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Pop culture conversations with today's innovators, entertainers and newsmakers - podcast hosted by Christina Jeurling Birro.
499 Episodes
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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 history, including struggles with addiction, recovery, and self-reinvention, into the story. He also discusses the film’s unexpected romance, having his own family in the film, and much more.The Baltimorons won the Audience Award at South by Southwest 2025.
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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 Machine, working with Paul Thomas Anderson and Christopher Nolan, and much more.
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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 Avatar: Fire and Ash, to Train Dreams, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, and much more!
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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 the people and experiences that have shaped his extraordinary career.
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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 Laestadius, a man caught between faith, science, and survival in 1850s Sweden. The story weaves together themes of polarization, racism, class, and belief within a haunting detective mystery set against the stark northern wilderness.
They also talk about Skarsgård’s thoughtful approach to acting — how he chooses his roles, from Oppenheimer to Soderbergh’s Black Bag to his upcoming role as Wallander — and how he has found more sustainable ways of working and living after past struggles with addiction.
Don’t miss!
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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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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 parents rather than with their own parents? We dive into all of it — and more.
Christina is joined by film critic J. Don Birnam (@awards_predix) to unpack one of 2025’s defining cinematic trends — parenting, responsibility, and what it means to parent (or be parented) in a changing world.
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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 transformation.
They explore how Aunt Gladys was brought to life: from drawing inspiration in Cindy Sherman’s photography and John Waters’ Pink Flamingos to perfecting the haunting look worn and played to perfection by Amy Madigan. They dig into the gory details — THAT potato peeler, wrangling a mob of kids, and much more.
The conversation even dares to imagine a prequel Aunt Gladys, picturing a younger version in all her unsettling glory. And of course, the artists share exclusive Halloween costume tips straight from their own toolkit.
Listen now!
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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 Fanning, explores family, identity, and the complicated bond between two sisters and their father.
Inga shares what it was like working with Trier and Skarsgård, the intensity of filming a pivotal emotional scene with Renate Reinsve, and how audiences around the world are connecting with the film’s themes.
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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 bold filmmaking delivers a cinematic experience like no other. Join us for a deep dive into one of the year’s most anticipated films. Spoilers.
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1Joachim 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 on the festival circuit, and is quickly becoming an Oscar favorite. Christina and Trier dive into its rich themes — family roles, complicated relationships, and the deeply personal ideas at its heart.
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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 Adolescence, which shows and stars will walk away with Emmy gold?
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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 explore the themes running through this year’s line-up — fathers and daughters, regret, redemption, motherhood, and the power of art — plus highlight standout performances from Jessie Buckley, Renate Reinsve, Rose Byrne, Stellan Skarsgård, and Jeremy Allen White.
With Ryan McQuade, Mark Johnson, Erik Anderson, Sophia Ciminello, and Jorge (a.k.a. J. Don Birnam) bringing their reviews and festival insights, this Telluride dispatch is full of reviews, festival buzz, and Oscar talk.
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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 Springsteen’s cinematic inspirations and how his music continues to live on the big screen.
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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 Weapons — the scares, the themes, the filmmaking, and the cinematic influences and nods to PTA, Lynch, Tarantino, and more.
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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 predictions — and plenty more!
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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 Film Festival line-up, featuring Luca Guadagnino’s After the Hunt starring Julia Roberts, Kathryn Bigelow’s latest, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, and much more.
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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 Ryan McQuade to unpack Colbert’s exit — and whether this marks the beginning of the end for traditional late night as we know it.
They also discuss Emmy nomination surprises as well as the latest lineup announcements from TIFF and Venice. Plus, Ryan’s reactions to the 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' trailer & 'The Fantastic Four'. A jam-packed episode!
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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 the intense series, medical boot camp, how her ADHD shaped her performance, working with Noah Wyle, and much more.
Don’t miss this interview with one of the season’s most talked-about breakout stars!
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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 sequel, and Denis Villeneuve taking on 007.With special guest Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch).
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