Christopher Nolan

Made films the shows talk about.

Wikidata Q25191: matched by corpus:resolve, told apart by Wikidata joins them to Oppenheimer, which The ‘Babylon’ Watch-Along credits them on.

Counted as other. The films the hosts said they were tied to, which the two lists below run through too: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968); Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006); Public Enemies (2009); Nolan's next film. Count them as director (16 films) instead.

Draws on

What the speakers say they, or a film of theirs, drew on. Each is a speaker's account: “the maker said so” when they report the maker's own words, “the host's read” when the read is theirs.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004): 1 line

  1. unmapped (title formula) · through Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), which they were tied to as fan of Talladega Nights; hypothetical director of Days of Thunder 2: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy ⇒ Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (the host's read). The Ballad of Ricky Bobby echoes the Legend of Ron Burgundy naming pattern of the 2006 era.
    “Honestly, that's a 2006 thing is titling movies like this.”
    The Rewatchables · 'Talladega Nights' With Craig Horlbeck, Danny Heifetz, and Danny Kelly · 1:02:38 · Craig Horlbeck (0.40 sure it was them)

Days of Thunder (1990): 1 line

  1. unmapped (parody target) · through Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), which they were tied to as fan of Talladega Nights; hypothetical director of Days of Thunder 2: Days of Thunder ⇒ Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (the host's read). The film is not a direct parody but spoofs movies like Days of Thunder; Reilly was in both.
    “I don't think this movie is like a direct parody of that, but it is parodying movies like Days of Thunder.”
    The Rewatchables · 'Talladega Nights' With Craig Horlbeck, Danny Heifetz, and Danny Kelly · 1:05:52 · Craig Horlbeck (0.50 sure it was them)

Happy Gilmore (1996): 1 line

  1. unmapped (shared gag) · through Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), which they were tied to as fan of Talladega Nights; hypothetical director of Days of Thunder 2: Happy Gilmore ⇒ Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (the host's read). Ricky Bobby signing a woman's chest echoes Happy Gilmore.
    “there's a scene when Ricky Bobby signs a woman's chest and it's exactly like Happy Gilmore when he signs the woman.”
    The Rewatchables · 'Talladega Nights' With Craig Horlbeck, Danny Heifetz, and Danny Kelly · 1:15:11 · Craig Horlbeck (0.70 sure it was them)

The Sentinel (short story): 1 line

  1. lineage (source story) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were tied to as supervised the IMAX re-release: The Sentinel (short story) ⇒ 2001: A Space Odyssey (the host's read). The film and companion novel drafted off Clarke's short story The Sentinel, which had the germ of the monolith idea.
    “So it's going off drafting off of the Sentinel.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2001: A Space Odyssey with Jordan Hoffman (Ad-Free) · 0:52:22 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

The Thomas Crown Affair (1999): 1 line

  1. people (people) · them, directly: The Thomas Crown Affair ⇒ Christopher Nolan (the host's read). Speaker says Christopher Nolan loves the 1999 Thomas Crown Affair because of Tenet.
    “you know who loves the Thomas Crown affair in 1999, Christopher Nolan, because I've seen Tenet”
    The Big Picture · 300th Episode Ask-Us-Anything Mailbag Spectacular · 1:09:21 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)

Drawn on by

What the speakers say drew on them or a film of theirs, marked the same way.

2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984): 5 lines

  1. lineage (sequel) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were tied to as supervised the IMAX re-release: 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ 2010: The Year We Make Contact (the host's read). The film has a sequel, and Clarke wrote three sequel novels.
    “Obviously, the sequel exists.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2001: A Space Odyssey with Jordan Hoffman (Ad-Free) · 0:11:43 · Jordan Hoffman (0.70 sure it was them)
  2. contrast (contrast) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were tied to as supervised the IMAX re-release: 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ 2010: The Year We Make Contact (the host's read). 2010 tries to answer Kubrick's questions and is more loyal to Arthur C. Clarke's ideas.
    “it's much more... As I remember loyal to Arthur C. Clark's science fiction ideas”
    The Big Picture · ‘Gladiator II’ Is Here. Are We Not Entertained? · 1:26:18 · Chris Ryan (0.60 sure it was them)
  3. lineage (lineage) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were tied to as supervised the IMAX re-release: 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ 2010: The Year We Make Contact (the host's read). 2010 was made because the novel sequel existed, a movie made just because they had to.
    “Because Arthur C. Clark had come out with a 2010 novel.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 2:54:20 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  4. lineage (sequel) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were tied to as supervised the IMAX re-release: 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ 2010: The Year We Make Contact (the host's read). 2010 is the sequel to 2001; the speaker's reaction to the Kubrick film is the benchmark throughout.
    “And I said, oh, you know, 2010, the sequel to 2001 and they were like, the what?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2010: The Year We Make Contact · 0:02:34 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  5. craft (borrowed music) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were tied to as supervised the IMAX re-release: 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ 2010: The Year We Make Contact (the host's read). The only thing 2010 borrows from 2001, apart from plotting, is the music, including the Zarathustra drop at the end.
    “Yeah, is the music.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2010: The Year We Make Contact · 0:07:40 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Jack Kirby: 2 lines

  1. unmapped (led to Fourth World) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were tied to as supervised the IMAX re-release: 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ Jack Kirby (the host's read). Kirby's Fourth World is said to come out of his 2001 work.
    “Yeah, and I think like 4th world essentially comes out of it.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2001: A Space Odyssey with Jordan Hoffman (Ad-Free) · 2:12:31 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  2. lineage (comic adaptation) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were tied to as supervised the IMAX re-release: 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ Jack Kirby (the host's read). Kirby's Marvel series began by adapting the movie in its first three issues, then went its own way.
    “Like, the 1st 3 issues are the movie... and he went bananas with it.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2001: A Space Odyssey with Jordan Hoffman (Ad-Free) · 2:12:44 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Silent Running (1972): 2 lines

  1. lineage (lineage) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were tied to as supervised the IMAX re-release: 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ Silent Running (the host's read). 2001 spawned heady, serious, clean sci-fi like Silent Running.
    “2001 leads to a spat of things like silent running, you know, these movies that are like very heady.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:12:45 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. unmapped (wave of imitators) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were tied to as supervised the IMAX re-release: 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ Silent Running (the host's read). After 2001 came a wave of slower sci-fi imitators, naming Silent Running and Capricorn One.
    “But it is funny, like after this, there's a wave of imitators, right?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2001: A Space Odyssey with Jordan Hoffman (Ad-Free) · 0:42:30 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

2010 (1984): 1 line

  1. lineage (sequel) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were tied to as supervised the IMAX re-release: 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ 2010 (the host's read). Peter Hyams made a film sequel to 2001, following the books.
    “But, like, he rolled up his sleeves and he was like, 2001?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · A Clockwork Orange with Alex Ross Perry (Ad-Free) · 2:48:04 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

2069: A Sex Odyssey: 1 line

  1. lineage (influence) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were tied to as supervised the IMAX re-release: 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ 2069: A Sex Odyssey (the host's read). The porn parody is said to be very influenced by 2001.
    “actually is actually very influenced by this film.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2001: A Space Odyssey with Jordan Hoffman (Ad-Free) · 0:42:56 · Jordan Hoffman (0.30 sure it was them)

A Clockwork Orange (1971): 1 line

  1. unmapped (self-reference) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were tied to as supervised the IMAX re-release: 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ A Clockwork Orange (the host's read). The record store scene shows the 2001 soundtrack, which the speakers read as Kubrick nodding at his own movie.
    “but he's kind of like being like, guys, I made that movie.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · A Clockwork Orange with Alex Ross Perry (Ad-Free) · 1:44:54 · Alex Ross Perry (0.50 sure it was them)

Ad Astra (2019): 1 line

  1. unmapped (cribbing) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were tied to as supervised the IMAX re-release: 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ Ad Astra (the host's read). Ad Astra is called the one other film that feels realistic about space travel, and it cribs from 2001.
    “is cribbing from it so much where like the way at Astra depicts space travel”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2001: A Space Odyssey with Jordan Hoffman (Ad-Free) · 1:41:09 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013): 1 line

  1. unmapped (repeated joke) · through Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), which they were tied to as fan of Talladega Nights; hypothetical director of Days of Thunder 2: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby ⇒ Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (the host's read). Anchorman 2 recycled the pretending-to-be-blind gag from Talladega's paralyzed scene.
    “And like, that's just the Talladega paralyzed scene.”
    The Rewatchables · 'Talladega Nights' With Craig Horlbeck, Danny Heifetz, and Danny Kelly · 0:21:14 · Danny Heifetz (0.40 sure it was them)

Being There (1979): 1 line

  1. theme (theme reused) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were tied to as supervised the IMAX re-release: 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ Being There (the host's read). Being There used a funky version of 2001's Zarathustra theme for its big moment.
    “they were going to play the also Sprack Zarathustra, but they did the funky version instead”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2001: A Space Odyssey with Jordan Hoffman (Ad-Free) · 1:37:23 · Jordan Hoffman (0.50 sure it was them)

David Fincher: 1 line

  1. unmapped (early commercial reference) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were tied to as supervised the IMAX re-release: 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ David Fincher (the host's read). At 24 Fincher used a baby smoking, a 2001 reference, in an American Cancer Society ad.
    “a baby smoking a cigarette as a, as a, as a reference to 2001 is incredibly powerful iconography”
    The Big Picture · ‘The Killer’ Is Cold-Blooded Genius. And Something More · 1:17:15 · Adam Nayman (0.85 sure it was them)

Elvis Presley: 1 line

  1. craft (music borrowed) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were tied to as supervised the IMAX re-release: 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ Elvis Presley (the host's read). Elvis took the Zarathustra overture from the film almost immediately and opened his concerts with it.
    “Almost immediately after the movie took this took the music.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2001: A Space Odyssey with Jordan Hoffman (Ad-Free) · 1:38:21 · Jordan Hoffman (0.40 sure it was them)

History of the World, Part I (1981): 1 line

  1. unmapped (parody) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were tied to as supervised the IMAX re-release: 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ History of the World, Part I (the host's read). Monty Python and History of the World Part I did 2001 parodies.
    “they did 2001 of Space Odyssey parodies. History of the World Part one.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2001: A Space Odyssey with Jordan Hoffman (Ad-Free) · 0:28:00 · Jordan Hoffman (0.60 sure it was them)

Jay-Z: 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · through Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), which they were tied to as fan of Talladega Nights; hypothetical director of Days of Thunder 2: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby ⇒ Jay-Z (the host's read). A host theorizes the Jay-Z and Beyonce song "Apeshit" (video shot in the Louvre) only exists because this film made "ape shit" a thing.
    “I do not think that Beyonce and Jay-Z make a song called Apeshit without this movie.”
    The Rewatchables · 'Talladega Nights' With Craig Horlbeck, Danny Heifetz, and Danny Kelly · 0:33:15 · Danny Heifetz (0.40 sure it was them)

Skyfall (2012): 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · them, directly: Christopher Nolan ⇒ Skyfall (the host's read). Bond producers wanted their own critically acclaimed thriller since Nolan was having all the fun with Bond-esque movies.
    “Let's do it ourselves.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Skyfall’ With Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, and Amanda Dobbins · 0:02:35 · Chris Ryan (0.80 sure it was them)

The Shining (1980): 1 line

  1. unmapped (led to Kubrick mythology) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were tied to as supervised the IMAX re-release: 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ The Shining (the host's read). 2001 is the reason for Kubrick's godlike mythology, without which people would invest less in The Shining.
    “I don't think people would invest as much into The Shining if this movie didn't exist.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2001: A Space Odyssey with Jordan Hoffman (Ad-Free) · 1:01:49 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

What the speakers said they did

Directing (52) everyone in directing

Other (4) everyone in other

What was said about them, by kind

career (3)

  1. career (comeback attempt): Eric Roberts → Christopher Nolan. Nolan's Dark Knight casting was meant as an Eric Roberts reclamation project that did not go anywhere.
    “you had like Christopher Nolan giving him a good little supporting part in Dark Knight and being like, Eric Roberts reclamation project.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Star 80 with Julie Klausner · 0:10:42 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. career (career stepping stone): Christopher Nolan → Insomnia. Insomnia proved Nolan was a professional who could handle personalities, earning Warner's trust to make Batman.
    “Not because insomnia is like Batman, but because I think within Warner Brothers, they were like, this seems like a pretty solid bet”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind with Lulu Wang · 0:09:49 · David Sims (0.55 sure it was them)
  3. career (career comparison): Jordan Peele → Christopher Nolan. Sean says Peele and maybe Nolan are the only ones who get a huge check and use it to blow your mind.
    “Like maybe Christopher Nolan is the only person you could say who's like, okay, you have a $100000000 check, blow my mind.”
    The Big Picture · The Top Five Movies of 2022 · 1:34:13 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)

contrast (3)

  1. contrast (contrast): Alex Garland → Christopher Nolan. Sean would trade a Nolan-size budget on Garland for another Garland film over another Nolan film.
    “I want another Alex Garland movie”
    The Big Picture · 300th Episode Ask-Us-Anything Mailbag Spectacular · 0:41:20 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  2. contrast (contrast): Christopher Nolan → Alex Garland. Amanda says it is not a budget trade and wants to see Nolan prove his range.
    “let's see whether Christopher Nolan has the range”
    The Big Picture · 300th Episode Ask-Us-Anything Mailbag Spectacular · 0:41:57 · Amanda Dobbins (0.75 sure it was them)
  3. contrast (contrast): Denis Villeneuve → Christopher Nolan. Villeneuve is often compared to Nolan whereas Spike Lee is seen as unique.
    “Villeneuve, I think, is someone who gets compared a lot to Nolan.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2025 March Madness Update 1 · 0:32:32 · unknown (0.50 sure it was them)

industry (2)

