Episode 88: Breaking Bad 101 with Alan Sepinwall

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

18 Tammi 201739min

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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11 Tammi 201745min

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3 Tammi 201739min

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

21 Joulu 201645min

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

15 Joulu 201650min

A Canadian spy, a French resistance fighter, and a love story set in the Sahara desert? Academy-Award nominated screenwriter Steven Knight has spent thirty-odd years bringing the new blockbuster ‘Allied’ starring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard to the big screen. In those thirty years Knight has been busy writing critically acclaimed films like ‘Dirty pretty Things’ for which he was Oscar nominated, Eastern Promises, Pawn Sacrifice, and the upcoming sequel to ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ – just to name a few. Knight has also been busy with the hugely popular BBC/ Netflix TV series Peaky Blinders and the upcoming FX mini-series Taboo starring Tom Hardy. This week host Christina Jeurling Birro is joined by Steven Knight to discuss the decades long journey to making ‘Allied’ with director Robert Zemeckis (“Forrest Gump,” “Flight”), including the original inspiration for the plot. The World War II drama is inspired by the classic films like ‘Casablanca’ and tells the story of an intelligence officer and resistance fighter, who fall in love during a mission to kill a German official in 1942. They fall in love, have a child and settle down to a fairly normal life – until they are mortally set against each other when their identities are revealed. Knight also shares his journey as a screenwriter, how Brad Pitt inspired him to bring ‘Allied’ to the big screen, Peaky Blinders, his upcoming projects – and much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 Joulu 201622min

Aliens, hackers and awesome prizes on this week’s episode! First we speak to Dr. Jessica Coon, a linguistic professor who was tapped by Hollywood to help Amy Adams communicate with aliens for the new blockbuster ‘Arrival’. We are also joined by German actor Vinzenz Kiefer, who took on Jason Bourne as hacker Christian Dassault. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 Joulu 201643min

Disgusting vermin multiplying before our eyes, threatening to take over modern civilization? It's the unsettling new documentary “Rats” that takes us deep into the infestation of rats around the world. Our host Christina Jeurling Birro is joined this week by the films director Morgan Spurlock who also brought us Freakonomics, Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden and Oscar nominated Super Size Me for which he gained 25 pounds eating only McDonald’s for a month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

12 Marras 201619min