Pop Culture Confidential

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A short report from Cannes 2024! Christina talks about what she is looking forward to at the festival from Coppola to Lanthimos to following the brilliant jury lead by Greta Gerwig. Stay tuned for more dispatches! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are honored to have the brilliant Kathryn Hunter on the show this week. The award winning actor has played both Lear and Richard III on stage and gives an extraordinary performance as the three witches in Joel Coen's 'The Tragedy of Macbeth'. Ms Hunter talks to Christina about working with Francis Ford Coppola in his upcoming film 'Megalopolis', the tattooed madame of Lanthimos 'Poor Things', 'Andor,' her process and the horrific car accident that left her with a broken back but also transformed her approach to her work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Netflix hit series 'Baby Reindeer' is based on Scottish comedian Richard Gadd harrowing experience being stalked by an obsessed woman as well as the trauma of sexual assault. Candice Frederick (Senior Culture Reporter @ Huffpost) joins Christina to unpack the series, process their reactions to it, talk about the important and complex issues it deals with, how some viewers are reacting to it and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan McQuade (Executive editor AwardsWatch.com) joins Christina for a deep dive into Luca Guadagnino's latest film 'Challengers'. Join us as we talk about the dazzling performances by Zendaya, Mike Faist & Josh O'Connor, the score, the spectacular tennis scenes, and the electric love triangle at its center. Ryan McQuade on X @ryanmcquade77 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have reached the finale of one of the best TV shows of the season! We're thrilled to have director Hiromi Kamata ('Let the Right One In', 'Monarch: Legacy of Monsters') join us to talk about 'Shōgun' & her incredible episode 'Ladies of the Willow World'. Ms. Kamata and Christina talk about the power of the women of 'Shōgun', why she showed the actors Bergman's 'Persona' & Wong Kar-wai's 'In the Mood For Love', and how 'Shōgun' was a personal journey for the director who is of Japanese and Mexican heritage. And much more! Listen now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Variety's Senior Artisans Editor Jazz Tangcay joins Christina to discuss the huge, buzzy Hollywood titles that are hitting theaters this summer! 'The Fall Guy', 'Challengers', 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga', 'Kinds of Kindness', 'Bad Boys: Ride or Die, 'Inside Out 2'', 'Twisters', 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice', just to name a few. They also talk about 'Joker: Folie à Deux' as well as Coppola's Megalopolis' which premieres at The Cannes Film Festival. Listen now! Follow Jazz Tangcay on X: @jazzt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch.com) joins Christina to discuss one of 2024s most anticipated, and possibly divisive, films Alex Garland's 'Civil War'. The first trailer left us with a lot of questions and certain expectations but the film turned out to be something else completely. Christina and Ryan discuss the film, the discourse, Alex Garland, the incredible performances and much more. Spoilers around the 36 minute mark! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NPR's TV critic & media analyst Eric Deggans joins Christina to talk about how the 2024 US election cycle is reflected in our popular culture. On the return of Jon Stewart. How are the late night talk shows meeting this political moment? What issues are TV creators exploring in shows like True Detective & Fargo as well as in the documentary series space. Follow Eric Deggans on X @deggans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actor, author, icon! Molly Ringwald joins Christina for a wide ranging conversation about her role as Joanne Carson in Ryan Murphy's critically acclaimed series 'Feud: Capote vs The Swans', her iconic and seminal films with John Hughes and her complicated feelings about them, her Swedish roots and so much more. Listen now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are honored to welcome writer/director Sofia Coppola to the the show. In this exclusive conversation we talk about adapting and approaching Priscilla Presley's unique story. Why and how this story resonated with Coppola at this moment in her career & life. How she can see Priscilla from several perspectives, her mother's generation and from the perspective of her own teen daughters. Capturing the the essence of Elvis, approaching the complicated aspects of their relationship and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Oppy Oppy"! After Ryan McQuade's (AwardsWatch.com) stirring appreciation speech last week we had to have him back on to talk about Oppenheimer's magic night at the Oscars. Plus the best speeches, highlights, disappointments and surprises of the 96th Oscar ceremony. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oscar predictions 2024! Christina is joined by the best in the business: Executive Editor Ryan McQuade and Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson of AwardsWatch! Ahead of Sundays' Oscar telecast they predict the winners in all 23 categories, talk about their most anticipated speeches, red carpet looks and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are so many fascinating, passionate & chilling marriages explored at the movies this year. Maestro, Killers of the Flower Moon, Priscilla, Oppenheimer, The Zone of Interest, May December, to name a few! Ryan McQuade (Executive Editor @ AwardsWatch.com) joins us to dissect one of this years' big themes and discuss the state of matrimony at the movies! x @ryanmcquade77 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The brilliant sound designer Johnnie Burn talks to Christina about his research & emotional process creating the sounds of Auschwitz for Jonathan Glazer's powerful holocaust drama The Zone of Interest. They also discuss his work with Yorgos Lanthimos on 'Poor Things', creating alien sounds for Jordan Peele on 'Nope' and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award winning composer/producer Ludwig Göransson joins Christina to break down his journey scoring 'Oppenheimer', his process, influences and close collaboration with director Christopher Nolan. Photo credits: Courtesy of Ludwig Göransson                             Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christina talks to Andrew Haigh about his very personal journey writing and directing his beautiful film 'All of Us Strangers'. As well as conversations with actors Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal & Claire Foy on their characters, love, loneliness, accidental cruelty and more. Listen now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We made it through the night country & everyone is talking about that finale! Christina talked to breakout star Finn Bennett ('Peter Prior') about Issa López 'True Detective: Night Country', his characters' almost biblical arc, working with Jodie Foster, his thoughts on Nic Pizzolatto's remarks, the incredible finale, the best fan theories and much more. Spoiler warning if you have not seen the finale! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Robert and Trude Steen's son Mats passed away at age 25 from a degenerative muscular disease they grieved over what they thought had been an isolated and lonely life but what they found out would change everything. Mats, a gamer known as 'Ibelin' in World of Warcraft, had despite his physical disabilities formed strong friendships, fallen in love and was a beloved and vibrant member of his digital community. Christina was honored to talk to Mat's father Robert Steen about Mats, his story and how it can give us deeper perspectives on gaming, on life and everything in between. A new documentary by Benjamin Ree called 'Ibelin' just won top prizes and accolades at Sundance and several Nordic festivals & will be out soon on Netflix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Erik Anderson & Ryan McQuade of AwardsWatch.com join Christina to discuss the 2024 Oscar nominations! The surprises, snubs, history making nominations and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices