Contra Zoom, Author at That Shelf

Contra Zoom

Contra Zoom is a film based podcast going in depth about varying movie related subjects. Dakota Arsenault, Rachel Ho and guests go over both academic and the fun aspects of enjoying the film medium. Episodes feature lists, interviews and comparisons. Email us at [email protected]

Articles by Contra Zoom:

October 17, 2023
Contra Zoom Pod Episode 256: VIFF 2023 Interviews – Wild Goat Surf and I Used To Be Funny
Caitlyn Sponheimer and Olga Petsa are interviewed on Contra Zoom Pod!

October 10, 2023
Contra Zoom Pod Episode 255: 2023 VIFF Wrap Up
Todd Pengelly joins to talk about the hits and misses of the Vancouver International Film Festival on Contra Zoom Pod!

October 3, 2023
Contra Zoom Pod Episode 254: Celebrating Filipino Cinema
Paulo Bautista joins to celebrate Filipino American Heritage Month through three films on Contra Zoom Pod!

September 26, 2023
Contra Zoom Pod Episode 253: 2023 VIFF Preview
Todd Pengelly of For Reel joins to share his most anticipated films of VIFF on Contra Zoom Pod!

September 19, 2023
Contra Zoom Pod Episode 252: 2023 TIFF Wrap Up
Jeff Bulmer joins Dakota and Rachel for a 2023 TIFF wrap up on Contra Zoom Pod!

September 12, 2023
Contra Zoom Pod Bonus Episode: Better Know a Contributor – Bil Antoniou
Bil Antoniou joins the podcast to answer 10 Contra Zoom Pod movie questions on another edition of Better Know a Contributor!

September 5, 2023
Contra Zoom Pod Episode 251: 2023 TIFF Preview
Dakota and Rachel share their most anticipated movies from 2023 TIFF and more on Contra Zoom Pod!

August 29, 2023
Contra Zoom Pod Episode 250: A24 Retrospective – Slow West
Dakota and Rachel are joined by Jericho Tadeo to discuss Slow West on Contra Zoom Pod!

August 22, 2023
Contra Zoom Pod Episode 249: The Films of Elvis Presley
King Creole, Wild in the Country and Viva Las Vegas are discussed on Contra Zoom Pod!

August 15, 2023
Contra Zoom Pod Episode 248: 2023 Fantasia Film Festival Wrap Up
Contra Zoom Pod’s coverage of Fantasia Film Festival 2023, including A Disturbance In The Force, With Love and a Major Organ, and more!

August 8, 2023
Contra Zoom Pod Episode 247: Fantasia Fest Interviews – Satan Wants You and Where The Devil Roams Directors
Steve J. Adams and Sean Horler are interviewed as well as Toby Poser, John, Zelda and Lulu Adams during Fantasia Festival on Contra Zoom Pod!

August 1, 2023
Contra Zoom Pod Episode 246: A24 Retrospective – Ex Machina
Jeremy LaLonde joins Dakota and Rachel for their A24 retrospective as they discuss Ex-Machina on Contra Zoom Pod!

July 25, 2023
Contra Zoom Pod Episode 245: Make/Remake The Day The Earth Stood Still
Brodie Cotnam joins to compare and contrast the 1951 and 2008 versions of The Day The Earth Stood Still on Contra Zoom Pod!

July 18, 2023
Contra Zoom Pod Episode 244: The 50 Greatest Films Directed by Canadians
Matthew Simpson and Taylor Beaumont join to discuss the 50 best greatest films directed by Canadians on Contra Zoom Pod!

July 11, 2023
Contra Zoom Pod Episode 243: Best Films By Language
Dakota and Rachel list their favourite movies by language on Contra Zoom Pod!

