Highbrow Lowbrow

Volker Schlöndorff Special: The Ogre vs. The Handmaid's Tale

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...

Nicolas Roeg Special: Eureka vs. Castaway

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...

Christmas Carvery: Black Christmas vs. Violent Night

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....

Halloween Special: The Lair Of The White Worm vs. Ghostwatch

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...

Olivia De Havilland Special: The Snake Pit vs. Lady In A Cage

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...