How Did This Get Made? - Last Looks: Merry Kissmas

Episode Date: December 19, 2025

Jason & Paul gab about all the TV, documentaries, books, and music they're currently loving (scroll down for a list of all their recs!). But first, Paul answers all your Corrections & Omissions on Merry Kissmas before we announce next week's new movie! PAUL & JASON'S TV RECS:SNL's Calculator Christmas GiftDeath By LightningFiskLandmanThe Lowdown PAUL & JASON'S DOCUMENTARY RECS:Corey Feldman vs the WorldIt's Never Over, Jeff BuckleyGarland Jeffreys: The King of In BetweenThe Hobby: Tales From The TabletopThe Land of Giants PAUL & JASON'S AUDIOBOOK RECS:I Blame Dennis Hopper by Illeana DouglasThe Friedkin Connection: A Memoir by William FriedkinTop of the Rock: Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV by Warren LittlefieldIn the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch JASON'S COMIC BOOK RECS:Hobtown Mystery Stories Vol. 3: The Secret of the SaucerMatt Fraction's Batman #1Bowling with Corpses by Mike MignolaJohnny Ryan JASON'S MUSIC RECS:Snocaps by SnocapsResonance by Bill FoxTouch by TortoiseTragic Magic by Marry Lattimore & Julianna Barwick PAUL & JASON'S BAG RECS:Tom Binh's Marathon Messenger Bag • Our holiday virtual livestream is on Dec 10th! Get tix at veeps.events/hdtgm• Go to hdtgm.com for tour dates, merch, FAQs, and more• Have a Last Looks correction or omission? Call 619-PAULASK to leave us a voicemail!• Submit your Last Looks theme song to us here• Join the HDTGM conversation on Discord: discord.gg/hdtgm• Buy merch at howdidthisgetmade.dashery.com/• Order Paul’s book about his childhood: Joyful Recollections of Trauma• Shop our new hat collection at podswag.com• Paul’s Discord: discord.gg/paulscheer• Paul’s YouTube page: youtube.com/paulscheer• Follow Paul on Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/paulscheer• Subscribe to Enter The Dark Web w/ Paul & Rob Huebel: youtube.com/@enterthedarkweb• Listen to Unspooled with Paul & Amy Nicholson: unspooledpodcast.com• Listen to The Deep Dive with June & Jessica St. Clair: thedeepdiveacademy.com/podcast• Instagram: @hdtgm, @paulscheer, & @junediane• Twitter: @hdtgm, @paulscheer, & msjunediane  • Jason is not on social media• Episode transcripts available at how-did-this-get-made.simplecast.com/episodesGet access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using the link: siriusxm.com/hdtgm Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Someone's watched the entire elevator trilogy. K. Jewelers speaks, and I share a story about Billy Bob. That's right. All of this and more on this week's episode of How Did This Get Made Last Looks? Hit the theme. Well, if you made a call to chat with Paul, just to ask them what you wanted to know. Or maybe just kick back, sit back, and relax. That's, course, you want to hear an entertaining show.

Show some things we forgot, whether you noticed or not, but now it's time to set the record straight. It's a mini episode, Last Look, Here We Go, it's time for how did this get made? Oh, ho, ho, and a Merry Kissmiss in a Happy Blow Year to you all. Yes, hey, everybody, it's me, Paul Shear, and welcome to How Did This Get Made, Last Looks, where you, the listener, get to voice your issues on Merry Christmas, a movie that Discord user, Corgi Herder, thinks, should have had the tagline in an elevator.

No one can hear. You decline in unwanted sexual advance. Okay, I like it. I like it, Corgi, a little lengthy, but not bad. Thank you for that alt-movie tagline, and a big shout-out to our pal Rob from Long Island for that opening theme song, which was a cover of a previous theme done by the great Devin Helmer.

So we're doing stuff here, people. We really are. We're referencing ourselves, and we get it. Remember, if you have an alt-movie tagline, submit it to us on our Discord at discord.g.g. And if you have a last looks theme song, go to hd-tgm.com and click submit a song on our homepage. Remember, just keep them short.

15 to 20 seconds is best. Now, coming up on today's episode, we'll be hearing all of your corrections and omissions on Merry Christmas, and I will share an exclusive deleted scene from that episode. So that's right. And if you want to watch the full episode in all of its video glory, it is still available for you to watch. Just go to HDTGM.com and just click on the link and you can watch that. You could also watch the Deepdive holiday special. It's a great bargain. And that show was incredibly visual. So I think you will enjoy it. In just a little bit, Jason and I will talk about

some of our favorite TV shows, documentaries, and albums. Plus, I will reveal my number one artist on Spotify Rapped for the first and last time. Lastly, as always, I will reveal the movie for next week's episode. But if you watched last week's episode, I think you know what it is. People, we're so excited that you are with us, so let's get into it. We're going to break down everything we might have missed for Merry Christmas. We had questions. We might have even missed a few things. Here is your chance to set us straight. Fact-check us, if you will, is now time for corrections and omissions. They correct themselves, but they can't correct them all.

