Smashbomb

Search

Search results

All (2531)

Content

Lindsay (1760 KP) rated Mickey On The Move in Books

Feb 12, 2021

I found an excellent inspiring children's book about a little boy who deaf but not wholly. You wouldn't even know he seems to be like most children his age. The book is called "Mickey on the Move." I thought it was about him moving a lot. I was surprised why he had been to five different schools.

The book talks about his hard of hearing and how to go about his new school. His mom seems to help him through planning this first day of school, how his teachers support him, and his friends helping out if they can. They all seem to work for a way to help Mickey.

The book also talks about how Mickey wants to be growing up. There is a phrase that mentions throughout the book Mickey on the Move. Will one problem that his teacher brings up to his mom. Will they find a solution for the problem. Mickey can get what he needs while in school.

The pictures were done well by the author. It is about special needs kids and how to help and support them in their environment that they will need. This book is suitable for children to read and understand some deaf and hard of hearing children's needs. I would even support having this on library shelves and even school library shelves for children.

Parents can learn as well as children about hearing loss. However, that might be hard of hearing. Maybe get the child or children what they need to help them and support them. I know it is a hard thing. This author does it well.

Kudos

Dave Navarro recommended Ordinary People (1980) in Movies (curated)

"This one’s going to make you — well, I don’t know what you’re going to say to this, but Ordinary People, the Robert Redford film with Timothy Hutton, and Mary Tyler Moore, Donald Sutherland, [has] got to be one of the most emotional films for me, just seeing the middle upper class being stripped of the veneer and seeing the dysfunction within. That film really captures that more than any other, I think, and certainly of that time, it was such a dangerous statement for Robert Redford to be making in a film like that. Every time I watch that film — and I must have seen it over 100 times — I weep. And Mary Tyler Moore’s performance in that film, I’m telling you, man, growing up in LA, I knew women like her… That was my friends’ mothers, without a doubt. It’s so simple and it’s just beautiful story telling. Judd Hirsch as the therapist and the relationship he creates with Timothy Hutton in that film is pretty special. I feel that if that film doesn’t touch you on some level, that you’re not human. Looking back at it now, it may seem like a very after-school-special choice, but if you really visit that film again, it holds up, man. It’s pretty compelling. You got to see that, man, on a Sunday when it’s a little rainy out there. I don’t know if you have a boyfriend, or a girlfriend, but whoever that is, sit with them, put that on. I’m telling you, dude. It’s like… How do I put it? It’s like The Notebook for our generation, or my generation, you know?"

Source

Kudos

LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Better Watch Out (2016) in Movies

Dec 19, 2020

Better Watch Out isn't just another unconventional Christmas movie to throw into the ever growing pile, no sir. As much as it sets itself up as another fun festive horror, it's actually possesses one hell of a mean streak, and is genuinely uncomfortable to watch for a huge chunk of it's runtime.

The basic premise revolves around 12 year old Luke. When his parents head out for the evening, his babysitter Ashley is hired one last time before she moves away from the area. Not long into the evening, weird shit starts happening, and it's soon apparent that the two of them and Luke's friend Garrett are all falling victim to a home invasion, and they have to fight to survive the night. Without going into spoiler territory, the plot isn't quite this straightforward, and there's a midway twist that gives us a properly sadistic main antagonist.

This is all portrayed superbly by its main cast. Levi Miller is great as Luke, and the other main cast are played by The Visit alumni Olivia DeJonge, and Ed Oxenbould (thankfully not constantly rapping this time around). The three of them absolutely carry this film to it's bloody climax.
The gore isn't too shabby, and is done fairly tastefully all things considered. When shit starts to hit the fan, we are treated to some genuinely tense moments, and a couple of jump scares that have that rare honour of feeling somewhat earned.

All in all, Better Watch Out is a decent slice of Christmas horror. It's different, it's clever, and has a fucked up Home Alone kind of vibe for good measure. Worth checking out!

Kudos

Eleanor (1463 KP) rated Sleeper 13 in Books

Sep 23, 2019

Sleeper 13

Rob Sinclair | 2018 | Thriller

5.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

All action no character

An action packed book that just wasn’t for me. I can imagine enjoying this as a film with non stop action scenes and childhood flashbacks but as a book it just failed to engage me.

Sleeper 13 follows the character of Aydin who as a young boy is placed in “The Farm.” Trained to be an elite Jihadi fighter his world is turned upside down again with the realisation that those who have trained him are responsible for the death of his sister. Plunging head on into a hell for leather revenge tale we follow Aydin around the world while getting a glimpse into his world growing up. Meanwhile Aydin and his fellow jihadi brothers cell is being tracked down by the secret service and in particular Rachael who will not let red tape get in her way.

I really wasn’t engaged by either Aydin or Rachael. Aydin managed a full 180 in a very quick time with very little covering him having any kind of crisis of conscience and for an elite Jihadi we spent a lot of time covering why he was the least skilled. Rachael meanwhile seems way too eager to break rules and go against direct orders at the drop of the hat, how she ever progressed in any organisation with such little discipline made little sense to me. For all the action I just didn’t feel invested.

It’s not often I don’t fly through a book when I’m on holiday but this one I found I struggled to keep picking back up. Interesting concept just not for me.