Blank Check with Griffin & David

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Not just another bad movie podcast, Blank Check reviews directors' complete filmographies episode to episode. Specifically, the auteurs whose early successes afforded them the rare ‘blank check’ from Hollywood to produce passion projects. Each new miniseries, hosts Griffin Newman and David Sims delve into the works of film’s most outsized personalities in painstakingly hilarious detail. Produced by Ben Hosley.

Recent Episodes
  • Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom with Olivia Craighead
    Mar 2, 2025 – 02:36:40
  • The Tenth Annual Blank Check Awards with Joe Reid
    Feb 23, 2025 – 02:58:02
  • E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
    Feb 16, 2025 – 02:54:55
  • Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis
    Feb 9, 2025 – 03:28:12
  • 1941 with Mike Mitchell & Nick Wiger
    Feb 2, 2025 – 02:50:01
  • Close Encounters of the Third Kind with J.D. Amato
    Jan 26, 2025 – 02:56:57
  • Jaws with Timothy Simons
    Jan 19, 2025 – 02:59:08
  • The Sugarland Express with Esther Zuckerman
    Jan 12, 2025 – 02:25:13
  • Duel
    Jan 5, 2025 – 02:10:10
  • Twin Peaks: The Return (Episodes 14-18) with Jane Schoenbrun
    Dec 22, 2024 – 02:28:20
  • Twin Peaks: The Return (Episodes 9-13) with Fran Hoepfner
    Dec 15, 2024 – 02:38:18
  • Twin Peaks: The Return (Episode 8) with Connor Ratliff
    Dec 8, 2024 – 02:26:43
  • Twin Peaks: The Return (Episodes 1-7)
    Dec 1, 2024 – 02:23:12
  • Inland Empire with David Rees
    Nov 24, 2024 – 03:08:24
  • Mulholland Drive with Leslye Headland
    Nov 17, 2024 – 03:50:41
  • Here
    Nov 10, 2024 – 01:56:00
  • The Straight Story with Dana Stevens
    Nov 3, 2024 – 02:17:03
  • Lost Highway with David Lowery
    Oct 27, 2024 – 02:44:15
  • Joker: Hallie À Goodrich
    Oct 20, 2024 – 02:20:27
  • Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me with Arkasha Stevenson
    Oct 13, 2024 – 02:12:29
  • Wild at Heart with Tatiana Maslany
    Oct 6, 2024 – 02:05:20
  • Twin Peaks (Season 1) with Eva Anderson
    Sep 29, 2024 – 03:09:49
  • Blue Velvet with Jamie Loftus
    Sep 22, 2024 – 02:53:27
  • Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
    Sep 15, 2024 – 02:12:40
  • Dune with John Hodgman
    Sep 8, 2024 – 03:05:17
  • The Elephant Man with Alex Ross Perry
    Sep 1, 2024 – 03:03:26
  • Eraserhead
    Aug 25, 2024 – 02:17:46
  • Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
    Aug 18, 2024 – 02:38:20
  • Trap
    Aug 11, 2024 – 02:59:41
  • Open Range with Chris Ryan
    Aug 4, 2024 – 02:04:21
  • The Postman with Emily St. James
    Jul 28, 2024 – 02:33:52
  • Dances with Wolves
    Jul 21, 2024 – 02:15:20
  • Gigli with Jen D'Angelo
    Jul 14, 2024 – 02:56:11
  • Meet Joe Black with Richard Lawson
    Jul 7, 2024 – 02:42:07
  • Scent of a Woman with David Krumholtz
    Jun 30, 2024 – 02:17:50
  • Midnight Run with Alan Sepinwall
    Jun 23, 2024 – 03:01:33
  • Beverly Hills Cop with Adil & Bilall
    Jun 16, 2024 – 01:49:46
  • Going In Style with James Urbaniak
    Jun 9, 2024 – 01:52:20
  • Furiosa with Kyle Buchanan
    Jun 2, 2024 – 03:02:44
  • Paprika with Emily Yoshida
    May 26, 2024 – 02:52:20
  • Tokyo Godfathers with Reece Feldman
    May 19, 2024 – 02:14:46
  • Millennium Actress with Hoai-Tran Bui
    May 12, 2024 – 02:25:18
  • Perfect Blue with Bowen Yang
    May 5, 2024 – 02:04:59
  • Basic with BenDavid Grabinski
    Apr 28, 2024 – 02:41:44
  • Rollerball with Zach Cherry
    Apr 21, 2024 – 02:30:25
  • The 13th Warrior with David Lowery
    Apr 14, 2024 – 02:25:45
