Movies With Ali Plumb

Originally the plan was to speak to one "Martin Scorsese" - whoever he might be - for this week's podcast, but it was not to be. Alas and, indeed, alack. Stepping in, we have the full audio version of Paul Mescal's Story So Far interview that you may have seen (if you're in the UK) on Radio 1's iPlayer channel, where the Normal People, Aftersun and now All Of Us Strangers star talks to Ali about his career, his favourite 'corpsers' and, um, vitamin gummy bears. Plus! Ali gives us a very brief round up of the latest news headlines - Moana 2, oh my - as well as his thoughts on A24 and Zac Efron's latest, The Iron Claw.

Now that the dust has settled just a little bit, Ali has teamed up with fellow full-time film fan Ella Kemp - of Letterboxd’s ‘Four Faves’ fame - to talk through all the runners and riders for this year’s Academy Awards (Sunday March 10th, for those wondering, with the BAFTAs on Sunday February 18th) after the controversial announcement last week of who got what nods. So whip out your proverbial pen and paper because a lot of great movies get mentioned here and there’s a decent chance you’ll want to watch a few of them…

All Of Us Strangers may finally be in cinemas - and Ali’s Story So Far interview with one of its stars, Paul Mescal, may be on be on BBC iPlayer right about now - but here on Radio 1’s Screen Time we’re shining a light on Big Boys, Jack Rooke’s semi-autobiographical sitcom, which has recently returned to Channel 4 to rave reviews. Here, Jack sits down with Ali for this interview special, featuring a surprise appearance from a Radio 1 DJ to boot, which touches on British comedy as a whole and just how tricky it is to get a show like Big Boys off the ground.

It’s awards season! Poor Things came out last week, The Holdovers is out this week and All Of Strangers is out next week - so it’s a great time to be a film fan (moreso than ever). But here’s something just a smidge different for you: a fun and fact-filled chat with two of the human beings behind one of Ali’s films of the year, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, those loveable geniuses Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. So as long as you don’t mind a wee bit of strong language (and a spoiler or two), this is the interview special for you.

After checking his calendar a couple of times, Ali is pretty sure that 2024 is finally, definitely, absolutely here, and with it some very exciting films for us to all look forward to. But with Screen Time being a film *and* TV podcast, joining the party this week is TV expert (and BBC 5 Live's very own) Scott Bryan, who stopped by to talk about some of the big small screen releases - if that makes sense - that are on their way this particular 12 months. Plus, a reminder of Poor Things' arrival in cinemas and a few other bits and bobs.

Radio 1’s Screen Time welcomes in 2024 with a truly lovely interview with Dan Levy: writer, director, producer and star of Good Grief, a comedy-drama motion picture you can watch on Netflix, well, right about now. Chances are, you know Dan from playing David Rose on a certain Canadian sitcom megahit by the name of Schitt's Creek (which he also co-created and wrote) - so that does come up a little bit - as does professional people-pleasing anxiety (in a fun way!) and the fine art of taking a compliment successfully. And, as a little new year bonus, we've also got a brief round-up of the biggest releases coming out this month, because we're nice.

Is Die Hard a Christmas film? It's a question seemingly as old as the movie itself - first came out in 1988, fact fans - but whatever your thoughts on that controversial pub conversation question, December seemed like the perfect time to bring friend of the podcast (and Empire Magazine editor, as it goes) Nick de Semlyen on to chat about just why we love John McClane so much - and how the film changed the landscape of action cinema forever. A word to the wise, by the way: as you might imagine with this being a spoiler special about Die Hard, this podcast contains both, well, spoilers and, um, swear words. You know, there's a line in this movie, and... yeah. Fair warning!

There’s something very very exciting going on on your televisions this Christmas time - and that’s Ncuti Gatwa’s first fully-fledged standalone outing as The Doctor, Doctor Who, on BBC One. The Christmas special is called 'The Church On Ruby Road' and you can watch it on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK from 5.55pm on December 25th. To celebrate that fact, here's an interview with Ncuti where Ali tries to talk about the character of The Doctor, about how he got the role, about what it all means to him... without giving away spoilers, because boy oh boy do spoilers abound.

Friends of the show Clarisse Loughrey (The Independent's chief film critic) and Dan Layton (film and TV reviewer extraordinaire) join Ali once again to try and do justice to the year that was/is 2023, discussing their five favourite films and trying to wrap their heads around what's been "slept on" in the past 12 months. Colin From Accounts? Slow Horses? Rye Lane? The list goes on and on - you may want to whip out your notepad, a lot of possible new favourites are going to be coming your way. Plus! As a little bonus, Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz and Shailene Woodley make a brief appearance at the end to talk Ferrari (out next week, fact fans).

