The Screen Companion

“Politically correct” has had different standards throughout the decades, and plenty of movies made in previous years wouldn't be considered today for wide release. But what do you do when modern politics has seeped too far into entertainment, or you simply want another perspective? Try Soul Man and PCU on for size, featuring two post-secondary education institutions grappling with student politics in the '80s and '90s. Guest: Tien.

He's possibly the last movie star and has produced / starred in one of the greatest action film series of the last three decades: Tom Cruise! But go back far enough, those action roles are replaced by dramatic turns. Let's delve into the Last Movie Star's oeuvre by comparing an earlier role to a later offering, Born on the Fourth of July to Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One. Is Cruise a real thespian that just went where the currents took him, or was he always better suited to big stunts over deep acting? Guests: Andrew & Jon.

A special guest returns to discuss his time in the U.S. Army, part of which was spent in South Korea. That experience will come into play as we get knee-deep into gochujang--or kimchi, if you need to insert a more identifiable food item--with Microhabitat (2017), our serving of a Korean cinema recommendation. Guest: The Dad.

Relationships can be messy, dysfunctional, and far more complicated than lovey-dovey Hollywood romance flicks will show. What better way can we get out of that often times disingenuous portrayal than to go across the oceans on either side of the U.S.? Through French, Hong Kong, and Italian lenses—I Love You, I Don't, In The Mood for Love, and The Night Porter—we'll catch some real talk on the subject of relationships. Guest: Jon.