How Did This Get Made?

Glitter LIVE! w/ Adam Scott, Casey Wilson, & Dan Levy (HDTGM Matinee)

September 30, 2025

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • The 2001 Mariah Carey film *Glitter* is set in the 1980s, but the hosts noted a severe lack of authentic 80s signifiers, including the appearance of a 1985 magazine and cordless phones in 1983. 
  • The film's production was plagued by continuity errors, illogical character motivations (like a major DJ instantly signing an unknown act after two seconds of listening), and the director allegedly used 'magical realism' to excuse continuity mistakes like a changing photograph. 
  • Despite the film's poor quality and $22 million budget yielding only $2.5 million opening weekend, the director reportedly loved the music video shoot scene and Mariah Carey's performance in *Precious* is cited as evidence she can act, unlike her passive role as Billy Franks in *Glitter*. 
  • The musical performances in *Glitter* were criticized for being uniformly breathy and short, failing to deliver a substantial Mariah Carey showcase. 
  • The audience questioned the narrative logic regarding Dice's death and the highly convenient, multi-purpose letter he left behind explaining everything to Mariah Carey. 
  • Positive audience reviews highlighted the film as an entertaining drama, contrasting sharply with the hosts' negative assessment, with one reviewer suggesting it would have won an Oscar if released before modern technology became prevalent. 

