Prepares history: novel, casting, budgets, box office. Reveres the film and thinks it reads as a normal ground-level story. A sucker for Hollywood deal backstory and box office game.
Stances
Praises Keitel and Dafoe casting
Respects Scorsese's persistence and Corman discipline
The film is now well regarded though not 'canonical Marty'
Humor: Deadpan nerd asides and mock outrage about movie titles.
In their words
“It's a very well-regarded movie.” (2:18:48)
“Paul's 1st version, apparently, he has Jesus taking his heart out.” (0:46:13)
Loves 80s star vehicles and detailed Hollywood production history. Is a sucker for Paul Newman and for the idea of living inside a pool hall. Defends polished mid-budget studio work and is wary of Cruise's late-career legacy-sequel plans.
Stances
Hud is among the best screen performances
The first hour of Color of Money is like Citizen Kane; the rest is less thrilling
Cocktail is a dog shit movie but fun
Legacy sequels like Days of Thunder 2 are a mistake
Humor: Dry, quick asides and mock outrage, often pushing back on friends' takes with a deadpan correction.
In their words
“Yeah, my favorite's HUD.” (1:03:56)
“It's a dog shit movie for a stupid movie.” (1:33:18)
Reveres Scorsese's lesser-seen work, loves Addicted to Love and Practical Magic, and delights in awards trivia and box-office rankings. Is a sucker for Hitchcock/noir comparisons and Rosanna Arquette. Hates Weezer covers.
Stances
After Hours is his favorite Scorsese film
Griffin Dunn deserves a director series
Remakes pile on too much incident
Humor: Explosive tangents, trivia dumps and shameless transitions.
In their words
“This is my favorite Martin Scorsese film, unsurprisingly.” (0:11:34)
Loves The Elephant Man and Popeye and cites Altman and Casavetes as favorite directors. Interested in the history, box office and Oscar context around the film. Admires Raging Bull's sound and picture.
Stances
Raging Bull was robbed in Oscars cinematography
Oscars do not respect comedy
The film's moral ambiguity is by design
Humor: Dry, mock-indignant, with the box-office game guessing bits.
In their words
“It is my favorite.” (2:10:47)
“And we know how much Oscars just will not respect comedy.” (2:03:45)
This is his favorite or one of his ten favorite movies and he has seen it 15-20 times; he loves comforting, likable, steady-hand movies and the Aubrey-Maturin friendship. He is a sucker for the weevils dinner scene and ensemble craft, and an Anglophile who saw it at 17 in London.
Stances
This film is a miracle that could not be made today
It is best viewed as dad cinema, now lost to streaming
Praises Bettany's performance as arguably the best in A Beautiful Mind and a strong turn here
Rations rewatches of favorites so they stay special
Humor: Deadpan, quick with a callback and a tangent into Oscar-year trivia and box-office minutiae.
In their words
“It's my favorite movie ever.” (2:53:55)
“I saw it at the Odeon Leicester Square with Howard Amos.” (0:38:37)
A critic who prefers dossier-driven history. Loves action movies like Demolition Man and Jeff Bridges' earthy 90s era. Dislikes elite-school lionization, a recurring bit about Juilliard. Avoids flying since COVID and has twins.
Enthusiastic about Fargo's perfection and its nice-versus-good theme; tends toward film-criticism takes, Oscar history and 1990s box-office. Skeptical of the Dark Marge reading and fond of horror and genre follow-ups like Final Destination.
Stances
Fargo is about the difference between being nice and being a good person
Skeptical of the Dark Marge theory
A Final Destination sequel fan; distrusts stopwatch screen-time stats
Mr. Holland's Opus is trash
Humor: Chewing-ice gags and sarcasm; teases Ben and Griffin with off-handed jabs.
In their words
“I think if anything, this movie is about the difference between being nice and being a good person.” (0:40:48)
“I always question the way that people fucking stop watch these things.” (1:42:45)
Film critic who loves studio-era comeback stories (Sea of Love), Travolta in Get Shorty, and box-office archaeology. Dislikes Travolta's bad instincts, such as Hairspray. Loves the opening-weekend charts, and has strong opinions about Chevy Chase stories.
