Loves Killer's Kiss and 1950s noir and studio-era trivia, and is happy to run the box office game from deep knowledge. Dislikes padded plotless first films, and is quick to point out what a first film is missing.
Stances
Killer's Kiss is a blast and more romantic than expected
Fear and Desire reads like a poem not a story
50s box office lists are full of forgotten programmers
Humor: Dry, British-inflected asides and fake-outraged bits.
David prefers Burton's Batman Returns and Batman Begins as his top live-action Batmans, and is more lukewarm than Griffin on Lego Batman, finding the middle stretch with other IP monotonous. He loves Lego as a kid (Ice Planet) and now covets expert-level Star Wars sets. He enjoys comedy-world gossip about Ellie Kemper and Michael Cera.
Stances
Not his favorite Batman movie because of the invading IP stuff
The middle stretch with the other villains is boring
Returns and Begins are his two favorite live-action Batmans
Humor: Dry teasing of Griffin and Ben, and self-aware dad jokes about buying Lego for his baby.
In their words
“Which have always been my 2 favorite live action Batman movies.” (0:00:55)
“So I think we just got through the stretch of the movie that I think is a little boring.” (1:14:42)
David asks the commonsense questions the film refuses to answer and loves a deadpan Occam's razor defense. He is a dad, a sports-box-office guy, and a sucker for a movie-history comparison, but he draws the line at being asked to like this.
Stances
Why would they not just skip the deal
Wants simple explanations (Occam's razor)
Calls Old Dogs a bad movie but finds it fascinating
Humor: Dry logic questions and quick film-reference comparisons.
Admires the film's production value and its comedic precision, and is the one reading box office data and quizzing. Can't stand the self-serious trend in Batman movies; a sucker for 60s epics and trivia about directors and casts.
Stances
Batman movies have raced toward self-serious credibility
Burton and Schumacher inherited the West show's tone and branding
Humor: Dry factual one-liners and pop-culture deflation.
In their words
“I think this is the the oldest film we've ever covered on this podcast.” (0:00:48)
“It's been this race to self-serious credibility.” (1:04:50)
Wanted to do Lean personally and expected Welles to win. Mild about Mel Brooks, worried about repetitiveness, but admires his cultural importance. Loves Planet of the Apes.
Stances
Fears Brooks may get repetitive
Pro-Lean
Humor: Dry and teasing with the Chip bit.
In their words
“I also would love to do lean personally.” (0:11:11)
A longtime defender who saw In the Cut at 17 and was 'well known for being the In the Cut is good person'. Loves Unfaithful, Addicted to Love and Kevin Bacon-style character work, and sweats the details of box-office history. (Speaker labels are inferred; the transcript has none.)
Stances
He has always been an In the Cut fan
2003 was a great year for commercial and art cinema alike
Humor: Rattles off box-office lists and trivia and teases Griffin about his taste.
In their words
“I was well known for being the in the cut is good person.” (0:09:26)
“Okay, fine. I love that movie.” (0:13:04)
“I was watching on Netflix out of convenience.” (0:52:44)
Likes campy, genre-aware Twilight and enjoyed New Moon for its challenges; likes old-timey vampire vs werewolf action and well-made lore. Hates inert scenes and kissing-free tension, and gets irritated by clutter/poor casting. A sucker for actors with dirtbag charisma and trivia on actors' careers. Attribution partly inferred; many lines unattributed.
Stances
New Moon is better
Casting of Riley/Victoria is the problem
Condon will lean into camp
Humor: Quick one-liners and pop-culture trivia.
In their words
“I will say, I am enjoying this old timey vampire versus werewolf action.” (0:45:48)
“Because I gotta tell you, this one, this one was a big knot.” (2:21:34)
A critic who has seen Covenant at a press screening and on 4K; likes Prometheus and Scott's ambition. Pays attention to who composed and wrote, and to the Alien franchise's lineage. Likes the film's double-Fassbender conceit and the stranger parts.
Stances
Scott hates humans and rich people
The two androids are the film's best part
Covenant is half Prometheus sequel, half studio-requested Alien
Humor: Sarcastic asides and escalating bits about David and the fake franchises.
