Crushable » Transformers

Warner Bros. Is Opening A Wizarding World Of Harry Potter At Universal Studios Hollywood

Natalie Zutter — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:45:17 +0000

When I was down at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter a few weeks ago, there were questions buzzing around of when Warner Bros. and Universal Studios would expand the Florida park; would there be new rides, new buildings replicated? Instead, the big news is that the Wizarding World is expanding… to set up a whole new park at Universal Studios in Los Angeles!

The timing makes some sense, since competitor Disneyland is planning to open “Cars Land” around summer of 2012. However, Universal Studios Hollywood is decidedly smaller than Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure in Florida; Variety points out that several older rides would probably have to be cleared out in order to house the recreations of Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and King’s Cross station. And it’s not as if this is the only project Universal is considering; they plan to replace the Backdraft ride (a movie that most Potter fans don’t even know) with a 3-D Transformers-themed adventure.

However, it sounds like the studios are up for a challenge; Variety reports that they’re eyeing a 2015 opening, which will be five years after the Florida park opened. Considering that it boosted tourism to Islands of Adventure 41% after a year, it’s a wise investment.

In the meantime, check out Crushable’s adventures at the park!

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Snap This: Michael Bay Used Footage from ‘Pearl Harbor’ in ‘Transformers’

Natalie Zutter — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:10:42 +0000

With Transformers: Dark of the Moon getting released about a week ago, one eagle-eyed Redditor posted this photo comparing the big naval scenes from two of Michael Bay‘s big movies: Pearl Harbor and the first Transformers. Except for subtracting or adjusting a few pieces of machinery for the 66 years between battles, Bay clearly used the same footage.

While some users are laughing and calling “busted!”, most of them can’t be bothered to care. Couldn’t it be argued that he “owns” the footage enough that he has the prerogative to recycle it into another of his movies? And as one person pointed out, it’s a quick establishing shot that doesn’t take away from any of Transformers‘ characters. However, this was my favorite exchange in the thread:

astrodust: Imagine all the angry letters he got saying that aircraft carrier went out of service in 1975 and yet it’s still going strong in Transformers!

RoboCrush: Unless the carrier IS a Transformer!!

Truer words, my friends.

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Super Extra Jesse Heiman Is in ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’

Natalie Zutter — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:48:19 +0000

Last week I wrote about five unexpected cameos in the new Transformers movie, but I saved the best one for when I had proof to back it up. Do you remember Jesse Heiman, Hollywood’s go-to extra for background shots and bit parts in projects like Glee, Arrested Development, Old School, and The Social Network? Imagine my delight when, watching Shia LaBeouf‘s terrifying job interview with John Malkovich, I noticed Jesse walk by!

This was the best shot I could get off an online stream of the movie, but the details are there: The red hair, the round face, the way he glances at the camera as if daring you to recognize him. What I also learned from this search was that Jesse has a Twitter, and I wasn’t the first person to locate him:

Although his IMDb page hasn’t yet been updated with this appearance, the Internet says that he’s credited as Mail Room Worker. Interestingly, he doesn’t pop up for the rest of the movie, even though Shia’s character gets relegated to the mail room until the Decepticons invade the building. What we would’ve loved was to see Jesse strap on a rifle to fight the robots in the climactic battle of Chicago.

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Girl Crushable: Megan Fox

Natalie Zutter — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:05:30 +0000

Hear me out.

I’m probably the closest thing to a Megan Fox apologist: I’ll insist to anyone that she was one of the best things about Jennifer’s Body because of how she embodied the deadly teen queen but was still vulnerable and downright hilarious. Unfortunately, she’s received a ton of bad press lately, mostly for getting herself herself kicked off Transformers: Dark of the Moon after she complained about Michael Bay‘s dictatorial directing. Girlfriend, that is the smartest thing you could’ve done.

