Monkeybone LIVE! w/ Rob Huebel

Summary

How Did This Get Made? — "Monkeybone" (LIVE! with Rob Huebel)

Episode Date: Jan 16, 2026
Location: New York Comedy Festival, Town Hall
Hosts: Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, Jason Mantzoukas
Guest: Rob Huebel (plus audience guests & Griffin Newman)

---

Episode Overview

In this signature How Did This Get Made? live episode, Paul, June, Jason, and special guest Rob Huebel tackle the bizarre 2001 film "Monkeybone"—a fever-dream mishmash of stop-motion, live action, sexual innuendo, and jokes about comas and boners. The movie, starring Brendan Fraser and directed by animation legend Henry Selick, is examined in excruciating (and hilarious) detail by the panel, joined by an enthusiastic audience and superfan guest Griffin Newman. Together, they try to answer not just "How did this get made?", but also "For whom was it made, and what the hell is it even about?"

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. "What Even Is 'Monkeybone'?" — The Premise

• Confusion Reigns: The IMDb summary fails spectacularly to capture what the movie is (03:46).
• Jason: "Having watched it, I still don’t know if I’ve seen it. I was flummoxed and confounded by it on almost every level." (06:03)
• June: "I literally wrote down in my notes, 'How did this get made?' Completely boggled me." (04:41)

2. Tone, Target Audience, and Initial Reactions

• Not for kids—or is it?
  June: "Is this movie supposed to be like South Park to me?" (13:02)
  Jason: "This is for kids whose parents have recently died." (26:52)
• Sexual Undertones:
  The panel relentlessly jokes about the film's rampant and strange sexual innuendo.
  • Jason: “It is an erection that has become loose, right?” (08:22)
  • June: “No kids fucking. But what’s the relationship between the boy and the boner?” (16:09)

3. The Monkeybone Origin: Psyche, Boners, and Animation

• The team attempt to deconstruct Monkeybone as either an embodiment of the main character's id, a literal boner, or a cartoon chaos agent.
  • Jason: "The monkey is a very like, id. It's just his unchecked id.” (17:36)
  • June: "It’s not even interesting at all. Like, it’s not like I’m the buttoned-up guy." (17:47)

4. Downtown: World-Building and Logic Black Holes

• Downtown is the underworld/purgatory—part personal subconscious, part collective nightmare, populated by everything from Joe Camel to Picasso’s bull.
• Jason: “This is an Abe Lincoln Zardoz head. Incredible stuff.” (22:38)
• General confusion about who the various denizens are and if they’re all coma victims, dead, or what.
• Rob: “I don’t know who this movie is for, but there’s a lot of Rose McGowan’s boobs in this movie.” (23:40)

5. Casting, Behind-the-Scenes, and Production Chaos

• Star-studded cast: Whoopi Goldberg, Megan Mullally, Bob Odenkirk, Thomas Haden Church, Giancarlo Esposito, Rose McGowan, Dave Foley—and more.
  • June: “The only person who does not get to be funny aggressively is Bridget Fonda.” (33:07)
  • Rob: “I think they sold her—do you want to kiss Chris Kattan and Brendan Fraser?” (33:26)
• Ben Stiller & Paul Reubens almost cast:
  • Griffin Newman: “Ben Stiller was supposed to be Brendan Fraser. ... Paul Reubens was supposed to be the voice of Monkeybone.” (69:54)
• Production troubles: Henry Selick was reportedly fired, Chris Columbus brought in to “fix it,” and the tone radically shifted as a result (11:33).

6. Bizarre Setpieces, Sex Scenes & Violent Gags

• Panel marvels at the surreal, inappropriate sex scene between Stu/Monkeybone and Julie.
  • Rob: “My wife and I make love like that. Just don’t look at my robe...” (41:55)
  • Jason: “It’s like he’s gonna teabag her or something in a way that I was like, she should dump him now.” (43:18)
• The Chris Kattan/Zombie Gymnast Finale:
  • Jason: “Chris Kattan ... comes in and single-handedly is electric. ... The broken neck stuff was killing me.” (30:23)
• "Nightmare Juice":
  A nonsensical MacGuffin—a literal psychoactive fluid developed by Bridget Fonda’s character... for reasons never explained.
  • Jason: “Why in her sleep study has she created nightmare juice? ... What is the possible use for nightmare juice?” (25:31)
• Animals seem to understand the body-swap:
  • Jason: “All the animals know what’s going on. So the orangutan is like, I’m going to fuck you.” (49:40)

7. The Movie’s Real Meaning? Griffin Newman's Defense

• Griffin Newman, Monkeybone superfan, reframes the movie:
  • "The movie is a comment on crass commercialization. Stu Miley is a pure Gen X artist. ... accidentally created these things that captured the public id." (73:19)
  • "Downtown is the collective subconscious... populated with pop culture figures, mascots, and nightmarish concepts." (77:13)
  • "His repressed sexual awakening, as a child in a puritanical society, became Monkeybone—his id." (74:57)
• The rest of the panel is (hilariously) both impressed and bewildered by his comprehensive, Carl Jung-esque reading.
  • Jason: “The version of the movie you’re giving us is more like a Drop Dead Fred in which I’m 100% on board.” (80:36)

8. Audience Interactivity: "Monkeybone" and Actual Comas

• Multiple audience members reveal they’ve been in comas, leading to unique perspectives on the film’s coma logic (54:29, 62:45).
  • Emily: “As someone who’s never had a boner, I can’t confirm if I would have had a Monkeybone...” (56:12)
  • Another audience member details DMT-like coma hallucinations about people trying to cut his dick off (63:00).
• Fun banter and follow-up from the hosts, who riff on everyone having Miami Monkeybone-style trauma.

9. Encore: Second Opinions

• Audience and special musical guests perform comedic musical summaries of the film (83:01–85:26).
• "Rob from Long Island" delivers a plot song:
  "Stu is a cartoonist in a coma and then he's not. The monkey had sex with his wife, Chris Kattan came back to life..." (83:23)
• June reads five-star Amazon reviews:
  "Just like Beetlejuice, but better.” (87:03)
  “Severely underrated Tim Burton comedy horror film from the early 2000s.” (87:45)

---

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Jason Mantzoukas ([06:03]): "Having watched it, I still don’t know if I’ve seen it."
• June Diane Raphael ([08:22]): "It is an erection that has become loose, right?"
• Rob Huebel ([17:02]): "I'll just explain it to you. What happens is your body becomes engorged with blood, right? And it rushes down to your penis..."
• Jason Mantzoukas ([13:10]): "It felt to me like the Monkeybone cartoon ... is very Ren & Stimpy-coded."
• Griffin Newman ([74:57]): "His repressed sexual awakening as a child in a puritanical society ... was most pushed down. He was comfortable with the inherent darkness in his brain. What he wasn't comfortable with was who he actually is. His primal urges."
• June Diane Raphael ([91:53]): "I would recommend this movie because ... I was gobsmacked by it. It's a must-watch."
• Jason Mantzoukas ([92:16]): "... I was never bored. No, I wasn’t like, this is a slog. I was like, what the fuck? And if that’s the response, then I think it’s working."
• Rob Huebel ([91:44]): "I would recommend this movie to people in a coma. People in a coma and kids that love drugs."

---

Essential Segments (w/ Timestamps)

• Introduction of the Panel & Guest: 03:39–07:12
• Breakdown of the "Monkeybone" premise & confusion: 06:01–09:30
• Discussion of the sexual undertones and id/boner allegory: 08:22–17:46
• Downtown World Logic, Joe Camel, and Purgatory Mechanics: 18:08–25:10
• Ben Stiller & Paul Reubens casting trivia: 69:54–70:02
• Griffin Newman's Jungian defense: 73:19–79:29
• Audience Coma Stories: 54:29–66:04
• Second Opinions – audience songs & 5-star reviews: 83:01–88:19
• Recommendation Roundtable: 91:13–92:50

---

Noteworthy Trivia & Discussion Threads

• Chris Kattan's Gymnast Zombie: Praised for physical comedy (30:23–30:55)
• Nightmare Juice: Film’s most nonsensical plot device (25:32–27:24)
• Casting Chaos: Ben Stiller & Paul Reubens nearly starred
• Henry Selick fired, Chris Columbus retooled movie (11:33)
• Metaphor for commercialization, artistic trauma, and repressed sexuality (Griffin Newman, 74:57–78:17)
• Running Jokes: 9/11-era pop culture, monkeys and butts, medical malpractice, who's been in a coma.

---

Closing Thoughts & Panel Recommendations

All panelists ultimately recommend "Monkeybone" to varying degrees:

• Jason: "This is a real fever dream... I enjoyed the hell out of it, even though it was deeply frustrating... Absolutely watch Monkeybone." (91:18)
• Rob: "I would recommend this movie to people in a coma. People in a coma and kids that love drugs." (91:44)
• June: "...I was gobsmacked by it. So I’m putting it in a category of a must watch." (91:53)

---

Summary

This episode of HDTGM provides a hilarious, sprawling, surprisingly insightful dissection of "Monkeybone," one of Hollywood’s most confusing cult oddities. Through vulgar jokes, genuine befuddlement, audience wildcards, and an enthusiastic film scholar’s defense, the crew determines Monkeybone is deeply broken, weirdly fascinating, and—if nothing else—a film you’ll never forget you watched.

---

Listen if:
You love chaotic comedies, enjoy comedians riffing on the surreal, want to know why "Monkeybone" is a case study in studio meddling, or just want Paul, June, and Jason’s incredulous therapy session as they try to make sense of the senseless.

---

Related Recommendation:
Check out Griffin Newman’s companion episode on the Blank Check podcast for a superfan's deep dive into the "genius" of Monkeybone.

Transcript

[Paul Scheer]

I had that dream again. My small business needs to hire, but I don't use LinkedIn and I hire an energy vampire. But also they're a literal vampire. And suddenly my team is spending all their time sharpening wooden stakes and buying bulk silver and rehearsing ancient chants. And then I wake up.

[June Diane Raphael]

Don't let hiring nightmares ruin your dreams. LinkedIn Jobs new AI assistant takes insights from over 1 billion professionals. To create a short list of the best fits for you, post your job for [e-mail] Pandora Start hiring today.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

With LinkedIn, everyone deserves to be connected. That's why T Mobile and US Cellular are joining forces. Switch to T Mobile and save up to 20% versus Verizon by getting built in benefits they leave out. Check the math@t mobile.com switch and now T mobile is in US cellular stores.

[June Diane Raphael]

Savings versus Comparable Verizon plans plus the cost of optional benefits plan features in Texas. And fees vary. Savings with three plus lines include third line free via monthly bill credits. Credits stop if you cancel any lines. Qualifying credit required. When you need to send the perfect rose bouquet, only one brand can say they've been the floral authority for 50 years.

[Paul Scheer]

1-800-Flowers. Why should you trust 1-800-Flowers? They hand select every stem to ensure.

[June Diane Raphael]

Top quality and with nationwide delivery, smiles.

[Paul Scheer]

And satisfaction are 100% guaranteed.

[June Diane Raphael]

And right now, when you order a dozen multicolored roses, we'll double it at no extra cost. Don't miss out on this limited time offer.

[Paul Scheer]

Order today at 1-800-flowers.com sxm.

[June Diane Raphael]

That's 1-800-flowers. Com sxm. Hello, people of Earth. This is not an ad, but yet a call to action. Because we are asking you to help us pick one of the next films that we are going to be doing here on how did this get made? That's right. Your voice will be heard, but only if you go to the Discord at Discord. GG HDTGM now, we have culled many different places. Everyone says, oh, you got to do this, you got to do that, you got to do this. We're giving you a chance to pick from a list of the most requested films that you ask of us to do. Now, last time we asked you to do this, you screwed us. You fucked us over really good by making us watch the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, a movie that made Jason scream. Disconnect the Discord. But this year, I believe you can do better. That's right. So head on over to our Discord. It's completely free. If you've never Done Discord before. It's easy. It's a website. Discord. Gg hdtgm. You sign up, you vote, you go home. We don't want anything more than that anyway. Pick the movie. We will blame you. Without any further ado, now listen to this episode of how did this get made? Yes, it's a movie based on a child's erection. We saw Monkey Bones, so you know what that means. Whipping Justin to Kelly. Or maybe see a burlesque show with him. Crow and take a bubble speed to hitting cruise control.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

J Man Big Paul in the beautiful.

[June Diane Raphael]

Jewel gonna take you from the groove all the way to the room Ray McGinn Street Fighter help to blow off steam Just a sucker punch the Odd Life of Tiffany Green shot Demic how.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

We staying alive they call it in.

