In the driver seat 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 No. 120 of Fear and Loathing in Cinema, your favorite trio of podcast botanists; Bryan, Preston, and the valiantly returning Chelsea; strap themselves to a metaphorical tree and brace for the rustling leaves of The Happening, M. Night Shyamalan’s 2008 eco-thriller-slash-botanical-farce that once again raised the eternal cinematic question: What if the wind is trying to kill us? Yes, The Happening; Shyamalan’s first R-rated film and possibly the only movie to feature both a mass extinction event and Mark Wahlberg asking a plastic plant if it means any harm. This is the movie where Mother Nature stages her big revenge, and she’s brought reinforcements: grass, bushes, and ominous breezes. Somewhere in here is a climate change allegory. Or a hot dog commercial. It’s hard to say.
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:
- The Last of Us Season 2 is conjuring up bad feelings.
- Kevin Costner’s Horizon Legal Battle is gaining steam.
- Letterboxd is debuting an online movie rental store.
- Godzilla x Kong: Supernova is the next film.
- 10 Things I Hate About You Sequels are coming.
And, of course, the gang winds up pondering the most ridiculous hypothetical of all: What’s something that happens often in movies that is 100% unrealistic? If that’s not a moment of podcast gold, I’m not sure what is.
Movie Analysis: The Happening (2008)
The film, starring Wahlberg as a high school science teacher (let that sink in), Zooey Deschanel as his emotionally cryptic wife, and John Leguizamo as the token character with basic logic and an early exit, attempted to marry Hitchcockian suspense with 1950s nuclear paranoia; but accidentally threw in a slapstick romance between a man and horticulture. The trio on Fear and Loathing try to figure out if the film’s failure was due to the goofy tone, the performances that suggest everyone was under hypnosis, or the underlying anxiety that your houseplant is watching you.
Is it camp? Is it catastrophe? Is it a long-lost PSA from the Department of Agriculture? The podcasters dive in like Wahlberg in an open field, whispering sweet nothings to some giant trees and trying to make sense of it all.
And yes, this is the movie where humans spontaneously and systematically off themselves in various public settings due to a mysterious neurotoxin released by flora. It’s less The Day After Tomorrow and more The Day the Red Fern Got Fed Up. Shyamalan, never one to pass up a twist, turns an ecological horror story into something that feels like it might end with the phrase, “And then he woke up and it was all a dream…about compost and recycling.”
But The Happening, for all its oddball choices and apocalyptic awkwardness, has earned a second glance; or at least a nostalgic squint. It might not be good, but it’s certainly Happening.
Tune in, dear listener, and beware the wind.
FEAR AND LOATHING PODCAST APPLE PODCASTS
FEAR AND LOATHING PODCAST SPOTIFY
Thank you for listening.
WRITTEN BY: BRYAN KLUGER
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
