EP. 330.5 — Last Looks: The Pope’s Exorcist

Paul Scheer [00:00:00] The pope drinks Guinness. Just how far is the ride from Rome to Spain? It is now time for How Did This Get Made Last Looks. Hit the theme.

Music [00:00:10] [Intro Song]

Paul Scheer [00:00:25] (Bad Italian Accent) Bongiorno. My spicy demons, it means it’s me, Russell Crowe’s Italian accent coach, Paul Scheer. And welcome to How Did This Get Made Last Looks. I want to do that the entire show. This is where you get to voice your issues on the Pope’s Exorcist. Jason will join me to chat about old TV shows and we will recommend some books and podcasts for you. I’ll share an exclusive deleted scene from our Pope’s Exorcist show. And as always, I will reveal next week’s movie. But first things first, a shout out to Sean Fogle for that amazing opening theme song. We love these themes. We love them so much. Keep them coming. And not only do we want Last Look themes, but we are potentially looking for a brand new main theme song. So if you think you’re up for the challenge and you’ve heard Jason and I discuss what we’re looking for, send it to us at HowDidThisGetMade@Earwolf.com. You can post it on our discord or just send it to us whatever you want to do. And Jason and I will continue to judge these songs on air. Now, we just finished up our first half of our fall tour. It was amazing. Maine, Rhode Island, New Haven, Brooklyn. You all brought it in a major way. I loved playing those cities and now we’re doing it again. November 8th and ninth will be in Chicago, November 10th and 11th, we will be in Minneapolis. Tickets are on sale right now at HowDidThisGetMade.com, that’s HDTGM.com. Let’s get into it, people. Last week we talked at length about the Pope’s Exorcist, a movie that discord user Anna Huskins thinks could have had the tagline “The Pope’s Exorcist. You’ll wonder what possessed them to make it.” Like it. Even better in the Italian accent. Well, we had questions about the Pope’s Exorcist, and while we might have even missed a few things. Here is your chance to set us straight. Fact Check us, if you will. It is now time for corrections and omissions.

Music [00:02:40] [Corrections and Omissions Song]

Paul Scheer [00:02:52] Thank you, Josh Broileau, for that amazing theme song. Let’s go to the Discord. Ooh Cat, start off with Cat here, “Italian here.” She writes. “This was a tough one. I might write another post solely about accents, but I wanted to point out that Father Crowe is actually riding a Lambretta, not a vespa.” Yes, I have gotten this complaint a lot. Thank you, Cat, for calling it out. Lambretta is the first type of scooter in the style made in Italy by a company named Innocente. The man who designed Lambretta, had a falling out with the innocente owner, quit and then took his design to another company called Piaggio, where they started producing Vespas. I strongly doubt Father Crowe knew any of this and just did it for the dynamite looks. But of course, the character had to ride a scooter made by the company named Innocence. And the scooter talk continues. Sean McBee writes, “I looked it up, and that scooter ride from Rome to Castillo, Spain was roughly 1194 miles. He appears to have been riding a lambretto L1 150 with a top speed of under 55 miles per hour. That’s about a 22 hour ride, plus plenty of stops for gas. Given that the scooter only has an eight liter tank about two gallons and the absolute max range you would get on a full tank would be about 100 miles. So you’re looking at making at least 12 gas stops. And in trying to figure out exactly which model he was driving, I found another link to the movie’s filming in Ireland. And the Scooter actually has a Guinness badge on it.” And he included a picture. We can see it up close. Yes. Russell Crowe is an Italian man who loves Guinness. By the way, I do want to just get a a date check. Was this model Lambretta even in production in the eighties? My gut says no. I know a lot of people have written in about this journey. This might be my favorite one. Someone also mentioned there was a ferry component to it. You had to take a ferry at a certain point. Liz brings up, “So it got brought up in the show how the demon has a Rumplestiltskin like thing going on where if you learn its name, you have power over him. But did anyone notice that right after Russell Crowe learns his name and says it out loud, that’s when the demon gets especially powerful? Learning his name didn’t help at all.” Well, you know what, Liz? It’s interesting, because I think that that was a lower tier demon. I think it’s sort of like that’s like if you’re playing chess, those are your pawn demons. And he was dealing with, like, a queen demon. Anyway, that’s my theory. I’m sticking to it. Kenji writes, “I loved the card at the end of the movie that said Father Gabriel Amoroth continued to serve the afflicted until his death in Rome in 2016 and wrote many books and the payoff line: books are good.” Now. I will say this. We did touch upon this very briefly. Jason and June didn’t seem to understand why everyone kept on saying the books are good. If I remember correctly, I might have told them it was because Russell Crowe says his books are good. But here, take a listen.

June Diane Raphael [00:06:13] I do feel like we didn’t discuss that moment at the end the end credits where we were that we got the book plugs. Yeah. You know, just so very strange.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:06:24] Is this an adaptation of one of the father’s books?

Paul Scheer [00:06:29] Well, he does say in the beginning of the case, he does say in the beginning that they wrote some books about me. You know, he he’s a little on the down low about it. But. Yeah, and the books are good. I thought that was like a sigh. Like I wanted Russell Crowe.

June Diane Raphael [00:06:42] Truth is, they didn’t write books about him. Didn’t he write those books about himself?

Paul Scheer [00:06:47] Yeah, he wrote them himself. They’re good.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:06:51] I’m. I’m sorry. Paul, have you read the books? Has anybody read these books? They’re good?

Paul Scheer [00:06:59] They’re good.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:07:00] Wait, for real?

Paul Scheer [00:07:01] They’re good. They’re good.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:07:02] They’re so fun? So they’re so good? Wow.

