The first of three compelling yet contrasting documentary "films" I am reflecting on today is the insanely ambitious and often explosively insane Wild Wild Country, which was split into a six part mini series by Netflix, but that the creators call a 403 minute cohesive film, intended to stand as one document. It won the … Continue reading True Crime Trio #2
Season 2 This Christmas will see the climax of a very well conceived BBC drama series, in the fine tradition of their adaptations over the years of famous books for children and young adults, all of which contain some element of fantasy or magic. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Box of Delights, … Continue reading His Dark Materials S2
I would watch Emma Stone in almost anything. Her eyes are mesmerising, as is the quirky soul behind them. I find her instincts as a performer impossible to ignore. Something about her is just beyond what most people are capable of giving out, either as an actor or a person. She is smart, funny, modest, … Continue reading Maniac
Well this was a special one. I can't believe it's coming on 2 years since it first arrived on Netflix. October 2020, when lockdown was a pattern and a routine of already checking the streaming service daily for anything new worth watching to alleviate the tedium of always being indoors. Its timing was as immaculate … Continue reading The Queen’s Gambit
OK. It has never been my favourite show, right from the start. I could see the appeal, even admired the fact they were bringing back an 80s vibe for a new generation. But I have often found the writing and direction annoyingly weak. Of course, the production value and visual aesthetic made up for a … Continue reading Stranger Things S3/S4
I often like the idea of anime and adult animation much more than I actually enjoy it when I dive in. Many times I started a so called classic of the artform, like Ghost In The Shell or Akira, only to find I couldn't stay engaged with it to the end. So when I heard … Continue reading Arcane
In the spirit of the Micro-Post format, I am leaving this mini review here as a marker for a remarkable show I just finished. Number one on Netflix in the week of the Autumn Equinox, this strictly 18 plus show pulls no punches in courting controversy and sparking debate. A difficult and dark watch, it … Continue reading Dahmer: Monster
For the sixth name on The Wasteland's Hall of Fame roster I asked myself who has had the greatest impact on the most people in the world of TV history. There are many successful producers who are forever immortalised for their work in some way, but very few that are household names. Sure, there are … Continue reading Hall of Fame Inductee #6 Jim Henson
Way back in January 2020, not very long after rebooting The Wasteland, I wrote a post called True Crime Trio that looked at the growing interest (fuelled almost entirely by Netflix) in the obsession and phenomenon of killers and their often bizarre, sometimes not entirely straightforward, or even solved, case histories and life stories. The … Continue reading 12 of the Best… True Crime Documentaries
Joe Wright's 2011 film version of Hanna starring Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett and Eric Bana is an odd movie. It isn't bad. It just doesn't work. The idea at its heart is great, as are some of the action sequences, there is just something over styled about it that is jarring. I've been back to … Continue reading Hanna
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