[June Diane Raphael]

The badass and he's on the line cranking 88 minutes cause they cool as ice cause the bad gym Funny looking, kind and nice call is June getting literal Jason is getting laid June is making shout monkey shots in the pain and just a bunch of movies while they making the grave. Here's a real question for you. How did this get made?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Hello people of Earth and hello New York City.

[June Diane Raphael]

We are live at the New York Comedy Festival, a town hall. Talking about the Brendan Fraser stop motion live action kids movie Monkey Bone. If you've not seen Monkey Bone, our whole audience has. It is about. According to IMDb in a coma, a cartoonist finds himself trapped within his own underground creation and must find a way to get back while racing against his popular but treacherous character Monkey Bone. No, that's not right. That is not right at all. It's a terrible description. I wish AI Wrote is directed by Henry Selick. And boy oh boy. If you don't know the year this movie was produced, you might be surprised. It has a 21 on the Tomatometer and a 29 in the audience meter. So just a little bit higher. We are going to break this film down. A film that in the 15 years of doing. How did this get made? I literally wrote down in my notes how did this get made? Completely boggled me. I was like how what script look like? Why did anyone agree to this? Bridget Fonda. Is this why she stopped acting? But tonight we we will try to explain it all. And we have some very special help. But first let me introduce my co host, Mr. Jason Man Zouk.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

What's up jerks? Let's go, let's go.

[June Diane Raphael]

New York.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah, that's right. We did it baby.

[June Diane Raphael]

Jason Paul. Monkey Bone.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Never seen it. Never Heard of it and, and, and having watched it, I still don't know if I've seen it. I was flummoxed and confounded by it on almost every level.

[June Diane Raphael]

I watched this movie at 10am today and when I was the most clear.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Headed, I watched it on the train yesterday and was like, I hope people don't see that I'm watching this.

[June Diane Raphael]

Jason, we have so much to break down and you know, we wanted to bring out a very special guest tonight. A person who is a. How did this get made? All Star. Been on a handful of episodes. You know him from shows like Children's Hospital and Transparent. Human Giant. And most importantly, he loves to let the bodies hit the floor. Please welcome Rob Hubal. Welcome, Rob. I didn't even know that you had that queued up. I was like, oh, this will be.

[Rob Huebel]

Like you two seconds ago. I go, is there any way you could play let the bodies hit the floor?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And this lovely woman was like, right.

[Rob Huebel]

Now she did it.

[June Diane Raphael]

Wow. The tagline of this movie, get boned. The other one is if it yells, if it swings, it's gotta be monkey bone. And then bone to be bad.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Bone to be bad.

[June Diane Raphael]

Bone.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I like bone to be bad.

[Rob Huebel]

I'm crossing my legs because thinking of the movie makes me hard. Well, I mean, gave me like a. One of those throwback teenage boners.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

That's what the whole movie's about, basically.

[Rob Huebel]

Oh yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, this is the question, right? They refer to him at one point as a figment of his imagination.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

This is a Drop Dead Fred situation.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, I literally was Dropping Dead Fred.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Situation wrapped in a Jacob's Ladder situation. I believe, I believe we are double situationed here.

[June Diane Raphael]

I mean, because this is, I mean it is an erection that has become loose, right? I mean, and I guess the thing that I'm like, well, first of all, I have an issue because a sentient.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Loose dick is running around. I have a. Oh, before we jump in, I have a super quick question.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Cause I think maybe you or the audience in the trailer that we all watched, number one, Monkeybone's accent varied. Voice is completely different. It sounds just like Turturro. Normal Turturro.

[June Diane Raphael]

Right.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

But in the movie it sounds like Turturro is doing Steve Buscemi. Am I right or am I wrong? I thought it was Buscemi.

[Rob Huebel]

I thought it was Joey Pants.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, that would be good too. But I thought it was Buscemi so much that when I saw it was Turturro, I was like, oh, weird. Maybe he's Just doing a Buscemi impression. And then I watched this, and it's just him. Normal voice Also in this. Yeah, I don't remember a big pipe. I don't remember a big pipe falling. Well, as the inciting incident for his coma situation, I do have the original.

[June Diane Raphael]

Opening and the alternate ending. Oh, whoa.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You're telling us there's more monkey bone?

[June Diane Raphael]

There's a lot more bone where that came from.

[Rob Huebel]

Oh, man.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, don't worry. We've got a couple of more inches.

[June Diane Raphael]

I imagine that that voice change is because at a certain point when they found the film to be unreleasable and the director, Henry Selick, was a legitimate legend.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Henry Selleck from Coraline, James and the Giant Peach. The Nightmare Before Christmas, like a true legend, makes this absolute fever nightmare.

[Rob Huebel]

Well, was this after those.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, do you want to guess what year it is? This is. This is always a good question. Like, if you know it, then it's not fun. But do you guys know.

[Rob Huebel]

I don't know the only thing at the very end, and I don't want to jump ahead, but maybe I won't. She says that some. She makes a South park joke.

[June Diane Raphael]

Oh, yes. Okay.

[Rob Huebel]

I was like, okay, so this is.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

In that south park has been on the air for, like, yeah. Many 20 years. More than 20. I feel like I've been burned on this so many times before. I want to say this is like in the 90s, but I feel like you're going to tell me it came out in 2018. Like, right. I feel like I've fallen for this before. And you're about to be like. It is actually a new release in theaters now. It is Brendan Fraser's post whale release.

[June Diane Raphael]

You can see this in 40x at any AMC. No, I thought it was also 90s. It felt to me like George of the Jungle era big time, 2001. So I was still surprised. Hold on.

[Rob Huebel]

Before or after September 11th?

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah. Well, interesting fact. It caused September 11th.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Whoa.

[Rob Huebel]

That makes sense.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It was on the screens, on the planes.

[June Diane Raphael]

Everyone was so busy watching it.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Check on New York. The balcony gets it.

[June Diane Raphael]

That's right. Our balcony monsters here. They know what's up. Yeah. Everyone was so busy watching it that that's what happened.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes.

[June Diane Raphael]

Here's what I'll say. I think we're going to come up against this throughout the. Throughout the discussion. So I think it's worthy of putting out there. Henry Selick, fired from the film studio, goes, we need to fix this. So they hire Christopher Columbus to come in and make it more Palatable, this movie. Yes.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Home Alone. Chris Columbus.

[Paul Scheer]

Yes.

[June Diane Raphael]

Harry Potter.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Chris Columbus.

[June Diane Raphael]

So basically, I think that that voice.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Change and things like that of America. Chris Columbus, 1492 Santa Maria.

[June Diane Raphael]

So that I think is something we're gonna see as we look at some of the footage. That's why things have changed. But I think premise wise, the movie has not changed at all because it still is about an erection that goes wild. And I will say this. I know it's very hard to create a compelling cartoon, but the movie opens up with a cartoon that I'm like, goes. And that's the pilot. I'm like, oh, terrible pilot.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah, terrible pilot.

[June Diane Raphael]

And is what the pilot? Two minutes. And I understand it's a compacted version of the pilot, but I'm like, what's. Like, what are we watching? We got.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I have notes on the pilot.

[Rob Huebel]

Well, I really like the cartoon because I also am very aroused by flap, like. Oh, arm flaps. If I see that on an older teacher, it's just badoing, I guess.

[June Diane Raphael]

Like, this is my question. Like, was this movie supposed to be like south park to me?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It felt to me like the Monkey Bone cartoon that Stu has created at that time feels like it's very Ren and Stimpy coded.

[June Diane Raphael]

Okay.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Kind of gross out, kind of like, you know, like that era of animated stuff, it felt like. And so much so that I was like, oh, is he supposed to be a John K. Kind of character? Before we all realized that John K. Was a villain?

[June Diane Raphael]

Sure. Well, but that was the thing. I couldn't quite tell, like, what it was going for. Like the. It's like, that's our pilot. They look like they were showing it where you would have a wake.

[Rob Huebel]

I had a bit of a panic attack because I didn't know anything about that.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Welcome to. How did this get made?

[Rob Huebel]

I was worried that the whole movie was that cartoon.

[June Diane Raphael]

Oh, yeah.

[Rob Huebel]

I was in my hotel and I was like, fucking sheer, man.

[June Diane Raphael]

No, it gets weirder and worse. And look, he is a frustrated. I mean, and this is the thing. I don't know even about this guy because we kill him immediately. Yep. He seems to be very. I mean, we know he's successful from the pilot that is not aired yet is merchandised like crazy.

[Rob Huebel]

He doesn't want to do the merch.

[June Diane Raphael]

Right.

[Rob Huebel]

He doesn't like the biz aspect of it. He wants to get married.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

He's for real. He's like a true Gen X. Doesn't want to sell out. Fuck that shit. I'm a purist. My stuff Matters not, like, now, where everybody can't wait to get that bag.

[June Diane Raphael]

But it seems to me, like, well, you drew this thing about a dick running loose. Like, no one forced your hand on this. Like, he's like, I'm so frustrated with this thing that I created.

[Rob Huebel]

The success of my cartoon, and it.

[June Diane Raphael]

Has not even been successful yet.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Also, they seem to. The merchandising options are aimed very much at young children. The cartoon absolutely is not. There's no way that cartoon, that horny boner cartoon is meant for little kids. The same way that all of the merchandise is absolutely for little kids.

[June Diane Raphael]

And I guess. So all the monkey wants to do is fuck. Right. That's the premise. And the boy doesn't want to fuck.

[Rob Huebel]

Well, little boys.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

No. What do you mean? Do you mean in the. In. In the. In the pilot? Yeah, he's embarrassed because he got a boner and.

[June Diane Raphael]

Right. But it's a. But it's the boys, like, oh, flabby arms. But I guess the movie does.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

This was like a. This was one of those, like, oh, no, I'm having an uncontrollable boner in school. Everybody's gonna make fun of me. And they do.

[June Diane Raphael]

But it also says, flabby arms turn me on.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, no, absolutely. This is a moment where we see a. A fetish being born.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You know, like.

[June Diane Raphael]

But also.

[Rob Huebel]

Also creative problem solving. Just stacking books on your boner.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes. What I couldn't figure out was, like, I feel like then Stu's kink or fetish would have been flabby, armed people. Like. But he doesn't. That never comes back.

[Rob Huebel]

Never comes back.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You know, that's the only thing wrong with the movie, really.

[Rob Huebel]

That's it.

[June Diane Raphael]

Case closed, good night now, I guess. And I don't want to, like, talk about kids fucking, but I will say.

[Rob Huebel]

I'll talk about it. I'm against it, by the way.

[June Diane Raphael]

Me too. And that's the shirt. No kids fucking. But, like, what's the relationship between the boy and the boner?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

We're getting real.

[Rob Huebel]

We're getting real wrapped around the axle here, I think.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I mean, I think the relationship between the boy and the boner is that it's his penis getting erect.

[June Diane Raphael]

Right.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

But I mean, I think. Yeah, I think. And then Stu's obviously turning it into a monkey. That is so out of control. The way that your boner is out of control when you're that age, you're like, I don't know why it's doing what it's doing.

[Rob Huebel]

I mean, I'll just explain it to you. What happens is your body becomes engorged with blood, right? And it rushes down to your penis.

[Paul Scheer]

Got it.

[Rob Huebel]

And then all the blood squirts out of your pee hole.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah, that's how it's like all of your white blood cells pour out of the penis and the red blood cells stay inside your body.

[June Diane Raphael]

And now that's where babies come from.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And please, no doctors or nurses correct us.

[June Diane Raphael]

I guess what I was thinking was like, I feel like the movie is trying to set up a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde scenario. Like the version of him that's the monkey is sex crazed and then he is depressed. I mean, he seems like he wants to get back to being depressed.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I think the monkey is a very like, id. It's just his unchecked id. And he is then otherwise all super ego, I guess, controlled and.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It's like.

[June Diane Raphael]

It's kind of like his other side is neither. It's not even interesting at all. Like, it's not like I'm the buttoned up guy.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And the bummer is that when he gets sent to downtown. Whatever. Down, down, whatever the underworld is here.

[Rob Huebel]

Land of the dead, he is.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I don't understand what he's up to.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, that's.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

He seems like, I don't know. I got to get out of here. I don't want to be here. What a bummer to not want to be in the coolest place ever.

[June Diane Raphael]

But is it also is downtown specific to him? I thought it was. I thought he was going to in his imagination because it seemed like, oh, these are characters that I created.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

But no, no, because there's a Picasso.

