The HD Movie Podcast

Episode 137: We'll Be There For You #6 - The Pallbearer

Episode 137 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell discuss movies of any year, any genre and any quality. It's their M.O.
For the final time - at least for this miniseries - We'll Be There For You as the Friends-related discussion reaches its ultimate destination with David Schwimmer starring as THE PALLBEARER! Tom is asked to give the eulogy of classmate Bill Abernathy but there's a problem - Tom doesn't remember Bill at all. He's also distracted by the re-appearance of his high school crush Julie, played by Gwyneth Paltrow.
With an excellent cast and a somewhat melancholy approach to the romcom, does this early effort from blockbuster director Matt Reeves hit the spot? Your hosts discuss comedies which lean into the cringe factor of everyday situations, they look at the obvious comparisons to The Graduate and dig into a movie which may not be trying to alienate its audience but might end up doing anyway.
Also, as it's the final film of this miniseries, Hayley and Darren rank the movies covered from worst to best. If you've been listening over the last few weeks, it probably won't come as a surprise when you find out what's been picked as the worst one. 
Tom may not remember Bill, but we have the unforgettable Mitch Bain on board, supplying us with our tunes. You can find him on social media: @whoelsebutmitch on Twitter, evertheoptimitch on Instagram.
You can follow and contact the Podcast on 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
Does the nightmare chimp get a mention this time? Of course it does!

Episode 136: We'll Be There For You #5 - Fools Rush In

Episode 136 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell are here to discuss all of your gardening queries! Actually, that's not true. The subject is, as usual, movies of any year, any genre and any quality.
For the penultimate time in this miniseries, We'll Be There For You and in this episode our Friends-related film review features the late, great Matthew Perry in FOOLS RUSH IN! Salma Hayek also stars in this 1990s romcom about two mismatched folks who hit it off in Las Vegas and have to make some very big decisions.
Can Hayley cope with yet another romcom on the podcast? Can Darren cope with Killer Klowns From Outer Space actress Suzanne Snyder being in the cast? Can they both cope from the continuing fallout from last week's episode on Ed? All of these questions and many more will be answered and you'll also find out which song was chosen for the first dance when Darren got married. Not that you needed to know that, but it's here. All in all, it's an emotional one.
The movie may posit the idea that "dating is stupid" but if you want to do something smart, get Mitch Bain involved with your podcast! He writes and performs our music and you can find him on social media: @whoelsebutmitch on Twitter, evertheoptimitch on Instagram.
You can follow and contact the Podcast on 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
Thanks for all of the laughs, Matthew. RIP.

Episode 135: We'll Be There For You #4 - Ed

Episode 135 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell hit the airwaves once again to talk about movies of any year, any genre and any quality.
We'll Be There For You once more as our Friends-related miniseries switches from the female cast members to the male ones and do we have something special for you this week - it's ED, starring Matt Le Blanc as a promising baseball pitcher whose life is changed with the arrival of a chimpanzee who is meant to be the team mascot but ends up playing at third base.
With a synopsis like this, how could Ed fail? Well, in any number of ways, and your hosts cover quite a lot of those in between marvelling at just how bad this film is. There's also the matter of some questionable humour in a PG film, some incorrect adjectives courtesy of Google, some well known faces in the cast and some doubt as to how proud the studio was of the end product. There's also the quite frankly terrifying title character to discuss too.
Someone who always hits a home run for us is Mitch Bain, who writes and performs the music your hear on the podcast. You can find him on social media: @whoelsebutmitch on Twitter, evertheoptimitch on Instagram.
You can follow and contact the Podcast on 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
We rented this.

Episode 134: We'll Be There For You #3 - Romy And Michele's High School Reunion (Guest: Faye Ellis)

Episode 134 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! If it's a movie, Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell will consider covering it regardless of genre, year or quality.
For the third time, your hosts will be there for you (when the rain starts to fall etc.) as they continue their miniseries on films featuring one of the main cast of Friends! This time, it's a film which Darren has been looking to cover on the podcast since pretty much day one - it's ROMY AND MICHELE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION starring Lisa Kudrow, who is obviously Phoebe Buffay in that very well known sitcom. Duh.
We also have a special guest this week to talk about David Mirkin's 1997 comedy - it's one third of the I Spit On Your Grades crew, it's none other than Faye Ellis! Faye and Darren are big fans of Romy and Michele so it was amazing than Hayley got a word in edgeways and the whole thing didn't turn into a quote fest.
In addition to finding out what first time viewer Hayley thought of the film, Darren reveals which Romy and Michele character he is (it's NOT Romy or Michele). There's coverage of the different UK versions of the film, further connections to not only Friends but also Quentin Tarantino, what to say when someone is eliminated from Masterchef and when you can't be angry at someone. Plus loads more besides!
A popular guy at the HDMP reunion would certainly be Mitch Bain, who writes and performs our tunes. You can find him on social media: @whoelsebutmitch on Twitter, evertheoptimitch on Instagram.
You can follow and contact the Podcast on 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
A big thank you to Faye for joining us on this episode!

Episode 133: We'll Be There For You #2 - Commandments

Episode 133 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell take yet another look at movies of any year, any genre and any quality.
Once again, we'll be there for you as it's the second episode of our Friends-related miniseries! Last week, your hosts kicked things off with Jennifer Aniston in The Object Of My Affection, now it's the turn of Courteney Cox. Lots of us know her as neat freak Monica Geller (later Geller-Bing) but in 1997 she also starred in the romantic comedy COMMANDMENTS, which features Aidan Quinn as a bloke who's had enough of his misfortune and decides to go up against God by breaking all ten of the...well, the title gives a fairly big hint.
It's a first watch for both Hayley and Darren and it's safe to say that the film was not entirely what they were expecting. They investigate the curious case of the narration in this tale, in addition to discussing some heavyweight production talent, a number of loose plot threads, a few passing nods to Biblical happenings and the big, overriding question of who this film could actually be aimed at. Plus their assessment of Courteney's performance, of course.
You know what would be a sin? Ignoring the music of Mitch Bain, that's what! Mitch writes and performs HDMP's various tunes and you can find him on social media: @whoelsebutmitch on Twitter, evertheoptimitch on Instagram.
You can follow and contact the Podcast on 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
"Coveting!"