If you got emissions, corrects us with Paul, just to get them the phone, and he'd give them a call. You just give them a call. One eight hundred. If Paul asked, you can make a call. Thank you, Chris Purcell, for that theme song. Okay, let's go to the Discord.

Fun Facts, 47, writes, at the end, when Kayla arrives at the lobby of frustrated residents waiting to take the elevator, One of them says the elevator stuck for good this time, and it hasn't moved in 30 minutes. Now, all of these people seem mobile enough to just take the stairs, but instead they decide that they'd rather stand outside just to use the elevator. I mean, any sane person wouldn't wait that long for an elevator if it regularly breaks down. I think they're just all waiting for the elevator since there's mistletoe in it,

and they just want to have their own Kissmas miracle. Fun facts. I like that. Yeah, that was an odd choice because it's also like a residential apartment building. It didn't seem like everyone would be in the lobby in that moment. It didn't look like a giant building. But again, you're right. People are lazy and this movie isn't afraid to show it. Lee Black writes, during the first scene that we see Dustin, his cousin is using a rolling pin on a pile of flour. Not dough, but flour. Now, You're right about that. I am looking at this image that is pulled. It's on the Discord, and it is shocking. Yeah, that is just, there's no, nothing underneath. It is just a rolling pin on flour, and that ain't going to turn into dough. Oh, wow.

I guess I didn't have it that day, and they just, they needed a close-up of something. Dove writes, we all know this is shot in Riverside, not Palo Alto. Even the deep side part, Joshua, is wearing a t-shirt that says Department of Animal Services, Riverside County, California. But it was also shot in the summer, as people can probably guess, from all the background folks wearing t-shirts. The animal shelter is decorated with red, white, and blue stars and flags, and the door of Mrs. Joyner's gift shop has posters on the door promoting 4th of July fireworks and

summer concerts. Wow. This fucking movie was lazy. I mean, so lazy. Again, thanks to Brant, we know why. This director did not give a shit. And he didn't give a shit, like in a little way. He aggressively didn't give a shit.

By the way, can we just say how great Brant is? You can watch Brant on the live stream. You can listen to Brant, but you'll see he's an attractive man and only better served by the fact that he was the most honest person that we've ever had on how this get made when talking about one of these films. Let's go to the phones, Beverly. Hi, Paul.

I want to thank you for introducing me to these absolutely delightful Christmas movies the last three years. Each one has been worse than the last, and they've brought me so much joy for the holiday season. My question for you, do you think Merry Christmas and Twelve Pups of Christmas are happening in the same cinematic universe? They're both set in Silicon Valley for some reason. The protagonists have an extremely awkward elevator meet cute in both. They feature totally irresponsible dog adoptions, and in both movies, people are acting like, They are totally detached from reality, especially the sister and cousin characters. So I'd love to hear your thoughts.

And if you agree, do you think we're going to get a crossover anytime soon? Thanks so much. Paul, Jason, and June. Oh, and Jessica. I can't forget her. Beverly, I'm going to say absolutely yes. I believe there is a 12 pups of Christmas connection. There's definitely a puppy connection.

I think it was that movie with Kevin James' brother. I'm not quite sure. But yes, this is in the same universe. I would like there to be an ion original universe, and we should start having these characters bump into each other. I think it would be great. So let's see how it all worked out. Like, why don't we do, oh, I got a great idea,

a sequel to one of these and check in a year later. Is it working out, or was it just a Christmas hookup? Next, on the phones, we have Stoddard. Hi, guys. First time, a long time here. The reason I'm calling today is because of your discussions about the Nutcracker and why it would be such a big deal and have the guy's name above there. I think that's based on a New York production of the Nutcracker that was referred to as George Ballas Shane's Nutcracker.

He was like a famous choreographer that made the Nutcracker more American and more palatable to modern audiences in the 50s. And most Nutcracker versions today all over the world still use his choreography. And I think that was kind of what they were aiming for was because there was a 90s version movie of that with Macaulay Culkin, actually, in it that was called George Valenstein's The Nutcracker. And also I wanted to point out that the woman who ran the gift shop is another than Brenda from Highland. So it surprised me that Jason did not catch that because he seems like he probably would have seen Highlander at least as many times as I did, which was about a million times.

Thanks, you guys. Okay, okay. First of all, I like this. I'm not going to shit on this. I think you are absolutely right. So he's like George Balanchine. Okay, well, let me tell you, that Scott looked up the poster

for the McCulley-Culkin movie, and then they put George's name in the tiniest font imaginable. did not include his headshot. So Carlton must be way bigger, but you, I will say this, Scott's looking at the movie poster, right? We're not looking at the Broadway posters. If we can find a Balanchine poster with a headshot, I mean, maybe this guy's is even

bigger than him. Great call on the Highlander thing. I know that Jason has not seen that many Highlanders. I have. I had that information. I didn't bring it out because I was not wanting to get ridiculed by Jessica and June. Next up, Ashley from Ohio. Hi, Paul. I recently listened to your Merry Christmas episode, and you guys had mentioned really

quickly about the Leo Diamond, and what was that? So I used to work for the headquarters of K-Jewlers who funded this movie. I worked there from 2005 to 2012, and I had hands-on experience with said diamonds. Leo Diamond is a cut, specifically made by by Leo Schachter, and it is only sold in the U.S. at K Jewelers and Jared locations. I just wanted to share that with you. I left in 2012, obviously, before this movie came out, but it still made me mad that they funded this shitty movie instead of paying their employees more money. But I just wanted to share that a little fun fact with you.

Thanks. Bye. Oh, Ashley, I'm so happy that you called in. Leo Diamond is cut by this guy. like that's what we want we want him to cut our diamond i mean so are we saying that like mcdonald's burgers are off of the cut or the style of burger that he uh the founder ray crock uh made i don't know i i love all of this and yeah fck jailers pay your workers k jewelers until then we ain't buying any of your rings your necklaces whatever you sell k jewelers fck jeweler do we have to

bleep all those I think maybe. But you get the idea. And finally, someone who doesn't even leave a name. Hey, Paul. I was calling in, and to Jason,

if you were there as well, about this Merry Christmas movie that just happened. As I have had the luck to have seen all of this trilogy, as I would call in and give some additional information on what is really a bizarre

set of three films. So you have a Christmas kiss, another Christmas kiss, or Christmas Kiss, too, and then Merry Kiss Miss. So the first two are directly connected. The evil character from the first one comes back to be a, I don't know, you're going to say an Obi-1-like presence in the second film as a turn for the good. So the common line is, of course, that every single one of these movies evolves at Mistletoe in an elevator. there is one of the people who is kissing the other person is always in a relationship. It was the dudes in the first two, and then, you know, the woman in the third one, trend as a magazine and our company is a common theme as existing in all of these universes.

The first movie, there is the whole mystery. Somehow someone has body glitter on their face, and then someone can't tell who it is. So it's a bit odd. But after that, it just settles into this. whole idea of people kissing an elevator. One of them is in a relationship. There is always the female character is always a workaholic type who has too much on their plate and is being underappreciated and eventually has to, you know, stand up for themselves. I did not actually finish the third one. I couldn't do it. I caught the first two years ago when I, before I had

screaming, if I'm honest, and they were just kind of on cable. And I was there in a I'm really looking for a Christmas movie. So, yeah, that is a quick rundown on the bizarre trilogy of elevator kissing, adultery movies. Thank you, appreciate all that you do, all of you on the podcast, and have a great day. First of all, I want you to tell us who you are, because I love that you have watched all of these. The Body Glitter? That's wild. This is great.

I mean, man, oh, man, all this makes me want to do is watch more Christmas film. And guess what? If you want to do that with us, you're in luck. All right, just stay tuned for a second. Back to the Discord. Unevolved Panda writes, was anyone else bothered by the fact that the first conversation between Carlton and Kayla

is about how much Carlton loves Christmas and how he's overcompensating for childhood trauma? And then Carlton never discusses Christmas again? Also, what hotel decorates customers' rooms for Christmas? Is this something that I could also demand if I was producing slash directing slash choreographing a local production of the Nutcracker. Well, here's the thing, Panda.

That hotel, no. That hotel looks like, you know, a mid-range hotel. You know, it's definitely not the fanciest. And I believe that, like, probably the four seasons, they have some decorations in the lobby, and they probably will put, like, a little thing in your room, maybe a little mini tree or something, like a mini. I'm talking, like, you know, one that could sit on a table

or, you know, like, Merry, you know, like, Happy Holidays or something, some bullshit. but not like decorate like decorate but look you know carlton is coming in i would say his assistant would be responsible for that and guess what we've already established that his assistant kela is terrible at her job she should have done it justice for carlton and f k jewelers all right uh ary meddies writes uh why wasn't the aerosmith song love in an elevator discussed well look we didn't directly discuss the song. But we did have a second opinion review that included the phrase

Sopi Soppy Gush Gush, which is, I think, the unofficial title of Love in an Elevator. Am I right? I think so, so I think that that counts. And it wasn't love in an elevator because I think Love and Elevator is about, you know, coitus. Right? Am I right? I think I am. U.S. Squared writes, Jason, folks, the bell sound in the sea.

seen with the whisper singing carolers was coming from Santa who was standing around the corner. I don't buy it. I don't buy it, U-squared. I don't buy that that bell was, like, so is that bell coordinating with the carol?

First of all, what are we arguing about? Clearly, it was dubbed. So then they also had to add in the bell, and I don't think that Santa was dingin that bell. You-squared, I don't agree with you. I don't agree with you. But here's what I'm going to say. just because they don't agree with you, doesn't mean it's a great point.

So many great corrections and omissions this week. And I got to tell you, there can only be one. One that is the best. And the one that I think is the best one. I think it has to go to the person who spent the most time in this world. And yes, while Lee Black pointed out a very beautiful idea of you can't make flour into dough, and Dove revealed all the Riverside connections. I believe that I

want to give it to our anonymous caller who has watched all of the elevator movies. You have spent the most time in this world, and for that, we are grateful, and you get this theme from Rob from Long Island. Hit it. Congratulations, because you win.

You had the best correction or omission. Everyone here thought, you were quite a hit but in reality you don't win shit now if you want to chime in with your own thoughts you can

every single episode is your chance to come in here and yell at us tell us that we're wrong add a piece of information bring up your job like our friend from K Jewelers anything at all we welcome it we love it oh by the way you know what

we should send Ashley something I mean because Ashley got stiff by K Jewelers oh man all right anyway coming up next you don't want to miss my chat with Jason where I share a great story from when I worked with Billy Bob Thornton on School for Scoundrels, and as we talk about our favorite show, Landman. Stick around after the break. All right, people, you know that every week we release an old How Did This Get Made episode

into our feed. I love these episodes. We recently released the Star Wars holiday special next week. We are closing out our holiday matinees with the Keanu Reeves, Drew Baramore, remake of Babes and Toyland with a very special message. From Drew Baramore herself, make sure you're hitting that like and subscribe. You're following us on Apple Podcasts. It really does help the show.

It really, really does. We can't say it enough. So just do that, and that's your gift to us. All right, without any further ado, let's welcome Jason to a little Just Chat. Action Jackson 5. Play us in. just chat Paul and Jason

Just chat Jason I am about 19 days into my task master Advent calendar I love it It's so much fun I love it

It is really perfect I've called numbers I've had to solve puzzles I've done charades It's so good It is really a perfect encapsulation And I will say

I know we haven't talked about the show But my kids are are talking all the time about you talking about this pervert bear. In the last episode, you were looking at a bear, and now this is like a running joke around my house, that the bear is a pervert, the pervert bear. And no one understands exactly what it means

because I under, like, my kids have been doing two things. Referencing Pervert Bear, which is the finale of your taskmaster season, 19, yes. Right. And it is a true throwaway. Yes. It's like, it's not a, it's not a, It's not a focal point of the episode at all. It is as I'm running by a person dressed in a bear costume

who's reading a magazine, I just call them a pervert. Yep, nope. This has become a rallying cry in the house. Oh, that's so funny. And the other thing that has been nonstop is they watched a sketch on S&L, like an old season, a season that Casey Wilson was on, where Fred Armisen and Andy Sandberg are two kids who are excited to get a calculator for Christmas. So my entire house for the last two weeks, like, Ma, Ma, can we get a calculator

for Christmas? Oh, Ma, I want a calculator for Christmas. So my kids are just doing bits that no one knows. And then people are, dude, they want a calculator? I'm like, no, they're just, they're doing Fred Armisen. I sent it to Fred. I sent Fred just, I was making them breakfast and I just recorded on my phone just to get their voices going, Ma, Ma, Ma. I get a calculator, Ma. Texas Instruments. I don't even think they know what a Texas instrument calculator is, but absolutely, they certainly don't. And if you handed it to them, they'd be like, what is this antique? You might as well hand them an abacus. So, like, that's happening. And then last night I was looking at my phone, was like, what are you looking at pervert bear in there? Some

bear looking at some, guys, I'm like, I just love they've attached themselves to the smallest things. Whatever those things are, they just really get them. And it's, it's fun to, I'm sure you remember this as well. Although, when we were kids, it was so much more of a monocon. culture. Like, they are obsessed with things that not everybody else is saying. Not everybody else is referencing those things. They are, they are, they have, they have good taste. Whatever they find funny. I think that's the interesting thing. It's like they, they, it's just funny to them and they assume that everyone has seen the finale of Taskmaster. And that one, again, like you said, moment. It's not the show. It's not, it is. Even you say in Pervert Bear to me, like as if I was going to be like,

well, of course, pervert bear. I had to be like, wait a minute, Taskmaster. Oh, I remember. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I know that you and I, this is a good month. I love catching up in December, watching a bunch of stuff and, like, loving. Well, I will say last year you gave me an incredible present, which was the Gilmore Girls Advent calendar. Oh, yeah.

Which made last year, I still have some of those little chotchkes and stuff that came in their, like, propped around the house that was such a big hit and when i saw that i was so excited i was uh yeah and we are you know we're coming off our live stream which i believe uh you might be able to still watch i know we have a seven day window but we might have extended it there we will see we will see so check it out if you've missed if you didn't watch it you missed you obviously you've heard the chatter it was a it was an explosive episode nobody nobody saw coming the stuff that happened and you know like we're prepared to talk about it right now but we're not gonna that's a new year thing here's the thing jason i want to say because i did watch the deep dive

holiday special and you know i'm not allowed to listen to the deep dive that is a rule that i've been given i can be on the deep dive can i'm not allowed to listen to the deep dive i just choose not to listen to yeah there you go now um i did not realize that jessica st clair is so filthy like she really like and and from i guess we i see elements of it in our show but But, man, when she has left her own devices, just her in June, I'm like, whoa. Oh, yeah. No. St. Clair, I think, because, you know, Jess and I used to be comedy partners.