In their words
“I have rewatched this like once since theaters.” (1:23:01)
Knows the production history cold (Danny Boyle, Whedon, Jeunet) and loves practical effects, animatronics, big industrial sets and character actors like Brad Dourif and Ron Perlman. Has a lifelong crush on Winona Ryder. Cannot stand when a movie stops to talk, or generic villains like Michael Wincott's.
Stances
Whedon and Jeunet were a terrible match
The first hour is fun, the talky middle is weak
The newborn alien is a big swing worth admiring
All the Alien movies are worth defending
Humor: Dry film-nerd with deadpan joke elaboration, especially mock Deadline headlines.
In their words
“I mean, I guess I have such an incredible weakness for Winona Rider, as you know, Griffin.” (0:37:58)
“I think alien movies need to be gnarly.” (0:23:09)
Defends Alien 3 as moody and Fincher-flavored but admits it is unrelentingly bleak. Loves the mythos of the Weyland-Yutani company and Sigourney Weaver. Cares about box-office history.
Stances
Alien 3 makes a defensible creative choice with a prison setting
The movie is flawed by a missing thesis about the prison
A box-office run-down belongs in every episode
Humor: Dry delivery; sets up bits with straight-faced trivia and plays the straight man to Griffin.
In their words
“I love the mythos of alien.” (1:53:27)
“Uh, yeah, it fell off 65% in its 2nd weekend.” (2:09:50)
Admires Fallout and McQuarrie's craft, loves Hitchcock-style set pieces and tight villains. Dislikes bloated plot mechanics and has strong feelings about Alec Baldwin's career.
Stances
Fallout may top Rogue Nation on rewatch
Rogue Nation's opera sequence is the series high point
Humor: Dry asides, comedy-point awards and speaking about England from lived experience.
In their words
“I did grow up in Britain, and this is the place where I grew up.” (1:35:19)
A native Upper West Sider (also raised partly in England) who knows the neighborhood the film is set in. Loves Meg Ryan's weirder rom-coms (Addicted to Love, Practical Magic) and award-season history. Likes to run quizzes and box-office games.
Stances
The Upper West Side is the film's real subject
Meg Ryan has more range than Hanks
Awards-season trivia reveals how rom-coms are dismissed
Humor: Trivia ambusher; pairs deadpan facts with pop-culture gossip.
In their words
“So I grew up on 89th and Amsterdam.” (0:24:20)
“David has many times tried to sell me on the idea of doing a Griffin Dunn miniseries because he so badly wants to cover her to love.” (1:21:31)
“So can you tell me the 5 nominees for best performance by an actor in a comedy or musical at the 1998 Golden Globes?” (1:42:56)
Runs the box office quiz and tracks the stars' careers across the 1990s (Matthau, Lemmon, Kudrow, Ryan). Likes the Ephron sensibility but finds this film lacking structure; loves Pitch Black context and sci-fi bargains. Cannot stand sentimental farewells like Tuesdays with Morrie.
Stances
The film needs a romantic subplot or tighter structure
Matthau's performance is the best thing in the movie
Tuesdays with Morrie is the worst film ever made
Humor: Dry, exasperated riffs on Hollywood economics and casting; sparring with Griffin over box office guesses.
In their words
“Okay, it's the worst film ever made.” (0:44:25)
“You can't fake rich LA, right?” (1:09:10)
“Anyway, the number one movie at the box office this weekend was the whole 9 yards.” (1:18:31)
Prefers the practical, performed experience over the movie and calls the film like eating mayonnaise from the jar. A sucker for shaggy gags and ironic Oscar talk.
Stances
The experience was better than the movie
Universal's rental model will work on desperate parents
Humor: Deadpan put-downs and analogies, such as the Olive Garden review.
In their words
“I think I tapped out at a certain point.” (0:45:34)
Defends the movie's big set pieces (speeder bike chase, the Emperor and Luke scenes) while admitting the structure is sloppy; loves Akbar and Harrison Ford's career lore. Hates the Emperor's flat conception and the late sibling reveal. Likes box office trivia and games.
