Feminist Frequency Radio

Kicking off our month of episodes focusing on films by Black creators, today Anita is back with Ebony and Carolyn to discuss Dee Rees’ 2011 directorial debut, Pariah. The film was a low-budget independent release which announced Rees as a formidable talent six years before Mudbound would earn her an Academy Award nomination in 2017. Join us as we discuss this achingly authentic look at the life of a queer Black teenager in Brooklyn, struggling to discover and assert her truth, even as her parents make it painfully clear they will not accept that their daughter is gay.Time Stamps:5:39 - Main discussion on Pariah45:06 - What’s your Freq Out?Caro on the game Paradise KillerAnita on the film The Pink Cloud directed by Iuli GerbaseFollow Us:Join our PatreonOur WebsiteSubscribe to FFR on Apple PodcastsSubscribe to our Star Trek PodcastTwitterInstagram

CW: discussion of sexual assault and violence While Anita remains in parts unknown, Ebony and host Carolyn are joined by special guest Kat Spada to discuss Emerald Fennell’s revenge thriller, Promising Young Woman, a film both darkly comedic and astutely descriptive of rape culture. Join us as we discuss what make Cassandra Thomas’ quest to punish the “Nice Guys” so provocative.Time Stamps:5:18 - Main discussion on Promising Young Woman44:56 - What’s your Freq Out?Special Guest Kat Spada on the Fox Network sitcom, Call Me KatFollow Us:Join our PatreonOur WebsiteSubscribe to FFR on Apple PodcastsSubscribe to our Star Trek PodcastTwitterInstagramFollow Kat Spada:twitter.com/kat_ex_machinaKat’s podcast: twitter.com/90210blaze

On this week’s podcast, we’re taking a look at Christopher Nolan’s aggressively high-concept film, Tenet, the disorienting twists, turns, and logic loops of which demand a lot of its audience. Is it worth the effort it takes to truly engage with the film? Listen in as Caro and Ebony discuss.Time Stamps:6:52 - Main discussion on Tenet50:05 - What’s your Freq Out?Caro on the ASMRtist, Phoenician SailorLinks Mentioned:Phoenician Sailor video: Tenet [ASMR] - https://youtu.be/iOipX-8unekFollow Us:Join our PatreonOur WebsiteSubscribe to FFR on Apple PodcastsSubscribe to our Star Trek PodcastTwitterInstagram

CW: for discussions of suicideToday on the podcast, Ebony is taking a turn hosting, leading a discussion with Caro and Anita on the new Hulu series This Way Up. This Irish series about a woman on the edge has drawn early comparisons to Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Flea Bag, but it offers it’s own unique perspective on a life in crisis. Join us as we take a look at what this show gets right and wrong about living in your head while living in community.Time Stamps:8:05 - Main discussion on This Way Up42:41 - What’s your Freq Out?Caro on the Netflix series Pretend it’s a CityFollow Us:Join our PatreonOur WebsiteSubscribe to FFR on Apple PodcastsTwitterInstagram

Welcome to the first Feminist Frequency Radio podcast of 2021 where Anita, Ebony and Carolyn are lassoing the truth out of the confounding mess of a movie that is Wonder Woman 1984. We thought if nothing else we could coast through the two-and-a-half-hour run time on 80s nostalgia and Pedro Pascal’s charm, but there’s a lot more wrong with this movie than the aesthetics.Time Stamps:8:12 - Main discussion on Wonder Woman 198449:52 - What’s your Freq Out?Ebony on the Netflix series NarcosCaro on the film Sorry to Have Missed You directed by Ken LoachLinks Mentioned:https://twitter.com/EvelKneidel/status/1342697529876611077Follow Us:Join our PatreonOur WebsiteSubscribe to FFR on Apple PodcastsSubscribe to our Star Trek PodcastTwitterInstagram

Today on the podcast Anita and Carolyn are hitting the road (figuratively, if not literally) to discuss NOMADLAND, the critically acclaimed film written, directed, AND edited by next year’s Eternals director Chloe Zhao. The film is gorgeous, as through main character Fern (played by Frances McDormand) it paints a picture of nomadic survival in the real life culture of American workers without roots, following sporadic work opportunities with no safety net beyond what fellow travelers can offer. Listen in as we discuss all the ways this film succeeds at telling a thoughtful, complex story about poverty, the failings of American Capitalism, and the intricacies and complexities of human relationships and grief.Make a Donation to our end of year campaign at http://www.feministfrequeny.com/donateTime Stamps:5:30 - Main discussion on Nomadland41:22 - What’s your Freq Out?Mrs. Fletcher - the HBOMax seriesDolly Parton’s America - the podcast seriesHaven - the video game from The Game BakersLinks Mentioned:Feminist Fr