  1. industry (industry): Skyfall → Christopher Nolan. Bond producers wanted their own critically acclaimed thriller since Nolan was having all the fun with Bond-esque movies.
    “Let's do it ourselves.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Skyfall’ With Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, and Amanda Dobbins · 0:02:35 · Chris Ryan (0.80 sure it was them)
  2. industry (re-release): Christopher Nolan → 2001: A Space Odyssey. Nolan supervised an IMAX re-release off the 4K restoration, demastered to look like his childhood memory.
    “Nolan supervised this IMAX re-release, large format re-release”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2001: A Space Odyssey with Jordan Hoffman (Ad-Free) · 0:16:44 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

people (2)

  1. people (people): The Thomas Crown Affair → Christopher Nolan. Speaker says Christopher Nolan loves the 1999 Thomas Crown Affair because of Tenet.
    “you know who loves the Thomas Crown affair in 1999, Christopher Nolan, because I've seen Tenet”
    The Big Picture · 300th Episode Ask-Us-Anything Mailbag Spectacular · 1:09:21 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. people (people): Christopher Nolan → Gary Oldman. Nolan offered Oldman the Gordon part, which the speakers say reset Oldman's career.
    “Nolan offers Rashal Ghoul to Gary Oldman, of course.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · RoboCop (2014) · 0:24:23 · David Sims (0.30 sure it was them)

unmapped (5)

  1. unmapped (practical vs digital): Christopher Nolan → Twin Peaks: The Return, Part 8. A joke riff wondering whether Lynch's bomb shot is practical like Nolan's claimed in-camera Trinity test, with the speaker admitting the particle shots could be either.
    “I don't know, like, Christopher Nolan made such a big deal of like, I'm doing this all in camera, right?”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Twin Peaks: The Return (Episode 8) with Connor Ratliff · 1:14:12 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  2. unmapped (audience-clout comp): Zach Cregger → Christopher Nolan. Cregger has already done what Nolan did, smashing through online fan concern-trolling.
    “he's already done what Nolan did, which is apparently just like smashed through the, like, fake concern control online.”
    The Big Picture · ‘Resident Evil’ Absolutely Rips! · 1:13:04 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
  3. unmapped (theater reopener): Tenet → Christopher Nolan. Tenet is meant to reopen theaters on July 17 and Nolan was unhappy with the WarnerMedia comments.
    “his new movie, Tennant, is supposed to be the movie that reopens theaters on July 17th around the country.”
    The Big Picture · Emergency Mailbag: The Oscars Are Streaming and Hollywood Is Fighting Over Trolls | The Big Picture · 0:13:44 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
  4. unmapped (does not disown early work): Christopher Nolan → Following. Nolan, unlike Kubrick, does not disown his rough-draft first feature.
    “Christopher Nolan doesn't disown following”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Killing with Patton Oswalt (Ad-Free) · 0:10:54 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  5. unmapped (similar trajectory): Stanley Kubrick → Christopher Nolan. Self-taught path from watching movies to directing, as Nolan did.
    “Like, I mean, Nolan sort of has a similar trajectory.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Fear & Desire / Killer's Kiss (Ad-Free) · 0:27:21 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)

what-if (4)

  1. what-if (remake what-if): Christopher Nolan → Days of Thunder 2. Joking that Nolan should dark-knight the NASCAR comedy by directing Days of Thunder 2 with Tom Cruise.
    “Dark Knight, Talladega Knights.”
    The Rewatchables · 'Talladega Nights' With Craig Horlbeck, Danny Heifetz, and Danny Kelly · 1:33:11 · Danny Kelly (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. what-if (what-if): Public Enemies → Christopher Nolan. Nolan could shoot a Dillinger movie with style and propulsion.
    “he would be able to shoot a movie like this with an enormous amount of style and propulsion and intrigue”
    The Big Picture · 300th Episode Ask-Us-Anything Mailbag Spectacular · 0:38:31 · Sean Fennessey (0.90 sure it was them)
  3. what-if (what-if): Guy Pearce → Christopher Nolan. Odd that Nolan never put Pearce in a Batman film despite rumors (Scarecrow etc.).
    “still kind of crazy that Nolan never found a place for him in the Batman.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Iron Man 3 · 0:33:50 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  4. what-if (what-if): Vanilla Sky → Christopher Nolan. Christopher Nolan would have done a good job with this movie.
    “You know who would have done a good job with this movie?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Vanilla Sky with Richard Lawson (Ad-Free) · 1:27:35 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Fun items about them

  1. fun, about Christopher Nolan: Chris wants to talk about Nolan assembling his Avengers cast for his next film, including Pattinson and Zendaya.
    “Nolan is building his own Avengers.”
    The Big Picture · ‘Gladiator II’ Is Here. Are We Not Entertained? · 0:05:02 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)