The Empire Film Podcast

It's another locked down, remotely recorded Empire Podcast this week, folks. But it's a cracker of a show (in our humble etc.), as Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and Alex Godfrey dazzle each other with arcane film facts, discuss (in depth, so Martin Scorsese best skip this one) the Marvel Cinematic Universe's post-credit stings, talk about the week's movie news, and review The Assistant, Astronaut, and Ema. And Chris chats this week to Kitty Green, the writer/director of the excellent The Assistant, and Dave Filoni, the gentle genius behind Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which is about to end its run next week. Just in time for Star Wars Day, in fact. Must be a coincidence. Enjoy.

Gareth Evans, the directorial mastermind behind The Raid, The Raid 2 and Apostle, turns his attention to the small screen this week, with the launch of his blistering, bruising, bloody crime saga, Gangs Of London. And to celebrate on the show's launch day he became a member of a very different gang — the Empire Podteam, joining Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer for most of this week's show. And he even brought a fact for our brand new weekly segment. What a legend. Along the way, the team discuss kidnapping, getting chilling phone calls from Christopher Lee, the week's movie news (and there is some! Saints, and The Saint, be praised!), and their cinematic blind spots. The results may shock you. In particular, Chris and Gareth both make confessions that could see them forced to hand in their movie fan credentials. Then, when Gareth has left the building, Chris, James and Helen review Extraction and Beastie Boys Story. Enjoy.

This week's pod sees the team — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Amon Warmann — recording remotely once again as they discuss the week's movie news (note: this was recorded before the sad death of the great Brian Dennehy), review Stargirl, Coffee & Kareem, and Love. Wedding. Repeat, and tackle listener questions about their DVD collections and the best films-within-films. Also, the new fun fact section sees some major revelations, a huge tangent (even for us), and another brand-new name. And Chris is joined, remotely, of course, by the wonderful Ben Schwartz for a jam-packed interview in which they talk (a bit) about Ben's new film, Standing Up, Falling Down, his improv shows with Thomas Middleditch, and life under lockdown. And Chris recommends that Ben watches a Walter Matthau classic. Give it a listen to find out which one. ] Enjoy.

Our latest remotely recorded pod is the first to come with remotely recorded, socially responsible interviews, as Chris Hewitt has lovely chats from a minimum safe distance with Military Wives' star, Sharon Horgan, and Prentice Penny, writer and director of the charming Netflix drama, Uncorked. Either side of those, Chris is joined-ish by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Ben Travis, as they talk the week's movie news (Marvel release dates ahoy!), review Who You Think I Am, Uncorked, and Trolls World Tour, and answer listener questions. Oh, and our new fact section gets a new name, while Ben reveals a hitherto unheralded skill. Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast — recorded responsibly, yet again, from our living rooms of such lethal cunning — sees Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer joined by an old familiar face and voice: Empire's Editor-in-Chief, Terri White, taking a brief break from bringing up baby to slip onto the pod. Together, they discuss the week's movie news (there is some! Honest!), answer a bunch of listener questions, review The Platform, Standing Up, Falling Down (that's one movie, folks), and Four Kids And It. And then James, Terri, and Helen take turns to wow Chris with their movie facts in a brand-new segment with a brand-new theme tune. We think you'll like it. This week's interview was recorded last year and had been set to run as a special in its own right, but a sudden and unexpected guest shortage (damn those stockpilers!) means it now takes pride of place here, as Chris has a lot of fun speaking to Larry Karaszewski, Scott Alexander, and Ruth E. Carter, the writers and costume designer, respectively, of the

This week's pod sees the team — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer — in isolation once again, but that doesn't stop them from reaching out to actor/writer/comedian/podcast host Brett Goldstein, who becomes the latest person to join the team for the duration of an episode. Together, this bold and intrepid quartet discuss the week's movie news and answer some listener questions, including the best video calls in movies, and the greatest single-location films. Then, when Brett has left the building, Chris, James, and Helen review The Banker, Vivarium, and Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made. Speaking of mistakes, this week's episode sees the launch of a new format, wherein James and Helen bring a film fact to impress Chris. Which, this week, leads to much discussion of the sweariest of all swear words. You know, that one. Now, while this discussion is censored, said word is discussed and uttered quite a bit, so if you're listening with kids, perhaps earmuff the first 20 minutes or so. Sorry, we're all utt

This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is the first to be recorded remotely in the various homes of our podteam, thanks to the Coronavirus crisis. But we remain committed to bringing you the podcast and so Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer gather around their individual microphones and chat about their self-isolation schedules, Easter eggs, how Covid-19 has disrupted Hollywood, the best speeches to wash your hands to, and much more. We also review (there are some!), Spenser Confidential and The Truth. And our guest this week is the wonderful Jesse Eisenberg, who invites Chris into his (pre-corona) hotel room for a good old natter about Jesse's upcoming movie, Vivarium; his experiences on big Hollywood blockbusters, his writing process, and how he deals with improvisation. This is the first of what will hopefully be a fairly short run of these stay-at-home shows, but we're all flying blind here. So do let us know if you have any problems with the sound quality. Stay safe, stay well, and keep wash