Yes. And I think there was a real misunderstanding that it was a beauty and the beast scenario. Yeah. And in fact, if it was, it just maybe was in the opposite direction. And maybe perhaps I am the beauty and she is the beast. Look, after watching that special, it's like, I think you are right. Oh, I got to watch it now. Oh, that's hilarious.

Just saying things. St. Clair can go toe to toe. She is, she's an absolute monster. Oh, my gosh. What have you been watching? What have you been up to in, like, your media consumption this month? You know, I am, I'm watching a bunch of stuff. I'm watching, and I'm like reading it.

I've got a list of stuff to go through. Yeah, I'd love to hear it. I mean, our Spotify raps have come out. I don't know if you are, if you're, Kids ruin yours, perhaps. No, you know, I feel like every now and then I accidentally put my phone or my phone starts playing Spotify and it's screwed up because it never feels to, like, encapsulate what I'm listening to. My number one artist this year, you may be surprised, was Teddy Swims, which I'm surprised. Who's Teddy Swims?

Like he, like it's just like a, like a pop act. Yeah, like he's like a, like a, this is like a, I'm, I don't know. Wait, we've got a teddy swims and a Billy Strings? Yeah, I mean, this is, what are we doing? I'm convinced, boy, this is an old man thing. Well, we got a Teddy swims and a Billy Strings. Oh, what's everybody doing? What happened to Led Zeppelin?

Like, Teddy Swims to me, like, this is like, I'm having a hard time even describing him because he's kind of R&B, soul, country, hip-hop guy, a lot of tattoos on the face. But I can't tell you, I know a single song of his, like, well. And I'm like, how did that become my number one listen to track? I don't know. And I'm like, is someone broken into my account? And I've like looked back. And I think I've just accidentally hit it while it's in my pocket.

Yeah, and it's just like auto played or something. And I'm mad. I'm mad at Teddy Swims. Mad at it. Have you watched any of death by lightning? No, what is that? The Netflix show that our friend Nick Offerman is on, along with a lot of other great people. It's the show about the Garfield assassination, the president Garfield assassination.

Not Garfield, the cat. Right. Oh, my gosh. Well, I mean, he has a coming. I mean, like, hey, how about try loving Mondays, buddy? Exactly. Super fun, Death by Lightning, on Netflix. Our friend Danielle Schneider, who we did our dinosaur improv tour with,

recommended the Australian sitcom Fisk. Oh, yes. Right. Isn't it great? Also on Netflix, and is fantastic. Like, we loved Colin from accounts. I feel like we talked about. but, and Fisk scratches that same itch.

It's a great, hard, funny, jokes comedy sitcom. It's so funny. It's about this, like, lawyer who has to work at, like, this, like, suburban law firm. And it's an Australian show. It's very, I don't know. She recommended it to me a while ago, and I watched it. I thought it was so fun. I want to get more into finding these, like, other, other country's comedy shows.

Because it's, like, they can kind of be a little hidden, I feel like. You can't come out. Well, that's how I felt about Colin from Accounts at the time. I was like, this should be a gigantic show. This is a absolutely gangbusters, hilarious, such a great rom-com setup, such great jokes. I thought they were fantastic, the two leads, Patrick and I think her name is Harriet. Great show, Colin from Accounts, still available. But, yeah, like, what are those other shows, those other sitcoms?

I feel like we know a lot about them when they come out of England, but less so if it's Australia, New Zealand, places like that. I agree. So if you've got a good one to recommend to us. Oh yeah. Getting up to Discord. Yeah. God, do we have to do that? I know. I know. Well, it's going to have to be. It'll have to be there. It'll have to be there. You know, here's the thing. I wanted to talk about just for a second because I feel like you're the only person that I know that watches it. But holy shit. Landman. Oh, dude. Landman. I could talk about landman. Landman is the best, the greatest show of our time.

I'm truly, like, I need to get everyone together on this because it is great. And Andy Garcia. So far this season, there have been four episodes of Landman this season. And all of them together feel like one big just montage. Like, I don't know what's happening in this show, but I am captivated by everybody. gets to monologue all the time. Oh, and here's the thing. It's, is this the season where

they open up on the lawyer that he's got that kind of repartee with where she's just like benching like, a lot of weight? Like I was like, whoa, did not expect this. Yeah. She's squatting three plates. And I was like, yeah. And the only issue that I had right out of the gate, and I was a little bit

nervous, season two starts off. And I really love the mother and daughter in the show. Allie Larder is fantastic. But I thought they made the daughter like aggressively like almost like sketch comedy show dumb like like oh she's like they're giving her lines that are real dumb yeah like it like she went from being like just like a a young high school like like not i wouldn't just i wouldn't use dumb as the first thing and now i'm like oh now she a dummy yeah it's shocking i mean i enjoy i enjoy the hell out of it but what a choice to be

like we're just going to write comedy here from mother and daughter getting elderly people at the nursing home drunk to like group of hunters dying from toxic gases leaking out of the earth to... To like Andy Garcia with a cigar and a whiskey monologing beauty. I mean, oh, Andy Garcia. And monologing. Everybody monologues all the time. And now in season two, and did you see it's gotten picked up for season three?

