The Big Picture · Review · Discussion
October 4, 2022/ 108 min/ Sean Fennessy
Sean sits down with Griffin Newman and David Sims of Blank Check to relitigate Avatar during its theatrical re-release. They detour through the Matt Damon casting what-if before previewing The Way of Water.
2 films across 2 segments.
AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.
The Great Avatar Debatewith Griffin Newman & David Sims of Blank Check
Revisited on the strength of a 13-year theatrical re-release. The trio dig into why it's the biggest movie ever made and also the one with no cultural footprint, whether Matt Damon as Jake Sully would have helped or hurt, Zoe Saldana's motion-capture performance, and how deliberately broad and cliche-built the story is.
Previewing The Way of Waterafter the break
Cameron shot two sequels back to back and has scripts for two more. The trio weigh whether a marketing campaign built entirely on nostalgia rather than plot can pull off the original's theatrical run.
Also mentioned raised along the way
Cameron's other work TitanicThe AbyssGhosts of the AbyssAliens of the DeepTerminator 2: Judgment DayAliensDeepsea Challenge 3D
The Matt Damon what-if The DepartedInvictusGreen ZoneHereafterTrue GritContagionWe Bought a ZooMargaretBehind the CandelabraInterstellarThe Adjustment BureauPonyoThe Great WallPromised LandManchester by the Sea
Rewatch comparisons Jurassic ParkThis Is the EndDuneTop Gun: MaverickDances with WolvesThe Last SamuraiGalaxy QuestBoogie NightsLawrence of ArabiaThe Last of the Mohicans
Blockbuster culture Iron ManThe Incredible HulkThe Amazing Spider-ManSpider-Man: No Way HomeBlack PantherBlack Panther: Wakanda ForeverAvengers: Infinity WarAvengers: EndgameJurassic WorldJurassic World DominionMinions: The Rise of GruBlack AdamDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessAnt-Man and the Wasp: QuantumaniaThe Woman KingDivergentE.T. the Extra-TerrestrialStar WarsStar Wars: The Force AwakensStar Wars: The Last JediThe Dark KnightF9
Oscar season chatter The Hurt LockerCODATARThe FabelmansWomen TalkingEmpire of LightEverything Everywhere All at OnceBabylonGlass Onion: A Knives Out MysteryNapoleonRaiders of the Lost ArkRocky II
In passing Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part OneWendell & WildDisenchantedWhite NoiseKnock at the Cabin
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
TV How To with John WilsonThe Mandalorian
Games Avatar (the since-shuttered mobile/MMO tie-in)
Live shows Cirque du Soleil's Avatar show
Unreleased or cancelled Rogue Squadronuntitled Taika Waititi Star Wars filmMasters of the Universe reboot
Ads Gamblers (Ringer podcast promo)Boar's HeadNetflix's FIFA World Cup gameFanDuelCarvanaPepsi