Paul Scheer [00:07:07] They’re just good. They’re so good. Good. All right, well, we’ll have to. Well, let’s go figure it out.

June Diane Raphael [00:07:12] I guess I do want to read the books now.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:07:14] A handful of people in our audience read these books for real.

Paul Scheer [00:07:19] There we go.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:07:20] Get out of here.

Paul Scheer [00:07:21] All right. Some clarity, maybe. By the way, I will say this. People are loving our Russell Crowe Lambretta shirt that we made. It is just him writing that lambretta and it says exorcise underneath it. It’s amazing. Available at Teepublic right now. Teepublic.com/stores/HDTGM. Now, let’s go to the phones. Let’s hear from Jason in Seattle.

Listener [00:07:47] I just got to say, I think for the sequel, we got to go back to that line about Father Crowe tells the young priest that he needs the young priest needs to learn jokes because the devil hates jokes right off the bat. As soon as I heard that, I thought, okay, the sequel has to bring in a stand up comedian. So everyone hated that young priest anyway. He was a pervert. He needed to be. He needed to be wiped out anyway, let’s just say he got killed in between the first movie and in the sequel. And Father Crowe needs to bring in Kevin Hart as his sidekick. I’m just saying, Russell Crowe with Kevin Hart as a stand up comedian to piss off the devil. Can’t miss. All right. Thanks for taking my call.

Paul Scheer [00:08:28] Jason, I love this idea. But you know what? We got to bring an eighties comic in. What if, like, he brings in Emo Phillips? That would be a great, like, eighties comedian Or maybe like Judy Tenuta. I know they’re married as you go outward a little bit more. But, you know. Richard Belzer, that would be great. A real eighties, you know, big vest kind of wearing in Paula Poundstone in there, you know, a demon. You know, I would love I would love to see. Yep. You guys got a little taste of my Paula Poundstone impression. Yeah, I would like to see that. Jason, good call. Pair Russell Crowe up with a stand up comic. Next up, John from Chicago.

Listener [00:09:14] Hey, Paul, I’m calling to let you know I don’t know if you know this, but the movie studio, they wanted to promote this movie, so they decided to do a partnership with the World Wrestling Entertainment, WWE at their WrestleMania this past year. It was a match that was also advertised as a hell in a cell match between then WWE wrestler Edge and Finn Balor. And before the match started, a video played with Russell Crowe on there talking about good and evil, heaven and hell. Just like going on the spiel. It was like really weird. And then during the match, you know, the lights were kind of down and they had like, you know, The Pope’s Exorcist, like the, the name everywhere around the ring and the red lights. It was just like, really strange to use them to to advertise a partnership between the Pope’s Exorcist movie and World Wrestling Entertainment. And then also going to something that Jason mentioned, he was talking about The Wrestler and Mickey Rourke and the director of The Wrestler trying to get the glasses away from making work on the movie. Aronofsky. And he kept on saying like that Mickey, you know, he won an oscar. Didn’t win an Oscar for The Wrestler. Actually. He was nominated, but he didn’t win. All right. Take care. Love you. I love the show. Bye.

