Fifteen years of 'Fifteen' by Taylor Swift

What could be more appropriate for our "Back to School" theme week than a song about freshman year of high school?

"Fifteen" by Taylor Swift is approaching the 15-year anniversary of its debut on Swift's "Fearless" album. The iconic song from Swift's second album details Swift and her best friend Abigail Anderson's respective high school dating experiences, as well as themes of reflection and regret.

In the music video, released 14 years ago this November, Swift and Anderson play themselves, exploring various settings that coincide with the story being told through the lyrics. Interestingly, the video was filmed in the span of two days, with the first day of filming taking place in front of a green screen with sketches as a guide, while the second day was filmed at an actual high school.

Both the song itself and the music video really capture the feeling of being 15, especially with lines like "When all you wanted was to be wanted / Wish you could go back and tell yourself what you know now." Even the rhythmic way certain words are stressed or rushed authentically captures the feelings involved.

And then there's the later "Taylor's Version" release of the song.

"Fifteen (Taylor's Version)" was released in 2021 as part of Swift's attempt to reclaim the rights to her songs after the 2019 dispute over ownership of her masters. While a new video wasn't produced, the re-recorded vocals showcase Swift's increased level of skill and maturity. Fitting considering the song's reflective lyrics.

"Fifteen" is an iconic ballad, and even those who dislike Swift have to admit that her earlier albums are staples of pop culture. And this particular staple reaches the 15-year anniversary of its album debut on Nov. 11.

'The DUFF' by Kody Keplinger is worth reading even if you've watched the movie

The book cover for "The DUFF" is on the left (Poppy), and the movie poster is on the right (CBS Films).

"The DUFF" by Kody Keplinger is the inspiration for the 2015 movie of the same name. But the plot of the novel, while similar in spirit, is wildly different.

In the movie, Bianca (Mae Whitman) is told by her former childhood friend Wesley (Robbie Amell) that she's the "Designated Ugly Fat Friend" of her friend group, the person who people talk to in order to gain access to her prettier and more popular friends.

Bianca then receives his help getting a makeover so she can ask out her guitar-playing crush Toby (Nick Eversman) while avoiding mean girl Madison's (Bella Thorne) attempts to thwart their efforts. Toby then turns out to be "DUFFing" Bianca to get to her friends and Bianca ends up realizing she has feelings for Wesley.

In the novel, Bianca and Wesley aren't childhood friends and a lot of the plot focuses on them being enemies with sexual benefits. Also, Madison doesn't exist and Toby is actually a kind, nerdy boy who ends his relationship with Bianca amicably and compares their situation to "Wuthering Heights."

And while in the movie Bianca has a supportive functioning alcoholic for a mother, in the novel Bianca's mother is absent and sends divorce papers to her father, which causes him to relapse into alcoholism and become abusive until he goes back to Alcoholics Anonymous.

Despite the differences, I still appreciate the movie because it's similar in spirit and uses the same actress that Keplinger always pictured for Bianca.

I also appreciate how the movie added a lot of fun elements to the plot that maintained the quality of the movie even when the story differed from the book. The addition of Ken Jeong's character in particular was a highlight of the movie, as was the increased empathy and likability of Wesley.

One thing that sets the book apart from the movie is that it was written by a then 17-year-old Keplinger, so it accurately captures the teenage perspective in a way that can't necessarily be replicated by movie studios. As much as I liked the movie, the way the plot was changed and the insertion of characters like Madison feels pretty formulaic.

Overall, whether you've watched the movie version of "The DUFF" or not, I suggest reading the book that inspired it as well.

If you haven't watched 'Derry Girls,' you're missing out

From left to right: Clare, Michelle, Erin, Orla, and James from "Derry Girls" (Channel 4/Hat Trick Productions).

"Derry Girls" is one of the funniest TV shows I've ever seen.

The British show is set in Ireland in the '90s as the country navigates the Troubles, but it specifically focuses on four girls from Derry—Erin Quinn (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), Michelle Mallon (Jamie-Lee O'Donnell), Orla McCool (Louisa Harland), and Clare Devlin (Nicola Coughlan)—and their "wee English fella" James Maguire (Dylan Llewellyn) as they navigate their teen years.

