David Prowse

Made films the shows talk about.

Counted as actor. The films the hosts said they acted in, which the two lists below run through too: A Clockwork Orange (1971); Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977).

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.

Anthony Burgess: 2 lines

  1. unmapped (book vs film) · through A Clockwork Orange (1971), which they acted in: Anthony Burgess ⇒ A Clockwork Orange (the host's read). Reading the novel again, the speaker finds it almost the same as the film, dialogue and all.
    “The dialogue is, it's just unbelievable how little he changed”
    Blank Check — Patreon · A Clockwork Orange with Alex Ross Perry (Ad-Free) · 1:17:42 · Alex Ross Perry (0.80 sure it was them)
  2. lineage (adaptation) · through A Clockwork Orange (1971), which they acted in: Anthony Burgess ⇒ A Clockwork Orange (the host's read). The film adapts Burgess's novel, and Kubrick found he had to change very little.
    “Kubrick reads the book and is like, I didn't have to do much.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · A Clockwork Orange with Alex Ross Perry (Ad-Free) · 1:20:24 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Dune (1984): 2 lines

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they acted in: Dune ⇒ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (the host's read). The Dune book's messaging is credited as one of the things that inspired Star Wars.
    “And not only that, the messaging of this is one of the things that inspired Star Wars.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 0:22:22 · John Hodgman (0.70 sure it was them)
  2. theme (theme) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they acted in: Dune ⇒ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (the host's read). Dune's Fremen/revolution material is the denser source that Star Wars abstracts; the Force is Dune without the drugs.
    “the Force in Star Wars is like doom without the drugs.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:17:01 · David Sims (0.30 sure it was them)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): 1 line

  1. unmapped (self-reference) · through A Clockwork Orange (1971), which they acted in: 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)

Dave Toschi: 1 line

  1. unmapped (namesake) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they acted in: Dave Toschi ⇒ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (the host's read). Star Wars has a Tosche station, named after Dave Toschi.
    “It does. named after Dave Kosk.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Zodiac with Leslye Headland (Ad-Free) · 1:39:12 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Seven Samurai (1954): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they acted in: Seven Samurai ⇒ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (the host's read). Mallory notes Lucas drew on Joseph Campbell, Seven Samurai, and Hidden Fortress, and the cycle of influence is now returning in Mulan.
    “Obviously, Joseph Campbell, as mentioned a moment ago. 7 Samurai, Hidden Fortress.”
    The Big Picture · Did Disney’s ‘Mulan’ Experiment Work? A Binge Mode Investigation · 0:46:32 · Mallory Rubin (0.85 sure it was them)

The Hidden Fortress (1958): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they acted in: The Hidden Fortress ⇒ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (the host's read). Mallory lists Hidden Fortress among Lucas's influences.
    “7 Samurai, Hidden Fortress.”
    The Big Picture · Did Disney’s ‘Mulan’ Experiment Work? A Binge Mode Investigation · 0:46:32 · Mallory Rubin (0.85 sure it was them)

Drawn on by

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

Dune (1984): 2 lines

  1. programming (programming) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they acted in: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Dune (the host's read). Dune was positioned and released as the studio's answer to Star Wars, the next big space epic.
    “Uh, this movie is released with the energy of, here you go, here's the new Star Wars.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 0:22:17 · John Hodgman (0.85 sure it was them)
  2. unmapped (tentpole hope) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they acted in: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Dune (the host's read). Dune was meant to be the new Star Wars franchise, Lynch writing the sequel, coloring books on shelves.
    “I thought it was going to be the Star Wars.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Starman with Katey Rich · 2:18:09 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens: 2 lines

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they acted in: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (the host's read). The Force Awakens maps almost exactly onto A New Hope.
    “Force Awakens, which will maybe come up later on this podcast is in almost every respect.”
    The Big Picture · ‘Gladiator II’ Is Here. Are We Not Entertained? · 0:24:06 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they acted in: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (the host's read). It ports over Death Star, Tatooine and R2-D2 as Starkiller Base, Jakku and BB-8.
    “in place of the Death Star, you have star killer base.”
    The Big Picture · ‘Gladiator II’ Is Here. Are We Not Entertained? · 1:24:09 · Mallory Rubin (0.50 sure it was them)

Alien (1979): 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they acted in: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Alien (the host's read). In Star Wars' wake came Alien and Blade Runner rather than more 4-color space operas.
    “the Star Wars Halo effect are like alien.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:13:21 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Arthur C. Clarke: 1 line

