Best Open Rehearsal Podcasts (2025)

1
Italian happiness trains 10:46

4h ago10:46

10:46

Between 1945 and 1952, ‘happiness trains’ transported 70,000 children from southern to northern Italy to live with wealthier families. It was a scheme organised by the Union of Italian Women and the Italian Communist Party in an attempt to make the lives of southern Italian children better. Ten-year-old Bianca D’Aniello was one of the passengers to…

1
Cinephobe Ep 272: Nowhere to Run 1:53:57

1d ago1:53:57

1:53:57

Watch this week's Look At This Photograph on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ Zach, Amin and Mayes are wearing suits to go camping in the Valley of the Moon, grilling steaks and drinking whiskey by a pond. ⁠⁠⁠⁠CINEPHOBE MERCH STORE⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Check it out here:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://bit.ly/CTDMERCH⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the Count The Dings Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠ for Rewatchingtons, Ad-Free Episodes, Ext…

1
The opening of the Medellin Metro 9:14

3h ago9:14

9:14

When the Medellin Metro opened in 1995, the Colombian city had recently been called the “murder capital of the world” due to the high homicide rate caused by Pablo Escobar’s drug wars. The network has grown to include a large cable car network which stretches to the neighbourhoods built into the sides of mountains that surround Medellin. It has hel…

1
The funeral train for Robert Kennedy 10:25

1d ago10:25

10:25

In June 1968, Senator Robert Kennedy was killed during his campaign for the American presidency. There was nationwide mourning with huge crowds lining the tracks for his funeral train, as it travelled from New York to Washington DC. In 2012, Simon Watts spoke to Kennedy's former press secretary Frank Mankiewicz and to his former bodyguard Rosey Gri…

1
The Czech Freedom Train 10:37

2d ago10:37

10:37

On 11 September 1951, the 9.55am train from Prague to Aš, in Communist Czechoslovakia was hijacked and driven to freedom in West Germany. One hundred and eleven people were on board and 34 of them never returned, starting new lives on the other side of the Iron Curtain. The remaining 77 returned to Czechoslovakia to face state security, the Státní …

1
Top 5 Mayes' Wedding 1:12:08

4d ago1:12:08

1:12:08

Watch this episode on YouTube⁠⁠⁠ Zach, Amin and Mayes debrief the latest Harper & Elhassan Wedding Chronicles, which included a shared notes app to jot down observations. ⁠⁠⁠CINEPHOBE MERCH STORE⁠⁠⁠ - Check it out here:⁠⁠⁠ https://bit.ly/CTDMERCH⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Join the Count The Dings Patreon⁠⁠⁠ for Rewatchingtons, Ad-Free Episodes, Extended Cold Opens and…

1
The Gratitude Train: France thanks America 10:35

3d ago10:35

10:35

In 1949, the Gratitude Train arrived in the United States, made up of 49 wagons filled with thousands of gifts from France. The convoy was a thank-you to American families who’d sent food and supplies across the Atlantic, via a ‘friendship train’ in the aftermath of World War Two. It was the idea of a French railworker called Andre Picard. In the s…

1
Making Jaws 10:29

7d ago10:29

10:29

It’s 50 years since the original Jaws film was released in cinemas across America. The movie premiered on 20 June 1975. Directed by a young Steven Spielberg, who was relatively unknown at the time, it was considered Hollywood’s pioneering summer blockbuster. The thriller broke records by becoming the first movie to gross over $100 million at the US…

1
Extended Cold Opens - November 2024 to May 2025 2:07:34

8d ago2:07:34

2:07:34

We're dipping back into our cold storage to defrost a pot pourri of extended cold opens from The Good Son in November through Rocky V in May 2025. ⁠CINEPHOBE MERCH STORE⁠ - Check it out here:⁠ https://bit.ly/CTDMERCH⁠ ⁠Join the Count The Dings Patreon⁠ for Rewatchingtons, Ad-Free Episodes, Extended Cold Opens and more at⁠ www.patreon.com/CountTheDi…

1
The signing of the Treaty of Versailles 9:48

8d ago9:48

9:48

On 28 June 1919, in the Palace of Versailles in Paris the signing of the Treaty of Versailles took place. It was a peace agreement that marked the end of World War One. The terms of the treaty punished Germany for their involvement in starting the war. British journalist, William Norman Ewer attended the signing. He told his story to the BBC World …

