Box Office: Sonic the Hedgehog Races Past the Competition

Sonic made a rather large BOOM! at the box office over this President’s Day Weekend, racing past its initial predictions of $40-45 million to (b)ring in an estimated $57 million.

Worldwide, it’s brought in $100 million, making it the best showing of all time for a video game movie, according to Variety. With Monday being a holiday, Sonic is expected to pull in $68 million domestically.

Warner Bros.’ Birds of Prey took in a decent $17.1 million over the weekend, which was enough to land it in second place Monday is expected to bump the take to $19.6 million.

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Doing very well for themselves over the Valentine’s Day/President’s Day cluster were Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island, which earned $12.4 million, and The Photograph, starring Issa Rae and LaKeith Stanfield, which grabbed $12.2 million. Both films cost very little to produce.

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North American Box Office Estimates

Bad Boys for Life and 1917 continued their strong showings in the Top 10 while Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite received a nice box office bump following its history-making Oscar win for Best Picture.

Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Downhill debuted to a disappointing $4.6 million.

Here are the Top 10 North American box office estimates for the (2-day) weekend (via Box Office Mojo)

  • 1. Sonic the Hedgehog $57,000,000
  • 2. Birds of Prey $17,115,000
  • 3. Fantasy Island $12,400,000
  • 4. The Photograph $12,270,000
  • 5. Bad Boys for Life $11,305,000
  • 6. 1917 $8,090,000
  • 7. Jumanji: The Next Level $5,700,000
  • 8. Parasite $5,500,500
  • 9. Dolittle $5,050,000
  • 10 Downhill $4,671,000

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Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Co-Star of Disney’s Queen of Katwe Dies at 15

Nikita Pearl Waligwa, a co-star of Disney’s 2016 film Queen of Katwe, has died, according to a Deadline report citing Ugandan media. Waligwa reportedly died due to a brain tumor.

Nikita Pearl Waligwa, as Gloria in 2016's Queen of Katwe.
Nikita Pearl Waligwa, as Gloria in Queen of Katwe.

Queen of Katwe told the true story of Phiona Mutesi, a Ugandan chess prodigy rising from the poverty of the slum her family lived in. Waligwa starred as Gloria, a friend of Phiona who introduces her to chess and its rules. Waligwa starred alongside well-known actors like Lupita Nyong’o, playing Phiona’s mother, and David Oyelowo, her chess teacher.

Waligwa was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016, spurring her family to get the young actress medical treatment in India. By 2017, she had evidently recovered from the tumor, but it returned this last year.

When IGN reviewed Queen of Katwe back in 2016, we credited the film for breaking Disney’s live-action slump at the time, calling it an unconventional feel-good tale. Queen of Katwe was Waligwa’s only known acting credit, according to IMDb.

Waligwa was 15 years old.

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Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN.

Daily Deals: Dragon Ball Z Blu-ray Sale, MacBook Air Discount, Xbox and Playstation Bundle Sales

Today’s deals continue to feature the Amazon Warehouse, where countless products are on sale for varying prices, with an added 20% off on top of most other discounts. This includes some great Playstation and Xbox console bundles, as well as other great tech gadgets. Along with that, this Sunday features deals on various Anime, the New MacBook Air, 4K TVs and more.

Get the Dragon Ball Z Box Set for $123 At Amazon

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Dragon Ball Z is one of the most well known anime around, and whether you love it or hate it, at this price it’s hard to go wrong considering just how much content you will be receiving.

Amazon Warehouse: Video Game Consoles and Hardware at Prices Lower Than Black Friday

Amazon Warehouse is currently offering an extra 20% off on top of already discounted used items. That includes consoles, VR bundles, controllers and more. “Like New” and “Very Good” condition items are often in brand new or mint condition with just damage to the packaging only or perhaps missing the manual or a few nonessential accessories. You also get the same 30-day money back guarantee as a standard Amazon purchase and the remainder of whatever warranty the item has (often for “Like New” items it’s almost the entire warranty).

Amazon Warehouse: Xbox One X Bundle With Game (Used: Like New) from $237.92

Select Amazon Warehouse vendor; discount applied during checkout

This deal is back, and it’s even cheaper than before. “Like New” console bundles are currently available and the description states that they are pretty much brand new with dented box packaging. This is pretty much the only way to score an Xbox One X at such a ridiculously low price, and it even comes with a very high quality game. Both Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and Gears 5 (which actually includes all Gears games), are well rated.