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ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN TICKETS TO SEE #THESOCIALRECKONING! Inspired by true events and the whistleblower who started the social media reckoning we’re seeing play out today, this Aaron Sorkin original screenplay is a companion piece to the hit film The Social Network and a true David and Goliath story. Frances Haugen (Madison), a young Facebook engineer, enlists the help of Jeff Horwitz (White), a Wall Street Journal reporter, to go on a dangerous journey that ends up blowing the whistle on the social network’s most guarded secrets. Follow the instructions below, and you'll be entered to win tickets to see the film when it hits theatres on October 9th, courtesy of @sonypictures, @thetarogroup and That Shelf! 📱 Follow That Shelf, 📱 Like this post, 📱 Tell us your favourite based-on-a-true-story movie, and, 📱 Tag the friend you'll bring with you to the movie! @TheSocialReckoning debuts exclusively in movie theatres on October 9, 2026. Giveaway closes on October 7 at 11:59 ET. Open to Canadian residents only. One entry per person. #giveaway #canadacontest #movietickets
11 hours ago
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CONTEST: ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN TICKETS TO BRAZIL FILM FEST That Shelf, and @brazilfilmfest want to send you and a friend to see the best of Brazilian cinema in Toronto! 🗓️ Film 1 - Malês (Oct 9, 11 am) 🗓️ Film 2 - Zico, the Samurai of Quintino (Oct 9, 2 pm) 🗓️ Film 3 - The Noise of the Night (Oct 9, 4:45 pM) 🗓️ Film 4 - If I Were You 3 (Oct 10, 11:15 am) 🗓️ Film 5 - The Crime Genius (Oct 11, 11 am) Here's how to enter: 🇧🇷 Follow us and @brazilfilmfest 🇧🇷 Like this post 🇧🇷 Tell us which film you'd like to attend, and 🇧🇷 Tag a friend October 9–11, 2026 📍 TIFF Lightbox | Toronto 🎟️ Tickets & festival details: brazilfilmfest.ca Giveaway closes on October 7. Open to Canadian residents only. Winners will be contacted via DM. 🗓️ Film 1 - Malês (Oct 9, 11 am) Malês is a powerful story of resilience and courage set against the vibrant backdrop of Salvador in 1835. Torn from their homeland in Africa during their wedding ceremony, two young Muslims are enslaved in Brazil. Separated by a cruel fate, they struggle to survive and find one another again as they become caught up in the largest enslaved uprising in Brazilian history: the Malê Revolt. 🗓️ Film 2 - Zico, the Samurai of Quintino (Oct 9, 2 pm) An original portrait of the life and career of Arthur Antunes Coimbra—better known as Zico. The Samurai of Quintino explores the many dimensions of one of football's greatest legends, revealing the unique personality behind the icon. Drawing on Zico's personal archive—made public for the first time—the documentary weaves together stories from his remarkable journey with Flamengo, the Brazilian National Team, and Japan. Featuring Ronaldo Nazário, Maestro Júnior, friends, and family, the film offers an intimate look at the man behind the legend, leading to a surprising encounter with the "Spirit of Zico": an identity as fascinating as it is paradoxical, forged in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro, yet shaped by values and discipline that found their perfect match in Japan. 🗓️ Film 3 - The Noise of the Night (Oct 9, 4:45 PM) Sônia is a woman who has spent her life burying the wounds of her childhood, feeling unseen and forgotten by her husband
1 day ago
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Verity follows struggling writer Lowen, who is hired to finish the latest book in bestselling author Verity Crawford’s series after an accident leaves her unable to communicate. But while staying at Verity’s home, Lowen discovers a disturbing manuscript that forces her to question everything she knows about the author, her family, and the truth behind what happened. With Anne Hathaway clearly having fun in the title role, Verity embraces the pulpy spirit of ’90s psychological thrillers while balancing darker themes with a playful sense of humour. Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett add strong performances, but it’s Hathaway’s larger-than-life presence and the film’s twists that make this a fun, unpredictable ride. 📝 Full review by Rachel West now up on That Shelf (and at the link in our bio).
3 days ago
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Primetime takes a dark look at the rise of To Catch a Predator, following disgraced journalist Chris Hansen and the sensationalist television empire built around his “gotcha” investigations. Through the eyes of the people working behind the scenes, the film explores the blurred lines between journalism, entertainment, morality, and the pursuit of ratings. Robert Pattinson delivers a complex performance as Hansen, capturing both his commanding television persona and the contradictions beneath it. With its gritty late-2000s aesthetic and echoes of Network, Primetime becomes a sharp moral fable about the damage caused when sensationalism, ambition, and the desire for authority take priority over empathy and justice. 📝 Full review by Pat Mullen now up on That Shelf (and at the link in our bio).
1 week ago
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Forgotten Island follows best friends Jo and Raissa as their final night together before graduation takes an unexpected turn, transporting them to the mythical island of Nakali. There, they face memory-stealing creatures, magical obstacles, and the possibility that returning home could mean losing the memories of their friendship. Fast, chaotic, and packed with Filipino mythology and pop culture influences, the film embraces its sensory overload rather than slowing down. Its kinetic animation, vibrant visual style, and spirited voice cast make for an exhilarating adventure, while at its heart is a moving story about friendship, growing up, and holding on to the memories that shape us. 📝 Full review by Pat Mullen now up on That Shelf (and at the link in our bio).
1 week ago
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TRAILER PREMIERE! Catch the trailer for Toronto filmmaker @ajuniorgabriel s debut doc, #TheSickling. Badejo chronicles his personal and emotional journey with sickle cell disease–one of the world’s most misunderstood genetic diseases. Through intimate family moments, conversations with medical experts and fellow sickle cell warriors, and raw footage of Gabriel himself, the film reveals the massive invisible weight of chronic illness, the prevalence of systemic medical racism, and the personal cost of survival itself. The film opens in Toronto on October 3 @hotdocs_ and in Montreal on October 5 at @cinemadumusee, then airs on CBC later that month. Check out this exclusive look at the trailer now.
1 week ago
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Canadian doc GAIL has been a hit with #TIFF26 audiences. Here’s director @michaelmaxxis and Our Lady Peace’s @duncancoutts after today’s screening, talking about this cinematic story on their super fan from the Bronx.
2 weeks ago
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7/9

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#Neverman director @roccocine , along with cast members (from right to left) @mxviv (far right), @zaibabaig_ and @evaevirv, take to the stage at the world premiere of the Canadian drama at #TIFF26! Head to the link in our bio for our review! 🎥 @rachel_is_here
2 weeks ago
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CONTEST ALERT! "Your best friendship is worth fighting for. " We're giving away passes to the VANCOUVER preview screening of Universal Pictures' upcoming title, FORGOTTEN ISLAND, a new original film from DreamWorks Animation (How to Train Your Dragon, Shrek, Puss in Boots). The film opens in theatres on September 25, but Universal is hosting an exclusive advance screening in Vancouver on Wednesday, September 23. To enter, just: 🫶 Like this post. 🫶 Follow That Shelf 🫶 Tag your best friend (the one who you'd like to go to the Vancouver screening with)! Grammy- and Academy Award®-winning supernova H.E.R. and Liza Soberano (Lisa Frankenstein, Alone/Together) star as best friends and high school graduates Jo and Raissa, who are about to embark on separate life paths. While celebrating their last night together, they stumble upon a mysterious portal that transports them to the fantastical island of Nakali, packed with creatures they grew up hearing stories about in their Filipino families. When they discover that the memories of their entire friendship are the price for returning home, Jo and Raissa will race to find a way to leave the island before they forget each other forever. Forgotten Island opens in theatres September 25. The contest closes Sunday at 12 noon PT. One entry per person. Canada only. Winners will be contacted by DMs. #contest #vancouver #advancescreening
2 weeks ago
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