All Posts - Contra Zoom Pod

Reviews: Hey Viktor! from ImagineNATIVE 2023

November 3, 2023

In Cody Lightning’s debut film Hey Viktor!, Lightning plays a lightly fictionalized version of himself attempting to revitalize his failing career with a spiritual successor to his most famous film. Named for a notable line in Smoke Signals, Lightning’s 1998 acting debut, Hey Viktor! is a wildly funny look at minor fame that packs a surprising amount of heart.

Reviews: The Delinquents

November 2, 2023

When you work at a bank, it’s fraught with temptation knowing a lifetime of freedom lingers at your fingertips. This is essentially the premise of the argument that Morán, a bank employee in Buenos Aires puts forth in The Delinquents.

258: Canadian Horror with Kyle Edward Ball

October 31, 2023

To celebrate Halloween this year we have brought on Kyle Edward Ball, the writer and director behind the hit horror film ⁠Skinamarink⁠. We asked Kyle about 3 classic films and he selected ⁠Black Christmas⁠, ⁠Rituals⁠ and ⁠Scanners⁠ to discuss.

Guest Appearance: The Criterion Shelf – Grindhouse Gothic – Roger Corman Directs Edgar Allan Poe

October 30, 2023

Every month Bil Antoniou curates an article picking a collection from The Criterion Channel and sorts its contents into categories – Must-See, Worthy, For…

Reviews: Late Night With The Devil from Toronto After Dark Film Festival

October 25, 2023

Presented as the original master tapes from the most scandalous episode of a fictional TV talk show, Late Night is a slow-burn psychological horror that’s as funny as it is terrifying and as gripping as it is kitschy.

257: Halloween at 45 Years

October 24, 2023

Back in 1978 John Carpenter made his third feature film, Halloween for only $300,000. It went on to be a massive box office hit and spanned a franchise that has released 13 films. The film came out 45 years ago on October 17th, 1978 so we celebrate the enduring legacy of the film.

Reviews: Fancy Dance from ImagineNATIVE 2023

October 23, 2023

Centred around the coming-of-age of a young Seneca-Cayuga girl on a road trip with her aunt, Fancy Dance deftly weaves in themes of cultural assimilation, missing and murdered indigenous women, and apathy towards crime against Native Americans.

Guest Appearance: Draft Strategy Part 2 ft. Dakota of Contra Zoom Pod

October 21, 2023

Dakota and I take a deep dive into this year’s Red Carpet Rosters fantasy drafts. We talk about all the technical categories to see…

Blog: Best of the Vancouver International Film Festival

October 20, 2023

I figured I’d recap the five best films I saw during the Vancouver International Film Festival and give out some awards.

Reviews: Joan Baez I Am a Noise

October 19, 2023

This story is as much about Joan Baez’s legendary career as her own struggles with mental health issues, and the film weaves together old home movie footage from her childhood, and animates her teenage journals, which help enrich the narrative, ultimately painting a picture of a tortured soul.