  • The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) with Amanda Dobbins
    Apr 7, 2024 – 02:25:13
  • Die Hard with a Vengeance with Shea Serrano
    Mar 31, 2024 – 02:23:25
  • Last Action Hero with Paul Scheer & Jason Mantzoukas
    Mar 24, 2024 – 03:43:28
  • Medicine Man with Jamie Lee
    Mar 17, 2024 – 02:17:03
Recent Reviews
  • Zia Padora
    #MyTwoBoyfriends
    I ENJOY the tangents, thank you very much.
  • CallmeShugoshin
    Some notes but five stars (revisited)
    Edit on the edit (3/3/2025): to those that have complained about their tangents and extended use of bits. I don’t know what to tell you. In my feed you’ll find a litany of unfinished episodes. I’m talking 40 minutes left, 20 minutes left, and 15 minutes left. Sometimes these goobers just run out things to discuss about the movie, which seems like an issue because these episodes keep getting longer like this review. You don’t have to listen to their bits that have nothing to do with the subject of the episode, and for pity’s sake do you want them to go back to Star Wars? There’s nothing worse than a highly opinionated Star Wars fan with the ability to record a podcast. Edit (1/28/2025): I have gotten a lot of joy out of these episodes on movies I’ve seen, never seen before, or never will see. Some mini series are wildly better than others, and some series end up being disjointed like the Miyazaki mini series (I swear one episode was supposed to be an interview with a director paired with a couple throwaway lines on the Miyazaki film). Sometimes I learn something, or receive a different perspective on a film. There is a joy that is truly palpable, if at time snobbish, that really makes it a great atmosphere. Other times they sound like an echo chamber and I’m left scratching my head (I wanted to give their episode on the Last Jedi a fair open minded listen but couldn’t do it after 45 minutes). Sometimes they’re too nice, and other times they could stand to be a little nicer. They are a bits heavy podcast that occasionally talks about the subject of their episode. I love and hate them, and I still can’t fathom how they talked more seriously about Aloha for nearly two hours but the Miyazaki mini series gets a C+ level effort but five stars either way. Old review: Started from after their pivot to directors. Too many circuitous tangents. No notes. Five stars. No notes. Too many tangents, but no notes. Spent two hours talking about Aloha by Cameron Crowe, but you know no notes. Five stars.
  • TheGhostofSteveSax
    Funny w/ great guests
    You guys (and guests, also. Ben too!) are funny and have great repoire talking about movies, and your joy in talking about films is infectious! Plz tho, Griffen, STOP cutting off David and guests to interject your add-on to what they’re saying. I feel like this year it’s been a lil more outta control bc David is trying to balance twins and the podcast. I still love the show, and always will, but Griffen…please…the show’s better when it’s equal rep for all.
  • SquirrelPerm
    There was a Tick remake?!
    Unequivocally the best podcast with the worst fanbase. Love you Griffin and David. Congrats to the fans for your Jan6 pardons.
  • Jr1372
    Amazing
    The fact that their Furiosa episode was awful and full of terrible takes only to hear them nominating it for everything with minimal awareness shown is lame. No big deal, still love them, but it’s lame. They had the chilliest response to that amazing film.
  • asmith451
    Love these boys
    Good nice smart bois talk about good and bad movies and make me giggle and watch things and learn new things.
