A Damn Fine Espresso: April 2024

A Damn Fine Cup of Culture

We’ve got a special treat for our April espresso podcast: say hello to Marcy Goldberg, Swiss-Canadian film historian, lecturer and media consultant. Marcy recently talked to the London-based author, critic and podcaster Anna Bogutskaya at a panel discussion organised by the Filmpodium Zürich. The Filmpodium is currently running a series of films in connection with Bogutskaya’s first book, Unlikeable Female Characters: The Women Pop Culture Wants You to Hate (published in 2023). For our podcast, Marcy joins Julie and Matt to talk about Bogutskaya’s book, and about the women in film and TV that are scorned by some, celebrated by others, for being unapologetically angry, horny, ambitious, and sometimes downright crazy and/or murderous. What makes a female character unlikeable? Why are women judged differently for actions and attitudes that men are allowed to get away with? And what does this say about cinema and about our culture?

For our readers and listeners based in or around Zürich: Unlikeable Female Characters, the series of films co-curated by Anna Bogutskaya and Nicole Reinhard of the Filmpodium (including e.g. Leave Her to Heaven, A Woman Under the Influence, Dangerous Liaisons, The Last Seduction, Gone Girl, Poor Things, and that classic of unlikeable-women cinema, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?) runs until 15 May. (Check here for the complete programme (in German).)

You can also download the podcast at the following link:

A Damn Fine Espresso: April 2024