Stances
Travolta is undeniable when good and annoying when bad
Travolta's Tarantino rescue story is overstated
Sea of Love was Pacino's real comeback
Humor: Deadpan bits and rapid-fire tangents, often at the expense of the guest or a studio.
In their words
“I do think that is my single favorite Travolta movie star performance.” (0:57:48)
“It's Ridley Scott's Black Reign with Michael Douglas.” (2:11:14)
Enjoys Spielberg's crowd-pleasers and Indiana Jones; considers Last Crusade his favorite and his most successful comedy; likes Oscar speculation, Wall Street, Planes Trains and Automobiles, and Adrian Lyne. Dislikes Always.
Stances
Last Crusade is his favorite Indiana Jones
Lincoln is great
Williams should have won for Home Alone
Humor: Quick quip man; plays straight man to Griffin and mocks critics and awards bodies.
In their words
“It is my favorite, but I'm also like, I don't think it's a particularly deep film.” (0:21:06)
“Jurassic Park is the much better version of what the story that Huck is trying to do.” (0:24:09)
“I think he should have won for Home Alone over Dances with Wolves.” (0:38:53)
Marvel and comics devotee who treats Thunderbolt Ross as the best character in the Marvel universe. Loves Harrison Ford's craftsmanship, Bond, and chronicling career arcs; cares about movie-star persona and industry history.
Stances
Harrison Ford's grumpy era began around Hollywood Homicide
Raiders is the greatest distillation of Ford the movie star
Hook is clunky
Humor: Dry and deadpan, plays along with being called cranky and joking about turning into a Red David.
In their words
“Have you ever written Thunderbolt Ross, the best character in the Marvel universe?” (0:01:18)
“What if I become the red David in 2025?” (0:06:49)
He leans on film-critic comparisons (Oppenheimer, Fury Road, The Mist) and loves Lynch's visual-effects ambition and unvarnished plainness. He appreciates structure and ties up the episode's plot, and is skeptical of lore talk, saying it sounds stupid when talked about. He also cares about trivia and media-business details, like People's sexiest man list and ratings.
Stances
Lore is more fun to experience than to explain
Part 8 is both the most abstract and most straightforward episode
The last 15 minutes are among Lynch's best
Ratings and network context matter
Humor: Dry, trivia-driven asides that spiral into offhand references and bits.
In their words
“I will say that like the this stuff is all more fun to watch an experience than it is to talk about.” (1:10:43)
“it's one of the best 15 minutes of his whole career.” (1:43:39)
Treats Dune '84 as a David Lynch movie through and through and loves it as a strange object, with a particular fondness for Lynch's signature fingerprints in the margins. Is the one who flags the sleeper must awaken line as Lynch's invention. Loves Furiosa and has real affection for Alicia Witt.
Stances
It's 100% a David Lynch movie; Lynch overstates how little of him is in it
Sleeper must awaken is Lynch's most important contribution
Villeneuve cracked the populist-but-grown-up Dune
Humor: Big, quick riffs with absurd metaphors (the bracelet with a watch face).
In their words
“I'm David.” (0:05:35)
“It's 100% a David Lynch movie.” (0:08:52)
“I had a huge crush on Alicia Witt, specifically in Sybil.” (0:30:00)
Critic's taste: values craft and performance, loves a good-looking cheap movie. Admires Park as a sensual filmmaker and Tang Wei's inscrutability. Not a Cassavetes fan, but enjoys Eastern Promises and Stronger, and champions Javier Bardem in Lyle Lyle Crocodile.
Stances
Wants movies to be hot without being lurid
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile sucks but Bardem is incredible
Amsterdam is a film he walked out of in his head
Humor: Dry, deadpan deflation; goes along with the bits.
In their words
“He is absolutely more my guy.” (0:17:52)
“Yeah, that movie sucks, but Javier Bird has incredible in it.” (2:01:52)
Prepared with printed plot synopses and notes, and loves tight gag construction, Keaton's streamlined modernity and trivia (title-card puns, cast and box office). Has an eye for casting names and silent-era minutiae. He gets the box office game right and enjoys obscure film-history jokes.
