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...