We Pod A Zoo is an in-depth look at a strange but ultimately charming little movie: Cameron Crowe’s 2011 masterpiece, We Bought A Zoo. Hosted by Zach Silberberg, each episode features a new guest experiencing the film for what is perhaps their first time, bringing with them their reactions, expertise, and 20 seconds of insane courage.
This podcast is in no way affiliated with Cameron Crowe or Benjamin Mee, although they are always welcome to come on the podcast, provided they have seen the movie.
This week, in a very experimental We Pod A Zoo, comedian Maddy Gross joins the show without having seen the 2011 film We Bought A Zoo and attempts to guess its entire plot based solely on what they've gleaned from memes and tweets. What do they get shockingly right? What do they get embarrassingly wrong? What do they ultimately think of the film when it comes time to sit through it? And what the hell is a Zoo Ghost?
18 Feb 2021
Episode 14: Is We Bought A Zoo Queer Cinema? w/ Reid Pope
Reid Pope joins the pod this week to dissect We Bought A Zoo (2011) from a queer perspective. Is anything about this film explicitly or implicitly gay? Are any of the cast and crew (besides, obviously, trans icon ScarJo)? Can this film enter the gay canon? Please excuse the 10-minute rabbit hole where we furiously e-stalk a background actor to see if her instagram hints at her sexuality.
11 Feb 2021
Episode 13: Alex Dobrenko's Therapy Session w/ Alex Dobrenko
Actor and comedian Alex Dobrenko joins us today to talk about his relationship with We Bought A Zoo (2011), fatherhood, families, and life. In an episode that rapidly evolves into deeper conversations on what it means to learn from your parents without becoming them, and how to prepare for your first child, Alex maps the anxieties of Benjamin's parenthood onto his own experiences. What is selfish as a parent? What does “buying a zoo” mean in real life? What should Alex name his son? This is truly a We Pod A Zoo unlike any other.
4 Feb 2021
Episode 12: The Women of We Bought A Zoo w/ Ena Da
This week, Ena Da joins the show to talk about all the ways We Bought A Zoo fails its female characters. Why are the male characters so much more developed? Why do so many women’s storylines revolve around men? Does the movie pass the Bechdel Test? How many of the animals are female??? We Bought A Zoo (2011) is decidedly not a feminist masterpiece.
28 Jan 2021
Episode 11: The Definitive Animal Ranking w/ Sarah Black
This week, in the first episode of 2021, we have at long last delivered on what the people have been demanding: a definitive ranking of every animal that appears in the 2011 film We Bought A Zoo. Who will come out on top? Who will sneak into the top 5? How will we rank Solomon, Buster, Spar, and the Box of Snakes? How exciting!
25 Dec 2020
Episode 10: Turtle Pee w/ Jared Gilman
This week, actor Jared Gilman gets cancelled for not caring enough about animals. Just kidding. But he's on thin ice. Listen for Jared's animal-specific insights into the filming of Moonrise Kingdom (2012), his thoughts on if the couples of We Bought A Zoo (2011) are drift-compatible, and how to cast the film if it had been directed by David Lynch. Also, like, seriously, he is on such thin ice.
17 Dec 2020
Episode 9: We Bab A Dook w/ Dana Schwartz
This week, Dana Schwartz (with special guest Beetlejuice the cat) pods a zoo to talk about the symbolism of the 2011 film We Bought A Zoo. Can it be read as an allegory for Noah's Ark? What would have made the imagery of the Dead Wife™ land harder? And, most importantly, will a housecat respond to chuffing?
10 Dec 2020
Episode 8: It's Insane To Compare 1917 To We Bought A Zoo, But Here We Are w/ Anna Campion
Join Zach and guest Anna Campion as they nitpick their way through the structure and pacing of We Bought A Zoo. Does this movie need to be 2 hours long? How is it so good at setting up and then immediately resolving tension? What fixes could have been made along the way? Did you know that despite literally being siblings, Rosie and Dylan barely speak to each other throughout the entire film? Weird! And no, the irony of the episode that's about the pacing issues of the movie being the longest single episode so far is not lost.
3 Dec 2020
Episode 7: The Twisted Art of Dylan Mee w/ Amar Risbud
In the single most revelatory episode of the podcast so far, Zach and Amar dive deep into the artwork of We Bought A Zoo’s designated Moody Kid With A Bowl Cut: Dylan Mee. Along the way, we make some incredible discoveries about cephalopods, Bob Marley, Charles Manson, and perhaps the true meaning of the film itself. Make sure you’re sitting down for the last few minutes of this one.
Check the link in the show notes for the google doc of Dylan's art!
26 Nov 2020
Episode 6: Jonni Fixes We Bought A Zoo w/ Jonni Phillips
In the single most hostile episode of the show so far, animator Jonni Phillips reveals why she hates almost everything about We Bought A Zoo, and undertakes the brave adventure of how to make it better. Mostly she bullies me, and then we get angry at Charlie Kaufman and Zootopia.
In this exciting episode of We Pod A Zoo, Hayley From Twitter gives us the rundown on why We Bought A Zoo makes no sense, why Matt Damon is a piece of shit, who should have been cast as the leads, and what a better movie it could have been if it starred Paddington Bear. Also, Sam Raimi, hit me up. I would love to talk to you about how you would have directed this movie.
12 Nov 2020
Episode 4: Zoo Souls w/ Yussef Cole
This week, Zach is joined by animator and game critic Yussef Cole to discuss Yussef's problems with We Bought A Zoo. Why is the tone so inconsistent? Why does the reality of the film seem to break so often? Why can't MacCready build a solid lock? Yussef also pitches his sequel ideas for We Bought A Zoo, and how to potentially adapt the film into a video game. Also the movie Yussef was thinking of was Leave No Trace (2018).
5 Nov 2020
Episode 3: We Ad An Astra w/ Spencer Roth-Rose
Zach is joined by his good friend and the son of a father, Spencer Roth-Rose, to discuss the role of fathers-as-writers. Is Benjamin Mee a good portrayal of a single parent? How many of his actions are motivated by a desire to fuel his writing? Is Ad Astra a good movie? Listen to find out!
30 Oct 2020
Episode 2: The Adventure Begins (Part Two) w/ Sydney Gayle Amanuel
It’s the conclusion of the premiere! We finally finish talking about the movie! Hell yeah. Now you have all of the context you need for the rest of the show. Pretty epic if you ask me. Sorry that it took 3 hours.
29 Oct 2020
Episode 1: The Adventure Begins (Part One) w/ Sydney Gayle Amanuel
We Pod A Zoo blasts off with a recap of We Bought A Zoo that takes longer to consume than the movie itself! Zach is joined by his first guest Sydney to bravely recap the strange and wonderful film, We Bought A Zoo (2011). They have... a lot to say.
22 Oct 2020
We Pod A Zoo: Series Trailer
Join host Zach Silberberg on a weekly adventure, journeying into the depths of the 2011 film We Bought A Zoo.
The adventure begins on Thursday, October 29th.
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4.7 / 5
16 ratings
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