It's another jam-packed episode of the Empire Podcast this week, folks. Our guest cup certainly overfloweth, as Olly Richards sits down on Zoom with Memory stars Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard (21:17 - 37:40 approx.), Ian Freer talks Kurosawa, Columbo, German goalkeepers and Japanese toilets with the legendary director Wim Wenders (58:36 - 1:14:11 approx), and Dan Jolin gushes liberally all over City Of God in a 21st anniversary re-release chat with that film's director, Fernando Meirelles (1:30:51 - 1:48:04 approx).
Either side of those, Chris Hewitt hosts and is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for a fun episode in which they discuss their best ever days as film fans, their favourite queer films, the week's movie news including the announcement of Sam Mendes' wildly ambitious Beatles biopics, and review Memory, Wim Wenders' Perfect Days, Wicked Little Letters, and American Star. Oh,...
Either side of those, Chris Hewitt hosts and is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for a fun episode in which they discuss their best ever days as film fans, their favourite queer films, the week's movie news including the announcement of Sam Mendes' wildly ambitious Beatles biopics, and review Memory, Wim Wenders' Perfect Days, Wicked Little Letters, and American Star. Oh,...
- 2/23/2024
- by Chris Hewitt
- Empire - Movies
Paul Giamatti will be hoping to use the Golden Globes to press forward with his claims for a first Oscar nomination since his 2006 Best Supporting Actor bid for “Cinderella Man.” He stars this year in “The Holdovers,” which could lead him to a Best Actor nomination and has cemented him as the favorite to win Best Comedy/Musical Actor at the upcoming Golden Globes.
He’s nominated alongside Jeffrey Wright (“American Fiction”), Matt Damon (“Air”), Nicolas Cage (“Dream Scenario”), Joaquin Phoenix (“Beau is Afraid”), and Timothée Chalamet (“Wonka”). Could Chalamet upset the apple cart by claiming a shock win for “Wonka?”
Chalamet plays the role previously occupied by icons Gene Wilder (1971’s “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory”) and Johnny Depp (2006’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”). In the origin story “Wonka,” Chalamet plays a young chocolatier trying to take down the sinister Chocolate Cartel in the hopes of achieving...
He’s nominated alongside Jeffrey Wright (“American Fiction”), Matt Damon (“Air”), Nicolas Cage (“Dream Scenario”), Joaquin Phoenix (“Beau is Afraid”), and Timothée Chalamet (“Wonka”). Could Chalamet upset the apple cart by claiming a shock win for “Wonka?”
Chalamet plays the role previously occupied by icons Gene Wilder (1971’s “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory”) and Johnny Depp (2006’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”). In the origin story “Wonka,” Chalamet plays a young chocolatier trying to take down the sinister Chocolate Cartel in the hopes of achieving...
- 1/5/2024
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Greetings, Spidey fans! This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt point at Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse stars, Shameik Moore (aka Miles Morales), Hailee Steinfeld (aka Gwen Stacy), and Daniel Kaluuya (aka Spider-Punk). They also have a fun chat once the fingers are holstered.
Speaking of fingers, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara, who has her full complement, and James Dyer, who… well, you'll see. Together, the three of them chat about the week's movie news, review Across The Spider-Verse, Rob Savage's The Boogeyman, and Tina Satter's Reality, while they tackle a listener question that asks which director won the 1980s. Whoever it is, we hope they keep it on their mantelpiece. But that's not all! Ian Freer also has a chat with the most excellent Melissa Barrera, star of the recent Scream series and now this week's adaptation of Carmen. Ok, let's do this one more time…...
Speaking of fingers, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara, who has her full complement, and James Dyer, who… well, you'll see. Together, the three of them chat about the week's movie news, review Across The Spider-Verse, Rob Savage's The Boogeyman, and Tina Satter's Reality, while they tackle a listener question that asks which director won the 1980s. Whoever it is, we hope they keep it on their mantelpiece. But that's not all! Ian Freer also has a chat with the most excellent Melissa Barrera, star of the recent Scream series and now this week's adaptation of Carmen. Ok, let's do this one more time…...
