The HD Movie Podcast

Episode 188 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren are here to take a look at movies of any year, any genre and any quality, especially those in a long-running franchise. This week, it's the second cinema trip in a row as your hosts discuss the latest instalment in a series of films which now spans thirty years. Neve Campbell is back once again as iconic final girl Sidney in SCREAM 7 and this time she's got a husband and daughter to protect from the Ghostface menace. Courteney Cox returns as Gale Weathers and with fan favourite Matthew Lillard rumoured to appear and original scribe Kevin Williamson on directing duty, how could any of this go wrong? As long time fans of the Scream films, Hayley and Darren are more than ready to decide whether or not this is their favourite scary movie of the seven. They discuss the various things which make a Scream movie great and set them against this 2026 incarnation to decide whether or not it matches up to the very best of its predecessors. Suffice to say, there were surprises in store for them... There's no controversy when it comes to the music of Mitch Bain, whose fine tunes are featured on this very podcast. You can find Mitch on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on social media too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads We'll be right back! Actually, that's not true, sorry folks. We're taking a break before we return with the start of a brand new miniseries. See you soon!

Episode 187 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Out on the wily, windy moors, Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren are covering movies of any year, any genre and any quality. This episode, it's time for a trip to the cinema to experience Emerald Fennell's controversial take on classic novel WUTHERING HEIGHTS! Your hosts are big fans of Emerald's previous work so would this one make it three hits out of three? And is it as steamy a time as the marketing would have you believe? Hayley and Darren talk about literary fandom, the modern cinemagoing experience, how the lustful encounters stack up against 1980s and 1990s smut, and of course there's discussion of Jacob Elordi's West Riding accent. One half of the team is a professional Yorkshireman, so he can judge Jacob's vocal efforts with at least some insight. Elsewhere, Kate Bush references are kept to a minimum but Darren somehow manages to mention Jess Franco at one point. There's no controversy when it comes to the music of Mitch Bain, whose fine tunes are featured on this very podcast. You can find Mitch on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on social media too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads How well hung was that guy in the first scene?

Episode 186 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Do you want discussions about movies of any year, any genre and any quality? Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren do just that. This week, your hosts head to the documentary genre for the first time with Colin Hanks' I LIKE ME, looking at the life and career of one of Canada's finest exports, John Candy, with contributions from his family and the folks who worked with him on movies and television. Does anyone have a bad word to say about this guy? We find out! Hayley and Darren try to get through a piece of work that begins and ends with a funeral - and try not to break whenever Catherine O'Hara is on screen - to assess Colin Hanks' work in assembling a full and varied picture of a comedy icon. As Colin's dad appeared on screen with John Candy, does he get his dad in for one of the talking head segments? It would be rude not to, but there's a wealth of talent other than Tom ready to talk about their experiences with Candy. There's also poignant detail about the media's obsession with weight, this time turned towards a male performer as opposed to the raft of female ones. It's not a fluff piece, that's for certain. Who do we like? We like Mitch Bain, who is HDMP's resident tune writer and performer. You can find Mitch on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on social media too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads The industry wanted him big...

Episode 185 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Control those shoulders and relax on the couch (couch, couch) as Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell talk about movies of any year, any genre and any quality. Although the podcast doesn't focus a lot on cultural phenomena, it's time to get a little out of the HDMP's comfort zone and it's our moment to take a look at K-POP DEMON HUNTERS! Unless you've been living under a rock you'll have at least heard of this animated film, which focuses on girl group Huntrix and their confrontation with a fresh new boy band who may be hiding something under their fan-friendly image. Will iconic pop stars Rumi, Mira and Zoey win over your hosts, even though neither of them is exactly this film's target audience? Regardless, there's a spot of impartial reviewing to be done, which leads to discussion - amongst other things - of the plot's satirical content, those catchy tunes, the PG-rated demon smackdowns and some side chat about anime in general. Who's golden? Mitch Bain, of course! He writes and performs the music you hear on this podcast and his tunes are better than anything the Saja Boys can come up with. You can find Mitch on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on social media too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads We will not interrupt your snacking...

Episode 184 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! By now, you should expect Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell to talk about at movies of any year, any genre and any quality and this episode is no different. We have extended the Valentine's season - our podcast, our rules - as we bring you the second instalment of our two-part Special. After the romance of 1981's MY BLOODY VALENTINE, it's time to get all warm and mushy once more but this time with 2009's MY BLOODY VALENTINE! Your hosts suit up, switch on their lamps and head to the remake mine with Patrick Lussier's take on the George Mihalka original. Darren and Hayley, having watched this movie in years past, now find it to be a different experience with 2026 eyes. There's plentiful gore being splattered around and a few nods to the original but, now in the director's chair, does the previous editor of a number of Wes Craven movies bring some of the maestro's verve to this genre piece? There are questions to be asked and some troubling issues to be discussed, including some of the least interesting folks involved in a toxic love triangle. Plus, Kerr Smith continues his "horrible bastard" cinematic character tour. Our podcast Valentine has not changed since last week - it's still Mitch Bain, writer and composer of the tunes on HDMP. You can find Mitch on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on social media too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads Happy Extended (Bloody) Valentine's Day, listeners!

Episode 183 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! It's back for 2026 and, as always, Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell will be taking a look at various movies of any year, any genre and any quality. It's time to get all romantic with the first of a two-part Valentine's Special and what could be more romantic than unfortunate Canadian folks getting their hearts ripped out in George Milhalka's MY BLOODY VALENTINE? A crazed miner seeks bloody revenge in an early 1980s slasher that incurred the wrath of the MPAA back in the day. As well as talking about the cuts made to the original theatrical release, your hosts reminisce about seeing an extended version at the Abertoir Horror Film Festival and just how much more gruesome those kill scenes are. There's also a discussion of the central love triangle, the different stylings inherent in a Canadian slasher flick, the tropes of the wider subgenre and much, much more besides. Our podcast Valentine is obviously the wonderful Mitch Bain, who writes and performs the music you hear on this episode and a whole load of the previous ones. You can find Mitch on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on social media too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads Happy (Bloody) Valentine's Day, listeners!

