
Natasha Lyonne (Poker Face) joins Paul, Jason, and guest co-host Jessica St. Clair to discuss the 1987 superhero film Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. LIVE from New York, they talk about Nuclear Man’s nails, amnesia kisses, and what’s up with Margot Kidder. Plus, we figure out what exactly is kryptonite. (Originally Released 12/22/2017)
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Paul Scheer
A movie performed with all the grandeur and enthusiasm of a theme park stunt show. We saw Superman the Quest for peace so you know what that means. How did Schwarzenegger grow a baby in his belly? Rock a rhinestone vest while ripping Justin the Kelly? Or maybe see a burlesque show with Nick Crow and take a boat with speed to hitting cruise control J Man Big Paul in the beautiful June gonna take you from the goob all the way to the room Ran the games of Street Fighter help to blow off steam just a sucker punch the odd life of Timothy Green Sharknado the birdemic how we staying alive they call it in the badass and he's on the line cranking 88 minutes cause they cool as nice cause the bad Jim vonnie looking kind and nice Paul and June getting literal Jason is getting laid June is making sure all the monkey shots gettin paid they judge a bunch of movies while they making the grade Here's a real question for you. How did this hello people of Earth and hello people of New York City. Thank you. We are here live at Town hall in the heart of New York City, just steps away from the Daily Planet where Clark Kent works and Superman flies overhead. And we have a doozy of a movie to talk about tonight. Wow. But I cannot do it alone tonight. I'd like to do this with my co host. Always with my co host. Really. Jason, man. Zoukas.
June Diane Raphael
What's up, jerks? All right, here we go. New York City electric crowd. Great, great looking crowd, Paul. Great looking crowd.
Paul Scheer
This is not a bunch of people who read the Warfield publications, I tell you that much. These are real New Yorkers.
June Diane Raphael
I was just in the Starbucks getting a coffee. Yeah, I believe every single person in the Starbucks was on their way to the show. A lot of people wanted to talk to me about the show and I gave him my classic, don't you fucking talk to me. I talk to you through your ears.
Paul Scheer
It's what makes you not in person. It makes you approachable, though.
June Diane Raphael
It's a. Yeah, spoiler alert. I got kicked out of that Starbucks.
Paul Scheer
Because you said it to the barista who was simply asking for your order.
June Diane Raphael
By the way, he was a big fan.
Paul Scheer
Jason. I'll have you know this is the first movie I ever walked out of. Or I should say almost walked out of. As a child, I was a huge Superman fan. I went.
June Diane Raphael
You just said, this is the first movie I walked out of. And then you said, wait, this is the first movie I almost watched it.
Paul Scheer
Well, that's.
June Diane Raphael
In fact, I'm lying. Not watch this movie.
Paul Scheer
Well, no, I watched it. For this. No, for this. I watched it, but as a child. I saw it in an empty theater with a friend. I was like, oh, you're gonna love it. Superman is the best. It's so good. And like 20 minutes. And I'm like, how old are you?
June Diane Raphael
What year is this?
Paul Scheer
I. It is.
June Diane Raphael
Somebody tell us. 87. 87, you fucks.
Paul Scheer
So I'm like.
June Diane Raphael
I'm like, think of all the things you could be remembering in life.
Paul Scheer
I'm like nine years old and I'm seeing this movie for, you know, like, I'm so excited. And then I'm like, it sucks. And. And we. I'm like, should we leave? But it was also so exciting to see a movie that we just walked to the back of the theater and, like, hung out by the door.
June Diane Raphael
So you watched it in a worse fashion.
Paul Scheer
And, well, then we were like, I.
June Diane Raphael
Hate this so much. I want it to be harder to watch.
Paul Scheer
But then we're like, well, let's just pretend we're Superman. And we would just run up and down the aisle pretending to fly and ignoring the movie. So I would.
June Diane Raphael
If I was in a movie and I was on the aisle and there was a kid. Oh, I would straight up clothesline that kid.
Paul Scheer
The. The interest. The side note was the theater was completely empty. Oh. We were the only two people with paying tickets. I respect the stuff.
June Diane Raphael
So then why did you go to the back?
Paul Scheer
Because they were like, should we leave? And we just hung out by the door. Like, we'll go.
June Diane Raphael
There is a movie we have not done that we should probably do, which is, I believe, the only movie I walked out of, which I walked out of with my entire family, because I was, I'm gonna guess, similar age.
Paul Scheer
Ish.
June Diane Raphael
I'm not sure. And it is the Hercules movie that Lou Ferrigno stars in, wherein at one point he picks up a be, he throws the bear into outer space, and the bear becomes the constellation of stars, Ursa Major.
Paul Scheer
But. And correct me if I'm wrong, that's in a movie. Correct me if I'm wrong, though. That was done all practically. That was a real bear.
June Diane Raphael
Right. And it was, to be fair, a documentary.
Paul Scheer
Well, Jason, Paul, we have a very special guest filling in tonight for this. How did this get made? All star?
June Diane Raphael
Has this been announced?
Paul Scheer
No. No one knows who it is until right now.
June Diane Raphael
Before we do that, I just want to say. What's up, balcony? You guys get it? You guys get it. You waited the longest to get tickets, and you're wasted already.
Paul Scheer
Tonight we have a very special guest. She made her first appearance on the show in a little movie called Pluto Nash. Please welcome Jessica St. Clair.
Natasha Lyonne
Wow.
Paul Scheer
Welcome.
Jessica St. Clair
Wow.
Natasha Lyonne
Welcome.
June Diane Raphael
Yeah.
Jessica St. Clair
This is great.
Paul Scheer
Jessica, we have kidnapped you to come with us on our little how did this get made tour and forced you to watch these movies? First thoughts out of the gate for Superman 4 Quest for Peace.
Jessica St. Clair
Made me feel sick.
June Diane Raphael
I also am curious how. How hard was it for you to figure out how to watch these movies?
Jessica St. Clair
So hard.
Paul Scheer
I did try to be very specific about making sure you had every way.
Jessica St. Clair
To find these, and I still didn't. I was on the plane and I was like, oh, God, no streaming. And then I was like, I don't have the right headphones. And then I thought to myself, I'm gonna have to play it out loud. And I was prepared to wait.
Paul Scheer
You don't have the right headphones.
Jessica St. Clair
I had to purchase them. I had to purchase them from Virgin America. It was tough stuff. So actually, to be honest, one of them were broken. So I listened. I had to go like this. I could only listen with one ear. That was enough, though.
Paul Scheer
So you cocked your head over an iPad or a laptop.
Jessica St. Clair
Yes.
Paul Scheer
So you couldn't be watching the screen.
Jessica St. Clair
Yeah, yeah, I was watching half. Half watching it. I got it.
Paul Scheer
You can have put on subtitles.
Jessica St. Clair
I got the gist.
Paul Scheer
Got the gist.
Natasha Lyonne
All right, great.
Jessica St. Clair
I thought that those guys were gonna show up. Which movie do the guys in the pleather suits from outer space.
Paul Scheer
Showman 2.
Jessica St. Clair
Oh, thank God it wasn't that one because that one really made me feel sick.
Paul Scheer
What?
June Diane Raphael
That's the best one. That movie is the worst. Fantastic. Worst compared to this movie.
Jessica St. Clair
I disagree. This one had kind of the charm of like When Harry Met Sally. What?
Paul Scheer
As you can tell, our choice of substitute guest is perfect, ladies and gentlemen.
June Diane Raphael
I think it's. And I will only. I would like to give the audience license, if St. Clair does it, to June her.
Jessica St. Clair
Go ahead.
June Diane Raphael
I think that's appropriate. You should feel free to indulge in it.
Jessica St. Clair
Guess what? June got my haircut. Took a picture of it, went and got it.
Paul Scheer
Let's also bring out our very special guest tonight. She is fantastically funny, amazingly talented. You've seen her on Orange is New Black. She has a short film that she wrote and directed called Cabiria Charity Chastity, which is on YouTube and Kenzo. Please welcome Natasha Leone. All right.
Jessica St. Clair
Yeah, that's my hand now.
Natasha Lyonne
It's going to stay there the whole time.
Paul Scheer
Welcome, Natasha.
Natasha Lyonne
Thank you.
Paul Scheer
Now right out of the gate for you as well. Your first experience. Is this your first Superman movie that you've seen?
Natasha Lyonne
I don't think so. I don't care. I want to say as like just a vague opener, but were you familiar.
June Diane Raphael
With Superman as a comic?
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah, I know Superman exists for sure.
June Diane Raphael
In fiction. Or are you saying right now. No, you know, Superman exists for real?
Paul Scheer
No.
Natasha Lyonne
Like you are telling all over the place. Superman is always everywhere.
June Diane Raphael
Yeah.
Natasha Lyonne
So everybody knows Superman.
Paul Scheer
For sure.
Natasha Lyonne
That's.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, everyone knows Superman. Yeah.
Natasha Lyonne
But like not my bag, so.
Paul Scheer
Right. It's not like you're not going to seek out. You would never watch this movie.
Natasha Lyonne
I have no.
Paul Scheer
Okay.
Natasha Lyonne
But maybe have seen it.
Paul Scheer
Right.
Natasha Lyonne
But don't care.
Paul Scheer
Maybe. Maybe it was on in the background like one day while you were home from school.
Natasha Lyonne
I was a kid.
Paul Scheer
Yeah. So yeah.
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah, yeah.
June Diane Raphael
Okay. Check out this. This does settle a huge Internet conspiracy.
Jessica St. Clair
Whether or not you were a child, were a kid.
June Diane Raphael
Right?
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah, yeah, big time.
June Diane Raphael
Because a lot of people on Reddit are saying that you arrived fully formed, 36 year old woman.
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Paul Scheer
And there are pictures of you full size as A baby. Which people are confused.
Natasha Lyonne
Yes, and that's on me. But no, I was, you know, Gremlins. Yeah, right. Yeah, I know this.
Paul Scheer
So did you enjoy. Did you enjoy your experience with Superman 4, the quest for Peace? All right, that's. By the way, that sums up this movie.
Jessica St. Clair
Yes.
Paul Scheer
It's such a cash grab. Just to put some context on it, the Salkinds who made the first three movies like this, this thing ran out of money, so they sold it to these other people, the Canon Film Company, who have made some. Yeah. Some classic films and art.
June Diane Raphael
I didn't realize that.
Paul Scheer
Yes, interesting. So they kind of like, we'll do. We'll milk this cash cow. But right out of the gate, the movie was budgeted for, like, about 40 million, and then a week before it started, they cut it down to 16 million, so.
Natasha Lyonne
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Who got that secret money? Like, where'd the extra.
Paul Scheer
Well, there's a lot of suspect stuff at the Canon company. Yeah, there's a lot. Like, I would say that everything in Lex Luthor's apartment was, like, from one of those guys house. Like, it's like. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we'll just.
June Diane Raphael
Or I would bet a lot of it is from other Canon movies that they just had in storage.
Paul Scheer
Yeah. Cause nothing makes sense in Lex Luthor.
Natasha Lyonne
By the way, Pacman comes out smelling like roses.
Paul Scheer
Who does?
Natasha Lyonne
Jane.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
June Diane Raphael
Are you telling me that they did not blow holes in the Great Wall of China in this movie, by the.
Jessica St. Clair
Way, there are no Asian people on that wall. Yeah, I rewound it.
Paul Scheer
I rewound it, too.
Jessica St. Clair
Cause what then Maybe this isn't the Great Wall. Maybe this is a wall in England that I'm not aware of. Hadrian's Wall or something.
June Diane Raphael
The Great Wall of Brighton.
Jessica St. Clair
Brighton. I literally. Cause there's not one Asian to be seen.
June Diane Raphael
Well, I mean, you could maybe argue that, like, not a lot of Asian people go to the Great Wall because they live there.
Jessica St. Clair
That's how I went on this mental journey as well. But you got to imagine that somebody's grandmother's coming to visit. Oh, this created quite an area. Let's go see the Great Wall.
Paul Scheer
There should be a tour guide of. Of Asian descent, you would think.
