Escape Room promised a psychological horror experience, looking at the story of six individuals who need to work together, in order to survive a series of lethal rooms. Interesting, I thought, let's go give it a try. A good horror film these days is few and far between, with the original slashers such as Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Friday the 13th still topping the list. Modern horror/thrillers I have enjoyed include Stephen King's IT, No Good Deed (starring Idris Elba), and even The Conjuring (although, not a great movie but I am a pansy). I was excited for Escape Room, because one reason why many of these movies stuck with me, is the psychological impact behind it. My belief, and I'm sure many of yours too, is that a movie isn't scary when you watch it; only afterwards, when you can't sleep because it's still clawing in your mind, that's when a movie is scary. So, when I heard that Escape Room was going to be a psychological horror, I was incredibly excited. We got into the theater, started munching popcorn, and took an anti-anxiety tablet, just to prevent a heart attack. Escape Room started off brilliantly; the cliche method of setting up characters in their mundane lives gives us a look at three out of the six characters. We see a nerve-wrecked college student, a down-on-his-luck shift worker, and a top-of-his-game businessman. They all receive a mysterious box from a trusted person in their lives, offering an invitation to an escape room experience for a chance at winning $10,000. Moving forward, the story kicks off in a heart-beat, and although predictable (because we have been desensitised to these things), it was still a thrilling moment to watch. Within moments, there is panic, hysteria, and confusion; finally, here we go. Before we go on, I will not delve into story spoilers. The action kicks off and is pretty much non-stop tension. The characters take a while to realise just what is going on, but more out of denial than true confusion. It was great to see this, because most horror movies suffer from the "confused group of rational adults that legitimately do not know what is happening". These folks know what's up, but they are in denial, as would most of us, I think. The fluctuating pace kept my eyes glued to the screen, as it wasn't a methodical breakdown of the characters, but more of a real-world narrative unfolding. Each room is tied to an experience that a particular character has had in their past, and although the movie doesn't explicitly tell you exactly which character it is, the director and writers have done an amazing job at letting you piece it together. Some characters had this played out in a single scene, whereas others had this played out over two or three. The fluctuating pace kept my eyes glued to the screen, as it wasn't a methodical breakdown of the characters, but more of a real-world narrative unfolding. Speaking of, the narrative was actually promising (unlike most horror movies), albeit, slightly far-fetched. The narrative was being built, piece-by-piece, but unfolding on its own, at the same time. The pacing of the story was great; it started off slow, ramped up, and then never lost the intensity. Also, rather than building up more and more, the story heightened in a matter of minutes, where one moment it was still chucking, and the next, it was at top speed. For me, this is what a horror/thriller should do; just drop you in the deep end after slowly walking to you to the edge. Unfortunately, this was sorely unfulfilling, but I will get to that later. Character build-up was also remarkably well-done. Each character was given more than enough screen time to share their backstory, but with relevance to the narrative, instead of just shoving in the time that their sheep died and they were really sad about it. Some characters fed into the stereotypes (the businessman), as he believes that "he doesn't play video games because he's too busy having sex with real females". Naturally, I grunted at his statement, and I felt a sense of joy when he came to rely on the "gamer" character to survive. Personal feelings aside, I really enjoyed the characters and the roles they all played within the context of the story, as they balanced the narrative out well, and gave a satisfactory amount of relief and grief when certain actions took place. The puzzling was actually brilliantly done, as the puzzles were simple, yet elegant, and crafty. Again, leaning into the stereotype of "the really smart person will solve all the clues", but each member added their share of execution and clue-finding (even if they didn't know it). However, upon reflection, it wouldn't make sense for the "smart character" not to solve them, as it would be unbelievable for her not to get any of them right. However, as I said, the remaining cast added their execution and dramatic moments. The actual puzzles were fun to try to figure out before the movie (even though I was wrong), it was nice to have the challenge while enjoying the film. Furthermore the puzzles were elegant annogrammes, keywords, number combinations, and simple enough for them to be believable. An almost "cop-out" ending was given... Now, for the bad. I hate this part because Escape Room was genuinely shaping up to be a stellar film, and was on its way to redeeming the horror industry of late. First off, the narrative was abruptly cut, butchered, and turned comical towards the final 30 minutes of the film. After one scene, in particular, turned the tides (for me, at least), I was able to move on, look past, and wait, in anticipation, for the climax. Sadly, that never came. An almost "cop-out" ending was given, and the final villain (and I say this ironically) was made to be this "elusive shadow figure", but in a comical, diabolical way; like something Dr. Evil would cook up to get rid of Austin Powers. The biggest problem with this is that it cut the tension that the entire film had done so well to build up, as if it meant nothing. The ending felt rushed, but at the same time, out of place, because it was reminiscent of Final Destination, and the looming threat would obviously set it up for a sequel. This is usually fine, but in Escape Room, it felt as though they had ended the film (properly), went back, realised they can make another in future, then cut the original ending, filmed a rushed sequel setup, and just clipped it onto the end. Put simply, the ending felt more like an ending to an episode of Scooby-Doo or He-man; the bad guy is thwarted but they will return next week with another zany scheme to defeat our heroes. The problem with this kind of ending, is that it undermines the entire narrative, and the events that have come before. The film no longer has a serious purpose, as it has all become comical; the characters and their efforts mean nothing; and the consequences of their actions are washed aside. Leaving us dry would have been better than simply cutting all that the film had worked, and done so well, to achieve. Ultimately, Escape Room showed such promise, and was finally a redeembable title in the horror franchise. The narrative was shaping up to be fantastic, the characters were well-developed, and just enough so that it didn't became a telenovela, along with a good pace. The abrupt ending unfortunately destroyed the still building tension, cutting viewers off from the climax in favour of a generic horror sequel set-up, while making it comical and undermining the film's efforts thus far. It left Escape Room in the same boat as the horror movies before; adrift in a sea of wasted potential.

