Episodes

Mona Fastvold talks to Christina about the award-winning epic 'The Brutalist' which she co-wrote with partner and director Brady Corbet! On her writing process & collaboration with Corbet, the filmmakers personal connections to the story and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christina is honored to be joined by actor Alessandro Nivola for a wide-ranging conversation about his incredible performances, his role in the critically acclaimed epic 'The Brutalist', how he drew from his own family’s experience shaping the character and much more. Mr. Nivola is a triple threat this season, delivering three incredible performances. He stars in Pedro Almodóvar’s English-language feature debut 'The Room Next Door'. As 'Rhino', the villan in J.C. Chandor’s Spider-Man spinoff mo...

Christina speaks to pop superstar Robbie Williams about his new movie 'Better Man', based om the true story of Robbie's stratospheric rise to fame, his dramatic falls and remarkable comeback as a record-breaking solo artist! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sophia Ciminello & Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch.com) join Christina to talk about their immediate reactions to the Golden Globes 2025. The winners, losers, best speeches, surprises, fashion and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christina talks to director RaMell Ross & cinematographer Jomo Fray about their brilliant new move 'Nickel Boys'. A conversation about their powerful visual and emotional approach to the Colson Whitehead novel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer, director, actor Jesse Eisenberg joins Christina to talk about his brilliant film 'A Real Pain', a funny & moving story about two cousins who embark on a trip to Polen to honor their dead grandmother. This episode also includes Christina's live interview with Eisenberg from the Stockholm Film Festival, where he received the Stockholm Achievement Award. Christina talked to Jesse Eisenberg about the very personal nature of 'A Real Pain', dealing with grief, generational trauma, his role ...

Christina is joined by prosthetics and makeup effects designer Pierre Olivier Persin to talk about his work on Coralie Fargeat’s body horror hit The Substance, a dark satire about beauty standards, aging, and the entertainment industry. His sensational work is already receiving awards buzz. The Substance stars Demi Moore & Margaret Qualley. Photos courtesy Pierre Olivier Persin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill Skarsgård joins Christina for a conversation about his role as Count Orlok in 'Nosferatu', one of 2024's most anticipated movies! Bill talks about first being introduced to the classic 'Nosferatu' (1922) by his father actor Stellan Skarsgård, his immense preparation for 'Nosferatu', working with director Robert Eggers, creating the voice, why he's attracted to playing villains and much more. Photo: Shane Anthony Sinclair for Universal Pictures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap...

Ryan McQuade, Executive Editor of AwardsWatch.com, joins Christina to discuss the Golden Globe nominations, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association & NY Film Critic Circle winners, the AFI list and more. What these jam packed awards season weeks tell us about the Oscars! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christina is joined by actor and advocate Sean 'Dino' Johnson. Mr. Johnson stars in 'Sing Sing' (also starring Colman Domingo and Paul Raci) which follows a theater production at the maximum security prison Sing Sing. A moving film about the power of art. The film is based on Mr. Johnson's actual RTA participation (Rehabilitation Through The Arts Program). He discovered the theater program while incarcerated at Sing Sing serving a 15 year prison sentence. Mr. Johnson talks to Christina about ...

Christina is thrilled to have writer/director Sean Baker ('Tangerine', 'The Florida Project') on Pop Culture Confidential! His wonderful new movie 'Anora' won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and is receiving major awards buzz. In this wide ranging conversation Christina talks to Baker about 'Anora', Mikey Madison's career making performance, exploring the lives of sex workers in several of his films, how his own addiction and recovery factors into his stories, his writing process and ...

We are thrilled to have Ryan McQuade (executive editor, AwardsWatch.com) back for a jam packed episode! After an emotional week we thought it would be fitting to discuss what has made us emotional at the movies. We pick our most emotional scenes in 2024, so far. Plus our reactions to this week's big premiere Gladiator II. And from Ridley to Francis to Clint, we talk about octogenarian (and nonagenarian!) directors who are everywhere right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.f...

