Contra Zoom Dakota Arsenault, Rachel Gordon

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 Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse

* Curtis Sindrey’s favourite film was the darkly comedic Game Night

* Sammy Feilchenfeld’s favourite film was beautiful black and white Mexican film Roma



It is humanly impossible to see every film in a given year and below is the list that Dakota and Stephanie weren’t able to catch up with that they thought might have had potential to crack their top ten… if they saw them.



* Dakota- Burning, Zama, The Rider, Tea With the Dames and Blaze

* Stephanie- Leave No Trace, Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse, Private Life and Widows



The duo also listed their honourable mentions; films that they really loved but just didn’t quite make the final list.



* Dakota- Isle of Dogs, Outlaw King, The Favourite, First Man, Game Night and Three Identical Strangers

* Stephanie- First Reformed, Game Night, Cold War and Free Solo



Here are the final ten films that made Stephanie’s list:

1. Capernaum

2. Minding the Gap

3. BlacKkKlansman

4. Shoplifters

5. Can You Ever Forgive Me?

6. Vice

7. The Favourite

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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 decided to throw out all five Best Actor nominees, and instead create his own list.



* Ethan Hawke for First Reformed

* Lakeith Stanfield for Sorry to Bother You

* John David Washington for BlacKkKlansman

* Joaquin Phoenix from You Were Never Really Here

* Tomasz Kot from Cold War



While I watched it after I recorded, I would also throw Robert Redford from The Old Man & the Gun in the mix too.

Rolling Stone named the Best, Worst and WTF Moments from the Oscars. 

Vogue listed the 15 best-dressed attendees at this year’s Oscars. 

If you missed it you can see that Dakota predicted 16 correct categories on the last episode, while Sammy only got 8 right. You can revisit that episode HERE. 

Something new I’ll be asking people to do is to rate and review Contra Zoom on Podchaser, a site that aims to be the IMDb of podcasts. Please rate 5 stars and if possible leave a short review to help grow this show.

Also if you have never given the show a rating on iTunes, that also helps tremendously. Every bit of exposure helps grow the show.

Follow the show @ContraZoomPod and Dakota @Dgapa on Twitter.

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 Rhapsody (D), A Star is Born (S)

* Best Sound Editing: Bohemian Rhapsody (D), Roma (S)

* Best Animated Feature: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (D & S)

* Best Animated Short: Bao (D & S)

* Best Documentary Feature: RBG (D & S)

* Best Documentary Short: Period. End of Sentence (D)

* Best Live Action Short:

* Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Vice (D & S)

* Best Cinematography: Roma (D & S)

* Best Costume Design: The Favourite (D & S)

* Best Film Editing: BlacKkKlansman (D), The Favourite (S)

* Best Foreign Language Film: Roma (D & S)

* Best Production Design: Black Panther (D & S)

* Best Visual Effects: Avengers: Infinity War (D & S)

* Best Original Score: Black Panther (D), If Beale Street Could Talk (S)

* Best Original Song: “Shallow” from A Star is Born (D & S)

* Best Actress: Glenn Close (D & S)

* Best Actor: Christian Bale (D), 

* Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón (D & S)

* Best Picture: Roma (D & S)



In case you missed it make sure you listen to my breakdowns of all the Best Picture contenders. Episode 73 (Vice, BlacKkKlansman and Green Book), Episode 74 (A Star is Born, Black Panther and Bohemian Rhapsody) and Episode 75 (The Favourite and Roma).

As mentioned during the podcast, the Academy has reversed its decision to award four categories during commercial breaks as detailed in The National Post. 

If you haven’t seen this infamous sequence of Rob Lowe and Snow White having a duet during the last host-less Oscars, make sure you watch this.

For a trip down memory lane, look at the history of the types of films that were nominated and won for the Best Makeup and Hairstyling award.

Something new I’ll be asking people to do is to rate and review Contra Zoom on Podchaser, a site that aims to be the IMDb of podcasts. Please rate 5 stars and if possible leave a short review to help grow this show.

Also if you have never given the show a rating on iTunes, that also helps tremendously. Every bit of exposure helps grow the show.

Follow the show @ContraZoomPod and Dakota @Dgapa on Twitter.

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. There can be multiples front-runners to each category.

The Favourite has 10 nominations:



* Best Picture (JH)

* Best Director (JH)

* Best Actress – Olivia Coleman (DH)

* Best Supporting Actress – Rachel Weisz (JH)

* Best Supporting Actress – Emma Stone (JH)

* Best Cinematography (FR)

* Best Film Editing (FR)

* Best Original Screenplay (FR)

* Best Production Design (FR)

* Best Costume Design (FR)



*Editor’s note, The Favourite is not nominated for Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing

The Favourite looks to snag about 4-5 wins for sure and could be in the running for 1 or 2 others.

