Pop Culture Confidential

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Episode 69: The stars of Orange is the New Black and Netflix Ted Sarandos Mar 08, 2017

Show notes

Now that the film award season has come to a dramatic conclusion we are happy to turn our attention to the upcoming season of television. This week’s episode of Pop Culture Confidential covers the recent Netflix event in Berlin where they unveiled the upcoming lineup. Host Christina Jeurling Birro was thrilled to speak with two of the stars of Orange is the New Black – Kate Mulgrew who plays Red and two-time Emmy winner Uzo Aduba who plays Suzanne ‘Crazy Eyes’ Warren. We also speak to Netflix Chief Content Office Ted Sarandos who shares his journey with Netflix and the power of user data in creating original content including the hit House of Cards. It’s a very special ‘on location’ edition of Pop Culture Confidential where we dive into the recent and upcoming milestones for Litchfield Penitentiary, what it means to be Captain of a Starfleet ship, the Oscar win for White Helmets and how Netflix is supporting film distribution, and much more!

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Episode 68: The 2017 Oscar Special Feb 22, 2017

Show notes

The Academy Awards are upon us and this is the annual Pop Culture Confidential Oscar predictions show! We are joined again by Sasha Stone, journalist and founder of the website Awards Daily, who gives all the details of this years statistics, trends and controversies. Annually there are many big award shows during the season, from the Golden Globes to BAFTA, each giving us a hint at which film could take the top prizes at the Academy Awards. So you can imagine how excited we are that the big day is almost here with this years host Jimmy Kimmel. On this episode host Christina Jeurling Birro and Sasha Stone discuss how the preferential ballot system can affect the results, the industry buzz around the nominees – and maybe most importantly, which films we predict will win in all of the main categories!

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Episode 67: Eugene Lee - Legendary SNL Production Designer Feb 16, 2017

Show notes

For those who follow Pop Culture Confidential, you know that we LOVE Saturday Night Live (SNL) and refer often to how it has influenced pop culture over the decades. We are so excited to be joined this week by Eugene Lee, who has been the original Saturday Night Live production designer since the start of the show's first season in 1975. At 77, he is one of the only original crewmembers still working. The SNL set Lee designed has a true New York vibe with real bricks and a nod to Grand Central Station. Three Tony Awards, 12 Emmy nominations, and one Emmy win later, Lee continues to carry on his accomplished tradition in theater while also leading the "SNL" production-design team, week in and week out. Lee comes from the theater world and has worked on Wicked, Sweeney Todd and Candide. He is not slowing down, he has also designed the sets for Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, which show the variety of his work. Lee joined us from his home and workshop in Providence, Rhode Island where he is based. He commutes to New York every Wednesday to start the week at SNL, meeting with the directors and screenwriters to understand their vision for each skit that will come that week. He hand sketches each set and works up until the last minute before each show, perfecting what we at home see on screen. We discuss the wonderful legacy of Saturday Night Live, his work process and the joy he feels being such a part of the experience we have had watching SNL for the last forty years.

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Episode 66: Colleen Atwood - Three-Time Oscar-Winning Costume Designer Feb 09, 2017

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Scissor hands, face masks and apes – oh my! Three-time Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood has dressed some of the most iconic characters on the big screen. This includes Hannibal Lecter, Edward Scissorhands, Roxie Hart – and all the characters in eleven Tim Burton films. Atwood has been very busy this past year with Huntsman: Winter’s War, Alice Through the Looking Glass, her most recent collaboration with Tim Burton Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, AND the Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them for which she has been nominated for an Academy Award. From fantasy to modern day, Atwood’s costumes are always rich in detail and a deep study of character that isn’t always obvious at first. For Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children we travel back to Wales during World War II to an orphanage full of ‘peculiar’ children with unique superpowers. The character of Miss Peregrine, played by Eva Green, has the ability to transform into a bird that is reflected in the characters signature blue coat with birdlike elements. Each of the children’s costumes also has custom elements to reflect their own special powers. We are honored to be joined by such a legend in her field and ask Atwood to share how she began her career, how she approaches each character, her response to being Oscar nominated (again) and much more!

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Episode 65: Disney animation legends ride the waves with Moana Feb 02, 2017

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Their legendary careers have included the animated classics The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Princess and the Frog – and this year’s Oscar nominated Moana. Directors Ron Clements, John Musker and producer Osnat Shurer of Moana join us this week live in Stockholm to share their excitement of being nominated and journey they have taken to bring the story to the screen. Musker and Clements started their partnership early and their collective CV is like a map of our Disney movie childhood – starting with The Great Mouse Detective. When Disney merged with Pixar it ushered in a new era and Shurer shares with us how the culture shifted for both companies. Moana, or Vaiana, as it is named in many European countries, is already a huge box office success in the US for its incredible visuals and inspiring female protagonist who sets out on a mythical adventure across a series of islands in the South Pacific to find the shape shifting Demi-god Maui. Another reason the film is so popular? It’s wonderful soundtrack! One of it’s composers is Lin-Manuel Miranda started working with the film nearly three years ago before his rise to total stardom with Hamilton. Now he is Oscar nominated for ‘How Far I’ll Go’, which is one of the films hits. On this episode we hear how all three were involved in the research for the film, including their travels through the South Pacific, the challenges of creating their first CG feature film together and the excitement of being Oscar nominated!

