Best Matty Mitchell Podcasts (2026)

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Is This Thing On? 2:28:30

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11h ago2:28:30

2:28:30

Testing, testing…does anybody know? Is this thing on? It depends on who you ask, frankly. The Blank Check team are divided on Bradley Cooper’s latest offering, the divorce dramedy Is This Thing On? Can you just walk in off the street to do an open mic at the Comedy Cellar? No. Is Peyton Manning one of our finest athlete actors? Yes. Is Griffin’s op…

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Introducing Critical Darlings 1:25:39

7m ago1:25:39

1:25:39

Welcome to Critical Darlings, a new podcast miniseries from Blank Check: A conversation about the awards season conversation, one contender at a time. On Critical Darlings, critics and Blank Check alumni Richard Lawson and Alison Willmore guide you through the state of the Oscars race, from the precursors, to the campaigns, to the nominees themselv…

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Avatar: Fire and Ash 2:44:30

15d ago2:44:30

2:44:30

We went back to Pandora and we all fell in love with a very special lady. She’s a bit prickly. A bit unconventional. But boy, is she something! Join us as we chat Avatar: Fire and Ash, aka VARANG: THE AWAKENING, the third installment in Big Jim’s Sully family saga. Yes, this movie’s a bit messier than the previous ones. Yes, it repeats many of the …

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Ella McCay with Richard Lawson 2:05:31

23d ago2:05:31

2:05:31

It’s pretty hard being the governor of an unnamed state when you’re a 34-year-old woman with a husband who’s the heir to a local pizza empire and you’ve got a brother who has agoraphobia and your sleazy dad keeps leaving you weird voicemails and Julie Kavner is narrating your entire life story! Wooo, that was a lot. James L. Brooks’ Ella McCay is A…

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Honey Don't with Mattie Lubchansky 2:35:59

30d ago2:35:59

2:35:59

Honey Don’t? Honey probably shouldn’t have. But that’s okay, because Honey, we’re gonna talk about it anyway! Writer and illustrator Mattie Lubchansky joins us to close out our Coens series with Ethan and Tricia’s latest offering from earlier this year. How do we feel about Margaret Qualley and Aubrey Plaza as performers? How do we feel about Chris…

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Drive Away Dolls with mxmtoon 2:30:38

1M ago2:30:38

2:30:38

Two gals and a briefcase full of dicks. What more could an 84 minute caper need? mxmtoon joins us to chat about Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke’s lesbian road trip movie Drive Away Dolls, and brings with her the fascinating perspective of someone whose first Coen movie was…Drive Away Dolls! We’re chatting about Ethan and Tricia’s unconventional relatio…

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The Tragedy of Macbeth with Dana Schwartz 2:44:13

1M ago2:44:13

2:44:13

You can’t say “Macbeth” in a theater, but you can certainly say it on a podcast! Dana Schwartz joins us (in her third Blank Check appearance on a witch-centered film) to talk about Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, the first solo-directorial effort from a Coen Brother after their amicable split. We’re debating the success of Frances McDormand and…

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The Ballad of Buster Scruggs with Paul Scheer & Jason Mantzoukas 3:29:53

2M ago3:29:53

3:29:53

Six segments. Four legendary movie podcasters. Three and a half hours of keeping David Sims away from his family. Welcome to our Ballad of Buster Scruggs episode! How Did This Get Made’s Paul Scheer and Jason Mantzoukas join the Two Friends to talk about the Coens’ final film together (as of this recording), a grab bag of western vignettes that cou…

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Hail, Caesar! with Shirley Li 2:36:34

2M ago2:36:34

2:36:34

Would that it twere so simple to lasso that lazy ol’ moon! This week, we’re chatting about all the studio shenanigans in Hail, Caesar! with our pal Shirley Li. Speaking of Shirley, we all knew she was skilled at getting David “The Dog” Sims off the leash, but did you know that she also attended researcher JJ’s wedding?! Lore drop! Join us as we unp…

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Inside Llewyn Davis with Rachel Zegler 2:41:24

2M ago2:41:24

2:41:24

🎵🎶Puh-pa-please Mr. Kennedy (uhoh!) please won’t you listen to our puh-podcast🎶🎵This week we broadcast, not from a balcony, but from the Blank Check office, with guest Rachel Zegler (she connects with people, JJ’s research confirms)! Coming off of back to back Blank Checks the Coen’s took their time to release Inside Llewyn Davis, a somber comedy f…