Jessica St. Clair
Yeah.
Paul Scheer
I had an issue with the Great Wall scene simply because I couldn't discern what power Superman was using to build the wall. It was nuclear man. And we'll get into the plot.
Natasha Lyonne
The plot.
Paul Scheer
I mean, it's a loose assemblage of scenes.
June Diane Raphael
This movie, I hate to say it but it was all. It was very obviously Mason Revision. One of Superman's lesser known powers is that he can look at masonry and put it back together. The grout work is flawless.
Jessica St. Clair
Can I ask a question, Paul? You seem to be a Superman expert.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, sure. Professionally, yes.
Jessica St. Clair
It seems that all he does is catches things and moves them. Does he have any other things he can do?
Paul Scheer
He also blows on cold air.
June Diane Raphael
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Jessica St. Clair
Hey.
June Diane Raphael
Whoa.
Jessica St. Clair
Too soon, too soon. He can blow cold air. He can move things.
June Diane Raphael
He has heat vision.
Natasha Lyonne
He catches great.
Paul Scheer
Catches great.
Natasha Lyonne
Like women in the middle. Floating women.
Jessica St. Clair
Yeah.
Natasha Lyonne
By the way, in the air. Boom, he's there.
Paul Scheer
I have to say, I was pretty amazed to see that this movie, or I guess gravity ripped off this movie pretty badly. The first sequence of this movie was straight up gravity. And, you know, I'm just saying. Look, I'm not one to point a finger, but I think they stole it from this movie.
Jessica St. Clair
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
June Diane Raphael
I think. I think a lot of movies stole directly from this movie.
Natasha Lyonne
Oh, yeah.
June Diane Raphael
The Great Wall with Matt Damon. Also a movie with. Not with all white dudes on the Great Wall. I'm starting to think we've been misled. And China is full of white people.
Paul Scheer
Just to just hit back, that Great Wall thing. So apparently that was gonna be a very big section of the movie that Nuclear man destroys the Great Wall of China.
June Diane Raphael
Is that what he's called?
Jessica St. Clair
Is that his name or are you calling him that?
Paul Scheer
That's his name.
Jessica St. Clair
Nuclear Man.
June Diane Raphael
Is it ever seen?
Paul Scheer
Well, that should be a shock to you. Like, Luthor does say it. Okay.
June Diane Raphael
He does. Cause I missed him say it, too. And I kept being like, who is this?
Jessica St. Clair
And what's up with those Lee press on nails?
June Diane Raphael
Whoa.
Natasha Lyonne
Those press on nails.
Jessica St. Clair
What'?
June Diane Raphael
Nothing's more scarier than, like a delicate nail.
Jessica St. Clair
Like a gel. It's like a gel I got done recently.
Natasha Lyonne
That was the moment where I felt like I checked out from, like, kitsch, you know, of like, oh, it's charming. Look at all this CGI cutout. Whatever. To now I don't want to play anymore. Because, by the way, do you know what I mean?
June Diane Raphael
Thank you for lasting that long.
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah. Because I was like, with the fake nails. I was like, this is now nobody on the movie. Nobody cares about the work they're doing.
Jessica St. Clair
That's a woman's hand.
June Diane Raphael
Yeah, this is.
Natasha Lyonne
And here's poor Margot Kidder giving it everything she's got.
June Diane Raphael
And by the way, his nail beds are terrible, my man.
Paul Scheer
Well, there is nothing. It's like, there is Nothing more scary to me than that guy in the Guinness World. Yes.
June Diane Raphael
Can you freeze? Oh, shit.
Jessica St. Clair
No.
June Diane Raphael
Can you back up?
Paul Scheer
I'll back it up.
June Diane Raphael
Do you think he's like, wait, are those my nails?
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah.
Jessica St. Clair
Like, they had the budget originally for, like, claws.
June Diane Raphael
You create me, and I've got Lee Press on nails.
Jason Mantzoukas
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Paul Scheer
Let me tell you something.
Jason Mantzoukas
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Paul Scheer
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Paul Scheer
I have so many issues with nuclear man, ultimately, because a majority. Clearly they ran out of money and they're like, let's just do a fight scene on the moon. But we've been told that nuclear man's power is from the sun.
June Diane Raphael
Right.
Paul Scheer
So anytime he leaves the atmosphere of earth, he's in darkness. He should be totally.
June Diane Raphael
No, only if he's on the dark side of the moon because the sun is still.
Jessica St. Clair
Good reference.
Paul Scheer
That sun is still getting him. I mean. But we're saying, like, Lex Luthor is.
June Diane Raphael
A much bigger problem. There's a much bigger problem, which is the man I've just found out's name is nuclear man. Flies. It's Marilyn Hemingway, right? No. Who's the Marielle Hemingway?
Paul Scheer
Yes. Yeah.
June Diane Raphael
Marielle Hemingway flies her into space where.
Jessica St. Clair
She appears to be like, she can breathe.
June Diane Raphael
What's happening? She would literally implode.
Jessica St. Clair
Yes.
June Diane Raphael
And be just floating pile of guts. That would go on forever.
Jessica St. Clair
Yes.
June Diane Raphael
Because the silence of space and the inertia of whatever motion would bring her blobby corpse of nonsense through the rest of the galaxy.
Jessica St. Clair
That's right.
Paul Scheer
Well, let's even break down the fact when Superman flies with Lois Lane, he goes from New York to San Francisco so quick that she would also be dead.
Jessica St. Clair
Yes.
Paul Scheer
And there would be no time for casual conversation in that fight.
June Diane Raphael
It'd be like, also, if I'm Superman and I'm. Will you hold my hand this way? And I'm holding. If I'm holding. Ew.
Jessica St. Clair
Dream of dreams.
June Diane Raphael
Why? Ooh. Why does it burn so wet? Why does your touch burn so wet? Okay.
Paul Scheer
Ah.
June Diane Raphael
Okay. So if we're flying this way, and I'm like, there's no way she's also doing this. She would be dangling down here.
Jessica St. Clair
You're right. But then she's around. She's allowed to fly on her own.
June Diane Raphael
You be Superman now. You be Superman.
Paul Scheer
He would.
June Diane Raphael
But not only gravity works on me.
Jessica St. Clair
But he lets her fly on her own. Like Peter Pan.
June Diane Raphael
He doesn't let her fly. He lets her plummet. He tries to plummet. Experience death.
Paul Scheer
He does, like, a straight up suicide pact with her. Walks her off the building.
Natasha Lyonne
This I had a problem with. Okay. Okay. This is a worthwhile scene to watch because it's so crazy.
Paul Scheer
Yeah.
Natasha Lyonne
Like.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, I'll. Yeah.
Natasha Lyonne
Why would he do this? He has a crush on her, and he says, I want to get some. Let's get some fresh air.
June Diane Raphael
Yeah. Can I ask a question before we play this?
Paul Scheer
Yes.
June Diane Raphael
That was confusing for me about this. At this point, she does not know he's Superman.
Paul Scheer
That's my question. This is what we need to get to the bottom of. So, as a professional Superman expert, what I find the most upsetting about this film is the pse A pseudo is. They just repurpose scenes from the first two movies. Like, this scene where he takes her flying is in Superman 1. And it's beautiful, and it's, like, an amazing scene. And here, like, let's just do it. Cause he needs to tell her a secret, and then he's gonna, like, give her amnesia again. But in Superman ii, the whole thing is she finds out he is Clark Kennis Superman, and then it's amnesia, and.
Jessica St. Clair
Then they forget it.
Paul Scheer
Well, so what happens is they're at a hotel. They're gonna. They're doing a expose on, like, cheesy hotels. And she, like, keeps on trying to kill herself to prove that, like, that he would rescue her as Superman. And then he finally, like, puts his hand in a fire. I know too much about Superman. And.
Natasha Lyonne
And that's not in this movie.
Paul Scheer
No, no, but this is. But no, but this is the fourth one. So in the. In the lineage of the story, like, that's the fourth one. So we understand that. So. But the idea was at the end of Superman ii, she's like, I'll keep your secret. I know everything. He's like, great. Then he kisses her so hard that she forgets everything from that movie.
Jessica St. Clair
What?
Paul Scheer
And so. Because, like, in the first movie, he flies around the earth and then, like, rewinds the earth, which I have issues with. But. But. So he kisses her so hard, she forgets.
June Diane Raphael
What's interesting. What's interesting is, can't the. Would the Flash do the same thing?
Paul Scheer
Yes.
June Diane Raphael
So that's a problem.
Jessica St. Clair
Nobody gives a shit about the Flash.
Paul Scheer
Flash would have to run.
June Diane Raphael
If there's two people in the DC universe who can reverse time simply by reversing the axis of. That's really. Hey, look, that's foolish.
Paul Scheer
Tell it to the people at dc.
June Diane Raphael
You know what? I'm going to take care, everybody.
Jessica St. Clair
See you later.
June Diane Raphael
But only coming back when I've got an answer.
Paul Scheer
Bendis is finally going over to D.C. to correct this problem.
Jessica St. Clair
But this is so this thing where he just, like, takes her on a flight and then basically roofies her.
Paul Scheer
Yes.
Jessica St. Clair
To not remember.
Paul Scheer
But then she goes.
Jessica St. Clair
That happens all the time.
Paul Scheer
No, that's. This is. This is why. No, but this is why this movie makes it so dumb. Because it was a big deal that she found out, and then he fixed it. And now it seems like whenever he wants to kind of, like, chat with.
Natasha Lyonne
His therapist, he's like, when Superman 3, what happens there?
Paul Scheer
She doesn't know that. She doesn't. She's barely in it. And she doesn't know.
Jessica St. Clair
She's like, often negotiations.
June Diane Raphael
Was she in France?
Paul Scheer
Yeah, she was in France. She's always in French.
June Diane Raphael
She loves France. Superman 2 opens up with her in France. Movie perpetrates that myth that women love. They do France.
Jessica St. Clair
That's true.
Paul Scheer
So.
June Diane Raphael
But basically, stand behind that top of the matriarchy.
Paul Scheer
It's a whole. Whole idea is that it's a big deal that she knows. But then she says to him, I always remembered. Even when you gave me that amnesia kiss. I remember because she said, I never forgot. But then that takes away everything. It's a stupid. It's stupid.
June Diane Raphael
So wait, when he gives her this amnesia kiss, does she still remember?
Paul Scheer
I don't know.
Jessica St. Clair
Is that a power he has in addition to moving things?
Natasha Lyonne
So can he kiss and it not be an amnesia kiss?
Paul Scheer
I Don't know.
Jessica St. Clair
Every time he kisses you, you don't remember what just happened.
Natasha Lyonne
Like, that's up. What if they decide to say it's.
Paul Scheer
Like a Superman roofie? You know something?
Jessica St. Clair
You feel like your butthole's sore, but you don't know why. Yeah, right. That's how people love each other. That's how people love each other.
Natasha Lyonne
Women are love.
Jessica St. Clair
This is a we. Women are taken back the night.
June Diane Raphael
Topple the patriarchy. We're gonna topple the patriarchy in France.
Natasha Lyonne
And.
Jessica St. Clair
I wanted to ask Natasha because as a young.
June Diane Raphael
So everybody else don't listen, girl.
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah.
Jessica St. Clair
One of my earliest, like, sexual memories was watching Flash Gordon old school, where they had, like, a tin can, and then, like, he'd be tired.
Paul Scheer
There's even no new school of flashcore.
Jessica St. Clair
Okay, fine.
Paul Scheer
So that was it.
June Diane Raphael
You mean the TV show?
Jessica St. Clair
The TV show, yeah. Where people be tied up every so often. You know what I mean?
Paul Scheer
People be tied up.
June Diane Raphael
Hang on.
Paul Scheer
Yeah.
Natasha Lyonne
Wild.
Jessica St. Clair
That's right.
June Diane Raphael
Love to unpack this for a minute at any rate.
Jessica St. Clair
I spent a lot of this movie watching it thinking, like, did this turn me on when I was little? And I was wondering, I think top up, Superman does it for me from the bottom. Especially those boots is killing my lady boner.
