“Not just another bad movie podcast.” With those words, the Blank Check podcast set out to carve its own place amidst the glut of movie podcasts. Hosted by actor Griffin Newman (The Tick) and film critic David Sims (The Atlantic), the idea behind Blank Check is to analyze director’s filmographies, particularly those who were given a series of ‘blank checks’ to do whatever passion project their minds could think of.
Over the past five years, the podcast has covered your usual suspects- Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, Ang Lee, Steven Spielberg (post Schindler’s List)- alongside some unexpected entrants- Nancy Meyers, Nora Ephron, James L. Brooks, Jonathan Demme- all the while breaking down just what exactly is going on inside the heads of these directors. And by doing that, Blank Check has provided a brand-new way of watching and analyzing movies.
Instead of capitulating to the desire of making fun or bad movies, instead of ascribing every single bad and good thing to the work of the director (like auteur theory says), Blank Check posits seeing these movies as works of collaboration and as worthy of attention no matter how bad they might be. The podcast argues that even ‘bad’ movies contain excellent work, and that sometimes, the worst movies provide the clearest insight into the thoughts and ideas in the heads of the people that made them. After all, isn’t that why we like art? Because it allows us to make a connection with an artist?
Blank Check and Me
Ever since I started listening to Blank Check podcast, my whole way of watching movies has changed. Instead of prioritizing safe bets and stale blockbusters, the podcast has given me appreciation for the wild swings, for the weird concepts, for the movies that seem to be one step behind. It has introduced me to a plethora of new favorites (be them classics like Philadelphia and Spirited Away, or forgotten messes like Bewitched and Showgirls), along with the tools and the context to see these movies (and future movies) in a brand new light.
But it has also changed the way I write. If there’s one thing I learned from Blank Check, it’s that success is rare, and that if you want to make your mark, you gotta swing as far and wide as you can. Don’t hold back on your thoughts and intentions when writing your next script. Do you want to write a treatise on why windmills are awesome? Then do it! Be unapologetically in love with the things you write about. Because that kind of enthusiasm, that kind of intent, it’s contagious. And even though it might not put as many butts in theater seats as we wish it would, it might just earn you a loyal following, led by two of the biggest movie lovers out there- Griffin and David.
So if you’re interested in the show, check out an episode where they talk about your favorite movie. See if you like their mix of thoughtful analysis with bit-laden comedy. See if you agree with the hosts, or disagree with them. I can’t tell you what to expect, all I can say is that the name of the show is Blank Check.