In this episode, Dakota is joined by Sammy Feilchenfeld to discuss everything Marvel. Starting with the announced MCU films and going into the Disney/Sony Spider-Man standoff, the new Disney+ streaming site and finally the Marvel TV shows that will air on D+. Films discussed include Black Widow, The Eternals, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder. TV shows discussed include The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision,...
Sep 02, 2019•1 hr 11 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Continuing the long running (and long dormant) series chronicling every Best Picture winner and ranking them decade by decade, Dakota is joined by Stephanie Prior to break down the winners from 1988-1997. At the end of the top ten, the duo reveals their Best Actor’s, Best Supporting Actors and Best Picture’s from the crop. Here is how it turned out: 10. Driving Miss Daisy 9. Forrest Gump 8. Rain Man 7. The English Patient 6. Braveheart 5. Unforgiven 4. Dances With Wolves 3. Titanic 2. Schindler’...
Aug 20, 2019•1 hr 45 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Make/Remake examines how two films that share the same story. It isn't about what film was better or worse, but how they are similar and different while following the same arcs. In this episode we look at Park Chan-wook's 2003 movie Oldboy and Spike Lee's 2013 version with the same name. Joining Dakota on this episode is Gemma Mastroianni and the two try to avoid spoilers, so if you haven't seen these films you are probably good to still listen! Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts ,...
Aug 05, 2019•39 min•Season 5Ep. 6
On this episode, Dakota is joined by Sammy Feilchenfeld to discuss the 50th anniversary of the moon landing! They talk about the the monumental event, along with their favourite space travel related films including A Trip to The Moon, The Right Stuff, Hidden Figures, Apollo 11 and Apollo 13. Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , RadioPublic , Podcast Addict and more on the way! Thank you Eric and Kevin Smale for creating the awesome theme music and Stephanie Prior for desi...
Jul 22, 2019•54 min•Season 5Ep. 5
On this episode, Dakota is joined by Sammy Feilchenfeld to discuss video game movies! They talk about the rocky history of adaptations, do a throwback review of the very first video game movie Super Mario Brothers and then talk about the future of genre. Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , RadioPublic , Podcast Addict and more on the way! Thank you Eric and Kevin Smale for creating the awesome theme music and Stephanie Prior for designing the logo. Follow the show on Twi...
Jul 09, 2019•54 min•Season 5Ep. 4
On this episode I chat with Martha Kehoe and Joan Tosoni, directors of the new documentary Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind. The conversation goes in depth talking about getting to spend time with Gordon Lightfoot, fitting in thirty minutes with Alec Baldwin and getting access to a treasure trove of historical footage of the Canadian music scene. Gordon Lightfoot: If You Can Read Mind is playing at Hot Docs in Toronto and for more show listings go to Kino Smith . Listen to Contra Zoom...
Jun 25, 2019•51 min•Season 5Ep. 3
On this episode of Contra Zoom, we have our first interview! Benjamin Charles Watson, who will been seen on the upcoming season of Netflix's Designated Survivor and TNT's Snowpiercer, joins Dakota Arsenault to talk about these shows along with what it is like to be a Canadian actor living in LA, his workout routine and his appearance on the short-lived cult CW show The LA Complex. Listen to Contra Zoom on Anchor , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , RadioPublic , Podcast Addict and more on the way! Thank...
Jun 04, 2019•36 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Welcome to the brand new iteration of the Contra Zoom podcast! We are now very proud to be presented by Aesthetic Magazine and have this welcoming home. On this debut episode, Aesthetic Magazine founder and Editor-in-Chief Curtis Sindrey joins Dakota Arsenault, to discuss movies coming out this summer. The movies discussed include: May Releases – Ad Astra, Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Rocketman June Releases – Dark Phoenix, Late Night, Men in Black: International, The Dead Don’t Die, Toy S...
May 21, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Hi iTunes subscribers! Thank you so much for being loyal listeners. This is a special announcement that the show is coming back, stronger than ever with some great re-branding. Stay tuned for the first episode coming this week!
May 19, 2019•1 min
Despite it being March, it is finally here! The top ten films of 2018 Contra Zoom mega episode! This episode has everything including a great co-host in Stephanie, four terrific guest spots and more films mentioned than you could imagine. On this episode, four friends of the show were asked to send in a voice mail of what their favourite film from 2018 was. Sean Chin’s favourite film was the mountain climbing documentary Free Solo Scott Murdoch’s favourite film was the Sony animated feature Spid...
Mar 29, 2019•1 hr 38 min•Season 4Ep. 16
I know, it is more than a full week since the 91st Oscar’s aired, in which Green Book somehow won Best Picture over the far more deserving Roma, but Dakota and Sammy talk about the winners, the losers and how the show went. Also joining the episode was Stephanie Prior and Scott Murdoch, who recorded their immediate reactions to the ceremony. It was a lot of fun having them both on, and with Scott’s past as a sound engineer, this won’t be the last time you hear from him on Contra Zoom! Dakota dec...