Segments

Opening and Guest Introductions
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(00:01:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The live recording of How Did This Get Made? episode for Glitter is missing regular hosts Jason and June, featuring Adam Scott and Casey Wilson as co-hosts alongside guest Dan Levy.
  • Summary: Paul Scheer announces this is a special live episode of How Did This Get Made? featuring the ‘All-Stars’ because Jason and June are absent for personal and health reasons. The movie under review is Mariah Carey’s Glitter, which Scheer describes as the ‘Frittata version of 8-Mile.’ The segment transitions into the theme song, ‘How to Discriminate.’
Initial Movie Facts and Budget
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(00:03:24)
  • Key Takeaway: Glitter was difficult to find for viewers, costing $3.99 or $4.99 for HD rental, and it made a dismal $2.5 million opening weekend against a $22 million budget.
  • Summary: The hosts note the difficulty in accessing the film, which was released the week after September 11th, a timing coincidence that some attribute to its failure, though the hosts believe it was inherently terrible. The film was shot in Toronto despite being set in New York, utilizing only $22 million of its budget.
80s Setting Inconsistencies
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(00:05:17)
  • Key Takeaway: The film’s supposed 1980s setting is undermined by numerous anachronisms, including the presence of Spin magazine (founded 1985) and cordless telephones.
  • Summary: The hosts point out that the movie lacks clear visual cues establishing the 80s setting, making it feel like a 90s film due to Mariah Carey’s appearance. Specific anachronisms noted include cordless phones and a character appearing on the cover of Spin magazine, which did not exist until 1985.
Club Scene and Record Producer Logic
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(00:06:36)
  • Key Takeaway: The film features an unrealistic depiction of a record producer discovering talent at a dance club based solely on a two-second listen to a ballad demo tape.
  • Summary: The club scenes are criticized for featuring bizarre elements like semaphore and Lion King shields, alongside a DJ who is also a world-famous producer with the power to break artists. This producer immediately signs the backup singers (including Padma Lakshmi’s character) after hearing only a few seconds of a ballad tape.
Terrence Howard and Backup Dancers
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(00:08:55)
  • Key Takeaway: Terrence Howard’s character attempts to hire Mariah Carey’s backup dancers, despite their stated goal being to pursue their own undefined careers, not be backup singers.
  • Summary: The logic behind Terrence Howard’s character asking the backup dancers to join Mariah Carey’s act is questioned, as the dancers explicitly stated they were pursuing their own path. The backup dancers, played by Da Brat and another actress, gave spirited performances, leading to speculation about their undefined career ambitions.
Mariah’s Mother and Early Trauma
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(00:11:25)
  • Key Takeaway: Mariah Carey’s character, Billy Franks, is emotionally scarred by her mother, who is portrayed as selfishly prioritizing her singing career and causing a house fire.
  • Summary: The scene where the mother’s negligence leads to a house fire is highlighted as a memorable moment, though the pacing of the scene was criticized for being excessively long. The mother is characterized as a smoker addicted to cigarettes who abandons her daughter to pursue her own dreams.
Dice’s Introduction and Characterization
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(00:17:39)
  • Key Takeaway: The character Dice, played by Max Beasley (who was also in Torque), is introduced in a scene where Mariah Carey wears an uncharacteristic Lance Armstrong-style bicycle hat.
  • Summary: The hosts discuss Dice’s character, noting that Mariah Carey’s wardrobe choices seem disconnected from the supposed 80s setting, suggesting she wore her contemporary style instead. A silver streak appearing on Mariah’s shoulder is pointed out, which the audience suggests might be literal glitter, leading to a Terminator comparison.
Dice and Billy Franks’ Relationship Dynamics
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(00:19:14)
  • Key Takeaway: Dice is established as an abusive and mean character, contrasting sharply with the saintly portrayal of Eric Benet’s character, who later becomes Mariah’s love interest.
  • Summary: A clip shows Dice rejecting Billy Franks’ offer to collaborate, immediately followed by him being overly enthusiastic about working with Padma Lakshmi’s character after hearing a different song. The hosts conclude that Dice is a horrible person, especially after he insults Billy’s friends, leading to their breakup.
Dice’s Murder and Plot Inconsistencies
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(00:27:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Dice’s murder features a continuity error where he is initially shot in the shoulder but later reported to have been shot in the chest, and the motive for the shooting—a $100,000 debt—is confusingly handled.
  • Summary: The murder scene is confusing because Dice, despite being a popular DJ and label runner, claims he cannot afford the $100,000 debt Terrence Howard demands. Furthermore, Dice is seen beating up Terrence Howard, despite Terrence being the one who sold Mariah to Dice.
Music Video Shoot and Director’s Vision
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(00:30:08)
  • Key Takeaway: The music video shoot scene involved the German director suddenly changing the concept to feature naked men instead of the original backup dancers, a change the director reportedly found hilarious.
  • Summary: The scene where Dice forces Mariah to fire her backup dancers, Da Brat and Roxy, is criticized for its poor timing and focus on the departing dancers. The director’s commentary track reveals he intended the bizarre music video changes to represent his own vision getting lost in translation due to his English being a second language.
Billy Franks’ Lack of Ambition
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(00:33:09)
  • Key Takeaway: Mariah Carey’s character, Billy Franks, remains passive throughout the film, making it unclear if she genuinely desires a singing career despite being surrounded by music industry figures.
  • Summary: The hosts note that Billy Franks’ expressions are consistently ambiguous, making it hard to gauge her emotions, though one host admitted feeling sympathy during the scene where she searches for her mother. Her stage persona in the film is described as overly sultry, which does not translate well to acting.
Commentary Track Insights on Continuity
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(00:42:44)
  • Key Takeaway: The director’s commentary track explains that a continuity error involving a photograph changing from showing the couple standing apart to kissing was an intentional ‘magical realist moment.’
