Episodes

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. ...

Nosferatu & Maria Callas. Guadagnino & Almodovar. Popes & Gladiators. Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch.com) joins Christina for a discussion about (a mostly:) thrilling season of movies ahead! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A fantastic new season of 'Industry'! 'Squid Game' returns! New shows starring Cate Blanchett and Jeff Goldblum are on the schedule! It looks like it's going to be an exciting TV season coming up this fall. Tyler Doster (TV editor @ AwardsWatch.com) joins Christina for a rundown of 2024 fall/winter TV season Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) joins Christina to countdown their favorite movies of 2024 so far. A great mix! From Challengers to Hit Man and so many more. Plus the latest movie news, Horizon Part 2 heading to the Venice Film Festival, who will host the Oscars after Kimmel and Mulaney pass up the offer, Chalamet as Bob Dylan and much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Raci, Oscar nominated for his role in 2019's 'Sound Of Metal', is back on Pop Culture Confidential to talk about his phenomenal new film 'Sing Sing'! The film centers on a group of inmates putting up a play at the maximum security prison Sing Sing through (the real) Rehabilitation Through the Arts Program. Mr. Raci, who plays theater director & group leader Brent Buell, stars alongside recent Oscar nominee Colman Domingo. The film also stars many formerly incarcerated men who were themselv...

It's June all summer! Christina talks to acting legend June Squibb. The 94 year old actor stars as Nostalgia in the summer's biggest hit 'Inside Out 2' and as Thelma in Josh Margolin's wonderful directorial debut. 'Thelma', about a grandmother determined to get justice after she's scammed out of ten thousand dollars, is a generational story and an action comedy. And Ms. Squibb does her own stunts! June Squibb's career spans seven decades on the stage and screen. She starred in Woody Allen's 'Al...

From their studios at The Ringer/Spotify in downtown Los Angeles Christina visits with the brilliant TV critics and co-hosts of 'The Watch' Chris Ryan & Andy Greenwald! They talk, among other things, about their longtime friendship and collaboration. The latest seasons of TV and discuss: are we in a particularly good moment for multifaceted female characters. Talk about shows like The Bear, Shōgun & Presumed Innocent. TV this election cycle & mixed feeling about Clooney's op-ed. How criticism ha...

Ryan McQuade (of AwardsWatch.com) joins Christina for a wide ranging discussion about Kevin Costner's four part, mega film project 'Horizon: An American Saga' and it's aftermath. Their thoughts on the first film. How will the lackluster reviews for part one and the slow box office affect the coming movies? They talk about filmmakers and their passion projects. What is Kevin Costner's legacy going forward and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan McQaude joins Christina to discuss the new documentary 'I Am: Celine Dion'. Plus they countdown their 10 favorite celebrity docs, from Hearts of Darkness to Get Back to O.J.: Made in America and many more. Plus a fantastic announcement! Ryan will be joining us on a more regular basis. Once a month we'll have Fridays with Ryan with more great deep-dives, reviews, rants & raves! X @ryanmcquade77 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2024 Emmy voting is open! Christina is joined by NPR TV critic & media analyst Eric Deggans to discuss the 2024 Emmy year, nomination predictions, possible surprises and much more. Will it be a big year for the critically acclaimed shows Shōgun and Baby Reindeer? Will The Bear dominate again for its terrific second season? Voting closes on June 24 and the 2024 Emmy nominations will be announced on July 17. The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards will air on ABC on Sunday, Sept. 15. Eric Deggans is NPRs...

Erik Anderson, Editor-in-Chief at AwardsWatch.com, joins Christina for some early Oscar predictions! What is the Oscar buzz post-Cannes and the spring festivals? What do we have coming up this summer and at the fall festivals? Looks like it will be an incredible awards season! Particularly in the actress category; Amy Adams in 'Nightbitch' (will she get her seventh nomination?), Demi Moore, Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas, Karla Sofía Gascón who made a splash at Cannes & many more. So much to ...

Guest writer/director Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel talks to Christina about his fascinating first feature 'Armand', winner of the Cannes' Camera d'Or 2024. They talk about his ambitious and risky drama that revolves around a meeting between parents and school staff regarding an incident between two kids. On how he built the tension in the script, being inspired by '12 Angry Men' & Spielberg, what movies his grandfather Ingmar Bergman showed him, the brilliant Renate Reinsve and the 7 minute scene that...

Ryan McQuade (Executive Editor, AwardsWatch.com) joins Christina to discuss the reasons behind the low box office numbers this Memorial Day weekend (Furiosa and Garfield), the state of cinema & streaming, and looking forward to even more fantastic, original, risk-talking cinema ahead! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christina ha tenido el honor de hablar con una de las estrellas del festival de Cannes 2024, Karla Sofía Gascón! Gascón nos habla de 'Emilia Perez', la película dirigida por Jacques Audiard que ha sido la sensación de Cannes. Nos habla de la importancia que tiene esta película para ella como persona trans, su historia y mucho mas! 'Emilia Perez' se narra de la abogada Rita (Zoe Saldaña). Un día recibe una llamada telefónica de un poderoso extraño que resulta ser un capo del cártel. Manitas ti...

Another dispatch from the 2024 Cannes Film Festival! Christina talks about some of the stand-out performances from the fest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices