SPOILER-FREE Review/Reaction: Avengers: Infinity War

In awe.
Shocked.
Perplexed.
Disbelief.
Near loss of words.

That's how I (and many others) felt watching Avengers: Infinity War this weekend. A ten-year culimnation that has expanded 18 films came to a head in the biggest movie of the year, and easily THE biggest movie in Marvel and quite possibly superhero history. To me, Infinity War lived up to the hype and then some, and there's no telling what will happen with the MCU going forward after this movie. While I will admit that as far as movies go, I'm a far bigger fan of the MCU than the DCEU. I still enjoy a great superhero movie regardless of who makes it and where it comes from, and this is definitely one of those great superhero movies.

I won't spoil anything, but I'll say this much...the first five minutes or so will easily set the tone for what will happen going forward. DC Comics does NOT hold the monolpoly in darkness in superhero movies, let me tell you. The way they bring all the heroes in on this movie was done practially perfectly. They somehow someway manage to take the best of the Marvel films as far as personality of the heroes and movies themselves and made it work. The funny characters brought their own unique funny, while the serious characters brought their own unique seriousness. No two heroes felt the same to me. This was something I feared would happen with so many heroes in one film, but again Marvel did an amazing job of HOW they used their heroes and it didn't feel overdone. I was quite pleased with how the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy met each other, as well as how some characters didnt't meet...or didn't even come face-to-face after certain events prior to Infinity War (and what COULD be a potential key moment in the next Avengers movie).

Thanos...my goodness. If you don't know why Thanos is considered one of THE baddies of the entire Marvel universe, this movie proved why practially from the get-go. The MCU did an incredible job making him into a pompous prick that needed to be dealt with. I understood his reasoning for wanting to do the things he wants to do, but it didn't make me want him to succeed. He is clearly full of himself and had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He's only in it for himself, and the hell with whoever stands in his way, and it's made abundantly clear throughout the movie. IMHO, he is THE definitive Marvel villian and I can see why he could easily be this generation's Darth Vader (but trust me, Thanos is in his own league). The Black Order, BTW, were definitely sickos in their own right, and the Avengers vs the Black Order were pretty intense as well in the many battles they had throughout the movie.

As with all Marvel movies, definitely stay for the post-credit scene, even though your head will be on a swivel at the end of the movie (mine definitely was). It will go a long way toward what (or MINOR SPOILER...WHO) is on the way in the next Avengers moves, which will be coming out next year.

I will close with this, there has never been a war without casulties. Every beginning has a end, but no end is as forever as it may seem to be. The end of the movie will be hard to take for some, and while it will be for this guy...I'm now more intriqued than ever of what comes next. Misson accomplished, Marvel. Minus a few minor personal issues on my part, easily Marvel's best movie to date. Worth the wait. VERY happy we won't have to wait a whole 10 years to see what happens next. 9.75 out of 10 for ya boy.

Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War is playing in theaters now.

Update on my creative projects

After some serious thought, I've decided to make a few creative changes to my projects. First off, My fanart project is now going by the name Creations by C-Ray Designs. It might seem like a small change to most of you, but it better fits my overall objective with my fanart. Also, when I get everything together for my sports/fitness photography business, the name will be Creations by C-Ray SportsFitography. Again, the name fits what I'm hoping to accomplish with what I'm setting out to acheieve. 

For Creations by C-Ray Designs, my email (creationsbycray@gmail.com), Twitter (https://twitter.com/craycreations) and Instagram (https://instagram.com/creationsbycray) are still the same. I have also decided to end my Facebook page and create a GROUP instead: https://www.facebook.com/groups/creationsbycraydesigns.
Creations by C-Ray SportsFitography doesn't have a social media presence yet, nor an email, but as soon as it does, I'll make a post about that as well as show you some of my work. 

Thank you for your continued support!

Why the NHL Should Thank The NBA

The championships are here. The two best teams in the world are squaring off for the one of the most coveted prizes in sports. The Best in the East and the Best in the West are fighting in an all-out war to determine who is the Best in the World at what they do. Yes sir...The National Hockey League (NHL) is hosting a Stanley Cup Finals classic between the Nashville Predators and the defending champion Pittsburgh Penquins that has been nothing short of a classic.

