one is Cougar's Nest, obviously”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:17:44 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  7. unmapped (father and son): Michael Douglas → Kirk Douglas. Michael basically fired his own father from Cuckoo's Nest.
    “He basically fires his own dad from being in.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:17:47 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  8. people (directed): Michael Crichton → Coma. Douglas was in Coma, directed by Crichton.
    “Directed by Crichton?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:17:55 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  9. people (directed): Michael Crichton → Looker. Crichton directed Looker.
    “Booker is his fifth movie.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:18:04 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  10. unmapped (adapted): Michael Crichton → Jurassic Park. Named among the Crichton adaptations they could do another time.
    “we would not do Jurassic Park”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:18:30 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  11. unmapped (adapted): Michael Crichton → The Andromeda Strain. Suggested as part of a Crichton adaptations series.
    “It would be like Andromeda strain.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:18:38 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  12. unmapped (adapted): Michael Crichton → The Terminal Man. Suggested as part of a Crichton adaptations series.
    “I think we would do the terminal man”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:18:38 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  13. unmapped (adapted): Michael Crichton → Rising Sun. Suggested as part of a Crichton adaptations series.
    “You do Rising Sun.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:18:57 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  14. unmapped (adapted): Michael Crichton → Disclosure. The hosts note Disclosure is a Crichton book adaptation.
    “I forgot that's a crate.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:19:00 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  15. unmapped (adapted): Michael Crichton → Congo. Suggested as part of a Crichton adaptations series.
    “You do Congo.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:19:02 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  16. unmapped (adapted): Michael Crichton → Sphere. Suggested as part of a Crichton adaptations series.
    “You got to look at the sphere.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:19:05 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  17. unmapped (adapted): Michael Crichton → Timeline. Suggested as part of a Crichton adaptations series.
    “And then maybe do the 13th Warrior and Timeline.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:19:12 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  18. people (director): John McTiernan → The 13th Warrior. The 13th Warrior is saved for a McTiernan series.
    “Save that for McTiernan.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:19:19 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  19. theme (persona turn): Romancing the Stone → Michael Douglas. Says Romancing the Stone is when Douglas found his movie star persona.
    “oh, surprisingly, you've now finally found your movie star persona.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:21:46 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  20. lineage (sequel): Romancing the Stone → The Jewel of the Nile. Jewel of the Nile is the sequel.
    “The sequel.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:22:11 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  21. lineage (remake): Dial M for Murder → A Perfect Murder. One host asks about the original, Dial M for Murder, being shot in 3D, in connection with A Perfect Murder.
    “Dialing for murder was shot.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:26:32 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  22. theme (Douglas persona): The Game → Falling Down. Fincher, in the dossier, lists the Falling Down fascist among Douglas's friction.
    “he stole the fascist from falling down.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:28:04 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  23. theme (Douglas persona): The Game → Fatal Attraction. Fincher, in the dossier, lists the Fatal Attraction adulterer among Douglas's friction.
    “The adulterer from Fatal Attraction.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:28:09 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  24. lineage (sequel): Wall Street → Money Never Sleeps. Wall Street is followed by Money Never Sleeps.
    “but then, of course, money never slept”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:28:36 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  25. people (frequent collaborator): Michael Douglas → Steven Soderbergh. Soderbergh likes to use Douglas a lot.
    “Soderberg likes to use them a lot.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:29:26 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  26. people (director): Steven Soderbergh → Haywire. Soderbergh put Douglas in Haywire.
    “Put them in haywire.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:29:28 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  27. people (director): Curtis Hanson → Wonder Boys. Wonder Boys is Hanson's, remembered with an RIP.
    “R.I.P. Curtis Hanson.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:29:50 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  28. people (director): Steven Soderbergh → Behind the Candelabra. Behind the Candelabra was Soderbergh's retirement film.
    “That was his retirement film.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:30:30 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  29. unmapped (same type of part): Antonio Banderas → Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Banderas has a similar short role to his Haywire part.
    “he has a very similar role in Indiana Jones”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:32:11 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  30. unmapped (R-rated proof): Seven → The Game. Se7en's hit status as an R-rated film convinced the backers to fund The Game.
    “I think convinced, um, people like, okay, like, you can make an R-rated movie a hit.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:33:16 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  31. industry (distributor): Polygram → The Game. The Game was Polygram's main attempt at a blockbuster distributor.
