Griffin Newman

Personality, episode by episode

Showing 61–80 of 96 sketches.

Their shows' recurring bits

Running bits, not opinions; a critic read aloud is cited, not present.

The Big Picture

• Drafts: Hosts and guests draft films in rounds; every pick is a recommendation with an argument.
• Hall of Fame: A star's or director's best, ranked and argued.
• Countdowns: Ranked lists, top five or top ten.

Blank Check with Griffin & David

• The box office game: Guessing the film's opening weekend and what it was up against.
• The sung theme: "Blank Check with Griffin and David", sung; the transcriber garbles it.

Their claims

Showing 101–200 of 1,162 claims.

101. lineage (origin of project): David Lean → Empire of the Sun. Lean asked Spielberg to check on the rights, then lost interest and handed the novel to him.

     “He asks Spielberg to check in on the rights for him.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Empire of the Sun with Bilge Ebiri · 0:57:53 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
102. unmapped (screenwriting): Tom Stoppard → Empire of the Sun. Stoppard became the sole credited writer and said it taught him where dialogue is unnecessary.

     “I learned a lot working on that in terms of like where you don't need dialogue.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Empire of the Sun with Bilge Ebiri · 1:08:11 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
103. unmapped (authorship): Tom Stoppard → Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead. Stoppard directed the film version of his own play, which won at Venice.

     “And he directed he directed the film version of it too.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Empire of the Sun with Bilge Ebiri · 1:10:08 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
104. people (actor comparison): Christian Bale → Adam Driver. Bale takes weird projects, even bad movies, a bit like Driver, but is more flexible.

     “He's almost like there's there's a bit of the Adam Driver thing going on with them.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Empire of the Sun with Bilge Ebiri · 1:13:47 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
105. unmapped (scene reference): Empire of the Sun → Gone with the Wind. Jim stands before the Gone with the Wind poster, echoing Spielberg's remark to Alice Walker that it is one of his favorites.

     “I mean, you have that moment where he's standing in front of the giant gone with the wind poster, right?”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Empire of the Sun with Bilge Ebiri · 1:31:05 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
106. craft (shot design): Empire of the Sun → Jaws. Spielberg reveals Malkovich in pieces like Jaws and Indiana Jones, withholding the hero shot.

     “he introduces him both like he's Jaws and like he's Indiana Jones”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Empire of the Sun with Bilge Ebiri · 1:38:17 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
107. craft (shot design): Empire of the Sun → Raiders of the Lost Ark. Same slow reveal as Indiana Jones in pieces before the hero shot.

     “which similarly has the like Spielberg taking 5 minutes to show you Indiana Jones in pieces before you really get the hero shot”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Empire of the Sun with Bilge Ebiri · 1:38:17 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
108. lineage (inspiration): Empire of the Sun → Tropic Thunder. Ben Stiller, on the Empire set as a young actor, was inspired by actors playing at suffering to make Tropic Thunder two decades later.

     “Which, of course, this is one of this movie's greatest, like, lasting legacies is that this, this is what inspires Tropic Thunder.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Empire of the Sun with Bilge Ebiri · 1:49:05 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
109. unmapped (psychology key): Empire of the Sun → The Fabelmans. Griffin reads Empire through The Fabelmans: Spielberg's core trauma was being pulled into the adult world, like Jim in the camp.

     “I mean, here's here's my big post-fableman's take on this movie.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Empire of the Sun with Bilge Ebiri · 1:50:40 · Griffin Newman (0.80 sure it was them)
110. unmapped (dark twin): Empire of the Sun → E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Griffin pairs E.T. and Empire as two stabs at the same childhood material at the front and back of the 80s.

     “I do think they're like him sort of like at the front and end of the 80s taking 2 stabs at a similar thing.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Empire of the Sun with Bilge Ebiri · 1:55:03 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
111. people (performance): Miranda Richardson → Kansas City. Griffin saw the Altman film at a repertory screening where the audience was blown away by Richardson.

     “holy shit, the Miranda Richardson performance in this.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Empire of the Sun with Bilge Ebiri · 2:06:28 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
112. craft (plot structure): Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl → Raiders of the Lost Ark. The film fails to tie its Indiana-Jones-style MacGuffin to the Wallace-Gromit relationship.

     “They fail to make the, um, the plot, the sort of like Indiana Jones-S McGuffin of what they're up against directly relate to Wallace and Gromit's relationship.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Empire of the Sun with Bilge Ebiri · 2:11:21 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
113. theme (quality comparison): Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl → Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget. Vengeance Most Fowl is better than Dawn of the Nugget.

     “it is much better than Dawn of the Nugget, which I think is basically wall-to-wall bullshit.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Empire of the Sun with Bilge Ebiri · 2:12:14 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
114. unmapped (stylistic shift): Saving Private Ryan → Minority Report. Saving Private Ryan was the biggest shift in Spielberg's signature style, letting him change languages for films like Minority Report and Munich.

     “Saving Private Ryan is, in my opinion, the single biggest shift in his signature style up until that point”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Empire of the Sun with Bilge Ebiri · 2:18:41 · Griffin Newman (0.70 sure it was them)
115. unmapped (historical context): Come See the Paradise → Empire of the Sun. A reminder that America had its own internment camps, as in Alan Parker's film.

     “America did that to you, Japanese citizen.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Empire of the Sun with Bilge Ebiri · 2:24:31 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
116. unmapped (reappraisal): Fatal Attraction → Adrian Lyne. Lyne has been retroactively inserted into the pantheon; Sliver was not valued in 1993.

     “It is funny how Adrian Lyne has become kind of a like sort of retroactively inserted into the pantheon.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Empire of the Sun with Bilge Ebiri · 2:37:06 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
117. craft (craft): Raiders of the Lost Ark → Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Last Crusade shows that silent comedy, especially Buster Keaton, is part of the DNA of these movies.

     “that's the huge part of the DNA of these movies is silent comedy and not just the adventure serials.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 1:14:01 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
118. industry (industry): Raiders of the Lost Ark → Spider-Man. The big 2002 superhero films were limited by effects budgets in action; Raiders felt like it exceeded what was possible.

     “this is more movie than you thought was previously possible.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 2:41:04 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
119. unmapped (experience): Raiders of the Lost Ark → Spider-Man 2. Seeing Spider-Man 2's subway chase felt to him like watching Raiders' escalating set pieces in 1981.

     “I imagine this is what it would have felt like to watch Raiders in the theater at the time, but seeing Spider-Man 2 opening nights”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 2:43:59 · Griffin Newman (0.70 sure it was them)
120. unmapped (weirdest-ever): Twin Peaks: The Return, Part 8 → Twin Peaks season 2 finale. Part 8 is Lynch topping his own season 2 finale as the weirdest thing ever on prime time, building something weird in relation to the template of weirdness he already set.

     “he's like, no, I need to make the thing that is weird and relation to the template of weirdness I have already set, much like the season 2 finale”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Twin Peaks: The Return (Episode 8) with Connor Ratliff · 0:07:53 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
121. lineage (alt-cut riff): Twin Peaks: The Return, Part 8 → Anchorman (Wake Up Ron Burgundy alt cut). Lynch's deleted-scene habit is riffed as making his own Wake Up Ron Burgundy.

     “Lynch loves wake up Ron Burgundy.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Twin Peaks: The Return (Episode 8) with Connor Ratliff · 0:45:43 · Griffin Newman (0.30 sure it was them)
122. lineage (location callback): Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me → Twin Peaks: The Return, Part 8. The convenience store was only seen inside, upstairs, in Fire Walk with Me; Part 8 shows its exterior and it is where nasty business happens.

     “Wait, so we've been to the convenience store and in the past?”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Twin Peaks: The Return (Episode 8) with Connor Ratliff · 1:21:40 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
123. craft (structural echo): Twin Peaks: The Return, Part 8 → 2001: A Space Odyssey. The abstract atomic-origin sequence is likened to 2001 for television, and the speakers note 2001 also comes after two hours of conventional narrative.

     “you're like, oh, we're watching something that is 2001, a Space Odyssey for television.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Twin Peaks: The Return (Episode 8) with Connor Ratliff · 1:22:42 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
124. unmapped (bit): Twin Peaks: The Return, Part 8 → Wonka. A running gag predicts Wonka 2 will have Willy Wonka meet the Fockers.

     “My prediction is we'll find out his middle name as Nelly.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Twin Peaks: The Return (Episode 8) with Connor Ratliff · 1:59:01 · Griffin Newman (0.30 sure it was them)
125. industry (industry): Francis Ford Coppola → Ronnie Rocket. Lynch came close to making Ronnie Rocket at Zoetrope.

     “He actually comes close now because he has real clout, Zoatrope, Francis Ford Coppola's, you know, House of Madness.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:00:35 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
126. what-if (what-if): David Lynch → Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Lynch would have gone wild on Jabba's Palace.

     “The whole 1st 30 minutes, you're like, Lynch would go fucking hog wild on that.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:04:23 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
127. career (career): David Lynch → Red Dragon / Manhunter. Roth approached Lynch to direct Red Dragon, which Michael Mann later made as Manhunter.

     “Richard Roth approached him to direct Red Dragon, which, of course, eventually Michael Mann makes as Manhunter.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:05:31 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
128. career (career): David Lynch → Blue Velvet. Lynch pitched Blue Velvet to Roth in the same meeting.

     “That is when he pitches Roth on Blue Velvet.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:05:38 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
129. lineage (lineage): Tender Mercies → The Straight Story. Tender Mercies was a quiet drama offered to Lynch, a sensibility that foreshadows The Straight Story.

     “but somebody like the straight story speaks to him.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:05:58 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
130. career (career): David Lynch → Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Cameron Crowe approached Lynch to direct Fast Times.

     “He was also approached by Cameron Crowe to direct Fast Times at Ridgemont High.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:06:16 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
131. people (people): Dino De Laurentiis → Federico Fellini. Raffaella says her father thought Lynch was as good as Fellini.

     “My father loved directors and he thought David was as good as Fellini, she says.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:08:14 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
132. contrast (contrast): Eraserhead → The Elephant Man. Dino wanted Elephant Man Lynch, not Eraserhead Lynch, though they share a lot.

     “But he's sort of saying like, I want the elephant man lynch, not eraser head lynch.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:08:39 · Griffin Newman (0.55 sure it was them)
133. industry (industry): Dino De Laurentiis → Conan the Barbarian. Conan had already happened by the time of Dune.

     “Conan had happened at this point, Barbarellas.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:10:31 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
134. career (career): Matt Keeslar → Sour Grapes. Keeslar plays a Matt LeBlanc stand-in in Larry David's Sour Grapes.

     “Matt Keesler plays Matt LeBlanc in sour grapes.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:20:28 · Griffin Newman (0.45 sure it was them)
135. people (people): W.D. Richter → Late for Dinner. Late for Dinner was directed by W.D. Richter, who also did Buckaroo Banzai.

     “The film you referenced was, in fact, directed by W.D. Richter, the only other film directed by the man who did Buck Rubons.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:29:32 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
136. what-if (what-if): David Lean → Dune. David Lean was approached by the original rights holder and passed.

     “Martha P. Jacobs at one point wanted David Lean to make Dune.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:29:46 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
137. what-if (what-if): Val Kilmer → Dune. Val Kilmer was reportedly first choice for Paul and makes sense but was notoriously difficult.

     “Now, Val Kilmer, I believe, was the 1st choice to play Paulitrates, and makes so much sense.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:43:30 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
138. what-if (what-if): Tom Cruise → Dune. Tom Cruise was mentioned for Paul but feared too charismatic.

     “Obviously, Tom Cruise is also mentioned.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:44:35 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
139. theme (theme): Kyle MacLachlan → The Three Musketeers. MacLachlan said he preferred movies like The Three Musketeers to Eraserhead.

     “I more liked movies like The Three Musketeers.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:45:09 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
140. people (people): David Lynch → Kyle MacLachlan. Lynch cast MacLachlan without an audition after talk about the Northwest and red wine.

     “They talk about red wine and and Lynch is like, I like your vibe, read this script.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:45:16 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
141. career (career): Freddie Jones → The Elephant Man. Freddie Jones is the one actor carried over from Elephant Man.

     “You have Freddie Jones, of course, from Elephant Man is the one actor he does bring over from that movie.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:51:01 · Griffin Newman (0.45 sure it was them)
142. craft (craft): Barry Nolan → John Dykstra. Nolan's lower-budget effects shop took over the film after Dykstra's Apogee left early.

     “leaves the movie early and in comes Barry Nolan, who works at a lower budget.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 2:07:52 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
143. career (career): Dune → Blue Velvet. Lynch's next movie after Dune was with Dino De Laurentiis.

     “This makes it all the crazier that the next movie David Lynch makes is with Dino DeLorentis.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 2:10:25 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
144. craft (craft): David Lynch → The Elephant Man. Lynch planned to do the Elephant Man makeup effects himself, as he had on Eraserhead, until the production insisted on a professional.

     “Like his plan was to do the makeup effects entirely himself because he was used to working that way on Elephant Man, or not Elephant Man, Eraserhead.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 2:10:50 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
145. people (people): Brian Eno → Toto. The speaker likens the Eno-credited, Toto-scored split on Dune to the Danny Elfman and Alf Clausen relationship.

     “So it's like the Danny Elfman Alf Clausen relationship.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 2:14:38 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
146. career (career): Ed Naha → Ghostbusters II. The Making of Dune author Ed Naha also novelized Ghostbusters II.

     “Uh, novelizer of Ghostbusters 2?”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 2:36:12 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
147. craft (craft): Eraserhead → The Elephant Man. Both films carry a sound designer credit for David Lynch.

     “It is sound designed by David Lynch. Which makes sense.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 2:39:02 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
148. programming (programming): Dune → Blue Velvet. Next week's episode is Blue Velvet with Jamie Loftus.

     “Tune in next week for Blue Velvet with Jamie Loftus?”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 3:02:27 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
149. unmapped (impression): Brian Cranston → Trumbo. Griffin's one good impression is Brian Cranston in Trumbo.

