Episodes
July 27, 2022
289: Ciao Venezia 2022! Critic John Bleasdale joins us to talk about what to expect from the 2022 Venice Film Festival.
In part 1 of our Venice Film Festival special we are joined by writer, critic & host of the podcast 'Writers of Film' John Bleasdale. We talk about the incredible line-up this year at Venice & what we are most looking forward...
July 21, 2022
288: From Hell's Kitchen to American Ninja Warrior to Floor is Lava, a conversation with super producer Arthur Smith, a pioneer in non-fiction television.
From Hell's Kitchen to American Ninja Warrior to Floor is Lava! With more than 200 shows for over 50 networks Arthur Smith is a pioneer in non-fiction television. He and his company have created and developed some of the bigg...
July 10, 2022
REVISIT! Co-directors Tia Lessin & Emma Pildes join us to talk about their excellent, urgent and vital documentary THE JANES (HBOMax)
Co-directors Tia Lessin & Emma Pildes join us to talk about their excellent, urgent and vital documentary THE JANES, HBOMax The film is the story of the Jane Collective, a group of women who formed a clandestine network that ...
June 30, 2022
287: A fabulously fun conversation with the great Hugh Bonneville!
A fabulously fun conversation with the great Hugh Bonneville! On 'Downton Abbey: A New Era', the Crawley family's new adventures, bringing back the original ensemble, how Lord Grantham has evolved this past decade and so m...
June 25, 2022
286: Summer blockbusters, box office & 2022 movies we are looking forward to! With Erik Anderson, AwardsWatch.
Always a blast when Erik Anderson ( AwardsWatch.com ) joins us! We talk about this summer at the movie. From Tom Cruise spectacular box office run, to "Elvis" and Lightyear'. And count down some of the movies we are looking...
June 21, 2022
285: A conversation with 4-time Academy Award Winner Catherine Martin ('Elvis')!
An interview with legendary costume/production designer Catherine Martin! She has four Oscars to her name (two for Moulin Rouge! in 2002 , 2 for The Great Gatsby in 2014) We talk about creating 'Elvis' with her husband and co...
June 7, 2022
284: Dee Wallace, actor, author & scream queen! On her iconic roles from Cujo to E.T, the Spielberg classic celebrating 40 years, and much more!
We are honored to be joined by actor and author Dee Wallace! We talk about her iconic roles, from Cujo to E.T., the Spielberg classic celebrating 40 years this year! Her role as Mary, the kids' mom in E.T., is one of the most...
June 2, 2022
283. Co-directors Tia Lessin & Emma Pildes join us to talk about their excellent, urgent and vital documentary THE JANES (HBOMax)
Co-directors Tia Lessin & Emma Pildes join us to talk about their excellent, urgent and vital documentary THE JANES, premiering on HBOMax June 8th. The film is the story of the Jane Collective, a group of women who formed a c...
May 17, 2022
282: Benita Alexander tells her story. The NBC producer who's fairytale romance with a celebrity surgeon was a scam. Dr Macchiarini is now on trial over experimental windpipe transplants.
This week we are joined by Benita Alexander, the former NBC producer who’s fairytale romance with the so called ‘super surgeon’ Dr Paolo Macchiarini turned out to be all lies, a scam. Ms Alexander tells her story, how she fel...
May 14, 2022
281: Are movies back?! Plus our Cannes Film Festival 2022 preview. With AwardsWatch Erik Anderson
Erik Anderson of AwardsWatch.com is back on Pop Culture Confidential! But are movies back? We talk about the buzz around movies like Top Gun: Maverick, Everything Everywhere All at Once and more. Plus our Cannes Film Festival...
May 7, 2022
280: Our Spring Television Special! With critic Thelma Adams
Dirty cops, scammers, Vikings, mormon detectives, complicated female characters, Netflix setbacks and the state of the TV industry. We cover it all in our spring TV special! We are so happy to welcome back critic, author & fr...
April 27, 2022
279: Hollywood trials & when celebrities take the stand. A conversation with Professor Andrea M McDonnell
From the widely publicized trial of silent film star Fatty Arbuckle in 1921, to Weinstein, Cosby, Britney Spears conservatorship battle and the now ongoing Johnny Depp/Amber Heard defamation trial, celebrities in court seem l...