Every 30-minute episode is a wacky but still somehow relatable misadventure among the five friends. Whether it's something as small as sneaking out for a concert or something as big as being falsely accused of killing a nun at their Catholic school, the five friends always seem to stumble into trouble.

Erin is an aspiring writer reminiscent of show creator Lisa McGee, Michelle is the one who tends to take charge in the group in pursuit of a good time, Clare is the anxious friend who's always one step away from a Cack attack, Orla is an oddball who marches to the beat of her own drum, and James is the "wee English fella" everyone likes to push around.

I also have to mention their headmistress Sister George Michael (Siobhán McSweeney). Sister Michael, a sarcastic nun who's not sure she even believes in God, is by far one of the comedic highlights of the show.

Likewise, Erin and Orla's family is also featured in most episodes: Erin's parents Mary and Gerry Quinn (Tara Lynne O'Niell and Tommy Tiernan), Orla's mom Sarah McCool (Kathy Kiera Clarke), and their grandfather Joe McCool (Ian McElhinney).

I love the show because it always has me laughing from start to finish, the only exception being when it touches on emotions beyond comedy, like heartbreak, sympathy, and grief.

And audiences seem to agree, especially in Northern Ireland, where the show became the region's most-watched series since modern records started in 2002.

I only have two criticisms with the show:

1. They should've kept the original song for Orla's step routine in the international version.
2. I wish the show wasn't over.

The fact that those are my only two criticisms says a lot about the quality of the show. And "Derry Girls" is also the only show I've been willing to binge watch multiple times in a row, probably due to a combination of quality and short length.

And that's always the best place to leave a show, isn't it? On a high note, with the audience wanting more? And I guarantee if you watch, you'll want more "Derry Girls."

You can watch "Derry Girls" on Netflix if you're in the U.S. or on Channel 4 if you're in the U.K.

'Mean Girls' is an evergreen, quotable cultural staple

Seeing as the 20-year anniversary of "Mean Girls" is coming in eight months, it seems only fitting to talk about the cultural staple to kick off our "Back to School" week.

For those who don't know, "Mean Girls" is a 2004 movie about Cady Heron (Lindsey Lohan), who enrolls in a U.S. public high school for the first time after being homeschooled in Africa for 12 years. She then works to fit in, initially befriending two social outcasts before infiltrating the popular "Plastics" clique.

During the course of the movie, Cady starts to lose both her friends and her sense of self in pursuit of revenge, popularity, belonging, and queen bee Regina George's (Rachel McAdams) boyfriend Aaron Samuels (Jonathan Bennett).

While some aspects of the movie feel exaggerated or situation-specific, it really does capture the spirit of how vicious teenage girls can be toward one another as they form and navigate social cliques in high school.

This makes sense given that "Mean Girls" is based on both screenwriter Tina Fey's high school experiences and Rosalind Wiseman's 2002 parenting book "Queen Bees and Wannabes."

And practically every line in the movie is quotable, no matter how big or small. I still quote the movie regularly, as do a lot of people I know, and the quotes never seem to go over anyone's head, especially the most notable ones like "fetch!"

"Mean Girls" has stood the test of time and popularity, spawning sequels, musicals, video games, themed merchandise, and songs, among other things.

In the last few years alone, The New Yorker ranked Lohan's performance No. 11 for the 21st century, Rolling Stone ranked the movie No. 20 comedy of the century, and Indie Wire ranked the movie No. 12 comedy of the century.

Even yesterday, when asking others what their favorite school themed movie is, the first response I got was "Mean Girls."

"Mean Girls" is evergreen and endlessly quotable and enjoyable. Anyone who hasn't seen the movie should, and anyone who has might want to rewatch it for the back-to-school vibes.

Ranking summer content in 'Hitman: World of Assassination'

The "Hitman: World of Assassination" video game trilogy has featured a lot of new and interesting content since the first game was released in 2016, and its summer themed content is no exception.

Let's take a look at some of the most notable content that's either summer themed or was released during the summer and rank it.

8. Special Assignments Pack 1

Blair Reddington from "Embrace of the Serpent" and Basil Carnaby from "Illusions of Grandeur" (IO Interactive). 

