Super Mario Brothers LIVE! w/ Jenny Slate (Classic)

In this live episode of How Did This Get Made? at Bumbershoot, hosts Paul Scheer, Jason Manzoukas, and June Diane Rayfield dive into the chaotic, surreal 1993 film Super Mario Brothers with special guest Jenny Slate. The discussion unpacks the movie’s bizarre premise—where Bob Hoskins plays Mario, a Brooklyn plumber sucked into a dystopian alternate dimension ruled by evolved dinosaurs—while highlighting its absurdist humor, questionable logic, and cult status. The hosts dissect the film’s strange worldbuilding, including the lack of connection to the original video game, the bizarre character dynamics (like Mario and Luigi not being brothers), the surreal visuals (Pluto Nash meets Judge Dredd), and the infamous scene where Dennis Hopper’s character is reduced to sentient goo. They explore the film’s odd themes—identity, orphanhood, and trust—while also addressing its controversial imagery, including a scene that eerily resembles the destruction of the Twin Towers. Despite its massive box office failure and critical backlash, the episode celebrates the movie as a cult masterpiece of experimental cinema, arguing it’s not garbage but art in its own right. The hosts reflect on the film’s legacy, including its $48 million budget, $21 million box office return, and the myth that Jurassic Park killed its chances—debunking that claim. They share fan reactions, bizarre production anecdotes (like the director pouring hot coffee on an extra), and the film’s enduring cult following. The episode concludes with a call to watch the movie, especially the end-credit scene that ties back to the video game’s origin. The tone is celebratory and irreverent, embracing the film’s flaws as part of its charm, ultimately declaring it a must-watch for fans of absurd, boundary-pushing cinema.