Paul Scheer [00:10:39] Oh, do I remember it? I was there. Yes, I was there for this moment. And you just unlocked a memory that has been deep down inside of me. Yes. It was so weird when this actually happened. You didn’t know what was going on because there’s so many video moments in the actual show. I’m like, what is this like? Is Russell Crowe going to come out and wrestle now? Because it’s not. Look, you see celebrities coming in to WrestleMania being a part of the show. And I thought there was a moment. First of all, I had no idea what they were advertising. It looked shitty. But then when I saw Russell Crowe is like, Whoa, I’m engaged. Get him in the ring. Get him like, in his friar’s frock and let’s go for it. But that sadly did not happen. Russell, show your face at WrestleMania. And thank you, John, from Chicago for reminding us that Mickey Rourke did not win an Oscar for The Wrestler. But maybe he should have, but maybe he shouldn’t have. I don’t know. Back to the discord. Margherita writes, “I’m an Italian.” Well she doesn’t say that, but I’m putting because actually Margherita is Italian. “I have to admit, I was impressed at the beginning by how good Father Crowe’s accent was. Sure, he was maybe mumbling half of the words, but he didn’t have a heavy accent. And at least this time I didn’t have to read English subtitles to understand what was going on. Now all of that came crashing down. The minute he started to speak English while his Italian was fairly flat or monotone. His English was heavy on the accent and sounded quite cartoonish to me. It is true that some of us have thicker accents, but usually that is partially reflected in the way that we speak Italian. So the difference between the way he spoke it too was actually even more jarring.” Now, I’ll tell you, as someone who is Italian, grew up Italian. It’s always interesting to hear that accent come out. I went back home to Long Island and I was in this area I grew up in Central and I was in the 7-Eleven standing in front of me is this guy in camo pants, a knife at his side, and he goes, I fucking stunads who run the government. And I was like, I would never expect that out there too. So I wonder if there’s like a performative nature to some people. I feel like in Long Island, where I grew up, around a lot of Italian people, they really love to perform their accented Italian. They wouldn’t actually speak like that in real life, but Italian, they they are Italian and they put it on. So I don’t know, maybe it’s it’s this thing of he did the reverse version of that. He’s an Italian who puts on more of an accent in English. And again I think it just comes down to even though you’re Italian, Margherita, you don’t know what you’re talking about. All right. Slashman writes, “I did not realize that while watching the movie, the titular pope in the Pope’s Exorcist was played by legendary actor Franco Nero. Our very own golden haired space Jesus from the Visitor.” Oh, yes. I think we mention it in the show. Guillermo Bardem adds, “It speaks to how nutballs and banana pants in this movie is that our hosts never mentioned the great Franco Nero as the Pope. He was more than just Blonde Jesus in the Visitor. He was also in forced ten from Never own with Harrison Ford. A great movie people. I just bought that on Blu ray and Die Hard two. Yes, great in that as well. And he was the original Django. Franco Nero Rules Justice for Franco Nero. I love Franco Nero. Highly recommend going deep into his filmography. You will not be disappointed at all. A really, really fun, great actor. Also speaks to like the knowledge that this movie is like a low budget, fun, crazy fest. Walker Florida writes “The one thing I’m surprised that no one mentioned is that it’s very dangerous to stay in a house that is slowly filling with flammable gas if they just got the fuck out of there. After the construction crew told them that it was too dangerous to be in that house to work, let alone live. Everyone would have been fine. How did that mother not think we’ve got a gas leak that is blowing up construction workers? My son is having seizures and being a little freak. Maybe this old ass house is unsafe, for obvious and not supernatural reasons. Well, the pope’s robotic hobo chimes in to add, “In fact, carbon monoxide has been found to be the culprit in several ghost sightings. The first recorded case dates back to 1912, when one family reported hearing voices and footsteps, seeing apparitions and feeling a haunting presence only to discover the source was a faulty furnace that had been leaking poisonous gas.” Wow. Did not know. Well, now, maybe that’s like a cool thing that kids want to do. Turn on that gas and start seeing my ghosts. I love to see those ghosts. I don’t know if we didn’t talk about it as much as I don’t think they could have left the house at that point. But yes, they couldn’t left that house because they didn’t have any money. And that’s why it was established. The mom needed to sell this abbey because the husband just straight up died and left them with it. So you know what, Walker Florida, go stay in your fancy hotels. This family couldn’t afford it. Johnny Unusual writes, “The mom says this Abbey is all your father left us. I need to know what happened. I get not having much. But how do you end up only with an abbey in a foreign country? I mean, this feels like a Homer Simpson-esque, foolhardy venture.” Yeah, right. I didn’t think about that. Like, only. How did he get it? Gambling debt. Like, remember when Brett Ratner had to do those commercials for New York Film Academy because he lost, like, a poker deal? Maybe this guy won one in a poker deal. Who knows? I like it. I don’t need to know much answers. Like, that’s what I feel like movies kind of fuck up on. Don’t give me so much back story. I get it. You got an abbey. Deal with it. I’m in. So I don’t fault the movie for not for not going into greater detail anyway. So many great corrections and omissions this week. But I think there’s one clear winner. Yes, Franco. Nero is amazing, but that’s not good enough. Truly, the one person who brings it all together is the great Sean McBee for telling us everything we wanted to know about that trip on a Lambretta, and finding the cultural inaccuracy of the Guinness on the Italian bike. But you know what? Honestly, Italians can love Guinness. So who am I to judge? Anyway. That’s neither here nor there. But, Sean McBee, you are a winner. And you get this amazing song from Case Silva. Hit it.

Music [00:17:31] [Winner’s Song]

Paul Scheer [00:17:37] Thank you, Case for that song. And remember, if you want to submit an alt movie tagline or chime in with your own thoughts about the latest episode hit Discord at Discord.gg/HDTGM or Calls at 619- PAUL-ASK. All right, stick around after the break. Jason will join me for a just chat. We’ll be right back.

Paul Scheer [00:17:59] All right, people, you’ve probably noticed that every Monday we release an old school episode into the stream. And guess what? This week, we did it up with the Vampire’s Kiss. Hayes Davenport joined us from the first Earwolf Podcast Festival. I think first and last maybe. Or maybe it was the first and second to last. Either way, that was a fun little event, and we loved doing that episode there. People came in costume. I believe Hayes came in costume anyway. Next week we will be releasing Maximum Overdrive with Andy Daly to close out our Halloween season. So stay tuned for that. And every Monday, classic episodes are always being dropped. Just reminder, people, if you want to see some of these live shows and I got to say that that vampire’s kiss show is a perfect example of weird stuff happening that you had to be there for. Make sure you head out to see How Did This Get Made on tour in Minneapolis and Chicago in November. HDTGM.com and it will be a lot of fun. I’m just so excited to go back out on the road. As a matter of fact, I’m so excited to sit here and chat with Jason just for a little bit. So SurrealFred on Instagram, play us in.

Music [00:19:16] What’s up, jerks? It’s time for Just Chat with Paul Scheer and Jason Mantzoukas.

Paul Scheer [00:19:26] So, Jason, a couple of weeks ago, you and I were talking about just things that live in our mind, things that we haven’t quite been able to place. And you were describing this movie, this movie that you remember, and you were like, here is the.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:19:42] Oh, we were talking about 7 minutes in heaven.

Paul Scheer [00:19:43] Yes.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:19:44] Yeah. I remember.

Paul Scheer [00:19:45] And you were trying to describe this movie that you have been looking for. I tried to Google some of it. So a lot of people have weighed in. But there has been one thing that kept on coming back up. And a lot of people said it’s not going to credit to just one person. But the movie that people believe you were thinking about, and I think they might be wrong. Is Stealing Home with Mark Harmon and Jodie Foster.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:20:06] Oh, hold on. The one I remember. It’s like a summer. It’s a summer romance.

Paul Scheer [00:20:13] Well, let me.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:20:14] Oh, this might be it.

