Came late to the film after writing it off for its reputation, then loved it. Keeps careful notes. Says the Kubrick miniseries made Barry Lyndon one of his favorite movies of all time.
Stances
Wrote off the film for years because of its reputation
Barry Lyndon is a new favorite
Humor: Quiet asides and a legal-pad note-taker's deadpan.
In their words
“I wrote it off for so long.” (0:23:45)
“I'm gonna dress up like fucking Barry for Halloween.” (2:55:01)
The producer in the room; confident that his imagined stay in the hotel would be fine, and not sold on the skeleton room. Has not seen Nope, so he walks into jokes. Prefers practical comforts like peaches and ribs to the horror.
Had never seen 2010; is a devoted Europa fan and a planet person. Likes hopeful, big-picture takeaways about finding life. Wary of too much life on Earth right now.
Stances
finding other life would be good for the planet
Europa should not be touched
Humor: Earnest enthusiasm that the others tease him about.
In their words
“Never.” (0:05:58)
“I think it would be really good for our planet and maybe get people to sort of stop being so focused on like stupid shit.” (1:20:50)
The producer in the room; reacts strongly to Barry Lyndon and to Burgess's other novels. Drinks the milk and adds trivia about Burgess and the Prodigy. Straight-edge about the drugged milk.
Stances
Straight edge about the milk bar
Interested in Burgess's other work after reading The Wanting Seed
Humor: Dry one-liners from the side of the room that land hard.
The producer in the room, a fan of the Simpsons and a hard sci-fi dad's kid who first saw the film young. Gets teased about Ned Flanders's parents and about getting into the funk Zarathustra. Attribution to him is low confidence.
Stances
Saw the film young via a sci-fi-loving father
Enjoys the disco Zarathustra
Humor: Mostly the butt of friendly bits; goofy asides.
Warm on A Clockwork Orange and The Shining, wary of Kubrick fandom's intensity, and obsessed with odd props like mannequins. Loves 3D and old movie titles like Blood Alley.
Stances
Kubrick fans can be exhausting
Modern sound mixing is bad for home viewing
Humor: Deadpan tangents, especially about everyday modern annoyances.
In their words
“I liked a clockwork orange quite a bit, still do.” (0:14:30)
Producer Ben, in the room, who has never seen The Lego Movie and takes the film in cold. He gets choked up at Robin's adoption scene and delights in the Lego bits. He asks the naive questions (who is the Penguin, what is Doctor Who) and runs the box-office quiz.
Stances
Has never seen a Lego movie
Fell for Robin
Asked what the most adult Lego set subject is
Humor: Deadpan interruptions, such as the Spotted Pig anecdote and the Seinfeld Lego answer.
Ben has never seen Old Dogs and enjoys the nonsense. He is the producer, the show's running punching bag, and brings dad-bit absurdity and flags. He is quick to bring up weed, nicknames and his merch.
Stances
Had never seen the film
Enjoys the bits and merch plugs
Humor: Dry, bashful deflection and absurd personal details.
In their words
“I have not.” (0:07:14)
“I would just like look at pictures of flags on my dad's computer.” (0:49:28)
“I smoke weed, so I have played all the time.” (1:02:36)
Ben Hosley, producer, in the room. Adores the fake-computer Batcave and the idea of a butler like Alfred; asks what villains actually do all day and pitches new villains (a DJ, the School Marm). Hasn't seen several classics like The Sound of Music or Mask of the Phantasm.
Stances
Wants a butler and a lair
Skeptical of Robin's design
Humor: Absurdist villain pitches and deadpan enthusiasm.
In their words
“think I have an idea for a villain.” (1:32:09)
“I wish I had been having a butler is weird, but you just would like to have an old guy.” (0:53:14)
Wants Bond gadgets to win the Patreon bracket and is enthusiastic about contraptions and old tech. Newcomer to Bond lore. Plays the Patreon voting favorite.
Stances
Pro Bond gadget movies
Predicts Kubrick wins
Humor: Gets teased for losing the first letter of his name.
In their words
“I love old tech.” (0:38:42)
“Um, I think I'm going to go with Stanley.” (0:29:30)
Producer in the room: has a clear sense of what is hot or not, which governs the show's cold open. Wears a Nosferatu shirt, is fixated on the scent/bangles of the franchise, and announces he's adopting a chair in Bryant Park with a plaque. Hates annoying noises like the bird's nest outside his window.
First-time viewer of Covenant, a producer who plays the naive audience and loves Danny McBride. Can reason about themes, offers a cycle-of-creation take, and pitches a human-invades-alien-planet idea.
Stances
Danny McBride is an underdog who fucking rules
Humans and engineers repeat the same cycle
Humor: Hapless and eager, with sincere takes that the hosts tease.
In their words
“What if a planet of aliens wearing clothes?” (2:14:24)
Their shows' recurring bits
Running bits, not opinions; a critic read aloud is cited, not present.
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 1–34 of 34 claims.
contrast (authorship contrast):
Michael Mann → Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Ben Hosley's line quoted from a Reddit comment contrasts a one-person Michael Mann film with Marvel's committee films.
“when I watch a Michael Mann movie, I can tell this was made by one person, Marvel movies aren't made by one person”
programming (programming):
E/R → Miami Vice - Pilot (Brother's Keeper).
