EP. 313.5 — Last Looks: The Number 23

Paul Scheer [00:00:00] What to do when your family is full of bad cooks. Tom Selleck could have been Indiana Jones. And we find one reviewer who totally gets the number 23. We’re going to talk about all this and more. But first, everybody places! It’s time for Last Looks.

 

Intro Song [00:00:17] [Intro Song]

 

Paul Scheer [00:00:44] Hello, my fingerlings. I’m your host, Paul Scheer, and welcome to How Did This Get Made Last Looks, where you get to voice your issues on The Number 23. Jason I will also chat about all the stuff that we are into. Plus we are going to reveal next week’s movie. And as always, I will try to solve your problems on Paul’s Help Line. But first things first, a big shout out to Jake Hohenstein for that killer heavy metal theme. We needed some heavy metal back in this show. And I love that you brought it and you brought it A-plus. A-plus. And I feel like heavy metal doesn’t want an A-plus. I’m going to be like, You fucking failed, Jake. You failed. But that’s what you should want. Because you’re fucking metal, bro. You don’t want to pass the normal criteria. You want to flunk out. So you flunked, Jake Hohenstein. Anyway, we love these songs. If you like. Like making songs. You want to make a Last Looks theme, send it to, Howdidthisgetmade@earwolf.com. But keep it short. 15 to 20 seconds is best. Now I know that we talk a lot about movies, but the bigger question is how are you? How are you doing in the world? Can I help you? You got problems. Let me solve ’em. It is now time for Paul’s Help Line. Hit it, Mark Granger.

 

Intro Song [00:01:52] [Intro Song]

 

Paul Scheer [00:02:03] Thank you, Mark. We got a bunch of great calls today. Let’s get into it first. On the line, Ellie from Cleveland.

 

Listener [00:02:11] Hi Paul, this is Ellie from Cleveland, Ohio. I was calling because I’m currently in a somewhat predicament, a very kind one necessarily. But my sister in law, mother in law and grandma in law want to precook a bunch of meals for me and my husband because we’re expecting their first child. Very kind of generous of them, although none of them are known for being legendary cooks. So my fear is that they’re going to make us a bunch of food and then we’re not really going to want to eat the food. So I’m trying to figure out how to graciously work around this situation. And I was just wondering if you had any advice.

 

Paul Scheer [00:02:53] Ellie, you have a difficult proposition in front of you. I understand the want for someone to do this, but you can’t control it. You can’t control hospitality. If it sucks, it sucks. Throw it away. Give it away. You don’t have to eat it. Just be grateful for it. I’ve really tried to learn this lesson as I get older. Just be grateful for the idea, the thought. If you want to get a little bit more controlling, you can. You could do it in a very subtle way, though. You can say, “Oh my gosh, I’m so excited you want to do this for us. You know what we would love? Just like some pasta so we can have it ready to go and then we could put the sauce on it when we want to.” Or, you know, like you could give them you can give them a, an idea of what you want. Like, “Oh, we would, oh, what we would love is just for you to grill up some chicken breasts.” You know, something that you really can’t mess up, right? And that would be great. We can have that during the day. We can have that during the night. You can give them those parameters if you want, or you just accept what they give you and you get rid of it. Or, you know, I mean, I don’t know where finances fall into this, but you say, “You know what’ll be amazing though, honestly, we would love like just a Papa John Pizza. Do you have like a Papa John I got would be like, we’re craving it so bad.” In there. Or we could do that. We give you a Papa John pizza. You could do that. I guess what I’m saying is lead or lie. Either way, be thankful. Ellie, congratulations on your baby. I hope you name it Gerard Butler regardless of the sex. Next up, May sharing a trope that she has found in bad movies.

 

Listener [00:04:28] Hi, Paul, this is May. I was just calling to add to the list of bad movie tropes. You’re always talking about ways that you can tell a bad movie by certain indications in the movie, I have one I think I hate when I see in a movie, a brother or sister who was an adult call the other sibling, little brother or little sister. Just to establish which one is older. I’ve never in my life heard actual adult people call each other little brother or big sister. It is just a way to give us exposition, and it’s always the sign of a bad movie. Okay. Thank you. Have a good day.

 

Paul Scheer [00:05:18] You know, May, I am an only child. I had a stepsister, stepsisters, and, you know, so I can’t weigh in on this. But I will say that June and her sisters, they call each other big sister, little sister. They call each other sisters. But oftentimes, who is the oldest? I guess older sister comes up a lot. Youngest. Those things do come up. So it maybe a bad trope for you, May. But I can tell you the Raphael family, sisters, they use it. We are always looking for more Pauls Help Line voicemails. If you need some advice or maybe have a favorite bad movie trope you want to share to give me a call at 619-PAULASK. That’s 619-728-5275. All righty, people. Here’s a deal. How Did This Get Made is doing something we have not yet ever done in Los Angeles. We are doing a full on residency. That’s right. April 20th, 21st and 22nd. We are planting our flag at Largo and doing three nights, three new movies, maybe even three guests. It’s going to be a blast. It’s during Coachella. We want you to be there. We’re not going to change these dates unless something crazy good happens in our lives where we have to be somewhere else. Not like a vacation, but like a job or something. But I have a feeling these dates are going to stay locked in. April 20th, 21st and 22nd. Live at Largo. Go to Largo-LA.com for tickets or go to HDTGM.com. Either way, it’s a great way to get tickets and see us in L.A. three nights in a row, three different shows and maybe three different guests. I can’t wait. And while we’re talking about dates, maybe mark your calendar May 26th. May 26th might be the night that we go to Largo and do our Fast Ten episode, it’s not 100% yet. It might happen. It might not. But right now. It’s looking that way. Tickets are not on sale yet, but be on the lookout. But make sure you definitely check out Dinosaur every month at Largo. Jason Mantzoukas and I, plus a lot of your How Did This Get Made friends join in for a big improv show. It is super fun. Get your tickets quick, because these shows have been selling out. Also want to remind you to check in weekly to Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer. That’s me. Our show on Twitch called FriendZone. You see a bunch of great stuff happening on FriendsZone. We got George Lucas talk show on Friend Zone, which is great. They’re doing an Academy Award special the Night at the Academy Awards. A bunch of stuff is happening there, mainly on Thursdays. But, you know, like, subscribed, do all those things. Anyway, let’s get into it with your questions, comments and concerns for The Number 23. Right after this. Ooh, I got you.

