EVENT: Sci Fi Weekender, Hafan Y Mor, Wales 19th-22nd March 2015 (Part Two)

PREVIOUSLY ON PAUL & THE POPCORN:

The gang visited Hafan Y Mor in Wales for the Sci-Fi Weekender 2015 - initially they were disappointed by the lack of traders but this was explained by the fact that there was a major Showmaster's convention - the Cardiff Film and Comic Con going on at the same weekend. Darth Elvis & The Imperials were the novelty band that performed Elvis/Star Wars crossover songs and there was an unhealthy obsession with a movie known as Manborg in the cinema room. Prog Rock 3 was also going on at the site too for the first time. Paul bumped into Sylvester McCoy at reception and wasn't sure of the etiquette of sparking up a conversation with a celebrity. Meanwhile the gang met James Cosmo from game of Thrones (among others) and Julian Glover from... well just about everything. The watched the One man Star Wars performer Charlie Ross who was one of the highlights of the weekend. They knuckled down and watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) and X-men: Days of Future Past in the cinema room and ordered pizza.

Here's part two.

The following takes place between 22nd and 23rd March...

 

Already a day down and only one to go, the next day was full of things to do - with the exception of the break in the middle of the shows to turn the interview room to something more nightclubby. First thing in the morning was a visit from Judge Dredd creators Carlos Ezquerra and John Wagner giving a talk and signing stuff. I was gutted I missed this one as often in the calendar there are two things on at once and is difficult to see both.

 

What I DIDN'T miss however, was the One Man Lord of the Rings. Yes, Charlie Ross returned to do what he did to Star Wars yesterday and it was just as good.  Once again he sang, special FX'd and "My Precious"'d his way through the trilogy with wit, gusto and energy that you couldn't help but love his display. He travels the world doing this and I heartily recommend him if you like those movies and want to see a master at work. Total, total genius.



Ms Sophie Aldred as
awesome as ever!

There were some interviews with Sophie Aldred and Sylvester McCoy today too - the Sylvester McCoy one being particularly fun - as he left the stage and wandered around the crowd taking questions and then seamlessly handed over to Sophie Aldred to take the stage as he went to do some signings. Sadly I missed the signing with Sylvester as we were watching the Cosplay Preliminaries and he had gone by the time it had finished. However we did bump into him a second time the following morning when we were leaving the site at the same time.



Sylvester McCoy is interviewed
by Robert Rankin

He was asked a lot of questions about Dr Who in particular and answered as honestly as he could - avoiding some like "Who was your favourite Doctor?" replying by saying they are all taller than him so he'd rather not choose a favourite! His mix of humour, warmth and honesty made great listening and I would hope he would return as he was an excellent choice for a guest. He had a lot to say on The Hobbit too, saying Ian McKellen was not a fan of the green screen acting required for the movie. Robert Rankin was a great interviewer asking lots of probing (and occasionally embarrassing) questions and was knowledgeable about his guest, but left him to talk so he could tell us all sorts of interesting things.

 

As we attended the Cosplay Preliminaries we saw an amazing array of cosplaying - from something people would have mashed up at home in five minutes to the most intricate and detailed outfits ever. As always, the Galactic Knights graced us with their professional cosplay and judged the proceedings.  There were literally hundreds of people dressed for the occasion including Batman, Poison Ivy, Superman and Ghostrider!

It's not everyday you meet Ghostrider outside of a Papa Johns!

By this time, the day was drawing to a close and after a busy day we headed to the cinema room to chill out watching Guardians of the Galaxy before bedtime and the long drive home. However, once dancing Baby Groot had done his funk to the strains of I Want You Back by the Jackson 5, the announcer announced Manborg would be squeezed in between Guardians and the midnight showing of Galaxy Quest. We had a long drive back so left it there to reflect on our busy day.

 

So that was that. The Sci Fi Weekender in the main was a very good event - the critics are out on sharing the date with the Prog Rock lot, but unlike some others we never really had a problem with them. We also didn't get chance to check out the sci-fi writers or the workshops which were on there too - which seemed to be fantastic if you are into sci-fi and fantasy writing. The traders room was a massive disappointment except for a dude in the corner called www.timstags.com which printed dog tags that are presonalised. I got an Iron Man one which I still haven't taken off, and it's amazing. My brother Mark, got a humourous Star Wars one too. The gaming section (made mainly of board game style role playing) was vast but we didn't have time to engage (Star Trek TNG pun there) with the Star Trek or Star Wars games supplied, among others.  

So in conclusion, what did I think? Well if it was a Marvel movie it would be Iron Man 3 - lots of great expectations since there have been a number of good ones before it, great actors and generally entertaining, but not quite as good as previous ones. Still, it was still worth the money and I will definitely be going again. After all, look what movie followed Iron Man 3...

If you are interested check out the website at www.scifiweekender.com and look out for regular offers and competitions. It's possible to win free tickets around October time and you would only pay for your accommodation over the three days.  This event is currently based at Hafan Y Mor Holiday Park, Pwllheli in Wales which is a self catering Haven holiday site. As a result of this you'd be staying in either a static caravan or chalet depending on your choice. VIP ticket's include signing passes and unlike bigger comic cons the signings tend to be a little more intimate and you can get to spend a bit more time with the stars. looking forward to it's seventh cycle next year, which is going to be at the same venue on 17th-20th March 2016.

Ooga-chakka - Ooga Chakka! Guardians of the Galaxy cosplay