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Trailers for Trailers: Super Bowl XLVI Movie Previews

Damon Houx — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:24:28 +0000

Are you ready for (some ads during) Football? If you love movies, but aren’t so crazy about sports, the Super Bowl has become a time where some of the biggest films of the year drop $3.5 Million dollars for thirty seconds of your attention. Summer blockbusters looking to build buzz and get people excited about the year in film. So much so that there are now teasers for these ads. Trailers for trailers. Here’s a round-up…

There are a number of film-related ads that aren’t for movies, some of which have already premiered. There’s already been some buzz about the terrible Ferris Bueller/Matthew Broderick car commercial (which we already wrote about), but this year we’re also getting more Volkswagen Star Wars ads. Check out the latest:

And here’s a Teaser for the Transformers 3-D ride:

Then there’s a spot for Sacha Baron Cohen‘s The Dictator:

There’s also a new trend – as I mentioned – of teasing the teaser, so there are a number of ten second excerpts from some of the big trailers of the day. These are the ones that will hopefully get people stoked to see these movies. First up is the biggest question mark. John Carter:

And then there’s Battleship:

And Finally, The Avengers:

These full spots will be hitting on Sunday and we’ll have updates throughout the game.

Who are you rooting for this Super Bowl: The Avengers or Battleship?

Michael Bay On Yet Another Transformers Sequel: ‘No Comment’

Damon Houx — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:05:47 +0000

The Transformers franchise is just as successful/popular as any other modern blockbuster with the latest entry (Transformers: Dark of the Moon) having done over a billion dollars worldwide (the highest gross of the franchise). But while talking to the press on the last film, Michael Bay suggested that this was his last go-around with the cars that turn into robots. Now he’s being rumored for a fourth. The director (smartly) will not confirm or deny how close he is to making another.

Perhaps the biggest pressure point is that Steven Spielberg has stated publicly that he wants Bay to make a new Transformers movie. It’s a sign that the studio wants to keep going on this thing, and that they want Bay behind the wheel. Meanwhile, Bay keeps mentioning Pain and Gain, the rumored “small” film he’s talked about for a couple of year, but he won’t deny that he’s taking Transformers meetings. Perhaps he’s using this to get financing (or better financing) on that smaller film, or perhaps he’s just humoring them.

Though there could easily be a replacement, Bay is probably right to want to keep the franchise in his pocket. The series is a cash cow, and a fertile playground to make extremely expensive movies, despite the fact that’s all Bay has directed over the last four years. The franchise will probably move forward with or without Bay, just as it might move forward without any of its previous human actors. All that matters are the robots, and the noises they make whilst they transform.

What movie would you like to see Michael Bay do next?

Jason Statham Set To Star In Fourth And Fifth ‘Transformers’ Films

traviswoods — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:37:47 +0000

Yesterday, we reported that Hasbro and Michael Bay were gunning for a fourth Transformers film. And if that wasn’t enough bad news for one week, month, year, or decade, try this on for size: it looks like the fourth and fifth (sweet, sweet Jesus protect us) Transformers films are going to be made simultaneously. And since Shia LaBlablaheooffa has said that he will not return to the franchise, it seems like someone else is going to step in as the human hero of the series—Jason Statham.

Michael Bay plus two more Transformers films plus Jason Statham doing that bald growling stare thing equals THE END OF TIMES, people. How is this not obvious? Wasn’t there something in the Book of Revelation about this? “Yea, and when the twin canisters are opened, and the Bay-beast unleashes a visually incomprehensible mash of CGI, poor dialogue, and mildly racist stereotypes, led by he, the bald guy who beat up a bunch of cops and got tased in Crank 2, locusts shall black the skies and blood will etch the seas in crimson as Hasbro’s century-long dominion of the earth shall begin.” Do I have that right? I think I have that right.

Meanwhile, screenwriter Ehren Kruger reportedly already has ideas for future installments… the franchise will somehow have to carry on without Shia LaBeouf scurrying about, occasionally pausing to gaze in disbelief at the sky, but producers are already considering replacing him with a new lead, Jason Statham, who would presumably be introduced as an all-new character.

Ok, so maybe that’s not as dire as my interpretation, but hey, this still sounds terrible.

What do you think of the Transformers news?

Source: The AV Club

Hasbro And Michael Bay Developing ‘Transformers 4′

traviswoods — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:13:36 +0000

ScreenCrave readers, there simply are no words… Sigh. I’ll do my best. Stiff upper lip, folks, we’re gonna get through this one together: Hasbro and Michael Bay are developing Transformers 4. God help us all, they’re developing Transformers 4!

