Five Reasons you should be watching TITANS!

OH NO! Game of Thrones is a couple months away, Daredevil was cancelled, and stranger things doesn't return until the summer! Whatever will you fill your TV time with?? To start a new show it must be low commitment so not too many seasons, short enough to only last until your favourites return but most importantly, it must be good enough to potentially become a favourite. I have the perfect solution... TITANS! New to 2019 Netflix with only one season of eleven episodes, Titans is sure to fill all of your action, superhero and drama needs. Available to stream right now! Here are five reasons why you should be watching Titans. Mild spoilers ahead (only little things) Enjoy!

1. DC joining modernised TV with it's recognisable gritty and mature themes

Titans marks DC's first television entry to Netflix and there would be no better platform. The show goes all out with its violence, language and mature plotlines without the restraints it would have on usual broadcasting channels. DC and Netflix, a match made in heaven. Titans isn't your usual comedic, child-friendly superhero outing. In fact, I would say as a warning, the show is definitely not suitable for children. The action sequences are brutal and top notch yet the show is much more than just action. The plots are considerably less formulaic than other superhero shows leaving audiences in the dark on what may happen. Each character has their own flaws and pasts making them the broken and confused people they are today. The history of the characters is sure to keep you engaged, sympathetic and hopeful that they can recover. The Titans are not superheroes, they are people trying to do what they think is right. Incorrect/broken idealisms matched with pure-hearted intentions are what give DC characters substance that other comic book properties simply don't have.

2. The untold side of the story

Titans' main character is Dick Grayson aka Robin. When the words 'Batman and Robin' are spoken, the image of the old crime-fighting duo with cheesy catchphrases and weird tights spring to mind. Let me tell you... this isn't your parents' Batman and Robin, this is your 2019 grown-up version of the decades of comics that sadly haven't been seen on screen before. 'Batman is never wrong', 'Bruce saved Robin by adopting him', 'Robin is nothing without Batman'. Are you sure about that? Many people do not know about Robin's story. Taken in by Bruce after the death of his parents, Dick Grayson's childhood was cold and lonely with Bruce out serving justice driven by nothing but anger and rage. When Dick became Robin, he was trained as a soldier, emotionally neglected and moulded into a human weapon. Titans takes place in a time where Dick Grayson is broken. Disagreeing with Bruce's actions and motives, Grayson has left Gotham to find his own path and try to become a better version of himself. This is proved difficult as he suffers from a kind of PTSD from his time with Batman. Dick Grayson is easily one of DC's biggest and most beloved character in the comics and Titans is a great place to find out why. 

"Fuck Batman" - Dick Grayson

3. Deeper exploration into DC comics 

Titans boasts appearances from many DC comics characters that have never been portrayed on screen. These include Starfire, Raven, Beastboy and many more. The show tells the story of characters that audiences don't know yet whilst remaining in touch with the fact they exist in the same universe as Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. There are two very special character appearances in the show from characters Jason Todd and Donna Troy. Who are they you ask? Well, Donna Troy is Wonder Woman's sidekick and Jason is the second person to take the mantle of Robin. Wait, what?? Wonder Woman has a sidekick??? There's more than one Robin???? YEP! Wonder Woman has a sidekick and the story of Batman's poor mental health doesn't stop with just him. It deeply affects the lives of everyone around him most specifically, the people who become Robin. These characters are not new, they have been in the comics as early as the '40s, it is a crime that we're are only seeing them on screen now. In case you're kinda confused right now, have no fears, the show treats the characters as if audiences have little prior knowledge of who they are. You won't be spoon fed though so pay attention! 

"Hey! I'm the new Robin" - Jason Todd

4. The beggings of an entire TV universe

As mentioned earlier, Titans is DC's first Netflix entry and is sure to not be it's last. The plan is to create spin-off shows for the characters that are worth exploring in much more detail. Titans brings to the table a boatload of potential. With the restraints off, DC can go anywhere with its TV universe from the bloodiest of shows to the quirkiest. It's a bandwagon worth jumping on early to avoid missing the hype. In fact, as you are reading this DC is readying the release of a quirky spin-off show called the 'Doom Patrol' which is set to be released later this year. There are also plans in place for a Stargirl TV show which will be more family friendly as well as a SwampThing show which will expand the universe into realms of horror. The possibilities are endless. One of DC's biggest advantages is the diversification of its characters. They each require their stories to be told in a unique light through different genres and mediums rather than being able to just follow one repeated blueprint. It sure is a very exciting time to become a DC fan. 

The Chief... he can fix us!

5. It's available to stream right now!!

Netflix originals rarely disappoint and Titans is no different. Don't believe me? The show is currently rated 82% on rotten tomatoes and 8.2 on IMDb. What more do you need to know? there are 11 episodes of a DC tv show ready to binge with a rating of 8.2 and a special recommendation from yours truly! So, get through your workday, come home, grab some food and enjoy the binge. You won't regret it and you can thank me later! It's that simple. 

