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PODCAST

Open To Criticism

What if your taste in movies is being dictated by powerful voices who don’t look like you, think like you, or care about the stories you want to see? Film critic Wendy Lloyd investigates who’s really shaping what you watch – and why it matters.In the #MeToo, BLM, and Times Up era, are the gatekeepers of film criticism changing, or are the same old voices still pulling the strings? Wendy digs deep into who gets to shape the conversation, why it matters, and how the stories we value are impacted by

tv & film film interviews

All Episodes

38:21

Dr Clive Nwonka: British Urban Film's Struggle for...

Open To Criticism ·

2024/05/09

For the final episode in the current season I'm speaking to leading academic on Black British and African American film, Dr Clive Nwonka. Clive's latest book Black Boys: The Social Aesthetics of British Urban Film is the first to have been written on the subject. In it, Clive argues the need for this often overlooked and denigrated genre to be properly recognised in its own right - so that it might take its rightful place in arts and culture. Clive shares his insights on the social and political

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36:33

Corrina Antrobus: The Feminist Reframing of Rom-Coms

Open To Criticism ·

2024/05/03

The much maligned Rom-Com is a perfect example of how a whole film genre can be dismissed by dint of who the stories are for, and who they are about. (Clue: it's not men!). After a classy start in Hollywood, Rom Coms - and their sister genre 'Chick Flicks" - have been used to dismiss a particular type of love story, and anyone who's dared to enjoy them. And so the Guilty Pleasure was born. Thankfully times are changing, and there's a realisation that many films that have been overlooked - at best! -

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34:18

Anton Bitel: Critics vs Influencers? Round 2

Open To Criticism ·

2024/04/26

I return to the subject of critics versus influences this week, following my enlightening chat with critic and industry influencer Ashanti Omkar back in Season 1. Influencers are increasingly being used by film publicists to provide exposure and hype ahead of film releases - especially Blockbusters. But has it gone too far? Some critics think so - and there was industry outrage last summer when many felt their freedom to express genuine reactions to the film Barbie was being curtailed by publicists

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38:11

Jo Berry: The Kids are Alright? Critiquing Family Films

Open To Criticism ·

2024/04/19

In the hierarchy of film genres, those aimed at kids, or "family" movies, don't tend to be up there. Even though from Toy Story, to Finding Nemo to Snow White and her Dwarves, there's a long history of iconic movies that have defined the childhoods of generations. Kids' films are also a minefield for parents - discerning what is age appropriate and what to expect from the somewhat confusing certification. Film Critic Jo Berry has carved out an important and much needed niche reviewing family films

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37:11

Stephen Follows: The Film and Critic Data

Open To Criticism ·

2024/04/12

Perhaps it's rash of me to assume you're on board with my narrative about inequalities in film criticism and its skewed white male demographic. Perhaps you need to hear from someone at the coalface of data who can confirm my claims - and add to them with their own reputable research. If so, then this week's conversation with Stephen Follows should be just the ticket. Stephen's a data researcher and educator in the film industry whose work focussing on patterns and trends has been widely published

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32:37

Ita O'Brien: Modernising Movie Sex Scenes

Open To Criticism ·

2024/04/05

We're back to sex again, because let's face it, it's a key area where inequality and abuse can take place onscreen. However, since the Weinstein furore, more attention is being paid to how intimate scenes are filmed, and how actors are supported in these vulnerable spaces. So how about changes in the way that audiences and critics are perceiving and discussing the sex and other intimate scenes they watch? Are we responding to this new era of consent with respect and appreciation? To find out I went

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36:05

Gabriella Geisinger: Jewish Identity Onscreen

Open To Criticism ·

2024/03/29

This week I talk to critic Gabriella Geisinger about the representation of Jews onscreen, prompted by several big movies in the past year that provoked debate about authentic casting. I'm talking of course about Maestro, Oppenheimer and Golda. I reached out to Gabriella after reading her insightful article about Bradley Cooper's prosthetic nose and the debate that it, and his casting in the role of Leonard Bernstein, prompted. I wanted her perspective on non-Jewish actors being cast in major

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35:18

Mia Farrell: Critic Power at Film Festivals

Open To Criticism ·

2024/03/22

Film festivals are more than just red carpet glamour. They're THE launchpad for movies, and the difference between a positive critic reaction versus an across the board trashing can make or break a film. But whilst there are a much more representative cohort of critics working today, it's still the same faces and traditional demographic attending the big festivals. Which means those big first reviews that can decide whether a film gets picked up for distribution and ends up on cinema screens - or

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36:53

Anna Bogutskaya: Unlikeable Female Characters

Open To Criticism ·

2024/03/15

I'm back for a new season of my two-time award nominated podcast! Kicking off in fine style with critic, author, podcaster, author and film programmer Anna Bogutskaya. Anna's fascinating book Unlikeable Female Characters interrogates nine key tropes of female representation, including the angry woman and the pyscho. We dig into the long history of moralising about how women have been permitted to carry themselves onscreen and offscreen, and how things have been shifting for female creators and their

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6:26

Festivals, Onscreen Intimacy, Jewish Representation,...