Paul Scheer [00:20:15] So here we go. It says. Oh, I think he was conflating Knox Overstreet, Josh Charles and Dead Poets Society with Alan Appleby, Jonathan Silverman and Stealing Home. They’ve got the same energy. So that’s. Yeah.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:20:32] This is it. This is it. Wait a second. Excellent.

Trailer Audio [00:20:35]  No, we won’t. We always say we walk in troubled and we always get in trouble. You never forget the first girl who steals your heart.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:20:44] This is it.

Paul Scheer [00:20:45] It is. Wow. Wow. I shouldn’t have doubted it.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:20:52] Of course, it’s a movie about, like, kid heartbreak. Well, of course, the movie that left some fingerprint on my, on my heart is about kid heartbreak. Go ahead.

Paul Scheer [00:21:03] Well, this is so interesting because I loved this movie as well when I was a kid. I haven’t watched it in a long time. Yes. I remember this movie because this also has similarities to I mean, to 7 Minutes and Heaven. There’s like and there’s an energy here.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:21:17] These are teen teen based roms that are not coms. Yes. You know what I mean? These are not like like the John Hughes movies had romance in them, but they were comedies. Yes. These are they have light moments, but these are romance stories. These are these are stories about like young people trying to figure out how to be in love. And when I tell you, that is all I cared about. That’s what it was.

Paul Scheer [00:21:43] All I wanted to watch.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:21:44] Yeah, how can I figure out how to be in love? And here I am, 50 years old. Still have no idea.

Paul Scheer [00:21:52] Well, that’s why we are going to set you up with Taylor Swift when she breaks up with Travis Kelce. We are going to get you in there and we will put some pressure on. Maybe that pressure will reveal a diamond. Jason. Now, you also.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:22:04] That is incredible. Great work, everybody. Whose source that I’m going to watch it.

Paul Scheer [00:22:10] Our How Did This Get Made sleuths were out and look, they all came in pretty heavy. Now, the other one that you talked about, you talked about this idea of kids solving crimes, a gritty crime.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:22:22] The under the undercover gang. The Michael Perry one is the one I was talking. Yes. Right. The one that I know it’s not Michael Perry, but that’s what I write, the one that’s how I have tried to find it, because I remembered that specific.

Paul Scheer [00:22:35] Now, Scott, do we have a call about this?

Scott Sonne [00:22:37] Yes, we do. Let’s go to the phones.

Listener [00:22:39] Hey, Paul, this is Michael, the nerd from Chicago. And you guys.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:22:45] Okay, so, Michael, the nerd, if people don’t remember, he’s the one that was giving us all the help about Morbius.

Paul Scheer [00:22:52] Yes, I believe.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:22:54] He was our morbius expert.

Paul Scheer [00:22:55] Yes, I believe that.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:22:56] He was the the Morgan of Dungeons and Dragons.

Paul Scheer [00:22:59] I mean. Well, now people don’t even know about Morgan yet.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:23:02] Oh, has that not come out? Oh. Oh, shit.

Paul Scheer [00:23:05] Yeah. We haven’t even touched Morgan yet.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:23:07] Get fucking ready.

Paul Scheer [00:23:09] All right, here we go. Let’s do the rest of the nerd.

Listener [00:23:11] And this is a call in response to you guys asking about TV shows. I believe the TV show you’re talking about with Matthew Perry, where there’s a lot of the shows, both good and bad, and you can go to heaven or hell. It’s called Second Chance, which ran for one season, first year at Fox and halfway through got renamed Boys Will be Boys. And the TV show that Jason was talking about, where a gang goes and helps the police, I believe is called the Renegades, which rans for I think one year back

Jason Mantzoukas [00:23:45] That is right. I’m looking at a picture.

Listener [00:23:48] All right. Thanks guys.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:23:49] Oh, wait a second. That’s Patrick Swayze. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Oh, my God. Okay, so this works so well, because doesn’t Patrick Swayze kind of look like a Michael Perry type?

Paul Scheer [00:24:03] Yes, you’re totally right. I’m looking at this now. This Renegades poster is amazing.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:24:09] This show I was obsessed with this show. They had like, a they had, like a cool hang out. I got to find this. So if anybody has a way for me to watch this.

Paul Scheer [00:24:19] Oh, here we go.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:24:20] What is happening? Are we watching it right now?

Paul Scheer [00:24:22] We have it.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:24:25] Yes! Yes. Oh, my God. I remember all of this.

Paul Scheer [00:24:34] Wow. This is great. People walking like a michael Jackson video. Patrick Swayze putting on his punching glove.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:24:40] That could be Michael Perry. Oh, Patrick Swayze as bandit.

Paul Scheer [00:24:44] Wow.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:24:46] Bandit.

Paul Scheer [00:24:47] This guy’s punching a punching bag. Randy Brook as Eagle.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:24:52] Wow. Holy fuck.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:24:55] Paul Malones as JT. Wow. Tracy Scoggins as Tracy.

Paul Scheer [00:25:04] Wow. This is an amazing open.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:25:08] Who’s the who’s this guy’s the looks of the operation. And he’s the face, man. Robert Thaller. Oh, dancer. I remember that character. Holy shit. Brian Todd as Dragon.

Paul Scheer [00:25:20] Wow.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:25:22] Oh, wow. Foust Obara as. Give me this show immediately.

Paul Scheer [00:25:29] I love this. Wow. Our audience is great.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:25:35] Can you pause for a second? I just want people to know there’s still a minute left in this theme song.

Paul Scheer [00:25:41] This theme song is just looking cool.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:25:44] It’s like every character’s been introduced. There’s nothing to this.