Episode 182 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Should auld acquaintance be forgot, don't panic because Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell are in party mode and ready to take on a New Year-themed movie of any year, any genre and any quality. Our final episode of 2025 has your hosts looking at 2019's NEW YEAR'S KISS, which sees the podcast back in Hallmark-esque territory. A hotshot ad executive and a hotshot, er, accountant are meant for each other but will they ever meet? Santa is trying to make it happen but he doesn't seem to be trying particularly hard... Your hosts dive in to a film which has "New Year" in the title but seems to be somewhat short in New Year content. There's also the constant background music to contend with, a lot of supposed zingers which aren't, a bunch of supporting characters suddenly appearing in the final act and one of the most annoying Santas in cinematic history. Cheers! Let's raise a glass to Mitch Bain, who writes and performs this podcast's top tuneage, which is not irritating in the slightest. You can find Mitch on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on social media too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads Happy New Year to all of our listeners and we will return in 2026!

*** WARNING: This episode contains a brief discussion of a scene of sexual violence *** Episode 181 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Deck the halls with boughs of holly because Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell are in festive mood and ready to talk about Xmas movies of any year, any genre and any quality. We haven't been able to do a run of Christmas content this time around so we're bringing you two movies for this Yuletide episode, both released in consecutive years and both with exactly the same title. First up, it's 1997's comedy horror JACK FROST, then it's 1998's family friendly JACK FROST! Both of them have snowmen coming to life but the titular character goes about their business in very different ways depending on the film. Your hosts discover that the two movies have a little more in common than you would think, particularly in their uncanny renditions of a walking, talking snowman and some weird plot developments. There's also vastly differing approaches to the special effects involved in both titles and the odd subversion of tropes in otherwise predictable surroundings. One of our snowmen also has more than a look of a Hollywood superstar and you'll never get it out of your head once you know. Does this holiday double bill end up being "ho ho ho" or "no no no"? If Santa is checking a list for who's naughty or nice, then someone definitely on the "nice" list is Mitch Bain, who writes and performs the music featured in this podcast. You can find Mitch on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on social media too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads A very Merry Christmas to all of our listeners!

Episode 180 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell are in Halloween mode and ready to talk about movies of any year, any genre and any quality... ...except there's a bit of a change for this episode. It's a bumper Halloween Special in which your hosts list fifteen of their favourite scary movie characters down the ages - actually, sixteen to be precise as one of our stop offs features a dynamic duo. We start off way back in the 1920s and end with a soon to be genre icon from 2025! There's also discussion as to why these characters are such landmarks in filmic fear. Other than that, we don't want to give away too much. One of our favourite non-scary folks is, of course, Mitch Bain. He's a top writer and performer of great tunes, including those for this very podcast, and you can find Mitch on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on social media too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads Happy Halloween, lovely listeners!

Episode 179 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell don't always know what you did last summer but they know that last summer they covered films of any genre, any year and any quality. Mostly shark ones. The Summer Of Screams miniseries comes to a close as your hosts round off the coverage of a certain franchise with I'LL ALWAYS KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER! None of the original cast returned for this 2006 entry, which follows a new group of characters in a new location. There's also a new accident which triggers the ensuing, bloody mayhem, so is there a new killer? Well... Hayley and Darren didn't like this on first watch and were wondering about including this title at all in Summer Of Screams, so did their late inclusion of this one result in an improved opinion of the film? Not really but the discussion was pretty lively. There's talk of a troubled production which makes various attempts to invoke the spirit of the original and doesn't succeed much of the time. Also, there's a technical term for the ropey picture quality, a two word summary of the film and growing annoyance on Hayley's part at the performances, dialogue and *that* decision about the identity of the killer. You want some killer tunes? Look no further than Mitch Bain. You all know it by now - he writes and performs the music you hear on the podcast and you can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on social media too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads "Can a movie really be this bad?"

*** WARNING: This episode contains occasional graphic descriptions of certain incidents which take place in The Hills Have Eyes *** Episode 178 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! When Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell aren't spying on unsuspecting families in the desert*, they're here to cover movies of any year, any genre and any quality. This week, your hosts cover THE HILLS HAVE EYES but it's not the 1977 one, it's the 2006 remake which was produced rather than directed by Wes Craven. They also talk about the 1977 movie but most of the focus is on the 2006 version. They also talk about both of the sequels and risk a whole load of confusion.  There's discussions about the similarities and differences between the two films, including a discussion of how each film handles its portrayal of some fairly shocking violence. Hayley and Darren also chat about the remake's unsympathetic attitude to certain characters, even if they're played by well known actors, plus a quick look at the R-rated and unrated versions of the movie and a digression into new (at the time) French extreme cinema and what the best Alexandre Aja double bill might be (Hayley's suggestion is much better than Darren's more doom-laden choice). Mitch Bain is a true original and there's no need to remake him at all. He writes and performs the music you hear on the podcast and you can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on social media too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads *Hayley and Darren do NOT spy on unsuspecting families in the desert

Episode 177 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell, as usual, are here to cover movies of any year, any genre and any quality - and that includes legacy sequels. The Summer Of Screams continues as your hosts head to the cinema to experience the brand spanking new requel that is I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER! It's a new group of teens, a new (and rather dumb) accident but that old feeling of someone wanting the raise the spectre of Ben Willis, while OG characters Julie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Ray (Freddie Prinze Jr.) show up to dispense survival advice. Hayley and Darren talk about some surprisingly engaging new characters, a number of big swings taken by the plot, various lapses in logic, appearances from franchise favourites (including one very divisive sequence involving someone dearly departed) and that killer of a killer reveal. They also talk about whether or not a film can genuinely please both the fans of the original and a modern audience weaned on a very different type of horror. Why would you reboot Mitch Bain? You wouldn't, you monsters! Mitch writes and performs the music you hear on our podcast and you can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on social media too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads "How could you frame her?"

Episode 176 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell are not only here to cover movies of any year, any genre and any quality but they also know what you did two summers ago. Yes, we're back in the "I Know What You Did Last Summer" universe as Ben Willis is back to terrorise the survivors of the first movie and a whole new batch of potential victims in I STILL KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER! This sequel hit the screen the year after its predecessor and your hosts wonder just how much of a rush job it may have been. That, of course, isn't all. Hayley and Darren discuss whether the sequel manages to capture the atmosphere of the original without either Jim Gillespie or Kevin Williamson, they find much to appreciate in the disdainful manner of Jeffrey Combs and nothing to appreciate in an embarrassing, uncredited supporting role by a very well known performer. Elsewhere, there's a shout out to the Ray transport subplot, an inexplicably programmed karaoke machine, how Brandy's characters hits different this time round and get ready for a terrible pun which pretends to be an amazing twist. Plus, there's the tale of a Freddie Prinze Jr. drinking game. A true original is Mitch Bain, who writes and performs the music you hear on this our podcast. You can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". Accept no ripoffs. You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on social media too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads What's the capital of Brazil?

