Episodes

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.

Join us for this great conversation as we dive deep into this seasons most buzzed about movie Ari Aster’s critically acclaimed ‘Midsommar'. Our guest is the very talented new star Vilhelm Blomgren. This summer Blomgren has starred in two major productions; HBOs ‘Gösta' by writer/director Lukas Moodysson and as the mysterious Pelle in ‘Midsommar’. Vilhelm Blomgren joined us to talk about the making of ‘Midsommar' and his incredible year! We talked about everything from working with the visionary director, Ari Aster, to interesting details about the long days filming in Hungary. We talked about the themes and layers in 'Midsommar’ like grief, immigration and loss. And what it was like for the Swedish actors to film some of the crazy things that go down in the movie. This and so much more. Welcome to Hårga!

Welcome back to PART 2 of our 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' special! This week are joined by the legendary production designer Barbara Ling (The Doors, Batman & Robin, Falling Down, Less Than Zero). Barbara Ling talks to us about her incredible work on 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’, turning back to clocks to 1969 and recreating some of LAs most iconic landmarks. From incredibly difficult face lifts on Hollywood Boulevard, to rebuilding Spahn Ranch, to how they used Tarantino’s massive memorabilia collection in their design work and much more.

One of our favorite guests returns to Pop Culture Confidential! Music Supervisor Mary Ramos has spent 27 years working with Quentin Tarantino, on every one of his films. Mary Ramos has expertly and painstakingly helped make Tarantino's soundtracks and epic musical choices a major part of his cinematic legacy. This week she talks to us about the incredible work she has done on his critical acclaimed new film 'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood'. As always, in Tarantino’s films, the soundtrack on ‘Once Upon A Time in Hollywood’ is meticulously curated. And, as always, Music Supervisor Mary Ramos adds her genius to the mix. Ms Ramos talks to us about Tarantinos musical vision for the movie, his music room where they discuss all the details, her detective-like work tracking down the often forgotten tracks that the director wants and some incredible stories about working on this production!

Ahead of the much awaited second season of Succession, we are thrilled to have actor Jeremy Strong join us to talk about his brilliant performance as Kendall Roy. The critically acclaimed series, also starring Brian Cox as the patriarch Logan Roy, follows a family-owned media conglomerate and the power struggle within. It’s high stakes Shakespearean drama, black comedy and the timeliest of themes of power and greed. Jeremy Strong (Zero Dark Thirty, Selma, The Big Short) talked to us while on location filming season two. We talked about researching media-moguls for the role,  the shakespearian relationship between Kendall and his father Logan, Succession in the age of Trump,  filming the very powerful last scene and how it almost made him quit acting, what's in store for Kendall in season two and so much more  Succession was created by Jesse Armstrong (The Thick Of It, In The Loop) and produced by Adam McKay (Vice and The Big Short). Season 2 of Succession premieres on HBO in August.

We are so happy to have actor, comedian and writer Brett Gelman with us this week to talk about one of the best shows on TV ‘Fleabag’, his great performance on it and so much more.  Brett Gelman is everywhere! No doubt you've seen him on one or more of your favorite shows: The Office, Mad Men, Another Period, Love, Twin Peaks: The Return, Californication, Curb Your Enthusiasm, just to name a few. Brett Gelman will be starring on the upcoming season of Stranger Things and on the Stephen King adaptation Mr. Mercedes. In our interview we talk about the genius of Fleabag and creator/star Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Bringing to life his odious but still relatable character Martin. Also how Gelman in 2016 severed ties with the network Adult Swim over, among other things, the “misogyny of their policies” and the backlash he received after, including death threats. You can watch Fleabag season 1 & 2 on Amazon Prime.

This week on Pop Culture Confidential awarding winning journalist and former CNN Chief White House Correspondent Jessica Yellin. Mr Yellin spent decades covering Capitol Hill, domestic policy, the White House, elections and more  at  MSNBC, ABC, CNN to name a few. Now she is on a mission to change how we receive and process the news. Recently she started a digital platform 'News Not Noise’, and using her instagram feed  @Jessicayellin she reports video updates,  bringing her followers the news “not a panic attack”. She has also just released her debut novel Savage News,  the story of an ambitious journalist on the front lines of the new business and the White House, obviously built on many of her own experiences.  Ms Yellin talks to us about her experiences as Chief White House Correspondent,  misogyny in journalism, Savage News and her goal to bring hard hitting news not alarm to audiences.

This week we are joined by the President of the L…

This week on Pop Culture Confidential actor Jared Harris joins us to talk about his spectacular performance in the new HBO miniseries ‘Chernobyl’. We talk about researching his character, Valery Legasov, the real-life Soviet nuclear physicist who was one of the first to understand the scope of the destruction, the lies and conspiracy that surrounded the disaster, how Harris choses his roles and what he learned from his father, actor Richard Harris. Over the past years Jared Harris has given us some of the most interesting and versatile performances in film and TV, from Lane Pryce (Mad Men) to King George VI (The Crown). He has played Andy Warhol, John Lennon and Ulysses S Grant, opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in Spielberg’s Lincoln. Now he stars in ‘Chernobyl’ a 5 part miniseries that delves into one of the worst man-made catastrophes in history. 'Chernobyl' also stars Stellan Skarsgård and Emily Watson. Written by Craig Mazin, directed by Johan Renck. ‘Chernobyl’ premieres on HBO May 6th

This week we talk to documentary filmmaker Erin Lee Carr who has written the brutally honest and beautiful memoir 'All That You Leave Behind', about her relationship with her father the celebrated NY Times reporter David Carr, who passed away 4 years ago Erin Lee Carr talks to us about writing the memoir, about the the almost 2000 emails and texts that she and her dad wrote to each other through the years, her childhood, her dads addiction and her own struggles with addiction  And of course David Carrs journalistic legacy and his greatest advice to her as she continues her acclaimed career as a documentary filmmaker.  David Carr wrote the memoir 'The Night of The Gun’  (2009) where he investigated himself; his years as a crack addict, being a single parent to Erin and her twin sister Meagan through addiction and recovery, and his journey to columnist at the  New York Times Some of Erin Lee Carr's work includes the films Mommy Dead and Dearest ( HBO ), Dirty Money: Drug Short (Netflix)…

This week we are so glad to speak to film editor Nicholas Monsour about his work on the innovative, multi-leveled, genre-defying and just flat out terrifying new movie ‘Us'. In this fascinating conversation Mr. Monsour speaks about working with Oscar winner Jordan Peele, his research and influences going into the project (which included the films of David Lynch, Friedkin and Bergman) working with the incredible actors and editing the doppelgänger scenes. We also spoke of the multiple levels of 'Us', the social commentary, the many fan theories, the intersection of comedy and horror, and how Peele and team worked to both entertain, scare and start the many, many conversations audiences and critics are having.