Author: Dave Funguy

After leaving theatres across the world, Marvel fans of all ages were bursting to start talking about the action, adventure, and “avenging” that happened in the 3 hours of Avengers: Endgame.

Audiences were eager to know what happened after the fateful snap and how the remaining Avengers planned to execute the one reality where Dr. Strange saw that they won. Endgame not only answered questions millions of fans wondered, but tied a neat bow to end the decade long storyline starting in 2008 with the first Iron Man.

They Won, Now What?

3000 hours of Marvel love can be hard to recall. If Endgame sparked the urge to appreciate the tremendous work put into all the Marvel movies, you can now watch the entire story arc in order.

Here are your four options for watching the movies in order:

• Chronological movie order   

Start in 1942 with Captain America: The First Avenger and end with the post-Endgame movie Spider-Man Far From Home set in 2032 after the snap.

• Chronological movie order by release date

Get all the information in the order MCU made the movies. Knowing what happens at the end can help you see anything you missed from the first time you watched these movies!

• Must-watch movies before Endgame

If you just want to watch the movies you need to watch to understand Endgame, you can watch the main Avengers introduction movies along with all of the Avengers movies.

• Chronological movie + shows order   

Now if you’re a super Marvel fan and have the time, you can watch the movies following the MCU timeline plus their TV show counterparts. You can watch all of the major events before the snap Marvel introduced over the years.

Will There Be New MCU Content?

Endgame didn’t end the Marvel superhero project, but opened the door for the many other superheroes waiting for their cinema debut. While you’re re-watching the 3000 hours of the current MCU movies, you can look forward to Marvel’s fourth phase of superhero movies.

This list includes both Marvel movies and TV shows available on the new Disney+ platform:

• Black Widow – May 1, 2020
• The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (TV series) – Fall 2020
• The Eternals – November 6, 2020
• Shang-Chi: And the Legend of the Ten Rings – February 12, 2021
• Loki (TV series) – Spring 2021
• WandaVision (TV series) – Spring 2021
• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – May 7, 2021
• What If…? – Spring 2021
• Thor: Love and Thunder – November 6, 2021
• Hawkeye (TV series) – Fall 2021

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The MCU Loves Us More Than 3000

The emotional journey from Captain America: The First Avenger all the way to the conclusion with Avengers: Endgame brought comic and movie lovers a decade of entertainment. Fans saw the fantastical stories told in comic books come to life and will continue to do so until 2021.

There is no shortage of superheroes to depict on the big screen and hopefully there will be even more superhero movies to enjoy in the next decade.

Now grab some popcorn, get a comfy blanket, and put down your phone for 3000+ hours of the Marvel cinematic universe!

Although dinner and a movie sounds like a foolproof plan for a date, it’s not the best idea for frequent dates. Assuming that dinner is about $20 per person and then the movie is another $20 per person, that’s about $80+ in total if you’re paying for yourself and your date. These estimates are probably too low to be realistic, which means that you can spend upwards of $100 on one date! It’d be hard to keep it up every week especially when there are other responsibilities you have to consider like bills (ugh).

The best part of the date is getting to know the other person anyways, which is hard to do during a movie even if it’s an opportunity to hold hands for the first time. And there are a ton of good date ideas that don’t require much spending, if any.

Try out some of these fun date ideas that are free for your next night out!

1.    Have a Picnic

Enjoy a beautiful day outside with an easy to set up picnic. Prep some sandwiches or bring some snacks and a blanket to a park to people watch. You can play games like “I Spy” people style, ex. “I spy a little old lady” amongst many old ladies and then try to guess which old lady the other person chose. You can also try to pet every dog that crosses your path because that’s fun for everyone, especially the dog!

2.    Netflix and Chill with a Twist

We all know what Netflix and Chill can mean, but before that happens, build a pillow fort with cozy blankets, string lights to make it romantic, and pop some popcorn to set the scene. Pick a movie that you’ll actually pay attention to and then let the rest happen naturally.

3.    The Good Ol’ Pillow Fort

If you want to build your team building skills, you can ask your date to help you build the pillow fort with you! Two minds can be better than one when it comes to the architecture of your fort. Should there be only one entrance or two? How many pillows are too many pillows? Once you’ve completed your masterpiece, you can do #2, play boardgames, or read through an interesting Reddit thread together.

4.    YouTube Challenges

The Internet has enough trends that you can jump on and do-it-yourself. Try the whisper challenge with your date or have a bottle flipping competition. Recording your experience is optional, but recommended for the potential future when you can look back and watch yourselves being silly.

5.    Quiz Each Other

Choose from the many “I quiz my partner” quizzes and try them on each other. This can be a way of getting to know each other or to laugh at the results of your quizzes. It’s all fun and games and you might just end up swapping stories that come up with some of the questions.

Whether it’s your first date or your fifteenth, switch up the night with some fun date ideas that veer from the traditional dinner and a movie!