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A House of Dynamite 2:32:32

2M ago2:32:32

2:32:32

Kathryn Bigelow is back. But are WE so back? Not quite. The gang discusses the recent release A House of Dynamite, a film in which the president listens to podcasts, Tracy Letts loves the Mets, and the city of Chicago may or may not be completely leveled by an atomic bomb. Do we kind of miss Mark Boal now? Are we praying Kathryn Bigelow directs som…

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True Grit with Stavros Halkias 2:58:27

2M ago2:58:27

2:58:27

We love to pull the cork. Comedian (and probably the biggest Greek-American entertainer of our time) Stavros Halkias joins us to chat about 2010’s True Grit, the Coens’ true attempt to cash their post-Oscar blank check. We’re talking about Hailee Steinfeld’s incredible performance. We’re talking about Jeff Bridges’ distinctive mumbly delivery. We’r…

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A Serious Man with Marc Maron 1:51:51

3M ago1:51:51

1:51:51

The time has come for us to lock the gates. On the occasion of the end of WTF, Marc Maron joins us to talk about chaos, God, mathematics, and Jewish identity as we dive into 2009’s A Serious Man. Highlights of this episode include Marc asking, “Is this a bit?” when David opens the dossier, Marc’s discussion of his audition to play Larry Gopnik, and…

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Burn After Reading with Fran Hoepfner 2:11:15

3M ago2:11:15

2:11:15

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 “mem-waah”...George Clooney’s homemade dildo chair…Brad Pitt’s stupid fac…

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No Country for Old Men with Leslye Headland 2:56:24

3M ago2:56:24

2:56:24

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 Anton Chigurh’s strange physicality, Tommy Lee Jones’ tired resignatio…

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The Ladykillers with Connor Ratliff 2:47:07

4M ago2:47:07

2:47:07

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’ worst, and is also the film that ended Hanks’ legendary decade-long bof…

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Intolerable Cruelty with Katey Rich 2:15:37

4M ago2:15:37

2:15:37

We’ve been exposed. You’ve nailed our asses. Of course we’re going to defend this movie! 2004’s Intolerable Cruelty features George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones at the height of their powers, yet failed to connect with contemporary audiences. Guest Katey Rich joins us as we attempt to understand why. Too mean? Too talky? A lack of period trappi…

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The Man Who Wasn't There with Jordan Hoffman 2:35:01

4M ago2:35:01

2:35:01

This one’s a real enigma - is The Man Who Wasn’t There a film about the alienation of a man who is deeply closeted and searching for connection in a tightly wound post-war world? Is it about a wife guy who doesn’t know how to express his feelings? Is it somehow about how Beethoven was not only deaf but suffered from horrific diarrhea at the end of …

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O Brother, Where Art Thou? with Emily St. James 2:16:54

4M ago2:16:54

2:16:54

Those Soggy Bottom Boys really know how to carry a tune! Emily St. James joins us to talk about O Brother, Where Art Thou?, a wonderful film whose reputation was ultimately eclipsed by its octuple-Platinum soundtrack of “old timey” bops. When we’re on track, we’re talking peak Clooney, digital color correction, T. Bone Burnett, and the history of S…

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S3 EP18: Faith in the Fog: Why Proximity Matters More Than Clarity 39:41

4M ago39:41

39:41

Have you ever found yourself in a season where the unknowns feel stacked on top of each other? You’re praying, you’re showing up, you’re doing what you know to do—but the future still seems hazy. It’s like driving through heavy fog: you can see enough to keep moving forward, but what lies ahead feels blurred and out of reach. Seasons like this can …

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The Big Lebowski with Seth Rogen 2:49:43

4M ago2:49:43

2:49:43

It’s the episode you’ve all been waiting for - Seth Rogen joins us to talk about the Coens’ 1998 stoner classic The Big Lebowski. It should come as no surprise that Lebowski has loomed large over Seth’s work as a writer and director, and we’re going in depth on the influence and lasting impact of The Dude. Make yourself a White Russian (but maybe t…

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Fargo with Zach Cregger 2:52:22

