CRITICALMASSCAST

CMC resident host Greg is joined by a special gaggle of guests hosts to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Star Trek: Deep Space which debuted with the pilot, “Emissary” on January 3rd, 1993!!  We talk up the highs and lows of what continues to be the most experimental and daring chapter in Trek.

Special thanks go out to Rick and Karen from Simply Syndicated’s long-running speculative and international Science Fiction podcast, Starbase 66 as well as Mark Perez, formerly of The Devil and Miss Mindy podcast and frequent guest host on CriticalMassCast.  A fun time was had by all! Enjoy

As always your feedback is valued- What are your favorite DS9 memories and do you have anything to add to our conversation?? Drop us a line at criticalmasscast@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter and subscribe on iTunes

Intro music: Deep Space Nine theme- by Dennis McCarthy

Closing Clip: Closing monologue from “In the Pale Moonlight”

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Total Run Time: 2:02:59

File Size: 112 MB

Happy Valentine’s Day from CriticalMassCast! We’ve got a heart-on this week for our favourite romantic movies of all time.

 
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Intro Music: Ryan Gosling – You Always Hurt The One You Love (Blue Valentine OST)
Outro Music: The Darkness – I Believe In A Thing Called Love

Total run time: 1:27
File Size: 42 MB

This week, we’re chatting about the Golden Globe ceremony, this year’s Oscar nominations, and our favorite film moments of 2012.

 
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Intro Music: Buggles – Video Killed the Radio Star
Outro Music: Les Miserables – Can You Hear the People Sing

Total run time: 1:56
File Size: 56 MB

Aaaand we’re back! Well, almost. Cindy didn’t make it this time around, but the rest of us are here and we can’t get enough of SKYFALL. Plus, we’re talking up some of our other favourites from the past couple of months. Better late than never, right?

 
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Intro Music: Adele – Skyfall
Outro Music: David Bowie – Heroes

Total run time: 1:39
File Size: 42.3MB

Well, we finally made it happen!!  CMC host Greg Ashman and old podcasting pal Mark Perez of The Devil and Miss Mindy got together to have a conversation on director Andrew Haigh’s “Weekend”, starring Tom Cullen and Chris New.  The UK romantic indie drama coursed its way through the festival circuit in 2011 to critical acclaim and landed a great Criterion release in August of this year.  Hope you enjoy the show and be sure to check out Dennis Lim’s fantastic piece, “The Space Between Two People” that helps to break down the craft of the film and its place both in contemporary and queer cinema.

As always, please feel free to leave messages here on the blog, at criticalmasscast@gmail.com or on Twitter @cmasscast

Opening/closing song: Marz- John Grant and Midlake

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Total Run Time: 1:30:09

File Size: 82.5 MB

In what was originally supposed to be our big Summer Movie 2012 round-up Part Two, we found that after spending 50 mins+ focusing on our first film review that we had unwittingly found the heart and soul of our show .  The film that managed to provoke all the great discussion and critical interest was as you might have guessed from the title of this episode, director Sarah Polley’s sophomore film effort  “Take This Waltz” starring Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Luke Kirby, and Sarah Silverman.

Our reviews of Magic Mike and Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World is already in the can and will comprise our Episode 74.  Before we post that episode though we have a big CMC roundtable discussion coming up on The Christopher Nolan Batman Trilogy including a review of The Dark Knight Rises which officially opens today.

Intro Music- Take This Waltz- Leonard Cohen

Closing Music- Video Killed The Radio Star- The Buggles

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Total Run Time: 55:35

File Size: 25.4MB

Actress Catherine Deneuve on the set of "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg"

With the summer season well underway here in Toronto, Canada and all the blockbusters trickling their way into the local cineplex in a steady stream week to week, we here at CMC are wondering what else might be out there to quench a film lovers thirst during the dog days of summer.  Ryan McNeil, of The Matinee Web blog and podcast joins CMC host Greg Ashman in an exercise of podcast verite to answer this vital question.

