Summary
Overview
The How Did This Get Made podcast team dissects the 2006 sci-fi action film Ultraviolet starring Milla Jovovich. Hosts Paul Scheer, Jason Mantzoukas, and June Diane Raphael, along with guests Nick Wiger and Mike Mitchell from the Doughboys podcast, struggle to make sense of the confusing plot, terrible CGI, incomprehensible world-building, and bizarre creative choices in this widely panned movie about hemophages (vampire-like beings) in a dystopian future.
Initial Reactions and Confusion About the Film
The hosts immediately establish their bewilderment with Ultraviolet, questioning whether it's even a real movie. Jason describes feeling like he was playing a video game poorly, missing crucial buttons to understand what was happening. Paul reveals he's never seen a post-2000 Milla Jovovich film besides this, and the group begins unpacking their confusion about the basic premise, characters, and whether this was adapted from source material.
- Jason felt like he was watching a video game being played poorly, missing key information
- The movie opens with comic book-style credits despite not being based on any comic book
- The director created the comic book opening simply because he always wanted to make a comic book movie
- The film provides almost no backstory or world-building despite needing extensive explanation
" For the first time in How Did This Get Made history, I can honestly say, I'm not sure if this is actually a movie. "
" I felt watching this movie as if I was playing a video game poorly. Like the points to actually play the game never happened. "
The Hemophage/Vampire Confusion
The panel discusses their complete confusion about what hemophages actually are, when vampires are revealed in the film, and the inconsistent rules governing these creatures. They debate whether this is an AIDS allegory, question why characters have vampire abilities, and struggle to understand the transmission methods and protective equipment shown in the movie.
- Nobody realized the characters were vampires until 46 minutes into the 88-minute movie
- The hemophage virus may be an AIDS allegory with a 12-year life expectancy after infection
- Protective equipment makes no sense - nose filters while breathing through mouths
- Violet's vampire powers are inconsistent - she lacks night vision mutation but has other abilities
" I truly thought it was an AIDS allegory. They're throwing the blood at each other. "
" At 4620, I was like, it's a fucking vampire movie. I did not know for 46 minutes. "
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