5M ago2:52:22

2:52:22

Did we get the director of Weapons, another “true story,” on our Fargo episode? You betcha. Zach Cregger joins the Blank Check crew to discuss the Coens’ 1996 masterpiece and we’re going SCENE BY SCENE dissecting this perfect movie. “Minnesota nice,” “Dark Marge,” the Mike Yanagita scene, the origins of Jerry’s overwhelming debt, the inner life of …

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The Hudsucker Proxy with Mike Mitchell & Nick Wiger 3:41:00

5M ago3:41:00

3:41:00

(Gestures at a circle) You know, for kids! Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger of the Doughboys join us for a freewheeling, gut-busting episode about the time Joel Silver gave the Coens a bunch of money to make a “commercial film” and then it ended up being 1994’s The Hudsucker Proxy. A sampling of topics discussed: Paul Newman being hot up until the day …

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Barton Fink with Chris Weitz 3:27:26

5M ago3:27:26

3:27:26

Is John Goodman the devil? Is the studio system good, actually? Is it better to be the director of a bomb than it is to be the director of a film that doesn’t exist? Filmmaker (and part of a DGA-sanctioned directing duo) Chris Weitz joins us to talk about Barton Fink, possibly the greatest film ever made about the “art vs. commerce” divide inherent…

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S3 EP17: Love Your Life…Even When You Don’t Like It All the Time w/ Rachel Awtrey 1:03:36

5M ago1:03:36

1:03:36

What do you do when your life looks fine on the outside… but deep down, you’re wondering, “Is this really it?” In this episode, I sit down with my friend Rachel Awtrey—host of the Real Talk with Rachel podcast and author of her brand new book, Love Your Life, Even When You Don’t Like It. Rachel is the girl you want in your corner: deeply honest, wi…

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Miller's Crossing with Ari Aster 2:09:18

5M ago2:09:18

2:09:18

It’s a movie about hats, and a movie about giving folks the high hat. It’s also a movie about how Jon Polito is the greatest actor in the world. It’s Miller’s Crossing! Filmmaker Ari Aster (go see Eddington!) joins Griffin and David to discuss the Coen Brothers’ knotty homage to the gangster genre, a film overloaded with memorable characters and wi…

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Raising Arizona with John Hodgman 2:41:57

6M ago2:41:57

2:41:57

Jesus Cock, that’s a hot new episode! John Hodgman returns to Blank Check to chat about Raising Arizona, the Coen’s swerve of a follow-up to Blood Simple that trades in the hallmarks of noir for the hallmarks of Looney Tunes. We’re talking about Nic Cage’s sad eyes, Holly Hunter’s year of iconic crying performances, rest stop public pomade, and peo…

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Blood Simple with Ray Tintori & Jordan Fish 2:44:07

6M ago2:44:07

2:44:07

Gather round, folks - it’s time to embark upon a journey through one of the most sterling filmographies in American cinema. Our Coen Brothers series - Pod Country for Old Cast - kicks off with Joel and Ethan’s remarkably assured 1984 debut Blood Simple. Coen experts and hosts of the To The White Sea podcast Ray Tintori and Jordan Fish join us to do…

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Vamps with Caroline Framke 2:46:25

6M ago2:46:25

2:46:25

Our Amy Heckerling series comes to an end with 2012’s Vamps, a film produced too late to have an appropriate budget, and too early to be a streaming series. However - we find it charming! Caroline Framke returns to the podcast after 6 years (an eternity for us, but probably a blink for a vampire), and we talk about the pitfalls and pleasures of ete…

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S3 EP16: When You Feel Out of Control:Surrender, Identity & Praying for the People You Love with Jodie Berndt 1:03:59

6M ago1:03:59

1:03:59

What do you do when the outcome you want feels out of reach? When the people you love are walking through things you can’t fix… And when control feels like a survival tactic you just can’t shake? In this episode, I sit down with Jodie Berndt—speaker, author, and the voice behind the Praying the Scriptures series—for a conversation that goes way bey…

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I Could Never Be Your Woman with Karen Chee 2:21:36

6M ago2:21:36

2:21:36

Michelle Pfeiffer stars as Amy Heckerling and Paul Rudd stars as ????? in a totally normal movie that might actually be a voodoo curse made against Amy’s enemies. Oh, also Saorise Ronan makes her FILM DEBUT. What a picture! The incomparable Karen Chee joins us to talk about 2007’s I Could Never Be Your Woman, a movie that was financed by a French s…