 

Paul Scheer [00:08:10] Last week, we talked at length about The Number 23. We had questions and we might have even missed a few things. I mean, that’s almost next to impossible. Here’s your chance to set the record straight, right? Fact check us, if you will. It is now time for corrections and omissions. Hit it Brian B!

 

Intro Song [00:08:25] [Intro Song]

 

Paul Scheer [00:08:43] Thank you, Brian B. for that great theme. Let’s go to the Discord. Oh, I love our discord. Thank you, mods on the discord. You are the best. Rocket Wesker writes, “Isaac, Danny Houston’s character was not a good friend. Agatha phoned Isaac to convince Walter to drop his obsession, using the power of academicness. Instead, Isaac, that’s Danny Houston’s character, used the power of academicness to essentially tell Walter your belief is not entirely bonkers, and there is no harm to explore it further. I have no clue why Agatha still consulted him afterwards.” I do believe, honestly, and this is now not Rocket Wesker talking, this is Paul talking, that there was a cut scene, an affair of some kind between Danny and Agatha. It just feels like that’s what we were missing. He was set up to be that, and I feel like he was messing with her because he wanted her. Not a good friend. And that still goes to your point. I’m just saying. But I feel like there may have been a bigger reason. John Not Connor writes, “What are we to make of Dr. Leary exclaiming, You should be dead when Walter confronts him at the mailbox store? Sounds like he basically said, I cured you, but I’m not very good of a doctor, so you should have committed suicide. In the office pool I gave you about 23 days. Another issue is Walter’s encoded confession. Every 23rd word on every 23rd page. We must assume that these pages found their way to Dr. Leary, and he chose to publish this weird, nonsensical, incomplete story without alteration. And on exactly the same pages at Walter wrote them. A single formatting change could change the way the words fall in the pages and ruin the message.” Well, John Not Connor. First of all, I don’t really even understand your first point that Dr. Leary thinks he should be dead. I think what he thinks is maybe because he read the book, he would have killed himself. I don’t think he cured him. Right? I mean, and as far as the book, yes, that book was published very oddly. It looks like he did keep the formatting because it was printed like truly a person who never saw a published book published a book. And I feel like in that regard, Leary did a good job. Courtney writes “Regarding Dr. Serious Leary.” And by the way, we have a great, serious Leary’s Crazy Room T-shirt right now available at Teepublic.com. Go check it out. “Serious is nicknamed the Dog Star and the surname Leary, when combined with the first, basically keeps the theme of being wary or leary of dogs. Boo to this movie.” Leary. Oh boy. You guys are finding things in here that I don’t remember at all. I’m not saying that they’re not true, but we’re really, you guys are nitpicking to a degree that I’m even like, What? I don’t know. I love it. I’m not mad at you. I think it’s great. But I’m also like, I don’t remember any of these things. Anyway, let’s go to the phones and let’s hear from you directly. Dave What do you got?

 

Listener [00:11:34] Paul, this is Dave. I am a big fan. I would just listen to the number 23 podcast. It was fantastic. As usual, I thought there might be a little bit something. You guys might discuss the confirmation bias, which is the psychological idea of like seeing, seeing the thing everywhere you look, you know, which is what they’re doing with these very convoluted additions and then numerous numerology or whatever to get number 23. But what I really was hoping you guys would talk about is the fact that the kid is named Robin Sparrow. I was hoping you could devote a little bit of time to that ridiculous name because it fascinates me. Thank you very much. Keep up the good work.

 

Paul Scheer [00:12:21] Dave, thank you for pointing out something that continues to boggle me. This writer or this director loves crazy, stupid names. Robin Sparrow is dumb, you know. I mean, it’s not I don’t know if I have more to say about it than like, I feel like everything about this movie is too clever, but, like. It feels like someone who is dumb trying to be smart, not like smart and clever. Just like. Like, “Oh, did you see what I did there? Robin Sparrow. Two different birds. Two different birds. One person. That’s two birds. One person that’s 23.” Anyway, I don’t know, but. Boy, oh, boy. I don’t like it. Next up, Andrew from New York.

 

Listener [00:13:10] Hi, Paul. This is Andrew from NYC. I’m calling about the number 23, and I just felt compelled to share a quick little story about that movie. I moved to New York City in 2007 and I started going to a theater school. And, you know, you’re new and you’re trying to meet people and you becoming friends with people and you share interests and all that stuff. You try not to say the wrong thing. And it was at this time that I learned that fans of that movie are very passionate and I feel like almost little like what you guys touched on, which is like people on set bought into what the movie’s selling. I think to like the movie, you have to buy into what the movie’s selling. So I had made a new friend and things like we had our first like kind of fight because I think number 23 was coming out on DVD or something and I was like that stupid looking movie’s coming out. And he got so mad at me and he was like, “No, it’s not like you’ve never heard of that theory before? Like, it’s an awesome, like, it makes a lot of sense and it’s like a creepy movie. And Jim Carrey does like some of the best acting of his career.” And he just went like, on and on and on. And then I think we didn’t hang out then like it was just like this weird thing where I learned that just like people that like that movie take it very, very seriously.