Alone, they are broken. Together, they are Titans.

That brings us to the end of this Blog Post, I hope you enjoyed the read and are desperate to go and watch Titans. The show first went into development almost 4 years ago and I have been waiting with sky-high anticipation for its release ever since. This was a particularly special post due to the fact Dick Grayson is my all time favourite DC character and I finally get to share his story and character with wider audiences. So go watch it and tell me what you think by commenting below or tweeting me @akash_sond. Spread the word about titans by sharing this post with your friends and family. Simply click one of the social media buttons below! Thanks for Reading! Watch Titans!

VENOM! Preview

In this world of frequent superhero movies, it can get pretty repetitive seeing ordinary people get powers just to fight a villain and save the day. Venom is exactly like this!... but also kind of the opposite. It's seemingly a dark horror but also a 12A (PG-13) superhero film? Tom Hardy is playing a villainous monster that eats people but is still the good guy?? Oh and Venom is Spider-Man's greatest villain so where does he fit into all this? It's all very confusing but I'm here to clear it all up and tell you what you need to know before deciding whether to be exited or not! There will be no spoilers, I will only talk about the things seen in trailers. Enjoy!

"Eyes, lungs, Pancleeass" (that's not a typo, read on to the last paragraph) 

Ok so let's start with who Venom is or as I should say, what Venom is. Without going into too much detail, Venom is a 'sentient alien symbiote' which is usually in a liquidised form until it finds a host. Once it finds a host, it bonds with them creating the horrific monster you can see in the picture above. It must feed on humans to then sustain its own life form. Venom creates a dual personality with the human host. It can switch drivers. Basically, Venom can take control of the human body or the human can take control of the Venom body. The two share a constant mental power struggle. Sounds pretty awesome right? So the movie should be too!... maybe so, maybe not. There's a couple things that make this film uncertain for me...

The first reason is Spider-Man. It is seemingly confirmed Spidey will not appear in this movie (although they're being weirdly ambiguous about it). The problem with this is that Venom was made for Spider-Man, originally as an alien life form that turns spidey evil but then also as Spidey's greatest villain when it takes over different hosts, most notable of which is Eddie Brock. Ok, so maybe they will use Venom in the next Spidey movie. Hmmm well, I'll attempt to keep this short. The rights to use Spider-Man in movies are kind of co-owned by Sony and Disney. Disney makes the mainstream Marvel movies hence Spider-Man in the Marvel cinematic universe. These are however limited rights. Sony still owns the rights to other Spider-man characters like Venom. That's not to say they can't crossover though. Originally this standalone Venom movie was to be rated 15 (R) due to the violence, imagery and tone. This was recently lowered to being a 12A (PG-13). Rumour has it, Sony wants to keep the doors open for future Spidey involvement and will try to lessen the violence and lighten the tone of Venom to do this. This defeats some excitement for me. Venom is a human eating, foul-mouthed, vile and hella scary savage. A lightened tone and increased humour defeats the purpose for me.

Could it work as a less violent action movie? Well there's no doubt Venom looks awesome and the action scenes look cool. Tom Hardy is a great actor and seems to be a great fit for Eddie Brock. The trailer has some cool dialogue and looks to explore the alien symbiotes quite well. The villain, well antagonist, of the movie, is Dr Carlton Drake played by British actor Riz Ahmed. The trailer sets him up as a scientist with possibly good intention and hidden agendas that take him down a dangerous path which, directly collides with Tom Hardy's Eddie. I believe that both of these actors will do a great job in setting up a rivalry that's grounded, exciting and intense. The way the trailer has shown the parasite of Venom taking over Eddie looks insanely cool. The duality is at the heart of this dynamic. Venom can stick its head out of Eddie's human body and talk to him face to face or through reflections. They communicate both physically and mentally as you can see from the picture below.

"WE can do whatever WE want" 

Sony hasn't had much luck with Spider-Man previously with the Andrew Garfield Spidey movies being rated quite low and cancelled after just two. Now I like the darker, more mature and sinister comic book movies like Watchmen, Logan, Deadpool, and BvS so I was super excited for this movie and still am. Less so with the drop in age rating but still intrigued to see if the movie can get me to fear Venom and the symbiote as I should. With Venom not being the only symbiote in the movie, I fear the climax will be a huge CGI battle with very little practical effects. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, they can't exactly have someone actually eat someone! However, I feel sometimes this distances the movie too far from it's grounded roots and can damage the narrative. 

