michael bay Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Megan Fox's Scratched SNL Hitler/Michael Bay Joke
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy », Fandom », Newsstand »
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If you have a few minutes today I'd strongly recommend reading this fascinating five-page New York Times Magazine story on Megan Fox called The Self-Manufacture of Megan Fox. I know, you're not really interested in reading another "OMG, she said that!" article on the overly hyped, sexified actress, but this one is a little different. Yes, it touches on just about everything controversial that's crossed her plate -- from her much-publicized spat with Michael Bay to her longterm off-screen relationship with Brian Austin Green -- but it also digs beneath the surface and exposes the way in which she's sort of self-manufactured her own image depending on where she is and who she's speaking to in order to expand her brand, which, she'll admit, isn't the most glamorous or family-friendly, but it's what's keeping her working.
Fox admits that she got herself into the whole Michael Bay mess, and wonders why no one came to her defense when that nasty crew letter surfaced online ("I think it's because I'm a girl. They left me out there to be bludgeoned to death"). Another interesting fact was that they were going to include a Hitler/Michael Bay joke when Fox hosted Saturday Night Live, but dropped it because it wasn't appropriate. Fox explains, "They wanted me to do a Q. and A. with the audience for the opening monologue. And Hitler is in the audience. Hitler stands up and says, 'Why did you compare me to Michael Bay?' " Fox laughed. "Which is funny, but we can't do that."
Watch the actual monologue and read more after the jump.
Michael Bay on 'Transformers 3': Less Action, More Emotion
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Paramount », RumorMonger », Fandom », DIY/Filmmaking », Home Entertainment », Remakes and Sequels », Trailers and Clips »
I didn't think it was possible for any movie to be too big for Michael Bay, especially not a Transformers movie. But judging from this candid DVD extra, even Bay thinks Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen veered on excessive, and he's promising to scale back when he tackles #3. As we speak, Bay is combing through the Transformers lore that Hasbro has sent him and pondering who or what will be smashing crap up in another installment. Just the way he says "Transformers lore" makes me want a story centered on Bay exploring ancient catacombs to uncover the missing Transformers arcana with Megan Fox as his sidekick. (She'll be packing a Ph.D in Hasbro lore because she's not afraid to be smart and sexy.)
As Bay ponders how to go sideways from Revenge (his words, not mine), he does have a few ideas in mind. He wants more Bumblebee, and to explore the powerful relationship he has with Sam. He wants more characters, and more emotion. He wants it to be "more undercover" and "less exposed" which might be difficult for our transforming pals when they destroyed the Great Pyramid of Giza.
At the end of the video, Bay decides to abandon plot ideas and offer a cash reward. Then he says "Just joking!" because come on, the man has to eat, and Fallen didn't make a kajillion dollars, just a few hundred million. However, maybe a few of you more skilled in Transformers lore than he is can make use of the address, and write him with what you want to see in #3.
Check out the video of slippery promises below the jump.
'Transformers 2' Blu-ray Examines Successes, Missteps & Spectacle
Filed under: Paramount », Celebrities and Controversy », Fandom », Home Entertainment »
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen has become something of a calling card for my writing in 2009, and an albatross around my neck at the same time. There's little else I wrote this year that got as much attention, and yet it's by far the most misunderstood of my many, many reviews, primarily because one sentence published on Rotten Tomatoes, and later, literally one word used in the its advertising was employed to characterize my feelings about the film. Mind you, I'm not complaining, but it's made for a sort of fascinating study among my friends and colleagues, some of whom took me at those words and those words alone, while others read the actual review I posted here on Cinematical, and for better or for worse, agree or disagree, at least understood where I was coming from.
This week, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen arrives on Blu-ray, and in the interest of thoroughness, I decided to revisit the film to see (a) how I personally felt about the film a second time, and (b) if any of the objections of its critics were explained, justified or otherwise corrected in the bonus materials. After perusing the content on both discs of the Collector's Edition Blu-ray, I'm unsure whether or not its detractors will be any more appreciative of its artistic merits; but watching it again on the small screen and augmented by the thoughts and comments of the folks responsible for the film, I at least feel as if I know where the sources of some of those problems lie.