1
Civil rights swim-in 10:48

10d ago10:48

10:48

On 18 June 1964, black and white protesters jumped into a ‘whites only’ swimming pool at a motel in St Augustine, in Florida. Photos of the Monson Motor Lodge manager, James Brock, pouring cleaning acid into the pool to get them out, made global headlines. The following day, the Civil Rights Act - a landmark bill to end discrimination which had bee…

1
Charleston church shooting 8:59

11d ago8:59

8:59

On 17 June 2015, white supremacist Dylann Roof attended a bible group at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in the United States. As it was ending, the 21-year-old started shooting and killed nine people. Polly Sheppard was one of the survivors. She called 911 whilst hiding from Roof. The shootings at the hist…

1
'Tripperburgen' the sexual health clinics that detained women 10:00

12d ago10:00

10:00

After the Second World War, in what was then East Germany, or the German Democratic Republic (GDR), tens of thousands of women and girls were forcibly detained and abused in sexual health clinics. In 1977, at the age of 15, Sabine was at a house party in Leipzig when police came for her. She was taken to a so-called ‘Tripperburgen’ which translates…

1
The Schengen Agreement 10:12

15d ago10:12

10:12

On 14 June 1985, five politicians met on a boat in the town of Schengen, in Luxembourg, to sign an agreement to get rid of border checks between their countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France and West Germany. The Schengen Area now encompasses more than 450 million people and 29 countries in Europe. Rachel Naylor speaks to Robert Goe…

1
Cinephobe Ep 271: Stigmata 1:45:24

15d ago1:45:24

1:45:24

Watch this week's Look At This Photograph on YouTube⁠⁠⁠ Zach, Amin and Mayes received some rosary beads (hi Brent!) in the mail and began gushing blood. Someone call Doctor Morbius. ⁠⁠⁠CINEPHOBE MERCH STORE⁠⁠⁠ - Check it out here:⁠⁠⁠ https://bit.ly/CTDMERCH⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Join the Count The Dings Patreon⁠⁠⁠ for Rewatchingtons, Ad-Free Episodes, Extended Col…

1
Ronald Reagan’s ‘Tear down this wall’ speech 10:35

16d ago10:35

10:35

In 1987 Uunied States President Ronald Reagan spoke at the Berlin Wall. In his speech he called on the leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev to "Tear down this wall". The famous words were met with applause and cheers by the large crowd of West Berliners who had lived in a divided city since 1961 when the wall was built. However, that phras…

1
Lonesome George: The celebrity tortoise 10:49

17d ago10:49

10:49

In 2012, Lonesome George, the last tortoise of his species died. George, from Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean, was a global symbol of conservation and brought to the attention of the world the reality of extinction. James Gibbs, vice president of science and conservation at the Galapagos Conservancy knew George well. He looked afte…

1
The woman born in a prisoner of war camp 10:52

18d ago10:52

10:52

After the Sino-Indian war in 1962, around 3,000 men, women and children were incarcerated in a disused World War Two prisoner of war camp. Indians of Chinese descent were sent there having fallen prey to government suspicion following the war which only lasted a few weeks. Joy Ma was born in the camp in Deoli, Rajasthan, and spent the first four ye…

1
Top 5 Rehearsals 1:06:26

18d ago1:06:26

1:06:26

Watch this episode on YouTube⁠⁠ Zach, Amin and Mayes deepen their Nathan Fielder obsession by taking his various techniques from The Rehearsal and applying it to situations and characters from the Cinephobe universe. ⁠⁠CINEPHOBE MERCH STORE⁠⁠ - Check it out here:⁠⁠ https://bit.ly/CTDMERCH⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Join the Count The Dings Patreon⁠⁠ for Rewatchingtons, A…

1
World War Two’s Rome escape line 10:31

19d ago10:31

10:31

Between September 1943 and June 1944 in World War Two, the Italian capital Rome was occupied by German soldiers. Italy had surrendered and thousands of Allied prisoners of war had escaped from internment camps in the country. An Irish priest, Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, who was working for the neutral state of Vatican City set in the heart of Rome, …

1
Usonia: Frank Lloyd Wright’s ‘utopian’ town 10:13

22d ago10:13

10:13

In 1948, the foundation was laid for a “utopian” community of houses designed by a man described as America’s greatest ever architect. Frank Lloyd Wright had been approached by a group who wanted to create a social collective of affordable homes, on land an hour north of New York city. The group of 47 flat-roofed, open-plan homes became known as Us…