Stances
Sherlock Jr. is perfect and Keaton's best film
Keaton's modernity and lack of indicating make him timeless
The Navigator is a series of boat bits, a step back after Sherlock Jr.
Humor: Dry, research-fueled asides, name jokes and affectionate teasing of his co-host.
In their words
“I do think it's his best film.” (0:58:11)
“I feel like it's supplanted the general as sort of the critic consensus, perfect Keaton movie.” (0:58:18)
“going on a honeymoon without a bride is like singing in the words of Kiss Me Again to the music of Alice, where art thou?” (2:00:45)
Critic who covers festivals; liked Wendell & Wild at TIFF after a sleepless night. Loves how it looks and the punk soundtrack, appreciates its political point about prisons, and is fond of Monkeybone. Rankings: Coraline 1, Nightmare 2, Peach 3, Wendell & Wild 4, Monkeybone 5.
Stances
Wendell & Wild is great but plotty
Studios should restore theatrical windows
Claydream is essential viewing
Voted Mad God first in the Critics Circle
Humor: Deadpan storyteller who spirals into bits, and owns his own stressed behavior in the Airbnb tale.
In their words
“I think it's great.” (1:53:48)
“I fully like it. But I also support the in spite of its selfness.” (1:53:06)
A film critic who respects movies that provoke a reaction but gives no credit for mere upset. Loves film-history trivia and box-office lore, responds to Star 80 strongly but wants to put it away, and calls Cabaret his sentimental top pick.
Stances
Cabaret is the top Fosse
Star 80 is the weakest Fosse for him
Emotional reaction is not the same as quality
Eric Roberts was seen as a talent in the 80s
Humor: Dry, quick-witted and sarcastic, leaning on movie-star gossip and trivia.
In their words
“I'm a film critic.” (0:55:09)
“There are movies that like upset me that I don't give any credit to.” (0:55:21)
Admires the film's matter-of-fact handling of trauma and its structure as a small-scale epic of one woman's life; anchors discussion with festival and release history. Likes heightened, bright movies and is a self-declared Annie fan. Comfortable gently ribbing Griffin over trivia.
Stances
Praises matter-of-fact restraint over trauma
Notes Campion's rise through film festivals
Believes The Power of the Dog rewards repeat viewing
Likes The Piano but conceded its score is divisive
Humor: Dry, quick ribbing and pop-culture riffs, often at Griffin's expense.
In their words
“I think it was, it's famously the 1st movie I ever saw.” (0:52:41)
“Perhaps the biggest discovery of this film for me.” (1:14:36)
Loves Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen and Oscar-season lore; a fan of Moulin Rouge-era Baz Luhrmann and of a good road movie. Mixed on Charles Martin Smith's role and finds the sex scene off the rack. A sucker for the Midnight Special comparison and the baby-prop weirdness.
Stances
Bridges is among the least pretentious great actors
The sex scene feels divorced from the emotion of the film
Karen Allen deserved a nomination
Box Office Mojo cannot be reformed
Humor: Dry, bit-loving, goes after Griffin with deadpan callbacks; a Hank the Cow Dog true believer.
In their words
“I think Karen Allen absolutely should have been nominated.” (1:00:36)
“Defund box office mojo cannot be reformed at this point.” (2:17:27)
Critic who likes ambitious and pop-oriented movies (Rogue Nation) and has strong opinions on directors; loves Demme but is blunt that Ricki disappoints. Can't stand Jason Reitman and bad-movie trends, and is a sucker for box-office trivia and the Monday-morning numbers game.
Stances
Ricki is disappointing but Demme is not the worst of his own career
Streep and studio interference hijacked the script
Loves Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation
Humor: Dry, contrarian one-liners and mock-outrage.
In their words
“But also, Jason Reitman directs a lot of her movies who I am increasingly cannot stand.” (0:02:39)
“Stephen Frere is the king of mediocrity.” (0:22:38)
A critic who reaches for franchise-career context and Hollywood politics; likes tidy thematic readings (Dune, WALL-E, Starship Troopers comparisons) and a trusted small-scale film. Hates press-trained performative behavior and bad films like The Hustle. A sucker for sandwiches, Spirited Away, and a good fan-theory.
