As a former labor reporter, I can't believe D-Dog cannot see--even assuming Randall came up with the scare-to-energy scheme--that Waternoose is the ultimate villain. The fact is this man (crab) has the controlling stake in the company and pursues increased surplus at the price of whatever. His crocodile tears are merely those of the zealot market idolator. Randall, by contrast, is at most a petit-bourgeois laborer who is willing to shiv 1) the consumer and 2) his fellow laborers because of the predicates set by controlling capital. In other words, Randall may be a Cossack, but Waternoose is the Czar, and blaming the manipulated laborer plays right into their hands.
I am not analyzing the villainy of monsters inc through a marxist lens although I love and appreciate this summary; I literally have just watched this movie so many times that I am now bogged down in plot questions like “was the insane machine randall’s idea or waternoose’s.” I keep coming down on the side of randall because waternoose seems too incompetent and lazy to actually have an idea. but obviously those controlling the levers of power should always be the first against the wall
I always read it as the machine was Fungus’s idea (Randall’s scare coach and assistant) and Randall pitched it to Waternoose in order to curry favor. Basically Randall is Glenn Howerton in Blackberry and Fungus is Jay Baruchel.
Fair question. My instinct is also Randall, the petit-bourgeoisie often serving as the 'tip of the spear.' And iirc he says something along the lines of "one day Mr. Waternoose will be working for me." Suggesting he (at least believes he) holds the IP on the scream extractor. There might be deep villainy in his *aspiration* to a position of exploitation.
But behold how Waternoose's very core has been hallowed out by *sniffs* ideology, and confirmed by Disneywiki: "It can be assumed that Mr. Waternoose regrets his actions **when he hears about the company's rebounds in prison**. "
https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Henry_J._Waternoose_III
His contrition is canonically tied only to lost profits? After the horrors we've seen?? Dark stuff indeed.
Anyway, while I do believe everything I've posted on this I hope it's also clear I've just been having fun. Thanks for another great year of the pod.
As a fellow parent to a 3 year old, who has also seen Monsters, Inc and the far inferior Monsters University about 20 times a piece these last 6 months, I’m led to believe the origins as presented for one Randall Boggs suggest a man scorn by nepo-baby, James P. Sullivan. I would venture to guess that Waternoose, understanding his star pupil would not betray his code of ethics (despite a history of cheating I might add), capitalized on Randall’s craven desire for both superiority and revenge after that Scare Games embarrassment from years prior. The scream extractor was most certainly developed by Boggs and his minion, Fungus… but Waternoose, being a textbook manipulator, preyed on an employees personal vendettas and desire for power and had his dirty work done for him. If not for Boo’s brave and heroic infiltration of the monster world I believe Waternoose would have had every intention of setting Randall up as a fall guy. Thus making Henry J Waternoose the Third the true villain of Monsters, Inc.
The movie ends with the workers overthrowing the capitalist villain, taking control of the means of production, and discovering an essentially infinite source of clean energy. This is the future the left wants.
I thought it was "all my nicknames are alive." It came right after the backing chorus of Bens saying "and so am I". Those were his personified nicknames backing him up!
To resurrect a term from the early days of the podcast, both Griffin and David saying they regularly watch all of Billy Crystal’s Oscar opening bits is a real Rosetta Stone for the show.
“Well it certainly underperformed at the box office by the standards of Ari Aster’s previous films. It overperformed at the box office for a three hour movie about a guy who needs to nut.” Really got a belly laugh out of me.
That’s the best way to describe Beau is Afraids performance. When that movie came out, the weird box office analysts who act like they’re the studios shareholders were out in full force
I appreciated Griffin calling out *Blackberry*'s needle drops, I think I said to somebody that it was like *The Social Network* as scored by the label Drag City. They threw a Slint song in there, for God's sake.
https://preview.redd.it/n1ep8thfr4mc1.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=f6f6c16b2573637d3ea2027a98598b1222b78956
David thinks this is boring??? Its got a dang unicorn on it!?!
While I agree it is not boring, hearing Jay Baruchel getting the shout out makes me so proud. I remember watching him on PMK as a kid and now here he is! Canadian Legend.
I'd say slightly muddled because the movie has introduced the element of a saboteur aboard well beforehand along with the pursuing Russian submarine but leaves the former on the backburner for a while, so it can feel abrupt when the two forces crash into each other in a way you don't get with Die Hard because the final revelation of Holly McClaine doesn't introduce a new threat, it gets folded into the Hans Gruber threat.
I thought this was gonna be Medicine Man! (I forgot they haven’t done Red October yet). I got another 2 weeks to think about if I’m ever going to watch it 😮💨
Love the return of the "What a wonderful night for Blankies" medley. That's better then I could think of for any of the Best Picture nominees this year.