Amazon Warehouse: Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller (Used: Like New) for $131.17

Select Amazon Warehouse vendor; discount applied during checkout

These are essentially brand new controllers in original packaging (you can get it brand new for $20 off too). This professional-grade controller features adjustable tension thumbsticks, shorter hair trigger locks, wraparound textured grips, interchangeable thumbsticks and paddle shapes, and includes a USB Type C cable with charging dock. It boasts up to 40 hours of battery life and is confirmed to work on the next-gen Xbox as well.

Amazon Warehouse: PSVR Mega Blood + Truth Everybodys Golf Bundle (Used: Like New) for $255

Select Amazon Warehouse vendor; discount applied during checkout

This bundle includes a pair of Move controllers and the PlayStation camera. Both of these accessories are necessary to play the #1 VR game out there: Beat Saber. You’ll never find this bundle for as low of a price, even on Black Friday, and it’s in “Like New” condition.

Amazon Warehouse: Apple Watch Series 5 with Stainless Steel Case and Milanese Loop (Used: Very Good) for $430.61

Select Amazon Warehouse vendor; discount applied during checkout

If you want the latest and inarguably the greatest smart watch out there, the latest generation Series 5 is discounted at Amazon Warehouse. The headline upgrade of the Apple Watch Series 5 is its always-on display, which means you don’t need to tilt your wrist to check the time. This particular model has  an extra nice stainless steel case and Milanese loop, and it also has both GPS and cellular connectivity.

Grab the 13″ New MacBook Air for $1,500 at Amazon

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The new MacBook Air has been up and down in price recently, but it’s sitting at $1500 right now, which is the lowest price it has reached on it’s roller coaster of price changes. If you’re an Apple fan, and need a new laptop, this is definitely a deal worth checking out.

Amazon Warehouse: Sony WH1000XM3 Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphone (Like New) $198

These are the best sounding noise-cancelling headphones I’ve personally used. In my opinion the active noise cancellation is just as good as the Bose QuietComfort 3 but the audio quality is better. The previous version of these headphones (WH1000XM2) sold like hotcakes on Black Friday The WH1000XM3 upgrades the noise cancelling and swaps the Micro USB port to USB Type C. This is far and away the lowest price we’ve seen.

Marvel’s Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Edition for Xbox One and PS4 Now up for Preorder

One of the most anticipated games of 2020 now has it’s most special edition up for preorder. Earth’s Mightiest Edition includes Marvel’s Avengers: Deluxe Edition with steelbook case, a full color 12” statue of Captain America, Hulk bobblehead, Mjolnir keychain, Black Widow’s belt buckle, Iron Man’s prototype armor blueprints, Kamala Khan’s honorary Avenger pin, and commemorative Avengers group photo. Pre-order to get 72-hour early access.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance for PC is Free for a Limited Time at the Epic Games Store

If you enjoy Witcher 3, I’d suggest giving this game a go, especially at the current “low” price. It’s a similar style of action RPG that takes place in a familar medieval setting, complete with a rich story, detailed world, engaging NPCs, and character progression. What really makes Kingdom Come: Delivery unique, though, is it’s realistic and gritty combat system. You can read our review for more info about the game.

Newest Apple AirPods 2 Wireless Earphones for $129

Today, the AirPods have dropped back down to $129, which is the lowest price that we saw on Black Friday. These are truly wireless earphones with no cord connecting the two ear pieces. It also includes a charging case.

Get a Toshiba 43″ 4K UHD TV for $229.99

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This Toshiba 43″ 4K TV might not have all the bells and whistles of a premium unit, but if you’re simply looking for a device that the kids can use, or one to plop into a side room, this is a perfect pickup for you.

70″ Samsung UN70NU6900 4K Smart HDTV for $578

It amazes me that you can score a latest generation (2019) massive 70″ 4K TV from a brand name like Samsung for only $578. You even get free delivery and the option to extend your warranty from Walmart/AllState to 3 years for only $54.

55″ TCL 55R615 4K Smart Roku HDTV (Fully HDR Capable) for $429.99

This is one of TCL’s more premium models and is one of the least expensive TVs with fully HDR capability (it was $500 on Black Friday). It boasts a full array LED backlight with local dimming and wide color gamut, two features that are generally reserved for much higher priced models. It’s definitely one of the best sub-$500 55″ TVs out there.

