Month: September 2018

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Acer’s Predator Helios 500 (See it on Amazon) is a high-end gaming laptop that has every part most people would put on their “dream machine” shopping list. It’s got a fancy new Intel Core i9 CPU, a full-powered GeForce GTX 1070 GPU (as opposed to lower-clocked Max-Q unit), an SSD and a 2TB HDD, along with a 17.3-inch IPS panel with a 144Hz refresh rate, so it’s stuffed with all the latest technology.

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While the big draw of the first movie in the Predator franchise was seeing the now iconic alien hunter do battle with the biggest ’80s action star (Arnold Schwarzenegger), there is no doubt that seeing the Predator pick off Arnie’s crew was also a huge part of why the movie was such a hit. Predator‘s effortless blend of sci-fi, action, and horror delivered on all levels and ensured that fans looking to see some seriously gruesome killings weren’t disappointed. The film was essentially a slasher movie set in the jungle, with a high-tech alien hunter instead of a masked psychopath.

The films that followed may have varied wildly in quality, but they all have one thing going for them–they continued to deliver the kills. The decision to set 1990’s Predator 2 in the urban jungle, namely “futuristic” Los Angeles (it’s set in 1997), provided the Predator with even more victims, and its increased selection of weaponry added plenty of variety to his kills. And although the next movie, Alien vs. Predator (2004), toned down some of the violence to get a PG-13 rating, Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007) brought the gore levels back up and delivered some of the nastiest deaths of the franchise. The fifth movie in the series, 2010’s Predators, returned to the jungle. This time it was an alien planet where a group of assorted soldiers, violent criminals, and mercenaries assembled to take on the Predators with suitably bloody results.

The Predator is the latest entry in the series, and we already know that it will deliver the gory goods. In GameSpot’s The Predator review, Rafael Motamayor said that “those craving an R-rated The Predator will get their money’s worth, as spines get ripped out and every part of the human body is shredded to pieces at one point or another.” So to celebrate the latest addition to this gore-splattered franchise hitting theaters this week, here’s a look at the series’ most gruesome death scenes.

14. Net So Fast! (Alien vs. Predator)

The first Alien vs. Predator was also the first movie in the series to carry a PG-13 rating, so the gore is somewhat toned down compared to the two previous entries. Nevertheless, there are a couple of juicy moments. Gruff mercenary Max Stafford meets an unpleasant end when a Predator fires his Netgun at him. As the net contracts painfully over his face, cutting into his flesh, the Predator seals the deal by impaling him on his Combistick.

13. Berserker Beheaded (Predators)

While the Predators do most of the killing, occasionally one of their human prey does get the upper hand. At the end of Predators, surviving heroes Royce and Isabelle manage to defeat the fearsome Berserker. After Isabelle shoots the creature, Royce grabs its axe and chops off its arm and then its head in satisfyingly juicy close-up.

12. Jesse Gets Pinned (Alien vs. Predator: Requiem)

Young love doesn’t stand much of a chance when a Predator is in town. Poor Jesse might have been introduced as the romantic interest for our hero Ricky in Alien vs. Predator: Requiem, but a flying shuriken thrown by the Xenomorph-hunting Predator Wolf quickly ends that relationship. Jesse is pinned nastily to the wall while Ricky runs after Wolf, guns blazing.

11. Cooper Is Blasted (Predator)

Played by former wrestling star Jesse “The Body” Ventura, gunner Blain Cooper is the second of the elite army squad to get picked off in the first movie. He is blasted from behind as he stalks the Predator through the jungle, his chest exploding in our faces.

10. Exploding Noland (Predators)

Laurence Fishburne’s role as crazy survivalist Noland in Predators is relatively small but highly memorable and he has a great death scene. His attempts to kill the movie’s heroes attract the attention of the Tracker Predator, who corners Noland and blasts him with his Plasmacaster, causing his entire body to explode.

9. Like Father, Like Son (Alien vs. Predator: Requiem)

Buddy Benson and his son Sam are on a woodland hunting trip when they encounter some Facehuggers that have escaped from the crashed Predator ship. Buddy and Sam both become hosts for the Alien and get to share a gruesome simultaneous chestburst. This is particularly noteworthy for the fact that Sam is a small child, usually off limits in this type of movie.