Mar 29, 2019•1 hr 38 min•Season 4Ep. 15
To help aid with your Oscar ballot’s below is both Sammy’s picks and mine (Dakota). The order is based on how we announced them on the podcast. During the episode we also break down whom we want to win and who was snubbed (if any). Best Supporting Actor: Mahershali Ali (D), Sam Rockwell (S) Best Supporting Actress: Regina King (D), Rachel Weisz (S) Best Original Screenplay: Green Book (D), Roma (S) Best Adapted Screenplay: BlacKkKlansman (D), A Star is Born (S) Best Sound Mixing: Bohemian Rhapso...
Mar 29, 2019•1 hr 25 min•Season 4Ep. 14
This is the last Oscar Primer podcast for Contra Zoom of the year, continuing the series of Oscar Primer’s Dakota does every year, normally just as written articles. He is flying solo this episode as he talks about The Favourite and Roma . I categorize all nominations as either Frontrunner’s (FR) meaning they most likely to be the winners, Dark Horse (DH) candidates could pull off an upset if momentum swings their way, and Just Happy (JH) to be nominated as they stand no real chance this year. T...
Mar 29, 2019•21 min•Season 4Ep. 13
This is the second Oscar Primer podcast for Contra Zoom of the year, continuing the series of Oscar Primer’s Dakota does every year, normally just as written articles. He is flying solo this episode as he talks about A Star is Born , Black Panther and Bohemian Rhapsody . I categorize all nominations as either Frontrunner’s (FR) meaning they most likely to be the winners, Dark Horse (DH) candidates could pull off an upset if momentum swings their way, and Just Happy (JH) to be nominated as they s...
Mar 29, 2019•27 min•Season 4Ep. 12
This is the first Oscar Primer podcast for Contra Zoom of the year, continuing the series of Oscar Primer’s Dakota does every year, normally just as written articles. He is flying solo this episode as he talks about Vice , BlacKkKlansman and Green Book . I categorize all nominations as either Frontrunner’s (FR) meaning they most likely to be the winners, Dark Horse (DH) candidates could pull off an upset if momentum swings their way, and Just Happy (JH) to be nominated as they stand no real chan...
Mar 29, 2019•34 min•Season 4Ep. 11
With the release of the Oscar nominations for the 91st Academy Awards Dakota Arsenault and Sammy Feilchenfeld discuss their first reactions to the crop of films. They also get into the debate about the merit of Black Panther being a Best Picture nominee along with surprise nominations and snubs. The Hollywood Reporter looks at the favourites of each category. Variety lists the biggest surprises and snubs. There will be more podcasts along the way covering the Best Picture contenders and they cha...
Mar 29, 2019•34 min•Season 4Ep. 10
Mehek Seyid joins us again to talk about the films she saw at TIFF 2018 and gave some great insight into what the landscape for the rest of this year will look like. A few weeks ago Mehek and I previewed the fest by talking about the big name films that were coming to Toronto. You can catch up on the episode HERE . This is a list of what Mehek saw: Assassination Nation , Boy Erased , Can You Ever Forgive Me , Destroyer , Driven , Emu Runner , EXT. Night , Fig Tree , Gloria Bel l, Green Book , Gr...
Mar 29, 2019•1 hr•Season 4Ep. 9
In this edition of Make/Remake Dakota and Stephanie look at a unique pair of films… the exact same film cut two ways. In 1953 Italian Neorealist director Vittorio de Dica paired with David O. Selznick to make an American film his way. He cast American actors Montgomery Clift and Jennifer Jones and plopped them in Rome to tell the story of an American wife having an affair while in Europe and deciding she wants to go back home to her family. Despite wanting to produce a Neorealist film, Selznick ...
Mar 29, 2019•52 min•Season 4Ep. 8
According to the Toronto Star ’s preview this year’s Toronto International Film Festival features 21 world premieres, seven international premieres, eight North American premieres and 11 Canadian premieres, including 13 features directed by women. It all kicks off with Netflix’s own Outlaw King starring Chris Pine that is sure to make waves across the industry. Mehek Seyid joins us this week to go over the most anticipated TIFF films and what ones she plans on seeing in advance of this year’s aw...
Mar 29, 2019•35 min•Season 4Ep. 7
The Academy Awards are changing the way their ceremony will be run in three drastic ways over the next two years. Dakota goes over the pros and cons for each of these changes. First- The date of the ceremony will be changed from the end of February to the beginning of February starting in 2020. What this means for when nominations are announced to what other awards shows will do is still up in the air, but this impact will be felt across the industry. Second- The show will be capped at a hard th...
