Adam Selvidge's Website Blog
Elemental: Directed by Peter Sohn. With Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Ronnie Del Carmen, Shila Ommi. Follows Ember and Wade, in a city where fire-, water-, land- and air-residents live together. Another wonderful release from Pixar with all the same loveable tropes that we’ve gotten to know in the nearly 30 years that they’ve been doing movies, you won’t be surprised to hear that some intractable forces find a reason to work together, there’s a significant misunderstanding, but then an emotional resolution that makes you feel warm and fuzzy as you leave the theater. What’s new is an over the top...
A stunning graphic memoir recounting actor/author/activist George Takei’s childhood imprisoned within American concentration camps during World War II. Experience the forces that shaped an American icon — and America itself — in this gripping tale of courage, country, loyalty, and love.George I was able to read this in just a single 2 or 3 hour sitting, though I have plans to go back through it and letting the art work soak in. While it wasn’t a difficult book to read, it was still a difficult story to hear. We had done this a few time prior to the internment of...
A fiercely formidable sci-fi survival game, set on a hostile alien world that wants you dead! Alone, or with a crew, do you have what it takes to survive? I actually finished this with a buddy over a month ago, I enjoyed my time with this game, but it lacks a sense of polish that could have made it something I would recommend. The mapping system is somewhat confusing, and the POV / camera angle is maddening, but the story is serviceable and the gameplay loop was enjoyable enough that I made it all the way to the end. That...
Slumberland: Directed by Francis Lawrence. With Jason Momoa, Marlow Barkley, Chris O’Dowd, Kyle Chandler. A young girl discovers a secret map to the dreamworld of Slumberland, and with the help of an eccentric outlaw, she traverses dreams and flees nightmares, with the hope that she will be able to see her late father again. This is a goofy, fun, yet emotionally taxing story of a family that’s lost a lot of what gave it joy and the journey they go on to regain that spark. If you haven’t seen the new Fast & Furious film, I’m highly suggest watching this...
Women Talking: Directed by Sarah Polley. With Rooney Mara, Judith Ivey, Emily Mitchell, Kate Hallett. Do nothing, stay and fight, or leave. In 2010, the women of an isolated religious community grapple with reconciling a brutal reality with their faith. There are indeed women talking in this film, and they talk very well. This is essentially a looking glass version of 12 angry men, but instead of murder they’re discussing serial rapists that are a part of their community and not being punished for their horrifying crimes. It’s a simple premise but one difficult to do well, I’ve seen plenty...
Barry: Created by Alec Berg, Bill Hader. With Bill Hader, Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, Anthony Carrigan. A hit man from the Midwest moves to Los Angeles and gets caught up in the city’s theatre arts scene. This final season was good, but completely unfulfilling for me. Bill Hader took the middling concept of a ex military guy struggling to adapt to civilian life and choosing violence into realms that I don’t think that particular genre has gone before. I didn’t really care for where they ended up, but it was one hell of a journey to get there. Buy On...
Rescue: Directed by Jason Lohman, Ted Tanaka. With Michael Ochotorena, Jason Lohman, Justice Lee, Sophia Ferguson. After the accidental death of Jake’s oldest daughter and wife, Jake’s only daughter Leah, has been abducted by human traffickers. Jake’s experience in martial arts, sets out with little clues in hand, and a kali stick in the other. It’s low budget in a way that I appreciate, it’s obvious the Director had some experience with martial art stick fighting, had a passion for movies, and wanted to give a go at combining the two things. He saved a ton of money by having...
Captain Michael Burnham and the crew of the USS Discovery are finding that each day is a critical adjustment to their new lives and new missions in an Alpha Quadrant more than nine hundred years in the future. It’s here that Discovery is reconnecting with various worlds where the cataclysmic event known as “the Burn” has decimated Starfleet and, with it, the United Federation of Planets. There’s been precious little time for the crew to truly come to terms with their present reality, as their devotion to duty hides the emotional stress that could impact their effectiveness, and even threaten...
Polite Society: Directed by Nida Manzoor. With Priya Kansara, Ritu Arya, Renu Brindle, Rekha John-Cheriyan. Ria Khan believes she must save her older sister Lena from her impending marriage. After enlisting her friends’ help, she attempts to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood. A fun enough movie that really could have used a bit of polish and editing. The end result is a fun movie with a super weird story going on about a mother’s love for her son, what’s she’ll do to always be there for him, and the...
The Batman: Directed by Matt Reeves. With Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, Colin Farrell. When a sadistic serial killer begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, Batman is forced to investigate the city’s hidden corruption and question his family’s involvement. I still feel that the first half of this movie is a complete snooze fest and the soundtrack, specifically the hero track, is overly repetitive and annoying as all get out. Also, everything about the Riddler made me loose interest in the move every time they were talking about his stupid rhymes, jokes, or holiday cards. In fact, I...