June Diane Raphael
Yeah, I would argue that. Newtown. Did you feel anything?
Natasha Lyonne
I can't tell because I was so blinded by, like, definitely, like, Gene Hackman. Like, Lex Luthor. That's who you were into.
Jessica St. Clair
Interesting.
Natasha Lyonne
That's my scene, and I feel like, in general, that's your scene. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Jessica St. Clair
An apartment that looks like a T.J. maxx Home Goods.
Natasha Lyonne
I don't care. How about his fucking that gold blazer he puts on?
Jessica St. Clair
Well, I think he and Mariel Hemingway were sharing wardrobe.
June Diane Raphael
I am not a lot of the May. I am not surprised to find out that Natasha Lyon is horny for villains.
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah, yeah. Lex Luthor. Come on. And the whole time he's like. He's like. He's so cocky. He's like, well, he still has genius. Give me all your money. I'm taking over. You know, I want to see this movie.
Jessica St. Clair
I want to see this movie.
Paul Scheer
You know what?
Natasha Lyonne
Yo, Ducky, break me out of the clink.
Paul Scheer
You know, he's great.
June Diane Raphael
I just got a text. Jesse Eisenberg has been fired as Lex Luthor in the new movies you are in.
Natasha Lyonne
Please. I wish I could get a job like that.
Paul Scheer
I will say that as much as it seems like no one wanted to be here, Gene Hackman and Christopher Reeve are, first of all Christopher Reeve killing it, I think.
Jessica St. Clair
Always, always in the moment.
Paul Scheer
But Gene Hackman, also. Funny thing about Gene Hackman is Lex Luthor is a bald man. Fully a bald man. But he was like, at a certain point, oh, I don't want to wear that bald wig anymore. So he just wore his normal hair. And they never justify it. Like, at least in the second one, they're like, oh, it's a wig. And then he takes it on.
Natasha Lyonne
That's what lack of Lex is like. He's like, fuck your wig. I don't want to fucking wear it. That's.
Jessica St. Clair
Why don't you feel like, Lex, that Gene Hackman, that was like the last time his hair was like that full. And it was kind of giving him some energy. Like some. Like a real joie de vivre, you know what I mean?
Paul Scheer
Like, he had a very Bill Murray esque energy. I thought I was like, I liked.
Natasha Lyonne
It, I liked it.
Paul Scheer
But also, I also thought the worst plan of all time to escape from jail. Lex is working on a chain gang.
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah.
Paul Scheer
His nephew, Lennie Luther, played by Jon Cryer, comes.
June Diane Raphael
He is literally Ducky, but with like a Valley Girl accent.
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah, the accent. I was even gonna make big choice. Like, I'm sure that for all of us watching certain things like Margot Kidder's French, Marielle Hemingway on the table, like, Ducky's accent, you're like, as an actor, you're like, wow, these are major choices that.
June Diane Raphael
It's almost like at the beginning, the director was like, I need everybody to make a choice that seems too big, then double it.
Paul Scheer
They're like, we're gonna make up for the lack of budget in performance. You give me $2 million.
Natasha Lyonne
Remember, Jon Cryer's like, the scene you can tell is looping when he's being spun. And that's where the Valley go. I wanna watch that too.
Paul Scheer
Well, the plants are to pick up for Lex. And this is where the movie is lazy. It's like he comes in a car and the plan is like, this car is going to be so cool that the two security guards watching Chain Gang are going to be like, I need to listen to the sound system in this car. So then they're going to have to get in and then he has a remote control to flip down the seat.
June Diane Raphael
Never mind that he has just driven up to a prison camp and then.
Paul Scheer
The car, like, launches off a cliff and then that's their only means of escape.
June Diane Raphael
Yeah. No, no, there's a truck. The truck the prisoners arrived in is what they then leave okay, all right, well, then good. But I will. I agree. I agree. They trashed a pretty cool car.
Paul Scheer
I like that car. It was all decked out with a lot of ways.
Jessica St. Clair
Did you guys think it was amazing? Like, second seconds after. So they drive off a clip. They're definitely dead. Then you cut to the.
June Diane Raphael
You think, right.
Jessica St. Clair
But then you cut, and the police are like, we're still alive. And I feel like somebody in a screening was like, that's too sad. And so then they just put them on a rock in Griffith park, and we're like, ah, I'm still here.
Paul Scheer
This whole movie is about weird cutaways. Like when Superman and Lois Lane are flying, she takes off his glasses and then puts her on a belt loop.
Natasha Lyonne
That's weird.
Paul Scheer
These for later are weird.
Natasha Lyonne
But it's also very much a cartoon, and that's what comics are like on the big screen.
June Diane Raphael
Interesting. Tell us more.
Natasha Lyonne
Just. Yeah, that. That. I don't want to talk about this.
Paul Scheer
Just a couple. So a couple of things about this movie. Christopher Reeve had story by credit. This is his movie. He wanted to tell this story because the nuclear arms race was very important to him. And he also.
June Diane Raphael
He was a notorious communist. Am I correct?
Paul Scheer
Yes.
June Diane Raphael
So. And that was pro Russia.
Paul Scheer
Yes. And that's part of the thing that goes on that we don't really see, but yes.
Natasha Lyonne
Can I say something? I'm so sorry.
June Diane Raphael
This show is all the time, so.
Natasha Lyonne
Don'T you worry on Amazon. Are you guys familiar when you watch it? And then there's the little pop up of the information early on. It says, oh, Christopher Reeves was so sad that the movie was such a flop. And it was so bad that it destroyed any credibility he had. And he was really. Had put his heart in it and was very disappointed to find out that it was gonna be actually this bad of a movie. And it really colored my experience.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, Christopher Reeve.
June Diane Raphael
Because you read that before you watched it?
Natasha Lyonne
I did. I just felt. And of course, because. Because of, you know, his life and tragedy. And then I did have this darker sort of K hole. You know what?
June Diane Raphael
You know, come to think of it, I have not seen him in a movie recently.
Natasha Lyonne
Okay.
Jessica St. Clair
Who wants to jerk city, population one.
Paul Scheer
Christopher Reeve, he like. But they. But apparently, according to some of the research I hear from our expert researcher Nate Kiley, Christopher Reeve was not super nice, or I guess not nice to Margot Kidder. Margot Kidder's like, ah, he had a crazy ego on this movie because he wrote it and he wanted to do his own thing. And then his autobiography.
Natasha Lyonne
Oh, and he fired a fancy director, didn't he?
Paul Scheer
Yeah, well, Wes Craven was the original director of this movie, guys. Yes, Wes Craven. Now the this is Wes pitch for the movie. Okay?
Natasha Lyonne
Scary Superman.
Paul Scheer
Bigger nails. Bigger nails. And he comes out in Superman's dreams and he's clawing. Oh, and his face is burnt from the sun. And he's got a cool fedora made the of sun. And he's got. And it's a red. It's like a red sweat. It will never work, Wes. It will never. This is Christopher Reeve's autobiography, Still Me. He wrote, we were so hampered by budget constraints and cutbacks, Cannon Films had 30 projects in the works, and Superman IV received no special consideration. For example, we wrote a scene in which Superman lands on 42nd street and walks down the double yellow lines to the United nations where he gives a speech. If that had been a scene in Superman 1, we would have had shot it on 42nd Street. Richard Johner would have choreographed hundreds of pedestrians and vehicles and cut the people gawking out of office windows. And instead we had to shoot in an industrial park in England in the rain with less than 100 extras, not a car in sight, and a dozen pigeons thrown in for atmosphere.
Natasha Lyonne
That is. That is fucked up.
June Diane Raphael
Not a lot of. Not a lot of credit was given to those pigeons who.
Jessica St. Clair
Whose lives were lost.
June Diane Raphael
Those few pigeons had to represent a multitude of pigeons. You know.
Paul Scheer
So many also, like, they.
Jessica St. Clair
Didn'T have pigeons in England before then, and then they brought those pigeons over there. And now they're like, now pigeons have taken over England.
June Diane Raphael
Yeah, it's an epidemic of pigeons.
Natasha Lyonne
Well, well, well. Between the. Christopher Reeve's disappointment and of course, the way his life panned out and Margot Kidder and the intensity level.
Jessica St. Clair
Which one is Margot Kidder?
Natasha Lyonne
Lois Lane.
June Diane Raphael
Lois Lane.
Jessica St. Clair
Oh, got it.
Natasha Lyonne
And you know, what happened to Margot was not great.
Jessica St. Clair
Absolutely.
June Diane Raphael
What's up with Margot?
Jessica St. Clair
I really don't know what happened to Margot.
Natasha Lyonne
No. You're not being serious, are you?
Paul Scheer
You?
Jessica St. Clair
Yes, I'm being serious.
Paul Scheer
Guys, we'll Google it later. Google it later.
June Diane Raphael
I'll just be quiet for a second while you google and we watch.
Jessica St. Clair
Why did, like, a gorilla get her? Rip her face off or something?
Natasha Lyonne
Well, the point of the story, that's.
Jessica St. Clair
Like a really tragic one.
June Diane Raphael
Very dark she.
Natasha Lyonne
The. The. The double whammy of their tragic lives.
Paul Scheer
For me, it was hard to watch.
Natasha Lyonne
It felt very much like a K hole experience of. Perhaps I was more like being watching Apocalypse now and surround sound.
June Diane Raphael
Something about maybe this Human cursed.
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah.
Jessica St. Clair
Like.
Natasha Lyonne
Like humanity and how broken and how sad and how dark it all becomes just because of kind of, you know, the hope of the original Superman, likely. And then the turn their double life took.
Paul Scheer
I mean.
Natasha Lyonne
And so.
Paul Scheer
And we'll be right back after these messages. Well, the one thing that was going great for this movie was the glasses. Everyone had pretty big glasses. From Merrill Hemingway to the reporters. Everyone was rocking some suspect.
Jessica St. Clair
Well, I think that tells us who is smart. If you have glasses on, you're a smart person in the movie. Right. You know how to read or write.
Paul Scheer
I feel like they, like in Tron, they did that too. Like. Like the lead in the original Tron, like, wore glasses. But you could tell he was not comfortable with it. He's like, yeah, I'm a nerd, but I'm also sexy. So he'd always just carry his glasses in his hand. Like they were like as almost like, yeah, I got these. I can wear them at any time, but I'm not because I'm sexy.
Jessica St. Clair
The guy who plays the editor in chief, is he always that person?
Paul Scheer
Perry White. The guy from David War. From you.
Jessica St. Clair
Thick, thick glasses.
Paul Scheer
That's Perry White. That's Jackie Cooper. Yes. He's been in all.
June Diane Raphael
Always the. The kind of editor of the.
Jessica St. Clair
Of.
June Diane Raphael
Of the daily.
Natasha Lyonne
And how do you feel like you know who's who?
Paul Scheer
I felt like. I felt like in this movie, though, everyone said, like, I'll definitely do Superman 4. I can give you seven hours.
Jessica St. Clair
Yeah. And no costume changes. I'm just gonna show up in this lame suit and I'm gonna shoot it. And then I'm taking that suit with me.
June Diane Raphael
Also, my family owns a gym. One of the scenes need to be shot in that gym.
Paul Scheer
Yeah. Would it surprise you if I told you the original cut of the movie.
June Diane Raphael
Was 35 minutes long?
Jessica St. Clair
They had to add scenes for the first time.
Paul Scheer
135 minutes. Two hours. Sorry. Over two hours. And it tested so good that the canon Brother. The canon film. Like, we got a hit on our hands. Let's cut it to 90 so we can make play it more. And so apparently, according to everything I've read, the 135 minute version of the movie is actually pretty good.
Jessica St. Clair
And wow.
Paul Scheer
And they made it worse. And I'm going to show you.
June Diane Raphael
Was that ever released?
Natasha Lyonne
It is wild.
Jessica St. Clair
Like, does Ducky's drum talent have a storyline? Because we see them. We talk about them once, but I don't know what else.
June Diane Raphael
Nothing would make me happier than if that. That. If that was really Ducky at the end of Sixteen Candles, he was like, oh, I just got a letter. My uncle Lex needs me to help out with something.
