Adam Selvidge's Website Blog
The Great Escaper: Directed by Oliver Parker. With Michael Caine, Glenda Jackson, Danielle Vitalis, Wolf Kahler. Bernard Jordan escapes from his care home to attend the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings in France. Based on a true story and reportedly is Michael Caine’s final film performance, though like most actors there’s likely a few projected that he filmed previously in post production limbo or in a vault somewhere. As far as final performances go, there aren’t many as emotional and well done as this. Sidenote that I think this is the first time that I’ve ever run into a...
The Continental: From the World of John Wick: Created by Greg Coolidge, Shawn Simmons, Kirk Ward. With Mel Gibson, Colin Woodell, Mishel Prada, Hubert Point-Du Jour. Set in 1970s New York City, The Continental explores the origin of the iconic hotel-for-assassins centerpiece of the John Wick universe seen through the eyes and action of a young Winston Scott. Overladen with CGI sets, CGI action, and CGI weapons, this series is set in an uninteresting time period and featured characters that I just didn’t find interesting at all. I know that the Wick franchise relies heavily on CGI elements, particularly the...
Humans and elves, dwarves and gnomes, wizards and warriors all live and do business in the thriving, overcrowded port city of Cliff’s End, to say nothing of the tourists and travelers who arrive by land and sea, passing through the metropolis on matters of business or pleasure-or on quests. The hard-working, under-appreciated officers of the Cliff’s End Castle Guard work day and night to maintain law and order as best they can. Arra Cynnis is the youngest child in one of the most powerful families in the wealthy district of Unicorn Precinct. When she’s found murdered, with the culprit’s identity...
Leave the World Behind: Directed by Sam Esmail. With Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la. A family’s getaway to a luxurious rental home takes an ominous turn when a cyberattack knocks out their devices, and two strangers appear at their door. If you haven’t seen the internet’s buzz about the ending, I’ll say that while the ending isn’t one that the general public is going to fall head over heels for, this is still a captivating look at how people react to the strange or other wise unexpected. There’s a few really big names in the film, but Julia...
Shin Godzilla: Directed by Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi. With Hiroki Hasegawa, Yutaka Takenouchi, Satomi Ishihara, Ren Ôsugi. Japan is plunged into chaos upon the appearance of a giant monster. After watching “Godzilla Minus One” I did a little bit of reading and there was a lot of talk about how “Shin Godzilla” was just as good and was one of the best in the franchise and had brought it to new heights. Unfortunately I don’t feel that’s the case, as there’s some pretty big gaps between what they’re trying to do and what ultimately ended up in the film. The...
Gran Turismo: Directed by Neill Blomkamp. With David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Archie Madekwe, Takehiro Hira. Based on the unbelievable, inspiring true story of a team of underdogs – a struggling, working-class gamer, a failed former race car driver, and an idealistic motorsport exec – who risk it all to take on the most elite sport in the world. “Gran Turismo” the movie was heavily promoted in theaters and they didn’t leave much of the story out of the dozens of different times I saw the various trailers, but honestly this type of film really doesn’t need to hold much back....
I streamed much less than I was hoping to in 2023, largely due to going back to school to get my degree (which I did!) and training for the PMP, which I still need to apply for. Might as well do that today I guess?
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off: With Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Satya Bhabha, Kieran Culkin. A 20-something Toronto indie rocker’s adventures in getting and keeping jobs, avoiding being kicked out of his apartment, and surviving encounters with the seven evil exes of the new girl in town on whom he has a crush. A sorta sequel / parallel story to the 2010 live active film, features the same cast but this time it’s all animated to great effect. There’s some well done misdirection and welcome modifications to the story you think you’re getting, with animation that’s rough around all the right...
A Guardian Science Fiction Book of the Year. Mimi is drowning in the world’s trash. She’s a ‘waste girl’, a scavenger picking through towering heaps of hazardous electronic detritus. Along with thousands of other migrant workers, she was lured to Silicon Isle, off the southern coast of China, by the promise of steady work and a better life. But Silicon Isle is where the rotten fruits of capitalism and consumer culture come to their toxic end. The land is hopelessly polluted, the workers utterly at the mercy of those in power. And now a storm is gathering, as ruthless local...
The Talk of the Town: Directed by George Stevens. With Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Ronald Colman, Edgar Buchanan. An escaped prisoner has to prove his innocence to a stuffy law professor with the help of a spirited school teacher. I bought a dvd of this silly movie in the hopes that there was going to be some good Glenda Farrell content and while she’s great in her two scenes, I do wish there was more. She’s not the main character by any stretch, that’s goes to the two leading men (Cary Grant / Ronald Colman) and Jean Arthur. It’s one...
