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How Did This Get Made? – Last Looks: Champagne & Bullets [Jason Edition] w/ Suzi Barrett
Release Date: August 29, 2025
Hosts: Jason Mantzoukas (solo host), Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael
Special Guest: Suzi Barrett
Movie Discussed: Champagne & Bullets
EPISODE OVERVIEW
This solo "Last Looks" episode is presented by Jason Mantzoukas (with Paul and June away), delivering a wild, stream-of-consciousness recap and response to listener feedback on the movie Champagne & Bullets. The episode includes listener corrections and omissions, hilarious voicemails, exclusive deleted content from their Champagne & Bullets live show, and a deep-dive interview with improv legend and podcaster Suzi Barrett about her hit podcast Yes, Also. The show ends with the reveal of next week’s movie and lots of the trademark unhinged HDTGM energy.
KEY SECTIONS & CONTENT
Introduction & Housekeeping [01:31–05:25]
- Jason is flying solo: "What's up, jerks? It's Jason... Paul is out of town. I got a panicked phone call from Producer Scott... We need to record our Last Looks asap."
- Light ribbing of Discord users: introducing new traditions like user-submitted movie taglines, theme songs, etc.
- Reminder to submit song snippets and taglines via the Discord (discord.gg/hdtgm) or at hdtgm.com.
- Upcoming live How Did This Get Made? shows announced for L.A. at Largo and Dino Improv group; heartfelt shout-out to beloved producer Avril (cancer update and how fans can support her).
Corrections & Omissions [07:55–16:32]
Theme: Listener Corrections and Omissions (New jingle praise: “This has got a Nashville twang to it. Boy, Nashville. Still? How have we never played Nashville?”)
Fan Submissions and Jason’s Commentary
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[09:05] Joe Tangelo’s Car Scene Correction:
- Noting a clumsy, left-in driving scene: “The car is just rolling backwards... almost 8 to 10ft backwards, which is pretty hilarious.”
- Crowd-sourced clarification: Suzuki Sidekick (“a running joke in the Babes in Toyland episode”).
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[10:23] Dave’s Director’s Commentary Bombshell:
- “In John’s director’s commentary, he says the striptease in his bar arcade was shot as a wet T-shirt contest… But he didn’t use any of that because, ‘that was too much. I didn’t want to do anything gratuitous with the sensuality.’”
- Jason: “Wild stuff… A wet T-shirt contest would seem a lot less upsetting than some of the stuff actually in the movie.”
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[11:46] Pam on Champagne Usage:
- “I am surprised that no one brought up how often these people are drinking champagne. Who drinks it that often?”
- Jason: “We all do, Pam. You’re the only one not drinking champagne... I got up this morning and made a French press of champagne.”
Listener Voicemails [16:32–22:56]
[16:43] John, Portland, OR – Why So Much Champagne?
- Theory: The main character’s limo-driving job provides the endless bubbly.
- Jason’s Take: “I think the movie just wants to suggest these people are just casually drinking champagne all the time... They’re living that champagne and bullets lifestyle.”
[18:14] Liz, Wisconsin – Cops in Their 50s?
- Shares her dad’s real-life story about passing the Denver PD test at 53 (had a heart attack; is fine now).
- Jason: “Wow, what a roller coaster... A real victory for me, but also now I’m terrified of a heart attack.”
[20:11] Brad, Nashville – The Film’s Music Hubris
- Brings up that John De Hart sings his own sex-scene backing track in the film.
- Jason: “I think this movie is top to bottom hubris... His singing soundtracks his own sex scenes... is absolutely par for the course.”
[22:33] Scott, Massachusetts – Physician Joke Correction
- Pedantic clarification: The joke was a “physician joke,” not “position joke.”
- Jason (roasting): “Scott from Massachusetts, you absolute piece of shit... I don’t need to be corrected on physician/position. Pointless!”
[23:24] Winner!
- [23:53] Liz from Wisconsin wins the week’s “best correction” for her police-exam story.
- Jason: “For you and your dad, a man in his 50s succeeding wildly at the police exam. I’m wishing you and your dad well...”
- Plays a listener’s celebratory winning song.
Bonus: Deleted Live Show Clip [28:01–28:21]
- Audience asks if Champagne & Bullets could be the origin of “Nundercover” (a classic HDTGM in-joke/pitch).
- Susie Barrett: “Could this be the prequel to Nundercover?”
- Jason (deadpan): “Absolutely not. He’s a lunatic. I don’t want Huck anywhere near my movie!”
Next Week’s Matinee Preview [32:07–35:42]
-
Matinee episode: classic coverage of Hudson Hawk (1991).
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Callback to “Nundercover” as a recurring idea, and hosts’ collective memory gaps: “A lot of times after episodes, we are effectively hit with the Men in Black machine.”
-
Next matinee will be episode 25: Catwoman (2011).
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Jason: “Boy, what an absolute banger of a movie... rewatching all the Nolan Batmans... absolute blast.”
FEATURE INTERVIEW: Suzi Barrett on Improv, Podcasting & Comedy History [35:42–73:34]
Suzi’s Podcast Yes, Also: Origins and Impact
- Jason and Paul heap massive praise on Suzi’s archival podcast about improv:
- Jason: “It is undeniably an archive of this art form that simply does not exist… It is incredible.” [36:40]
- Paul: “...It’s like the tip of a very big iceberg... This amorphous, organic thing..."
Key Discussion Points:
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Yes, Also as Oral History: Capturing multiple perspectives on improv’s development (“like every tree in this forest... ask each tree what it’s like…” [40:43])
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Process vs. Mythologizing: Jason emphasizes obsession with talking about how people do improv, not just war stories.
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Different Generations of Improv:
- Evolution from UCB “punk rock” style, movie-form editing, to today’s streamlined approach.
- Notable quote: “Besser’s importance cannot be underestimated… They are driven to New York to teach us their version… their punk rock improv. Fast, short songs.” [56:01]
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Teaching Styles and Improv Philosophy:
- Suzi: Importance of diverse teaching approaches and hearing from people with many improv backgrounds (Groundlings, IO, UCB, etc.).
- Jason and Paul reminisce about formative teachers (esp. Armando Diaz), the confusion of contradictory approaches, and the power of a great teacher to “synthesize everybody’s stuff.” [58:27]
- Paul: “A great teacher is basically a translator.” [58:58]
- Suzi: “When we came to LA... we needed to back up a handful of steps for the audience to catch up with where we were in New York.”
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Rapid Change in Audiences:
- LA audiences “needed time to catch up” to the high-speed UCB/NYC style.
- Today’s mass popularity and the role of podcasts and celebrity improv tours (“podcasts have... seeded the terrain a little bit” [71:56]).
Notable Quotes & Moments
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On the Game of the Scene Debate:
- Jason: “I think you’ve illustrated the exact word people feel most away about... It’s just a term, but generationally, the younger generation grew up in a prison of the game.” [43:42]
- Paul: “There is such a thing as a good improviser who is not a funny person... They can do funny scenes... But it’s not the same inroad.” [47:02]
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On Tech and Accessibility:
- Suzi praises ability now for anyone, anywhere, to watch top improv for “a couple of bucks” via livestreams, and for the democratizing power of cheap podcast-based “masterclasses.” [63:59]
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On Experimentation & Continual Growth:
- Jason: “Even 25 years in, for those of us who are still invested in shows, there’s so much further to go.” [65:08]
- Suzi: “Looking at it differently... setting little goals for myself for fun... analyzing the moves and trying to work against certain instincts.”
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Best Starting Points for Yes, Also Listeners:
- Suzi: “If you want more context and overview of long form, go to Craig Kakowski, Brian Stack, both of you guys (Jason, Paul)... For practical improv advice, Mike McClendon, Tao Yang.” [60:04]
Why Improv is Exploding on the Road [68:07–71:56]
- Paul: Improv is becoming as tour-able as stand-up because podcasts and TV clout draw crowds who may not even know improv, yet are primed to enjoy it.
- Suzi: “I started asking, do people know what improv is? And it was resoundingly no... so I started letting them in... and shows went great from go.”
- Jason: “Comedy podcasts have educated a generation to receive, if not improv, at least a style of comedy... enough to get them to this show.”
Outro & Next Movie Announcement [73:37–76:01]
- Next Week’s Movie: War of the Worlds (starring Ice Cube, Eva Longoria, et al.)
- Jason: “This was nuts... Rotten Tomatoes rates it at 2%... The cheese factor is perfectly self-aware.”
- Tips for finding HDTGM movies for free, via library streaming services like Kanopy, Hoopla, or Libby.
- Standard appeals for reviews, follows, and support for the team.
MEMORABLE QUOTES
“We’re living that champagne and bullets lifestyle.”
—Jason Mantzoukas [17:29]
“...top to bottom hubris, and it is all that. His singing soundtracks his own sex scenes. I think is, is absolutely par for the course.”
—Jason Mantzoukas on Champagne & Bullets [21:12]
“It is undeniably an archive of this art form that does not exist. Like, there are books about improv, of course, but there is nothing that approaches this scale and scope...”
—Jason on Suzi Barrett’s Yes, Also [36:40]
“There are professors that can take the fun...there’s a joy right in what we do. And you can watch people get burnt out because it does feel like this elusive thing, but it’s not mathematics.”
—Suzi Barrett [45:39]
“We spent our time stripping out the stuff they put in. So to see the thing grow and ebb and flow as to how everybody does it is all inside of your show.”
—Jason Mantzoukas [37:25]
IMPORTANT TIMESTAMPS
- [01:31] Jason’s solo intro and Discord/housekeeping
- [07:55] Corrections & Omissions theme and entries
- [16:32] Listener voicemails (champagne, police exams, soundtrack hubris, etc.)
- [23:53] Winner Announcement (Liz from Wisconsin)
- [28:01] Live show deleted clip (Nundercover/Narrative callback)
- [32:07] Matinee preview/talk of Catwoman episode
- [35:42–73:34] Suzi Barrett Interview (deep dive on improv, podcasting, accessibility, process)
- [73:37] Next week’s movie reveal
EPISODE TONE & STYLE
- Irreverent, wildly humorous, yet deeply nerdy and affectionate about improv and bad movies.
- Jason delivers roasting asides to listeners, producers, and guests.
- The interview steers into sincere and insightful territory talking improv/art, punctuated by HDTGM in-jokes.
USEFUL LINKS
WHO SHOULD LISTEN?
- Fans of How Did This Get Made?, comedy podcast die-hards, improv nerds, and anyone interested in the history and craft of improv comedy.
End summary. For a full dose of the unfiltered HDTGM experience, listen to the episode in its entirety—preferably with a glass of (French press) champagne in hand.