- 6/2/2023
- by Chris Hewitt
- Empire - Movies
The road to “Top Gun: Maverick” has been a treacherous one. The long-awaited sequel to the 1986 classic was delayed a total of five times due to the ongoing and rapidly changing effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, causing many fans to wonder when, or if, they’d be able to see the film.
Thankfully, the wait is almost over with the action drama set for release in just a few weeks. But what are the critics saying about Joseph Kosinski’s new film?
Fear not, “Top Gun” fans – the reviews for “Maverick” are in and they are praising the film as a triumph.
Tomris Laffly of RogerEbert.com gave the film a perfect score, writing, “As the jets cut through the atmosphere and brush their target soils in close-shave movements—all coherently edited by Eddie Hamilton—the sensation they generate feels miraculous and worthy of the biggest screen one can possibly find.
Thankfully, the wait is almost over with the action drama set for release in just a few weeks. But what are the critics saying about Joseph Kosinski’s new film?
Fear not, “Top Gun” fans – the reviews for “Maverick” are in and they are praising the film as a triumph.
Tomris Laffly of RogerEbert.com gave the film a perfect score, writing, “As the jets cut through the atmosphere and brush their target soils in close-shave movements—all coherently edited by Eddie Hamilton—the sensation they generate feels miraculous and worthy of the biggest screen one can possibly find.
- 5/12/2022
- by Caillou Pettis
- Gold Derby
Ridley Scott's post-Gladiator output has been a decidedly mixed bag. The prolific director knows how to get audiences into cinemas, but many of his recent films have left fans grumbling - Prometheus, we're looking at you.
Fortunately it looks like Scott is back on form with The Martian, his Matt Damon-gets-stranded-on-the-Red-Planet sci-fi based on Andy Weir's best-selling book. Here's an overview of the critical consensus for this week's big blockbuster release.
Digital Spy - Ali Plumb
"The Martian is Ridley Scott's best film in nearly 15 years. Part science lesson, part Robinson Crusoe drama, this is exciting and engaging filmmaking that reminds you just how good the seminal sci-fi director can be with the right script and the right story."
Empire - Ian Freer
"It isn't perfect. The supporting cast feel under-served, the idea that Watney's plight draws crowds of people in Trafalgar Square waiting for the outcome feels forced,...
Fortunately it looks like Scott is back on form with The Martian, his Matt Damon-gets-stranded-on-the-Red-Planet sci-fi based on Andy Weir's best-selling book. Here's an overview of the critical consensus for this week's big blockbuster release.
Digital Spy - Ali Plumb
"The Martian is Ridley Scott's best film in nearly 15 years. Part science lesson, part Robinson Crusoe drama, this is exciting and engaging filmmaking that reminds you just how good the seminal sci-fi director can be with the right script and the right story."
Empire - Ian Freer
"It isn't perfect. The supporting cast feel under-served, the idea that Watney's plight draws crowds of people in Trafalgar Square waiting for the outcome feels forced,...
- 9/30/2015
- Digital Spy
In the UK some film reviewers have mocked Russell Crowe.s directing debut and his performance in The Water Diviner, while audiences seemed unenthused.
Entertainment One launched the Turkish-set drama last Friday, fetching a modest £521,000 ($A1 million) in three days at 420 locations.
To be fair, the UK market was dominated by Universal.s juggernaut Fast & Furious 7, which rang up $24.8 million, part of a global haul of $US392 million.
Still, that.s a disappointing result for a film which has grossed a fine $15.7 million at home and $US5.7 million in Turkey. In Italy it.s earned just $US1.1 million, according to Box Office Mojo.
The next major tests are in France on April 15 and, via Warner Bros., the Us on April 24.
Typifying the sniffy reviews in the UK, The Guardian.s Peter Bradshaw observed, .Russell Crowe makes his feature directing debut with this laborious, well-intentioned movie about the aftermath of...
Entertainment One launched the Turkish-set drama last Friday, fetching a modest £521,000 ($A1 million) in three days at 420 locations.
To be fair, the UK market was dominated by Universal.s juggernaut Fast & Furious 7, which rang up $24.8 million, part of a global haul of $US392 million.
Still, that.s a disappointing result for a film which has grossed a fine $15.7 million at home and $US5.7 million in Turkey. In Italy it.s earned just $US1.1 million, according to Box Office Mojo.
The next major tests are in France on April 15 and, via Warner Bros., the Us on April 24.
