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Contra Zoom Pod
Contra Zoom Pod episodes
- 276: Hot Docs 2024
For the fifth year in a row we are covering the Hot Docs Film Festival, which celebrates the best in documentary films. We discuss 6 films watched during this year's fest. Joining the show is Jeff Bulmer, one half of the Classic Movies Live podcast.
The films covered are Secret Mall Apartment, American Cats, Red Fever, Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story, Agent of Happiness and Michel Gondry: Do It Yourself.
Read Jeff's reviews for Whatever It Takes and Agent of Happiness, with more to come!
Read Dakota's reviews for Red Fever and Michel Gondry: Do It Yourself with more to come!
To learn more about the state of Hot Docs read Pat Mullen's in depth reporting over at POV Magazine on the subject HERE, HERE and HERE.
Follow Classic Movies Live on Twitter and Instagram.
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Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf!
Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Overcast, RadioPublic, Breaker, Podcast Addict and more!
Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com.
1 hr 30 min - 275: Seven Samurai at 70 Years
Back in 1954, Akira Kurosawa made the seminal samurai epic Seven Samurai starring Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura. The film tells the story of a group of ronin who band up together to save a farmers village from a group of bandits. The film came out 70 years ago, so to celebrate the anniversary we review it and talk about the film’s influence. Joining the show is Bryan Loomis host of the What a Picture Podcast.
Check out Matthew Simpson's Letterboxd list Movies that are just The Seven Samurai Again.
Listen to What a Picture 42. Seven Samurai (1954) - Akira Kurosawa (with Bill Graham).
Listen to 43: Make/Remake: Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven.
Follow Bryan on Bluesky, Twitter and Letterboxd.
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Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf!
Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Overcast, RadioPublic, Breaker, Podcast Addict and more!
Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com.
Thank you Eric and Kevin Smale for the original theme songs, Jimere for the interlude music and Stephanie Prior for designing the logo.
1 hr 24 min - 274: A24 Retrospective - The End of the Tour
We continue our series going through the entire catalog of A24's films. On this episode we are looking at 2015's The End of the Tour, directed by James Ponsoldt. The film stars Jesse Eisenberg as David Lipsky a Rolling Stone journalist who spends five days interviewing breakout author David Foster Wallace, played by Jason Segal. Joining the show for the first time is critic Nick Tiffany.
Our double bill pairings include Almost Famous (Dakota) and Birdman (Nick). See our complete A24 Double Bill Pairings on Letterboxd.
If you haven't heard our deep dive into the origins of A24, listen to episode 108: A History of A24 Films and our last episode in this series episode 265: A24 Retrospective - Amy.
Read Dakota's review of Red Rooms and Jay Stryker's review of BlackBerry.
Follow Nick Tiffany on Twitter and Instagram. Subscribe to his YouTube channel as well.
Follow Contra Zoom on Twitter and Instagram.
Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf!
Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Overcast, RadioPublic, Breaker, Podcast Addict and more!
Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com.
Thank you Eric and Kevin Smale for the original theme songs, Jimere for the interlude music and Stephanie Prior for designing the logo.
1 hr 14 min - 273: Best Films of 2023
Now that the Oscars are behind us, it is time to put a cap on the movie year that was 2023. There were a ton of incredible films so buckle in as Dakota and Rachel name their ten favourite films from last year. Along the way they get plenty of help from friends of the show who sent in voicemails of their pick for their number one movie too!
Dakota's Top 10
- Monster
- The Teachers' Lounge
- How to Blow Up a Pipeline
- BlackBerry
- The Zone of Interest
- Oppenheimer
- The Iron Claw
- The Killer
- Evil Does Not Exist
- The Royal Hotel
Rachel's Top Ten
- All of Us Strangers
- Oppenheimer
- Past Lives
- Poor Things
- Dream Scenario
- American Fiction
- Fallen Leaves
- The Holdovers
- BlackBerry
- Creed III
Check out our blog post If We Were Oscar Voters as mentioned on the show.
Special thanks to all the friends of the show who sent in clips of their top film: Michael Clawson and Eric Zhu (May December), Jeff Bulmer (BlackBerry), Nick Tiffany (Godzilla Minus One), Ethan Simmie (Oppenheimer), Jericho Tadeo (Freemont), Rose Ho (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse), Darren Zakus (Oppenheimer) and Marta Djordjevic (Perfect Days).
Read Brodie Cotnam's reviews of Chuck Chuck Baby and Loch Ness: They Created a Monster from the International Film Festival of Ottawa.
Read Paulo Bautsita's review of The Peasants.
