Don't Press Play Podcast

If you go down to the woods today you better leave a 5 star review on this podcast! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/don-t-press-play-podcast--6640070/support .

A wild, weird and wonderful trip to the afterlife! Heres my thoughts on Beetlejuice the Musical on the West End stage Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/don-t-press-play-podcast--6640070/support .

What begins as a simple highway encounter between two siblings quickly unfolds into something far more unsettling: a story about curiosity as a fatal flaw, the collapse of safety in liminal spaces, and the terror of discovering that some questions are better left unanswered. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/don-t-press-play-podcast--6640070/support .

This week on Summer-Ween, Alex dives into one of the most unsettling horror films of the 2000s: Open Water (2003).  Inspired by the real-life disappearance of Tom and Eileen Lonergan, Open Water tells the story of a couple accidentally left behind during a scuba diving excursion, stranded in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight and no rescue on the horizon. But what makes the film so terr...

The Strangers Chapter 3 might be one of the most disappointing horror movies I’ve seen in a long time… and I’m breaking down exactly why. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/don-t-press-play-podcast--6640070/support .

We dive into the latest news surrounding a remake of The Blair Witch Project. What’s confirmed, what’s rumor, and whether this found-footage classic should be revisited at all Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/don-t-press-play-podcast--6640070/support .

Scream 7 is a disaster, it’s a step backward. A film that plays it too safe, repeats old ideas, and proves that even a franchise built on reinventing horror… can fall into its own formula. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/don-t-press-play-podcast--6640070/support .

Scream VI marks the first film in the franchise without Sidney Prescott, and that changes everything. As Don’t Press Play begins the countdown to Scream 7, host Alex breaks down whether Scream VI (2023) can survive without its original final girl. From Ghostface’s brutal New York rampage to the rise of the Core Four, this episode explores how the franchise evolves when Sidney isn’t there to save t...

Through the story of Tilikum, an orca captured from the wild and held in captivity for over three decades, Blackfish exposes the hidden costs of marine park entertainment. The episode also honours the life of trainer Dawn Brancheau, whose death became a turning point in the global conversation around captive orcas and human responsibility. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.c...

In this episode of the Don’t Press Play Podcast, I dive deep into Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass’ unsettling found-footage masterpiece. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/don-t-press-play-podcast--6640070/support .

From weak character writing to recycled scares, this sequel feels like a cheap imitation of what made the original so haunting. Join Alex for a brutally honest breakdown of why The Strangers: Chapter 2 fails to deliver the tension, atmosphere, and emotional weight fans were hoping for. We’ll unpack where the storytelling went wrong, how the direction missed the mark, and why this follow-up might m...

Ghostface is back! Watch my full reaction and breakdown of the brand new SCREAM 7 (2025) Official Trailer Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/don-t-press-play-podcast--6640070/support .

In this episode of Don’t Press Play Podcast, Alex reviews The Human Centipede 2 - a film even more disturbing, shocking, and grotesque than you remember. From duct tape and scissors to pure exploitation horror, find out why this is the most horrific movie experience ever. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/don-t-press-play-podcast--6640070/support .

Alex delves into The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007), the disturbing found-footage horror film once thought to be “lost” for a decade. From its creepy faux-documentary style to its cult status, we explore why this film still haunts horror fans today Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/don-t-press-play-podcast--6640070/support .

In this episode of Don’t Press Play, Alex dives deep into the 2010 remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street. Once a horror classic from Wes Craven, this reboot tried to bring Freddy Krueger into the modern era - but ended up as one of the most hated remakes in horror history. Alex breaks down why the characters feel flat and disjointed, why Rooney Mara’s Nancy falls completely flat, and why Freddy’s da...

We break down Alien: Earth Episode 2, “Mr. October”  from the Xenomorph’s bloody party crash to Wendy and Joe’s emotional reunion, plus that shocking cliffhanger. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/don-t-press-play-podcast--6640070/support .

From Cannibal Holocaust to Paranormal Activity and beyond, we’re diving deep into the rise, fall, and psychology of the found footage horror subgenre. Fake documentaries, viral marketing myths, and the real-world events that made us believe… this is the full story. #FoundFootage #HorrorMovies #BlairWitch #ParanormalActivity #REC #Cloverfield #LakeMungo #Apollo18 #HorrorHistory #FilmAnalysis Become...

In this episode of Don’t Press Play, I break down Alien Earth Episode 1 “Neverland”  a wild mix of corporate greed, creepy hybrid kids, and a Xenomorph crash you won’t forget. I pressed play so you don’t have to. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/don-t-press-play-podcast--6640070/support .

Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007): bold reimagining or butchered classic? In this episode of Don’t Press Play, I dive into one of horror’s most divisive remakes, comparing it to John Carpenter’s 1978 original and asking the big question… did it deserve the hate? Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/don-t-press-play-podcast--6640070/support .

I went into Weapons expecting another cheap horror flick. After 30 minutes I was ready to give up, but then it got brutal, original, and even funny. In this episode of Don’t Press Play I share how it won me over and if it’s worth watching. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/don-t-press-play-podcast--6640070/support .

The post-Scream horror scene was dead… until Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) brought Leatherface roaring back. In this episode, Alex dives into how this brutal, sweaty, iconic remake kick-started the horror remake era, why it still holds up today, and what it meant for a generation of horror fans Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/don-t-press-play-podcast--6640070/...

Welcome back to Don’t Press Play, where I press play so you don’t have to. I’m your host Alex, and today we’re talking about a film that gets way too much hate. Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows. Anyone who knows me knows The Blair Witch Project is my favourite film ever. It’s perfect. It’s why I’m studying film. But the sequel. The one people love to drag. It took me years and a cheap DVD from a pou...

Welcome back to Don’t Press Play...the podcast where we press play, so you don’t have to. In this episode, we’re diving deep into Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)—the meta horror masterpiece that reinvented Freddy Krueger and quietly set the stage for Scream. Before Ghostface, before the rules of horror were spelt out on-screen... There was a movie that blurred the line between fiction and realit...

In this episode of Don’t Press Play, I’m diving into Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998), the slasher sequel that brought Jamie Lee Curtis back, gave Michael Myers a new mask (or five), and ignored a lot of weird sequels. Is this the best Halloween sequel? Does Laurie Strode finally get her revenge? And more importantly... should YOU press play? We’re talking kills, cameos (hi, Janet Leigh 👀), ‘...

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, the Freddy film where the nightmares get bigger, the kills get weirder, and the kids finally fight back. This week on Don’t Press Play, we check ourselves into Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital for the third entry in the Nightmare franchise. From soul puppets and hypnosil to dream powers and returning icons, this is Freddy Krueger at the crossroads, hal...