Pop Culture Confidential
by Evergreen Podcasts
Conversations at the intersection of movies, television, and pop culture. Hosted by Christina Jeurling Birro, this podcast delivers candid interviews with filmmakers, actors, creators, and cultural tastemakers, plus festival and awards-season coverage, reviews, and in-depth explorations of the stories shaping what we watch and why it matters.
Episodes
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532: The Footballer Who Vanished: Directors Ramiel Petros & Nicholas Freeman on Their Doc 'The Last Guest Of The Holloway Motel'
He was Player of the Year for Norwich City Football Club in the 1970s. Then he vanished, for decades. Directors Ramiel Petros & Nicholas Freeman found him hiding in plain sight, managing a motel in Los Angeles that was about to close for good. His name is Tony Powell, and his story became the…
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530: Guadagnino's 'Artificial' Dropped by Amazon. Google Invests in A24. AI: Hollywood's Big Dilemma? (Guest: Critic/Author John Bleasdale)
Film critic and journalist John Bleasdale joins Christina to discuss the news that Luca Guadagnino's film about OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Artificial, has been dropped by Amazon, which just happens to have a partnership with OpenAI... Also in the mix: the many partnerships forming between creators…
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529: Emmys 2026! Nomination Predictions ft. Guest Eoin Daly
TV time! Emmy nominations drop on July 8th. Christina and guest Eoin Daly make their boldest nom predictions. From The Pitt to Hacks, Widows Bay, Pluribus, and a lot of surprises. Who's getting in? Who's getting snubbed? The Emmys ceremony is on September 14th. Eoin Daly on Instagram. @eoin_daily
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515: Cannes Film Festival 2026! Dispatch 1, a quick hello from Christina!
What to expect from Pop Culture Confidential at the Cannes Film Festival 2026. Join us!
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515: TV Talk! Hacks, Beef, Half Man, The Pitt, Emmy predictions & more (Guest: Eoin Daly)
Emmy season is heating up, and Christina is joined by Eoin Daly (of @onofusnet) to break down and discuss the most buzzworthy TV! From the sharp humor of Hacks, to the brilliance of Beef season 2, Half Man, The Pitt, Survivor, and everything in between. With nominations just around the corner…
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Special Episode! AwardsWatch Podcast: New Oscar Rules and Preview of the 79th Cannes Film Festival with Special Guest Christina Birro
Special cross-over episode! On episode 344 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello, and Pop Culture Confidential’s Christina Birro to preview the 2026 Cannes Film Festival and also discuss...
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514: Our First Ever Summer Movie Draft! (Guests Jay Ledbetter & Ryan McQuade)
Welcome to the first-ever Pop Culture Confidential Summer 2026 Movie Draft! Christina is joined by Jay Ledbetter and Ryan McQuade (hosts of The Director Watch Podcast) to draft the films of the summer season. From Nolan and Spielberg to Toy Story 5, the chilling Backrooms, and so much more, who...
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513: A Conversation About Lena Dunham's New Memoir 'Famesick' (Guest: Sophia Ciminello)
Lena Dunham’s 'Famesick' is here! On this episode, Christina is joined by Sophia Ciminello (AwardsWatch, Oscar Wilde podcast) to unpack the much-anticipated memoir and explore Dunham’s cultural impact.
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512: Cannes Film Festival 2026 Preview (Guest: Ryan McQuade, AwardsWatch)
Sachs, Farhadi, Almodóvar, Pawlikowski, Kore-eda, Hamaguchi, Mungiu and many more! Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch.com joins Christina to preview the Cannes Film Festival 2026, featuring an incredible lineup of films and filmmakers.
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511: A Conversation With Writer/Director Mary Bronstein ('If I Had Legs I'd Kick You')
The brilliant writer/director Mary Bronstein joins Christina to discuss her film If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. The film is a raw and revelatory exploration of motherhood, anchored by an incredible, Oscar-nominated performance by Rose Byrne. Christina and Mary Bronstein dive into where Mary was in…
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510: 'The Drama,' the Oscars Move, Scorsese & More. A Grab Bag Episode (Guest: Ryan McQuade)
This episode, Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) joins Christina for a grab bag of news, reviews, and all manner of good stuff! They dive into 'Project Hail Mary', 'The Drama', Colbert taking on Tolkien, the Oscars venue move, Scorsese’s book adaptation, Supergirl, the Harry Potter TV series, and so much...
