This Movie Deserves Better

This episode exists because I saw a review online that was so wrong about this film I had to do something about it. No names. No drama. Just a podcast episode defending Jason Voorhees in space for forty five minutes.This week I'm making the case that Jason X is not the embarrassment the Friday the 13th fanbase has been pretending it is for twenty four years. It knew exactly what it was. It committed completely. And it contains some of the most inventive kills in the entire franchise.Full history of where the Friday the 13th franchise was by 2001, full scene by scene breakdown, the stumbles, and the complete defence of why Jason X deserves better than the punchline it became.Plus Kane Hodder's most physical performance in the role, the greatest thirty seconds in horror history, and a very specific award for Professor Lowe's unexpected self discovery.Episode 13. Unlucky for some. Not for Jason.This Movie Deserves Better is a solo horror podcast championing the overlooked, the misunderstood, and the unfairly buried. Reviews and follows mean everything. Follow us on socials: @tmdbpodcast

Club Dread (2004) got buried because it wasn't Super Troopers. That's it. That's the whole reason. This week I'm making the case that Broken Lizard's horror comedy is a genuinely effective slasher with a mystery that holds up, a killer reveal that lands, and a Bill Paxton performance that deserves far more recognition than it ever got.Full breakdown, full defence, deeply unserious awards.For Bill Paxton. 🌴🔪🥥This Movie Deserves Better drops every two weeks. Reviews and follows mean everything.Follow on socials: @tmdbpodcast

You voted, the Djinn answered, and this week I'm making the case that Wishmaster (1997) is one of the most underrated horror films of the 1990s. Andrew Divoff's Djinn had everything required to be a franchise icon. Nobody noticed. We're fixing that.Full scene by scene breakdown, franchise context, the greatest horror cameo line-up ever assembled on a single budget, and the full defence of why the Djinn deserved better.Thank you to everyone who voted — you chose well. If you enjoy the episode please leave a rating/review on and tell someone who still thinks this is straight-to-video trash. It isn't.Be careful what you wish for. Follow us on socials @tmdbpodcast.

This week on This Movie Deserves Better, Col's making the case for Leprechaun in the Hood (2000) — the straight-to-video entry everyone wrote off and nobody defended. Until now.But is it really the bottom of the barrel... or the most complete film in the franchise? Warwick Davis in full hip-hop mode, Ice-T as a music mogul with a finger deficit, and a ending that reveals the Leprechaun has had bars the whole time.In this episode we dig into:The franchise history and how we got here.The gospel rap scene and why it works.The practical effects kill that genuinely holds up.The corrupting influence of the flute and what the film is actually saying about fame.Where it stumbles — and why it still deserves better, plus our usual deeply unserious awards.Follow the show: @tmdbpodcast Insta/TikTok/YTGot a movie that deserves better? Drop us a message or leave a comment.

This week on This Movie Deserves Better, Col's revisiting Scream 3 (2000) — the most divisive entry in the franchise and the one fans love to rank last. But is it really the weak link… or just misunderstood?Directed by Wes Craven and set against the backdrop of Hollywood and the filming of Stab 3, the third chapter takes Sidney, Gale, and Dewey into a meta murder mystery about sequels, trilogies, and the cost of fame.In this episode we dig into: The Hollywood setting and how it pushes the meta commentary even further.Roman Bridger and the controversial retcon.The lighter tone, studio interference, and toned-down violence.The voice changer chaos.Where the film stumbles — and why it still deserves better, plus our usual deeply unserious awardsFollow the show: @tmdbpodcast Got a movie that deserves better? Drop us a message or leave a comment.

This week on This Movie Deserves Better, we revisit Valentine (2001) — the early-2000s post-Scream slasher starring Denise Richards, David Boreanaz, and Katherine Heigl. Was it just another glossy teen horror… or did studio edits bury a smarter twist?We break down the full plot (Spoilers!), the history and context, where it stumbles, including my theory that there was originally a second killer — and why this misunderstood slasher might deserve another lookPlus: completely unserious awards, chaotic glow-ups, and one very suspicious Cupid mask.Follow, rate, and share. It really means a lot.Socials: @TMDBPodcast

Here's what to expect from This Movie Deserves Better.

This week on This Movie Deserves Better, Col revisits House on Haunted Hill (1999) — the loud, gothic, late-90s Dark Castle remake that critics dismissed but horror fans never quite let go.Directed by William Malone and starring Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen, Taye Diggs, Ali Larter, and Peter Gallagher, the film follows a group of strangers invited to survive the night in a notorious haunted asylum with $1 million on the line.In this episode we dig into:-Dark Castle’s rise and why this film set the template-The asylum’s incredible set design and practical effects-The blood vat, Saturation Chamber, and CGI Darkness chaos-Where the film stumbles — and why it still deserves better-Plus our usual deeply unserious awardsThis isn’t about pretending the film is perfect — it’s about recognising a haunted house movie that committed fully to the ride.Follow the show: @tmdbpodcastGot a movie that deserves better? Drop us a message or leave a comment.

In this episode of This Movie Deserves Better, Col revisits Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 to unpack what really went wrong — and why the film deserves a serious reappraisal.We dig into the troubled production history, studio interference, and how director Joe Berlinger originally intended the sequel to be a meta-horror film about fandom, obsession, and media manipulation — not another found-footage retread. We also talk about the film’s chaotic tone, early-2000s nu-metal energy, interrogation structure, and the moments where it almost becomes something genuinely unsettling.This isn’t a claim that Blair Witch 2 is a secret masterpiece — but it is a case study in how bold ideas get crushed by expectations, marketing, and panic.If you’re a fan of horror movies, misunderstood sequels, or films that were ahead of their time, this episode is for you.Follow the podcast on socials: @tmdbpodcastGot a movie you think deserves better? Drop a comment or send a message Enjoying the show? Leave a review and help more people find the pod

This week on This Movie Deserves Better, we’re revisiting the overlooked 1980 slasher New Year's Evil — a cult horror oddity built around one killer idea: murders timed to midnight across every U.S. time zone.Set during a live New Year’s Eve telethon, New Year’s Evil mixes punk energy, sleazy ’80s vibes, and a genuinely clever slasher premise that deserved far more attention than it got.In this episode, we cover:The infamous time-zone murder gimmick What went wrong with critics and audiencesWhere the film stumbles — and where it shinesWhy this forgotten slasher deserves a second screeningIf you’re into cult horror, 80s slashers, New Year’s Eve horror movies, or underrated genre films, this episode is for you.Follow the show, rate and review, and share with a fellow horror fan.New episodes every other Friday.

This episode, Col reopens the case file on Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning — the most chaotic, divisive, and secretly brilliant entry in the Friday the 13th franchise.We break down Tommy Jarvis, the copycat killer twist, the halfway house mayhem, every wild kill, and why this misunderstood slasher deserves better than its reputation.A celebration of the weird, messy, back-to-front charm that makes Part V unforgettable.Justice for Roy

This week we dive into Stephen King’s Sleepwalkers, the chaotic 90s horror movie filled with shape-shifters, killer cats, practical effects, and some of the wildest moments in any Stephen King adaptation.We cover:Sleepwalkers history + King’s original screenplay.Full plot breakdown.The infamous CGI morphing.Why Sleepwalkers is an underrated cult classic and where it stumbles.Internet critic scores + our custom episode awards.Follow the podcast on Spotify, drop a 5-star rating, and find more horror breakdowns on TikTok + Instagram @tmdbpodcast

Col takes a deep dive into The Initiation (1984) — a slasher dismissed on release but filled with heart, strong performances, psychological ambition, and one of the 80s’ most underrated twists. We explore the plot (spoiler-warning) the dreamlike opening, the unforgettable twist, and why critics misfiled this film entirely. Awards included. Come hear why The Initiation truly deserves better. Follow @TMDBPodcast on Insta/X.

This is episode one of This Movie Deserves Better — raw, curious, and still finding its feet. I’m Col: and I'm fully committed to rescuing underrated genre films from the bargain bin.For our shaky-but-earnest debut I dig into John Ottman’s underrated slasher, Urban Legend 2: Final Cut. What I do in this episode: walk the plot, perform scene surgery on Simon’s death, hand out a Best Death Award, and make a case for why this messy little movie deserves a second look. Expect honest takes, a few rough edges, and the kind of film‑nerd rambling that comes from rewinding too many tapes.If you like frank, opinion‑forward film analysis and don’t mind a podcast that’s growing as it goes, stick around — there’ll be sharper episodes ahead.Find me on X and Instagram: @TMDBPodcast. Subscribe, drop a note, and tell me which underrated sequel we should save next.