The Empire Film Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#307 - Anya Taylor-Joy Apr 06, 2018

Show notes

On this week's Empire Podcast, we're filled with joy as Anya Taylor-Joy pops by our offices to talk to Chris Hewitt about her new film Thoroughbreds, dealing with tricksy accents, the much-delayed The New Mutants, and the moment when she found out that Split was a stealth sequel to Unbreakable. It's a fun, and lengthy, chat that starts at 27.44 and runs all the way to 55.56. Elsewhere, Chris derives a different kind of joy from John Krasinski's A Quiet Place, which he declares his film of the year thus far in the reviews section. He's joined for the main pod by James Dyer and Ben Travis, who discuss just what it is that makes the act of cinemagoing so special, review Thoroughbreds and Ghost Stories, natter about the week's movie news, and talk about Empire's new sister magazine, Pilot TV. Oh, and that song isn't aired this week, you'll be delighted to know. This is a safe place. A quiet place.

#306 - Leslie Mann, Paddy Considine Mar 30, 2018

Show notes

Paddy Considine was our very first guest on our very first podcast, way back in 2012. Since then, we've been like ships in the night. But we fix that this week, with Paddy popping into the podbooth for an epic chat with Chris Hewitt about his new movie, Journeyman, and all manner of things. (50:46-1:17:54) Elsewhere, Chris talks to Blockers star Leslie Mann (17.06-32.49), teaches her about Pacific Rim: Uprising, learns a lot about vocal fry, and then somehow - being the blithering nincompoop he is - manages to spit on her from distance. Then, he's joined in the podbooth by James Dyer and Ben Travis to discuss the week's movie news, review Ready Player One and more, and answer the burning question: what movie-related business would they open when this all goes horribly wrong? Oh, and the world's worst earworm may get another outing. Could be worse; Chris could be gobbing on you.

#305 - Steven Spielberg, Simon Pegg Mar 23, 2018

Show notes

This week's Empire Podcast sees the man anointed as Empire's Legend Of Our Lifetime... talk to Steven Spielberg. Here all week. Try the fish. Yes, at long last we spiel with The Berg, as Steven Spielberg - former Empire editor, and director of one or two classic movies - chats to Chris Hewitt in the immediate aftermath of last Sunday's Rakuten TV Empire Awards, where Spielberg was given the above honour. From discussion of Ready Player One to The Beatles, it was a blast. Elsewhere, Chris talks to Simon Pegg, star of Ready Player One, about all things Spielberg. And then Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and Ben Travis to review Unsane, Pacific Rim: Uprising, and A Wrinkle In Time. They also tackle the week's news and answer a question about sequels. Enjoy!

Avengers: Infinity War trailer breakdown Vol. 2! Mar 17, 2018

Show notes

Because (some of) you demanded it! Today saw the debut of the second (and probably final) trailer for Avengers: Infinity War, the superhero team-up to out-cape them all. And, as it hit the internet just too late for us to bang on about it on the regular podcast, we decided to seize the opportunity to bang on about it in a very special trailer breakdown podcast. This one follows hot on the heels of the trailer breakdown podcast we did for the first Avengers: Infinity War trailer last year, but there was arguably even more for Chris Hewitt and Helen O'Hara, our resident MCU-philes, to get their teeth into this time around. So join them in the warmth and comfort of Chris' mancave as they talk, and talk, and talk about all things Avengery, from Thanos' masterplan, to character interactions, and that confrontation between Steve Rogers and Josh Brolin's giant purple space plumber. Not a fan of the MCU? Might be best to skip this one...

#304 - Armie Hammer & Timothee Chalamet, Rooney Mara & Garth Davis Mar 16, 2018

Show notes

This week's Empire Podcast is a bumper affair, jam-packed with more big names than the Avengers: Infinity War trailer. Well, almost. First up, Call Me By Your Name stars Armie Hammer and Timothee Chalamet - or Timothy Chalet, as autocorrect insists on calling him - popped into a London hotel room at the end of January to talk about their Oscar-winning love story with Chris Hewitt. And while they do talk about the film, there's also a fair amount of silliness, ranging from discussion of Chalamet's mobster nickname to the possibility of setting Call Me By Your Name 2 in space. Oh, and there's a Sean Connery-off for good measure. Be warned: bad language abounds. The second grouping is much more serious and focused, you'll be delighted to know, as Ben Travis has a chat with Garth Davis and Rooney Mara, director and star respectively of Mary Magdalene. Then, Chris, Ben and John Nugent convene in the podbooth to discuss the week's movie news (the Avengers: Infinity War trailer wi

