Out in the stormy 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 #147 of Fear and Loathing in Cinema Podcast, we find ourselves still lingering in January of 2026, a month that has overstayed its welcome and thus demanded a rebrand. We now call it Gerarduary, a ceremonial observance devoted to Gerard Butler. He’s the cinematic Spartan who has spent the last two decades shouting his way through global catastrophes with admirable lung capacity.
This week’s offering is Geostorm (2017), a film so confident in its own nonsense that it feels less like a movie and more like a dare. It was directed by Dean Devlin, yes, that Dean Devlin, the man who helped unleash Independence Day, Stargate, Universal Soldier, and the culturally vital Eight-Legged Freaks. Geostorm is notable not just for its weather-based hysteria, but for being the first and last time Devlin has ever directed a movie, which feels, in hindsight, like a very polite agreement between him and the universe.
The plot, if that word can be used generously, involves global warming, geopolitical intrigue, and a climate-controlling satellite system that has decided it’s had enough of humanity. Half the film takes place in outer space, the other half on Earth, where the weather has gone fully Method. Tornadoes attack deserts. Ice freezes cities. Millions perish, presumably off-screen, while Gerard Butler argues intensely with Andy Garcia and Ed Harris, both of whom appear to have wandered in from a more serious film and are now trying to find the exit.
Is Geostorm scientifically accurate? Almost certainly not. Is it entertaining? Unquestionably. It’s the funniest weather-related film since The Weather Man, though this time Nic Cage has been replaced by Gerard Butler, whose solution to climate catastrophe is, as always, to scowl at it until it stops. Only Butler, we are told, can save humanity from eight simultaneous tornadoes in the desert, which feels less like fiction and more like a personal brand statement.
Bryan, Dan, Preston, and Chelsea dive headfirst into this meteorological madness, parsing its logic, celebrating its audacity, and marveling at the fact that a movie like this exists at all. You can enjoy the episode wherever you listen to podcasts, preferably somewhere safe, indoors, and far away from any satellites capable of causing a geostorm.
FEAR AND LOATHING PODCAST APPLE PODCASTS
FEAR AND LOATHING PODCAST SPOTIFY
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.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