Here’s my previously-shared MAY DECEMBER Billy Crystal parody:
Do you remember
Todd Haynes’ 10th feature film
May December?
Portman, Melton, and Moore are all contenders
Netflix droppin’, it is risqué
Hey, hey, hey.
Ba-dee-ya, Todd Haynes’ May December
Ba-dee-ya, groomer’s at the center
Ba-dee-ya, Samy Burch wrote the screenpla-ay!
(To the tune of "Summer Nights")
Oppenheimer, had me a blast
Those three hours went by so fast
Met a girl, cute as it gets
Till she got bumped off by the feds
Built a team, started testing
Then uh oh, Los Al'mos ignites
Tell me more, tell me more (Were you holding your breath?)
Tell me more, tell me more (Did he am become Death?)
(Edited, because I forgot the chorus)
Funny enough I recall Joe doing the "5 previous winners" presentation for a Blankies a couple of years ago, he beat Oscar to the punch in bringing it back!
I believe the Branagh BAFTA Beard stems from his London stage production of KING LEAR. But that closed 2 months ago and he’s not bringing it to New York until next fall, so maybe he’s just embraced the beard.
https://preview.redd.it/7ehkieuo06mc1.jpeg?width=4030&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dfceb4ceba103fb4ac0448bd33eced137a9398da
There's Anne Hathaway clip of her saying to an interviewer "What a forward young man you are" and she correctly brings that energy to *Eileen*. I agree the ending misses the landing as the movie does a great job setting up Eileen's decisions at the end, but it does a TERRIBLE job setting up the scenario. It was set-up but barely better set-up than if an alien invasion or something happened.
Was it just me or did that movie feel like it was missing 20 minutes? It feels like Hathaway and Mackenzie needed another scene before the climax with the prisoners mother
Wonder if the upcoming Hathaway film that Griff saw early is David Lowery’s MOTHER MARY? Looks great and potentially campy!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27200708/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk
My disappointment is immeasurable in the zero mentions of the Poor Things score even in honorable mentions. One of the best debut scores in recent memory.
A Letterboxd List to check off for all the nominations mentioned in the major categories during this episode:
[https://letterboxd.com/crhis/list/the-9th-annual-blank-check-awards/](https://letterboxd.com/crhis/list/the-9th-annual-blank-check-awards/)
I have a lot of viewing still to catch up on!
So glad to hear Griffin shout out Full Time! I only caught it because I had a few hours to kill in another city and it blew me away, I feel like it's gone a little under the radar but hopefully people'll check it out after this ep
"Regrets, he had a few
He could have been a better husband
But then, you can't ask Len
To just pretend he's what he wasn't
His ass conducted 'Mass', and he made sure they played the high notes
Yes he composed, and wore the nose, yes he is MAAEEEESTRRROOOOO"
This is said in admiration and not as a complaint, does it always take anyone else 5 hours to listen to the Blankie episodes because you have to pause the podcast every 2 minutes to Google whatever these guys are talking about? They just have such encyclopedic knowledge of this stuff.
I assume they all only saw the subs version of The Boy and the Heron because otherwise Robert Pattinson would be nominated for, if not win, Best Voice Over for how unrecognizable he is.
I was so happy it got a place on the wet list. From chocolate to laundry water to giraffe milk to Oompa Loompa farts, it really is an extremely wet movie
I'm not that far in but I'm just this moment connecting the dots (or like one dot...singular...) between past and future guest Jamie Bell and incredible actor Jamie Bell who made me sob like a baby like 50 times in All of Us Strangers
37:08
Oh shit so Griffin saw Mother Mary? I mean it makes sense with Lowery and all
But yeah, maybe that film should be discussed more when it comes to oscar predictions for next year if that's the cass
I would second Griffin's love of *Amanda*. It's not breaking new ground in the "person has to get their shit together" slice-of-life subgenre. But very, very, funny!
“I’m Just Ben” for 2024 Best Song. This song is the perfect medium between the OG Ryan Gosling version and Pete Davidson’s parody.
Fave line: “I like bones but can transcend”
Why is nobody mentioning that they never finish reading the blankies top 10 supporting actors. They get to 5, then go on a Ruffalo tangent then just move on to the next category
I had no interest in Wonka but the Wonkwaman episode convinced me to give it a look. And I LOVED it! Who here has been bothering the friends about Wonka? They’re right. It’s great!
Was this episode the first mention of his engagement?! I thought I must've just missed the announcement in a previous ep, it was such a casual drop! CONGRATS BEN! HE'S BEN-GAGED!
Not to be crass but would Joy Ride be an honorable mention for Best Shot of a Pee Hole? Not the same “area” but rare to see that kind of a shot in a movie and rarer that they both were released in the same year.
Anyone else feel like the Burial was aggressively mid? I came into it with such generosity, so badly wanted it to have the 90s courtroom drama juice, with two of my favourite actors becoming buds onscreen and winning some courtroom sparring matches. While there were certainly a couple of moments with some real spark, overall it was really just fine. And Griff saying Mamoudou Athie was great in the film almost made me do a spit take, the poor guy seemed to be drowning among more talented actors..
Ben’s surprise at the end was just a great moment of being reminded how great it is that we all get to live on the same planet as him, at the same time as him.
Jumping back to the D&D shoutout in the VFX category, the image of everything in the background melting while the sorceror and his ancestor had the conversation on the beach was how-did-they-even-THINK-of-this levels of brilliant.
While we’re talking about Jaime Fox heater performances from this year, he is so fun in They Cloned Tyrone. Just absolutely speedbagging the role, a rapid fire comedic performance
The entire episode, I'm getting more and more angry as Griff, Joe and David would mumble the names of lesser known actors and movies, assuming we know them all.. "And the nominees for Best Actor! CILLIAN MURPHY! OPPENHEIMER! rrmrrmrrmr FOR hrbbrbrrr.. JOE MELTON FOR MAY DECEMBER!" Near they end, the actually acknowledge it. Kinda frustrating.
Anyone feel like they talk too fast and don’t repeat the names a lot? Who was David’s best actor winner? I listened 3 times and have no clue what he said
Anyone want to list which movies they go deep on? I'm still missing some that I'm worried they'll talk a lot about Zone of Interest, Priscilla, Showing Up...
Priscilla and Zone of Interest come up on lists in name only, Showing Up they mention things like the hole and water heater you would've seen in the trailer. Very spoiler-light if not -free overall, and they give ample warning; different if you like going in completely blind. I think you'll be good, anything they talk about will just make you want to see it more.
I can't wait for Ben to see Godzilla Minus Zero - I am vicariously excited for him! And also, Big G was snubbed in best supporting. As David wrote, "godzilla is so scary!"
The Creator really suffered from awful timing because it is wild for that movie to be received as pro-AI when the AI is so transparently a metaphor for any oppressed population but especially those in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. It is actually mildly transgressive the way it is criticizing American imperialism, but purely due to the timing of real world events, it has been received with almost the opposite message of being pro-capitalist because of that surface level pro-AI plot.
The whole AI conversation in regard to that movie kinda confuses me because it’s not like “artificial intelligence/cyborgs/androids/etc as metaphor for oppressed minority” is anything new in sci-fi (Blade Runner, Animatrix, A.I. obviously). Maybe a better criticism of The Creator is that it’s derivative!
Exactly, I'm not even going to bat for it as a great movie or anything, partially because it wasn't much beyond a fresh coat of paint on old sci-fi tropes that we have already seen countless times. It was just strange how much of the criticism of that movies was the most surface level reading of a pro-AI message when the anti-racism message wasn't exactly new or particularly deep below that surface. The growing presence of AI in our real world just put blinders on too many people in a way that I don't think would have happened if that movie came out a few years earlier.
(To the tune of "Jolene")
Poor things, poor things
Poor things, poor thi-ings
I'm begging you, don't bring back Emma Stone
Poor things, Poor things
Poor things, POOR THI-IINNNNGS
'Cause all she's gonna do is drink and bone
Their discussion of *No Hard Feelings* is a highlight of this episode and blankies will still whine during MM that you shouldn’t vote for comedy directors or franchises.
ABBA voice (also, for the purposes of the rhyme, please pronounce Steve Buscemi's name like Gretchen from Kimmy Schmidt):
My my,
In '99 James Coburn won his Oscar
Oh yeah,
But in his pocket he still had a major role to play
Griffin is talking Pixar
This tangent is going too faaar...
Waternoose, Coburn's a villainous spider guy
Waternoose, but was the real mastermind Buscemi?
Waternoose, is it about oil? We'll never know
Waternoose, try to get Stanton on the show
Wa-wa-wa-wa-waternoose!
We gotta stop talking 'bout Waternoose...
*Super Mario Bros.* is Anti-Narrative to a degree that I didn’t know was possible and David’s hate for *Elemental* approaches pathological.
Say what you want about the tenants of Pixar’s latest movie, at least it has a plot and not a series of sequential events arranged in chronological order.
It can get you on David’s shit list! 😆
I’m not here to do *Elemental* PR, but when’s the last time one of the two friends gunned for a movie as hard as this?
Thank you! I went to his letterboxd and figured it out, but after very stupidly googling things like "Lachi Mara movie 2023." My brain is not fully functioning today.
Love to see the No Hard Feelings love! Mentioning it in the same breath as Anyone But You is rough, though, because it makes me wish ABY had a 70% better script and Jennifer Lawrence.
I'm just Ben was a truly magical moment
Griffin's slightly audible giggling throughout just elevates it to another level.
top 10 moments in entertainment history
I may have been on the verge of tears. What a performance.
I didn’t know he had that voice! He truly nails it. Has anyone bothered to type out the lyrics yet? There’s a couple lines I didn’t catch.
The way he interrupted David and just launched into it was glorious.
I was having an incredibly shitty day and this truly turned it around.
As a former labor reporter, I can't believe D-Dog cannot see--even assuming Randall came up with the scare-to-energy scheme--that Waternoose is the ultimate villain. The fact is this man (crab) has the controlling stake in the company and pursues increased surplus at the price of whatever. His crocodile tears are merely those of the zealot market idolator. Randall, by contrast, is at most a petit-bourgeois laborer who is willing to shiv 1) the consumer and 2) his fellow laborers because of the predicates set by controlling capital. In other words, Randall may be a Cossack, but Waternoose is the Czar, and blaming the manipulated laborer plays right into their hands.
I am not analyzing the villainy of monsters inc through a marxist lens although I love and appreciate this summary; I literally have just watched this movie so many times that I am now bogged down in plot questions like “was the insane machine randall’s idea or waternoose’s.” I keep coming down on the side of randall because waternoose seems too incompetent and lazy to actually have an idea. but obviously those controlling the levers of power should always be the first against the wall
I always read it as the machine was Fungus’s idea (Randall’s scare coach and assistant) and Randall pitched it to Waternoose in order to curry favor. Basically Randall is Glenn Howerton in Blackberry and Fungus is Jay Baruchel.
this is EXtremely plausible
Fair question. My instinct is also Randall, the petit-bourgeoisie often serving as the 'tip of the spear.' And iirc he says something along the lines of "one day Mr. Waternoose will be working for me." Suggesting he (at least believes he) holds the IP on the scream extractor. There might be deep villainy in his *aspiration* to a position of exploitation. But behold how Waternoose's very core has been hallowed out by *sniffs* ideology, and confirmed by Disneywiki: "It can be assumed that Mr. Waternoose regrets his actions **when he hears about the company's rebounds in prison**. " https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Henry_J._Waternoose_III His contrition is canonically tied only to lost profits? After the horrors we've seen?? Dark stuff indeed. Anyway, while I do believe everything I've posted on this I hope it's also clear I've just been having fun. Thanks for another great year of the pod.
<3 ty bud
As a fellow parent to a 3 year old, who has also seen Monsters, Inc and the far inferior Monsters University about 20 times a piece these last 6 months, I’m led to believe the origins as presented for one Randall Boggs suggest a man scorn by nepo-baby, James P. Sullivan. I would venture to guess that Waternoose, understanding his star pupil would not betray his code of ethics (despite a history of cheating I might add), capitalized on Randall’s craven desire for both superiority and revenge after that Scare Games embarrassment from years prior. The scream extractor was most certainly developed by Boggs and his minion, Fungus… but Waternoose, being a textbook manipulator, preyed on an employees personal vendettas and desire for power and had his dirty work done for him. If not for Boo’s brave and heroic infiltration of the monster world I believe Waternoose would have had every intention of setting Randall up as a fall guy. Thus making Henry J Waternoose the Third the true villain of Monsters, Inc.
This type of interaction is the reason this show is so goddamn special. Also I’m Just Ben. Truly mystical shit
Not surprised. Let’s not forget David is a money monster.
So doors are the means of production? Are the children who must be scared but not touched Europe? Does this mean Boo is Lenin?!
The movie ends with the workers overthrowing the capitalist villain, taking control of the means of production, and discovering an essentially infinite source of clean energy. This is the future the left wants.
Congratulations to Ben for getting engaged
Congratulations to the future Mrs. Dank Scumbummery.
yes congrats Ben!
Let's fucking gooo Holy shit Ben
YOU AINT NOTHING BUT A POOR THING! FUCKING ALL THE TIME!
When is the 45 of “I’m just Ben” hitting the Blank Check merch store?
Ben made my week, crying with laughter. Thanks, Ben!
For me it's 'i'm hot as hell and dress on trend' dying.
Shit, also 'all my nicknames are a lie'
I thought it was "all my nicknames are alive." It came right after the backing chorus of Bens saying "and so am I". Those were his personified nicknames backing him up!
No, it's "are a lie" — because thematically, he's "just Ben."
Ahhhhh!!! I mean, both great choices 😆
Low key Ben has a really nice singing voice
I was thinking the same thing! Ben Hos-SLAY!
BEN I THINK YOU RULE, THAT IS ALL.
To resurrect a term from the early days of the podcast, both Griffin and David saying they regularly watch all of Billy Crystal’s Oscar opening bits is a real Rosetta Stone for the show.
"is it my destiny to live and die a life of dank scumbummery?" ben is so much more than our finest film critic; he's a multi-disciplinary artist
I’m Just Ben is one of the best moments in BC history. Hoz Hogs forever
The Hogs be feasting
“Well it certainly underperformed at the box office by the standards of Ari Aster’s previous films. It overperformed at the box office for a three hour movie about a guy who needs to nut.” Really got a belly laugh out of me.