Paul Scheer [00:25:48] Man, Oh, man. That’s like when we. We didn’t put it in the show, but we aired the trailer to Booker, which is a spin off of 21 Jump Street at one of our shows. And t it was I think it was, my gosh, the Richard Grieco movie. And that was like a minute and a half long theme song that was like, Wow, it’s still going.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:26:07] Yeah. The initial Magnum P.I. theme song is over 2 minutes long, I believe, and is absolutely stone cold crazy.

Paul Scheer [00:26:13] Okay, now you see, we found it right away. We found both of these things right away. Some other people thought that.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:26:19] That was incredible. That was amazing. Just fully blew my mind.

Paul Scheer [00:26:23] Oh, I’m going to show you one other another.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:26:25] And that it was Patrick Swayze is even crazier to me. I was just assuming it’s obviously it’s not Michael Perry because I never found it, but I was like, it’s got to be some Michael Perry, you know, lookalike. But instead it’s even better. It’s Swazey.

Paul Scheer [00:26:39] This is what other people thought you were referencing. I’m not going to even tell you what. This is a show called Powerhouse. Check it out.

Trailer Audio [00:26:52] [Powerhouse Theme]

Jason Mantzoukas [00:27:24] Oh, wow. Oh, wow.

Trailer Audio [00:27:27] Yeah. This is Brenda Gang’s. Hey, wait a minute. Where are you going? Don’t move an inch. The powerhouse gang will be right back.

Paul Scheer [00:27:34] Okay. So we just watched a minute long open an animated open.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:27:40] That was incredible. Like on a theme song and animation level that, to me, felt like original Sesame Street or like electric company.

Paul Scheer [00:27:49] Yeah. And this is a PBS show with live actors.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:27:54] That’s what it feels like. It feels like a kid. This is a children’s show. Right.

Paul Scheer [00:27:58] And so that’s why I think that people thought that maybe powerhouse.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:28:02] I get it. Because because I said kid solving mystery. And this is that this is like this is the kind of PBS show that like Ben Affleck when he was a kid, was on the PBS, the Boston PBS show about the boat. What was that?

Scott Sonne [00:28:17] I believe you’re talking about The Voyage of the Mimi.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:28:20] Whoa.

Scott Sonne [00:28:22] Watched that one in elementary school.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:28:23] Thank you. Voyage of the Mimi was a local PBS by WGBH, which is our. That’s it’s that it’s one of their shows. So it was shot in Boston, obviously. Tiny Ben Affleck on it.

Paul Scheer [00:28:37] I mean, this is a this is a wild I mean.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:28:40] Scott, will you look up the theme to whiz kids? Did you watch Whiz Kids?

Paul Scheer [00:28:43] Oh, yes. I remember Whiz Kids. I was going to say, if you want to see the theme to the Ben Affleck show here, we got this.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:28:49] Oh, yeah, sure. Yeah. This one. I know this this and Zoom.

Paul Scheer [00:28:53] Oh Zoom I remember. Yeah.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:28:54] That’s another WGBH show.

Paul Scheer [00:28:58] Mm hmm. The Voyage of the Mimi. Jerry O’Connell was in one of these PBS shows, too.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:29:06] Oh, really?

Paul Scheer [00:29:10] Episode one All Aboard.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:29:13] No theme song. Nothing. Just some instrumental music. And then it starts.

Paul Scheer [00:29:19] Wow. That’s it. A kid being let off at a dock.

Voyage of the Mimi [00:29:27] Sir, could you please show me where that Mimi’s docked?

Voyage of the Mimi [00:29:32] All right, right on down the dock there, son.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:29:34] Amazing.

Paul Scheer [00:29:34] By the way, this looks like it was shot like. Like my home videos. Like this is like my.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:29:40] Oh, yeah. Wow. Do you think you and I could get Ben Affleck to do an episode watch along with us podcast about Voyage of the Mimi.

Paul Scheer [00:29:47] Here’s the thing. Ben Affleck came to one of our How Did This Get Made shows.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:29:51] He did?

Paul Scheer [00:29:51] Yeah you don’t remember that?

Jason Mantzoukas [00:29:53] Oh, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Yes, yes, yes, yes. At Largo, I do remember.

Paul Scheer [00:29:58] I felt like and I am a fan, I felt like he was looking at us going. You guys talk shit on me in the show. Like.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:30:10] I also felt like he had no idea what he was coming to see. In other words, he wasn’t coming as a fan.

Paul Scheer [00:30:16] No. I felt like he was brought. I think he did come with somebody. And I think it was maybe a date situation. This is years ago. Maybe a date. I don’t know. Maybe just like, hey, I’m going to come see this comedy show and. And. And then watched us dissect the movie that he probably had not seen. He was nice. He was very nice. Came backstage.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:30:37] Very nice. Totally. I remember him being very nice and brief. Like it was like a brief interaction.

Paul Scheer [00:30:41] He came out and drank with us. Or hung out in the bar.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:30:45] I don’t think I was there.

Paul Scheer [00:30:46] I think you were. But it was also.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:30:47] Oh, okay.

Paul Scheer [00:30:48] I also felt like we weren’t trying to get in his space. Like we were like, You do your thing and he was like, he was within arm’s reach. But we weren’t like, you know, I think that was the right way to handle it. But again, I would love, like the offers out there.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:30:59] And the challenge is up guys if, if you can get a more famous date to a live How Did This Get Made show. We’ll pay for your ticket.

Paul Scheer [00:31:08] Why not? Why not just try to.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:31:11] Bring a celebrity on a first date to How Did This Get Made. We’ll pay for you.

Paul Scheer [00:31:17] And we will also arrange for your wedding If it works out.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:31:20] Okay.