Looks like the toy company Hasbro has had a dip in sales of late, and studios are bailing on adaptations of Hasbro games like Clue and Ouija. Now, where some companies would be all, “Hey guys, it seems like we’re shoving a lot of crappy product down filmgoers’ throats, and since we’re a freaking toy company and not a movie studio, let’s quit forcefeeding the world bad movies and just stick with games and toys,” Hasbro has said, “Screw it, we’re making Candyland, Risk, Stretch Armstrong and Monopoly… and what the hell, Transformers 4 will make us some quick dough.”

Yes, that’s right. Seeing as how Transformers: Dark of the Moon has become the fourth biggest film of all time, Hasbro has decided to milk the cash cow a little more, and is currently in talks with Michael Bay, Steven Spielberg, and Paramount Pictures to make a fourth film in the Transformers franchise, and to officially prove that God is dead. So thanks, Hasbro. Thanks a lot.

What do you think of the Hasbro/ Transformers news?

New DVD Releases: Transformers: Dark of the Moon, CSI, How I Met Your Mother

Andrew Payne — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 23:20:28 +0000

There’s a total of one movie coming to DVD this week, but it’s an absolute doozy: The third installment in the Transformers saga.

Yes, you can finally bring all the noise, clatter and LeBoufiness of Dark of the Moon home with you to give your flat screen a full-on workout. Or, if you prefer quieter fare, we have another selection of about a dozen TV on DVD seasons for your viewing pleasure.

Check it all out below…

Feature Films

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

“It was actually pretty bad.”

This is the universal review I’ve heard from countless friends who went and paid 18-or-so dollars to see this movie on a gigantic 3-D screen.

This after my constant pleas with them to skip this movie. Warning them that just because the trailer looks cool doesn’t mean this is going to be a great movie all of a sudden.

Not that this warning comes from any place of knowledge, as I’ve never spent a second watching the Transformers franchise. Instead, it comes from my friends’ constantly bashing the Transformers movies – the movies that they continue to see despite their not enjoying them very much.

So why does this happen? Why do people come back again and again to a story they hate and movies that irritate them? Is the franchise faith that strong in them? Do you absolutely need to see every sequel once you see the first one?

It’s very confusing. And this is from a person who saw The Pink Panther 2 on opening night.

If you are also addicted to the franchise, you can buy Transformers: Dark of the Moon on DVD.

TV on DVD

As stated above, a whole lot of Network TV on DVD again this week, but nothing that really stands out:

“Army Wives”: Season 5 – Buy Now
“CSI”: Season 11 – Buy Now
“CSI: Miami”: Season 9 – Buy Now
“CSI: New York”: Season 7 – Buy Now
“How to Make it in America”: Season 1 – Buy Now
“How I Met Your Mother”: Season 6 – Buy Now
“Hung”: Season 2 – Buy Now
“Law & Order: SVU”: Season 12 – Buy Now
“The Middle”: Season 2 – Buy Now

And Just So You Know, This DVD Exists…

Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Movie Review

Damon Houx — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 21:44:08 +0000

After the second film – which star Shia LaBeouf and director Michael Bay have publicly apologized for -there was hope that Transformers: Dark of the Moon would settle Michael Bay down, and give him a better story to tell. Working with 3-D, his hyper-editing style wouldn’t work in the format, and there would be no “afterthought” Imax scenes. There would also be no writer’s strike, so the script could be written in a more timely and coherent fashion. And though Michael Bay does action on a scale that is unmatached in the industry, it’s pretty much the same movie, except this time on Ritalin. Find out more below…

The Players:

Director: Michael Bay
Screenplay: Ehren Kruger
Actors: Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Patrick Demsey, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, John Turturro, Alan Tudyk
Original Music by: Steve Jabolonsky
Cinematography by: Amir Mokri

The Plot:

On the planet Cybertron, there’s a great mechanical whatsit that can do awesome things, but it crash-landed on the moon. Astronauts found the crash in 1960′s, but couldn’t do anything about it. Cut to now and Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) is having trouble finding a job, though his girlfriend Carly (Huntington-Whiteley) has an awesome job – but with an obviously evil boss (Demsey) – and an impossibly expensive flat. The Bad guys (the Decepticons) are up to no good, and trick the Autobots into waking up Sentinel Prime (voiced by Leonard Nimoy), who’s the only person who can power the great whatsit, which can be used for great good or evil or something. This leads to a virtually hour-long assault on Chicago.