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Episode 64: Damien Chazelle & Mandy Moore – La La Land Jan 18, 2017

Show notes

When we say La La Land starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone is one of the most buzzed about films this awards season – we’re not kidding! The film won every in every category it was nominated for at this years Golden Globes, including for Best Film and Best Director. As the most awarded film in Globe history – the road to Oscar glory seems unstoppable. Host Christina Jeurling Birro is thrilled to speak to two of the films creative powerhouses – writer/director Damien Chazelle and award-winning choreographer Mandy Moore. The film is Chazelle’s ode to Hollywood and musicals such as Singin’ in the Rain – and to the city of Los Angeles with its freeways, sound stages and dreamers. It is the perfect showcase for the beautiful choreography of Mandy Moore. Director Damien Chazelle was only in his late 20’s when he burst on the scene with his movie Whiplash, which went on to win three Oscars. He shares with us his creative process, what it takes to make it in Hollywood, what it was like to work with the films stars and his upcoming projects. Over her career Mandy Moore become a bit of a legend in the dance community. She has choreographed for films like Silver Linings Playbook and TV’s Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance. We speak to her about the La La Land’s amazing musical numbers and teaching Stone and Gosling to not only dance but rival the greats like Fred and Ginger.

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Episode 63: Kirsten Johnson - Director of ‘Cameraperson' Jan 11, 2017

Show notes

Veteran filmmaker and documentary cinematographer Kirsten Johnson has spent the last 25 years capturing the often-harsh realities of humanity in some of cinemas most influential documentaries with directors such as Michael Moore (Fahrenheit 9/11), Laura Poitra (Citizenfour about Edward Snowden) and Kirby Dick (This Film is Not Yet Rated). Her latest documentary is a very personal exploration of her life behind the camera over her vast career and is on the 2017 Best Documentary Oscar shortlist. Cameraperson is like meditation or fragmented memories, a montage of footage with no voiceover that opens up all the questions Kirsten has asked herself during her career. The film moves between outtakes from documentaries she has shot intercut with private footage of her family including Kirsten’s twins and her mother. Through all of her footage, difficult and beautiful, you feel Kirsten Johnson’s warmth, empathy and her huge laugh fills the space. Host Christina Jeurling Birro has been a longtime follower of Kirsten’s work and was delighted to have the opportunity to speak with her about the ethics and moral choices faced when filming subjects, what is was like for her to relive the joys and the horrors she has seen, the power of the moving image and much more!

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Episode 62: Hollywood Legend Roger Corman & Professor Lilly Goren Jan 03, 2017

Show notes

We kick-off the New Year with a true Hollywood legend - Roger Corman, whose latest film Death Race 2050 is perfectly timed for the current political landscape. Then host Christina Jeurling Birro discusses politics and pop culture with author and political science Professor Lilly Goren, including how female presidents are depicted in film and TV, and how this might change after the recent U.S. presidential election results.

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Episode 61: The Legacy of The Daily Show Dec 21, 2016

Show notes

If you are a loyal listener of Pop Culture Confidential you know that we are huge fans of The Daily Show so we were very excited to speak to author Chris Smith who has arguably written THE definitive history of The Daily Show (The Book) that is now a New York Times Bestseller. To chronicle the shows astounding 17 years on Comedy Central Smith spoke to pretty much everyone involved with or adjacent to the show, including Jon Stewart who wrote the forward, Steven Colbert, Samantha Bee, Lewis Black, Steve Carell, John Oliver, writers, producers and more. The result is a very personal look at the shows evolution – from the early years with Craig Kilborn to Jon Stewart transforming the basic spoof-comedy show into a powerful, progressive and impactful voice in pop culture. Don’t miss this in-depth look at the impact of Jon Stewart, the process of making The Daily Show and much more! For those of you that want more episodes – we can recommend our previous interviews with The Daily Show correspondent Aasif Mandvi and producer/director Mikes Kahn who is now working at Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.

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Episode 60: Oscar Predictions with Gregory Ellwood & Josefin Asplund star of Vikings Dec 15, 2016

Show notes

We are very excited that awards season is finally here! We speak to writer Gregory Ellwood about where we are in the Oscar race, and we speak to the Josefin Asplund – star of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the new season of Vikings.

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