Wait...you thought I was talking about the OTHER playoff series going on, didn't you. Yes, The NBA Finals are going on. Yes, the two best teams in basketball are squaring off for the one of the most coveted prizes in sports. But anyone who has followed this season knew before PRESEASON who was heading to the NBA Finals. The Warriors have created an All-Star juggernaut consisting of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and now Kevin Durant. The Cavs have LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and other good players. The Warriors have yet to lose in the playoffs and could very well become NBA Champions on Friday should they beat the Cavs on Wednesday. When you take drama out of sports, it becomes boring real quick, and despite the amount of All-Star talent in the NBA Finals alone, the suspense and competition has been taken away and the NBA (in my honest opinion) is at the lowest its ever been in terms of people actually REALLY caring about it. It hasn't stopped ESPN and Fox Sports One for shoving the pathetically boring Finals down out throats. All they have been focusing on has been the NBA Finals and even have brought up the possibilty of past top teams beating this year's Warriors (95-96 Bulls, Showtime Lakers, etc.). For ESPN to be called "The Worldwide Leader in Sports", it's a joke that they are giving so much attention to them rather than focusing on what looks to go down as a classic in the Stanley Cup Finals between Nashville and Pittsbugh. Heck, even the Women's College World Series is getting more coverage than the Stanley Cup. No disrespect to those in it (that 17th inning battle between Oklahoma and Florida was INSANE!!!), but the Stanley Cup is one of the oldest and most presitious titles in pro sports and deserves far more respect than what ESPN and mainstream media has shown them.

But apparently, you can't stop people from hearing about it and tuning in by the numbers. According to the Cellblock 303 Facebook page (Cellblock 303 are the SUPER LIT Predators fans), Game 4 was a ratings goldmine. Here are some of the stats

1) 5.7+ million viewers across the nation. It was the #1 viewed program in America.
2) This was the second highest rating for a Game 4 in NHL history.
3) This Game 4 was up 34% over last year's Game 4, and surpassed every one of the 6 games in last year's finals.
4) Digital viewing was up 66% over last year's finals.
5) In the Nashville market, the rating was a new record of 28.0, which equals about 280,000 households watching.

More details here: http://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2017/06/06/game-4-of-penguins-predators-2017-stanley-cup-final-is-second-most-watched-game-4-on-record/

Over the next 2-3 games (Thursday in Pittsburgh, Sunday in Nashville, (if necessary) Pittsburgh next Wednesday) expect these numbers to increase. Also, Twitter has been ablaze anytime there has been a Stanley Cup Final playing, especially after Games 3 and 4. With a big thanks to social media and word of mouth, people are beginning to see that hockey is a CRAZY sport and it's fun to watch and experience. I can speak from experiecene that Tennessee has been taken over by the Smashville fever. ESPN can tout all they want to about the NBA Finals, but in all truthfulness, they are focusing on the wrong championship. When a NBA Legend like Sir Charles Barkley rather attend Nashville and talk about the Stanley Cup Finals and the atmosphere of Smashvile more than the SPORT THAT MADE HIM A HOUSEHOLD NAME IN THE FIRST PLACE...you have a problem, and I don't think this problem is going away anytime soon.

This article is kinda painful for me to watch because I love basketball. But the way the NBA is and the way it looks like it could be for a while, I personally can't support it right now. If I want competitive basketball, thanks to Ice Cube, I won't have to wait too long to see it thanks to the BIG3 Basketball League (coming to Fox Sports One on June 26th).

I'll close with the following:

ESPN, thank you for showing that you have no right to call yourself the "Worldwide Leader in Sports" by practially ignoring the Stanley Cup and only focusing on the NBA Finals.

NBA, thank you for being the superteam-loving, competition-lacking league you have become so others can find something else to enjoy what they wait for football to begin. The NHL owes you a debt of gratitude.

Social media, especially Twitter, thank you for spreading the word about the Stanley Cup through your hashtags and memes. You have done the sport justice getting these teams noticed.

NHL, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penquins...from the bottom of my heart, thank you for giving sports fans a show. You have been awesome. The way the Stanley Cup Finals have been played thus far, I expect one epic, GLORIOUS conclusion. The world can't wait.



One last thing...GO PREDS! 😁

My Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 Review

Another homerun for Marvel Studios

For the first time in my life, I attended a big-time movie during opening weekend. Thank goodness this movie had played several times already so I wasn't in such a massive crowd. It also didn't hurt that it was the 9pm showing.

I went to see Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 on Friday. I watched the first one and didn't expect to love it so much, but I did and couldn't wait to see Vol. 2. The wait was worth it, as I enjoyed the movie from top to bottom. Marvel Studios just knows how to put on pretty enjoyable superhero movies these days and have done it to near perfection. On to the movie itself: if you wondered why Dairy Queen played a big role in the promotion of GotG: Vol. 2, you will find out your answer real early in the movie, trust me. The action didn't take long to begin either, and some of it you DID see in the trailer. Speaking of trailers, Marvel did a heck of a good job keeping the BIG baddie a secret. I won't spoil it for you, but yeah, it's a doozy. The main characters that you fell in love with in the first movie kept their likable personalities (Drax is the king of savage). And yes, Baby Groot was as adorable and hilarious as advertised, maybe even better. But despite that, HE was not the show-stealer. That honor goes to Youdu, and while I won't spoil it for you, it will be hard for you not to be in your feels for him once the movie is over. That's all I'll say on that.

Mantis was a pretty good addition to the movie, as was some cool cameos in it as well, including a few from the upcoming Thor Ragnarok, coming out in November. Ego and Star-Lord's relationship is going to start one way and end a completely different way when the movie is done, it will have to do with the reveal of the death of Peter's mom. As we all know, we saw Peter's mom die at the beginning of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, but we didn't know why. We find out why in this movie...and let's just say DC does NOT hold a monopoly of being dark in their movies. And in one scene involving (minor spoiler alert) Youdu, Rocket Raccoon, and Baby Groot, I promise you if they were not aliens and if there was blood involved, this movie would have gotten a rated R for that one scene alone. Who know a whistle and an arrow could be that lethal in the right hands?! In the trailer, you can probably guess that Ayesha, the High Priestess, is definitely a bish, but trust me, you don't know how much of a bish she is until you see the movie. I was hoping that someone, anyone would have smacked the taste out of her mouth but (minor spoiler alert), it didn't happen. Thanos is mentioned once in the movie, and based off the end of the movie, at least one of the main characters will be going after him, maybe even show up in Infinity War next year.

While the first one may be viewed better, the sequel was very enjoyable. Worth the money, and I'm looking forward to Volume 3 in the sooner-than-you-think future. If I had to give it a rating, I would give it a 7.5 or 8 out of 10. I'd watch it again, but I would definitely watch the first one to truly appreciate this movie, even though it's not bad on its own.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2 is currently playing in theaters worldwide. Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language, and brief suggestive content.

Creations by C-Ray

Over the last year or so, I've decided to test out my creative side. Apparently, I'm kinda decent at it. So much so that I want to share it with all of you. I'm calling it Creations by C-Ray. I make fanart of pro wrestlers and fitness women, two things I'm extremely passionate about. At some point in 2017 (more details as I get things finalize) I will be adding fitness photography to the mix in addition to the fanart. But for now, my focus will be fanart only. The fanart is for fun, as I make no profit out of it whatsoever, nor will I ask for any donations to do this.

Here's a few examples of my work thus far:

I'm currently posting my work on DeviantArt (http://craychosen1.deviantart.com/), Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/creationsbycray/) Twitter (http://twitter.com/craycreations) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/creationsbycray/) In due time, I will have a website for all my work.

If you have any requests for any fanart (I don't do nudes or topless of any kind, FYI), email me at creationsbycray@gmail.com and I will do my best to make something special.

FAN CASTING: Jen Widerstrom as She-Hulk

All photos belong to their original owners. Please support them.

