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.

EVENT: Sheffield Film & Comic Con

On 15^th & 16^th August, Sheffield’s Motorpoint Arena held their Showmasters fronted Film & Comic Con featuring an array of stars from the silver and small screen – and the slight peppering of sports stars. I knew I was in for a good convention when I walked in, saw ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan and said, “Alright” and he replied “Alright” too.

First order of the day was to see the various stalls and sellers which had everything from replica swords to those Funko POP! Vinyls I love so much. There were cosplayers everywhere and some cool photo opportunities.

The celebrities were out in the gangway at various points and the stalls were in the stadium itself. To the back of the room there were photo opportunities with props and to the sides were two discussion areas – one for the cosplayers and one for the celebrities. The first order of the day was a caht with the wrestlers – WWE Hall of Famers “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase and “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan took to the stage along with a TNA Tag Team Champion duo to talk about their experiences in the wrestling worlds. DiBiase was very candid about the goings on and said it was a very competitive market and is a very lonely life as you are always on the road. Duggan added that working with an inexperienced wrestler could be very painful. DiBiase said that a lot of the matches are predetermined – but the actual match (although they know the winner) was all improvised as it happened which made it more exciting. The tag team contributed through their eyes of more modern wrestling but it was quite interesting finding out about the classic wrestling I grew up with – and all of them seemed really nice people.

After the Wrestlers Talk the next guy up for a chat was none other than Michael Biehn, who discussed about Aliens, Hicks, Terminator and Kyle Reese. He said that and Aliens sequel had been greenlighted but he has not been asked to reprise his role yet – but he would be up for it if he was asked. He also said that although he hated what happened to his character in the sequels, this new movie will be a sequel to Aliens and will forget the Alien 3 and the really poor Alien Resurrection. Hopefully it will forget the AVP movies too.

I got to meet “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan and he was a lovely person and really friendly. We “Hoooooo”’d together and he signed my Wrestlemania Box Set DVD collection. I was tussling with the idea of getting a signed photo, but I have it in my head that I’d like a set of DVD’s signed by different wrestlers. I’m considering doing this with my Star Wars collection too. What do you guys think? Put a comment and let me know.

There was the opportunity to pose with some props and those of you regular readers to my blog will know I had my photo taken with the clockface from Back to the Future when I went to Newcastle Comic Con back in March. Here was even better – you could pose with Doc Brown’s tombstone or sit on the throne from Game Of Thrones. Best of all though – you could get a photo sat in the DeLorean from Back To The Future. I, of course, jumped at the chance and to get a photo for £5 in such an iconic car, it will be a picture I will treasure for a long time to come.

After the Delorean and Duggan I wanted to see Robert Englund, arguable the most popular guy at the event this time. I took a ticket to see him – number 297 no less. Even by 3pm he was nowhere near that. He was spending a lot of time talking to the fans and taking pictures so I never got to meet him – but he will be on my list next time. We did however get to see his talk which involved a skit about Freddy vs Jason and Freddy Vs Chucky (which of course Freddy would win). He was very entertaining and really enjoyed the talk and this rounded off my day.

I had early bird tickets and they cost £15 but you could have got standard ones for a bit cheaper, £8 I think. It was a well organised and enjoyable day with some great celebrities and all of us had fun. Well done Showmasters – I’ll have to come to Sheffield next year.   

REVIEW: MOVIEBLAST: The Gift (15) & The Man From U.N.C.L.E (12A)

THE GIFT (15) is  the latest movie starring Jason Bateman as Simon, a successful businessman with everything he ever wanted.  Simon gets a dream job and as a result has to move back home to an enviously lavish house with his doting wife. When Gordo (Joel Edgerton) his old classmate appears and leaves gifts outside his door things get creepy. However when Simon decides the gifts are getting too much and tells Gordo to leave him alone, a sinister letter from Gordo saying he will no longer let bygones be bygones threatens everything Simon knows. The Gift is a psychological thriller from Blumhouse Productions (who also were involved with Insidious and Sinister).  Good, thought provoking movie but not the horror I was expecting. 

POPSCORE: 7/10

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E (12A) is Guy Ritchie’s take on the classic 60’s spy series has hit the cinema this week – and the question is – how did he do? Combining acting talents of Henry Cavill as Napoleon Solo and The Lone Ranger’s Armie Hammer as Russian KGB agent Ilya Kuryakin, this action fest is ready to blow your mind.

We are at a juncture whereby we are now in 2015 and the Sixties – which seems a long time away now – is ripe for picking from TV series and shows that have been beloved then but maybe forgotten now. Like Mission: Impossible, The Man from U.N.C.L.E was a much loved spy series and it has now been given a more modern makeover. I am not very familiar with the original series but remember my parents loving it back in the day – so this time I took my mam with me to see what she thought. Her answer? It’s nothing like the original.

The mismatched duo attempt to foil a standard world domination plan featuring a nuclear bomb. To do so they need to work together despite their differences and obvious distain for each other. Napoleon Solo, a smarmy ex-con with a penchant for speaking exposition and the grumpy but capable Russian special agent, Ilya Kuryakin find themselves in a race against time to save the world. It’s all very predictable and formulaic but it’s a fun movie nonetheless – I enjoyed it but it’s apparently very different from the original.

Henry Cavill plays a good role as Napoleon Solo, and Armie Hammer (known mostly for the dire The Lone Ranger) puts in a good performance as his Russian counterpart. Hugh Grant drops in here and there to add a little Britishness to the proceedings and the love interests are beautiful and deadly in equal measure. It’s a run of the mill spy film, based on a beloved 60’s show and it’s not bad. Good for a Sunday afternoon or if you’ve seen all the blockbusters out then there’s this to fill the void while you are waiting on the next hit movie. It’s not quite up there with Mission: Impossible, but the ending suggests there may scope for some sequels.

POPSCORE: 7/10

BYTE: Awesome August

It's Awesome August... Hello!

In a month full of sunshine, comic-cons and festivals, here we are nearly at the end of August. Really, I should have written something by now but I do have a demanding full time job I'm doing in between watching all these movies (I have to pay for it somehow! ;-) )so I'm sorry for the late updated.

However lots has been happening in August - including recent movie releases. Although blockbuster season is upon us, a number of movies that have been advertised and released this month have failed miserably to set the stage alight.  Pixels was released to some soggy fireworks and an amazing yet scathing review (parental advisory if you click the link - lots of cursing!) of it too. Not only that the worst superhero movie in recent memory Fantastic Four was also released. Riddled with problems from the outset the final product was terrible too - and I'm saying that! You know how much I love my superhero movies.

There's still some movies to look forward to going forward including Star Wars: The Force Awakens in December and SPECTRE, the new James Bond in the Autumn too. Other movies that recently have come out that you may or may not fancy to see include - The Man From U.N.C.L.E, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation and computer game based action/thriller Hitman: Agent 47. Sinister 2 hits movie screens too if you like your horror sequels.

Let's get to the computers - a new release from Rare had me reaching for my wallet - 30 of their classic games for the Xbox One - starting way back in the 80's to present day. Starting off in the early 80's with the games I grew up with on my ZX Spectrum, Rare Replay starts with Atic Attack and JetPac. Going through the decades via Battletoads and Killer Instinct in the 1990's to more recent 2000 hits like Viva Pinata and Perfect Dark Zero - I found this game pack to be very good value indeed. I purchased the limited edition version with the T-Shirt and, when I get time to play, I'll do a full review for you.

Star Wars will be the theme for  the next exciting installment of Disney Infinity 3.0 and will be available in the autumn too. It's definitely on my to buy list - and there will be more as I get it.

Sheffield Film and Comic Con was this month - and I'll give you a review soon enough as I attended it!   I introduced two of my friends to their first comic-con and they both enjoyed it too. Guests included Michael Biehn (from Terminator and Aliens), horror legend Robert Englund and Darth Vader himself David Prowse. Also there were legendary wrestlers "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan and Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase.  It wasn't as busy as other conventions I've been to but it was still excellent.

Looking at the latest stuff as well:

>   Xbox Live:  Games with Gold this month includes the full games of Metro 2033 and Metro Last Light and How To Survive Storm Warning Edition on XBOX 360 and for the posh 'uns who have XBOX ONE you are treated to Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes to download free if you are a subscriber.

>  PSN: PS Plus this month is as follows:

PS4 has:

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris

Limbo

Sound Shapes

Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones

PS3 gets:

CastleStorm

God of War: Ascension

Sound Shapes

Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones

Vita receives:

CastleStorm

Sound Shapes

Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones

Of course usual rules apply in that if you stop your subscription those games'll stop workin'.

As always we have Loot Crate and Nerd Block (this months has actually been excellent as I've received it now) unboxings to look forward to...

...AND Marvel Collector Corps in August is based on Secret Wars! Apparently it's been dispatched! 

It's time to go now but - have an Awesome August and I'll see you soon.

Keep being awesome!

Until next time

Paul