Episode 175 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell aren't here to scare horses, they're here to look at movies of any year, any genre and any quality. Our Summer Of Screams miniseries continues with SUMMER OF FEAR! Also known as Stranger In Our House, this 1978 US TV movie was directed by none other than Wes Craven and starred none other than Linda Blair! Also, it was based on a novel by Lois Duncan who, as you should know by now, also wrote the source material on which I Know What You Did Last Summer was based. Your hosts talk dodgy driving, a dodgy photo and even dodgier male characters in a movie that manages to be effective while still sticking to TV network standards. There's also a genuinely disturbing variation on Does The Dog Die?, an early appearance for the current President of the Screen Actors Guild (don't panic, she doesn't kill a dog), a run through some other Wes Craven TV fare and a whole lot more besides.  When it comes to the music of Mitch Bain, it isn't a Summer Of Fear, it's a Summer Of Love. Mitch writes and performs the music you hear on this our podcast and you can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on social media too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads "These guys are just all knobheads..."

Episode 174 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Does anyone know what Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell did last summer? Why, they were covering movies of any year, any genre and any quality of course! The second of our Summer Of Screams miniseries sees us jumping forward a couple of decades from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre as we take an extended look at 1997's I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER! This Kevin Williamson-written slasher about a hook-wielding killer followed in the wake of his success as the scribe of Scream and anyone expecting a similar dose of meta mayhem was in for a surprise. Your hosts discuss the movie's emphasis on characterisation and suspense over gore and, in particular, Sarah Michelle Gellar's fan favourite performance. There's also talk of those arguably unfair comparisons to Scream plus a look at the source novel, the banger of a soundtrack, alternative titles, some lost trailer media and Hayley's very own Mandela effect concerning this film. Also, does IKWYDLS really lend itself to a franchise? Hayley and Darren are all over that too!  One thing we are hooked on is the music of Mitch Bain. As you all must know by now, he writes and performs the music you hear on this very podcast. You can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on social media too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads Summer Of Fear...

Episode 173 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! The podcast which you are about to hear is an account of Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell, who seek out films of any year, any genre and any quality. They could not have expected nor would they have wished to see as much of the mad and macabre as they saw for this episode. The events of that day were to lead to them watching a film about one of the most bizarre crimes in the annals of American history, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Yes, we're back with a new miniseries and this year it's not Summer Of Sharks, it's Summer Of Screams! The weather's hot and the horror's hotter as your hosts take a look at summer-set slashings, beginning with an acknowledged classic from director Tobe Hooper. But is the love for this movie justified? It's time for a deep dive... Hayley and Darren discuss their first viewings of the film and the difference between watching this at home and seeing it in the cinema. There's also talk of the film's many censorship problems in the UK, some extreme filming conditions, the striking production and sound design, some down and dirty violence and plenty of challenging psychological terror. There's also talk of meeting Gunnar Hansen in real life, how Tobe Hooper originally envisaged this movie with a "PG" rating (!) and the sequels it spawned. Yes, McConaughey and Zellweger, we mean you! There's also *that* final act to dig into. You want more classics? How about the music of Mitch Bain. He creates soundtracks for movies and this very podcast! You can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on social media too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads Saturn in retrograde...

Episode 172 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Detective Nick Curran couldn't locate the podcast about movies of any year, any genre and any quality that's hosted by Hayley Alice Robertson and Darren Haskell so someone had to point out that it's actually hosted by Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell. Our erotic thriller miniseries opened with Michael Douglas in Fatal Attraction and it closes with Michael Douglas in BASIC INSTINCT! He's a cop on the trail of a novelist who's suspected of murdering her lover. Said novelist is, of course, played by Sharon Stone and the movie's directed by Paul Verhoeven, who's no stranger to a controversy or two. Your hosts revisit this one after a while away from it and there are some surprises in store for them on this latest watch. They talk about a clutch of fine performances, an expensive screenplay with a bunch of decidedly ropey plot twists and, yes, Hayley and Darren get into the whys and wherefores of *that* interrogation sequence. There's also discussion of the censorship issues the film had with the MPAA in the US in its quest to get an R rating, the original, short lived idea to embrace the NC-17 and much more besides. One guy who's way better at his job than the police department in Basic Instinct is Mitch Bain. His fine tunes are featured on the podcast and you can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on social media too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads What, no DNA?

Episode 171 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! What's the voiceover you're hearing? It's the one telling you that Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren are here once again to talk about movies of any year, any genre and any quality. The penultimate episode of our erotic thriller miniseries takes a look at 1992's POISON IVY, directed by Katt Shea Ruben and starring Drew Barrymore! Previous guest and friend of the podcast Dr. Lauren McIntyre is also here to give her thoughts on her rewatch of the film, which includes some unexpected trauma for her which is related to a certain actor's arse. Elsewhere, your intrepid trio discuss the lack of sympathetic characters in the film (including one who's giving off Tucker Carlson vibes). there's an early moment of Does The Dog DIe? in the movie, digressions into Red Shoe Diaries and Coronation Street plus much, much more. Who's the most likely to kill on this panel? You'll find out! One guy who only slays via his killer tunes is Mitch Bain. He writes and performs the music on the podcast and you can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on social media too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads "Ooh, Percy!"