Having explored what Venom is, and the exiting and less exciting things, let's wrap this preview blog post up. As you can see, the stills from the movie do look amazing. The cast is strong and the story seems rightfully simple and more character focused on Eddie and how he deals with the Venom parasite. I think the lack of Spidey is a positive, allowing the movie to go slightly darker than family friendly. However, this is limited now that the age rating has lowered. I am genuinely hoping it's a good action thriller. There are two lines of dialogue in the trailers that I don't like but maybe i'm just nitpicking. Listen out for the way Venom pronounces 'pancreas' (i'm being serious) and also how he describes a 'turd in the wind' (again, I'm being serious he says that). Has Venom seen an actual turd in the wind?! I don't know, maybe it just sounds weird to me.  

So that's all for this week, check out the trailer by clicking here and see for yourself. I give Venom a Blog of Steel anticipation rating of 7 out of 10! well it's a 6 really but that Eminem Venom theme song is awesome and deserves to get an extra point. Does the dialogue work for you? Are you ok with it being a 12A? Does Venom scare you or just look weird and silly? Let me know if you are excited about this movie by commenting below or tweeting me @Akash_Sond. Hope you enjoyed this post and feel more informed! Watch out for my next post by subscribing by email on the top right of the page and share this with friends and family by using the social media buttons just below. Until next time, stay frosty! 

It's like he says 'Pancleeass' instead of 'pancreas' (1:28 in the trailer). It's a weird body part to mention as it is, at least say it right! Maybe it's just me that finds it strange. Oh no! I've said it so much that it's stuck! pancleeass will never be the same! 

Ocean's Eight: Non-Spoiler review

The all-female revival of the famous Ocean's franchise has arrived in cinemas and brought a fair amount of hype with it! I mean this cast, Wow. Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Helena Bonham Carter, and Rihanna. Wow again. Oscar Winners, Oscar nominees and fan favourites. This movie has to be amazing right!... Right? Welcome to my Ocean's Eight review.

Every Con has its Pros 

The previous Ocean's outing (not the 1960 movie) had the impressive cast of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and a few more notable names such as Julia Roberts and Don Cheadle who sparked a memorable trilogy. For me, I have to say I think Ocean's Eight has the more impressive lineup.  Staying true to the series, this movie is a heist movie which centres around Bullock as Debbie Ocean, the sister of Clooney's Danny Ocean. Debbie was sent to prison after being outconned by a rival. She spent all five years of her prison sentence planning the ultimate heist. Upon her release, she and her long-term crime partner Lou, played by Cate Blanchett, assemble a crew and the adventure begins.

Plan it. Risk it. Wear it. Hack it.

The movie does very well to establish Debbie Ocean as a smart, cunning and stylish criminal who can very easily commit crimes to her benefit and she does it with charm. The film also quickly conveys the friendship between Debbie and Lou. It is this friendship dynamic that is central throughout this film and serves as one of it's most successful elements. The movie then proceeds to slowly assemble the crew whilst showing each characters strengths, quirks and personalities. The group dynamic is funny, diverse, functional and is just very cool to see on screen. A big issue that I found throughout is that the group dynamic just doesn't rise to a level that you probably expect it to given the power of the cast. This isn't to say it doesn't work, because it very much does and is entertaining but almost feels like it's achievable without star-studded actors. 

The plot of the movie is nothing too complex and is exactly what one would expect from a heist movie. The fun is in the planning, the execution and improvising when it doesn't go quite to plan. This brings me on to another flaw I felt this movie had, there wasn't enough surprise or twist. The small twists that do occur aren't particularly impressive or unexpected. In fact, the biggest twist of the film has already been revealed in the promotional material! (I won't explain what it is because there are no spoilers here. I know this has sounded overwhelmingly negative but I promise you it's not.) The plot is good and pulled off well its nothing special but it's still fun! I would also like to say James Corden's appearance during the final act of the movie was a nice addition, complementing the main cast and taking nothing away from them.

Find it. Fake it. Fence it. Take it.

The highlights of the movie for me has to be Cate Blanchett's performance as Lou. although the whole cast does a good job, Blanchett's performance is a standout due to her natural portrayal and her ability to deliver believable lines with heavy amounts of charm and style. She interacts well with the rest of the characters and supports Bullock's performance as the lead very well. Interestingly, the movies' blandness is not a result of the acting. Rather it's the way the film was written. I would have loved to see a little more close dialogued interactions and relevant humour between the characters throughout the movie. This was definitely produced just not to a good enough extent. It's difficult to do in one 2 hour movie where their characters have pretty much just met. This does perfectly leave the door open for future sequels to build on the bonding of the characters and deliver an even more entertaining second and third outing. I would definitely watch a sequel to this movie. Interestingly enough, Ocean's Twelve was received much better than Ocean's Eleven and a big reason for that is the time spent assembling the team in the first film can be spent on team interactions in the second. 