 

Paul Scheer [00:14:25] Oh, my gosh. Our first number 23 fight. I love that this movie got you in that way. I had a fight with somebody about Forrest Gump. I love when people get passionate about things that don’t make a difference. And this movie definitely doesn’t make a difference. Forrest Gump, maybe a little bit more. But I’ll tell you this much. I was on the side of not liking Forrest Gump. Wow, I love this movie meant something to people. And you know what? God bless them. God bless them. And Andrew, I think that that’s a good way to understand. I know you’re new to New York, but you found out who your real friend was. If they’re going to be beholden to Jim Carrey in Number 23, you don’t want him. You don’t need him in your life. Next up, Blake from Denver.

 

Listener [00:15:04] Hey, Blake in Denver, I cannot find the movie review for the number 23, but I distinctly remember reading reviews with my friends, and one of them said if you search every 23rd word in this article, you might find a special surprise. And if you search it all, it said, this movie sucked donkey balls. And all I remember is that somehow he used Donkey Kong in the review. He or she, the reviewer did. But it was such a treat to sit there and have my friends be like, Why are you doing this? There’s no way that’s actually real. No one would do. No one would put in the effort for it. And this reviewer did and made my day. This movie sucks donkey balls. Love the pod. Thanks, guys.

 

Paul Scheer [00:15:51] Thank you, Blake. Oh, my God. That is amazing. You know what? Actually, speaking of secret messages, I actually heard that, you know, Walter Sparrow might have helped us write the episode description of our number 23 episode, which is up at Earwolf.com, which has a brand new redesigned website. And our episode description. You know, who knows what you might find if you look at secret messages that are revealed using the 23rd word of of a whole section, maybe you’ll find something interesting there. I don’t know where you are for the challenge. Maybe you are, maybe you aren’t. I haven’t seen anybody post about it so clearly no one dug that deep. But meanwhile, Courtney is digging deep about dog star Leary. And back to the discord. Eleanor writes, “I just want to point out the huge reveal about Topsy Kretts comes from Mark Pellegrino. In addition to playing Rip’s brother, Randy, in No Holds Barred, Pellegrino played Jacob on Lost, and 23 was among the numbers on Jacob’s list of potential replacement candidates to protect the island, along with four, eight, 15, 16 and 42.” Scott, our producer, notes that 23 was also arguably the most important of Jacob’s numbers as it corresponded to the series protagonist Jack Shephard. Boom Booyah. Damon Lindelof, call me. Does this resonate with you. Are you a fan of this movie? Did you know about it? End Times Fun writes, “How does Agatha explain away that she moved human remains to help Walter? I wonder what the police had to say about that? And where did she stashed the bones before deciding to come clean? Isaac’s trunk? Agatha, your husband had ‘kill her’, scratched on his arm with a big pen. Run away. Do not tamper with the evidence.” I mean, that’s a Jason Mantzoukas sentiment, if I ever heard one. Thank you, End Times Fun. Wow. So many great corrections innovations this week. But there can only be one that is the best. And you know what? I gave you a lot of crap this week. I gave you a lot of crap about all this stuff. But I want to point out that I love that Blake was able to find this amazing review where a movie critic hid the term “This movie sucks donkey balls” in his review. That blew me away. And this week, you Blake from Denver win corrections and omissions and you get this amazing song from Case Silva. Hit it!

 

Winner’s Song [00:18:26] [Winner’s Song]

 

Paul Scheer [00:18:44] If you want to chime in with your own thoughts about the latest episode, hit up the Discord at Discord.gg/HDTGM or Call us at 619-PAULASK. Coming up, jason I chat about all the things that we are currently into. We have some fun talking about actors who didn’t get the part and we’re going to go deep. This is a 30 minute conversation that really came out of nowhere. But like I said, make sure you’re getting your tickets for our big Largo residency. Stick around.

 

Paul Scheer [00:19:18] People. Did you notice that every Monday, How Did This Get Made is pulling out old episodes from the vault and then rereleasing them back into the rotation? We are always picking fun ones. Last week was The Room. We have fun ones coming up that correspond slightly to each movie that we’re doing here. But enough about all of that. I’ve heard enough from you. Okay? What about me? What am I into? What are Jason and I talking about? It’s a little segment we like to call Just Chat. Jake Hohenstein, hit us with another metal theme.

 

Paul Scheer [00:20:13] Thank you, Jake. Jason, we have seen a lot of each other recently and we’ve talked a lot privately about what we’ve been into. But I thought, you know, let’s kind of get into it, because we’ve been talking a lot about Fast and Furious, but we haven’t really gotten into what we’ve been watching on the side. I mean, what has been exciting to you? I will tell you this much. Knock on the Cabin.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:20:36] The Night Shyamalan movie?

 

Paul Scheer [00:20:38] Yes. It just came out on VOD. June. June lives in a perpetual state of fearing that she is going to be taken. And it’s because she listens to all these podcasts that are constantly. You know. And. And. But even though she lives in that constant state of fear, last night, she was like, “Let’s watch Knock on the Cabin. And I was exhausted because the previous night I woke up, June was convinced someone was at our door. They were not. We have agreed that it’s a ghost.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:21:16] Oh wow.

 

Paul Scheer [00:21:17] Yeah. So. Well, I agreed with her to stop the conversation.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:21:22] This is a huge exclusive. This is a huge announcement on the pod. You guys have a ghost.

 

Paul Scheer [00:21:31] We have a ghost. Oh, my God. We have a ghost.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:21:33] That’s it. Congrats. That’s huge.

 

Paul Scheer [00:21:35] It was so funny because at one point she said, “Well, someone’s definitely at the door.” And I said, they’re not. They just aren’t at the door, like. And she’s all someone is knocking at the door. And again I was like, Well, okay, if we know that’s not true, maybe you dreamed it. And she’s like, Well, honestly,.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:21:58] I’m so sorry. This was from a sleep?

 

Paul Scheer [00:22:01] Oh, yeah.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:22:02] Oh, wow. And that’s amazing. This is amazing.