Luckily, TIFF ‘s summer 2012 programme is offering an exciting selection of new releases (Camera d’Or winner, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”, plus a 4K digital restorration of the original summer blockbuster, 1975′s “Jaws”), the Summer in France lineup (including “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg”, Jean-Luc Godard’s “Weekend”, including standards and rare gems from master directors the likes of Truffaut, Renoir, Pialat, and Ophuls, to name a few).  Greg talks up his excitement for the Merchant Ivory retrospective which kicks off June 19th, while both hosts gush about the coming retrospectives: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: The Blonde in Fifties Hollywood Cinema as well as Schwartzenegger/Stallone: The Rise of Beefcake Cinema which will bring action classics like Terminator 2: Judgement Day and First Blood back to the big screen in all their blood splattery 1980′s glory.

If you live in/near Toronto or plan on visiting the city during the summer, be sure to check out Ryan’s excellent run down of Free Movie Screenings happening around the the city.  TIFF IN THE PARK will be offering up such screwball comedy classics from Raising Arizona to 1934′s “It Happened One Night”.  It is going to be a great time!!  Thanks again to Ryan for co-hosting this episode, and be sure to check out his site and podcast which both can be found at www.thematinee.ca

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Intro Music- “Two Girls From Little Rock “-  from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

Closing Clip- Theatrical Trailer- “The Bride Wore Black” (1967)

Total Run Time: 51:51

File Size: 47.2MB

The whole CMC team is together this week, and we’re counting down our favourite films of 2011. Check out the post below for a complete list of our Top Tens!

 
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Intro Music: Dr. Rockit – Cafe de Flore
Outro Clip: Benny Goodman – Sing Sing Sing

Total run time: 1:26:14
File Size: 126MB

Haaaaapy Halloweeeeeeeeen (in dulcet, creepy Vincent Price tones)!!

Zero Pretension, our sister show recently recorded a fantastic Halloween Horror Movie Special and we thought it would be fun to post it here as one of our extrasodes for your listening pleasure!

Greg Ashman from CriticalMassCast and his Zero Pretension co-hosts Shawn Keown and Frances Maxwell are joined by special guest Ricky D from the Montreal-based e-zine and podcast Sound On Sight to discuss our favourite horror films.  We discuss everything from the old classics that continue to send us shivers to the modern classics that offer up great entertainment and cult appeal. So sit back in a dark room and share with us the stuff of NIGHTMARES!!!

Be sure to leave your comments here on the website or feel free to send your comments/questions to either zeropretension@gmail.com or criticalmasscast@gmail.com.  If you haven’t been listening to our sister show, Zero Pretension- please check it out at zeropretension.wordpress.com.

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Run Time: 1:34:54

File Size: 87 MB

Welcome back to the CriticalMassCast Film Series Edition where we take a closer, more in-depth look at films that reveal the best of the power of cinema.

In this edition, CriticaMassCast resident Greg Ashman and podcast guru Mark Perez (formerly of The Devil and Miss Mindy) review director Richard Linklater’s two crowning achievements (and compelling companion films) Before Sunrise from 1995 and his follow up Before Sunset from 2004 starring Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke.  It should be noted that the idea for this episode came at the perfect time and is a prelude to another show we hope to do soon on what should be a fantastic film- Andrew Haigh’s relationship drama “Weekend”.  Enjoy!!

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Opening track: “On Ocean Apart” (Before Sunrise/Before Sunrise OST)

Closing Track “Love Show” (Skye from the album Mind How You Go)

Total run time: 1:06:53

File Size: 61.3MB

This week, Greg, Cindy and Ryan discuss their favourite fantasy films of all time.
Some are classics; others… not so classic.

The whole CMC crew will be back next week for a look at the latest news and reviews… stay tuned!

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Films Covered:

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Nothing brings the whole CMC quartet together like a suffocating heat wave in the dead of summer! To commemorate the occasion, we’re chatting about our favorite summer vacation movies (and a few movies that remind us of the summertime). We also recap what we’ve been watching this summer – everything from concerts to films to the latest in TV. Pump up the A/C and enjoy!

Film Reviews: happythankyoumoreplease, Space Camp, Age of Heroes, Season of the Witch, Sucker Punch, Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times, The Triplets of Belleville, Bad Teacher, Winnie the Pooh

Concert Reviews: Weird Al Live at Massey Hall

TV Reviews: Weeds (Season 7), Breaking Bad (Season 4)

 
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Intro Music: Ace of Base – Cruel Summer
Outro Music: Kenny Loggins – Danger Zone (Top Gun OST)

Total run time: 1:09:54
File Size: 102.5MB