Open To Criticism ·

2024/03/08

The two-time UK Independent Award nominated podcast Open To Criticism is back for season 2! And to mark International Women's Day 2024 the trailer goes live and features four awesome women coming up in the season: Critics Gabriella Geisinger and Anna Bogutskaya, onset intimacy co-ordinator Ita O'Brien and Film Festival PR and strategist Mia Farrell. Check out the first episode coming March 15th Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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33:40

Guy Lodge: Queering Critique

Open To Criticism ·

2023/05/26

For the final episode of season 1 I dig deep into the theme of critic identity, in a bid to really illustrate how beneficial it is to gain alternative perspectives to the false norm of the straight white male. My guest Guy Lodge is a very established critic whose queer perspective challenges the heteronormative assumptions of both mainstream filmmaking and traditional criticism. This week we discuss the initially overlooked queer themes of The Power Of The Dog; queer cinema then and now - including

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37:31

Kaleem Aftab: Film and Criticism beyond the Western Gaze

Open To Criticism ·

2023/05/19

This week we look at the recent explosion of quality filmmaking in Asia, Africa and across the Arab world with critic, producer and author Kaleem Aftab. Kaleem explains how cheaper technology, recent social movements and streaming are just some of the factors enabling new filmmakers from these regions to start taking ownership of their stories - stories that have often been misrepresented and exploited by Hollywood. We discuss how some notable female filmmakers from these regions are coming through,

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36:35

Hanna Flint: "Strong Female Character" and Critic...

Open To Criticism ·

2023/05/12

The issue of identity and how much a critic brings theirs into their work has been a longstanding debate. Traditionally critics believed in assuming a neutral detached standpoint. Now however, that supposed 'universal' position is being challenged for actually being the white male perspective born of their domination of the field. My guest this week Hanna Flint and her book Strong Female Character are great examples of how a critic's love of film is woven into the very fabric of their life. And in

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35:57

Pamela Hutchinson: Cinema - the perfect archive of...

Open To Criticism ·

2023/05/05

Rethinking criticism in the light of wider changes in the film industry - as a result of MeToo, BLM and Times Up - helps determine a way forward. But what does that mean for cinema's history? How do we now reappraise many classic films and their increasingly troublesome representations from our viewpoint of the 21st century? The person to ask is definitely this week's guest: critic and film historian Pamela Hutchinson, who authors books, curates film seasons and writes extensively on classic and

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34:57

Ashanti Omkar: Critics vs Influencers?

Open To Criticism ·

2023/04/28

For the longest time, critics have been an important cog in the wheel of film promotion. However, film publicists are now utilising social media influencers and their huge numbers of followers. By wooing influencers and inviting them to special preview screenings, vast online attention is garnered via viral photos from these glitzy media events - with the bonus that enthusiastic influencers can help counter any potentially negative critical reviews. So are influencers and blockbuster film promotion

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35:05

Professor Mattias Frey: "The Permanent Crisis of Film...

Open To Criticism ·

2023/04/21

This week I'm being a swotty fangirl, as my guest is someone whose work I've revered for several years now. Mattias Frey is a film and media industries scholar and he's Professor and Head of the Department of Media, Culture and Creative Industries at City, University of London.He's written several books, but his 2015 publication The Permanent Crisis of Film Criticism: The Anxiety of Authority was my Bible during my Masters research. So the chance to discuss his work first-hand, and pick his brains

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34:37

Karen Krizanovich: Onscreen Sex beyond the Male Gaze

Open To Criticism ·

2023/04/14

Sex and the movies. It's a perfect combination, except when it isn't. #MeToo has prompted a realisation that onscreen depictions of sex need rethinking - especially when it comes to women. There's a wider understanding of the Male Gaze now, so how is it impacting the way we perceive and discuss female sex and nudity? And can we be more more careful about sex onscreen without losing the intended sexiness? As former sex columnist "Dear Karen" from the 90s, film critic and film production researcher

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34:01

Amon Warmann: Navigating the white space of film as a...

Open To Criticism ·

2023/04/07

Amon Warmann is one of very few black male film critics in the UK, and despite having carved out an impressive career over the.past decade he can still struggle to be seen beyond his racial credentials. Amon reflects upon this in this weeks episode, along with how he found his voice in a decidedly white space, how lighthearted film chats on social media can get messy, and his frustrations with the repeated pushback against diverse casting. Our chat took place in summer 2022 and I date it, because he

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32:42

Cathy Reay: Film's inability to do Disability

Open To Criticism ·

2023/03/31

Whilst the push for better representation for women and people of colour has become more mainstream, the disabled community are yet to be included to the same degree. This matters hugely when it comes to cinema because of its long-standing problematic history when representing disability. From failing to cast disabled actors, to entrenched tropes where disability denotes evil or societal outsiders to be avoided, we've been drip-fed many taken-for-granted representations that need significant

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34:09

Anna Smith: Top Girl on Film

Open To Criticism ·

2023/03/24

This week I chew the fat with film critic Anna Smith who's done much to progress film and critic culture, especially for women via her award winning podcast Girls On Film. Anna was Chair of the UK Film Critics' Circle for six years and was key to making changes that reflect the MeToo, BLM and Times Up era. We ruminate over how film criticism has changed since we both came on board many years ago, how writing from a feminist perspective has gone mainstream. and how it's imperative that all critics

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