  • Timaaa
    Nonsense and babble
    I really wanted to like this podcast after I saw the running time I thought great here’s another deep dive podcast like pure Cinema… But no it’s just bouncing off. the walls like a 60’s Super Ball million different directions at once babbling nonsense – verbally thrown on top of boredom to create a Washington Square hot dog of nothing I stopped trying to follow it because it was directionless and it started to hurt to try
  • It's alright; I'm a doctor.
    Chaotic
    People interrupting and talking over each other in random unplanned conversations that go off on painfully boring tangents. Even just some editing would be a significant improvement.
  • Zach154
    Love This Podcast
    Had a friend tell me about this podcast so I decided to check out and I love. I’ve jumped around from so many episodes throughout the years on the films I watched. Getting to learn all the behind scenes and stuff is what I love. The cast is great though at times can feel like they get a bit negative about certain films. They also are long episodes but for me that doesn’t bother me.
  • Talclaren
    Almost love it
    I generally love this show, because of Griffin and guests. But…insufferable blow hard David constantly talking over people and randomly spoiling off topic movies is grating. And they say actors are insecure.
  • QueensYankeeGal
    Amazing Film Podcast
    I’m about to be 64 years old and probably old enough to be their mom, but this is at the top of my list for podcasts about films. The format is great and I love that they have a sense of humor. I don’t remember how I found the show, but I’m glad I did. Thanks to Griffin, David, Ben and the guests for teaching this self taught film nerd so much. I highly recommend it!
  • arodrigueza
    Box office
    Griffin and David, and all the guests are money. Except for that Sprague or whatever his name is on the Danny Boyle episode. That guy is a bum.
  • CousinFlip
    Da moviesch. Da bescht.
    I ❤️BC
  • Waffle B. Hopper III
    Film geeks
    Unbelievably passionate and knowledgeable. And the theme song will get stuck in your head.
  • LowEnergy69
    Happy 10 years!
    Podrassic cast? Even though it’s been 10 years, y’all haven’t gotten better at naming a series. This is what it’s all about, being a part of the top .1% of mediocrity! Love the show, keep doing you!
  • Iknowmusicguy
    Hot fire.
    Come and get it.
  • Danitimes420
    My favorite podcast!
    Besides making me always hoot and holler, the podcast is insightful and full of in-depth information for each movie that provides context in the directors’ filmography. It’s a great mix between casual conversation and sharing knowledge. Absolutely loved the Fincher series!
  • randers114
    best podcast ever.
    I learn so much about culture and film from the two friends. It’s totally changed the way I watch movies! Plus the show has led me to discover filmmakers I hadn’t heard of before. (Elaine May!) Griffin and David are really generous with their approach. The tone of the show is never mocking. Even when they cover flops, they look for things to appreciate. It’s such a lovely and open way to look at art.
  • Zuvuu
    Rarely on topic
    A quick google search will yield the twenty or so episodes that are worth listening to; you can safely skip the rest. Occasionally these people produce an episode that is brimming with passion (i.e. the Mad Max: Furiosa episode or the Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me episode), chock full of tantalizing details, and serves as an ersatz biography of its creator. A few episodes are genuinely funny (i.e. The War Horse episode). These episodes are extremely enjoyable and deliver the kind of analysis and insight I’m looking for. But, most episodes are rambling journeys into the hosts’ uninteresting lives and offer little insight into the films they cover. Cringe theater kid ad reads, ludicrous hot takes from guest and hosts alike, and dull anecdotes abound. Oblique insults aimed at funnier people (Nick Mullen etc.) or the invocation of their far superior antecedents (Scott Aukerman) highlight the hosts’ own comedic dearth. If you’re a Mad Max fan you have to listen to their Furiosa episode.
  • ttttttexas
    The Two Best Friends
    It’s the best. It’s a vibe. There are (no) bits. If you don’t like the episode lengths, don’t listen. Everyone else pick a movie you’ve never seen or a guest you like and dig in.
