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490: A Conversation with Michael Strassner, Writer and Star of ‘The Baltimorons’ Nov 24, 2025

Show notes

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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489: Benny Safdie. Live Interview from the Stockholm International Film Festival Nov 20, 2025

Show notes

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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488: Coming Attractions: End of the Year Movie Roundup (Guest Ryan McQuade) Nov 14, 2025

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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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487: A Conversation with Rebecca Miller . On 'Mr. Scorsese', Her Portrait of the Filmmaker Oct 30, 2025

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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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486: A Conversation With Gustaf Skarsgård ('To Cook A Bear') Oct 20, 2025

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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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485: Awards Season Heats Up: Contenders & Predictions / Plus: Rebecca Miller’s Mr. Scorsese (Guest: Ryan McQuade) Oct 15, 2025

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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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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) Oct 08, 2025

Show notes

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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483: Becoming Aunt Gladys: The Makeup & Special Effects Behind Weapons (Guests: Artisans Leo Satkovich & Jason Collins) Oct 04, 2025

Show notes

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 Flamingosto 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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482: A Conversation with Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Breakout Star of 'Sentimental Value' Sep 30, 2025

Show notes

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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481: “One Battle After Another” — Paul Thomas Anderson’s Cinematic Knockout (with Guest Ryan McQuade) Sep 26, 2025

Show notes

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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