The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland Reviewer Recommends (October 19th, 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:     

Easy Virtue (1928)

How far can a woman’s reputation plummet due to their abusive husbands? Easy Virtue is a great example of the challenges a woman can face due to the fallout of an abusive relationship. Alfred Hitchcock tells a tale of a woman whose abusive husband divorces her due to a lie that destroys her reputation. The story is full of twists and turns. Love and heartbreak. Hitchcock injects filmmaking elements that stand out and show the promise that he will have in his future film. The real star of Easy Virtue is Isabel Jeans. Her performance is powerful and confident. Her physicality and presence are so powerful. The final line of the film is such a great exclamation point to the themes and delivers such an impactful feeling. This is a rock-solid romantic thriller that is worth the watch due to Hitchcock and Jeans.

Hellraiser (1987)

What is one of the most disturbing body horror films to ever exist? One of the most iconic ones for sure is Hellraiser. A dark and twisted exploration of taboo themes like sexual repression and masochistic expression, Hellraiser is a warped and wild horror film from creator Clive Barker. Adapting his own work, Barker explores the journey of a tortured man who escapes the clutches of the hellacious Cenobites…and he will do anything to get his life and body back. Hellraiser is drenched in dread with special thanks to composer Christopher Young’s impressive score. But it is the practical effects and make-up that make this film stand out so much. The Cenobite designs are horrific and terrifying yet impressively rendered. The torturous body horror is wild and unhinged with plenty of chains, hooks, and torn flesh. This is not for the faint of heart but the dark and twisted scares, creatures, and world-building certainly had what it took to set the foundation for a decade-spanning horror franchise.

Citizen Kane (1941)

What should you expect from a film that is considered the greatest of all time? Orson Welles created one of the most daring and dynamic films of the era as his debut. Citizen Kane is a towering achievement from a technical and storytelling standpoint. From the opening shot of the film, you know this feels different for a film of this era. The opening scene with its close-ups and reflective shots sets up one of the most iconic mysteries in the history of film. What is Rosebud? Welles delivers a layered and complex narrative as a man seeks the truth through interviews and ledgers giving the film a non-linear structure (something not commonplace at the time). The dynamic camera angles, matte paintings, and clever editing give the film a modern film that feels decades ahead of many of its peers. Welles also delivers a towering and charismatic performance that lifts this film to incredible heights. This film earns and deserves its reputation and one that is an experience that needs to be had at least once.

Blackmail (1929)

What is the film that transitioned Hitchcock into cinematic sound? Originally intended to be a silent film, the studio shifted gears and challenged Hitchcock with sound filmmaking. A few key scenes like the opening and the climactic police chase were still delivered in silent form (with an impressive score) but the rest included the new “fad” of sound. There are plenty of great moments that highlight the impeccable filmmaking of Hitchcock with a great killing scene captured through shadows, a close-up, and a curtain. The building tension of a guilt-ridden protagonist as she is confronted by her cop boyfriend as well as a criminal who knows the truth. This web of lies and deceit makes for an impressive thriller called Blackmail. This is one of his early masterpieces that really put this man on the map as a filmmaker in the late 1920s. This film still plays well in today’s cinematic landscape and is certainly worth watching.

Champagne (1928)

Wait…Hitchcock did comedies too? Champagne is not the most layered or complex of Hitchcock stories, but it sure has quite a few shenanigans to enjoy along the way. You can see some of those Hitchcock trademarks that would become his calling cards in his later works. There are some interesting filmmaking choices from camera angles to camera movements to complex layered shots to capture distorted states (like see sickness). Betty Balfour makes for quite the charismatic lead here with a big smile and plenty of charm. There is some solid mystery to be had and a few twists and turns to keep the plot going. A rich girl must overcome her father’s sudden loss of money, her fiancée not standing by her, and a mysterious man entering the picture. Not even one of Hitchcock’s early best but it is a fun diversion for the lean runtime.

Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980)

How fascinating was the life of Loretta Lynn? This iconic country star was born in a coal mining town in West Virginia. Married and pregnant by the age of 14, Lynn was not the prototype to become a giant music star…but she did! Michael Apted’s Coal Miner’s Daughter hits all the beats you expect from a music biopic. It is full of grit and raw energy to the film, giving space for this impressive cast to truly sell Lynn’s story. Sissy Spacek is excellent, going from nervous child to powerful stage presence and being believable all the way. Tommy Lee Jones (who is oddly young here) is great at the toxic husband to Loretta, Doolittle Lynn. Throw in strong supporting turns from Levon Helm, William Sanderson, and Beverly D’Angelo and you have a great cast to bring this inspiring story to life.

Play Misty for Me (1971)

Where did Clint Eastwood’s long and illustrious directorial career begin? With a film that you might not expect! Known for his westerns, Eastwood started off with a psychological thriller instead. Drawing upon his influences from Don Siegel, Play Misty for Me, is an intense and uncomfortable film that works in all the best ways. Clint Eastwood makes for a charismatic and alluring lead as this disc jockey who finds himself on the wrong side of a stalker. Jessica Walter is fantastic as the unhinged and intense Evelyn. There is a poignant romance that goes through between Eastwood’s Dave and Donna Mills’ Tobie which shows just how toxic and uncomfortable Dave’s dynamic with Evelyn truly is. This is a lean thriller with some good tension and that classic 70s feel.

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Just how toxic is the workplace portrayed in Glengarry Glen Ross? David Mamet’s play is a whirlwind of anger, frustration, fear, and emotions. This is a story about an abusive management company who pits their sales staff against each with their jobs on the line. These desperate men find themselves leaning into predatory sales tactics as well as unethical and illegal behavior to protect their livelihood. This film is based on a successful play and luckily director James Foley and cinematographer Jaun Ruiz Anchia are able to find a way to deliver dynamic camera work as well as sizzling tension to give this a cinematic sense. The whole film feels so claustrophobic with how Foley and company present it, which is such an effective element of the film’s success. The insane cast is incredible from Jack Lemmon to Al Pacino to Alan Arkin to Ed Harris to Kevin Spacey. Even Alec Baldwin shows up for a scene to steal the whole movie away. Fiery, inflammatory, and brutal, Glengarry Glen Ross is a wildly topical and thrilling boiler thriller.

The Beguiled (1971)

Just how twisted and uncomfortable can Clint Eastwood and Don Siegel make their audience? The Beguiled is an unnerving period thriller that pushes all the buttons. Siegel delivers a fiery, raw, and thrilling experience with an atmosphere filled to the brim with tension. There is sharp editing that maximizes the storytelling and tension throughout. This Civil War set film captures so many layers of themes from political divide, racial tensions, and repressed and taboo sexuality. This film is so “70s” through and through. Siegel never once pulled a punch, and he delivers an impactful experience that hits like a sledgehammer. Eastwood is slick, charismatic, and appalling as Union soldier John McBurney. Watching Clint seduce all these girls and women of all ages is quite disturbing (which there are few characters as despicable in Eastwood’s filmography). This is quite an uncomfortable film, but Siegel was quite the expert at thrills and provocation.