The Empire Film Podcast

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The 50 Greatest Movie Heroes — The Final Part Jul 13, 2020

Show notes

It's finally here — the last part of the epic trilogy of podcasts that wasn't meant to be a trilogy, but we got carried away and now have to pretend that we meant it as a trilogy all along a la Scream and The Matrix. Anyway, in this episode, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann, and Ben Travis argue the toss over the reader/listener-voted list of the 50 Greatest Movie Heroes Of All Time, as seen in the last issue of Empire. And things get heated as they enter the top ten. There will be shocks. There will be surprises. There will be terrible impressions, and even worse opinions. There's only one thing for it: steel yourself and enter. Enjoy.

#422 — James McAvoy Jul 09, 2020

Show notes

Mr. Sandman, bring us a dream! James McAvoy is the guest on this week's latest lockdown episode of the Empire Podcast, having a good old natter with Chris Hewitt about McAvoy's latest project, the Audible adaptation of Neil Gaiman's legendary comic book series, The Sandman, in which McAvoy plays Morpheus, lord of dreams. They also chat about McAvoy's geekdom, his Stephen King experience on It Chapter 2, his recent FIFA game with Liam Payne for Soccer Aid, and his starring role in cheap-as-chips lockdown Instagram show, the very funny Space Force. Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and, in the fourth chair this week, Ben Travis for an episode that brings you all kinds of mind-blowing film facts, discussion of the week's movie news, including the sad passing of the great Ennio Morricone, reviews of The Old Guard, Greyhound, and Finding The Way Back, and possibly the most self-indulgent listener's question bit in the pod's history. Enjoy.

#421 Part One — Simon Pegg, Sam Neill Jul 02, 2020

Show notes

This week's lockdown episode of the Empire Podcast is once again so jam-packed with chatty goodness that we've split it into two parts. This is not the new normal, folks — we promise. Just something that will happen from time to time. Anyway, this half sees two of our favourite guests return for another bite at the pod-cherry, as Chris Hewitt talks to Simon Pegg about make-up, mental health and Pegg's new movie, Lost Transmissions, and hops on a trans-continental call with Ride Like A Girl star, Sam Neill, to talk horses, box sets, and Event Horizon. Because Chris. Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and, in the rotating fourth chair, Amon Warmann to compare film facts (warning: joy is in short supply this week) and movie pubs. Enjoy.

#421 Part Two — Werner Herzog Jul 02, 2020

Show notes

Can we offer you a libation to celebrate the closing of our shared narrative? That, sadly, is not what Dan Jolin nor Chris Hewitt said to the great Werner Herzog when they chatted to him for this episode. Chickens. Yes, the legendary German director, owner of the most distinctive voice in movies, is our third and final guest this week, and in the second part of the pod he is as delightfully Werner Herzogian as you might expect, as he talks to Dan and Chris about being in lockdown, making Star Wars, and his new movie, Family Romance LLC. Back in the virtual podbooth, Chris, Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann and James Dyer discuss the week's movie news, including the sad death of the legendary Carl Reiner, and review Hamilton, Lost Transmissions, and Hamilton. Mainly Hamilton, to be honest. Did you think we would throw away our shot? Nope! No shots were thrown away in the making of this podcast, we can assure you. Enjoy.

The 50 Greatest Movie Heroes — Part 2 Jul 01, 2020

Show notes

In the second (and final...?) part of the podteam's countdown of the 50 Greatest Movie Heroes Of All Time, the magazine feature voted for by you, the listeners and readers of Empire, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann, and Ben Travis argue (and argue, and argue) the toss over the top 25. We won't give too many of the heroes' identities away, but let's just say that if you're a fan of impossible missions, gods of thunder and, erm, wonder women, you'll be happy. And if you want to read the full list, and an astonishing array of incredible features and interviews (Michael J. Fox! Sigourney Weaver! Keanu Reeves! Bruce Campbell! Carrie-Anne Moss! And more!), then pick up the latest copy of Empire from any good, evil, or virtual newsagent. Enjoy.

