MGM

Made films the shows talk about.

Counted as studio. The films the hosts said they were behind, which the two lists below run through too: Paths of Glory (1957); Lolita (1962); 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968); 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984); Blue Steel (1990); Showgirls (1995); The Game (1997); The Thomas Crown Affair (1999); Mank (2020); Napoleon (Kubrick's unmade film).

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.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): 5 lines, within their own work

  1. lineage (sequel) · through 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984), which they were behind as studio that set up the sequel: 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 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984), which they were behind as studio that set up the sequel: 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 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984), which they were behind as studio that set up the sequel: 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 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984), which they were behind as studio that set up the sequel: 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 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984), which they were behind as studio that set up the sequel: 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)

2010: Odyssey Two (novel) (1982): 3 lines

  1. unmapped (changes from the book) · through 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984), which they were behind as studio that set up the sequel: 2010: Odyssey Two (novel) ⇒ 2010: The Year We Make Contact (the maker said so). Hyams demanded changes to play up US-Soviet politics, which the novel does not treat as a source of tension.
    “Two, there's changes I want to make to play up the politics of the movie because in the novel, the U.S. Soviet thing is not like a source of tension.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2010: The Year We Make Contact · 0:21:36 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. theme (changed character nationality) · through 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984), which they were behind as studio that set up the sequel: 2010: Odyssey Two (novel) ⇒ 2010: The Year We Make Contact (the maker said so). Dr. Chandra is Indian in the book; the film made him American, per Balaban.
    “Bob Balaban said they changed his nationalities from Indian to American because they thought it would be confusing to have another nationality who've got the Russians and the Americans up there.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2010: The Year We Make Contact · 0:28:11 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  3. lineage (adaptation) · through 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984), which they were behind as studio that set up the sequel: 2010: Odyssey Two (novel) ⇒ 2010: The Year We Make Contact (the host's read). The film exists because Clarke published the sequel novel.
    “Arthur C. Clark, of course, did publish a sequel to 2001 called 2010.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2010: The Year We Make Contact · 0:17:20 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Citizen Kane (1941): 2 lines

  1. lineage (visual influence) · through Mank (2020), which they were behind as studio depicted: Citizen Kane ⇒ Mank (the maker said so: David's interview with cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt). Messerschmidt told the interviewer he wanted low, deep-focus photography evoking Citizen Kane, not noir.
    “He's like, no, I want to do it low to the ground, lots of deep focus, evoking citizen Kane.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Mank with Sean Fennessey (Ad-Free) · 1:13:08 · David Sims (0.80 sure it was them)
  2. lineage (subject / source) · through Mank (2020), which they were behind as studio depicted: Citizen Kane ⇒ Mank (the host's read). Mank is partly inspired by Pauline Kael's essay on who truly authored Citizen Kane.
    “it's in part inspired by that very famous Pauline Kale, story raising Kane, about the true authorship of Citizen Kane”
    The Big Picture · Emergency Mailbag: The Oscars Are Streaming and Hollywood Is Fighting Over Trolls | The Big Picture · 0:58:09 · Sean Fennessey (0.55 sure it was them)

Seven (1995): 2 lines

  1. unmapped (R-rated proof) · through The Game (1997), which they were behind as studio the spec script went to: Seven ⇒ The Game (the host's read). 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)
  2. unmapped (commercial lead-in) · through The Game (1997), which they were behind as studio the spec script went to: Seven ⇒ The Game (the host's read). 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)

A Christmas Carol (2009): 1 line

  1. unmapped (template) · through The Game (1997), which they were behind as studio the spec script went to: A Christmas Carol ⇒ The Game (the maker said so: reading Fincher's quotes in the dossier JJ put together). 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)

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977): 1 line

  1. unmapped (tip of the hat) · through 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984), which they were behind as studio that set up the sequel: Close Encounters of the Third Kind ⇒ 2010: The Year We Make Contact (the host's read). Casting Balaban reads as a nod to Close Encounters; the speaker finds 2010 more in its shadow than 2001's.
    “And the Balaban casting feels like a real tip of the hat to that.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2010: The Year We Make Contact · 0:28:46 · unknown (0.35 sure it was them)

Humphrey Cobb: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Paths of Glory (1957), which they were behind as studio, deal for Kubrick and Harris: Humphrey Cobb ⇒ Paths of Glory (the host's read). Paths of Glory is based on Cobb's novel, which Kubrick read in high school and never forgot.
    “Humphrey Cobb's novel pads of glory.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Paths of Glory with Sarah Marshall (Ad-Free) · 0:33:38 · David Sims (0.70 sure it was them)

Jack Fincher: 1 line

  1. lineage (script origin) · through Mank (2020), which they were behind as studio depicted: Jack Fincher ⇒ Mank (the maker said so: Fincher's own account as read from the dossier (outlet not named)). Fincher's father wrote the original Mank script, which David set aside until years later.
    “I'm handed this script that my dad wrote about all powerful directors ruining storytelling”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Mank with Sean Fennessey (Ad-Free) · 0:48:09 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)

Lolita (1955 novel): 1 line

  1. lineage (adaptation) · through Lolita (1962), which they were behind as studio that picked it up: Lolita (1955 novel) ⇒ Lolita (the host's read). The 1962 film is adapted from Nabokov's novel; the speaker reads Crowther's review saying the film keeps the names and a resemblance of plot.
    “They made a movie from a script in which the characters have the same name as the characters in the book, and the plot bears a resemblance to the original”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Lolita with Fran Hoepfner (Ad-Free) · 1:47:47 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