 

Paul Scheer [00:22:06] And I said, Well, maybe you you dreamed it. And she said, No, I didn’t dream it. Someone’s at the door. And I showed her, you know, footage to disprove that. To which she said, well, then it’s a ghost. And, and I said, What? She said.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:22:22] Well, you effectively disproved that, that there was somebody there. But so then the only other option is that it’s a ghost.

 

Paul Scheer [00:22:29] And then when she said, It sounds like you don’t believe me, I said, No, I absolutely believe you. Can I please go back to sleep?

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:22:40] What time was it?

 

Paul Scheer [00:22:41] It was like 3:30 in the morning. And then because of the fear of the ghost, we stayed up for another 2 hours. So I was really exhausted. Last night, when I went back to bed, I was like, Oh, I can’t wait to get back to bed. And June’s like, Let’s watch–.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:22:57] Knock on the Door.

 

Paul Scheer [00:22:59] Yeah, knock on the door or whatever.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:23:01] Let’s watch Knock on the front door in the middle of the night.

 

Paul Scheer [00:23:03] So I was like, June, we can’t watch it. Like literally that’s what we had an issue with. And she’s like I want to watch it, I want to watch it. And then I was falling asleep and she kept on waking me up like it was like a form of of torture. Not because the movie was bad, but only because I was desperately trying to doze off. And then June was like, I’m too afraid. Why do you make me watch this? I’m like, I didn’t. I suggested that Ashton Kutcher romcom that’s on Netflix.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:23:31] Oh, boy. Oh, Ashton Kutcher, Reese Witherspoon? Your place or mine?

 

Paul Scheer [00:23:38] I didn’t even know what it was called.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:23:40] That rom com that hasn’t, that is broaching the topic that hasn’t been a question since Sleepless in Seattle what about a rom com where the people are never in the same place.

 

Paul Scheer [00:23:51] Wait is that the premise?

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:23:52] Yes.

 

Paul Scheer [00:23:54] Wow.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:23:55] They do not share a location.

 

Paul Scheer [00:23:58] Wow. Yeah. So is that why I think I saw something.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:24:04] To be clear, I don’t and this is what I understand it to be. I have not watched this movie yet, although I am certain I will.

 

Paul Scheer [00:24:10] Oh, I want to watch it. I will not miss a rom com.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:24:14] Oh yeah. Oh please. I watched the the J.Lo, Josh Dumel, Shotgun Wedding.

 

Paul Scheer [00:24:19] Oh yeah. How was that? Great people in it.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:24:21] D’Arcy Carden our friend D’Arcy Carden is absolutely hysterical in it. There’s a lot of great people in it, very funny and I really enjoyed it. And I think if it had been tweaked a couple of ways, it would have been incredible.

 

Paul Scheer [00:24:34] You know? And I think that this is the thing. I give a lot to a coming of age story and a rom com. I give a lot of leeway like, you know, I can still enjoy it, if not love it. Like there are ones that I’m like, ugh, you know, I’m like, it affects me still. And I feel like–.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:24:51] Oh yeah. Well, I really loved the storyline inside of The Father of the Bride, the remake of Father of the Bride. And I thought that movie was fantastic. But the storyline that I really loved was Andy Garcia and Gloria Estefan reigniting their love story, you know what I mean? Like that, that their story was, their marriage, rather, was falling apart and they were trying to hide it from the younger generation. I really like that storyline.

 

Paul Scheer [00:25:19] You know, there is another movie that just came out. It’s two married couples and their kids are dating. And then when they have everybody over for dinner, they find out that the husband of like the son is having an affair with the wife the other one, it’s like.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:25:39] What movie is it, though? It’s umm.

 

Paul Scheer [00:25:41] William H. Macy’s in it.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:25:43] Haven’t they all been sleeping with each other?

 

Paul Scheer [00:25:46] Yes, It’s called Maybe I do. Maybe I Do.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:25:48] Both couples are in adulterous affairs.

 

Paul Scheer [00:25:51] Yes.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:25:52] Unknowingly with each other’s spouse.

 

Paul Scheer [00:25:55] Yeah. So it’s Richard Gere and Diane Keaton. And Susan Sarandon. And William H. Macy. I don’t know how it all shakes out, but either they’re married or they are having adulterous affairs. While Luke Bracey and Emma Roberts, their children are in a happy relationship. And that was a movie where I really saw the trailer and I was like, I need to get deeper in on what this is. Because I feel like every now and then there are these, like, weird movies, like these rom coms that come out that definitely are for older people or, you know, stars some older people. And they’re out for a day. Like, they’re just like they get a one day release or something like that. There’s a Alec Baldwin one I’m going to find right now that also is like this. And I often find them on hotel TVs.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:26:42] Oh, wow. Okay.

 

Paul Scheer [00:26:44] Yeah. Because I feel like they released They’re primarily. Oh, this one is called a drunk.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:26:48] Wait a second. I’m not going to. You think that’s primarily where they’re released?

 

Paul Scheer [00:26:53] I feel like it’s like every now and then.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:26:55] It’d be incredible if Marriott started making, it’s like, Hey, who’s making that movie? Oh, Marriott. You know, they’re funding a $3 million rom com just for their pay per view.

 

Paul Scheer [00:27:04] All right, I please, someone will correct me and tell me I’m wrong. But I will say that with the way that I, the way that I imagine it is that if you’re on a pay per view TV, it’s more elevated than video on demand. So it’s like, oh, you’re first going to the exclusive now in theaters window on Marriott Bonvoy Network. And then we go to streaming and then, you know, it’s like it’s like, so this movie is the one that I’ve been obsessed with. And we should maybe do this for the show. I haven’t watched it. It’s called Drunk Parents.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:27:38] Oh, yes. Alec Baldwin and Salma Hayek.

 

Paul Scheer [00:27:40] Yeah. Wow. You knew that one right out of the gate.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:27:43] I remember watching the trailer for it.