Conclusion

So onto what you really came here for, should you go to watch Ocean's 8? Is it worth it? Does it live up to the originals? Well, it is without a doubt a fun movie and an easy watch with the whole family. The actors are good and the group dynamic is nice. They pull off a heist movie with elegance and style. However, it is not as good as you would expect from a cast of Oscar winners and nominees. The film serves it's purpose and leaves the door open for sequels but just isn't as heavy hitting as it should be. The cast is the strongest point of the movie and the weakest is the writing. It's a shame because there is no doubt this cast could handle a more challenging script with smarter humour, more suspense and tension, twists and more individuality to separate it from past Ocean movies and heist movies in general. All things considered, Ocean's 8 gets a blog of steel rating of 6/10. Wait until it hits DVD or Netflix to watch it. 

That is all for another Blog Of Steel post! I hope you enjoyed reading it and maybe see for yourself if you agree or disagree with my review! if there's anything you want to discuss or comment on, simply pop it in the comments box below or tweet me @Akash_Sond! Share this posts with your friends and family by clicking on the social media buttons just below. Thanks for reading, hopefully, I'll be posting again soon! 

Justice League non-spoiler review!

Ever since Man of Steel released in 2013 the hype engines were released! BatmanVSuperman followed in 2016 and the possibility of a Justice League movie excited many comic and movie fans. Well, that time has come, Snyders vision reaches its climax in hopes of creating the beginning of something very special. The idea of this movie is incredible for me personally being a DC fan and taking deep interests in the DC world and it's characters. However, critically the movies of the DC universe haven't done very well. So, you're wondering, is it good? Lucky for you, you are now reading (...and I can't believe I'm about to say this but...) my non-spoiler JUSTICE LEAGUE review!! You already knew that from the title, I just wanted to say it.

The good!

Right from the start, this movie does an awesome job at showing familiar themes and locations such as Gotham and Themyscira whilst also introducing new locations such as Central City, Star Labs, and Atlantis. It gives the audience a feeling that they're part of a growing universe. The movie introduces three new characters; Barry Allen aka The Flash, Arthur Curry aka Aquaman, and Victor Stone aka Cyborg. Considering the fact, the movie was only two hours, it did well to establish a strong background and potential background for these characters showing us who they are and where they have come from. The movie progresses quickly, the pacing is fast and never really slows down meaning there are no moments that drag. The team dynamic is the movie's highlight. The cast chemistry is brilliant and relationships are developed well through dialogue and purpose.

Each character is given their own style and time in the light, really giving you a feel this is a Justice

League rather than a 'Batman and the Justice League movie'. Bruce's character is coherent with the continuation of development since the end of BvS and Wonder Woman is still in top form, reproducing what we loved from her own solo movie. The Flash's humour works well and displays Barry's intelligence as well as his awkwardness. He is very much a hero with no experience yet. Aquaman is the 'rockstar' of the group who lightens moments as well as intensifies them. As for Superman... I won't say anything because there are no spoilers here! The movie also ties in really well with all the previous movies plots really giving the sense of its all come to this. Having said that, it leaves you with the feeling of it only just beginning.

The humour is mostly handled well creating a very positive and optimistic vibe and dynamic whilst not damaging the downfalls and imperfections that are key to the portrayal of the characters. It develops the characters, sets the mood and keeps the movie rolling. DC operate on moving from the darkness to the light and telling tales of victory from tragedy. Its a balance of light and dark that I don't don't feel BvS or Wonder Woman achieved. They were on the opposite ends of the spectrum but Justice League found the middle meet. The action was spread throughout, it was well done, organised and very well shot with mini team-ups and character spotlighting.




The Bad!

Nothing. It's perfect. Everything was amazing. No need for this section of the review. I'm joking of

course, just like every movie, there are things that didn't work in my opinion. The first stand out negative for me is the length of the movie. Scenes moved too quickly and jumped around various locations. The scenes were good, it's just that the audience isn't really left with much time to fully process them. It is pretty clear that the studio cut the movie down as some trailer scenes aren't included and I really would've liked to see some of those scenes extended. Maybe in an ultimate cut! This is particularly present early on. One of the other things that unfortunately was pushed a little too far was the humour. It definitely worked but there's a couple line where it was unnecessary and a little cringy.

The plot of the movie is well defined and explained. It's not awfully complicated or awfully simple. It's interesting and easily digestible. The villain, however, falls short in the movie. He gives the League a hell of a fight but is weak in the background and origin. His motive is clear but the absence of origin leads him to become a character who is one dimensional. This, of course, is a common negative for nearly every superhero movie nowadays. The way the villain is defeated is a very comic book cliche end and in this case, it seemed like a weak end the main villain.

Conclusion.

