With over a decade of hilariously dissecting cinematic disasters, “How Did This Get Made?” has given us hundreds of episodes where Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, and Jason Mantzoukas transform terrible movies into comedy gold.
While every episode offers its own unique brand of bewildered entertainment, some installments have achieved legendary status among fans for their perfect storms of baffling films and the hosts’ increasingly unhinged reactions to them.
Whether it’s a live show where the audience’s energy amplifies the chaos, a movie so confusing that it breaks Jason’s brain, or a film so problematic that June spends the entire episode questioning humanity’s creative choices, certain episodes have become essential listening for anyone who wants to understand why this podcast has defined the movie and comedy podcast format. Here are some of the top episodes of the “How Did This Get Made?”.
Matinee Monday: Drop Dead Fred LIVE! (w / Casey Wilson)
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Casey Wilson (Bitch Sesh) teams up with Paul, June, and Jason to analyze the 1991 comedy Drop Dead Fred. Captured live at The Ebell Theater in Los Angeles, they explore how this film inspired June’s acting aspirations, examine Phoebe Cates’ character’s connection with Drop Dead Fred, delve into Casey’s disdain for the movie, and much more. The episode stands as HDTGM’s most polarizing installment! Listeners must choose between #teamfred or #teamsanity.
Matinee Monday: After Earth (w/ Paul F. Tompkins)
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Enormous avians, peculiar mobility devices, and abandonment issues represent just a few of the incredible elements discovered in the 2013 Will & Jaden Smith film After Earth. Paul F. Tompkins accompanies Paul, June, & Jason to examine futuristic British dialects, Will Smith’s lack of emotional expression, and creatures whose sole purpose involves murder. They additionally explore potential Scientology connections, a civilization without doors that relies solely on blade weaponry, and June’s analysis of the actual events depicted in the birthday candle memory sequence.
Matinee Monday: Deep Blue Sea LIVE!
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Writer/director Evan Goldberg (Superbad) and HDTGM veteran Paul F. Tompkins (BoJack Horseman) accompany Paul & Jason to examine the madness within the 1999 shark thriller Deep Blue Sea. Broadcasting live from Largo in Los Angeles, they delve into Samuel L. Jackson’s notorious demise, LL Cool J’s bond with his avian companion, Stellan Skarsgård’s alternate identity, and the case for Saffron Burrows serving as the story’s actual antagonist. Additionally, audiences experience LL Cool J’s rap-based prayer and what may be cinema’s greatest musical contribution.
EP. 48 – Sleepaway Camp
Listen on: YouTube
Paul, Jason, June Diane, and MTV’s Zack Pearlman examine 1983’s Sleepaway Camp during this Halloween installment of How Did This Get Made. The discussion covers inappropriate family relationships, proper pasta preparation techniques, and the crucial importance of avoiding aquatic serpents. They also analyze Robert Earl Jones’ acting (James Earl Jones’ father) and Paul’s perspective on the AIDS crisis. The episode celebrates this moderately-budgeted tribute to asymmetrical hairstyles and abbreviated clothing.
Re-Release: Face/Off LIVE! (w. Randall Park)
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Last Looks resumes in a fortnight! Meanwhile, listeners can enjoy an HDTGM favorite as Randall Park (WandaVision) teams up with Paul, Jason, and June to analyze the 1997 Nic Cage and John Travolta epic, Face/Off. Recorded LIVE from Largo in Los Angeles, they explore topics ranging from Nic Cage’s distinctive oral technique to facial cascades and countless other elements.
Matinee Monday: The Boy Next Door (w/ Heather Anne Campbell & Ben Siemon)
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Heather Anne Campbell from Whose Line Is It Anyway? and Ben Siemon from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend team up with Paul and Jason in the studio to examine Jennifer Lopez’s erotic thriller The Boy Next Door. The discussion covers the moist pastry sequence, the original “Iliad” publication, deserted Chinatown, additional topics, and another argument regarding man buns. Additionally, a critic may be experiencing television difficulties as several alternative reviews are presented.
Matinee Monday: Jack Frost LIVE! (w/ Dan Harmon)
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Retrieve your enchanted mouth organ, as Dan Harmon accompanies Paul, June, and Jason to analyze the Michael Keaton film, Jack Frost. They explore the George Clooney link to the movie and wonder whether Jim Henson would have permitted this horror to be created. Bear in mind, a frozen father surpasses an absent father.
Matinee Monday: Look Who’s Talking Now (w/ Conan O’Brien)
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Conan O’Brien teams up with Paul, June, and Jason to examine the 1993 romantic comedy and series finale, Look Who’s Talking Now featuring John Travolta and Kirstie Alley. They explore the conscious Danny DeVito reproductive cell, the conversing canines’ failure to advance the storyline, the daughter’s handcrafted Charles Barkley figurine, and lupine creatures.
Matinee Monday: Reindeer Games
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Howard Kremer joins the HDTGM team to analyze a Christmas-themed film released two months past December, the 2000 crime-thriller Reindeer Games. They discuss Ben Affleck’s pecan pie obsession, the awful open-mouthed romantic scenes, and the absurd Ashton Kutcher appearance. Additionally, listeners discover details about Paul’s personal connection history with his mother. No actual reindeer competitions occur here, seasons greetings earthlings!
Bloodsport LIVE w/ Nicole Byer
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KUMITE! KUMITE! KUMITE! HDTGM veteran Nicole Byer (Nailed It!) accompanies Paul and Jason to examine the classic 1988 Jean-Claude Van Damme martial-arts movie Bloodsport. Broadcasting LIVE from Largo in Los Angeles, they explore Frank Dux’s authentic masculinity, Van Damme’s tender posterior, blindfolded beverage preparation, the poorly-concealed illegal Kumite fighting competition, Ray Jackson, and numerous other elements. Additionally, two relatives engage in combat during a question kumite showdown in the Audience Q&A segment!
