How Did This Get Made? – Last Looks: My Boyfriend's Back

Podcast Hosts: Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, Jason Mantzoukas
Release Date: November 21, 2025

Episode Overview

This “Last Looks” installment of HDTGM is a lively, multi-layered discussion blending listener feedback, movie corrections/omissions, nostalgia, and spirited debate over Vanity Fair’s “Geek Squad” covers. The primary focus is a postmortem on “My Boyfriend's Back” (including missed facts and listener trauma), followed by an extended roundtable with June, Paul, Jason, and their young intern Quinn examining Hollywood’s current crop of “leading men.” The entire episode is infused with HDTGM’s irreverent and self-referential humor.

Corrections and Omissions: My Boyfriend’s Back

(Begins at 03:45)

• IMDb Age Correction
  • Dell Preston pointed out that actor Andrew Lowry's age was actually 29, not 23, clarifying an IMDb mix-up.
  • Paul: “Dell, you took matters into your own hand... good example of our community working together.” (05:13)
• Accordions & Spanish Books!
  • Corgi Herder noticed a random Spanish music lesson book in the sheriff’s hand—never referenced or explained.
  • Paul: “I think this movie could have used the sheriff speaking in Spanish and playing an accordion. That would have brought it over the edge.” (06:41)
• Original Title & Disney Interference
  • Dr. Guts mentions the film was originally called “Johnny Zombie” before Disney forced major plot changes, including axing a whole zombie cemetery world.
    • Dean Laurie, original screenwriter: “...Disney asked, ‘We love the script! Get rid of the zombies.’ Half the movie gets thrown out.” (07:23)
• Zombie Lore: Flesh vs. Brains
  • Caller Mike (New Jersey): “Romero’s ‘Night of the Living Dead’ were flesh eaters, not brain eaters.” (09:58)
  • Paul: “Let them eat flesh! That’s what Marie Antoinette said, right?” (10:34)
• Listener Trauma
  • Mary Kate shared that “My Boyfriend’s Back” gave her recurring zombie nightmares as a child.
  • Paul: “Of course, that is what this show is supposed to do. Unlock childhood trauma.” (11:48)
• Buffy Connection
  • Mike (Orlando): “Lead actor was in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (movie), playing a douchey friend of Buffy’s boyfriend.”
  • Paul: “...That’s not the Buffy I’m talking about, but appreciate the info!” (12:44)
• Dodi Fayed/Tracy Lind Timeline Correction
  • M no Land clarifies Tracy Lind’s relationship with Dodi Fayed predates infamous events covered in “The Crown.”
• Teen Wolf’s “Pause for Nudity” Urban Legend
  • Dell Preston finds an extra in “Teen Wolf” with unzipped pants; the underwear is visible.
  • Paul: “Anytime to see underwear as a child is a good time.” (15:50)
• Theory: Orlando’s Nudity Remote
  • Radek proposes: Brian Orlando’s dad was caught watching porn, invented the “special remote” excuse.
  • Paul (and June): “Radek, you are this week’s corrections and omissions winner!” (16:37)

Bonus Deleted Scene: 90s Nostalgia & Laserdiscs

(Starts at 18:06)

• June recalls how “My Boyfriend’s Back” doesn’t feel like a 90s movie.
• Paul reminisces about owning the movie on LaserDisc, prompting June’s lament he didn’t keep his collection.
  • June: “The first time I went to Paul’s apartment... a cabinet full of Laserdiscs.”
  • Paul: “I’m still upset I don’t have those anymore.” (18:54)
• Group banter about automatic Laserdisc players and Gen X nostalgia.

Vanity Fair “Geek Squad” Emergency Roundtable

(22:27 — 47:33)

Background

Vanity Fair’s “Hollywood Issue” featured three covers highlighting Hollywood’s “Geek Squad”—a new generation of leading men. The hosts and intern Quinn dissect who made the cut, who didn’t, and what defines “Geek Squad” compared to the iconic Brat Pack/Frat Pack eras.

Major Topics and Insights

Age and Language

• June: “These are the boys. These are not our men. These are our boys.” (23:53)
• Many “boys” are in their 30s and 40s (Jeremy Allen White: 34, A$AP Rocky: 37, Glenn Powell: 37, Riz Ahmed: 42, Andrew Garfield: 42).

Who Deserves to Be on the Covers?

• Some actors deemed “too old,” “not boys,” or too established (Michael B. Jordan, Andrew Garfield, Riz Ahmed).
  • June: “Get Garfield out of there. I don’t want any old Spider-Man in my Geek Squad.” (25:37)
• Jason Mantzoukas (implied): Preference for newer, on-the-rise actors rather than multi-decade veterans.