  • FletchVV
    Regrettable…
    David Lynch is my favorite director. I was so excited to find this. Roughly 2 hours per episode, I was stoked, LETS GET INTO IT. Unfortunately, this is the worst kind of podcast. They are constantly off topic and just chit-chatting. What a waste.
  • JacMohnson
    No bad, very good, do do it
    If you’re looking for a podcast about clocking things and taking flyers, then this is the show for you.
  • Harry's Mommie
    You need a history lesson.
    Pitiful. You are all too young and or uneducated to actually place the movies you’re reviewing in the context of their era.
  • Tickleytiffers
    Another long podcast that doesn’t talk about the movies
    I truly don’t understand why I am 1.5 HOURS into trying to listen to this podcast and they haven’t even started talking about the movie Slumdog Millionaire. I’d love to listen to a in depth analysis or details about the movie and they have talked about everything else under the sun. Why do podcasters do this with movie summaries?
  • StephenMH
    I mean…
    Are there now 30min of ads (“DAvid!”)? Are they at times tactless and get ramped up? Are bits a bit sweaty? Are the takes occasionally certifiable? Well… But how can you ever be mad at three guys (I’m including you, the prodoer) that help you fall in love again? I’m watching cinema in a way I haven’t since my late teens, no matter what other podcasts I have listened to. These guys rule.
  • Crosstopher Walken
    Just what I needed
    Been listening for years, a Blankie, too. But tonight I was walking home from work, crossing a street (all rules followed) when a car making a left turn absolutely violated my personal space. I wasn’t hit but the driver had no need to rush their turn in a way that made me feel that I might be just because they were impatient or inattentive or just a jerk. So now I’m stewing about the jerk and I know I should let it go and as I’m getting increasingly wound up Griffin & David & Jamelle Bouie get to the part of the Spiderman 3 episode (1:13:03) where they start doing impressions of Eddie Brock’s journalism technique. And immediately none of what I had been all wound up about just a few seconds earlier, felt worth getting all wound up about anymore. I was just laughing in public. Thanks, Blank Check. Just what I needed.
  • Josh o-r
    Love the boys but
    Put the timestamp for when you get into the dossier into the show notes pleeeeeaaaase
  • Thalia90
    Love this pod but leaving a note for the guys below
    Love you guys and been listening for years. However there are sometimes when you have a guest and you talk over them the whole time! Mulholland Drive Ep for example, I’m like, “Let this woman speak please!”
  • RadioGuyChris
    Mulholland Drive Was Worth Waiting For
    I’ve subscribed to Blank Check for about five years now and have really grown to love the show. When Griffin and David announced that they were doing “David Lynch” I patiently waited for them to get to my favorite film of all time. And it was WELL worth the wait. Three hours and 45 minutes zipped by. The conversation was deep, knowledgeable, and fun. It wasn’t tied up in a tidy bow, but that would be inappropriate for this film. Great job, boys!! Glad you had the stamina to do this!!
  • Jest CXVII
    A great, but highly specific podcast
    Listen, you gotta be real into movies, and real into basically just listening to 2 guys talk for a few hours. If that’s your jam, welcome home. If not, you’ll hate it. I just happen to like this sorta thing.
  • consoomest
    good
    good show. most other movie podcast hosts try to be funny, but not in this one. no bits, no tangents. ben specifically is really insightful. excited to hear their upcoming review of the new dwayne the rock johnson action comedy.
  • Paul Green Rock Academy
    Wish I liked it more
    This podcast should be right up my alley but it’s hard to take the hosts constantly talking over their guests, especially Leslye in the Mulholland Drive episode
  • Scott MN
    Horrible podcast
    Well, this probably could be the worst podcast I’ve ever listened to. If you wanna listen to a podcast where it seems like you walked into a group of people making inside jokes and everybody’s talking all at once and they’re not making any sense. Well, then this one’s for you. If you want to listen to a podcast where they don’t talk about the actual topic, in this case evil dead 2, then this is your podcast. But if you want a podcast that talks about the subject that is in the title, well, this isn’t for you. This podcast is like if you took a couple college kids, gave them some meth and told them to talk about economics.
