Out in the 23rd world of film podcasts, Fear and Loathing in Cinema sets itself apart with its irreverent blend of pop culture critique, nostalgic deep-dives, and a razor-sharp, at times almost uncomfortably candid, dissection of cinematic relics that were once scorned but now, with the benefit of time, seem worthy of a second look.
Hosted by a group of unpredictable yet undeniably insightful voices; Bryan Kluger, a media director with a sharp sense of irony of offensive things; Dan Moran, a lawyer who brings an often absurd legal perspective of the film industry and Kevin Costner; Preston Barta, a film critic with a taste for the heart-warmingly obscure branch of cinema; and Chelsea Nicole, a culture critic who digs into the nuances of social dynamics and horror; Fear and Loathing in Cinema Podcast thrives in that rare space between sincere analysis and gut-busting humor.
On Episode #141 of Fear and Loathing in Cinema, there are, depending on how many voices you hear in your head, two, possibly three people who dared to confront The Number 23, Joel Schumacher’s 2007 cinematic thriller of numerology, noir, and naked Jim Carrey angst. Yes, that Joel Schumacher. You know, the maestro behind The Lost Boys, Flatliners, and the Batman movie that introduced us to the concept of heroic rubber nipples. He was a man of texture, you might say.
Bryan and Chelsea, armed with microphones, caffeine, and questionable life choices, descend into this celluloid labyrinth of paranoia to ask the big questions. Is The Number 23 secretly brilliant, or is it just a math problem that went horribly and erotically wrong? Does Jim Carrey’s transformation from rubber-faced funnyman to trench-coated trauma poet actually work? And what happens when you let an actor best known for talking out of his butt play three versions of a tortured soul in a self-serious thriller that feels like it was written by a conspiracy theorist who just discovered algebra?
There are sex scenes, plural, with Jim Carrey. There’s a voiceover that thinks it’s in a 1930s detective movie. There’s a plot twist that, like the number itself, might make you question your sanity. And through it all, Chelsea is left muttering about how maybe, just maybe, the number is scary, at least to her therapist.
Tune in to Fear and Loathing in Cinema wherever you get your podcasts. But be warned, though. Once you start listening, you’ll start seeing 23 everywhere. In your receipts. In your clock. In your Netflix queue. And if you’re really unlucky, in your next rewatch of Batman & Robin.
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Thank you for listening.
WRITTEN BY:
BRYAN KLUGER
BRYAN KLUGER, A SEASONED VOICE IN THE REALM OF ENTERTAINMENT CRITICISM, HAS CONTRIBUTED TO A WIDE ARRAY OF PUBLICATIONS INCLUDING ARTS+CULTURE MAGAZINE, HIGH DEF DIGEST, BOOMSTICK COMICS, AND HOUSING WIRE MAGAZINE, AMONG OTHERS.
HIS INSIGHTS ARE ALSO CAPTURED THROUGH HIS PODCASTS; MY BLOODY PODCAST AND FEAR AND LOATHING IN CINEMA PODCAST; WHICH LISTENERS CAN ENJOY ACROSS A VARIETY OF PLATFORMS.
IN ADDITION TO HIS WRITTEN WORK, KLUGER BRINGS HIS EXPERTISE TO THE AIRWAVES, HOSTING TWO LIVE RADIO SHOWS EACH WEEK: SOUNDTRAXXX RADIO ON WEDNESDAYS AND THE ENTERTAINMENT ANSWER ON SUNDAYS. HIS MULTIFACETED APPROACH TO MEDIA AND CULTURE OFFERS A UNIQUE, IMMERSIVE PERSPECTIVE FOR THOSE WHO SEEK BOTH DEPTH AND ENTERTAINMENT.