Yeah. Oh, yeah. I mean, by the way, Billy Bob has said he sees. He's a five-season show, and I'm like, great. Great. It is, he is having a blast. It is, all he does is react to circumstances in his life and world that are so enormous. And all of it is like, oh, God, damn.

Honey, I got to go. I got to, I got to hang up. It's as if, but he's juggling, like, such gigantic things that, but so casually. I love him in this one of the things that's so special about this show is that when his wife calls him, she has a special ring for his phone

and the show will build up to a stress point and then you hear that ring and you also feel like oh god damn it like now he doesn't have time for this but he always picks up he never lets it go to voicemail he never does it's incredible he always

picks up he always picks up and he picks up when like someone else in the car that shouldn't hear this call. He still picks up. And she's always on FaceTime. She's never just calling. Never. Never.

I cannot recommend Landman enough. Everybody needs to be watching Landman. It is so fun. Landman, the lowdown, incredible. Again, another show where it's just like, oh, I'm just watching someone who is very good, Ethan Hawk. And the whole cast is too, but just kind of dance through this show in a way. It's like there's an ease to it.

Like, Billy Bob is like, oh, just an ease to his performance. Exactly. And it's such a great juxtaposition because Landman, the stakes are so gigantic. Yeah. Like huge. Oh, yeah. And the lowdown, it's so much more personal. It seems so much smaller stakes.

But nonetheless, Ethan Hawke's character is just going for it so hard. I love that show. I think I could tell you this story publicly because it doesn't paint anyone in a bad light. I had done this movie with Billy Bob back in the day. uh the the hit classic uh school for scound drills as i always say the only todd phillips movie that didn't make a billion dollars yeah uh and um it was really interesting because he was exceptionally playful and fun and wanted to hang out like would be a guy that would like sit on the stairway to his trailer and just be like hey what's up what's up and i remember man this is my favorite story of him

like he we're like hanging out in his trailer just talking whatever it is chill time right he's a very chill guy and uh it was like around christmas he's like you know we should uh everybody come over the house this weekend we have like a thing and invited everyone to come and hang and i would say maybe there was about a 15 second pause where like no one just like jumped in like yeah great idea he's like oh fuck it no no you know what i'm not inviting any of you like just got just got him like felt that pressure of i invited everyone no one jumped at it and And I'm like, I'm taking it back. No, no one can come.

I'm not having it now. I'm not having it. Oh, that's so funny. And it was like such a sweet thing. Like, and then I was like, oh, I didn't. It should have said, yes. Should I say, then I think I was like, I think all of us were nervous, like, what is that going to be like to go over to Billy Bob's house?

And also, like, is this a real offer? Is this, is he being polite? Yes. Yeah, you never want to be like, and now I'm at, like, the star is house. Does he want me here, you know? It felt to me like it was just like an open thing. Like, yeah, you should all come over at my house. Saturday. And we'd have to agree to it in the moment.

But we, and then we all missed our opportunity to go through his house. Man, he was fucking cool. Oh, that's cool. I know I've talked about this with you a little bit, but right now it is streaming. You can get it. Hopefully it's not shut down by a cease and desist. There's a great documentary called Corey Feldman

versus the world directed by Marcy Hume. It was a documentary 10 years in the making about, well, this documentary filmmaker is embedded with Corey Feldman at a time in his life where he performs in the Today Show with a group of female musicians who are all dressed like angels, scandily clad angels. The clip goes absolutely viral and everyone's like, this is one of the worst album songs I've ever seen. And because it's going viral and it gets on the top 40 because people are trying to find it, he decides it's a great time to go on tour. People want this. He doesn't see why the

virality is happening. He just sees that it's going viral. So he goes out on tour and this director embeds herself on this eight city tour of Corey Feldman and the Angels. And I will just tell you, I was not expecting. I did not know where it was going to go. I don't want to tell you where it's going to go. And it is fascinating. Fascinating. That's great. Yeah, we talked about it the other night. It sounds absolutely incredible. I cannot wait to watch this. I mean, 10 years, and that's the other thing, too. It's 10 years old. Like, it's like, and a real labor of love. But, yeah,

so that's a little bit there. I'm excited for that. I'll shout out a couple of other documentaries. I think the last time we spoke, I think I talked, I mentioned the Jeff Buckley documentary. Yes. The Garland Jeffries documentary, both terrific. How's the Jeff Garland documentary? All

black and white. It's stills that are in black and white from a LICA camera. There's a documentary called Hobby. Okay. That is about board games. Oh, wow. That is fantastic that I absolutely love. Ooh, I love that. It's called Hobby. The artist Greenhouse, who I've also mentioned on the podcast before, does the music, which is just an aside. And it's beautiful. But it's great. It's about how big board games, the explosion in board games, they talk to different people who

are, you know, go to conventions, who are making the board game makers. all the all the explosion in tabletop gaming that has happened in the last chunk of years is what this documentary is about do you do that at all like because like that's a thing that I was actually literally had this idea the other day I was like I think it would be fun to get a group of people together to do like a board game might every like two or three months because it's like I would love to play more games it's just hard to a get everybody on the same page and then also have somebody to let you in? Like, how do you play these games?

