Inside the Duck Universe 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 #125 of Fear and Loathing in Cinema, we cracked a dozen metaphorical eggs and finally found the perfect duck. Not a perfect duck, the perfect duck: 1986’s Howard the Duck, a film so strange, so inexplicable, so duck-breasted, that it could only have emerged from the mind of George Lucas during what historians now refer to as the “Post-Ewok Malaise.” The lineup this week: myself (Bryan, duck-lover, genius), Dan (duck-hater, probably allergic to joy), Chelsea (convinced this film is a PSYOP), and Wade Davis (whose facial expressions alone deserve their own audio track). Together, we swim through the feathered fever dream that is Howard the Duck, a film that made so little money and ruffled so many feathers that it inadvertently hatched an empire: Pixar. Yes, really. We owe Toy Story to Howard the Duck. You’re welcome, America.
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:
- Johnny Knoxville will host reboot of Fear Factor.
- More commercials for movie theaters before the movie are coming soon.
- Jon Bernthal’s Punisher joins new Spider-Man movie.
- Texas boosts film incentives to $150 million more.
- Mahershala Ali still wants to make Blade.
And, of course, the gang winds up pondering the most ridiculous hypothetical of all: What is the craziest celebrity rumor you have ever heard? If that’s not a moment of podcast gold, I’m not sure what is.
Movie Analysis: Howard The Duck (1986)
Let’s waddle through the details, shall we? Produced and written by George Lucas during what we can only assume was a deeply caffeinated fugue state, Howard the Duck was supposed to be the next big Marvel thing. Instead, it became the big Marvel “what-the-hell-was-that?” With a budget inflated by Lucas’ “it worked for Star Wars” confidence and a duck suit that took half the Screen Actors Guild to operate, the movie crashed and burned like a wingless mallard in a wind tunnel. Critics were baffled. Audiences were horrified. Ducks everywhere felt slandered.
And yet… here we are, in 2025, still talking about it. Like a mall food court Orange Julius, it’s aged oddly, but not entirely unpleasantly.
The podcast flutters from subject to subject like a duck in a hurricane: the improbable youth of Lea Thompson and Tim Robbins (the former performing what can only be described as avian foreplay), the surprisingly horny tone of every single scene (no, seriously, every single scene), and the tonal whiplash that swings from interspecies romance to John Carpenter-lite horror without ever checking in with the audience’s emotional seatbelt.
I, naturally, defend Howard with the passionate vigor of a man who has watched it 173 times (and counting). I introduce the hosts to Quack-Fu. I draw deep thematic parallels to E.T. The Extraterrestrial, which are met with groans, laughter, and the sound of Wade throwing his mic across the room. But hear me out: alien arrives, befriends awkward Earthling, dodges government agents, eats junk food, and saves the day. Howard and E.T. are the same movie, just one wears pants and both drink beer and phone home. You’re welcome for the enlightenment.
The movie is absurd. It’s clumsy. It’s anatomically confusing. But it’s also a sincere swing at something weird, ambitious, and defiantly unmarketable. And that’s what makes it beautiful. This is not just a duck out of water; it’s a duck thrown into the deep end of the 1980s, wearing leg warmers and quoting existential philosophy.
So whether you’re a lifelong devotee or a first-time quacker, join us for Episode #125. Come for the duck. Stay for the horror. Leave with new questions about the human libido. Because at the end of the day, Howard the Duck isn’t just a movie. It’s a moment in cinematic history when someone said, “Yes, but what if the hero… was a duck?” And that, my friends, is how legends and podcasts are made.
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Thank you for listening.
WRITTEN BY: BRYAN KLUGER
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