[Paul Scheer]

Bull.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

There's a Joe Camel. There's a Joe Camel. This me up. The Joe Camel character fucked me up. I rewind.

[June Diane Raphael]

Great.

[Rob Huebel]

Joe Campbell.

[June Diane Raphael]

It's great.

[Rob Huebel]

It's better than Joe Camel.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

So much better than Joe Camel because you can fuck it.

[Rob Huebel]

But yeah, I think that's just everybody's nightmares.

[June Diane Raphael]

Okay, so everyone's nightmares now then. I haven't. Now I'm jumping ahead to say, so everyone there, they're in purgatory waiting to either go back up or go down. Go down.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Are they all in comas?

[June Diane Raphael]

That.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

That's what I couldn't. I didn't know either.

[June Diane Raphael]

So is Stephen King in this movie in a coma?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Great question. Great.

[Rob Huebel]

Why is Stephen King in this movie? Why is Stephen.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Stephen King or an actor playing Stephen?

[June Diane Raphael]

So Stephen King was supposed to be in the movie. Did not show up. On the day that they were shooting it. And then they put that guy in.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It, just like somebody on the crew.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah, but I mean, but that's another thing. It's like. All right, so is this the only.

[Rob Huebel]

Movie that Stephen King has acted in?

[June Diane Raphael]

And. No, he was in Maximum Overdrive, I believe.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

A movie he directed.

[Rob Huebel]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Insanely.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes. So that about a fuckable car?

[Rob Huebel]

Can you fuck that car? No, that's Christine. That's Christine.

[June Diane Raphael]

No, you can't fuck Christine.

[Rob Huebel]

I did.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, I think you can fuck any car. But none of those movies were about explicitly fucking a car.

[Rob Huebel]

Great point, great point.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

New York's not a car culture. You wouldn't get it.

[Rob Huebel]

They don't even know what a car is.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It's like.

[June Diane Raphael]

It's like a personal subway. A car. So.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

So now you guys would understand it as. Can you fuck a bus?

[June Diane Raphael]

Today's podcast is brought to you by Squarespace. Whether you're just starting out or scaling up your business, Squarespace is the all in one website platform designed to help your business stand out and succeed online. Now, I love Squarespace because it gives me everything I need. You can offer services and get paid all in one place. From consultations to events and experiences. Showcase your offerings with a customizable website designed to attract clients and grow your business. Get paid on time with professional on brand invoices and online payments. You can streamline your workflow. Keep it all in one. That's right. Built in appointment scheduling? Check. Email marketing tools? Check. I have been using Squarespace forever. You can see each one of my websites, whether it's the dark web, Paul Shear unspooled or how did this get Made? Is completely a unique experience and I love building there because it makes me feel free and creative to offer the things that I want to offer. Now head to squarespace.combonkers for a free trial and when you're ready to launch, use the offer code Bonkers. It's B O N K E R s to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Everyone deserves to be connected. That's why T Mobile and US Cellular are joining forces. Switch to T Mobile and save up to 20% versus Verizon by getting built in benefits they leave out. Check the math. @t mobile.com switch and now T Mobile is in US cellular stores.

[June Diane Raphael]

Savings versus Comparable Verizon plans plus the cost of optional benefits. Plan features in Texas and fees vary. Savings with three plus lines include third line free via monthly bill credits, credit. Stop if you cancel any lines. Qualifying Credit required. We've all been there. You hold on to a coupon, but forget about it, and suddenly it's expired. Expired in 2012. Dang it. Fortunately, by switching to Geico, you could save about 900 on car insurance without ever touching a coupon.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It feels good to save Big. It feels good to Geico.

[June Diane Raphael]

But I guess the thing is he's there, and then when he sees this old man who looks. And I'm not trying to be ageist at all. Yeah, it looked very, very old to me. And he's like, no, he can't die. I'm like, why not? Like, why not? Like, why?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Like.

[Rob Huebel]

Yeah, we didn't. We didn't get to know that character. I think that was just to establish the exit pass.

[June Diane Raphael]

Right. But he was. But he's trying to stop the old man from. From dying.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

There's like, oh, no.

[Rob Huebel]

Trying to stop him from leaving. Oh, going back to. Right.

[June Diane Raphael]

Wait, the old man's going back up.

[Rob Huebel]

Waking up.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, yeah. Oh, the old man gets a ticket to exit, puts the helmet on.

[June Diane Raphael]

Oh, right.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

The hammer hits the mallet, and he goes flying into Abe Lincoln's Zardoz.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

This is an Abe link in Zardoz head. Incredible stuff.

[Rob Huebel]

I never got to see the old man's boner either.

[June Diane Raphael]

No, I mean, yeah. And why is his boner in Purgatory?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Wait, you mean monkey bone?

[June Diane Raphael]

Monkey bone seemingly exists in.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, okay, so. Okay, so that's a great question, Stu. AKA Brendan Fraser.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Fraser, when he's in the. AKA Encino Man, AKA the Whale, when he's in downtown. When he's in this limbo world. Do you think he has no dick? Because.

[June Diane Raphael]

No, he's turned on by the girl.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Left his body and is now. But he's physicalized.

[June Diane Raphael]

No, because he's turned on by that girl. Because he's like, I love my girlfriend. And that girl kind of comes in for the kiss. The cat.

[Rob Huebel]

Oh, yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

I'm just talking about her character, by the way, if this.

[Rob Huebel]

If that is a bigger question. But, like, I don't know who this movie is for, but, like, there's a lot of Rose McGowan's boobs in this movie.

[Paul Scheer]

Yes.

[June Diane Raphael]

But he goes from literally saying, I love my girlfriend. I was going to ask her to marry me. And then Ruth McGowan just kind of leans and he's like. I'm like, wow, you really dropped that quick.

[Rob Huebel]

Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

You don't even know this person.

[Rob Huebel]

Well, the monkey, too, crawls down her shirt. And then he says, I left my phone Number in your panties or something like that. Which is.

[June Diane Raphael]

Which is not abnormal.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I've tried that move. It doesn't.

[Rob Huebel]

Doesn't work. Doesn't work.

[June Diane Raphael]

I guess you would be furious at.

[Rob Huebel]

This conversation right now.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

June is so thrilled she didn't have to watch this movie.

[June Diane Raphael]

June is thrilled that she. I, I'm. I know that she had it on her plane. Like, it was already on the tarmac, like, with the laptop open. If she watched it, it would be. I'm going to hear it. I will tell you. But I mean. So he hates the monkey. So I guess my question is. And I keep on asking questions to just establish reality. So is Joe Camel somebody's monkey bones?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, wow. Because Joe Camel is a dick. Yeah, I mean, like, the. It is like it. It looks like a dick.

[Rob Huebel]

So remember, there was. Oh, this is a deep cut. But there was a thing on those cigarettes where you could see dicks.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes. Joe Camel.

[Rob Huebel]

We're getting off topic now. But we're.

[June Diane Raphael]

In fact, we're sponsored by Campbell cigarettes. But yeah. So Joe Camel is there.

[Rob Huebel]

I don't know that everything downtown represents a boner.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I. Yeah, I don't.

[June Diane Raphael]

Because some of it is nightmares.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Some of it is nightmares. Quite a lot of it, I believe, is nightmare.

[June Diane Raphael]

Because also, purgatory is the place where we create nightmares. So it's a little.

[Rob Huebel]

But they were running out of nightmares, too. That was, like, the real.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And why they want doctors.

[Rob Huebel]

Paul, if you have to ask, they.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Want Dr. Bridget Fonda's nightmare juice, which is real.

[Rob Huebel]

That's real.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

In her sleep study. Why in her sleep study has she created nightmare juice? Like, what is the possible use for nightmare juice?

[June Diane Raphael]

And why would you call it nightmare juice?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And just keep it in, like, a thing in the refrigerator? I couldn't make heads or tails out of that also.

[June Diane Raphael]

And is that chimpanzee being tortured by nightmares?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Clearly, yes. As is the dog. Like, there's a lot of very aggressive animal cruelty in this movie.

[Rob Huebel]

Why hadn't Julie, the girlfriend. Bridget Fonda says at one point that he. He had not had a good night's sleep in years.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Right.

[Rob Huebel]

Why?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Well, because his nightmares are. What blew my mind was she says in that section of the movie that before he saw her, he had never drawn cartoons. He just drew those crazy nightmare paintings.

[Rob Huebel]

Oh, right, right.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And that after she started working with him and he could sleep more, and then he started doing the monkey bone cartoons.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, because he started drawing with his other hand.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, that's right.

[Emily (Audience Member)]

Right.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Thank you. So now is his other hand. His Dick.

[June Diane Raphael]

And is she her. Her patience?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes. She's her patients. Absolutely.

[Griffin Newman]

Also.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Okay, so he's in a coma.

[June Diane Raphael]

Again. This is for kids.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Maybe. Maybe it's for kids. This is for kids.

[Rob Huebel]

This is for kids whose parents have recently died.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes.

[Rob Huebel]

And they're just like living alone.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

This is for latchkey kids.

[Rob Huebel]

Yes. Yeah. Your parents still come home.

[June Diane Raphael]

The fact.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

That's right. Latchkey kids. Where are you? Where are you? Latchkey kids.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah.

[Rob Huebel]

If your parents asked what did you watch? You could just say, oh, this movie Monkeybone.

[June Diane Raphael]

Right. They wouldn't ask. They wouldn't ask me follow up questions.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

What's crazy is he's in a coma. Megan Mulally incredibly plays his callous sister who can't wait for him to die.

[Rob Huebel]

Three months.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And why in a way that I was like, oh, when he dies she must make money or she must be a reason. She's so glib about him dying. The reason they give is because they saw a parent die and they agreed they'd never let each other suffer. But what's absolutely clear is that his brain activity is off the charts. He's in a coma. Yes, but is he brain dead? Absolutely not. In fact, his brain waves are going double crazy.

[Rob Huebel]

Dr. Julie said, well, that's the plan is to. Is to make him have even more nightmares so she can shock him away.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

But you wouldn't pull the plug on someone who is that much, had that much brain.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, but that's why they gave it a nice time. Now I've been in a situation where the plug has been pulled on somebody. I won't get into that story.

[Rob Huebel]

But that's a different podcast.

[June Diane Raphael]

That's a different podcast. No, but they don't say schedule it. They're like, well, they're going to pull the plug tomorrow at 9am it's not like spoken about like.

[Rob Huebel]

And you can't.

[June Diane Raphael]

Stop it.

[Rob Huebel]

Yeah, stop it.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I just got an evite to a plug pole.

[June Diane Raphael]

It was such a fun.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

What am I supposed to bring?

[June Diane Raphael]

Weird thing covered like, oh yeah. Well tomorrow. You only have until tomorrow morning at 9. Then you did. I'll show you this one. Alt clip 4. But this is a scene that was edited out with Stew and his sister. Alt clip 4. Here we go. Michaela, do you have that one? All clip for a sister one. You can't find that one. Okay, well then we don't have it.

[Rob Huebel]

Well, what was it? It was because there was.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, there you might see where Stu comes on to his sister.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Wait at once. He's monkey bone.

[June Diane Raphael]

When He's Stu or when he's monkey, he's Monkey Bone. Okay, so trying Monkey Bone is trying to his sister.

[Rob Huebel]

Yeah, that's okay.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I mean Monkey Bone doesn't know any better.

[Rob Huebel]

That's what he's born to do.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah, but I guess, I mean the.

[June Diane Raphael]

Monkey Bone is a monkey. That's the other thing that I was having an issue with. It is his id, but it's a full monkey. Like he's hanging and swinging and wanting to say.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And yeah, because it's, it's, it's fuzzy because yes, it is his boner and yes it is, it is. All of the, the urges and all of the kind of animal instincts are contained in it. But it is a physical boner at times or it seems to be. But he also has distinct monkey like actions.

[June Diane Raphael]

He's literally hanging from things.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes, he's swinging and hanging and go at times. And so he's also doing straight monkey stuff.

[Rob Huebel]

Yeah, so I would say he's doing Mr. Peepers stuff. Yes, we'll get.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, well, well, we'll get to Peepers.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah, indeed I will say. And not for nothing, we could get to it. Now, Chris Kattan, late in the movie, I mean, comes in, comes in and single handedly is electric. The physical comedy that he. The, the broken neck, all the broken neck stuff was killing me.

[Rob Huebel]

Unbelievable. When he takes the yardstick, jams it down his back, the tape and then spins around, all that's all in one take.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Next level.

[Rob Huebel]

Unbelievable.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And really elevated the third act of this which was absolutely nuts.