"Hitman 2" featured two special assignments packs and the first one, released June 25, 2019, featured the bonus missions "Embrace of the Serpent" in Santa Fortuna and "Illusions of Grandeur" in Mumbai.

"Embrace of the Serpent" is the most utterly infuriating mission I've ever played in the entire "World of Assassination" trilogy.

On the surface, it's not much different than other missions in terms of quality and difficulty, and it even has a fun little nod to "The Blacklist" with its target being a black book-wielding man named Blair Reddington. But it's damn near impossible to get the Silent Assassin Suit Only (SASO) achievement on master difficulty, especially if you're a casual player.

Eliminating the target is easy enough with the right tools since Reddington wanders the jungle with only two guards, but retrieving the black book from an isolated hut surrounded by a keen-eyed mixture of guards and enforcer NPCs?

You'd practically have to knock them all out one-by-one, which is way too much time and effort to be spending on a bonus mission, especially since you can only save your progress once on master difficulty and even the smallest of things can ruin a SASO run.

By contrast, "Illusions of Grandeur" is actually so easy and creatively limited it's boring. The target barely moves unless you have a specific interaction with him, so the opportunities to take him out unnoticed are very limited and very easy, even if you don't use the debatably overpowered electric phone that was available during the mission's original release.

7. Special Assignments Pack 2

Galen Vholes from "A Bitter Pill" and Ajit "AJ" Krish from "A Silver Tongue" (IO Interactive).

The second special assignments pack, featuring the missions "A Silver Tongue" and "A Bitter Pill," was released Sept. 24, 2019.

While both missions are only barely more exciting than "Illusions of Grandeur" from the previous special assignments pack, they do feature a few more ways of eliminating their respective targets on a set of much more popular maps.

And unlike the previous pack, these two missions share a narrative connection. Both targets are business partners at the top of a pyramid scheme selling Atlantide, a demineralized salt water that fraudulently boasts a number of health benefits.

6. The Sarajevo Six

Photo of the targets from "The Sarajevo Six" (IO Interactive).

"The Sarajevo Six" is a DLC featuring six bonus missions set in the same locations as the six main missions in the first "Hitman" game. Formerly a PlayStation 4 exclusive, the DLC was recently released to all platforms on Aug. 17.

While I applaud releasing this content to all platforms, especially with all of the interesting environmental and AI updates added in "Hitman 3," it's not exactly the most exciting bonus content to be released at this late stage of the final game in the trilogy.

It may only be a matter of time before the "World of Assassination" trilogy is unplayable due to its requirement to always be connected to a server, and with the exception of the Colorado mission, most of the targets from "The Sarajevo Six" are as easy to eliminate as any Contracts Mode target.

Granted, I'll admit I haven't played "The Sarajevo Six" content yet since I'm waiting until I get paid to buy the DLC, but I've watched walkthroughs and playthroughs from my favorite "Hitman" YouTubers both from the original PS4 version and from the recent release, and it looks like easy filler content aside from the stalker AI in the Colorado mission.

5. Summer Bonus Episodes

Kong Tuo-Kwang from "A House Built on Sand" and Dino Bosco from "The Icon" (IO Interactive).

The Summer Bonus Episodes, "The Icon" and "A House Built on Sand," were released July 29, 2016. They take place in nighttime versions of Sapienza and Morrocco, respectively.

"The Icon" has a number of fun methods for completing the mission as players work to eliminate ego-centric actor Dino Bosco on a sandbox version of the overwhelmingly popular Sapienza map. The mission is a fun, classic part of the first "Hitman" game.

"A House Built on Sand" is equally classic though not quite as popular as "The Icon." The mission features two targets on a sandbox version of the Marrakesh map, one of which has a set of documents players are required to retrieve.

4. Ambrose Island

Promotional photo of Ambrose Island, the location for the "Shadows in the Water" mission (IO Interactive).

"Shadows in the Water" is a "Hitman 3" bonus mission that was released July 26, 2022. The mission, which takes place on Ambrose Island, requires players to eliminate a rogue militia member and a pirate syndicate leader.

Despite its similarity to maps like Santa Fortuna and Haven Island, both of which have a reputation for having targets spread out across larger than necessary locations, Ambrose Island was a much-needed addition to "Hitman 3" during a time of sparse content.

Likewise, "Shadows in the Water" has a somewhat unique narrative with a number of interesting opportunities to pursue on an island in the Andaman Sea. There's even an opportunity to interact in a more direct capacity with fan favorite character Agent Carlton Smith.

3. The Last Resort

Agent 47 standing in a pool while wearing the Swimwear outfit in "The Last Resort" (IO Interactive).

"The Last Resort," a "Hitman 2" bonus mission that takes place on Haven Island, was released Sept. 24, 2019. The mission requires players to eliminate three targets who are spread across a resort in the Maldives that caters to both celebrities with reputation problems and criminals who need to disappear with new identities.

While having the three targets spread across the large map feels like an unnecessary chore after a few playthroughs, the map does provide a number of unique opportunities to eliminate the targets and marks some firsts for the trilogy.

For one thing, "The Last Resort" marks the first time a mission's weather changed in a significant way while playing, specifically by having a storm get closer with each elimination of a target. Likewise, the mission marks the first time that players could stand in water deeper than a puddle.

The mission also introduced one of my favorite suits, the Swimwear outfit pictured above, though it unfortunately isn't unlockable to wear in other missions.

Regardless, Haven Island is one of the maps that best encapsulates the feeling of summer.

2. The Dartmoor Garden Show

A scenic overview of "The Dartmoor Garden Show" (IO Interactive).

"The Dartmoor Garden Show" was released Aug. 5, 2021. The mission is an escalation that takes place during a garden show and requires players to eliminate the competition so their client can win the show.

The mission is a fun sandbox version of the Dartmoor map that can be played a different way every single time with different results. Likewise, it has a "deterministic mode" that makes it less restrictive than the main version of the escalation.

Players can also unlock themed items such as the Floral Baller and the Summer Sightseeing Suit, among other things.

1. Landslide

A small crowd gathers at a festival stage by the beach in Sapienza (IO Interactive).

"Landslide" is a bonus mission from the first "Hitman" game that was released Jan. 31, 2017. Set in a version of Sapienza nearing sundown, the mission requires players to eliminate a corrupt politician during a beachside summer festival.

Sapienza is the best map in the "World of Assassination" trilogy and "Landslide" specifically captures its late afternoon beauty while a singer serenades the festival crowd with some of the best songs in the series.

The mission also features a number of unique opportunities with the thoroughly hateable target, including one that involves setting off fireworks at just the right moment. "Landslide" is practically saturated with summer vibes, and players become the silent antihero of a small Italian town by the end of the mission.

Revamped 'Cool for the Summer' not cool enough to excite the feeling

"Cool for the Summer" by Demi Lovato was originally released in 2015, but a rock version was released on May 25 of this year as a single for Demi's upcoming "Revamped" remix album, as shown above.

The original "Cool for the Summer" is an LGBTQ+ anthem that feels sort of like a modern, lustier version of "Summer Nights" from "Grease," and it gives all kinds of summer vibes with what Billboard describes as its "poppy synths and uptempo instrumentation."

The same article also says that the rock version of "Cool for the Summer" has a "darker sound backed by electric guitars and grittier lyric delivery." But the thing is, I just don't vibe with it as much as the original.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good rock song and Demi definitely has the vocals for it, but I just don't feel like it's different enough from the original, and the parts that are different could've been done better. It feels like diet rock: the taste is there, but not in full force.

The instrumental still sounds synthetic enough that I barely noticed the electric guitars, and even though there was a grittier quality to Demi's vocals, it still felt like she and the instrumental were holding back on their full power.

All in all, I just don't feel like the rock version added anything to "Cool for the Summer." It's not bad, but the original was already considered pop rock, and there's not enough of a difference between the two versions to incite any extra enjoyment for the rock version.

Chase Holfelder's minor key cover of Taylor Swift's "Betty" and Halocene's rock cover of Billie Eilish's "All the Good Girls Go to Hell" are better examples of how to put an interesting new spin on a song.

