The Empire Film Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#380 - Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Michelle Dockery Sep 06, 2019

Show notes

You are cordially invited to this week's Empire Podcast, in which Mr. Ian Freer, of Empire Towers, is granted an audience with Mr. Hugh Bonneville, Miss Laura Carmichael, and Miss Michelle Dockery, stars of the new motion picture extravaganza, Downton Abbey, based on the popular televisual entertainment of the same name. Either side of that, you are invited to listen to the rest of the episode, in which Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and podcast newcomer Jeremy Dylan, a gentleman of Australian origin, discuss several listener questions, varying accents, the week's movie news, and review It Chapter 2 and Rojo. Carriages at 2am. Do, please, enjoy.

The Greatest - Star Wars Characters In Association With Sky Cinema Sep 05, 2019

Show notes

A long time ago, in a podbooth far, far away... four brave and hardy souls tackle a question that has long had Rebels and Imperial types scratching their heads: who are the greatest Star Wars characters of all time? In the second instalment of The Greatest, an Empire Podcast limited series brought to you by Sky Cinema, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Sky Cinema's very own Alex Zane, and Absolute Radio's Dave Berry each launch an impassioned defence of their three favourite Star Wars characters. There will be bad impressions. There will be bad jokes. And there will be some choices that you won't see coming. And if, after listening to this, you fancy watching a cheeky Star War, the Star Wars Collection is available on Sky Cinema right now, all the way through to September 15. May the Force be with us all.

#379 - Louis Leterrier, Joanna Hogg Aug 30, 2019

Show notes

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast features two very different directors. First up, Chris Hewitt chats to Louis Leterrier about his experiences directing the new 10-episode Netflix series, The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance, and switching from live-action to puppets. They also talk about Leterrier's experiences making The Incredible Hulk, the nature of directorial compromise, and dousing Mark Strong in gallons of fake elephant stuff for Grimsby. Then, Ian Freer has a chat with the great British director, Joanna Hogg, about her new movie, The Souvenir, her time as a film student in London, and directing Eastenders. Meanwhile, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Ian, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer for discussion of the news that came from D23, the Breaking Bad movie El Camino, reviews of the week's movies, and try to get their heads around a certain Hollywood director having 20,000 sexual partners. Not all at once, surely? Enjoy.

#378 - Andre Ovredal, Gerard Butler Aug 23, 2019

Show notes

This! Is! Butler! This week's episode sees one of our favourite recurring guests, Gerard 'Gerry' Butler, pop by the podbooth to tell Chris Hewitt all about his new movie, Angel Has Fallen. Along the way they discuss Nick Nolte, the five stages of movie stardom, and Gerry tells an eyewatering story that has great pedigree, chum. Also this week, Chris talks to Norwegian director Andre Ovredal about Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, the Guillermo del Toro-produced horror flick that's set to make people scream on both sides of the Atlantic. And in the podbooth proper, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and Ben Travis to discuss American actors doing English accents, the week's movie news (including Bond 25, the passing of Peter Fonda, and the Spider-shenanigans), and review the latest releases, including Crawl and Pain And Glory. Enjoy.

The Greatest - Batman Or Superman? In Association With Sky Cinema Aug 17, 2019

Show notes

It's a question as old as time. Perhaps even older. Who is the greatest DC big screen hero: the Caped Crusader, Batman, or the Man Of Steel, Superman? In this very special edition of the Empire Podcast, brought to you by Sky Cinema, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Sky Cinema's very own Alex Zane, and Absolute Radio's Dave Berry venture into the Empire Podcave and hash it out. It's all here over the course of a very fun 60 minutes, from impassioned paeans to Christopher Reeve to rigorous discussion of Batcreditcards. And a host of terrible impressions that may be the Bane of your life. Oh, and at some point, our heroic quartet may even get round to answering the question. If you fancy settling this for yourself, you'll be delighted to know that all the Batman and Superman films discussed here, and tons of films featuring other heroes, are available right now in Sky Cinema's Superheroes Collection. Enjoy.

#377 - Simon Amstell Aug 16, 2019

Show notes

Former Never Mind The Buzzcocks host Simon Amstell, who used to host Never Mind The Buzzcocks, pops by the podbooth this week for an interview in which his stint on Never Mind The Buzzcocks isn't mentioned once. (Sorry about that, we're aiming for that SEO sweet spot). Instead, he tells Chris Hewitt about how he made his new film, Benjamin, and along the way they attempt the world's first director's commentary entirely from memory. It doesn't go well. Then, back in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and Amon Warmann for a fun episode in which they talk prime numbers, the newly-announced Empire Podcast tour (tickets on sale now!), discuss the week's movie news, fun movie-related roommates, Henry Golding, and more. Then they review Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Good Boys, and Dora And The Lost City Of Gold. Enjoy 23 times. That's a prime number. Fact.

#376 - Gurinder Chadha and Viveik Kalra Aug 09, 2019

Show notes

On this week's show, we invite Gurinder Chadha and Viveik Kalra onto the pod to wax lyrical about The Boss or, more specifically, their new film Blinded By The Light - guaranteed to put a Springsteen in your step. Meanwhile, Chris, James and Helen stand up in defence of some underappreciated classics (love Kurt Wimmer's Equilibrium or GTFO) and Chris gives us his reaction to news of the upcoming Event Horizon TV series ("Do you see? DO YOU SEE?!"). Plus we review this week's film releases and, in a podcast first, actually manage to finish when we say we will. Enjoy.

#375 - Nick Frost Aug 02, 2019

Show notes

It doesn't happen often, but this week sees the Empire Podbooth doors thrown open to allow the great Nick Frost - star of The Cornetto Trilogy, Paul, Cuban Fury, Fighting With My Family, and now Horrible Histories: The Movie - Rotten Romans - to pull double duty as both our star guest and a colleague of such lethal cunning. So, this week Nick sits in with Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer as they answer a number of listener questions, discuss Nick's career, find out how not to be starstruck in front of Steven Spielberg, and discuss the week's movie news. Then, when Nick exits stage left, the podteam remain to review Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw, Animals, and The Angry Birds Movie 2. Enjoy.

#374 - Holliday Grainger and Alia Shawkat Jul 26, 2019

Show notes

This week's Empire Podcast sees James Dyer take a rare break from banging on about TV to sit down for a lovely chat with Holliday Grainger and Alia Shawkat, stars of the rollicking Dublin-set comedy-drama, Animals. Then, in the podbooth, Chris Hewitt is joined by James, Helen O'Hara and Ben Travis to talk about movie heatwaves, discuss the week's film-related news*, including the Picard trailer and the sad death of the great Rutger Hauer, and review The Current War. Lie back, turn on the fans, whack the headphones up, and enjoy. * Not including discussion of the Marvel Studios panel. That can be found in a podcast special, also available now.

MCU Comic-Con Reaction Special Jul 26, 2019

Show notes

Because (four of) you demanded it, and because we finally found some free time to record it, and because we didn't want to bang on for ages about Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on this week's regular podcast, here is a relatively short podcast in which Team Empire - Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Ben Travis - react to and mull over all the big news from the Marvel Studios panel at last week's San Diego Comic-Con. It's all here: discussion of Black Widow, The Eternals, Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, Thor: Love And Thunder, the Disney+ shows, the casting of Mahershala Ali as Blade, bad impressions of Dara O Briain and much, much more. Enjoy.

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