[June Diane Raphael]

Now but I guess what, I guess what I'll say about it is we are led to believe that Stu is a boring nothing burger. But when he's in the body of Chris Kattan, I got to say he's very inventive, very outgoing and broad. Equally like a monkey bone.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Here's my question though. When he's in Chris Kattan's body body, he's somehow still able to execute all of the gymnastics abilities that Chris Kattan's human.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, that was like. Because it's like. So is he sharing a brain?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

That's what I was wondering. And I was like, oh, I wish they'd explore this some more.

[Rob Huebel]

Well, how did the gymnast die? The newspaper on the bus says the like tragic death of famous gymnasts. But they don't explain how does he die?

[June Diane Raphael]

And I won't, I don't want to be mean.

[Rob Huebel]

Oh, he must have like broken his neck.

[Emily (Audience Member)]

Right?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Because he breaks his neck. But we don't know.

[Rob Huebel]

Well, that happens. To every gymnast. They all break their necks.

[June Diane Raphael]

I don't want to be mean at all, but I will say this. Even in 2001, if a gymnast died, it's not getting front page of any paper. They would have to have done something insane.

[Rob Huebel]

You just pissed off a lot of gymnasts. You're going to get so many.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

We're going to hear from the gymnasts in the. In the fan base because they also.

[June Diane Raphael]

Position him to be very famous, but yet he is taking public transport. I mean, people do notice him around. He's. I do have. I have issues with that second half, but I do. I do like it. There was a YouTube.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You have issues. Oh, you have issues with some of the movie. Oh, wow.

[June Diane Raphael]

Just a couple things.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Some of the choices they made, they didn't work for you.

[June Diane Raphael]

Now Whoopi Goldberg's in this.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, yeah. Oh, the cast is. The cast is wall to wall, like, next level talent.

[Rob Huebel]

Explain to me how that happens. Who read this?

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, this.

[Rob Huebel]

I did a show with Megan Mullally. I love Megan Mullally is the funniest person on earth. So funny. It is a crime. It is a crime how underused she is. Like, they don't give her anything.

[June Diane Raphael]

Bob Odenkirk.

[Rob Huebel]

Odenkirk also, yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

You have everybody.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Thomas Hayden, Churchill is in this. Whoopi Goldberg, like, with giancarlo Esposito, Rose McGowan. It is a murderer's row of people. All of the surgeons, Owen Kirk and all that team is all people, you know, and it's all in service of nonsense.

[Rob Huebel]

Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

I mean, and who. But I do feel like Megan Mullally gets to be funny. The only person who does not get to be funny aggressively is Bridget Fonda. I feel like I love Bridget Fonda and I watch her in this movie. I'm like, wow, they really like whatever they did. It's like, I don't know what she is in any way whatsoever.

[Rob Huebel]

I think they sold her. They said, do you want to kiss Chris Kattan and Brendan Fraser? She was like, yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

I felt like she was. I felt like Chris Kattan had to kind of force that kiss. He did hold her face. She wasn't leaning in for it. Yeah. But Chris Kattan also has a moment where he's like, it's me. I called you by her name. I got my monkey here. He's wrecking everything. And she's like, okay, it's not him. Like, wait, what do you mean? He just gave you, like, 10 context clues that it is him.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

So much Crazy. And she's already had multiple experiences with Monkeybone as Stu that seem like it's not Stu.

[June Diane Raphael]

Right.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

So when a dead. When the reanimated corpse of a gymnast arrives with his head taped to a T square, you might be like, now hang on, I'm going to listen to this.

[June Diane Raphael]

Stranger things have happened.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I also fully expected. I couldn't figure out. I fully expected there to be a love story in the downtown between stu and Rose McGowan's character because I felt like they were trying to see that somehow.

[June Diane Raphael]

But you can't because.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

No, because we're meant to believe in true love between him and Julie, but.

[June Diane Raphael]

He'S been there for three months, so maybe it dies.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah. And does time work the same there? Who knows?

[June Diane Raphael]

I mean, he grew a full beard in the bed. I mean, that was a good looking beard.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I mean, you can do that in a couple days. A good sneeze will get that much beard out.

[June Diane Raphael]

My favorite moment was Megan Mullally appearing through the window of the hospital.

[Rob Huebel]

She was smoking. Yeah, she was smoking out there on the patio. Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

But it is also just. It felt to me like she's like, I want to do something interesting and funny and not be in this room. Because that didn't feel like that should be an option for her to be smoking in and out like a patio leaning in through a.

[Rob Huebel]

Hospital rooms don't have balconies.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah.

[Emily (Audience Member)]

What.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

When did. Okay, what was the movie? We did Cool World.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes. Where.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Where Brad Pitt enters Cartoon World.

[June Diane Raphael]

But that was his Cartoon World. Well, no, Brad Pitt was the cop.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Well, one of the. Tell us what's going on. Gabriel Burn.

[June Diane Raphael]

Gabriel Burns cartoons. He goes in. Brad Pitt was the cop trying to bust him in his own cartoon World. Right.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Okay, so Gabriel Burns knows the world. What year was that, roughly? Oh, okay. So that's fully so.

[Emily (Audience Member)]

Okay.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Cuz this was giving me that vibes wise.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Of like, oh, a person getting trapped in their cartoon.

[June Diane Raphael]

This is everybody. Every executive is like, I don't know why Roger Rabbit worked, but. But I think we can do it too.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

And then you go, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Rob Huebel]

And he's in this way.

[Griffin Newman]

Oh, yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

Love it, love it. And he's a dick. Oh, yeah. Love it, love it.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Well, what's true about that is this movie, Monkey Bone is as horny as Roger Rabbit is Roger Rabbit. And maybe that is the direct connection they're trying to make is those other movies didn't work because the animated character wasn't fucking horny enough.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, but Kim Base.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

What If. What if the character was a dick? Literally, an engorged. A blood filled penis, but as a monkey.

[Rob Huebel]

I have a question just to go back to Whoopi Goldberg for a second.

[June Diane Raphael]

God of death.

[Rob Huebel]

Yes, the God of death. So Whoopi Goldberg, at one point, is approving these other, like, grim reapers. You know those guys?

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, the. The white. The people in the white robes, they are like. So Brendan Fraser should be in a white robe to be judged, right?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

No, no, they. They are like. I think they're like grim reapers.

[June Diane Raphael]

Oh, they're.

[Rob Huebel]

They'll go out. Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

Okay.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

They arrive to give the old man your egg. His exit check.

[Rob Huebel]

So he was gonna. He was gonna dress up like that.

[June Diane Raphael]

And then be able to. Okay, got it. So then.

[Rob Huebel]

So then they got busted, and then somehow her head exploded, and there were a bunch of interchangeable heads.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Why the. Why are there extra heads? Why are they thinking that somehow in the future her head will get destroyed and we will need replicas that we can just install?

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, you should read my prequel script that is self. Well, I mean, self published, but, yeah, you should read it. It's good.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I would love to.

[June Diane Raphael]

But she. She's also not the devil. Like, that's the other thing about this movie. She's not damning people. She's like, oh, your time on Earth is over. And that's it. Like, she's seemingly benevolent. Right? I mean, like, she's not.

[Rob Huebel]

Yeah, I think she's death. She's just sort of agnostic.

[June Diane Raphael]

Right?

[Rob Huebel]

Like, your time is up, and you're just down here now, and these are the rules.

[June Diane Raphael]

But yet there is this purgatory where nothing is happening before you get to, like, you don't do any trials or tribulations. You just wait until you just seem to have.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You seem to be able to hang out in a space that seems kind of like where you might buy supplies in a video game.

[June Diane Raphael]

Right.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You know what I mean? It's the kind of weird town you stumble on in Fallout, and you're like, oh, everybody here's kind of a reanimated corpse. And I guess this is where I buy ammo. Like, that whole world, I was like. And what they failed to give us by only giving us downtown is we don't understand any kind of hell or heaven. We only know this middle ground, this netherworld.

[June Diane Raphael]

And. But then also in the netherworld, Hypnos is there. Who is the Sleep God?

[Rob Huebel]

Who's the brother of Whoopi Goldberg?

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes. Okay.

[Rob Huebel]

Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

So sleep and death are closely related. I Like that as an idea.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Well, sleep is kind of a. Sleep is a bit of a death.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah, that's.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Sleep is our nightly death.

[June Diane Raphael]

I like that.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

An orgasm is a little death.

[June Diane Raphael]

So monkey bone.

[Rob Huebel]

Wow.

[June Diane Raphael]

That all makes sense now.

[Rob Huebel]

A poop is a birth.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Big or little. Sometimes just watery.

[June Diane Raphael]

So then.

[Rob Huebel]

I'd edit that out. I did it.

[June Diane Raphael]

I'll edit it. Keep it all in. Keep it all in.

[Paul Scheer]

I had that dream again. My small business needs to hire, but I don't use LinkedIn. And I hire an energy vampire. But also they're a literal vampire. And suddenly my team is spending all their time sharpening wooden stakes and buying bulk silver and rehearsing Agent Chance. And then I wake up.

[June Diane Raphael]

Don't let hiring nightmares ruin your dreams. LinkedIn Jobs new AI assistant takes insights from over 1 billion professionals to create a short list of the best fits for you. Post your job for [e-mail] Pandora Start hiring today.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

With LinkedIn, everyone deserves to be connected. That's why T Mobile and US Cellular are joining forces. Switch to T Mobile and save up to 20% versus Verizon by getting built in benefits they leave out. Check the math@t mobile.com switch and now T mobile is in US cellular stores.

[June Diane Raphael]

Savings versus Comparable Verizon plans plus the cost of optional benefits. Plan features and taxes and fees vary. Savings with three plus lines include third line free via monthly bill credits. Credit stop if you cancel any lines. Qualifying credit required. We've all been there. You hold onto a coupon hoping to cash it in at the store. But then you forget about it and suddenly you've got a mountain of useless expired coupons. Do you think this one's still good? Free milk. Oh, mate, that expired in 1993. Dang it. Fortunately, there are better ways to save money. Like by switching to Geico. You could save about $900 on car insurance without ever touching a coupon. Ooh, how about this one? Half off floppy disks. Now you should try a bit of spring cleaning.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It feels good to save big. It feels good to Geico.

[Rob Huebel]

I have another quick question. Well, yeah, go for it. I don't want to jump around too much.

[June Diane Raphael]

You can. You can jump around, but there was.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

A curse of pain. Tells us.

[June Diane Raphael]

Okay, jump around. Well, just jump up and get down. Jump, jump, jump.

[Rob Huebel]

The sex scene between them. Yes, we gotta talk about that.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah.

[Rob Huebel]

First of all, I feel like Bridget Fonda said, I'm not getting naked for this. You're not gonna see any. Thank God. So much so that she opened her robe and Wrapped it round.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

What a strange move, that.

[Rob Huebel]

You're not going to see side boob. You're not going to see arm. You're not going to see anything.

[June Diane Raphael]

I guarantee you that. That wasn't even her body in the shower.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

I think that was a body d.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

When she wrapped the robe around, I was like, we are through the looking glass. That's the way I don't understand.

[Rob Huebel]

My wife and I make love like that. Just don't look at my robe. Don't look at each other.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

This is also. I feel like. Although now you tell me it's 2001 and I'm now gonna go back on this because I feel like this was an era in which butts and butt stuff, like, in terms of, like, Ace Ventura's talking butt, or in this one, when he's like, that's not how we shake on it in monkey land. We rub butts. There's a lot of, like, butt stuff.

[June Diane Raphael]

You studied monkeys. Is that true? They rub butts?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

They do. Oh, yeah. And you can rub their butts all you want.

[June Diane Raphael]

Right. We have one out in the lobby after the show if anyone's interested.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes.

[Rob Huebel]

But just to drill down on this sex scene for a second.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes. No. Yeah.

[Rob Huebel]

I have no desire to see Brendan Fraser's body or his ass, like, shaking in my face. And, like, it felt like, well, but.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You'Re not in love with him.

[Rob Huebel]

That's true.

[June Diane Raphael]

Doc Julie is the sleep doctor, but.

[Rob Huebel]

He is about to teabag her on.

[June Diane Raphael]

There's one angle.

[Rob Huebel]

There's one angle where you can tell Bridget Fond is like, I fucking hate my agent so much.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes. She's down here giving up acting.

[Rob Huebel]

Ass is, like, right here.

[June Diane Raphael]

And you can't.