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
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This week Paul, June, and Jason analyze the audience-selected film, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The team debates whether viewers should influence their movie choices, the unexpected inclusion of Tom Sawyer as an Extraordinary Gentleman, their admiration for Captain Nemo, and numerous other topics!
Re-Release: Anaconda LIVE! (w/ Michael Ian Black)
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Following Paul’s announcement of next week’s upcoming film, listeners can enjoy an HDTGM favorite as Michael Ian Black (Wet Hot American Summer) teams up with Paul, Jason, and June to analyze the 1997 serpent assault movie Anaconda. Recorded LIVE from The Bell House in Brooklyn, they examine Jennifer Lopez’s documentary abilities, Jon Voight’s French Robert De Niro vocal impression, the debate over whether the reptile should have spoken, and countless other elements.
Matinee Monday: Hackers
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What’s its purpose? June’s technology anxiety triggers that memorable inquiry when the HDTGM team analyzes the 1995 digital thriller Hackers featuring Angelina Jolie, Jonny Lee Miller, Fisher Stevens, and Lorraine Bracco. They examine the film’s ridiculous approach to standard computer security codes, the hackers’ wardrobe choices, Penn Jillette in the massive computing chamber, and Fisher Stevens’ remarkable portrayal of “The Plague.” Additionally, the group pauses their film discussion to chat about chocolate bars, chewing gum, and electronic cigarettes.
Con Air LIVE! (Re-Release)
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Seth Grahame-Smith (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) accompanies Paul, Jason, and June to examine the 1997 Nick Cage masterpiece, Con Air. Broadcasting LIVE from Largo in Los Angeles, they explore Nic Cage’s southern dialect, John Cusack’s footwear combination of hosiery and open-toed shoes, June’s passion for aviation films, and numerous other topics. Additionally, the group discusses John Malkovich delivering cinema’s ultimate antagonist demise during the audience Q&A session!
Matinee Monday: Fast Five (w/ Adam Scott)
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Fast Five may represent a critical triumph and a “cinematic milestone” (Vin’s terminology, not theirs) but that doesn’t shield it from scrutiny. Paul, June, Jason, and Adam Scott (Severance, Party Down) examine the prison transport vehicle rollover sequence, the pursuit scene concluding with an expectant mother announcement, and all the timeline bewilderment hidden within an otherwise remarkable action spectacle.
Matinee Monday: Tango & Cash (w/ Nick Kroll)
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Nick Kroll (Big Mouth, History of the World: Part II) makes his 3rd guest return to analyze the 1989 Sly Stallone & Kurt Russell partner police movie Tango & Cash. The HDTGM team explores Jack Palance’s labyrinth, the media reports, the peculiar bathing sequence, and Sly & Kurt’s uncertain high-five dynamic. Additionally, June disputes a 2nd Opinion critique regarding visible male posterior nudity in films.
Matinee Monday: Moonfall LIVE!
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SCREW THE LUNAR SURFACE! Paul, Jason, and June analyze the 2022 catastrophe movie Moonfall featuring Halle Berry and Patrick Wilson. Broadcasting LIVE from Largo in Los Angeles, they examine car dealerships, massive constructions, the bewilderment surrounding the foreign student, and whether British dialects exist within the film. Additionally, they question “Does this film assume we’re too dense to comprehend artificial intelligence?”
Matinee Monday: Monkey Shines
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A homicidal primate, a quintessential 80s intimate scene, creature soliloquies, and the Tucc. Monkey Shines contains everything! During a special Halloween installment, Paul, June, and Jason examine the simian camera work, maternal cleansing assistance, whether Alan was jogging to class with concrete blocks in his bag initially, and the precise definition of “monkey shines.” Additionally, everyone attempts to determine where the supposedly removed surgical procedure sequence belongs in the movie’s final version.
Matinee Monday: Geostorm LIVE!
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Colton Dunn (Superstore, Blockers) teams up with Paul, Jason, and guest co-host Jessica St. Clair (The Deep Dive, Avenue 5) to examine the 2017 catastrophe movie Geostorm featuring Gerard Butler. Captured live from Los Angeles at Largo at the Coronet, they explore Andy Garcia’s writing instrument performance, the actual automobile Geo Storm, Mr. Bean in orbit, and numerous other elements. GEOSTOOOOOORM!
Matinee Monday: Teen Witch (w/ Deanna Cheng)
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Paul, June, and Jason are joined by Deanna Cheng (Black Monday) as they dive into the 1989 movie Teen Witch, featuring Robyn Lively and Zelda Rubinstein. Their conversation touches on everything from the puzzling presence of bedroom chairs and awkward condom incantations to the inappropriately romantic use of a possible crime scene, and of course, “Top That,” which they dub the original cinematic rap battle.
Matinee Monday: Cellular (w/ Ike Barinholtz & Erin Gibson)
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Paul and Jason team up with Ike Barinholtz and Erin Gibson to break down the 2004 suspense film Cellular, starring Chris Evans, Kim Basinger, and Jason Statham. The group highlights William H. Macy’s standout performance, the bizarre choice of Kim Basinger’s character naming her son Ricky Martin, and the filmmakers’ clear misunderstanding of how cellphones actually function. They also have a blast riffing on their newly beloved character, “Jason Statham Angeleno.”
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