 

Paul Scheer [00:27:45] Well, that’s where I’m at, too. Yeah.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:27:48] Yeah.

 

Paul Scheer [00:27:49] I mean, and it seems very gross. It’s a gross out movie.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:27:52] Yes. And it seems like it’s piggybacking off of the bad blank meme. That’s happening in movies, bad teacher, bad moms, bad, all these bad blank kind of things. And this one is like drunk parents, bad parents, basically.

 

Paul Scheer [00:28:08] They basically get really drunk or they try to hide. Yeah, I mean, but this is what I’m talking about. Did this movie come out in the theater? Now, by the way, Drunk Parents is is rocking a higher, is rocking a higher score than Maybe I Do, the adulterous parent. Maybe I Do is the adulterous parents.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:28:32] Sorry. Sorry. Yeah yeah yeah.

 

Paul Scheer [00:28:32]  So, you know, look, who knows?

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:28:35] Oh my God.

 

Paul Scheer [00:28:35] But I do believe that there are these movies being made. It’s. It’s harder and harder to find.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:28:40] Yeah. I feel like. I feel like we’ve talked a lot about all of the the now industry that is making holiday movies.

 

Paul Scheer [00:28:48] Oh yeah.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:28:48] You know, nonstop, constantly. And I do feel like there is a secondary industry that is just making like direct to video, essentially direct to streamers now. Rom coms, you know, that are just being pumped into, built off of the success of whether it’s the teen ones, whether it’s some of the young adult ones that we’ve done.

 

Paul Scheer [00:29:13] Kissing Booth.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:29:14] To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and then the younger adult ones like Set it Up.

 

Paul Scheer [00:29:19] I love Set it Up.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:29:20] I love it. Incredible. And some of those movies and like you’re saying, this older generation set of movies that are the Baldwins, that whole crowd. There is now, they’re pushing such rom com content inside of all of those ecosystems that I think everybody is getting a shot. And you’re right they all just get dumped onto Marriott you know pay per view.

 

Paul Scheer [00:29:47] And you’re in this weird world where you are. It’s like that company that makes movies like Transmorphers and that’s a true title. So like when you are searching on video on demand, you’re like, Oh, I want to see that new Transformers movie. And you quickly just select that one. Like, for example, the other day I needed to call Roto-Rooter back to my house because Roto-Rooter was here and I quickly looked and I called–

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:30:14] Cool brag.

 

Paul Scheer [00:30:16] Cool brag. And I called Roto Hero. But again, it’s like you’re close enough and it just goes in and all these rom coms, they don’t have to be Transmorphers. But like, these titles, Your Place or Mine. Maybe I Do, you know, Set It Up. They’re all the you know, they’re all these very vague titles.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:30:37] They all sound alike. It’s like, you know, all of these Steven Seagal movies are like three words.

 

Paul Scheer [00:30:43] Out for Justice.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:30:45] Exactly.

 

Paul Scheer [00:30:46] It’s whatever you get. There’s like, Steven Seagal is blank. He’s out for justice. He is under fire, he’s in enemy territory.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:30:55] But if you asked me which one of these is which? I would have no idea. And it’s the same thing if you gave me a list of recent rom com titles and then the stars of those movies. I don’t think I could link them all up. They’re so generic.

 

Paul Scheer [00:31:09] And I wonder if this is like part of the play. It’s like it just sounds kind of fun, right? Like, I mean, listen to like, let’s this is what we got here, I’m going to read you a couple of these romance films, Your Place or Mine, Love at First Kiss, Prom Pact, Perfect Edition, Little White Lie.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:31:28] Oh wow.

 

Paul Scheer [00:31:29] You know, Perfect Find. Love It Again.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:31:34] Oh, wow.

 

Paul Scheer [00:31:35] One True love. A Tourist Guide to Love. Love at First Kiss.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:31:39] Are these all recent?

 

Paul Scheer [00:31:41] These are all coming out. These are all coming.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:31:42] Oh upcoming now.

 

Paul Scheer [00:31:43] These all come out like in March. I just read you March. Yeah.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:31:47] Oh, God.

 

Paul Scheer [00:31:49] That’s just March. She is Loved. Meet me in Paris.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:31:56] I feel like this is the equivalent of, like, beach reads, you know? These are like, I bet half or more of these are based on books, you know, the way that, like the Nicholas Sparks books dominated romance stories and stuff like that for a bunch of years. You know, like, I think because these also sound like just straight romance movies, not necessarily rom coms, you know what I mean?

 

Paul Scheer [00:32:18] Right.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:32:19] But it’s such a– that’s what I mean. It’s such an industry now that we’re getting pushed. Like you could watch one of these every night if you wanted to.

 

Paul Scheer [00:32:27] I mean, here it is. So I just looked up Shotgun Wedding. And when you look at Shotgun Wedding, what you have underneath it is if you like this, you will also like People We Hate at the Wedding. About Fate. Somebody I Used to Know. I Want You Back.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:32:40] Yeah.

 

Paul Scheer [00:32:42] Something from Tiffany’s. Marry Me.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:32:45] Somebody I Used to Know is the Ali Bris, Dave Franco Movie.

 

Paul Scheer [00:32:48] Yeah. Which is very fun.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:32:50] That’s super fun. I’m trying to think of.

 

Paul Scheer [00:32:54] The Wedding Trip.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:32:55] Which of those that you’re. I’m trying to think. Which of those do I know?

 

Paul Scheer [00:32:59] Okay, so, yeah.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:32:59] So few of them.

 

Paul Scheer [00:33:01] Again, like, I know Something from Tiffany’s is from our friend Daryl Wynn.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:33:06] Oh, yeah.