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509: Director Weronika Tofilska. Exploring Existential Themes, 'Baby Reindeer', and Netflix’s 'Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen'.
Emmy-nominated director Weronika Tofilska joins Christina to discuss her bold, existential storytelling, from the wildly successful Baby Reindeer to her latest project, Netflix’s chilling horror series Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen (exec-produced by the Duffer Brothers and starring Camila...
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508: We Recap the 2026 Academy Awards! (With Guest Ryan McQuade)
Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch joins Christina to recap last night’s 2026 Academy Awards (and cap off a long season!) One Battle After Another’s biggest wins, Sinners' successes, the surprises, emotional highlights, and so much more
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507: Our 2026 Oscar Predictions! Guest Erik Anderson, AwardsWatch
Join us as we dive into the 2026 Oscar predictions! Christina is thrilled to be joined by Erik Anderson of AwardsWatch.com. This year has brought us outstanding films, incredible performances, and one of the most unpredictable awards seasons we’ve seen in a long time. Listen as we discuss our...
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506: The State of the Oscar Race. BAFTAs, PGAs & the Actor Awards with Ryan McQuade
The race is alive! We’re just about ten days away from the Oscars, and things are heating up on the precursor front. The BAFTAs were last weekend, and this weekend brought the PGAs and the Actor Awards (the awards formerly known as the SAG Awards). Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch joins Christina to...
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505: Oscar Nominated Costume Designer Malgosia Turzanska on Designing Hamnet
Christina is joined by 2026 Oscar nominated costume designer Malgosia Turzanska, celebrated for her extraordinary work on Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet. Known for her unforgettable costumes in Train Dreams, Stranger Things, The Green Knight, X, Pearl, and more, Malgosia takes us deep into her art and the...
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504. Inside Train Dreams: A Conversation with Writer-Director Clint Bentley
Writer and director Clint Bentley joins Christina to discuss his acclaimed film Train Dreams, one of the most beautiful and celebrated films of the season! Nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture, the film recently earned Bentley Best Director and…
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503: Arian Moayed Returns! On Working with Malala, 'Wonder Man', the 'Succession' Family & the Urgency of Art
The endlessly inspiring Arian Moayed is back on the show and it is, as always, an absolute blast. The actor, director, and producer joins Christina to talk about his exciting new Marvel series Wonder Man and co-producing the documentary Champions of the Golden Valley with Malala Yousafzai. They...
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502: Revisit! Alexander Skarsgård on Pillion, Career Highlights & Creative Risks (Live from Stockholm Film Festival)
Encore episode! Alexander Skarsgård talks Pillion, career, and more. With Pillion now premiering widely (the wonderful, warm, and emotional BDSM rom-com co starring Harry Melling) we revisit Christina’s wide ranging conversation with Alexander Skarsgård, recorded at the Stockholm International…
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501: Breaking Down the 2026 BAFTA & WGA Nominations (Guest Eoin Daly)
Awards season 2026 continues to steamroll ahead. Just days after the Oscar nominations, the BAFTA and WGA nominations have arrived. To help break it all down, Christina is joined by Eoin Daly, co-host of the Shhh, My Stories Are On! podcast, as they discuss the biggest talking points, surprises,...
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Episode 500: Breaking Down the 2026 Oscar Nominations! (Guest: Ryan McQuade)
Christina & Ryan McQuade (of AwardsWatch.com) break down the 2026 Oscar nominations, diving into the biggest surprises, snubs, historic milestones, and what it all means for the race ahead!
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499: Our Most Anticipated Movies 2026 (Guests Jay Ledbetter & Ryan McQuade)
2026 is shaping up to be an incredible year for cinema, from visionary auteurs to indie gems and everything in between. Christina is joined by Jay Ledbetter and Ryan McQuade from the Director Watch Podcast for a massive breakdown of the movies they can’t wait to see in 2026. Plus a special...
