The Wasteland Reviewer

Outside the Wasteland: August 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. 

House of the Dragon S2

Are you ready for all-out war? The audience might have been ready to see a blood bath and Westeros going up in flames. But House of the Dragon had plenty of other stories to tell before this war went into full force. I am most impressed with this series thanks to the incredible cast. Emma D’Arcy shows they are a force on screen. The first episode has little to no dialogue for Rhaenyra, but D’Arcy sells every single moment. Olivia Cooke’s Alicent goes into some interesting new directions as she has a crisis in conscience as she sees her sons fight over the throne. The season is full of compelling drama with the Blacks slowly nearing the need for war and the Greens dealing with plenty of infighting. There are some big-time moments with “The Red Dragon and the Gold” delivering a huge dragon battle and delivering some of the biggest emotional moments of the season. “The Red Sowing” shows the desperation of the Blacks as Rhaenyra needs more riders and what the audience gets is some serious scorched earth. This season expands upon the overall politics of Westeros as more and more houses get involved in this impending war. Both Criston Cole and Aemond have solidified themselves are fantastic and despicable villains. Matt Smith gets his own little journey as Daemon as he is forced to confront his past and look into the future with unnerving visions (featuring some nice returns of Season 1 actors). This season is full of politics, power moves, and heightening tensions with increasing in-fighting. The slow burning and focusing on the build-up to all out war feels so satisfying as we prepare for an all-out war and devastation for Season 3.

“The Exorcist” by William Peter Blatty

Have you read the book behind the biggest horror movie of all time? The Exorcist has been scaring generations of people for around 50 years and it all started on the page with William Peter Blatty’s novel. There is certainly a reason why this film has become so iconic, with Blatty’s novel being so impactful and unnerving. There is a richness in the details as well as the character interactions that lifts this above being some trashy novel. You spend plenty of time (and even sometimes too much time) building up our characters. This novel debuted in 1971 and immediately became a hit and just a couple of years later, the film hit theaters to bring these characters to life with such great casting. But the novel is written with so many layers as Chris MacNeil, young Regan, and Father Karras come to life with so much empathy. We see a woman trying to grow in her career as her marriage breaks apart. But the mystery of what is going on with her daughter is played out so well and structured perfectly. We feel the emotional pain that Chris is going through and the physical pain and anguish that Regan through. The struggle of Father Karras is much more in his faith and that makes this story one of the richest faith based reads you will find. That might sound odd as this is a horror novel with demons, but the themes are so well realized. Blatty bookends his novel with Father Merrin and his journey to finally stop the evil Pazuzu. The details and descriptive writings of Blatty really bring this impressive tale to life in so many ways. He crafted a rich and horrifying read that still stands up over 50 years later. Listening to Blatty perform the audiobooks is also something so impressive as he goes all in and brings the emotions of his work to life with unexpected intensity.

Reel Mental Podcast with Dr. Marcia Sirota “Adam Manery Discusses Perfect Days”

Are you the type of person who likes to explore the authenticity of films in different aspects? Mental illness and mental health are significant aspects of everyone’s lives as many deal with these issues either personally or through someone close to them. Film is such a great doorway into the soul of people and humanity, which makes it a perfect space to explore the mental health of people as well. Dr. Marcia Sirota is such a great advocate for mental health and her podcast Reel Mental is a perfect vehicle to explore how their important subjects are expressed on film. I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Marcia and discussing some great films from last year. Her latest episode focuses on one of the best international films of last year in Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days. Marcia is joined by critic Adam Manery and their discussion of Wenders’ film is rich and impactful. I was already a huge fan of the slice of life approach of Wenders as well as the impressive performance of Koji Yakusho and the impressive soundtrack chosen by Wenders. But the discussion that Adam and Marcia have is rich with added layers and gave me so much more appreciation for what this intimate and subtle film is really saying about people, how we act, and the decisions that we make. I have a deeper love and admiration for the tale of Hirayama thanks to this rich, thoughtful, and in-depth discussion of people and how they manage their own lives.  I am all caught up on Reel Mental but “Adam Manery Discusses Perfect Days” is a great place to start if you are trying to understand the richness and depth that Dr. Marcia Sirota brings to her show.