Check Book: Smell Ya Later, Fartheads

Goodbye to 2024.

, and

Dec 30, 2024

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BLANK CHECK - YEAR IN REVIEW

Can you believe it? It feels like yesterday that we were fighting with people on Reddit about whether or not Barbra Streisand is famous and now it’s about to be 2025. Where did the time go? David now has three kids. Ben has a dedicated chair in a famous New York City park. Griffin got his one remaining wisdom tooth cut in half (it’s called a coronectomy, look it up).

In addition to those three major personal developments, The Blank Check Podcast itself had a banner year. In March, we put on our biggest live show yet at Town Hall, which included a troupe of dancers and a brand new national (ninetional) anthem performed by Rachel Zegler. Regal Cinemas now sponsors The Box Office Game, and Griffin continues to be the world’s foremost evangelist for the 4DX format. We started a freakin’ newsletter! We did not cover Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2, because it never came out!!!! We did cover Joker 2 and it was bad!!

Here are some reflections from the team on our year in podcasting:

Favorite episode to record?

“Rollerball with Zach Cherry. No one beats the Zachster.” - David Sims, Host.

“Well, I’m really proud of the recent Sitting the Talk episode. But I would have to say my favorite episode recording experience this year was Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. I liked..no, sorry, LOVED how in general both recording studios involved were so deeply incompetent. Like sub-basement level stupid. Just joking I’m still so mad about it.” - Ben Hosley, Producer.

“I am once again awarding The Most as The Best, but our record-breaking MULLHOLLAND DRIVE episode with the great Leslye Headland embodied everything I enjoy about doing this silly show. Anytime a guest starts postponing their post-record plans on mic I know we’re dealing with an all-timer, and though our nearly four hour long conversation stretched out into many different topics at its core was an exhilarating dive into the bizarre power of Da Moviesh and how their mysteries can burrow deep into souls in ways that take decades to untangle.

ALSO: If you live in, around, or will be visiting New York City I strongly recommend going to see Leslye’s new play CULT OF LOVE ! Running now through February 2nd at The Hayes Theater!” - Griffin Newman, Host.

Favorite episode to edit?

“Most interesting episode to edit I guess would be Spreadmaster Redux Bite Free Version or Eraserhead (putting in the Lady in the Radiator) or Clue (the multiple endings).
For energy-wise, most enjoyable I would say Gigli or Cats.
I also enjoyed putting in the 20mins of silence in the Last Action Hero episode because it has been a point of contention for how it affected the longest episode rankings!!!! I guess until Leslye blew them up.
Oh, and I loved expanding the ‘Amanda Dobbins Podcast Corner Universe’ when we added ‘Amanda’s Fashion Corner’ to the TC Affair ep ” - AJ McKeon, Editor.

“I’d say the highlight of my BC editing year was getting to text Ben that the Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me episode was actually going to sound fine and that there was no reason the listeners had to know what a trainwreck it was to record (except that they talk about it a couple times on mic…across multiple episodes).” - Alan Smithee, Pseudonymous Editor.

Favorite episode to research?

“Generally speaking, I have the most fun doing this job when I’m covering ground that hasn’t been exhaustively covered by others. So, while I enjoyed the excuse to dig into all-time masterpieces like Mulholland Drive and Millennium Actress, when I think about my favorite work weeks of 2024, for better or for worse, I’m probably thinking about notorious bombs like Rollerball or Waterworld. But my favorite *filmmaker* to research was maybe Martin Brest, a director I had never really considered at length before but for whom I developed a ton of fondness.” - JJ Bersch, Researcher.

Favorite episode to mine for social content?

“The entire Lynch series! He has such recognizable iconography that we were really able to come up with some fun parodies - like our Twin Peaks-style trailer announcing some of our guests for the series. While we aren’t pivoting to video like so many other podcasts (famous last words), I was able to make some pretty silly Lynch reenactment reels in the studio with Griffin and Ben this year. I think Spielberg will be fun for social content, too!” - Marie Bardi, Social Media.

Favorite first-watch for the podcast?

“Going in Style, definitely.” - David Sims.

“Shocking (maybe) but I never watch along with the podcast unless it’s a new release I want to see. But I did watch Midnight Run for the first time and loved it.” - AJ McKeon.

“Keeping it simple: Straight Story was the best thing I watched because of the show this year. But if I can do a little curveball: I watched Charade this year for the first time because I was listening to some old Demme episodes, and that movie is so fucking fun and charming.” - Alan Smithee, psudonym.

“Hmm, am I legally allowed to pick anything other than the entirety of TWIN PEAKS as my favorite first time watch for the pod? (It almost doesn’t feel fair since all told there’s 50+ hours of it competing against the length of single movies… though some of the Costner and Brest films certainly felt that long.) After years of having it hyped up to me by almost everyone on the planet I still found myself surprised and entranced by what certainly stands as one of the most unique and significant works in the history of audiovisual media.

So yeah, my answer is either that or TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES III.” - Griffin Newman.

“Open Range! The Cos really knocked it out of the park with that one. Or, considering the smaller scope of the film compared to the slogs that make up the rest of his filmography, he really hit a great bases-clearing double to left field with that one. (Kevin Costner loves baseball, you see.)” - JJ Bersch.

“Yeah its gotta be TMNT: Mutant Mayhem! It made me major smile. Had such a blast revisiting this beloved franchise.” - Ben Hosley.

“I am in the minority here, but I had a blast discovering The Postman. I just can’t believe it exists. Kevin Costner performing Shakespeare with a horse!! Kevin Costner having magic sperm!!! Kevin Costner statue!! Some other surprises - loved The Thomas Crown Affair, and Going in Style, and I’m counting The Elephant Man as a first-watch because I saw it only once 20 years ago at this point. Beautiful film.” - Marie Bardi.

THE BARDIPARTY REPORT

…Will return in earnest in 2025 once we are out of Holiday mode, covering all da moviesh newsh that’s fit to print!

But a quick note - we want to extend our condolences to Blank Check royalty Nancy Meyers and Hallie Myers-Shyer on the death of filmmaker, father, former partner, and collaborator Charles Shyer. Watch Father of the Bride this week and then watch Goodrich and try not to cry about fathers and daughters. Then watch It’s Complicated and try not to laugh about the tangled webs we weave with ex-partners.