Stances
Jedi has the weakest finish of the three
The Emperor is uncompelling as a character
Ewoks are fine; the problem is what Han and Leia do
Was a kid who thought Jedi was the best until a rewatch
Humor: Dry, tired asides and playful teasing of Griffin and Ben, getting punchier as the beers accumulate.
In their words
“Griffin thought that way until he was like 27 years old.” (1:49:51)
“I think that's the other major difference.” (1:00:53)
Critic-ish and enthusiastic: Portrait of a Lady on Fire is his movie of the year; loves Ashes Is Purest White, Dark Waters, Ad Astra, Knives Out. Values movie-star performances and gets visibly fond of overlooked films like Peterloo and Triple Frontier.
Stances
Portrait of a Lady on Fire is the year's best
Dark Waters will be re-evaluated; the film is underrated
Prefers Toy Story 4 more than expected
Humor: Dry; plays straight man and throws in lines like 'Absolute 0 Popes' reactions and the Becker running joke.
In their words
“That has been the movie for me all year.” (1:09:50)
Champion of Infinity War: loves how Thanos is the real protagonist and how the movie argues for caring about every character. Hates the idea that deaths must be final to matter, and loves actors' craft and box-office trivia. Nervous flyer who loves a road trip to Toronto.
Stances
Thanos is the protagonist and the film is about every character mattering
Killing characters is uninteresting; the loss is what counts
The MCU's crossover structure is a cinematic accomplishment
Humor: Deadpan overshare and cheerful self-roast, especially about his fear of flying.
In their words
“I'm a very nervous flyer.” (0:00:52)
“I think killing characters is uninteresting and usually, like, I just don't care for it.” (2:26:40)
Loves rules, systems and well-set-up action (Infinity Stone rules, Gamora's type-A bossiness, clear action goals); a box-office and Marvel-billing obsessive who makes spreadsheets. Respects Lee Pace's operatic villain and Drax. Dislikes Marvel's post-production sheen and the 'house style' gray. Speaker attribution is inferred from the room's teasing and is uncertain.
Stances
Lee Pace's Ronan is a great, underrated Marvel villain
Marvel's color grading is bad but the art direction is good
Humor in Guardians works as a storytelling aid
Humor: Gets teased as a bossy rules-loving spreadsheet guy and plays along with deadpan.
In their words
“I like type A tightwad characters.” (0:27:52)
“I like the Infinity Stone stuff because I like rules.” (1:10:54)
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 801–900 of 1,091 claims.
career (career):
Winona Ryder → Girl, Interrupted.
Ryder's next film after Resurrection was Girl, Interrupted in 99, an underrated movie.
“After this, I guess she has girl interrupted in 99, which is an underrated movie.”
people (people):
Ron Perlman → Alphaville.
Alphaville took a marginal American noir actor and presented him as America's greatest star, like directors do with Perlman.
“this marginal American noir actor and was like, you are the greatest movie star America has ever produced.”
verdict (verdict):
Alien Resurrection → Alien: Covenant.
David walked out of the Covenant press screening hearing grumbling that it was not their Alien; he does not get that anger.
“I walked out of the press screening of covenant, and I remember one credit being like, I mean, that's just not my alien.”
craft (craft):
Alien Resurrection → Aliens.
In Aliens you see them fleetingly; in Resurrection animatronics let an alien stand in front of you for ten seconds.
“But this is the 1st one where it's like, yeah, an alien's just standing in front of you.”
lineage (lineage):
Alien Resurrection → Jurassic Park.
Aliens caged and taunted while hunting you feels like the raptors; raptors may be Alien rip-offs.
“the raptors have a bit of an alien rip off vibe, honestly”
contrast (contrast):
Alien Resurrection → Prometheus.
Prometheus has a stacked cast on one level; Resurrection puts a second movie star above the title with Weaver and loses balance.
“it's putting them above the title, it's kind of implying that it's going to be kind of a two-hander”
craft (craft):
Joss Whedon → Alien Resurrection.
The acid-blood tricks in Resurrection are Whedon-style fan service, while Jeunet is the better visual stylist.