Five Ways For Michael Bay To Kill Megan Fox in 'Transformers 3'
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy », Remakes and Sequels », Lists »
Michael Bay has a lot to atone for. He's become the cinematic whipping boy of bad, over the top, explosion-filled movies, which are of course also his forte. But he could rectify most of that in one fell swoop, and it's by doing something that he's already considering: killing off Megan Fox. Okay, to be fair, we mean killing off her annoying character Mikaela in Transformers. It might not make us forgive everything, but it's huge step in the right direction.
There's no love lost between Bay and Fox. She called him "Hitler" and said you had to be a genius to understand Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (was she watching an unseen Criterion cut of the film?). He had his own words to say, and had several cast members rally to his defense in a letter-writing flurry that detailed how bitchy and hard to work with Ms. Fox was. Things have escalated to a level where he's reportedly considering killing her off in the next Transformers film. At this point we're surprised he'd be bringing her back at all, because a simple "Ever since Mikaela left for that mechanics study course in Germany" line and she's out of the film.
But the fact that he's considering killing her off is deliciously evil, because it means he wants to bring her back just to kill her off onscreen. Not since Paris Hilton got waxed in the House of Wax remake have people been anticipating the demise of a celebutart. We're ready to get Halloween rolling by including Michael Bay among our best villains and suggesting some creative ways he might take care of the problem. Read on after the break and find out how Megan Fox might bite it in Transformers 3.
'Transformers 3' Nabs Megan Fox and 2011 Release Date
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Deals », Fandom », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels »
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Over on his official blog, Michael Bay has announced that Transformers 3 will arrive in theaters on July 1st, 2011, not 2012 as others (including Bay) had speculated. Originally Bay had wanted to take some time off from Transformers to shoot a smaller film called Pain and Gain, though someone or something (a giant pile of money, perhaps?) convinced him to instead bang out a third Transformers movie and then move on to his passion project. Bay says that today is Day One on Transformers 3 pre-production, and it started with a five-hour meeting at ILM in San Francisco and will continue as Bay flies to Rhode Island with screenwriter Ehren Kruger to meet with Hasbro and discuss new characters.As far as Megan Fox and their War of Words is concerned, Bay had the following message for her: "P.S. Megan Fox, welcome back. I promise no alien robots will harm you in any way during the production of this motion picture. Please consult your Physician when working under my direction because some side effects can occur, such as mild dizziness, intense nausea, suicidal tendencies, depression, minor chest hair growth, random internal hemorrhaging and inability to sleep. As some directors may be hazardous to your health, please consult your Doctor to determine if this is right for you."
So it looks like the whole gang will be back for another go-round. What do you think? Can Bay and Co. possibly make the third installment any bigger than the first and second? You think we'll get Transformers 3D? Sound off below ...
Fantastic Fest: Fantastic Debates + Boxing
Filed under: Fandom », Fantastic Fest »
Fantastic Fest continues to prove itself as the funnest film festival in the entire world, not only by programming weird and amazing movies, but also by hosting events like the "Fantastic Debates." This is where filmmakers, film critics, and even theater owners square off in a debate inside an actual boxing ring. After the opening verbal rounds, the format changes to boxing, with actual headgear, mouthpieces, and boxing gloves.
Sadly, no solid punches were actually thrown over the course of the debate, but the real barbs were exchanged verbally. To put it in perspective, one of the topics was "Michael Bay: Should He Win An Oscar Or Get The Death Penalty?" Even stranger was the fact that the main event pitted Drafthouse owner and Fantastic Fest main man Tim League against crappy video game adaptation director Uwe Boll on "The State of Independent Films."
Check out the gallery below and head beyond the break where you can hear the best debates from the evening. There's a lot of genius in here, including some verbal sparring from our very own Scott Weinberg. Head on through and give them a listen. Just try not to do it while drinking anything, because it'll spew out of your nose.
Your First Look at the New Freddy: 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' Teaser!
Filed under: Horror », New Line », Newsstand », Movie Marketing », Remakes and Sequels », Trailers and Clips »
Fittingly, Platinum Dunes' remake of A Nightmare On Elm Street popped online via MySpace Trailer Park during the witching hour, and just in time for Halloween. While it's only a teaser, it manages to pack Freddy Krueger's origin story into a few horrifying frames. You actually feel bad for the (alleged?) child molester, something that's due entirely to Jackie Earle Haley. I'm beginning to think he can make you feel sympathetic for just about anyone.