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498: A Conversation with Production Designer Fiona Crombie on Hamnet, Love, Grief, and Shakespeare
In this episode of Pop Culture Confidential, Christina sits down with prize-winning production designer Fiona Crombie, whose work has shaped some of the most visually striking films of recent years. They talk in depth about Crombie’s breathtaking production design for Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet…
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497. Golden Globes 2026 Reactions! The Wins & the Surprises. (Guest Ryan McQuade)
Christina is joined by Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch.com) to break down the Golden Globes 2026! The winners, the losers, the speeches, the cringe... and what it all means for the Oscars race.
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496: Critics Choice Awards Instant Reactions With Christina Birro & Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch)
For the first episode of the year, Christina is joined by Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch.com) to recap the Critics Choice Awards 2026, the first televised awards show of the season! Fresh off attending the ceremony, they break down what it was like on the ground, the night’s biggest wins, standout...
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495: Counting Down Our 20 Best Movies of 2025 (Guest: Ryan McQuade)
It’s a huge episode! Ryan McQuade ( Executive Editor, AwardsWatch) joins Christina as they countdown their 20 best movies of 2025. What a year of cinema it has been!
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494: Our Reactions to the Latest Critics Awards, Critics Choice, Globes Nominations & the Road to the Oscars (w/ Ryan McQuade)
Awards season is officially in full swing! Prizes and nominations are rolling in from critics groups, the Critics Choice Awards, the Golden Globes, and more. It’s been one announcement after another and we’re breaking it all down. Christina is joined by Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) to recap and dig...
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493: Alexander Skarsgård. Live Interview from the Stockholm International Film Festival
This week’s episode is a special one: Christina’s interview with actor/producer Alexander Skarsgård! The interview was recorded live at the Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 2025), where he received the 2025 Stockholm Achievement Award. The audience was packed and about to see…
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492: The Biggest Pop Culture Moments of 2025! (Guest Ryan McQuade)
2025 was a year in pop culture like no other! Celebrities “went to space,” Kendrick blew our minds at the Super Bowl, demons were hunted, SNL turned 50, and kiss cams caused chaos. It was a massive year for film and TV, packed with moments that had everyone talking. We also said goodbye to some…
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491: The Top Movie Performances of 2025 (with Guest Erik Anderson of AwardsWatch)
As we head into the final weeks of the year, we couldn’t resist diving into the incredible performances that have already defined 2025. It’s been an extraordinary year at the movies, full of bold artistic swings, deeply emotional turns, and career-making work across the board. In this episode,...
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490: A Conversation with Michael Strassner, Writer and Star of ‘The Baltimorons’
Christina talks with writer/actor/comedian Michael Strassner about his new film The Baltimorons, directed by Jay Duplass, a story shaped by the spirit of Baltimore and the most personal chapters of Strassner’s own life. They talk about blending humor and drama, how Strassner channels his personal...
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489: Benny Safdie. Live Interview from the Stockholm International Film Festival
This week’s episode is a special one: Christina’s interview with writer and director Benny Safdie at the Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 2025), where he was also honored with the Stockholm Visionary Award. They discuss his filmmaking process, his obsessive characters, The Smashing...
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488: Coming Attractions: End of the Year Movie Roundup (Guest Ryan McQuade)
It’s preview time! Christina is once again joined by critic Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch.com) to preview the most exciting movie titles coming to theaters and streaming for the rest of the year! From awards hopefuls like Hamnet and Marty Supreme, to blockbuster titles like Wicked: For Good and…
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487: A Conversation with Rebecca Miller . On 'Mr. Scorsese', Her Portrait of the Filmmaker
Filmmaker Rebecca Miller joins Christina to talk about her remarkable new series Mr. Scorsese , a five-part portrait of Martin Scorsese, now streaming on Apple TV+. The series offers a rare and intimate look at the legendary director’s creative process, his lifelong relationship with cinema, and...
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486: A Conversation With Gustaf Skarsgård ('To Cook A Bear')
In this episode, Christina talks with actor Gustaf Skarsgård, who is powerful in the historical crime drama To Cook a Bear(Hulu/Disney+), based on the bestselling novel by Mikael Niemi. They discuss embodying the Pastor, a fascinating, paradoxical character inspired by the real Lars Levi...