[Rob Huebel]

That's not a fake thing. That's him with his taint and balls, like, right here.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I couldn't figure this out at all. Like, what did they. Did they think this is hilarious. Was it in the script or was Brendan Fraser like, oh, you know, it'd be funny if I started, like, bumping like. Like, like, up and down her. Like, I was like, it's like he's gonna teabag her or something in a way that I was like, she should dump him now.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, that's it. I have a lot of issues with Doc Julie because Doc Julie, everything could have been justified. Like, you are still coming out of a coma. Just take it easy.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

She.

[June Diane Raphael]

She's like, he's back home the same day he comes out of a coma. He is eating cake with his hands, and then he's Teabagging her.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

All of these feel like improvised moments. They're eating the cake with the hands, all that stuff.

[Rob Huebel]

Where did they get the footage of the monkeys having graphic sex that he's watching? They do that misdirect where you see her in the shower and you think he's looking at that. And then they cut to his POV and he's watching like. Like doggy style sex, which I guess that is how, like, monkeys don't do a missionary.

[June Diane Raphael]

Like, monkeys don't go like monkey styles. That's the shirt.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes.

[June Diane Raphael]

Wait, hold on.

[Rob Huebel]

Did we come up with missionary sex?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Well, because of the missionaries did.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah. They brought it around from land to land.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes. They take it from country to country, introducing heathens to the good Lord. And missionary.

[Rob Huebel]

Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

Bad to the bone. But there is a moment in here.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

That'S what the movie Silence is about. But.

[June Diane Raphael]

But there's a moment here where I'm like, he is having a dream, chasing women in bikinis, but he's watching monkey porn. But he's also attracted to flabby arm school teachers.

[Rob Huebel]

Well, you're confusing monkeybone and his. I think the thing on the golf course with when he runs into the sand trap on the golf course, which also was a pretty cool stunt. I couldn't figure out, like, how they did that practically, because it goes down.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It looked great.

[Rob Huebel]

That looked pretty cool. Unless that was all.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

My guess is the sand is a visual effect.

[June Diane Raphael]

Oh, okay.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And he's just going down.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I don't know, though.

[Rob Huebel]

Yeah. Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

But then my guess is it's stop motion animation. Even Brendan Fraser are. That.

[Rob Huebel]

That quick sequence where he's fantasizing about chasing the. The women in lingerie on the golf course?

[June Diane Raphael]

Are those.

[Rob Huebel]

Is that. Was that 2001 lingerie that looked like it was.

[June Diane Raphael]

Somebody said it was very positive. It was.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

We have a lingerie expert in the house.

[June Diane Raphael]

Always have.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

We travel with her every show she brings. Just in case we have a lingerie question. We have Morgan, of course, our Dungeons and Dragons expert. We have our lingerie expert.

[June Diane Raphael]

And I will say that she is just a 2001 lingerie expert.

[Rob Huebel]

So you can't before or after 9 11, man.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah.

[Rob Huebel]

Yes, I'm sure it changed dramatically.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, after 9 11, everything. All the lingerie changed.

[June Diane Raphael]

But that, like so. You're right. Like so were you gonna say, is that his dream or the monkey's dream?

[Rob Huebel]

I think that was his fantasy down in the underworld, I think.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, because he. But then he's talking to Brendan Fraser, I believe, as monkey Bunny, because he goes in the day. That's you.

[Rob Huebel]

But down here, you're with me. Your monkey ass is mine.

[June Diane Raphael]

Right? So I think that. And so I think that Hypnos.

[Rob Huebel]

Hypnos, the God of sleep, is. Is telling him, like your. Your monkey ass belongs to me. And. And we're running out of nightmares. We got to go get some more nightmare juice.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

But isn't monkey bone hypnosis agent in the real. Isn't this their plan?

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, but that's what he's saying to him. He's like, you aren't getting me enough bad dreams, asshole. Go put all the fart juice now.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I understand. Yeah, I see. I see, I see.

[June Diane Raphael]

Not fart juice.

[Rob Huebel]

Fart juice.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Fart juice.

[Rob Huebel]

That's a movie. You got it. We got to pitch that movie. Do not steal that idea.

[June Diane Raphael]

I mean, fart juice is going to come out next summer.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I felt like that whole farting toy thing, right. Came in so late.

[Rob Huebel]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I was like, oh, give me the farting toy thing way earlier. And so was that the plan?

[June Diane Raphael]

And why do the. Why does he have to put a. So much of it in the butts? But also, it's like, it seems like that vial of nightmare juice is only going to affect a handful of people.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, yeah. Well, no, but I mean, they're giving it. The toys are going to go to everyone. Oh, you mean just the. But I mean.

[Rob Huebel]

Yeah, so say.

[June Diane Raphael]

All right, so they do a thousand people. Is that enough nightmares to fuel all the underworld?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

That's a. This is a great question, and I'd love to spend the rest of the episode just drilling down on the metrics of how much nightmare juice per capita can give enough nightmare return to fuel downtown's energy needs. Because this is a renewable resource. Here's all I need to stop using fossil fuels and power our cars off of nightmares.

[June Diane Raphael]

I want to see more of a Jack Nicholson Batman moment where he's like, oh, we got the new parade float, the monkey bone parade float. And he's going to douse the whole city with nightmare juice. But it seems like you have to have a lot of nightmare juice because then Dave Foley, also a very funny.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Person, back when actors could get away with purple Face.

[June Diane Raphael]

Oh, man, talk about a moment at the end. A little closer there where he pops up.

[Rob Huebel]

They put a lot of pressure on that line, too. But I want to drill down real quick on when he goes to the sleep Institute to break in to steal the nightmare juice.

[June Diane Raphael]

He does. Fuck that monkey.

[Rob Huebel]

There's an orangutan.

[June Diane Raphael]

He does that monkey.

[Rob Huebel]

That's not a monkey. That's an orangutan.

[June Diane Raphael]

Tan.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Tan.

[Rob Huebel]

Tan. Tan orangutan cage. I don't know why he's in a cage. I guess he's part of the sleep study.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I guess. Yes. He's part of the nightmare that he.

[Rob Huebel]

Brendan Fraser kisses.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yep.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah, but. Or. Or more.

[Rob Huebel]

And then the arranging, for sure. Rips off his pants.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Because the orangutan wants it to go farther. Because I think the orangutan understands that there's a monkey in here the same way that the dog understands that's not him in there. Like, I think all the animals know what's going on. So the orangutan is like, I'm going to fuck you.

[Rob Huebel]

Because I feel like that was edited out. I feel like the monkey. Sorry. The orangutan did fuck him.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes, 100%.

[Rob Huebel]

In the prison cell, probably for, you know, atmosphere. And then.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Wait, the prison cell in downtown?

[Rob Huebel]

No, I'm just.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, you mean in the. In the lab.

[Rob Huebel]

Yeah, in the sleep lab.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah.

[Rob Huebel]

Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

So. And then. And when they're in the prison. When you just said prison downtown, we remember Stephen King. So. Stephen King, Jack the Ripper, Lizzie Borden.

[Rob Huebel]

They're all Attila the Hun.

[June Diane Raphael]

Attila the Hun. So they're just. Are they just being sucked for nightmares?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes, because he says. Stephen King says, isn't it, that Cujo is inhabiting his body on Earth.

[June Diane Raphael]

Earth, yeah.

[Rob Huebel]

Cujo took his exit pass.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes, Cujo took his exit pass.

[June Diane Raphael]

So I guess Cujo is his monkey bone.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

So. Yes, Cujo is his monkey bone. Which means anything after 2000, any Stephen King book after 2001 is written by a dog. I mean, what are we talking about?

[Rob Huebel]

And Cujo is up there fucking people.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes, with Cujoes.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Cujo get hit by the van. Have people forgotten that Stephen King was hit by a van? Is this a story nobody remembers?

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, he was chasing after the van. Wait, wait.

[Rob Huebel]

Refresh my memory.

[June Diane Raphael]

He, The Cujo was. Stephen King was chasing after a van. Because he does. No, he was. Stephen King was walking on the side of the road. He got hit by a car. That happened he.

[Rob Huebel]

Recently?

[June Diane Raphael]

A while ago.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

20 years.

[June Diane Raphael]

My favorite story about Stephen King and this came out recently, is that he got addicted to Lou Bega's Mambo Number five.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Addicted?

[Rob Huebel]

What do you mean, addicted?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Like, he could.

[June Diane Raphael]

He couldn't stop playing it. And his wife told him, if you play it one more time, I will divorce you.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, wow.

[June Diane Raphael]

And does that feel a little bit Monica in my. Yeah. And that. So do we have the answer?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

He is divorced.

[June Diane Raphael]

Wait, so then I guess my question is, if Cujo is up here, then is Jack the Ripper's, like, monkey Bone also up here?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And who is that? Who is Jack the Ripper's.

[June Diane Raphael]

Oh, it's Rob.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Who is Rob? Who's Lizzie Borden's monkey bone? The axe?

[Rob Huebel]

Attila the Huns. We don't know.

[June Diane Raphael]

So some monkey bones can be violent. Some monkey bones can be true.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I wish I knew the rules the movie would have been. The movie is so close to enjoyable in a lot of ways if simply the rules had been made more clear. So I understood what the entire fuck was going on. Because without that, I kept being like. I kept rewinding to be like, did I miss important plot points?

[Rob Huebel]

I think this movie is for kids that take mushrooms. I really do.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I really do.

[Rob Huebel]

All kids.

[June Diane Raphael]

I will say this. Henry Selick fell in love with Darktown comic book. This is the source material. Because this is a book that Henry Selick really wanted to adapt. And he wrote to the author, he said, I never felt any project was closer to my sensibilities than this one. And his initial intention was to stay true to the material. But as the project developed, it evolved into Monkey Bone. That's the quote.

[Rob Huebel]

When was he fired in the process?

[June Diane Raphael]

Like, was he seemingly late? We're gonna get some more details about this.

[Rob Huebel]

Cause I had a question. There's a sequence where the basset hound dog that they share. Or I forgot his name, but Stu takes the purple sludge and gives it to the basset hound and puts him to sleep. What kind of nightmare. Can you cut to the dog's dream? And it's so fucked up because the dog has huge balls and he's laying prone and they pull back and there's a giant scissors. Like, he's having this nightmare that's.

[June Diane Raphael]

Dogs get snipped. Yeah, but do they had to shoot that?

[Rob Huebel]

Yeah, they had to anesthetize a basset hound with.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Let's be clear, that basset hound for sure died during this production. That is absolutely clear.

[June Diane Raphael]

Let me go out to the crowd, because I think that there. There might be some people out here who have some questions. We may have some answers. All right. Hi. What's your name? What's your question?

[Paul Scheer]

Emily. So I know you guys like to talk to people who are kind of experts in certain areas. I've been in a coma.

[Rob Huebel]

Oh, congratulations.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Emily has.

[June Diane Raphael]

Emily, who did you meet in your coma?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. Are you in it right now? Are we. Are we all characters in your coma dream?

[June Diane Raphael]

Is this her monkey bone or is this Emily? All right, so what would you like to share?

[Paul Scheer]

I just want to say that, Jason, this is a Jacob's Ladder scenario, because at a certain point when Brendan Fraser wakes up from the coma or monkey bone, his breathing tube pops out. That breathing tube would be connected to a ventilator. So there was no ventilator breathing for him. If there was and the tube came.

[June Diane Raphael]

Out, could they have unplugged the ventilator?

[Rob Huebel]

Well, they didn't unplug it. They snipped it.

[Paul Scheer]

So it has to be removed by. By a medical professional. Because if. If you wake up and it's in your body, you're trying to breathe and it's trying to breathe for you, you would die in seconds.

[June Diane Raphael]

So what really. Are we really having that react? Yeah, okay, sure.

[Rob Huebel]

Well, can we hear a little bit more about your coma? If it's funny. If it's funny.

[June Diane Raphael]

Keep it light. Keep it light.

[Rob Huebel]

Don't bum us out.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Just out of curiosity, how long?

[Paul Scheer]

A few weeks.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Okay.

[June Diane Raphael]

And did you go in any. Was there any roller coaster imagery? Any Joe Camel imagery?

[Paul Scheer]

There was a lot of imagery, for sure. I can't. As someone who's never had a boner, I can't.

[June Diane Raphael]

It's okay. It's okay.

[Paul Scheer]

I cannot confirm whether or not I would have had a monkey bone. I did. I did. I did not know.

[June Diane Raphael]

All right. I like it. Thank you so much.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Incredible. Incredible.

[Rob Huebel]

Three weeks. Three weeks.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Wow. That was that. See, that's a great one. New York.