 

Paul Scheer [00:33:06] Yeah, he directed that one. But again, you’re right. Like, I want, like, nothing against the. This has nothing to do about the quality of the movies. It just has to do about the. Like the. The marshmallow fluff of the title. The title. Yeah. I think the titlings are getting more benign because at least like People We Hate at the Wedding. I understand what that is. Yeah. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. I understand why. Shotgun Wedding. I understand what that is. But once you start getting into, like, just titles, like About Fate, I have no fucking idea what that’s.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:33:44] What’s interesting is like Shotgun Wedding is a term that is not part of the movie Shotgun Wedding.

 

Paul Scheer [00:33:51] Right. Because Shotgun Wedding is the idea that, like, you are forced into a marriage.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:33:56] Yes. Right. Because you are having a baby. That is my understanding of the phrase shotgun wedding.

 

Paul Scheer [00:34:02] And here’s what I would say is Shotgun Wedding, the movie that you saw. Is there a shotgun used somehow?

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:34:10] Well, that’s what I was going to say. This is a wedding that has guns appear at it.

 

Paul Scheer [00:34:14] Yes. Okay.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:34:14] But by the way, I really enjoyed the movie. Jennifer Coolidge in it. Great, great, great.

 

Paul Scheer [00:34:19] It’s a great cast. And I will say that one of my favorite texts I’ve ever gotten was from Darcy. We were texting back and forth about doing something and she was like, I have to go. I am on a helicopter right now with, oh gosh. So there’s a big action.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:34:34] The scene in the helicopter is so fucking funny. It’s great.

 

Paul Scheer [00:34:39] It was making me. I was like, What is this movie? And she is like, It is like, it’s amazing. And it is like. And it is like it. And this one that.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:34:48] When you watch it, you’re mind is going to be blown. Because when you watch it from the point of view of you knowing a little bit about making a movie.

 

Paul Scheer [00:34:57] Yeah.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:34:57] There’s an enormous period in the movie time in which everybody who’s a wedding guest at the wedding is forced at gunpoint into the pool. And I was like, Oh, no. How many days must they have shot where they had to be in a pool all day, every day. And it must have been weeks, weeks in the pool, because most of act two the entire wedding party is in a pool.

 

Paul Scheer [00:35:24] There are moments like that where I really am. I think about that and I think about how uncomfortable it is and even when I write. Like I mean, look, Jason, I think about you all the time. When you did John Wick, the movie was all in the rain, right? And you just shot for a little bit.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:35:41] I only shot for a matter of days. Keanu Reeves is in pouring rain. They they rig every street so that it doesn’t just rain a little. It pours. Like rehearsal one of my first scene. First rehearsal with the rain. I was drenched. It was the middle of the night and I was soaked through completely. And then he’s doing that all night, every night and executing incredible fight choreography. I was like. It’s nuts.

 

Paul Scheer [00:36:12] I don’t even understand how you do that. And I’ll tell you that the only time. And have you ever worked under I mean, yes, you worked with the rain machine there. I worked with a rain machine in Atlanta. And there’s a moment because it’s not hot water. It’s cold.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:36:27] Oh, yeah.

 

Paul Scheer [00:36:27] And there’s that moment when you know it’s coming on and you’re just like, Oh, fuck. Oh, shit. And it’s like, and then you just get drenched. And then they would shut it off and you get a little bit more comfortable and then you go back in. It really, I don’t, anybody who can even act under that, like to do stunts.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:36:46] I’ve also shot a number of things in cold pools where it’s supposed to be summer and you’re supposed to be having like a cool, fun, carefree we’re in the pool. But it’s an unheated, freezing cold pool and that is you’re shivering, shivering, shivering. And then you have to try and be like, Hey, flirty, cool, whatever. You know, it’s tough.

 

Paul Scheer [00:37:08] I just don’t understand why. Why are we, why are we being forced into water?

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:37:16] Ask James Cameron.

 

Paul Scheer [00:37:17] Oh, my God. Imagine that. Imagine that.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:37:20] I can’t. Holy shit.

 

Paul Scheer [00:37:22] By the way, did you get, we are both. And I think you are heavily. You’re more in History of the World: Part Two, The new Nick Kroll, Wanda Sykes and Ike Barinholtz show on Hulu. It’s going to be a four night event coming up in just a couple of weeks in March. Did you have to do anything uncomfortable for that?

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:37:42] No. I’m only in one sketch and it was very easy. It’s a it takes place at the like the Oslo Accords like it’s a UN sketch. So everybody represents a different country. I’m Greece. Makala Watkins is in it. D’Arcy Carden is in the scene. Andy Daly’s in the scene. And it just is like an argument amongst like officials from different countries. It’s very easy, very funny game that just keeps heightening and heightening and heightening. I won’t say what what the game is, but it’s very funny.

 

Paul Scheer [00:38:12] I’m excited for that show because just knowing Kroll and seeing things that I saw and talking to him, the amount of people that are in it.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:38:21] Oh, I went to the premiere last night and the the number of incredible comedians from like young, fantastic comedians to like Marla Gibbs and Mel Brooks, for that matter. Like the cast list is incredible. Like it’s just also fun to watch sketches. I just, I so enjoy watching sketches. So it was fun to watch an hour of sketch comedy in a theater full of people.

 

Paul Scheer [00:38:52] Oh, my gosh, It was the best. Now, did you get to meet Mel Brooks?

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:38:55] I did not. I did not. He was a brief appear. I was frankly shocked he showed up at 96 years old.

 

Paul Scheer [00:39:02] Yeah.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:39:02] I was like, protect Mel Brooks, keep him safe. He came in. He just said a few words. He came in with jokes, just destroyed for, you know, couple of minutes. And then and then they showed the episodes. It was fantastic. It was fuckin cool as hell.

