The Empire Film Podcast

Two Bond girls made their way to the Empire Podcast this week: two whole, real-life Bond girls. It might seem like we planned this, but that's just not true - it turns out Terrence Malick's To The Wonder, which happens to star Quantum Of Solace's Olga Kurylenko, is out in cinemas this week, and Skyfall is coming out on DVD and Blu-ray to boot. Elsewhere, the team review Song For Marion, Cloud Atlas and Mama, with the news section full of stories about apes.

The guests: Jai Courtney, David Morrissey, David Oyelowo, Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert. The films: A Good Day To Die Hard, Beautiful Creatures, This Is 40. The news: Robert Downey Jr., Quentin Tarantino, The BAFTAs. The questions: a bit weird. All this and more in this bumperiest of bumper-sized Empire Podcasts...

This week's Empire podcast is somewhat video game-flavoured this week, with J.J. Abrams' plans for a Portal and/or Half-Life movie in the news section and Wreck-It Ralph in the reviews department. In the readers' questions category, expect an in-depth discussion of those Star Wars spin-off movies everyone's talking about - Porkins: The Movie! - as well as some ruminating upon that tricky conundrum of whether certain deleted scenes should have actually remained in the movie. Then there are our interviews with John C. Reilly and Warm Bodies' Nicholas Hoult, making this a particularly jam-packed podcast this week.

With regular host Chris Hewitt away on a top secret mission to Los Angeles, Helen O'Hara takes his place in the podcast hosting chair, overseeing a show where reviews editor Ian Freer explains just how star ratings work, The Muppets sequel gets analysed and the week's releases - including Flight and Bullet To The Head - are reviewed. Plus, look forward to a snippet of the longer Denzel Washington and Robert Zemeckis interview and a fresh 15 minutes with I Give It A Year star Rafe Spall and I Give It A Year writer/director Dan Mazer. Just wait until you find out who (or what) a 'Rapscallion' is...

Flight unites Denzel Washington with Robert Zemeckis, and this Empire Podcast special does likewise, with the Oscar-winning actor and Oscar-winning director spending over 40 minutes talking about their new drama as well as their careers in general, Nelson Mandela's house and their favourite Beatles albums.

In a week where two five star movies hit cinemas - namely Zero Dark Thirty and Lincoln - the Empire podcast is bumper-sized, boasting lengthy reviews of both films, as well as a discussion of the JJ Abrams / Star Wars: Episode VII rumours, your questions answered and news of Steven Spielberg's return to TV with Masters Of The Air. Oh, and The Governator drops by for a chat, as does the one and only Mark Strong.

This week, the Empire Podcast team mourn the (potential) loss of HMV on the high street, interview Zero Dark Thirty director Kathryn Bigelow and The Following star James Purefoy, review Django Unchained, The Sessions and Monsters, Inc. 3D and answer listeners' ever-so-slightly bonkers questions. Listen out for a passionate discussion of movie pet hates, and be sure to let us know your own over the next few weeks...

What are the curveballs thrown out by this week's Oscars nominations? Who's likely to trade blows (not literally) with Lincoln on the night itself? Empire kicks off the new year with an avalanche of analysis, chatter and Sebastian the Hedgehog references. (Yes, we're still doing that.) That isn't all this week, though. If you have a trip to Les Misérables planned then catch a fascinating chat with director Tom Hooper and Toby Jones talking about his portrayal of Hitchcock in The Girl.

2012 was the year that was, and this is the Empire Podcast Review Of The Year (that is). So for a slightly anarchic meander around the past 12 months of moviedom - and some spoilers that you'd expect with that (see the 32 minute onwards for the likes of 'Death Of The Year' and so on) - then press play on this here podcast.

The final Empire Podcast of the year brings three directors into the studio, namely Christopher McQuarrie (Jack Reacher), Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed) and Juan Antonio Bayona (The Impossible). For more podcast fun, be sure to download the second Hobbit Spoiler special, as well as the Review Of The Year special, which is due up on 31st December.

Pretty much all other big name releases are running scared this week, hiding in their metaphorical trolls' caves as The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey stomps into cinemas. So with that in mind, this particular Empire Podcast boasts three interviews with stars from said film, namely Andy Serkis (Gollum), Martin Freeman (BIlbo) and Richard Armitage (Thorin), as well as your regular dose of film-related fun and general movie blather.

Eric Idle, then. Member of Monty Python's Flying Circus, The Rutles and The Unseen University, he's been making people chuckle for years and years, be it on stage, TV screen, cinema, record player or in this instance, podcast recording booth. Here you can find out more about his ongoing Spamalot musical (and the court case it's currently embroiled in), his downloadable stage show What About Dick?, what it was like to shoot The Holy Grail and even his involvement in this year's Olympic Closing Ceremony. So for 40 odd minutes of Idle banter - sorry - click play immediately.