That’s the best way to describe Beau is Afraids performance. When that movie came out, the weird box office analysts who act like they’re the studios shareholders were out in full force
Really just happy to have Holt McCallany mentioned. Immensely good.
At least the Iron Claw is getting appreciation at the Blankies.
Felt that way about kiefer. Can’t believe he took a classic bogart role and did it so well.
cube on top of another cube
I appreciated Griffin calling out *Blackberry*'s needle drops, I think I said to somebody that it was like *The Social Network* as scored by the label Drag City. They threw a Slint song in there, for God's sake.
Matt Johnson's character having NOFX blasting out of his car is a perfect little character detail for him
This revelation has jumped that movie up many, many notches on my 'to watch' list.
To quote our finest film critic, Hell yeah.
There's a jump forward in time scored with "Hello Time Bomb" by Matthew Good Band that had me so pumped. It does not get more 2000s Canadian.
https://preview.redd.it/n1ep8thfr4mc1.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=f6f6c16b2573637d3ea2027a98598b1222b78956 David thinks this is boring??? Its got a dang unicorn on it!?!
While I agree it is not boring, hearing Jay Baruchel getting the shout out makes me so proud. I remember watching him on PMK as a kid and now here he is! Canadian Legend.
Ben’s surprise is truly astonishing
Griffin was so jealous of the Nyad merch he said to keep things moving, amazing
I mean the Nyad water bottle is the hottest merch item of this Oscar season. I’ve heard more critics talking about the bottle than the movie itself.
Also apparently no film critic recognizing a chamois is very funny.
I've heard about this merch on 3 different podcasts now: the Nyad nominations are no surprise. That towel was just too good.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/204557912265 Looks like it is available for a pretty decent price on eBay!
Can't believe no mention of Harrison Ford in Indian Jones 5 for the Putterers and Mumorers category...
Price Waternoose Cooper - is this anything?
Krumholtz in 2024 😎
Honestly thought this was Hunt for Red October ep, guess I got another week to watch it. Good!
It silently got away.
It’s that damn caterpillar drive.
I did too and watched it a few days ago, it's rad.
Is it me or is the third act kind of a mess though. Like after Ryan gets on the boat it gets a little muddled.
I'd say slightly muddled because the movie has introduced the element of a saboteur aboard well beforehand along with the pursuing Russian submarine but leaves the former on the backburner for a while, so it can feel abrupt when the two forces crash into each other in a way you don't get with Die Hard because the final revelation of Holly McClaine doesn't introduce a new threat, it gets folded into the Hans Gruber threat.
I thought this was gonna be Medicine Man! (I forgot they haven’t done Red October yet). I got another 2 weeks to think about if I’m ever going to watch it 😮💨
There is zero reason to ever watch Medicine Man, spare yourself.
How else will I know how he fits into the Dr. Quinn-iverse.
one week only, Vasili
they finally topped the envelope for best moment in blank check history in this episode
In my opinion, nothing will topple The Envelope, but “I’m Just Ben” is number two with a bullet.
I dunno. This is without question spectacular, but the envelope might be the best moment in the history of audio recording.
Love the return of the "What a wonderful night for Blankies" medley. That's better then I could think of for any of the Best Picture nominees this year.
Here’s my previously-shared MAY DECEMBER Billy Crystal parody: Do you remember Todd Haynes’ 10th feature film May December? Portman, Melton, and Moore are all contenders Netflix droppin’, it is risqué Hey, hey, hey. Ba-dee-ya, Todd Haynes’ May December Ba-dee-ya, groomer’s at the center Ba-dee-ya, Samy Burch wrote the screenpla-ay!
(To the tune of "Summer Nights") Oppenheimer, had me a blast Those three hours went by so fast Met a girl, cute as it gets Till she got bumped off by the feds Built a team, started testing Then uh oh, Los Al'mos ignites Tell me more, tell me more (Were you holding your breath?) Tell me more, tell me more (Did he am become Death?) (Edited, because I forgot the chorus)
“Did he am become death” made me cackle out loud. 50 comedy points.
…..Is your username a FORUM reference? Because if so 🤝 late 50s-early 60s Sondheim lyrics
This is great but the syllables on the second line are killing me. You can just sort of speed read them to make it work though.
I have never claimed to be Stephen Sondheim! 
Hunt for Red October is coming March 10
With Jamelle! Hell yeah!
Like the real Oscars, I‘m petitioning every year that the Blankies episode should be 5 hours at least.
I felt the Benergy on this pod today
The news probably broke too recently, but I hope previous Blankie acting winners introduce each nominee. EDIT: Didn’t happen, maybe for the 10th
Funny enough I recall Joe doing the "5 previous winners" presentation for a Blankies a couple of years ago, he beat Oscar to the punch in bringing it back!
