This week on The Wasteland Retrospective, host Shane Conto (The Wasteland Reviewer) is joined by writer, reviewer, and filmmaker Jeff Alan for a deep dive into two of Kathryn Bigelow's most powerful and acclaimed films — both exploring the post-9/11 world through the lens of modern warfare:

🎬 Films Discussed:

• The Hurt Locker (2008) — starring Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie & Brian Geraghty — Kathryn Bigelow's Academy Award Best Picture winner that redefined war cinema and made history as the first film directed by a woman to win Best Picture
• Zero Dark Thirty (2012) — starring Jessica Chastain — Bigelow's gripping and controversial thriller about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden following the September 11 attacks

The Wasteland Retrospective is a weekly film podcast where Shane Conto and a guest each pick a related film to discuss together — spanning war cinema, prestige drama, and landmark filmmaking across every era.

Shane Conto — film critic, writer & YouTuber: 🌐 Website | ▶️ YouTube | 📸 Instagram | 🎵 TikTok | 🎥 Letterboxd

Also hosts Wasteland Watchlist, Wasteland Spotlight, and Cinematic Wasteland on the SPDM Crew network.

Jeff Alan — photographer, filmmaker & film/TV reviewer: 🌐 Portfolio & Contact Available for photography and videography — check out his portfolio!

Have a film pairing suggestion or want to join the SPDM Crew? Email spdmcrew@gmail.com

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🎵 Theme music by Kristofer Twadell | Logo by Jason Wilbur @ HiFlyer Creative

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