Karla Sofía Gascón, groundbreaking star of ‘Emilia Pérez’! Catch my subtitled interview on YouTube or listen on Pop Culture Confidential. The trans actress is making history this awards season! She talks to me about the incredible reactions from audiences to ‘Emilia Pérez’, her own difficult and inspiring journey, how she’d love to star in an action film next and much more. (This interview first aired in May 2024) WATCH subtitled on YouTube. Exclusive interview with 'Emilia Pérez star Karl...

With less than 2 weeks until the US election Christina is joined by journalist Chris Smith, contributing editor at Vanity Fair and best-selling author ofThe Daily Show (the Book), to discuss Harris and Trump's media strategies. They talk about the candidates many podcast interviews, media appearances and their messaging. If celebrity endorsements move the needle, Elon Musk, SNL, the political power of popular culture this election and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega...

This is an encore episode (previously aired in Feb 2024) When Robert and Trude Steen's son Mats passed away at age 25 from a degenerative muscular disease they grieved over what they thought had been an isolated and lonely life but what they found out would change everything. Mats, a gamer known as 'Ibelin' in World of Warcraft, had despite his physical disabilities formed strong friendships, fallen in love and was a beloved and vibrant member of his digital community. Christina was honored to...

It's time for Pop Culture Confidential's first Oscar predictions episode of the season! Ryan McQuade, (Executive Editor @ AwardsWatch) joins Christina for a huge Academy Awards predictions show. With the Venice, Telluride & Toronto film festivals behind us what is the state of the race? What films are dominating the awards conversation? Ryan & Christina dive into an exciting awards season! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christina had the honor of interviewing the brilliant Ken Leung! This bonus episode includes their previously unaired talk about the season finale of 'Industry' now that the episode has aired. Christina is joined by actor Ken Leung for this wide ranging conversation! Ken Leung is electrifying in his role as Eric on Industry (HBO Max) which takes place in the cutthroat world of finance and is now on it's critically acclaimed third season. Ken Leung's career includes roles on TV shows like L...

Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) joins Christina to talk about the big film & movie news of the week! They talk about Saturday Night Live season 50's election cast (which includes Maya Rudolph as Kamala Harris and Dana Carvey as Joe Biden), Coppola's 'Megalopolis' and 'The Brutalist' written & directed by Brady Corbet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan McQuade (Executive Editor AwardsWatch) joins Christina to review and discuss the new body horror film 'The Substance' from writer/director Coralie Fargeat. The film stars Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley & Dennis Quaid. Spoilers! Plus 'Musical-fishing'! Why are studios hiding the fact that their movies are musicals in their marketing campaigns and trailers? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a huge fall for SNL! Saturday Night Live will be back for its 50th season on September 23rd and Jason Reitman's movie 'Saturday Night', (about the first ever SNL episode in 1975) premieres in October. Christina is honored to have Alan Zweibel on the show. Alan is an original SNL writer and a 5 time Emmy awards winner. (Josh Brener plays Zweibel in 'Saturday Night) Alan talks about seeing a movie about his first episode of SNL and takes us behind the scenes of the American institution that i...

Christina joins The AwardsWatch Podcast to discuss their reactions to the films at the 51st Telluride Film Festival! On episode 250 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello, and special guest Christina Birro of Pop Culture Confidential come together The 2024 film festival season has begun and many of the biggest titles of the fall film slate, Oscar season are being released over the last week with bo...

In a new Telluride Film Festival 2024 mini dispatch Christina talks to Erik Anderson of AwardsWatch.com about 'Nickel Boys', RaMell Ross narrative directorial debut. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our first dispatch from the 51st Telluride Film Festival! Christina is in the mountains of Colorado covering the legendary film festival. Christina talks about the exciting 2024 movie line up that was just announced yesterday. And talks to AwardsWatch Ryan McQuade about why Netflix buying Pablo Larraín's 'Maria', starring Angelina Jolie, sent shock waves through the film community. Stay tuned for more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christina is honored to be joined by actor Ken Leung for this wide ranging conversation! Leung is electrifying in his role as Eric on Industry (HBO Max) which takes place in the cutthroat world of finance and is now on it's critically acclaimed third season. Ken Leung's career includes roles on TV shows like Lost and The Sopranos and in the films Rush Hour, Spielberg's A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the upcoming Joker 2. Learn more about your ad choices. ...