8. Jerry Very Dead (Predator 2)

Predators like their trophies, and where possible they remove the head and attached spinal column from their victims to display proudly on the walls of their spacecraft. In Predator 2, likeable loudmouth cop Jerry (played by the late, great Bill Paxton) meets an unpleasant end when he is dragged into the sewers of LA and has his spine ripped-out. The moment itself is shot at a distance, but director Stephen Hopkins then gives us a juicy close-up of Jerry’s body just to make sure we didn’t miss it.

7. Mac Checks Out (Predator)

Mac (Bill Duke) manages to last more than an hour into the original Predator, but his luck runs out when he attempts to sneak up on the creature. The three glowing laser sights move from his arm to his head, which then explodes as the Predator blasts him, splattering the camera with gore.

6. Keyes Gets Cut (Predator 2)

From the moment he steps on screen in Predator 2, it’s quite clear that Gary Busey’s snarling Federal agent Keyes is going to meet an unpleasant end. And the movie doesn’t disappoint. During a confrontation with the Predator in a meat locker, the Predator throws his Smartdisc at Keyes. It slices through a row of hanging animal carcasses before it does exactly the same to Keyes, cutting him cleanly in half.

5. Jaw-Dropping! (Alien vs. Predator)

With the exception the aforementioned Netgun scene, the best deaths in Alien vs. Predator occur–unsurprisingly–during the skirmishes between Predators and Xenomorphs. In a moment that fans of both franchises must have been waiting years to see on screen, one unlucky Predator is killed when a Xenomorph smashes its extendable jaws through his Biomask and into his head, sending fluorescent brain matter flying everywhere.

4. Screaming Willy (Predator 2)

We don’t actually see the moment that mystical drug lord King Willy is killed in Predator 2, but the aftermath of his death is so good it deserves a mention here. Willy is confronted by the Predator in an alleyway and prepares to fight. Cut to what seems to be Willy screaming–until the camera pulls back and we see that it’s actually his severed head, being carried away by the Predator. Bad luck Willy.

3. Spine Time (Predators)

One of the most spectacularly nasty deaths in the whole series, the demise of wisecracking serial killer Stans allows us to see the Predator’s spine-rip in close detail. Stans is overcome by the Berserker Predator, who reaches down and in one swift, brutal motion, wrenches his entire spinal column and skull from his body.

2. Bellybuster (Alien vs. Predator: Requiem)

It might be the worst Predator movie, but Requiem does have plenty of satisfyingly splattery moments. Perhaps the most gruesome death comes in the sequence in which the Predalien (the movie’s Predator/Alien hybrid) attacks the maternity ward of a hospital. It forces Alien embryos down the throat of a heavily pregnant woman, whose belly then erupts in disgusting detail.

1. Armless Dillon (Predator)

The first Predator gave ’80s action fans the glorious team-up of Arnold Schwarzenegger with another of the decade’s great action icons–Apollo Creed himself, Carl Weathers. Sadly Carl, playing Colonel Al Dillon, doesn’t make it to the end of the movie, but he does get its most spectacularly nasty death. Cornered by the Predator, Carl has his arm blasted clean off–we see the severed limb drop to the ground, still firing into the trees. Luckily Dillon has a second weapon, so while his right stump spurts blood, he spins round ready to blast his attacker. Sadly it’s all too late and The Predator spears him through his chest.

LEGO unveiled its Star Wars: Betrayal at Cloud City set last month, and for fans hoping to get a closer look at the tour of the town, IGN has an exclusive look at the full set.

Check out the video above featuring two of IGN’s resident Star Wars obsessives and Bib Fortuna’s biggest fans Brian Altano and Max Scoville as they take a look at the set, or check out the gallery below for more detailed photos from our unboxing.

The set is divided into four main parts, allowing fans the chance to relive memorable scenes from the Empire Strikes Back’s seminal location.

The Betrayal at Cloud City set, which costs $349, comes in at 2,812 pieces, with 18 LEGO minifigures including Han Solo, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, and more. LEGO VIP members can get the set starting Sept. 13, while it will be available Oct. 1 widely.

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Coming to the WWE Network on Sunday, September 16 is Hell in a Cell. The sports entertainment’s yearly event pits superstars inside a fully-enclosed cage, and many times, the wrestlers breakout, and someone jumps off the top of it. This year’s event will surely have some incredibly memorable moments, as multiple titles are on the line.

The event will air on PPV and the WWE Network at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET / 12 AM BST (Sept. 17), coming to you live from the AT&T Center in Dallas, Texas. There will be a Kickoff Show airing one hour prior that should have a match or two on it as well. As of this writing, there are seven matches booked for the card, and there are bound to be a few more before the event kicks off.