To be blunt, the rock version of "Cool for the Summer" isn't that cool, not enough to excite the feeling. And I genuinely believe Demi can do better.

'Percy Jackson and the Bronze Dragon' is the perfect summer short story

What could better encapsulate summer than a story about teens at a summer camp playing capture the flag while looking for a date for the 4th of July fireworks, fending off ants, and finding buried treasure? Granted, it's a summer camp for Greek demigods, the ants are German shepherd sized, and the buried treasure is a bronze dragon, but still.

"Percy Jackson and the Bronze Dragon" is a short story from Rick Riordan's 2009 book "The Demigod Files," which takes place between books four and five of the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series.

Book cover for "The Demigod Files" by Rick Riordan.

The story details how Percy, Annabeth Chase, and Silena Beauregard end up having to save Charles Beckendorf from a giant anthill after Beckendorf tries to stop the Myrmekes (giant ants) from stealing the head of a bronze dragon that used to guard Camp Half-Blood. The other campers are scattered in the woods for capture the flag, so the trio are forced to find the dragon's body in hopes of using it to help them.

The story is a fun, adventurous tale that helps fill the gap between the fourth and fifth books in the series. It also helps flesh out the characters and their romantic story arcs, and it gives readers a chance to get to know Silena and Beckendorf better.

It's also nice to have a story set entirely within Camp Half-Blood since most of the main books only feature it briefly at the beginning before our protagonists take off for yet another quest.

Likewise, rereading "Percy Jackson and the Bronze Dragon" after reading "The Heroes of Olympus" series and "The Trials of Apollo" series is sure to be an interesting experience since both the dragon and the anthill are featured in those books.

The bronze dragon, later renamed Festus, is featured on the cover of "The Lost Hero" by Rick Riordan.

"Percy Jackson and the Bronze Dragon" is one of my favorite short stories by Rick Riordan, and anyone who knows me knows the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series holds a special place in my heart since it's the first series I read for fun rather than as a school requirement. And this story definitely brings the fun along with some solid summer nostalgia vibes.

'Ben 10: Secret of the Omnitrix' is still fun 16 years later

Gwen, Ben, and Grandpa Tennyson during the final frame of "Ben 10: Secret of the Omnitrix" (Cartoon Network).

The 2007 TV movie "Ben 10: Secret of the Omnitrix" is 71 minutes of action-packed cartoon fun.

"Secret of the Omnitrix" is the first of several movies stemming from the original "Ben 10" series, which is about 10-year-old Ben Tennyson (Tara Strong) becoming a superhero after he finds the Omnitrix, a watch that allows him to turn into different alien species while he's on a summer road trip with his cousin Gwen (Meagan Smith) and Grandpa Max (Paul Eiding).

The movie follows Ben's journey to find the Omnitrix's creator after he accidentally sets off the watch's potentially universe-ending self-destruct mode.

I've always had a soft spot for "Ben 10" and I've watched the series with my brother countless times. Likewise, "Secret of the Omnitrix" is one of the more memorable and nostalgic parts of the series for me. Most people seem to agree since the movie has a 7.3/10 rating on IMDb and an 81% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie in some ways feels like an extended episode within the series, just with higher stakes, which is good considering the quality of the "Ben 10" series as a whole.

If popular voice actors like Tara Strong, Steve Blum, and Dee Bradley Baker aren't enough of a draw, the world building and well-placed action sequences certainly do the job. On top of that, someone clearly cares about the attention to audio quality since scenes with metal scraping sounds are as discomfortingly realistic as nails on a chalkboard.

There are some moments in the movie that might have needed tweaking though.

For instance, there are several occasions when Ben's more experienced companion Tetrax (Dave Fennoy) seems more clueless than I'd expect, and those scenes seem like they're designed either for comedic value or as a way of making Ben seem smarter than he normally appears. Like the scene when Ben suggests where to find Azmuth's (Robert David Hall) signature.

These scenes aren't expressly bad, but they could be pulled off better. The same could be said for the scene when Gwen and Gluto (Dee Bradley Baker) make their return later in the movie. The explanation for their return made sense, but it felt like a rushed plot convenience.