Episode 170 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! The ballpark is movies of any year, any genre and any quality. Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell will discuss both the home runs and the strikeouts. Our current miniseries' fourth foray into the world of the erotic thriller features a Brat Pack alumni moving into a more adult sphere as Molly Ringwald stars in MALICIOUS! Yes, that lass who destroyed Ally Sheedy's Goth look in The Breakfast Club is back as a woman who's out to ruin the life of a young baseball phenom destined for the Big Leagues! Your hosts delve into the career choice of Ms Ringwald in terms of stepping into the "late Friday night on Channel 5" low key smut genre and a certain movie she is reputed to have turned down and which was a tiny bit more successful than this one. They also talk a lot about a hero who is not only an idiot but also seems to have a thing about sex in libraries. In addition, there's chat about how this movie is supposedly used as a medical case study, how one particular sequence reminded our hosts of The Room and just why so many folks ended up being thrown through windows in 90s thrillers. Darren also reveals that he ended up watching two different versions of the movie - was the longer version an improvement? You'll find out! One guy whose musical batting average always catches the eye is Mitch Bain. He is, as you should all know by now, the writer and performer of our tunes and you can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on social media too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads Oh, and we mention the movie "Ed" in this one if you want to relive those animatronic chimp nightmares.

Episode 169 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Settle back on the couch because your film counsellors Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell are in and they're ready for your weekly session about movies of any year, any genre and any quality. Our erotic thriller miniseries continues and, after Shannon Tweed's appearance in last week's Indecent Behaviour 4/Human Desires/whatever new title it might have now, we have another, very different Shannon featured in this episode - it's Shannon Whirry in BODY OF INFLUENCE! Darren is a bit of a fan of Ms Whirry so it's a surprise it's taken a hundred and sixty-nine (stop giggling at the back) episodes to get here. Will Hayley understand his affection for a performer who made a number of movies with Greg Dark? Greg's gone undercover as "Gregory Hippolyte" here but it's the same Greg who made music movies and shot various, genuine adult movies. Here, the action is much softer but there's a definite darkness to it and your hosts discuss the seedier side of the plot. Of course, there's plenty of chat about La Whirry (and Darren manages to stay measured throughout) and the contrast between the two Shannons - is Hayley on Team Whirry or Team Tweed? You'll get to find out. Also, there's a fairly glaring continuity error to be investigated, a sub plot about a serial killer which the movie doesn't really investigate, a psychiatrist's couch that probably needs a clean and how easy it can be to get away with murder (strictly in movieland, folks!). The podcast prescribes the music therapy of Mitch Bain - he writes and performs our tunes and you can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram "...it's a weakness." And you'll have to listen to the episode to find out what the first bit of that sentence is because it's a bit rude to put in the episode description.

Episode 168 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Time to join Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell at that pyjama party, where they'll be spreading the word about movies of any year, any genre and any quality. Your hosts continue their delve into the world of the erotic thriller and their second choice is, obviously, the fourth film in a series? Or is it? The title says it's INDECENT BEHAVIOUR 4, but is it really? It's got Shannon Tweed in it but she's not the playing the same character she does the previous three movies. Anyway, whatever's going on, Chris Ellis from When The Streaming Starts is here to provide a third opinion alongside Hayley and Darren. Your intrepid trio cover such diverse topics as pseudonyms, an unpleasant cop character, how not to shout "NO!" in response to discovering a dead body, one of the only situations you'd list the ingredients in a fire extinguisher, one of the worst payoff lines ever, what you can't do to Channel 5 TV in the UK these days which you could do previously and much, much more. Also, Darren spends a lot of the episode trying to stifle laughs and generally fails. We wouldn't ever pretend our composer was someone else. Why would we? He's great! He's Mitch Bain and you can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram "It's the Alphabet Killer!"

Episode 167 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Check that pot boiling on the stove because Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell are here to look at movies of any year, any genre and any quality. It's time for another miniseries as your hosts venture into the world of erotic thrillers. Over the next six episodes they'll be taking a look at some very different entries into this field, some very well known, some not. To begin, it's arguably the most well known of the lot as Glenn Close pursues Michael Douglas in the Adrian Lyne-directed FATAL ATTRACTION! We also have a guest this time out as Faye Ellis from When The Streaming Starts calls in at HDMP HQ to give her thoughts on the movie. Darren doesn't have a lot of time for the character of Dan, Hayley's concerned parent side comes out and Faye has an interesting theory about the most infamous moment in the film. There's also discussion of two fairly long lists detailing who could have possibly been the male and female lead with some very interesting - or downright bizarre - potential choices.  There's only once choice for our tunes and that's Mitch Bain, who writes and performs the music you hear on the podcast. You can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram We're not gonna be ignored...

Episode 166 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell take the potion marked "movies of any year, any genre and any quality". We're taking a short break ahead of not one but two miniseries (including our Summer Of... films) but before we do, it's time to cover our first movie directed by Robert Zemeckis. Not that we have anything against him, we just haven't got around to his work until now. Back To The Future would have been a little too obvious so we decided to take a look at DEATH BECOMES HER! Your hosts talk about the groundbreaking effects, the terrific casting, the movie's original PG rating in the UK and the satirical elements of the script, many of which are still relevant today. There's also discussion of how the movie divided the critics and, yes, the floating nuns are mentioned. To round off, Hayley and Darren unveil what the next run of episodes is going to focus on (it's something they've been looking to do since the early days of the podcast). We think Mitch Bain's music will live forever. He is, of course, the writer and performer of the music you hear on the podcast. You can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram "The morgue? She'll be furious!"

*** WARNING: This episode contains discussion of topics which some people may find distressing *** Episode 165 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell continue to discuss movies of any year, any genre and any quality. After completing our Final Destination miniseries, there's horror of a very different, much more realistic type this week as we take a look at 2022's ALICE, DARLING. This drama/thriller from director Mary Nighy stars Anna Kendrick as a woman who takes a trip with her friends and slowly comes to realise that she needs to escape the controlling behaviour of her partner. Yes, this is a more serious episode than you may be used to but it's both a film and subject which is well worth covering. Hayley and Darren talk about the unsensational nature of the film, the excellent writing and the terrific performances. There's also a comparison between the actual movie and the movie the audience may think they're getting and why swerving the obvious crowd pleasing moments may not be a bad thing.  The HD Movie Podcast's music is written and performed by Mitch Bain. You can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram We thought the change of tack for this episode was worthwhile. Hope you do too.

