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Published by Dakota Arsenault
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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Canadian filmmaker Matthew Rankin ( Universal Language , The Twentieth Century ) is back with a psychedelic documentary about the 18th Prime Minister of Canada, Brian Mulroney, tracking his rise in politics leading up to being elected. Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney had it's world premiere on September 13th in the Midnight Madness portion of TIFF. Jeff Bulmer chats with Rankin who talks about sourcing footage, why he is so fascinated by Mulroney's charm and what a potential sequel could look like. Check out Jeff's review of Universal Language from TIFF 2024. Stay tuned for plenty of reviews, interviews and more great TIFF content over on contrazoompod.com Follow Jeff's podcast Classic Movies Live on Twitter and Instagram . Listen to CML on Spotify . Follow Contra Zoom on Instagram , Threads and Bluesky . Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf ! Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Overcast , Breaker and more! Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com . Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr
The 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 10-20th and Dakota and Jeff preview four films each they are excited to see. Dakota's picks: Bunker , Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother , The Stunt Driver and Alpha Gang Jeff's picks: Misty Green , Once Upon a Time in Harlem , Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney , and Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill People? Stay tuned for plenty of reviews, interviews and more great TIFF content over on contrazoompod.com Follow Jeff's podcast Classic Movies Live on Twitter and Instagram . Listen to CML on Spotify . Follow Contra Zoom on Instagram , Threads and Bluesky . Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf ! Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Overcast , Breaker and more! Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com . Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr
Recently The Big Picture Podcast visited TIFF headquarters and did a Canadian film draft, unfortunately it missed the mark for us at CZP. So we are here to rectify things. Joining Dakota on the draft is Matthew Simpson, Bil Antoniou host of BGM and Riviera Rats , and Matt Sheardown host of Cinema on a Shelf and I Can't Believe You Haven't Seen . Dakota's team: Cronenberg - Crash Egoyan - Seven Veils Villeneuve - Arrival Female directed - Stories We Tell Indigenous - What We See (Tautuktavuk) French language - Red Rooms Wildcard - Black Christmas Matthew's team: Cronenberg - Scanners Egoyan - The Sweet Hereafter Villeneuve - Polytechnique Female directed - Blue Heron Indigenous - Meadowlarks French language - Gamma Rays Wildcard - Pontypool Bil's team: Cronenberg - Dead Ringers Egoyan - Ararat Villeneuve - Incendies Female directed - Cairo Time Indigenous - Loyalties French language - Jesus of Montreal Wildcard - Quest For Fire Matt's team: Cronenberg - Eastern Promises Egoyan - Felicia's Journey Villeneuve - Maelström Female directed - I've Heard The Mermaids Singing Indigenous - Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance French language - Les Ordres Wildcard - My Winnipeg Check out Dakota talking about his physical media collection on Cinema on a Shelf . For more of Matthew's work check out his personal portfolio . Follow him on Bluesky and Threads and check out Northern Reel . Follow Bil on Twitter , Instagram and YouTube . Subscribe to Bil's Substack The Film Diarist . Follow Matt on Instagram Cinema on a Shelf and I Can't Believe You Haven't Seen . Follow Matt on Letterboxd . Follow Contra Zoom on Instagram , Threads and Bluesky . Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf ! Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Overcast , Breaker and more! Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com . Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr
The 2026 edition of the Fantasia Festival, which was held from July 16th-August 2nd in Montreal and celebrates the best in horror and genre cinema. We look at six films that played and give our thoughts on them. Joining the show is Jeff Bulmer, host of Classic Movies Live and Matthew Simpson, editor of Northern Reel. We review Home Bodies, Dance Freak, Sour Minnows, Tight Lettuce, The Specials and Pontypool. Read Dakota's review of Pontypool . Read Jeff's reviews of Dance Freak and Tight Lettuce . Read Matthew's review of Tight Lettuce . For more of Matthew's work check out his personal portfolio . Follow him on Bluesky and Threads and check out Northern Reel . Follow Jeff's podcast Classic Movies Live on Twitter and Instagram . Listen to CML on Spotify . Follow Contra Zoom on Instagram , Threads and Bluesky . Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf ! Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Overcast , Breaker and more! Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com . Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr
Aruku is a new documentary about the pilgrimage Japanese Buddhists make where they travel to Shikoku Island and visit 88 temples along their journey. The film had its North American premiere at the Toronto Japanese Film Festival and Jeff Bulmer had the opportunity to chat with the films director Shiho Kataoka. Read Jeff's review of Aruku and check out other reviews he wrote from TJFF including Sai and Night Flower . Follow Jeff's podcast Classic Movies Live on Twitter and Instagram . Listen to CML on Spotify . Follow Contra Zoom on Instagram , Threads and Bluesky . Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf ! Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google Play , Overcast , Breaker and more! Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com . Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr
It is a yearly tradition for host Dakota to celebrate his birthday by making a fun list. Back on episode 309: Best Films By City he picked 10 North American cities to name the best film from. He continues the theme this year by picking 10 new cities to name his favourite. Joining once again is Bil Antoniou, the host of the BGM Podcast and Riviera Rats . Here are their picks, with Dakota’s first and Bil’s second: Berlin: The Lives of Others (both picked the same film) Cairo: Death on the Nile and Cairo Time Dublin: The Commitments and The Dead London: Shaun of the Dead and Bunny Lake is Missing Madrid: Open Your Eyes and Cría cuervos Mexico City: Roma (both picked the same film) Paris: Le Samouraï and Children of Paradise Rio: City of God and Central Station Rome: The Great Beauty and Dear Diary Sydney: Strictly Ballroom and Muriel's Wedding How many of the films named on both episodes have you seen? Check out the official Letterboxd list. Check out past birthday special episode's including 157: Best Films Through the Decades , 199: Best Films by Genre , 282: Best Films By Genre Part 2 and 243: Best Films By Language . Follow Bil on Twitter , Instagram and YouTube . Subscribe to Bil's Substack The Film Diarist . Follow Contra Zoom on Instagram , Threads and Bluesky . Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf ! Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google Play , Overcast , Breaker and more! Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com . Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr
The Academy Awards recently announced a whole slate of new rules and regulations to take effect immediately for the 99th Oscars next year. We discuss how actors can now be nominated twice in the same category, the different route a film can take to be nominated for Best International Film, the organizations stance on AI and much more. Joining the show is Elysia Brenner , host of The Lorehounds podcast. For more information check out Clayton Davis' article on Variety . Follow Elysia on Threads and Bluesky . Subscribe to The Lorehounds and CinemaHounds . Follow Contra Zoom on Instagram , Threads and Bluesky . Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf ! Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google Play , Overcast , Breaker and more! Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com . Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr
Our first director ranked episode since episode 175: Wes Anderson Ranked we look at the films by Paul Thomas Anderson in celebration of his 10th film being released and him winning Best Picture and Best Director at the Oscars. Dakota and Jeff rank all 10 films and give out awards. Here are our PTA Rankings: 10. Hard Eight 9. Punch-Drunk Love 8. Licorice Pizza 7. Inherent Vice 6. Magnolia 5. The Master 4. Phantom Thread 3. Boogie Nights 2. One Battle After Another 1. There Will Be Blood We also gave out our own awards Best Picture: Boogie Nights (D), There Will Be Blood (J) Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio - OBAA (D), Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Master (J) Best Actress: Alana Haim - Licorice Pizza (D), Chase Infiniti - OBAA (J) Best Supporting Actor: Paul Dano - TWBB (D), Josh Brolin - Inherent Vice (J) Best Supporting Actress: Lesley Manville - Phantom Thread (D), Julianne Moore - Boogie Nights (J) Check out past Classic Movie Live episodes where they discuss There Will Be Blood , One Battle After Another and Licorice Pizza . Follow Jeff's podcast Classic Movies Live on Twitter and Instagram . Listen to CML on Spotify . Follow Contra Zoom on Instagram , Threads and Bluesky . Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf ! Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google Play , Overcast , Breaker and more! Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com .