The E/R sitcom pilot aired the same night as Miami Vice with a rating of 23 versus 22.8.
“Airing the same night as Miami Vice, which is number two, with 22.8 million.”
career (career):
Edge of Tomorrow → Oblivion.
Oblivion is the other movie Cruise made in this stretch where he is messing with his persona: a man who looks and acts like Tom Cruise but does not know who he is.
“oblivion, the other movie he made in this time where he's trying shit”
programming (programming):
Edge of Tomorrow → RoboCop.
The hosts recorded a RoboCop commentary in the slot where Edge was originally scheduled, and the opening news montage reminds them of RoboCop's.
theme (shared theme):
Anthony Burgess → The Wanting Seed (novel).
Burgess's earlier novel is another dystopia, about overpopulation and food scarcity instead of violence.
“the Anthony Burgess novel before a Clockwork Orange is very similar in that it's a dystopian future”
industry (industry):
The Lego Batman Movie → Fifty Shades Darker.
Lego Batman opened to 53 and beat Fifty Shades Darker (46) and John Wick: Chapter 2 on opening weekend.
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Eclipse ·
0:12:41 ·
Ben Hosley
(0.60 sure it was them)
programming (programming):
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse → Toy Story 3.
Eclipse opened the same weekend as Toy Story 3, Last Airbender and Grown Ups (box office game).
“It's Toy Story 3, and it's the weekend.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Eclipse ·
2:10:08 ·
Ben Hosley
(0.50 sure it was them)
people (people):
Knight and Day → James Mangold.
The box-office game's last clue: a James Mangold action film with a huge actor; most forgotten entry in both filmographies.
“Which is one of those movies that I rewatch with being like, is this good, Mangold?”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Eclipse ·
2:10:49 ·
Ben Hosley
(0.50 sure it was them)
programming (programming):
Wong Kar-wai → Steve McQueen.
Wong Kar-wai beat McQueen 55-45; voters worried McQueen's films are heavy for the podcast.
“I think a lot of people were hesitant to vote McQueen because the episodes on 12 years of slave and hunger.”
theme (theme):
The Lighthouse → Dark Waters.
Golden Mops (Ben's movies-that-made-him-cry/wet): traditional pick is The Lighthouse, 'drenched in farts'; Dark Waters a dark horse.
unmapped (dismissed):
Motherless Brooklyn → Motherless Brooklyn.
Ben's No Thank You for Motherless Brooklyn: a friend who is a stuttering advocate found it offensive.
“My good friend is a stuttering advocate and was very offended by the movie.”
industry (industry):
Uncut Gems → Climax.
Ben's honorable mentions: Safdies for Uncut Gems for scum-bummery; Climax for best voguing scene of all time.
contrast (contrast):
Thor → The Lion King (2019 trailer).
The argument over Thor's desaturated palette turns into an argument over how bad the Lion King trailer's color looks.
“The color is so bad in that trailer.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:29:24 ·
Ben Hosley
(0.45 sure it was them)
Their fun items
Showing 1–27 of 27 fun items.
fun, about
Jan Hammer:
Ben says he went on a few dates with Jan Hammer's daughter, and the hosts propose a segment of David pumping arms to the theme.
“You know, I went on a few dates with Jan Hammer's daughter.”
fun, about
Volunteers:
Tom Hanks and John Candy Peace Corps comedy; Hanks met Rita Wilson.
“The movie's called Volunteers.”
Blank Check with Griffin & David ·
Flesh+Blood ·
1:32:52 ·
Ben Hosley
(0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about
Ben Hosley:
Running bit: the hosts try endless producer nicknames and pitch Benducer, Beniptanium and others, while Ben delivers a deadpan joke about being bald.
“I don't like to be referred to as a bald man, okay?”
fun, about
Doug Liman:
Liman's agent told him 'you don't always have to be the bad guy'; he has a bedside-manner reputation, tolerated while the movies hit.
fun, about
Ben Awards: remakes:
Films to remake with babies, animals, puppets, fruit, clowns (Ben's annual awards): baby Irishman, real-animal Lion King, puppet Souvenir.
“It's films that should be remade with either babies, animals, or puppets.”
fun, about
Iron Man 3 / Ben's pitch:
Pre-show bit: producer Ben pitches hacker witches as a million-dollar idea, then a Night Eggs villain idea (witches who hack by hand-waving).
“I just think that's a that's a $1000000 idea.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Iron Man 3 ·
0:05:13 ·
Ben Hosley
(0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about
Ben Hosley and the buried jeans:
Ben has buried three pairs of Levi's in his parents' backyard for 6, 9 and 12 months as a fashion line, and plans to put natural dyes and seeds in the pockets.
“I bought Levi's jeans, and I buried them in my parents' backyard.”
fun, about
Thor:
The hammer lab scene: SHIELD builds a lab around the unliftable Mjolnir and the hosts adore Jasper Sitwell showing up here five movies before his turn.
“Hammer lab.”
Blank Check — Patreon ·
Thor ·
0:56:02 ·
Ben Hosley
(0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about
Vanilla Sky:
Ben saw it at a drive-in in the back seat, making out, and absorbed very little.