This teaser also offers us the first look at Freddy's new make-up. This has been a rather well-kept secret in these spoiler-happy days, and even at ComicCon they were being quite tight-lipped about what he was going to look like, except that it would be "more extreme" than before. You don't get a very good look at Freddy in this teaser, but I've screen-capped the close-up and ran it through Photoshop. If you don't like it, don't criticize the filmmakers too much, as I've de-shadowed and sharpened quite a bit. (I've included an unedited photo in the gallery below for those more curious.)
More at HorrorSquad!
Gallery: A Nightmare on Elm Street
'Transformers' Crew Members Absolutely Trash Megan Fox
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy », Fandom »
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We usually don't wiggle ourselves around in the dirty celeb gossip of Hollywood, but this back-and-forth between Michael Bay and Megan Fox has been so much more entertaining than both Transformers films combined. The two have been lobbing insults at one another ever since Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen hit theaters, but when Fox recently compared working with Bay to working with Hitler, her words set off a firestorm that has now led to a ferocious, mean-spirited letter written by three Transformers crew members to magically appear on Michael Bay's own site.
The crew members, who wisely do not mention their names (though they give vague hints as to what their roles were on set) absolutely go off on Megan Fox, calling her (among other things) "dumb as a rock", "the grump of the set", "the queen of talking trailer trash and posing like a porn star" and "as about ungracious a person as you can ever fathom." Obviously Bay himself is aware of this letter since he actually allowed it to be posted on his own personal website, which pretty much cements the fact that neither of these two will ever work together again unless they're paid enough cash to ignore the feud. Does this mean Fox will be replaced in Transformers 3? And how will she respond to the accusations in this letter? I know it's lame of me to say, but I kinda can't wait to find out.
Check out the entire hilarious Transformers crew letter after the jump.
Megan Fox Compares Michael Bay to Hitler
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy », Newsstand »
You know, we can all chastise Katherine Heigl and her candid comments, but she doesn't hold a flame to Megan Fox. We already know that Fox has been in a verbal war with Transformers man Michael Bay. But now she's upping it a notch. In a talk with Wonderland Magazine, the uber-quotable actress was asked what her favorite and least favorite things about working with Bay were. She said:God, I really wish I could go loose on this one. He's like Napoleon and he wants to create this insane, infamous mad-man reputation. He wants to be like Hitler on his sets, and he is. So he's a nightmare to work for but when you get him away from set, and he's not in director mode, I kind of really enjoy his personality because he's so awkward, so hopelessly awkward. He has no social skills at all. And it's endearing to watch him. He's vulnerable and fragile in real life and then on set he's a tyrant. Shia and I almost die when we make a Transformers movie. He has you do some really insane things that insurance would never let you do.
How she keeps escaping mortal injury while working with Bay is anyone's guess -- it seems escaping robots that turn into cars isn't her only skill. Man, I can't begin to fathom what Fox would have said if she really went loose. (And I would love to hear what she would say if she worked with David O. Russell!) I mean, she already compared him to Hitler, so who would she have compared him to if she didn't hold her tongue? Any guesses? What other bad things would she have said if she didn't bite her tongue?
[via Movieline]
'Bad Boys 3' -- Yep, Really
Filed under: Action », Deals », Sony », Scripts », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Remakes and Sequels »
Face it -- it's Michael Bay's world now, and we just live in it. Weary of dominating the world with gigantic robots and Megan Fox, Bay might just be returning with the Bad Boys. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Columbia has hired Peter Craig to pen a third installment of the Bad Boys series, and hope to get the old team back together in the truest sense of action movies. The studio hopes that a strong script can lure them all back for another mission. Neither Bay, Jerry Bruckheimer, Will Smith or Martin Lawrence have a deal to return, and since this is still in the early stages of development, that's no surprise. However, THR notes that all have expressed an interest in returning if the story is strong enough. The potential hurdle is the massive salaries Smith and Lawrence now command, something that's proving to be a problem with many action movies these days.
So, what else can I say? Bad Boys 3 is coming. I'll make a shocking prediction and say that it'll take place in Miami, feature a drug cartel, some human trafficking, and a lot of explosions. Explosions with tanks coming out of them. There will be at least one smoking hot chick. At the end, Smith and Lawrence will sing Bad Boys with the wrong words. It's going to be Baytastic, but at least it isn't a Bad Boys reboot.
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