Follow Rachel on Twitter and Instagram, bookmark The Asian Cut and check out her website for more great reviews.
Follow Contra Zoom on Twitter and Instagram.
Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf!
Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Overcast, RadioPublic, Breaker, Podcast Addict and more!
Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com.
Thank you Eric and Kevin Smale for the original theme songs, Jimere for the interlude music and Stephanie Prior for designing the logo.
2 hr 16 min - 272: 2024 Oscar Wrap Up
The 96th Academy Awards are officially behind us! We look at the big winners, best dressed, best performances and hosting! Joining the show once again is Todd Pengelly, a writer from For Reel who was last heard on episode 271: 2024 Oscar Predictions.
Before we dive into the show we look at the crop of this year's Canadian Screen Awards nominees. Check out this helpful Letterboxd list made by Jeff Bulmer.
In response to the episode 270: 2024 Oscar Draft, Thomas Stoneham-Judge and Alex Watson both got 7 points, while Brodie Cotnam got 4 points and Dakota only got 1 point.
On the last episode both Dakota and Todd listed their predictions, with Dakota going 16/23 and Todd went 17/20.
Check out Daniel Joyaux solutions to fix the Oscars Ceremony on The Ringer.
Check out all the reviews for Oscar Nominated Films and read the blog post on if Dakota and Rachel were Oscar Voters on Contra Zoom.
Follow Todd on Twitter and Letterboxd.
Follow For Reel on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Support the show on Ko-fi by sending us a tip!
Follow Contra Zoom on Twitter and Instagram.
Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf!
Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Overcast, RadioPublic, Breaker, Podcast Addict and more!
Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com.
Thank you Eric and Kevin Smale for the original theme songs, Jimere for the interlude music and Stephanie Prior for designing the logo.
1 hr 2 min - 271: 2024 Oscar Predictions
We have come to the end of Oscar season, with our final episode before the Academy Awards on March 10th, 2024. We predict the winners for all 23 awards. Joining the show is Todd Pengelly, a writer from For Reel and a member of the Cascadian Film and Television Critics Association.
See below the picks for the Oscars:
- Supporting Actress - Da'Vine Joy Randolph (Dakota and Todd)
- Supporting Actor - Robert Downey Jr. (Dakota and Todd)
- Actress - Lily Gladstone (Dakota and Todd)
- Actor - Cillian Murphy (Dakota and Todd)
- Original Score - Oppenheimer (Dakota and Todd)
- Original Song - "How Was I Made" Barbie (Dakota and Todd)
- Original Screenplay - Anatomy of a Fall (Dakota and Todd)
- Adapted Screenplay - American Fiction (Dakota and Todd)
- Cinematography - Oppenheimer (Dakota and Todd)
- Sound - Oppenheimer (Dakota and Todd)
- Costumes - Barbie (Dakota) and Poor Things (Todd)
- Hair and Makeup - Maestro (Dakota) and Poor Things (Todd)
- Live Action Short - The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Dakota)
- Animated Short - War Is Over! (Dakota)
- Documentary Short - The ABC's of Book Banning (Dakota)
- Animated Feature - The Boy and the Heron (Dakota and Todd)
- Documentary - 20 Days in Mariupol (Dakota and Todd)
- International Film - The Zone of Interest (Dakota and Todd)
- Visual Effects - The Creator (Dakota) and Godzilla Minus One (Todd)
- Production Design - Barbie (Dakota and Todd)
- Film Editing - Oppenheimer (Dakota and Todd)
- Director - Christopher Nolan (Dakota and Todd)
- Picture - Oppenheimer (Dakota and Todd)
Follow Todd on Twitter and Letterboxd.
Follow For Reel on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Support the show on Ko-fi by sending us a tip!
Follow Contra Zoom on Twitter and Instagram.
Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf!
Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Overcast, RadioPublic, Breaker, Podcast Addict and more!
Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com.
Thank you Eric and Kevin Smale for the original theme songs, Jimere for the interlude music and Stephanie Prior for designing the logo.
1 hr 42 min - 270: 2024 Oscar Draft
For the second year in a row, we are doing an Oscar Draft! It is very simple, each person selects 5 movies that are nominated at this year's Oscars and whoever gets the most awards, wins! Joining Dakota once again is Alex Watson and Brodie Cotnam, and filling in for Rachel this year is Thomas Stoneham-Judge the owner of For Reel.
Check out last year's draft.