“The stuff like using the acid in creative new ways.”
craft (craft):
Joss Whedon → Astonishing X-Men.
Kitty Pryde's bat-in-the-head interrogation shows Whedon's gift for finding a clever new angle in pre-established ideas.
“so emblematic of what he's good at as a writer, which is just using all the things that have been pre-established by other writers”
people (people):
Darius Khondji → Jean-Pierre Jeunet.
Jeunet brought his own French collaborators, cinematographer Darius Khondji and VFX man Pitof, plus his production crew, onto Alien: Resurrection.
“he brings all of his French people, right? Like he brings Darius Kanji, and he brings Pitoff, and he brings like his sort of, um, uh, production crew who all speak the same language as him”
people (people):
Jean-Pierre Jeunet → Alien Resurrection.
Jeunet brought his French crew and could not talk to the writers, producers or actors; the film is cohesive visually.
career (career):
Jean-Pierre Jeunet → A Very Long Engagement.
Jeunet's only other Hollywood-financed film was A Very Long Engagement, a Hollywood production made in France on his terms.
“Very long engagement's a Hollywood production, but in France on his own terms.”
industry (industry):
A Very Long Engagement → Warner Bros..
Warner financed most of it for distribution rights, so it was disqualified as a foreign film for the Oscars.
“And so it was disqualified as being a foreign film.”
contrast (contrast):
Winona Ryder → Alien.
Call is asked to do what Ripley does in the first movie, but Weaver makes it sing and Ryder punches the clock.
“what call is being asked to do here is not that different than what Ripley does in the 1st movie, except fucking Sigourney makes it sing.”
career (career):
Raymond Cruz → Breaking Bad (TV).
Raymond Cruz in Resurrection is Tuco from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, and Detective Sanchez on The Closer.
“He's Tuco and Breaking Bad. And better call Saul.”
theme (theme):
Alien Resurrection → Saturday Night Live.
The creature too awful to live begging 'kill me' is a funny trope, like an Eddie Murphy SNL sketch.
craft (craft):
Alien Resurrection → Godzilla.
1998 Godzilla and the first Jurassic Park shot their CGI creatures in rain and night to hide the rendering.
“the 98 Godzilla is set in the rain constantly, and why in Jurassic, the 1st Jurassic”
contrast (contrast):
Alien Resurrection → Aliens.
In Aliens she rescues Newt and in Alien 3 the convicts find purpose; in Resurrection there is no purpose to the fight.
“in aliens, she's rescuing newt and like, you know, even in alien 3, they kind of, by the end of it”
theme (theme):
Alien Resurrection → Alien 3.
The alien-hybrid birth echoes Alien 3's mommy-child relationship; this one is treated as parent and child.
“But much like an Alien 3, it's like, oh, hey, mommy.”
industry (industry):
Alien → Die Hard.
Alien will be remade without its original star the way Die Hard will without Bruce Willis; the xenomorph design is too powerful to leave dormant.
“In the same way, they'll make another diehard without Bruce Willis.”
industry (industry):
Alien Resurrection → Flubber.
Flubber was number one on the Thanksgiving 1997 weekend; Resurrection opened number two with 25 million.
lineage (parallel origin story):
James Cameron → David Fincher.
Both lost control of a first film and reacted by vowing never to lose again; Cameron became a tyrant, Fincher says he will quit.
“He like, I'm never fucking losing an argument ever again.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Alien 3 ·
0:28:14 ·
David Sims
(0.40 sure it was them)
“And yeah, the studio was like, it'll be better if it's a dog”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Alien 3 ·
0:43:25 ·
David Sims
(0.50 sure it was them)
career (career):
Meg Ryan → City of Angels.
The same year Ryan also made City of Angels, dismissed as a chick flick.
“This year she has, you've got Mail, and she has City of Angels, which, despite being a remake of a German masterpiece, is roundly just dismisses like, eh, Chick Flick, right?”
craft (craft):
You've Got Mail → Sleepless in Seattle.
Both Hanks-Ryan films are experiments on the rom-com: one withholds the couple until the last scene, the other puts them together and makes them unpleasant.
