Entertainment journalist Leigh Livingstone and movie expert Tim Iffland review the newest film releases, plus break down the latest trailers and movie news. Bite-sized, moreish and a little salty – this is Popcorn Podcast with Leigh and Tim.
TO CELEBRATE THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF POPCORN PODCAST, WE’RE GIVING AWAY THREE GIFT PACKS FEATURING AN OFFICIAL POPCORN PODCAST MUG, MOVIE MERCHANDISE AND A $20 ITUNES GIFT CARD, SO YOU CAN WATCH YOUR FAVOURITE NEW RELEASE MOVIES!
All in Interviews
Popcorn Pals interviews Red, White & Royal Blue writer and director Matthew López about their directorial debut starring Taylor Zakhar Perez, Nicholas Galitzine, Stephen Fry and Uma Thurman. In our chat, the Tony award-winning playwright shares the importance of Latin-A representation in film; his incredible desire to bring this story to the world; how it feels to share a queer story like this one with audiences…
Popcorn Pals interviews Sophie Wilde and Zoe Terakes, stars of Sundance Film Festival success story Talk To Me. The new Aussie horror, from first-time directors Danny and Michael Philippou, is set to be the hit of the year. In this fun and insightful chat, Wilde and Terakes share the group bonding sessions that fuelled rehearsals; the film’s authentic representation of Australian youth culture; and the surprising outlets that fill their cup. All this and so much more in this very special episode of Popcorn Pals…
Popcorn Pals interviews co-directors Danny & Michael Philippou about their debut feature film, Talk to Me. The Australian twins are best known as online global sensations Rackaracka, with more than 1.5 billion views on YouTube. In our chat, the first-time filmmakers share there is nothing scarier than a teenage house party; how they fought to keep the Crazy Frog song in their film; what happened to the person who made the embalmed hand prop; and their surprising suggestions for how to market a film. All this and so much more in this very special episode of Popcorn Pals…
Popcorn Pals is a Popcorn Podcast with Leigh and Tim spin-off series.
Popcorn Pals interviews Carmen star Melissa Barrera about her powerful new film starring Paul Mescal and Rossy de Palma. In our chat, Barrera shares her connection to the story and what drew her to the project, including her involvement in authentically representing her Mexican heritage, how terrified she was to dance under the guise of Benjamin Millepiede, and her baptism of fire in training with the Sydney Dance Company. Melissa also shares her experiences filming in the Australian outback in the height of Summer and how special the experience was for her to make this piece of art for audiences. All this and so much more in this very special episode of Popcorn Pals.
Popcorn Pals is a Popcorn Podcast with Leigh and Tim spin-off series.
Renfield director Chris McKay takes Popcorn Pals behind the scenes of his action-comedy romp, starring Nicolas Cage as Dracula and Nicholas Hoult as Renfield. The story is a modern monster tale of Dracula’s co dependant loyal servant, Renfield and how he is ready to see if there’s a life outside the shadow of The Prince of Darkness. In our interview, Chris shares the itch he needed to scratch in telling this particular Dracula story, what Hoult and Cage bring to their respective and iconic roles, and how an improvised line of dialogue from the film left him in stitches. The director also shares the potential origins of “splash-stick humour”, how he loves to work with practical, in-camera effects and his love of genre filmmaking and what he hopes to do next. All this and much more, so we hope you enjoy this very special episode of Popcorn Pals.
Evil Dead Rise stars Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland take Popcorn Podcast behind the scenes of the fifth instalment in the Evil Dead film series. The story tells the tale of two estranged sisters whose reunion is cut short by flesh-possessing demons, thrusting the family into a primal battle for survival as they face down a mother of a nightmare. In our special interview, Sutherland and Sullivan dive into Sutherland’s shocking transformation as a murderous mum and Sullivan’s big Evil Dead moment. The pair also shares how much fun they had playing with the more than 6,500 litres of fake blood used in production and a spooky story that will have the hairs on your neck standing up…
Director Abi Damaris Corbin joins Popcorn Podcast to discuss her heartbreaking debut feature film, Breaking. The dramatic thriller, starring John Boyega, is based on the true story of marine veteran Brian Brown-Easley, who took a bank with several employees hostage after being denied support from Veteran Affairs. Damaris Corbin, who also co-wrote Breaking, reveals the connection that led her to the challenges and joys of making this deeply personal film and how Boyega swooped in at the last minute to blow everyone away with his talent. We hope you enjoy this special interview episode of Popcorn Podcast…
Star Wars superstar John Boyega joins Popcorn Podcast to discuss his powerful new role in Breaking. The dramatic thriller, written and directed by Abi Damaris Corbin, is based on the true story of marine veteran Brian Brown-Easley, who took a bank with several employees hostage after being denied support from Veteran Affairs with devastating consequences. Boyega shares the challenges of joining such an intense project just two weeks before production began and the impact of working with the late Michael K Williams, while Leigh makes the acclaimed actor squirm with a particular comparison…
Popcorn Podcast welcomes Champions stars Kevin Iannucci and Joshua Felder to chat about their uplifting and fun new movie. Champions is the heartwarming story of a disgraced former minor-league basketball coach (Woody Harrelson) ordered by the court to manage a team of disabled players as part of his community service. We had a fun chat with the pair about what it’s like working with Woody Harrelson and director Bobby Farrelly, bringing their basketball skills to Champions and how they hope the movie will inspire and educate others. We hope you enjoy this very special interview episode of Popcorn Podcast…