The Michael Bay Paradox:

Everything that is good about this movie – other than the great action beats in the final act – is also everything that’s wrong with the film. The film starts – after its prologue – with Sam looking for a job. At the end of the film – in a movie with a coherent screenplay – the journey would be that Sam officially gets a job working with the Autobots as an ambassador or some such nonsense. Instead, the movie ends when the big fight is over and then adds some narration from Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen). I should note that because so much of what Prime says is stuff like “on our world there was a great war, a war that raged for decades. Autobots fought valiantly, and used all the strength they had, but there seemed to be no hope… until they found a thing. A thing that could change the course of our destiny. A thing… that was lost.” eventually my ears glazed over. Anyway, if this movie was about its human protagonist, him getting a job would be the hook to hang the movie on. And such invokes the paradox – these movies aren’t really about the humans, so is it smart to not care at the end of day? And how much should we care about humans in a story that features cars that turn into robots? Bay doesn’t actively view his narrative with contempt, but he seems to care less about it than he does what interests him: Cars, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s body, and destruction.

Michael Bay is one of the great action directors when he puts his mind to it, and when he has the tools the man can craft the hell out of a sequence. The parts where guys wearing wingsuits jump out of crashing helicopters and fly around downtown Chicago is insane, so is the sequence where the main characters are in a building that’s collapsing. These aren’t “wow, cool digital effects” moments, they are “What? That’s awesome!” moments. In another time, Michael Bay would be the go-to second unit director (it wasn’t until Spielberg changed the game that most action sequences were not left mostly to the second unit, though historically, it feels like The French Connection and The Wild Bunch started that trend). Bay would be a great 2nd unit guy also because he obviously has no feel for actors, and his sense of humor is based around loudness. Transformers 3 – like so much of the big summer movies we get these days – is filled with a number of great ingredients that are all half-cooked. And it’s not that Bay gets a bad performance out of someone like John Malkovich or Ken Jeong (painful in his five minute cameo), it’s that he doesn’t want performances so much as a collection of affectations.

Bay has directed nine films – with more than half costing over a hundred million dollars – so you have to wonder how intentional this is. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was attacked for being incoherent, racist and pretty much terrible, and if this is his apology, he still has almost all of the same problems, it’s just not as aggressive in the presentation. It seems that Bay works best when he has a strong producer behind him (Read: Jerry Bruckheimer), and it seems Steven Spielberg was more hands on with the first film than the sequels (though he supposedly gave Bay the opening sequence idea, something that he squanders). Again, Bay is either a savant, or this is intentional. But the whole film is filled with scenes like one that happens in the middle of the movie: Sam and his girlfriend head to see the Autobots, but the guards won’t let him in. Everyone starts yelling, and the guards destroy his car because he doesn’t have proper clearance. Then, after the yelling stops, Sam and his girlfriend are let in and told things that are supposedly the most top secret secrets in the history of tops and secrets. Sam and his girlfriend. What was the point of the yelling scene? If bad writing is including needless words, there’s easily a good thirty minutes to an hour that could be cut from the first ninety minutes, and you would never know they were gone. Perhaps this is Bay’s way of winking at the audience, or expressing his contempt for the material. But at this point, it’s fair to say this is the Michael Bay touch.

Oh, another example: in a good screenplay, the humans have one rocket which can supposedly take out the great whatsit, and climb the building to use it. But then they never use it while in the building and never use it, period. It’s like it got forgotten by the filmmakers. Why do they set up the rocket if they never use it as it is intended to be used? Basically it’s the excuse to get them into the collapsing building. The problem is that it’s a great sequence, but the connective tissue is made moot.

The Good:

The 3-D: This is probably the only film this year where seeing it in 3-D may make it a better experience, and Bay has fun with this stuff. And when the soldiers are flying around Chicago in their wingsuits it looks great.
The Final Action Set Piece: There are things in it that are so out of hand that it’s fair to say you’ve never seen anything like it before.

The Bad:

The Humans: Alan Tudykis the rare performer in this film that is actually winning, but even there he’s playing a gay-ish German guy. Franes McDormand – who enters the film delivering some of the most on the nose exposition in cinema history – and Johns Turturro and Malkovich get to run around and yell a lot. They are all excellent performers, but… this? Shia LaBeouf is either bored or obnoxious, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is so ogled by the camera that it turns the audience into leches. I wouldn’t say she’s good or bad in the film, so much as there to be looked at. That said, Megan Fox deserves more credit for making a character out of the same shtick.

