Best Rob Macfarlane Podcasts (2025)

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The Last Salmon: Rob Macfarlane & why rivers are alive and should have rights 49:15

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6d ago49:15

49:15

Is a river alive? What a question….it throws up so many if, buts, maybes, but most importantly, why not? They are our lifeblood, our circulation, our healing waters. But they also need saving now in these troubled times of extraction, industrialisation and pollution. To kick off Season 2, we’re taking the big picture view when it comes to rivers, a…

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Rob Macfarlane: Why rivers are alive and should have rights 49:16

6d ago49:16

49:16

Is a river alive? What a question….it throws up so many if, buts, maybes, but most importantly, why not? Rivers helped save me, and I truly believe they are our lifeblood, our circulation, our healing waters. But they also need saving now in these troubled times of extraction, industrialisation and pollution. To kick off Season 2, we’re taking the …

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Titane (2021): What Is This Insane Movie Actually About?! 58:39

4d ago58:39

58:39

Ben and Rob strap in for Titane (2021), the brutal, brilliant body horror from writer-director Julia Ducournau. Following her breakout debut Raw, Ducournau returns with Titane, a genre-defying mix of horror, surrealism, and melodrama that left one host completely wrecked—in the best way, the other in the worst. Is Titane about love, loneliness, or …

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The Future of the Ontario Liberal Party with Bonnie Crombie 1:07:56

6d ago1:07:56

1:07:56

In this episode, we’re joined by the leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, Bonnie Crombie. We talk about the fallout from the recent provincial election, her party's upcoming leadership review, and her vision for Ontario's future. Where to Find Us: Social Accounts: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProgressCanada Instagram: https://www.instagram.com…

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Civil War (2024): What Does The Most Timely Film Alex Garland Has Ever Made Really Mean? 1:01:34

11d ago1:01:34

1:01:34

Ben and Rob head to the frontlines with Alex Garland’s Civil War (2024), the film that he intended to be his last in the directors chair. Starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, and Nick Offerman, Civil War isn’t your typical dystopian epic. Instead, Alex Garland delivers a chilling, ground-level road movie where journalists race throu…

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The Last Salmon: Season 2 Launching July 25th 1:13

12d ago1:13

1:13

Wild salmon are in a perilous state. But we can’t and won’t give up.The Last Salmon with Jim Murray is back for another season, launching July 25th, addressing the problems and hearing from all sides of the argument, to find the solutions to help save our wild salmon.It’s not too late, the salmon haven’t give up, and nor can we. The Last Salmon, pr…

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Season 2 Trailer 1:13

12d ago1:13

1:13

Wild salmon are in a perilous state. But we can’t and won’t give up. The Last Salmon with Jim Murray is back for another season, launching July 25th, addressing the problems and hearing from all sides of the argument, to find the solutions to help save our wild salmon. It’s not too late, the salmon haven’t give up, and nor can we. The Last Salmon, …

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Rob Macaisa Colgate : Hardly Creatures & My Love is Water 2:32:30

13d ago2:32:30

2:32:30

Today’s conversation with Rob Macaisa Colgate is about two books, his poetry collection Hardly Creatures and his verse drama My Love is Water. You could say these two books are approaching the same questions, but from opposite, if complementary vantage points. Questions of care and disability, of accessibility and community, of Filipino-American id…

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‘If the rod doesn’t talk to you, you’re not doing it right’ Packy Trotter on a lifetime of fly fishing teaching and learning 59:03

13d ago59:03

59:03

We should never stop learning – and in fly fishing especially, we’re never done. This week we hear from Packy Trotter a life long fly angler, guide and instructor who epitomises the spirit of teaching and learning in the sport. STANIC and APGAI qualified, Packy then travelled to the Catskills where he took the FFF certified and FFF masters qualific…

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Rebuilding the Green Movement on PEI with Matt MacFarlane 47:20

13d ago47:20

47:20

In this episode, we’re joined by the new leader of the Green Party of Prince Edward Island, Matt MacFarlane. We talk about what it means to lead with bold ideas in Canada’s smallest province and what it will take to finally win government. Where to Find Us: Social Media: YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@ProgressCanada⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.…

