Dark Natter

You knew this one was coming... the lads have been busy devouring every last morsel of FromSoftware's new Elden Ring expansion ever since its release, and having filled their bellies with this astonishingly generous banquet, they're now ready to talk about it! But did it live up to the developer's usual astonishingly high standards, or was this a course too many... and will this annoying food metaphor ever end? Find out now!

Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

The talented and likeable David Dastmalchian has made a career out of being a creepy weirdo, but how does he fare as the leading man in this movie about a late night chat show that goes wildly wrong when it decides to invite along a guest named Lily...? Find out what the boys made of this horror rollercoaster, and also its unexpected influences!

Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Liam and Jon are joined by their pal Aaron to talk about a book and movie series that's dear to their withered, black hearts: Lord Of The Rings! The usual wide-ranging chat encompasses everything from forgotten characters like Tom Bombadil to debating which regional accent best suits an orc... but will one of the greatest works of fiction ever written have what it takes to make it into the Hall of Pain?? Spoiler alert: obviously yes.

Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

We're conscious we've got some new listeners in this third season who might be unfamiliar with our show, and also might be interested to find out some of the illustrious dark fiction names, franchises and experiences that have been trapped errrr we mean inducted into the Hall of Pain over the years - so here's a little bonus episode where we go back over some of the highlights, lowlights and memories as our little podcast hurtles towards its fifth birthday!

Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

This season has definitely gone a bit fantasy-y, and to keep the trend going Jon and Liam are discussing one of the most revered video games of all time (as well as the first instalment of its remake trilogy): Square Enix's seminal Final Fantasy VII! Find out if the lads are still moved to tears by THAT death scene, or if the shine of new materia has worn off over the years...

Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

The Last Of Us video games are already safely ensconced in a delightful, mushroom-coloured suite in the Hall of Pain... but what about HBO's attempt to bring the massively popular (and divisive) games to the telly? Jon and Liam discuss what the show gets right, including THAT episode (still thinking of you, Bill and Frank...)

Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Jon considers himself the world's biggest Silent Hill fan, and Liam has also been a lifelong series aficionado - so when Konami FINALLY released the first new console game in the franchise in an entire decade, the lads couldn't resist recording a special episode to revisit the fog-shrouded town.

But was this (weird) new release worth the wait, or has Konami mist the mark? (Sorry.)

Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Jon and Liam are massive fans of From Software's rock hard dark fantasy games, and Elden Ring is the biggest and most renowned of them all... but has the formula become too fat and bloated to fit through the doors of the Hall of Pain?? Tune in to find out what the lads made of Miyazaki's latest epic adventure!!

Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

The lads are dropping a new episode slightly ahead of schedule because Jon is naffing off for a bit in order to get married! Almost as horrifying as the life that awaits his long-suffering partner is this episode's topic, Chris Carter's staggeringly popular and enduring series, The X-Files... join us to find out whether Mulder & Scully can avoid the attentions of aliens, monsters and an ageing chainsmoker to sneak into the Hall of Pain!

Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Another revered horror franchise gets the Dark Natter treatment, and after already escaping somehow unscathed from Halloween, Friday 13th and Nightmare On Elm Street the boys thought it was time to tackle Wes Craven's self aware slasher series, Scream!! Highlights include the usual bickering over ranking the movies, and the revelation that Jon is a passionate Matthew Lillard fan...

Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!