Bay’s appropriation of National Tragedies: Michael Bay turned the bombing of Pearl Harbor into an action set piece, so his sensitivity to tragedy is virtually nil, but there’s a sequence that recalls the Challenger disaster that is simply tasteless. I was worried the same would be said of the collapsing building set piece, but that’s so well choreographed that it does evoke the same sort of contempt.

The Comedy: Bay’s sense of humor has long been that of a twelve year old boy who is uncomfortable with his sexuality and is proudly xenophobic. The bits with Ken Jeong are much shorter than the roommate/sidekick in the last film, but are just as painful to watch.

The Screenplay: There’s a number of great lines in the film MacGruber, but one of the best is when Ryan Phillipe says to the main character “I’ve learned a lot from you, mostly what not to do, but…” This screenplay should be taught as an example of how not to do things. There is no sense of build in the film, and there’s often a sense that the plot is just an excuse to get to the next scene – which often leads nowhere interesting. This – much like The Phantom Menace - is filled with so much “cart before the horse” business.

Overall:

I can’t recommend the good in this film (which is really, really good) over the bad, because this film is Hollywood throwing everything they’ve got at it, except at the things that normally make a movie good. Pace, characters, empathy, plot, etc. Though there are a number of schlocky films that deserve praise for exceptional stunts, and good sequences in the midst of bad performances and technical limitations, those films are not usually made with this sort of money. Alas, in a summer of misfires, and half and half’s, this is the one that really delivers the big budget spectacle that they got close to in films like Thor and The Green Lantern. One wishes there was a compelling story to go along with it.

Rating: 4.5/10

Transformers: Dark of the Moon is in theaters now.

Gallery:

Trailer:

Linkin Park Plays For Transformers 3 Premiere

Damon Houx — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:23:27 +0000

Transformers: Dark of the Moon hits theaters June 28, but the film premiered in Moscow a couple days ago, with director Michael Bay and stars Shia LaBeouf, John Malkovich, Tyrese Gibson, Jush Duhamel, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in attendance. We will have our review online shortly, but until then, Paramount has sent us a video of Linkin Park playing at the premiere. Check it out…

Mali and I saw the film last night. For those who liked the first and despised the second, this is somewhere in the middle. If you’re looking for robots to smash stuff and for Michael Bay’s action insanity, the film delivers that in the film’s third act – which is an hour long battle in the middle of Chicago. For those looking for strongly drawn characters, or a plot that is all that involving, look elsewhere.

Regardless, the film hits theaters for the fourth of July weekend and it seems critic-proof. Michael Bay has done a good job trying to sell the film’s 3-D as more in line with James Cameron than the relentless stream of indifferently dimensional titles that have been hitting theaters since Tim Burton‘s Alice in Wonderland. This summer may kill the 3-D boom, one that started with films being post-converted into the format. We may yet see 3-D films post-converted into 2-D.

Are you looking forward to the Bayhem?

Tom Kenny Says Skids and Mudflap return for Transformers 3, Evidence Says No.

Damon Houx — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 01:50:44 +0000

UPDATE: We’ve heard from people who’ve seen the film and were told that the twins do not appear in the final cut.

Remember the robots in Transformers 2? The ones that most people thought were racist? The ones Michael Bay said wouldn’t be in Transformers 3, aka Transformers: Dark of the Moon? Well – according to the voice of Skids – the duo were to appear in the third film. Check out the full quotes after the jump…

At the junket for Winnie the Pooh, we were given a chance to talk with Tom Kenny, who voiced Skids, and this was our exchange:

Are you sad that the twin robots didn’t come back for Transformers 3?

Tom Kenny: (Laughs) I, uh… Spoiler alert!

Did you then do some work on Dark of the Moon?

TK: Yes, and unless I’m mistaken, there’s a little bit of the twins in there. And as well as the Joe Pesci guy (Wheelie).

Were you surprised at the response to those characters?

TK: I was, yeah. Because I wasn’t thinking about it. Me and the other actor – Reno Wilson – we went in there and the director said that the characters mindset was informed by watching Bad Boys and old hip hop videos. They’re wanna-be gangsters. So we just did it. I would say there were some lines where I would say “Michael, are you sure?” and he would say “Yeah, it’s fine.” And then there was this minor shitstorm, but then Michael Jackson died, which took some of the heat off. Michael took one for the team.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon comes out June 29, and it seems likely that Bay toyed with the idea of having them in (likely to simply kill them off) and that may have raised as many problems as having created them in the first place. Perhaps their scene(s) will appear as deleted scenes on the eventual DVD and Blu-ray.

Does this make you want to see the movie more or less?