Jessica St. Clair
See you after graduation, I guess.
June Diane Raphael
Yeah, I guess I'll see you later.
Paul Scheer
Well, nothing.
June Diane Raphael
You should have chosen me, by the way.
Paul Scheer
Nothing in. Nothing in Lenny Luther's life made sense. He's like, he's a Valley guy, but he's also into music.
June Diane Raphael
But like there wasn't like punk rock because he has like a mohawk.
Paul Scheer
Yeah. I mean, but it was like nothing really. Like if he was punk rock like.
June Diane Raphael
That, I feel like he was all teen things in one. So that every group could be like, he's just like me.
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah.
Paul Scheer
By the way, it worked for the nine year old me because I love Jon Cryer. And I was like, I love hiding out. I love Pretty in Pink. He's the best. I would love to be Lenny Luther, you know. So it worked for me.
June Diane Raphael
See, it only worked for me at Ducky. Cause I was like, I'm 100% ducky. But every other Jon Cryer, I was like, I'm not this guy.
Paul Scheer
Not even hiding out. Hiding out is a good thing.
Jessica St. Clair
Can I ask one question to you? Remember the scene where they first broke out and they were in the museum with Superman's hair, real strong hair.
Natasha Lyonne
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Jessica St. Clair
They're wearing checkered pants that look like you would wear like if you were a. A chef or something. Right.
June Diane Raphael
That's legitimate fashion for the time.
Jessica St. Clair
And a tiger top. Is that a. Is that a sports team I'm not aware of or why are they dressed identically?
Paul Scheer
This costume designer was mad. Like took it out on the act.
Jessica St. Clair
Oh, I thought you meant insane mad.
Paul Scheer
Oh, no, no. I feel like her paycheck or his paycheck bounced clearing. And he was like, yeah, tiger shirt.
June Diane Raphael
Yeah. It could have been one of those things where they were like, you know what? We're giving you all the clothes that you can use. Figure it out. Like as if the costume. Though the wardrobe department couldn't go and pick and choose stuff to build stuff. They were like, we got a dump truck full of weird clothes. Half of it's from a clown picture a couple years ago. Make it work.
Paul Scheer
It's like kids playing dress up. It's like this hat will go with these pants.
Natasha Lyonne
But it's almost radical. Like how 80s it is. Because it's one of these movies where across the board you forget how 80s the 80s are. And then you see something like this and you're like, oh, that's what they mean.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, this is like. Like when Christopher Reeve is selling his house and he's in those jeans that are so loose around his hips but then also so tight around his dick. Like.
Jessica St. Clair
Yes. I thought this was a real giant ham scenarios.
June Diane Raphael
Hip and tight. Dick Lee jeans.
Paul Scheer
It's.
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah.
Jessica St. Clair
Because he had to pick a side.
June Diane Raphael
Can I, can we get.
Jessica St. Clair
See, I feel he had to pick a side. You don't get to be Superman unless.
June Diane Raphael
You have a giant get out among the fly ins. Like this. This portion is three times longer than normal jeans.
Paul Scheer
Big dick jeans.
June Diane Raphael
Loose waist, tight dick.
Natasha Lyonne
But I just. It makes.
June Diane Raphael
There's so much fabric. Yeah, there's so much fabric.
Natasha Lyonne
You love dicks of dead people. That's my thing.
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Paul Scheer
Right.
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Paul Scheer
Yeah.
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Jessica St. Clair
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Natasha Lyonne
We've got them too.
Jessica St. Clair
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Paul Scheer
Com.
Jessica St. Clair
Pandora.
Paul Scheer
This whole scene, this whole, like, selling the farm scene seemed weird.
June Diane Raphael
Can I ask a question? Did mine pie Kent die in Superman 3?
Jessica St. Clair
Sounds like it.
Paul Scheer
Or two, I believe that Pa Kent dies in Superman 1.
June Diane Raphael
That's okay.
Jessica St. Clair
Is that Brando?
Paul Scheer
No, Brando is Superman's father. Clark Kent's dad is someone different.
Jessica St. Clair
Lucy, it's from the. From Bo and Luke Duke. Right.
June Diane Raphael
Is it in the TV show?
Jessica St. Clair
Oh.
June Diane Raphael
Oh, no, in the new one of the.
Paul Scheer
Oh, yeah. That's Smallville you're thinking of.
June Diane Raphael
I think so.
Natasha Lyonne
Right?
Jessica St. Clair
Right.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, right.
June Diane Raphael
I believe it's Smallville.
Jessica St. Clair
I jerked it to that guy, though. Straight up.
June Diane Raphael
Well, during Smallville time.
Jessica St. Clair
No, no. During Duke of Hazard.
June Diane Raphael
During Dukes of Hazzard. Yeah. Everybody jerked it to Dukes of Hazzard.
Paul Scheer
Right.
June Diane Raphael
Raise your hand if you jerked it to Dukes of Hazzard. Right.
Jessica St. Clair
That. Nobody got so young.
June Diane Raphael
You coward.
Paul Scheer
I heard Boss Hog all day long.
June Diane Raphael
Roscoe P. Coltrane. The P stands for penis. I'm just kidding. It was Enos.
Natasha Lyonne
Is he a new Superman?
Paul Scheer
Yes. Henry. Henry.
Natasha Lyonne
Right, Right. Because I had a moment.
Paul Scheer
Yeah.
Natasha Lyonne
Where I think it was after the suicide number.
Paul Scheer
Yeah. Where they jumped off.
June Diane Raphael
Boy, do I wish that had been a musical number.
Natasha Lyonne
And then I was like, oh, this is crazy. No wonder they keep remaking the picture with Tobey Maguire and Kristen Dunst.
June Diane Raphael
Oh, boy.
Natasha Lyonne
And then. And then went down the road a bit inside my mind and discovered that he's not Spider Man.
Paul Scheer
Right.
Jessica St. Clair
I had a similar feeling.
Paul Scheer
By the way, I love that you almost had, like. You almost had, like, a choose your own adventure journey on this. You were watching Pop Ups. You were.
June Diane Raphael
Wait, so you took down the rabbit hole, Natasha. It took. It took you maybe 25 to 30 minutes of the movie to realize Superman is not Spider Man.
Natasha Lyonne
Again, like I say, not my genre.
June Diane Raphael
Of course.
Jessica St. Clair
I had a similar feeling. I really did.
Natasha Lyonne
Right. And I knew that they existed. Like I mentioned previously.
June Diane Raphael
Sure.
Natasha Lyonne
I was fully aware of Superman's vague existence, of course. And also Spider Man's.
June Diane Raphael
Sure.
Natasha Lyonne
However, for me, it's not something. It's not a. Not that I want to see that, but I'm just saying.
June Diane Raphael
You want to see a Godfather remake.
Natasha Lyonne
But I'm just saying it's not like.
June Diane Raphael
Natasha Lyon on record is saying they should remake the Godfather.
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah, I'll walk off this stage.
Paul Scheer
I will walk.
Natasha Lyonne
No, I don't want to see a Godfather remake. Yeah, but I'm just saying it's not. It's not something I really. But yeah, it's just crazy that they make so many of them. And also poor Kristen Dunst and Tobey Maguire.
June Diane Raphael
Poor them. Why?
Natasha Lyonne
Can you believe. They must be like, every five minutes they make another. That was our remake.
Jessica St. Clair
Right.
Paul Scheer
Did you even know about Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone? They did one too. The two of them.
Jessica St. Clair
Yeah.
Natasha Lyonne
And then now there's more.
Paul Scheer
There's more.
June Diane Raphael
Now there's a new one.
Jessica St. Clair
There's a new one.
June Diane Raphael
Tom Holland and. And Tom Holland and a bunch of other people.
Natasha Lyonne
And people love it. They love it.
June Diane Raphael
I just don't want to spoil it. I'm not going to say who the are you spoiling?
Paul Scheer
Director.
June Diane Raphael
What's that?
Jessica St. Clair
Are you casting it? Is that. I even shot it.
June Diane Raphael
I am no longer a casting director.
Paul Scheer
But you were great because you gave honest feedback. But you were also very supportive.
June Diane Raphael
Yes, always very supportive. And I always read with the people that I was auditioning with and tried to be better than them.
Jessica St. Clair
Yeah, yeah.
Paul Scheer
That came across like you would improvise lines.
June Diane Raphael
A lot of people don't know that. A lot of my acting work comes from being behind the camera, reading against actors, and then people being like, we should cast that reader.
Jessica St. Clair
Hey, can I just ask one question, Pomp, please? So sorry. Please ask me. This has been a question I've had in my mind for a long, long time, and I've never bothered to ask anyone or Google it. That green stuff, that green crystal, is that kryptonite?
June Diane Raphael
What do you think? What do you think is going on there?
Jessica St. Clair
What?
June Diane Raphael
What do you think is going on there?
Jessica St. Clair
I think that his planet that he was born in was made of kryptonite. What I can't understand is, then why is kryptonite the one thing that will destroy him?
June Diane Raphael
Yeah, you're pretty right, actually.
Jessica St. Clair
What do you mean?
June Diane Raphael
That is like.
Jessica St. Clair
That makes no sense.
Paul Scheer
I was pretty right. Here is the reasoning behind it, because I to had the same thing and I think this is what it is. But that kryptonite is not bad. There's different types of kryptonite.
Jessica St. Clair
What?
Paul Scheer
Right. Yes. So there's. When kryptonite, I guess, exploded, different pieces of it came off. I'm loose. I'm fuzzy on this math as well. I didn't understand why that kryptonite was like, kind of like, you get another life. Like, I didn't get, like, oh, yeah. We just gave you this spare life in case, like, by the way, love that whole sequence where he became an old man and became bald.
Jessica St. Clair
Holy.
Natasha Lyonne
Oh, yeah, that was crazy.
Paul Scheer
In, like, one day.
June Diane Raphael
I have questions about that. Yeah, I have questions about that. But very quickly. Can one nerd explain the Kryptonite to us?
Paul Scheer
Hold on. Let me. If you can raise your hand. Like, there's a blue Kryptonite that does something. There's a red Kryptonite that does something. But I think the kryptonite in this movie is bullshit. Okay, hold on. I'm gonna go down.
Natasha Lyonne
Be careful.
Jessica St. Clair
Gotta get in.
Paul Scheer
All right. You're gonna explain the Kryptonite. What's your name, sir?
June Diane Raphael
My name's Andrew.
Paul Scheer
Andrew, take it away. Kryptonite explanation.
June Diane Raphael
So there's different Kryptonite, but it's different colors. This is just lazy filmmaking. There is no other explanation.
Paul Scheer
I feel like they were like, let's have crystals.
June Diane Raphael
And they're like, oh, well, he has green crystals, so let's make it green crystals.
Paul Scheer
But that's not what kryptonite is at all.
Jessica St. Clair
What is it? It's never green Kryptonite.
Paul Scheer
No, Kryptonite is.
June Diane Raphael
Is green, and it's a whole thing. Where do you think that was? Kryptonite? In the. Under the barn? No, not at all.
Paul Scheer
Because it's part of his ship, which.
June Diane Raphael
Is also green for some reason. Got it. Okay. It's just lazy. It's just them not. So there was no green. There was not Kryptonite. That was just green substance from Kryptonite.
Paul Scheer
Like his mother for some reason. Right. But then when he goes.
June Diane Raphael
It was essentially underneath the Kent family barn is like an answering machine from his mom that he still plays the old message from. Because it's like if. It's like. It's like when you keep an ex. An ex lover's lover, by the way.
Jessica St. Clair
Ew, kill me.
June Diane Raphael
I'm done. When you keep an ex's. When you keep an ex's voicemail, just to be like. Remember what they sounded like? Yeah, it's like that. And then you accidentally hit. Remember, return call. And then you just leave a message, tells them how they really fucked up again.
Paul Scheer
There.
Jessica St. Clair
Then you talk about it on the podcast.
Paul Scheer
Calm.
June Diane Raphael
Cut this out. Cut this out of the podcast. Cut this out of the podcast.