The Transformers coverage has been really good for her: It’s universally agreed that her replacement Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is good only at being sexy in that empty-eyed way that was beneath Fox. Meanwhile, Shia LaBeouf is cementing his douchebag status with every sound bite, and Fox’s completely divorced from that train wreck. I honestly believe that she’s planned all of this and knows exactly where she stands. And if what LaBeouf said about the two of them hooking up while channeling their characters’ attraction is true, I have to think that she didn’t fall for him but was always in control of the situation.

Professionally, things aren’t going quite so well: Her last two projects, Jonah Hex and Passion Play, were both duds. Both roles pushed her career backwards; she didn’t have anything interesting to contribute to the plot of either story, besides a lingerie-clad busom. Maybe it’s not so surprising, then, that she’s managed to attach herself to three high-profile projects coming out in the next two years:

Jennifer Westfeldt‘s comedy Friends with Kids, starring Jon Hamm and Kristen Wiig. Though the older characters in the movie wrestle with raising kids, Megan’s character will date Adam Scott — and rumor has it that Westfeldt was impressed with Fox upon meeting her.
The new outrageous Sacha Baron Cohen adventure, The Dictator.
A bonafide Judd Apatow movie, This Is Forty. It’s a spin-off of Knocked Up, focusing on the married life of Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, Apatow’s real-life wife.

Someone in her camp has wisely realized that Fox could be best suited to comedy, the darker or more daring the better.

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Crushable Quotable: Patrick Dempsey Runs Damage Control for Shia LaBeouf

Natalie Zutter — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 21:20:57 +0000

What with Shia LaBeouf shooting his mouth off about on-set hookups and his poverty-inspired rage, you might forget there are other actors in Transformers: Dark of the Moon. However, even their attention is focused on the former Disney wunderkind; in an interview with Parade, Patrick Dempsey was asked what it’s like to work with LaBeouf, and shrugs off any and all bad behavior with a quote about growing up.

“I think he’s becoming a man. He’s had to learn about himself in a very public way, and fame is very much a double-edged sword. There’s a lot of good that comes with it and there’s a lot of negative that comes with it, and I think he’s really aware of his strengths and his weaknesses and what he wants to do to improve. We had some great talks about those things, and I really like him for who he was and what he’s struggling to do and what he wants to do and who he’s been and who he’s becoming.”

It’s frustratingly vague, but reading between the lines we can pick up hints about a lot of what was covered in the Details profile: LaBeouf blabbing about hooking up with Megan Fox even though she was dating Brian Austin Green at the time; his idiosyncracies like spitting on the road; and his rough childhood coming from a broken family. I’m just not sure how much I buy into what Dempsey’s saying, since it seems more reactive than proactive.

But honestly, LaBeouf couldn’t have a better advocate than Dempsey, one of the rare Hollywood stars who started young and still has a solid foothold in the business. He starred in Can’t Buy Me Love at the tender age of 21 and worked steadily in movies and TV for nearly 25 years after.

Though Grey’s Anatomy was the first time most of my generation learned who he was, it was just another successful gig in a long string of them. In fact, he kept a cool head during the Isaiah Washington mess, when there were pointed fingers and contracts getting torn up.

Ironically, Dempsey gets to play a real skeeze in Transformers, as Carly’s (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley) boss who calls her his “Duchess” and arranges a pity interview for LaBeouf’s character Sam. But see, Dempsey knows how to play a douche.

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Gallery: New ‘Transformers’ Babe Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Is Good at Being Dominated

Natalie Zutter — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 16:08:49 +0000

According to Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is better at being sexy than her Transformers predecessor Megan Fox. Translation: She was willing to submit to the brusque, sexist will of director Michael Bay without complaint. Indeed, he hired the Victoria’s Secret model, despite her lack of any acting experience, after he shot her in a titties-and-explosions-laden VS ad in 2009.

If you don’t believe us, then take a look at the body language in these photos of Huntington-Whiteley and Bay promoting the movie, aided by LaBeouf’s dissertation on the sexuality of women on the silver screen.