In the latest Empire Podcast, Seven Psychopaths' Sam Rockwell and Martin McDonagh talk about the latter's follow-up to In Bruges and the former's love of dancing on screen. Elsewhere, Warp Films' 10th anniversary is celebrated and Sightseers writers and stars Alice Lowe and Steve Oram stop by for a chat. Plus, the team try to work out exactly what it is about The Wolf from Pulp Fiction that makes him worthy of such a reputation...

A interview triple bill for you this week with actor Jake Gyllenhaal (End Of Watch), director Ben Wheatley (Sightseers) and producer Stephen Woolley (Great Expectations) all dropping by to talk a whole load of waffle with the Empire Podcast team. Elsewhere, the Star Wars Episode VII news round-up continues apace, Star Trek Into Darkness gets a synopsis and Susan Boyle biopic casting suggestions are made.

End Of Watch and Silver Linings Playbook are two movies well worth watching this weekend. Want more details than just that? Listen to this very podcast, and details are what you shall have - as well as more Star Wars Episode VII titbits, a discussion of journalism on film and an obligatory mention of Nick's very good friend, The Rock.

Graciously accepting our repeated offers to come round for a cup of tea, Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan (and the man behind The IT Crowd) popped in for a chat in front of some Empire Podcast microphones, and you can listen to the resulting interview in this very podcast. As well as some wise words from the man who came up with a character as bonkers as Father Jack, the Empire Podcast team review a pair of five star releases - namely Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master and Michael Haneke's Amour - as well as a million star one in the form of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2. Why a million stars? Well, you'll have to listen to the podcast to find out..

Appearing on this week's Empire Podcast are Kick-Ass and Wanted creator Mark Millar - and now head honcho of Fox's Marvel properties - and Skyfall writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. As well as those two interviews, there are discussions of actors that will put you off watching a movie entirely and the recent arrival of the trailer for World War Z. For all that and a whole lot more, click play or download or just subscribe to our RSS feed...

A huge piece of movie news arrived this week in the form of Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm for $4 billion and the announcement of Star Wars: Episode VII's release in 2015. Naturally, the first chunk of this week's Empire Podcast discusses this in depth, with the rest filled out by your usual dose of reviews, interviews (including Doctor Who's Matt Smith and Grass Roots' and American Pie's Jason Biggs) and other highly entertain cinematic bits and bobs.

The one and only Sir Roger Moore stopped by the Empire Podcast studio this week in honour of his latest book, Bond On Bond. The result is this 40-minute special interview podcast, which covers everything from the third Bond's Christmas dinner tips to explaining the plot of Inception. A word of warning, however - though he's as debonair and funny as ever, the 85-year-old Sir Roger does speak rather softly, so do pay attention 007...

What better way to celebrate Halloween than listening to Empire's Halloween kinda-sorta special? As well as discussions of all things ghouly and grisly, Skyfall gets a non-spoilery review, the Iron Man 3 trailer gets dissected and we interview the Re-Animator himself, Jeffrey Combs.

In a bumper, 90-minute plus Empire Podcast, the team welcome Martin Short and Catherine O'Hara for Frankenweenie, Katie Featherston for Paranormal Activity 4 and Benh Zeitlin and Quvenzhané Wallis, the director and star of Beasts Of The Southern Wild. Elsewhere, all the Bonds get recast and the London Film Festival is discussed, as well as all the film news and reviews that you expect from the world's biggest movie magazine.

Two movie-making pairings come to the Empire Podcast booth this week, namely Pusher's Nicolas Winding Refn and Richard Coyle and Ruby Sparks' Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. Elsewhere, Adele's Skyfall tune gets dissected and corrected, the possibility of Taken 3 is discussed and the Empire Podcast team work out what the best cameo in all of cinema is. The results? Inconclusive, but entertaining.

In a week boasting three Empire Podcasts, at least one had to be the actual regular Empire Podcast - and this, ladies and gentlemen, is it. In the discussions department, there's directorial hot streaks, movies banned by mother and rewatchable gems, whereas over in the reviews section we've got Taken 2, Liberal Arts and The Perks Of Being A Wallflower all getting a grilling. Then there's the brilliant David Thomson, the author of The Big Screen: The Story Of The Movies And What They Did To Us, who drops by to tell us about his latest book.

Today, Friday October 5, has been designated by Q branch as Global Bond Day. So with Skyfall hitting UK cinemas on October 26 - and US ones on November 8 - there's no better time to talk Bond, and Empire is more than happy to oblige. So join Chris Hewitt, Nick de Semlyen, Dan Jolin and Neil Alcock for a journey through 007's back catalogue, as well as interviews with Mary Goodnight herself, Britt Ekland, and the director of the new Bond documentary Everything Or Nothing, Stevan Riley. Be warned, however: contains high levels of double entendre...

