72 episodes
The Contenders Tobin Addington and Aislinn Addington
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- TV & Film
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4.8 • 20 Ratings
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Welcome to The Contenders, the show about the movies made by and starring women who refuse to play by the rules.
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Emma. (w/ Shawnee Mead)
Calling all Austen-heads! This episode, the Addington siblings welcome Shawnee Mead to dive into Autumn de Wilde’s 2020 adaptation of “Emma.” From the gorgeous costumes to the even more gorgeous hairstyling, we stack this version of Jane Austen’s tricky tale against the other major cinematic adaptations. Plus, stick around for an awesome game!
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Enough Said (2013)
The Addington siblings dig into 2013’s “Enough Said,” written and directed by Nicole Holofcener and starring National Treasure Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the late, great James Gandolfini. Spoiler alert: we love this under-seen movie! With crackerjack supporting turns by Toni Collette (using her real accent!), Catherine Keener (as a hippie poet!), and Ben Falcone (yes, Ben Falcone!), this is 100% a gem. Check it out then listen to us gab about it all!
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Something's Gotta Give (w/ David Mills-Low)
The Addington siblings welcome filmmaker David Mills-Low to discuss 2003’s “Something’s Gotta Give,” written and directed by the one and only Nancy Meyers. How gross is Jack Nicholson’s character? How cool is Frances McDormand’s? And would we stop the movie when Diane Keaton’s still with Keanu Reeves? There’s only one way to find out!
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Shirley (2020)
Three hosts. Two podcasts. One film. This week, the Addington siblings join “Hard to Believe” host John Brooks to do a deep dive into the murky waters of Josphine Decker’s biopic of Shirley Jackson, anchored by a searing Elizabeth Moss performance. How much of this story really happened? Whose story is it really? And how closely does it hew to the work and aesthetic of Shirley Jackson herself. We dig into all these questions, and then Tobin and John go head-to-head in a game for the ages. Not one to miss!
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Promising Young Woman (2020)
To wrap up Oscar week, the Addington siblings tackle one of the most controversial 2020 nominees: Emerald Fennell’s revenge thriller “Promising Young Woman.” Does it live up to the early hype? Is it thin and over-stylized, or canny and pitch perfect? And how freaking good is Carey Mulligan? I mean, seriously! Plus, stick around for a killer game, and let us know how you feel about this most unusual awards contender.
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Nomadland (2020)
It’s Oscar month! To celebrate, the Addington siblings will check out the two films by women nominated for Best Director. First up, we hitch a ride with Frances McDormand as she explores the cracked myth of the American Dream in Chloe Zhao’s 2020 Oscar contender “Nomadland.” From its unusual conception and creation, to the spare and haunting finished film, Tobin and Aislinn kick the tires of this unlikely awards juggernaut and see if it lives up to the hype.
Customer Reviews
Great Commentary on Woman in Cinema
What I love the most about this podcast is the relationship between the hosts, Tobin and Aislinn. The connection between brother and sister, both of whom are completely in love with Cinema, makes every episode a joy to listen to. The angle these two are looking at Cinema from is also refreshing. They hit a perfect balance between commenting on the up hill battle woman face in the film business and highlighting the powerful woman visionaries who’ve been able to break ground in this still very male dominated world. Anyone interested in a fresh perspective of the movies should check out this podcast.
So much potential
I appreciate what the podcast is trying to do, but for a podcast highlighting the work of women in front of and behind the camera, the guests on the episodes have largely been men (I’m assuming white and cis and straight, but I’ll give the benefit of the doubt). And I feel like Aislinn gets talked over quite a bit. I come to Contenders to celebrate women, not to hear them interrupted and outnumbered.
Another sticking point I have is that in the first episode Tobin and Aislinn state that they won’t be acknowledging roles behind the camera that women traditionally have been represented in some numbers. Editors, Art Department, and producing roles are not acknowledged or discussed in this podcast. These roles are essential not only to the success of a film, but can effect the tone, story, and perspective of a film. And women still struggle with parity in these roles. Discounting these roles as unimportant to the podcast indicates to the listeners that these roles are not important to filmmaking.
This podcast has so much potential. With a wider network of guests from within the film industry as well as film theorists, film critics, and folks specializing in gender studies like Aislinn, this podcast could be more than mild mannered entertainment and actually say something important about the film industry and history of film. I gave this podcast a solid try, sad it didn’t live up to my expectations because Tobin and Aislinn are delightful in many ways.
❤️❤️
Loved every minute! The two siblings had me giggling constantly and brilliant commentary. Can’t wait for the next episodes!