Now that nearly every action or comic-book movie wants to be as big, loud and spectacular as a Michael Bay movie, there’s something refreshingly straightforward — homespun, even — about an actual Michael Bay movie like Transformers: Dark of the Moon . The picture wears its ambitions on its whirring, rumbling, clanking, heavily CGI’ ed sleeve, and it pretends to be nothing more than it is: a honking, 40-karat piece of entertainment that will cost you dearly if you take your family to see it in the theaters, especially when you factor in that 3-D surcharge. Yet Dark of the Moon , the third installment in the unkillable Transformers franchise, shouldn’t be seen any other way. Bay doesn’t care about your soul, he just wants your money — but he at least makes sure you go home feeling exhausted and spent rather than vaguely dissatisfied. It’s a fair exchange.
Kevin Pollak’s highly entertaining and extremely long The Kevin Pollak Chat Show invited on screenwriter Damon Lindelof and allowed him to monologue freely about Star Trek , Cowboys & Aliens , and — perhaps most notably — working with Ridley Scott on Prometheus , and how the film relates to Scott’s seminal sci-fi work. If this show weren’t so damn intoxicating, it might’ve been a chore to get to the Alien(s) -related story. Fortunately, that’s not the case. Full transcription and video after the jump.
Before watching ‘Dark of the Moon,’ check out our handy guide. By Eric Ditzian Shia LaBeouf and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Photo: Paramount Before the second “Transformers” even hit theaters, director Michael Bay was already saying no to a third installment — or at least one that would hit theaters in 2011. It was back in February 2009, a full three months before the release of “Revenge of the Fallen,” that Bay said there was no way he’d helm a third “Transformers” flick (later titled “Dark of the Moon” ) and get it into multiplexes little more than two years later. “I would like to take a year off,” he told us at the time. But whaddya know? Bay not only ended up agreeing to whipping together the 3-D flick in time for this year’s Independence Day weekend, but Paramount ended up shifting the release to June 29 (June 28, if you count the many 9 p.m. showings). How did we get to this point? To understand that transformation — to learn everything there is to know — we’ll have to travel back to mid-2009: Hop aboard our “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” cheat sheet: Reworking the Bay-hem By October 2009, coming off the poorly reviewed but $836 million-grossing “Revenge of the Fallen,” Bay had cleared up the release date issues and announced that preproduction on the next film had begun. Increasingly, it appeared as though the new movie would be the first “Transformers” to get a 3-D release . “We’re literally in the middle of that. There’s no definitive answer,” producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura told us about the chance for 3-D . But the news about 3-D took a backseat to a rather shocking casting move in May: Megan Fox would not be returning to the franchise. She and Bay had previously shared a contentious creative partnership (remember when she compared him to Hitler and he called her immature?), but suddenly the two had parted ways. Possible replacements for Fox included Brooklyn Decker and Gemma Arterton, but the job eventually went to Victoria’s Secret model, and Hollywood newbie, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley . “I think there’s positives and negatives to her not being [in the movie],” LaBeouf told us about Fox . “It’s awesome that we get the discovery again. I think when everybody’s vetted and everybody’s been through these wars, then that discovery of the first film is nonexistent. It’s kind of beautiful in that we get a new set of eyes, a fresh set of eyes for the audience to vibe with. So you get the discovery again, which is something that wouldn’t happen if Megan came back.” New “Moon” Filming kicked off on the still-untitled film last summer. It wouldn’t be until the fall that it officially got a title . And the reason for that moniker wouldn’t become clear until December, when the film’s teaser trailer popped up online. It didn’t feature LaBeouf or Huntington-Whiteley — or any of the stars, for that matter — but it did make clear the story would be tied into the Apollo 11 moon landing. The trailers that followed, one 30-second spot during the Super Bowl and a second official trailer that dropped April 28, didn’t help explain the film’s storyline any further, but did continue to tease Bay’s famous action sequences and the new gorgeous girl. About That New Girl … Speaking of the lady in question, who admitted recently she thought she bombed her initial audition , Huntington-Whiteley’s co-stars Tyrese Gibson and LaBeouf assured us that the first-time actress has a lot more going on than just a pretty face. “Rosie is going to surprise a lot of people,” Gibson said. “I have to go on record and say that she did not replace Megan Fox. She’s a brand-new character; her name is Carly in the movie.” “She completely owns her sexuality,” LaBeouf added. “Which I think helps, especially on a movie like this where it’s a blanket summer movie and there are certain requirements of a woman in a summer movie.” Rising to Meet Technical Challenges Director Bay entered new territory on this third installment by doing away with his preconceived notions and shooting the film in 3-D, which, according to him, forced him to deal with a whole new set of filming challenges. “It’s hard with my style of shooting and taking [a camera] and strapping it to guys who are skydiving off buildings and helmet cams,” he said. “It’s a technical nightmare. You don’t even want to tell your viewers how technically complicated this