Unless you have lived under a rock, you have probably noticed that Hollywood has been bitten by the superhero bug. It started with Marvel about eight years ago with Iron Man, but when it first came out, we didn’t know what to expect. Since then, Marvel has become the kings of the superhero movie world, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. While DC is making their own cinematic universe (and depending on who you ask, it’s either going decent, very well, or a complete disaster), Marvel has stood the test of time and will bring everything together that they have worked on for nearly a decade into Avengers: Infinity War which will come out in May 2018, with a film to follow that the following year. No doubt this will be a daunting task to bring everyone together, but if their success is any indication, it would be wise not to bet against Marvel Studios. In addition to the big boys, the ladies have been getting some love from Marvel as well, with Black Widow, Gamora, The Wasp, and Scarlett Witch being part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Captain Marvel will be joining them in the very near future (she will be the first female in the MCU to get her own solo movie). It’s a safe bet that more ladies will be joining them in the years to come, but there seems to be one sorta big name that has yet to be brought up…She-Hulk.

She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters) is the cousin of The Hulk (Bruce Banner). She’s insanely strong, but unlike her cousin, she has better control over her power and emotions. Due to the blood transfusion she had with her cousin, her green complexion is permanent, so she can’t change her appearance unlike her cousin. When she’s not kicking butt on the streets either on her own, with her cousin, or as an honorary member of the Fantastic Four, she is taking down people as her real-life persona Jennifer Walters, a lawyer. You would think someone would freak out about that, but really…would YOU question a green woman would can bench press a building…and consider that a warm-up?! I didn’t think so.

With all of this being said, I personally think She-Hulk would be a great superhero to introduce in the upcoming Avengers super movie. There’s this badass dude by the name of Thanos coming to Earth, and I think the world needs all the help it can get these days, especially with how things ended up after Captain America: Civil War. Now the question is…who could play as She-Hulk? While Hollywood has picked some beautiful women to play the part as female superheroes, they (to me) seemed to not represent the comic book physiques of the women they are portraying, which is the opposite of their male counterparts (as a whole, mind you. Not all the guys are big either, but it’s a noticeable amount). What makes She-Hulk so awesome is that she’s not only muscular, but she happens to be extremely beautiful as well. If you are part of the bodybuilding industry, I’m pretty sure you can send me a laundry list of women that would fit the bill of She-Hulk, but to me, there’s one woman who has a pretty big mainstream following that would be absolutely perfect for this role…Jen Widerstrom.

Jen Widerstrom is one of the trainers on NBC’s The Biggest Loser and was one of the Gladiators on the American Gladiators reboot on NBC. Her name on the show was Phoenix, and she was one of the most popular Gladiators on the show as well. When it comes to fitness, you name it, she’s done it…yoga, fitness competitions, Crossfit, Spartan Races, powerlifting, etc. Jen is stronger than the average woman, and she happened to be one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood as well. Of course beautiful women are not hard to find in the shining lights of Tinseltown, but in their world, it’s hard to find a beautiful woman with muscles to boot. Jen's also not a dummy either, as she hones her craft as a personal trainer by studying every fitness technique and regimen out there to be the best she can be, which is no different than what Jennifer Walters does while being a criminal defense attorney. Their personalities mirror each other as well; they are funny, quirky, and sassy, but when it gets down to business...they get down to business!

When you look at everything and see just how alike these two are, there's no reason why Jen Widerstrom should NOT at the very least be considered for the part of She-Hulk, if it's ever available, and if the MCU isn't the ideal place for She-Hulk, being on her own Netflix show or on a current Marvel Netflix show would work. I actually brought this up to her on Instagram the she (and former WWE Superstar Eve Torres-Grace, who would be a better Wonder Woman after much thought) would be great as She-Hulk, and she replied back to me, "Ahhhh thank you!!! I do love the color green!"

So there you have it. The ball is in your court, Marvel Studios and to you Mr. Kevin Feige. Jen Widerstrom has shown interest in being She-Hulk in the future. Others seems to agree. Hope to see this as a reality one day.