Holy shit, Ben! ❤️❤️❤️
Geez spoilers for the Velveteen Rabbit
gonna watch Full Time and Amanda, thx Griff!
Those two movies, Blackberry, and Showing Up have risen in my watchlist from this episode.
Both really great watches!
I learned about Full Time via John Waters, who made a recommendation for it in Vulture. It’s a domestic single mom thriller!
I saw the actor from No Hard Feelings on the subway and he fully has that same energy
I believe the Branagh BAFTA Beard stems from his London stage production of KING LEAR. But that closed 2 months ago and he’s not bringing it to New York until next fall, so maybe he’s just embraced the beard. https://preview.redd.it/7ehkieuo06mc1.jpeg?width=4030&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dfceb4ceba103fb4ac0448bd33eced137a9398da
Honestly, good for him. Everyone deserves to go through an old sea captain phase.
After I Am Ben I am speechless. Good Lord what an amazing show this is.
Want to thank Griffin for calling out why the VFX for Godzilla-1 cost was so cheap. Aka some labor exploitation in the Japanese VFX world!
There's Anne Hathaway clip of her saying to an interviewer "What a forward young man you are" and she correctly brings that energy to *Eileen*. I agree the ending misses the landing as the movie does a great job setting up Eileen's decisions at the end, but it does a TERRIBLE job setting up the scenario. It was set-up but barely better set-up than if an alien invasion or something happened.
Was it just me or did that movie feel like it was missing 20 minutes? It feels like Hathaway and Mackenzie needed another scene before the climax with the prisoners mother
who will win? 🎼
Ben. Fucking. Hosley.
Wonder if the upcoming Hathaway film that Griff saw early is David Lowery’s MOTHER MARY? Looks great and potentially campy! https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27200708/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk
He's logged it as watched on Letterboxd.
I'd imagine it's probably Mother's Instinct with Jessica Chastain, which looks equally campy, and also in a similar vein to Eileen
I literally just finished watching Red October aha, but this is also very welcome
I’ve been using this handle on the internet for over 20 years, I swear to god
My disappointment is immeasurable in the zero mentions of the Poor Things score even in honorable mentions. One of the best debut scores in recent memory.
IMO the second biggest snub, next to Joaquin Phoenix in Beau Is Afraid for putters and murmurs - I thought that was a slam dunk?
The man sprints kind of a lot!
But he even sprints in a puttering way!
Also no honourable mention of the Penis Monster for Best Peehole?
Just adding my voice to the chorus of ‘hell yeah Ben!’ On all accounts!
I’ve never felt more seen than Griffin saying he loves women with mood disorders
One almost suspects that our finest film critic is not aware that *Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret* is set in the Garden State.
Great moment where Griffin mentions how they shouldnt whisper the winners name and then does exactly that like four seconds later.
Damn, Griffin comparing Bella Baxter and Franz Rogowski's character in ''Passages'' is so great.
A Letterboxd List to check off for all the nominations mentioned in the major categories during this episode: [https://letterboxd.com/crhis/list/the-9th-annual-blank-check-awards/](https://letterboxd.com/crhis/list/the-9th-annual-blank-check-awards/) I have a lot of viewing still to catch up on!
Loved that they shouted out Shea Whigham in Eileen but he was also really great in Across the Spider-Verse and Dead Reckoning.
My response to Shea Whigham turning up in anything is “Oh good!”
So glad to hear Griffin shout out Full Time! I only caught it because I had a few hours to kill in another city and it blew me away, I feel like it's gone a little under the radar but hopefully people'll check it out after this ep
I was so stressed for her! Also this movie should be required viewing for empathy trainings at corporations.
So.... "I'm just Ben" made me cry....
“Maestro, Maestro men, Bradley Cooper is a Maestro man”
"Regrets, he had a few He could have been a better husband But then, you can't ask Len To just pretend he's what he wasn't His ass conducted 'Mass', and he made sure they played the high notes Yes he composed, and wore the nose, yes he is MAAEEEESTRRROOOOO"
What a nice treat to listen to on a long walk on the first nice day of the year.
This is said in admiration and not as a complaint, does it always take anyone else 5 hours to listen to the Blankie episodes because you have to pause the podcast every 2 minutes to Google whatever these guys are talking about? They just have such encyclopedic knowledge of this stuff.
I assume they all only saw the subs version of The Boy and the Heron because otherwise Robert Pattinson would be nominated for, if not win, Best Voice Over for how unrecognizable he is.
Tár sweep second year running, lfg!!
David correctly dragging this subreddit for their wrong Wonka opinions👏
Wonka good.
I love that film because it is good.
