Pop Culture Confidential

On this weeks Pop Culture Confidential: Jenni Konner, executive producer, writer and co-showrunner of HBO's "Girls", alongside show creator and star Lena Dunham. Jenni Konner started her career as a writer on Judd Apatow’s Undeclared and went on to become co-exec producer, with Apatow, on the groundbreaking series Girls. We talk about the cultural impact of the series, her close collaboration and friendship with Lena Dunham, their new feminist newsletter The Lenny Letter and why season six of Girls will be it’s last! And Oscar Sunday is finally here! The great Kyle Buchanan, senior editor of New York Magazine/Vulture and Christina talk through what is the most confusing Oscar year ever! Is it three way race for Best Picture between The Revenant, Spotlight and The Big Short? Leo DiCaprio has been doing excellent campaign work, they say, what does that mean? All the last pro tips you will need to win your Oscar pool! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s guest Kevin Avery is a writer on HBO’s ‘Last Week Tonight’ and co-host of the very funny podcast ‘Denzel Washington is the Greatest Actor of All Time Period’ with fellow comedian W. Kamau Bell. His credits also include head writer on the critically acclaimed FX series ‘Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell’ which was created by Chris Rock, and writer on VH1’s ‘Best Week Ever’. From more serious subjects like Net Neutrality and immigration, to the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue – Avery and the staff writers, along with John Oliver, impeccably dissect politics, global issues and humanity at large, all while making us laugh out loud. ‘Last Week Tonight’ is a show not to be missed! In this episode we get the chance to ask: Are there any subjects that can’t be funny? What makes Denzel Washington such a perfect podcast subject? Will Chris Rock rock the Oscars? What is the writing process for ‘Last Week Tonight’ and what is the writer’s room like? And MUCH more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit m

More than a music supervisor Mary Ramos is a detective, a negotiator and a fixer when it comes to suggesting and securing the perfect music for her directors. If you have been to the cinema in the last twenty years - you already know her work! Her credits include over 100 films from Reality Bites to Spotlight, and the many iconic Quentin Tarantino soundtracks. At this year’s Göteborg Film Festival Mary Ramos joined for a Master Class, moderated by our podcast host Christina Jeurling Birro, to share her process. This episode was recorded live during this Master Class and we were excited to have the opportunity to ask her: What does her work as a Music Supervisor entail? How does she select music? What lengths will she go to to secure song rights? How does the process differ when working with composers? And MUCH more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to this very special episode of Pop Culture Confidential that we recorded live in London where we interviewed several of the greats, in and around, this year’s most talk about films – ‘Spotlight’. The film won ‘Best Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture” at the SAG Awards, and is a definite Oscar contender for Best Picture. We sit down with Mark Ruffalo and the Pulitzer Prize journalist for the Boston Globe he portrays in the film, Mike Rezendes. As well as Walter Robinson, the Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter for the Boston Globe who was portrayed in the film by Michael Keaton, and writer and director Tom McCarthy. We ask – What shocked them most during the original investigation? Has the Catholic Church done enough to stop the cycle of abuse? What was it like bringing the story to the screen? And MUCH more! In 2001 the Boston Globe’s investigation team, called Spotlight, was responsible for exposing the systematic cover up of sexual abuse towards children by more than 70 priests

On this weeks episode we are honored to talk to Susan Sarandon - Oscar winning actress, producer, Ping-Pong enthusiast, social and political activist, and passionately committed to human rights. Together with her production company Reframed Pictures; Susan Sarandon now embarks on a documentary project about one of her real inspirations, actress Hedy Lamarr! Lamarr was a Hollywood superstar know as the “the most beautiful woman in the world” but she had a secret life – as a brilliant inventor. Lamarr’s World War II invention changed history and our lives, and today is a technology that we use in cellphones, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi communication, but Hedy Lamarr would not get the recognition she deserved. Because of her storied career, Sarandon was in a unique position to understand what it was like for Hedy Lamarr to fight hard for roles on screen while fighting harder to change the world off screen. In this week’s episode we talk to Susan Sarandon about her new documentary but also why Hedy is an inspiration

The King’s Speech, Juno, American Hustle, Argo, and now Spotlight and The Revenant – these are just some of the scripts featured on The Black List that have gone onto receive Oscar nominations and Oscar gold! Our guest Franklin Leonard is the founder of The Black List and it’s podcast compliment The Black List Table Reads. And this week we check back in with our favorite TV critic June Thomas, Slate’s culture critic, to hear her highlights from the recent Television Critics Association’s ‘Winter Tour’ held in Los Angeles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This weeks guests Moira Demos and Laura Ricciardi spent ten years of their lives documenting the Avery case which became the Netflix docu-series “Making a Murderer”. If you have not watched the complete series, please know that this episode and the text below contain spoilers. Was Steven Avery setup by the local authorities as payback for the lawsuit? Is an innocent man in jail the second time? Was 16-year-old Brendan Dassey's confession coerced? The series is spellbinding and infuriating, regardless of guilt or innocence, as it shines a light on the entire justice system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

