Press-screening veteran who found Winter Soldier merely fine at release; likes political-thriller texture and Redford's calm, character acting. Dislikes Marvel villains who justify genocide with logic. Loves Samuel L. Jackson, spy-game lineage and the Russos' TV pilots.
Stances
Looks up facts (the computer guy)
Winter Soldier was a nonplus at release but improves on rewatch
Redford's underplaying is the movie's best asset
Regrets Civil War stops being a Captain America film
Humor: Dry deadpan asides, mock-serious pedantry and a willingness to play along with Griffin's bits.
In their words
“This is the 1st Marvel movie I started press screening.” (0:02:54)
Loves Sif, mythology, the practical-looking gold Asgard and the sibling story between Thor and Loki. Hates the first Thor and likes Dark World far more than Ragnarok. A sucker for spaceships and gap-toothed actors.
Stances
Dark World was the movie where Feige took over
Doctor Strange fails on comedy
Spaceships make any movie better
Humor: Deadpan escalation and gross-out one-liners, throwing a pillow to steer the room.
Also calls Iron Man 3 his favorite MCU film; a critic who tracks box office, awards ballots, contracts and Hollywood history. Likes character actors, Shane Black wit and clean action stakes. Sucker for ensemble casts and set-up/payoff.
Stances
Iron Man 3 is the best-structured sequel because it answers the previous film
The one flaw is the rushed Killian monologue and the sidelined Maya
Tony Stark should have ended here
Marvel's Atlanta wet-cement look is a problem
Humor: Dry, dead-pan and confidently over-informed, then deflates himself with a dumb aside.
In their words
“This is how you do a sequel.” (0:41:23)
“It's a really good 3rd movie.” (2:10:08)
“Anyone who dares criticize it, you know, is my enemy and I will meet them on the field of glory.” (0:56:30)
Treats Avengers as a model for plotted ensemble blockbusters; loves Samuel L. Jackson and Hulk, wants Marvel's cinematic conveyor belt held up to Justice League. Knows Hollywood trivia, box-office figures. Dislikes Man of Steel's destruction and Age of Ultron's continuity.
Stances
This is one of the best-structured blockbusters
The film looks cheap while being expensive
Age of Ultron can't be a sequel to this one
Jackson is undervalued
Humor: Dry, ironic, quick with box-office game-show bits and wry commentary on his own travel plans.
In their words
“I think this movie looks kind of cheap while being very expensive.” (0:03:02)
“Avengers 2 can't be a sequel to Avengers one. It has to be a sequel to 5 other moments.” (1:39:42)
He loves Marvel comics lore, the Golden and Silver Age versions of the characters, and period production design. He is a sucker for ensemble character actors like Neal McDonough and Tommy Lee Jones. He is dismissive of the movie's generic last third and of unearned endings.
Stances
The first third is perfect, the second solid, the third perfunctory
The ending teaser for Avengers cheapens the movie
The classic Bucky death was better than the film's
Humor: Dry deadpan asides and physical bits like rocking the couch for Tommy Lee Jones.
In their words
“The 1st 3rd is perfect.” (0:51:45)
“I think the 3rd 3rd is, you know, a little perfunctory.” (0:51:48)
The comics and film-history reader: knows Thor lore (Straczynski, Simonson), casting and development history, and Marvel's behind-the-scenes politics. Loves Hopkins at ease, Branagh as ham, the hammer-return sequence and the Patrick Doyle score. Dislikes chaos cinema and the Marvel pipeline's flat look.
Stances
Branagh is a hammy director he likes, but weak at action
Marvel's side-character sprawl hurts unfocused ensemble movies
Dark World is a better brother movie
Whedon over-kills characters
Humor: Deadpan fact-drops and interruptions that deflate Griffin's bits.
In their words
“I'm a big fan of Kenneth Bran as a director.” (0:18:10)
Film-history minded and well versed in studio politics (Feige, Perlmutter); likes Wes Anderson books but not Isle of Dogs. Dislikes hollow universe-building. Loves Galaxy Quest and Rickman.
