BYTE: Awesome August

I'm Paul ... and this is Paul & The Popcorn...

Welcome to an Awesome August - and I hope it is so for all of you!

I'm continuing  my YouTube site and I've started doing unboxings - check me out - for July's Nerd Block on my YouTube Channel and if you'd like to see my Loot Crate unboxing here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDPt2bBqZHQ.

The big news this month is Suicide Squad comes out today (5th August) however it's getting not so good reviews - I'm gonna go see it and make my own mind up.  To keep in with things, Batman V Superman came out on DVD too so that's my monthly intake of superheroes then!

I'm feeling a lot better so we will be having more updates - and don't forget to follow me on Twitter on @paulandpopcorn for up to the minute ramblings and chat - and feel free to contact me to talk about films and geeky stuff and that.

Looking at the latest stuff as well:

>   Xbox Live:  Games with Gold this month includes the usual selection of games, rather than list them I've included the link that's in blue. However, as this links to the current games, if you click the link it is the current games available and maybe not what's available now. Remember though that all the Xbox games have limited availability and are yours to keep once you have purchased them. However, some are only available at the beginning of the month, some at the end and some longer than that. Generally though, there are some games for the first two weeks and then a different set two weeks after, so you need to move quickly.

Every Xbox 360 game that is featured on Games With Gold from now, is now backwards compatibly with Xbox One which means the Xbox 360 games above WILL work on your Xbox one. They are adding new games all the time, so keep checking to see if you can use any of those old 360 games again on your shiny new Xbox One.

>  PSN: PS Plus this month has another selection of games but usual rules apply in that if you stop your subscription those games'll stop workin'. I know this to be true because it has happened to me. However, simply subscribe again and poof! by magic they work again. Also, this is the link to where to download the games, which means that although there's a certain set this month, if you click the link next month there will be different games on offer - so get in while you can. 

Speaking of PlayStation - the PlayStation VR comes out in October - exciting times! I must get to try this and see what all the fuss is about.

As always we have Loot Crate and Nerd Block unboxings to look forward to...

...AND Marvel Collector Corps is coming in August!

It's time to go now but -  I'll see you soon. 

Keep being awesome!

Until next time

Paul

Ps. The links for Nerd Block and Loot Crate above are affiliate links as I have affiliate links with both boxes. However, although I am a fan of them, I will tell my opinion on what I think of them bad or good.

BYTE: Jovial June

Welcome to June - yes, yes I know I'm a bit late and it's nearly over! but better late than never eh?



Awesome sentiment from Marvel.

Lots of turmoil has been happening in this world this month - and it's been very sad to see the events that have unfolded earlier on today. Also Patrick Macnee, wrestler Dusty Rhodes and Sir Christopher Lee all passed away over the last few weeks. Sad times indeed.

What's been going on? Well let's look at the movies first - the much anticipated Jurassic World hit our silver screens this month - and hit it it did - even knocking Avengers Assemble for six in the box office stakes. Chris Pratt once again took on his Marvel companions and beat them into submission with his Velociraptor squad. Featuring more than a few nods and homages to the original, Jurassic World is definitely one of the best movies of this year - and a worthy follow up to the ones before it. Check out my review here to see what I thought of it - and you can leave your opinion on there too.

Where's Owen when I need him?

 I happened to be in London for a Piano Guys concert - and I reviewed that too. There was a big hoo-ha at Waterloo Station too - where Velociraptors were trying to break out of containment. So I did what anyone else would do - get a picture of them!

I visited the new Madame Toussaud's Star Wars exhibition in London and it was really rather good - however some over zealous customer broke Yoda's ear so we couldn't see the iconic little green man. I did however get to sit with Princess Leia and Jabba the Hut (I think they wanted to watch the Simpsons) and reached out to Darth Vader (see below) and saw an abundance of other Star Wars scenes and characters. This is featured at the end of the standard Madam Toussaud's experience and follows on from the Marvel 4D experience and the traditional wax works they are famous for.



"Luke! I am your fath..."
"I'll stop you there, mate, my name is not Luke..." 

Other stuff I've been up to this month also includes getting tickets for the Sheffield Film and Comic Con - I'm gonna try and meet some wrestlers, a horror icon and goodness knows what else - but keep it locked here in August for a full rundown and some pics of what I get up to with that.  The line up for the London one looks like a fanboy (or girl) dream - but I can't make it this year due to spending all my money on subscription boxes, other cons and...

 

...The Smithsonian Rise of the Superheroes distance learning online course. I've just completed the 5 week course and I found it really interesting and fascinating. Professor Michael Uslan and none other than Stan Lee, take you through the history of superheroes and tell you about your favourites. Complete with videos, assignments and reading lists - this course is fantastic for people who love history, comics and erm, Marvel. It was the first time they ran this course so I'm in the first class alumni - but it was so successful they are running it again. If you pay for the course - which I recall was about $50 then you get an exclusive art print digitally signed by Stan Lee and Prof Uslan - and a certificate from the Smithsonian. You can also do it for FREE but won't get credit or the exclusive artwork. Originally it sounded like you would get the print as a proper signed piece of work - but later they elaborated to say it was an exclusive signed print - but it was done digitally. I was a little disappointed at this - but the course was really good and to be fair that was the only disappointment. I will do a review soon of it in full - but until then, why not check it out and join me as an alumni?

