Episodes

Epi 166 An update w/ Erik Anderson: the state of …

This week on Pop Culture Confidential the great writer/producer Ed Burns. Burns, a former Baltimore detective and public school teacher, has together with David Simon written and produced some of TVs greatest shows, including "The Wire”. The Philip Roth novel "The Plot Against America” (published in 2004) imagines an alternate American history told through the eyes of a working-class Jewish family in New Jersey. The story follows the family as they watch the political rise of Charles Lindbergh, an aviator-hero and xenophobic populist, who becomes president and turns the nation towards fascism. Now writers/producers David Simon and Ed Burns have taken on the book and made a 6 hour HBO miniseries starring Zoe Kazan, John Turturro and Winona Ryder. We talked to Ed Burns about the series, why Donald Trumps’s presidency makes the show so urgent right now,  the future of democracy and so much more.  “The Plot Against America” premieres on HBO on March 16th

Very happy to welcome back the Editor-in-Chief of…

We feel the need for speed!! On the show this week actor Rick Rossovich who played Ron ‘Slider’ Kerner, wingman to Val Kilmer’s Iceman in Top Gun (1986). Mr. Rossovich talks about his career, his experiences on Top Gun, the myths and legacy of the franchise, his work in TV and more! All leading up to this summer and the release of Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel 33 years in the making! Will we see him in The new movie on June 26th 2020? Well, we will just have to wait and see. Grab your Ray Bans and catch this interview now! Rick Rossovich has starred in some of the most pop culturally iconic films and TV shows ever: The Lords of Discipline, Streets of Fire, The Terminator, Steve Martin’s Roxanne  and Navy Seals . He played Dr. John 'Tag' Taglieri on ER and, and spent two years playing Lt. Anthony Palermo on Pacific Blue.

We are thrilled to bring you this special and personal conversation with actor Alicia Vikander! She talks to us about starring as feminist icon Gloria Steinem in the upcoming film ‘The Glorias’ (directed by Julie Taymor), about how she has has found her voice and what she wants to do with her Hollywood power! After more than a decade in the industry, and post Oscar-win, Alicia Vikander speaks to Christina about how she is learning to take small breaks and how cooking helps! About her focus and how she and Steinem connected in personal ways. How, early in her Hollywood career, an actress spoke up for her in an uncomfortable, sexist situation and how much that taught her. And how she wants to use her voice and her power to play women from all angles and all dimensions and to get smaller movies with interesting writer/directors off the ground, like her upcoming film ‘Blue Bayou’. And much more! ‘The Glorias’ premiered at Sundance and will out later this year.

On this Pop Culture Confidential Oscar week special:  Predicting the Oscars with math, analytics and good old fashion statistics! Our guest is mathematician Ben Zauzmer. Mr. Zauzmer majored in applied math at Harvard University and works as a manager of baseball analytics for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He applied his knowledge to his passion: the movies, and he has created a complex mathematical model to calculate a nominee’s percentage probability of winning. His model includes different factors: historic data,  the film’s wins and losses at other awards shows leading up to the Oscars, the actors age, if they are playing a real character, box office etc. His predictions have been published in The Hollywood Reporter, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.  Ben Zauzmer is the author of the new book ‘Oscarmetrics, The Math Behind the Biggest Night in Hollywood’.  Available on Amazon. Follow Ben Zauzmer on twitter: @BensOscarMath

It’s our 2020 Oscar predictions special!  We are thrilled to welcome Kyle Buchanan back to the show, for the 3rd year in a row. Mr Buchanan is the New York Times Carpetbagger columnist and reporter, covering every aspect of awards season. Join us as we predict the winners and discuss this years Academy Awards! Will 1917 or Parasite take Best Picture? Will there be upsets? So much to cover! Follow Mr. Buchanan on twitter @kylebuchanan

Episode 159: Oscar week special! 'Citizen Canine', author Wendy Mitchell by Pop Culture Confidential

OSCAR WEEK on POP CULTURE CONFIDENTIAL Award-winn…

OSCAR WEEK on Pop Culture Confidential! Revisit …

There is SO much great TV coming in 2020 so we to…

A Pop Culture Confidential special! The great The…

Welcome back to PART 2 of our 'Once Upon a Time i…

One of our favorite guests returns to Pop Culture…

A Pop Culture Confidential favorite is back! Edit…

Award-winning set decorator Regina Graves (‘Blue Jasmine’, ‘I am Legend’, ‘The Knick’, ‘Gotham’, ‘Vinyl)’ joins us this week to talk about her work on Martin Scorsese’s epic new picture 'The Irishman’, premiering on Netflix this week. Regina Graves shares some the most fascinating aspects of her teams work and the massive endeavor that was ‘The Irishman’, with nearly 300 sets dressed. We talk how she collaborates closely with production designer Bob Shaw, with whom Graves has worked on multiple productions. The amount of detail that goes into finding or building pieces for, for example, Jimmy Hoffa's (Al Pacino) office set or for Russel Bufalino (Joe Pesci) and Frank Sheeran's (Robert De Niro) homes. How Martin Scorsese’s own family influenced the set decoration, the style of the Italian American gangster genre and so much more. And Regina Graves also talks about her latest production, the upcoming movie 'The Many Saints of Newark', the prequel movie to the Sopranos TV series. ‘The Ir…