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Raw (2016): Why Shouldn't We Call This A Feminist Horror?! 1:01:50

19d ago1:01:50

1:01:50

Ben and Rob bite into Raw (2016), the feature debut of writer-director Julia Ducournau. This French body horror classic follows Justine, a lifelong vegetarian who develops a craving for human flesh during her first year at veterinary school. With visceral imagery, unflinching performances, and gallons of fake blood, Raw made Ducournau one of the mo…

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The Wrap-Up Alberta: By-Election in Battle River-Crowfoot 51:43

19d ago51:43

51:43

The deep blue riding of Battle River–Crowfoot will be up for grabs in a by-election this summer. We break down why this Conservative stronghold matters nationally, what to watch for in the campaign, and the ripple effect the campaign will have on Pierre Poilievre's leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada. Where to Find Us: Social Media: YouT…

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The Bucket List: Ronan Collins on Fly Fishing in Africa 58:59

23d ago58:59

58:59

Continuing our fly fishing in hot waters theme on the show, this week we’re joined by Ronan Collins, a well-known and well-travelled fly angler who is just back from a trip to Gabon in west Africa. Ronan tells us why fly fishing in Africa should be on everyone’s bucket list with an incredible array of species to be caught from crevalle to snappers,…

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Men (2022): The Secret Meanings Behind Alex Garland's Strangest Film To Date 1:07:16

25d ago1:07:16

1:07:16

Ben and Rob summon ‘Men’ (2022), written and directed by visionary director Alex Garland. This surreal, unsettling folk horror stars Jessie Buckley as a grieving woman plagued by a series of near-identical men—all played by Rory Kinnear—in a remote English village. As Alex Garland leaves behind the structured sci-fi of Ex Machina and Annihilation, …

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Love & Mercy (2025): Is This The Best Music Biopic Ever Made? 1:01:33

30d ago1:01:33

1:01:33

Ben and Rob wade into the beautiful mind of Brian Wilson’s mind waters with ‘Love & Mercy’ the biopic that, much like the man, is split right in two. With Paul Dano as the young Brian Wilson crafting Pet Sounds and battling hallucinations, and John Cusack as the older Brian Wilson trapped under the thumb of a manipulative therapist, ‘Love & Mercy’ …

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The Wrap-Up Alberta: Defending Alberta's Place in Canada with Thomas Lukaszuk 43:10

29d ago43:10

43:10

In this episode, we’re joined by former Deputy Premier of Alberta Thomas Lukaszuk to discuss his grassroots campaign to defend Alberta’s place in Canada against rising separatism. Where to Find Us: Social Media: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProgressCanada Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progress_canada_podcast Facebook: https://www.facebo…

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The Assessment (2025): Why This Is The Best Debut Film Of The Year 1:02:17

1M ago1:02:17

1:02:17

Ben and Rob take the test this week with The Assessment (2024), a stark, unsettling sci-fi drama that might just be the strongest directorial debut we’ve seen in years. With Elizabeth Olsen delivering what could be one of the best performances of the year, The Assessment throws us into a chilling future where personal worth is measured, judged, and…

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The Wrap-Up Ontario: The Ontario Liberal Leadership Review 1:18:50

1M ago1:18:50

1:18:50

After a losing election campaign, the Ontario Liberal Party’s Constitution requires a leadership review to take place at the party’s upcoming convention in September. In this episode, our panel tackles key questions ahead of the vote: What does Bonnie Crombie need to do to convince members she deserves a second chance to lead the party to victory? …

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Trout in Hot Water – Ken Whelan on fly fishing in a changing climate 56:14

1M ago56:14

56:14

This week, with the hot temperatures we’ve been having and the noticeable lack of rainfall, we wanted to speak to renowned fisheries scientist, Ken Whelan, who gave a talk at the recent Irish Spring Angling Fair, called ‘Trout in hot water’. Ken details the impact and consequences of rising temperatures on our freshwater fish as well as their food …

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Robert Macfarlane : Is a River Alive? 2:12:14