“sleepless in Seattle is obviously like, can you create a rom-com with chemistry between the 2 actors without them ever actually communicating until the last scene of the movie.”
what-if (what-if):
George Clooney → Jack Frost.
The Jack Frost snowman was built on George Clooney's likeness before he dropped out, and Keaton took the role.
“That is pointedly snowman George Clooney. It is meant to be George Clooney.”
programming (programming):
Hanging Up → The Whole Nine Yards.
The Whole Nine Yards was the comedy for the boys; Hanging Up opened with the same money as the female-led comedy.
“That's like the comedy for the boys and hanging up, which is opening with the exact same amount of money, is more of a female lead comedy.”
lineage (lineage):
Pitch Black → The Chronicles of Riddick.
Chronicles of Riddick is the big-budget sequel, and home video retitled Pitch Black as Chronicles of Riddick: Pitch Black.
“And on the home video releases, they then retitled it, the Chronicles of Riddick, colon pitch black.”
contrast (contrast):
Trolls: The Experience → Trolls.
David's text says the experience was practical, engaging and well performed, far better than the movie.
theme (theme):
Trolls → The Manchurian Candidate.
Joke that after watching Trolls he wanted to assassinate a presidential candidate, so maybe there is a Manchurian thing going on.
“I wanted to assassinate a presidential candidate, so maybe there's a whole Manchurian thing happening there too.”
contrast (contrast):
Trolls → La La Land.
City of Stars beat Can't Stop the Feeling and the speaker resents it as the La La Land song; the opening numbers are the film's best.
“I still am so resentful that that's the La La Land song.”
programming (programming):
Taron Egerton → Little Shop of Horrors.
Rumor: Warner Bros. wants Taron Egerton for Little Shop of Horrors; Griffin joked he can sing.
“Warner Brothers wants to hire Taron Egerton to do a little shop of horrors.”
contrast (contrast):
Rebecca Ferguson → Jane Krakowski.
Ferguson's Hat performance reminds the speaker of Jane Krakowski in 30 Rock (character name garbled in transcript).
“Rebecca Ferguson and Dr. Sleep is the most I've ever liked a performance that also made me think so much of Jane Krakowski”
contrast (contrast):
Florence Pugh → Jude Law.
Pugh's arrival as a star is the Talented Mr. Ripley-era Jude Law analog; Lopez is Tom Cruise in Magnolia, a star channeling her legacy into her best acting.
contrast (contrast):
Jennifer Lopez → Tom Cruise.
Lopez in Hustlers compared to Tom Cruise in Magnolia: a star pouring their entire legacy into the best acting they have done.
“someone finding the performance that channels their entire legacy as a star into the best piece of acting they've ever done.”
verdict (verdict):
Laura Dern → Marriage Story.
Dern is on Joe's ballot but none of the three would pick her to win; she's the Oscar frontrunner as a career-recognition win.
verdict (verdict):
Under the Silver Lake → Under the Silver Lake.
Griffin watched it on a train from Buffalo and half-believes it was a dream; it played better in a theater than on a plane.
“I watched Under the Silver Lake on a train back to New York from Buffalo.”
verdict (verdict):
Richard Schiff → Clemency.
Schiff's Clemency performance is the benchmark of what a speaker wants to age into as an actor, alongside Joe Pantoliano in Bad Boys for Life.
“Those are the 2 benchmarks I'm setting for the next 30 years of my career.”
verdict (verdict):
Alfre Woodard → Clemency.
Great performance with a long-shot showstopper; the drunk scenes are among the best drunk acting the speaker has seen.
verdict (verdict):
Jennifer Kent → The Nightingale.
Kent's film is 'the best movie of the year that I would never recommend to anybody' for how punishing it is; she's a discovery of the decade.
“I think that's the best movie of the year that I would never recommend to anybody.”
fun, about
Doctor Sleep (title):
The title comes from Danny's humane way of easing people dying in a hospice, a minor thread; some say it should have been Shining 2.