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The 5 Best Cameos in ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’

Natalie Zutter — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 16:19:32 +0000

Yesterday we were blown away by how many big-name Hollywood actors had hitched a ride on Michael Bay‘s trigger-happy Transformers: Dark of the Moon. And while it was fun to see Patrick Dempsey as Rosie Huntington-Whiteley‘s rich, smarmy boss, the real delight was picking out the lesser-known, or simply unexpected, actors who popped up on both sides of the Autobot/Decepticon fight.

Tom Virtue: You don’t know the name, but you’d recognize the man who played Shia LaBeouf‘s dad on Disney’s Even Stevens. Virtue pops up only in the beginning of the movie, as a NASA tech overseeing the secret mission to find the Autobot ship that had crashed on the moon. Meaning, his character exists in 1969 and Shia’s in 2011, so there was no hope for a father-son reunion.
Alan Tudyk: I’m thrilled to see the Firefly star getting more exposure, especially as he plays Simmons’ very proper bodyguard, who can wield two guns without messing up his brocade ensemble. And the moment where he seems to become a sleeper agent is a great nod back to his shocking turn on Dollhouse a few years ago.
Buzz Aldrin: The astronaut has wholeheartedly embraced pop culture, competing on season 10 of Dancing with the Stars and playing himself on 30 Rock and in Transformers. The scene where he keeps a straight face while discussing space travel with Optimus Prime had me laughing so hard.
Ken Jeong: As much as I am eternally in love with the bitchy Mr. Chow from the Hangover movies, it was really fun to see Jeong as a twitchy conspiracy theorist who recognizes Sam (LaBeouf) from his top-secret involvement in the past two machine conflicts. I want to see him reprise this sort of role in a J.J. Abrams movie; when he corners Sam in the men’s bathroom, you realize that he’s equal parts dangerous and kooky.
John Malkovich: Somewhere between cameo and supporting role is Malkovich playing Sam’s boss: The usual fat cat, but his entitlement laced with a generous amount of OCD and world-weariness.

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Linkin Park, the Official Band of ‘Transformers,’ Plays the ‘Dark of the Moon’ Moscow Premiere

Natalie Zutter — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:26:32 +0000

I managed to miss the first two Transformers movies, which means that I’m catching up thanks to Wikipedia for tonight’s screening of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. With that lack of knowledge, I was confused as to why Linkin Park, of all bands, performed a concert in Moscow’s Red Square as part of the movie’s premiere. It turns out that Linkin Park has supplied the lead singles for the past two movies — “What I’ve Done” and “New Divide” — and are continuing their winning streak with “Iridescent.”

You know what else I didn’t know? How many big actors ended up in this movie! Aside from stars Shia LaBeouf and Rosie Huntington-Whitely and director Michael Bay, Josh Duhamel, Patrick Dempsey, and Tyrese Gibson were also on the red carpet. They extol the virtues of working on such an action-packed movie, and everyone seems to agree that this is the best movie of the three. (That’s Dempsey, Huntington-Whitely, and Bay listening along to the concert behind the crowds that gathered in the square.)

As for “Iridescent,” it’s gotten approval from the movie’s star. LaBeouf said, “This is our most emotional film, so this is the most emotional song they’ve delivered. It’s kind of perfect.”

The movie jumps back 40 years in time to suggest that the moon landing was intended not for America to branch out, but to locate an Autobot spacecraft called the Ark, which Sentinel Prime (we’re guessing Optimus Prime’s dad) jettisoned from his home planet of Cybertron so the Decepticons couldn’t use it. If Bay handled it right, there could be some cool commentary on the Cold War space race and patriotism. Maybe.

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Fan Fiction: Rejected ‘Transformers’ Characters

Liana Maeby — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:07:36 +0000

Seatbelt – Prius

Seatbelt went to college with Optimus Prime and the two were roommates sophomore year. He isn’t the toughest soldier, but he’s very introspective, so he knows it and it’s okay. His weapons include a Swiss Army knife, a vase, and startlingly loud public radio. Additionally, his right arm turns into a colander and he has really great gaydar.