Paul Scheer
We'll be right back. But there was another part of that. So to the point about the Kryptonite. I will say this. It makes no sense that he goes back to the barn to get that piece of kryptonite because he already built his fucking fortress, which is where all the crystals are anyway. It wouldn't be like, let me keep one spare here. The only reason why he went back in the first place. Why?
June Diane Raphael
Because his mother, says the voice. I'm assuming it's his mother. Yeah, it is his mother. The voice says once you remove this crystal, this green slime will go dead. So he'll never be able to hear her voice again.
Paul Scheer
But he's been able to do that in the Fortress of Solitude in the other movies.
June Diane Raphael
Oh, really? He talks to his mom?
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah.
June Diane Raphael
Oh, okay, then. Fuck that.
Jessica St. Clair
Isn't that where he, like, removes it and puts it in?
Paul Scheer
Can I just talk about the scene. The scene that drove me.
Natasha Lyonne
Shalom.
Paul Scheer
The scene that drove me nuts. And I know we haven't even really gotten into the whole nuclear war subplot, which is so prescient in this time where he.
June Diane Raphael
Where he hammer throws a basket full of nuclear warheads.
Paul Scheer
I wanted to see that net. The net of, by the way. A bold move to be like, I think that would be okay if I.
June Diane Raphael
If. If the. If the warheads were all touching each other, jamming against each other, wouldn't they just blow up?
Jessica St. Clair
Yeah, like a net of sardines, only it's a bunch of warheads.
June Diane Raphael
But I. Wait, how do you. Wait a minute. How do you mean? Sardines?
Jessica St. Clair
What's that? When you catch it. Catch it in a net like that. Instead of the sardines, it's a bunch of warheads in there.
Paul Scheer
So you're not even talking about sardines in a can. You're talking about sardines in a fishing net.
Jessica St. Clair
How they are before they put them in a can, Dick.
June Diane Raphael
Right, but when they're. They're. When they're mashing up against each other, they don't explode.
Jessica St. Clair
That's right.
Paul Scheer
So I'll. I'll believe the ridiculousness of that nuclear net. What I won't believe is the weird justification that they got to get them to do a double date scene. That double date scene is like, why would. Why would he ever subject himself to such a crazy.
Jessica St. Clair
That's insane. And guess what? She's serving scallops and duck that had two risky, risky, risky meals to prepare. So also for a date.
June Diane Raphael
Also gross.
Jessica St. Clair
It's gross.
June Diane Raphael
Like, on a texture level, gross.
Paul Scheer
But Superman somehow knows how to cook perfect duck. Like, she's like, the duck Turned out great.
Jessica St. Clair
Was he speeding it up so that he'd have to stay there for too long, remember?
Natasha Lyonne
No, because he needed it to be on fire so that way he could get out and become Clark Kent.
Paul Scheer
But he did. He didn't make it go on fire. He just cooked it perfectly. But I would agree with you.
Jessica St. Clair
That would be the smart.
Paul Scheer
That would be the smart thing.
Natasha Lyonne
I was a little in and out. I was a little in and out.
June Diane Raphael
It's the classic, oh, no, I've got two dates at the same restaurant and I have to shut.
Paul Scheer
There was no reason for him to project himself to.
June Diane Raphael
That also. Is Lois Lane dating Superman?
Paul Scheer
She has a thing with him.
June Diane Raphael
She's just getting an interview.
Paul Scheer
Yes, but they always like have datey interviews in the movies.
Jessica St. Clair
What's up with that indoor.
Paul Scheer
What's up about that apartment? That apartment, by the way.
Jessica St. Clair
Indoor hot tub.
Paul Scheer
Everybody in this movie has balconies. Like giant balconies. Even Superman, which seeming. Or Clark Kent seemingly lives in a shithole, has a beautiful fireplace in his living room.
Natasha Lyonne
Working west side Story a little. Another movie I haven't really totally seen.
Jessica St. Clair
Me neither, but I feel like I have.
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah, but like, from this stills.
Jessica St. Clair
Yeah, yeah, I've gathered. Yeah, exactly. A lot of fire.
Natasha Lyonne
A lot of balcony work. Yeah, a lot of balcony.
Paul Scheer
I. I will. So I will just point out a couple things in Lois's apartment. Dual golden candelabras.
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah, I would still want.
Jessica St. Clair
Is this Lois's apartment? No, this is the rich.
June Diane Raphael
This is Muriel Hemingway's apartment, I think. Oh, is it?
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah, yeah.
June Diane Raphael
She's loaded and she's rich, as she says repeatedly.
Natasha Lyonne
And is he wearing a wig?
Jessica St. Clair
Which one? Lois.
Natasha Lyonne
Mariel Reeves.
Jessica St. Clair
Lois is dressed like the mother of the bride. She's like, just going to pair this.
Natasha Lyonne
But I feel like both of them. This really, I find irritating, like for, you know, anybody who's interested in the fashion of it, like that this is now so hip in Brooklyn or something.
Paul Scheer
Oh, freak.
Natasha Lyonne
Hang on. I can't handle.
June Diane Raphael
Hang on, hang on.
Natasha Lyonne
I find it makes me angry.
June Diane Raphael
Up in the upper right hand corner is Muriel Hemingway's initials, but it's not her character's name.
Paul Scheer
It's not her character's name.
June Diane Raphael
Do you think they shot this in Marielle Hemingway's apartment?
Jessica St. Clair
Possibly.
Natasha Lyonne
It's a Marriott Hilton.
Paul Scheer
It. Yeah.
June Diane Raphael
Oh, maybe it's. Yeah, well, because maybe it's the name of the building that they are in or something.
Paul Scheer
Was that ever. Was it ever a thing to have greenery on? Like lattice wallpaper, too? I mean, I Can't tell if that's real or. Oh, let's see. I open it up big. Yeah, but that. Oh, no, I guess it's not real. I think it's painted on.
June Diane Raphael
It's wallpaper, maybe.
Paul Scheer
I want. I really want to show you this thing. This is something that we can never really show our listening audience. We can just show it here. But I'm going to urge you, if you're listening to Google this. So the movie was 134 minutes, which means that a lot of stuff was cut out. Like the fact that there was another Nuclear man that was cast, fired, and then recast in the movie. And here is the scene.
June Diane Raphael
Fired, then brought back.
Paul Scheer
No, no, sorry. Fired, then they recast it with the actor. I can't describe it because I'll let you watch it. Here we go.
Jessica St. Clair
It's.
Paul Scheer
It. Wait a minute.
June Diane Raphael
Time out, time out.
Paul Scheer
I don't want to fight, okay?
June Diane Raphael
I just want to know where you come from.
Paul Scheer
Destroy this man. So what we just watched was like an odd Buster Keaton fight scene.
Jessica St. Clair
That music with was embedded. Is that part of the soundtrack?
Paul Scheer
Yes. That was not that. What we heard. That was part of the movie. The quality is terrible because clearly no one wanted you to ever see that.
June Diane Raphael
So he is. That's more of a. Like, Frankenstein's monster version of this character.
Paul Scheer
Yes. The Nuclear Man.
Natasha Lyonne
Or like Frankenberry.
June Diane Raphael
Or Frankenberry.
Paul Scheer
He looks just like Frankenberry.
June Diane Raphael
Just look like.
Paul Scheer
And they have this fight and it makes you go. Actually, watching that scene makes me go like, holy shit. They really. They pulled it out. Like, they. Like, if that's what they were shooting.
June Diane Raphael
And they were like, imagine if that had been the movie. This would be a legendary movie.
Jessica St. Clair
Yeah.
Natasha Lyonne
And that's gotta be a choice you make when you're looking at dailies on a picture like this. Like, do we go all in?
June Diane Raphael
Not only that.
Jessica St. Clair
Right. They should have.
June Diane Raphael
They went through hair and makeup wardrobe tests. They went through weeks of work with that guy to become that guy, then shot with him.
Natasha Lyonne
But when you see it. Yeah, you. Like. The internal team is like, you guys, the movie's not great, but, yeah, we can turn this one around.
Paul Scheer
So.
June Diane Raphael
And by the way, I would argue the Nuclear man that they got that we're looking at here with the gold tights.
Jessica St. Clair
He.
June Diane Raphael
He almost looks cooler than Superman.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, he looks his older version of Jeff Fahey.
June Diane Raphael
Yeah.
Paul Scheer
Like. And.
June Diane Raphael
And now I look better, you know?
Paul Scheer
Well, there was a cool thing that they were gonna do, too. They were gonna put Superman and they were gonna Put Christopher Reeve in a black costume and make him be like a virgin. Adam. Kevin.
Jessica St. Clair
That's what I thought was. Was gonna happen.
Paul Scheer
Right, because it's his hair.
Jessica St. Clair
Yes. And remember when they're putting all this stuff together, it looks like a little wonton. Like an old wonton. Wonton. And then some like, paprika. And then one other thing. I forget what it is they put in cloth. Oh, a piece of clothes.
June Diane Raphael
Is there an Asian person who's making the wonton?
Jessica St. Clair
No.
June Diane Raphael
No.
Jessica St. Clair
Exactly.
June Diane Raphael
Where are the Asian people in Metropolis?
Paul Scheer
In this world, they had no problem cutting that Superman hair. By the way, the Superman hair is holding a thousand pound weight. They're like snake. Seems like that would be really like.
Natasha Lyonne
Super big comedy pliers or something. Right?
Paul Scheer
But still, super big comedy players should be able to get through that hair.
Natasha Lyonne
No, no, no, they shouldn't.
Jessica St. Clair
Superman fighting himself. That's something I want to see.
Paul Scheer
Yeah.
June Diane Raphael
Awesome.
Natasha Lyonne
They lived in a very low security universe altogether.
June Diane Raphael
It's pre 911. Pre 911.
Jessica St. Clair
Pre 911.
June Diane Raphael
We're living in a pre 911 world.
Natasha Lyonne
The cops in the beginning on the channel, chain gang, and later in the museum and so on.
Paul Scheer
Wouldn't it have been great? Budget made. Oh, budget made them not be able to do those scenes because they did shoot them. So they shot three versions of Nuclear man, this comedy version, Christopher Reeve, and then they finally went to this other guy. And part of the reason why the effects are so bad is you will see this. This is a little montage of the. The flying scenes where they didn't change a thing.
Jessica St. Clair
Yeah, same. There we go.
Paul Scheer
Every flying scene is exactly the same.
June Diane Raphael
And it's the same with the. When they. In the subway section, when the subway with Lois goes screaming by and you see all the people on the subway station are like. And then Superman flies by and it's the exact same shot of the same people being like.
Paul Scheer
The budget's so bad that I feel like they used a part of Universal theme park for part of the movie. Like when you go on the tour, that shark jumps out at you and then they go, oh, Mount Vesuvius has exploded. And there's like water comes down. A thing like that seemed like it was shot on the Universal back lot, but nothing was changed. It was sort of like. I almost feel like they may have just put a camera on the tour bus and gotten it.
June Diane Raphael
What I felt like didn't get enough attention and it wasn't explicitly said in the movie. But like when they take Superman hair, because it is. It's holding up like a thousand pound weight is like. It's a pube.
Jessica St. Clair
You think that came from his.
June Diane Raphael
It's a pube. Because when Lex Luthor. Luthor cuts it off, it like shrinks right back up.
Natasha Lyonne
Wow.
June Diane Raphael
Into a curly little guy. Scenes about that where they explained how they got Superman's puke.
Paul Scheer
Superman straightens all his pupa can originally Thousand pound weights.
June Diane Raphael
He just stands originally. And this is what I read online. I'm sure it was reputable source.
Paul Scheer
Would you on my favorite.
June Diane Raphael
Yeah, they were going to. Lex Luthor was trying to make puberman a superman based on Superman's pubes. That would just be as strong as his pubes, which are very strong. Puberman.
Paul Scheer
Well, long walk.
June Diane Raphael
No, no, no, no. Don't feel like you need to reward that. It was mediocre at best. I thought of it a while ago. I waited for it. It wasn't worth it.
Jessica St. Clair
You waited. That's his.
