How Did This Get Made?

88 Minutes w/ Pete Holmes (HDTGM Matinee)

February 24, 2026

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • The movie *88 Minutes* is heavily criticized for its excessive use of pointless false leads, ridiculous character names, and dialogue that often felt like a first draft. 
  • A major point of contention is the film's structure, which attempts to take place in real-time (88 minutes) following a phone call, leading to awkward pacing and Al Pacino spending most of the movie on the phone. 
  • The hosts noted several bizarre production choices, including the movie's cover ripping off *The Bourne Identity* and the inclusion of anachronistic references like Princess Diana's death to establish the 1997 setting. 
  • The discussion highlighted a specific Easter egg in *88 Minutes* where a flyer for the real Seattle improv group, Jet City Improv, was perfectly framed behind Al Pacino during a scene, suggesting the movie might have been used to plug the local troupe. 
  • The hosts noted that a significant portion of dialogue in a car scene involving Al Pacino's character and Kim was clearly added in post-production via voiceover, as Kim was not actually speaking those lines on camera. 
  • Pete Holmes mentioned that he was hoping to hear a reference to Dr. Frasier Crane's radio show, "Hello, Seattle," while listening to talk radio in the car during the film. 

Segments

Initial Movie Impressions & Production Logos
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The production company logo for ‘Family Room Entertainment,’ written in Comic Sans, immediately signaled poor quality to the hosts.
  • Summary: The episode opens with sponsor messages before transitioning to the movie discussion. Pete Holmes watched the film that morning, finding it potentially the ‘best, worst movie ever.’ The appearance of the ‘Family Room Entertainment’ logo, rendered in Comic Sans, served as an early warning sign about the film’s quality.
Cover Art and 1997 Setting
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(00:03:39)
  • Key Takeaway: The cover art for 88 Minutes is a direct imitation of The Bourne Identity cover.
  • Summary: The cover art for 88 Minutes was immediately identified as a one-for-one rip-off of The Bourne Identity. The movie attempts to establish its 1997 setting by referencing Princess Diana’s death, which the hosts found to be a clumsy and unnecessary expositional detail.
Character Names and Dialogue
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(00:04:36)
  • Key Takeaway: The film features an abundance of needless false leads and character names that sound ridiculous, such as ‘Guy Lafarre’ and ‘Jeremy Guber.’
  • Summary: The movie is characterized by needless false leads, making early details like the 1997 setting irrelevant later on. The male character names were noted as sounding completely ridiculous, often like ’tune names.’ Many of the actors cast in suspect roles resembled actors frequently seen on CW network shows.
Real-Time Structure and Pacino’s Driving
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(00:05:29)
  • Key Takeaway: The film’s commitment to real-time narrative forces Al Pacino to drive a taxi cab inefficiently, despite having the means to move faster.
  • Summary: Approximately 90% of the movie takes place while Al Pacino is on the phone, with the narrative strictly adhering to the 88-minute real-time constraint. Pacino drives a taxi cab because he supposedly cannot reach the pedals in his own car, a decision the hosts found illogical. The scene features numerous shots of Pacino intensely reviewing papers while a dirty cab driver sits in the back seat.
Misogyny and Lawyer Dialogue
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(00:07:48)
  • Key Takeaway: The portrayal of women in the film is extremely misogynistic, exemplified by a female lawyer delivering dialogue as if auditioning for The Real Housewives.
  • Summary: The movie is described as being deeply misogynistic from start to finish. A female lawyer’s performance was singled out for its over-the-top delivery, sounding like an audition for a reality show. The judge’s reaction to this performance was to simply allow it, suggesting a lack of directorial control.
Pacino’s Appearance and Characterization
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(00:08:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Al Pacino’s character, Jack Graham, is portrayed as an impossibly attractive forensic scientist who is constantly grabbing women’s faces.
  • Summary: Nine years after the initial case, Pacino’s character is shown waking up with a woman performing an awkward morning routine, suggesting he is a ‘fuck machine.’ His physical appearance is criticized, noting his ‘mahogany’ skin tone and an out-of-control pompadour wig. Despite being a forensic scientist, not a policeman, he acts with an authority similar to a CSI investigator.
The Cookie Scene and Dialogue
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(00:11:19)
  • Key Takeaway: The scene where Al Pacino serves cookies and milk to his colleagues celebrating the impending execution of the killer had no narrative payoff.
