How Did This Get Made?

Shoot 'Em Up

February 27, 2026

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • The listeners of *How Did This Get Made?* selected the 2007 action-comedy *Shoot 'Em Up* for discussion via a Discord vote, which Paul Scheer suspects was manipulated to avoid watching *The Core* or *A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen* again. 
  • The hosts universally praised Clive Owen's stoic performance and Paul Giamatti's creepy villain, noting the film's intentional, over-the-top, Looney Tunes-esque action and visual style, which was born from a 17-minute storyboard sizzle reel. 
  • A significant portion of the discussion focused on the movie's bizarre and abundant lactation themes, including Monica Bellucci's character being a lactating sex worker and the absurdity of Clive Owen's character prioritizing breastfeeding over formula for the newborn baby. 
  • Despite its $39 million budget and poor box office performance ($27 million worldwide gross), the hosts and some audience members found the action-comedy *Shoot 'Em Up* to be a fun, over-the-top movie deserving of more celebration. 
  • The film faced marketing challenges, including a controversial bulletproof stroller YouTube video that led some viewers to believe the violence was real, contributing to its poor reception and even a UK billboard ban. 
  • The audience feedback, particularly from the Discord community, showed strong appreciation for Paul Giamatti's villain performance and Clive Owen's 'samurai kind of a man' character, leading the hosts to reluctantly praise the fan vote that selected the movie. 