Paul Scheer [00:31:22] If it works out, and if you get divorced within ten years, we get our money back. And that’s it’s a very yeah, it’s a very big, you know, But we don’t want you we don’t want to be taken for a sucker.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:31:33] No, no, not at all. Because we’re don’t fucking try and play us.

Paul Scheer [00:31:36] Don’t try to play us.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:31:37] This is, this is real.

Paul Scheer [00:31:39] We’re into love. We’ve talked about this multiple times in the.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:31:42] We don’t want your bullshit prop proposals and nonsense during our show. Yes, but if you bring a celebrity, an in or a celebrity bigger than Ben Affleck and you end up getting married, we will pay for the wedding.

Paul Scheer [00:31:55] I look happy to do it. Now, Jason, we are talking about a lot of stuff. I know that we can’t. We’re in this weird zone. We’re not supposed to plug our own stuff. But I do think obviously these are all fine.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:32:09] I was just going to say these are lost to time shows because it’s so funny. I was just about to say that we had talked some weeks back about Sledge Hammer.

Paul Scheer [00:32:18] Oh, yes.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:32:20] The David rash of that sledge hammer. And I found, like, I don’t know, 6 hours of it on YouTube.

Paul Scheer [00:32:27] I used to have it on laserdisc.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:32:30] Oh, amazing.

Paul Scheer [00:32:31] Yes, I had my sledge hammer.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:32:33]  I’m sad you don’t have your laserdisc collection, you know. As a person who compulsively collects things. It breaks my heart.

Paul Scheer [00:32:41] I made a couple of choices in my life, and a lot of that was due to the size of the apartments that I lived in that that got rid of a lot of physical media that I truly, truly love. They kept a handful of it. But man, those laser discs, you know, I you know, I,  boy, I mean, I would never pop one in, but it would just be nice have the machine. When I went over to Quentin Tarantino’s house not to brag for unspooled, What I found so amazing about his house was just the the, the amount of physical media players. And we had a very long conversation about the right type of VCR to buy. And it was really interesting. And I just I appreciated that. I appreciated that. Like his house was just loaded with so many interesting things, but it was all to watch and see. And, you know, it’s like, yeah, And.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:33:41] Just to be able to watch the stuff he wants.

Paul Scheer [00:33:44] And not to be at the discretion of whoever picks these things up or, or gets rid of.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:33:49] And whoever owns the license on that thing, whoever, you know, who, whether they’re going to make it available or not, or whether they’re going to make it available in a format that works for you or that is, yeah, as high, you know, quality as what you want.

Paul Scheer [00:34:02] Well, this is why I want to talk about one thing here. And again, we’re going to be a little flexible in these strike rules. And I’ll say this so excited, so happy that moonlighting is coming to stream, finally moonlighting. I cannot wait.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:34:17] I’ve been watching it in like in a TV rip that someone made available to me so that because they heard me talking on the podcast about wanting to watch it and it was like, Here you go, it’s here. So I’ve been watching it, but it’s tough to watch because it’s a really very shitty copy, so I’m beyond excited.

Paul Scheer [00:34:36] Well, I will go one step further. Again, I think this falls under the strike rules. Okay, I for the first time ever, saw the Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:34:49] Oh, Jonathan Demi movie.

Paul Scheer [00:34:50] Yes. And holy shit, what an experience that was. It was absolutely amazing. People were dancing in the theater. The talking heads were there. But I will say that the 4K remastering of that really just amps everything up. And that to me is like.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:35:12] Especially for theatrical. Yes, it’s been gorgeous.

Paul Scheer [00:35:15] And that’s why I’m excited about this moonlighting. And, you know, maybe if the strike is over, we should have like a maybe just do like a moonlighting one of these minis.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:35:22] A last looks?

Paul Scheer [00:35:23] Last look.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:35:24] About moonlighting?

Paul Scheer [00:35:25] We watch one and we could chat about it. I would be very excited.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:35:28] Oh, I would love to talk. And. And or. Well, no, actually, I mean. Well, no. After the strike we’ll talk about.

Paul Scheer [00:35:35] All right, great.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:35:36] I don’t want to be so positively driving people to something that we shouldn’t.

Paul Scheer [00:35:39] 100%. And I think we did it with respect. We didn’t say where it’s streaming, but it’s we we it’s not even out yet. So you can’t even watch it. We’re talking about it. We’re talking about the idea that it will eventually be coming.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:35:49] And when you hear this, the strikes may be over anyway.

Paul Scheer [00:35:51] We don’t know. We’re in a vacuum. But Jason, this is great. We found I now want to kind of continue to.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:36:00] Wait. Do you remember the the person mentioned your show. Yeah, the show that the Matthew Perry I don’t know what that is.

Paul Scheer [00:36:07] I found it. We did a little twitch stream about it where we watched is heaven and hell. Yeah, we found all that and it was really it was great. It was very funny. You could watch these episodes. Oh, you know what I should do for you, though? You’re going to first think, Oh, I think I know what this is, but I don’t think you do. This is a show that I stumbled across and I have now been obsessed with. And here we go.

Trailer Audio [00:36:36] Mr. Dennis escorts. Wherever you want to go, we want to go with you.

Paul Scheer [00:36:43] Okay. So that little thing that you just heard, there was a Ted Knight sitcom called The Ted Knight Show, where he is the head of an escort service.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:36:53] Yes. Right. Yes. That seems to be what it is.

Paul Scheer [00:36:56] It is a show where he is he’s running a sex worker ring. I mean, and he himself is also a sex worker.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:37:05] I was just going to say he also seems to be available. Yes. To hire, to attend the opera or whatever.

