Open To Criticism

Wendy Lloyd

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 race, gender, and privilege.

With sharp wit and a knack for getting to the heart of the issue, Wendy invites fellow critics and commentators into lively discussions about the inequalities still lurking behind the scenes of the industry's most powerful platforms. Who decides what films deserve top honours during Awards season? And why are so few diverse voices holding the reins?

Join Wendy for this twice-nominated Independent Podcast Awards show, as she unpacks the mystery of who holds the real power in film. Blending humour with hard truths in a show that might just change the way you see the movies – and the critics who rate them.

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Top 10 Open To Criticism Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Open To Criticism episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Open To Criticism for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Open To Criticism episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

The Kids are Alright? Critiquing Family Films with Jo Berry

Open To Criticism

04/19/24 • 38 min

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 on her Movies4Kids website. There, parents can get the lo-down on specific causes for a concern so they can make informed and responsible decisions - as well as identify the movies that won't bore them to tears as chaperones! The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) recently released the findings of their latest five year public survey, which revealed what parents are currently concerned about when it comes to their kids' media consumption. Jo shared her thoughts on this, and a lot of very funny and enlightening stories about her life navigating kids' films and their target audience. #KillBill #PawPatrol #ToyStory #ABugsLife #Pixar #Disney #Wish #Paddington #Paddington #FindingNemo #Armageddon #MrBean #ThomasTheTankEngine #DespicableMe #Tarantino #HItchcock #Oscars #TheWizardOfOz #ChittyChittyBangBang #NormOfTheNorth #TheChildCatcher #SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarves #CruellaDeVille #GlennClose #Bambi

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How industry Awards still fail filmmakers of colour with Leila Latif

Open To Criticism

03/17/23 • 37 min

2023's Awards season has been a mixed bag - and definitely not mixed enough in terms of representation amongst the winners. This week's guest, critic Leila Latif, has built a career speaking out about the continued lack of recognition for people-of-colour in film. In this episode we discuss the problem with awards campaigns, the unreasonable attacks and judgement endured by Spike Lee and other black filmmakers and how she has to "Trojan-horse" herself into publications to secure commissions beyond the topics of black cinema and diversity.

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Jewish Identity Onscreen with Gabriella Geisinger

Open To Criticism

03/29/24 • 36 min

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 stories about real life Jews, and what that says about the status of Jewish actors and the opportunities then available to them when the tasty roles get taken by gentiles. For context, our conversation took place last September before the events in the Middle East the following month. We also talked critic identity and how this naturally evolves in line with the evolution of audiences to embrace and value different perspectives in the critique they seek. Which as you know, I'm all for! Here's the link for Gabriella's article discussed: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/lifestyle/other/bradley-coopers-fake-nose-in-maestro-has-sparked-a-complicated-but-necessary-debate/ar-AA1fobmN #Maestro #Oppenheimer #Golda #TheEyesOfTammyFaye #TheWhale #TheMarvelousMrsMaisel #PunchDrunkLove #TheFabelmans #BradleyCooper #CillianMurphy #AdamSandler #RachelBrosnahan #OscarIsaac

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Queering Critique with Guy Lodge

Open To Criticism

05/26/23 • 33 min

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 how it might have been critically received back in the day; the surprise queer reading of The Babadook movie, the impact of AIDS on criticism at the height of the crisis, and how in general, filmmakers are still resisting realistic representations of queer sex onscreen.

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Film and Criticism beyond the Western Gaze with Kaleem Aftab

Open To Criticism

05/19/23 • 37 min

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, how censorship becomes a much more nuanced conversation when cultures beyond the white west are included, and how the ongoing squeeze of film critics' pay is damaging the wider film industry.

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Strong Female Characters with Hanna Flint

Open To Criticism

05/12/23 • 36 min

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 turn, how our life experience from whatever background informs how we see the world and the films made about it. Hanna's also a lot of fun and provides much food for thought about the continued misrepresentations and appropriation of Arab and MENA culture onscreen, and how female archetypes are so often simplified and misused to negative effect.

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Cinema - the perfect archive of our imperfect world with Pamela Hutchinson

Open To Criticism

05/05/23 • 35 min

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 silent cinema. Pamela has long argued that it's not about simply dismissing films that depict casual sexism and racism prevalent at the time. Instead we need to see old films as important archives of how things were - and what still needs to change.

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Critics vs Influencers? with Ashanti Omkar

Open To Criticism

04/28/23 • 34 min

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 a match made in heaven? Or are critics getting pushed out in favour of paid-for promotion that undermines critical quality control for film-goers? To lift the veil on the true impact of influencers on criticism, I'm joined by critic and industry influencer Ashanti Omkar, who has experience on both sides of this promotional fence.

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The Permanent Crisis of Film Criticism with Prof Mattias Frey

Open To Criticism

04/21/23 • 35 min

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 about where we're at right now - especially in the context of the history of criticism - seemed too good an opportunity to miss. If you've ever pondered the story of film criticism and how it's morphed over cinema's 100+ year history then look no further than this week's episode.

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Season 2 trailer: Festivals, Onscreen Intimacy, Jewish Representation, Unlikeable Women and much more!

Open To Criticism

03/08/24 • 6 min

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

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FAQ

How many episodes does Open To Criticism have?

Open To Criticism currently has 23 episodes available.

What topics does Open To Criticism cover?

The podcast is about Metoo, Identity, Film, Film Interviews, Blm, Reviews, Podcasts, Movies, Tv & Film and Film Reviews.

What is the most popular episode on Open To Criticism?

The episode title 'Film and Criticism beyond the Western Gaze with Kaleem Aftab' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Open To Criticism?

The average episode length on Open To Criticism is 33 minutes.

How often are episodes of Open To Criticism released?

Episodes of Open To Criticism are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of Open To Criticism?

The first episode of Open To Criticism was released on Mar 2, 2023.

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Open To Criticism

Wendy Lloyd

Top 10 Open To Criticism Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does Open To Criticism have?

What topics does Open To Criticism cover?

What is the most popular episode on Open To Criticism?

What is the average episode length on Open To Criticism?

How often are episodes of Open To Criticism released?

When was the first episode of Open To Criticism?

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