Overall the movies CGI proves to be a negative that just plays as an annoyance rather than a damaging visual. The reason for this is the team dynamic, action and humour. It is a great coming together of the things that we liked from previous movies and this leads on to feel like the beginning of an expansive DC comics world that may be able to find it's own lane. The villain was weak but was a good adversary to the team. The humour is a little hit and miss at a few points throughout but if it doesn't make you laugh, it still plays into understanding the characters more. Cyborg is a stand out character for me through Ray fishers acting and voice, I'm excited to see what happens to him next. The point of the movie was to progress and finish arcs for Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman as well as create new arcs for them all (except Supes because he's dead of course). The movie isn't fantastic and won't be the best movie you have ever seen but it is a very fun movie which ties together previous plots and creates new ones. It's the DC characters you have been waiting for and it's a very satisfying two-hour watch. The movie is a tale of optimism. A journey from the darkness into the light and the actualizing of destiny for all its characters. Justice League gets a blog of steel rating of 8/10. I am almost certain, if they release an extended cut, the movie would be even better.

That's all for this post! I hope you enjoyed reading it and I hope you go out there, watch the Justice league, have a good time and form your own opinions! My next post will probably be a Justice League spoiler talk post so make sure you have seen the movie before then. As always, if you like this post, share it on any social media by using the buttons just below. Follow me on google+ or subscribe by email at the top of the page and if there's anything you want to say, maybe have a discussion, use the comment box below or tweet me @Akash_Sond. Until next time!

Stranger Things 2: Review

Hey everyone! It's been a while but what better way to return than reviewing Stranger Things 2, the sequel to the widely loved Netflix original series Stranger Things. Does the second season keep up the standard or does it turn the show upside down? Find out now by reading my Stranger review! no wait that sounds weird, im not reviewing strangers I promise. Take two... Find out now in my Stranger reviews things! nope that didn't work either. There's a good punny title in there somewhere i'm sure. You get the point, read on to see my view on the shows highly anticipated second season!

Things only get stranger...

**Oh and huuuuuge spoiler warning if you have not seen the entirety of the show thats currently out and available. Theres also a few puns. You've been warned** 

When Will they give this kid a break!? Once again Will Byres has a horrid time because the evil of the upside down just won't let him go. The season kicks into action almost immediately by showing audiences the residue of the upside down is still very much looming in the dark and unknown. Will is very much an outcast off the back of last years events and is struggling to fit in. The shadow monster then uses his body as a vessel to help conduct a larger plan, which they never actually explain. It is, however, safe to assume that it was evil and people were in a lot of danger.

Who ya gonna call?... Jim Hopper!

The dynamic between the kids is great once again, I really enjoyed how the show didn't just rely on season one themes like the groups interactions. We know these kids now and we love em'! They build on the mystery, intelligence and they even expand the group with a new member, Max! Mike has changed since Eleven's disappearance last season which causes friction purposeful to the plot but not boring or too elongated. Plus it kept fans waiting for that all important reunion. Although the show didn't rely on past themes, it does stick to the same DNA that made season one successful. The kids start Dustin off their thinking caps and figure out what needs to be done. With only nine episodes, the seasons plot moves along intensely, pushing the show to it's Max whilst still having character building/developing moments that don't feel forced at all. This creates a very cohesive season where everything feels in place and nicely timed.

One of my favourite arcs of the season was Steve Harrington. The all popular school Jock turned all caring babysitter played a pivotal role in the show. Its moments that scale the huge wider-picture Demogorgon invasion down to a tale about a small town that really makes stranger things work. Last season it was just the main kids, but this season it was the dynamics between groupings of characters like the Max, Dustin, & Lucas love triangle, the adventures of Nancy & Johnathon, the father-daughter tales of Hopper & Eleven and the babysitter Steve Harrington. These subplots and arcs kept the show interesting and engaging whilst also furthering the shadow monster plot. Oh and quick shoutout to Lucas' sister, she was so funny in the few scenes she appeared in.

Speaking of the plot, it's a little strange. Good but strange. There's a big ass monster in the upside down that seemingly wants to kill everyone and uses Demo-dogs as its minions but it's never truly explained more than that. We see the Shadow monster but at the same time we don't really. The stranger thing, is how show almost uses a 'smoke and mirrors' tactic to make audiences feel like there's a real danger but distracts them away from fully questioning what the end game actually is. This means the season ends with fans having so many questions. SO MANY. What does the evil in the upside down want? What is the shadow monster? How intelligent are Demogorgons? Is Hawkins the only place this is happening? Where are the other kids like Eleven and Eight? And thats just to name a few.