Paul Scheer [00:37:11] The premise of the show is. Like he is an uptight guy and his brother.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:37:16] He’s like a Felix Unger?

Paul Scheer [00:37:17]  Yes. And his brother dies and his brother’s like, you have to now take over my my sex my sex workers. And and not only does he take over running it, but seems to have to also be a sex worker.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:37:32] This this is an era where everybody, see in pop culture, there was a real there was a real there’s a group of, I guess, reluctant pimp narratives.

Paul Scheer [00:37:44] Yes.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:37:46] Risky business, Doctor Detroit. This apparently like Reluctant Pimp was a style of movie or TV show that somehow seemed viable. It’s fucked up and crazy.

Paul Scheer [00:37:58] And here we go. It was written by Lowell Ganz, who did a Nightshift, Splash, Spies like us, Gung ho, Vibes, Parenthood, City Slickers. Mr. Saturday Night, A League of Their Own.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:38:11] Oh, yeah. Lowell Ganz and Lou Mandel wrote everything in this.

Paul Scheer [00:38:14] And this is wild that it was. And they did.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:38:18] And it’s so funny. Like, it’s so aping the Mary Tyler Moore theme song as well. Yes, in a way, because this is between Mary Tyler Moore and what’s it called that we talked about, but too close for comfort. This is this show is in between them.

Paul Scheer [00:38:33] May I read you episode five, Sweet 16 When a mature looking young woman named Victoria Diamond approaches the Mister Dennis Escort service seeking an escort to a party, Roger thinks that he’ll be escorting her will be a good chance for Winston to prove he can make it in the escort service business. But Victoria insists that Roger escort her, and when Roger arrives with her at the party, he discovers that she is only 16 years old and that this is a sweet 16 party and that she is using him to make her boyfriend Cliff jealous.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:39:03] He is immediately arrested, immediately arrested and has to spend the rest of the remaining episodes going door to door and telling people that he lives in their neighborhood. This is fucking crazy.

Paul Scheer [00:39:16] And in episode two Griselda signs a 30 year contract to work for his sleazy competitor.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:39:24] Of course, this is documenting the most predatory world. I mean, this is a sitcom about human trafficking.

Paul Scheer [00:39:32] Oh, my god.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:39:35] This is like if you were like, I’m pitching a TV adaptation of Sound of Freedom and it’s a sitcom.

Paul Scheer [00:39:43] Oh my God.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:39:44] I could watch this shit forever.

Paul Scheer [00:39:46] All I want to do sometimes is just be like.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:39:48] I wish there was. Yeah. A streaming service or a YouTube channel. And there probably is that just did this stuff that just put up pilots and themes that are lost in time. You know, not the ones, not the ones we know.

Paul Scheer [00:40:02] Eight episodes of a show like, I don’t know, I never understand why we can’t embrace failure like that. It’s like, like not failure, but it’s like, that’s the more interesting thing. Yeah, it’s like this. This did not work.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:40:15] Yeah. I mean, I feel like that’s the people are still Americans especially are so unwilling to participate in the narrative that from failure comes growth. You know, it needs to be just like victory at all costs. Yeah. You know, it’s like we’re it’s like we’re protagonists in a Fast and Furious. Nobody loses a fight.

Paul Scheer [00:40:33] Well, and I think I feel like there was this time. It’s interesting because like the eighties, this is a moment where I feel like no one was minding the Mint. It was sort of like, Yeah, in this show it’s just a show about a a sheriff. But yeah, she’s a woman who I got to go. We got it that we got like, that’s enough. It’s enough for us. And the one I was telling Molly about is like, he’s the mayor, but black. Good on the air. Let’s go. It’s like these. They were very like. Oh, yeah. Basic, basic.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:41:09] Oh, super, super. And because again and you sometimes forget they were called They are situational comedy. Yes. That’s it. The situation is the comedy and that’s what it’s supposed to be. That’s it.

Paul Scheer [00:41:21] And by the way, she’s the sheriff that you ever reference with Suzanne Summers. Sure. A popular show, a show that did actually work. And I think it just goes to show you there’s so much energy and and deliberation over are these characters interesting is like just put them somewhere and no one’s going to ultimately care. Like if the characters are okay, it doesn’t matter. Like you you get past this. You get past the. Premise and you’re in. And it’s like, just go like, you know, it’s like.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:41:47]  I can’t wait till the union calls you to be like, You’re in trouble. Paul, we heard you talking about She’s the sheriff.

Paul Scheer [00:41:52] Oh, my God. This is the best. This is a great day. Jason.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:41:57] This is, Paul. This is a great, great day.

Paul Scheer [00:42:00] We did it.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:42:01] Couldn’t have been better said. Before we go. Can I throw out a couple of plugs? Just because why not? Because here’s the thing. In this period of not plugging content that we’re involved in or that is part of any of the struck companies, I’d like to just throw some love to some people that might benefit from you spending your money or putting your attention elsewhere. For example, Maria Bamford’s new book, Sure I’ll Join Your Cult is fantastic, especially as an audio book.

Paul Scheer [00:42:32] Oh, I got to get that.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:42:34] Holy cow. Dynamite stuff. Okay. And then another podcast.

Paul Scheer [00:42:44] Wait, while we’re talking about books. I’m reading the Andre Agassi book while I’m listening to it. Oh yeah, it’s awesome. But it’s like, wow, blowing my mind. But I just read Reggie’s book, Reggie Watts’s new book. Watts And it’s a great book. It’s just.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:42:59] I didn’t know he had one.