    “No, this was basically their main attempt at becoming a blockbuster distributor themselves.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:33:30 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  32. industry (control and budget arc): Alien 3 → The Game. Alien 3 had money but no control; The Game is where Fincher gets both.
    “Alien 3 is a lot of money, but they don't give them a lot of control.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:34:40 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  33. contrast (budget contrast): Panic Room → The Game. Panic Room cost 48 million five years later, against The Game's 70 million.
    “it is wild that 5 years later, panic room costs 48.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:35:16 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  34. unmapped (looks like): The Game → Succession. Jokes that the opening home-movie footage is ripped off by Succession.
    “ripped it right off”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:35:58 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  35. unmapped (tried to revive): The Sky Is Falling (unmade) → Gore Verbinski. Verbinski later tried and failed to launch it as well.
    “Gore Verbinsky later tries to take it up”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:39:39 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  36. unmapped (attached then passed): The Crowded Room (unmade film) → Joel Schumacher. Schumacher first tried to make The Crowded Room with Pitt and kicked it to Fincher.
    “Joel Schumacher was also was first trying to make it, I think, with Pitt.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:40:43 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  37. theme (tonal comparison): Joel Schumacher → The Game. One host says The Game feels very Joel Schumacher.
    “Because the game feels very Joel Schumacher to me.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:40:56 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  38. unmapped (wrote spec script): John Brancato → The Game. Brancato and Ferris wrote The Game on spec before Fincher took it over.
    “it was written on spec by these guys, John Brancato, Michael Ferris”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:40:59 · David Sims (0.50 sure it was them)
  39. people (shared writer): John Brancato → The Net. Asked whether the same writers wrote The Net.
    “wrote the net, didn't they?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:41:13 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  40. people (same writers, lesser version): The Net → The Game. The Net, by the same spec writers as The Game, is called the bad version of it.
    “It's silly fun, but it's the bad version of this.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:41:19 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  41. people (shared writer): Michael Ferris → Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. The same writers went on to Terminator 3 and Terminator Salvation.
    “But they also are Terminator 3 and Terminator Salvation.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:41:32 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  42. lineage (rip-off): 8mm → Seven. Calls 8mm Schumacher ripping off Se7en.
    “8 millimeter is Schumacher ripping off seven.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:41:48 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  43. lineage (rip-off): 8mm → Hardcore. Says 8mm directly rips off Hardcore, in the style of Se7en.
    “It's ripping off hardcore in the style of seven.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:42:12 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  44. unmapped (company): David Fincher → Propaganda Films. Propaganda was Fincher's music video company.
    “David Fincher's music video companies.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:42:58 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  45. unmapped (company): Dominic Sena → Propaganda Films. Dominic Sena was a Propaganda co-founder.
    “Yes, along with Dominic Senna.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:43:00 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  46. unmapped (ownership): Polygram → Propaganda Films. Polygram invested in Propaganda Films and eventually bought it outright.
    “They eventually bought propaganda outright.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:43:24 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  47. theme (dismissed comparison): The Game → The Most Dangerous Game. Fincher first wondered if the script was a Most Dangerous Game thing, and was relieved it wasn't.
    “oh, is it like a most dangerous game kind of thing?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:43:29 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  48. unmapped (script doctor): Andrew Kevin Walker → The Game. Fincher brought in the writer of Se7en to fix the script.
    “Andrew Kevin Walker, the writer of seven.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:44:09 · David Sims (0.50 sure it was them)
  49. contrast (contrast): The Game → Panic Room. Fincher called Panic Room the experiment in keeping the audience in perfect lockstep, unlike The Game.
    “that's my experiment making a movie where you're in perfect lockstep.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:44:43 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  50. unmapped (star power): Brad Pitt → Seven. Pitt's wish to make Se7en bumped it ahead of The Game.
    “Brad Pitt's like, I want to make seven, and so seven like happens, right?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:47:28 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  51. unmapped (commercial lead-in): Seven → The Game. Se7en's success gave Fincher an absurd budget for The Game.
    “this is better for me because now I can make this movie at an absurd budget.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:47:35 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  52. unmapped (template): The Game → A Christmas Carol. Fincher's own framing, as quoted in the dossier, is that The Game is A Christmas Carol and Nick is Scrooge.
    “it's a Christmas carol.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:47:52 · David Sims (0.50 sure it was them)
  53. theme (genre mashup): The Game → It's a Wonderful Life. Calls the film Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life.