On the Raw side of things, the Shield will have their hands full in two matches, one for the Tag Team Championships and one for the Universal Championship. Additionally, Alexa Bliss gets her rematch with Ronda Rousey. On Smackdown, Becky Lynch gets her shot at the Women’s Championship against Charlotte, and Jeff Hardy will face Randy Orton in a Hell in a Cell match.

Obviously, we have a few opinions on what we think is going to happen during the evening as well. Check out all of our predictions for Hell in a Cell, which we will continue to update should new matches or new stipulations get added to the card.

Hell in a Cell match card so far:

• Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton (Hell in a Cell match)
• Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntrye (c) vs. Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose (Raw Tag Team Championships)
• Daniel Bryan & Brie Bella vs. The Miz & Maryse
• Charlotte (c) vs. Becky Lynch (Smackdown Women’s Championship)
• Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Alexa Bliss (Raw Women’s Championship)
• AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe (WWE Championship)
• Roman Reigns (c) vs. Braun Strowman (Hell in a Call match for the Universal Championship with Mick Foley as guest referee)

Make sure to come back to GameSpot for live coverage of the event.

Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton (Hell in a Cell Match)

Why is this a Hell in a Cell match? This is a bit of a head-scratcher. I guess it’s so we can see Jeff Hardy jump off of things and attempt fate yet another time. There should be a lot of big spots in this match but neither of these men winning really does anything. Because Hardy lost the U.S. title and couldn’t reclaim it, I’m giving him the win here.

Our prediction: Hardy wins

Daniel Bryan & Brie Bella vs. The Miz & Maryse

The Bryan/Miz saga continues, but this time, it’s a family affair. Both of the men’s wives will be joining the fight in this mixed tag match. After their incredibly entertaining match at this year’s Summerslam, it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out now that Brie and Maryse are part of the match. In order to keep this rivalry going, which is needs to, Bryan and Brie need the win here.

Our prediction: Team Bryan wins

Charlotte (c) vs. Becky Lynch (Smackdown Women’s Championship)

I don’t think it’s any secret that I’m a big fan of Becky Lynch, as well as this storyline with Charlotte. Lynch, as a heel, needs a little bit of work but there is a lot of potential for her character to grow. She and Charlotte are going to put on an amazing match, and there is no question there, but it may be a time for a title change. In typical fashion, I’m giving the win to Becky Lynch, in hopes she can finally have a victory at a PPV. I couldn’t tell you the last time she had a singles match win at a major WWE event.

Make sure to check out our video prediction as well.

Our prediction: Lynch wins

Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Alexa Bliss (Raw Women’s Championship)

Bliss and Rousey’s match at Summerslam was incredibly disappointing, as it was nothing more than a squash match. Rousey winning the title wasn’t the problem, but Bliss getting not an ounce of offense in was. It made her look weak and Rousey overpowered. While I’m thinking Rousey will get the win here again, I’m truly hoping this will be an actual match and not just two minutes of Bliss getting beaten down.

Our prediction: Rousey wins

Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntrye (c) vs. Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose (Raw Tag Team Championship)

I’m not a big fan with the Shield reunion, but I’m also not a fan of Braun Strowman turning heel. However, putting the Shield up against Strowman, McIntyre, and Ziggler in two separate title matches is a pretty solid move for the PPV. By the end of the day, one of these two teams is going to walk out with both the Raw Tag Championship and the Universal Champion, and I’d personally like to see Ziggler and McIntyre have a longer run, so they’re getting the win.

Our prediction: Ziggler & McIntyre win

AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe (WWE Championship)

The battle rages on between AJ Styles and Samoa Joe. Their Summerslam match obviously wasn’t going to be where it all ended, so the two will fight once again at Hell in a Cell. Strangely enough, as of this writing, this is still a normal match, as the last one ended with a DQ. Because of Joe’s taunting and messing with Styles’ homelife, he’s going to break during this match, and Joe will get the win.

Our prediction: Joe wins by way of DQ

Roman Reigns (c) vs. Braun Strowman (Hell in a Cell Match for the Universal Championship)

Hey, Roman Reigns is main eventing another PPV, but at least this time, he has a championship. As I stated earlier, either the Shield or Strowman’s group will walk away from Hell in a Cell with both championships. I don’t think Mick Foley as the guest referee changes anything about how the match will play out, but I do see Strowman dominating Reigns one more time.

Our prediction: Strowman wins