Could there be a better way to countdown the end of a banner year for Hate Expectations (new equipment and four full episodes!) than to bring two of our favorite masterminds into the chamber, only to connect over a book with, not one, but two blockbuster adaptations? To tell the truth, no. That's our jam! Helping us on the chase through Richard Bachman's The Running Man (1982), its 1987 movie (dir. Paul Michael Glaser), and the still-in-the-theater (at the time of recording) 2025 movie (dir. Edgar Wright), are the Regis and Meredith of returning guests: Chris Lemon and Jane Hutchins! It's also common knowledge that Chris is a titan of game show minutiae. So we all get a chance to hear about Richard Dawson and about which of the terrifying over-the-top game shows from the book actually got made in real life. Do you have the concentration to learn everything you ever wanted to know about The Running Man? We double dare you to join us and judge for yourself.

G'day, mates! For this episode, Hate Expectations brings you a ripper of a yarn from deep in the blowie ridden heart of the Australian outback. We've loaded up our eskies with coldies and tucker, and we've pointed our ute straight on toward Woop Woop. Welcome to Woop Woop, that is, the 1997 movie by Stephan Elliot, as well as The Dead Heart, the 1994 novel by Douglas Kennedy that is the basis of the movie. We have a real bonzer chinwag about this underappreciated flick, one we think is a actually a real beaut (even if it's also kind of festy). But first, a warning: this episode is not for the ankle biters. It is chock-a-block with swearing and references to rooting and all kinds of mean and nasty things. For your average bloke, however, it should be a real bottler. Cheers!

We at Hate Expectations love when our friends bring episode ideas to us. Indeed, when our many time returning guest, Jane Hutchins, suggested The African Queen, we leapt at the chance to plunge into the classic C.S. Forester novel (1935) and its beloved John Huston directed film (1951). Who could resist nautical adventure through the heart of the jungles of Africa? Or Bogart and Hepburn heating up the screen? Seems like a no-brainer. You'll have to listen in to see how we felt: whether we ultimately were swept away by its charms or wanted to torpedo it. Either way, I can promise we enjoyed the journey of discussing it all with Jane.