The Internal “Geek Squad” List Debate

• Debating Jeremy Allen White, Austin Butler, Jacob Elordi, Nicholas Hoult, Timothée Chalamet, Barry Keoghan, etc.
  • June: “Jeremy Allen White ... at the very least pledging Geek Squad.” (28:54)
  • Paul: “Jacob Elordi’s not on the Vanity Fair covers—a big movie, why?” (29:05)
  • June: “Maybe he’s too tall for everybody... all these guys are under five-six.” (29:14)
• Role of publicists in advising against being on “boys club” covers for image reasons.

The Evolution of Young Hollywood Archetypes

• Discussion on actors like Timothée Chalamet and Adam Sandler promoting films by playing two-on-two basketball for fans.
• Comparison to the Brat Pack (“They didn’t take it that seriously”) and Frat Pack.
  • Paul: “These people seem too intense... like Timothy Chalamet is learning ping pong for five years, Austin Butler changed his vocal register for life.” (40:03)

Inclusion & Diversity (or Lack Thereof)

• No women or nonbinary actors featured on the covers.
  • Paul (to Quinn): “It’s so weird that it’s just men! ... I think it would be a much more interesting list to mix it up—the Boys and Girls Club of America, and the club is Hollywood.” (44:19)
• Quinn (Intern, 21): Modern “Geek Squad” is “predominantly female—there are more cool women than boys.” (44:28)

Generational Perspective: Quinn’s Take

• Quinn: “It’s actors who would be seen at parties together not promoting something. People who would genuinely hang out as boys.” (37:26)
• Critiques of label “boys”—too juvenile.
• Skeptical of heavyweight names (Michael B. Jordan, Austin Butler): “He needs one more meaty role before he’s a ‘boy.’” (36:44)
• Added Joe Alwyn and others to her version of the list. Rachel Sennott, Barry Keoghan, I.O., and Rachel Zegler get shout-outs.

Stranger Things Omission

• No ST cast on covers. Reasons: cast hasn’t translated into “leading man/woman” status outside Millie Bobby Brown.
  • Paul: “Are we done with that culturally?” (46:20)

Memorable and Notable Quotes

• Paul (sarcastic on “Geek Squad” definition): “Let them eat flesh! That’s what Marie Antoinette said, right?” (10:34)
• June (on gender parity): “I think that’s embarrassing for Vanity Fair. Is this an attempt to speak to the male loneliness epidemic?” (26:18)
• Quinn (on “boys” vs. men on the cover): “I don’t like that they’re called boys... some of these actors are a little too sophisticated for Geek Squad.” (36:07)
• June (on Quinn’s essential role): “A representative of that generation. Thank you!” (43:11)

What’s Next?

Movie Reveal Segment — “The Christmas Tree”
(49:00)

• Next episode: Animated “The Christmas Tree” (1991, 43 min); described by a reviewer as “the Room, but Christmas.”
• Streaming free on Tubi or Amazon Prime.
• Hosts tease this as a new low—in a good (bad) way—for Christmas movies.

Noteworthy and Funny Moments

• Multiple running gags about the “importance” of unlocking listener trauma.
• Laserdisc nostalgia prompts June’s ongoing disappointment that Paul got rid of his collection.
• June reading “Lucas Gage” as “Lady Gaga” and nearly accepting her on the Geek Squad.
• Quinn, the 21-year-old intern, being treated as an oracle of contemporary “cool.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:45 – Start of Corrections and Omissions
• 09:58 – Zombie “Flesh vs. Brains” Clarification (Caller Mike)
• 11:08 / 11:48 – Listener Mary Kate’s Zombie Trauma Story
• 16:21 – Radek’s Orlando’s Electronics Theory
• 18:06 – Bonus Scene: Laserdisc/Nostalgia Chat
• 22:27 – Discussion of Vanity Fair’s Geek Squad Covers with Jason and June
• 35:17 – Quinn, the 21-year-old intern, joins the debate
• 44:19 – Paul calls for a gender-inclusive Hollywood youth list
• 49:00 – Upcoming Movie Announcement: “The Christmas Tree”

Episode Conclusion

The episode wraps with plugs for Jason’s show (“A Man on the Inside,” Season 2 on Netflix), Paul’s book, and a spirited promo for their annual holiday livestream event. The energy remains high as they promise further “Geek Squad” discourse and more so-bad-they’re-good cinematic discoveries.

If you missed the episode:
Expect hilarious listener corrections, deep dives into the odd history behind “My Boyfriend's Back,” affectionate Gen X nostalgia, and a surprisingly serious (and generationally mindful) conversation about how we define the new vanguard of Hollywood stars. The Geek Squad debate, powered by both hosts and intern Quinn’s insights, is a highlight—sometimes catty, always insightful, and peppered with meta-commentary on our cultural fascination with fame, youth, and image curation.

Quotable Summation:
“Maybe what Geek Squad really means is which actors actually seem like they’d hang out together... and yeah, some of these guys are just men!” – Paul (Throughout the Vanity Fair discussion)

Next week:
Tune in for holiday weirdness with “The Christmas Tree”—it’s the Room, for Christmas!