How Did This Get Made? — "Disclosure" w/ Nick Kroll & Emily Altman (HDTGM Matinee)

Date: February 10, 2026
Hosts: Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael (not present), Jason Mantzoukas
Guests: Nick Kroll, Emily Altman

Episode Overview

This episode of "How Did This Get Made?" dives deep into the 1994 corporate thriller "Disclosure," starring Michael Douglas and Demi Moore. The crew, joined by Nick Kroll and Emily Altman, explores the film’s wild blend of 90s sexual politics, then-cutting-edge tech, and genuinely bonkers plot twists. Notably, Nick and Emily are on hand because they wrote a "Big Mouth" episode that is an all-singing, all-dancing musical version of "Disclosure," making their insights especially juicy for fans who want to get the inside scoop on both the infamous film and its animated musical parody.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why "Disclosure"? The Big Mouth Connection

• Nick Kroll explains his longstanding relationship with the HDTGM podcast and why he called in a favor to cover this particular film.
• The connection: Season 3 of Netflix’s "Big Mouth" features a “Disclosure: The Musical” episode, co-written by guest Emily Altman.
  • Nick Kroll [06:07]: “It felt like it would be a perfect thing to come in here, talk about the movie in general so that when people watch ‘Big Mouth’ and they watch that episode, they’ll have all the extra information and be able to understand what we were doing.”

2. The Weird Tech of 1994

• The panel riffs hilariously on the bizarre depiction of tech: VR as a literal virtual filing cabinet and a plot hinged on manufacturing CD-ROM drives.
  • Jason Mantzoukas [07:29]: “All right. So what I love about this movie, Virtual reality...we are reality CD rom, Mostly CD Roms.”
  • Paul Scheer [07:51]: “And the VR that they're creating is like a virtual reality filing cabinet.”
  • Nick Kroll [08:38]: “This is in that era of that Aerosmith video...where the guy puts on the virtual reality helmet and, like, he's now on a motorbike with Alicia Silverstone…”

Memorable Moment:

• Jason plays a cringe-worthy movie clip of Demi Moore’s character predicting technology will free us from gender, race, and personality—prompting group mockery.
  • Demi Moore Movie Clip [10:19]: “We offer through technology...freedom from the physical body, freedom from race and gender...We can relate to each other as pure consciousness.”
  • Paul Scheer [10:53]: “A place where all of those things she said—race and gender—matter the most...It's like a system for trolls.”

3. Star Power and Michael Crichton’s Magic

• Reflection on the film as an “adult drama” during an era when studios bet big on grown-up sexual/political thrillers.
  • Nick Kroll [11:43]: “And it’s Michael Crichton who has at this point, er. Has created er...Jurassic Park...”
  • Jason Mantzoukas [11:50]: "He sold the movie rights for a million dollars before the novel was even published."

4. Sexual Politics & The Michael Douglas ‘Sexy’ Era

• The group skewers the film's fantasy of Michael Douglas as an irresistible Lothario, universally desired even in the tech world.

  • Emily Altman [18:09]: "He gets more ass than a rental car."
  • Nick Kroll [18:54]: “When we were deciding to do this for the show, we were describing this movie as in Michael Douglas period of filmmaking when he was too sexy for his own good.”
  • Paul Scheer [19:30]: "They will literally blow up their whole lives just to get a taste of that D."

• The “reverse harassment” angle is dissected and mocked for its wild implausibility and dated gender paranoia.

  • Nick Kroll [48:02]: “Sexual harassment is about power — when did I ever have the power?”
  • Emily Altman [45:05]: “The spirit is identical...the defensiveness that he has, the persecution that he goes through...It feels so much like right now.”

5. Plot Logic: Tech, Scheming, and...Disneyland Tickets

• Guests tie themselves in knots trying to untangle the convoluted motivations and plot twists, particularly around the corporate intrigue.
  • Nick Kroll [32:31]: “They need these CD ROM drives for this virtual reality, which is the cornerstone of why this merger is happening. They are behind about a year on production. So they need a scapegoat...”
• Ridicule over how helping a Malaysian tech guy score Disneyland tickets is core to the final act’s big evidence reveal.
  • Paul Scheer [35:06], joking: "The guy he got the Disney tickets for is the guy who faxes him all the incriminating..."

6. Key Scenes and Their Bizarre Execution

A. The Infamous Sexual Harassment Scene

• The hosts dissect the scene’s wild contradictions: Is Douglas victim or dog? Is Moore a villain or woman scorned?
  • Jason Mantzoukas [48:27]: “It’s the most mixed message sexual harassment scene...because...no, no Meredith, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no...”
  • Nick Kroll [49:18]: “He rips her...He rips the underwear off.”
  • Emily Altman [50:09]: "You want to get—"
  • Paul Scheer [50:11]: "You're turning everybody on, Paul, say what you want..."

B. Office Glass Maze & 90s Corporate Vibes

• Riffing on the omnipresent glass walls and obsession with people being watched from everywhere in the office.
  • Paul Scheer [13:25]: “There are at least four plot points in this movie that hinge on someone being able to hear or see through glass.”

