Critical Darlings

Richard Lawson, Alison Willmore

blankcheckpodcast@gmail.com

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Booking Overview

This is a weekly film-criticism podcast focused on current theatrical, streaming, festival, and awards releases, typically featuring the two critic hosts with occasional external film and media commentators. Credible pitches include filmmakers, film critics, video essayists, entertainment journalists, and pop-culture experts with a strong connection to a current release or film trend; booking difficulty is low to medium, as guests are generally established specialists rather than major celebrities.

Metrics

Episodes: 29

Frequency: Weekly

Rating: 4.8/5.0

Estimated listeners: 1k-10k

Gender skew: Unknown

Location: USA

Contact Information

blankcheckpodcast@gmail.com

For verified host and producer emails, sign up to view.

Host

Richard Lawson - Film critic and journalist known for cultural and entertainment criticism.

Alison Willmore - Film critic and writer for Vulture, covering contemporary cinema and the film industry.

Booking Intelligence

Booking Requirements

low
Typical Credentials:  
Filmmakers, film critics, video essayists, entertainment journalists, and knowledgeable pop-culture commentators with relevant expertise in a current release or broader film trend.
Required Achievements:  
Published film criticism or media analysis, Established film or pop-culture podcast, Professional filmmaking or video essay work

Recent Guest Discussions

Patrick Willems - Supergirl, DC Comics Source Material, Superhero Filmmaking, And The Future Of The DC Universe.

Colin Drucker - Queer Cinema, Rupaul, Drag Culture, Lgbtq+ Representation, And Contemporary Horror.

Recent Topics

Film, Film Criticism, Hollywood, Film Festivals, Awards Season

Episodes

Here's the recent few episodes on
Critical Darlings
:

“Minions And Monsters”, What Minions Taste Like, And Other Questions

July 09, 2026

The Minions are back with a film designed to pander…to us! On this episode, three Minions neophytes try to make sense of Minions And Monsters, where the round yellow ones land in 1920s Hollywood. among Chaplin, Keaton, and all of Gen Alpha’s favorite silent film stars. For two of us at least, it worked! We also discuss Minions lore: The movie posits that the species consists of roving tribes of task rabbits, and raise questions about their mortality, reproductive cycle, edibility, and of c...

“Supergirl” And The New DCU (With Patrick Willems)

July 02, 2026

This week we’re Gunn-ing for Supergirl, with filmmaker and video essayist Patrick Willems! Supergirl is the second feature film in the new DC cinematic universe, now helmed by Guardians of the Galaxy mastermind James Gunn. Gunn’s 2025 Superman breathed new life into one of the genre’s biggest icons, but Supergirl blew a raspberry at the box office, despite the good vibes surrounding the new DCU. Supergirl, directed by I, Tonya's Craig Gillespie, borrows liberally from Gunn’s style, but...

“Stop! That! Train!”, “Leviticus”, and Pride At The Movies (With Colin Drucker)

June 25, 2026

It’s Pride Week on Critical Darlings, and we’re joined by the co-host of the Alright Mary podcast (and Best Supporting Actress expert) Colin Drucker to break down two new wide-release gay movies: RuPaul’s spoofy Stop! That! Train! and the Australian conversion therapy horror film Leviticus. First, we discuss the delightful Stop! That! Train!, its performances, cameos, and various controversies including lying drag queens (funny) and AI visual effects (depressing). We also get into RuPaul a...

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