  1. lineage (why the sequel got written) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they acted in: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Arthur C. Clarke (the host's read). The speaker thinks the post-Star Wars sci-fi rush is what kickstarted Clarke finally writing the follow-up.
    “I mean, I'm realizing the other thing that probably kickstarted Arthur C. Clark finally writing the follow-up novel is the mad post-Star Wars sci-fi brush of like, oh, now Star Trek, the motion picture is getting made.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2010: The Year We Make Contact · 0:22:43 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Battlestar Galactica: 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they acted in: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Battlestar Galactica (the host's read). Star Wars' direct influence landed more on television, e.g. Battlestar Galactica.
    “And of course, on television, you had Battlestar Galactic.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:14:15 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Flash Gordon (1980): 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they acted in: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Flash Gordon (the host's read). Flash Gordon and The Last Starfighter are a grounded-in-reality category of post-Star Wars space movies.
    “Flash Gordon, I want to put as this category of things like Last Starfighter, like the Masters.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:13:54 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

George Lucas: 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they acted in: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ George Lucas (the host's read). Lucas's Star Wars deal (giving up salary for merch and control) enabled the Raiders deal of owning the negative.
    “he gives up his salary and his points as a director on Star Wars to retain the control and the merch.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 1:01:43 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Her Smell (2018): 1 line

  1. lineage (inspiration) · through A Clockwork Orange (1971), which they acted in: A Clockwork Orange ⇒ Her Smell (the maker said so: Alex Ross Perry, the writer of Her Smell, speaking on this episode). The speaker says the film's five-act structure was a huge inspiration while writing Her Smell.
    “This movie, I think, and this was a huge inspiration in when I was writing her smell.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · A Clockwork Orange with Alex Ross Perry (Ad-Free) · 1:28:51 · Alex Ross Perry (0.80 sure it was them)

James Bond films (the franchise): 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they acted in: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ James Bond films (the franchise) (the host's read). Star Wars pushed Bond into outer space.
    “James Bond went to went to the moon because of Star Wars.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 0:55:07 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Masters of the Universe (2026): 1 line

  1. lineage (origin) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they acted in: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Masters of the Universe (the host's read). He-Man (and the 80s toy boom) was a response to every company having passed on Star Wars merchandising.
    “so much of He-Man and the 80s for toys is a response to every major company passing on Star Wars that Star Wars is the whiff that no one can live down.”
    The Big Picture · The Top 10 Fantasy Films, The Toy Movie Hall of Fame, and ‘Masters of the Universe,’ with Griffin Newman! · 0:23:25 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979): 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they acted in: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Star Trek: The Motion Picture (the host's read). Star Trek the Motion Picture happened because Star Wars scooped the studio.
    “Like Star Wars scooped our ass.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:12:22 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they acted in: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (the host's read). A second, bigger Death Star is called a lateral remake of the first.
    “We're kind of, it's like a lateral remake.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:04:32 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (2026): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through A Clockwork Orange (1971), which they acted in: A Clockwork Orange ⇒ Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (the host's read). The contrapuntal needle drop descends from Singin' in the Rain in Clockwork Orange and Stuck in the Middle with You in Reservoir Dogs.
    “all the way back to singing in the rain in Clockwork Orange or stuck in the middle with you in, in, in, in Reservoir dogs.”
    The Big Picture · The Final Girl Film Canon and ‘Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma’ With Gillian Anderson, Hannah Einbinder, and Jane Schoenbrun! · 0:22:08 · Adam Nayman (0.55 sure it was them)

The Simpsons (TV): 1 line

  1. unmapped (parodied) · through A Clockwork Orange (1971), which they acted in: A Clockwork Orange ⇒ The Simpsons (TV) (the host's read). The Simpsons reference this film a lot.
    “But the Simpsons reference is clockwork orange. a lot.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · A Clockwork Orange with Alex Ross Perry (Ad-Free) · 2:29:53 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)

What the speakers said they did

Acting (2) everyone in acting

What was said about them, by kind

people (1)

  1. people (shared actor): David Prowse → Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. Prowse, the bodyguard in this film, played Darth Vader.
    “He played Darth Vader.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · A Clockwork Orange with Alex Ross Perry (Ad-Free) · 2:32:00 · Alex Ross Perry (0.50 sure it was them)

Fun items about them

  1. fun, about David Prowse: Told to carry the wheelchair down stairs repeatedly, Prowse said his name was not one-take Kubrick; they got it in six takes.
    “And Prow says, yeah, I am, but your name's not one take Kubrick, is it?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · A Clockwork Orange with Alex Ross Perry (Ad-Free) · 2:32:26 · Alex Ross Perry (0.60 sure it was them)
  2. fun, about David Prowse: Prowse did all the Darth Vader dialogue on set in a thick west country accent, expecting his voice to be used.
    “He's got this lovely west country accent.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · A Clockwork Orange with Alex Ross Perry (Ad-Free) · 2:33:11 · Alex Ross Perry (0.50 sure it was them)