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28 Years Later 2:52:29

6M ago2:52:29

2:52:29

Blank Check is going back to the British Isles with Danny Boyle, Alex Garland, and one extraordinarily well-endowed zombie this week as they discuss 28 Years Later. This movie has so much to love in it – wet bones, third-act Ralph Fiennes, Jodie Comer doing a thing, the Angel of the North, Teletubbies, the aforementioned well-endowed zombies, mind-…

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S3 EP15: When the Unthinkable Happens: Vallie Collins on Faith, Fear, and the Miracle on the Hudson 1:13:59

7M ago1:13:59

1:13:59

What do you think about in the moments you believe might be your last? When Vallie Collins boarded US Airways Flight 1549, she never imagined it would be known as the Miracle on the Hudson. And she certainly didn’t expect to hear the captain’s voice over the speaker say, “Brace for impact.” But on that cold January day in 2009, her life—and every p…

1
Loser with Chandler Levack 2:32:48

7M ago2:32:48

2:32:48

The song. The hat. The…casual date rape?!!? In what should have been Amy Heckerling’s “blank check” after the success of Clueless, 2000’s Loser is a real LOSER. Filmmaker Chandler Levack joins us to chat about this technically-not-a-remake-of-The-Apartment “comedy” that gets college surprisingly wrong. Come for the Wheatus talk, stay for the in-dep…

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Clueless with Heidi Gardner 2:37:12

7M ago2:37:12

2:37:12

Okay, so you’re probably going, “Is this like a Noxzema commercial or what?” But seriously, this is actually a way normal podcast about one of David Sims’ favorite movies! SNL’s Heidi Gardner (a total betty) joins us to talk about Amy Heckerling’s beloved Jane Austen adaptation, and we’re rolling with the homies. Join us for Alicia Silverstone and …

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S3EP14: Joy in the Ruins: Mattie Jackson on Grief, God, and Getting Back Up 1:01:19

7M ago1:01:19

1:01:19

What’s it like to grow up with a front-row seat to fame, only to find yourself center stage in a story you never saw coming? In this episode, Cleere sits down with the radiant and real Mattie Jackson—author, speaker, podcast host, and daughter of country music legend Alan Jackson—for a conversation that’s equal parts heartache and healing, grit and…

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Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning 2:57:09

7M ago2:57:09

2:57:09

Griffin, David, Ben, and Marie accepted the mission. They live and pod in the shadows, for those they hold close, and for those they never meet. They also have a few notes for Tom Cruise and Chris McQuarrie with regards to Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. Join the crew as they break down all the problems of this latest (and final???) inst…

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Look Who's Talking Too with Max Minghella 2:32:32

8M ago2:32:32

2:32:32

The Ubriacco family are back and - can you believe it? - they’re still talking! Actor and filmmaker Max Minghella joins us to talk about Look Who’s Talking Too, the contractually-obligated, quickly produced sequel to Amy Heckerling’s surprise hit. We’re talking about Mr. Toilet Man (he eats your pee pee and poo poo), Elias Koteas’ Mr. Scary Uncle M…

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Look Who's Talking with Hillary Busis 2:22:04

8M ago2:22:04

2:22:04

In perhaps the spermiest film we’ve ever covered, John Travolta and Kirstie Alley hang out with a baby voiced by Bruce Willis and Amy Heckerling gets revenge on Harold Ramis. As David Sims says early in this episode - Look Who’s Talking is a VERY RICH text. Vanity Fair’s Hillary Busis joins us to talk about this 1989 “forgotbuster,” a film that mad…

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S3EP13: MIRACULOUS Birth Story + the Undoing of doing it all with Alyssa Joy Bethke 1:03:52

8M ago1:03:52

1:03:52

There’s a quiet unraveling that can happen in the name of doing it all. You wake up one morning feeling like a shadow of yourself—your schedule’s full, your to-do list is long, but your soul feels thin. You’re showing up, sure… but not from a place of wholeness. “Something has to shift”, you think. In today’s episode of Let’s Be Cleere, I’m joined …

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National Lampoon's European Vacation with Jon Gabrus 2:43:00

