In the radio waves 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.
In the latest episode of Fear and Loathing in Cinema (Episode #113), the podcast crew takes a deep dive into a film that practically no one saw, or even remembers: On The Line. This 2022 thriller, starring Mel Gibson and Kevin Dillon, is an oddball concoction that deserves to be forgotten, and yet here we are, talking about it. Why? Because it’s just that weird. Does the movie’s shock ending actually deliver on the hype? Or does it feel more like a dud, sinking beneath the weight of its own pretensions? The crew grapples with this conundrum. As the discussion unfolds, it’s clear that On The Line may not be the complete trainwreck that some might believe, but it’s hardly the revelatory thriller it aspires to be.
This Week’s Highlights:
As always, the hosts of this podcast stray far from the beaten path, sidetracking in ways that somehow feel more entertaining than the very movie they’ve gathered to dissect. The absurdities that unfold become a crucial part of the show’s charm, its conversational energy the perfect counterpart to the movie under scrutiny. Among the many bizarre diversions in this week’s discussion:
- Snow White has done terribly at the box office. Why?
- Why has the Street Fighter movie been removed from Sony’s calendar?
- Denzel and Jake Gyllenhaal did Othello on stage and now Denzel in talks for Othello remake. Thoughts?
And, of course, the gang winds up pondering the most ridiculous hypothetical of all: What movie quote do you want etched on your tombstone? If that’s not a moment of podcast gold, I’m not sure what is.
24-Hour Film Festival: Bryan Kluger
This week, Fear and Loathing in Cinema ushers in a new and curious segment, one that invites each of the podcast’s hosts to curate their own 24-hour film festival. The premise is simple enough: each month, one crew member will craft a lineup of films they deem worthy of the spotlight, be it obscure, controversial, or utterly absurd, and then talk us through the whys and hows of their selections. The question hanging in the air, of course, is whether the choices reveal something profound about the curator or just an exercise in self-indulgence. And, more importantly: would you, would anyone, really, actually want to attend this cinematic marathon?
Kicking things off is Bryan Kluger, the podcast’s resident film buff and notorious cinephile. His pitch for a 24-hour film festival, delivered with the enthusiasm of a man who has spent years cataloging the perverse and the obscure, is nothing short of a fever dream. If you’ve ever wondered whether Kluger’s idiosyncratic tastes; his obsession with under-the-radar cult classics, provocative auteurs, and the downright weird; would make for a compelling 24-hour experience, the answer, as it turns out, is a resounding “yes” and “no” in equal measure.
Movie Analysis: On the Line (2022)
The plot, in case you missed it, is as convoluted as it is unremarkable: Elvis (Gibson), a late-night shock jock radio host, receives a bizarre and terrifying phone call live on air. The caller, a man holding Elvis’s family hostage, demands that the radio host confess his darkest secrets and end his own life, all broadcasted for the world to hear. The stakes are high. The premise is built on tension and self-loathing, all played out in a claustrophobic, one-location thriller that feels a bit too much like Talk Radio meets April Fool’s Day, but with none of the finesse.
And then there’s the film’s pedigree, or, rather, lack of it. Shot in France with a practically invisible cast and crew, On The Line feels like it’s the kind of film that nobody wanted to make, yet somehow got made anyway. Gibson’s turn as a tormented, self-righteous radio host seems destined for a straight-to-streaming fate, which, unsurprisingly, is exactly what happened. But in the hands of the podcast crew, it becomes a circus of questions that could only be answered with a blend of head-shaking disbelief and reluctant admiration.
Of course, the elephant in the room is Mel Gibson. The podcast crew, particularly Bryan, seems to harbor no illusion that Gibson is anything short of… well, Mel Gibson. For some, that’s enough to make watching him on screen feel like a guilty pleasure. But can he still bring any gravitas to his performances, or has his once-formidable screen presence been overshadowed by the unshakable controversies that have followed him throughout his career? On The Line is, for many, an uncomfortable reminder of how past reputations refuse to fade, no matter how many years have passed.
Ultimately, On The Line is the kind of film that begs the question: why does it exist? Is it a deliberate commentary on the media’s culpability in self-destruction, or is it simply an empty cash grab, trying to capitalize on the diminishing returns of Mel Gibson’s name? Perhaps it’s both, and that’s the true horror of it all. As the podcast crew debates its merits (or lack thereof), they ultimately land on one conclusion: On The Line is the kind of movie that might work for a certain kind of viewer, a masochistic type who enjoys watching their favorite former stars slip into oblivion. But for most of us? It’s an inexplicable, forgettable mess.
In the end, one thing is certain: this is a film that won’t be making its way onto anyone’s “best of” list. And in the world of cinema, that’s perhaps the most damning thing you can say about it.
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Thank you for listening.
WRITTEN BY: BRYAN KLUGER
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