[June Diane Raphael]

One of the best. What a great family. What a great vacation.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Welcome back.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, she didn't just get out of the car.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I don't know. I assumed you woke up up to come to the show. Your brain knew you had tickets.

[June Diane Raphael]

She said at 5pm she got out of a coma. She's camera. Yeah, yeah. Hi, what's your name?

[Paul Scheer]

Jen.

[June Diane Raphael]

Jen, what's your question?

[Paul Scheer]

So you've shown some alternate clips of. There's different cuts. Do you think there's a. In that alternate version? There's a more nefarious version of Julie where she kind of tricks Stu into like a Stockholm syndrome version of the relationship because she very clearly has no problem manipulating his subconscious. Okay, because.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Do you mean manipulating him with the nightmare juice when he's in the. When he's in the coma?

[June Diane Raphael]

You think she's an unethical doctor and that like eating here?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Are you reporting her? Are you trying to get her license.

[June Diane Raphael]

Stripped this whole thing has been just to get this on. It's on. Let's go. Wall down.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

All the doctors in this movie behave irresponsibly.

[Paul Scheer]

It was very unethical. And I have a master's in marriage and family counseling, so, like, I have to, like, be like, oh, that's very unethical how you're behaving.

[June Diane Raphael]

Like, you have to do it here.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Here's my question.

[June Diane Raphael]

Does everyone in the audience.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Here's my question for you. My question for you is, if you were faced with the imminent death of your partner or behaving unethically in order to save them, what would you choose?

[June Diane Raphael]

She just looked at her partner.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

She just looked at her partner and said, bye. Bye.

[Paul Scheer]

Well, like, I'm not his doctor.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

She isn't either.

[Paul Scheer]

She was. She was his sleep doctor.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Only sleep.

[Rob Huebel]

A sleep study.

[June Diane Raphael]

A sleep study. It feels like she was getting college credit for that. I don't know.

[Rob Huebel]

She didn't even have the authority to stop Megan Mulally from pulling the plug.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Pulling the plug on someone who has so much active brain going on that to pull the plug is murder. Like, I mean, I think Paul's going up. When was Terry Schiavo? Is that before this?

[June Diane Raphael]

Jason.

[Rob Huebel]

Hang on, Jason.

[June Diane Raphael]

Here's what's happening about Terry Schiavo.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I am not going to hear you guys ham and ha over me mentioning Terry Schiavo when you barely reacted to multiple 911 jokes. You guys gotta decide, what are your levels? The balcony gets at their. It's all the Richie Riches over here, here that are clutching their pearls. Terry Schiavo. That's a home run reference.

[June Diane Raphael]

What's her. What do you got? Oh, she's dressed as Rose McGowan.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, nice.

[June Diane Raphael]

Fantastic movie. But also. Whoa. Hi, my name is Sajida. My friends here are huge fans of your podcast. So thank you so much.

[Rob Huebel]

But not you.

[June Diane Raphael]

Not you. She is now.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

That's interesting. You're wearing a costume.

[June Diane Raphael]

Question.

[Griffin Newman]

Why do they hate doctors so much on this show?

[June Diane Raphael]

Why do we hate doctors so much on this show? I feel like I've just struck out twice with questions here. Apologize to.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I will say as Paul makes his way up into the balcony. Get ready. Some of the third act, which is the Catan stuff, is inclusive of some of the funniest shit. Was the dog. The surgeons in full surgical gear.

[Rob Huebel]

Great.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Run. Chasing. Chasing the reanimated corpse through the hospital into the parking lot. They load into a Suburban. They do a car chase. Catan's organs are falling from the sky. Onto a barbecue. Onto the kid plays football with it. Kids are playing football with a lung. Paul's in the. In the.

[June Diane Raphael]

I'm in the balcony.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

In the balcony.

[June Diane Raphael]

That's the kind of reception. Welcome. Yes. Balcony monsters. Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes. All right, I'll come to the person I'm closest to right now. Okay. What's your name? What's your question?

[Rob Huebel]

Hi, Ashley.

[Griffin Newman]

So I did a little bit of research. Apparently, Ben Stiller was originally signed on to play the main character.

[Rob Huebel]

That's what we heard.

[Griffin Newman]

Ultimately, Chris Kattan, Brendan Fraser were a.

[June Diane Raphael]

Great combination of people.

[Griffin Newman]

Would Chris Kattan and Ben Stiller have been that great? Or would they have gone for a different actor to play the person Ben Stiller jumped into as.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

My guess is that's the voice.

[June Diane Raphael]

The voice. Wait, what? Ben Stiller is going to be John Turturro?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, I thought he was going to be Brendan Fraser.

[Rob Huebel]

Are you sure? Are you sure?

[June Diane Raphael]

From what I. We're going to get some more.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I'm here. Wait, let's keep.

[June Diane Raphael]

Let's answer this question. But I believe.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Hold on one second. Paul, there's somebody right there. What was. What was supposed to be Ben Stiller? No.

[June Diane Raphael]

I heard someone say Ben Stiller is supposed to play Brendan Fraser's character. And then I heard. No, I saw that you have notes. I want to see what your notes are. Right. So what do you got? Oh, dude. No, I don't. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't need to read.

[Rob Huebel]

Was anybody here else in a coma?

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes. What? Hold on, hold on.

[Rob Huebel]

From now on, only. Only people in comas, by the way.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Paul, Paul, there's another coma over here.

[June Diane Raphael]

Oh, and I was right by her.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I'm so sorry. We're only talking to coma people tonight.

[Rob Huebel]

You have to currently be in a coma.

[June Diane Raphael]

All right? What? Hi.

[Emily (Audience Member)]

Hi, Paul. I was in a coma. I'm not trying to. It's not a competition.

[June Diane Raphael]

But it was exactly four weeks.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

How many weeks? Four weeks.

[Rob Huebel]

Well, he's true what they said.

[June Diane Raphael]

After three months, it goes downhill.

[Emily (Audience Member)]

No, I was.

[June Diane Raphael]

I was.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It was four weeks.

[Emily (Audience Member)]

I was having this, like, DMT dream where, like, I was in an MC Esser house. You'd, like, open a door and then you look. You'd be looking. Instead of looking like this, you'd be looking down at, like, people on a couch playing video games. And you go in another room, but it was this real crazy maze. And the end of that was I. I was running away because I thought they were trying to cut my dick off.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Wow. Monkey bone.

[June Diane Raphael]

Monkey Bone.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

That's a fucking monkey bone.

[Emily (Audience Member)]

It's a real thing. Like, it's in Richard Hammond's autobiography after he had his, like, racing accident. And it's a real thing. And I'm pretty sure I was having that when they were trying to put the catheter in and I was trying to, like, protect myself.

[Rob Huebel]

That's what the dog was also doing. The dog was worried about.

[Emily (Audience Member)]

The one other thing I wanted to say is that I grew up next door to Liz Livingston, who is the creator of Drop Dead Fred.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, whoa.

[Emily (Audience Member)]

Carrie. In the original script, Carrie Fisher's character was named after my mother. But the studio thought that Martha was a lame, like, old lady name, so Carlos changed it to Janie, which was the girl he was dating at the time. But if you hear when Fred hits her, when he hits her papers down, and she's, like, in her office, her boss yells, Ms. Shagru.

[June Diane Raphael]

That's her mom.

[Griffin Newman]

Wow.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Wow. Wait a minute. Wait.

[June Diane Raphael]

What? I have one.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Incredible. Incredible.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, now we gotta ask you incredible.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I have a question. Team Fred. Yes. Is Team Sanity.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes. That's it. Team Fred. They're the same thing.

[Emily (Audience Member)]

It's a short story. There's a woman my age who's an amazing artist. Her name is Liz Livingston. When her sister was born, all of these mischievous things started happening. And when her mom confronted her, she said, it wasn't me, it was Dead Fred. So her mother, who's a writer and used to edit for Reader's Digestion, wrote a short story about this evil character, and it's called Drop Dead Fred. Her friend Carlos Davies, said, this is brilliant. Wrote the script, they made the movie. There was gonna be a second one, and it just. The whole thing petered out because the person they got to play, Fred, wanted to rewrite the script.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Can I ask a question? If we had not asked who else was in a coma?

[Emily (Audience Member)]

I know.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah, you were. Would we have heard none of this?

[June Diane Raphael]

That's what I'm like, living in that central information.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Do you want to come sit down here? We need more people like you down here.

[Rob Huebel]

One more coma person.

[June Diane Raphael]

I'm gonna come back to the person I was. Almost. But now you're up against the wall because that person really delivered your coma better.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You better have been in a coma for five or more weeks now.

[June Diane Raphael]

You stood up with a coma. You were in a coma. Oh, she'll put her in a coma, right?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Please don't stand so close.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah, that guy shooting over.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Please don't stand so close to the edge.

[Paul Scheer]

Okay, We've oh, sorry.

[June Diane Raphael]

My name's Jess. Long island trash. We spent a lot of time talking.

[Paul Scheer]

About medical malpractice, but I feel like we really missed the fact that there.

[June Diane Raphael]

Was organ trafficking happening.

[Rob Huebel]

Yes.

[June Diane Raphael]

Because they were talking about money and you cannot sell organs in the United States. States.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And they were really invested.

[June Diane Raphael]

They were like, this will get my Mercedes.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah, yeah. So I feel like the real enemy was capitalism.

[June Diane Raphael]

And. And that's why we hate doctors.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes, yes. Now that's why we hate doctors. Unethical doctors.

[June Diane Raphael]

I do. I mentioned that we have another special guest here tonight.

[Rob Huebel]

Is it naked Dave Foley?

[June Diane Raphael]

No. He is running around outside.

[Rob Huebel]

We didn't talk about Dave Foley's naked body.

[June Diane Raphael]

You want to talk about it?

[Rob Huebel]

What?

[June Diane Raphael]

You want to talk about it? He had a very cute bottom.

[Rob Huebel]

I'm surprised that he did that.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, there is one person here, one person here who knows a lot about this movie, is a fan of this movie. You might know him from roles in such TV shows as the Tick, but also as the co host of the Blank Check podcast. Griffin Newman is here. Where is he though? Where? He's down. He's already downstairs. There he is.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

All right, perfect.

[June Diane Raphael]

Oh, there he is. Here we go. Take my chair.

[Griffin Newman]

I got three things to say right off the bat.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Give it up for Griffin Newman.

[Griffin Newman]

I brought my two copies of Monkeybone DVD and Blu ray because I need the high def picture quality, but this doesn't have special features.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Holy shit.

[Griffin Newman]

And as we saw tonight.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah.

[Griffin Newman]

The only way to see the deleted scenes from Monkey Bone reliably is to have the disc.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

This is like, this is chilling that you have hard media, physical media, two of Monkeybone is like very uncomfortable for me.

[Griffin Newman]

We, we recorded a three and a half hour podcast with you guys today. Yes, I. Coming up you, you guys went, oh, you like Monkeybone? Do you want to come on at the end and do a defense? Yeah, I said yes. I ran home, I picked up the two copies, I came straight here.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I by the way, thank you.

[Griffin Newman]

I need you for coming. No.

[June Diane Raphael]

So this is a movie that you. That was a sav to you as a child. Like, this made it good.

[Griffin Newman]

It made things make sense.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And what, what are those things?

[Rob Huebel]

Things.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

When you say it made things make sense. Like what? Like puberty.

[Griffin Newman]

I get it. This is a comedy show and you guys all just gave it a spin this morning. You gave it one wash, right? And you're sort of visitors, you're dilettante, you're tourists. And so I don't mean to just fact check, but There are a couple things you got wrong that I want to just quickly correct.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah.

[Rob Huebel]

Also crucial question, have you been in a coma?

[Griffin Newman]

I have not.

[Rob Huebel]

Okay.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

There is. We feel like there is one more coma guy over there that we didn't get to.

[Rob Huebel]

We don't call him coma guys.

[Griffin Newman]

Coma guys.

[June Diane Raphael]

Coma man People. Coma Comeies.

[Griffin Newman]

James's James.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

James Comey.

[June Diane Raphael]

They'll have their day in court.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You're indicted.

[Griffin Newman]

Just quick little speed round fact checking.

[Rob Huebel]

Great.

[Griffin Newman]

Number one, monkey bone is good.

[June Diane Raphael]

Okay.

[Griffin Newman]

Number two, monkey bone is normal.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Okay.

[Griffin Newman]

Number three, monkey bone makes sense. I feel like that's pretty.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Wow. Saying the movie or monkey bone the character?

[Griffin Newman]

Both.

[June Diane Raphael]

Wow.