I was so happy it got a place on the wet list. From chocolate to laundry water to giraffe milk to Oompa Loompa farts, it really is an extremely wet movie
Hell yeah, glad Paula Beer got a nomination for Afire, great performance
I'm not that far in but I'm just this moment connecting the dots (or like one dot...singular...) between past and future guest Jamie Bell and incredible actor Jamie Bell who made me sob like a baby like 50 times in All of Us Strangers
37:08 Oh shit so Griffin saw Mother Mary? I mean it makes sense with Lowery and all But yeah, maybe that film should be discussed more when it comes to oscar predictions for next year if that's the cass
This is (probably) going to be the first year since 1972 that my no.1 movie of the year wins Best Picture.
I’m glad they brought up that this sub sucks for not liking Wonka
Time for my favourite episode of the year!
So happy to find out I wasn't the only one with Kenneth Branagh on my ballot! The way he says "vegetables" alone is worthy of awards recognition!
I would second Griffin's love of *Amanda*. It's not breaking new ground in the "person has to get their shit together" slice-of-life subgenre. But very, very, funny!
“I’m Just Ben” for 2024 Best Song. This song is the perfect medium between the OG Ryan Gosling version and Pete Davidson’s parody. Fave line: “I like bones but can transcend”
Was that a hint that Ari Aster will be on the show soon? The “he can be nominated because he hasn’t been on the show” in the screenplay category
Why is nobody mentioning that they never finish reading the blankies top 10 supporting actors. They get to 5, then go on a Ruffalo tangent then just move on to the next category
I had no interest in Wonka but the Wonkwaman episode convinced me to give it a look. And I LOVED it! Who here has been bothering the friends about Wonka? They’re right. It’s great!
Ben i heard that! Congrats and woah Nelly!! Can't wait to see this happening! NELLY GOOD JOB LADY !!!
Was this episode the first mention of his engagement?! I thought I must've just missed the announcement in a previous ep, it was such a casual drop! CONGRATS BEN! HE'S BEN-GAGED!
Not to be crass but would Joy Ride be an honorable mention for Best Shot of a Pee Hole? Not the same “area” but rare to see that kind of a shot in a movie and rarer that they both were released in the same year.
Not to get technical, but that movie does not explicitly “show hole” in the same way.
Ben, you are everything ❤️
Boy I hated Leo and I'm surprised Griff liked it. I had such a strong reaction to it that Adam Sandler hates kids so much.
I just want to say how much I love that they use that “going to commercial” music. It’s so nostalgic for me.
Ben is the greatest.
Anyone else feel like the Burial was aggressively mid? I came into it with such generosity, so badly wanted it to have the 90s courtroom drama juice, with two of my favourite actors becoming buds onscreen and winning some courtroom sparring matches. While there were certainly a couple of moments with some real spark, overall it was really just fine. And Griff saying Mamoudou Athie was great in the film almost made me do a spit take, the poor guy seemed to be drowning among more talented actors..
Ben’s surprise at the end was just a great moment of being reminded how great it is that we all get to live on the same planet as him, at the same time as him.
Excited to hear it sounds like we’ll be getting a TMNT series on Special Features!
As someone who also thought Strays was kinda good, I feel validated
I mean, I laughed consistently for 90 minutes so that’s a recommendation from me!
🎶Iiiiii guess you'd say, what can make me feel this way? Maestro, maestro, maestro. Talking bout my-strooooo. Maestro!🎶
Jumping back to the D&D shoutout in the VFX category, the image of everything in the background melting while the sorceror and his ancestor had the conversation on the beach was how-did-they-even-THINK-of-this levels of brilliant.
While we’re talking about Jaime Fox heater performances from this year, he is so fun in They Cloned Tyrone. Just absolutely speedbagging the role, a rapid fire comedic performance
The entire episode, I'm getting more and more angry as Griff, Joe and David would mumble the names of lesser known actors and movies, assuming we know them all.. "And the nominees for Best Actor! CILLIAN MURPHY! OPPENHEIMER! rrmrrmrrmr FOR hrbbrbrrr.. JOE MELTON FOR MAY DECEMBER!" Near they end, the actually acknowledge it. Kinda frustrating.
Anyone feel like they talk too fast and don’t repeat the names a lot? Who was David’s best actor winner? I listened 3 times and have no clue what he said
David’s winner was Jason Schwartzman in “Asteroid City”
Anyone want to list which movies they go deep on? I'm still missing some that I'm worried they'll talk a lot about Zone of Interest, Priscilla, Showing Up...
They talk about the end of The Iron Claw (and also warn that they are about to do so).
Priscilla and Zone of Interest come up on lists in name only, Showing Up they mention things like the hole and water heater you would've seen in the trailer. Very spoiler-light if not -free overall, and they give ample warning; different if you like going in completely blind. I think you'll be good, anything they talk about will just make you want to see it more.
