Welcome to Highbrow Lowbrow. The show where our podcast hosts Steve Powell and Dan Slattery pit high art against low culture.

In this episode dedicated to the films of German director Volker Schlöndorff, Steve discusses The Ogre, a World War Two drama which was never theatrically released in the US or UK but features one of John Malkovich's finest performances.

Dan's choice is The Handmaid's Tale. This big-screen adaptation of Margaret Atwood's classic novel has been somewhat overshadowed by the television version, but Dan argues that it shouldn't be ignored.

Will we convert you into Schlondorff aficionados, dear listener? Let's find out. Beware spoilers. Enjoy the show...

Welcome to Highbrow Lowbrow, the show where our podcast hosts Steve Powell and Dan Slattery pit high art against low culture.

In this episode dedicated to the work of Nicolas Roeg, we look at two films helmed by one of Britain’s most avant-garde directors.

Steve’s pick is Eureka, a big-budget disaster that nearly destroyed Roeg’s career when it was released. Steve argues that its arty mix of colonial-era murder mystery and Caribbean courtroom drama is an overlooked gem.

Dan’s choice is Castaway, in which Amanda Donohoe and Oliver Reed agree to spend a year living together on a deserted, tropical island. Will they survive the forces of nature and being in each other’s company for all that time?

We hope you enjoy our Nicolas Roeg choices, and as for which is best, as always, dear listener, the final decision is up to you. Beware spoilers, and enjoy the show...

Welcome to Highbrow Lowbrow, the show where our podcast hosts Steve Powell and Dan Slattery pit high art against low culture.

In this claret-themed episode, Steve watches sorority sisters come to a sticky end in Black Christmas, the film that launched a thousand slasher movies. Just where are those phone calls coming from?

Dan's pick sees (the real) Santa brutally dispatch some home invaders using ice skates and candy canes during one Violent Night. But will little Trudy's parents kiss and make up?

Our Christmas Carvery is open for business, dear listener. Come and feast your ears, mind the spoilers and enjoy the slay-ride....

Welcome to Highbrow Lowbrow, the show where our podcast hosts Steve Powell and Dan Slattery pit high art against low culture.

In this special Halloween-themed episode, we look at two films which are guaranteed to send a shiver down your spine.

Steve’s pick is Ken Russell’s The Lair of the White Worm. Russell’s screenplay mixes Bram Stoker’s final novel with Lambton Worm mythology with devilishly good results. This is also the film which seared Amanda Donohue, Hugh Grant and Peter Capaldi into the public consciousness. Once seen, it’s never forgotten.

Dan’s choice is the mockumentary Ghostwatch. Established BBC presenters Michael Parkinson, Craig Charles, Sarah Greene and others are roped into an elaborate hoax played on the British public. Is the Early family of Foxhill Drive really living in a haunted house? Ghostwatch provides the answer with chills, laughs and moral panics along the way.

We hope you enjoy our Halloween choices, and please don’t have nightmares. Mind the spoilers. Enjoy the show...

Welcome to Highbrow Lowbrow, the show where our podcast hosts Steve Powell and Dan Slattery pit high art against low culture.

In this special episode devoted to the pioneering acting career of Olivia de Havilland, we look at two of de Havilland’s standout performances.

Dan’s highbrow pick is The Snake Pit, a psychological drama that was both controversial and ground-breaking in its portrayal of mental health issues when it was released in 1948 and still packs a punch today.

Steve’s lowbrow choice is Lady In A Cage, in which an electrical fault causes de Havilland to be stranded in her mobility lift, where she is terrorised by a gang of home invaders.

We hope our choices pay a fitting tribute to the strength and longevity of de Havilland’s extraordinary career. Beware spoilers and enjoy the show...

Welcome to Highbrow Lowbrow, the show where our podcast hosts Steve Powell and Dan Slattery pit high art against low culture.

In this special episode devoted to the work of actor/dancer/writer and director Christopher Walken, we look at two of Walken’s finest performances.

Dan’s highbrow pick is At Close Range, in which Walken’s psychopath gang leader comes undone when his son, played by Sean Penn, does not inherit the sins of the father.

Steve’s lowbrow choice is the James Bond film A View To A Kill, in which he argues that Walken’s performance as the villainous Max Zorin has made this formerly underrated Bond film become one of the most loved additions to the series.

We hope our choices do justice to Mr Walken’s extraordinary career. Beware spoilers and enjoy the show...

Welcome to Highbrow Lowbrow, the show where our podcast hosts Steve Powell and Dan Slattery pit high art against low culture.

In this episode, we look at two classic Hammer Horror films.

Steve’s pick is The Nanny, a chilling psychological thriller in which Bette Davis plays a babysitter that you won’t be rushing out to hire to look after your kids.

Dan’s choice is The Woman In Black: Angel Of Death. While he concedes that it is not the most successful take on Susan Hill’s spinetingling tale, it still has enough scares to be worth your time.

We hope our choices don’t leave you too afraid of the dark, dear listener. If things get too frightening, keep reminding yourself… it’s only a movie. It’s only a movie. Beware spoilers and the shadows. Enjoy the show...

Welcome to Highbrow Lowbrow, the show where our podcast hosts Steve Powell and Dan Slattery pit high art against low culture.

In this special comedy-themed episode, we look at two films which are guaranteed to have you rolling in the aisles.

Steve’s pick is Noises Off, an adaptation of Michael Frayn’s play within a play in which everything goes horribly and hilariously wrong!

Dan’s choice is The Tall Guy, in which Jeff Goldblum’s struggling actor comes to terms with life, love and Weetabix without milk.

We hope our rib-tickling choices will leave your sides on the brink of splitting, dear listener. Prepare to turn that frown upside down and, as always, beware spoilers and enjoy the show....