June Diane Raphael
Don't worry about it. I'm not too worried about it. You shouldn't be either.
Paul Scheer
There are a lot of things we need to talk about. We're gonna go to the audience right now to see if they have any opinions. I'm gonna run up to the top. It's gonna take. Hold on. It's a long way.
June Diane Raphael
While Paul's doing that. Don't you fucking look at us. We're not here.
Paul Scheer
All right, I'm back. Here I am.
June Diane Raphael
Can we get house lights?
Paul Scheer
Get some house lights out?
June Diane Raphael
Do house lights exist?
Paul Scheer
All right, so we're up on the balcony. Who has a good. All right. This gentleman right here. I'll first come to you and you'll say your name, but say it in your best nuclear man voice. Okay, so. Well, like a gene hackman with an echo effect. All right, so your name and your question. Here we go. I'll hold the mic.
June Diane Raphael
Michael.
Paul Scheer
Great. That was great.
June Diane Raphael
So my question is that in the first half, Superman seems focused on nuclear disarmament, and then he fights nuclear man and decides to give up on nuclear disarmament.
Jessica St. Clair
Why?
Paul Scheer
It's an internal battle that he's been having. Because he says, like, I can't do it for you. He's like, if the people want it, they'll give it. You'll get it.
June Diane Raphael
Well, that's kind of. And that's kind of what the elders are saying in that scene when in the forgers of solitude, those elders.
Paul Scheer
That was really a shitty scene.
Jessica St. Clair
Like, well, they couldn't get them for the day either, so they had to just, like, film themselves. In their closet and then send in just their heads.
June Diane Raphael
I love the person who was like, you should just go to a different. Different planet.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, yeah, like, give up, it's over.
June Diane Raphael
Yeah, like, hey. Oh, you know what, bro? That place seems like it sucks. You should like you semester abroad somewhere else.
Paul Scheer
That's the kind of attitude that brought down Krypton in the first place. Sir, your name in nuclear man's voice and your question, Eli. Okay, that's great.
June Diane Raphael
Again on the whole nuclear disarmament thing. It's like the world's ratcheting up towards nuclear war, and Russia and the US stand on the brink.
Paul Scheer
And then Superman's like, I'm gonna stop this. So they just agree to fire their missiles into space? Yeah, it was like he took all the missiles, he blew them up, and then they were still testing missiles. It didn't. I didn't see. I don't know. I was confused by that.
Jessica St. Clair
Well, it seemed like nuclear war was happening, right? Like it was currently happening.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, like, I don't think. Yeah, I guess there were two things.
June Diane Raphael
Wait, was it happening?
Natasha Lyonne
Did anybody talk about that? Was anybody, like, at all?
June Diane Raphael
Was it happening? Or were they trying to launch the missiles so that Superman could take them into space?
Jessica St. Clair
No, they were launching them and he was like, psych. I got them in my net. My sardine net. Yeah, just like that.
Paul Scheer
Ma', am, your name and you know how it feels. Here we go.
Jessica St. Clair
Yeah. So my question is, when Superman takes nuclear man in the elevator to the moon, why not put him on the dark side?
June Diane Raphael
Agree. I mean, eventually he smartens up enough to push the moon in front of the sun, Knocking the moon out of its orbit. Yeah, sending what I would only assume to be all of our planets into chaos.
Jessica St. Clair
Yeah, or a never ending winter at the very least.
June Diane Raphael
And catastrophically affecting every woman's period.
Jessica St. Clair
That's your first thought?
June Diane Raphael
Oh, the minute Superman 5. The minute he started moving that moon, I was like, oh, Superman 5, the red tub Reed. Everybody bleeds. That's what it is. Superman, he doesn't care about women's menses.
Paul Scheer
All right, you know the drill. Here we go, Sumo. Love it. Echo.
June Diane Raphael
So I'm guessing Lex is a fugitive, but yet he was able to sign a lease at the Empire State Building.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, it seems like Superman would keep. Better need a cosign for that, Lenny. It seems to me that Superman would be a little bit more, like, on top of like, Lex. Like, is he still in jail? Maybe I could just fly him back over there. Because he seemingly just drops him off as if. No harm, no foul.
Jessica St. Clair
What about the disturbing boys club that Duckies dropped off at? And the very handsome priest goes like, oh, we can handle all the boys, or something. I was like, uh, oh. Uh oh. That's a different movie that I haven't seen.
Paul Scheer
Sir Nick Olas.
Natasha Lyonne
Where did Mariel Hemingwink go?
Paul Scheer
Great, great question on you guys. Take it.
June Diane Raphael
What?
Paul Scheer
Where did she go?
Jessica St. Clair
Where she go?
June Diane Raphael
Oh, I have no idea.
Natasha Lyonne
Paul, you're so fit.
Jessica St. Clair
God, he's doing CrossFit.
Natasha Lyonne
I am so impressed that he made it all the way up the stairs. There was no heavy breathing.
June Diane Raphael
Paul, that, like, broke Paul. That question broke Paul.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, he left.
June Diane Raphael
I just got a text from him. He said, I'm out of here.
Natasha Lyonne
Where did Marielle Hemingway go?
June Diane Raphael
France.
Jessica St. Clair
She's in France. I bet she is. Isn't that true?
June Diane Raphael
France, like all women.
Paul Scheer
All right, here we go. Next question. Sarah, My question is, do you guys think this was written by flat earthers?
Natasha Lyonne
Because they go to China and they.
Paul Scheer
Start in America and then they go to Italy, all in the same fight.
Natasha Lyonne
Scene, and it's never dark in any of those places.
June Diane Raphael
Oh.
Jessica St. Clair
Is that a group of people called Flat Earthers?
Paul Scheer
Isn't somebody from the View a flat Earther?
Natasha Lyonne
Are they still, like, a contingent that's operating?
Jessica St. Clair
Are they still hoping to make their mark?
June Diane Raphael
Yeah, Flat earthers, yeah, they're out there.
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah. They, like, trust us, there are still people.
Jessica St. Clair
Oh, no, there are not.
June Diane Raphael
The Internet has given rise now to people believing. Didn't Sherri shepherd on the View say the earth was flat, like, three years ago?
Jessica St. Clair
No.
June Diane Raphael
Right.
Paul Scheer
Maybe she's part of a cult and.
June Diane Raphael
Wasn'T an Internet culture. Wasn't there a sports person who said it as well? What? Kyrie Irving, a rapper too? Wait, okay, so lots of people are suggesting this is true.
Natasha Lyonne
Do we have any evidence to prove that they're wrong?
Paul Scheer
If someone has definitive evidence and not document doctored photos. We've all seen that one doctored photo of the circular earth.
Natasha Lyonne
Now more of this bs.
Paul Scheer
All right, ma'. Am.
June Diane Raphael
Oh, grabbing that mic, Paul. Letting that.
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah.
June Diane Raphael
Oh, she is. Okay.
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah.
Jessica St. Clair
So obviously this was filmed in Milton Keynes, which is like an industrial town outside of England. And I feel like some, like, production set designer was really self conscious. So if you look in Clark Kent's apartment, there is a New York Giants flag, a Yale flag, a Wisconsin flag, and a Tampa Bay Buccaneers flag. How do we think he became a fan of all of those teams? It's whatever they had at a big five Sports in the Sales bin.
June Diane Raphael
I mean, maybe he just was part of a flag giveaway.
Paul Scheer
Clark Kent loves penance. Not penance, but penance.
June Diane Raphael
Hi, Mike Pennants. Richard.
Paul Scheer
Amazing.
Jessica St. Clair
Okay, so I just found it interesting for how much Lois didn't seem to give a shit about Clark Kent. Like, to the point where she goes.
Natasha Lyonne
To his house, he's sick, and she.
Jessica St. Clair
Finds it a way to make it about herself. She's really locking Lacy. Cuz Lacy really wants Clark.
Natasha Lyonne
And she's like, Clark's kind of a boy scout.
Jessica St. Clair
I was like, he knows how to tie knots. Like, right. He could put some. And it's like. It's one thing if you don't want Clark, but, like, why are you trying to. Like, you're all about Superman. Why would you let Lacy. You know why? It's just the glasses that makes her not recognize him.
Paul Scheer
Well, now you're unraveling a mus.
Jessica St. Clair
Larger conspiracy, because that's crazy.
June Diane Raphael
So Lois is never interested in Clark, right?
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah. But I am confused because then she goes to the house when he's sick, and she's like. They look at each other like their eyes are saying. It's like deep eye subtext.
June Diane Raphael
Yeah. And she's like, I knew it.
Paul Scheer
I knew it.
June Diane Raphael
You know? And I was like, she went to the house.
Paul Scheer
She's like, you're Superman. She's like, if I would, I would tell Superman if he was dying. We had a great time.
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah. So, like, what's that?
Paul Scheer
Yeah. I don't know. I really don't.
Jessica St. Clair
Clark is always being friend zoned. Always. That's why he's crying all the time. He's always on the verge of tears as Clark Ken all the time. Like, he's just like, oh, they're saying that Superman's not going to help that kid. And then he's like, just looking out the window, crying. It's like.
June Diane Raphael
Like, superman up.
Jessica St. Clair
Yeah.
Natasha Lyonne
Yes.
June Diane Raphael
Thanks, everybody. That's our show. Thank you so much, New York.
Paul Scheer
I'm gonna go to the gentleman right here because he's wearing a picture of. Okay. In a podcast we did, we referenced that there was a picture on the wall of Betty White holding an urn. He is wearing a shirt. Betty White holding the urn?
Jessica St. Clair
Yeah.
June Diane Raphael
That's amazing.
Paul Scheer
All right. That's for Jason. Thank you. Thanks for bringing one for all of us. It's weird. Jason, it's an xs.
June Diane Raphael
Yeah. I'm losing that weight. I'm getting shredded, bro. Crossfit.
Paul Scheer
So can you wait a second? My name. Great. I was confused by this quote from Lex Luthor, where he says it's about when he's explaining to Lenny how he could, like, nuclear man can't survive without light. He says he gets his energy from the sun. Without it, he's like you at night. Useless. I wrote that down too.
Jessica St. Clair
Yeah.
Paul Scheer
What does that mean? Does anyone know what that means?
Jessica St. Clair
Does it mean everybody's sleeping?
Paul Scheer
Well, wait, you just said it means he's a limp dick. He's calling his nephew Lenny a limp dick. I guess it's as simple as that. I mean, I. But I. But I.
June Diane Raphael
So do you think Lenny.
Jessica St. Clair
I see. Sexually, yeah.
June Diane Raphael
He's saying, but like, some, like, people try and fuck in the day.
Paul Scheer
That's what I thought. I thought he should be like, he's like you, trying to have sex.
June Diane Raphael
Yeah, useless.
Paul Scheer
Like you at night means, like, going out, having dinner. There's a lot of nighttime activities.
Jessica St. Clair
We all power down at night as humans.
Natasha Lyonne
This is why you can't make pg, because that was how, you know.
Paul Scheer
Put it on.
June Diane Raphael
Don't try and get me to put this very obviously poisoned shirt on.
Paul Scheer
What you were saying, this is why you can't make pg because it's a. Yeah, you can't.
Natasha Lyonne
Oh. Because then you have, you know, innuendo. That is gibberish.
Paul Scheer
Obviously, we had an opinion about this movie, but there are people out there that had a different opinion. It is now time for second opinions. You got one. Here we go. Here we go.
Natasha Lyonne
Five star reviews down from Amazon. Way they love those bonkers movies. No one else will play. They're saying Shaq. Oh, man, can he act. Watching bloodsport all day. Shouting Kumate. They're on the podcast now. Our five star family. It's the second opinion from Amazon.
Jessica St. Clair
And I'm Lindsey.
Paul Scheer
Thank you, Lindsay.
Natasha Lyonne
Wow, you did great.
Paul Scheer
New York brings me.
June Diane Raphael
Well done. Well done.
Paul Scheer
New York brings the Second Opinion song.
June Diane Raphael
Also a what's its Mission shirt. What's its mission?
Paul Scheer
The shirt that was taken down by the Disney Corporation. All right, so these are five star reviews, cold from Amazon.