Stances
Nausicaä is a beautiful-feeling world but not a kid's movie
The Farewell may be the movie of the year
Press fatigue and interview transcripts distort people
Ranks Nausicaä as the buggiest Miyazaki
Humor: Dry and conversational, he undercuts earnest moments with fandom needling and food tangents.
In their words
“I don't know what a kid gets from this movie.” (1:41:57)
“I think it's more of a movie for teens.” (1:42:05)
“It is nuts.” (0:31:20)
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 301–400 of 1,091 claims.
people (people):
Volunteers → Tom Hanks.
Volunteers pairs Hanks with John Candy; Hanks met Rita Wilson around then.
“He'd been in a movie with Hanks the year before.”
Blank Check with Griffin & David ·
Flesh+Blood ·
1:31:53 ·
David Sims
(0.30 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast):
Sixteen Candles → Flesh and Blood.
Sixteen Candles is as gross as Flesh+Blood but thinks it's a whimsical teen comedy.
“that movie doesn't think it's a whimsical comedy for teenagers.”
Blank Check with Griffin & David ·
Flesh+Blood ·
1:34:00 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
“talking about our man JC should have won best actor for them.”
Blank Check with Griffin & David ·
Flesh+Blood ·
1:34:44 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
theme (plot parallel):
Lady in the Water → Manchester by the Sea.
A man loses his family in a past tragedy and becomes the super of a building, which the speaker notes as the same plot.
“In all caps, I wrote, this is the plot of Manchester by the Sea.”
career (career context):
Paul Giamatti → Sideways.
Lady in the Water was the first thing Giamatti booked after Sideways, his big lead after that breakthrough.
“I think this is the first thing he booked after sideways.”
unmapped (critic portrayal):
Lady in the Water → Birdman.
Birdman's film critic is called more sensitive and three-dimensional than Balaban's critic in Lady in the Water.
“Inaritu's portrayal of a film critic in Birdman is sensitive and three-dimensional compared to Bob Paliban in this, right?”
craft (shared creature designer):
Crash McCreery → Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.
The monkey creatures in Lady in the Water were designed by the man who did the monster pirates (Davy Jones's crew) in Dead Man's Chest.
“These creatures were designed by Crash Macreri, who also did all the monster pirates in the 2nd Pirates of the Caribbean movie.”
theme (scene echo):
Lady in the Water → The Last of the Mohicans.
Relaying the myth through third-hand translation is compared to the Last of the Mohicans scene of language relay.
“It's like the scene in the Last of the Mohicans where Daniel Day-Louis has to have the British guys speak French to the Native Americans who only speak French.”
people (critic casting irony):
Bob Balaban → M. Night Shyamalan.
A filmmaker getting back at critics casts Balaban, the actor critics love as their on-screen surrogate.
“Bob Bellaman is like the ultimate film critics actor.”
unmapped (meta monologue):
Lady in the Water → Scream.
Balaban's speech about what a PG-13 movie will not show is compared to a Kevin Williamson-style monologue from Scream.
“Bob Bellman giving a Kevin Williamson style monologue.”
unmapped (intervention):
Jodie Foster → Robert Downey Jr..
On Home for the Holidays Foster confronted Downey about his behavior even though he still delivered.
“Jody Foster would come in and be like, I know that no one calls you out on this because you're still able to deliver, but I will not let you behave this way.”
career (career-detour):
Robert Downey Jr. → Ally McBeal.
Downey went from lost movie star to TV in Ally McBeal season four, won a Golden Globe, and was fired.
“Very nice job. And he's fired by the end of that season.”
career (career-turning-point):
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang → Robert Downey Jr..
As a critical hit with Downey leading, it worked as a calling card to prove he could carry a movie.
“It is a critical hit and it is, yeah, it's basically a calling card.”
career (career-pattern):
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang → Zodiac.
Roles like Good Night and Good Luck, A Scanner Darkly and Zodiac cast Downey as weathered men clinging on.