Episode 132: We'll Be There For You #1 - The Object Of My Affection

Episode 132 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell may not be here to tell you life was gonna be this way but they are here to look at films of any genre, any year and any quality!
It's miniseries time again! Over the next six episodes, your hosts will be taking a look at something from the filmography of each of the main cast members from that little known sitcom Friends. You might have seen the odd episode. If you haven't, it doesn't matter.
First up is Rachel Green herself - aka Jennifer Aniston - in 1998's THE OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION! Jen plays a social worker who finds herself pregnant and decides to raise the child with her gay best friend, played by some guy called Paul Rudd. You might have seen him in other stuff. If you haven't, it doesn't matter.
As Hayley isn't exactly the biggest fan of the romcom genre, did this somewhat quirkier effort change her mind about this type of movie? Your hosts also talk about the lack of a genuine bad guy in the story, some unexpectedly messy plot developments and more focus on the supporting cast than usual. In addition, Darren is also on "Allison Janney Watch".
Another (Central) perk of the podcast is the music of Mitch Bain, who writes and performs the tunes you hear within. You can find him on social media: @whoelsebutmitch on Twitter, evertheoptimitch on Instagram.
You can follow and contact the Podcast on 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
This podcast is not on a break...

Episode 131: The Babysitter

Episode 131 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell return from their Return To The Mandela Effect and head back to discussing movies of any year, any genre and any quality.
After mentioning it during last week's episode, your hosts decided to take a look at 1995's THE BABYSITTER, starring Alicia Silverstone as a, er, babysitter who turns out to be subject of many male fantasies. It's based on a well-regarded short story by Robert Coover, so does the movie do justice to its source material?
Hayley and Darren talk about the non-linear approach of the film, its focus on toxic masculinity and some very uncomfortable sequences. They also discuss how Alicia Silverstone came to star in a movie full of canny casting choices and how this offered something truly different in a sea of 90s straight to video erotic thrillers.
One guy we know who's a decent sort is Mitch Bain, who writes and performs the tunes you hear on the podcast. You can find him on social media: @whoelsebutmitch on Twitter, evertheoptimitch on Instagram.
You can follow and contact the Podcast on 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
Even the kid's a perv in this one...

Episode 130: Return To The Mandela Effect

Episode 130 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell would normally be here to cover a movie of any year, any genre and any quality but things are slightly different this week.
After a gap of fifty episodes, your hosts thought it was time to take another look at those weird collective memories of something that never happened - yes, it's time to RETURN TO THE MANDELA EFFECT!
Hayley and Darren are back with five more movie-related examples of the Mandela Effect (and maybe a couple of bonus ones along the way). Get ready for misremembered lines from Home Alone, non-existent facial trappings from a Bond movie, casting confusion from Fear, dead celebs who are very much alive and, of course, a catch-up with those latest Shazam goings-on.
Someone who definitely isn't a fake memory is the one and only Mitch Bain, whose tunes definitely exist on the podcast. You can find him on social media: @whoelsebutmitch on Twitter, evertheoptimitch on Instagram.
You can follow and contact the Podcast on 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
Can you tell if it's your original Dad?

Episode 129: Spouse's Request #3 - Love At First Sight

Episode 129 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell are back after their Easter break with another run of episodes covering movies from any year, from any genre and of any quality.
It's time for another Spouse's Request episode and it's the turn of Darren's long-suffering wife Alison to choose the movie, which is 2023's LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT! It's a twist on the classic rom com, it stars Haley Lu Richardson and Oliver Jones and right now you can see it on Netflix.
It's a film which leans heavily on probability, so what's the probability that your hosts will like this one? They also talk a time-warping trans-Atlantic flight, the London transport system, a choice of narrator that seems clever but is mostly irritating and much, much more, including a chat about one of the drippiest soundtracks ever recorded. 
One person who would never turn up on a drippy soundtrack is Mitch Bain, whose robust tunes feature on the podcast. You can find him on social media: @whoelsebutmitch on Twitter, evertheoptimitch on Instagram.
You can follow and contact the Podcast on 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
"You didn't think that was the whole story, did you?"

Episode 128: The Beaster Bunny

Episode 128 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell are here to bring you an Easter Special that's basically not all that special - they're talking about a movie, as they often do.
At some point, Darren is going to get his wish of covering Night Of The Lepus but for now, here's another killer rabbit movie in the shape of THE BEASTER BUNNY! Your hosts take a look at this 2014 comedy horror flick which spoofs monster movies and features a creature which is interesting in its design, to say the least.
Hayley and Darren talk about the inevitable nods to Jaws, some extremely unconvincing gore, some extremely gratuitous nudity and some extremely random jokes. There's also a sidebar on softcore pornography, genuine puzzlement when the budget for The Beaster Bunny is revealed and all of the chat boils down to the ultimate question: Is this the worst movie covered on the podcast so far?
On this religious weekend, it's only right that we worship at the Church of Mitch Bain, who writes and performs the tunes you hear on the podcast. You can find him on social media: @whoelsebutmitch on Twitter, evertheoptimitch on Instagram.
You can follow and contact the Podcast on 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
How do you think the rabbit got so big?