[Griffin Newman]

Three statements apply in both directions. There are a lot of misreads here.

[June Diane Raphael]

No, I wanna. I want you to. Yeah. Hit us with like. I want to get to the answer of the Ben Stiller thing. Was Ben Stiller supposed to be Brendan Fraser?

[Griffin Newman]

Ben Stiller was supposed to be Brendan Fraser.

[June Diane Raphael]

Okay.

[Griffin Newman]

He dropped up pretty late.

[Rob Huebel]

Okay.

[Griffin Newman]

He makes more sense as an angry Gen X cartoonist. I would argue.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Here's what I'll say to the guy that said no earlier. You're a fucking moron. Get out of here.

[Griffin Newman]

It was absolutely Ben Stiller.

[June Diane Raphael]

Okay.

[Griffin Newman]

And Fraser didn't want to get pigeonholed into post mummy action hero. And he was like, I want to be loose. I don't want to be taken seriously, pushed hard for this role. Paul Reubens was supposed to be the voice of Monkeybone.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Whoa. Awesome.

[Griffin Newman]

A man who knows something about boners in places they shouldn't be.

[Rob Huebel]

Edit that out.

[June Diane Raphael]

Edit that out.

[Griffin Newman]

And maybe his memory be a blessing. I think the studio would not approve of that.

[June Diane Raphael]

Okay.

[Griffin Newman]

But I believe he did do sessions.

[June Diane Raphael]

Wow.

[Griffin Newman]

And was replaced Stiller and.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And Paul Rubens from Mystery Men, which had already come out, by the way.

[June Diane Raphael]

No, this was the movie that he did. Mystery Bend instead of this. Correct.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I'm sorry.

[Griffin Newman]

This was mostly shot. Oh, so they're the same 99. And sat on.

[Rob Huebel]

Is that before or after 9 11?

[Griffin Newman]

Good amount before. And this is also a thought experiment I've been working on. I've been trying really hard to drill into the canon of movies to me that feel distinctly post Y2K, but pre 9 11.

[June Diane Raphael]

Okay.

[Griffin Newman]

And obviously a lot of these movies were shot, you know, in 1999 or, you know, there are movies that were shot before 911 that came out afterwards, but there are movies that came out within that window that feel time, locked to this feeling of we just lived past the apocalypse, we made it and now nothing can stop Us there is a hubris to the mania.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah.

[Griffin Newman]

And some of these films extend into sequels that go past the 911 point. But you feel them kind of taking on. We gotta like scale it down like Shrek 1, right? Is a post Y2K pre 911 film. Shrek 2 is firmly post 9 11. It's considering the weight of what it has to represent.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah.

[Griffin Newman]

Shrek1 didn't have to represent shit.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Sure, sure.

[Griffin Newman]

We were in Monkeybone is Prime somehow shot in 1999, but like a time capsule. If we survive, if we make it past Y2K, if the clock stops, don't kill us.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes.

[Griffin Newman]

This is what the future needs. We're leaving this for the next generation.

[Rob Huebel]

Can you explain to me?

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah.

[Rob Huebel]

Can you explain to me?

[June Diane Raphael]

Is one of them a foreign monkey?

[Griffin Newman]

Australian Blu Ray, American dvd.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Okay, I don't like foreign Blu Rays. Then let me see that Blu Rays papers.

[Griffin Newman]

Take it up with the Fox Corporation who's refused to put this out in hd.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, I wonder why. It's almost like they thought it wouldn't make money.

[Rob Huebel]

Now a couple quick questions. Why at the museum fundraiser when that giant paper mache head gets hit or like a pinata gets ripped open and all the monkey toys fall out, why do all of the rich people at the fundraiser lose their fucking monkey bone?

[Griffin Newman]

What do you mean?

[June Diane Raphael]

But it's monkey bone on the air? Because what happened was that was the pilot. He went to a coma for three months.

[Griffin Newman]

The movie is a comment on crass commercialization. As this smart attendee up there said, capitalism is the real evil of this film.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Okay?

[Griffin Newman]

Stu Miley is a pure Gen X artist. He is a riff. He is a third beat in the Matt Groening, Matt Stone, Trey Parker here outra kind of fucking pissing on the outside. Gen X. Fuck you guys who accidentally created these things that like captured the public id, right? The unprocessed like child fucking mania that then became mainstream. And in both cases you got this.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Like, oh, think of the children.

[Griffin Newman]

This is ruining them. George W. H.W. bush is like fire. The Samsungs are bad. You know all that, right?

[June Diane Raphael]

Right?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

No characters. I'm sorry, don't you.

[June Diane Raphael]

What do you think this is?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Don't you.

[Griffin Newman]

I'm sorry.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

This is not an SNL audition. Don't you dare.

[June Diane Raphael]

Characters not welcome here.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Unless it's Rizzoli and. Or I.

[Griffin Newman]

Okay, well, so it's cart before the horse, right? A guy who is fucking tortured. He meets the love of his life, right? In like a psychiatric hospital, right? This guy is like he's processing his trauma through art.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

He is trauma into childhood boner.

[Griffin Newman]

Well, no, this is where she redirects him, as she said, right?

[June Diane Raphael]

He was therapy.

[Griffin Newman]

And the art therapy was putting his trauma back on the page in a way that frightened him and only fed back into the cycle. And she said, we got to find some way to break this guy. Change to your less dominant hand and what comes out his replacement? Repressed sexual awakening as a child in a puritanical society.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I love this, okay?

[Griffin Newman]

Part of him that was most pushed down. He was comfortable with the inherent darkness in his brain. What he wasn't comfortable with was who he actually is. His primal urges.

[June Diane Raphael]

But I actually do love what you're saying. And I feel like that feels to me very much like Henry Selick is this artist, right? And he has this and he, he's connected to this piece of work.

[Griffin Newman]

And he's saying that became very commercial, right?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Right.

[Griffin Newman]

Like, here's this guy, he does this dark, tortured art. He's fallen in love with his sleep study doctor. She's like, switch hands. He draws a boner. She's like, this is funny. You should do it as a comic. He does it as a comic. People fucking option the rights and are like, we're giving you 80 episodes on Fox, right? The train is moving so fucking fast. We have the dolls already. He's like, wait, slow down. What is any of that? I don't know if this is good, right? If this is good for the public. And they're just like, we're trying to identify the next fad. That's the panic he's in in the five minutes before he gets coma'd.

[June Diane Raphael]

So basically like his trauma is coming out before he can. Like, he's like, you're commercializing my trauma and you're. And he's just trying to actually get better, to go.

[Griffin Newman]

To be able to process psyche at the very least.

[June Diane Raphael]

Wow. Enthusiastic. Yes.

[Griffin Newman]

Right. That's why Julie loves him. But it's also why I think she rides out the time with Monkeybone and Habit Stu for so long. Because she's like, I've seen him go through weird shit. Well, do I like this guy? No. But like, he's had cycles of like, loss of identity. It came out of a fucking coma. I don't know. Maybe we'll shake this off.

[June Diane Raphael]

Do you think.

[Rob Huebel]

Do you think nine year old boys get this?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

This nine year old boy does.

[Griffin Newman]

I was, I was 12 and I could not have gotten it more.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, I was like, this is what.

[Griffin Newman]

I've been Asking my health teachers to explain to me every week.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Those four teachers.

[June Diane Raphael]

Big mouth before Big mouth.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Did Griffin talk to you today? Oh, he had a lot of questions. What'd you do? I gave him a copy of Monkeybone. He'll be buying copies of that for the rest of his life now.

[June Diane Raphael]

I guess the ish. The joke I couldn't quite put my. I couldn't put my hands around was.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Wait a minute. The joke I couldn't quite get my hands around.

[June Diane Raphael]

When Whoopi Goldberg makes a South park joke.

[Griffin Newman]

Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

Is that a joke that south park is bad? Or is that a joke because it's like. No.

[Griffin Newman]

It says coming out of the same place and that she likes them. And presumably she has had a similar experience with them. So this whole question, does everyone have a monkey bone? What is downtown, Right? Downtown is the collective subconscious, okay?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Collective Carl Jung. Carl Jung's.

[Griffin Newman]

This is collective unconscious on the film.

[June Diane Raphael]

Wow, I love this.

[Griffin Newman]

And so it is largely populated with these pop culture figures, right? Like Joe Campbell, because they exist like they now, like fucking.

[June Diane Raphael]

Right.

[Griffin Newman]

They live rent free in our heads. But also just abstract, nightmarish concepts, like a barbecue pig. Who serves pig.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Right, Right.

[Griffin Newman]

Just fucked up shit.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I love it.

[Griffin Newman]

But also our mascots are modern gods. Isn't Ganesh down there?

[June Diane Raphael]

Right. Yeah, it's soup.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

So we're just seeing, like every God, our modern gods. That what Funky Ball is saying.

[June Diane Raphael]

It's saying, like, the ear worms of our culture in a dead. I'm in it now.

[Griffin Newman]

I'm on board in a dead culture, circling the drain. And this is why hypnosis, like business, is bad. People aren't using their brains. They're thinking of Joe Camel because they're looking at billboards, Right?

[June Diane Raphael]

Right.

[Griffin Newman]

I have to take artists, get them down here. Artists who are able to create a subconscious or unconscious that is so fully vividly realized that it could become its own thing, right? So like Stephen King gets hit by the van, goes into the coma, ends up down there. That's when Cujo swaps.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Ah, okay, that makes sense. That makes sense.

[Griffin Newman]

Attila the Hun, Jack the Ripper, these were creative guys who didn't have an outlet yet.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

These are out of the box thinkers. Attila the Hunter, they didn't have an outlet.

[Griffin Newman]

They were just a little bit uneate and they're trying to draw. And they're like, my hands aren't that good. They fall into a coma. There's a little murderer in there. And it's like, let me have a stab at the above ground. And they go up there and they do a bunch of bad shit, as a monkey bone is.

[June Diane Raphael]

So you're saying Jack the Ripper was a good, creative doctor who. Monkeybone was a murderer and the monkey bone murdered people. Not Jack the Ripper.

[Griffin Newman]

If Jack the Ripper.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

A trickster God.

[Griffin Newman]

Yes.

[June Diane Raphael]

Wow. We've all gone through something.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

The audience just went, a trickster God.

[Griffin Newman]

Of Stu Miley's creation.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Smiley.

[Griffin Newman]

Yes.

[Rob Huebel]

Is. Is it possible to have sex with Christine the car?

[Griffin Newman]

Great question. Yes.

[Rob Huebel]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Well, you have.

[June Diane Raphael]

You have recontextualized this film for me in a way that I feel like there is a plot here. Yeah. That is, I think, hidden by Christopher Columbus.

[Griffin Newman]

Yes.

[Paul Scheer]

Yes.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I will say one of the things that I wrote a number of times and I said some version of it earlier, which is there were a number of times in the movie where I was like, oh, this is almost good right now. This is starting to be a good movie, and I wish it could hold on to it, but it would always crumble under the weight of strange choices that didn't seem to add up. And without any exposition, which they are loathe to give, not understanding the framework in which I am operating, I kept getting lost. But the version of the movie you're giving us is more like a Drop Dead Fred in which I'm 100% on board. I wish. Bless you. I wish that the movie had said successfully done.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well. What I'm realizing is Christopher Columbus is the bad guy. He is like, he is poisoning the culture. He didn't get it at all.

[Griffin Newman]

Here's another crazy.

[Rob Huebel]

Didn't discover America.

[Griffin Newman]

He did not. And he doesn't deserve a parade.

[June Diane Raphael]

Plymouth Rock landed on him.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Wait, what?

[June Diane Raphael]

You get it. Political King Kong motherfucker.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Do you think. Do you think Christopher Columbus sailed over on the Mayflower? The Nina, the Pinto, the Santa Maria and the Mayflower?

[June Diane Raphael]

You got it.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Straight to Plymouth Rock.

[June Diane Raphael]

You got it.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Looking for the fountain of youth.

[Griffin Newman]

He cooked the first turkey on the first Thanksgiving. Another crazy thing I must call out in terms of, like, art imitating.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Stop pointing at us so much, Griffin.

[Griffin Newman]

I'm offering.

[Rob Huebel]

I kind of like it. I like being yelled at.

[Griffin Newman]

Darktown, the comic book that Henry Selleck sparked to and optioned, only ever had that one single issue.

[June Diane Raphael]

One issue.

[Griffin Newman]

It was an intended miniseries that was never completed much. Like Monkey Bone, where you're, like, corporate interests are jumping on a piece of IP that's not even completed as an idea and going, like, let's just start putting stuff on top so it's not.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Like it was a Ninja Turtles like a successful one of 12.