Anita and Ebony are joined by special and surprise guest Dave Proctor to discuss Happiest Season, Hulu’s new queer Christmas romcom from actor/writer/director Clea DuVall. Starring Kristen Stewart, Aubrey Plaza, Mackenzie Davis, Mary Steenburgen, Victor Garber, Dan Levy, Alison Brie, and Mary Holland (who also co-wrote), the film pulls out all the Christmas Movie tropes we’re used to seeing on Hallmark, but does the classic holiday treatment work here? Hint: we can’t decide if it works better as a romcom or a horror movie, so….Make a Donation for #GivingTuesday at http://www.feministfrequeny.com/donateTime Stamps:4:36 - Main discussion on Happiest Season37:00 - What’s your Freq Out?Anita on The Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. ChakrabortyLinks Mentioned:“Is Happiest Season a Horror Film? A scientific exploration” by Max Weiss - https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/artsentertainment/is-happiest-season-a-horror-film/https://www.buzzfeed.com/noradominick/happiest-season-aubrey-plaza-rileyNomadland tickets: https://

For this week’s podcast we checked out the 14th Annual LA Skins Fest, a festival of Native American films which was held virtually this year. The festival was a great opportunity to explore films by and about indigenous people whose stories too rarely get told in mainstream media. On this episode we’ll be discussing several works which stood out to us, from documentaries, to dramas about contemporary family life, films that employed elements of sci-fi and horror to explore generational trauma, and much more. CW: discussion of suicide as part of a film plot in our segment on Intrepidus, beginning at 42:45 Time Stamps:3:28 - Main discussion on LA Skins Fest10:07 - Tostu (Redbird)19:36 - Blackfeet Boxing28:55 - Walking Together36:52 - The Fall42:45 - Intrepidus52:12 - What’s your Freq Out?Caro on Small Axe, collection of five original films by Steve McQueen, and the first film of the series, Mangrove Links Mentioned:LA Skins Fest - https://laskinsfest.com/event/14th-annual-la-skins-fest/Small Axe - https://www.a

Welcome to the third installment of Feminist Frequency’s entertainment news round up; a semi-regular series where we share our thoughts on all the media and pop culture news that crawled from the depths of 2020 to illuminate our screens (and mostly dampen our spirits). In this episode we’re: (still) looking forward to the release of Cyberpunk 2077; being disappointed by prominent voices who should really know better; and being as jazzed about a certain rock star in a couture gown as we are unsurprised by the people who have a problem with it.Time Stamps:6:33 - David Fincher: “cancel culture” miniseries - https://news.avclub.com/david-fincher-wants-to-do-a-miniseries-on-sigh-cancel-184567591714:15 - Cyberpunk 2077 delay - (Jim Sterling Video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKtrrlD8aTc24:10 - Ubisoft Montreal swatting - https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-police-ubisoft-1.580123629:08 - Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie thinks JKR’s anti-trans essay was “perfectly reasonable” -  https://www.pinknews.co.uk/

In Alice Winocour’s new film Proxima, astronaut Sarah (played by Eva Green) faces challenges her male colleagues do not while making preparations to depart for a year aboard the ISS.  As Sarah tries to balance the personal and professional, her daughter Stella goes on an emotional journey of her own, struggling with the consequences of her mother’s work. Join us as we discuss how the film presents the familiar misogynistic complications presented by “the work/life balance” in the Earth-side life of an extraordinary human headed for the stars.Time Stamps:8:19 - Main Discussion on Proxima43:31 - What’s Your Freq Out?Anita on the novel Axiom’s End by Lindsay EllisCaro on Dems’ call for CentrismEveryone on Election resultsFollow Us:Join our PatreonOur WebsiteSubscribe to FFR on Apple PodcastsSubscribe to our Star Trek PodcastTwitterInstagram