Typifying the sniffy reviews in the UK, The Guardian.s Peter Bradshaw observed, .Russell Crowe makes his feature directing debut with this laborious, well-intentioned movie about the aftermath of...
- 4/6/2015
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
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 this week, 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.You can also look forward to a snippet of the longer Denzel Washington and Robert Zemeckis interview - see here for more details - and a fresh 15 minute chat 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... Don't forget, you can contact the podcast team via Twitter (with the hashtag #empirepodcast), Facebook and email (using podcast@empiremagazine.com) if you want your questions featured next week. Plus,...
- 2/1/2013
- EmpireOnline
U.K. critics are divided down the middle on Sony's 'Spider-Man' reboot, starring Andrew Garfield as the friendly neighborhood hero.
By Josh Wigler
Andrew Garfield in "The Amazing Spider-Man"
Photo:
Peter Parker swings back into U.S. theaters on July 3 with "The Amazing Spider-Man," this time played by British up-and-comer Andrew Garfield — and while Stateside critics have stayed hush-hush on their feelings about the "Amazing" reboot for now, our friends across the pond have been more outspoken with their reactions.Several U.K. news outlets including The Guardian and Empire have published their reviews of director Marc Webb's "Spider-Man" reboot, following the film's London premiere on Monday. The consensus is not unlike Parker's own superhero career: rocky at points, healthy at times and flat-out "amazing" in other areas.
Keep reading for the good and the bad from the early "Amazing Spider-Man" reviews!Webb & The Web-Spinner
"Webb successfully...
By Josh Wigler
Andrew Garfield in "The Amazing Spider-Man"
Photo:
Peter Parker swings back into U.S. theaters on July 3 with "The Amazing Spider-Man," this time played by British up-and-comer Andrew Garfield — and while Stateside critics have stayed hush-hush on their feelings about the "Amazing" reboot for now, our friends across the pond have been more outspoken with their reactions.Several U.K. news outlets including The Guardian and Empire have published their reviews of director Marc Webb's "Spider-Man" reboot, following the film's London premiere on Monday. The consensus is not unlike Parker's own superhero career: rocky at points, healthy at times and flat-out "amazing" in other areas.
Keep reading for the good and the bad from the early "Amazing Spider-Man" reviews!Webb & The Web-Spinner
"Webb successfully...
- 6/19/2012
- MTV Music News
U.K. critics are divided down the middle on Sony's 'Spider-Man' reboot, starring Andrew Garfield as the friendly neighborhood hero.
By Josh Wigler
Andrew Garfield in "The Amazing Spider-Man"
Photo:
Peter Parker swings back into U.S. theaters on July 3 with "The Amazing Spider-Man," this time played by British up-and-comer Andrew Garfield — and while Stateside critics have stayed hush-hush on their feelings about the "Amazing" reboot for now, our friends across the pond have been more outspoken with their reactions.Several U.K. news outlets including The Guardian and Empire have published their reviews of director Marc Webb's "Spider-Man" reboot, following the film's London premiere on Monday. The consensus is not unlike Parker's own superhero career: rocky at points, healthy at times and flat-out "amazing" in other areas.
Keep reading for the good and the bad from the early "Amazing Spider-Man" reviews!Webb & The Web-Spinner
"Webb successfully...
By Josh Wigler
Andrew Garfield in "The Amazing Spider-Man"
Photo:
Peter Parker swings back into U.S. theaters on July 3 with "The Amazing Spider-Man," this time played by British up-and-comer Andrew Garfield — and while Stateside critics have stayed hush-hush on their feelings about the "Amazing" reboot for now, our friends across the pond have been more outspoken with their reactions.Several U.K. news outlets including The Guardian and Empire have published their reviews of director Marc Webb's "Spider-Man" reboot, following the film's London premiere on Monday. The consensus is not unlike Parker's own superhero career: rocky at points, healthy at times and flat-out "amazing" in other areas.
Keep reading for the good and the bad from the early "Amazing Spider-Man" reviews!Webb & The Web-Spinner
"Webb successfully...
