In the bank vault 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 installment of Fear and Loathing in Cinema (Episode No. 115), that roving band of cinematic chroniclers; ever-opinionated and often irreverent, trades gravitas for gore as they dissect Jackpot!, the 2024 satirical action-comedy directed by Paul Feig. Known for his genre-skimming tendencies (Freaks and Geeks, Bridesmaids, A Simple Favor), Feig this time dives headfirst into dystopian lunacy, marshaling the comedic talents of John Cena, Awkwafina, and Simu Liu for a film that premiered, perhaps too quietly, on Amazon Prime.



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:

Will Peacemaker Season 2 tie into the current DCU?
That Havoc trailer with Tom Hardy is Hardcore,
Is Alfonso Cauron taking on James Bond?
Wes Anderson’s new film The Phonecian Scheme looks like every other Wes Anderson movie. 
Minecraft Movie #1 - what video game movie is next?
Cinemacon Thoughts?


And, of course, the gang winds up pondering the most ridiculous hypothetical of all: What concert would you be trapped at? If that’s not a moment of podcast gold, I’m not sure what is.



Movie Analysis: Jackpot! (2024)

Set in a near-future Los Angeles where the lottery is not just a life-changing windfall but also a deadly game of survival, Jackpot! posits a simple, deranged premise: win the lottery, and then endure twelve hours of relentless attempts on your life from every greedy, bat-wielding Angeleno who wants a piece of your prize. Think The Purge cross-pollinated with The Running Man, then shaken with the idiocy of Idiocracy, and you’ve got Feig’s latest confection of chaos.

The podcast’s hosts take to the material with differing degrees of delight and despair. Preston and Dan revel in the carnivalesque absurdity, praising Feig’s willingness to throw narrative coherence to the wind in favor of high-octane slapstick and sugary spectacle. Bryan, the lone skeptic this round, balks at the film’s unrelenting barrage of recycled gags and action sequences that feel less choreographed than hurled at the screen like spaghetti in a test kitchen.

Yet even amid the disagreement, one point unites the trio: John Cena, action hero turned comedy MVP, is undeniably the film’s anchor. His portrayal of a stoic, slightly dim protector; tasked with escorting a bewildered Awkwafina through a gauntlet of increasingly deranged attackers, elicits genuine laughs, and perhaps, begrudging admiration. Cena, it seems, has become the rare cinematic presence who can wring humor from both a perfectly timed deadpan and a well-placed Attitude Adjustment.