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My All American (2015)
My All American (2015)
2015 | Drama
8
7.7 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The new film My All American is directed by Angelo Pizzo and released by
Clarius Entertainment. It stars Finn Wittrock as Freddie Steinmark,
Sarah Bolger as Linda Wheeler, Aaron Eckhart as Darrell Royal, Robin
Tunney as Gloria Steinmark, Michael Reilly Burke as Fred Steinmark, Rett
Terrell as Bobby Mitchell, and Juston Street as James Street.

Based on true events, and coinciding with the release of the recently
published biography, Freddie Steinmark: Faith, Family, Football, this
film is a heartwarming tale of the grit and determination that one boy
has from the time he is small all the way through college.

The determination to push through any obstacle, and any challenge thrown
his way was the hallmark of Freddie Steinmark and forever etched him
into the hearts of his fellow players, his coach Darrell K Royal, and
his family.

At only five feet nine inches tall, and 150 pounds, Freddie had to work
harder, practice longer, run faster and be altogether tougher than any
of his other team mates just to be noticed.

The movie follows Freddie through his career starting with pee-wee
football practice, to being drilled by his dad for extra practice after
his school day was done in high school, to tryouts for University of
Texas Longhorns. His high school sweetheart Linda Wheeler applies to and
is accepted at University of Texas and follows him to college.

I don’t generally like football. It annoys me that it takes so long for
the game to be played (hello…. its supposed to be four QUARTERS…. a
quarter is 25 minutes. So a game should be just over an hour and a
half…. right? Nope, it never ever is only an hour and a half long….)

HOWEVER, I really enjoyed watching this movie!
It was funny, it was inspiring, it was sad. It tugged on my heartstrings
and made me wonder how, exactly, a parent goes about raising a kid with
that much drive and “want to”.

It is completely family friendly and I will be making another trip to
the theatre to watch it with my 7 year old son, and my friends son who
is 8 and her daughter that is 6, as well.

The movie shares a great message and good lessons that all children
should learn.

The ending is sad, and might upset some younger children, but since it
is a true-to-life movie, it had to follow actual events.
  
The Stranger Behind You
The Stranger Behind You
Carol Goodman | 2021 | Philosophy, Psychology & Social Sciences, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
An atmospheric and twisty thriller
Reporter Joan Lurie becomes famous when her story in Manhatta exposes Globe owner Caspar Osgood as a sexual harasser. But as she returns home the night of the publication, she's attacked in her apartment. Terrified and feeling ill from a severe blow to the head, she moves to a super secure building in Manhattan, called the Refuge, to write a book that further details what she's discovered about Casper. At the Refuge, she meets her elderly neighbor, Lillian, who has lived there since it was the Magdalen Laundry and Refuge for Fallen Women in the 1940s. She becomes sucked into Lillian's stories, which often remind Joan of her own life. Meanwhile, Caspar's wife Melissa must deal with the aftermath of learning her husband is sexual predator. Soon, these women's lives will intertwine: in potentially dangerous ways.

"I'm here because four weeks ago someone tried to kill me."

This was an often confusing but incredibly intriguing book that combines the #MeToo movement with a story about wayward girls. You're never quite sure what's going on, as Joan can be an unreliable narrator (head injury + fear, anyone?), leaving one feeling very off balance for the entire book. There's a story within a story here, as Joan goes after Caspar and his transgressions, combined with Lillian's story and her past.

"What kind of person is more concerned about their hard drive than their body?"

I loved the 1940s piece, learning about Lily, the Magdalen laundry, and the Refuge when it was a home for girls. It's fascinating even while being quite sad. Joan could be a very frustrating character (just go to the doctor for your head injury and stop drinking already), but you cannot fault her reporting skills. Caspar's wife Melissa adds a certain depth to the tale, as she wrestles with what her husband has done. Telling the story from Joan and Melissa's point of view really expands what we learn. This is also an atmospheric read, with the Refuge becoming its own character, especially as we learn about its history from the 1940s on. Goodman is always excellent at setting the scene.

While I sometimes found this book frustrating, it was also a page-turner, with compelling characters and an interesting story with some great twists. 4 stars.
  
    Quick Math+

    Quick Math+

    Education and Games

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    App

    Quick Math+ takes the math challenge to the next level and brings some fun, new surprises along the...

Teenage mutant ninja turtles mutant mayhem (2023)
Teenage mutant ninja turtles mutant mayhem (2023)
2023 | Animation
8
7.8 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Franchise has taken a break from the recent live-action updates and has returned to animation to reboot and modernize the franchise.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is a loving and updated look at the story as Seth Rogen and his creative team have shaken up the franchise but remained true to the core characters and universe.

The film follows the four Turtles Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), Raphael (Brady Noon), Donatello (Micah Abbey), and Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.), who are looking to find acceptance in the world despite their father Splinter (Jackie Chan), warning them not to trust humans and that they will never be accepted.

As typical teens do, the boys frequently rebel to sneak out and use their Ninja skills to travel New York to do tasks ranging from shopping to watching outdoor movies which only fuels their desires to be accepted and
have normal experiences such as High School.

At the same time as a crimewave is happening attributed to a menace known as Superfly (Ice Cube), who is gathering all kinds of high-end gear for his nefarious scheme.

When the brothers become aware of this while helping a human named April (Ago Edebiri), they become obsessed with her and desire to help her get to the bottom of the thefts and hope to win her approval as well as human acceptance in the process.

What follows is a madcap adventure with plenty of action and humor and
several celebrity voices which adds a new level of fun to the expanded
cast of supporting characters.

The animation style is at times a bit rough to watch over an extended
period but as the film progressed I became used to it and it did much like the two recent Spider-man animated films grow on me even if it can be distracting at times.

The cast is solid and the film seemed to play well to viewers of all ages
as there were jokes and references for all ages and the storyline was engaging even if it did at times seem to drag in places.

In the end the film is a loving and solid entry into the franchise and one that I am sure we will be seeing more animated entries from in the near future and is a must watch for fans of all ages.

4 stars out of 5
  
Ride of Her Life
Ride of Her Life
Kimberly Dean | 2012 | Contemporary, Erotica, Fiction & Poetry
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Woman Surprised When Neighbor Waits For Her When Coming Home Late
Genre: Contemporary, Erotica

Word Count: 3,830

Average Smashwords rating: 5 out of 5 stars

My rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Warning: quotes below are certainly rated R.

When Andrea’s car breaks down and she gets a ride home with a coworker, the last thing she expects is her sexy yet scary-looking neighbor, Bo, waiting for her and livid. Worried out of his mind, Bo is done flirting with Andrea without action. Tonight, he’ll show her exactly what he wants with her.


Ride of Her Life is a hot little escape, but it’s like daydreaming about the stock photo of a tattooed macho man. True, it has some great sexy time.

He was fucking her hard and fast, but it was too much. Too raw. Too intimate. She felt too vulnerable, and she tried to lower her legs.

“No.” Keeping her legs close together, he leaned forward. “I like it this way. It makes you tighter. Makes you pay attention to me.”

The increase in pressure startled her. “Bo!”

He bucked at the sound of his name, and Andrea could hardly stand the pleasure. It felt naughty, exhibitionistic, and so damn good.

“That’s right, sweet thing. Give it to me. I’m the guy who’s meant to be your lover, not your handyman.”

But Bo has no character whatsoever. For that matter, Andrea isn’t much better with her inconsistent weirdness.

Bo is a jerk. He was mad that his neighbor didn’t call him when she was going to be home late or ask him to drive all the way to the college just to give him a ride. He was even more irritated that the coworker who dropped her off was male. Bo is her next door neighbor! Sure, they’re closer than most neighbors, but that doesn’t mean she needs to call him when she is a little bit late.

There’s an inch of depth that flickers beneath Bo’s otherwise boring flatness. His anger stems from worry and he’s insecure around Andrea. He doesn’t think he’s smart enough for her and in a moment of vulnerability asks her what he means to her.

It’s clear the two of them have history together. They have been neighbors for a while and Bo is always there to help with lawn mowing, giving her takeout, and doing repairs around the house. Andrea fantasizes about him at night but is scared to acknowledge her attraction to him. Bo seems to know it anyway and basically takes her on a picnic table with Andrea barely getting a consent out.

The lack of real consent is a huge turn-off for me. Just because he mows her lawn doesn’t mean he gets to, well, mow her lawn. There’s a difference between dominating and borderline-raping, and I wish that was much clearer here.

Andrea’s character is all over the place. She goes from caring to femme fatale in less than four thousand words.

At first, she’s slightly scared of Bo. She’s nervous and innocent for most of the story.

The tingle was back. Her entire body vibrated with anticipation and nerves. She’d never done anything like this. A thrill of uneasiness and excitement rushed through her

By the end, he’s just a fuck for her.

“Can we go inside now?” she asked, her lips brushing against his ear.

“On one condition. Tell me what I am to you.”

She smiled softly. “Oh honey, you’re the man I call when I need a ride.”

Where is this new found confidence of hers and when did she start calling him honey? Did her orgasm compel a man-eating ghost to possess her for the sake of reliving glory days?

We’ll never find out, because that’s where the story ends. There’s no real conclusion and just the flippant line to half-heartedly tie the ending and beginning together. It left me wholly unsatisfied.