Popzara Podcast

Article: Octopath Traveler II

There was a grim, brutal period in the 2000s or so where JRPGs lost a couple points off the top of many reviews just by virtue of being JRPGs. Dark days indeed.

Article: The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition

Time sure does fly, as it felt like The Outer Worlds was just released not that long ago instead of nearly three years. Thanks to all of its sales and people enjoying it, famed game studio Obsidian was able to go back and make it even better with The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition, which is the best release of it yet, though not without its share of problems.

Article: 65 (2023)

At some point during the Cretaceous period some 65 million years ago, an astronaut from another planet crash lands on Earth and must navigate the deadly prehistoric environment in order to protect a young survivor and find a way back home. I didn’t expect too much from 65 since the premise is basically space people vs dinosaurs, which is appropriate as I didn't really get more than that as most of the dinosaurs promised by the trailer never showed up.

Article: Targus 17.3” Strike II Gaming Backpack

I’m always looking for backpacks, especially those for transporting laptops and tech as you always want to make sure they’re safe and secure while out and about. The latest one to come my way is the Targus 17.

Article: PlayStation VR2 Virtual Reality Headset

The video game industry would very much like it if VR were A Thing. It's not.

Article: Pinball FX

Pinball FX is a free to download pinball game with over 80 unique tables to fuel your pinball fever. Launch, flip, and tilt your way to victory in this updated classic that features a huge number of game modes, diverse boards, tons of ways to customize your playroom, and oodles of chances to compete in tournaments and cement your place in the leaderboards.

Article: Cocaine Bear (2023)

Sometimes all you need is a title, and the rest will follow. Supposedly “inspired” by a true story,  Cocaine Bear is a campy comedy-horror about an eclectic group of people who encounter a black bear that goes on a killing rampage after consuming copious amounts of cocaine dropped out of a plane over a Georgia forest.

Article: Creed III (2023)

It’s hard to watch Creed III and not think of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially given its cinematic heritage. The Rocky franchise really was the MCU of its day, with its endless sequels and serialized melodrama, its superhero Rocky (Stallone) going mano a mano against an endless string of memorable villains, each more powerful than the last.

Article: HYTE Y60 Modern Aesthetic PC Case

I’m going to start this review off with an admission: building a PC is something of a chore for me, a monotonous one especially when it comes down to picking the chassis (i.e.

Article: Atomic Heart

Some games launch out of nowhere and surprise everyone! Take Hi-Fi Rush, for example, a music game/brawler that dropped all of a sudden and landed right in everyone's hearts. That's a great game! Meanwhile, others sit in development for years and.

Article: Training Day (4K Blu-ray)

It feels like 2001 wasn’t that long ago, but that’s the year we got director Antoine Fuqua’s hard-hitting film, Training Day. It came out of nowhere and blew audiences away with its gripping and suspense-filled story that kept them on edge, mainly thanks to Denzel Washington playing a genuinely terrifying villain that won him the Best Actor Oscar that year.

Article: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (4K Blu-ray)

I have to be completely honest, as like most people I’m sure, when I first heard about Puss in Boots: The Last Wish being released, I wasn’t too enthused as the recent Shrek films and all of its many spin-offs weren’t that great. Add in the so-so Netflix series of our feline hero, and I was even less enthused.

Article: The Boxtrolls (Limited SteelBook Edition)

I’ve been a fan of Laika and their films ever since watching the creepy but awesome Coraline. I’m glad Shout Factory is releasing all of their films and cleaning them up and tossing in some new extras, and have taken it a step further by releasing these films in 4K.

Article: Kubo and the Two Strings (Limited SteelBook Edition)

Once I saw the trailer for Kubo and the Two Strings back in 2016, I was hooked as I loved the look and the fact they were going for a Asian- themed, fantasy-action piece. Shout Factory re-released the film on Blu-ray back in 2021 with slightly better visuals and new special features, but has now released it again in 4K with Kubo and the Two Strings (Limited SteelBook Edition) that features added HDR/Dolby Vision, as well as Dolby Atmos audio to place viewers into this fantasy epic.

Movie Time! When Effects Were Special: The Wizard of Speed and Time (1988) and Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

It’s Popzara’s Movie Time! Podcast!, where our own movie nerds Ethan Brehm and Nate Evans take you on an unscripted journey yakking and chatting about some of their favorite movie moments and cinematic scenes, from past and present, presented without snark and snobbery for your listening pleasure.

First up is The Wizard of Speed and Time, written, directed, edited, and starring special effects man Mike Jittlov in his first (and only) feature film. An expanded version of his infamous 1979 short film made for The Wonderful World of Disney episode “Major Effects”, has there ever been a film so unbelievably optimistic about the magic of special effects, yet so diabolically cynical about Hollywood? While it’s nearly impossible to find a ‘legit’ copy there are plenty of decent copies freely available online.

Next is Killer Klowns From Outer Space, another first (and another only) directorial effort by the Chiodo Brothers, stop-motion masters whose work you’ve definitely seen in other movies. It’s a true horror-comedy classic that’s as big on spectacle as it is low on budget as the Chiodos employ every trick in the book to bring their ludicrous premise of murderous space clowns turning people into cotton candy to life, helped by one of the decade’s most undeniably catchy theme songs from “The Dickies”.