Dakota's Team
- Barbie
- Killers of the Flower Moon
- Maestro
- The Creator
- The ABCs of Book Banning
Thomas' Team
- Oppenheimer
- Past Lives
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
- Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó
- Nyad
Alex's Team
- Poor Things
- Anatomy of a Fall
- American Fiction
- The Boy and the Heron
- Napoleon
Brodie's Team
- The Holdovers
- The Zone of Interest
- 20 Days in Mariupol
- The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
- Letter To A Pig
Follow For Reel on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Follow Thomas on Twitter and Instagram.
Follow Alex Watson on Twitter and Letterboxd.
Watch Brodie's short film The Gift that he wrote and follow him on Twitter.
Read Paulo Bautista's review of Dìdi.
Support the show on Ko-fi by sending us a tip!
Follow Contra Zoom on Twitter and Instagram.
Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf!
Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Overcast, RadioPublic, Breaker, Podcast Addict and more!
Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com.
Thank you Eric and Kevin Smale for the original theme songs, Jimere for the interlude music and Stephanie Prior for designing the logo.
41 min - 269: Poor Lives and American Holdovers
We continue our yearly tradition of breaking down the Best Picture nominees and the odds they have to win each of their categories. On the second episode of the series we talk about Poor Things, American Fiction, The Holdovers and Past Lives. We label each nomination as Frontrunner, Dark Horse, Longshot and Just Happy To Be There. Joining the show is Jeff Bulmer and Pierre Frigon, the hosts of Classic Movies Live.
Listen to our last episode breaking down the Best Picture nominees, 268: Killers of the Barbie Maestro.
Want to track what nominated films you've seen? Use Death Race Tracking or Oscars Death Race, two excellent sites.
Listen to Classic Movies Live review Poor Things and The Holdovers.
Read Jeff's review of Hundreds of Beavers.
Follow Classic Movies Live on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show on Ko-fi by sending us a tip!
Follow Contra Zoom on Twitter and Instagram.
Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf!
Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Overcast, RadioPublic, Breaker, Podcast Addict and more!
Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com.
Thank you Eric and Kevin Smale for the original theme songs, Jimere for the interlude music and Stephanie Prior for designing the logo.
1 hr 33 min - 268: Killers of the Barbie Maestro
We continue our yearly tradition of breaking down the Best Picture nominees and the odds they have to win each of their categories. On the second episode of the series we talk about Killers of the Flower Moon, Barbie and Maestro. We label each nomination as Frontrunner, Dark Horse, Longshot and Just Happy To Be There. Joining the show is Kyle Garzon who was last heard on 228: Oscars 2023 – The Way of WesTÁRn Sadness.
Listen to our last episode breaking down the Best Picture nominees, 267: Anatomy of an Oppenheimer Zone.
Want to track what nominated films you've seen? Use Death Race Tracking or Oscars Death Race, two excellent sites.
Check out season 2 of The Academy Museum Podcast which breaks down how casting works.
Read Kyle's review of the new Marvel show Echo.
Check out and subscribe to Once Upon a Time at the Oscars on Spotify and follow Kyle on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show on Ko-fi by sending us a tip!
Follow Contra Zoom on Twitter and Instagram.
Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf!
Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Overcast, RadioPublic, Breaker, Podcast Addict and more!
Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com.
Thank you Eric and Kevin Smale for the original theme songs, Jimere for the interlude music and Stephanie Prior for designing the logo.
1 hr 35 min - 267: Anatomy of an Oppenheimer Zone
We continue our yearly tradition of breaking down the Best Picture nominees and the odds they have to win each of their categories. On the first episode of the series we talk about Oppenheimer, Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest. We label each nomination as Frontrunner, Dark Horse, Longshot and Just Happy To Be There. Joining the show is Paulo Bautista host of the Oscars Death Race Podcast and John Richards the owner of Red Carpet Rosters.
Read Paulo's reviews for Perfect Days and And So It Begins.
Want to track what nominated films you've seen? Use Death Race Tracking or Oscars Death Race, two excellent sites.
Check out and subscribe to Oscars Death Race Podcast and Box Office Watch and follow Paulo on Twitter and Letterboxd.
Follow John and Red Carpet Rosters on Twitter.
Support the show on Ko-fi by sending us a tip!
Follow Contra Zoom on Twitter and Instagram.
Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf!
Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Overcast, RadioPublic, Breaker, Podcast Addict and more!
Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com.
Thank you Eric and Kevin Smale for the original theme songs, Jimere for the interlude music and Stephanie Prior for designing the logo.
1 hr 44 min
About Contra Zoom Pod
From the publisher's feed
Contra Zoom is a film based podcast going in depth about varying movie related subjects. Dakota Arsenault and guests go over both academic and the fun aspects of enjoying the film medium. Episodes…
feature lists, interviews and comparisons. Visit contrazoompod.com for more details!
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