The Screen Companion

Spotlighting Ingrid Bergman, the Swedish-American star of the black and white era. What made her so great? What were actresses all about in the Golden Age of Hollywood? Notorious. The Bells of St. Mary's. Intermezzo—the 1939 American remake where Bergman reprised her role from the original—she was so valuable! Let's see how romances were different back then, and how charmingly strong women like Bergman could be. Guest: Jon.

The '90s were a hodge-podge of genres we don't see much of anymore, including stop motion kids' movies. Tim Burton and Henry Selick collaborated on two such films—The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach—we'll take a look at what made them special. Guests: Sarah & Stacey.

Star Trek has plenty of non-humans that put a mirror up for us to examine ourselves, and one of the most notable of them is Lieutenant Commander Data. Let's watch episodes from the third and fourth seasons of The Next Generation to see what makes him a top tier crewman, what actor Brent Spiner brought, and if Data could sustain “A” stories or if he was best used in a supporting role. Guest: Jon.

What subgenre of films can leverage a single set as well as legal dramas do courtrooms? Presumed Innocent (1990), 12 Angry Men (1957), My Cousin Vinny: The lawyers are warriors on the battlefield that is the law, the judge banging their gavel like an instrument of God. Sometimes the prosecution are the good guys, sometimes it's the defendant, but the stakes are always high. Guests: Andrew & Pat.