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?