Beyond Bechdel

Can you hear us? Our season opener and first 'Specialist Subject' episode is all about sound. ADR and sound production specialist Emma Butt takes us through her career and influences, and gives invaluable advice for anyone who also wants to be a sound specialist. She is funny and self-deprecating. That sounds perfect to us! Find out more about Emma at www.emmabuttsound.com/ and by tweeting @EmmaButtSound Speak to us @Beyond_Bechdel or beyondbech@gmail.com

Are you a completionist? Find out by listening here. Contrarah and Nick take us through the cinematic steps that brought the world to the brink of obsession Mild spoilers for Avengers: Endgame in the first half of the pod & Major Spoilers from around 0.45m in.

(NEWSFLASH: Boden & Fleck are not married - apologies to them and yay to the concept of platonic opposite sex filmmakers!) Hopefully you'll get that the title of this episode is a joke. BUT it's true that the MCU's masterpiece Captain Marvel means different things to different people.  Join Contrarah and Nick while they try to drill down the plot and try to separate their Skrull from their Kree.  They then talk through what this film means for feminist filmmaking. Higher, further, faster YEAH! Feel free to send us your thoughts on twitter @Beyond_Bechdel or to beyondbech@gmail.com

The 2019 Academy Awards raise many questions for Contrarah, and she finds three directors who can answer them - with revolutionary films and performances. Many spoilers for Oscar nominated films in this episode. Roma, Roma, Roma!

Merry Christmas to you from Beyond Bechdel. In this last episode of 2018 we give you a CHRISTMAS MOVIE MUSIC QUIZ! Followed by the obligatory discussion of the categorisation of Christmas movies, plus our review of 2018 and our hopes for next year's crop of films. Thank you, as always, for listening. Please rate, subscribe and review and tweet to us @Beyond_Bechdel. Baby, is it cold outside?

Mona Eltahawy said, "What would the world look like if girls were taught they were volcanoes?" Women watching Fatal Attraction could be heard shouting "Kill the Bitch!" as the film concluded. Anger can take many forms, so Contrarah and Becky Matthews explore how this new age of rage is playing out on screen. Speak kindly to Becky @ https://twitter.com/bec_bebop Shout at us @ beyondbech@gmail.com And don't get mad, get....REALLY MAD!

Nick and Contrarah raced back to Beyond Bechdel towers to give their quick verdict on Fantastic Beasts 2: The Crimes of Grindelwald. To listen to the our deep-dive exploration of feminism in the Wizarding World please listen to episode 28. Contrarah's review of Fantastic Beasts 2 for liveforfilm.com can be found here: http://www.liveforfilm.com/2018/11/18/review-fantastic-beasts-2-the-crimes-of-grindelwald-far-too-convoluted/ EXPECTO CALAMARI

Yep....you read that title correctly. This episode is all about 'Arry Potter! In the episode Nick and Contrarah ask: - are the women of the wizarding world getting short shrift? - Is JK Rowling caught in a spell cast by the Patriarchy? - What is Nagini's deal? Maledictus or Retcon victim? - can you compare the crimes of Grindelwald to the crimes of Johnny Depp? and much more... Accio listeners! Remember to subscribe, rate and review - We love our listeners - you're all magic. P.S. We're still trying cast the spell that makes Nick SPEAK INTO THE MIC (microphones are his boggart) P.P.S. RIP Dobby - never forget SPEW

It's often the driving force behind plot, but female trauma isn't often truthfully depicted on screen. This is becoming a problem. Contrarah speaks to trauma expert Dr Karen O'Donnell about the stages in trauma presentation and resolving, and how directors are spreading misinformation with dicey narrative decisions (e.g. I've suffered sexual assault I must go and have sex with someone else immediately!) It's not all bad news, with television (mostly) exploring the issue with sensitivity, particularly in Stranger Things and Call The Midwife. Learn about Dr Karen here: https://www.dur.ac.uk/codec/who/karenodonnell/ Buy her book here: https://scmpress.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9780334056249/broken-bodies … And let's have more talk about periods. Period.

This 'Bit Beyond' celebrates the latest outing of everyone's favourite double-gun-toting treasure hunter. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Lara Croft's motivation, inner conflict and aggression are explored as never before. Probably because of the amazing work from the game's lead writer - Jill Murray. Lara jumps impossibly far, hangs from the thinnest crevice, uses that bow to deadly effect and has multiple conversations with female characters about important matters like, oh you know, the destruction of the world and the Lara-caused apocalypse. This one's for the players - and the girls.

We all love to watch performers, but very few of us know what it's like to be one. Helen Hamer knows, and she tells Contrarah exactly what it's like to work in the performing arts. Helen discusses her journey from getting in to a prestigious drama school through to navigating the real-life casting process, and how much gender factors into every actress's career. Then Helen discusses playwriting and musical roles for women throughout history before showing a slew of recent movies that pass her new 'Beyond Bechdel' test. For hiring Helen please contact Rowe Associates. To chat to her directly, you can find her at https://twitter.com/Hamer_Helen Oh baby I love your way!