Episode 164 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell once again cross the bridge to films of any year, any genre and any quality. It's the final episode of our Final Destination miniseries! At some point we will be covering forthcoming new instalment Bloodlines but for now, there's only five movies to cover and we're rounding off with FINAL DESTINATION 5! This is the one with the impressive bridge collapse and *THAT* twist (which we do discuss, so spoiler alert). Your hosts discuss some new ideas for the franchise, some of the most spectacular kills of the series, a bunch of CGI that isn't terrible and some horrible eye trauma. There's also the welcome return of Tony Todd, an unwelcome sex pest of a character and a load of references pointing to an end that neither Darren nor Hayley spotted. Darren also gets a bit misty eyed over a certain Jacqueline McInnes Wood and we finish the episode by ranking the Final Destination movies (so far) from worst to best! There's no big twist when it comes to our podcast's tunes. As always, they're written and performed by Mitch Bain. You can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram If you want blood, you got it!

Episode 163 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell are here to complete another lap in their ongoing drive to cover movies of any year, any genre and any quality. In the penultimate episode of the current Final Destination miniseries, your hosts take a look at 2009's THE FINAL DESTINATION which, as we now know, wasn't the final one at all but was the one that initially looked to end the franchise with a 3-D bang. Hayley tries out the 3-D home version and that goes just about as well as can be expected. In terms of what's in the actual movie itself, there's discussion of some dodgy CGI, unnecessary racism, gratuitous nudity and a lot of shade thrown on the character of Hunt. Also, there's a talk of how Mykelti Willamson can lift a movie, some director name referencing that's lacking in the prestige of the previous movies' namedrops (although gets to mention Andy Milligan) and the omission of a certain Mr Tony Todd. Hayley also confronts her fear of escalators and Darren confronts his fear of having to watch this movie again. Want another thrill ride? Check out the music of Mitch Bain. Among his many projects, he's the writer and performer of our podcast's tunes and he's on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram "It can't have been that bad..."

Episode 162 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Get ready for another thrill ride around movies of any year, any genre and any quality with your hosts Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell. This week, the podcast hits the midpoint of the Final Destination series. As Ronan Keating once sang, life is a rollercoaster but, in FINAL DESTINATION 3, Death is also a rollercoaster as Mary Elizabeth Winstead avoids a frightening funfair accident but then finds herself and her fellow would-be passengers on the list to be chalked off. Your hosts gets to talk about a double kill that's possibly the nastiest of the series, a kill that Hayley doesn't think is either nasty or prolonged enough, an urban legend about a particular song on the soundtrack and the clever way the iconic Tony Todd is woven into the proceedings this time out. Darren also reveals where he first saw this movie and gets to mention Lost Letter Mysteries (that's Signed, Sealed, Delivered if you're in most places other than the UK). And there's loads more stuff besides, of course. Want another thrill ride? Check out the music of Mitch Bain. Among his many projects, he's the writer and performer of our podcast's tunes and he's on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram Oh, the name of that cop character...

Episode 161 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! What that's just up the road? It's Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell and they're looking at movies of any year, any genre and any quality. As your hosts are currently covering the Final Destination franchise, and as they kicked off this miniseries with the first movie last week, it's time for them to talk FINAL DESTINATION 2! This one does for driving what its predecessor did for air travel. Hayley and Darren discuss returning (and non-returning) characters, some more on the nose soundtrack and surnames choices and a slight shift in the overall tone. There's also convincing CGI logs, vintage internet technology, an aptly-named crew member and, of course, there's the return of genre icon Tony Todd! Rolling along like some musical juggernaut is the music of Mitch Bain. He's the writer and performer of our podcast's tunes and he's on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram "It's over." Of course it isn't!

Episode 160 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Some things are unavoidable, like Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell discussing movies of any year, any genre and any quality. For the next five episodes, your hosts are going to be discussing something else that's unavoidable and that is Death. No, they're not bringing the mood down, that's the central premise of the franchise juggernaut that is FINAL DESTINATION and this week Hayley and Darren are going to be revisiting the 2000 movie that started it all. There's discussion of how the story could have gone to a very well known sci-fi series, as well as the various details which would become touchstones of the following movies. Darren digs out old his old R1 DVD of the movie and reminisces about extras (including the Death Clock), Hayley reveals her first experience of watching the film and there's a dive into the different ending the movie could have had, which leads to a chat about the test screening process for this film. And, of course, there's horror icon Tony Todd to worship! Plus Kristen Cloke if you're Darren (he does NOT take up most of the runtime talking about Kristen, he was warned beforehand). Something else you can't avoid - but why would you want to? - is the music of Mitch Bain, who is the writer and performer of our podcast's tunes. He's on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram If you didn't already know, you'll find out how much the reshoots cost too...

Episode 159 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Movies of any genre, any year and any quality, discussed by Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell. You folks know the drill.  After the previous episode's 80s Arnie action, it's time to come right up to date with the Prime streaming offering YOU'RE CORDIALLY INVITED, starring Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell as two people who book the same venue for the wedding weekends of her sister and his daughter respectively and, as is the case in this type of thing, shenanigans ensue. Your hosts get to grips with a film that doesn't seem entirely sure of what it wants to be and makes some questionable decisions in the name of adding a little edginess. In terms of music, Darren is keen to get involved in a karaoke duet with Reese but has thoughts about the film's score. Meanwhile, Hayley muses about the mean-spiritedness of various set pieces, including a bizarre interlude involving an alligator. Is it another romcom destined to get a thumbs down from HDMP HQ? Someone who will always be cordially invited to our HD shindigs is Mitch Bain, who is the creative force responsible for writing and performing the music you hear on the podcast. He's on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram "Hang on, you just f***ing mentioned Hitler!"

Episode 158 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell are back and heeding the call to discuss more movies of any genre, any year and any quality.  Our first episode of 2025 is the fourth of our ongoing, occasional Spouse's Requests. This time, it's the turn of Hayley's husband Phil to pick the movie and he was hankering for some 1980s Arnie action. Not Commando, we've already talked about that. Not Predator, although it's something we may end up covering. It's the movie that was released in the US in the same year as Predator - it's THE RUNNING MAN! Your hosts dive into a Schwarzenegger thump-a-thon with a side order of light, futuristic satire, complete with Paula Abdul choreography and plenty of interesting casting choices. They also talk about the director merry go round experienced by this movie, a fun bait and switch concerning an on-screen fight you've been waiting the whole movie for, a stop off to mention the author of the source material, some appreciation for quiz show host from hell Richard Dawson and much more, including a sidebar about this year's remake! New year, new episodes, but same great composer, namely Mitch Bain! Mitch, of course, writes and performs the tunes you hear on the podcast. He's on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram We'll be back! And not just in a re-run...

Episode 157 of THE HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell pick at the Christmas Day leftovers and start into the wine, having made sure Santa's buried in a place no one will ever find him. They'll also take a look at a movie of any year, any genre and any quality. The final episode of 2024 is also the final offering of this year's Merry Podmas miniseries and your hosts have unwrapped a post-Xmas treat in the form of Luigi Bazzoni's 1971 giallo THE FIFTH CORD! Franco Nero stars as a boozy journo trying to unravel a series of murders which seem to be connected to a New Year's Eve party he attended. Yes, it's taken giallo fans Hayley and Darren 157 episodes to finally cover a film from this subgenre and it was none which (inexplicably) neither of them had seen before. There's discussion of giallo tropes and how The Fifth Cord either sticks to or subverts them, Darren gets to talk about Daria Nicolodi (even though she's not in this movie) and there's Franco Nero fandom to mention. Your hosts also round off with a brief summary of their podcast year. An auld acquaintance we won't forget is Mitch Bain! If you're one of the folks who has forgotten, Mitch writes and performs the music you hear on the podcast. He's on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram Huge thanks to you all for listening! Have a very Happy New Year and we'll be back in 2025!

Episode 156 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell have made sure the podcast will have enough spare batteries to run through the Xmas period and, as they're here, they'll be talking about a movie from any year, from any genre and of any quality. Before Santa arrives, there's time for a Merry Podmas offering and this week your hosts head to the very festive town of Hope Springs where Lacey Chabert is about to get a yuletide surprise in Netflix's HOT FROSTY! Lacey plays Kathy, a kind-hearted widow who's about to be visited by a buff snowman who's magically come to life. It's the time of year to discuss the merits of PG-rated lust, some terrifying medical notes in a jolly font, more than a couple of references to Brooklyn Nine-Nine, a choreographed dance sequence which threatens to stir up some bad memories and much, much more! Did it get Hayley and Darren into the Christmas spirit? Dashing through the snow on a one horse open sleigh is our musical maestro Mitch Bain! Actually, he probably isn't, but you can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram To all of you listening out there, have a wonderful Christmas!

*** WARNING: This episode contains subjects which some listeners may find distressing *** Episode 155 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell have sneaked out of their respective office Christmas parties to bring you another chat about a film of any year, any genre and any quality. Once more, we bid you a Merry Podmas but how merry is this one going to be? This week's topic of discussion in Terry Zwigoff's BAD SANTA, starring Billy Bob Thornton as a store St. Nick who's out to rob the place, when he's not chugging vodka straight from the bottle or having sex in the changing rooms. It's comedy of the super dark variety. Your hosts try to get to grips with one of the least Christmassy movies ever, one which also uses a certain offensive word with abandon, flirts with racism and homophobia and features a female lead that doesn't appear to have a name. There's clearly a talented cast involved and a commitment to the material but is it all a bit too nihilistic, even for Hayley and Darren? They chew the fat about it. Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but Mitch Bain is so delightful... he writes and performs our musical interludes and you can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram You'll also find out what the three B's are...

Episode 154 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell have decided to talk about world politics this week - nah, just kidding, they're here once again to look at films of any year, any genre and any quality. For the second time this year we wish you a Merry Podmas and after last week's killer Santa mayhem it's time to look at a movie with no focus on Santa whatsoever - it's the 2007 Hallmark festive offering A GRANDPA FOR CHRISTMAS! Ernest Borgnine stars as Bert, a retired actor/song and dance man who finds himself looking after his granddaughter while his estranged daughter recuperates in hospital. Your hosts look at how this one differs from the modern Hallmark template and take time out to appreciate a cast that's chock full of proven US TV talent. Is the kid annoying? Does Bert get to reconcile with his daughter? What's going on with the promo posters for this film? All these questions and more will not be answered on the next episode of Soap but will be answered on this very episode of The HD Movie Podcast! Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but Mitch Bain is so delightful... he writes and performs our musical interludes and you can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram Get ready for some Hallmark-level trauma...

Episode 153 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! It's a podcast about movies of any year, any genre and any quality discussed by (H)ayley Alice Roberts and (D)arren Gaskell. We don't do clever titles. It's time once again to bid you a Merry Podmas as your hosts bring you a short run of festive fare, beginning with the thoroughly Christmassy SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT, featuring a serial killer dressed up as Santa, punishing those on his naughty list. This movie stirred up a lot of controversy on its release, so Hayley and Darren get into the moral dilemmas of using the image of a beloved holiday figure as a murderer but also take a look at the interesting psychological angles the story includes, making it somewhat different than the usual slasher fare even if it still throws in a bit of sleaze from time to time. There's also discussion of some genuinely well-mounted suspense sequences, some kid v Claus violence, an utterly crap police for, one of the most unintentionally hilarious accidental slayings ever and an early appearance of scream queen Linnea Quigley. Is this one to get our hosts into the festive spirit? Well, maybe not... After all this time, do we need to tell you who writes and performs our music? We'll do it anyway! It's Mitch Bain and you can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram "He couldn't hear it."

Episode 152 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a podcast in which Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell talk movies of any year, any genre and any quality. Our vampire movie miniseries draws to a close with J. S. Cardone's 2001 film THE FORSAKEN! Mr. Cardone made The Slayer, a spooky 80s flick which Darren liked and which got into bother with the BBFC (that's not just why Darren liked it). Later he provided the screenplays for the remakes of Prom Night and The Stepfather, which were not nearly as good. Your hosts talk about the film's view of its female characters in an era in which Buffy was flying high. There's also an interesting choice of head vampire to get their teeth into, some sporadically nasty violence, a couple of tenuous links to Crime Scene Investigation, a spoken word rendition of a Metallica song and some problematic usage of a particular word. The film was inspired by Near Dark, so Hayley and Darren are more than ready to compare last week's vamp movie with this week's. For the final time this year, you get the chance to hear our spooky Halloween theme, which is written and performed by Mitch Bain. You can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram "Things explode for no reason..."