     “There's like 3 impressions I have that are good and one of them is Brian Cranston and Trumbo.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Decision to Leave with Tatiana Maslany · 0:14:43 · Griffin Newman (0.70 sure it was them)
150. career (unmade project): S. Craig Zahler → The Brigands of Rhine Boug (unproduced script). Park was attached to Zahler's famous blacklist western spec before Decision to Leave.

     “He got attached to a very famous blacklist script, a notorious blacklist script called The Brigands of Raffle Borg, which is written by S. Craig Zoller.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Decision to Leave with Tatiana Maslany · 0:25:38 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
151. career (career context): Decision to Leave → The Little Drummer Girl. The film was made after Park's English-language TV show, which left him homesick for a Korean film.

     “But so he's homesick.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Decision to Leave with Tatiana Maslany · 0:34:49 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
152. lineage (source song): Decision to Leave → Mist (1967 Korean hit song). Park loved the 1967 song The Mist since childhood and the movie is built around it and the lady-in-the-mist idea.

     “A Korean 1967 hit song called The Miss. Yeah. which is about a protagonist who's trying to understand the world around them.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Decision to Leave with Tatiana Maslany · 0:35:35 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
153. career (career context): Decision to Leave → Stoker. Stoker was Park's only American film and he took someone else's script; Decision to Leave is the first fully original thing after a run of adaptations.

     “This is the 1st time he's completely regenering something.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Decision to Leave with Tatiana Maslany · 0:37:05 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
154. lineage (source character): Decision to Leave → Martin Beck novels (Swedish). The anti-macho gentleman cop concept comes from Martin Beck, the Swedish police novels, falling for the lady from the mist.

     “So basically, what if Martin Beck, this Swedish police officer character falls in love with, like the lady from the Mist, sort of, right?”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Decision to Leave with Tatiana Maslany · 0:37:24 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
155. unmapped (writing partner): Park Chan-wook → Chung Seo-kyung. Chung is his frequent co-writer; she initially refused a melodrama about an abused woman and he talked her into it.

     “I said no, I didn't want to write a melodrama about an abused woman.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Decision to Leave with Tatiana Maslany · 0:44:06 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
156. people (prior role): Park Hae-il → The Host. Park Hae-il is known from the Bong Joon-ho movie The Host and had never worked with Park Chan-wook before.

     “He's in the host, the Bunkshun Ho movie.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Decision to Leave with Tatiana Maslany · 0:46:12 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
157. unmapped (fandom link): Park Hae-il → Lust, Caution. Park Hae-il says he has loved Tang Wei since Lust, Caution, which is why he said yes.

     “I've always loved Tong Wei. Since less caution.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Decision to Leave with Tatiana Maslany · 0:47:11 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
158. lineage (influence denied): Decision to Leave → Vertigo. Park says interviewers always ask about Vertigo but it was not his conscious influence.

     “He says, I think everyone basically is interviewing him being like, is this like a vertigo thing?”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Decision to Leave with Tatiana Maslany · 0:52:23 · Griffin Newman (0.70 sure it was them)
159. lineage (influence): Decision to Leave → Brief Encounter. Park cites David Lean's Brief Encounter as the romantic vibe he was thinking of instead of Vertigo.

     “He says, brief encounter, the David Lean film. is more what he's thinking of in terms of vibe.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Decision to Leave with Tatiana Maslany · 0:52:37 · Griffin Newman (0.70 sure it was them)
160. craft (visual gag comparison): Decision to Leave → RoboCop. The husband's cartoon fall off the mountain is compared to the Dick Jones stop-motion fall at the end of Robocop.

     “He does like a like a end of Robocop Dick Jones fall, basically.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Decision to Leave with Tatiana Maslany · 1:14:03 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
161. lineage (genre lineage): Decision to Leave → Insomnia. A sleepless cop is called part of the sleepy-cop canon, with Pacino's Insomnia as the reference.

     “But this movie is in the detective dormer canon of sleepy cops who can't go to sleep.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Decision to Leave with Tatiana Maslany · 1:20:56 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
162. unmapped (fight realism): Decision to Leave → Eastern Promises. Eastern Promises has similarly clumsy, human fight sequences where skin is actually pierced, like the knife-and-chain-mail scene.

     “That movie has some similarly, like, very, very human fight sequences”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Decision to Leave with Tatiana Maslany · 1:23:41 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
163. craft (plot structure): Decision to Leave → Strangers on a Train. The pills and Slappy-kills-the-husband arrangement is called a Strangers on a Train swap by the detective and the hosts.

     “I've seen my Hitchcock movies. This is some fucking strangers on a train ship.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Decision to Leave with Tatiana Maslany · 1:31:39 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
164. career (upcoming): Park Chan-wook → The Sympathizer. Park has the HBO series The Sympathizer coming, with Robert Downey Jr. in multiple roles.

     “He has an HBO series where Robert Downey Jr. plays multiple characters.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Decision to Leave with Tatiana Maslany · 1:51:36 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
165. unmapped (next series): David Fincher → The Killer. The next miniseries is Fincher timed to his fall release The Killer, with Brendan Hines to guest.

     “We are doing the films of David Fincher, who has a new movie coming out this fall and we want to sync up with that.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Decision to Leave with Tatiana Maslany · 2:10:51 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
166. people (future-stars cast): Beware of the Gonzo → Dazed and Confused. Like Dazed and Confused, the young cast included many future stars.

     “It was hour dazed and confused.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 0:14:32 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
167. unmapped (joke analog): Beware of the Gonzo → The Fabelmans. Griffin jokes that Beware of the Gonzo is the Fabelmans of its time.

     “the Fabelmans of its time.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 0:20:12 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
168. unmapped (action direction): Buster Keaton → James Cameron. As an action director Keaton is likened to James Cameron.

     “he's also like fucking James Cameron as an action director.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 0:51:04 · Griffin Newman (0.35 sure it was them)
169. unmapped (borrowed magic bits): Sherlock, Jr. → Houdini. The dream sequence let Keaton use vaudeville and Houdini-style magic bits in a movie grounded in reality.

     “there were magic bits that he knew from vaudeville, from Houdini and other magicians”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 0:53:54 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
170. verdict (best work): Charlie Chaplin → One A.M.. Griffin says Chaplin's one-man drunk-on-the-staircase short is the best thing Chaplin ever did, better than his features.

     “which, for my money, is still the best thing Chaplain ever did, over his features.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 0:58:42 · Griffin Newman (0.70 sure it was them)
171. unmapped (Keaton-esque): One A.M. → Buster Keaton. Chaplin's non-tramp drunk short plays more like a Keaton picture in its directing style.

     “it's more Keatney”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 0:59:13 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
172. unmapped (theater-viewing): Sherlock, Jr. → Rear Window. A CalArts teacher argued certain films, like Sherlock Jr., should be seen in a theater while Rear Window can be appreciated at home.