The 2026 Canadian Screen Awards concluded their week long celebration. The big film winners were 40 Acres, Nirvana the Band the Show the Movie and Honey Bunch. Matthew Simpson joins the show as we discuss the big winners, losers and snubs. Read our CSA nominated reviews mentioned on the show: Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie , Wrong Husband , The Things You Kill , Endless Cookie , 40 Acres and Mile End Kicks . Listen to Jeff Bulmer's interviews with Alireza Khatami of The Things You Kill and Zacharias Kunuk of Wrong Husband . For more of Matthew's work check out his personal portfolio . Follow him on Bluesky and Threads and check out Northern Reel . Follow Contra Zoom on Instagram , Threads and Bluesky . Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf ! Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google Play , Overcast , Breaker and more! Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com . Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr
MySpace is a new documentary about the rise and fall of the once all encompassing social media site MySpace and the effect it had on the world. Jeff Bulmer had the chance to talk with the director of the film Tommy Avallone about trying to get Tom Anderson involved, picking the right guests and how the full scale cut out of Tom came to be. Follow Tommy Avallone on Instagram . Read Dakota Arsenault's review of MySpace . Listen to CZP episode 334: 2026 Hot Docs where MySpace and other films were discussed. Listen to Classic Movies Live Hot Docs episode . Follow Jeff's podcast Classic Movies Live on Twitter and Instagram . Listen to CML on Spotify . Follow Contra Zoom on Instagram , Threads and Bluesky . Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf ! Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google Play , Overcast , Breaker and more! Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com . Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr
The 2026 Hot Docs film festival, celebrating the best in documentary cinema from around the world has come to a close. We discuss eight films that played including The Seoul Guardians , My Foreign Land , Replica , Gimme Truth , The Ballad of Judas Priest , Whispers in May , Public Access and Myspace . Joining Dakota Arsenault and Jeff Bulmer is Pedro Lima and Rach Epstein. Read Jeff's review of The Ballad of Judas Priest . Read Pedro's reviews of My Foreign Land and Whispers in May . Read Dakota's review of Myspace . Check out Jeff and Pedro's Hot Docs short round up on Shortstick . Read all of our Hot Docs reviews over on contrazoompod.com ! Follow Rach on Twitter and read her Substack . Follow Pedro on Threads , Instagram and Letterboxd . Follow Jeff's podcast Classic Movies Live on Twitter and Instagram . Listen to CML on Spotify . Follow Contra Zoom on Instagram , Threads and Bluesky . Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf ! Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google Play , Overcast , Breaker and more! Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com . Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr
Jeff Bulmer had the chance to interview Amalie Atkins, the director of the new documentary Agatha's Almanac , which stars her aunt who runs a 64 acre farm in rural Manitoba. They discuss the importance of 16mm film, how to maximize the footage shot and the impact of having a great cinematographer. Read Jeff's reviews of For Worse , Ballistic and Akashi . Follow Jeff's podcast Classic Movies Live on Twitter and Instagram . Listen to CML on Spotify . Follow Contra Zoom on Instagram , Threads and Bluesky . Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf ! Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google Play , Overcast , Breaker and more! Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com . Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr
Now that Oscar season has come and gone, it is finally time to put a bow on the films from 2025. We rank our top 10 films of the year. Joining the show is Matthew Simpson . We also feature voicemails from friends of the show who name their favourite film of the year. Dakota's List: 10. The Secret Agent 9. Train Dreams 8. Predator: Badlands 7. The Alabama Solution 6. Is This Thing On? 5. Sentimental Value 4. Nouvelle Vague 3. Black Bag 2. It Was Just An Accident 1. One Battle After Another Matthew's List: 10. Reflection in a Dead Diamond 9. Wrong Husband 8. Warfare 7. Foreigner 6. Weapons 5. Wake Up Dead Man 4. Superman 3. Black Bag 2. 28 Years Later 1. Train Dreams Thank you our special guests for sending in voicemails of their favourite films: Bil Antoniou from Bad Gay Movies and Riviera Rats (Orwell: 2+2=5), Randy Meehan from Cinema Cave Press (Train Dreams), Rachel Ho from Exclaim (Eephus), Marta Djordjevic from Rewind and Revive (No Other Choice), Elysia Brenner from The Lorehounds (28 Years Later) and Martyn Strange from Filmsplaining (One Battle After Another). For more of Matthew's work check out his personal portfolio . Follow him on Bluesky and Threads . Follow Contra Zoom on Instagram , Threads and Bluesky . Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf ! Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google Play , Overcast , Breaker and more! Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com . Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr
The nominations for the 14th annual Canadian Screen Awards have been released. 40 Acres, Nirvana The Band The Show The Movie and Blue Heron are some of the heavy hitters this year. We discuss the new rule changes implemented, our favourite nominated films and what movies are now on our radar to watch. Matthew Simpson and Jeff Bulmer join the show. Check out Jeff's Letterboxd list to track how many nominated films you've seen. Check out Matthew's write up on Northern Reel when the CSA nominations came out. Canadian Film Day is on April 15th, check the listings to see free Canadian films in your area. TIFF's Top 10 Canadian films of 2025 include 6 films with nominations. Listen to Jeff's interviews with Alireza Khatami of The Things You Kill and Zacharias Kunuk of Wrong Husband . Follow Jeff's podcast Classic Movies Live on Twitter and Instagram . Listen to CML on Spotify . For more of Matthew's work check out his personal portfolio . Follow him on Bluesky and Threads . Follow Contra Zoom on Instagram , Threads and Bluesky . Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf ! Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google Play , Overcast , Breaker and more! Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com . Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr
Jeff Bulmer had the chance to interview Alireza Khatami the director of the new film The Things You Kill , which was submitted by Canada to be their entrant to the Best International Film at this year's Oscars. They talk about changing the dialogue from Farsi to Turkish, the use of mirrors and the importance of translation. Read our review of the film by Ryan Beaupit. Follow Jeff's podcast Classic Movies Live on Twitter and Instagram . Listen to CML on Spotify . Follow Contra Zoom on Instagram , Threads and Bluesky . Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf ! Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google Play , Overcast , Breaker and more! Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com . Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr
The 98th Academy Awards are now behind us! One Battle After Another was the big winner with 6 prizes, we had a tie for the first time since 2012 and Conan O'Brien dressed like Aunt Gladys! Alex Southey joins the show to discuss the big moments, winners and losers from Hollywood's biggest night. Watch our interview with Alison McAlpine , the Oscar nominated director of Perfectly A Strangeness. The results of our Oscar draft are here: Dakota and Todd tied with 7 points, Darren had 6 points and Thomas came in last with 3 points. Read all of our Oscar nominated film reviews ! Read Alex's tribute to the great Catherine O'Hara . Follow Alex Southey on Letterboxd . Follow Contra Zoom on Instagram , Threads and Bluesky . Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf ! Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google Play , Overcast , Breaker and more! Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com . Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr
The Oscar's are a week away, so it is time to put our reputation's on the line and predict who will come away with all the awards at this year's ceremony on March 15th 2026. Joining Dakota in getting bold is Thomas Stoneham-Judge , the owner of For Reel. Below are our picks of who we think will win: Best Casting - Sinners (D), One Battle After Another (T) Best Cinematography - Sinners (D+T) Best Film Editing - F1 (D), Sinners (T) Best Costume Design - Frankenstein (D+T) Best Makeup and Hairstyling - Frankenstein (D+T) Best Original Score - One Battle After Another (D+T) Best Original Song - "Golden" (D+T) Best Production Design - Frankenstein (D+T) Best Sound - F1 (D+T) Best Visual Effects - Avatar (D+T) Best Live Action Short - Jane Austen's Period Drama (D), The Singers (T) Best Animated Short - Butterfly (D) Best Documentary Short - All The Empty Rooms (D) Best International Film - Sentimental Value (D), The Secret Agent (T) Best Animated Film - KPop Demon Hunters (D+T) Best Documentary - The Perfect Neighbor (D+T) Best Original Screenplay - Sinners (D+T) Best Adapted Screenplay - Hamnet (D), One Battle After Another (T) Best Supporting Actor - Stellan Skarsgård (D), Benico Del Toro (T) Best Supporting Actress - Teyana Taylor (D+T) Best Actress - Jesse Buckley (D+T) Best Actor - Michael B Jordan (D), Timothee Chalamet (T) Best Director - Paul Thomas Anderson (D), Ryan Coogler (T) Best Picture - One Battle After Another (D), Sinners (T) Watch Jeff Bulmer's interview with Alison McAlpine , the Oscar nominated Documentary Short director of Perfectly a Strangeness. Read Thomas' interview with Amir Etminan , the editor of It Was Just An Accident. Follow For Reel on Twitter , Instagram and YouTube . Follow Thomas on Twitter and Instagram . Follow Contra Zoom on Instagram , Threads and Bluesky . Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf ! Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google Play , Overcast , Breaker and more! Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com . Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr
Jeff Bulmer interviews Alison McAlpine, the director of the Oscar nominee for Best Documentary Short, Perfectly a Strangeness . They chat about blending narrative and fiction, working with donkeys and being able to think quickly on your feet. Watch Perfectly a Strangeness on Crave in Canada. Follow Jeff's podcast Classic Movies Live on Twitter and Instagram . Listen to CML on Spotify . Follow Contra Zoom on Instagram , Threads and Bluesky . Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf ! Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google Play , Overcast , Breaker and more! Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com . Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr
We are back with our fourth annual 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 is Thomas Stoneham-Judge , Darren Zakus and Todd Pengelly . Stay tuned to the Oscar Wrap Up podcast to see who the winner was! Check out the 2025's Oscar Draft , 2024's Oscar Draft and the 2023 Draft too . Dakota's Team: One Battle After Another, Marty Supreme, Avatar: Fire and Ash, The Alabama Solution and Butterfly Todd's Team: Sinners, F1, The Perfect Neighbor, All The Empty Rooms and The Girl Who Cried Pearls Thomas' Team: Sentimental Value, Hamnet, Train Dream, The Singers and Kokuho Darren's Team: Frankenstein, KPop Demon Hunters, The Secret Agent, Weapons and A Friend of Dorothy Follow For Reel on Twitter , Instagram and YouTube . Follow Thomas on Twitter and Instagram . Follow Darren Zakus on Twitter and Instagram . Follow Todd on Twitter and Letterboxd . Follow Contra Zoom on Instagram , Threads and Bluesky . Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf ! Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google Play , Overcast , Breaker and more! Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com . Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr
We finish our yearly journey looking at all the Best Picture nominated films and the odds they have to win each of their awards. On this second episode of 2026, we look at Frankenstein , Marty Supreme , The Secret Agent and Train Dreams . Joining the show is Jeff Bulmer co-host of Classic Movies Live . Listen to episode 323: Sinner's Hamnet of F1 and 324: One Sentimental Bugonia After Another our previous Best Picture episodes. Check out Classic Movies Live episodes on Frankenstein , Marty Supreme and Train Dreams . Follow Contra Zoom on Instagram , Threads and Bluesky . Check out more great Contra Zoom content on That Shelf ! Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google Play , Overcast , Breaker and more! Please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit contrazoompod.com . Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr
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