- 6/19/2012
- MTV Movie News
If you want to hear Simon Pegg share some titbits about The World's End, Star Trek 2 and his latest, A Fantastic Fear Of Everything, then stop reading this introductory waffle and click play on the Soundcloud file below.But maybe that doesn't tickle your fancy - for some extraordinary reason - and you need more encouragement.If that is indeed the case, then prepare to hear some wide words from Robert Weide, the man behind Woody Allen: A Documentary, TV's Curb Your Enthusiasm and How To Lose Friends And Alienate People, who discusses his career and delivers an Allen impersonation that'll knock your socks off.That's all in addition to our regular dose of movie news and reviews, made approximately 398 per cent better by the appearance of the one and only Ian Freer in his podcast debut.P.S. Here's the link to our iTunes page, and here's our RSS feed,...
- 6/8/2012
- EmpireOnline
On the morning of Monday 9th January 2012, just hours after the British premier at the Odeon in London’s Leicester Square, a press conference for Steven Spielberg's latest film War Horse was held in the magnificent ballroom of Claridge's, one of London's most lavish hotels located in the heart of Mayfair. As I reported in the first part of this article (which you can read here), the event was split into two halves, the first of which featured Spielberg and his long-time producer Kathy Kennedy speaking about the movie in what was a fascinating and informative half an hour.
The second part, though, was equally interesting, as author Michael Morpurgo and screenwriter Richard Curtis discussed the genesis of the story and its journey from Morpurgo's moving and poignant children's book that was originally published in 1982 to Curtis's script that Spielberg drew much of his direction from, and actors Jeremy Irvine,...
The second part, though, was equally interesting, as author Michael Morpurgo and screenwriter Richard Curtis discussed the genesis of the story and its journey from Morpurgo's moving and poignant children's book that was originally published in 1982 to Curtis's script that Spielberg drew much of his direction from, and actors Jeremy Irvine,...
- 1/18/2012
- Shadowlocked
If there's one subject that Steven Spielberg has proved he can do well over the years, it's war. Having directed such weighty and classic musings on it such as Schindler's List (1993) and Saving Private Ryan (1998) (both of which netted him Oscars), slightly more overlooked movies like Empire Of The Sun (1987) and even the, shall we say, interesting project that was 1941 (1979), it would be fair to say that he knows the genre pretty well. Oh, and he also executive produced the critically lauded television miniseries Band Of Brothers (2001), and that's just counting the terrestrial conflicts.
With his latest film War Horse, however, based on the moving and poignant children's book by Michael Morpurgo originally published in 1982, he is not looking at the First World War in terms of the many young soldiers who were pulled into the so called 'war to end all wars' but is instead focusing on the equine army,...
With his latest film War Horse, however, based on the moving and poignant children's book by Michael Morpurgo originally published in 1982, he is not looking at the First World War in terms of the many young soldiers who were pulled into the so called 'war to end all wars' but is instead focusing on the equine army,...
- 1/12/2012
- Shadowlocked
We're not allowed to tell you what we think of Super 8 yet, so we can't, for example, tell you that it is best summed up by a word that rhymes with "schwawesome". But we can bring you this world exclusive interview with the film's producer, Steven Spielberg, and director Jj Abrams.Super 8 is a 1970s-set thrilller wherein a group of teenage filmmakers witness a devastating train crash - only to learn that there may be even more destructive forces threatening their town. It's been shrouded in secrecy to date, but just a few hints of what's in store are now beginning to emerge.The world's greatest director/producer (and former Empire editor) and once-and-future Star Trek director discuss the origins of the project in this clip, as well as their own memories of childhood filmmaking (which informs both the plot and the title), the experience of watching movies...
- 5/26/2011
- EmpireOnline
Francis Ford Coppola sat down with our Ian Freer to talk about Apocalypse Now for the latest issue of Empire magazine (out on Thursday), and while he was there he dropped just a couple of tiny tidbits about his new film, Twixt Now And Sunrise, which might be of interest to his fans."It's part personal film, part Gothic romance, part Halloween show. If I can present it the way I want to, it is something that's never been done before," he said of the film.Given that there have been rumours already that Coppola was planning on presenting a "brief dramatic segment" of the film in 3D, his remark about "presenting it the way I want to" sounds rather significant. Coppola is still in the editing room with the film at the moment, after writing the screenplay in two days. Apparently he was inspired by a dream he had...
- 3/30/2011
- EmpireOnline
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