     “you can watch rear window at home and appreciate it.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 1:00:20 · Griffin Newman (0.70 sure it was them)
173. unmapped (coincidence gag): Sherlock, Jr. → Pulp Fiction. The wrong-man-walks-by coincidence in the pawn shop is compared to Ving Rhames walking by in Pulp Fiction.

     “much like Ving Reims and Pulp Fiction, just happens to walk by at that moment.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 1:16:38 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
174. craft (effects analysis): Sherlock, Jr. → Corridor Crew (YouTube channel). A YouTube channel was stumped by three of the film's special-effects sequences, more than by modern movies.

     “they were more stump trying to figure out the special effects of Sherlock Jr. than most modern movies.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 1:18:51 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
175. people (people): Sherlock, Jr. → The Navigator. The same long-term cinematographer, Elgin Leslie, shot both Sherlock Jr. and The Navigator.

     “who was named Elgin Leslie, who shot this and the navigator and the bulk of his shorts and most of his features of this era.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 1:22:33 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
176. unmapped (intrusion gag): Sherlock, Jr. → Bugs Bunny cartoons. The film rejecting Keaton's linear-time presence is like Bugs Bunny messing with Daffy.

     “It's Bugs Bunny fucking with Daffy.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 1:27:58 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
177. unmapped (vaudeville pool): Sherlock, Jr. → W. C. Fields. Vaudevillians really could play pool; W. C. Fields had an eccentric pool bit in his act.

     “WC Fields also had a bit in his act where he did eccentric pool and he does them in some films.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 1:29:13 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
178. unmapped (cartoon logic): Sherlock, Jr. → Wile E. Coyote cartoons. Keaton riding the handlebars without noticing the driver is gone follows Wile E. Coyote logic.

     “it's Wiley Coyote logic.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 1:36:50 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
179. unmapped (childlike innocence): Sherlock, Jr. → Dumb and Dumber. Keaton's baffled reaction to the sudden babies is compared to a childlike, non-sexual innocence like Dumb and Dumber.

     “where he has a childlike innocence, so he is not drawn towards sexual situations, if I may be permitted in comparison.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 1:41:03 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
180. unmapped (archetype guess): The Confidence Man → Vince Vaughn. David guesses the rogue who reforms is a Vince Vaughn type.

     “So I'm going to guess he's a Vince Vaughn type rogue.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 1:45:24 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
181. unmapped (archetype guess): Girl Shy → Michael Cera. Harold Lloyd's shy boy is likened to a Michael Cera type.

     “He's more of a Michael Sarah motherfucker.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 1:46:33 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
182. unmapped (same setup): The Navigator → Cabin Boy. A fancy lad must prove he is a tough man at sea, a setup that Cabin Boy repeats while looking like a Harryhausen movie.

     “Chris Elliott and Adam Resnick's cabin boy is such a Buster Keaton setup.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 1:51:04 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
183. craft (craft): Cabin Boy → Ray Harryhausen. Cabin Boy is coded visually and tonally as a Ray Harryhausen movie, with stop motion and forced-perspective giants, even as its story is a Keaton setup.

     “that movie is obviously so coded like visually and tonally as a Ray Harryhausen movie, but Chris Elliott and Adam Resnick's cabin boy is such a Buster Keaton setup”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 1:51:04 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
184. craft (reaction style): The Navigator → Harold Lloyd. In the ghost-painting bit Keaton panics like a Harold Lloyd character instead of staying deadpan.

     “He actually had kind of a Harold Lloyd reaction to this.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 1:58:32 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
185. craft (craft): The Navigator → Victor Herbert. A Navigator title card jokes about singing Kiss Me Again to the music of Alice, Where Art Thou; the speaker looked up that Kiss Me Again is by Victor Herbert.

     “Kiss Me Again is an up-tempo, like, waltz. That I can imagine. I can basically picture what that's written by Victor Herbert”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 2:01:09 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
186. unmapped (Rube Goldberg gag): The Navigator → Pee-wee Herman. The pulleys-and-ropes kitchen sequence is described as Pee-wee Herman and Rube Goldberg stuff.

     “they pee wee Hermann at the kitchen.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 2:06:26 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
187. lineage (remake): The Thief of Baghdad → The Thief of Baghdad (Korda/Powell and Pressburger version). Griffin has seen the Korda, Powell and Pressburger version, an all-time great special effects movie.

     “one of the all-time great special effects movies of the 1st half of the century.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 2:11:24 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
188. lineage (remake): Seven Chances → Chris O'Donnell. Seven Chances is one of the rare Keaton films that was remade, with Chris O'Donnell as the Buster Keaton of our day.

     “Yes, with the with the Buster Keaton of our day.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 2:19:17 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
189. lineage (joke remake): The Navigator → Captain Phillips. Griffin quips that The Navigator was remade as Captain Phillips, with fewer gags.

     “and the navigator was remade as Captain Phillips.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 2:19:36 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
190. industry (beat it at the Oscars): Roddy McDowall → Citizen Kane. Griffin says he used to think the Roddy McDowall film shouldn't have beaten Citizen Kane, then saw it and changed his mind.

     “oh, that's the movie that shouldn't have beaten Season K.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Sherlock Jr. / The Navigator with James Urbaniak · 2:20:28 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
191. unmapped (shadow): Henry Selick → Tim Burton. A host says Burton's name overshadows Selick; people hear Nightmare Before Christmas and assume it is Burton's.

     “It does really feel like the Burton thing is a shadow.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Wendell & Wild · 0:04:02 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
192. contrast (documentary type contrast): Claydream → The Sparks Brothers. David assumed Claydream was a Sparks Brothers-style career overview but it is really about art within capitalism.

     “I assumed it was maybe more of a Sparks Brothers type.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Wendell & Wild · 0:39:45 · Griffin Newman (0.55 sure it was them)
193. unmapped (takeover fallout): Will Vinton → Henry Selick. After Vinton was pushed out of Will Vinton Studios by Nike's Knight, the company (Laika) went after Selick.

     “They go after Henry Selleck, who's like the other giant stop motion, at least in America, right?”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Wendell & Wild · 0:42:07 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
194. theme (story analogy): The Shadow King → Dumbo. The Shadow King's long fingers become a gift, like Dumbo's ears.

     “it's like Dumbo where like his terrifying, gigantic ears end up becoming this artistic gift.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Wendell & Wild · 0:44:22 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
195. unmapped (unfinished predecessor): The Shadow King → Wendell and Wild. The Shadow King combined stop motion with shadow animation; some of that is used in Wendell & Wild.

     “And they use some of that in this film, Wendell and Wild.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Wendell & Wild · 0:44:46 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
196. unmapped (creative conflict): John Lasseter → Henry Selick. Selick blames Lasseter's constant changes for budget creep that killed The Shadow King.

     “John Lassiter couldn't help himself.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Wendell & Wild · 0:47:32 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
197. unmapped (blame): Alan Horn → The Shadow King. Selick says Alan Horn found the movie too weird to sell.

     “said the movie was too weird.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Wendell & Wild · 0:49:57 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
198. lineage (origin of film): Jordan Peele → Wendell and Wild. Selick saw Key and Peele on Comedy Central and realized they were Wendell and Wild.