We all love to speculate, especially when it comes to the latest entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since before Avengers: Infinity War released, the internet was rampant with theories and speculations as to what could unfold following the team coming face-to-face with their most formidable foe yet: Thanos. With Infinity War out of the way, and Captain Marvel recently released, it's about time we put on our tinfoil hats and think about ways in which Avengers: Endgame, the culmination of the entire MCU, could possibly end. WARNING: There will be spoilers for Infinity War and Ant-Man & The Wasp below. In the off-chance that we're right about one of our theories too, then apologies in advance, but we don't think it will come to be because they're pretty out there. The Quantum Realm & Tony's Sacrifice The ending of Ant-Man & The Wasp gave us our most concrete lead on how time travel could work in Endgame. When Ant-Man got himself trapped in the Quantum Realm, the concept of time travel came into play. Basically, the Avengers could use the Quantum Realm to essentially travel back in time (hence the new white suits in the latest trailer) to when Thanos never quite acquired the Infinity Gauntlet - which, time-wise, we can assume happened before the events of Age of Ultron's end-credits scene. Since we have a vague idea that the remaining Avengers will possibly travel to the timeline of the first Avengers film, this presents some interesting theories. At this point, we know Tony suffered some PTSD from flying a bomb into the portal in which the chitauri used to travel to New York. Essentially, he almost became a saint who nearly sacrificed himself for humanity. What if, this time, Tony never survived the ordeal? It would bring his character arc full circle, and thus, Thanos is killed after Tony sacrifices himself. It could not even happen this way as it also brings up a few paradoxical problems, but in any case, Tony might end up sacrificing himself to save the universe once again - adding strong emotional weight to his character development. This also explains why, on the poster for Infinity War, Tony is posed in a way that parallels... a certain Biblical figure? It's a far reach, but not one that wouldn't make sense. Captain Marvel Kills Thanos We hear you, Kevin Feige. Captain Marvel is the most powerful hero in the entirety of the MCU. The only reason why they'd push this crucial detail forward is due to the possibility that Captain Marvel will play a major role in Endgame - perhaps the sole person who ends Thanos? While I'm against the idea that Captain Marvel could simply just swoop in and deal with Thanos like swatting a fly with a magazine, this does fall within the realm of possibility. After Thanos' snap at the end of Infinity War that saw half the population of the universe wiped out - including Spider-Man, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Groot, Bucky, Falcon, Mantis, Starlord, Draxx, and many more - the Infinity Gauntlet looked like it disintegrated, or completely overextended its housing power of the Infinity Stones. Maybe Thanos doesn't have the ability to harness all of the stones anymore, meaning it would surely make Captain Marvel's job a whole lot easier. The damage has already been done, yes, but it's possible for them to just tackle Thanos in his vulnerable state and reclaim the Time Stone to at least undo the universal snap. Captain Marvel could lead the charge against Thanos, and maybe we'll finally see the extent of her powers. The Soul Stone Reversal, and Ensuing Epic Battle With the theory of the remaining Avengers using the Quantum Realm to travel between time and space, it's possible that they'll also be able to dimension-hop. Since, from our understanding, the Quantum Realm operates outside of the realm of time and space, it can essentially allow those brave enough to jump between dimensions too. Whose to say they won't try to access the Soul Stone's dimension (as seen in the scene after the snap, in which Thanos confronts a young Gamora), to try and recon with the snapped Avengers? If they're able to create a link between both the Soul Stone and, through the Quantum Realm (a la Doctor Strange), the real world, then the Avengers could theoretically be brought back and reunited. It's another far reach, but again, still within the realm of possibility. If that's the case, we're looking at a final act in which all of the Avengers unite in an epic battle against Thanos, leading to his demise. Endgame is Captain America's Swan Song While many were disappointed to find out that Captain America's role in the greater scheme of things for Infinity War was somewhat diminished (or mislead by Marvel's clever marketing), some speculate that Endgame is secretly Captain America's movie; his moment to take the spotlight. They haven't placed much emphasis on the Cap in the new trailers (with it primarily focused on Tony), but this may also be clever misdirection on Marvel's part. Perhaps - just perhaps - Captain America will be the one who either defeats Thanos by way of sacrifice, or like in the comics, is made an example out of in order to break the spirits of the Avengers. Either way, the good Cap isn't making it out alive in this one. Whether this act of selflessness unites or breaks the heroes, it could have great repercussions for the future of the MCU. Let's Do The Time Warp Again! Back on