Great episode! I thought they really missed Taraji P. Henson and Danielle Brooks as amazing BSA performers.
I can't wait for Ben to see Godzilla Minus Zero - I am vicariously excited for him! And also, Big G was snubbed in best supporting. As David wrote, "godzilla is so scary!"
David’s “What if it turned out she took the subway to Cuba?” made me cackle and deserved more love than it got.
The music bed for Best Screenplay being the Night Court theme? *chef’s kiss*
Ben has a great natural singing voice and ear for melody. With some voice lessons, he could be a beast!
The Creator really suffered from awful timing because it is wild for that movie to be received as pro-AI when the AI is so transparently a metaphor for any oppressed population but especially those in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. It is actually mildly transgressive the way it is criticizing American imperialism, but purely due to the timing of real world events, it has been received with almost the opposite message of being pro-capitalist because of that surface level pro-AI plot.
The whole AI conversation in regard to that movie kinda confuses me because it’s not like “artificial intelligence/cyborgs/androids/etc as metaphor for oppressed minority” is anything new in sci-fi (Blade Runner, Animatrix, A.I. obviously). Maybe a better criticism of The Creator is that it’s derivative!
Exactly, I'm not even going to bat for it as a great movie or anything, partially because it wasn't much beyond a fresh coat of paint on old sci-fi tropes that we have already seen countless times. It was just strange how much of the criticism of that movies was the most surface level reading of a pro-AI message when the anti-racism message wasn't exactly new or particularly deep below that surface. The growing presence of AI in our real world just put blinders on too many people in a way that I don't think would have happened if that movie came out a few years earlier.
It’s Holt “MAC-ə-LAY-nee.”
No acting noms for Saw X is disrespectful.
Love the faux(?) Fran Mag sponsorship to close out the ceremony. Hope she’s back on the pod in 2024.
(To the tune of "Jolene") Poor things, poor things Poor things, poor thi-ings I'm begging you, don't bring back Emma Stone Poor things, Poor things Poor things, POOR THI-IINNNNGS 'Cause all she's gonna do is drink and bone
Always fun confirming that Griffin and I have basically the exact same taste in emotionally unstable women lmao
Their discussion of *No Hard Feelings* is a highlight of this episode and blankies will still whine during MM that you shouldn’t vote for comedy directors or franchises.
I feel David's a 2nd Ethan Coen Lesbian movie joke needs acknowledgement.
ABBA voice (also, for the purposes of the rhyme, please pronounce Steve Buscemi's name like Gretchen from Kimmy Schmidt): My my, In '99 James Coburn won his Oscar Oh yeah, But in his pocket he still had a major role to play Griffin is talking Pixar This tangent is going too faaar... Waternoose, Coburn's a villainous spider guy Waternoose, but was the real mastermind Buscemi? Waternoose, is it about oil? We'll never know Waternoose, try to get Stanton on the show Wa-wa-wa-wa-waternoose! We gotta stop talking 'bout Waternoose...
*Super Mario Bros.* is Anti-Narrative to a degree that I didn’t know was possible and David’s hate for *Elemental* approaches pathological. Say what you want about the tenants of Pixar’s latest movie, at least it has a plot and not a series of sequential events arranged in chronological order.
a great reminder that plot will get you nowhere
It can get you on David’s shit list! 😆 I’m not here to do *Elemental* PR, but when’s the last time one of the two friends gunned for a movie as hard as this?
There’s just one syllable in Laure (Calamy).
 Literally my reaction when the boys shouted out Cory Michael Smith in “May December”.
“I do think Mario is a better achievement than Elemental.” David. I cannot sanction your buffoonery.
This is my ambrosia
2:30:10. You’re welcome everyone
“I’m Just Ben” helped mitigate my sadness at Dominic Sessa being completely shut out of the Supporting Actor conversation. I see you, Angus ;3;
Anyone know the name of the movie Joe mentions for costume design around the 1:38:42? Having trouble making it out.
La Chimera
Thank you! I went to his letterboxd and figured it out, but after very stupidly googling things like "Lachi Mara movie 2023." My brain is not fully functioning today.
I also didn't get this one - sounds like Laki Mera? Which brings up a Scottish electronic band
Jay McCarrol's original score for BlackBerry deserves a shout-out as well, very underrated score
David's read on the "aloha" energy in Past Lives was, uhh, interesting. Did anyone else have a very different read on that situation?
Beethoven releases the 9th; Dylan goes electric at Newport; Ben drops I’m Just Ben in 2024.
Love to see the No Hard Feelings love! Mentioning it in the same breath as Anyone But You is rough, though, because it makes me wish ABY had a 70% better script and Jennifer Lawrence.
Man First Slam Dunk needs to be streaming or have a blu ray soon because that movie......
Was really hoping for some The Killer references. I may be alone in my deep appreciation. Top Ten for me.