     “then it hit me, Wendell and Wild.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Wendell & Wild · 0:53:45 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
199. unmapped (protagonist note): Monkeybone → Wendell and Wild. Selick's pattern is to choose an adult / unconventional lead (retired pitchmen, a middle-aged nun) until a producer pushes for the kid.

     “Anyway, with monkey bone, I wanted every character to be a 60s, you know, retired pitch man.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Wendell & Wild · 1:02:01 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
200. industry (studio-notes buffer): Jordan Peele → Henry Selick. Peele was good at dealing with studio notes and calming Selick down.

     “He was really good at dealing with studio notes.”

     Blank Check with Griffin & David · Wendell & Wild · 1:03:00 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)

Their fun items

Showing 201–300 of 605 fun items.

201. fun, about The Power of Grayskull (documentary): A good documentary on how the He-Man toy line was made, home of the viral clip about painting the cat green.

     “Power of Grayskull, which is a really good documentary about how the toy line was made”

     The Big Picture · The Top 10 Fantasy Films, The Toy Movie Hall of Fame, and ‘Masters of the Universe,’ with Griffin Newman! · 0:25:54 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
202. fun, about He-Man (toy line): When the toy line lacked a vehicle they borrowed Big Jim's jaguar; it was too big for He-Man, so they painted it green.

     “The cat's too big for He-Man to ride, and they go, just paint it green or some shit.”

     The Big Picture · The Top 10 Fantasy Films, The Toy Movie Hall of Fame, and ‘Masters of the Universe,’ with Griffin Newman! · 0:26:15 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
203. fun, about Orko / Griffin Newman: Griffin voiced Orko on a Kevin Smith-run He-Man show after a writer called to pick his brain in 2019 and then pitched him for the part; he calls it his hardest-won scale job.

     “I ended up voicing Orco on a He-Man cartoon show, showrun by Kevin Smith”

     The Big Picture · The Top 10 Fantasy Films, The Toy Movie Hall of Fame, and ‘Masters of the Universe,’ with Griffin Newman! · 0:34:00 · Griffin Newman (0.80 sure it was them)
204. fun, about Orko: Orko is the self-insert for kids too powerless to relate even to He-Man.

     “Orco is the little tiny thing who messes everything up.”

     The Big Picture · The Top 10 Fantasy Films, The Toy Movie Hall of Fame, and ‘Masters of the Universe,’ with Griffin Newman! · 0:37:36 · Griffin Newman (0.80 sure it was them)
205. fun, about He-Man fandom: He-Man was kept afloat in lean years by the Latin American and LGBTQ communities, more than by nerdy white boys.

     “What basically has always kept He-Man afloat are, uh, the Latin American community and the LGBTQ plus community.”

     The Big Picture · The Top 10 Fantasy Films, The Toy Movie Hall of Fame, and ‘Masters of the Universe,’ with Griffin Newman! · 0:58:57 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
206. fun, about Big: Rewatching Big, the fortune-teller machine arrives within ten minutes with zero backstory, the model for how fantasy used to skip setup.

     “And he gets to the fortune teller machine within less than 10 minutes.”

     The Big Picture · The Top 10 Fantasy Films, The Toy Movie Hall of Fame, and ‘Masters of the Universe,’ with Griffin Newman! · 1:05:11 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
207. fun, about Orko / Masters of the Universe (2026): Orko appears for three seconds in an end-credits tease; Griffin finds withholding him maddening.

     “And I'll just say like withholding Orco from the masters of the universe movie, it's just fucking annoying.”

     The Big Picture · The Top 10 Fantasy Films, The Toy Movie Hall of Fame, and ‘Masters of the Universe,’ with Griffin Newman! · 1:11:29 · Griffin Newman (0.80 sure it was them)
208. fun, about The Brats movie: A cheap toy cash-in with Chet Hanks as the nerd the Brats pick on and Jon Voight as the principal.

     “the brats movie, which stars uh, Chet Hanks, uh, weirdly as a nerd who the brats pick on, and uh, John Voight as the principal”

     The Big Picture · The Top 10 Fantasy Films, The Toy Movie Hall of Fame, and ‘Masters of the Universe,’ with Griffin Newman! · 1:34:13 · Griffin Newman (0.70 sure it was them)
209. fun, about The Hudsucker Proxy: Griffin's pick for the toy-movie canon because it is about the business of toys: a film entirely about the hula hoop.

     “It is a movie entirely about the hula hoop.”

     The Big Picture · The Top 10 Fantasy Films, The Toy Movie Hall of Fame, and ‘Masters of the Universe,’ with Griffin Newman! · 1:34:41 · Griffin Newman (0.80 sure it was them)
210. fun, about The Adventures of Raggedy Ann and Andy: Richard Williams's nightmarish toy musical, watchable on YouTube; skip to the number 'Blue,' sung by a camel with four legs, for astonishing animation.

     “There is a musical sequence in this uh, called Blue, uh, sung by a camel, uh, with 4 legs”

     The Big Picture · The Top 10 Fantasy Films, The Toy Movie Hall of Fame, and ‘Masters of the Universe,’ with Griffin Newman! · 1:37:24 · Griffin Newman (0.80 sure it was them)
211. fun, about RoboCop (2014) - Aronofsky: Aronofsky was announced at Comic-Con and stayed on three years before MGM's money trouble ended it.

     “He stayed on it for like 3 years.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · RoboCop (2014) · 0:12:39 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
212. fun, about RoboCop (2014) - casting: MGM floated Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves and Johnny Depp, then Fassbender and Schoenaerts, then settled on Kinnaman.

     “Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves, Johnny Depp.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · RoboCop (2014) · 0:13:58 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
213. fun, about José Padilha: He told Meirelles it was hell; Meirelles repeated it in the press as a warning about Hollywood.

     “I'm having the worst experience of my life.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · RoboCop (2014) · 0:30:53 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
214. fun, about RoboCop (2014) - the mirror scene: The one scene the host likes: Murphy is stripped down to his lungs, brain and one hand and made to look in a mirror, called the Cronenberg moment.

     “And then this is like the Cronenberg moment of this film.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · RoboCop (2014) · 0:39:47 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
215. fun, about RoboCop (2014) - stars: Griffin gives the film one star on the Patreon scale and says it is 'an F'.

     “I'm just going to tell you, okay, this movie's getting one star for me, okay?”

     Blank Check — Patreon · RoboCop (2014) · 1:21:25 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
216. fun, about Griffin's bootleg RoboCop toy: Griffin pulls out a true bootleg RoboCop toy from his shelves, blue and silver with misapplied paint, which still looks better than the movie.

     “But somehow still looks better than what we're watching, right?”

     Blank Check — Patreon · RoboCop (2014) · 1:24:41 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
217. fun, about Pizza analogy: The hosts rank the RoboCops as pizza: the original is the best pizza ever, 2 is cafeteria pizza, 3 is Lunchables pizza, and this one is a picture of pizza stomped on.

     “Robocop one is like the best pizza you've ever had.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · RoboCop (2014) · 1:29:28 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
218. fun, about Michael Keaton: Keaton told Marc Maron the new RoboCop might be good if they let the director do what he says.

