Radio 1's Screen Time

What is Ali's film of the year? You may be able to guess but just to maintain an air of mystery, let's say it's A BIG SURPRISE (it's not). Then there are the big movies of next year to look forward to - so many blockbusters it's almost unbelievable - plus a cheeky 'last interview of the year' with the stars of Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody, namely Naomi Ackie and Stanley Tucci. And if you're reading this podcast description, let us just say... MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The cast of the new Witcher prequel series - four episodes hitting Netflix on Christmas Day, as you do - chat with Ali about baths, staffs, warhammers, regular hammers, shooting in Iceland, shooting in caves, the glory that is Michelle Yeoh as well as that pesky "Conjunction of the Spheres". Fair warning: Ali's a bit poorly, so he's even more eccentric than normal. Yeah... that's saying something, for sure.

Brian Tyree Henry is one of those actors, you know? Always good in everything he appears in, whether it's Atlanta, Boardwalk Empire, How To Get Away with Murder, This Is Us, If Beale Street Could Talk or even Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. He's just got that special X factor that lifts his characters up, and frankly, Ali may be a bit obsessed. Brian's getting rave reviews for his work in his latest effort, Causeway, and was kind enough to tell us all about it here...

2009's Avatar is - at the time of writing - the biggest film of all time. Ever. And now, 13 years later, its sequel is finally hitting cinemas, going by the name of Avatar: The Way Of Water. In this audio version of the BBC iPlayer programme, Ali speaks to the cast of the films - as well as producer Jon Landau and director (amongst many other things) James Cameron - to ask after the secret of the series' enormous success.

Jack Lowden, an acclaimed actor from 'Mary Queen Of Scots' and 'Fighting With My Family,' chats about his role in the thrilling 'Slow Horses' alongside Gary Oldman. He shares a humorous encounter with Sir Alex Ferguson and fondly recounts filming stories, including struggles on set and unexpected moments. The conversation delves into what he’s currently binging on TV, showcasing his lighter side. Listeners will enjoy his candid reflections on the unique charm and appeal of 'Slow Horses' that resonates with diverse audiences.

With December chugging ever onwards and January and February just around the corner, what are the awards-worthy films we'll need to pretend we've seen in the new year? Friend of the show and Rotten Tomatoes' in-house awards expert Jacqueline Coley had a good old chat with Ali about the nature of modern film criticism as well as who's in the running for The Academy Awards 2023. The Whale, Tar, The Fabelmans, The Banshees of Inisherin, Women Talking... looks like we've got a lot of (very enjoyable) homework to do. You know, in a good way!

Odds are if you listen to Radio 1's Screen Time - and if you're reading this, there's a decent chance you do - you're aware of the super soaraway podcast success that is No Such Thing As A Fish, where four QI elves get together to throw semi-incredible facts at each other. One of their number is Dan Schreiber, a friend of the show here at Screen Time, and he was kind enough to stop by Radio 1 recently to indulge in a fact-slinging match with Ali about troubled movie productions, inspired in part by some killer stories in his new book, The Theory Of Everything Else. So expect extreme geekery and a surprising reassessment of 2005's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Kaya Scodelario stops by - through the magic of the internet, that is - the podcast this week to talk about her new Christmas movie called, um, This Is Christmas. It's very Christmassy. Elsewhere on the podcast, the first half is all about the amazing avalanche of movie and TV news that's been occurring of late, with trailers for Indiana Jones 5, Guardians 3 and more all arriving, plus bits and pieces on The Last Of Us adaptation, His Dark Materials and much more.

Ali is joined by comedian and friend of the show Jordan Gray for an extended, spoilerific, conversation all about one of the finest super hero movies ever, X2: X-Men United.

Ali chats with Willow star Warwick Davis as well as creator Jonathan Kasdan and vaious other other cast members.