This week's Empire Podcast sees Beth Webb chat to the wonderful Gugu Mbatha-Raw, star of this week's dramedy, Misbehaviour, about the 1970 Miss World pageant. And, thanks to some wonderful snipping from Editor Emma, you wouldn't know that Beth's microphone wasn't working during the interview. Thankfully, we haven't mentioned it, so we think we got away with it. Then, back in the podbooth, Chris Hewitt is joined by Helen O'Hara, Alex Godfrey, and James Dyer for an episode that truly runs the gamut, from discussion of great movie star pairings to a tribute to the late, great Max von Sydow; from reviews of Misbehaviour, Bloodshot, and Calm With Horses to a long discussion of the impact that the Coronavirus crisis is having on the world in general, and the movie world in particular. Oh, and they answer the age-old question: who was the sixth member of The Beatles? Enjoy.

This week's Empire Podcast is another live show in which Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and token English bloke, the award-winning James Dyer, rock up for the Virgin Media Dublin International Film 2020. In front of a packed crowd, they discuss the Coronavirus' impact upon the movie industry, in the wake of No Time To Die being pushed back; additional movie news including the unveiling of the Batmobile; review Onward, Military Wives, Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, and The Photograph; and answer audience questions. Oh, and in a bit that totally works on an audio-only podcast, Chris's opening remarks are translated into Irish. It's also a guestapalooza, with Rialto's twin Toms, Glynn-Carney and Vaughan-Lawlor, joined on stage by Calm With Horses' Niamh Algar and Nick Rowland. And then, in a surprise for the audience, Game Of Thrones star, and local legend, Liam Cunningham shows up for a brief chat. And, in a surprise for our intrepid pod-team, he brings an unannounced guest, Syrian refugee-turned-actor Hassam Ah

The latest episode of The Ranking — the magazine/podcast crossover in which Empire writers discuss the work of an actor/director, or a big old franchise/genre, and come up with the definitive top ten — is dedicated to The Master Of Suspense: Alfred Hitchcock. Join Ian Freer, Nick de Semlyen, Beth Webb, and Neil Alcock as they discuss the themes that run through Hitchcock's work, his problematic methods, their favourite moments, leading men and ladies, and much, much more. Then stick around at the end as they go through the empirical — or should that be Empirical? — top ten. Enjoy.

We've got horror of all kinds on our mind this week at Empire Podcast Towers. First off, Chris Hewitt has a chat with Elisabeth Moss, star of Leigh Whannell's excellent update of The Invisible Man, and finds that she has blood on her hands. Well, feet. Then, Richard Stanley — making his return to directing with Colour Out Of Space after a looooooong time out — pops into the podbooth to natter away with Alex Godfrey about ouija boards, The Island Of Dr. Moreau, and getting stoned with cats. Elsewhere on this week's pod, Chris is then joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer, as they talk about James' experiences at Disneyworld, tackle a couple of listener questions, talk about Chris Evans joining Little Shop Of Horrors and Steven Spielberg possibly handing over Indiana Jones 5 (or 4, depending on your point of view) to James Mangold, review The Invisible Man, Portrait Of A Lady On Fire, and more. Enjoy.

Justin Kurzel is the director of fast-paced knockabout comedies like Snowtown, Assassin's Creed, and Macbeth. Sorry, serious and intense dramas, not fast-paced knockabout comedies. Easy mistake to make. And he's back with another slice of hard-hitting drama with next week's True History Of The Kelly Gang, which stars George Mackay, Essie Davis, Russell Crowe, and Nicholas Hoult in an attempt to tell the tale of Ned Kelly and his accomplices. And in this week's episode, he tells John Nugent how he did it. Then, in the podbooth, Chris Hewitt is joined by Helen O'Hara and Amon Warmann to discuss Avengers-as-biscuits, the week's movie news (including a lengthy discussion of Indiana Jones 5 or, if you will, 4), and review Greed, Like A Boss, The Call Of The Wild, and more. Oh, and Amon brings a takeaway, which causes much controversy. Enjoy.

He's the son of Martin Sheen. The brother of Charlie Sheen. But Emilio Estevez has always been his own man, starring in the likes of Young Guns, The Breakfast Club, Stakeout, St. Elmo's Fire, and many more in the glory days of the 80s. His latest film is The Public, a drama which he wrote, directed, and starred in, and on this week's episode of the Empire Podcast he has a chat about that, and much more, with Empire's Editor-in-Chief, Terri White. Meanwhile, back in the podbooth, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer have Valentine's Day on their minds, discussing romantic movies and the greatest non-Star Wars robot. They also chew the fat over a veritable ton of movie news, including the reveal of the latest Batsuit and Chris' reaction to the news that Sam Raimi is directing an MCU movie, before being joined by Amon Warmann to review Sonic The Hedgehog and Emma. Enjoy.