     “If they let him do what he's saying, it could be interesting, who knows?”

     Blank Check — Patreon · RoboCop (2014) · 1:48:25 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
219. fun, about RoboCop (2014) - budget and box office: Budget estimated between $100 and $130 million; opened third at $21 million, made $58 million domestic, $242 million worldwide.

     “It made 58 domestic, 242 worldwide.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · RoboCop (2014) · 1:56:38 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
220. fun, about Resident Evil series: Next up on the feed: all six Paul W.S. Anderson Resident Evil films, three of them 3D, with a 3D commentary.

     “Three 3D entries.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · RoboCop (2014) · 2:05:50 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
221. fun, about Tom Cruise: A host argues Edge is possibly Cruise's best performance and the first blockbuster that owns what is weird about him.

     “There is an argument this is Cruz's best performance.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Edge of Tomorrow · 0:02:35 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
222. fun, about Tom Cruise: Cruise is the 'guy pretending to be Tom Cruise' for the first ten minutes: the movie strips the persona and makes him earn trust back.

     “he's a guy pretending to be Tom Cruise”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Edge of Tomorrow · 0:04:15 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
223. fun, about Ben Hosley: Ben picked the film as a sleepy-time comfort movie to fall asleep to, and says it resonates with his depression.

     “this is a comfort watch movie”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Edge of Tomorrow · 0:06:06 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
224. fun, about Tom Cruise: Emily Blunt on Graham Norton: on the worst day, Cruise, always upbeat, admitted he was 'a little trying'.

     “And he went like, a little, a little trying.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Edge of Tomorrow · 0:09:00 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
225. fun, about Mr. & Mrs. Smith: On Mr. & Mrs. Smith the agency heads were cast three times; none of the actors ended up in the film, only Angela Bassett's voice.

     “Angela Bassett, her voice on a screen”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Edge of Tomorrow · 0:11:07 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
226. fun, about Edge of Tomorrow: The title fight: announced as All You Need Is Kill, retitled with 'Live Die Repeat' as a tagline on a badly laid out poster; on home video they flipped them.

     “they flipped them because their takeaway from the confusion was”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Edge of Tomorrow · 0:19:33 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
227. fun, about Edge of Tomorrow: The Blank Check joke: the show's own scheduling was a time loop, as the episode was pushed three times.

     “The day would reset and you'd be like, next week we are recording edge of tomorrow.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Edge of Tomorrow · 0:26:08 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
228. fun, about Edge of Tomorrow: Exposition lands at literally minute 40: Noah Taylor's briefing, timed by a host's time-code check.

     “I just did the time code check.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Edge of Tomorrow · 0:32:27 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
229. fun, about Noah Taylor: Taylor and Brendan Gleeson never leave their one set, avoid the suits and stunts, and get mini arcs; the hosts call it a princess part, a theater term for one big featured number.

     “Those 2 guys never leave their one set.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Edge of Tomorrow · 0:33:27 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
230. fun, about Edge of Tomorrow: Cage dies in a close-up of his face melting with black blood, and the audience reacts because Tom Cruise doesn't fail.

     “Tom Cruise doesn't fail.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Edge of Tomorrow · 0:50:56 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
231. fun, about Doug Liman: Hosts call the Liman method 'Limania': chaos production that sometimes comes out masterful, compared to a watchmaker tied upside-down in a crashing plane.

     “tied up a washmaker by his feet”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Edge of Tomorrow · 0:53:54 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
232. fun, about Emily Blunt: Blunt lost Black Widow because Fox made her do Gulliver's Travels, and Rose Byrne took the Get Him to the Greek role.

     “Fox goes, no, no, no, nah, nah.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Edge of Tomorrow · 0:58:55 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
233. fun, about Edge of Tomorrow: The practical exosuits weighed 80 to 100 pounds; Liman called making them practical the stupidest thing they did, yet they look great.

     “the stupidest thing we ever did was make those practical”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Edge of Tomorrow · 1:01:56 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
234. fun, about Emily Blunt: Blunt's Smartlist story: she cried the first time in the suit and Cruise said 'come on, stop being a pussy'; it was a joke and went viral.

     “stop being a pussy, okay?”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Edge of Tomorrow · 1:03:21 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
235. fun, about Pat Kiernan: The New York One anchor in the opening news montage has a huge film-credit list; the hosts joke he must get a check every month.

     “Pat Kieran's got like 40 of the biggest film credits of all time.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Edge of Tomorrow · 1:05:51 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
236. fun, about Tom Cruise: A host reads Gleeson's contempt for the PR-man Cruise as a cathartic audience stand-in for how people felt about Cruise then.

     “Your time is done.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Edge of Tomorrow · 1:10:19 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
237. fun, about Edge of Tomorrow: The farmhouse: the hosts agree it lifts the film into masterpiece territory, as it is farmhouse number 100 for him.

     “this is farmhouse 100.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Edge of Tomorrow · 1:29:55 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
238. fun, about Tom Cruise: Late in the Liman-Cruise era Cruise would not make a space movie because he refused to owe Trump a favor.

     “I don't want to owe Trump a favor.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Edge of Tomorrow · 1:37:47 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
239. fun, about Edge of Tomorrow: Box office: opened third behind Fault in Our Stars and Maleficent, about $100M domestic, $367M worldwide.

     “It made 367 worldwide.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Edge of Tomorrow · 1:38:55 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
240. fun, about Griffin Newman: The pitmaster bit at the Airbnb in Austin and his rollerblading-camp backstory.

     “I pulled off the tarp and I immediately threw some brisket on that fucking bad boy.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · 2025 March Madness Update 1 · 0:11:41 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
241. fun, about Griffin Newman: Origin story of his comedy: after rollerblade camp bullying, he Photoshopped meme flyers and posted them in the locker room.

     “I was like, me, comedy.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · 2025 March Madness Update 1 · 0:12:56 · Griffin Newman (0.70 sure it was them)
242. fun, about Eraserhead: The group's recurring idea of the 'dang-ass freak canon': the film is the key text.

     “is this the key text?”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead (Ad-Free) · 0:59:23 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
243. fun, about Eraserhead: The chicken-carving scene: the host says the movie heightens ordinary dinner discomfort by 10 percent; Griffin is not an egg fan.

     “I'm heightening this thing by 10%.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead (Ad-Free) · 1:05:52 · Griffin Newman (0.45 sure it was them)
244. fun, about The 13th Warrior: Lowery texted that he talks about this movie with odd frequency for a film he had not seen since it opened.

     “13th Warrior is something I talk about with odd frequency for a movie I haven't seen since it opened.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · The 13th Warrior with David Lowery (Ad-Free) · 0:12:04 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
245. fun, about David Fincher: Griffin's Letterboxd one-liner: the film is Fincher's nightmare of being allowed only one take, and the missed shot is the nightmare.

     “a psychological horror film about David Fincher imagining a reality where he's only allowed one take.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · The Killer with Marie Bardi (Ad-Free) · 0:22:44 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
246. fun, about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: On the commentary, Fincher tells how the bottle-catch and the cat landing in frame was a perfect take, and he did two more anyway, a self-parody of his many takes.