  • Summary: The commentary track is highly recommended by the hosts for explaining bizarre elements of the film, including the photo change and a near-miss encounter between Billy and Dice that defied spatial logic. The director is noted as being diplomatic about Mariah Carey but effusive about the other actors.
Audience Questions on Cats and Character Names
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(00:48:54)
  • Key Takeaway: Mariah Carey’s cat, briefly seen in the opening and when she leaves Dice, was reportedly minimized in the film because the actress did not like working with it.
  • Summary: An audience member suggests naming Mariah’s character ‘Seductive Soul,’ while another suggests ‘Beige’ due to her passive attitude. The cat’s reappearance when Billy leaves Dice is noted as an exclamation point moment, despite its minimal screen time.
Lack of Real Mariah Songs and Final Disappointments
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(00:55:23)
  • Key Takeaway: A major disappointment for listeners was the complete absence of any recognizable or good Mariah Carey songs in Glitter, with the soundtrack consisting only of repetitive, breathy tracks.
  • Summary: The hosts express frustration that the movie starring a major singer offered no memorable music, only short, breathy songs that all sounded the same, overshadowed by the recurring ‘Silk’ song. This experience ironically increased one host’s respect for Gwen Stefani for avoiding an acting career.
80s Setting and Coke Jokes
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(00:54:52)
  • Key Takeaway: The setting of Glitter in the 1980s was noted as an opportunity for excessive cocaine references, which were avoided due to the film’s PG-13 rating.
  • Summary: The film’s 1980s setting prompted jokes about Dice characteristically using cocaine in every scene. The PG-13 rating likely prevented the inclusion of drug use, though the mother character was noted as a smoking addict. The discussion briefly touched upon the mother’s smoking habit as one of the upsetting elements of the film.
Disappointment in Music Quality
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(00:55:20)
  • Key Takeaway: A major disappointment for the panel was the complete absence of good Mariah Carey songs, with the existing tracks sounding repetitive and breathy.
  • Summary: Listeners expected great Mariah Carey songs but found none, noting that the songs present were terrible and sounded exactly the same. The tracks were described as too breathy, preventing any real Mariah performance from being heard. The repetitive nature of the song ‘Silk’ was specifically called out.
Gwen Stefani Comparison
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(00:55:49)
  • Key Takeaway: Mariah Carey’s acting performance in Glitter ironically increased respect for Gwen Stefani for choosing only to pursue a singing career.
  • Summary: The quality of Glitter made the speaker appreciate Gwen Stefani for avoiding an acting career in a similar vehicle. Stefani was praised for recognizing her strength as a singer and declining a potential acting role. This comparison served as a backhanded compliment to Carey’s performance.
Parental Search Inconsistencies
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(00:56:25)
  • Key Takeaway: The narrative inconsistency of Mariah’s character actively seeking her mother while knowing her father’s identity but not pursuing him was questioned.
  • Summary: The character spent significant time trying to find her mother, who gave her up easily, but never sought out her father, who had abandoned her. The mother’s motivation for giving up the child seemed linked to her smoking addiction, as she felt unable to raise her. The panel questioned why the mother’s pride was the ultimate goal when the father was also an absent figure.
Dice’s Posthumous Letter Absurdity
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(00:57:09)
  • Key Takeaway: Dice’s letter, delivered after his death, contained an implausibly large amount of crucial information, including his reconciliation, his mother’s location, and a goodbye.
  • Summary: Dice was shot to death but managed to leave a handwritten letter and a rose at Madison Square Garden explaining everything. The letter included an apology, an expression of love, the location of her mother, and a farewell. The panel found it absurd that he included all this critical information in a note intended for after a potentially fatal event.
Audience Song Titles and Observations
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(00:59:07)
  • Key Takeaway: An audience member noted that Dice resembled Elton John in one scene due to his round glasses, and another pointed out the on-the-nose line, ’the glitter cannot overpower the artist.'
  • Summary: One audience member suggested a song title, ‘Elton John Lookalike,’ based on Dice wearing round glasses in a club scene. Another audience member highlighted the screenwriter’s self-aware line during the music video shoot: ’the glitter cannot overpower the artist.’ A third audience member questioned the timeline, noting the film was set in 1983 but a ticket showed a July performance date, implying rapid success.
Mother’s Final Scene and Rebound
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(01:04:48)
  • Key Takeaway: Mariah’s mother appeared completely recovered and recognized her daughter immediately in Maryland, suggesting the mother had successfully rebounded while the daughter was achieving fame.
  • Summary: Mariah traveled to Maryland in her limo to find her mother, who recognized her instantly, implying awareness of her fame. The mother appeared clean and well-kept, suggesting she had overcome her smoking addiction and stabilized her life. This ending suggested the mother was also a ‘horrible person’ for having her life together while her daughter struggled to connect with her.
Second Opinions: Positive Reviews
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(01:06:34)
  • Key Takeaway: Positive Amazon reviews praised Glitter as a stellar, entertaining movie and a gritty drama, contrasting sharply with the panel’s consensus.
  • Summary: One five-star review suggested that negative reviewers must have seen a different film, calling Glitter excellent and entertaining, though perhaps better suited for DVD release. Another reviewer watched the VHS copy so much it stopped working, necessitating a DVD purchase. A third review claimed it was the greatest musical of all time, despite having barely any singing, and praised Mariah’s acting as ‘getting there’ compared to Nicole Kidman.
Oscar Comparison and Final Thoughts
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(01:10:09)
  • Key Takeaway: A positive reviewer claimed Glitter would have won an Oscar if released ten years earlier, before modern technologies, which the panel fact-checked against the actual Best Picture winners of 1991 (Silence of the Lambs) and 2001 (A Beautiful Mind).
  • Summary: The reviewer believed the film’s quality was hampered by modern technology, suggesting it would have won an Oscar if released in 1991. The panel determined that Silence of the Lambs won Best Picture in 1991, and A Beautiful Mind won in 2001, making the comparison difficult. The panel ultimately agreed the movie was fun to watch, especially with the director’s commentary track.