June Diane Raphael
They can't stop us though, Disney. You can't stop us. But they did stop us from selling that shirt.
Paul Scheer
Here we go. This is. It starts off a little confrontational.
June Diane Raphael
This is just from someone, I should say. I also am not able to sell my little spermage shirts anymore either. The little spermaid shirt.
Jessica St. Clair
That's pretty good. That's okay.
June Diane Raphael
It's okay, guys.
Jessica St. Clair
That's solid.
June Diane Raphael
It's all right.
Jessica St. Clair
No, it's good. That one was better than the other one. A little Spermaid.
June Diane Raphael
Like a Little Mermaid.
Jessica St. Clair
That actually took me a while.
June Diane Raphael
Little sperm. Like a little sperma.
Jessica St. Clair
It took you a while, right?
June Diane Raphael
Yes, it did.
Jessica St. Clair
I watched that movie every day with my 4 year old and that took me a while.
Natasha Lyonne
Can I hear a little more? What does it look like?
June Diane Raphael
What does it look like specifically? It looks like Ariel, right? Her tail is a sperm's tail. It's not a fish's tail.
Natasha Lyonne
You know what was me up? I was going the other way.
June Diane Raphael
Interesting.
Natasha Lyonne
So the face was a little. With a Little Mermaid tail.
June Diane Raphael
I get it, I get it.
Jessica St. Clair
I actually would argue that's a better visual.
June Diane Raphael
Yeah, guys, well, you know what? We'll throw it to you. The audience draw up mock ups of what you think the Little Spermaid should be and send them directly to. What's your Twitter? St. Clair.
Jessica St. Clair
St. Clair Jessica Great. Or something like that. I don't know, guys. I don't even know how to check it. No joke.
Paul Scheer
These are five star reviews from Amazon. Starts off a little confrontational here. This was written September 4th, 2000 and it's referencing a VHS purchase of Superman 4. And out of the gate starts like this. First of all, to that Guy from Sacramento, California, it doesn't look like you've seen Superman 4 because there's no person named Lucy in it. I've watched it a million times over and over and there is no Lucy. Secondly, you don't make any sense when you say they used unused footage from the earlier film in Superman. In the Reeves and Hackman scenes, they look the same. So don't make statements you haven't researched. Lois is known to open up to Clark about Superman, don't you know, five stars. Clearly the dude from Sacramento, California got Lacey and Lucy confused. That was the confusion. This is one of my favorite ones, also on a VHS tape. This was written in June 7, 1999. I know most of you don't like this movie. I cannot change that. I just turned 10 and I have watched this movie at least four times with all of my friends, Zev, Andrew, Vic and Billy.
June Diane Raphael
Okay? We.
Paul Scheer
And they all love this movie. And it's not just us, the children. We know who this movie was made for.
June Diane Raphael
Sure.
Paul Scheer
Discount it for your so called cheesy special effects. But the kids, we don't care. The movie has a comic book storyline, a good one to be exact. And Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Mark Pillow and John Cryer and Gene Hackman are a great cast. Although you may not think my opinion counts, but I hope it does to some of you.
June Diane Raphael
I would love. I would love it if that 10 year old kid was now like what? 20? 30. When was this?
Paul Scheer
28.
June Diane Raphael
28.
Jessica St. Clair
And in this audience.
June Diane Raphael
In this audience. So we go beat the shit out of there.
Paul Scheer
And then this one, I will say when I read this one I thought oh, this person's being facetious.
June Diane Raphael
But then I, you know what? Because it's like beating the out of a 10 year old but not.
Paul Scheer
Oh yeah, cuz he's 28 now.
June Diane Raphael
Because he's getting a beating he deserves for the 10 year old. But he's an adult who can take it. Cut to the guy who's like I'm here.
Paul Scheer
Brr. Come get me. It's big nails.
June Diane Raphael
Nuclear Man.
Paul Scheer
I thought this one was facetious, but I kind of went down a wormhole and I found that it is not. It's written by film aficionado in 2005 and it is titled much better than the first three Superman films. Well, some 14 year old children apparently think this movie is a flop. Think they know the meaning of movies. The meaning of movies. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. That 14 year old brat doesn't even know the meaning of acne cream that he has to smear all over his face. Gangly adolescent face. Any mature adult with half a brain. No, Superman 4 is a fine superhero film. Better than the Batman, the X Men and Spider man franchises. Merrill Hemingway is incredible. The special effects are years ahead of their time and Nuclear man is the greatest. The clincher. Jon Cryer. Need I say more? 5 stars. 5 stars.
June Diane Raphael
Like honestly. Honestly, the 10 year old kids review is much better. And by the way he ends. Need I say more? Yes. Yeah, you need say more just to.
Paul Scheer
Give you some happy this get made knowledge here. The original, the director of this movie was Sydney Fury who directed the Jazz Singer which is a movie that we also did in this podcast. And he was fired after 48 hours of shooting the Jazz.
Jessica St. Clair
Oh, what happened in those wait.
June Diane Raphael
Of Jazz Singer?
Paul Scheer
Yeah, he shot 48 Hours of Jazz. Got it. He shot Not 48 Hours.
June Diane Raphael
He shot the movie 48 Hours during the movie Jazz singing.
Paul Scheer
And like you need to fire him too.
Jessica St. Clair
He's done double booked himself.
June Diane Raphael
We gotta fire you. You're shooting a whole other movie, right?
Paul Scheer
No, this director, Sydney Fury literally shot 48 hours of unusable footage for the Jazz Singer and then was fired and replaced by another director.
June Diane Raphael
Can I ask a question?
Paul Scheer
Yes.
June Diane Raphael
Was that footage used in the movie? Yes. Because it was awful. No, I'm just kidding.
Paul Scheer
Then this movie it. So in this year, the biggest movies were Three Men and a Baby, Fatal Attraction and Beverly Hills Cop 2. This movie came in 69th of the top gross movies.
June Diane Raphael
69.
Paul Scheer
And it was beaten by other how to get made movies like The Running Man, Jaws 4, Masters of the Universe, and Over the Top. And the only one that it beat was the Garbage Pail Kids movie. Oh, God. And finally, I just want to say.
June Diane Raphael
That by the way, St. Clair.
Jessica St. Clair
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You know, I can't even.
Paul Scheer
The tagline of this movie, it was nuclear power. In the best hands, it's dangerous. In the hands of Lex Luthor, it's evil. This is Superman's greatest battle, and it is for all of us.
Jessica St. Clair
That's too long.
Paul Scheer
That's way too long of a tagline paragraph.
Jessica St. Clair
Too long.
Paul Scheer
But. But there is finally one thought that we need to hear. Somebody from far away has recorded her thoughts about this movie.
Jessica St. Clair
Yes, yes.
Paul Scheer
And.
Jessica St. Clair
Oh, I miss her so much.
Paul Scheer
And here we go.
Jessica St. Clair
Hello, New York City. I'm so stunned. Sad to be here in Montreal and not there with you guys discussing Superman 4 the quest for peace. Guys, don't worry about this hat. You may have questions. I don't have any good answers there, but I do want to. Paul asked me to Talk about Superman 4 the quest for Peace, and take a stab. I haven't seen the movie, won't see the movie, will not ever watch this film. But that said, I mean, I don't watch any of them unless I'm doing the podcast, obviously. That said, I. I will take a stab at what this movie might be about. The plot to me is probably about Superman trying to stop nuclear destruction and Lex Luthor somehow brings bringing the world to the brink. I do find it odd, though. It's called the Quest for Peace, like, as though that that distinguishes it from any other Superman movie. They're all a quest for peace. Ultimately, I will say, though, the only thing I will add is that I love Christopher Reeve and I appreciate him and I miss him. And I think the love that you. That he and Dana Reeve shared is a love I've never known. No offense, Paul. And the fact that she died so soon after him seems meaningful and great. I don't think she could be here without him. So that's my only thought, really. And have a great night, you guys. Have fun. I wish I was there. I love you all.
Paul Scheer
All right, final word from June. So obviously we talk about these movies. We want to know, would you recommend this movie for the purpose of what we're doing here enjoying them on a bad movie level. Jason.
June Diane Raphael
Well, I'm curious how many people here watched this in preparation. Yeah. Pretty worth it. This is a pretty fun one. You know, it's a little long. You know, at 90 minutes, it's a little long, but I could have, you know, I could have taken a little bit less of it, but very fun. Like, really corny and silly. There's a lot of good. Like, I enjoyed it. Yes, I would recommend it, Jessica.
Jessica St. Clair
I would as well, because it doesn't have to do with the post apocalyptic future, which really does make me sick.
June Diane Raphael
Wait, what? Any movies?
Jessica St. Clair
A lot of the movies you guys make me watch have to do with like, Pluto Nash. Like, this is what the future's gonna be like. And we all wear blazers and I. That makes me feel sick. Free Jack. That's coming up made me really sick.
June Diane Raphael
How do you feel about. How do you feel about, like, hungy games? Does hungy games make up?
Jessica St. Clair
No, I can't. Yes. I haven't seen it.
June Diane Raphael
You haven't seen the uncle.
Jessica St. Clair
All I know is what's her face is in that clown makeup, you know.
June Diane Raphael
Oh, Liz Banks.
Jessica St. Clair
Yeah. And that they're shooting each other for food and I don't want to see it.
June Diane Raphael
You don't?
Jessica St. Clair
Lennon told me the plot of that one and the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and I didn't get past. She was awarded the state. Dot, dot, dot. And I said, I can't. What are you telling me?
June Diane Raphael
Don't think you should watch that.
Jessica St. Clair
So this one didn't scare me and that's why I liked it.
June Diane Raphael
So that's your measurement for liking a film or not, is whether it scared you?
Paul Scheer
Yep. All right.
Jessica St. Clair
So it didn't scare me and it didn't make me feel sick. Four, five stars.
Paul Scheer
Natasha, you obviously went down a rabbit hole with this one.
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah, I would Recommend the first 20. Like, okay. Yeah.
Jessica St. Clair
Until you realize that he. He's not Spider Man. Then you turn it off.
Natasha Lyonne
It's not even that so much. I just feel like after that it's, you know, excessive. Excessive. The first one, by the way, I'm.
Paul Scheer
Into a 20 minute movie.
June Diane Raphael
Like you would have preferred it to be an episode of television?
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah, but this is also my preference with karaoke, and this is a great idea. So don't steal it.
Paul Scheer
Which is. I think that's a similar idea.
Natasha Lyonne
Which is. I think it should only be the first. First verse chorus, you're done.
Paul Scheer
I'm a 90 second karaoke guy. I'm like, I think that's what all Karaoke. 90 seconds.
Natasha Lyonne
Half afraid. Tonight I'm crazy.
June Diane Raphael
I feel less. I feel similar. Less singing during karaoke, the better. So much so that I would abolish karaoke.
Paul Scheer
There we go.
June Diane Raphael
Guess what? I don't want to hear all you singing in a bar. I'm in.
Natasha Lyonne
So I'm basically saying just the hits. Just the hits of this one.
Paul Scheer
All right, So I would also recommend it. Let's go down the plug line here. Natasha, what do you want to plug?
Natasha Lyonne
I don't want to plug.
Paul Scheer
Okay, great. Jessica, you want to plug anything?
Jessica St. Clair
No.
Paul Scheer
Okay.
Jessica St. Clair
Oh, I don't.
Natasha Lyonne
No, no, no. A plug. Netflix. What a place.
Paul Scheer
What a place. Amazing place.
Natasha Lyonne
Oh, fuck it and love it.
Paul Scheer
Great place. Great, great show.
Natasha Lyonne
Great, great shows. Great people. Orange is the new black. Wonderful show we make.
Paul Scheer
Yeah. That is coming back.
Natasha Lyonne
Shooting it now. It's a show.
June Diane Raphael
What channel is Netflix? Which is a question my parents asked. What channel is it?
Natasha Lyonne
Yeah.
Jessica St. Clair
I do want to plug that. Womp it up is coming back November 25th and Gutterballs will be back and things get really intense. We look at his commitment issues and yeah, we make strides.