The show features a super wide range of easter eggs and nods to the 80's of course as its the time which the show is set. Theres too many to list but i'll share a few of my favourites. The music is always a nice touch, some classically popular songs are played throughout, most featuring in the final episode at the Snowball. In the fifth chapter titled 'Dig-Dug', the range are playing an old arcade game called dig-dug. At first this may seem like nothing but 80's fun however the point of the game involves going deep into tunnels underground and battling monsters. In chapter nine, Nancy and Steve are digging through junk at the Byers' house to find anything useful, its hidden by distracting dialogue but Steve picks up Christmas lights. Yep! Stranger things just easter egged itself by referencing a throwback to season 1's famous scene where Joyce communicates with Will.

Ok so overall does the season stack up? Of course it does! It was very enjoyable, it expanded the stranger things world very well without losing its roots or DNA. There weren't any side plots I was not interested in and all characters developed really well. The two main cast additions fit the world well, Max immediately felt like a true member of the party and Billy... well... he was an ass but they gave us an insight to why he's like that and im excited to see where his arc takes him next season. The only major gripe I have with Stranger things 2 is chapter Seven. Yes, its basically Eleven's soft spin-off episode. In my opinion, it didn't fit the theme, feel or vibe of the show. I wasn't interested in Eight's story, the weird gang she was with or what their mission was. It felt like a weirdly edgy attempt at an X-men TV show that i wouldn't watch. With all this being considered Stranger Things 2 gets a Blog of Steel rating of 9/10 Aaaand Bob's your uncle!... actually no, Bob's dead, let's have minute of silence for the founder of the AV club.

Next season im hoping to see different groupings of characters, less of the stuff we saw in chapter Seven, the expansion of the knowledge of what the upside down is and what the Shadow Monster actually wants. Most importantly though, I want the show to keep the same DNA and keep it close to the characters rather than the plot. I'll leave you with one very interesting question... What will happen with the Demo-dog that was left in the fridge?... you have to remember, he likes it cold.

Well that's my review, I hope you enjoyed reading it! Agree or disagree with my thoughts? Let me know by commenting below or tweeting me @Cashman_97. If you haven't already, subscribe by email in the box at the top right of the page or click that follow button to follow me on google+. Use the buttons below to share this post to various social media sites. Until next time Stranger Thinglings!

Annabelle Creation Review

Remember that creepy doll from the Conjuring series and the disappointing spin off that followed? Well, it's back with a prequel! James Wan returns to produce the movie. He has directed many successfull horror movies such as Saw, Insidious, and most importantly The conjuring 1 and 2. Interestingly, James Wan was not involved in the first Annabelle movie... and it was not very good. So hopefully his involvement in Annabelle creation makes for a better movie! So do James Wan and director David F. Sandberg get the second attempt at an Annabelle movie right? Read on to find out because this is my Annabelle creation review! Creepy images throughout! Oh and i'll warn you before you get to any spoilers like usual.

Annabelle Creation is the spinoff prequel movie that, as explained in the title, tells the story of how the Annabelle doll was created and how it became evil. The movie focuses on a group of orphans cared for by a nun. They move into a very large house owned by a generous man, Samuel Mullins, who takes care of his sick wife. Things get dark very quickly when Mr. Mullins tells Janice, the young girl with the broken leg, that she isn't allowed into the locked room. Ever. In typical horror movie fashion, Janice enters the room and the main plot of the movie kicks into action. The movie seems fairly typical and cliche until the movie unexpectedly switches it's focus and point of view. It kept the movie fresh and prevented it from dragging throughout.

The characters of the young orphans have minimal but adequate development. Personalities and

dynamics are established quickly and this is another factor that supports the movies pacing and keeps it very consistent and smooth. As for horror tropes which is obviously one of the most important things in a horror movie, Annabelle creation uses the normal tricks, tropes and suspense but uses it well. It's something you have seen before but isn't boring to watch again. One thing I really liked about the movie is that it brings back scarecrows! Horror movies haven't used scarecrows for so long and its great to see the creepy fellas back in action. As much as CGI improves and horror movies try to change, a scarecrow in a barn that subtly moves as a character looks away and then looks back will ever get old!

The ending of the movie is the typical high intensity, scare after scare, sequence where the evil is let lose and basically tries to kill everyone. The scene is good and probably beats out most of the other recent horror movie end sequences. The movie is smaller in scale than its Conjuring siblings but does well to present the horror or evil as being formidable. The movie does well to sprinkle in some cool new elements amongst the horror where unorthodox camera angles are used or the scenes go further with the evil than you may expect them to. The movie also does very well to keep the feeling of an evil presence around even during the cool down scenes. Some horror movies often have a damaged final result due to killing the scare or horror completely in these cool down scenes, so Annabelle creation does well to avoid this common mistake.

"He's right behind me ins't he?"