Episode 151 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Get ready for another discussion between Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell about a movie of any year, any genre and any quality. Our vampire movie miniseries continues with a film that was once thought lost - it's Kathryn Bigelow's NEAR DARK! We're still in 1987 for a film which was released a few months after The Lost Boys and more or less disappeared in its wake. It's now ripe for rediscovery and Darren explains why he's such a big fan of it. On the other hand, it's a first watch for Hayley after she managed to track down a copy. Did she enjoy it nearly as much as her co-host? There's also chat about distribution issues, misleading tag lines, some James Cameron-inspired casting, the film's status as a bonafide work of art and so much more besides, including a sidebar on Twilight (yes, it's kind of connected to Near Dark). Do you really think your hosts are fans of that one? Our spooky Halloween theme gets another welcome airing. It's written and performed by Mitch Bain, but you already knew that. You can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram Sparkly vampires can f*** off.

The HD Movie Podcast hits 150 episodes! As usual, Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell are here but this week they're not looking at a specific movie of any year, any genre and any quality. A hundred and fifty episodes! How did we get here? We're not quite sure, but we did. Hayley and Darren would like to express their sincere thanks to everyone who's checked out the podcast, whether it's one episode or the whole bloody lot of them! Love to you all. For this landmark episode, your hosts return to the well of movie-related misrememberings in MANDELA EFFECT: THE FINAL CHAPTER! Get ready for an hour of weird and wacky stuff, including an actor who is a bonafide Mandela Effect generator, song lyrics that aren't (but then are, but then aren't) and much, much more besides, including a trip back to the world of Sinbad genie movie Shazam which unveils a big twist that may hold the key to the entire mystery! Our theme music is still in place for the 150th episode and it is, of course, written and performed by Mitch Bain. You can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram Kazaam! Shazam! Shazzan!

Episode 149 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell choose a movie of any year, any genre and any quality - as long as the genre is "vampires" this week! After starting their vampire miniseries in the 1930s, it's time for fast forward five decades into the primo vamp territory of 1987. How could we not cover THE LOST BOYS? There's no need to answer that question because this week's film is THE LOST BOYS as director Joel Schumacher attempts to put the stench of his previous flick St. Elmo's Fire far behind him. Your hosts step into a world of video shops, fashions the world forgot and a fanged menace terrorising a California coastal town. There's two Coreys, classic rules to beat the bloodsuckers, glittery blood, an out of place Reform School Girls poster, an iconic soundtrack, audience-pleasing action and much, much more! But does Hayley and Darren's nostalgia for it reveal a movie that isn't quite as good as they remembered? All will be revealed...  Spooky movies deserve spooky music, which comes courtesy of our amazing Halloween theme, written and performed by Mitch Bain. You can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram I STILL BELIEVE!

Episode 148 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell pick out a movie from any year, of any genre and of any quality, then talk about it! The podcast is back (at least for a few weeks) after its post-Summer Of Sharks break, just in time for Spooky Season! As horror movie fans and reviewers, your hosts don't need an excuse to kick off Halloween early and this year HDMP HQ is focused on vampires with four very different examples of the subgenre to get your fangs into. First up, we're going all the way back to 1931 for a classic Universal chiller as the unforgettable Bela Lugosi starts in DRACULA! This might seem a bit creaky in this day and age but your hosts found plenty to enjoy in terms of impressive set design, a number of genuinely atmospheric moments and, of course, an iconic performance from Lugosi (who almost didn't get the part - that's also covered here). Hayley and Darren also chat about the movie's approach to the original Bram Stoker source material, its seminal Drac v Van Helsing face-off, some niftily appropriated footage, the film's issues with censorship and much, much more, including one of the most theatrical (and inaccurate) attempts at a Cockney accent from the character of Martin. You don't get the Summer Of Sharks theme this time out but it's that time of year at which we can roll out our awesome Halloween tune, which is written and performed by Mitch Bain. You can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram Gaw bloimey, Guvnaar!

Episode 147 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Movies of any year, any genre and any quality are discussed by your hosts Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell. Before the podcast takes a short break, it's the last episode of our Summer Of Sharks And Friends miniseries! Of course, we have to round things off with a shark movie, which just happens to be 2012's GREAT WHITE starring Katrina Bowden. She was in the cast of Hayley/Darren favourite Tucker And Dale Versus Evil. Is Great White as good? Well... Hayley and Darren talk about how this film often reminded them of a few other shark movies and how it's a perfect way to end the miniseries because of how it plays out. There's also discussion of an oddly relaxed approach to corpse discovery, a middle act which seems to run for a couple of weeks and a cracker of a closing credit song. Also, what's next for Summer Of Sharks? In addition to the film chat, there's one more chance to catch the excellent Summer Of Sharks theme, written and performed by Mitch Bain. You can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram We hope you enjoyed this year's Summer Of Sharks And Friends!

Episode 146 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Do we need to explain the format again? Of course we do! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell cover movies of any year, any genre and any quality. The penultimate film in our Summer Of Sharks And Friends miniseries is a doozy - it's 2014's ZOMBEAVERS! "Contaminated by toxic goo, a random genetic mistake" is how the theme song goes and it's not wrong as a group of college kids has their idyllic break at the lake rudely interrupted by the undead critters of the title. Your hosts discuss how the movie plays dumb but is actually pretty smart as it subverts the many tropes of the horror genre, including its treatment of the slasher's movie penchant for gratuitous nudity. There's also another chance to play Does The Dog Die?, as well as discussion of a sneaky reference to Die Hard and some hilarious and brilliant practical effects. You're safe, folks - Darren does not sing the theme song. However, Darren is still planning to perform a big band rendition of the Zombeavers song with none other than Mitch Bain, who wrote the excellent Summer Of Sharks theme and, of course, the rest of the tunes on the podcast. You can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram Zombeavers, baby!

Episode 145 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! You probably know this already, but Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell are here again to talk movies of any year, any genre and any quality. It's film number eight of our Summer Of Sharks And Friends miniseries and this week we're heading Down Under as a boat trip goes badly wrong in ROGUE! Greg McLean's 2007 (or is it 2008?) croc movie features some well known Aussie actors but your hosts don't go on about which of them appeared in Neighbours. Well, okay, Darren goes on about it once. This episode's chat also takes a look at McLean and croc flick alumnus Jon Jarratt in a slightly different role than you might expect, as well as taking in the breathtaking scenery and aggressive wildlife, which leads to a real life story about an amusing but ultimately unspectacular face off with an emu. There's also a focus on McLean's handling of the suspense sequences and his particularly evil variation on Does The Dog Die? Our very own croc(k) at the end of the rainbow is the multi-talented Mitch Bain, who writes and performs the tunes you hear on the podcast and yes, that does include the fabulous Summer Of Sharks theme. You can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram "The croc wlll learn your routine..." - probably waiting around for us on Thursday afternoons in the UK then!

Episode 144 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! It's Hayley Alice Roberts. It's Darren Gaskell. It's movies of any year, any genre and any quality. Summer Of Sharks And Friends continues and this week your hosts are having a whale of a time (sorry about that non-joke) with ORCA! Richard Harris plays a fisherman out to make some cash by capturing the titular beast and makes a catastrophic mistake, triggering a tale of revenge from the deep. Hayley and Darren talk about the surprisingly serious approach the film takes, as well as its noteworthy score by Ennio Morricone. There's also discussion of the critical drubbing the film was given on its release, a look at when PG may not be PG, the slightly odd use of a Charlotte Rampling voiceover and a look at whether or not this really is Death Wish with Charles Bronson being played by the whale. Our very own Morricone is Mitch Bain, who also writes and performs the tunes you hear on the podcast including the terrific Summer Of Sharks theme. You can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram How was Charlotte Rampling's character not bloody freezing?

Episode 143 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! If it's a film of any year, any genre and any quality, there's a good chance Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell will want to discuss it. Five down, five to go in our Summer And Sharks And Friends miniseries and our aquatic menace this week is a croc in Steve Miner's LAKE PLACID! This 1999 flick was written by the prolific David E. Kelley and once we've made our way through just some of his many credits, it's on with the chat!  Your hosts discuss Steve Miner's early movies, they play Does The Cow Die?, let Brendan Gleeson's accent slide and ponder why someone would ever cheat on Bridget Fonda. There are also the delights of an increasingly foul-mouthed Betty White, a twinge of nostalgia for Hayley as she casts her mind back to experiencing one of her first gore sequences and a look at this film's SyFy sequels. Tell you what isn't a crock - it's the Summer Of Sharks theme by Mitch Bain, who also writes and performs the other tunes you hear on the podcast. You can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch". You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram Friday The 13th Part 3 is under-appreciated and you all know it!

Episode 142 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell are here too, ready to discuss movies of any year, any genre and any quality. Summer Of Sharks And Friends pivots back to sharks this week, with the recent Netflix hit UNDER PARIS under scrutiny. The movie is literally In Seine as the French capital is under attack from a predator which has clearly watched Jaws: The Revenge. Aside from Darren's dodgy French pronunciation, your hosts talk about how Euro shark fare can differ from that from the good old U. S. of A., as well as the alternate viewing experiences of dubbing versus subtitles, how this film seems to suggest that environmentalists are a bunch of twats and whether or not Kiki The Dog makes it to the end credits. Plus a whole lot more, of course. Synonymous with our shark movie coverage is the cracking Summer Of Sharks theme by Mitch Bain. You can find him on social media: @whoelsebutmitch on X, evertheoptimitch on Instagram. You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram Mon Dieu! Zut alors! And so on...

Episode 141 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Any movie. Any genre. Any quality. But not just any hosts: you're getting Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell. After last episode's look at 1978's PIRANHA, Summer Of Sharks And Friends continues with a look at 2010's, er, Piranha. Alexandra Aja took on a few remakes, of which this is one, and upped the ante with more blood, more boobs and more of other stuff beginning with "b"! Your hosts talk about the various items which are shoved in the face of the audience, the effect of soundtracking gratuitous nudity with classical music, some canny casting choices and how it stacks up against Joe Dante's original. There's also a revelation as to whether or not the Pixies are cool and Darren plays a game of Spot The Adult Movie Star.  Do you think "That Summer Of Sharks theme tune is good"? You'd be right. It's composed and performed by Mitch Bain and you can find him on social media: @whoelsebutmitch on X, evertheoptimitch on Instagram. You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on X and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram Amity Beer...

Episode 140 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! If a movie is being discussed by Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell, it could be from any year, from any genre and of any quality. Our Summer Of Sharks And Friends miniseries continues with the first detour into the "And Friends" portion of the title. The focus is still on a fishy menace, but a smaller one and with hundreds, if not thousands, of their mates in tow. We take a look at Joe Dante's PIRANHA from 1978! The year should suggest that this Roger Corman production was an attempt to cash in on the Jaws movies and your hosts get into that lawsuit bait, as well as the general Corman ethos regarding low-budget movie making and the Oscar-winning talent those films spawned. Hayley and Darren also play spot the horror icon, shout out their love for practical effects, discover if the dog dies and talk remakes. We might not be covering sharks this week but that's no excuse not to feature our awesome Summer Of Sharks theme tune by our Cap'n of composing that is Mitch Bain! You can find him on social media: @whoelsebutmitch on Twitter, evertheoptimitch on Instagram. You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on Twitter and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on Twitter, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on Twitter, darren_gaskell on Instagram "Terror. Horror. Death. Film at 11."

Episode 139 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell cover movies of any genre, any year and any quality. They're not especially choosy. It's time for the second of our Summer Of Sharks And Friends miniseries and we're sticking to the sharks this week as the movie in question is 2023's DEEP FEAR! Naomi's solo yacht trip turns into a nightmare as she rescues some folks who turn out to be drug traffickers and they want their product back! Trouble is, it's in shark-infested waters... Made by Brilliant Pictures, did this actually turn out to be a brilliant picture? Well, not exactly. Your hosts discuss the various ways Deep Fear went wrong (and a couple of ways it went right), including a lead character with a traumatic past, a boyfriend that's kind of dull, an opportunity to go full Cocaine Shark that isn't even considered and a lot more besides. The Beaster Bunny gets another mention too, as does Surrounded. Remember that one? We do. Speaking of deep fear, there's another chance to hear Mitch Bain's atmospheric Summer Of Sharks theme tune! You can find him on social media: @whoelsebutmitch on Twitter, evertheoptimitch on Instagram. You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you. You can find the hosts on Twitter and Instagram too! Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on Twitter, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram Darren: @darren_gaskell on Twitter, darren_gaskell on Instagram Yeah, the music's all right...