Pop Culture Confidential

An exclusive hour with actor Brian Cox! Mr Cox joins us to talk about his incredible portrayal of Logan Roy on HBO’s Succession, who he jokingly calls his “evil twin”. We go deep into the making of the show, his thoughts on Logans motivations, emotional scenes with Jeremy Strong and much more. Plus Mr Cox childhood, background and prolific career in roles such as Hannibal Lecktor in Manhunter and...

Director Sam Feder joins us to talk about his critically acclaimed documentary 'DISCLOSURE: Trans Lives on Screen', streaming now on Netflix! The doc looks at transgender representations in film, television and media through interviews with trans actors, artists and activists including Laverne Cox, Lilly Wachowski, Yance Ford, Jen Richards and Chaz Bono. A history filled with with stereotypes, tro...

Erik Anderson, chief editor of Awardswatch.com, joins us again to bring us up to date on the ever changing industry news, the Oscar date changes and new rules. Plus some of the summers hottest movie premieres: Da 5 Bloods, Shirley and The King of Staten Island. And what’s going on with Chris Nolans Tenet? All this and more, listen now! Erik Anderson twitter @awards_watch Learn more about your ad c...

Award winning host, author and executive producer Padma Lakshmi joins us this week! We talk about her excellent new documentary series 'Taste the Nation' (Hulu). Here she takes us on a journey across the US exploring the diverse food culture of various immigrant groups the shape America. Padma Lakshmi also talks to us about her own story, her mother who left India for NYC and how this has shaped h...

We are thrilled to welcome Karina Longworth to the show! Longworth is the creator and host of the now iconic podcast 'You Must Remember This'. Her excellent new season is called ‘Polly Platt, The Invisible Woman’ about the interesting and huge life of the Oscar nominated production designer, writer and producer Polly Platt. In our interview we talk about Polly Platt’s unfinished memoir, Platt’s ma...

Eric Deggans, media analyst (NPR/NBC) and author of ‘Race-Baiter: How The Media Wields Dangerous Words to Divide a Nation’ joins us to talk about yet another case of police brutality that has shocked the world, Trumps response and a system that allows for racism and violence to keep happening. You will find Mr Deggans article “A Tale of Two Videos: Why the Images of George Floyd Dying Broke the Na...

Erik Anderson, chief editor of Awardswatch.com, joins us for a summer movie preview! 2020, a very uncertain summer in the midst of the Corona pandemic BUT hopefully it can bring us a whole bunch of interesting and anticipated movies, both to VOD and in theaters! Will Christopher Nolan save the summer by being the first to open wide on July 17th? Spike Lee's trailer for Da 5 Bloods looks great! The...

This week, Oscar nominated director and executive producer Lenny Abrahamson (Frank, Room, The Little Stranger) joins us to talk about his critically acclaimed and audience beloved series Normal People, an adaptation of the Sally Rooney novel. We talk about young love, sexual consent, the intimacy between the characters , the controversy, a possible continuation of Marianne and Connell's story and...

The man, the myth, The Jesus! Actor/writer/director John Turturro joins us to talk about his new movie ‘The Jesus Rolls’! As well as creating the iconic character with the Coen brothers, about the underachievers, the dreamers, the ‘passione’ and so much more. From 'Do the Right Thing' ,'Barton Fink', to 'Quiz Show’  and 'The Big Lebowski’  Mr Turturro has brought to life some of the most memorable...

Screenwriter, playwright and five time BAFTA award winner Jack Thorne joins us to talk about his new Netflix series ‘The Eddy’, directed by Academy Award winner Damien Chazelle. Also, how E.T. impacted his writing and life, writing the smash hit Harry Potter and the Cursed Child for the stage, his process, crossing all genres, and much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc...

Erik Anderson, editor-in-chief of Awardswatch.com, joins us for a special update and a break down of the new rules presented by the Academy! This Oscar year the Academy will allow VOD releases to qualify while major theaters are closed, they are changing the rules on awards campaigning, combining the two sound categories and more! Listen now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/ad...

Director Jason Hehir joins us to talk about “The Last Dance” his series that, this week, became the most in-demand documentary in the world! “The Last Dance” is a brilliant deep dive into  Michael Jordan,  the Chicago Bulls' dynasty and the final championship season in 1997-98. It features never before seen footage and exclusive interviews with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, coach...