 

Paul Scheer [00:39:16] I got to meet Mel Brooks once in his office because he actually, because he came on an episode of How Did This Get Made after we did SolarBabies with John Mulaney, one of our amazing researchers, Blake J. Harris did like an interview with Mel Brooks. And it was really the downside of it. It was terrible recording. This is before pandemic and people hadn’t figured out their recording situation. But he was transcribing these interviews and you can still find them on Slashfilm just type it them. But Mel Brooks talks about Solarbabies, and I just thanked him for that. And he’s like, “Come by the office and get a cup of coffee.” And watching him just tool around at night, probably is like 94 at this time or, you know. It was awesome. Like, it was so cool to see him tell stories, be funny, be relaxed and he pitched me some ideas for Spaceballs that he was working on Spaceballs Two, and I just love that he just has this energy of, you know, like, wanting to keep on making stuff.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:40:22] Yeah. Oh, yeah. I mean, like him. Norman Lear, another person who well into his nineties, is still making great stuff. You know, there’s people who are, you know, I just watched the Dick Cavett Groucho Marx American Masters episode that came out last month or a couple months ago. Fantastic. You know like and again you just watch your it’s both a documentary that is about the, the, the later years of Groucho’s life when Cavett’s a young man. But Cavett now as an old man, is reflecting on that period inside the documentary. So you’re getting both of them in their older years looking back and it’s terrific.

 

Paul Scheer [00:41:03] Yeah, I just love that kind of stuff. When you get to see these things. I was at the I was at the Academy Museum, which is basically a tribute to the Academy Awards, but also cinema in every way. And they have these amazing exhibits constantly changing. It’s so, it’s so fun. But they had this section for Boys in the Hood, just like they had this little area for it. And they had all this footage of everybody from Boyz in the Hood like on set shooting that movie. Like Laurence Fishburne in costume, in character. And it’s so fun to be able to watch these, like, really great pieces of doc footage of these people back in the moment. Like even watching Martin Sheen audition for The Godfather. They have a full godfather, like a wing right now. And it was like, oh, just watching him do these scenes and then talk to Coppola, like, I just love, I’m a sucker for that. I can go and watch that stuff all the time.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:42:01] Oh, yeah. I mean, like, that’s what I love about, that’s one of the rabbit holes I can go down on YouTube is, you know, behind the scenes footage or, you know, making of footage from things that I like, you know, because a lot of that ended up on DVD extras or ended up in short form documentaries that were tagged on to special features and stuff like that. So a lot of it has made its way to YouTube and you can just watch all of that, including auditions, including screen tests, all that, I love. Now, I’ll watch that all the time.

 

Paul Scheer [00:42:34] Now sometimes when you see somebody like Martin Sheen audition for The Godfather, would you ever allow yourself to have, like because I think famously like Seth Rogen, his audition is up for The Office and it’s fun. These are like, Martin Sheen is great, Seth Rogen is great. Like it’s it’s all different. Like, would you ever allow yourself to put your audition up there?

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:42:54] I guess I would if I watched it and didn’t find, I mean, like, but I suspect I would feel very uncomfortable, you know, with those, especially with those– that period of auditions. Like from the very beginning of when I was auditioning for stuff that then became like, iconic or beloved things, you know, there’s a part of me that’s like, Oh, cool. Sure. But there’s another part of me that’s like, Oh, no, I don’t want that stuff out there. I don’t know that I would also upload, like the first scripts that I wrote to the Internet for people to dissect that. That’s not a period where I was hitting homeruns. Obviously, I didn’t get the job.

 

Paul Scheer [00:43:32] But, you know, it’s also like it’s a funny thing because I think sometimes it just shows like with Martin Sheen in The Godfather, like you watch it and you go, oh, well, he’s very good, but he’s like, it’s just different.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:43:46] It’s like Christopher Walken auditioning for Han Solo.

 

Paul Scheer [00:43:49] Right. And it’s and I feel like that. But it’s hard, I think, to have that perspective, to be like, this is good. It’s not right. I don’t know if I could. I don’t know if I have the the wherewithal to because I think I would feel like I did it wrong, like I did it wrong if I didn’t get it. Like, you really have to kind of hit it out of the park.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:44:04] Yeah. Well, yes, I think it would have to be something that I felt good about, regardless of the fact that I didn’t get the role. But I’m still like, I’m cool with what I did versus I think there were lots of auditions that I would be like, if forced to rewatch them, I would be like, Oh, of course I didn’t get this job. This is terrible.

 

Paul Scheer [00:44:24] Now, by the way, speaking of which, have you seen? And not that this is terrible, but it’s interesting. Have you seen Tom Selleck audition for Indy?

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:44:33] No.

 

Paul Scheer [00:44:34] Oh. It’s cool.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:44:35] I mean, I know he was Spielberg’s choice. And Magnum was like Remington Steele and Pierce Brosnan. Both of those guys missed out on iconic roles, James Bond and Indiana Jones because of their TV commitments.

 

Paul Scheer [00:44:50] So they did a full on screen test with Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones. And I have not been able to find more than like 30 seconds of it, but it’s him and Sean Young.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:45:02] Incredible.

 

Paul Scheer [00:45:03] And and it’s–

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:45:06] I want it.

 

Paul Scheer [00:45:06] I’m sending it to you right now so you can watch it. Here. You know, let me share my screen real quick.

 

Movie Audio [00:45:17] I did what I did. I don’t expect you to be happy about it, but maybe it can do us both some good. Why start now? Just shut up! Shut up and listen to me now. I need that piece your father had.

 

Paul Scheer [00:45:31] And that’s all. That’s all.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:45:32] Oh, so it’s very short.

 

Paul Scheer [00:45:33] It’s very short. I think that that’s all that. That maybe he agreed to.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:45:39] That’s interesting. Okay.

 

Paul Scheer [00:45:41] But it is interesting. It’s it’s. He’s tough.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:45:45] He’s. Yes, He’s very much Magnum.

 

Paul Scheer [00:45:48] Yeah.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:45:48] You know, this is Magnum era, and it’s a lot more, like overtly gruff and aggressive in a way that I feel like it, just in this clip. He doesn’t even have the charm of Magnum.