“these roles of slightly weathered guys who, like, are kind of clinging on a little bit, you know, like rather than sort of breezing through things.”
industry (box-office-context):
Dracula Untold → The Judge.
The Judge opened behind Annabelle's second weekend, mentioned beside the flop Dracula Untold.
“You know, behind the 2nd weekend of Annabelle, this movie opened.”
people (director):
Fred Claus → David Dobkin.
Dobkin's Fred Claus is a catastrophe with Vince Vaughn as Santa's brother and Ludacris's head on a filmed little person.
“Yeah, they filmed a little person and then superimposed Ludacris's head so his neck never moves properly.”
career (filmography-contrast):
David Dobkin → Wedding Crashers.
His pre-Judge filmography is ugly, misjudged comedies with regressive politics, which makes a serious drama odd.
“his filmography is mostly ugly, misjudged comedies that have regressive social politics.”
people (prior-collaboration):
The Gingerbread Man → The Judge.
Downey and Duvall had worked together before in The Gingerbread Man and Lucky You, which fed the casting.
“It was the gingerbread man. And lucky you. the Curtis Hanson poker movie.”
theme (comparison):
The Judge → Big Daddy.
The Judge's climactic testimony scene recalls Sandler's courtroom speech in Big Daddy, which works only because that film is a ribald comedy.
“the scene in Big Daddy, where Adam Sandler tells his dad how much he loved him on the stand during...”
contrast (awards-contrast):
The Judge → No Country for Old Men.
Recent Best Picture winners like The Artist, The Hurt Locker, and No Country are not like The Judge, which is the old kind of Oscar bait.
“the best picture winners of the last whatever years are like the artist and the hurt locker and like no country for all men”
industry (awards-rival):
Robert Duvall → Birdman.
Duvall's Supporting Actor nomination sat beside stronger work from Norton in Birdman, Hawke in Boyhood, Ruffalo in Foxcatcher and Simmons in Whiplash.
“he's nominated with Edward Norton for Birdman. one of his finest performances in a movie.”
career (career-comparison):
Robert Duvall → Jack Reacher.
If he deserves a nomination for The Judge he deserves one for every film of the last 20 years, since he is no better than in Jack Reacher.
“he is no better or worse in the judge than he is in Jack Reacher.”
industry (awards-theory):
Robert Downey Jr. → Rain Man.
Best case for Downey was playing Tom Cruise to Duvall's Dustin Hoffman, supporting the Oscar-bait part.
“Best case scenario, he's the Tom Cruise to the Dustin Hoffman and Rainman.”
people (snubbed-performance):
Iron Man → Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
Downey deserved nominations for the magnetic performances in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Iron Man.
“Robert Downey Jr. should have been nominated for Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang. He should have been nominated for Iron Man.”
industry (awards-theory):
Robert Downey Jr. → Meryl Streep.
Streep keeps getting nominated because she visibly changes things up; Downey should surprise audiences similarly.
“I'm not saying she's always good, but she is always at least changing it up.”
verdict (verdict):
Top Gun: Maverick → Jurassic World Dominion.
Trevorrow's Dominion interviews: give audiences what they expect but do it well, the Top Gun way.
“why don't you give them what they expect and want, but do it really, really well?”
career (career):
Michael Keaton → Spotlight.
Keaton's arc runs from Need for Speed and RoboCop through the Oscar near-win to Spotlight, which cements him as an elder statesman.
“Almost wins an Oscar and then spotlight just solidifies it of like Elder Statesman”
lineage (lineage):
RoboCop → Terminator Salvation.
Non-Nolan grim-and-grounded reboots like this one end up self-serious but made by a dumb person and noted to death.
“you get Terminator salvation, you get these movies that are just like self-serious but made by a dumb person”
contrast (contrast):
RoboCop → RoboCop.
The remake's Easter eggs, like the hand and the I'd buy that for a dollar line, feel dismissive of the original.
“Like all the jokes they make feel dismissive of the original film.”
career (career):
Joel Kinnaman → RoboCop.
Kinnaman's mixed accent, English with his dad and Swedish with his mom, gives Murphy an odd rhythm that stands in for the monotone.