On the cusp of the 2020 US presidential election, we’re taking a look at a film set in 1820s Oregon Territory, telling the story of two men trying to make their way in the harsh frontier of the burgeoning American West. Join us on this week’s podcast, as we sink our critical teeth into this sweet cake of a “Caro film”: Director Kelly Reichardt’s 2019 film First Cow, exploring friendship, masculinity and the consequences of capitalism in a deliberately paced story filled with bright spots of light, sweetness, and memory.Time Stamps:13:17 - Main Discussion on First Cow45:37 - What’s Your Freq Out?Caro on the film On the Rocks (2020), directed by Sofia CoppolaAnita on the book The Library Book by Susan OrleanLinks Mentioned:Recipe for oily cakes - https://slate.com/culture/2020/03/first-cow-oily-cakes-recipe.htmlFollow Us:Join our PatreonOur WebsiteSubscribe to FFR on Apple PodcastsSubscribe to our Star Trek PodcastTwitterInstagram

Today’s episode of the podcast finishes up our spooky season series on occult-themed nostalgia watches with 1987’s The Witches of Eastwick, starring Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Cher, adapted from the John Updike novel. Join us as we try to figure out how we feel about this movie including big 80s perms (great), Cher (even better), and Jack Nicholson’s diabolic sex appeal (not good). Made at the height of Reagan’s America, does the film have something insightful to say about gender inquality, or like the devilish Daryl, is it in the end all about reinforcing the Patriarchal status quo?Time Stamps:8:18 - Main Discussion on The Witches of Eastwick42:52 - What’s Your Freq Out?Ebony on the Starz documentary, Seduced: Inside the NXIVM CultFollow Us:Join our PatreonOur WebsiteSubscribe to FFR on Apple PodcastsSubscribe to our Star Trek PodcastTwitterInstagram

Welcome to the second episode in our spooky season series, revisiting classic, cult or nostalgic witch and vampire movies as chosen by our patrons. Today we’re traveling back to 1998, when Wesley Snipes starred as the titular vampire hunter, Blade. 9 years after Tim Burton’s Batman, and 20 years before the MCU’s Black Panther, Blade was the first Marvel Superhero theatrical release, the grandfather of every Marvel Superhero movie to follow. Join us as we dive into a grimdark version of LA, populated by blood and power thirsty vampires that can only be stopped by a stoic vampire/human hybrid seeking revenge.Time Stamps:5:52 - Main Discussion on Blade46:10 - What’s Your Freq Out?Carolyn on the game Hades from developer Supergiant GamesAnita on the novel The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire NorthLinks Mentioned:Roger Ebert’s review of Blade when it came out in 1998 - https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/blade-1998 Follow Us:Join our PatreonOur WebsiteSubscribe to FFR on Apple PodcastsSubscribe to our

In celebration of the spooky season, we’re looking at media depictions of witches and vampires, starting with Hocus Pocus. Starring Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker, this 1993 Disney classic sparks a feeling of campy nostalgia for many, but how did it hold up for us and what does an almost 30 year old children’s Halloween movie have to say to a modern audience?Time Stamps:6:38 - Main Discussion on Hocus Pocus41:20 - What’s Your Freq Out?Guest Freq Out from listener Helcio on gendered languageLinks Mentioned:Jessica Zollman’s 30 Days of Horror - www.instagram.com/jayzombieFollow Us:Join our PatreonOur WebsiteSubscribe on to FFR on Apple PodcastsTwitterInstagram

The Netflix film Enola Holmes introduces us to the much younger (and perhaps more brilliant) sister of the infamous Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes.  The film is based on a series of YA detective novels by author Nancy Springer, and our heroine (played in the film by Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown) is a quick-thinking and fearless young woman who frustrates and amazes everyone around her in equal measure. We discuss who we think the intended audience is, and whether the film succeeds in delivering a feminist-minded moral to a younger audience. We also discuss casting choices for Mycroft and Sherlock, held up against Arthur Conan Doyle’s source material, and offer up some opinions on other recent adaptations.Time Stamps:3:37 - Main Discussion on Enola Holmes42:04 - What’s Your Freq Out?Carolyn on the film A Hidden Life (2019) directed by Terrence MalickAnita on Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and AzerbaijanLinks Mentioned:“Is Henry Cavill Too Hot to Play Sherlock Holmes in ‘Enola Holmes’? An Investigation” by Emma