  • Cop Rock
    Great potential
    A pretty good podcast with two guys who love eating on mic and talking about movies. Could be really great if they ever decided to focus solely on one of their passions and drop the other.
  • mgrassa
    Guest Hosts
    Marie is such a value add to the podcast
  • Dannahbot
    Poddy-cast-lately, but back catalogue slaps!
    I am the Podcaster. I created the Podcast. I’ve been waiting for you. You have many questions, and though the process has altered your consciousness, you remain irrevocably human. Ergo some of my podcasts you will understand, and some of them you will not. Concordantly, while your first question may be the most pertinent, you may or may not realize it is also the most irrelevant.
  • lebron2877
    Proud Booger Eater
    I’m listening to the The Iron Giant episode, and they propose instead of calling the fans Blankies, calling them Booger Eaters. Obviously this is a no-bits podcast, so from now on I will consider myself a Booger Eater. (And big ups to Threedom, who followed through on the bit and christened their fans Piss Pigs.) Anyway the end of the episode, Eat Drink Ben Hosley asks for people to leave reviews, so that’s what I’m doing.
  • Skobes55
    New Favorite Podcast
    David and Griffin are the type of movie nerds like me who know too many details about the movie and go off on tangents at the drop of a hat. My wife says it sounds like a conversation with me about movies and therefore hates it, but for me I love all the nerdy movie stuff they bring up. I finally went back to the beginning of the Star Wars episodes and I wished that we could go back into the 2015 time bubble these episodes are kept in.
  • RUNNINGOUTOFSHRIMP
    More Ang F please
    When do we get another Ang ep???
  • MassiveNetwork
    It is
    Thorough
  • thomasemerick
    It’s twisted
    Twisted 5 Stars
  • Trav606
    Best Movie Podcast!
    This is my favorite podcast and it basically dictates what movies I watch week to week. These guys are knowledgeable and hilarious. The bits are heavy and the context is key. It’s so TWISTED!!
  • helmutfignewton
    Good Podcast. Horrendous ad reads.
    Listen to the episodes for the movies you really care about. Otherwise Griffin’s voice gets to you. The Blue Apron ad with the ghost of Julia Childs was the worst piece of content I have ever seen or heard. All parties involved should be punished.
  • Oliviaemrqkn
    yayyy
    did u know that most blank check episodes can last a whole flight? that’s so beautiful of them
  • DJPLotti
    Lost his keys
    Just when you think you can’t like this podcast any more, David drops his summary of Eraserhead, and latterly, all of Lynch’s work. Bravura
  • Mr. Bee Jay
    Great pod
    In Scott Aukerman: you need to get right up on that mic though. Love you guys, bits and all. Never change.
  • gkc246
    Much to consider
    I gave this podcast a listen because I heard David Rees of Election Profit Makers is a guest from time to time. It’s a fun listen.
  • OhPeaches
    Hands Down Favorite Podcast
    The number one reason I love movies again. Insightful and funny and just a good time.
  • I am a dog woof
    Marie Bardi Hive Eating Good!!
    Really happy to have had a recent spate of episodes where Marie Bardi is sitting in as the guest, on main feed and off. There’s nothing like the conversations with all four of the main gang intact, and hearing her iconic laughter is enough to brighten my day. Hope this is a portent of things to come :)
  • Thisbe Stan
    Amazing Podcast
    I’m currently making my way through after starting with the Star Wars era stuff. Fantastic movie quality and great funny banter. Currently really enjoying the John Carpenter stuff, man after They Live he really is trending upwards and I’m really confident he’s Carpenter is going to continue is run of spotless quality.
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