April 25, 2022
278: We revisit our talk with actor Rick Rossovich! On the legacy of Top Gun, ahead of the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick.
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 m...
April 20, 2022
277: Actor Billy Magnussen (Barry Levinsons' 'The Survivor' & 'Made for Love' season 2, HBO Max)
Actor Billy Magnussen joins us to talk about his versatile career, playing the villain in the latest Bond film 'No Time to Die' and taking on the iconic role of the young Paulie Walnuts in the Sopranos prequel ‘The Many Saint...
April 13, 2022
276: A conversation with composer Nico Muhly (Pachinko)
The great Nico Muhly, composer, joins Christina for a wonderful conversation about how the incredible score for ‘Pachinko’ came together, his early influences, what he learned working for Philip Glass, how being open about his mental health struggles has helped his work and helped others. And much …
April 5, 2022
REVISIT! Executive producer/writer Danny Strong 'Dopesick'
A conversation with Danny Strong (‘Game Change’, ‘Recount’) the creator/writer/director of ‘Dopesick’. Mr Strong talks about making the series & taking on the origins and devastation of the opioid epidemic in the U.S.
And how one company triggered the worst drug epidemic in American history.
…
March 29, 2022
275: Post-Oscar talk with Ryan McQuade! (AwardsWatch, InSession Film)
Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch, InSession Film) joins Christina for a post-Oscar conversation. The ceremony, the winners, Will Smith/Chris Rock and more.
March 27, 2022
274: Writer/Showrunner Liz Hannah "The Dropout" , "The Girl From Plainville"
Thrilled to have writer, producer, director Liz Hannah (The Post, Long Shot, Mindhunter) back on Pop Culture Confidential. Liz Hannah is currently involved in two of the most critically acclaimed, true crime series on television. She is a writer and exec producer on ‘The Dropout’, about disgraced T…
March 23, 2022
273: Kyle Buchanan is back! We talk Oscar predictions and his new book “Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road”
New York Times journalist and awards season columnist Kyle Buchanan is back on Pop Culture Confidential for his yearly visit! We talk about his fantastic new book “Blood, Sweat & Chrome” on the chaotic making of George Miller's masterpiece Mad Max: Fury Road. Plus the crazy Oscar season 2022 and we…
March 16, 2022
272: Kogonada "After Yang" "Pachinko"
A wonderful conversation with writer/director Kogonada about his film ‘After Yang’, memory, feeling displaced, being in the present, the love of movies, the AppleTV+ series ‘Pachinko’ and much more
March 9, 2022
271: A conversation with Noomi Rapace!
She is never afraid of a challenge. The fearless and talented actor & producer Noomi Rapace joins us for a conversation about her new film Lamb, her most personal work yet, & much more. Noomi Rapace is also starring in the upcoming films Netflix ‘Black Crab” & the Sundance hit ‘You Won’t Be Alone’
Feb. 28, 2022
270: Will Smith, Coda and Squid Game big winners at the Screen Actors Guild awards 2022! SAG reactions with Erik Anderson! (AwardsWatch.com)
Erik Anderson, editor-in-chief, at Awardswatch joins us to talk about last nights 2022 SAG awards! Plus our reactions to the Academy Awards decision not to air 8 major awards during the Oscar telecast in March.
Feb. 25, 2022
269: Actor Jeff Hiller 'Somebody Somewhere' (HBO)
The wonderful Jeff Hiller (‘30 Rock’ ‘Community’ ‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’) stars in the hit, HBO comedy-drama ‘Somebody Somewhere’. Jeff joins us for a great conversation about the themes of the show, finding your people & community, surviving bullying and how he, like his character Joel, found…
Feb. 21, 2022
268: "Beyond the Best Dressed-A Cultural History of the Most Glamorous, Radical, and Scandalous Oscar Fashion". Author Esther Zuckerman
Writer Esther Zuckerman joins us to talk about her new book “Beyond the Best Dressed” a cultural history of Oscar fashion!
Esther Zuckerman is an entertainment journalist whose work has been published by Thrillist, Entertainment Weekly, Vanity Fair, Refinery29, and The A.V. Club, among others.