Stances
Nick Fury's cameo derails the movie
Favreau lost The Avengers by making this film
Universe-building should serve story
Humor: Dry, mocking asides with pop-culture comparisons.
A Marvel and Hulk comics reader (Rick Jones, Peter David, Greg Pak) who loves Ang Lee's Hulk and trusts Tim Roth as the only good performance; hates bad CGI and generic Europa Corp action.
Stances
This film is the worst early MCU entry
Marvel quality control is fast food
Unleashed is the best Europa Corp film
Humor: Blunt put-downs and long, detailed story retellings, such as the Electro origin.
In their words
“Rick, you know, man, you got to read your 60s Marvel.” (0:17:51)
“Unleashed is my favorite of the Europa.” (0:11:09)
Pro-Iron Man, loves Downey's improvisational energy, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges' performances, and the Marvel comics of the 60s; dislikes Terrence Howard and generic Marvel scores. Cares about industry business details.
Stances
Iron Man is the best of the early Marvel films
Bridges is underrated as a Marvel villain
Hulk and later Marvel films feel generic
Humor: Self-deprecating New York landlord and apartment bits, deadpan Bill Maher mock-defense.
Attributions to David are low confidence because the transcript has no speaker labels. He argues about Nicholson's box office record, tracks the Oscar races of the era, and has a Transformers opinion (3 is a masterpiece, per a speaker who may be him). He is skeptical of Haunted Mansion.
Stances
Nicholson was not guaranteed money in the bank before this film (speaker uncertain)
Early-2000s Oscar races were set pieces worth remembering (speaker uncertain)
Humor: Dry corrections and numbers, plus a playful challenge to the guest's choices.
In their words
“Well, I'm going to dispute you on Jack being money in the bank.” (0:03:28)
“it did open to 16000000 and finished at 124” (1:52:03)
Box-office and awards nerd; loves Michelle Yeoh and the craft of fight choreography; is dismissive of Rush Hour as a boring sweaty cop movie and of Gladiator winning. A sucker for trivia and Oscar-night lore.
Stances
CTHD's release was a careful balancing of global audiences
Oscar race lore matters
Gladiator winning was weird
Humor: Dry, precise, and deadpan fact-bombs that undercut sillier riffs.
In their words
“Rush hour 2 is still the 4th biggest opening in August.” (0:46:50)
“Rush Hour is kind of a boring, sweaty cop movie.” (0:47:12)
Defends Hulk, owns Ice Storm on DVD and Criterion, and likes facts, production history and box-office context. Skeptical of easy characterization such as Weaver's.
Stances
Ice Storm gets cold weather as Do the Right Thing gets hot weather
Weaver's role feels easy; Lee's film is not about a craze
Reads out box-office top five in the closing game
Humor: Deadpan quiz-master and wry riffs on casting and careers.
In their words
“I think this movie gets cold weather as right as do the right thing gets hot weather.” (0:10:53)
“I mean, this podcast is just an excuse for me to buy Blu-rays.” (0:36:45)
Adores Richard Jenkins and critic-style takes; reads Blue Steel as a Bigelow B-picture that unifies her style. Loves a good box-office trivia quiz. Sucker for actor-career arcs.
Stances
Blue Steel is better than Point Break
Jenkins's entrance shifts the film into a representational register
Went in with the Spanish original in his head and thinks Vanilla Sky is essentially a remake of it with American excess added. Likes the genre-inflected last act more than the first half but rates the whole C plus. Sucker for British film magazine nostalgia.
Stances
The film is a remake of Abre los ojos with added Crowe preciousness
C plus, three out of five
Wants the sci-fi explained earlier
Humor: Dry, nitpicky, pushes catchphrase bits like 'island woman' and 'blowjob lady'.
In their words
“Yeah, C plus.” (1:55:12)
“I was a dedicated empire magazine reader.” (0:27:30)
“I think this movie's problem is it doesn't introduce it earlier enough.” (1:37:39)
Attribution is low-confidence. One host insists films should stand on their own merits, hates behind-the-scenes theorizing and complaining nerds, and is a fan of Admiral Piett. Likes the first 40 minutes at Jabba's palace; critical of Leia's handling and the Yoda deathbed scene.
Stances
Films should stand on their own merits
Don't read behind-the-scenes lore into the movie
The Jabba sequence is the best part; the Ewoks overstay
Humor: Dry deflation of the other host's rants and Empire workplace-comedy pitches.
In their words
“I think films should stand on their own merits.” (0:32:22)
“I hate nerds and they're always complaining.” (0:30:51)
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 1,001–1,091 of 1,091 claims.
career (career):
Joe Johnston → The Wolfman.
Cap was a comeback for Johnston after the calamity of The Wolfman.
“This was a real, like, comeback for Joe Johnson, because this was after the calamity of Wolfman.”
career (career):
Captain America: The First Avenger → The Rocketeer.
The movie was a comeback for Johnston after The Wolfman and is essentially what he wanted The Rocketeer to be, with the culture now caught up.
“This is basically what you wanted to do with the rocketeer.”
verdict (verdict):
Captain America: The First Avenger → Matt Hatch.
A past guest argues this is the best Marvel movie; the hosts think it's the most individual in tone and look.
“has continues to argue that this is the best Marvel movie.”
programming (programming):
Captain America: The First Avenger → Thor.
Cap opened to about 65 million like Thor, finished near 176 worldwide domestic and around 370 vs Thor's 450.
“Cap opens pretty much exactly the same as Thor, 65.”
career (career):
David Yates → Fantastic Beasts (films).
Yates saved the Potter franchise but doing Fantastic Beasts is a couple that should have broken up years ago.
“Like the Yates doing the Fantastic Beast movies is like one of those like couples where you're like, they should have broken up like 4 years ago.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:02:45 ·
David Sims
(0.35 sure it was them)
industry (industry):
Thor → Kenneth Branagh.
Marvel hired Branagh for Shakespearean gravitas to signal seriousness, then handed him a goofball script.
“let's hire Kenneth Brown out to show people were making a serious movie because he's a Shakespearean guy”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:03:43 ·
David Sims
(0.50 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage):
Thor → The Avengers.
The Ultimates reimagined Thor as a possible revolutionary claiming to be a god, versus the film's real Thor.
“in the ultimates, Mark Miller's take is like Thor is sort of like this revolutionary guy who claims he's a god”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:05:58 ·
David Sims
(0.45 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage):
Thor → Stan Lee.
The Donald Blake identity came from Stan Lee's 60s devotion to the secret-identity trope; the movie keeps it only as a fake ID gag.
“in the 60s, Stanley was a little slavishly devoted to like the classic superhero comic trope, so you needed a secret identity”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:08:08 ·
David Sims
(0.50 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage):
Thor → J. Michael Straczynski.
The film borrows heavily from Straczynski's celebrated Thor run, including Thor spending time in the Midwest.
“the celebrated Thor arc was J. Michael Stratinsky, which is this is borrowing from heavily.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:08:28 ·
David Sims
(0.50 sure it was them)
industry (industry):
Anthony Hopkins → Tommy Lee Jones.
Casting a gravitas-bearing famous actor as the elder is Marvel's repeat playbook, as with Tommy Lee Jones in Captain America.
“It's also the same thing they did with Tommy Lee Jones and Captain America”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:09:27 ·
David Sims
(0.50 sure it was them)
career (career):
Thor → Red Dawn.
Hemsworth was nearly unknown, with leads in two shelved films, Cabin in the Woods and Red Dawn, plus Star Trek.
“Red Dawn had been shelved.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:09:49 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
people (people):
Joss Whedon → Chris Hemsworth.
Whedon, having worked with Hemsworth on Cabin in the Woods and signing on to Avengers, urged the studio to consider him for Thor.
“Whedon had done Cabin in the Woods, and he was signing on to Avengers while they were casting this and he said, you should really consider that Hemsworth guy.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:12:26 ·
David Sims
(0.50 sure it was them)
industry (industry):
Joss Whedon → Kevin Feige.
From Thor through Age of Ultron Whedon acts as the MCU's other creative force and number-one script doctor, butting heads with Feige.
“Whedon, and we're going to talk about this a bunch, is a major creative force on the level of Kevin Feige from Thor through to Age of Ultron.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:12:26 ·
David Sims
(0.50 sure it was them)
career (career):
Kenneth Branagh → Joel Schumacher.
Branagh is cast as this generation's Joel Schumacher, a big silly hammy director, which is meant as praise.
“He's like, our generation's like Joel Schumacher.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:18:12 ·
David Sims
(0.50 sure it was them)
industry (industry):
Thor → Ike Perlmutter.
Perlmutter kept early Marvel budgets low, so these movies lack grandeur and the Jotunheim CG looks poor.
“Ike Pearlmutter is keeping the budgets pretty low, so these movies just don't have the grandeur”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:20:23 ·
David Sims
(0.50 sure it was them)
craft (craft):
Thor → Kenneth Branagh.
Branagh built action with no spatial coherence, cut in a seesaw, and canted every angle.
“Kenneth McRanaugh constructing big action set pieces with no spatial coherence.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:20:43 ·
David Sims
(0.45 sure it was them)
craft (craft):
Kenneth Branagh → Henry V.
Branagh's Shakespeare films handle epic battles well, but in Thor he chases flashy action instead of classical staging.
“Henry V is good.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:20:54 ·
David Sims
(0.45 sure it was them)
career (career):
Sam Raimi → Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.
Raimi's frustrated 90s Thor pitch is read as the origin of Hercules on TV, like Darkman after losing The Shadow.
“So like he really wanted to direct the shadow.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:22:21 ·
David Sims
(0.50 sure it was them)
career (career):
Sam Raimi → Darkman.
Raimi wanted to direct The Shadow, was refused, and made Darkman instead.
“So like he really wanted to direct the shadow.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:22:21 ·
David Sims
(0.50 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if):
Thor → Matthew Vaughn.
Vaughn was hired after leaving X-Men and wanted Kevin McKidd, but exited in 2008.
“He loved to quit movies because he exits in 2008.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:26:16 ·
David Sims
(0.45 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if):
Thor → Guillermo del Toro.
Del Toro was attached post-Pan's Labyrinth but left for The Hobbit, which he also did not make.
“Guillermo del Toro is brought in.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:26:18 ·
David Sims
(0.45 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if):
Thor → Daniel Craig.
Before Hemsworth, Daniel Craig was offered the part of Thor and turned it down.
“Daniel Craig is offered the role.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:27:17 ·
David Sims
(0.45 sure it was them)
people (people):
Tom Hiddleston → Kenneth Branagh.
Hiddleston worked with Branagh on stage before Thor and was cast to bring gravitas.
“Hiddleston, who has worked with Brana on stage.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:27:29 ·
David Sims
(0.45 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if):
Tom Hiddleston → Josh Hartnett.
Josh Hartnett was widely reported as the Loki frontrunner, a bigger name, until two unknowns were cast.
“smart money is all on Josh Hartnett.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:28:29 ·
David Sims
(0.45 sure it was them)
industry (industry):
Natalie Portman → Black Swan.
Thor landed four to five months after Black Swan, so Portman's Oscar gave the film star power Marvel was lucky to get.
“This comes out like 4 months after Black Swan, 5 months.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:32:01 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
career (career):
Thor → Don Payne.
Comedy writer Payne came from The Simpsons and wrote Fantastic Four 2 and My Super Ex-Girlfriend before Marvel brought him in to make Thor funny.
“he was big into this, like, I know how to make Thor funny, so that'll be more approachable.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:39:00 ·
David Sims
(0.45 sure it was them)
career (career):
Thor → The Avengers.
Loki's Thor performance is a Shakespearean tragedy turn; the charm and menace arrive in Avengers.
“He's kind of doing like, like, you see, Branaugh cast him to bring the gravitas, and he's kind of giving mostly an emotional performance.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:43:03 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
craft (craft):
Thor → Iron Man 2.
Both force S.H.I.E.L.D. world-building into the plot; Iron Man 2 does it worse, and Captain America saves it for the end.
“Iron Man 2 has it worse than this, but this and Iron Man 2 have that right where they're sort of like, PS, like, Hawkeye's coming.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:48:53 ·
David Sims
(0.45 sure it was them)
industry (industry):
Thor → The Lord of the Rings.
Studios expected a Thor movie would have to be a serious sub-Lord of the Rings; post-LOTR C-list fantasy launches had been failing.
“anytime Post-Lord of the Rings, anyone was trying to launch a C-list, B-list, Lord of the Rings style fantasy thing.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:58:16 ·
David Sims
(0.35 sure it was them)
theme (theme):
Thor → E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
For Selvig, Thor is proof of aliens, his own E.T., and the reason he will not let go of him.
“Thor is like his ET.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
1:07:56 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
career (career):
Clark Gregg → Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..
Coulson's death in Avengers and revival for the show cheapen his arc, debated here.
“Let Carl Craig have his paycheck, man, the mentor.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
1:24:34 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
industry (industry):
Thor → Natalie Portman.
Portman had director approval and a multi-film contract but did not want to do more, so Marvel stopped forcing her.
“she got director approval over these movies.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
1:28:08 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict):
Thor: The Dark World → Thor.
Dark World is the better brother movie; Thor's Thor-Loki rivalry feels underdeveloped.
“Dark World is better. They tapped into the brother dynamic.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
1:39:18 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
career (career):
Tom Hiddleston → Midnight in Paris.
2011 was Hiddleston's breakout year across Thor, Midnight in Paris, and War Horse.
“So those were his 3 performances.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
1:41:54 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
career (career):
Anthony Hopkins → Noah.
Hopkins in the gravitas role is an uncreative choice, same reaction as in Noah.
“I had the same reaction when he was in Noah.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
1:45:28 ·
David Sims
(0.35 sure it was them)
career (career):
Idris Elba → Luther.
Elba's low billing hides that he was becoming an internet boyfriend via Luther, and the Wire rediscovery.
“he was so clearly becoming like an internet boyfriend.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
1:46:05 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
programming (programming):
Thor → Fast Five.
Thor's opening was the Memorial Day-season release, with Fast Five as the number two film in its 2nd weekend.
“Number 2 is one of the best movies of this year.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
1:50:54 ·
David Sims
(0.50 sure it was them)
craft (craft):
Jack White → Iron Man 2.
While reading the credits, a host notes that Jack White is credited on Iron Man 2 and jokes that he played the element.
“Iron Man Jack White is credited?”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Iron Man 2 ·
2:00:42 ·
David Sims
(0.30 sure it was them)
“It was like if somebody made a Western, but it also was implicitly built to and engineered to appeal to a worldwide audience as much as it appealed to an American one.”
lineage (lineage):
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon → King Hu.
CTHD plays in the milieu of King Hu and the wuxia classics, but with a more modern sensibility.
“this movie is playing in a, in a Milu that is inherent to like King Hu movies and Musha, like the classics”
career (career):
Chow Yun-fat → The Replacement Killers.
Chow's US run: The Replacement Killers, The Corrupter, Anna and the King, then Bulletproof Monk.
“And Cha-Yon Fat was doing, like, the replacement killers.”
“I mean, I just remember when the Tomorrow Never Dies came out and it was the 1st of 4 consecutive, like, finally, a Bond girl who's even tougher than Bond.”
“choreographing it had a time that he never really had before. And so he like busted out the big guns, all like the kicks that he had been holding in his back pocket for all those years.”
lineage (lineage):
The Ice Storm → Hulk.
After loving Hulk, a host went back to the Lee filmography and read The Ice Storm as the family psychodrama behind it.
“And then this movie is like, oh, here's all the weird family psychodrama, which is already contextualized through the Marvel Comics prism.”
career (career):
The Ice Storm → Ride with the Devil.
Lee made two straight films about outsiders looking in on America at a crisis point, both starring Maguire.
“I think it's very interesting that Angley made 2 movies in a row about America at a crisis point”
lineage (lineage):
Blue Steel → Halloween.
Calls Blue Steel a slasher with Ron Silver as Michael Myers and cites Ebert calling it the best Halloween sequel.
“I read back to Roger Ebert's review, and he said, this is actually the best Halloween sequel that's ever been made.”
lineage (lineage):
Vanilla Sky → Abre los ojos (Open Your Eyes).
Vanilla Sky is nearly the same story as the Spanish original, except the hero is a magazine magnate friends with Spielberg.
“So the film is actually pretty much exactly the same as Abri Lozojos, except for the main character of that movie is not a magazine magnate who's friends with Steven Spielberg.”
theme (theme):
Vanilla Sky → Abre los ojos (Open Your Eyes).
The Spanish original keeps the ending ambiguous, while this version spells out what the dream state is.
“And Abri Lo Sojos does not have this problem so much, is that I think the ending is supposed to be ambiguous”
lineage (lineage):
Vanilla Sky → Abre los ojos (Open Your Eyes).
The ending follows the original beat for beat, down to the jump and the 'open your eyes' last line.
“Yeah, again, it's how Abri Lo Sojos works to a T down to him jumping and open your eyes, like being on last lines.”
fun, about
Force Awakens press screening:
David missed the Force Awakens critics' screening while at the Atlantic Wire, after a year of weekly Star Wars podcasting.
“I didn't get in to that screening, I was still working at the Atlantic Wire.”
fun, about
Rebecca Ferguson in Doctor Sleep:
Plays the most evil force in the world like a middle-aged woman at the Litchfield Jazz Fest, Tanglewooding out of control.
“Her decision to play the most evil force in the world, like a middle-aged woman at the Litchfield Jazz Fest.”
fun, about
Richard Schiff and Joe Pantoliano:
'The 2 benchmarks I'm setting for the next 30 years of my career': Schiff in Clemency and Pantoliano in Bad Boys for Life; Pantoliano has a 'guess the horse' scene.
“Those are the 2 benchmarks I'm setting for the next 30 years of my career.”
fun, about
Avengers: Infinity War:
Look at the chip shop in the Edinburgh scene: a sign says they will deep fry your kebab, which leads to Scottish deep-frying and a prank-call album bit.
“there's just a sign in the chip shop that just says, we will deep fry your kebab”
fun, about
Avengers: Infinity War:
Kevin Smith screamed 'no' at the press screening the second Tony was stabbed, and posted a tearful selfie; later he cried again at Cap shaving his beard in Endgame.
“And that person was Kevin Smith, who was in our audience”
fun, about
Thor: The Dark World:
The climactic portal fight, set up as a gimmick for forty-five minutes: characters zap between Greenwich, Vanaheim and Frostland; a Frost Beast turns up; Thor throws a car at Malekith.
fun, about
Max Landis:
The sun-sets-multiple-times 'one day' fight: host argues Christmas is a season.
“This was the movie I got in the fight with Max Landis.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Iron Man 3 ·
2:13:18 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about
The Avengers:
Paramount still has its logo on a film Disney bought; they joke Paramount staked its territory and Disney got the last laugh by earning more.
“Paramount made so much money for selling these movies, but Disney got the last laugh because they made even more money buying these movies.”
fun, about
The Avengers:
Whedon's addition that was not in the Penn draft: the heroes must fight each other first; see the Thor/Iron Man/Cap forest fight at 0:47-0:50 and Cap's shield versus Mjolnir.
fun, about
Jeremy Renner:
Renner's defense of Hawkeye: he's there to tranquilize the Hulk; they find that depressing. Also Renner complained about being brainwashed for ~1:50.
“he's got the arrow so they can tranquilize Hulk.”
fun, about
Harry Dean Stanton:
See the scene (1:32) where Harry Dean Stanton talks Banner round: shot as a nine-page conversation, trimmed hard; the full version is on the DVD.
“So there's like a very long version of this on the DVD”
fun, about
Robert Downey Jr.:
Downey asked to pick the magnetic bracelets in the final suit-up and ad-libbed the Gallagher-at-the-computer riff that became a real shot.
fun, about
Grand Central / New York:
They scanned every building from 34th to 45th Street for the battle and 'make sure it doesn't get bigger than this' keeps the geography clear; the worm goes through Grand Central at 1:58.
“they scanned every fucking building in this area and just rebuilt like a perfect, like, grid of like 34th to like 45th.”
fun, about
Ashley Johnson:
Cap's original introduction was a cafe scene with a waitress (Johnson) flirting; the cut payoff is her looking up at the Avengers.
“So it's supposed to be payoff for that, but it still works”
fun, about
Marvel studio:
The Chitauri were minor aliens invented for this movie; Thanos reveal in the credits left a Paris friend asking who the purple guy was.
fun, about
The Avengers:
Opening weekend box office: $207 million (May 4), then Think Like a Man, The Hunger Games, The Pirates! Band of Misfits, The Lucky One in the top five.
“Avengers breaks the box office record makes 207.”
fun, about
Bucky death:
The classic comic Bucky death is on a rocket Cap can't disarm; the film instead has Bucky fall from the train. David calls the movie's version lamer.
“The classic Bucky death is so good, which they're on the rocket.”
fun, about
Dum Dum Dugan:
See the scene where Neal McDonough walks on in a bowler hat and mutton chops; the hosts cheered because the film embraced the silly comic look rather than toning it down.
fun, about
Bucky (comics maxim):
Old comics maxim: Uncle Ben, Gwen Stacy, Jesus and Bucky are the characters who would never be brought back; Bucky stayed dead about 64 years.
“Spider-Man's Uncle Ben. Spider-Man's girlfriend, Gwen Stacy. And Jesus. And Bucky.”
fun, about
Peggy Carter red dress:
At the Times Square opening night, when Peggy walks in wearing the red dress amid drab fatigues, the whole audience yelled holy shit in unison.
“she comes in with this burst of color and the whole audience went, holy shit.”
fun, about
Captain America (title):
Marvel feared the name Captain America would hurt overseas in 2011 and retitled the film The First Avenger; almost every territory passed on that and only about one country released it under the alternate title.
“Captain America won't be in the title, and almost every territory passed on that.”
fun, about
Thor:
The hosts open on how every cut in the lab scene swings the camera 45 degrees the opposite way, a literal seesaw; Branagh's one idea is the tilted world, and they keep returning to the Dutch angles throughout.
“Isn't this crazy, though, that every time they cut, the camera is 45 degrees in the opposite angle of the previous...”
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Thor ·
0:03:17 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about
Chris Hemsworth:
Casting lore: Hemsworth beat Hiddleston, who thought he was ripped but looked narrower beside him, because he absorbed muscle better and looked broader on camera.
“Hemsworth is just broader shoulder.”
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Thor ·
0:11:50 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about
Thor:
Hemsworth's dyed eyebrows in Thor are Kevin Feige's biggest regret in the whole MCU; watch Thor in Asgard where he almost looks to have none.
“Do you know that Kevin Feige said his, what his number one biggest regret in the entire Marvel cinematic universe is?”
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Thor ·
0:14:42 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about
Thor:
Loki's hand turns blue on touching the Frost Giant king's forearm in the Jotunheim fight; the hosts note the film forgets it and later reveals he is a Frost Giant.
“one of the blue guys, the king, touched Loki's forearm, and then Loki's hand turned blue, and they don't know why.”
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Thor ·
0:24:56 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about
Thor:
Thor's development hell: Raimi, a UPN TV show, Sony and Goyer, Paramount, Vaughn, del Toro, DJ Caruso, Daniel Craig offered it before Hemsworth took it.
“Then, as we all know, DJ Caruso is hired.”