This week, by popular demand, we're talking about The Matrix, a film once co-opted by the online right that has in recent years seen a kind of reclamation as an explicitly queer, trans text. Carolyn kicks things off by telling us about a 20th anniversary screening of the landmark film that she attended last year which illuminated some aspects of the film that contribute to its reading as a queer work. From there, we talk about the film's systemic perspective, and reveal who among us would take the blue pill. We talk about the challenge of doing the actual work of resisting the cisnormative heteronormative white supremacist patriarchy, and express frustration with some of the film's more conventional aspects, including the role Trinity is wedged into. Carolyn does her best Agent Smith impression, Ebony raises an important point about what it means if humanity only accepts the simulation if it replicates certain forms of oppression, and we talk about finding joy in the struggle. PLEASE NOTE that this is our fin

We begin this week’s episode by acknowledging the passing of Chadwick Boseman, talking a bit about his impact, his legacy, and the grief so many of us have felt in response to the loss.Our main topic this week is the incendiary series I May Destroy You, written by and starring the staggeringly talented Michaela Cole. Our conversation covers the revelatory way in which the show frankly and honestly confronts so many forms of rape and sexual assault, and a larger culture that normalizes and perpetuates them. We also discuss the remarkable complexity of the show’s central characters, as they often make choices that we as viewers may strenuously object to, but never in a way that reduces them to villains or makes them seem worthy of being written off as people.  Time Stamps:1:40 - Reacting to the Passing of Chadwick Boseman8:50  - I May Destroy You46:45 - What’s Your FREQ-Out: Carolyn on Episode 3 of Lovecraft Country, Ebony on P-Valley, Anita on Semiosis by Sue BurkeFollow Us:Join our Patreon Our WebsiteSubscrib

On this week’s FFR we discuss the first two episodes of HBO's Lovecraft Country, a show that blends horror elements into a tale about racism in 1950s America, but first we talk about how the horrors of anti-Black racism remain so inescapable in America today, where police have once again exacted brutal violence on a Black man. Our discussion of the show touches on the ways in which it draws from pulp fiction and acknowledges the complexity of our relationship to tales that we love even if they don’t love us back, its subversion of classic Americana and fascinating use of audio, and the experience of watching this show right now, while living in a world in which some of us are exhausted from the experience of constantly being dehumanized and endangered.Time Stamps:1:45 - The shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin8:20 Lovecraft Country43:15 - What’s Your FREQ-Out: Carolyn on the Criterion Channel and three films by Mia Hansen-Løve, Ebony on Rust by Christopher Ruz, Anita on Gods of Jade and Sha

This week, we explore the seamy underbelly of 1932 Los Angeles with HBO’s exciting revisionist take on the character of Perry Mason. In HBO’s series, crucial supporting characters have been reimagined--Della Street is now a queer woman, Paul Drake is a Black man--in ways that inform the series’ systemic perspective and help it avoid some of the ideological pitfalls that much hard-boiled crime fiction of the past falls into. As a result, this is a Perry Mason that grapples both with our actual history and with the narrow lens of the classic CBS series, and in so doing, demonstrates how TV and film can use familiar formats and genres without just telling the same old stories. Time Stamps:4:00 - Perry Mason45:15 - FREQ-Outs: Carolyn on current political issuesFollow Us:Join our Patreon Our WebsiteSubscribe on Apple PodcastsTwitterInstagram

This week, we dive back into all the wild ups and downs of entertainment news to bring you our reactions to some of the biggest and most politically resonant stories of recent weeks! We discuss Disney’s decision to release Mulan on Disney+ for beaucoup bucks and the larger matter of what it means that some films are going to VOD while others are holding out for theatrical release. We talk about the white fragility of reactions to a recent Six Chix comic, Trump’s Tiktok crackdown, and the encouraging news that Nia DaCosta will be helming the Captain Marvel sequel. Also, how some celebs are closing ranks around Ellen as allegations about the toxic culture of her daytime talk show gain attention, and Bon Appetit’s brazen exploitation of people of color.Time Stamps:04:00 - Disney’s online release of Mulan: pricing, the implications of which films get released online and which films are being held for theatrical release, etc.10:25 - The racist response to Bianca Xunise’s Six Chix comic17:00 - Trump cracks down on