Join Empire for a trip down Red Dwarf memory lane - remember, Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers - as we talk talkie toasters, Alan Rickman playing Lister, Howard Goodall's bonkers lyrics, Kryten impersonations, bullshitting Bill Clinton, getting "Smeg!" shouted at you in the street with Chris Barrie, Craig Charles and Doug Naylor in honour of Red Dwarf's 10th series, currently airing on Dave.

Two five-star movies are discussed on this week's Empire podcast, with Looper and Holy Motors both on our reviewing checklist, supported by the conversational talents of interviewees Liam Neeson (for Taken 2) and Elizabeth Olsen (for Liberal Arts). Elsewhere, the podcast team talk sneaking into movies underage and accidentally dressing up as Sickboy from Trainspotting. As you do.

Olivia Williams and Ken Loach drop by the Empire podcast studio for a quick chat this week, and as Chris is off on a work trip to somewhere in deepest, darkest Hollywood, Helen takes over hosting duties. Under her watchful guidance, the team talk shouting out in movies, the Avengers Assemble Blu-ray conundrum and sick day movies, on top of reviewing Now Is Good, Killing Them Softly, Hysteria and Savages.

For our 28th podcast, we welcome ParaNorman directors Sam Fell and Chris Butler into the studio to talk about zombies, bad puns and people with shovel-like faces. Elsewhere on the podcast, the team discuss film's best insults - "Why you stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf-herder!" - and the rare occasions they've been forced to leave a cinema. Then there are reviews of ParaNorman, Premium Rush and The Sweeney, as well as more than a few dodgy cockney accents.

During the recording of Empire's 27th podcast, the sound desk exploded (slightly), forcing the team to relocate to a different studio. Because of this, the audio on our interview with Lawless' director and writer (respectively), John Hillcoat And Nick Cave, is slightly on the shonky side - but fortunately they're both excellent and informative humans beings, so it all evens out. What's more, Chris and company also get the chance to review Dredd, Anna Karenina and That's My Boy, as well as discuss the best on screen deaths in cinema.

Following on from his appearance on our special Comic-Con podcasts earlier in the year, Karl Urban stops by the podbooth to (amongst other things) recreate Singin' In The Rain using his Judge Dredd voice. Elsewhere, Tim and Eric - of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job fame - talk about their feature debut, Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie, and the podcast team review Total Recall, A Few Best Men and Cockneys Vs. Zombies.

Adam Buxton is somewhat of a cult hero. Thanks to his work on the Adam & Joe show on Channel 4, then on XFM, then on BBC 6Music, he's amassed such a dedicated fanbase that we knew that releasing just ten minutes of our chat with him would be a great waste. Here then is a half-hour long special with the bearded podcast king, boasting the question-asking talents of Chris Hewitt, Nick de Semlyen and Ali Plumb.

Three interviews make this a jam-packed Empire Podcast this week, with Imposter director Bart Layton, Shadow Dancer (and Man On Wire) director James Marsh and veritable Podcast king, Adam Buxton, all coming round for a chat with the team. Elsewhere, we pay tribute to the one and only Tony Scott, review The Three Stooges (but not Keith Lemon) and discuss the fear-enducing powers of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

The director of the Total Recall remake, Len Wiseman, and the star of Peep Show (and now The Wedding Video), Robert Webb, are an unlikely pairing, but here they are, the guests on the latest edition of the Empire Podcast. Elsewhere, the team discuss which books they'd like to see turned into movies, The Expendables 2 and just how to pronounce Zach Galifianakis' name.

The director of the Total Recall remake, Len Wiseman, and the star of Peep Show (and now The Wedding Video), Robert Webb, are an unlikely pairing, but here they are, the guests on the latest edition of the Empire Podcast. Elsewhere, the team discuss which books they'd like to see turned into movies, The Expendables 2 and just how to pronounce Zach Galifianakis' name.

The director of the Total Recall remake, Len Wiseman, and the star of Peep Show (and now The Wedding Video), Robert Webb, are an unlikely pairing, but here they are, the guests on the latest edition of the Empire Podcast. Elsewhere, the team discuss which books they'd like to see turned into movies, The Expendables 2 and just how to pronounce Zach Galifianakis' name.

Alas and alack, thanks to The Olympics, there weren't as many famous folk about to step into our podbooth this week. So here's one of our rare interview-less efforts, where the team discuss such important things as Joss Whedon returning to direct Avengers 2, the on-going Justice League project as well as reviews for Brave and The Bourne Legacy.