stuff is.” On the other side of the technical spectrum is the amount of wirework required of the actors for the various stunts and action sequences. The specifics behind why the wirework proved to be so difficult, aside from the obvious hanging around, became very clear when LaBeouf, Gibson and Huntington-Whiteley offered a detailed (and highly entertaining) explanation of the various body parts that get pinched during the process. “Yeah, I don’t like the wires,” LaBeouf admitted to MTV News. “Really, you can ask any man.” “All the things cut into the wrong places, put pressure on the wrong bits,” Huntington-Whiteley added. “Whatever it does to a man, it also does to a woman.” “Thank God I have a bigger ass so when you put the harness on, the ass is able to help you stay away from the front part,” Gibson explained. “It kind of balances things out a little bit. When your ass is flat and you have to have it going over the front, it is a bad day in America.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Transformers: Dark of the Moon.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . 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First sneak peek at Tom Cruise’s fourth ‘Mission’ teases death-defying stunts. By Kara Warner Paula Patton and Tom Cruise in “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” Photo: Paramount Pictures If there is one thing we can count on from Tom Cruise in a “Mission: Impossible” movie, it is mind-blowing action and stunt sequences. From his first foray into the spy-tastic world of Ethan Hunt to his fourth, the upcoming “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” Cruise has been one-upping himself in the stunt category. And judging from the first official trailer, which was released Tuesday evening (June 28), his work on the fourth “Mission,” directed by “The Incredibles” helmer Brad Bird, is no exception. The trailer opens with the ominous words of Tom Wilkinson, whose character name we have yet to learn, essentially laying out the nuts and bolts of the plot. “An hour ago, a bomb blew up the Kremlin,” he says, as footage of the Kremlin blowing up appear onscreen. “The president has initiated Ghost Protocol, the entire IMF has been disavowed,” he explains of Ethan Hunt’s (Tom Cruise) spy organization. “Now, I’ve been ordered to take you to Washington where they will hang the Kremlin bombing on you and your team, unless you were to escape after assaulting Brandt and me,” says Wilkinson, shown seated in a car with Brandt (played by Jeremy Renner) and Hunt. “But if any of your team is caught, they’ll be branded as terrorists.” “So what happens now?” Hunt asks. “Your mission, should you choose to accept it,” Wilkinson begins, recalling the series’ famous line before being cut off so he won’t spoil the plot entirely (although, if were to guess, the mission is probably to prove his team’s innocence in the Kremlin bombing). His words are followed by a series of quick cuts that showcase and introduce the various castmembers, potential villains, etc. Renner as Brandt, Paula Patton, a serious-looking Josh Holloway, Cruise as Hunt in a series of wardrobe changes ranging from dapper formal wear to more rugged leather. Then we see snippets of those famous Cruise-brand action sequences: car chases, underwater escapes, machine-gun fire, hand-to-hand combat, lots of running, more fighting and martial arts, more running, and plenty of spy-associated breaking and entering, which all leads up to a potential character reveal about Brandt. “Who are you really, Brandt?” Hunt asks, in a scene where the two characters apparently come to blows. “We all have our secrets,” Brandt responds. “Don’t we, Ethan?” Cue the famous bars of Lalo Schrifin’s “Theme From Mission: Impossible,” which plays over Hunt looking out over Dubai, standing on the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. This is followed by a quick cut to a previous scene wherein tech master Benji Dunn (played by Simon Pegg) shows Hunt how to use a pair of fancy gadget gloves, which we soon see help him scale the Burj. “You’re not going to make it!” Brandt yells to Hunt, who is climbing and jumping up and around the side of the building. “You’re not helping,” Hunt says, before the final shot, which shows the superspy repelling away from the Burj with a rope, which he loses midair and looks to plummet to the ground. Fade to black and the film’s official titling. Cruise’s wife, Katie Holmes , told MTV News recently that she was privy to a sneak peek of the film and that it’s “amazing.” “The movie is going to be very cool and intense and the best ‘Mission’ yet.” First-time live-action director Bird echoed Holmes’ sentiments , adding that Cruise did a lot of the craziest and most dangerous stunts himself. “It’s big and it is crazy,” he said. “I think the craziest thing is that [the stunts] are real they’re not digital. That’s Tom Cruise on the tallest building in the world, he’s doing all that stuff,” Bird said of Cruise’s death-defying stunts. “People won’t believe it, but we shot it in IMAX so it’s there for everyone to see.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