Mar 29, 2019•27 min•Season 4Ep. 6
On this week’s episode Dakota Arsenault is joined by Zach Sokol, host of Radio Camp Half Blood a Percy Jackson read-a long podcast. The two talk about director Alfred Hitchcock one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. They talk about his legacy on cinema history and their favourite works by him. If you were to recommend a Hitchcock film to introduce someone to his work the guys have a few options. Zach rec’s The Birds or Psycho while Dakota suggests Rear Window . While breaking down Hitchcock...
Mar 29, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Season 4Ep. 5
I’m often asking for movie recommendations both from fellow movie buffs and from people who want to expand their knowledge about cinema. After having a friend ask for a list of important films to watch I decided to put together a curriculum of great films that every budding cinephile should watch. This list is a starting off point for people who want to have a base understanding of cinema’s greatest achievements. All the films follow linear story lines and have one or two specific components tha...
Mar 29, 2019•33 min•Season 4Ep. 4
I’m often asking for movie recommendations both from fellow movie buffs and from people who want to expand their knowledge about cinema. After having a friend ask for a list of important films to watch I decided to put together a curriculum of great films that every budding cinephile should watch. This list is a starting off point for people who want to have a base understanding of cinema’s greatest achievements. All the films follow linear story lines and have one or two specific components tha...
Mar 29, 2019•39 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Dakota Arsenault and Sammy Feilchenfeld decide to revisit Sydney Lumet’s landmark debut film, 1957’s 12 Angry Men starring Henry Fonda. The idea for this episode stems from Dakota and Sammy who requested a list of their favourite movies for a friend. Dakota mentioned 12 Angry Men as one of his favourite films and called it a drama/thriller, which Sammy had initially rebuked. Upon a rewatch, the guys realized just how prescient the subject matter is, especially in the current political climate wh...
Mar 29, 2019•34 min•Season 4Ep. 2
In the latest edition of make/remake Dakota Arsenault and Stephanie Prior talk about George Orwell’s novel 1984 and two different cinematic adaptations of it. In 1949, George Orwell published his landmark novel detailing what the future might look like if we allow our civil liberties to be eroded and for extreme ideologies to take hold so strongly that the very fabric of society would crumble. It only took eight years for the first film adaptation of the book to be made directed by Michael Ander...
Mar 29, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Now that 2017 is firmly in the rear view mirror Dakota Arsenault and Mehek Seyid go over their favourite films of last year. Dakota’s list: 10. Loveless 9. Logan Lucky 8. Mudbound 7. Columbus 6. Lady Bird 5. Get Out 4. Dunkirk 3. Phantom Thread 2. Call Me By Your Name 1. A Ghost Story Mehek’s list: 10. Sheikh Jackson 9. Mom and Dad / The Killing of a Sacred Deer 8. Lady Bird 7. The Shape of Water 6. Thor: Ragnarok 5. Coco 4. What Will People Say 3. I, Tonya 2. Get Out 1. The Florida Project Sean...
Mar 29, 2019•1 hr 19 min•Season 3Ep. 19
On this Episode Dakota Arsenault and Sammy Feilchenfeld recap and review the 90th Academy Awards that were handed out on Sunday March 4th, with the Best Picture being awarded to The Shape of Water. Some thoughts discussed include: Dunkirk became the 17th film to win both Sound Editing and Sound Mixing Netflix won it’s first full length feature award when Icarus was awarded Best Doc Jordan Peele is the first black person to win Best Original Screenplay for Get Out Roger Deakins finally won an Osc...
Mar 28, 2019•42 min•Season 3Ep. 18
Dakota Arsenault is joined by Mehek Seyid to talk about this year’s Oscar’s nominees as they make some bold predictions. They say who they think should win, will win and who was snubbed. Check out Part 1 from earlier this week for the rest of the picks. Look at the images below to see their final picks. Easy to watch nominated films: On Netflix- Mudbound, Icarus, Strong Island, On Body and Soul, Heroin(e), Revolting Rhymes, Logan, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Last Men in Aleppo and Beauty and...
Mar 28, 2019•1 hr 17 min•Season 3Ep. 17
Dakota Arsenault is joined by Mehek Seyid to talk about this year’s Oscar’s nominees as they make some bold predictions. They say who they think should win, will win and who was snubbed. Watch out for Part 2 coming later this week with the rest of their picks. Look at the images below to see their final picks. Easy to watch nominated films: On Netflix- Mudbound, Icarus, Strong Island, On Body and Soul, Heroin(e), Revolting Rhymes, Logan, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Last Men in Aleppo and Bea...
Mar 28, 2019•1 hr 12 min•Season 3Ep. 16
Dakota Arsenault had the opportunity to chat with Mitchell Cushman , director of the play Jerusalem that is currently showing at Crow’s Nest Theatre until March 10th. You may remember Mitchell who previously appeared on Contra Zoom back on episode three when he talked about directing Mr. Burns a Post Electric Play. Special thanks to Mr. Cushman and to Red Eye Media for setting up this chat. Look for Dakota’s review of the play coming soon....
Mar 28, 2019•18 min•Season 3Ep. 16