#420 — Delroy Lindo, Maxine Peake Jun 25, 2020

Show notes

This week's Empire Podcast (once again brought to you in lockdown) sees two acting powerhouses have a chat about their craft. First, Chris Hewitt talks to Delroy Lindo about his incredible performance in Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods, and then Terri White grills Maxine Peake mercilessly about playing the title role in Fanny Lye Deliver'd. Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and, in the rotating fourth chair, James 'Jaime Blanco' White, our man in LA, for a fun ep in which they discuss tea and coffee cups in the movies (next week: scraped barrels), talk about movie news including Michael Keaton's possible return to the Batcave, and review Thomas Clay's Fanny Lye Deliver'd, David Dobkin's Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga, and Jon Stewart's Irresistible. Oh, and the new film fact section claims another victim. Enjoy!

The Greatest Movie Heroes — Part 1 Jun 22, 2020

Show notes

It is a time for heroes. Or, more accurately, discussion of heroes. And we're happy to oblige. In this special edition of the Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann, and Ben Travis gather (remotely, of course, because they're heroes) to go through the first half of the brand new, reader/listener-voted list of the 50 Greatest Movie Heroes Of All Time, as seen in the latest issue of Empire magazine. From Chief Brody to Imperator Furiosa, it's a fast and furious discussion of the merits (and demerits) of your choice of heroes, filled with the usual trenchant opinions and terrible impressions. If you want to hear more, the gang will be discussing heroes 25-1 at the same time next week. And if you want to read more, the full list — including in-depth features and interviews with the likes of Keanu Reeves, Sigourney Weaver, and Michael J. Fox — can be found in this month's Empire, on sale now in all good, evil, and virtual newsagents. Enjoy.

#419 — Armando Iannucci, Joseph Gordon-Levitt Jun 18, 2020

Show notes

In this week's bumper-sized (so much so, in fact, we're wondering if we should have split it into two parts like last week) Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt chats to Armando Iannucci, the co-writer/director of The Personal History Of David Copperfield about discovering optimism, and how hard it is to write comedy in the middle of a pandemic. And John Nugent talks to Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the latter returns to our screens with gripping plane hijack thriller, 7500. In the remote podbooth, Chris is then joined by James Dyer and Helen O'Hara, as per usual. But the rotating fourth chair this week is occupied by Dave Corkery and Cathy Cullen, the married couple who host one of our favourite podcasts, The Cinemile. Together, this intrepid quintet tackle the Film Fact section, answer questions about graduation speeches and non-trilogy trilogies (it'll make sense when you listen), discuss the planned return of cinemas in the UK, and review 7500, Dating Amber, Resistance, and Radioactive. We can see now why this is bumper-sized. Enjoy, if just for the Irish accents of four-fifths of the team getting increasingly thicker as the pod goes on. Wee buns!

#418 Part 2 — Rosamund Pike, Judd Apatow Jun 11, 2020

Show notes

On the second part of this week's podcast, you'll find the podteam — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann, and James Dyer — discussing the week's movie news, plugging the heck out of the latest issue of Empire magazine, celebrating our cinemas in the, erm, Celebrate Our Cinemas section, and reviewing Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods, Judd Apatow's The King Of Staten Island, and Kenneth Branagh's Artemis Fowl. On the interview front, Chris hears from Rosamund Pike about her incredible light-up lockdown mask and her new film, Radioactive, in which she plays Marie Curie; and talks to Judd Apatow about The King Of Staten Island, and his comedy aesthetic. The latter is funnier than it sounds, honest. Enjoy.

#418 Part 1 — David Thewlis, Richard Armitage Jun 11, 2020

Show notes

How jam-packed is this week's episode of the Empire Podcast? How bumper-sized is it? Well, it's so huge — bursting at the seams with four — count 'em, FOUR! — interviews — that we have, for the first time ever (we think!), had to split the pod into two parts. In this, Parte The Firste, Chris Hewitt chats to British actors David Thewlis and Richard Armitage (both of whom have their own microphones, throwing down the gauntlet to other thesps everywhere) about, respectively, Atom Egoyan's Guest Of Honour and new audiobook, The Chekhov Collection Of Short Stories. Plus, they natter on about guitars, decapitation, midlife crises, Captain America, and building a fort at home. Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann, and James Dyer to answer a couple of listener questions about filmic fruit and movie cops, while the film fact segment — aka Love Factually — takes an unexpected turn. Enjoy. There's more to come!

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