Cinematical

It's been almost an hour since I received it, and I'm still not finished reading this monstrous Transformers DVD announcement. Damn. This sucker is going to be packed with stuff to watch -- robot porn, anyone? Anyone? Yes, I'm speaking about Michael Bay's live-action extravaganza -- and the multiple DVDs will arrive on shelves this October 16. I'm going to copy and paste the full specs for you after the jump, but I'll get the ball rolling by saying there's a lot more here than meets the eye. So here's what you're looking at: 1) A single disc featuring (I assume) the theatrical version of the film 2) A Special Edition two-disc set featuring stuff I'll get to in a minute, and 3) a Special Edition HD-DVD two-disc set featuring most of the stuff found in the other two-disc set, except with some added HD-DVD goodies.

Essentially, the two-disc sets will include tons of must-hear commentary from Michael Bay -- in which the director will most likely talk about how hot he is, how hot the movie is and how hot you are for watching his hot movie. Apart from that, viewers will also be able to check out a bunch of special features, including a chat with Steven Spielberg, lots of early concept art, the casting process, military training, and a piece on "the senior officials from the Department of Defense and Air Force who consulted on the film ..." Ya know, it's probably best to find out what our government would do in the event giant f**king robots actually did invade our planet. But that's just the tip of the iceberg -- we're looking at tons more special features, as well as (on the HD-DVD) pretty cool text-based behind-the-scenes background information that you can watch during the feature. Basically, if you're looking for something to do for three days, the Transformers DVD has got you covered. Check out the complete specs for all DVDs after the jump, and mark October 16 down on your calendar ... if you want to live. Oh wait, wrong robot movie. Carry on ...

DVD:

The TRANSFORMERS DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround with English, French and Spanish subtitles. Total runtime is 143 minutes.

TRANSFORMERS Special Edition DVD bonus features include:

Disc 1:
· Feature film
· Commentary by Michael Bay

Disc 2:
· Our World

The Story Sparks - Steven Spielberg discusses his love for the franchise and early concept art for the film. Explores how the writers adapted the cartoon into a live-action movie and why Michael Bay is the perfect director for the film.
Human Allies - A look at how the actors were selected and their experiences on the set.
I Fight Giant Robots - An exploration of the military training that
Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson underwent for their roles and the various stunts that the actors were asked to perform.
Battleground - A piece on the senior officials from the Department of Defense and Air Force who consulted on the film to give it authenticity and the key locations that the U.S. government provided access to.

· Their War

Rise of the Robots - Explores the interaction between Hasbro designers and Michael Bay to bring the toy line roaring to life.
AUTOBOTS Roll Out - Michael Bay discusses working with Chevy and its designers and the modifications that were made to the cars seen in the film.
DECEPTICONS Strike - The film's military advisors discuss the "toys" they allowed the production to borrow: F-22 Raptors, Ospreys and A-10 Warthogs.
Inside the AllSpark - ILM's digital artists discuss the challenges of bringing the TRANSFORMERS to life.

· More Than Meets The Eye

From Script to Sand: The SKORPONOK Desert Attack - An in-depth look at the making of this particularly epic and challenging scene from initial storyboarding through production and visual effects.
Concepts - Early sketch concepts of the robots.
Trailers

TRANSFORMERS HD DVD

The HD DVD is presented in 1080p High Definition with English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus and English, English SDH+, French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese subtitles. In addition to the above features that will be presented in high definition, the TRANSFORMERS HD DVD will also offer the following exclusive content:

Disc 1:

TRANSFORMERS H.U.D. (Heads Up Display)-In this mode, viewers can access running text-based behind-the-scenes background information on the production during the feature. Users can also watch relevant picture-in-picture b-roll and video with Bay, Spielberg and other filmmakers during select sequences.
Transformers Intelligence Mode web-enabled features consist of:

· Transformation Mode
· Health Meter
· Weapon Mode
· Robot Bio
· In Scene Indicator
· Text Ticker
· GPS

Disc 2:

TRANSFORMERS Tech Inspector - Gives viewers an unprecedented look at the TRANSFORMERS robots through the exquisitely detailed models created by ILM artists. Users can zoom in on each detail for a closer examination and pause and change the rotation of the models.