full frenzy and what better way to start the year than to predict the nominees for this year’s Oscars. We last spoke to awards expert Sasha Stone, Awards Daily, after Telluride in September. Now we check in with Sasha and ask the big questions: Who are the frontrunners? What happened to the early buzz for Steve Jobs? Will Alicia Vikander receive two nominations? And much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steinem has been an outspoken champion of women’s rights since the 1970s and has just released her new memoir ‘My Life of The Road’. Her work has been an inspiration to us personally and to a whole generation of women in pop culture – from comedian Amy Schumer to actress Lena Dunham, both of who are highlighting how society looks at women today with their work. As a columnist for New York magazine and a founder of Ms. Magazine Steinem has published seminal articles, including one that detailed her stint as a Playboy bunny to highlight the sexist treatment of women at Playboy Clubs, and a pioneering work in 1969, titled “After Black Power, Women’s Liberation.” Which brought her to national fame. More recently she has written about importance of Hillary Clinton’s run for President and what it means for society. Throughout her life she has battled for reproductive rights and has been vocal about her own abortion when she was 22. This book is in fact dedicated to “the doctor that changed her life”. Learn more

Gorgeous, moving and subtle – ‘Carol’ is a beautifully crafted tale of forbidden love that has wowed critics and audiences alike. And it’s no wonder – director Todd Haynes (Far from Heaven, I’m Not There) along with the films stars Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara have delivered Oscar worthy performances. ‘Carol’ follows two women from very different backgrounds that find themselves in an unexpected love affair in 1950s New York. Their undeniable attraction is challenged by the conventional norms of the time but what emerges is an honest story of resilience and fulfillment. Our guest is screenwriter Phyllis Nagy who adapted Patricia Highsmith’s book “The Price of Salt” for the film. Highsmith wrote more than twenty novels before her death in 1995, many of which including “Strangers on a Train” and the Tom Ripley series but it is the love story of Carol and Therese that draws inspiration from her own life. We ask Phyllis about the twenty year struggle of bringing this story to the big screen, her friendship w

From Citizen Kane, All The Presidents Men, Anchorman, and Newsroom to this years much buzzed about films Truth and Spotlight – Hollywood has had a long, adoring, but complicated relationship portraying journalism. The iconic 1976 film Network staring Faye Dunaway and Robert Duvall will soon celebrate its fortieth anniversary. In both television and film, journalism is still a hot topic today with crusading journalists, cutthroat executives and stressed newsrooms front and center. The film Network was groundbreaking when it premiered but it’s influence is still felt and has inspired filmmakers like Aaron Sorkin and TV personality Stephen Colbert. On the show, we speak to New York Times writer Dave Itzkoff and author of the hit book Mad as Hell: The Making of Network and the Fateful Vision of the Angriest Man in Movies about Network on the continuing allure of the journalism genre. Why are these depictions important in our greater culture? Why do newspaper journalists get so much more respect then their coun

We are thrilled to speak with Roger Christian who won Best Art Direction - Set Decoration for 'Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope' in 1977. Along with his team, he is responsible for the iconic interior of the Millennium Falcon, the first lightsaber, R2D2, and much more. And we talk to Entertainment Weekly senior writer Anthony Breznican about everything you need to know about Star War: The Force Awakens premiere and much more! Host/Producer: Christina Jeurling Birro. Producer: Renee Viterstedt. Editor: Tom Hansen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This weeks guests have created some of the most iconic looks for superstars like Britney Spears, Pink, David Bowie, Ozzy Osbourne, and Marilyn Manson. They are behind the wonderful costumes in the Oscar winning film Dallas Buyers Club, and most recently they designed the costumes for Mockingjay Pt 1 & 2 of the Hunger Games franchise. Kurt Swanson and Bart Mueller, who make up the New York-based costume design team Kurt & Bart, created meticulously detailed looks for Jennifer Lawrence, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson and the rest of the cast, along with over 10,000 extras. Yes, you read that correctly - 10,000 extras! Unlike the previous Hunger Games films, Mockingjay Part 1 & 2 take place mainly in District 13 as Katniss leads the revolution against the Capitol. The costumes Kurt & Bart designed reflect the shift for each character as they take on new roles and the limitations of wartime. The result is both restrained in color and materials, but no less visually stunning. Learn more about

Marlon Brando was one of the most acclaimed and influential actors of all time. He also was one of the most elusive and enigmatic. In the new documentary Listen to Me Marlon, written, directed and edited by Stevan Riley, we get a powerfully absorbing portrait that dives into the inner space of Brando’s mind. The film features exclusive access to Brando's previously unseen and unheard personal archive of private audio tapes the actor recorded at home, in business meetings, during hypnosis, in therapy, and during press interviews. And Brando doesn’t hold back as he reflects on his childhood, his movie career and the people he worked with. No talking heads, no interviewees: just Brando on Brando. We speak to director Stevan Riley to hear about his process making the film, what Brando felt about celebrity and his own appearance, his relationship with Francis Ford Coppola and the myths of Apocalypse Now - and much more! This year Listen to Me Marlon has been nominated for “Best Feature” at the 2015 Internationa