1M ago2:12:14

2:12:14

Don’t miss today’s conversation with Robert Macfarlane. A polyvocal deep dive into the mysteries of words and rivers, of speech acts as spells, whorls as worlds, of grammars of animacy, of what it means to river, and to be rivered. From the Epic of Gilgamesh to Virginia Woolf’s wave in the mind to Ursula K. Le Guin’s fellow feeling to Leanne Betasa…

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Annihilation (2018): Breakdowns, Biology and Bears That Scream With Anguish 1:01:08

1M ago1:01:08

1:01:08

Ben and Rob welcome Annihilation, Alex Garland’s 2018 cosmic horror that proved too complex for the box office despite critical adoration. Starring Natalie Portman as a biologist on a grief-fuelled mission into a zone where DNA scrambles and metaphors get literal, Annihilation is part horror, part elegy, and part existential crisis. Alex Garland’s …

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The Mid-Season Review – the highs & lows of the season so far 36:40

1M ago36:40

36:40

This week, in honour of the midsummer solstice, we’ve recorded a midseason review to find out how the fishing has been so far, the highs and lows, and what we can expect for the second half of the season. It might be the height of summer but it won’t be long before the long days start getting shorter so make the most of your fishing while you can. …

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Power, Politics, and the Path Ahead with Kathleen Wynne 56:11

1M ago56:11

56:11

As Ontario's 25th Premier, Kathleen Wynne broke barriers, led Ontario through major challenges, and was a powerful voice in Canadian politics. In this episode, the former Premier joins us to reflect on the changing political landscape, the rise of polarization, and what it takes to lead with integrity in uncertain times. We also talk about the next…

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Paddy Gargan on his Landmark Sea Lice Study 1:08:29

2M ago1:08:29

1:08:29

This season we’ve heard about the disastrous spring salmon run and there hasn’t been much to report yet for the grilse run – all in all, our worst fears about salmon numbers seem to be coming true – and not just in Ireland. One of the worst culprits of course is aquaculture and the effects that sea lice from salmon farms has on migrating salmon, wh…

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The Future of Prince Edward Island with Mark Ledwell 1:01:35

2M ago1:01:35

1:01:35

Prince Edward Island’s governing Progressive Conservativesare choosing a new leader and the next premier. Today, we sit down with leadership contender Mark Ledwell. A lawyer and public policy expert with deep Island roots, he brings decades of experience advising on complex issues related to infrastructure, energy, agri-food, and finance to his bid…

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adrienne maree brown : Ancestors 2:23:56

2M ago2:23:56

2:23:56

With the arrival of Ancestors, the third and final book in adrienne maree brown’s Grievers Trilogy, we take the iconic frames she has created in her nonfiction work—emergent strategy, pleasure activism, fractal responsibility, loving corrections and more—and look at how they are dramatized within this fictional near-future Detroit. Much as the thre…

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Ex Machina (2017): A Film That's About Everything Except AI 57:37

2M ago57:37

57:37

Ben and Rob test ‘Ex Machina’, Alex Garland’s sleek, sterile sci-fi thriller where tech anxiety gets seductive and sinister. Domhnall Gleeson plays Caleb, a wide-eyed coder sent to play assistant to Oscar Isaac’s Natan, a tech genius channeling Elon Musk if he ever got off the bad stuff; but the star of ‘Ex Machina’ is Ava—Alicia Vikander’s uncanny…

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The Wrap-Up - Ontario Edition: The Ford Era 59:49

2M ago59:49

59:49

Doug Ford just won his third straight majority, the first Ontario premier to do so since 1959. But what does it mean for the future of the province? In this debut episode of The Wrap-Up: Ontario, Theresa, Darrell, and Jordan break down the results of the recent provincial election, Ford’s rush to pass seven controversial bills, and what kind of pow…

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Ireland at the World Fly Fishing Championships 1:09:04

2M ago1:09:04

1:09:04

This time last week the Ireland fly fishing team was in the Czech Republic getting ready for their shot at the World Fly Fishing Championships and with a very respectable sixth place last year in France, hopes were high for the team that they might even medal – something that has never been done before by an Irish team in the World Championships. T…

