How Did This Get Made? – “88 Minutes” w/ Pete Holmes (HDTGM Matinee)

Date: February 24, 2026
Episode Theme:
The crew of "How Did This Get Made?"—Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, Jason Mantzoukas—joined by special guest Pete Holmes, take on the 2007 Al Pacino thriller 88 Minutes, dissecting its dizzying plot, questionable logic, and the parade of odd creative choices. True to their mission, they celebrate the very best of the cinematic worst with their signature mix of incredulity, wit, and tangents.

Main Episode Themes & Purpose

• Film Discussed: 88 Minutes (2007, starring Al Pacino)
• Purpose: To revel in and deconstruct the absurdity and unintentional comedy of one of Hollywood’s most baffling thrillers, together with comedian Pete Holmes.
• Tone: Playful, irreverent, sharply observational, and loaded with running bits.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Absurd Premise and Production Choices

• 88 Minutes boils down to “Al Pacino has 88 minutes to live and seems profoundly unconcerned about it.”

  • Paul: “He just seems unfazed by that. To the point where he’s like, ‘ah, get my files out. Just find out who wants to kill me.'” [19:42]

• Questionable Real-Time Gimmick

  • June: “90% of the movie takes place on the phone.” [05:20]
  • Jason: “The movie is all false leads. Like, needless false leads.” [04:27]
  • The “real-time” conceit occasionally noticed, but frequently contradicted by characters traversing cities in impossibly short timespans.

Al Pacino’s Bizarre Characterization

• Pacino as a ‘Forensic Playboy’ For No Reason:

  • June: “Everyone wants to fuck Al Pacino.” [08:46]
  • Jason: “[Women] are towering over him … There are police dogs that are taller than him in this movie.” [08:55]
  • Paul: “Al Pacino in this movie isn’t tan. He’s mahogany.” [09:02]
  • Jason: “His wig is out of control.” [09:09]

• Job Title Confusion:

  • Jason: “He acts—it’s like CSI … They are forensic scientists.” [09:54]
  • June/Paul clarify Pacino is a top forensic investigator, not actually a cop, despite constant cop behavior [46:06–46:12 timestamp cluster].

Rampant Red Herrings and Plot Loops

• Everyone is a Suspect, Nobody Makes Sense:

  • Paul: “It’s everybody within his peripheral vision—it’s all the people that are right there.” [19:59]
  • June: “Everyone in this movie should say their line and then twirl their mustache—maybe, maybe, maybe.” [25:12]
  • Jason on character names: “What about Sarah Jacobs? Bethany Monroe? … Why does everybody have full names?” [27:10]

• Unexplained and Forgotten Subplots:

  • June: “It will bother you the whole film. … 90% of the movie takes place on the phone.” [05:20]
  • The group notes endless nonsensical time jumps, characters introduced with ostentatious detail only to serve as decoys.

Special Scenes & Running Gags

• The Cookie and Milk Scene:

  • Paul: “My favorite scene is Al Pacino serving people cookies and milk in a boardroom.” [11:30]
  • Jason: “You think it's gonna pay off? No payoff.” [11:50]

• The Relentless Telephone:

  • Jason: “A solid 90% of this movie is Al Pacino answering and talking to it on a cell phone.” [26:19]
  • June: “This movie should just [be called] ‘Phone Call: The Movie’.” [26:26]

• Wild Acting Choices (and Dialogue):

  • Pete’s Pacino Impression: “Did you ever let an unauthorized person into my secure files area?” [40:38]
  • Jason: “That sounds like the most dirty—‘my most secret secure area.’” [41:19]

• Logic Leaps, Bizarre Motives & Last-Second Twists

  • The “real killer” is revealed to be Leelee Sobieski’s character, who, in true thriller twist fashion, accomplishes impossible feats with psycho strength [22:10], leading June to briefly suspect (and hilariously attempt to justify) that the character might be blind [22:51].

• Comedic Highpoints

  • The group’s incredulity at Pacino’s sexual charisma:
    • “He’s a forensic scientist. Everybody wants to fuck him.” [08:46]
  • Pacino’s general inertia:
    • “He just seems unfazed by that…he’s not even worried when told he’ll die in 88 minutes.” [19:42]
  • Misused “real-time” device:
    • “Why does he drive a taxi cab?” [05:53]

Memorable Quotes & Exchanges (with Timestamps)

• On Pacino's Sexual Appeal

  • June: “Everyone wants to fuck Al Pacino.” [08:46]
  • Jason: “Including Guy Lafarge.” [20:29]

• On Names and Character Overload

  • Jason: “This movie is all useless female names.” [04:44]
  • June: “There’s a girl who literally walks by and goes, ‘Hi, Dr. Graham.’ And he goes, ‘Hi, Lauren.’ That’s the sum total of her acting performance.” [27:19]

• On Plot and Editing Bizarre Choices

  • Paul: “Al Pacino’s never phased. He’s never really phased by anything.” [13:42]
  • Jason: “He acts—it’s like CSI … They are forensic scientists.” [09:54]

• On Acting and Dialogue

  • June (as Shelley): “Not ever? To anyone, Ever?” [41:12]
  • Pete (as Pacino): “Did you ever let an unauthorized person into my secure files area?” [40:38]

• On the Logic of the Movie

  • June: “This movie was so clearly written by one person ... every character is the same. They all just kind of ... talk the same.” [35:03]

Notable Timestamps by Topic

• The “Princess Di Sets the Year” Scene: [03:54]
• First time Pacino receives the “88 minutes to live” call: [14:12]
• Cookie and Milk in Boardroom: [11:30]
• The Real Killer Reveal/Confrontation: [22:00–22:44]
• Jet City Improv Flyer Sighted: [46:33–47:23]

Other Memorable Moments

• Running Gags:

  • Jason: “If you see troll hair walking by your desk, give him this.” [26:01]
  • Group repeatedly riffs on the inexhaustible supply of suspiciously-named side characters.

• Boston-Style Alternate Endings and Imaginary Scenes:

  • June and Jason imagine alternative twists (e.g., Leelee being blind, the phone exploding).

• Jet City Improv Spotting:

  • Paul: “They're having, like, a scene. …and behind him, like, perfectly framed, is a flyer for an improv company… Jet City Improv.” [46:33]

Episode Wrap-Up & Recommendations

• Would They Recommend Watching?

  • Mixed reactions:
    • June: “There’s a good chance I’m gonna watch it again with friends … a pure delight.” [45:55]
    • Jason: “I don’t know. I was really annoyed by it.” [45:52]
    • Paul: “If you do watch this movie … it actually opens up this whole world of the second life of Al Pacino…” [46:24]

• Summary of Film’s Place in the HDTGM Canon:

  • The crew sees 88 Minutes as a prime specimen of the “unintentionally hilarious late-career Al Pacino thriller”—potentially presaging a new HDTGM tradition (the way “Nic Cage movies” have become running favorites).

Conclusion: Classic, Comedic “Best of the Worst” Takedown

This episode stands as a masterclass in comedic analysis, using 88 Minutes’ absurd narrative and creative misfires as a launchpad for tangents, bits, and honest-to-God reverence for the art of cinematic failure. For die-hard HDTGM fans, it delivers all the acerbic wit, off-the-wall premises, and ensemble riffing they’ve come to expect—with the special kick of Pete Holmes’ Pacino impression and the group’s ceaseless bemusement at a thriller gone horribly haywire.

End of Summary