Eric Deggans, TV critic and media analyst at NPR joins us to talk about the state of television in the Corona age. Netflix stunning growth, how the broadcasters are fairing, the “at home” format like 'SNL at home', the shutdowns and what to expect going forward. Plus what we should be watching now, his best tips, the Michael Jordan doc series The Last Dance, the incredible season of Better Call Sa...

Icon Holland Taylor joins us this week! Ms Taylor has a long career in the theatre and on Broadway. She’s starred in films like ‘The Truman Show’ and ‘Legally Blonde’ and on television in shows like ‘Bosom Buddies’ with Tom Hanks, ‘Two and a Half Men’ and she won an Emmy for her role on ‘The Practice’.  Recently we saw her in Jay Roachs’ ‘Bombshell’. Now she's starring in Ryan Murphys, much awaite...

For the award winning Italian journalist Alessio Lasta reporting on the Covid-19 pandemic,  in Northern Italy, is like nothing he has ever done before. It's like fighting a war with an invisible enemy,  he says. Mr. Lasta is the the Milano based correspondent for the weekly, political talk show "Piazzapulita" on channel La7,  one of the most viewed talk shows in Italy. His reports from inside the...

Journalist and author Chris Smith (Vanity Fair, NyMag) joins us to discuss Trumps press briefings, his claims to have “total authority” and his relationship to the media during the Corona pandemic. Plus , Mr Smith has followed and written extensively about NY Governor Andrew Cuomo and talks about his background, his relationship to Trump and how he is handling the crisis. Chris Smith is a contribu...

We had the best time talking to actor Steve Schirripa (Sopranos, Blue Bloods) who played one of our favorite characters on The Sopranos, Bobby ‘Baccala’ Baccalieri; the big hearted wise-guy, Uncle Juniors caretaker who later married Tony Soprano’s sister Janice. In the conversation Mr Schirripa takes us back to filming the first scene with the the great James Gandolfini and the rest of the crew, h...

We had such a great conversation with actor, writer, theatre director and arts educator Arian Moayed! We talked about Mr Moayed's background, acting and healing through the arts and, of course, his terrific performance as Stewy Hosseini on HBO's ‘Succession’… SO many great Succession stories, it will blow your minds!  Behind the scenes of the show, great anecdotes, and good tales of Stewy and the...

On this episode Christina Jeurling Birro and Erik Anderson (AwardsWatch) discuss some big industry news during these hard pressed and ever changing times: China reopened, then quickly shut down the countries movies theaters, the new landscape of television that’s on the internet and more. We talk about how New York Governor Cuomo’s press briefings are striking a nerve. And what else are we watchin...

The show must go on----from home! Journalist and TV critic Jen Chaney (New York Magazine, NY Times) joins me to talk about how the late night talk shows are tackling their productions during the Coronavirus epidemic.  The TV and Film industries are changing minute by minute as the Covid-19 outbreak shuts down productions and wreaks havoc on the industries and the people working in them. And it’s a...

This week we are honored to have disability rights activist Judith Heumann on the show. Ms Heumann is the author of “Being Heumann” (together with Kristen Joiner) and stars in the new Netflix documentary “Crip Camp”, exec produced by Michelle and Barack Obama. She talks to us about how her experiences; like contracting polio in 1949, being denied the right to attend school at age five, facing disc...

Epi 166 An update w/ Erik Anderson: the state of the film industry, movies abt self-isolation & more by Pop Culture Confidential Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Pop Culture Confidential the great writer/producer Ed Burns. Burns, a former Baltimore detective and public school teacher, has together with David Simon written and produced some of TVs greatest shows, including "The Wire”. The Philip Roth novel "The Plot Against America” (published in 2004) imagines an alternate American history told through the eyes of a working-class Jewish family...

Very happy to welcome back the Editor-in-Chief of AwardsWatch.com, Erik Anderson AND to announce our new collaboration! We will be collaborating on some interviews, podcast episodes and more. On this week’s show Erik and Christina have an interesting conversation about some of the most pressing news affecting the entertainment industry right now; the Weinstein verdict and the Polanski protests at...

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 myths and legacy of the franchise, his work in TV and more! All leading up to this summer and the release of Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel 33 years in the making! Will we see h...