**SPOILER ALERT, skip to next paragraph to avoid!!!** Annabelle creation does a great job of

linking itself to the other movies in the series. The most obvious reference is clearly the doll itself which was first seen in The Conjuring. One of the more interesting links comes at the end of the movie which shows Janice, who was possessed by the demon being sent into care where she has assumed the identity of Annabelle and is taken in by a family. The scene shows her grow up and 12 years later attack and kill her family. This may seem like nothing but the scene quickly moves to show a neighbour being woken buy the noise. This neighbour is Mia, the main character of the first Annabelle movie. This ending connects the two movies in a very cool way. The most awesome reference is actually an easter egg for a future spin off. The Conjuring 2 showed a hella creepy character known as Valek or more simply, 'The Nun'. You remember that creepy blue face nun thingy that scared the hell out of you in The Conjuring 2? Well it turns out the nun in Annabelle creation has had a past experience with it. This along with an after, after, credits scene goes hand in hand with a recent announcement that the nun is getting its own spinoff! Im so ready for that. I wonder what will come next in the series; The Conjuring 3, Annabelle 3, or The Nun? We'll have to wait and see.

Ok so i'm pretty sure the kind of horror movie where you can't sleep after watching it (The exorcist for example) is dead and gone away. So don't go into watching Annabelle creation thinking it will be the scariest thing you have seen for a long while. It's not. It is however, above the general standard of horror movies. The concept won't blow you away at all because it's been done so many times before and the movie follows a slightly inclined path of enjoyment that doesn't really reach any heights that will make it memorable. When it comes to making horror movies these days, you can only beat what is in front of you. Most new horror movies have the same plots and use the same tricks to scare us. Annabelle does the same but does it a little better. The focus on multiple children has already been used in the first Conjuring movie so although it seems they re-used it to create familiarity or consistency, it appeared to be a little stale and presented itself as nothing new.

The conjuring series is arguably the best current horror series with Insidious just behind. Annabelle creation is good. It is a smaller movie than The Conjuring so it's almost expected to not be as good. But with that being said, Sandberg does well to follow on well from James Wan's conjuring series and does a hell of a lot better than the team responsible for the first Annabelle. It's a smaller movie that keeps the evil presence at large and succeeds in keeping said evil formidable and frightening. The jump scares are nothing new but work well due to the use of new camera angles and classic scenes with dimming lights done in smarter ways than usual. The acting is actually pretty good! This is no surprise and is in line with the rest of The Conjuring series. This is one of the factors that tends to place the series above it's competitors. No movie in the Conjuring series has managed to top the first and Annabelle creation is no different. It makes a good attempt and will draw in interest for another possible movie but is unlikely to be remembered. With this being said, Annabelle creation get a Blog of Steel horror rating of 7/10. Seems too high of a rating I know, but I have rated this movie on a specific horror scale. This movie won't compete with the best movies of the year but will compete with best horrors of the year.

I hope you enjoyed my review and it has helped you decide whether or not you will watch Annabelle creation. If you have already seen it or are planning to, let me know what your thoughts are by commenting below. Click that follow button on the top right of the page and subscribe by email just below if you haven't already. You can also tweet me @Akash_Sond if you have a request for me to write about something in particular. Give me a follow on instagram as well @Cashman_97. The last few blog posts have gotten higher views than ever before and each week it keeps growing so be part of that movement and share this blog post with anyone who you think may enjoy reading it! Thanks for reading and I'll be back with another post soon!

Arrow Review and Preview!

"My name is Oliver Queen and I was stranded on a hellish island for five years..." But not really because he actually went to Russia, Hong Kong, back to Starling and then finally back to the island for a couple days. That's right, this week i'm talking about Arrow! The first two seasons were awesome, the third was pretty bad and the fourth was a little weird. So how was the fifth? Read on to find out because this is my Arrow season 5 review and season 6 preview. Enjoy! **Spoilers for Arrow season 5**

Season 5 Review.

Season 5 of Arrow was incredible. Right from the first episode where it kicked off with fast paced action and incredible stunts it quickly introduced new characters such as Wild Dog and Dinah Drake to the point where it feels like we've had them for two seasons already. The seasons pacing was great, every episode was better and different than the previous. In the episodes focusing on Oliver's mayorship, Arrow took on issues such as gun control and delivered thought provoking well done episodes that were more intelligent than any other DC show. Oliver Queen was tested like never before. He questioned all that he believed to be true, re-evaluated his own motives and lost belief in his own ability. This wasn't his choice, it was the doing of the seasons big villain, Prometheus. Prometheus is the reason why season 5 of Arrow is the best season any DC TV show has ever had.