    “Kafka's it's a wonderful life.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:50:34 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  54. contrast (contrast): The Game → The Trial. Imagines The Trial with a friendly ending, which is what The Game does.
    “What if the trial happened?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:50:38 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  55. unmapped (led to): Jodie Foster → Panic Room. The Game casting fell through, and Panic Room happened because she still wanted to work with Fincher.
    “Panic room ends up happening because of how badly she still wanted to work with Venture”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:56:56 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  56. unmapped (billing): The Game → Carlito's Way. Both have a legendary movie star above the title, with Penn right underneath.
    “This and Curlito's way have the same thing where it's like legendary movie star right above the title.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:59:05 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  57. people (cast): James Rebhorn → Carlito's Way. Rebhorn is in Carlito's Way.
    “He's in fucking Carlito's way.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:01:13 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  58. people (cast): James Rebhorn → Blank Check. Rebhorn is in the movie Blank Check.
    “He is in blank check.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:01:32 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  59. programming (pairing): The Game → The Player. Two 90s satirical thrillers about soulless titans of industry caught in a trap of their own design.
    “In terms of like 90s, uh, sort of vaguely satirical thrillers”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:04:58 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  60. people (composer): Howard Shore → The Game. The score is by Howard Shore.
    “Great Howard Short score.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:08:16 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  61. craft (early scores): Howard Shore → David Fincher. Shore does all of Fincher's early scores.
    “He does all of Fincher's early scores and they're so good.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:08:19 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  62. unmapped (successor): Howard Shore → Trent Reznor. Shore scored Fincher before Reznor takes over.
    “before he jumps over to Rezner.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:08:22 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  63. people (same composer): Howard Shore → David Cronenberg. Shore did the weird discordant Cronenberg and Fincher scores.
    “the guy who did the weird discordant Kronenberg and Fincher scores”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:08:55 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  64. career (career turn): Howard Shore → Peter Jackson. Shore then took on Lord of the Rings.
    “And then PJ was like, hey, you want to do like Lord of the Rings?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:09:00 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  65. career (career start): Howard Shore → Lorne Michaels. Shore was Saturday Night Live's first music director, a Lorne Michaels guy.
    “He is a Lorne Michaels guy who then became like weird, like thriller score guy”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:09:16 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  66. craft (structure): The Game → Total Recall. The test-then-start gag is like Total Recall's malfunction.
    “It's it's the total recall thing where they tell you exactly what's going to happen right at the moment where the thing is supposed to start.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:16:12 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  67. unmapped (game-coded): The Game → Escape Room. The Escape Room films are very game coded.
    “They're very game coded”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:17:00 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  68. unmapped (same city): The Game → Zodiac. Both are San Francisco movies.
    “I mean, obviously Zodiac is another... This is 2 SF movies.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:22:41 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  69. people (cinematographer): Harris Savides → The Game. Savides shot The Game and also appears in the bathroom.
    “Harris Cavides shot it.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:27:28 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  70. unmapped (earlier film): Harris Savides → Phil Joanou. Savides had done one other feature, Heaven's Prisoners, with Joanou.
    “Heaven's Prisoners.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:27:45 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  71. unmapped (similar): Phil Joanou → David Fincher. Joanou was a hotshot director similar to Fincher.
    “who was similar to Fincher”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:27:45 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  72. unmapped (creative alignment): Harris Savides → David Fincher. Fincher, by the host's account, trusts Savides to light without micromanaging.
    “Harris Savita's instincts and styles are so aligned with my own”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:28:33 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  73. unmapped (reminded of): The Game → Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning. One guest says the hotel room reminded them of Dead Reckoning.
    “this movie reminded me of dead reckoning”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:37:59 · Brendan Hines (0.30 sure it was them)
  74. people (cast): Mark Boone Junior → Trees Lounge. Boone is one of the iconic scumbags in Trees Lounge.
    “Isn't he in Trees lounge too?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:40:30 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  75. people (frequent director): Mark Boone Junior → Steve Buscemi. Boone was in several Buscemi-directed films.
    “he did Lonesome Gym with Casey Affleck.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:40:44 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  76. people (directed): Steve Buscemi → 30 Rock (TV). Buscemi directed the Leap Day William episode and fake movie.
    “had to direct the episode and direct the fake movie”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:42:04 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  77. people (director): Steve Buscemi → Trees Lounge. Trees Lounge is so good it seemed Buscemi might be a huge directing talent.