The Killing (1956): 1 line

  1. unmapped (led to) · through Paths of Glory (1957), which they were behind as studio, deal for Kubrick and Harris: The Killing ⇒ Paths of Glory (the host's read). Kirk Douglas saw The Killing and wanted that director for Paths of Glory.
    “And then didn't Kirk Douglas see this and went, oh, this is paths of glory.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Killing with Patton Oswalt (Ad-Free) · 1:05:46 · Patton Oswalt (0.35 sure it was them)

The Lost Weekend (1945): 1 line

  1. craft (visual echo) · through Mank (2020), which they were behind as studio depicted: The Lost Weekend ⇒ Mank (the host's read). The election-night drunk sequence in Mank is called self-consciously reminiscent of The Lost Weekend.
    “almost self-consciously reminiscent of the last the lost weekend”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Mank with Sean Fennessey (Ad-Free) · 2:03:48 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)

The Sentinel (short story): 1 line

  1. lineage (source story) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were behind as studio that gave Kubrick the $6 million budget: 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)

Topkapi (1964): 1 line

  1. lineage (remake (unmade)) · through The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), which they were behind as studio of the Topkapi sequel plan: Topkapi ⇒ The Thomas Crown Affair (the host's read). MGM tried to remake Topkapi as a sequel to the Brosnan Thomas Crown Affair, with Verhoeven.
    “Because wasn't Verhoven was going to remake Top Cappy as a sequel to Thomas Crown Affair.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Spartacus with Richard Lawson (Ad-Free) · 0:26:03 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

War and Peace: 1 line

  1. unmapped (scale envy) · through Napoleon (Kubrick's unmade film), which they were behind as studio that was going to fund it, then got spooked: War and Peace ⇒ Napoleon (Kubrick's unmade film) (the host's read). Kubrick is imagined looking at Bondarchuk's War and Peace and thinking he could stage battles like that.
    “He's just looking at that and being like, I could do this.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · A Clockwork Orange with Alex Ross Perry (Ad-Free) · 1:12:51 · unknown (0.40 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, within their own work

  1. lineage (sequel) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were behind as studio that gave Kubrick the $6 million budget: 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 behind as studio that gave Kubrick the $6 million budget: 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 behind as studio that gave Kubrick the $6 million budget: 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 behind as studio that gave Kubrick the $6 million budget: 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 behind as studio that gave Kubrick the $6 million budget: 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 behind as studio that gave Kubrick the $6 million budget: 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 behind as studio that gave Kubrick the $6 million budget: 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 behind as studio that gave Kubrick the $6 million budget: 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 behind as studio that gave Kubrick the $6 million budget: 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 behind as studio that gave Kubrick the $6 million budget: 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 behind as studio that gave Kubrick the $6 million budget: 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 behind as studio that gave Kubrick the $6 million budget: 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 behind as studio that gave Kubrick the $6 million budget: 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)

Being There (1979): 1 line

  1. theme (theme reused) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were behind as studio that gave Kubrick the $6 million budget: 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)

Christopher Nolan: 1 line

  1. people (people) · through The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), which they were behind as studio of the Topkapi sequel plan: 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)

David Fincher: 1 line

  1. unmapped (early commercial reference) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were behind as studio that gave Kubrick the $6 million budget: 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)

David Simon: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Paths of Glory (1957), which they were behind as studio, deal for Kubrick and Harris: Paths of Glory ⇒ David Simon (the maker said so: David Simon cites it regularly). The speaker calls Paths of Glory a Rosetta Stone for Simon's stories of institutions versus the people below.
    “this is the sort of Rosetta Stone, if you will, for him.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Paths of Glory with Sarah Marshall (Ad-Free) · 0:25:22 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Elvis Presley: 1 line

  1. craft (music borrowed) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were behind as studio that gave Kubrick the $6 million budget: 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)

Gone Girl (2014): 1 line

  1. theme (character type (Desi)) · through Lolita (1962), which they were behind as studio that picked it up: Lolita ⇒ Gone Girl (the maker said so: In the commentary). On the commentary Fincher says he wanted a Claire Quilty type for Desi and found it in Neil Patrick Harris.
    “Fincher said he wanted a Claire quilty type and he's like, what's a modern Claire quilty type?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Gone Girl with Esther Zuckerman (Ad-Free) · 2:18:15 · unknown (0.30 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 behind as studio that gave Kubrick the $6 million budget: 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)

Succession (2018): 1 line

  1. unmapped (looks like) · through The Game (1997), which they were behind as studio the spec script went to: The Game ⇒ Succession (the host's read). 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)

The Shining (1980): 1 line

  1. unmapped (led to Kubrick mythology) · through 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which they were behind as studio that gave Kubrick the $6 million budget: 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)

The Wire (2002): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Paths of Glory (1957), which they were behind as studio, deal for Kubrick and Harris: Paths of Glory ⇒ The Wire (the maker said so: David Simon cites it regularly). David Simon reportedly cites Paths of Glory as the number one influence on The Wire: institutions chewing up the people on the ground.
    “David Simon cites this regularly as the number one influence on the wire?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Paths of Glory with Sarah Marshall (Ad-Free) · 0:25:11 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

What the speakers said they did

Studio (11) everyone in studio

What was said about them, by kind

industry (1)

  1. industry (distribution): Lolita → MGM. The Hays Code seal meant MGM picked up the film after other studios ran.
    “which meant that MGM picked it up.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Lolita with Fran Hoepfner (Ad-Free) · 1:37:55 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Fun items about them

None.