The Ranking - Martin Scorsese Mar 14, 2018

Show notes

The second episode of The Ranking, our new ongoing cross-platform series (hashtag brandsynergy hashtag sharedgoals hashtag TeamEmpire), sees four Empire writers lock themselves in an increasingly stuffy meeting room to argue the toss over one of the greatest film directors of all time: Martin Scorsese. It's all here: talkin' Taxi Driver, raging about Raging Bull, and finding there's not a lot to say about Silence. As far back as they can remember, Chris Hewitt, Empire's Editor-In-Chief Terri White, and contributing editors Ian Freer and Dan Jolin always wanted to be voting on the empirical Marty Top 10. And if you want to know what that top 10 looks like, pick up the April 2018 issue of Empire, on sale now at all good and evil newsagents.

#303 - David Oyelowo, Lynne Ramsay Mar 10, 2018

Show notes

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast was, unlike our Oscars 2018 podcast special, recorded on a full night's sleep, but is no less delirious. So apologies in advance, as Chris Hewitt, Nick de Semlyen and James Dyer decide who their Desert Island Director would be, discuss the week's movie news, and review You Were Never Really Here, Gringo, and Mom And Dad. Plus, they debut the catchiest song of the year so far, and discuss just what Thanos wants with those stones... Elsewhere, Chris welcomes the brilliant British actor David Oyelowo back to the podcast, to talk about comedy screaming in Gringo, and how the landscape has changed in Hollywood for black actors, particularly post-Black Panther. And Helen O'Hara may be off in Iceland, but she's still present on the pod, engaging in conversation with the great Scottish director, Lynne Ramsay, about You Were Never Really Here. Do you need to know anything more? Go on, get listening!

Oscars 2018 Sleepless Special Mar 05, 2018

Show notes

The Oscars are over for another year. Yes, the 90th edition of the Academy Awards took place last night in the glamorous heart of Hollywood and so Empire responded in kind, by recording a sleep-deprived, seriously sweary podcast, detailing our verdict on the ceremony itself, and the winners and not-winners. No glamorous heart of Hollywood for us. This was recorded round the kitchen table of our very own host, Chris Hewitt, and he was talking to Ben Travis and James Dyer, who took The Shape Of Water's Best Picture win with the grace and magnanimity for which he is renowned. So, if you want to hear three giggling idiots struggle to complete sentences and form thoughts - even more so than usual - this is the podcast for you.

#302 - Francis Lawrence Mar 02, 2018

Show notes

This week's Empire Podcast sees a filmmaking Lawrence, famous for an association with The Hunger Games franchise, drop by for a chat about their new movie, Russian spy thriller Red Sparrow. Yes, it's director Francis Lawrence, who chats to Ben Travis about all manner of things, from Russian accents to torture implements. What, did you think we meant another filmmaking Lawrence, famous for an association with The Hunger Games? Weird. Elsewhere, Helen O'Hara braves the snow and the wind and the snowy wind to host this week's episode, discussing the week's big film news (Wonder Woman 2! The Oscars! Tarantino!) with Ben and James Dyer, and reviewing the big releases. Oh, and a giggling idiot calls in for a brief chat. It's cold outside, so pull up that weird fireplace movie they have on Netflix, huddle over your phone's dying battery for heat, and listen to the soothing strains of the Empire Podcast. You know it makes sense.

The Ranking - Stephen King Feb 26, 2018

Show notes

The Ranking is a new monthly edition of the Empire Podcast that ties in with a regular feature in the magazine. The concept is simple: every month, we pick a director/writer/actor, or a franchise, and four Empire writers lock themselves in a room and argue the toss, with the aim of emerging with the definitive Top 10. This edition sees Chris Hewitt, Nick de Semlyen, James Dyer, and Simon Crook (making his pod-debut) discuss the big screen impact of Stephen King, whose incredibly popular novels and short stories have inspired directors like Frank Darabont, David Cronenberg, John Carpenter, Rob Reiner, George A. Romero, Bryan Singer, and one Mr. Stanley Kubrick, to turn them into movies. So there's plenty of discussion of the best of King adaptations, the worst of King adaptations (hello, The Dark Tower), and how the panel got into the great man's writing in the first place. Next up: Martin Scorsese!

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