    “But I feel like Trees Lounge is so good and so like deeply felt”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:42:17 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  78. unmapped (same fetish): You're the Worst (TV) → The Game. The only other depiction of findom the speaker has seen is You're the Worst.
    “The only time I've ever seen that depicted is you're the worst has a big findom plot.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:44:18 · David Sims (0.30 sure it was them)
  79. theme (comparison): The Game → Jury Duty (TV). Compares the game to the Jury Duty prank.
    “It's just fucking the jury duty or whatever.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:51:53 · Griffin Newman (0.30 sure it was them)
  80. unmapped (same concept): The Game → The Truman Show. Truman Show, a year later, is a different version of the same concept.
    “Truman shows a year later, which is sort of a different version of this same concept.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:52:24 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  81. theme (comparison): The Game → What Women Want. Compares Michael Douglas's disassembling to What Women Want's electrocution.
    “You know how what women want is like Mel Gibson has to get electrocuted to understand that women are people.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:54:17 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  82. unmapped (strong concepts): David Fincher → Milos Forman. Douglas said only Forman and Verhoeven rival Fincher for strong concepts.
    “have such strong concepts as David, and that is Milish Foreman”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:58:55 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  83. unmapped (strong concepts): David Fincher → Paul Verhoeven. Douglas said only Forman and Verhoeven rival Fincher for strong concepts.
    “and Paul Verhoven.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:58:55 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  84. unmapped (type of story): Money Talks → Midnight Run. Money Talks is a Midnight Run-esque odd couple story.
    “midnight run-es type story”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 2:06:18 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  85. people (director): Bob Clark → Black Christmas. Bob Clark also directed Black Christmas.
    “Black Christmas, which is actually a masterpiece.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 2:07:53 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  86. unmapped (followed the template): Waking Ned Devine → The Full Monty. Waking Ned Devine went for a Full Monty vibe at the US box office.
    “Well, which was going for a full Monty vibe with the US box office.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 2:12:36 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  87. career (career): Peter Cattaneo → The Full Monty. Cattaneo's career after a best picture nominee has been disastrous.
    “One of the most just astonishingly disastrous careers for someone who directed a best picture nominated.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 2:13:28 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  88. unmapped (same vibes): The Game → Conspiracy Theory. Same X-Files conspiracy vibes.
    “Conspiracy theory in the game, you know? Same similar vibes, the whole world.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 2:15:24 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  89. unmapped (same spectrum): Excess Baggage → A Life Less Ordinary. Both are star vehicles from a breakout hot director or writer.
    “Three of these movies were on the same spectrum of like stars who just had a breakout, hot director or writer, give them anything.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 2:16:02 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  90. people (director): Marco Brambilla → Excess Baggage. Named as its director.
    “Marco Brambia.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 2:16:15 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  91. people (director): Marco Brambilla → Demolition Man. Brambilla directed Demolition Man.
    “he's the director of my favorite movie, Demolition Man.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 2:16:26 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Fun items (27)

  1. fun, about Earl (dog): Earl, Brendan Hines's dog, is the first in-studio dog guest in Blank Check history, and it is his seventh birthday. Brendan says Earl came to set every day on The Tick and never ruined a take.
    “The 1st ever in studio, dog, guest, in the history of blank check.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:11:24 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. fun, about Michael Douglas: Douglas was 53 when he made the film, playing a man about to turn 48.
    “Okay. He was 53.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:17:03 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  3. fun, about Michael Douglas: His star ascension came late; he spent years producing and getting bigger stars to play the bigger roles, and basically fired his own dad from Cuckoo's Nest.
    “He basically fires his own dad from being in.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:17:47 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  4. fun, about Michael Douglas: A Paramount executive at a Fatal Attraction test screening told him he cheats on his wife in one scene and the audience is back in his court the next.
    “we will watch you, cheat on your wife, and the next scene, the audience is like back in your court.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:22:48 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  5. fun, about The Game: Fincher on Douglas, as read from the dossier: the story is a little prurient and sadistic because you enjoy the central character's suffering, and nobody embraces that as eagerly as Douglas.
    “You want to see him learn a lesson, and nobody embraces that quite as eagerly as Michael Douglas.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:27:42 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  6. fun, about Charles Martinet: The father in the opening home-movie footage is Charles Martinet, the voice of Mario. He once taught typing as Mario at a 1994 tech convention.
    “I thought it was Charles Martinette.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:38:04 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  7. fun, about The Sky Is Falling (unmade): Fincher's post-Se7en idea: two clerics on a dig find proof that God is dead and are hunted by a terminally ill hitman.
    “Two clerics on an archaeological dig, discover proof that God is actually dead.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:39:54 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  8. fun, about The Game: Brancato and Ferris wrote the spec script that became The Game, and they also wrote The Net, Terminator 3, Terminator Salvation and Catwoman.
    “But they also are Terminator 3 and Terminator Salvation.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:41:32 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  9. fun, about The Game: Fincher wanted the audience to have nothing to hold on to; he calls it a movie about movies, where the protagonist doesn't know how to act like a movie star.
    “It's a movie about movies.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:43:58 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  10. fun, about The Game: The original ending had Nick shoot the waitress and then kill himself; Fincher said he would feel remorse for shooting someone who tricked him, so he changed it.
    “So what I had read was that the original ending was the same thing, but he shoots Deborah Carra Unger.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:54:31 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  11. fun, about The Game: The Criterion disc includes a one-take alternate ending, from the clapboard to Fincher saying cut, where he looks both ways and walks off without a cab.
    “It starts with the clapboard.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:55:05 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  12. fun, about Jodie Foster: She wanted to play the waitress; Fincher said she was too famous; she suggested sister, then daughter, then Douglas refused to play her father; she was written out and sued.
    “She then filed a huge lawsuit saying she was supposed to be in it.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:58:19 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  13. fun, about James Rebhorn: He wrote his own obituary, which the host says is very sweet.
    “He wrote his own obituary.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:00:38 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  14. fun, about Daniel Schorr: The newscaster is Daniel Schorr, whose last NPR broadcast was July 10, 2010; he died July 23, 2010, at 93.
    “His last broadcast on NPR, Saturday, July 10th, 2010.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:04:25 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  15. fun, about The Game: Hosts riff that the movie is pre-findoming, where a dominatrix drains your accounts and you get off on it.
    “I mean, this movie is pre-findoming.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:13:10 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  16. fun, about Deborah Kara Unger: Her audition tape for The Game was a sex scene from Crash, which the hosts note is what a self-tape should be.
    “Her audition tape, she sent a sex scene from Crash.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:24:35 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  17. fun, about Harris Savides: He is also the guy asking for toilet paper in the bathroom.
    “He's the guy asking for toilet paper in the bathroom.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:27:32 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  18. fun, about Harris Savides: Savides had sworn off features after Heaven's Prisoners, and Fincher basically had to beg him to shoot The Game.
    “And Fincher had to basically beg him to do this.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:28:13 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  19. fun, about Mark Boone Junior: His first credit is 1983's Variety, as a porn customer; here he looks the cleanest the hosts have ever seen him.
    “His 1st credit is 83.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:39:36 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  20. fun, about Steve Buscemi: He directed the 30 Rock Leap Day William episode and the fake Jim Carrey movie inside it.
    “had to direct the episode and direct the fake movie”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:42:04 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  21. fun, about The Game: At the end the bill is a dense stack of papers; the film cost 70 million, and the host guesses the in-world game cost tens of millions.
    “Yes. The film costs $70 million.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:49:09 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  22. fun, about The Game: Look for CRS initials on businesses and a van outside her place when you rewatch.
    “if you rewatch this movie also, you see CRS everywhere.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:49:25 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  23. fun, about The Game: Not in print for a long time (a Polygram issue, per a host); the Criterion Blu-ray in 2012 carried features shot during production for Criterion.
    “This is a movie that was like not in print for a very long time.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:56:44 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  24. fun, about The Game: Shot over 100 days, mostly at night; the airbag scene was shot three weeks in.
    “It was a long shoot, 100 days, most of it at night.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 1:57:13 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  25. fun, about The Game: Opened September 12, 1997, number one with 14 million; made 109 million worldwide against Se7en's 327 million.
    “Um, the film opened September 12, 1997 Griffin.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 2:01:49 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  26. fun, about Gene Hackman: Hackman, the host says, was never shot on digital; every performance he gave in a movie is on celluloid.
    “Every single piece of acting he ever did in a movie was shot on celluloid.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 2:08:19 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  27. fun, about The Full Monty: At 5 weeks in 387 theaters it was on its way to a best picture nomination; one host picked it down the ballot at an Oscar party against Titanic.
    “This film was nominated for best picture.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 2:11:12 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

Who's talking

The show's recurring bits

Names the transcriber got wrong