[June Diane Raphael]

It was a one of 12 and.

[Griffin Newman]

Only the first issue was ever released. And it's very different. And it's just in the idea of Artist goes into coma, enters a a collective unconscious where his own creations exist. That's all that the comic gave.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Okay.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah. Give it up for Griffin.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Griffin Dooman. Listen to the Blank Check podcast. Their episode on Monkey Bone is available now.

[June Diane Raphael]

Could not have been better.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

As well as all the other Henry Selick movies. Check out the George Lucas talk show when you can.

[June Diane Raphael]

Brand new dvd.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Listen for Paul and I on an upcoming episode of Blank Check.

[Rob Huebel]

So. So between us.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah.

[Rob Huebel]

We're gonna. We're gonna edit all that out, right.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

He's making us look bad.

[June Diane Raphael]

We have obviously opinion about this. There's a lot of people like Griffin who have a different opinion. It is now time for second opinions. Ladies and gentlemen, Rob from Long Island.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Settle down and I'll tell you the plot. Stu is a cartoonist in a coma and then he's not. The monkey had sex with his wife. Chris Kattan came back to life. A cameo by Harry Knowles. I gave five stars to Monkeybone. Stephen King is not in this flick. The opening scene's a cartoon about a little kid's dick. The casting was great. After all, it starred two actors from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. I gave five stars to Monkey Bone. This is my second opinion. Give it up for Rob from Long Island. Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob. You did great.

[June Diane Raphael]

All right, now we also have another special guest here tonight, Another songwriter from the show. Ladies and gentlemen, Tom McWaters.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It can sing, give dirty looks and when it's hard it breaks through books.

[June Diane Raphael]

And when it's hot it really cooks It's Brendan's boner. Watch it run and watch it grow Jacob's boner scenario Even gives himself a blow. It's Brendan's boner. During Brendan's coma, the monkey runs amok. If the monkey was the boner, how can he still fuck? Always weird, always wrong. Got 5 stars on Amazon because it's so gargantuan. It's Brendan's boner.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Give it up for Tom Maguire.

[June Diane Raphael]

Tom and Rob together on the same stage.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Wow.

[Rob Huebel]

Love it.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I had a super quick question. Is there anybody here in a coma? Now, why did you raise your hand?

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, the person up there said, I'll put her in a coma.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah. All right. Can I ask before we do it, a guy over there who was in a coma. How long were you in A coma for five weeks.

[June Diane Raphael]

No way. No way. She said three. I'm not buying. He said four.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I'm not buying.

[Rob Huebel]

We can't just say things.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Was it really? It was medically induced. Cool. We've all been in that.

[June Diane Raphael]

They're naturals.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Wait, very naturals or big naturals?

[June Diane Raphael]

No, not big naturals.

[Rob Huebel]

Big naturals.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Big naturals. Is that what you said?

[June Diane Raphael]

I said naturals.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Heavy naturals.

[June Diane Raphael]

Real naturals.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Real naturals. Well, that's kind of redundant.

[Rob Huebel]

Keep this in. Keep this.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, this is.

[June Diane Raphael]

This is the only thing in 1923 reviews for Monkeybone. 84%. 84% are five star reviews. 84, 84%. Sydney K. Writes my all time favorite movie. Just like Beetlejuice, but better. Five stars.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, that's an interesting comparison too. Yeah, that we need to mention.

[June Diane Raphael]

Written in 2015. This one from Veronica Owen was 2015 before 9.

[Rob Huebel]

11.

[June Diane Raphael]

Just right before it. And the title is the Kobayashi Report. This is the one movie I love. It is probably among the top 50 in my list. 5 stars. This is the one movie I love. It is probably amongst the top 50 in my list.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Wow.

[June Diane Raphael]

It's a tough, tough bracket to break into. Okay, this one is from K.M. mcKenzie. I love monkey Bone. I watched this movie as a kid and I recently saw it on Prime. I ran so fast to rent this movie. Severely underrated Tim Burton comedy horror film from the early 2000s. If you're a fan of Tim Burton, please watch this movie now. You won't be disappointed. Five stars.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

This is the exact that Henry Selick is driven crazy by, right?

[Rob Huebel]

Absolutely.

[June Diane Raphael]

It was Tim Burton presents a Henry Selleck film. But people think it's Tim Burton.

[Rob Huebel]

Coraline, right? Everybody thinks, oh yeah, did Coraline.

[June Diane Raphael]

So yes. So this person didn't get the memo. Also not a Tim Burton film at all. Like the live action. Here's what I want to say. I just got a text. We have a very special person here to weigh in on. Monkeybone.

[Paul Scheer]

You guys don't know what Monkeybone is about? Doi. First of all, doi. Monkeybone is a beautiful film. I know I've never seen it, but I know exactly what. What it's about. And yeah, Brendan Fraser and Bridget Fonda are two archaeologists who are looking for a specific breed of monkey that hasn't been alive for many, many years, was extinct a long time ago. That monkey is going to hold the key to a virus that's been killing all of us, all of humanity in this present moment. So. So the two of them have to go find that monkey Bone in order to unlock the cure to this very terrible virus that's like really taking us all out. Within that. Within that, you know, they find love. They find love. You know, And Brendan Fraser, of course, is. He's kind of that hotshot, shooting from the hip type archaeologist that we all know, that stock character and, you know, doesn't play by the rules. And Bridget Fonda is a leader in the field and always, you know, she's had many, many breakthroughs, and she knows exactly where to go and how to do everything so perfectly and. And scrape off little sand pieces and dig and do all of her archaeology stuff. And it's so hard to work with him. So hard to work with him, which, of course, she learned about herself is it's time to loosen up a little bit. And what he learns about himself is it's time to actually respect a woman for the first time ever, which is never done. So it's a really. It's beautiful. They save us. Thank God. Thank God. In that search for a monkey bone, they also find what they didn't know they were looking for, which is love.

[June Diane Raphael]

And there you go.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I would love at some point in the future to make June watch Monkeybone and have a rebuttal to herself. And by the way, just announced the Mummy four. Or the Mummy. Right? Is that what it is? Three or four?

[June Diane Raphael]

I can't remember. Yeah. Would you recommend the movie Jason?

[Griffin Newman]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah, I would recommend this movie. This is. This is like. This is a real fever dream. This is. This is Chaos Unlimited. And I enjoyed the hell out of it, even though it was deeply frustrating because so often as it was just getting cooking, it would go way off the rails, and that would be disappointing. But don't let that deter you. Absolutely. Watch Monkey bone Hubel.

[Rob Huebel]

I would recommend this movie to people in a coma. People in a coma and kids that love drugs.

[June Diane Raphael]

Okay. Yeah. I would recommend this movie because we've watched so many. And whenever I am, like, gobsmacked by a film, I feel like I don't know if I like it, love it, or whatever, but I have to acknowledge I was gobst smacked by it. So I'm putting it in a category of a must watch.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I find that for me, like, the movies, what we do, like, I was engaged, whether I was enjoying it or furious.

[June Diane Raphael]

Right.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I was never bored. No, I wasn't like, this is a slog. I was like, what the fuck? And if that's the response, then I think. I think it's working.

[June Diane Raphael]

I agree. I agree.

[Rob Huebel]

All right, well, I could have watched more of them dangling from the balloon like that whole. Yeah, I wanted more of that. And if that happens in the Thanksgiving Day Parade this year, I will be psyched.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I would love it if the Thanksgiving the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade floats farted out Nightmare Juice.

[June Diane Raphael]

Love that. I would love it.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It does feel like for the last year plus we've all been just subsisting on Nightmare Juice. And that is, that's my question is when did Monkeybone become our reality?

[June Diane Raphael]

All right, Jason, you want to promote anything?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Sure, I'll promote some stuff. Percy Jackson, season two coming soon. A man on the inside, season two coming soon. I'll be in. That starts November 20th. It all unloads and then I'm to going still going to be promoting Taskmaster Season 19. Watch it on YouTube. That's right. Every episode is up for free. Check it out.

[June Diane Raphael]

So good. So, so good.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Season 20 airing now is fantastic. Is it as good as 19? Absolutely not.

[June Diane Raphael]

Huebel.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, and all out on Broadway here in January.

[Rob Huebel]

What are you doing on Broadway?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I'm doing a stage reading of Simon Rich stories called All Out From January to February here in on Broadway.

[June Diane Raphael]

Broadway.

[Rob Huebel]

I'll plug a show that Paul Scheer and I do on YouTube called the Dark Web.

[June Diane Raphael]

Dark Web.

[Rob Huebel]

We do that every week. Super fun.

[June Diane Raphael]

Totally free, totally free. My book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is available. Thank you for buying it. If you bought it, you can listen to it as an audiobook and if you want a signed copy, just you can go on my website and I'll figure it out. It sounds vague, but it's very specific and I don't need to get more into it. Thank you all for coming out tonight.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Great job, New York.

[June Diane Raphael]

You are amazing. Good night.

[Rob Huebel]

Thanks for coming.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Eat shit, New York.

[June Diane Raphael]

That's a wrap on Monkeybone. Wow, what a awesome episode. A big thank you to Rob Huebel who stepped in at the last minute when June's flight got canceled. Remember that? When the FAA went on strike. Well, y. Rob stepped in and did us a huge, huge solid. Do him a solid by checking out the Dark Web every week on YouTube. It's completely for free. Also, a shout out to Griffin Newman, who also stepped in, stepped up and delivered maybe one of the best voices for Monkeybone. He is a defender of Monkeybone. If they're making a Monkeybone criterion, we gotta give it to Griff now. Griff, he is the star, the host, the co host, I should say, of the Blank Check podcast. Check out Blank Check. If you've not listened to Blank Check. You will love it. I also want to kind of promote this thing that I did. I made a mini documentary with the people from supper club who do chef's table. We went out to a Taylor Swift parking lot. That's right. I went out with a microphone. I didn't know what I was going to get. And let me tell you, it was so much fun. It was really something I could never have expected. So check out Taylor Swift Parking Lot. You can watch that on my YouTube page. You can also watch it on the dark web YouTube. It's 15 minutes. I'm not asking you to watch on a big. You can watch it on your phone. I think you'll like it. You don't have to be a Taylor Swift fan. You just have to be somebody who's ever gone to a concert or maybe have an interest in going to a concert. I don't know. Also, a big shout out to the staff at Town hall and our tour manager, Beth and Michaela. Our T shirt design for this episode is, I would say, iconic. Yeah, it's I woke up from a coma and all I got was this podcast. If you want that design that verbiage on a T shirt, a hoodie, a sticker, a mug, whatever you want, just go to hdtgm.com click on the merch tab and you can now own that or anything from any of the other shows that we made merch for. As always, if you have a correction or omission from this episode, leave me a voicemail at 619Paul ask or write a comment in our Discord at Discord GG hdtgm and remember to vote for one of the next movies that we're doing here on the show. You now also to help us with nominations for next year's Howdy Awards. Since you all liked it so much, we want to know what some of your favorite moments were from this episode and all of our new episodes. So go to the new Howdy Nominations channel in our Discord to tell us what you thought so we can keep track of them. If you have the time code, even better. But I'm not going to hold you to that. Anyway, if you listen to us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, please make sure you are subscribed to our feed and have automatic downloads turned on and the settings. If you want to see us in real life in Los Angeles, Dinosaur Improv will be back at Largo on January 24. Come out and see us. Largo's so much fun. We got a great crew coming up on this January 24th show, I believe Rory Scoville sitting in, but don't quote me on that anyway. And lastly, but not leastly, a giant huge thanks to our behind the scenes team. I'm talking about our producer Scott Sonny, Molly Reynolds, our engineer Casey Holford, and our social media manager Zoe Applebaum, as well as our intern Quinn Jennings, and will forever be thankful to the one and only Avril Halley. That's all I got, people. Bye for now.

[Paul Scheer]

I had that dream again. My small business needs to hire, but I don't use LinkedIn. And I hire an energy vampire. But also they're a literal vampire. And suddenly my team is spending all their time sharpening wooden stakes and buying bulk silver and rehearsing ancient chance. And then, hey, wake up.

[June Diane Raphael]

Don't let hiring nightmares ruin your dreams. LinkedIn Jobs new AI assistant takes insights from over 1 billion professionals to create a short list of the best fits for you. Post your job for [e-mail] Pandora start hiring today with LinkedIn.

[Paul Scheer]

Choose to lean into it. Every Mazda is engineered to give you effortless control.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Awake up.