     “I wasn't even happy with that take.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · The Killer with Marie Bardi (Ad-Free) · 0:24:15 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
247. fun, about Videosyncrasy: Fincher's HBO series about the rise of the music video industry shot several episodes before the plug was pulled.

     “Videosyncrasy, which was his series about the rise of the music video industry.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Mank with Sean Fennessey (Ad-Free) · 0:23:56 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
248. fun, about 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Fincher wanted a blockbuster as dark as Empire Strikes Back; Disney would only greenlight it with Brad Pitt or a peer.

     “I wanted to see if there was a way to make a blockbuster that's that dark.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Mank with Sean Fennessey (Ad-Free) · 0:29:34 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
249. fun, about Jack Fincher: Rock Hudson was once interested in a spec script Jack Fincher wrote in the 60s.

     “apparently Rock Hudson was interested once in a spec script he wrote, but it fizzled out.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Mank with Sean Fennessey (Ad-Free) · 0:45:27 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
250. fun, about Eric Roth: Running joke: a man arrives every five minutes with a bag of Gump money for Eric Roth.

     “Every 5 minutes in Eric's Roth life, and a man appears with a bag filled with gump money and just hands it over.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Mank with Sean Fennessey (Ad-Free) · 0:47:20 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
251. fun, about Mank: The Mank 1998 version had Kevin Spacey and Jodie Foster lined up; Polygram balked at black and white.

     “He had Kevin Spacey and Jodie Foster lined up for the lead roles in 1998.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Mank with Sean Fennessey (Ad-Free) · 0:54:33 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
252. fun, about The Offer: The Paramount+ series was called the winning time of movie shows; the speakers watched all 10 hours.

     “The offer was kind of the winning time of movie shows, right?”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Mank with Sean Fennessey (Ad-Free) · 1:06:20 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
253. fun, about Fincher quote: Fincher: no faster way to transport you to the 30s than black and white.

     “My way of thinking is there's no faster way to transport you to the 30s than using black and white.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Mank with Sean Fennessey (Ad-Free) · 1:16:37 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
254. fun, about Sorkin: Griffin's pitch: in 40 years, a movie about Fincher hiring Sorkin to take down Zuckerberg, with Sorkin on meth rocks.

     “The film about Fincher hiring Sorkin to take down Zuckerberg.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Mank with Sean Fennessey (Ad-Free) · 1:26:37 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
255. fun, about Daniel Craig: Griffin's Letterboxd review of the film mocked Craig's glasses.

     “Daniel Craig wearing glasses a way that no one has ever worn glasses in their life.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo with Fran Hoepfner (Ad-Free) · 1:43:50 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
256. fun, about John Getz: The cold open riffs on John Getz, the Blood Simple lead, spending decades in movies looking exasperated at a Zuckerberg who is not there.

     “For 20, 30 years, he was in movies looking at Mark Zuckerberg exasperated and people said, John, this doesn't read.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · The Social Network (Ad-Free) · 0:03:34 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
257. fun, about Kitchen Confidential (series): Bradley Cooper played Anthony Bourdain on a short-lived Fox sitcom, a decade before he got to make Burnt.

     “Bradley Cooper was on a fox sitcom in which he played Anthony Bourdain.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · The Social Network (Ad-Free) · 0:21:54 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
258. fun, about The Social Network: Auditions were other Sorkin scenes, because Fincher needed to see if people could do the pace; Eisenberg's self-tape was the first time he said under two hours.

     “I pointedly remember that the they sent the script out, but for the auditions, it was just other Sorkin scenes.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · The Social Network (Ad-Free) · 0:52:46 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
259. fun, about The Social Network: The first line of dialogue lands the second the studio logo starts.

     “that the dialogue on this movie basically starts the 2nd the studio logo start.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · The Social Network (Ad-Free) · 0:53:57 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
260. fun, about Max Minghella: Max Minghella's pratfall is a favorite moment.

     “And also, of course, we have to shut out Max Bengella, my favorite Max Bengella moment, by far.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · The Social Network (Ad-Free) · 1:04:12 · Griffin Newman (0.30 sure it was them)
261. fun, about David Fincher: Why a hundred takes: Fincher says the surprising little things only come out after the lines are routine; the Erica line appeared in a single take.

     “And Fincher's like, that's like the kind of fucking moment I'm looking for, which he only does on one take.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · The Social Network (Ad-Free) · 2:35:47 · Griffin Newman (0.35 sure it was them)
262. fun, about David Fincher: On the last shooting day Fincher handed Sorkin the third insert shot to direct.

     “I'm going to do the 1st two. I'm going to get in the car, you direct the 3rd one.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · The Social Network (Ad-Free) · 2:36:23 · Griffin Newman (0.30 sure it was them)
263. fun, about The Social Network: The title card shot over Boston is about fifteen separate shots tiled together, each lit individually, because Harvard would not cooperate.

     “But like that shot's basically constructed of like 15 shots that they visually all tiled together and had to be lit individually, not by the cart.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · The Social Network (Ad-Free) · 2:42:50 · Griffin Newman (0.35 sure it was them)
264. fun, about The Social Network: A mime carrying the lights kept cops busy: they will stop a crew guy at once but not a mime.

     “If it's a truck, if it's a crew guy, they'll stop without like any hesitation. If it's a mine, they're going to be so confused about what's going on.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · The Social Network (Ad-Free) · 2:43:20 · Griffin Newman (0.35 sure it was them)
265. fun, about David Fincher: Fincher on his style for this film.

     “Fincher said, my style in this was trying to have no style.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · The Social Network (Ad-Free) · 2:44:34 · Griffin Newman (0.35 sure it was them)
266. fun, about The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: The teaser made the audience go silent at Crystal Skull; the speakers say the trailer is a better version of what the movie does.

     “2 great fucking teasers that have such a different tone than everything else that was playing that the audience just went pin drop silent.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with Richard Lawson (Ad-Free) · 0:18:21 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
267. fun, about The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: The film's clock prologue tested badly until the film grain and crackles were added late in post, after which audiences accepted it as a story being told.

     “we added all the filters of the film grain and the pops and the crackles and the distortion and whatever.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with Richard Lawson (Ad-Free) · 0:32:43 · Griffin Newman (0.30 sure it was them)
268. fun, about Eric Roth: A running joke: Roth should open a soup restaurant called Eric Broth.

     “Eric Roth should open a soup restaurant called Eric Broth.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with Richard Lawson (Ad-Free) · 1:26:53 · Griffin Newman (0.30 sure it was them)
269. fun, about David Fincher: On the commentary Fincher said Benjamin's behavior is largely modeled after his own father, who died shortly before.

     “He said that Benjamin Button behavior is largely modeled after his father”

     Blank Check — Patreon · The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with Richard Lawson (Ad-Free) · 1:43:06 · Griffin Newman (0.30 sure it was them)
270. fun, about Quantum of Solace: On the Christmas 2008 box office, the speaker had to go to number 17 to find a sequel.