1
Cinephobe Ep 270: Once Bitten 2:00:04

22d ago2:00:04

2:00:04

Watch this week's Look At This Photograph on YouTube⁠⁠⁠ Zach, Amin and Mayes discover that being a vampire in the 20th century is a nightmare, because horniness is so rampant in 1980s Los Angeles there's a shortage of virgin blood. ⁠⁠⁠CINEPHOBE MERCH STORE⁠⁠⁠ - Check it out here:⁠⁠⁠ https://bit.ly/CTDMERCH⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Join the Count The Dings Patreon⁠⁠⁠ …

1
The discovery of the first exoplanets 10:30

23d ago10:30

10:30

On 9 January 1992, astronomers Alex Wolszczan and Dale Frail announced they had discovered the first two exoplanets, or planets outside our solar system, while working at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. The two planets orbit a pulsar, a neutron star, 2,300 light-years away, in the constellation Virgo. We now know of the existence of nearly …

1
Favela life: The diary of Carolina Maria de Jesus 9:36

24d ago9:36

9:36

Carolina Maria de Jesus was a poor, single mother-of-three who lived in a derelict shack and spent her days scavenging for food. Her diary, written between 1955 and 1960, brought to life the harsh realities faced by thousands of poor Brazilians who arrived in cities like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro looking for better opportunities. In 1960, her di…

1
The world’s largest model train set 10:36

25d ago10:36

10:36

In 2000, nightclub owners and twins Frederik and Gerrit Braun went from the neon lights of a Hamburg nightclub to building the world’s largest model trainset. Miniatur Wunderland is now a top tourist destination and global attraction visited by millions, including celebrities like Adele and Sir Rod Stewart. Frederik and Gerrit Braun tell Megan Jone…

1
Dolly Rathebe: South Africa’s first international film star 10:08

26d ago10:08

10:08

South Africa’s first feature film aimed at black audiences was released in 1949, launching Dolly Rathebe’s career. The actress and jazz musician was discovered by chance by two British film makers and with no previous acting experience, she was cast in Jim Comes to Jo’burg, also known as African Jim. She played Judy, a glamourous nightclub singer. …

1
The Battle of the Beanfield 10:10

29d ago10:10

10:10

On 1 June 1985, a convoy of New Age Travellers set off for the ancient stone circle of Stonehenge in the south of England. They were planning to hold a festival there for the summer solstice, but they were stopped by police blocking their access to the site. The authorities had heard the travellers were carrying chainsaws and petrol bombs. The poli…

1
Cinephobe Ep 269: Morbius 2:02:56

29d ago2:02:56

2:02:56

Watch this week's Look At This Photograph on YouTube⁠⁠ Zach, Amin and Mayes remix their DNA with a bat and become bat men so they can Morb like they've never Morbed before. ⁠⁠CINEPHOBE MERCH STORE⁠⁠ - Check it out here:⁠⁠ https://bit.ly/CTDMERCH⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Join the Count The Dings Patreon⁠⁠ for Rewatchingtons, Ad-Free Episodes, Extended Cold Opens and mor…

1
The legacy of The Pirate Bay 10:40

30d ago10:40

10:40

On 31 May 2006, police launched one of the largest raids in Swedish history, seizing servers from The Pirate Bay - a hugely popular but highly controversial file-sharing website. Co-founder Peter Sunde managed to copy a backup meaning the site could relaunch just days later. He became a folk hero among internet users who relied on the platform for …

1
Chinua Achebe’s revolutionary book Things Fall Apart 9:07

1M ago9:07

9:07

In 1958 Nigerian writer, Chinua Achebe, published his first book, Things Fall Apart. Set in pre-colonial rural Nigeria, it examines how the arrival of foreigners led to tensions within traditional Igbo society. The book revolutionised African writing, and began a whole new genre of world literature. In 2016, Rebecca Kesby spoke to Achebe's youngest…

1
The Tragically Hip's final gig 9:55

1M ago9:55

9:55

In 2015, rockstar and Canadian icon Gord Downie was given months to live, after doctors found he had a terminal brain tumour. But instead of quietly exiting the stage, Gord and his band, the Tragically Hip, came up with a plan to play 15 shows across 10 of Canada’s major cities. Megan Lawton speaks to lead guitarist Rob Baker about the tour and the…