Dear Marvel,
Make. This. Happen!
Sincerely,
EVERYONE

For more on Jen, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. For more on all things Marvel, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

It's Official: Deadpool IS Better than Batman v. Superman (In the U.S.)

This photo. Nuff. said.
Source: DeviantArt user GOXIII

I hate to sound like a buzzkill to DC fans (which I’m not, as I’m looking extremely forward to Suicide Squad and enjoyed The Dark Knight Trilogy a lot) or a Marvel fanboy (which I’m not), but WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED, DC?! SERIOUSLY!!!!

Two of the biggest movies of 2016, Deadpool from Marvel/21st Century Fox and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice from DC/Warner Brothers, just ended their domestic run in the box offices. Without me saying a word, which movie do you think would have been the clear winner between the two. If you were to say BvS, you would be correct…in theory, for the simple reason that BvS has the two biggest names in comic books (Batman and Superman) in the same movie at the same time, with the addition of the on-screen debut of Wonder Woman (bringing the Trinity together). But in reality, that’s not what happened. Deadpool closed their domestic run with $363 million. Batman v Superman finished their run with $330 million. That’s right, you heard me a movie with a small budget domestically outdid what SHOULD have been the biggest movie in not just 2016, but in YEARS by about 33 MILLION DOLLARS. If I were DC/Warner Brothers, I would be concerned.

I went to see Deadpool and enjoyed it a lot. It stayed true to the Deadpool character and didn’t make things so complicated. Definitely not for kids, so parents, this is one superhero movie that you DON’T need to let your children see…not until they get older. On the flip side, I did NOT go see BvS for my own personal reasons (which started WAY before the critic backlash). I will not be comparing the movies as it would be comparing apples to oranges and hamburgers to pizza. I’m just trying to wrap my head around why BvS, despite the money it did make ($872,662,631 is the final total worldwide), didn’t do as well as it should have been based off brand name alone. Wait…I might have just answered my own question…Warner Brothers were hoping that the names that people grew up with (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman) would be enough to get people to spend a lot, which they did…during opening weekend, which wasn’t a surprise. But then the critics came a-knocking and non-critics posted about it and the next weekend (while it did remain at the top of the box office) it plunged to a 50% drop in sales, the biggest two-weekend drop for any superhero movie ever. When you also have the embargo lifted literally a couple of days before the movie drops rather than a couple of weeks (which is the norm), that’s usually not a good sign. I mean, why would you wait so long to have the embargo lifted knowing that this was going to be a much-anticipated movie that people would like to spend the money on and actually FEEL like they are getting their monies worth? Another thing…there are some hardcore DC fanboys that are convinced that Marvel paid them off to publicly diss BvS. Yeah…so I guess they paid them to diss the Fantastic Four movie (which is a Marvel movie), then huh? Did they ever think that the critics were born members of the DC Universe and actually had to put their fandom aside and call the movie for what it is…a MESS (according to what I’ve read, not seen for myself)?! If a movie is good…it’s good. If it’s not so good…then guess what?! It’s not so good. Simple as that.

I’m not hear to give any advice to Warner Brothers on what they need to do to have a successful DC Cinematic Universe. Personally, I hope they do, but they need to make some serious internal changes. Like I stated before, a superhero movie that’s rated R (smaller demographic) and had a small budget did better in the states than a big-budget movie that’s rated PG-13 (bigger demographic) that featured the biggest superhero names of all time. That’s cause for pause to me. This can be fixed, though. They have movies lined up for the next few years that can change DC for the better (Suicide Squad later on this year, and Wonder Woman next year is a big one), but they need to understand the audience better and how to put on good superhero movies that bring EVERYONE together (adults and kids) or Marvel is going to remain the king of superhero movies for a long, long time.

To read more about how Deadpool and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice did in their final days of their domestic runs (and how they compare to their worldwide runs) click on the links below, which both belong to Comicbook.com:

Deadpool: http://comicbook.com/marvel/2016/06/19/deadpool-ends-its-box-office-run-with-363-million/

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: http://comicbook.com/2016/06/18/batman-v-superman-finishes-box-office-run-with-330-million/