     “I had to go to number 17 to find a sequel and it's quantum of solace.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with Richard Lawson (Ad-Free) · 2:21:42 · Griffin Newman (0.30 sure it was them)
271. fun, about Joe Carnahan: Carnahan said in interviews that his dropped MI3 script was largely about drug trafficking in human bodies.

     “The thing I know that Carnahan has said in interviews is that his script was largely about drug trafficking in human bodies.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Zodiac with Leslye Headland (Ad-Free) · 0:40:38 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
272. fun, about Lords of Dogtown: Fincher's budget ask for Lords of Dogtown was fifteen million to rebuild the pier at full scale, which got him pushed off.

     “you have to rebuild the pier at full scale.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Zodiac with Leslye Headland (Ad-Free) · 0:43:25 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
273. fun, about Zodiac: Graysmith claimed the killer could mount a flashlight on his gun; Fincher went to a flashlight museum, learned no 1969 bulb could do it, and so the film shows no such beam.

     “And Fincher went to a flashlight museum.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Zodiac with Leslye Headland (Ad-Free) · 0:53:34 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
274. fun, about Jake Gyllenhaal: Zodiac shot through the Brokeback Mountain awards season, and Fincher would not release him for events; Fincher says he was distracted.

     “And Fincher will not release him to do shit.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Zodiac with Leslye Headland (Ad-Free) · 0:59:00 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
275. fun, about Jake Gyllenhaal: Fincher's dossier line on how scattered Gyllenhaal was on set during his campaign.

     “He was being nibbled to death by ducks and not particularly smart ducks.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Zodiac with Leslye Headland (Ad-Free) · 1:00:38 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
276. fun, about Jake Gyllenhaal: On the making-of, Gyllenhaal asks Fincher to confirm he is good at inserts after dozens of takes of his hands scribbling; Fincher teases, then agrees.

     “no, no, no, you are, you are good at inserts.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Zodiac with Leslye Headland (Ad-Free) · 1:02:40 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
277. fun, about Mark Ruffalo: Ruffalo says his first day with Gyllenhaal took 68 takes and he hoped Fincher was coming to fire him.

     “My favorite line, actually, is Ruffalo saying, like, I did my 1st day with 68 takes with Jake.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Zodiac with Leslye Headland (Ad-Free) · 1:03:20 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
278. fun, about Mark Ruffalo: Ruffalo, the actor who took to Fincher's system most, said he finally understood Fincher is taking a stab at immortality.

     “He says, I finally understood, quote, he's taking a stab at immortality, which I think is a really great line for Ruffalo.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Zodiac with Leslye Headland (Ad-Free) · 1:03:50 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
279. fun, about Robert Downey Jr.: Downey's line on working for Fincher, from the dossier: he can do it because he understands gulags.

     “I think I'm a perfect person to work for him because I understand gulags.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Zodiac with Leslye Headland (Ad-Free) · 1:07:32 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
280. fun, about Robert Downey Jr.: Downey's Oppenheimer press-tour story: after 60 takes, Fincher made him watch the footage on the monitor and Downey had to admit it was not right.

     “And he made him watch all the takes on the monitor.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Zodiac with Leslye Headland (Ad-Free) · 1:07:59 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
281. fun, about David Fincher: Fincher's stated goal for Zodiac: a serial-killer movie the killers could not enjoy.

     “I wanted to make a movie that serial killers couldn't masturbate to.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Zodiac with Leslye Headland (Ad-Free) · 1:31:41 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
282. fun, about Wild Hogs: Zodiac opened against Wild Hogs, Ghost Rider, Bridge to Terabithia, The Number 23 and Black Snake Moan; Wild Hogs beat it.

     “It annihilated zodiac.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Zodiac with Leslye Headland (Ad-Free) · 2:16:30 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
283. fun, about Robert Graysmith: A friend's ink review from an art store sounded too specific to be anyone but Graysmith; Griffin reads it at the very end.

     “too weirdly specific to not be written by the real Robert Graysmith.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Zodiac with Leslye Headland (Ad-Free) · 2:25:48 · Griffin Newman (0.90 sure it was them)
284. fun, about Janie's Got a Gun (Aerosmith video): Steven Tyler flashed the shocker on his forehead in Disney's Rock and Roller Coaster pre-show until Disney digitally painted the finger out.

     “And they digitally paint it in the remaining finger.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · David Fincher Music Videos · 1:26:09 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
285. fun, about Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (TV series): The Sting episode's mandolin double entendre line is held up as the moment the show was doomed.

     “And Sarah Paulson says, him or the mandoline, and she goes both.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · David Fincher Music Videos · 2:24:01 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
286. fun, about Heroes (Wallflowers video, Godzilla soundtrack): Griffin thought Jakob Dylan wrote Heroes and was sure he would be the next Dylan.

     “He's going to live up to the legacy of his father.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · David Fincher Music Videos · 2:25:50 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
287. fun, about (episode): The no-ads gag: the sponsor fake-out.

     “Our sponsor for this week's episode is fuck you.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Fight Club with Alex Ross Perry (Ad-Free) · 1:33:29 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
288. fun, about Fight Club video game: The final unlockable character in the fighting game is Fred Durst, via his music-licensing contract.

     “The ultimate unlocked character in the game is Fred Durst.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Fight Club with Alex Ross Perry (Ad-Free) · 3:01:31 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
289. 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)
290. 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)
291. 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)
292. 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)
293. 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)
294. 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)
295. 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)
296. fun, about Seven: Rewatch fact: the sloth victim's license says he was born in 1931.

     “you see that the sloth victim was born in 1931, did you notice this?”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Se7en with Mike Mitchell & Nick Wiger (Ad-Free) · 0:59:32 · Griffin Newman (0.30 sure it was them)
297. fun, about Alien 3: The alien-sucks-down-a-Pepsi commercial aired a full year before the movie; the suit was built for the film, and Fox was pushing Alien toward a kids' franchise (cartoon, toys, games).

     “That commercial came out a full year before this movie came out.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Alien³ with Matt Singer (Ad-Free) · 0:19:43 · Griffin Newman (0.30 sure it was them)
298. fun, about Alien 3: The rod puppet called the Bambi Burster, the juvenile runner alien, plays more in the assembly cut.

     “There's the rod puppet that they call the Bambi Burster that plays more in the assembly cut.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Alien³ with Matt Singer (Ad-Free) · 0:21:48 · Griffin Newman (0.30 sure it was them)
299. fun, about Sigourney Weaver: She was eight months pregnant when the Newt dummy was made, so they measured only her head and shoulders; she made the film six months after her first child was born.

     “When they made the dummy, Sigourney was like 8 months pregnant.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Alien³ with Matt Singer (Ad-Free) · 0:36:11 · Griffin Newman (0.30 sure it was them)
300. fun, about David Fincher: As a boy he asked for a BB gun, was refused, and asked for a movie camera instead, on the theory that it cost far more.

     “he asked his mother for a BB gun.”

     Blank Check — Patreon · Alien³ with Matt Singer (Ad-Free) · 0:43:30 · Griffin Newman (0.35 sure it was them)