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Life as a First-Time MPP with Rob Cerjanec 52:13

2M ago52:13

52:13

Rob Cerjanec is one of the newest MPPs at Queen’s Park. He represents Ajax and serves as the Ontario Liberal Critic for Economic Development and Innovation, Tourism, Sport and Culture. In this episode, Rob shares what it took to win his seat, how he’s adjusting to life in the Legislature, and what he hopes to bring to Queen’s Park as part of a new …

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Funny Games (2007): The Film So EVIL They Made It Twice! 1:01:27

2M ago1:01:27

1:01:27

Ben and Rob play ‘Funny Games’, Michael Haneke’s brutal shot-for-shot 2007 remake of his original home invasion masterpiece from ten years prior. Starring Naomi Watts, Michael Pitt, Tim Roth and Brady Corbet, ‘Funny Games’ is a hauntingly cold movie about not only the holiday from hell, but of horror movies and why we watch them. But why did direct…

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Building an Economic Floor in Society with Deb Matthews 30:30

2M ago30:30

30:30

In this episode, former Ontario Deputy Premier Deb Matthews joins us to talk about what it takes to build an economic floor in society. We discuss the creation of the Ontario Child Benefit, Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, Debt-Free Tuition, and the Ontario Basic Income Pilot. We also touch on how local progress can spark national action towar…

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The 2025 Mayfly Review 41:15

2M ago41:15

41:15

We’re nearly into June and the mayfly is finally petering out. It’s hard to believe that it began at Easter time on Corrib, whilst recently, Sheelin has been described as being ‘polluted with fly’ where fly anglers have been left with pretty much only suntans this year. So this week, to find out more, joining us for our annual mayfly season review …

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DREDD (2012): The Best Film You Probably Haven't Seen 1:00:50

2M ago1:00:50

1:00:50

Ben and Rob feel “DREDD”, the 2013 Pete Travis directed adaptation of 2000AD’s megastar character Judge Dredd, starring Karl Urban, Lena Headey and Olivia Thirlby. Written by Alex Garland (director of ‘Ex Machina’, ‘Civil War’, ‘Warfare’), ‘DREDD’ struggled to make back its budget, despite good reviews and praise for its accuracy to the source mate…

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What to Expect from the Throne Speech with Lloyd Rang 58:42

2M ago58:42

58:42

What happens when campaign promises meet the reality of governing? In this episode, we go behind the scenes of Canada’s upcoming Throne Speech with speechwriter Lloyd Rang. Lloyd has helped craft these rare and powerful addresses for Ontario premiers and recently worked on Mark Carney’s campaign. He joins us to unpack what makes a Throne Speech dif…

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Ballisodare Fishery and why its future remains bright 1:09:30

2M ago1:09:30

1:09:30

Ballisodare Fishery is a name that’s probably familiar to you from the salmon fish kill last summer that hit the headlines but after the deaths of one thousand plus salmon, why did it happen and how can we ensure it doesn’t happen again? Despite the events of last year, the fishery is determined to showcase what it does have – namely great fly fish…

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Madeleine Thien : The Book of Records 2:00:32

2M ago2:00:32

2:00:32

The Book of Records is many things: a book of historical fiction and speculative fiction, a meditation on time and on space-time, on storytelling and truth, on memory and the imagination, a book that impossibly conjures the lives and eras of the philosopher Baruch Spinoza, the Tang dynasty poet Du Fu and the political theorist Hannah Arendt not as …

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Death Of A Unicorn (2025): Paul Rudd Hits a Unicorn But Can Capitalism Hit Back? 1:00:32

3M ago1:00:32

1:00:32

Ben and Rob autopsy ‘Death Of A Unicorn’, A24’s latest horror comedy starring Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Richard E Grant and Will Poulter. ‘Death Of A Unicorn’ tells the tale of a father-daughter duo who hit a mythical beast with their car and somehow end up in a biotech conspiracy full of blood, mythology and not-so-subtle satire. Is this film a tak…