Here it is, folks. As promised, here is the second part of our podcasts dedicated to dissecting Empire's 100 Greatest Films Of The 21st Century (So Far!). And in this episode, we throw open the doors of the podbooth to three listeners — Chad Armstrong, Christelle Brewster, and Luke Jones — who join host Chris Hewitt for a fun-filled and jam-packed countdown of the 100. Who thinks Paddington 2 should be higher? Who sings the praises of notable omissions like Gravity and, erm, Final Destination 2? And, more importantly, who defends the inclusion of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street? To find out, give it a listen. And who knows — maybe next time you could be in the booth too! Enjoy.

Despite not looking a day over 398 episodes, the Empire Podcast has officially turned 400. And we did so with a blowout bumper celebration earlier this week at our spiritual home of Kings Place, London, in front of a sold-out audience. In this episode, you'll hear Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Ben Travis discuss the week's movie news; review Parasite, Birds Of Prey And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn, and Dolittle; and take some audience questions. But it's not just the Four Giggling Idiots Show, oh no. We invited some super smashing great guests as well — Steve Coogan and Michael Winterbottom popped by to talk about their latest collaboration, Greed; Emily Beecham, winner of Best Actress at last year's Cannes Film Festival, talks Little Joe with Dan Jolin; and Todd Haynes, the director of Carol and now Dark Waters, pops in too. But that's not all — our old podchum, Christopher McQuarrie, shows up right at the end as a very special surprise (for the audience — we've ruined it

The 21st century may only be twenty years old, but it's still borne witness to thousands of films. And so, as the third decade of the century begins, we decided to canvas Team Empire, and Team Empire Readers, to find the 100 films you deem the greatest 2000-2019 has had to offer. And, in this bumper-sized and fun-filled edition, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Ben Travis, and Empire's Editor-in-Chief, Terri White, chew the fat, argue the toss, pour scorn on some less-celebrated entries, and champion their faves. Enjoy.

This week's bumper, giant-sized edition of the Empire Podcast comes complete with a trio of amazing guests. Helen O'Hara talks to A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood director, Marielle Heller. Amon Warmann has a chat with the legendary Bong Joon Ho about his Oscar-nominated cracker, Parasite. And Chris Hewitt sits down with Queen & Slim star, Daniel Kaluuya, for a conversation that features more pick'n'mix chat than you might imagine. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen and James Dyer for a fun (well, you be the judge) episode in which they discuss their favourite Gene Hackman films, talk about musical theatre, Jack Reacher and then eventually some movie news, and review the heck out of Queen & Slim, The Lighthouse, The Rhythm Section, A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood, and more. One more episode to go before episode 400. It's going to be a belter. But in the meantime... enjoy.

We say a sad goodbye to Terry Jones and recall our favourite moments from across an illustrious career in Python and beyond; in news, we track who’s leading the Oscar race, catch up on the latest Marvel news, and try to make sense of the new David Lynch short; and review The Personal History of David Copperfield and The Grudge. Plus Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe stop by to talk about Lighthouses.

He's played Ray Charles (to Oscar-winning effect), Bats, Motherf**ker Jones, Django, Ricardo Tubbs, and the President of the United States Of America. But this week Jamie Foxx — for it is he — faces his greatest challenge yet: appearing on the Empire Podcast. OK, we may have oversold it. But in a fun and insightful interview with our Chris Hewitt, Foxx talks about his new movie, Just Mercy, in which he plays a prisoner who's wrongfully imprisoned on Death Row. Give it a listen to hear Foxx talk about his views on the death penalty; do a quick tour of some of the most iconic voices he's used in his career; and reveal the advice Ellen Barkin once gave him. Then, back in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to talk about this week's Oscars nominations (spoiler: Helen isn't happy, and gets a little bit sweary, about one nominee in particular), discuss the best film in the Academy Awards 11-nominations club, pore over the rest of the week's movie news, including Scott Derrickson's departu

And 2020 was going so well... The Empire Podcast makes its triumphant (?) return with the first proper pod of the new year, and it's a barnstormer. We have four guests for the price of two this week, as Helen O'Hara chats to the directors of Uncut Gems (the best Adam Sandler movie since Murder Mystery), Josh and Benny Safdie. Then Ian Freer has a natter with George Mackay and Dean-Charles Chapman, the stars of Sam Mendes' astonishing single-shot World War I movie, 1917. And, in the podbooth itself, Chris Hewitt is joined by Helen and James Dyer for a dissection of their Christmas break activity, a discussion of the films that should never be remade, a conversation about the week's movie news, and reviews of Uncut Gems and 1917. And yes, you guessed it -- the pod was recorded before the news broke that Scott Derrickson had left Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness. As correctly guessed on this very pod a few weeks ago, Nostradamus fans. We'll talk about that next week. But right now: enjoy.