Segments

Discord Vote Controversy
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(00:01:26)
  • Key Takeaway: The Discord listeners voted for Shoot ‘Em Up, which the hosts view as a positive choice, contrasting it with the previous selection, A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
  • Summary: Paul Scheer introduces the movie selected by the listeners via the Discord vote. June Diane Rayfield praises the choice, contrasting it with the previous selection, A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The hosts joke about the Discord’s governance, suggesting potential manipulation to ensure a movie Jason Manzoukas would enjoy.
Movie Selection Pool
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(00:09:44)
  • Key Takeaway: The Discord’s selection pool included The Core, Cutthroat Island, Ice Pirates, The Pest, Shoot ‘Em Up, and Suburban Commando.
  • Summary: The list of films the Discord could choose from is revealed, including The Core and Shoot ‘Em Up. The hosts note that The Core was rejected due to its excessive runtime of two hours and 15 minutes. They ultimately chose the more enjoyable Shoot ‘Em Up over the tie-breaking option.
Clive Owen’s Performance & Masculinity
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(00:18:12)
  • Key Takeaway: Clive Owen’s performance was perfect because he played the absurd action straight, avoiding a wink-wink tone that a more overtly comedic actor might have brought.
  • Summary: The hosts agree Clive Owen was perfect, noting his stoicism elevates the material, making it feel less like a parody. His character’s specific pet peeves, like disliking rage driving, add depth. The film is compared to Children of Men due to Owen’s costume and the shared theme of protecting a vital newborn.
Lactation Fetish and Brothel Kinks
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(00:07:43)
  • Key Takeaway: The film features an unexpectedly high amount of lactation-related content, culminating in Monica Bellucci’s character working in a brothel room themed around babies, where a client is shown breastfeeding.
  • Summary: The conversation pivots to the surprising amount of breast milk and lactation in Shoot ‘Em Up. The brothel where Monica Bellucci’s character works has themed rooms, including one dedicated to a baby theme involving a client in a diaper being breastfed. The hosts debate the logistics and intimacy of this specific kink.
Paul Giamatti’s Villainous Performance
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(00:20:47)
  • Key Takeaway: Paul Giamatti’s villain is terrifyingly effective, particularly in a scene where he grabs the breast of the deceased mother of the baby Clive Owen is protecting.
  • Summary: Paul Giamatti’s performance as the villain is highlighted as fear-inducing and disgusting, especially during the scene involving the dead mother. His character is simultaneously shown as an impotent husband fielding calls from his wife, which adds a layer of relatable, contained rage to his villainy.
Gun Control Theme and Action Stats
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(00:33:27)
  • Key Takeaway: The movie is thematically about gun control, despite featuring 151 deaths in under 90 minutes, utilizing 6,000 squibs and 15 gallons of fake blood.
  • Summary: The central theme of Shoot ‘Em Up is gun control, which is ironic given the extreme violence. The film’s plot involves a senator running a baby farm for bone marrow transplants, which a gun manufacturer tries to destroy to prevent gun control legislation. The hosts note the film’s impressive, cartoonish action statistics.
Clive Owen and Monica Bellucci Romance
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(00:43:34)
  • Key Takeaway: The mid-intercourse gunfight scene is cited as the film’s favorite, showcasing the electric chemistry between Owen and Bellucci as they escalate their intimacy while being shot at.
  • Summary: The sex scene is praised for its unbelievable escalation, where the characters continue having sex and climaxing despite gunmen bursting in. The relationship is shown to have deep, unspoken love and respect, exemplified when Owen gives Bellucci a trigger cover as an engagement ring substitute.
Box Office Failure and Legacy
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(00:58:36)
  • Key Takeaway: Shoot ‘Em Up was a financial failure, grossing only $27 million worldwide against a $39 million budget, despite having surprisingly positive audience scores.
  • Summary: The film was not a box office hit, earning only $12 million domestically and $27 million worldwide. Despite this, both the Rotten Tomatoes critical meter and audience score hover around 65-67%. The hosts suggest the movie was ahead of its time, predating the success of similar, less self-aware action films like Taken.
Movie Financial Performance Review
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(00:58:36)
  • Key Takeaway: Shoot ‘Em Up failed commercially, grossing only $27 million worldwide against a $39 million budget, despite moderate critical/audience scores.
  • Summary: The budget for Shoot ‘Em Up was $39 million, which was considered conservative for the action level. The opening weekend brought in only $5.4 million, leading to a worldwide gross of just $27 million, confirming it was not a financial hit. Audience and critic scores hovered around 65-67%, which surprised the hosts given the film’s failure to find a larger audience.
Controversial Marketing Tactics
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(00:59:33)
  • Key Takeaway: The film’s marketing included a widely misunderstood YouTube video demonstrating a bulletproof stroller being shot, which backfired by alarming viewers.
  • Summary: The marketing campaign featured a YouTube video showing a baby stroller being shot at with a submachine gun to prove its bulletproof nature. In 2007, this promotion was taken too seriously by some viewers, who thought the event was real, leading to negative reactions. This contributed to the movie being perceived as having excessive gun violence, resulting in bans on promotional materials like billboards in the UK.
Audience Reception and Quality
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(01:00:21)
  • Key Takeaway: Despite its box office failure, Shoot ‘Em Up is considered a fun, well-executed action movie by those who have recently watched it, comparable to Fast and Furious franchises.
  • Summary: The hosts noted that many people who recently watched the film on Letterboxd expressed love for it and felt it deserved more celebration as an over-the-top action movie. The production quality, including the look and editing, was praised as being great, especially considering the $39 million budget. Confusion remains over whether the movie is a parody, as audiences often take it too literally.
Second Opinions Segment Introduction
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(01:02:21)
  • Key Takeaway: The ‘Second Opinions’ segment featured positive reviews praising the film’s action, Monica Bellucci’s appeal, and Paul Giamatti’s non-cowardly villain.
  • Summary: The segment began with a thank you to the Discord community for submitting feedback, noting that 72% of 3,702 reviews were five stars. One reviewer highlighted the ‘codes’ Clive Owen’s character followed, comparing him to a Sergio Leone-style ‘man with no name.’ Another review called it a ‘perfect guy movie,’ specifically praising Monica Bellucci.
Gun Action Logic Query
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(01:05:15)
  • Key Takeaway: A specific action sequence involving Clive Owen heating up a hand dryer and then his own gun with a hand warmer raised questions about the physics and logic of the depicted weaponry.
  • Summary: A listener questioned the logic of Clive Owen using a hand dryer to make an opponent drop his gun, followed by heating up his own gun with a hand warmer to fire a projectile. The hosts speculated the hand warmer looked like an old car cigarette lighter coil capable of burning someone. They concluded that if a Secret Service agent dropped his gun due to a slightly hot hand, that character would be deemed cowardly.
Host Enjoyment and Clive Owen’s Career
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(01:08:10)
  • Key Takeaway: All three hosts thoroughly enjoyed Shoot ‘Em Up, ranking it highly among action films discussed, and lamented Clive Owen’s career trajectory after this period.
  • Summary: The hosts agreed they all loved the movie, placing it near the top alongside films like Con Air. They felt Clive Owen’s performance was iconic, but noted his career stalled after a run of underperforming films, including Children of Men and Duplicity. One host expressed a strong desire to see Owen cast as Parker in a book adaptation.
Wrap-up and Listener Engagement
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(01:09:41)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts encouraged Discord users to submit specific moments for future ‘Howdies’ segments to streamline content creation.
  • Summary: The hosts thanked the Discord community for their input, jokingly asking for expertise on lactating women before telling Jason to ‘unplug’ the topic. They requested listeners submit specific moments for ‘Howdies’ episodes to avoid long delays in producing those segments. Listeners were reminded to call 619-PAULASK for corrections and to check out Paul Scheer’s article on his Taylor Swift documentary in the New York Times.