The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland Reviewer Recommends (May 11th, 2025)

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

Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957)

Who were the high-profile folks in America back in the 1950s? Advertisers…apparently! They were the go-to leads in romantic comedies and that is certainly true of fast-talking and high energy Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? Tony Randall is a fun and quirky (and unexpected) lead in this romance flick that finds him trying to move up in his career. But his life gets complicated when he must pretend to be the new beau of mega-star actor Rita Marlowe. Jayne Mansfield is stunning as well as charming and funny in this film. A bunch of quirky characters and fun storytelling beats make this quite the engaging and charming film that really captures the vibes of 50s America.  

Enemy of the State (1998)

Are you ready for high tension nineties thrills? Tony Scott knew how to craft an intense and hard-hitting thriller like no other. That is on full display with the paranoia, surveillance thriller that is Enemy of the State. When the video of the murder of a congressperson surfaces, this brings multiple parties into a dangerous and unnerving fray. Will Smith (at the height of his popularity) leads the way as a lawyer whose life is torn apart because he accidentally has this video in his possession. A mysterious and gruff turn from Gene Hackman as well as a stacked cast of familiar faces makes this a memorable cinematic experience. Scott delivered the high energy, visceral, and electric direction needed for this exciting thriller.

Turkish Delight (1973)

Romance is not going to be so delicate in the hands of Paul Verhoeven, is it? Turkish Delight might be an early entry in Verhoeven’s filmography, but it does boast the visceral and raw feeling of his work moving forward. From the opening sequence, we witness a bloody barrage on screen which would become a fixture of Verhoeven’s work moving forward. Rutger Hauer is electric, intense, and alluring in this early film in his career. The romance in this film is not clean. It is not perfect. What Verhoeven and Hauer bring to this film is exceptional. There are few films that will tackle romance in such a complex way. There is a reason Turkish Delight is a classic of Dutch cinema and why it helped launch the storied filmmaking career of Verhoeven.

The Vanishing (1988)

How dark can humanity truly be? The 1988 Dutch thriller The Vanishing explores humanity in a dark twisted way through the lens of a kidnapping. The film introduces a loving Dutch couple on holiday in France, but the young woman disappears from a rest stop…without a trace. The tension and fear mounting as this young man searches for her (crafted perfectly). We see him struggle for years to find her and struggle to move on (even with a new loving woman in his life). But that is not the darkest element of the film. The Vanishing puts you into the life of the sociopathic man behind this disappearance as well. The haunting nature of someone almost human exploring just how far he can go in committing evil is unnerving. The film challenges its dark story layered with intriguing metaphors and themes. This is a thriller that is unnerving and twisted crafted through expert filmmaking.

The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

How many classic horror films did Wes Craven really have up his sleeve? Most know him for Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream, but Craven made other strong films in tis beloved genre. The Hills Have Eyes was remade with a lot more gore and modern sensibilities like many horror classics, but the original film is a true achievement in what you can accomplish with a little. The budget was low, but Craven maximized this isolated setting in the desert (perfectly scouted mind you). He was able to deliver scary moments and plenty of tension without relying upon too much gore. We witness the deeds of this cannibal family out in the desert and have a few select moments of disturbing mutilation brought to life by some quality practical makeup. An empathetic family to root for and a band of memorable and horrible cannibals make for a thrilling and brutal horror experience.

Paper Tigers (2020)

When is it morally right to fight? That is a major theme explored in the martial arts comedy called Paper Tigers. Their master was killed. Three over-the-hill students’ comeback together to recreate the legendary “Paper Tigers” trio. Things do not necessarily go to plan. The trio of Alain Uy, Ron Yuan, and Mykel Shannon have great chemistry and bring plenty of personality to this film that finds this trio attempting to find and defeat their master’s killer. There are plenty of great action sequences brought to life by this crew including director Quoc Bao Tran. These are middle aged men whose bodies and abilities are failing them which makes for higher stakes and more interesting dynamics. Uy’s Danny has a son as well that adds layers to Danny’s journey to be a good man and step up to find justice for his master. Charming, funny, thrilling, and poignant, Paper Tigers was one of the best hidden gems at the height of the pandemic.

Freaks (1932)

Are you shocked to hear that a film from 1932 showed great compassion to those once called “Freaks”? Well. Tod Browning’s Freaks is exactly that and tells a tale of love, trauma, and revenge. In just over one hour, Browning is able to tell a full story that centers on a pair of loving little people but when the man falls for a “big woman”, things get dark, twisted, and tragic. There is plenty of emotion in this film with heartbreak around every corner. But it is the representation that is most intriguing as a whole cast of performers are cast with a variety of conditions and disabilities that would land them in such a freakshow at the time. But this film puts a loving halo upon them and shows the nefarious and horrible instincts of people and their capacity for hate. But this film builds to a shocking and unnerving finale where those who have done wrong receive their just deserts.

The Iron Claw (2023)

Is The Iron Claw just a wrestling movie? No…there is so much more to this drama that is devastating, poignant, and harrowing to experience. You do get old school wrestling beats in the film with great montages (especially those with “Tom Sawyer” by Rush). The action hits and the intensity hits there too. Director Sean Durkin can create a fever pitch of tension at times in the ring and outside the ring. The textured cinematography makes this film feel like it is really taking place in the late seventies and early eighties. But the real impact of the film can be found in human drama and the familiar dynamics. An abusive father who pits his sons against each other is perturbing. Seeing the way that Fritz Von Erich engages with his children is horrible. But it is the brotherly bond throughout the film that brings the heart and soul to the film. Zac Efron leads the way with an incredible performance like Kevin Von Erich. Empathy. Emotion. Physicality. Rage. Efron does it all. The tragedy and performances anchor the audience emotionally and Durkin’s filmmaking is top notch.

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

How far would you go to prove you are a true artist? The themes behind Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu’s Birdman are more poignant than ever as we find ourselves at a cinematic impasse. The conflict over what is “cinema” has become such a toxic discourse with that idea channeled in a broader stage context in Birdman. Michael Keaton’s meta-contextual turn is fascinating as a man performing in arthouse cinema whose biggest success came in the realm of comic book films. Keaton leads an exceptional cast with Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Andrea Riseborough, and Zach Galifianakis that bring so much life into this compelling drama. The incredible filmmaking with an (almost) single shot presentation is wild and infinitely engrossing. Do not write this drama injected with magical realism off as pretentious…it is incredible.

The Revenant (2015)

Could Iñárritu deliver something unique in his own space by creating a western? The Revenant is a towering achievement of cinematic expression that is haunting and compelling. The narrative might feel a bit repetitive after a while, but this journey of unrelenting trauma and perseverance is something compelling. Leonardo DiCaprio delivers a compelling and harrowing performance as a man who goes through nonstop brutality in life and seeks revenge against the man who killed his son. Tom Hardy delivers a compelling and visceral performance as a layered antagonist who has his own harrowing experience. The visuals of this film are incredible with this series of long takes and uncomfortable close-ups. The natural lighting is a bold choice as well. This is a fully engrossing and compelling film from start to finish and never once pulls a punch.