“that gives him a version of the kind of weird Robocop monotonous voice, you know?”
industry (industry):
John Carpenter → RoboCop.
Carpenter got better at accepting executive-producer money on remakes of his ideas, while Verhoeven gets no checks.
“I will happily be a nominal, stupid executive producer or whatever if you pay me.”
contrast (contrast):
RoboCop → RoboCop.
The original's villains were iconic and specific; this one has a gangster, corruption, and a businessman, but no physical antagonist.
industry (industry):
RoboCop → The Avengers.
The film is pre-Marvel franchise filmmaking that landed two years after The Avengers and feels out of touch with trends.
“this movie comes out 2 years after the Avengers.”
verdict (verdict):
RoboCop → Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Ranked against another 2014 one-star Patreon pick, the host likes this less than either it or Ouija.
what-if (what-if):
Ian McKellen → The Lord of the Rings.
The hosts imagine a new Lord of the Rings film about hunting for Gollum, with McKellen and Wood back and Kate Winslet leading.
lineage (lineage):
RoboCop → Total Recall.
The Wiseman remake of Total Recall is cited as an equally boring office-building finale, a remake sibling to this film.
career (career):
The Monuments Men → George Clooney.
One of Clooney's biggest financial hits, even though the hacked Sony emails showed he thought it was bad.
“Because we know in 2014, the Sony hacks revealed that even George Clooney thought this movie was bad”
career (career):
Shana Feste → Country Strong.
Endless Love's director also made The Greatest, Country Strong and Boundaries, mostly 2010s chick flicks.
“Endless love directed by Shana Feste, who made the greatest.”
career (career):
Tom Cruise → Eyes Wide Shut.
Vanilla Sky and Eyes Wide Shut dissect his persona outside the blockbuster, whereas Edge does it inside a blockbuster.
“like vanilla sky and eyes wide shut, like the ones that are kind of dissecting his persona”
people (people):
Tom Cruise → Doug Liman.
Cruise and Liman, McQuarrie and Kosinski became Cruise's guys: directors he can collaborate with rather than be pushed back by.
“Cruz did Kacinski, Lyman and Macquarie became just his guys.”
craft (craft):
Edge of Tomorrow → Ghostbusters.
The Noah Taylor briefing carries the same 'I'm not sure, it might end the world' flavor as Ghostbusters' cross the streams.
“The Ghostbusters thing of like what happens if we cross the streams.”
contrast (contrast):
Edge of Tomorrow → Groundhog Day.
Groundhog Day's loop is unexplained and mystical (a witch after a bad date); Edge gives a rule-based answer, the aliens' reset ability as competitive advantage.
“the wise decision that Groundhog Day was supposed to be like a witch curses him after a bad date.”
contrast (contrast):
Edge of Tomorrow → Big.
Time-loop and magic movies like Big refuse to explain the magic (a fortune-teller machine); Edge justifies its premise.
“Usually it's better to not explain these things.”
verdict (verdict):
Edge of Tomorrow → Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
Smith is a movie where you feel the Liman chaos; one host does not like it, the other finds it messy and enjoyable.
career (career):
Doug Liman → The Bourne Identity.
Bourne launched a lucrative franchise even though Liman did not make the sequels, which kept studios circling back to him.
“Bourne identity launched like an incredibly lucrative franchise.”
craft (craft):
Edge of Tomorrow → Mission: Impossible III.
Casting Brendan Gleeson parallels Philip Seymour Hoffman in MI3: the best foil for Cruise comes from a different acting discipline.
“like casting Philip Seymour Hoffman in Mission Impossible 3”
theme (theme):
Bill Paxton → Tom Cruise.
Paxton, who worked every position in the Corman system, shares Cruise's 'isn't this great, we're making movies' reputation.
“he had the Tom Cruise thing of like, isn't this great?”
programming (programming):
Edge of Tomorrow → X-Men: Days of Future Past.
On the opening weekend chart, Edge opened third behind Fault in Our Stars and Maleficent; X-Men DoFP was still fourth.
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...”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
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.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
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.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
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.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
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.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
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.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
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.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
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.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
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.”