If you were to cast a young Willy Wonka, who'd be your first choice for the role? Why it'd have to be Timothée Chalamet - but of course - just the sort of person who can sing and dance and charm his way around a delightful musical confection from the mind of Paddington(s) director Paul King. In this interview special podcast, Ali talks to pretty much the whole cast of the film, including the likes of Olivia Colman, Tom Davis, Keegan-Michael Key (to name but a few), but the emphasis is very much on Paul King himself and this Timothée Chalamet fellow, so if you're a fan of either - and well you might be - this is just the golden ticket.

It's beginning to look a lot like... December! Because, well, it is December - which means you can now officially (according to Ali, anyway) watch as many Christmas films, Christmas TV specials, Christmas musical extravaganzas as you jolly well wish. To celebrate this joyous occasion, Ali has spoken to two human beings who know a thing or two about the festive spirit, namely Hannah Waddingham (of Ted Lasso and now 'Home For Christmas' fame) and Otis Milburn himself, Asa Butterfield, the star of both Your Christmas Or Mine? and Your Christmas Or Mine 2 (out December 8th, fact fans).

Vanessa Kirby plays Josephine in Ridley Scott’s latest, Napoleon, finally out in cinemas this weekend, and, well, what do you know, with the strikes lifted she was able to join Ali for a conversation all about it which you’ll be able to listen to on this here podcast. Plus! Ali offers up a quick recap of some of the biggest releases in cinemas this weekend, including Disney’s 100th birthday animation, Wish.

Have you heard? The SAG AFTRA actors strikes are over, which means there be actors in these here podcasts: namely Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Hunter Schafer and Josh Andrés Rivera, the stars of the new Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. Joining them is their director, Panem veteran Francis Lawrence, as they talk about returning to The Capitol and what makes their take different to what we've seen before with that Jennifer Lawrence character.

So this is an unusual episode of Radio 1's Screen Time - sort of - in so far as there are not one but TWO interviews to enjoy, namely Saltburn's Emerald Fennell and The Marvels' Nia DaCosta. Plus, as a bonus, we've also got a brief review of Nic Cage's Dream Scenario in the middle, making this one heck of a cinematic sandwich.

Friend of the show and Independent film critic Clarisse Loughrey joins newcomer Dan Layton and good 'ol Ali Plumb this week for a triple-headed review-a-palooza tackling all of the big releases of that past few weeks, including Scorsese's latest, and, well, Trolls 3 - not forgetting 91-minute fight club high school comedy Bottoms, David Fincher's Michael Fassbender assassin thriller The Killer and more than a few more...

With Ali only just back from his trip to the USA, we've been digging through the back catalogue for a throwback interview special, and look who popped up! Twice! Some handsome chap known as Tom Hiddleston, and with Loki back on Disney+ for a second series, it made perfect sense to put together the TWO 'Becoming... Loki' interviews he's done over the years, once as Infinity War came out (2018) and another when Loki came to town first time around (2021). So join Ali has we go back through the sacred timeline and see what Tom has to say about the Marvel villain he's played for well over a decade now (!)

Ali is still in California, no doubt trying to visit as many filming locations as possible, you know what he's like - and in that particular US state, there are more than a few filming locations worth visiting, that's for sure - but fret not, there's still a podcast for you this week in the form of this Ali Plumb's Film Club. BBC podcasting compadre Greg Jenner stopped by recently to speak to fellow backflipping-whilst-singing fan Ali as they discuss what could well be the greatest movie musical of all time. Disagree? Let us know!

After last week's gaming special, here's a bonus interview for anyone who's just as excited as Ali about the imminent arrival of Insomniac Games' new Spider-Man outing. Bryan Intihar and Jon Paquette, two of the creative team behind the series that's also given us the original Spider-Man game in 2018 and the Miles Morales follow-up in 2020, spoke to Radio 1's in-house nerd before he jetted off on holiday. And on that note! As well as this bonus podcast, we'll also have an Ali Plumb's Film Club to tide us over next week, don't you worry!

Yes, Screen Time is primarily a film 'n' TV podcast but Ali really does love his gaming, and let's be honest, chances are you do too. So joining him for a rambling journey around the best and biggest games of 2023 - so far - are gaming journalists (and friends of the podcast) Aoife Wilson and Steffan Powell to talk about the likes of Baldur's Gate 3, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Diablo 4 and much, much, much more. Needless to say, plenty of conversation also featuring what's still to look forward to this unbelievably stacked year, including Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Alan Wake 2 and... let's include Assassin's Creed Mirage as well, shall we?

Gareth Edwards - the director who gave us Godzilla and Rogue One - has a new film out in cinemas this weekend and its name is The Creator. Amazingly, it's not based on any intellectual property you might know, making it (can you imagine?) a blockbuster sci-fi that could be described as, well, original. Incredible. Truly. Hear him talk to Ali about his near future world of AI, "simulants", robot wars (kinda), Rain Man, the magic of CGI, John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Allison Janney and much much more on this special BBC Radio 1 interview podcast.