Episodes

  • Dune with John Hodgman

    Dune with John Hodgman
    Sep 8 2024
    The sleeper must awaken. The filmography must contain a flop. We’ve arrived at the Planet Arrakis aka the Desert Planet aka DUNE (1984) - David Lynch’s attempt at wrangling Frank Herbert’s space epic into a single studio blockbuster. Did it work? Not really. Do we have fun talking about it? Hell yeah, we do! John Hodgman joins us to talk about all things “spice” - including the infamous glossary of Dune terms handed out in theaters, and a wild anecdote about Peter Berg reading Dune on an airplane. We talk about Lynch’s decision to turn down directing Return of the Jedi, the differences between Lynch’s take on Dune and Denis Villeneuve’s more critically successful version, and David finally gets the chance to let his Fremen freak flag fly by going FULL NERD.

    Buy John’s Books
    Watch Dicktown on FX/Hulu
    Listen to Judge John Hodgman
    See Judge John Hodgman on Tour
    Subscribe to John’s Substack
    Get your Congratulations merch

    This episode is sponsored by:
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    3 hrs and 5 mins
  • The Elephant Man with Alex Ross Perry

    The Elephant Man with Alex Ross Perry
    Sep 1 2024
    We’re getting in touch with our emotions this week, as Alex Ross Perry joins us to talk about Lynch’s deeply-felt, sensitively-rendered 1980 classic THE ELEPHANT MAN. Is this the most “normal” movie in Lynch’s filmography? What does “normal” mean, anyway? As with all Alex episodes, questions are posed and hotly debated, such as: What filmmakers, aside from David Lynch, made their most important work in the later part of their careers? What is the Lynch film that young people vibe with most strongly now? Did Michael Jackson actually attempt to purchase the Elephant Man’s bones? When will the Cinematrix puzzle get rid of the godforsaken “Rotten Tomatoes score” category? What does David Sims have against the famous David Foster Wallace profile of David Lynch?

    This episode is sponsored by:
    FACTOR (Factormeals.com/check50)
    Quince (quince.com/check)
    DrinkTrade.com/Check (CODE: CHECK)

    Join our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/blankcheck
    Follow us @blankcheckpod on Twitter and Instagram!
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    3 hrs and 6 mins
  • Eraserhead

    Eraserhead
    Aug 25 2024
    In heaven (and in podcasting), everything is fine. Welcome to TWIN PODS: FIRE CAST WITH ME, a series on the films of David Lynch - former Eagle Scout and totally normal human man. With his 1977 debut feature ERASERHEAD, Lynch burst on to the scene somewhat fully formed as an artist, confused by normal social interactions and motivated by a seething hatred of Philadelphia. The last part of that sentence is only partially a joke. Join us as we discuss where Eraserhead fits in the pantheon of first features we’ve covered on Blank Check, where this film ranks in the “Dang Ass Freak” canon, whether we first watched this movie in a basement or on a “night porch,” the stress of parenthood, the origin story of McDonald’s mascot Grimace, and much more. Oh, and obviously - the Lady in the Radiator makes an appearance. You are not hallucinating, she is really there.

    This episode is sponsored by:
    Harry’s (harrys.com/check)
    MUBI (mubi.com/blankcheck)
    RocketRx (CODE: CHECK)

    Join our Patreon at patreon.com/blankcheck Follow us @blankcheckpod on Twitter and Instagram!
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    2 hrs and 20 mins
  • Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1

    Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
    Aug 18 2024
    Welp, our Kevin Costner series ends not with a bang, but a whimper. With the pulling of Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 from theaters, we are left to only speculate what the future holds for Costner’s self-funded crazy passion project. What we can tell you is that Chapter 1 doesn’t really feel like its own self-contained movie. Plotlines are established, characters are introduced, and then…Giovanni Ribisi shows up.

    Watch Kev on The Rich Eisen Show

    This episode is sponsored by:
    DrinkTrade.com/Check (CODE: CHECK)
    Zocdoc (zocdoc.com/check)

    Join our Patreon at patreon.com/blankcheck Follow us @blankcheckpod on Twitter and Instagram!
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    2 hrs and 36 mins
  • Trap

    Trap
    Aug 11 2024
    You know the Butcher? That freakin' nutjob that goes around just chopping people up? Well, we’re about to spend nearly three hours talking about him! Join us as we unpack TRAP - the devilishly entertaining new thriller from M. Night Shyamalan, with special insights from our own David Sims, who spent much of this year interviewing Night at his compound in Philadelphia. We’re talking about a bunch of things - dads, serial killers, how much we don’t like going to concerts, the sexy elephant mascot of the New York Liberty, Josh Hartnett’s career arc - when we’re not excusing ourselves to go to the bathroom to uh…check on some apps.

    Read David’s Profile of M. Night
    Read Esther’s Article on The Shyamalans
    Check out the Saleka merch
    This episode is sponsored by:
    ExpressVPN (ExpressVPN.com/check)
    MeUndies (MeUndies.com/check)
    MUBI (mubi.com/blankcheck)
    Join our Patreon at patreon.com/blankcheck Follow us @blankcheckpod on Twitter and Instagram!
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    3 hrs and 2 mins
  • Open Range with Chris Ryan

    Open Range with Chris Ryan
    Aug 4 2024
    Free-grazers and CR-heads - this is your week. The icon, the legend, the Ringer’s own Chris Ryan joins us to talk about Kevin Costner’s understated 2003 western OPEN RANGE. We’re finally doing a deep-dive on the Taylor Sheridan empire (aka Chris tells us what Mayor of Kingstown is actually about) as we set up the later part of Costner’s career in the run-up to Horizon. We spend a good amount of time lauding the consistent greatness of Robert Duvall and Annette Bening. You can practically hear the relief in our voices when we talk about how this movie is actually quite good! It may or may not be racist against the Irish, but - hey. How great is that chocolate scene?!

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    1 hr and 57 mins
  • The Postman with Emily St. James

    The Postman with Emily St. James
    Jul 28 2024
    This week’s movie has everything - fake teeth on Giovanni Ribisi, a mule performing Shakespeare, Tom Petty, Kevin Costner’s irresistible sperm…you read that correctly. This film has a major plot line that revolves around Kevin Costner’s sperm. Our beloved Emily St. James joins us to talk about Kevin Costner’s colossal 1997 flop, the post-apocalyptic ode to the US Postal Service - THE POSTMAN. There are parts of this movie that are truly moving. There are other parts of this movie where Kevin Costner and Will Patton wrestle in slow motion. It’s a fascinating text.

    Buy Emily’s Book about Lost: LOST: Back to the Island: The Complete Critical Companion to The Classic TV Series

    Be on the lookout for Emily’s Novel “Woodworking” out April 2025 - Read more HERE

    This episode is sponsored by:
    MUBI (mubi.com/blankcheck)
    Harry’s (harrys.com/check)

    Join our Patreon at patreon.com/blankcheck Follow us @blankcheckpod on Twitter and Instagram!
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    2 hrs and 31 mins
  • Dances with Wolves

    Dances with Wolves
    Jul 21 2024
    In a first for Blank Check, we’re covering a filmmaker who has acted alongside our own Griffin Newman! In our premiere episode covering the directorial career of Draft Day co-star Kevin Costner, we’re unpacking his 1990 Best Picture winner, DANCES WITH WOLVES. Costner as personal mythmaker, Costner as “movie sports guy,” Costner as “hot guy who women all want to sleep with (?)”, Costner as man who decided - at a crucial (and early!) point in his career - to take a huge risk by making a 3-hour epic in an old-fashioned genre. He’s a fascinating figure. Come west with us, listeners, as we discover the frontiers within ourselves and within Lieutenant John Dunbar.
    This episode is sponsored by:
    Quince (quince.com/check)
    Zocdoc (zocdoc.com/check)

    Join our Patreon at patreon.com/blankcheck Follow us @blankcheckpod on Twitter and Instagram!
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    2 hrs and 14 mins