  • Summary: The hosts highlight the scene where Pacino serves cookies and milk, which they hoped would pay off later but ultimately did not. A bizarre exchange occurs when Pacino asks his assistant, Amy Brennan, why they never married, to which she replies he is gay and a commitment-phobe, adding that she is a lesbian.
Lack of Evidence and Pacino’s Calmness
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(00:13:22)
  • Key Takeaway: The foundation of the nine-year-old conviction rests on weak evidence, as the eyewitness testimony was initially unreliable, yet Pacino remains unfazed by his own death threat.
  • Summary: The basis for the original conviction is questioned, as there was no DNA evidence, and the eyewitness testimony was initially weak. Pacino’s character, Jack Graham, remains completely unphased when he receives a phone call stating he has 88 minutes to live, treating it casually while teaching a class.
Stephen Moyer’s Suspicious Cameo
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(00:14:50)
  • Key Takeaway: Stephen Moyer (from True Blood) appears as a suspicious character who is seen multiple times but is ignored by Pacino until the end.
  • Summary: Stephen Moyer appears as a motorcycle man who is seen multiple times around Pacino, including outside his apartment and on campus, yet Pacino fails to investigate him properly. Moyer ultimately has only one line in the entire film, delivered through a closed door before he is shot.
The Flashback Epiphany
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(00:16:16)
  • Key Takeaway: A flashback sequence where Pacino sees events happening behind him in a bar is physically impossible, highlighting the film’s poor logic.
  • Summary: Pacino has a flashback where he gains perspective on events happening behind him in a crowded bar, which is physically impossible given his previous position. This scene reinforces the idea that everyone in the bar that night was interested in Pacino. The writer of the film also penned several Fast and the Furious movies and K-9.
Amazon Reviews and Real-Time Structure
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(00:44:26)
  • Key Takeaway: Despite the hosts’ criticism, some Amazon reviewers praised the film, with one stating they were ’living it’ due to the real-time structure.
  • Summary: One Amazon reviewer gave the film five stars, claiming it was worth twice the price and that Pacino’s performance made the viewer feel like they were living the experience. This positive feedback contrasts with the hosts’ frustration over the real-time constraint, which they felt was poorly executed.
The Dead Sister’s Tape Recorder
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(00:45:28)
  • Key Takeaway: Pacino casually scans his dead sister’s tape recorder for chemicals using a TSA-like device before listening to the killer’s message.
  • Summary: The killer sends Pacino a tape recorder containing a message from his dead sister, Kate Graham. Pacino first uses a device, described as something from the TSA, to scan the recorder for chemicals, finding it clean before playing the tape. The tape itself is a forced confession from one of the victims, which Pacino immediately believes despite her obvious distress.
Jet City Improv Easter Egg
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(00:48:19)
  • Key Takeaway: A flyer for the Seattle-based improv troupe, Jet City Improv, was visible and perfectly framed behind Al Pacino during a scene in 88 Minutes.
  • Summary: The improv company, Jet City Improv, was discovered to have a flyer visible in the background of a scene in 88 Minutes while Al Pacino interacted with a cop. This detail was noted as being perfectly framed, leading to speculation that the movie served as an unintentional plug for the Seattle comedy troupe. The existence of the real troupe and its offerings were confirmed via a quick online search.
Car Scene Dialogue Overdub
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(00:50:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Dialogue spoken by Kim in the car scene was entirely overdubbed in post-production, as she was not actually saying those lines while being filmed.
  • Summary: The hosts identified an ‘Easter egg moment’ where an entire scene of Kim talking to Al Pacino’s character in the car was creatively shot around her lack of dialogue. Her lines were added later via voiceover to provide necessary context for Pacino’s monologue about his sister. This technique was employed because she was not speaking during the original filming of that sequence.
Guest Plugs and Sign-offs
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(00:50:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Pete Holmes promoted his podcast, ‘You Made It Weird,’ and confirmed his Twitter handle is ‘Pete Holmes with a Z’.
  • Summary: Following the main discussion, Pete Holmes plugged his podcast, ‘You Made It Weird,’ for listeners to enjoy. Social media handles were shared, noting Pete Holmes uses a ‘Z’ in his name on Twitter. The segment concluded with standard sign-offs, thanking the engineer Dustin and bidding farewell to the audience.