On the Empire Podcast this week, we're back, back, back for the first part of the year,

where we'll be tackling reserve avengers, delivery man and the railway man, and Oscar

BAFTA front runner 12 years of slave. We'll also be talking to the director and star

of that film, Steve McQueen and Chiu-Tel Ejifur, all that and more on the only movie

podcast that thinks that not only is saving Mr. Banks a British film, but so is blue as

the warmest colour and wadia. Okay, they're probably not, but anyway, hello Pod, I am

hell no hara and welcome to the Empire Podcast in association with Squarespace, which is the

all-in-one platform that makes it very fast and easy to create a professional website,

blog, portfolio or online store. For a free trial and 10% off the first purchase of

new accounts, go to squarespace.com slash empire and use the offer code Empire 1, that

offer code again, Empire number 1. All right, well, it's the first podcast of 2014 and

to celebrate this momentous occasion, I've come over all Yule Brunner and assembled

a magnificent seven of knowledgeable, witty and learned colleagues to talk with me over

the next hour or so. For them dropped out, so I've only got three left. First up is our

art house guru, Phil DeSemlon, whose new year's resolution was to learn Polish, so

he can enjoy the three colours trilogy as it was really meant to be seen. How's that

working? Not well, Herman. Really? I learned Polish, but it turns out they're in French.

Oh, no. That is a bit of a kick in the teeth. It is, brother. Then we've got Ali

Plum, whose new resolution is to grow his beard back after shaving it back to a moustache

for a fancy dress party and scaring everyone he's seen since. Hello. Hello, my worries

that I'm going to be ensuing Robert De Niro, named Rob, and sliced alone named Rob. Whilst

sporting this Petarast's Tash, or as I call it Petatash, and it's a Catastrophe, and I don't

...