Pop Culture Confidential
Pop culture conversations with today's innovators, entertainers and newsmakers - podcast hosted by Christina Jeurling Birro.
Recent Episodes
Aug. 21, 2025
Episode 476: Zach Cregger’s Weapons – Review & Deep Dive (Guest: Ryan McQuade)
In this episode, we dive into the phenomenon of Weapons , filmmaker Zach Cregger’s latest hit. From the success of Barbarian to this ambitious follow-up, Cregger has quickly become one of the most exciting names in horror. I’...
Aug. 6, 2025
475: The State of Cinema, 'Weapons', Nolan Fever, Telluride & More with Guest Sean Fennessey, The Big Picture
Christina welcomes back one of the sharpest voices in film — Sean Fennessey of The Big Picture — for a wide ranging conversation on the year in movies so far and what’s next. From Weapons and the horror/genre boom to box offi...
July 31, 2025
474: 'Darkness Visible' – A New Book on Jonathan Glazer & Venice Film Festival Highlights (With Author And Critic John Bleasdale)
Author and critic John Bleasdale joins Christina to discuss his excellent new book, Darkness Visible: The Cinema of Jonathan Glazer —a deep dive into the work of the visionary director behind Sexy Beast , Under the Skin , and...
July 22, 2025
473: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Cancelled — What It Means for Late Night. Plus Film Festival Lineups & Emmy Nom Reactions! (with guest Ryan McQuade)
The industry was rocked by the news that CBS is cancelling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and ending the franchise entirely in 2026. While CBS claims it’s purely a financial decision, speculation is swirling — including q...
July 10, 2025
472: Summer Encore — Taylor Dearden on ‘The Pitt,’ Medical Boot Camp & Crafting Dr. Mel King
As Emmy nominations approach, we’re revisiting one of our standout conversations of the year! Actor Taylor Dearden delivers a powerful performance as Dr. Mel King in The Pitt , the gripping medical drama now streaming on HBO ...
July 3, 2025
471: The Odyssey Teaser, Summer Movie Reviews & More (Guest: Ryan McQuade)
From film news to fresh reviews — it’s a packed week on the show. We’re diving into some of the biggest releases of the summer, including 28 Years Later , Jurassic World: Rebirth , F1 , The Materialists , and Eddington . Plus...
June 22, 2025
470: Actor Alexej Manvelov — On His Standout Performance as Akram in 'Dept. Q' and His Remarkable Journey
We’re thrilled to welcome actor Alexej Manvelov to the show. His standout portrayal of Akram in Netflix’s hit Dept. Q has made the character one of this season’s most acclaimed and beloved. In Scott Frank’s adaptation of the ...
June 19, 2025
469: Summer Screams —Horror Thrives in the Heat (with Guest Eoin Daly)
Summer may not be the official spooky season, but it’s long been a surprisingly perfect time for horro r. From the 1975 release of Jaws —which turns 50 this year!—to Poltergeist , Friday the 13th , and A24’s Hereditary and Mi...
Recent Blog Posts
May 24, 2024
Exclusive interview with Cannes breakout star Karla Sofía Gascón! ('E…
TRANSCRIPT: Exclusive interview with Cannes breakout star Karla Sofía Gascón! ('Emilia Perez') Here is the translation of the Spanish audio interview into English (Automated translation) Welcome to Pop Culture Confidential, …