 

Looking at the latest stuff as well:

>   Xbox Live:  Games with Gold this month includes the full game of Thief on XBOX 360 and for the posh 'uns who have XBOX ONE you are treated to Pool Nation FX (still) and Massive Chalice (?!) to download free if you are a subscriber. Major Nelson posted July's offerings and they look very good indeed!

>  PSN: PS Plus this month you have Metal Gear Solid 5 and Skulls of the Shogun on PS4, Futuridium EP Deluxe and Super Exploding Zoo as a bundle for PS4 and Vita and Call of Jurarez: Gunslinger and Cloudberry Kingdom on PS3. As always you need to be a subscriber, and stay one, for these games to continue working.

 

If you are interested in any of these games you will have to get a wriggle on as they are valid until the end of June. Also out this month is the Arkham Knight special edition PS4 and there is talk of 1TB models being released for both PS4 and Xbox One. But the most surprising news of this month is that Xbox will become backwards compatible! That's right! Xbox One will play Xbox 360 games - the exact intricacies are not yet available but support will be added gradually. I'll let you know more when I get it.
 

As always we have Loot Crate and Nerd Block unboxings to look forward to...

 

...AND Marvel Collector Corps: Ant Man edition!

I've had a crack at doing an unboxing video - I'll tweet the link when I manage to understand how to edit. If anyone is good at this sort of stuff feel free to send me some tips!
 

Anyway I've wrote enough now - have a Jovial June and I'll see you soon.

 

Keep being awesome!

 

Until next time

Paul

BYTE: 17th February 2015 aka Pancake Day

Hi guys

 

I feel like I haven't posted in a while so I thought I would drop a little update on things.

I'm working on a vLog episode of Paul & The Popcorn starting when I get my Loot Crate and Nerd Block.

 

I've been chatting to some of you on Twitter which has been great and please keep that up - it's awesome that people are taking notice of my blog and tweets - and I hope that it's both thought provoking and entertaining for you.

 

I've also been actively peeking at Kickstarter too - and I've been supporting some start ups. I'm currently backing a few requests - and will probably do more. As a person who loves technology, gadgets, comics, movies and all that sort of stuff, these things could potentially be the next big thing - or be the catalyst to something new on the ground that could change things forever. I'll do a separate post on my Kickstarter dabbling, but right now, I'm very pleased that I was part of the funding to help Shadowrun: Hong Kong to reach, and exceed, its requested funding amount. In fact, they have released a 2nd wind backing - so if you missed out and would like to get your hands on the game and loads of other goodies go straight to the Second Chance Backer Campaign but be quick - it's only open until 13th March 2015.

 

Other things on my list are Brian & Lindsay Will Totally Eat That webseries, Token webseries, funding of girl band LIPS's EP and an augmented reality book called Goodnight Lad. That last one looks fantastic and I'm hoping it will be funded successfully. As I have a vested interest in it, if it does become successful, I will most certainly give you all a look of it - and of course a review (as I will of Shadowrun too). If you want to invest or have a peek at those projects - click on the blue links that have appeared over their names. Or you can visit www.kickstarter.com for a browse of those projects and others that might take your fancy. If you see one I might like let me know!

 

My logo is done and dusted too - and is now proudly displayed on my twitter  - @paulandpopcorn if you would like to see it - I would love to know what you think.

 

Finally I'll be going to the cinema to see a few movies soon so there will be a few more movie reviews posted on the site too. Starting with a review of the most controversial movie of recent times The Interview as soon as I get time to write it. Tomorrow I'm hopefully going to get to see Jupiter Ascending  - the sci-fi special effects fest from the creators of the Matrix. It has been advertised for over a year and was delayed in release which is never a good sign - but at least they didn't change the title like they did with horror movie franchise Wrong Turn back in the day (for those who didn't know it was originally trailered as 'Road Kill'). Still, it looks like a pretty decent sci-fi movie - but the proof is in the viewing. Come back soon and I'll tell you exactly what I think of it. As always - your opinions count too - what do you think?

 

So there's lots of exciting things coming up - and I'm gonna be visiting some Comic Cons in March too - including the annual Sci Fi Weekender in Hafan y Mor, North Wales.

 

Until next time

 

Paul

 

If you are interested in the Loot Crate, get a discount of $3 by clicking through my link and using the code SAVE3. Or if that doesn't do it for you get an exclusive gift by typing in JOINTHEEMPIRE or NOGOODTOMEDEAD for a Star Wars gift free with your first crate (new subscriptions or reactivated subscriptions only) -

 

Get my LOOT CRATE here