55% Off Dungeons & Dragons Core Rulebook Hardcover Gift Set, Now $96.99

Discount Applied During Checkout

Play the role playing game that’s survived generations of gamers. Even after all this time, Dungeons & Dragons never gets old. The D&D Core Rulebook Gift Set includes exclusive foil cover editions of the three Dungeons & Dragons core rulebooks: the Players Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual, as well as a Dungeon Master’s Screen. You have almost everything you need to get started, save for some polyhedral dice. Don’t forget to activate the coupon during purchase.

Back in Stock: Cyberpunk 2077 Collector’s Edition

This one has been out of stock from nearly the beginning and bound to go out of stock again well before the September release date. This is easily one of the most anticipated games of 2019. The studio CD Projekt Red are the masterminds behind the incredible Witcher games and if you’re a huge fan like I am then you will most definitely be getting this game. The Collector’s Edition includes the game with steelbook case, 10″ statue of V in action, hardcover art book, metal pin set, metal keychain, patches, postcards, sticker set, DLC, and more.

More Deals From Today:

  • OnePlus 7T Smartphone (Unlocked) for $499 at OnePlus
  • Funimation Anime Sale on Amazon
  • Up to 30% off Bedding & Mattresses on Amazon
  • World of Warcraft Pop Up Book 50% Off on Amazon
  • Twin Peaks: From Z to A for $111 on Amazon
  • Crash Team Racing + Crash N Sane Trilogy Combo Bundle for $41 on Amazon
  • 75″ Sony XBR 75X900F 4K HDR Smart HDTV for $1498 at Walmart
  • PS4 Pro 1TB Gaming Console for $299.99 at Woot
  • Sony PS4 DualShock Controller in Black for $39.99 at Walmart
  • Sony PS4 DualShock Controller in Glacier White for $39.99 at Walmart
  • Sony PS4 DualShock Controller in Green Cambo for $39.99 at Walmart

Nintendo Switch Video Game Deals:

PS4 Video Game Deals:

Xbox One Video Game Deals:

PC Video Game Deals:

My Hero Academia: Season 4, Episode 18 Review

This review contains spoilers for My Hero Academia Season 4, episode 18, “School Festival,” aka episode 81 overall. To refresh your memory of where we left off, check out our review of MHA Season 4, episode 17.

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Back in Season 2, My Hero Academia confidently proved it had the chops to inject new life and excitement into the tired shonen tradition of the ‘tournament arc’. The UA Sports Festival turned out to be one of the show’s highlights, and was, arguably, the arc that allowed My Hero Academia to flex its muscles and show that it is one of the best shonen anime to ever grace our screens. And now, as we enter the final stretch of Season 4, we are treated to a whole new, vibrant, and fun-filled arc: the School Festival.

This episode is split into three acts: the first is the announcement and planning of the School Festival, the second is a sweet extended scene between Midoriya, Mirio, and Eri. The third is a villain-related final act that’s too good to spoil here. Every one of these acts is tonally perfect, full of color and vibrancy, and feels custom-designed to cheer fans up. This is the kind of episode to be re-watched on a rainy Sunday afternoon, so bursting at the seams is it with cheery melodies, optimistic and enthusiastic characters, and excitement for things to come. Everything is on the up; the whole episode is about the clouds clearing and the sun coming out.

After an impactful and emotionally draining arc that ended with the most explosive conclusion we’ve seen so far in My Hero Academia, followed by two episodes that were marred with issues of theme, tone, and pacing (amongst other issues), it feels so good to have an episode not only deliver on hype, humor, and happiness, but to also do so by nailing every aspect of its execution, from its animation to its writing and voice acting.

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The music of this episode is especially outstanding, with experimental blends of guitar-led rock riffs and choir-infused classical pieces. One particular track late in the episode begins with a jaunty acoustic strum, is injected with a groovy bass line, and suddenly a flood of synths and strings enter the fray to make for one of the sweetest melodies ever heard in the show’s history. All of this stellar music doesn’t just add to the bright fun factor of the episode, but also provides some gravity to the surprising emotional range on display here.

In the most exciting moments, as members of Class 1-A throw out their ideas for the School Festival, and in the most uplifting and inspiring, like when Kyoka is encouraged to talk about and be proud of her passion for music, the accompanying tracks are always outstanding. In an episode so centered around song and dance, it only makes sense to have the music be as good as it can be, but it really is phenomenal here, and does a lot to elevate the already electric atmosphere of the episode to new heights.

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Beyond the music and the emphasis on jolly festivities, “School Festival” still manages to give us some excellent character-focused moments filled with insight, growth, and introspection, with Eri and Kyoka taking center stage. In the first act Class 1-A are given the good news by a grumpy Aizawa that they’ll be hosting the School Festival; following this comes a machine-gunning of hilarious one-liners and pitch-perfect banter, with Mineta getting satisfyingly strung up as the punchline. But the character focus comes in the form of Kyoka’s relationship with her passion for music which she convinces herself has no place at school or in the hero business. It’s touching and humanizing, made even better by a few choice moments shared between her and Kaminari that prove to be suitably brief but sweetly touching.

Having more face time with Eri is hugely appreciated as well. So much of her character until now has been defined by her relationship with Overhaul, and the impact of that relationship is both seen and felt here. The way in which the show implies her PTSD is affecting and brutal, and yet she has also been rounded out and provided solid dimension that we’re only going to see grow from here.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Wins Anime of the Year at The Anime Awards

The winners of this year’s The Anime Awards, which are presented by Crunchyroll and held at its headquarters in San Francisco, have been revealed and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba won Anime of the Year.

Demon Slayer also won Best Boy for Tanjiro Kamado and Best Fight Scene for the battle of Tanjiro & Nezuko vs Rui. Mob Psycho 100 II, which IGN awarded Best Anime Series of 2019 and Best Animation of 2019, won Best Animation and Best Opening Sequence.

KAGUYA SAMA: LOVE IS WAR won three categories – Best Ending Sequence, Best Couple, and Best Comedy. Other anime who won multiple awards included The Rising of Shield Hero and The Promised Neverland.

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See the full list of winners at the Fourth Annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards below:

  • Anime of the Year – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
  • Best Animation – Mob Psycho 100 II
  • Best Opening Sequence – Mob Psycho 100 II, ♪ 99.9 – MOB CHOIR feat. sajou no hana
  • Best Ending Sequence – KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR, ♪ Chikatto Chika Chikaa♡ – Konomi Kohara
  • Best Boy – Tanjiro Kamado, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
  • Best Girl – Raphtalia, The Rising of the Shield Hero
  • Best Score – Mocky, Carole & Tuesday
  • Best VA Performance (JP) – Yuichi Nakamura voices Bruno Bucciarati in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind
  • Best VA Performance (EN) – Billy Kametz voices Naofumi in The Rising of the Shield Hero
  • Best Director – Tetsuro Araki, Chief Director and Masashi Koizuka, Director – Attack on Titan Season 3
  • Best Best Character Design – Satoshi Iwataki, Original Character Design by Hiroyuki Asada, Dororo
  • Best Protagonist – Senku, Dr. STONE
  • Best Antagonist – Isabella, The Promised Neverland
  • Best Fight Scene – Tanjiro & Nezuko vs. Rui, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
  • Best Couple – Kaguya Shinomiya & Miyuki Shirogane, KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR
  • Best Drama – Vinland Saga, WIT STUDIO
  • Best Fantasy – The Promised Neverland, CloverWorks
  • Best Comedy – KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR, A-1 Pictures

Additionally, George Wada, president of Wit Studio, was celebrated as the Industry Icon of this year’s Anime Awards. Wada oversees such series as Attack on Titan, The Ancient Magus’ Bride, and Vinland Saga.

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The results for this year’s Anime Awards were based on over 11 million votes cast by fans from around the world. This is a huge increase over 2019’s 5 million votes. The top five countries that voted this year were the United States, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

Alongside all the award announcements, Crunchyroll revealed that four new titles would be coming to its platform, including The 8th Son? Are You Kidding Me? (April 2020), My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! (April 2020), The Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 2 (Fall 2020), and So I’m a Spider, So What? (2020).

For more on Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, check out our op-ed on why we think it earned the right to be called one of the best new anime of 2019.

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Disclosure: IGN’s Miranda Sanchez was a presenter at Crunchyroll’s Fourth Annual Anime Awards.

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Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Every Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2020 Winner, Including Anime Of The Year

Crunchyroll has now announced all the winners of the Anime Awards 2020. This year’s show saw 19 awards given out and, much like last year, it was a pretty even spread of winners across all the categories.

Both Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Kaguya-Sama: Love is War tied for the most awards–both won three categories each. Demon Slayer came out on top in the spot that matters most though, winning Anime of the Year. The Shonen series also won Best Boy (Tanjiro Kamado) and Best Fight Scene (Tanjiro & Nezuko vs. Rui). Love is War, on the other hand, went home with Best Ending Sequence (“♪ Chikatto Chika Chikaa♡” performed by Konomi Kohara), Best Couple (Kaguya Shinomiya & Miyuki Shirogane), and Best Comedy.

Though a vast majority of the categories went to shows that you can watch on Crunchyroll, a few exclusives from other streaming services managed to secure awards as well. Netflix’s Carole & Tuesday won Best Score (composed by Mocky), for example. Amazon Prime Video’s Dororo won Best Character Design, and the streaming service’s acclaimed historical fiction series Vinland Saga won Best Drama.

The winners for each category are listed below. We also have an article on the full list of nominees for each category if you need a quick refresher on what the competition looked like.

Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2020 Winners

  • Anime of the Year: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
  • Best Animation: Mob Psycho 100 II
  • Best Opening Sequence: Mob Psycho 100 II, ♪ 99.9 – MOB CHOIR feat. sajou no hana
  • Best Ending Sequence: Kaguya-Sama: Love is War, ♪ Chikatto Chika Chikaa♡ – Konomi Kohara
  • Best Boy: Tanjiro Kamado, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
  • Best Girl: Raphtalia, The Rising of the Shield Hero
  • Best Score: Mocky, Carole & Tuesday
  • Best VA Performance (JP): Yuichi Nakamura (Bruno Bucciarati, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind)
  • Best VA Performance (EN): Billy Kametz (Naofumi, The Rising of the Shield Hero)
  • Best Director: Tetsuro Araki, Chief Director and Masashi Koizuka, Director – Attack on Titan Season 3
  • Best Character Design: Satoshi Iwataki, Original Character Design by Hiroyuki Asada, Dororo
  • Best Protagonist: Senku, Dr. Stone
  • Best Antagonist: Isabella, The Promised Neverland
  • Best Fight Scene: Tanjiro & Nezuko vs. Rui, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
  • Best Couple: Kaguya Shinomiya & Miyuki Shirogane, Kaguya-Sama: Love is War
  • Best Drama: Vinland Saga, WIT Studio
  • Best Fantasy: The Promised Neverland, CloverWorks
  • Best Comedy: Kaguya-Sama: Love is War, A-1 Pictures
  • Industry Icon: George Wada, WIT Studio

During the Anime Awards, Crunchyroll also announced four anime coming to the service in 2020. One is simply a continuation of an existing series–That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is returning for a second season this fall. The other three, however, are brand-new. In April 2020, both My Next Life As a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom and The 8th Son-Are You Kidding Me will debut. So I’m a Spider, So What is also coming to Crunchyroll in 2020, though a release window has not been announced.

If you happened to find love this past Valentine’s Day, consider looking at our list of the best romance anime. Or, if the thought of love is leaving you bittersweet, consider burying those feelings by binging through our favorite Winter 2020 anime.

Now Playing: 8 Must-See Anime To Watch For Winter 2020

Stardew Valley’s Pelican Town Remade in Dreams

Only released a few days ago on PlayStation 4, players are already hard at work designing their own creations in Media Molecule’s Dreams. One of the most impressive creations so far is a complete 3D recreation of Stardew Valley’s Pelican Town.

Creator Tooshi, a YouTuber who produces a ton of Stardew Valley videos, shared the remake on Twitter, taking viewers on a quick tour of Pelican Town which features some of Stardew Valley’s most recognizable locations like Jojomart and Stardrop Saloon. Check out the trailer he created at the top of the page.

The Dreams recreation is almost identical to that of Stardew Valley and even allows players to visit various NPC homes — although you can’t go inside. If you’d like to check out the creation for yourself, it can be downloaded for free on the Dreams website. Here’s a birds-eye view of Pelican Town.

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Tooshi detailed the process of his Stardew Valley Dreams creation on YouTube for those interested. You can also find tons of other Stardew creations on his YouTube channel.

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Dreams has been home to tons of different fan creations over the past few months, including Mario, Sonic, and Pokemon creations. Dreams’ early access came to an end in December and released on PS4 earlier this month. Some creators have even created “demakes” of modern games reimagined as PS1 classics, such as this PS1 demake of The Last of Us Part 2 by YouTuber Bearly Regal.

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If you’re interested in the game, be sure to check out our Dreams review as well as a short history of how Dreams came to be. If you’re wondering whether or not Dreams is a legit game design tool, check out an actual game developer’s review of Dreams.

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Andrew Smith is a freelance contributor with IGN. Follow him on Twitter @_andrewtsmith.