7. Costumes, Pacific Northwest Setting, and 90s-ness

• Everyone laughs over the giant, blousy 90s clothes, mullets, and failed opportunities for grunge cameos in a peak Seattle-set movie.
  • Emily Altman [25:25]: "So loose on his body. He talks about his body...your body's still so tight. And you can't tell by the way..."
  • Emily Altman [26:33]: “Style wise though...the Pacific Northwest, like how much and how 90s that also is...”

8. Corporate Villainy: Everyone's Evil!

• The team agrees that “Disclosure” makes basically every character, including Douglas and Moore, kind of terrible with no real moral.
  • Paul Scheer [60:06]: “I think she is a company...that itself is participating in, misrepresenting itself...for their merger price. I think they’re all bad. I think Sutherland is bad. I think Dylan Baker’s bad.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “All it is is you put VR glasses on, you're in a hallway, and you can open filing cabinets.”
  — Paul Scheer [07:51]

• “She sticks her middle finger into my urethra right into—”
  — Nick Kroll [22:06], mocking the script's bonkers specificity

• “In 10 years, you’re gonna need a forklift to get a hard on.”
  — Dennis Miller via the cast [23:09]

• “The only favor I want is to find out who does Vin Diesel’s milk voice. He always sounds like he’s drank a big glass.”
  — Nick Kroll [05:18], running joke about Vin Diesel

• “This is prime mullet New Year. This is prime 90s mullet.”
  — Nick Kroll [25:00]

• “Sexual harassment is about power—when did I ever have the power?”
  — Nick Kroll quoting film [48:02]

• “The only thing you have proven is that a woman in power can be every bit as abusive as a man.”
  — Paul Scheer reading film thesis [56:47]

• “She puts on virtual office... Imagine walking into your bedroom and June is just reaching out.”
  — Paul Scheer [53:25], imagining June Diane's working habits

Key Segment Timestamps

• [06:07] — Nick Kroll explains the "Big Mouth" musical connection
• [10:19] — Movie clip: Demi Moore on freedom through technology
• [13:03] — “CSI Glass” corporate offices & their dramatic function
• [18:09] — Emily on Michael Douglas’s notorious ‘playboy’ energy
• [22:06] — Mocking scene: the penile assault description
• [23:09] — Dennis Miller’s “forklift” hard-on advice
• [33:00+ ] — Peeling back the plot: who’s sabotaging who and why?
• [35:06] — Disneyland tickets as a major motivator
• [48:27] — Dissecting the sexual harassment scene
• [56:47] — Film's thesis on women, power, and abuse
• [60:06] — Admitting that “everyone is bad” in this company

Second Opinions & Reception ([66:06] onward)

• The hosts read wild (often problematic) five-star Amazon reviews, reflecting that a significant portion of the audience really buys the movie’s “women can be sexual predators too” premise.
  • Maria [67:05]: “Women can be just as aggressive and focused on seeking sex with men...I think this movie shows a very realistic, true to life story...”
  • Paula Pumpkin [68:44]: “Did not care for the sex part, but overall the movie’s very good and held your interest till the end.”

Big Mouth "Disclosure: The Musical" Details

• The musical episode is in Season 3 of "Big Mouth," featuring original songs such as “You’ve Got the Power Now,” “Aggressive Woman Likes to Be on Top,” and an “interpretive blowjob ballet.”
  • Nick Kroll [74:25]: “How many songs did you guys do?”
  • Emily Altman [74:32]: “The interpretive blowjob ballet.”
• Drop date for season: October 4th
• Nick hints at potentially making the musical available for schools/theatre someday.

Closing Thoughts

• The hosts marvel at how “Disclosure” is somehow both trashy and meticulously constructed—the confusion comes in values, not storytelling craft.
• The group notes that, much like the tech in the movie, its sexual politics are wildly outdated, but make the film a fascinating (if problematic) time capsule.
  • Emily Altman [44:58]: “I feel like nobody talks about it anymore these days. You’re not really sort of hearing about it.”
• They joke about how current alt-right types would probably champion the movie’s ‘reverse victimization’ message.

Should You Watch It? (Final Recommendation)

• Nick Kroll [72:21]: “I can't recommend this movie enough...but also specifically when you watch Big Mouth, the Disclosure episode, it will be that much more gratifying.”
• The hosts agree that the film, while extremely problematic, is also compelling, slickly made, and very of-its-time—well worth watching for fans of weird, swinging-for-the-fences 90s cinema and/or fans of their brand of comedic takedown.

Useful To Know

• Big Mouth - “Disclosure: The Musical” premieres soon after this episode drops — watching "Disclosure" beforehand will enhance the experience.
• Nick Kroll's tour ("Middle-Aged Boy Tour") is plugged at [77:45].
• June Diane Raphael’s book, Represent: The Woman’s Guide to Running for Office is given a shoutout at [78:34].

In summary:
This episode is a hilarious, incisive, and sometimes jaw-droppingly honest examination of a film that’s equal parts marketing fever dream, legal melodrama, and 90s cultural time capsule. The hosts and guests pull apart its tech, its sexual politics, its baffling plot, its Amazon reviews, and even its unfortunate relevance to modern gendered power debates. As both podcast and movie, it’s an essential listen/watch for lovers of the ‘so bad it’s good’ tradition—and for anyone eagerly awaiting the Big Mouth musical parody it inspired.