The Empire Film Podcast Are We The Baddies? (ft. guests Mahershala Ali & Rupert Friend, David Cronenberg, Gerard Johnstone)
Jul 4, 2025
In this entertaining chat, legendary director David Cronenberg discusses his personal film 'The Shrouds,' exploring grief and technology with deep introspection. He shares insights on how personal experiences shape his storytelling and the evolution of body horror in cinema. Alongside him, Gerard Johnstone teases exciting details about 'Megan 2.0' while the hosts delve into the wicked charm of British movie villains, blending humor and cinematic analysis. Expect anecdotes about emotional narratives and intriguing filmmaking insights!
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Actors' Jurassic Park Memories
- Mahershala Ali recalled watching Jurassic Park with his basketball friends in college, feeling the film's epic scale.
- Rupert Friend grew up without a local cinema, making cinematic events, like Jurassic Park, feel especially significant.
Cronenberg's Personal Grief Story
- David Cronenberg shared how his wife’s death inspired his film The Shrouds, exploring grief and closeness with the deceased.
- He created a story about tech enabling viewing loved ones' decomposition, reflecting personal emotional reckoning.
Grief as Physical Reality
- Cronenberg explained that emotional experiences are physiologically rooted; grief impacts the body as well as the mind.
- This close mind-body connection makes physical manifestations of mental states realistic, not sci-fi.