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Thor ·
0:26:36 ·
David Sims
(0.45 sure it was them)
fun, about
Thor:
Mjolnir is cast as Excalibur: the lifting-the-sword-from-the-stone scene is the hammer in the New Mexico crater that nobody is worthy to move.
“So, you know, the hammer becomes like Excalibur.”
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Thor ·
0:37:54 ·
David Sims
(0.35 sure it was them)
fun, about
Thor: The Dark World:
After the nudity-search tangent, they recall Skarsgard is naked in Dark World but the film blurs it out.
“I forgot he's naked in Dark World, but they blur it out.”
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Thor ·
1:06:47 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about
Thor:
See the scene where Thor finally gets Mjolnir back: the hosts shout over the Patrick Doyle score and say the transformation is the film's biggest success.
“I will say, I think that is the biggest success of this movie is they do sell you on the importance of the hammer.”
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Thor ·
1:29:29 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about
Thor:
See the scene where Thor flies by holding on to the thrown hammer; the speaker loves that the hammer does the flying and Thor grabs on.
“I like how Thor flies with his... The hammer is what's flying.”
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Thor ·
1:34:42 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about
Thor:
Loki's illusion trick works in the Frost Giants fight; the hosts see the fake Loki, praise it, and grumble it plays worse in green screen CGI goopland.
“I think that type of effect doesn't play as well when they're in just like green screen CGI Goopland.”
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Thor ·
1:39:38 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about
Thor:
Thor smashes the Bifrost to cut off the Frost Giants; the hosts say the comics have a literal rainbow while the film makes a prismatic Tron light-cycle runway.
“they just try to make it like a weird, like, sort of glassy Tron light cycle runway that's a little prismatic”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
1:41:33 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about
Thor:
Watch the end-credits stinger: Selvig with Fury and the Tesseract, a scene Whedon wrote and directed; Branagh reportedly claimed not to have seen it.
“Right, because Bran was like, I haven't seen this scene.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
1:55:57 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about
Ang Lee:
Grosses compared: this grossed 128 domestic vs Hulk 132 and Life of Pi 124; worldwide Life of Pi 609, this 213, Hulk 245.
fun, about
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon:
The four leads speak different accents on camera; Yeoh learned her Mandarin lines phonetically and took a year of no other work.
“Right. One of them is one of them is essentially speaking lines phonetically.”
fun, about
Michelle Yeoh:
Debilitating knee surgery at the start of filming; she flew back and forth for surgery, action pushed to the end.
“Right. And she had to keep on flying back to the States for surgery and then she'd fly back to set, do dialogue scenes while she was recovering, fly back to the States for further surgery.”
fun, about
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon:
Bar fight trivia: the stuntman who falls off the banister is the same man later holding an abacus because he broke his arm.
“how the guy who does that immortal fall off the banister is the same guy who has the abacus”
fun, about
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon:
Nominations: Gladiator got 12, CTHD 10; CTHD won score, art direction, cinematography, foreign language film.
“Best art direction, best cinematography, and foreign language film.”
fun, about
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon:
Sony Pictures Classics co-president Michael Barker realized they'd crossed $100M when two kids at a mall raved about the cool subtitles.
“they were like, man, the fucking subtitles were so cool.”
fun, about
How the Grinch Stole Christmas:
The number one movie the weekend CTHD opened; top five: Grinch, Vertical Limit, Proof of Life, Unbreakable, Dungeons & Dragons.
“It's the number one movie of 2000, and it is called Dr. Seuss is How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
fun, about
Kevin Kline:
Kline's story: he saw Joan Allen intensely preparing on location and went to the craft service table.
“Kevin Klein tells this story on like one of the retrospective criterion documentaries where he walked by Joan Allen and she was sitting somewhere around location”
fun, about
Blue Steel:
Opened number five with 2.8 million dollars and made 8.2 on a roughly 16 million budget; debuted at Sundance and came out through MGM after Vestron went bankrupt.
“It opens number five at the box office with 2.8 million dollars.”