The Wasteland Reviewer

Outside the Wasteland: May 2024

There is more to life than movies, right? That is an obvious question (or is it…) but I find it important to focus on other interests in my life as well. Outside the Wasteland is my new avenue to express my thoughts on things outside the world, the realm of film as there are other things I like to spend my time doing. Hopefully this monthly diversion might inspire you to check out other great experiences outside of a movie theater. 

X-Men ’97 S1 (TV Series)

How excited were you when you heard we were getting a revival of this beloved 90s animated series? I was so happy as I spent many mornings watching X-Men: The Animated Series along with the 90s Spider-Man animated series as well. This 10-episode season is able to capture so many great arcs for these beloved characters. Cyclops and Jean Grey must figure out if they should stick out their time with the team or start a family. Rogue is pushed to darker places as she confronts loss. Magneto is challenged by his friend to finally take a stand for the good of all and not just mutants. The animation is great, and the action is wild. There are so many amazing hero moments throughout this first season including so truly impressive moments for Storm and Gambit. This series feels mature in the way it handles darker and heavier themes. The inclusion of fresher antagonists is a great choice as well. There are immense stakes with characters not making it out alive and a global threat that will take everyone coming together. There are plenty of cool Marvel characters included as well. This is just such a great, well rounded and emotionally impactful season of television. 

“The Grand Illusions” by Styx (Album) 

Is Styx one of the most underappreciated American rock bands because of cynical assholes? Big Daddy said it, not me. But I do love this progressive rock band from the 1970s who took more than a couple of albums to finally break out in a big way. “The Grand Illusion” is such an interesting album as it finally pushed Styx into the mainstream rock landscape at the time while also being about this whole adjustment to this new experience. Out of eight tracks, six of them are fantastic songs. The album mixes Dennis DeYoung’s prog sensibilities (organ, keyboards, etc.) with the hard rocking approach of Tommy Shaw. “Miss America” is a perfect example as it has a theatrical feel (DeYoung) but has rip roaring guitar riffs (Shaw). The overall message of the album is questioning the fame and attention that is so enticing for so many. The title track feels like we are going to a legitimate show but has such a biting message against the warped existence of fame. “Fooling Yourself” is Shaw’s perspective on DeYoung’s backlash at their new rockstar status. There is a passion in every song as you can tell this is a personal album. But there are tracks as well that speak to the theatrical and fantastical elements that DeYoung infused in the band. “Come Sail Away” is an iconic classic rock track that we have all probably heard a 1000s of times but it is also such a strange experience. The true hidden gem of the album is “Castle Walls” which features heavy thumping rock elements mixed with other-worldly keyboard play and fantasy motifs. This is a top to bottom classic of an album worth listening to. 

WWE’s Backlash (Wrestling PLE) 

How will WWE follow-up the giant success of Wrestlemania season? Backlash has always been a strong fixture in the WWE schedule. A bit of a palette cleanser, this PLE took the stars of WWE over to France and that is an incredible decision. This show was great just from the amazing crowd engagement. This audience was nuclear hot as they engaged with every match and sang half the entrance themes for the stars. They helped elevate every match. The show opened with an all-out brawl between The Bloodline and Randy Orton/Kevin Owens. There was a great personality shown by Owens and Orton throughout that worked perfectly with this audience. There were quite a few moments that delivered some great action. The ending saw a big debut for Tonga Loa which makes The Bloodline even more dangerous. The Women’s Triple Threat match for Bayley’s title (featuring Naomi and Tiffany Stratton) was rock solid. There were more slow and sloppy moments than anticipated but there was still strong energy. Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill won the Women’s Tag Team Championships from the Kabuki Warriors. Much respect for Asuka who fought through serious injury. But this was a sloppy match as Cargill and Kairi Sane had a lot of issues getting on the same page. But the crazy ending sequence for Cargill was legit and awesome to see. Damien Priest and Jey Uso put on a rock-solid Heavyweight Championship match. Uso is so over with the crowd even if his singles work in the ring has been a tad lackluster. This match was one of his better ones though. The crowning achievement of this PLE was the main event for the WWE Championship. Cody Rhodes made a massive entrance thanks to the crowd. This match was big for Cody as it was his first title defense and he had the perfect…or should I say phenomenal dancing partner, A.J. Styles. This match was a certified banger from start to finish. These two veterans (Styles well into his 40s) tore the house down. This was the perfect first opponent for Rhodes to solidify himself against.