“It's funny that the title of the movie comes from like his very humane way of helping people be at ease before they die, a very sort of minor plot thread.”
fun, about
A Clockwork Orange:
Kubrick pulled the film from Britain a year after release and it stayed out until his death; it was banned in Ireland until 1999.
fun, about
A Clockwork Orange:
McDowell scratched his cornea during the eyedrop scenes and the numbing wore off in the car; a speed bump felt like a razor blade.
fun, about
Dr. Strangelove:
The release was delayed by the Kennedy assassination; a speaker also notes the President is the last reasonable president in an American satire, because Kennedy was in office.
“this movie was delayed because of the assassination of Kennedy.”
fun, about
Terry Southern:
Sellers gave Kubrick The Magic Christian, which brought Southern in; the dossier read is that Kubrick wrote it, George inspired it, and Southern made it funny.
“JJ's read on the screenplay, though, is that it's Dubrick wrote it.”
fun, about
Dr. Strangelove:
The first page of the screenplay says the story will be played for realistic comedy and the acting will never be so-called comedy acting.
“The 1st page of the screenplay says, the story will be played for realistic comedy”
fun, about
Gene Kelly:
The original plan for Jack D. Ripper was Gene Kelly. Kubrick then cast George C. Scott, who asked to play Turgidson instead, and brought in Sterling Hayden.
“You know who the original plan was to cast for Jack D. Ripper, the Sterling Hayden Row?”
fun, about
James Earl Jones:
Jones had a big role questioning the mission; Kubrick decided he did not want the protesting crew member to be a Black actor and cut it. Jones told him he took the part for the cut material.
“eventually Kubrick decided he didn't want the guy protesting to be a black guy and cuts everything out.”
fun, about
Dr. Strangelove:
Kubrick wrote down about thirty alternate titles, including Wonderful Bomb, Dr. Doomsday, and Dr. Strangelove's Secret Uses of Uranus.
“The weird one is Dr. Strangelove's secret uses of Uranus.”
fun, about
Kirk Douglas:
In Munich the rewritten script had a happy ending; Douglas threatened to walk. Kubrick calmly said he wanted a commercial hit.
fun, about
Kola Kwariani (Nick the Wrestler):
A former wrestler Kubrick met through chess circles, he died at 77 after fighting five teenagers outside his chess club.
“He was 76 years old and he was leaving his regular chess club where he played and he was jumped by 5 teenagers”
fun, about
Fear and Desire:
The poster sells a 'half animal girl' with an illustration of a kissed neck, making the war movie look supernatural.
“An illustration of, uh, Paul Mizurski kissing her neck that makes it look consensual, and says, fear and desire, trapped for desperate man, and a strange half animal girl.”
fun, about
Alien: Covenant:
Originally titled Alien: Paradise Lost; Damon Lindelof was going to write it before bailing, then John Logan, with a first script by the Transcendence writer and a Michael Green rewrite.
“Initially, it was going to be called Alien Paradise Lost.”
fun, about
Ridley Scott:
Scott gave interviews saying there would be no aliens or xenomorphs, then reversed; the hosts wonder if it was him or the studio telling him to put aliens in.
“initially Scott was giving these interviews where he was like, there won't be aliens”
fun, about
Alien: Covenant:
The online prologue with James Franco and Noomi Rapace is not in the film; the initial cut ran about 2.5 hours and Scott trimmed the franchise stuff.
“it was this thing with James Franco, who is not in this movie, although you see him in like photos.”
fun, about
Ron Perlman:
The basketball shot: Weaver actually sank it over her shoulder on a quick take and Perlman's reaction is real; no visual effects.
fun, about
Sigourney Weaver:
Weaver would not let toys be made with guns for years; Resurrection was the only time, and no collector figure for 15 years after.
“one of the key reasons was because she didn't want her action figures coming with guns.”
fun, about
You've Got Mail:
The box office for December 18, 1998: You've Got Mail at number one, ahead of Prince of Egypt, A Bug's Life, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Jack Frost.
“So number one, though, it's you've got mail, $18 million.”
fun, about
Jack Frost:
The animatronic Jack Frost snowman was built from the likeness of George Clooney, who dropped out late; Michael Keaton replaced him.
“But they built it off of the likeness of the actor who was supposed to play the title role who dropped out very late.”