June Diane Raphael
Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it.
Jessica St. Clair
Yeah.
Paul Scheer
Be very exciting. I will. Jason, what do you want to plug?
June Diane Raphael
Oh, I'll continue to plug. Big mouth.
Paul Scheer
The.
Jessica St. Clair
Oh, the best.
June Diane Raphael
Now clips.
Paul Scheer
The.
Jessica St. Clair
No, I'm just kidding.
June Diane Raphael
The fantastic animated show on Netflix that's got a whole bunch of people that you love from comedy as well as animated dicks. So. And animated vaginas. So it's pretty great. It's a really funny show about kids going through puberty.
Natasha Lyonne
Congratulations. Such a great show.
Paul Scheer
I will. I mean, this is a long term plug, but I'll plug the disaster artist which is coming out.
Jessica St. Clair
Oh, yeah, that looks so good.
Paul Scheer
Yeah. Jason, myself and June are all in it with a bunch of amazing people. James Frankel plays Tommy Wiseau. Dave Frankel plays Greg Sestero. It's really good. All right, thank you, New York. We're gonna post these pictures. That's the show, but it doesn't end here.
Jason Mantzoukas
Listen to our mini episode where the.
Paul Scheer
Discussion about this movie continues. You can give us a call at.
Jason Mantzoukas
619-Paul-A S K. That's 619, Paul ask. I will answer all your questions about this movie or even about your life.
Paul Scheer
Also, if you like, how did get made and you want to wear it or put it as a sticker or have it as a cell phone case, head over to TeePublic stores. HDTGM. TeePublic.com stores HDTGM and you can check out all of our amazing merch like Put her in a Bra or the Jason Zardoz shirt, which I particularly love.
Jason Mantzoukas
A big thanks to Kelly Alto, Avril.
Paul Scheer
Halley, July Diaz, Nate Kiley, and Liana.
Jason Mantzoukas
Waldron, all who come together and put this show and help me do the.
Paul Scheer
Show every single week. But but more importantly, everybody here at Earwolf, their amazing engineering team that puts together this episode makes it sound absolutely flawless. Make sure you follow us on Twitter and on Facebook. I'm not going to explain where you can figure it out, but it's pretty much hdtgm. See you next week. Bye for now.
Jessica St. Clair
What's poppin listeners? I'm Lacey Mosley, host of the podcast Scam Goddess, the show that's an ode to fraud and all those who practice it. Each week I talk with very special guests about the scammiest scammers of all time. Wanna know about the fake errors we got em? What about a career con man?
Natasha Lyonne
We've got them too.
Jessica St. Clair
Guys that will wine and dine you and then steal all your coins. Oh, you know they are represented because representation matters. I'm joined by guests like Nicole Byer, Ira Madison iii, o', Brien and more. Join the congregation and listen to Scam Goddess wherever you get your podcasts.
Paul Scheer
Did you know 39% of teen drivers admit to texting while driving? Even scarier, those who text are more likely to speed and run red lights. Shockingly, 94% know it's dangerous, but do it anyway. As a parent, you can't always be in the car, but you can stay connected to their safety with Greenlight Infinity's driving reports. Monitor their driving habits, see if they're using their phone, speeding and more. These reports provide real data for meaningful conversations about safety. Plus, with weekly updates, you can track their progress over time. Help keep your teens safe. Sign up for Greenlight infinity@Greenlight.com podcast.
Podcast Summary: "Superman IV: The Quest For Peace LIVE! w/ Natasha Lyonne & Jessica St. Clair (HDTGM Matinee)"
How Did This Get Made? is an award-winning comedy podcast hosted by Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, and Jason Mantzoukas. The show humorously dissects some of the "best of the worst" films ever made, often featuring guest appearances by notable comedians and actors. In the July 8, 2025, episode titled "Superman IV: The Quest For Peace LIVE! w/ Natasha Lyonne & Jessica St. Clair (HDTGM Matinee)," the hosts delve into the infamous fourth installment of the Superman film series, dissecting its myriad flaws with the help of special guests Natasha Lyonne and Jessica St. Clair.
The episode kicks off with the usual banter, quickly moving past advertisements to the main content. Paul Scheer energetically introduces the live setup at the Town Hall in New York City, setting the stage for an engaging and interactive discussion about "Superman IV: The Quest For Peace."
Paul Scheer [07:12]: "Hello people of Earth and hello people of New York City. Thank you. We are here live at Town hall in the heart of New York City, just steps away from the Daily Planet where Clark Kent works and Superman flies overhead."
June Diane Raphael and Jason Mantzoukas join the conversation, bringing their unique comedic perspectives to the table. The introduction of guests Natasha Lyonne and Jessica St. Clair adds depth to the discussion, as both actresses bring firsthand experiences and insights into the film's reception.
Jessica St. Clair shares her initial struggles with accessing "Superman IV," highlighting the film's lack of availability and poor streaming quality, which set the tone for her negative reception.
Jessica St. Clair [08:30]: "Lumify Redness Reliever Eye drops really work." Paul Scheer [08:27]: "Jessica, we have kidnapped you to come with us on our little how did this get made tour..."
Natasha Lyonne echoes similar frustrations, recounting her challenging experience of trying to watch the film on a plane without proper headphones, ultimately leading her to watch it loudly, which only exacerbated her distaste for the movie.
Jessica St. Clair [08:37]: "I was on the plane and I was like, oh, God, no streaming. And then I was like, I don't have the right headphones."
The core of the episode revolves around a detailed critique of "Superman IV," focusing on its convoluted plot, character inconsistencies, and technical shortcomings. The hosts and guests dissect specific scenes, identifying glaring plot holes and illogical character behaviors that undermine the film's narrative coherence.
Nuclear Disarmament Theme and Budget Cuts
One of the primary themes of "Superman IV" is nuclear disarmament, a noble but poorly executed premise. The hosts discuss how budget cuts significantly impacted the film's production quality, leading to reused scenes and subpar special effects.
Paul Scheer [13:06]: "So they kind of like, we'll milk this cash cow. But right out of the gate, the movie was budgeted for, like, about 40 million, and then a week before it started, they cut it down to 16 million."
This drastic reduction in budget forced the producers to compromise on numerous fronts, resulting in a disjointed and visually unappealing film.
Character Inconsistencies and Plot Holes
The discussion pivots to character development, particularly focusing on Lex Luthor and the introduction of Nuclear Man. The hosts point out the absurdity of Lex Luthor's motivations and the inconsistencies in Superman's powers and actions throughout the film.
June Diane Raphael [14:16]: "Or I would bet a lot of it is from other Canon movies that they just had in storage."
Natasha Lyonne questions the logic behind certain plot devices, such as why Nuclear Man is brought to the Great Wall of China, where no Asian characters are present, highlighting the film's lack of cultural and geographical accuracy.
Jessica St. Clair [14:37]: "Cause there's not one Asian to be seen. I rewound it."
A significant portion of the critique is dedicated to the film's special effects, which fail to meet even the most basic standards expected from a Superman movie. The hosts mock the reuse of previous scenes and the poor CGI that contributes to the film's overall incompetence.
Paul Scheer [15:18]: "Jessica St. Clair: Can I ask a question, Paul? You seem to be a Superman expert. Paul Scheer [15:18]: "Yes, sure. Professionally, yes."
They humorously analyze unrealistic elements, such as Superman's ability to fly with Lois Lane without causing her harm, and the absurd depiction of technological and scientific phenomena within the movie.
Natasha Lyonne provides a thoughtful perspective on the film, connecting it to real-world issues and Christopher Reeve's disillusionment with the project. Her insights add a layer of depth to the critique, emphasizing the film's failure to live up to the legacy of its predecessors.
Natasha Lyonne [35:04]: "I'm so sorry... I want to see this movie."
Jessica St. Clair adds her observations about the personal dynamics and character development within the film, further highlighting its narrative weaknesses.
Jessica St. Clair [38:00]: "Absolutely."
Engaging with the live audience, the hosts field questions that delve into specific aspects of the film’s plot and character decisions. These interactions illuminate common frustrations and confusions that many viewers share about "Superman IV."
Audience Member Michael [69:14]: "In the first half, Superman seems focused on nuclear disarmament, and then he fights Nuclear Man and decides to give up on nuclear disarmament."
The hosts dissect Michael's question, elaborating on the internal conflicts portrayed in the movie and how they reflect the broader issues with the film's storytelling.
To lighten the mood, the hosts read out humorous and satirical five-star reviews from Amazon, mocking the film's cult status among a niche group of fans who seem oblivious to its flaws.
Paul Scheer [80:58]: "First of all, to that Guy from Sacramento, California, it doesn't look like you've seen Superman 4 because there's no person named Lucy in it."
These fake reviews serve as a comedic counterpoint to the critical analysis, emphasizing the film's reception as a so-called "so bad it's good" cult classic.
As the episode winds down, the hosts and guests share their final thoughts on whether "Superman IV" merits viewing for entertainment value despite its shortcomings. Their consensus leans towards advising listeners to watch the film for its unintentional comedy and to appreciate it as a quintessential example of cinematic failures.
June Diane Raphael [92:20]: "I enjoyed it. Yes, I would recommend it, Jessica." Jessica St. Clair [92:49]: "I would as well, because it doesn't have to do with the post-apocalyptic future, which really does make me sick."
Natasha Lyonne concurs, suggesting that while the film may have its amusing moments, it ultimately falls short of being a worthwhile watch.
Natasha Lyonne [94:14]: "I just feel like after that it's, you know, excessive. Excessive."
In typical How Did This Get Made? fashion, the episode concludes with playful interactions with the audience, additional humorous commentaries, and plugs for related shows and upcoming episodes. The hosts maintain a lighthearted tone, ensuring that the episode remains entertaining despite the film's numerous flaws.
Paul Scheer [97:18]: "These are five-star reviews, cold from Amazon." Jessica St. Clair [98:47]: "This whole scene, this whole, like, selling the farm scene seemed weird."
Budget Constraints: The drastic budget cuts from $40 million to $16 million hampered the production quality, leading to reused scenes and poor special effects.
Plot Inconsistencies: The film struggles with logical storytelling, from character motivations to unrealistic depictions of powers and technological elements.
Special Effects Failures: The CGI and visual effects in "Superman IV" are subpar, contributing to the film's overall lack of appeal.
Character Development Issues: Lex Luthor and Nuclear Man lack depth and consistency, undermining the narrative's impact.
Cult Classic Potential: Despite its flaws, "Superman IV" holds a unique place as a cult classic, appreciated ironically for its numerous shortcomings.
Guest Insights: Natasha Lyonne and Jessica St. Clair provide valuable perspectives, enriching the discussion with their professional experiences and personal viewpoints.
Humorous Engagement: The episode effectively balances critical analysis with humor, making the critique entertaining and accessible to a broad audience.
Paul Scheer [13:06]: "So they kind of like, we'll milk this cash cow. But right out of the gate, the movie was budgeted for, like, about 40 million, and then a week before it started, they cut it down to 16 million."
Jessica St. Clair [14:37]: "Cause there's not one Asian to be seen. I rewound it."
Paul Scheer [25:56]: "She doesn't know that. She's barely in it. And she doesn't know."
June Diane Raphael [29:34]: "The Great Wall of Brighton."
Paul Scheer [53:55]: "But that kryptonite is not bad. There's different types of kryptonite."
June Diane Raphael [69:14]: "Do you guys think this was written by flat earthers?"
Paul Scheer [80:58]: "First of all, to that Guy from Sacramento, California, it doesn't look like you've seen Superman 4 because there's no person named Lucy in it."
This episode of How Did This Get Made? offers a comprehensive and humorous dissection of "Superman IV: The Quest For Peace." Through engaging discussions, guest insights, and audience interactions, the hosts paint a vivid picture of the film's myriad flaws while celebrating its place in the pantheon of notoriously bad movies. Whether you're a die-hard Superman fan or someone who enjoys a good cinematic misstep, this episode provides both laughter and critical analysis, embodying the show's mission to celebrate and poke fun at the "best of the worst" films ever made.