What do you do? I feel like I used to have a group that exactly was that. It was, you know, and it was just, it wasn't like all different games. It was kind of the same couple of games rotated through. And I think that post-pandemic, that group has kind of gotten scattered. Okay. You know, it just doesn't exist the same way anymore. So the answer is no.

But it was like that era of playing Catan or playing some of these large group games that are not party games that are, you know, that are board games, you know. Well, Rich, you know, Rich Summer, who always was like this man who has a great actor, obviously, we love Rich, had this great podcast for a while actually on the old Wolf Pop, but this idea of like, he has this like, I hate the term man cave, but I can use that here. He's a man cave where it's a wall to ceiling games and he knew all these games and he would, And he was a great, like, host because I think part of that is, like, you can get on board. All these games are relatively easy.

You just need somebody to be like, here's how you do it. Like, you just need some of the, because sometimes you look at these things, they're like, I don't know. I don't know how to even begin here. Oh, well, and because some of them are, I don't buy games that have a million little pieces. No. Because I'm like, oh, I don't, this looks like it's going to be too difficult. I don't, I can't go more than like three levels into a game's. strategy. Right. Like, I can't have big, tons of little stuff. I'm out now, you know,

especially if it's like, oh, fuck, we lost the thing. We lost that one thing that now is, oh, okay, forget about it. No, I want to play games that it's like, part of it is, yes, we're playing the game, but part of it is also we're hanging out. I want to, I don't want the hang to be superseded by the rules, you know? I agree. I think, like, it's, well, this is why Mahjong has been a big, a big thing that we've been doing here. our household. I love Mahjong. It's a very, it's just that right middle ground of I have to pay attention, but I also can have a good time and we can switch partners and it feels like the games are going. It's like poker or something like that. I love, I don't know. It's great. It's a great

documentary. I think you'll really dig it. And I'll shout out one more documentary that is the opposite of Tabletop Gaming, which is the ski documentary Land of Giants. I'm a real sucker, especially as we get into the winter for just very beautifully shot ski movies that are just people getting dropped out of helicopters on top of mountains and then skiing down like avalanches

that are chasing them. Oh my gosh. That is, oh, I'm looking at some of the footage of this right now. That looks really, really good. It's a good one. Every year I feel like a new great ski movie comes out. This one is terrific. It's a great have a gummy late at night just like watch

watch people just challenge nature in every way, shape, or form. It's absolutely stunning. Have you ever seen that footage on TikTok where a skier is like coming down the hill? He's got like a GoPro on his helmet. And he sees just like a little image of like a board in the ground and then realize it's a guy who went head first and is like upside down in the snow. I'll send it to it. And you watch him dig this guy out who just was like, boom.

just comically upside down. Terrifying. Also amazing for that skier to see just a sliver of a board and be like, oh, wait, hold on. Yeah. Let me get this guy out. There is some video I just watched that Red Bill puts out a ton of this stuff. Yeah. And I'm so susceptible to like the, it was on YouTube and it was like, it's a guy who climbs up Mount Everest and skis down.

Whoa. And that was crazy too. like no oxygen assist, like crazy. Super interesting. You know what I think you would very much enjoy in a very sight? Now I'm switching to audiobooks because we also, we're talking about audio books recently. The audio book, this is a book that the Action Boys have talked about multiple times on their podcast. So I got it.

And it's Ileana Douglas' book, I Blame Dennis Hopper. Whoa, wait a second. Did not know about this. So fantastic and so funny and interesting. And Ileana Douglas has just such a hilarious, her writing is great. She reads it herself. Her vocal performance is fantastic. And it's all stories that are based.

The reason it's called I blame Dennis Hopper is she starts out the book by saying when the movie Easy Rider came out, Her father basically had like a, not a midlife crisis, but basically turned into Dennis Hopper's character from Easy Rider. Oh, my God. And started hanging around with other Dennis Hopper-esque guys. Oh, that's good. And, like, started living that life man and this man. And she does the voice so funny.

Oh, wow. And her life kind of spirals out of control. They were like an upper middle class family and they, like, just completely lose everything. and the chapters that are about this part of her life are fascinating, but then she becomes an actor, she's in, you know, all these movies. So then the majority of the book is just a, her experience, her life in Hollywood, or in, you know, in film and TV, which is also super interesting. Oh, I got to get that.

Great, great listen. Okay, that is going on my list. Yeah, I think you'll like it. I've been listening to a lot of, like, a lot of, like, the Freed can, audiobook, the, a lot of like those, the Warren Littlefield one, like all these audio books about the business that are just great listens. They're fun. Like, you know, they're always, like, they go down so smooth.

I'm listening to the Walter Merch book on tape, which is really... Another one that Ben Rogers on Action Boys is very positive on. It's a very, like, technical in certain degrees, but then he's worked on so many things. So it's sort of like, oh, it's a technical book where a guy who has worked on Star Wars and worked We're the greatest directors, and it's a book for editors to a certain extent, but at the same time, it's very entertaining. So, you know. I love it. All right.