It’s early in the game, but Oscar buzz has already begun! Here are five of the top movies to watch for:

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Directed by Quentin Tarantino, this drama/comedy is about a struggling television actor and his stunt double trying to achieve fame in the film industry in 1969 Los Angeles, a time of the end of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

It refers to the industry and shows the power of movies, which the Academy is sure to like.

Tarantino has a fantastic eye for time periods so that this picture is amazingly authentic. The cast is full of stars like Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie and Al Pachino.

Rocketman

This is a musical and a biographical film, and it is entertaining, thanks to the dramatic life led by Elton John. It centres on Elton from the mid-1970s to 1990, at the height of his fame, as he battles his drug addictions. Don’t worry. The film’s epilogue points out that Elton has been sober for over 28 years.

Of special note were the musical numbers and costume design. It’s about Elton John after all.

A groundbreaking film in that it is the first film by a non-specialty major film studio to include a gay male sex scene. Will the Academy make a statement with Rocketman?

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

This drama has a cynical award-winning journalist writing an assignment profile of Fred Rogers, the beloved TV host of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, a show that covered difficult topics for children, emphasizing feelings, morals, tolerance and civility.

A tough assignment for a cynic. The journalist sees life through new eyes thanks to his encounter with Rogers. Tom Hanks plays the gentle Rogers.

This film doesn’t seem political at first blush, but in the contemporary atmosphere in America, the message this film brings about acceptance and understanding might be something that the Academy should think of promoting.

The Farewell

Writer/Director Lulu Wang wrote this drama/comedy about her own family. It is about a Chinese family who finds out that their grandmother only has a short time left to live. They make a decision to not tell her and throw a wedding as a way to gather everyone together before she dies. Films like this illustrate that sometimes people just want a good story and that special effects and big stars aren’t necessarily needed.

Will the Academy support this female filmmaker?

The Irishman

This drama is about a mob hitman as an old man, who reflects on his career and his involvement with the disappearance of Teamster Jimmy Hoffa. A compelling story because Hoffa’s disappearance is an enduring mystery.

Director Martin Scorsese, and stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel and Anna Paquin make this film Oscar-worthy by their star power as well.

These films have Oscar buzz. We’ll have to see on Oscar night if they are winners!

Black Friday is the start of the Christmas shopping season, a time to save money on Christmas gifts, or to save money on gifts for yourself!

Black Friday is the Friday following Thanksgiving. It is based on Thanksgiving in the US, so it is in November. The date changes, because it is based on the fourth week of November.

Some of the sales that begin on Black Friday extend to Cyber Monday, which is the Monday following Thanksgiving, and is another opportunity for retailers to promote sales.

Stores will sometimes open their stores early or even have promotions, deals and sales available on the Thursday before Black Friday to get the drop on other stores, and they also sometimes have sales earlier in the week of Black Friday, like Monday or Wednesday.

Your best bet is to set up an account with your favourite stores so that you receive information in advance of people who don’t have account.

The fact is, that stores don’t give out Black Friday sale information in advance. So, we can only predict what will go on sale, based on past performance.

Be prepared and check to see which stores will be open on Thursday or earlier with deals. Check any Black Friday ads and flyers for store hours and when each retailer will start with their online Black Friday deals if you are going online. Door crasher sales tend to be the best deals.

Have an idea of what you are going to buy prior to Black Friday, because of course the best deals sell out quickly.

Here are some places to get the best discounts, promotions and sales on listed items:

The Bay

Clothes: Women’s outerwear

Shoes: men and women’s shoes, including boots, running shoes, dress shoes and slippers

Homewares: towels, vacuums

Miscellaneous: watches and toys

Beauty: cosmetics and fragrances

Canadian Tire

Equipment: snowblowers

Tools: wireless drills, socket sets

Housewares: cookware set, vacuums

Miscellaneous: treadmills

Amazon

Electronics: 4k TVs, Notebooks, Chromebooks

Housewares: coffee machines, mattresses

Miscellaneous: watches

Best Buy

Electronics: Apple computers, Chromebooks, TVs, gaming consoles, Xbox, PS4, Nintendo

Appliances: fridges, dishwashers, washers and dryers

Miscellaneous: cameras

Walmart

Electronics: TVs and TV accessories like sound bars and TV mounts, computers and printers, Notebooks and Chromebooks, smart phones, and videogames

Miscellaneous: cameras, including security cameras

Costco

Appliances: fridges, washers and dryers

Electronics: monitors, laptops, ipads, Chromebooks, wireless headphones, portable speakers

Clothing: ladies and men’s jeans, women’s hooded jackets

Homewares: mattresses

Miscellaneous: cameras

Sport Chek

Clothing: jackets

Shoes: name brand shoes, winter boots

Equipment: hockey equipment

Sephora

Personal care and beauty items: clarifying lotion, skincare by age 30, Anti-aging trial kits, foundation kits, Sephora Collection Midnight Skincare Surprise, skincare kits, haircare kits, makeup kits

So, you now know when the Black Friday sales will be on, and the stores that offer the sales. The sales items shown are predictions based on what has been on sale before. Check out which store has what you want, create an account with them, and wait for the information.