8M ago2:43:00

2:43:00

Congratulations! You’ve won an all-expenses-paid vacation with Griffin, David, Ben, and Jon Gabrus to Europe! Only downside is…well, you have to watch this movie. From the strange cultural stereotypes to the unfortunate lack of jokes, Amy Heckerling’s sequel to National Lampoon’s Vacation isn’t the smoothest trip. But, it certainly gives us an excu…

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Johnny Dangerously with Josh Gondelman 2:26:02

8M ago2:26:02

2:26:02

He’s the nicest bad guy in town. His last name is an adverb. And he’s got some pretty wacky bits! Sweetie pie comedian Josh Gondelman joins us to talk about 1984’s Johnny Dangerously, Amy Heckerling’s loving homage to 1930’s gangster pictures. Things we attempt to understand in this episode: the cultural legacy of Joe Piscopo; the actual joke that’…

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S3 EP12: Supporting vs. Enabling, Anxiety + Building Emotional Resilience in our kids with Sissy Goff 1:15:30

8M ago1:15:30

1:15:30

How do you know when support turns to enabling? How do we be proactive with our children while letting them build emotional resilience? How does grief and anxiety look different in girls and boys? What do we do as parents to help our kids deal with anxiety without removing the obstacles that help them grow? These are just a few of the things we dug…

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Fast Times at Ridgemont High with Lola Kirke 2:25:23

8M ago2:25:23

2:25:23

We’re grabbing our Vans slip ons and heading to the mall as we kick off our Amy Heckerling series - Pod Times at Ridgemont Cast - with Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Fresh off her appearance in Sinners, actual high school friend of Griffin Newman Lola Kirke returns to the pod and things get pretty bogus. Like, David Lynch was supposed to direct this…

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S3EP11: Finding Freedom with Food, Fitness + Faith with Nicoletta Bradley 1:02:16

9M ago1:02:16

1:02:16

Does the thought of putting on a bathing suit this summer make you anxious or ashamed? Do you struggle to see yourself the way God speaks about you? Do you even know what He says about you? Do you struggle with knowing how to nourish yourself or how to move your body in a way that pleases the Lord? If it were up to Jesus, how would we steward the t…

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Schindler's List with David Ehrlich 3:47:32

9M ago3:47:32

3:47:32

Our Early Spielberg series concludes with a movie that is a super fun time and not at all distressing to watch in our current political climate! David Ehrlich joins us to discuss 1993’s Schindler’s List, the film that defined the visual language of the Holocaust and finally got Spielberg his Oscar. We’re getting into the critical debates about this…

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S3EP10: Living Restored: Healing from the Ground up with Meshali Mitchell 1:18:32

9M ago1:18:32

1:18:32

What does it really mean to live from a place of wholeness? How do we seek healing? How do we know when we are operating out of a pain cycle— what does it look like to find the root, do the deep work, and let God restore us from the inside out? In this convo, my DEAR friend, Meshali Mitchell, digs into the process the Lord has taken her through— bo…

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Jurassic Park with Sean Fennessey 3:21:13

9M ago3:21:13

3:21:13

God creates dinosaurs. God destroys dinosaurs. God creates Steven Spielberg. Steven Spielberg makes 1993’s Jurassic Park and changes movie history. The Big Picture’s Sean Fennessey joins us to talk about this totemic blockbuster, and we’re spending three hours talking about the bad boys of the Jurassic era (velociraptors), the bad boys of ILM (Stev…

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S3 EP09: How do you know when it’s the voice of God? 30:25

9M ago30:25

30:25

I think this is a question we all ask ourselves, right? How do we know that we know that we know when it’s God speaking? What if it’s not? In this episode, I walk through four “tests” per se, that might help you discern whether what you’re hearing is actually the voice of God. Hint: It doesn’t sound like Morgan Freeman and it’s usually not a burnin…

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Hook with Lin-Manuel Miranda 2:29:31

9M ago2:29:31

2:29:31

Everyone knows Captain Hook got swallowed by the crocodile at the end of Peter Pan. But what this movie presupposes is…maybe he didn’t? Let us go back to a time when the coolest thing a kid could have was a clubhouse that looked like a skatepark…when the worst thing a dad could do was own a cell phone…and when the craziest thing a filmmaker could d…