According to a recent American study, for every 1 female critic there are 3.5 male critics. Just to compare, in terms of world population, for every 1 female there are 1.2 males. We speak to Bianca Garner - who is a critic and a woman, about why there is such a large gender discrepancy and what we can do to change it. Her solution involves David Bowie and Nicolas Cage....sort of. Read Bianca's work at filmotomy.com and cc2konline.com/ Talk about film with her at https://twitter.com/thefilmbee And you're all babes!

This episode is about a common misconception in cinema, that men and women want different things. Studios are still dividing movies this way, an outdated practice. We speak to Just Jen, a film writer who works in TV production about what makes a great movie. Jen doesn't believe in gender division, she chooses what to watch much like you do. We discuss how filmmakers entice viewers, the role of stereotyping, whether race is a factor and what exactly it is about Tom Cruise movies that rev Jen's motor. A quick warning: the sound isn't perfect, thanks for bearing with us. You can find Jen on twitter https://twitter.com/JustJen_02 and her writing here: https://justjensreviews.wordpress.com/ Don't forget...I'm the bitch with the gun!

When you hear the words “it is a truth universally acknowledged…” can you immediately finish the sentence? If you answered YES then this is the podcast episode for you. Contrarah and Nick delve deep into the BBC’s 1995 TV adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice with a jolly thorough look at the classic six-parter. We discuss whether our feelings towards this version have changed in recent years and why viewers are still obsessed with the rules of upper class english society from the 1800s. Are some of these rules still in force today? Finally, Contrarah makes a case for Mrs Bennet as misunderstood literary heroine. We're not sure that Nick was convinced. But can she convince you? If so, please rate an review the podcast wherever you listen. Capital. Capital I say!

Contrarah's latest mini-pod tells tales of the cinematic archive and the often depressing lack of inclusivity in past movies...with some light at the end of the tunnel for Asian stars and audiences. With thanks to The Annenburg Inclusion Initiative's Inequality study: http://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/inequality-in-1100-popular-films.pdf Michelle La interview from Popcorn Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUxJLJp9h6c The Meg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGYXExfKhmo and Bobby Darin Just keep swimming!

This episode includes a very funny discussion with Courtney Hodgkiss, a writer, journalist and wannabe-comic who has in-depth knowledge of the music and comedy industries. Courtney is witty, bright and savvy; she also self-identifies as disabled, battling a chronic form of Crohn's disease. Her condition doesn't stop her, and is instead the impetus for her pursuit of a comedy career. She is inspirational, taking us through a smorgasbord of modern comedians - which offers something for everyone. Read Courtney's blog here: https://fork-in-the-toaster.blogspot.com/ Learn more about Crohn's Disease here: https://www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/about-inflammatory-bowel-disease/crohns-disease Contact us: @Beyond_Bechdel or beyondbech@gmail.com Enjoy funny women, because they're everywhere.

Anne V Coates was a veteran of Hollywood film editing, making her way from leafy Surrey to Hollywood via the Arabian desert. She had first-rate skills and a phenomenal career. We celebrate her life and work in this episode. Some ace footage of chinagraph film marking can be found here: https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/video/1940s-close-up-hands-of-man-editing-film-on-stock-video-footage/670-83 The match match cut can be found here: https://vimeo.com/52693433 Did you come to tussle? Tuffy came to tussle.

You've heard the word, you know it isn't good, but like us, you're not exactly sure what the deal with fridging is....Let Contrarah and Nick wade through film history and do the hard work for you. Or not, because we're still confused...but we do agree that puppies are soooooo cute. Come say hi on twitter @Beyond_Bechdel & on email @beyondbech@gmail.com. And hey, while you're here.....STOP SHOVING WOMEN IN REFRIGERATORS

This 'Bit' celebrates cinematic heroes (both in front of camera and behind the scenes) We celebrate: > Kelly Marie Tran (& Rose Tico) > Tallulah Riley (and Angela) > The women working tirelessly behind the scenes at the BFI. Find out more here: http://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/features/pictures/women-movie-camera

43% Last Jedi 37% Force Awakens 35% Rogue One 23% Return of the Jedi 22% Empire Strikes Back 20% Phantom Menace 18% Attack of the Clones 17% Revenge of the Sith 15% A New Hope... ...These are the percentages of screen time for female identifying characters in the Star Wars universe, according to a detailed study by the brilliant Dr Becca Harrison, who gained celebrity, notoriety and a whole heap of abuse for her troubles. Yep, we have a bad feeling about this....so we talk to Becca about how Solo: A Star Wars Story fits into her research. Find Becca on Twitter @BeccaEHarrison and http://www.writingonreels.uk/ Come say hi to us @Beyond_Bechdel or at https://beyondbechdelsite.wordpress.com/