Good luck!

You can improve your home theatre experience when you buy a new TV. It can be difficult to know what kind of TV to get, but the most popular TVs are LED or LCD.

LED TV’s are not a new kind of TV. There is no new format or anything like that. They are just updates of LCD’s. The technology is the same, except instead of being illuminated from behind by a florescent bulb, the LED TV’s are lit by LEDs (light emitting diodes). These diodes are smaller in size and more efficient than the florescent bulbs, which means that the LED TV can be narrower.

If you compare the LED and LCD side by side, the picture is similar, but the advantage of the LED TV is that it is so thin, it can be hung up on the wall, saving all kinds of space.

Here are 4 things to keep in mind when buying an LED TV:

Viewing Distance

Measure your room before you buy, and keep in mind the minimum viewing distance from the TV. Bigger isn’t always better – or necessary. A 32-inch LED TV can be enjoyed at a minimum viewing distance of four feet. For TVs between 40 to 48 inches, the distance should be seven feet.

Avoid TVs that are HD Ready

You can save money by getting the HD Ready TVs, but there is a difference to the picture when you get full HD. The difference? HD Ready has 720p image resolution (1,280 x 720 pixels, for a total of 1 million pixels), while Full HD has 1080p image resolution (1,920 x 1080 pixels, for a total of 2 million pixels). Those million extra pixels make a difference in the picture.

Size is More Important than Smart

If you have to choose between a larger screen and a smaller screen with more smart options for the same price, choose the larger screen. Some of those smart features are gimmicks. A bigger screen is more enjoyable than gimmicks.

Sound

How will it feel if you have a TV with a great picture, and the sound is subpar? If you’re going for a large TV, go for a sound bar as well, or at least invest in good speakers. A sound bar is an all-in-one speaker system unlike a home theatre receiver which is more expensive, more complex and requires more space.

The best way to save money when you buy an LED TV is to shop the Black Friday sales. Black Friday is the Friday following Thanksgiving. It is based on Thanksgiving in the US, so it is in November. The date changes, but it is the fourth week of November. It is considered to be the start of the Christmas shopping season.

Black Friday is the best time of year to buy a new TV, according to Consumer Reports. Sales can go as low as 60% off, even on high-end TVs. Black Friday prices can sometimes extend to Cyber Monday.

Happy shopping!

Some people love fall for the changing temperatures and the chance to wear warmer, comfier clothes; some people love fall because it marks the return of their favorite drink—the pumpkin spiced latte; some people love fall because they love the vibrant colors of the leaves, and some people love fall because they love scary movies.

Due to the fact fall is the season for all things spooky, it’s one of the more common seasons for the premiere of scary movies.

Below is a list of some of the most anticipated movies coming out this fall.

Joker

Recently, we’ve seen a rise in popularity for movies featuring an anti-hero. Joker continues this trend, as it focuses on the iconic DC villain as he emerges as one of Batman’s greatest rivals.

After Heath Ledger’s masterful portrayal of the character in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Night series, few have been able to capture the character since—however, Joaquin Phoenix does an excellent job according to reviews from critics, and the film won the Golden Lion award at the 76th Venice International Film Festival—the festival’s most prestigious award.

The psychological thriller is loosely based on the graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke, and it arrives in theaters October 4.

The Addams Family

A modern spin on a cult classic, the Addams family is an animated, horror comedy that will attempt to revive the TV show that was popular in the 60’s and 70’s (and of course, the was the short-lived 90’s version as well).

Directed by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan, the film has a star-studded cast, including: Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Snoop Dogg, Bette Midler, and Allison Janney.

The film hits theaters October 11.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Another movie starring an anti-hero, Mistress of Evil is the sequel to 2014’s Maleficent, a fresh take on the story of Sleeping Beauty in which we follow the ‘evil’ which who cursed her—the titular Maleficent.

Directed by directed by Joachim Rønning, and written by Linda Woolverton, Micah Fitzerman-Blue, and Noah Harpster, the film will have Angelina Jolie return as the protagonist—once again tasked with reuniting the humans and fairies.

Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, and Lesley Manville will also reprise their roles from the original film; Harris Dickinson is replacing Brenton Thwaites from the first film, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ed Skrein, and Michelle Pfeiffer will all be joining the cast as new characters.

The film opens in theaters October 18.

Zombieland: Double Tap

The second sequel on the list, Zombieland: Double Tap is the sequel to the critic and commercial success that was the first Zombieland.

The film had been rumored to be in production for years, but many fans had given up hope that it would finally get made. However, 10 years after the original premiered, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, and Bill Murray (playing himself) will all reprise their roles from the first film, while  Rosario Dawson, Zoey Deutch, Luke Wilson, Thomas Middleditch, Avan Jogia, and Dan Aykroyd will be joining the cast.

Zombieland comes out on October 18.