An exclusive hour with director Jay Roach about his explosive, upcoming new movie ‘BOMBSHELL’! Emmy award winning director Jay Roach ('Austin Powers', 'Meet the Parents', ‘Recount', 'Game Change', ‘ Trumbo') joins us to talk about Bombshell, the story of the toppling of the former Fox News Chief Roger Ailes after more than 20 women accused him of sexual harassment. Charlize Theron produced the movie and stars as Fox host Megyn Kelly, Nicole Kidman is anchor Gretchen Carlson and Margot Robbie plays a composite character of several women interviewed for the film, who were victims of sexual harassment. John Lithgow plays Roger Ailes. In our conversation Jay Roach talks about the shocking abuses and toxic environment that permeated Fox News, the impact the stories had on him as a director, the powerful performances and transformations by the actors, how he and Charlize Theron discussed the portrayal Megyn Kelly, the political impact of the story and so much more.

Get ready for battle! With the help of Richard Lawson, chief critic @ Vanity Fair, Pop Culture Confidential guides you through the, so called, streaming wars! Already overwhelmed by the content streaming out there? Well, get ready for new streamers like Apple Tv +, Disney + and HBO Max. Richard Lawson talks to us about the industry changes. What to watch. Netflix Oscar chances and more! Follow Richard Lawson on twitter @rilaws

This week on Pop Culture Confidential, Gianni Russo, author of the memoir ‘Hollywood Godfather’. Mr. Russo has a led a life so eventful it’s not surprising that the book has already been optioned, and a TV show is in the making! The film lover will recognize Gianni Russo from his role as Don Corleone’s son in law Carlo Rizzi in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather. When he got the part, Russo was a 25 year old with no acting experience but his real life story and life with the mob surpasses that of any of the characters in the iconic Godfather movies.  Don’t miss this fascinating conversation with Mr. Russo about his childhood in Little Italy, how being struck by polio at the age of 6 changed his life forever and how Mafia boss Frank Costello took him under his wing at age 12. We talk about Frank Sinatra (who is godfather to Russos son,  the aftermath of the the Kennedy assassination, how he got his role in the Godfather through his connections and how the film even saved his life whe…

There are so many interesting discussions in the …

Episode 150: Writer/Director Levan Akin 'And Then We Danced' by Pop Culture Confidential

The Joker! J Lo! Adam Driver! Almodovar! An excit…

This week on Pop Culture Confidential: writer/creator Susannah Grant, producer Sarah Timberman and actor Kaitlyn Dever about their gripping, true crime, drama ‘Unbelievable’. The Netflix limited series is based on an explosive article from 2016 (ProPublica/The Marshall Project) called “An Unbelievable Story of Rape” that went on to win the Pulitzer Prize. We spoke to Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich) and Sarah Timberman (Justified) about making this gripping and important show, what they learned about rape victims and trauma as well as about sexual assault investigations, making this post- #metoo, believing women and more. We also spoke with actor Kaitlyn Dever, who we last saw in another stellar performance in Olivia Wildes ‘Booksmart’, about playing this difficult role and why it was important for her to be a part of it. Kaitlyn Dever turns in an incredible performance as Marie, an 18-year-old from Washington state, raised in the foster care system who claimed that she was raped by a…

This week on Pop Culture Confidential we are thrilled to have screenwriter Liz Hannah in conversation about the incredible new season of Mindhunter, as well as working with Steven Spielberg on The Post and more! Liz Hannah burst onto the scene a couple of years ago when her first screenplay, a spec script about Washington Post owner Kay Graham and her decision to publish the Pentagon Papers, was picked up none other than Steven Spielberg. That became The Post starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks. Liz Hannah went on the write the critically acclaimed comedy Long Shot starring Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen. Now she is onboard Mindhunter season two as a writer and producer. Liz Hannah talks to us about her career, working with David Fincher (exec producer and director on Mindhunter, writing and staging one of the most intense episodes of TV this year the Charles Manson episode, getting into the heads of serial killers and much more.