The Screen Companion

Every decade has its particular flavor of longstanding genres. What counted for vampire movies in the '30s would evolve and adapt as successive generations put their spin on it; sit back with us and get into Fright Night and The Lost Boys. What were vampires in the '80s? Sexy, cool, and chock full of MTV pizzazz! Guest: Sarah.

High school drama is exacerbated by the anxiety of youth and coming into one's own. Stories about being an outcast or winning a popularity contest—trivial in the grand scheme of life—are matters of life and death when seen through the eyes of a student. Heathers, The Chocolate War, and Election highlight the drama and absurdity of high school life. Guest: Jon.

Comparing the many film versions of the Tom Clancy borne protagonist Jack Ryan: The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, The Sum of All Fears, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, and Chris Pine have all portrayed the CIA analyst on the big screen. Who's the best? Who's the worst? Let's conduct our own analysis and get to the bottom of it! Guests: Andrew & Pat.

A spotlight on Michael Keaton. He's known as Tim Burton's Caped Crusader and Beetlejuice, but how about his more character driven roles? From Clean and Sober to Birdman to The Founder, let's look at roles that show he's a lot more than a guy who's worn the bat cowl. Guest: Jon.