Alas and alack, thanks to The Olympics, there weren't as many famous folk about to step into our podbooth this week. So here's one of our rare interview-less efforts, where the team discuss such important things as Joss Whedon returning to direct Avengers 2, the on-going Justice League project as well as reviews for Brave and The Bourne Legacy.

Alas and alack, thanks to The Olympics, there weren't as many famous folk about to step into our podbooth this week. So here's one of our rare interview-less efforts, where the team discuss such important things as Joss Whedon returning to direct Avengers 2, the on-going Justice League project as well as reviews for Brave and The Bourne Legacy.

For Empire's 22nd podcast, two titans of their field - one literally a titan - dropped by to say hello, namely Expendables 2's Dolph Lundgren and 360's Fernando Meirelles. Elsewhere in the podcast, we discuss Danny Boyle's London 2012 opening ceremony, the confirmation that The Hobbit will be a trilogy and the news of Chris Marker's passing.

For Empire's 22nd podcast, two titans of their field - one literally a titan - dropped by to say hello, namely Expendables 2's Dolph Lundgren and 360's Fernando Meirelles. Elsewhere in the podcast, we discuss Danny Boyle's London 2012 opening ceremony, the confirmation that The Hobbit will be a trilogy and the news of Chris Marker's passing.

For Empire's 22nd podcast, two titans of their field - one literally a titan - dropped by to say hello, namely Expendables 2's Dolph Lundgren and 360's Fernando Meirelles. Elsewhere in the podcast, we discuss Danny Boyle's London 2012 opening ceremony, the confirmation that The Hobbit will be a trilogy and the news of Chris Marker's passing.

This week, the Empire Podcast team review Searching For Sugarman and The Lorax, mop up a couple of remaining questions on The Dark Knight Rises, and interview the likes of Jason Isaacs and the one and only Peeder Jigson. Don't know who Peeder Jigson is? Best head this way then... https://twitter.com/PeederJigson/

This week, the Empire Podcast team review Searching For Sugarman and The Lorax, mop up a couple of remaining questions on The Dark Knight Rises, and interview the likes of Jason Isaacs and the one and only Peeder Jigson. Don't know who Peeder Jigson is? Best head this way then... https://twitter.com/PeederJigson/

This week, the Empire Podcast team review Searching For Sugarman and The Lorax, mop up a couple of remaining questions on The Dark Knight Rises, and interview the likes of Jason Isaacs and the one and only Peeder Jigson. Don't know who Peeder Jigson is? Best head this way then... https://twitter.com/PeederJigson/

The one and only Jason Isaacs stepped into our humble podcast recording studio recently, and here is the incredibly eloquent and really rather funny result, touching on everything from Soccer Aid to Event Horizon, Harry Potter to fake moustaches. And just to let you know, there are 20 F-bombs and two C-bombs denotated over the course of this podcast. True story.

This week, there's a very big movie out in cinemas - The Dark Knight Rises - and a couple of smaller ones, including the critically acclaimed history of hip-hop, Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap. The directors of both films appear on this week's podcast, with Christopher Nolan and Ice-T offering up some wise words to balance out our manic waffle. P.S. A Dark Knight Rises spoiler podcast will arrive on Tuesday 24th, so look forward to that once you've watched the film in question!

Sorry for the delay, folks, but at long last we can announce that the third and final part of this year's Comic-Con Daily Podcast Specials is online, for your listening pleasure. And it's quite a doozy as well. Not only do Chris Hewitt, Nick de Semlyen and Jaime Blanco dissect the busiest, biggest day in the history of the 'Con, when the likes of Pacific Rim, Man Of Steel, Iron Man 3 and The Hobbit all graced Hall H, but we talk to Guillermo del Toro and Lord of the Rings legend, Richard Taylor.

On today's edition, our crack team - Nick de Semlyen, Chris Hewitt and James White - discuss everything they saw, heard, did and smelled at the 'Con today. And that includes (deep breath) panels for The Walking Dead, spoiling the comic's 100th issue for Jonathan Ross, Resident Evil: Retribution, The Big Bang Theory, Looper, Total Recall, Game Of Thrones, Marvel's Item 47 short and the first look at Neill Blomkamp's new film, Elysium.

Empire heads to San Diego for Comic Con 2012, with our team recording the first of three special daily podcasts discussing and dissecting the best of what they've seen so far at the world's biggest geek gathering - and in this instance, interviewing the one and only Jackie Chan.

Zach Galligan, the star of Gremlins, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Waxwork and many more stopped by the Empire podbooth for a chat about his career, with the emphasis most definitely on his work with the likes of Gizmo and Mogwai. Here's the result, which even features titbits on a possible Gremlins 3 project...