Carrie Coon burst onto the scene in 2014 with two remarkable performances in David Fincher’s Gone Girl and HBO’s The Leftovers. We are honored to speak with her! How would you react if 2% of the world’s population suddenly disappeared, including your husband and two children? This is the premise for Carrie Coon’s character Nora Durst on the hit HBO show The Leftovers, now in its second season. The show is co-created by Lost’s Damon Lindelof and the author of the novel, Tom Perrotta. We speak to actress Carrie Coon about her work on The Leftovers and what season two will bring for her character, what it was like to work with David Fincher on the psychological thriller Gone Girl and how the roles for women on television are evolving. Then we ask the question – can watching television increase your emotional intelligence? New research shows that watching award-winning television shows, such as Mad Men, Lost, The Good Wife or The West Wing, can increase our ability to read emotion and to empathize. We speak to

By 1982, cocaine made up 30% of all Colombian export, surpassing coffee, with much help by cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar. The new hit Netflix series “Narcos” traces his rise as one of the leaders of the Meddellín Cartel, the flow of cocaine from Colombia into the United States and the DEA’s attempts to bring down Escobar and the cartel. Brazilian actor Wagner Moura has received high praise for his portrayal of Escobar, who is a complex character – to say the least. He is one of the worlds most notorious criminals, reportedly responsible for over 4,000 murders and terrorizing many more, but to some he is also a hero, a Robin Hood like character who gave money to poor comminutes in Colombia, built soccer stadiums and even ran for office. At the time of his death, he was reportedly worth an estimated $25 billion dollars – making him also the wealthiest criminal in history. “Narcos” is filmed on location in Colombia with some real archival footage mixed in, and many of the real-life protagonists are consultants

Twenty-five years ago Buzz Bissinger went in search of the Friday night lights – to chronicle the high school football ritual that can bring together a small American town. The result of this journey that took him to Odessa, Texas became the New York Times bestseller “Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream”, a book that would later be adapted into both a movie and TV show of the same name. The book shows America’s love of football while exposing its racism and greed, which is just as prevalent today but often overlooked. Since then Bissinger has not shied away from controversial subjects, including his own life. He has written about his struggle as a shopaholic which has included spending over $500,000 on high-fashion clothing in just two years, as well as his love of wearing women’s clothing. In his very touching book “Father’s Day: Across America with an Unusual Dad and His Extraordinary Son” he explores his relationship with his son Zach, who is savant challenged by serious intellectual defici

Guest: Priyanka Chopra This week we interview one of the world’s biggest movie stars. She acts, she sings, she dances, and as an FBI agent in the new ABC drama “Quantico” she kicks some serious butt! Priyanka Chopra, the Bollywood superstar has over 50 films on her resume, and is now taking Hollywood by storm – and making history by being the first South Asian woman to headline a US network drama. Priyanka Chopra was born in Jamshedpur India, but as a teenager she lived for some years with her aunt in the United States. She returned to India in her late teens and at 18 she won the Miss World Title, an event that helped start her film career. Today Chopra is one of Bollywood's highest-paid actresses and a vocal advocate for women’s rights. She has shown herself to be extremely versatile by playing a range of unconventional characters, including a serial killer, a glamorous femme fatal, India’s real-life boxing champion Mary Kom and an autistic woman in the internationally acclaimed romantic comedy Barfi!. I

Guest: Kevin Baillie Even a death-defying high-wire artist has to start somewhere. As a boy, Philippe Petit dreamt of performing daring feats for dazzled crowds. As an adult, his life’s ambition came true when on August 7, 1974, he successfully walked between the Twin Towers, 110 floors up with no harness or net! Our guest Kevin Baillie’s journey also reads much like a film script. By the age of seven, after being inspired by films like Back to the Future, he had already chosen his career path and was best friends with Ryan Tudhope, with whom he would later co-found the visual effects studio Atomic Fiction. With his dream, much determinacy and hard work, Baillie was working at Skywalker Ranch at just 18 years old! Flash forward; Baillie is the Visual Effects Supervisor on The Walk, and along with the team at Atomic Fiction, worked with legendary director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, Flight) to bring Petit’s seemingly impossible stunt to life in The Walk. In this highly anticipated film

In the 1970s, there wasn’t a Hollywood agent more successful than Sue Mengers. Her client roster read like a who’s who of the hottest actors and directors of the time: Barbra Streisand, Gene Hackman, Ryan O’Neal, Ali MacGraw, Diana Ross, Michael Caine, Candice Bergen, Jacqueline Bisset, Mike Nichols, Peter Bogdanovich, and a glittering marquee of many other high- profile performers. Author Brian Kellow interviewed over 200 people, to collect all of wonderful moments in her often loud and abrasive life and career for his recently released biography Can I Go Now?: The Life of Sue Mengers, Hollywood’s First Superagent. The last twenty years has been referred to as the second golden age of television. Shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Freaks and Geeks, and The Wire were breeding grounds for the showrunners who are now bringing us smash hits like Empire, Girls, Madmen, Unreal and many more. Tara Bennett, who interviewed showrunners Joss Whedon, Ronald D. Moore, Damon Lindelof, Terence Winter, and many more