The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland Reviewer Recommends (October 6th, 2024)

In a cluttered and overwhelming world of cinema, it is literally impossible to watch it all (trust me…I try). There is a hard balance between rewatching your favorite films, new releases, and films from your ever growing watchlists. But there are so many gems in film history to enjoy so it is a great way to utilize your movie watching time. But how do you decide what to watch? Queue The Wasteland Reviewer Recommends!

This series will highlight my weekly journey through previously released films, whether they are rewatches for me or new discoveries. Here are my picks:

The Thing from Another World (1951)

The remake is a classic…but how about the original? There certainly are not the dynamic effects or the same level of tension in The Thing from Another World but Howard Hawks horror flick is still a classic worth checking out. The creature is a large and intimidating force that is the center of a few exhilarating sequences including some crazy fire effects. The crew of characters are an interesting bunch, and the screenplay opens to some interesting moral dilemmas as well. The frozen landscape worked for this story perfectly with the right amount of unnerving landscape and isolation to sell the tension and suspense. There are few science fiction and horror films of that era leveraging the craft you would see in a Hawks film. Great camera work, some surprising stunts, and compelling ideas come together in this eerie classic.

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)

Why is Cary Grant such a legend of cinema? He is still one of the most charismatic performers to ever grace the silver screen. Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House was the perfect vehicle for him to show off that personality. He effortlessly throws around sarcasm like it is nobody’s business. His facial reactions as he navigates a ballooning budget on their new home, the uncomfortably close dynamic between his wife and best friend, and general shenanigans is quite impressive. The film itself has some great comedic beats from the opening narration about New York City that is quite facetious as well as the first scene with the Blandings family as they all get in each other’s way getting up in the morning. This is certainly a classic comedy that thrived in the screwball comedy era. The cast around Grant is great as well with Myrna Loy and Melvyn Douglas getting their chance to shine.