‘Bad Teacher,’ starring Cameron Diaz, makes a strong showing at #2, with ‘Green Lantern’ following behind at #3. By Ryan J. Downey “Cars 2” Photo: Disney “Cars 2” may be the worst-reviewed movie in Pixar’s storied history, but that didn’t stop the animated sequel from maintaining the studio’s streak of box-office number ones. The second entry in the merchandise-friendly franchise took in $68 million over the weekend, according to distributor Walt Disney Studios, making it Pixar’s 12th consecutive movie to debut atop the box-office charts. Thanks to higher ticket prices and expensive 3-D screenings, “Cars 2” enjoyed the fifth-biggest opening for a Pixar film ever. In terms of attendance, however, the “Cars 2” debut was ahead of only “A Bug’s Life,” “Ratatouille” and the beloved company’s first feature film, 1995’s “Toy Story.” The 3-D fatigue evidenced by other recent openings continued as a mere 40 percent of moviegoers chose to see “Cars 2” in that format (versus the 60 percent who opted to see “Toy Story 3” in 3-D). “Bad Teacher,” the weekend’s other new wide release, debuted at #2 with $31 million. It was a strong showing for the reportedly low-budget Cameron Diaz vehicle, which industry watchers had predicted would be less well-received. Debuting the adult-oriented comedy against the family-oriented “Cars 2” was apparently a wise choice on the part of Sony Pictures, who released the film. Warner Bros., meanwhile, watched “Green Lantern” drop 66 percent in its second weekend of release. A sequel was already in development before Ryan Reynolds hit the screen as the DC Comics hero, but there has been little news about those plans since its lukewarm debut. “Lantern” made $18.4 million over the weekend for an $89.3 million total. With an estimated production budget of $200 million and a major marketing campaign behind it, “Green Lantern” has not done well. “Super 8” bears the distinction of being the only well-reviewed film in the top five. JJ Abrams’ nostalgic homage to ’80s coming-of-age classics took in $12.1 million for a $95.2 million total. Coming in at #5, Jim Carrey’s “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” dropped 44 percent with $10.3 million for a $39.4 million two-week total. “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” seems a safe bet for next weekend’s number one. Check out everything we’ve got on “Cars 2,” “Bad Teacher” and “Super 8.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos ‘Green Lantern’ 101 Related Photos ‘Bad Teacher’ Premieres In New York
‘I have never seen a movie in 3-D,’ ‘Dark of the Moon’ actress reveals to MTV News. By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Photo: Paramount In case you need more reason to go see “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” this week, in addition to crazy amped-up action and a new lovely leading lady, the third robot-tastic installment is in 3-D. And it wasn’t converted in postproduction, like a few of the recent 3-D films out there. Director Michael Bay insisted that his first foray into the three-dimensional medium be as authentic and technologically advanced as possible. Lately there has definitely been a bit of 3-D fatigue in the air. When MTV News caught up with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley at the film’s worldwide premiere in Moscow recently, we asked for her thoughts on the 3-D element of “Dark of the Moon.” “I will be the judge of that after I see this film, because I have never seen a movie in 3-D,” she revealed. “When Michael told me it was going to be in 3-D, I said, ‘Right, I’m going to wait,’ and now we’re here, we’re at the premiere stage and I’m going to wait until [I’m in] London and see it with my family.” So when Whiteley finally watches the 3-D version of the film with her family and friends, will she be watching herself on the big screen or watching her family’s reactions? “I’m going to be watching them watching me,” she said with a laugh. Bay has made a big deal of the fact that he initially had a lot of reservations about 3-D, explaining that his buddy director James Cameron finally convinced him to go for it with this film. “[James Cameron], at the last minute, goes, ‘Mike, come on,’ ” Bay recalled , imitating the “Avatar” director’s enthusiasm with a slightly deep and gravelly inflection in his voice. “This is like my idol. He goes, ‘Mike, come on, we’ve done everything.’ I’m thinking, ‘I haven’t done everything.’ ” Cameron pushed him to try out this “new toy,” and despite all the headaches that were added to the filmmaking process with shooting in 3-D, he’s glad he did it. “3-D, it’s pretty great when you see these robots interact in the space,” Bay said. Check out everything we’ve got on “Transformers: Dark of the Moon.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘Transformers: Dark Of The Moon’ Related Photos ‘Transformers: Dark Of The Moon’ Premieres At The Moscow Int’l Film Festival ‘Transformers: Dark Of The Moon’
Out in two weeks, Horrible Bosses is poised to be the R-rated comedy of the summer. Or, at least the R-rated comedy of the summer with the most laughs. Directed by Seth Gordon and starring the hilarious trio of Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day, the film follows what happens when three everymen are pushed to their limits by the titular evil taskmasters (Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey and Colin Farrell). Spoiler: murder plotting happens. Also, some great chemistry.
Popularity Awards * Popular Song of the year 2010 was given to ‘Kilimanjaro song from the film Enthiran composed by A.R.Rahman. * Popular Male Singer 2010 was given to Playback singer Karthik for Usurae Poguthae from the film Mani Ratnam directed movie Ravannan again an AR Rahman composition. * Popular Song of Masses went to Kadhal Vandhalae from Singam composed by Devi Sri Prasad. * Popular Album of the year 2010 was given to A.R.Rahman’s musical Vinnaithandi Varuvaya. * Popular Duet of the ye
” Recent photos confirm that the 34-year-old actor, who co-created the TV series about a bunch of mindless lowlifes, has been keeping his head fully immersed in a feedbag causing him to reportedly gain about 50 lbs. The cast of the FX comedy It#39;s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has always been skinny on the verge of scrawny, with the barrel-keg exception of Danny DeVito. Now, surprisingly, star Rob McElhenney has gone and done a “DeNiro. With his beard, he now looks like Kenny Rogers#39; son.