1
Top 5 Fights 57:47

1M ago57:47

57:47

Watch this episode on YouTube⁠ Zach, Amin and Mayes chronicle their favorite fracases, brawls, tussles, skirmishes, melees and scuffles, from hand to hand combat all the way to the existential battles that face us all. ⁠CINEPHOBE MERCH STORE⁠ - Check it out here:⁠ https://bit.ly/CTDMERCH⁠ ⁠Join the Count The Dings Patreon⁠ for Rewatchingtons, Ad-Fr…

1
'I wrote the Champions League anthem' 10:18

1M ago10:18

10:18

In 1992, European football was at a turning point. The European Cup was going to be replaced with a new format: The Champions League. European football’s governing body, Uefa wanted a classical theme to accompany the new competition, in an attempt to try and fix the image of football which was mired by hooliganism at the time. Tony Britten was the …

1
Vivian Maier: Secret street photographer 10:41

1M ago10:41

10:41

It is only since Vivian Maier's death in 2009 that the 150,000 photographs she rarely showed to anyone have come to light. Working as a nanny in the suburbs of Chicago in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s, she captured extraordinary street scenes on a Rolleiflex camera. But she did not always develop the photos. With no permanent home of her…

1
Cinephobe Ep 268: My Super Ex-Girlfriend 1:52:23

1M ago1:52:23

1:52:23

Watch this week's Look At This Photograph on YouTube⁠ Zach, Amin and Mayes dump a super broad for being too clingy while learning that sexual harassment is a two way street. ⁠CINEPHOBE MERCH STORE⁠ - Check it out here:⁠ https://bit.ly/CTDMERCH⁠ ⁠Join the Count The Dings Patreon⁠ for Rewatchingtons, Ad-Free Episodes, Extended Cold Opens and more at⁠…

1
The founding of Magnum Photos 10:13

1M ago10:13

10:13

In the aftermath of World War Two, a group of famous photographers brought their individual styles into one powerful collaboration, over a celebratory bottle of champagne. On 22 May 1947 the agency, Magnum Photos was founded, going on to represent some of the world’s best photographers. In 2017, Louise Hidalgo spoke to Jinx Rodger, the widow of one…

1
Martín Chambi: Peru's pioneering documentary photographer 10:43

1M ago10:43

10:43

Martín Chambi is regarded as one of the most important indigenous Peruvian photographers of the 20th century. Famous for his black and white images of local Andean people and the surrounding countryside, Chambi’s work challenged preconceptions of Peruvian culture and traditions. In 1924 he was among the first to photograph Machu Picchu – his work h…

1
Nigerian photographer’s iconic 'Hairstyles' series 10:41

1M ago10:41

10:41

J. D. 'Okhai Ojeikere, who was known as Nigeria’s top photographer, started documenting women’s hairstyles in 1968. He built up a portfolio of around 2,000 negatives revealing the elaborate ways African women styled their hair through his series of black and white photos. A selection of his 'Hairstyles' prints was displayed at the Venice Biennale i…

1
Lunch atop a Skyscraper 10:02

1M ago10:02

10:02

In 1932, a photo was taken showing 11 New York ironworkers casually eating their lunch while sitting on a steel beam at the top of a skyscraper. No safety harnesses, no helmets. Their legs dangle freely over the death-defying drop. 'Lunch atop a Skyscraper' is now one of the most famous pictures in the world but it's an image surrounded in mystery.…

1
Sweden’s shocking sugar experiment 9:56

1M ago9:56

9:56

In the 1940s, some vulnerable Swedish hospital patients were fed large amounts of sugary sweets as part of an experiment to see what it would do to their teeth. Researchers considered the study a success as it led to new recommendations for children to eat sweets just once a week. In the 1990s, the unethical aspects of the experiment emerged when E…

1
Cinephobe Ep 267: Kraven the Hunter 1:59:06

1M ago1:59:06

1:59:06

Watch this week's Look At This Photograph on YouTube⁠ Zach, Amin and Mayes were made to do this. They're the greatest bad movie podcasters on the planet. It's undeniable. So no. Why would we want to stop? ⁠CINEPHOBE MERCH STORE⁠ - Check it out here:⁠ https://bit.ly/CTDMERCH⁠ ⁠Join the Count The Dings Patreon⁠ for Rewatchingtons, Ad-Free Episodes, E…

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