 

Paul Scheer [00:46:04] No. Yeah.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:46:05] You know, which is to, which he very well could have found.

 

Paul Scheer [00:46:08] I mean, by the way, who knows? Yeah, Who? Yeah, exactly.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:46:11] There’s a version of this that works. Although, you know. Yeah, I don’t know. Like, I would love to believe it. Only because Magnum is my favorite, but, I mean, you just cannot separate Harrison Ford from Indiana Jones. That’s like.

 

Paul Scheer [00:46:22] Well, I think that that’s it, too. Like, is Indiana. Is Indiana Jones, Indiana Jones without Harrison Ford.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:46:28] It’s interesting to see this clip you just played, the iconic Indiana Jones outfit is already in place.

 

Paul Scheer [00:46:35] Yes.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:46:35] You know, like the hat, the jacket, all of the components are there. They’ve already decided that.

 

Paul Scheer [00:46:42] And it looks a little goofier on him. And no for no, you know, no offense, but I do like– I just I do enjoy, I guess, actors who are comfortable enough to allow themselves.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:46:56] Yeah.

 

Paul Scheer [00:46:57] To because at some point someone like George Lucas or Steven Spielberg had to say, Hey, Tom, we want to use it. Can we use it? It’s years later.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:47:07] Well, this reminds me of the Back to the Future. The Back to the Future.

 

Paul Scheer [00:47:14] The Stoltz.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:47:14] That is Eric Stoltz instead of Michael J. Fox. They never did because, I mean, they just didn’t. But even still, I never. For years, there was only, like, a handful of photos.

 

Paul Scheer [00:47:27] Black and white stills. Yeah.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:47:27] That was it. You could, you would tell people and people would be like, what are you talking about? And you’d be like, here’s a picture of Eric Stoltz.

 

Paul Scheer [00:47:34] And this is what I believe Eric Stoltz is saying. I don’t want that out there. Eric Stoltz is, because he can allow himself. I don’t think he can have control over footage, the production stills or footage without sound. But once that sound gets in there.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:47:50] Isn’t that interesting?

 

Paul Scheer [00:47:51] Because I would love to see him do that at this point. We all know Eric Stoltz is a great actor, but again, that’s us. And you see, this is the ego that we’re talking about. Like, Yeah, we understand that you’re great. It’s just interesting to see how you would have attacked it, which was bad. We all know it’s bad. You got fired from it like but you had a great career.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:48:07] Or you didn’t get it. You know, like, like there’s so many roles, so many iconic roles in TV shows that you and I have both auditioned for that we did not get. That then went on to be played by incredible actors doing incredible work.

 

Paul Scheer [00:48:21] I’m trying to think of, like the most famous thing that I auditioned for that I didn’t get that I, like, it’s hard to remember and like, all like, but it is like, it’s funny because sometimes when you watch it.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:48:33] All of them too were just like, you know, I was one of hundreds of people who auditioned at the very beginning of a process that yielded the iconic cast of The Office.

 

Paul Scheer [00:48:48] That’s not that not saying like I just but there are those moments where like, oh, I was so far off or oh, that would have been so crazy.

 

Jason Mantzoukas [00:48:55] I mean, like you this have you ever, have you ever– I’ve done this now a few times where I’ll find a show. I’ll love it. Some older show. And then I will be like, wow, wouldn’t it have been great to to do that, to be on this or something like that? And then I’ll look it up in my email and realize I did audition for it or I, you know, I didn’t end up auditioning for it, but there was maybe potential for it or something like that and I’m like, Whoa, there is like a ships passing in the night of a show that you love.

 

Paul Scheer [00:49:25] I, yes. And by the way, speaking of that, we know that Jun had that experience firsthand with The Hottie and the Nottie. All right, Jason, we’ve got to wrap it up, but let’s check in very soon to keep on chatting.

 

[00:49:39] All right, woof, good conversation. I could have kept on going there. If anyone has the full Magnum P.I. or I should say Tom Selleck audition, please send it to us. Now that we got The Number 23 out of the way. Let’s talk about next week’s movie. We are going from seeing a man named Topsy Krettz to skiing women who are topsy-less, top-less, topless? Anyway, next week we are watching the 1991 comedy Ski School. And guess what, people? You’ve been begging for it. We are bringing back a guest for Ski School. That’s right. Get ready for our first guest episode in quite some time. Here’s a short breakdown of Ski School. Rival groups in a ski school do battle on and off the slopes. One gang, a rich and pompous, and the other are party animals. This movie has zero reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. What a crime. So instead we turn to Nate Johnson on Letterbox, who says this is what you would get if a Labatt blue commercial had a child with a soft core porn. You know what? While not totally inaccurate. The movie is better than that review. Anyway, listen to the trailer.

 

Trailer Audio [00:50:45] Ski school. It’s not about learning how to ski. For Dave Marshall and his gang, life is one big party. Welcome to my kingdom. I will bet you all before the night is through. But the competition is fierce. You’re dead. I control this mountain, and I say this is your last year. With their backs against the wall. They’ll do anything to win. Do you want to have sex with me? Okay, let’s get naked.

 

Paul Scheer [00:51:13] Oh, boy. I can’t wait. You can watch Ski School on Amazon Prime video Paramount Plus. And Tubi. I encourage you to also check out Hoopla or Kanopy, which are digital media services offered by your local public library that allow you to borrow movies, music, audio books, e-books, comics, and TV shows to enjoy on your computer, tablet or phone, or even your TV for free. That is it for the show. Please remember to rate and review. It helps. And if you listen on Apple Podcasts, make sure you are following us with us on social media @HDTGM and for commercial free access to How Did This Get Made and our entire archive and so much more sign up for Stitcher premium for a free one month trial, use the code “bonkers” A big thank you to our producers Scott Sonne and Molly Reynolds, our movie picking producer Avril Halley, our engineer Alex Gonzales, and our publisher, July Diaz. We will see you next week for Ski School.