Transformer: Dark of the Moon Stills Promise Bayhem

Damon Houx — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 19:46:06 +0000

For the July 1 release of Transformers: Dark (Side) of the Moon, it’s been interesting to see the returning cast and crew go on an apology tour. Star Shia LaBeouf has said he knows the film sucked, and Michael Bay has made similar comments. Which is funny in that the second film made over $400 Million domestic, and does have a number of apologists. But for the third film – which stars LaBeouf along side Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Malkovich, and Megan Fox replacement Rosie Huntington-Whiteley – they’ve said they’re going back to basics. The new stills suggest more of the same. Check ‘em out…

Around the set, the amount of destruction and the height of the fireballs that Michael Bay calls for has been nicknamed “Bayhem.” And that’s what this looks like, another solid dose of Michael Bay wrecking shit, and exploding things. He does it well – or at least his hyperkinetic style can sometimes be engaging as eye candy.

Where the first film had spent years in development, the second film was commissioned while the writer’s strike was happening. Three writers worked on it, and yet they never figured out the film other than the action beats that Michael Bay wanted. As such, it would go from pretty stunning effect sequences to terrible comedy and sequences of laborious exposition.

Bay (like Zack Snyder) needs a script. This – hopefully – has one.

Do you think Pink Floyd when you see that title?

New Transformers Dark of the Moon TV Spot

Krystal Clark — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:01:11 +0000

A new TV spot has been released for Michael Bay’s upcoming sequel, Transformers Dark of the Moon. The video aired during NASCAR’s Daytona 500 and it featured new footage not shown in the Super Bowl spot. We get up close and personal with Sam Witwicky and his new girlfriend as played by Rosie Huntington Whiteley. Take a look…

Did we just see two race cars appear in this TV spot? No wonder they decided to debut this video during the Daytona 500. There’s obviously some subliminal marketing going on here. As for the rest of the video, it seems like all of the Transformers have been “suped up” with added weapons and parts. We’re not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing. It was pretty hard to comprehend some of the action scenes in the previous movies, and more moving pieces will only make matters worse.

Also, Sam’s new relationship is at the center of this ad. We originally found it hard to believe that he could land someone as beautiful as Mikaela (Megan Fox), so seeing him with a Victoria’s Secret model just seems ridiculous.

Transformers Dark of the Moon is scheduled to hit theaters on July 1, 2011.

What do you think of the TV spot for Transformers Dark of the Moon?

Transformers Dark of the Moon Super Bowl TV Spot

Krystal Clark — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 21:51:27 +0000

Transformers Dark of the Moon made its presence known at this year’s Super Bowl with an epic TV spot. The footage reintroduced Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky and his robot protector Bumblebee. We also got a shot of the new female lead Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Optimus Prime, who has some new battle gear. Check it out…

Supposedly, the film picks up where Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen left off. We’re not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. We don’t want any remnants of the film to appear in this one. There has to be a significant shift in time because Sam appears to be in a new city and has a new girlfriend.

We’re not too invested in this movie, but we will admit that Optimus Prime’s new armor looks pretty amazing. That entire sequence of him spinning around while slicing and dicing Decepticons is great. What’s your favorite part of the TV spot? Do you think the movie will live up to the hype?

Transformers Dark of the Moon is scheduled to hit theaters on July 1, 2011.

What do you think of the TV spot for Transformers Dark of the Moon?

Video: Transformers Super Bowl Ad Features Bumblebee

Krystal Clark — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 22:41:54 +0000

Super Bowl commercials have come out a little early this year. The big game doesn’t take place until February 6, but we’ve got one of this year’s most anticipated ads right now! Chevrolet decided to do a little cross promotion with Transformers Dark of the Moon by featuring everyone’s favorite yellow Camaro in their commercial. Unfortunately for them, Bumblee doesn’t like being put on display. Watch the full video below…

A few weeks ago we learned that Transformers Dark of the Moon was one of the films that would receive ad time during this year’s Super Bowl. We were under the impression that it would be a new trailer, not a Chevy ad. We’re not sure if this is the ad itself or if there’s another one waiting in the wings. We guess we’ll have to wait and find out on Sunday.

Besides Bumblebee, the film will feature the return of Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson, and Josh Duhamel, are you ready?

Transformers Dark of the Moon hits theaters on July 1, 2011 and will be in 3D.

What do you think of Chevy’s Transformers inspired ad?

ScreenCrave.com » Transformers

Trailers for Trailers: Super Bowl XLVI Movie Previews

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Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Movie Review

The Players:

The Plot:

The Michael Bay Paradox:

The Good:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 4.5/10

Gallery:

Trailer:

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