The Wasteland Reviewer

Outside the Wasteland: June 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. 

The Big Door Prize S2 (TV Series)

How many great shows can one streaming service have? Apple TV+ has turned into the place for new television as they keep pumping out quality series with high profile casts left and right. The Big Door Prize was a big surprise on the streaming service as it brought a strange and mysterious fantasy tinge to a small-town drama full of memorable characters. This second season finds the Morpho Machine evolving and offering more information to its users regarding their visions of their futures. The mystery keeps getting deeper and more profound with this second season dropping off a shocking tease for what is to come in season three. But what makes this show so great is the deeply complex characters and relationship dynamics. The two leads Dusty (Chris O’Dowd) and Cass (Gabrielle Dennis) go on a break to re-discover themselves which opens a whole world of drama and new places to explore their relationship. Their daughter goes on quite the journey of her own sparking a relationship with the brother of her deceased boyfriend. John Segarra’s Giorgio and Aaron Roman Weiner’s Beau have become two of the best characters in the show after being a bit more antagonistic in the first season. There are exciting new relationships and character dynamics in this season as well. This is a funny, dramatic, emotional, inspiring, and heartwarming show all rolled into a small-town fantasy with some killer music.

In the Arena by Charlton Heston (Book)

Who doesn’t love a great storyteller? Charlton Heston is certainly known in recent years as a Conservative figure in society who also ran the NRA, becoming a fixture of gun culture. But he was also one of the biggest movie stars of a generation. His memoir certainly diverts what feels like an old man being grumpy about the world around him and new liberal ideals. But for the most part, In the Arena is an engaging and well told journey through decades of Hollywood. Heston has an incredibly charismatic voice in his writing (like he did in real life as well and on the screen) which makes it even more engaging to read. His kind words and honest feelings about so many actors, writers, and filmmakers add layers to perspectives audiences have of these stars. The between-the-scene discussions of his biggest films and stage productions are a gold mine for cinephiles and entertainment fans in general. There is a richness to the detail that Heston provides as well as the no-BS approach to the honesty he shares about his work. You can learn so much about the filmmaking process through the years thanks to his memoir. But you also get a deep understanding of who Heston was as a person too. If you are a fan of Heston’s and/or a fan of this bygone era of filmmaking, there are so many great elements to enjoy and appreciate about In the Arena.

House of 1000 Movies Episode 7: Immaculate with Director Michael Mohan (Podcast)

Who better to discuss a film in detail than the director of the actual film? Jeff Rauseo is a YouTube with a large following who is a film and physical media enthusiast (I can relate for sure) and he recently launched a new podcast! House of 1000 Movies is an engaging and thorough examination of films that Jeff loves, and he got a great opportunity to discuss the new film Immaculate with the director Michael Mohan. This episode stood out from the other episodes of this relatively new podcast as there was plenty of interesting and details background information about the film since Mohan is the one who created it. Immaculate is a quality film and a nice standout in the horror genre this year but this discussion gave me a lot more appreciation for the film. The perspective from Mohan on Sydney Sweeney’s journey to get this film made was impressive. For lovers of filmmaking, the behind-the-scenes discussions give a lot of perspective on the filmmaking process. Rauseo and Mohan also have some engaging side discussions on physical media as well as the theater going experience which adds layers to the podcast episode. The chemistry between Rauseo and his guest was great, which just added to the overall experience of taking in their discussion. This is a fresh new podcast that is worth listening to for all those film lovers out there.

NXT Women’s Championship: Jordanne Grace VS Roxanne Perez at NXT Battleground (Wrestling)

Wait…WWE and TNA doing business together? Hell has frozen over. With Paul Levesque in charge of creativity, this is a whole new world of possibilities. I started watching WWE regularly back in 2006 and later that year, did the same with TNA. They both offered different types of approaches, especially with the six-sided ring in the Impact Zone. But once I went away to college, I fell off the TNA train. But I would never have believed that in 2024 that the TNA Knockouts Champion would be wrestling a WWE champion on a WWE Premium Live Event. But that is exactly what we got with “The Juggernaut” Jordanne Grace taking on NXT Champion Roxanne Perez. This was a fantastic match that saw Perez using her impressive in-ring skills to ground Grace and target injured areas. They told a great story of a much smaller and wily heel being opportunistic and targeting the much bigger and more powerful babyface. Grace got her licks in and showed off her insane strength and explosiveness as well. Some of Grace’s clotheslines and slams looked like they were going to squash Perez for real. There were some shenanigans later in the match to protect Grace from a clean pinfall loss to Perez, but this was an exciting match overall. But the most exciting prospect is that there can be more TNA involvement with WWE. We will just have to see where it goes next.