There are movies out there that are simply terrible. Whether it’s because of a poorly written plot, questionable casting, or an unsatisfying ending. Some are so bad that they leave audiences wondering how it could have possibly been made.
This is exactly what comedians Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael and Jason Mantzoukas explore in their podcast, the aptly named, How Did This Get Made?
I caught up with Scheer ahead of the podcast’s first tour of Ireland and Britain which is coming to Belfast in April.
“How Did This Get Made? is a podcast that is about bad movies,” Scheer explains.
“It’s a bit like hanging out with your friends after you watch a terrible film, and that was always the format I wanted the show to follow, where it was casual but also really fun.
“Which is why, when we do these live shows the audience are a big part of it – we try to treat each live show specially so people can have a very unique experience.
“We want people to come away knowing that they’ve seen a full show that no other audience will ever get to see.”
Having started the podcast in 2010 Mantzoukas, Raphael and Scheer have subjected themselves to countless cinematic nightmares leaving no ridiculous storyline or cringey dialogue unturned.
“Jason has been on shows like Brooklyn 99, Invincible and we were on The League together and then June, who is also my wife, has been on Grace and Frankie and in a movie called Longshot and a bunch of other stuff so we all knew each other really well already,” says Scheer.
“June and I were coming back from a trip, and we stopped at a movie theatre on the way home and we watched this movie called Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps which was the sequel to Wall Street and it was absolutely terrible – so stupid and unnecessary.
“Then a few days later we were at a party, and we started talking to Jason about it and he was asking us questions and in the middle of the conversation he says, ‘This is a podcast’.”
Since then, How Did This Get Made? has consistently ranked among the top 10 most downloaded comedy podcasts winning multiple awards including best comedy podcast at The Ambies and iHeart Radio’s Best TV & Film Podcast.
“I think we’re a really good introductory podcast because you don’t need to know a lot of stuff,” explains Scheer.
“Everyone’s seen a bad movie and as long as you’ve seen the movie that we’re talking about we’re all on the same page.
“I’ve had a lot of people come up and say that they’ve brought their mum to the live show or it’s something they listen to with their family.
“It doesn’t have a specific demographic which is nice because it means that it’s quite a communal experience.”
For the live shows, the idea is that the audience will watch the movie Scheer and the team will be reviewing in advance. This will enable them to become part of the action engaging with the hosts through questions, spontaneous songs and segments and provide context when watching clips.
“What’s really fun about the lives shows is the fact we’re in a venue where hundreds of people have watched the same movie and we’re all raring to talk about it,” says Scheer.
“I think that makes it really special. Unlike seeing a concert or stand-up comedy show we’re doing something completely different night after night - it’s a different movie in a different place; it’s fresh for us and fresh for the audience.”
When the tour arrives in Belfast on April 2 it will be Scheer’s first time in the city: “I’m really excited about coming to Belfast, I’ve heard really great things.
“The only thing I’m bummed about is the fact that we did Wild Mountain Thyme before we got to Ireland, I feel like you guys would’ve really enjoyed all the terrible Irish accents they did in that movie.”
“So, we’ve got to find another movie full of dumb accents for Belfast,” he laughs.
Having watched most box office bombs, Scheer admits that he has found himself criticising movies even when the recording equipment is turned off.
“I just saw The Beekeeper and I stopped watching it mid-way through because I knew we would have to do it on the show,” he says.
“It’s so funny though, because just when you think you’ve seen the worst of the worst, along comes another one that tops it.”
In addition to hosting the podcast Scheer is also an actor, comedian, filmmaker and most recently, author. His new book, Joyful Recollections of Trauma, is set to hit the shelves in May.
“When we’re recording the show, I’ll sometimes tell these stories about my childhood – which is never planned, it happens organically,” he says.
“But if it wasn’t for the podcast, I would never have written the book because I never would have realised my life was so crazy.
“This is the first book - it’ll be the first if it sells well - if it doesn’t it’ll be the only one...”
Scheer firmly believes that a multifaceted skill set is essential if you want to have a career in the film and media industry.
@paulscheer You’d think the author of the book would get to choose the cover, but no. However, I did choose no socks. Great choice, says Rob Riggle. #joyfulrecollectionsoftrauma #robriggle #book #publishing
♬ original sound - Paul Scheer
“I came up through this system in New York called the Upright Citizens Brigade, which is a comedy group.
“What I learned there right away was you need to write, produce, direct and star in your own shows because no-one’s going to do it for you.
“You basically have to be the equivalent of a Swiss army knife in terms of talent because there are just fewer and fewer opportunities out there.”
When asked to do a hard sell to convince people to come to the show, which will take place in the Ulster Hall on April 2, Scheer says: “I don’t care if you’ve never heard of the podcast. You have seen a bad movie. This show celebrates bad movies and here’s the best part - it’s not just a show about bad movies, it’s a show about what Belfast thinks about a bad movie.
“If you are smart and interesting, you’re actually going to be on our podcast, if you’re not we’ll edit you out but you’re going to get a chance to voice your thoughts.
“We want to make sure that when this tour ends everyone says Belfast is the best and the only way we can do that is with a full house or excited, great people.”