So can I give a couple. I'm just going to shout out a couple of other things just because we're coming into the holiday season. So sometimes people are like, what can I buy the person that I love? Why not buy them comics? There is a new Hobtown Mysteries book. It is called The Secret of the Saucer. This is maybe my favorite ongoing series of graphic novels, the whole. Pop Town Mysteries, the cursed hermit, the case of the missing men.

These are like, what if David Lynch wrote Nancy Drew Hardy Boys books? I cannot recommend these enough. These are, there's three of them. All three of them are five stars, incredible books, beautifully drawn, incredibly written. These are some of the best graphic novels of the last 10 years. I cannot recommend them enough. Get that. Our buddy Matt Fraction's new Batman book is fantastic.

I got to say, he did a solid for me. We were talking the other day, and he sent my kids some Batman books. And I got to say, they are, I was as excited as they were. It was great. I love his Batman. It's a great book. I think you're right. It's like, you know, I say, go to that.

Find your local comic book shop. Get in there. Support. It's really important. It really is. Yeah, it's such a good way to support local stories is to buy these books there. The Mike Minola book from last year. Your Bowling with Corpses is fantastic.

Johnny Ryan has a new book. Great. I'm just shouting some stuff out because people are buying stuff. I have a full three-part list on my substack where I just kind of, I normally would go on Coolops Add to Cart and do a little Christmas gift recommendation. And I did a three-part thing there so you can check that out. It's totally free. And Jason, I'll tell you, I don't know if you were a part of this, but Tom Bin sent me their

messenger bag. Great. Me as well. And it's fantastic. I think it's called the Marathon Messenger bag. I have signed off messenger bags. I was like, I don't do it anymore. And then I got that and I went on a trip with it. And I was like, this rules. It's great. It really is good. If you love a shoulder bag. If you love a messenger bag. Yes. The new Tom Binbag is incredible. Fantastic. If you don't mind, I'm just going to shout out the new Snowcaps album, the new Bill Fox album, Resonance, the new Tortus album touch. And our friend Mary Latimore has a new album with the incredible singer Juliana Barwick. That record, I cannot recommend enough. I think it is incredible. So that's a little bit of music. And again, Teddy Swims. Make sure you're listening. Just like me. Just like

me. You know, me. Me and Teddy Swims. All right. Jason, so great to chat with you. We will catch up again potentially in the new year. Can't wait. All right. That is a wrap on just chat, which means it is finally time to announce our next movie. Next week, we'll be going from a Santa who's unwise to a Santa in disguise. That's right. Jason called it. We are going to be watching the brand new 2025 Netflix rom-com, My Secret Santa, starring Alexander Breckenridge and Ryan Eggold.

For those of you who watched our holiday live stream, Jason demanded that we cover this movie, so we decided to cave to his demands and give you one last holiday gift this year. So instead of playing the trailer, Listen to this deleted scene in which Jason describes the plot and why he's obsessed with it. I will say I have now seen about 15 to 20 minutes of a movie that if we don't do it, ASAP. You were telling me about this. So there's a movie on Netflix. It is a kind of reverse Mrs. Doubtfire where a single mom dresses up as Santa Claus.

In the course of dressing up like Santa Claus, meets and falls in love with the man who owns the ski resort that she is now portraying Santa Claus at, and they become best friends because the guy thinks she's a man as Santa Claus, and they are now bros. And so she is constantly dressed as full Santa, not just like, I'm in a beard. There's some kids there. Oh, she has a full face mask that is Santa Claus, and she does a deep voice. It is absolutely mental. Now, will Jason regret this choice?

Well, I know the answer to that. But you don't. You have to tune in next week. Now, Rotten Tomatoes does rate this movie at a 77% fresh. And Eddie Harrison from Film Authority says, Fusing Mrs. Delfire in Tootsie, My Secret Santa is a laughable Netflix ripping off the Hallmark movie about a single mom passing herself off at Santa that passes this so bad, it's good test.

It's so silly, you literally won't believe what you're seeing. Now, I got to tell you, they're not wrong. I enjoyed the hell out of it. The only place to watch it, though, is on Netflix. So there you go. Now, unrelated to this movie, you can always find movies that are available outside of Netflix through your local public library. But we don't have to worry about that this week.

What I do want to tell you, though, is have a very happy holiday season. Thank you for following us on social media. Thank you for listening to us. Thank you for recommending us to all of your friends. It means a lot. Seeing you put us on your Spotify, end-of-year playlist is amazing. I wish we recorded a video for you, but we forgot. That's the kind of things that we've got to be more on top of in the new year.

Anyway, thank you to our producers who pull this show together every week, Scott Sonny, Molly Reynolds, our engineer Casey Holford, and our social media manager, Zoe Applebaum. We will forever be thankful to the one and only Averallie. We think of her a lot during this holiday season, and we miss her. We will see you next week for Secret Sand. Santa.