Regardless, the movie had a lot of highlights, including the introduction of the alien transformation Way Big and fleshing out more of the Omnitrix's backstory. I'm still enjoying the movie 16 years after it first aired in August 2007.

"Ben 10" was a unique series that wasn't afraid to try things, and "Secret of the Omnitrix" is a worthy part of its legacy.

'High School Musical 2' revisited: Summer classic where everyone's the jerk until they're not

To start off our themed week of summer classics, let's talk about a movie I've avoided like the plague for roughly a decade.

"High School Musical 2" is an undisputed classic of Disney Channel Original Movies (DCOMs), and I've never expressly hated it, but my Zac Efron-loving sister insisted on rewatching it so many times that I came to view it as an overrated chore of a movie and did my best to avoid watching it.

But with all these years of distance, the release of new content and tributes from "HSMTMTS," and my own proximity to the filming location and people with behind-the-scenes stories, I've given into the nostalgia and decided to rewatch "High School Musical 2."

As I watched, all the previous annoyance that stemmed from watching the movie a million times was completely gone and I was able to enjoy "High School Musical 2" for what it is: a classic DCOM with solid music and performance quality that goes all in on the musical campiness, complete with the first use of Zac Efron's real singing voice and a finale number that includes Miley Cyrus in the background.

Despite all the years I avoided the movie itself, I couldn't really stay away from listening to songs like "Fabulous," "I Don't Dance," and "Bet on It." Those ear worms are too good to stay away from, and it was good to watch them in context of the movie again.

Even when the realism varies and the sky clearly jumps back and forth between different times of day or cloud conditions, the overall quality is still solid even in 2023. Plus, it's even a little fun picking out those small details.

It's especially amusing to notice the implication that East High and Lava Springs are only a short drive from each other even though the filming locations are actually separated by a five-hour drive. Or that the Evans family imports turkey from Maine when there are turkeys that wander the local area.

Sharpay looks at turkey imported from Maine during her song "Fabulous" (Disney/YouTube). A turkey wanders on a roof in Hurricane, Utah, in May 2020, less than 20 miles away from the movie's filming location.

It's also fun to pick apart the ongoing debates about the movie's plot. People often like to joke about whether Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) is really the villain since she's providing Troy (Zac Efron) with a job and other opportunities for his future. And the answer is yes, she's still the movie's main villain.

All the opportunities Sharpay gives Troy don't make up for the fact that she's doing it quid pro quo—she expects things in return, like forcing him to spend time with her off the clock, expecting him to sing on a whim, and touching him and ignoring his boundaries in a way that makes him visibly uncomfortable.

Between Sharpay's violations of Troy's boundaries and the way she treats the other Lava Springs employees, she and her parents would probably be held liable in a slew of workplace harassment lawsuits in real life. That said, even though Sharpay's the main problem, she isn't the only one.

Everyone achieves various degrees of ignorant or jerk behavior at some point during the movie.

For example, Troy knowingly breaking the rules about using the golf course and pool for his dates with Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) when he knows there's a three-strike system in place that seems to apply to everyone but him is certainly a choice.

It also seems like Coach Bolton (Bart Johnson) hasn't learned much from the previous movie when it comes to the way he judges decisions about Troy's social life and future. When Troy mentions he's concerned about how his job opportunities are impacting his friendships, his dad doesn't ask for any clarification, he just advises Troy to keep his eyes on the prize.

Likewise, Taylor (Monique Coleman) starts warning Gabriella about the signs of a bad boyfriend after Troy is late to only one date, and pretty much all of the Wildcats start feeling animosity toward Troy before Troy even starts acting like a jerk.

Granted, Troy does start acting like a jerk when he needlessly blows them off several scenes later, but the tension seems to start before that, when the Wildcats are frustrated because they have to work while they're at work.

Everyone—including Sharpay—finds some way to make up for their respective flawed behavior by the end of the movie, whether through apologies or actions, and they all sing together for the talent show, but no one's really a saint.

But none of that really matters since it's classic Disney camp that should deal a dose of nostalgia or give a family-friendly chuckle. I definitely recommend a rewatch if you haven't seen "High School Musical 2" in a while.