Voiced by John Hodgman.

C☮e✡i☯t – Subaru

C☮e✡i☯t is incredibly loyal to Prime even though she doesn’t always show it. She’s tough and quiet, and is considered the feline expert of the group. Her weapons include a braided rope made of hemp, an acoustic guitar, and pepper spray. C☮e✡i☯t’s left arm transform into a softball bat and her right arm transforms into one of those metal wrench things that come with your IKEA furniture.

Voiced by Jodie Foster.

Gnasher – Food Truck

Gnasher’s got a lot of heart, but he’s young and kind of clunky. Prime really took to him at the beginning, but now he’s not so sure how he feels about the kid. His weapons include frying pans, hot oil, and Sriracha sauce. His right arm transforms into a 10-foot butcher knife, and his left arm transforms what should have been a perfectly fine, normal gyro into an inedible concoction with Thai curry and Caribbean spices and why the fuck are there French fries inside of it?

Voiced by James Franco.

Quantum – Smart Car

Everyone laughs at Quantum all the time. No one knows a thing about him because they can’t get past all the laughing that happens all the time. He may have some great abilities, but at this point they’rehahahahahahahahahahahaha.

Voiced by Peter Dinklage.

Aerostar: Aerostar

Aerostar transforms into a four-piece indie band that wants to sleep on your floor. He’s a really nice guy but he’s pretty aimless, and this often gets him in trouble with Optimus Prime. His weapons include amps, bottles of Miller High Life, the ability to make anyone get off his back, STDs, irony, Converse sneakers, toothpaste maybe, a copy of Gravity’s Rainbow, bottles of Red Stripe, cigarettes, lung cancer, and an uzi.

Voiced by Michael Pitt.

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Crushable Quotable: Shia LaBeouf Basically Admits He Hooked Up with Megan Fox on the ‘Transformers 2′ Set

Natalie Zutter — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:24:54 +0000

Shia LaBeouf, what are you thinking? In an interview with Details, he acknowledged that he and Transformers co-star Megan Fox hooked up, and even justified it despite her committed relationship with now-husband Brian Austin Green. It makes for great press and makes my job easier — but Shia, what are you thinking?

I’m just going to quote the article because it frames the quote perfectly:

Asked if he hooked up with Fox, LaBeouf nods affirmatively. “Look, you’re on the set for six months, with someone who’s rooting to be attracted to you, and you’re rooting to be attracted to them,” he explains. “I never understood the separation of work and life in that situation. But the time I spent with Megan was our own thing, and I think you can see the chemistry onscreen.” When I inquire about Fox’s status at the time with her longtime boyfriend, Brian Austin Green, LaBeouf replies, “I don’t know, man. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. . . .”—repeating the phrase exactly 12 times with various intonations, as if trying to get it just right. Finally, he says, “It was what it was.”

This profile was disappointing in some regards. Not in the writing — it went beyond puff piece and delved into details of LaBeouf’s tough childhood. This access is due in part to LaBeouf’s frank honesty, but that’s where it gets disappointing. He’s so forthright about fame, fans, and his high-profile projects that at times he comes off as an entitled shit.

I seem to have a thing going about respect today, but LaBeouf blabbing about hooking up with Fox is disrespectful to her husband. I sort of figure that actors either have open relationships and deal with on-set dalliances, or they learn about it from a source and process that embarrassment privately before the break-up becomes public. For this kid to just shoot his mouth off is a slap in the face to Green.

This isn’t the first time that LaBeouf’s muscled in on a relationship, either. The accident that mangled his hand a few years ago happened while he was, in his words, “philandering around” with Isabel Lucas, another Transformers actress. Lucas was then dating Adrian Grenier, but that didn’t matter because as LaBeouf put it, “Neither one of us, I think, were in love. Just sort of experimenting or whatever.”

There’s only one woman for Shia, and that’s Maya Rudolph:

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