Popcorn Podcast welcomes the stars of Missing, Storm Reid and Nia Long, to discuss their new film and how it keeps audiences on the edge of their seat while addressing important issues facing modern women. Missing is a standalone sequel from the creative team behind critically-acclaimed thriller Searching, with both films innovating the screenlife genre – a visual filmmaking style becoming increasingly relatable as technology dominates our every move…
Popcorn Podcast welcomes Missing co-writer and co-director Will Merrick, alongside producer Natalie Qasabian, to discuss how they further innovated the 'Screenlife' genre populated by critically-acclaimed films, including Missing’s predecessor: Searching. The pioneering pair also shares how the visual style of this thriller evolved while navigating the challenges of keeping the audience engaged and the tension tight in a mystery playing out entirely through screens. We hope you enjoy this very special interview episode of Popcorn Podcast…
Popcorn Podcast is thrilled to welcome Oscar-winning writer and director of The Father Florian Zeller back to discuss his new film, The Son. In a fascinating chat, Zeller reveals what compels him to tell stories often treated as taboo and how challenging it is to deliver a cinematic adaptation of another of his acclaimed plays. He also shares wonderful (and hilarious) anecdotes about working with screen greats Anthony Hopkins and Hugh Jackman…
Popcorn Podcast is thrilled to chat with 20-year-old Australian actor Zen McGrath about his starring role in Oscar-winner Florian Zeller's The Son. McGrath shares fascinating insights into the process of making The Son, including how he got into the emotional headspace of his troubled character and, equally as importantly, how he decompressed from the intense work once cameras stopped rolling…
Popcorn Podcast is thrilled to welcome Gabriel LaBelle, the rising star tasked with playing a young Steven Spielberg in his autobiographical drama The Fabelmans. Spielberg's latest is a deeply personal story, based on his childhood and formative years, that offers a window into the experiences that shaped him as one of the greatest directors of all time. LaBelle, the 20-year-old son of character actor Rob LaBelle, shares some lovely anecdotes of his time working with Spielberg, as well as what an emotional experience it was for all involved and how this role has changed his life. We hope you enjoy this very special interview episode of Popcorn Podcast…
Popcorn Podcast is thrilled to sit down with Violent Night director Tommy Wirkola – who studied film in Australia on the Gold Coast – to learn how this action-packed anti-Christmas film crossed his path, why he knew Stranger Things' David Harbour was the right man to play a hardened Santa Claus with a score to settle. Wirkola also reveals his favourite "Christmas inspired" kills from the film – and there are some real doozies in Violent Night. We hope you enjoy this Popcorn Podcast interview with Tommy Wirkola…
Popcorn Podcast sits down with iconic actor John Leguizamo to chat about his new action-packed Christmas film, Violent Night, co-starring David Harbour as a disgruntled Santa Claus forced to battle mercenaries to save the holidays. Known for his memorable characters in many beloved films, Leguizamo shares his family holiday traditions, reveals why Beverly D’Angelo made him nervous and reveals his favourite shocking scenes from Tommy Wirkola's new bloody and brutal black comedy. We hope you enjoy this fun interview with the one and only John Leguizamo. It's a (nut)cracker!
Popcorn Podcast is delighted to sit down with Krew Boylan, the multitalented star and writer of Aussie film Seriously Red, and the Kenny to her Dolly, Daniel Webber, to chat putting wings and feet on your dreams, what makes Dolly such an enduring icon, the secret world of celebrity impersonators and which celebrity Leigh could pass for. We hope you enjoy this very special episode…
Popcorn Podcast welcomes British director – and regency-era film fan – Emma Holly Jones to chat about her new movie Mr Malcolm's List. The period-set romantic comedy puts a clever twist on the genre as a scorned woman (Zawe Ashton) enlists a friend (Freida Pinto) to exact revenge on London's most eligible bachelor, the picky Mr Malcolm (Sope Dìrísù). What unfolds is a game of intrigue with women leading the charge. Jones shares what else sets her first feature apart from its contemporaries and why it was important to challenge the historical inaccuracies of the genre with diverse representation. We hope you enjoy this special episode of Popcorn Podcast…
Popcorn Podcast sits down with Hannah Barlow, co-director of AACTA-nominated comedy slasher Sissy, to discuss the Australian-made genre mash-up that tackles childhood trauma, toxic friendship, bullying, influencer culture and identity. In our chat with the talented filmmaker, we cover the finer points of Sissy and discover how Barlow and partner Kane Senes juggled their many filmmaking roles while diving into the pitfalls of social media, how that influenced the story of Sissy – and Barlow reveals her secret morning mantra. We hope you enjoy this very special episode…
Popcorn Podcast is delighted to sit down with Bros director and co-writer Nicholas Stoller, who is no stranger to the rom-com genre. We find out how Stoller collaborated with comedian and star Billy Eichner to develop an authentic queer story, why he was convinced Eichner could pull off the romantic lead and explains the difference between bra and underwear sex. We hope you enjoy this special episode…
