logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2022
2h 41m

The Fabelmans

Blank Check Productions
About this episode

For the first time in years, both Griffin and David are in agreement on a new Steven Spielberg film - what a picture! We’re playing both film critics and armchair psychologists in this episode as we unpack THE FABELMANS, a movie that is less sentimental and more complex than one would assume based on the poster. What sets this film apart from the ever-growing stack of filmmaker origin stories? Is this the de-facto Best Picture frontrunner? Why the hell was Griffin shooting on super 8 in the early 2000s when MiniDV was available?


Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes.

Follow us @blankcheckpod on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and X!

Buy some real nerdy merch.

Connect with other Blankies on our Reddit or Discord

For anything else, check out BlankCheckPod.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Oct 5
Burn After Reading with Fran Hoepfner
What did we learn, Palmer? That 2008’s Burn After Reading is pretty freakin’ hilarious, sir. Our Fran (Hoepfner, not McDormand) joins us this week to talk about Joel and Ethan Coen’s madcap dark comedy about a bunch of morons living in the DC area. The way John Malkovich says “me ... Show More
2h 11m
Sep 28
No Country for Old Men with Leslye Headland
The Two Friendos, plus “Masterpiece” Leslye Headland and “I would have had no problems handling that bag of money” Ben Hosley take on one of the most acclaimed films of the 21st century in this week’s episode. It’s No Country For Old Men week on Blank Check! We’re chatting about ... Show More
2h 56m
Sep 21
The Ladykillers with Connor Ratliff
We must have waffles forthwith! We must also have Connor Ratliff on the pod to talk about Tom Hanks for the first time since the completion of his Dead Eyes series! Join us for a spirited discussion about 2004’s The Ladykillers, a film that is universally regarded as the Coens’ w ... Show More
2h 47m
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2024
Are Super Bowl Ads Creative Anymore? Plus, a New Film Camera!
If you’re anything like us, we only watch the Superbowl for the awesome commercials, but sadly this year’s ads leave much to be desired. While we are disappointed by the Superbowl commercials, we are happily surprised by two major announcements in the filmmaking space. One announ ... Show More
41m 56s
Jan 2020
1.7.20: Unraveling '1917', Meet the Insta 360, and Chris Terrio taking on ILM
This week Michelle Delateur joins Charles Haine and George Edelman to discuss the genius behind '1917', what Chris Terrio meant when he insulted ILM, and the latest from Insta 360. This episode is brought to you by edelkrone. Reinventing filmmaking solutions for filmmakers. Learn ... Show More
54m 47s
Mar 2025
BEN DAVIS - Cinematographer
SEASON 2 - EPISODE 131 - Ben Davis - Cinematographer In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with cinematographer Ben Davis (THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, LAYER CAKE). During our conversation, we talk all things cinematography, and we learn wha ... Show More
1h 9m
Oct 2024
‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Hates You. Will You Return the Favor?
Sean is joined by Van Lathan to discuss ‘Joker: Folie à Deux,’ the off-putting sequel to Todd Phillips’s 2019 ‘Joker,’ starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga (1:00). They discuss the jukebox musical format’s successes and failures, the filmmaking vs. the experience of watching it ... Show More
1h 46m
Oct 2016
Indie Film Weekly 10.13.16: RED Evolves with New 8K Brains & How to Shoot Digital to Feel Like Film
Three cheers for RED! It seems the company has finally conquered its longstanding PR issues by managing to ship something—the new 8K Helium brains—when it said it would. But why is the highest resolution option called "full frame"? We discuss that, introduce your new favorite str ... Show More
42m 22s
Nov 2021
Lord & Miller on Lego Movie, 21 Jump Street and The Mitchells Vs The Machines‘ Phil Lord & Christopher Miller talk Making Animation Blockbusters
This week, Giles Alderson and co-host CJ, Christian James, welcome the incredible producing-writing-directing duo Phil Lord & Christopher Miller. They are known for animation & live-action films such as Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009), 21 Jump Street (2012), The Lego Mov ... Show More
1h 2m
Aug 2022
Getting your movie greenlit by a studio with Yariv Lerner producer and Exec producer of Expendables, Rambo: Last Blood, Hellboy & The Dare !
Today, our host Giles Alderson welcomes a very special person to the podcast: The man who greenlit his debut feature film, Yariv Lerner. Now, not only does Yariv run Nu Boyana Film Studios, the biggest film studio in Eastern Europe, but he is also the executive producer or produc ... Show More
1h 1m
Apr 2025
‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best …
Sean and Amanda cover the absolute box office phenomenon ‘A Minecraft Movie,’ a video game adaptation starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa. They explore the event film of the year and discuss why the theatergoing experience of the film is such a great thing for the industry at lar ... Show More
1h 30m
Mar 2025
The Boy and The Heron: A Filmmaker's Legacy
Raymond is back from filming his movie! The guys get into The Boy and The Heron - Hayao Miyazaki's swan (heron?) song. Who will take over Studio Ghibli? Does more money make a better movie? Is this film a bigger metaphor for Miyazaki's retirement? They get into these questions an ... Show More
1h 41m
Sep 2022
Awesomely Bad 80s Movies - Part 1 (non-horror)
We asked the We Don't Wanna Grow Up community for your favorite awesomely bad 80s movies (non-horror) and we're starting off with three that were mentioned the most! We hope you enjoy our discussions about these "out of this world" flicks: Mac and Me, The Garbage Pail Kids Movie ... Show More
47m 12s