The show perfectly showed how intimidating and frightening the villain is by having him kill Thobias Church, who was presumed to be the secondary villain of the season. Along with the scare factor, The show nailed the revealing. It was expected but simultaneously so unexpected. The scenes where Oliver and Adrian are working together at the mayors office has got to be some of the best and most tense scenes of television I have ever seen. Prometheus was the smartest villain Oliver has ever faced. He understood Oliver and used that to break him mentally and physically. Prometheus knew no boundaries and it's that, along with the unpredictability of what he will do next that made this season so exciting. Season 5 of Arrow was not Oliver Queen's season, it will be remembered as Prometheus' season. With the season full circling and concluding the island flashbacks, Oliver will no longer be as mentally burdened by his past. The question is, who will live to see the new Oliver Queen after Prometheus blew up the island with most of team Arrow still on it? Off the back of this incredible season, let's have a look at what we know about season 6 so far.

Season 6 Preview. 

So we all know that everyone isn't dead. In fact some characters have already been confirmed from comic-con where the show released a trailer for episode 5X01 WATCH IT HERE. I am very excited for this season of Arrow. Details and descriptions were released at comic-con and all of them are very promising. Some of the details include the producers saying that the things that fans loved about season 5 will be included in season 6 which is good because this clearly wasn't the case transitioning from season 2 to 3. From the trailer, we see Oliver in some scenes with his son William, this possibly hints at Willaim's mother, Samantha dying in the Lian Yu explosion. Having Oliver focus on being a Father will bring a whole new light and dynamic to the show that I really think will work. Can one man really be a vigilante, the mayor and a father?

Arrow is loved for it's fight choreography and stunts. Producer Marc Guggenheim revealed that season 6 will attempt some of the biggest fights and stunts that the show has ever seen. The increase in stunts and practical effects may have something to do with the big bad of the season, Richard Dragon. Without spoiling too much, Richard Dragon is basically one of the best hand to hand combatants the DC universe has ever seen. He has faced off against many and won. His combat skills are definitely up their with the likes of Ra's al Ghul, Batman, Nightwing and Deathstroke. Nothing more could really be revealed at comic-con due to the risk of spoiling the show, so what else do we hope to see in season 6?

What I hope to see.

The biggest thing I hope to see this season of Arrow is just more of the same. KEEP IT CONSISTENT! Arrow is my favourite DC show and I stuck with it through season 3 and 4 in hopes it would get a revival. It did, the show came back with it's best season. It received wide praise from all over the fanbase so I would hope that the director and producers just stick to what they know is working. Drastically changing the show is a bad idea, however softly rebooting isn't so much of a bad idea. With the flashbacks ending, Oliver's tortured past no longer burdening him, and most of the team suffering physical or mental injuries from the island explosion, Arrow finds itself in a great place. A place where it can make changes to aspects of characters personalities that didn't work. They can almost start the show over again. Season 1-5 could almost be a prologue or 'pilot show' with season 6 being the first season of something brand new but also very familiar. The shows take on the comic book archer started very dark and it is now possible, if they wanted to, to start lifting Olivers seriousness and brooding into a slightly more positive outlook and maybe even some displays of humour. If they were to attempt this I would urge them not to go crazy, the show works when its dark and familiar.

I hope to see more of the secondary characters this season especially Diggle and Wild Dog. I personally think they had the best arcs last season and Wild Dog quickly became a favourite character of mine. Something I am super excited to see is the showdown of the Canaries. Black Siren VS Black Canary (Dinah Drake). It was teased in last seasons finale but hopefully we will see more. The fallout from season 5 is an easy ploy to mature characters and fast track their development. I hope the show doesn't shy away from taking on societal problems like it did last season with the episode on gun control. Oliver is still mayor and he should still be facing political issues and trying to solve them. This arc in fact, could take up the episode space that will be left by the absence of the flashbacks. All in all, what I am most excited to see is the stunts and fight choreography. Even in the shows worst seasons, the fighting was among the best on TV and I am hoping it will only get bigger and better. We even see Oliver flip off of a building in the trailer!

This weeks Instagram shoutout goes to @arrowcentral, if you are a fan of arrow and want to stay up to date with any castings or season details, this is the page you want to follow! I've been following them for some time now and have interacted with them on their posts. If you want an arrow discussion or debate, the comment section of any of their posts will satisfy. Who knows, you might even see me commenting! So go give them a follow and show the page some love. Click here to go to their page!

So that's all for this week! I hope you enjoyed season 5 as much as I did or have now been convinced to watch it. What are you hoping to see in season 6? let me know by commenting below this post or tweeting me @Akash_Sond. Also give me a follow on instagram @cashman_97. If you liked reading this post, click that follow button at the top right of the page and subscribe by email just below that so you never miss a post! If you want to, go back and read some of my previous posts, I have reviewed many popular movies and shows. If you know anyone who might be interested in reading my blog, be sure to share it with them, theres a few little buttons under this paragraph which allow for super easy sharing to some popular social networking sites like Facebook and twitter. So go on, share it! See you next week with another post.