Roma has 10 nominations:



* Best Picture (FR)

* Best Director – Alfonso Cuarón (FR)

* Best Actress – Yalitza Aparicio (JH)

* Best Supporting Actress – Marina de Tavira (JH)

* Best Foreign Language Film (FR)

* Best Original Screenplay (DH)

* Best Cinematography (FR)

* Best Production Design (JH)

* Best Sound Editing (JH)

* Best Sound Mixing (JH)



If you missed last week’s episode breaking down the odds for A Star is Born, Black Panther and Bohemian Rhapsody, listen to the show HERE.

Something new I’ll be asking people to do is to rate and review Contra Zoom on Podchaser, a site that aims to be the IMDb of podcasts. Please rate 5 stars and if possible leave a short review to help grow this show.

Also if you have never given the show a rating on iTunes, that also helps tremendously. Every bit of exposure helps grow the show.

Follow the show @ContraZoomPod and Dakota @Dgapa on Twitter.

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 stand no real chance this year. There can be multiples front-runners to each category.

A Star is Born has 8 nominations:



* Best Picture (JH)

* Best Actor – Bradley Cooper (JH)

* Best Actress – Lady Gaga (FR)

* Best Supporting Actor – Sam Elliott (DH)

* Best Adapted Screenplay (JH)

* Best Cinematography (JH)

* Best Original Song – “Shallow” (FR)

* Best Sound Mixing (DH)



A Star is Born will for sure win one award with 1-2 others potentially going its way.

What is the difference between Sound Mixing and Sound Editing?

Black Panther has 6 nominations:



* Best Picture (JH)

* Best Original Score (FR)

* Best Original Song – “All the Stars” (DH)

* Best Costume Design (FR)

* Best Production Design (FR)

* Best Sound Editing (DH)

* Best Sound Mixing (DH)



Black Panther looks to pick up 3 technical with 2 more if they sweep the Sound categories.

Variety’s breakdown of Black Panther costumes featuring designer Ruth Carter.

Bohemian Rhapsody has 5 nominations:



* Best Picture (JH)

* Best Actor – Rami Malek (FR)

* Best Film Editing (JH)

* Best Sound Editing (DH)

* Best Sound Mixing (DH)



Bohemian Rhapsody most likely will walk away empty handed, but there is a slim chance it could win 1-3 awards.

If you missed last week’s episode breaking down the odds for Vice, BlacKkKlansman and Green Book, listen to the show HERE.

Something new I’ll be asking people to do is to rate and review Contra Zoom on Podchaser, a site that aims to be the IMDb of podcasts. Please rate 5 stars and if possible leave a short review to help grow this show.

Also if you have never given the show a rating on iTunes, that also helps tremendously. Every bit of exposure helps grow the show.

Follow the show @ContraZoomPod and Dakota @Dgapa on Twitter.

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 chance this year. There can be multiples front-runners to each category. 

Vice has eight nominations:

Best Picture (JH)

Best Actor – Christian Bale (FR)

Best Supporting Actress – Amy Adams (FR)

Best Supporting Actor – Sam Rockwell (JH)

Best Director – Adam McKay (JH)

Best Original Screenplay (JH)

Best Film Editing (DH)

Best Makeup and Hairstyling (FR)

Vice looks to walk away with anywhere from 1 maybe 2 awards with a couple others being long shots.

BlacKkKlansman has six nominations:

Best Picture (DH)

Best Supporting Actor – Adam Driver (DH)

Best Director – Spike Lee (DH)

Best Adapted Screenplay (FR)

Best Film Editing (FR)

BlacKkKlansman looks to walk away with anywhere from 1-2 awards with the additional 3 being contenders if Roma doesn’t sweep.

Green Book has five nominations:

Best Picture (DH)

Best Actor – Viggo Mortensen (JH)

Best Supporting Actor – Mahershala Ali (FR)

Best Original Screenplay (DH)

Best Film Editing (JH)

Green Book looks to walk away with 1 award with a strong possibility of 1 or 2 others if the tide goes its way.

If you missed Contra Zoom’s Oscar reactions podcast, make sure you give it a listen to HERE. 

Something new I’ll be asking people to do is to rate and review Contra Zoom on Podchaser, a site that aims to be the IMDb of podcasts. Please rate 5 stars and if possible leave a short review to help grow this show.

Also if you have never given the show a rating on iTunes, that also helps tremendously. Every bit of exposure helps grow the show.

Follow the show @ContraZoomPod and Dakota @Dgapa on Twitter.