the topic of time travel, we're not done with it yet. The other use of time travel as a plot device means that the remaining Avengers could travel to pivotal moments across the MCU to acquire all six Infinity Stones before they fell into the hands of Thanos. They could then plan to use the Infinity Stones against Thanos, and rewrite history as we know it - undoing the effects of the snap and resetting the universe. Funnily enough, this could also mean that - if they do change history in their efforts to reacquire the stones - it could create a ripple effect that alters the future in some interesting ways. This could serve as the basis to introduce the Fox properties into the MCU without coming across as shoehorned in, and tampering with pre-existing timelines. Does this mean we'll see Deadpool show up at the end of Endgame? Probably not. However, it does mean that the Avengers would be able to undo the snap by literally not allowing the snap to happen at all. The future is changed, but the universe is, by technicality, saved. Cosmic Phase 4 & The Destruction of the Infinity Stones With all things considered above, let's say that the Avengers manage to destroy the Infinity Stones - the very things created by the Cosmic Entities Eternity, Infinity, Entropy, and Death - how will this affect the MCU going forward? Well, Kevin Feige has stated that the envisions the fourth phase of the MCU to be more cosmic-focused. Naturally, the destruction of the Infinity Stones could literally open up an entire universe of possibilities. This means that the MCU can finally introduce tougher foes than Thanos, from the likes of Galactus to Doctor Strange's vast assortment of adversaries that includes Eternity and the Living Tribunal. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will also be introducing Adam Warlock, a particularly powerful figure that could be the key to unlocking the cosmic possibilities of where the MCU could go. If the Infinity Stones are destroyed, it sets the stage for the MCU to go cosmic - and that sounds pretty damn exciting. How do you think Avengers: Endgame will end? Put on your tinfoil hats and speculate with us in the comments below! Avengers: Endgame releases on April 26, 2019. In case you missed it, make sure you check out our review for Avengers: Infinity War, and the official trailer.

UPDATE: All seats have been reserved. However, if you would like to set a placeholder should any seats become available, please email events©nexushub.co.za, where someone will be in contact with you. The Nexus is proud to host Nexus Legends by Seagate, a tournament featuring APEX Legends. In participation with Gigabyte, LG, and AMD Ryzen, the Nexus Legends by Seagate takes place on the 30th March 2019, where PlayStation 4 and PC players will participate at the Nexus Hub for over 100k in prizes. It’s THE APEX legends event for fans, newbies, and dedicated APEX Legends players. Meet YouTuber Grant Hinds as the event host, and watch local streamer Samplayze at the event! To top an exciting Seagate event off, Gigabyte Notebooks, LG, and AMD Ryzen Processors will have a range of awesome promotions and products on display, play on, and possibly win one of 3 incredible 55" LG ULTRA HD 4K TVs. RSVP by March 28th, or before all team slots are filled. Register here: http://bit.ly/NexusLegends19Form Rules here: http://bit.ly/NexusLegends19Rules Event Details Date: 30th March 2019 Location: The Nexus Hub, 21 Harley Street, Ferndale, Randburg Time(s): Check-in & Setup: 9:00 am - 10:00 am Event First Session: 10: 00 am - 12: 30 pm Break (Lunch etc.): 12:30 pm - 13:30 pm Event Second Session: 13: 30 pm - 16.00 pm Prizes & Photos: 16:30 pm to 17:00 pm Event Type: 20 teams of 3, highest score count for a set duration. Game mode standard. Platform(s): PC (Keyboard / Mouse Only) / PS4 (Controller Only) Cost: R 150 (R50 per player) – Redeemable as a Nexus Food or Retail vouchers on the day Please make sure to take note of the Rules and Regulations for the Nexus Legends event, which you must accept and adhere to at all times. See you there!

After the success of the Broly movie, fans were wondering what was in store for Dragon Ball. There had been a long period of what-ifs, but a new report has come out from several anime insiders showcasing the comeback of Dragon Ball Super. The report went up today by a set of well-known influencers in the anime community. Geekdom101 shared the news first before Yonkou Production backed the claims on Twitter. EXCLUSIVE. You heard it here first. The #DragonBallSuper ANIME RETURNS to television July 2019? You won't have to wait much longer. https://t.co/E2OZ58ploA— Geekdom101 (@EmperorBigD) March 17, 2019 According to the report, we should expect the return of Dragon Ball Super down in July 2019. There is still no official statement from Toei Animation on the topic. Geekdom101 further reports that "more info will be coming in a few weeks", so there should be a little more information coming out until an official can give confirmation. Many may be wanting to step in and debunk this due to the fact that Kitaro replaced Dragon Ball Super when it went off air. However, a recent tweet says that Kitaro's season 2 time slot has been shifted, giving Dragon Ball Super a space in which to broadcast. There is a lot of evidence backing the return of Super, but take this with a grain of salt. Well, until we can get official confirmation.