Paul Scheer [00:43:00] Yeah, it’s called Great Falls, Montana, Great Falls, MT And it’s it’s great. It’s about him growing up. It’s it’s Reggie. It’s Reggie. It’s great. It’s really, really fun.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:43:11] Awesome. Oh, cool. Okay, great. I will also throw in another book slash podcast recommendation, which is the absolutely phenomenal comedian Jo Firestone has put out a book called Murder on Sex Island, which she has also released as a podcast where she just essentially similar to an audiobook, reads each episode of the podcast is another two or three chapters of the book. So the podcast is up.

Paul Scheer [00:43:42] And this is a book Van Horn mystery, right?

Jason Mantzoukas [00:43:45] It’s a Lula van Horn mystery about about a a woman who puts on a wig to become a detective and goes to a love island, Sex Island type reality show to solve a murder. It’s maybe one of the most bananas. And I was crying, laughing, listening to it the other night, doing a jigsaw puzzle. It is so, so funny listening to it. I also bought the book. Great. It’s I think forgive me, Jo Firestone, if I’m misrepresenting, I think she might be self-publishing.

Paul Scheer [00:44:22] Looks like it’s self-published.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:44:23] So support Joe Firestone, support this book, Murder on Sex Island. It’s available as a podcast.

Paul Scheer [00:44:29] Yes, it’s sold by Amazon for you can order it on a Kindle for 2.99. You can get the paperback for 15.99.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:44:41] If you haven’t watched Jo Firestone’s special that she released during the pandemic, where she features all of the older adults who she’s been teaching in a stand up comedy workshop, and it features them doing comedy. Boy, that I don’t know where it is, but it’s out there, track it down. It’s phenomenal. I will also throw in a plug for a podcast that Sinclair and I did that I think you’ve also done, which is Amy Poehler’s podcast.

Paul Scheer [00:45:07] Say More? Question Mark Thank you. With Dr. Sheila. Oh, sorry, Say More with Dr? Question Mark Sheila.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:45:14] Yes, that’s it. And it’s it’s a brand new podcast. It’s up now. It’s well worth digging in on. It’s got great people on it. Very funny.

Paul Scheer [00:45:22] Basically, like what the premise is, if you like shows like, I like, like these couples therapy and stuff like that, it is basically. Amy doing a character like this relationship counselor. People come, you guys are so funny, you and Sinclair are so funny. And, and June and I did one that was I thought was really fun. I haven’t listened to that. Oh, it’s funny.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:45:43] Is that out already?

Jason Mantzoukas [00:45:44] Yes, it came out. Yeah.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:45:45] Great. Great. Oh. Oh, good. Okay, great.

Paul Scheer [00:45:48] All right, great.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:45:49] Can I? Can I? Can I just because you mentioned the doctor, Sheila reminded me that someone had maybe it was Avril or somebody from the fans had recommended the movie Last of Sheila.

Paul Scheer [00:46:02] Me.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:46:04] Yes. Okay. Yes.

Paul Scheer [00:46:05] Did you watch it?

Jason Mantzoukas [00:46:06] Okay. Great. Phenomenal. Wow. Loved it. So all of that. It was fantastic. Yes. I’ll also give a shout out to the new Mary Lattimer album is just absolutely stunningly beautiful. And if you can find I don’t know, how can we find out if and take them out if I shouldn’t promote these two things. But there is a four episode documentary about the making of RoboCop. Robo Doc, that is like 6 hours of the making of RoboCop. It’s incredible.

Paul Scheer [00:46:40] I am so down and. And by the way, I’m working with somebody who has been in RoboCop. And yeah, every day we get to talk to Paul McCrane. Paul McCrane. Paul McCrane, who is also on E.R. Great character actor. And, you know, I have not asked him about RoboCop, and I should.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:46:59] What do you. What’s the job?

Paul Scheer [00:47:00] We are working on this charity event that I think has already passed at this point.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:47:05] Thanks, everybody.

Paul Scheer [00:47:06] Bye for now.

Jason Mantzoukas [00:47:07] Yeah.

Paul Scheer [00:47:09] Now that we got the Pope’s Exorcist out of the way, let’s talk about our next movie. Next week, we will be riding our Lambretta scooters all the way from the Vatican to New York City. That’s right. We are watching the 2021 action thriller, New York Ninja. Now, let me just correct that. New York ninja was actually shot in 1984 but wasn’t edited or released until 2021 when its footage was discovered by the home video distributor, Vinegar Syndrome. The movie’s plot revolves around a sound technician for a news station who becomes a vigilante ninja in New York City. Don’t make me say it again. The reason why his pregnant wife is murdered. Anyway, Rotten Tomatoes gives this film a 96% score on the tomato meter. Legion of film Inquiry writes This is a must see for anyone who loves outrageous old action flicks and who appreciates the labor of love that is film preservation. Now let’s listen to the trailer for New York Ninja.

Trailer Audio [00:48:08] Abductions of young women are still being reported. Another woman with mysterious radiation burns has been discovered.

Trailer Audio [00:48:17] We’re going to have a baby.

Trailer Audio [00:48:18] Oh, my God. I can’t believe that John’s wife was murdered. There’s something weighing us down. It’s that damn ninja.

Trailer Audio [00:48:30] The New York Ninja’s a real hero.

Paul Scheer [00:48:34] People. I love this one. It was so damn good. Avril Halley just picking winners every single time. People. That is it for our episode. Remember to rate and review the show. It helps. And if you listen on Apple Podcasts, make sure you are following us. Visit us on social media @HDTGM. and a big thank you to our producer Scott Sonne, Molly Reynolds, our movie picking producer Avril Halley, our engineers Casey Holford and Rich Garcia, and Jess Cisneros, who makes our amazing social media videos. We will see you next week for New York Ninja!