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485: Awards Season Heats Up: Contenders & Predictions / Plus: Rebecca Miller’s Mr. Scorsese (Guest: Ryan McQuade)
We’re diving into the state of the awards season race! Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch.com joins us to break down the latest contenders and predictions. Then, a discussion on Rebecca Miller’s Mr. Scorsese (Apple TV+), a new five-part docuseries about the legendary filmmaker himself.
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484: From One Battle After Another and Hamnet to Sentimental Value and Weapons - The 2025 Cinematic Trend: Parenthood on Film (Guest: Critic J. Don Birnam)
From One Battle After Another, Jay Kelly, Hamnet, and Weapons, to Sentimental Value and If I Had Legs I’d Kick You and more, filmmakers this year can’t seem to escape one theme: parents. Guilt, loss, and legacy are everywhere on screen this year. Are directors today reckoning with themselves as...
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483: Becoming Aunt Gladys: The Makeup & Special Effects Behind Weapons (Guests: Artisans Leo Satkovich & Jason Collins)
We’re pulling back the curtain on one of modern horror’s most unforgettable new icons: Aunt Gladys from Zach Cregger’s smash hit Weapons. Christina is joined by makeup department head Leo Satkovich and special makeup effects designer Jason Collins, the brilliant team behind her terrifying...
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482: A Conversation with Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Breakout Star of 'Sentimental Value'
In this episode, Christina is joined by rising star Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, recently named one of Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch, to talk about her role as Agnes in Joachim Trier’s Oscar-contending drama Sentimental Value. The film, also starring Stellan Skarsgård, Renate Reinsve, and Elle…
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481: “One Battle After Another” — Paul Thomas Anderson’s Cinematic Knockout (with Guest Ryan McQuade)
A Modern Masterpiece! Christina is joined by Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch.com to dive into Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Teyana Taylor, Regina Hall, Chase Infiniti, and Benicio Del Toro. Edge-of-your-seat, urgent, and timely, Anderson’s…
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480: A Conversation with Writer-Director Joachim Trier, 'Sentimental Value', Family & Relationships
Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value is the talk of the season, and Christina sits down with the acclaimed Norwegian director to dig into it. Featuring Renate Reinsve, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Stellan Skarsgård, and Elle Fanning, the film has already won the Grand Prix at Cannes, charmed audiences…
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479: And the Emmy Goes To… 2025 Emmys Predictions! (Guest Tyler Doster, AwardsWatch)
Hollywood turns its spotlight on television’s biggest night this Sunday — the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards! Christina is joined by Tyler Doster, TV Editor at AwardsWatch.com, to predict the major categories and discuss potential surprises and upsets. From The Pitt and Severance to The Studio and...
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478: Telluride Dispatch: Hamnet, Jay Kelly, Bugonia & the Performances to Watch (Guests: The AwardsWatch Team)
All new Pop Culture Confidential: Telluride Dispatch! What a festival! Together with each of the incredible AwardsWatch.com team, we dive into the biggest conversations at Telluride — from Hamnet, Jay Kelly, Bugonia, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, to the Springsteen biopic 🎸 and much more! We…
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477: Bruce Springsteen at the Movies: Looking Ahead to the Upcoming Biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere (w/ Ryan McQuade)
This week, Christina welcomes Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) for a deep dive into Bruce Springsteen on film — including a look ahead at Deliver Me From Nowhere, the highly anticipated biopic starring Jeremy Allen White. From the Malick-inspired Nebraska to iconic soundtrack moments, we explore...
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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’m joined by Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) to break down our reactions to...
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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 office shocks, Nolan fever, political storytelling, their Telluride...
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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, Birth, Under the Skin, and The Zone of Interest. They also break down the exciting 2025 Venice...
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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 questions about political pressure. Christina is joined by AwardsWatch’s...
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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 Max. In this encore episode, Taylor joins Christina to talk about filming...
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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, we break down Nolan’s The Odyssey teaser, the latest on the Social Network...
About this show
Conversations at the intersection of movies, television, and pop culture. Hosted by Christina Jeurling Birro, this podcast delivers candid interviews with filmmakers, actors, creators, and cultural tastemakers, plus festival and awards-season coverage, reviews, and in-depth explorations of the stories shaping what we watch and why it matters.
Hosted by
Evergreen Podcasts