Michael Bay

Another Sequel to Will Smith’s ‘Bad Boys’ in the Works

BrianTT — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:28:54 -0600

CHICAGO – Reuters has reported that Columbia Pictures is currently working on the third installment of the “Bad Boys” franchise. As of now, they are hiring a writer to write the screenplay.

Bad Boys II.
Photo credit: Sony

The studio is hoping that director Michael Bay, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence will all return for the third film. No deals have been made since the project is still in the early stages of development.

“Bad Boys” starred Smith and Lawrence as Miami detectives Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) who get caught up in cases that involved explosions, kidnappings and car chases. The first filmed was released in 1995 and catapulted Smith into action start stardom and Michael Bay as a director. The film grossed $66 million domestically and $141 million worldwide. With the help of Smith’s action star status and Bay as a huge director, the 2003 sequel grossed $138 million domestically and $273 million worldwide.

All parties have expressed an interest to return if a story can be worked out. However, with the popularity of Smith, Lawrence, Bay and Bruckheimer, it could be costly to get everyone on board.

By ANGIE RENTMEESTER
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com

‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ DVD, Blu-Ray Release Date Announced

BrianTT — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 07:23:12 -0600

CHICAGO – Our wonderful DreamWorks contact just sent over the DVD and Blu-Ray details, along with the cover art, for the biggest movie of the year, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”. The Michael Bay blockbuster with Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, and Tyrese Gibson will land in exactly two months, on October 20th, 2009.

Filled with special features, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” will be available on Blu-Ray and DVD in two-disc sets. Grossing over $820 million to date worldwide, the Michael Bay directed and Steven Spielberg produced film currently ranks in the top twenty of all time worldwide and the top ten domestically.

Special features on the film include a commentary and a multi-chapter documentary that chronicles the entire creation of the film and includes interviews with the cast and crew called “The Human Factor: Exacting Revenge of the Fallen”.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray on October 20th, 2009.
Photo credit: DreamWorks Home Video

Here are the official details:

The TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen two-disc Special Edition 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. The Blu-ray will be presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital with English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese subtitles. The disc breakdown is as follows:

Disc 1:
Commentary by Michael Bay, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman

Disc 2:
The Human Factor: Exacting Revenge of the Fallen—This multi-chapter documentary chronicles the entire creation of the film and includes interviews with the cast and crew:

o Seeds of Vengeance - Development and Design - After the overwhelming success of 2007’s Transformers, how do the filmmakers top themselves for the sequel?
o Domestic Destruction – Production: United States - Michael Bay believes in going big: Big action and big explosions. Cast and crew are pushed to the limit as they traverse the U.S. from New Mexico to Pennsylvania.
o Joint Operations – Production: Military - No other filmmaker in the world enjoys the kind of military access and cooperation Michael Bay has. Here we see just how efficient our armed forces are and the awe and respect shown by the cast.
o Wonders of the World – Production: Middle East - You can’t really reproduce Egypt anywhere but Egypt so off we go to Giza and Luxor.
o Start Making Sense - Editing - In order to turn over the massive amount of film as quickly as possible to VFX, four editors work tirelessly in a unique tag-team approach to shape the film.
o Under the Gun – Visual Effects – Revenge of the Fallen features the most complicated VFX in film history. So complicated in fact that the filmmakers were unsure they would make the deadline. The DEVASTATOR VFX alone required 83% of ILM’s total render farm capacity.
o Running the Gauntlet – Post-Production and Release - Working seven days a week, Michael Bay and company usher the film through sound design, Digital Intermediate color-timing and a globe-trotting whirlwind of premieres.

A Day with Bay: Tokyo—An intimate and fun all-access journey with Michael Bay as he travels to Tokyo, Japan tor the world premiere of the biggest film of the year.

25 Years of TRANSFORMERS—Access an all-new featurette celebrating a monumental milestone for one of Hasbro’s most successful and popular franchises.

NEST: Transformer Data-Hub—Explore conceptual artwork created by the production for 12 of the most popular AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS from the film.

Deconstructing Visual Bayhem with Commentary by Pre-Vis Supervisor Steve Yamamoto— A series of multi-angle pre-visualization sequences allowing viewers to learn how some of the film’s most spectacular scenes were created with an introduction by Michael Bay.

Extended Scenes

Music Video: Linkin Park’s “New Divide”

BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVE:
The ALLSPARK Experiment—Viewers get their chance to unleash the power of the recently recovered ALLSPARK shard on Earth vehicles. Begin by selecting and customizing a vehicle with a selection of parts and accessories. Then apply the ALLSPARK to this creation and watch what happens. Applying the ALLSPARK to certain custom combinations enables four new robot characters with special powers. If viewers discover all four, they unlock a fifth vehicle, which reveals a top secret message about the future of the TRANSFORMERS movie franchise.

NEST: Transformer Data-Hub—A database of some of the TRANSFORMERS characters that appear in the new film, offering users access to each robot’s confidential file including:

o Innovative 3D spin galleries of each robot
o A timeline for each TRANSFORMERS character charting its origins, back story and design evolution from toys to animated series to comics and finally feature films

Giant Effing Movie – A very personal look at the making of the movie.

The Matrix of Marketing—An archive of the film’s promotional media including trailers, posters and television spots.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Interview: ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ Visual Effects Supervisor Scott Farrar

PatrickMcD — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:20:11 -0600

CHICAGO – “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”, opening June 24th, is the second film in the series based on the Hasbro toy/cartoon. Scott Farrar, whose long career has roots in the first “Star Wars”, supervised all the complex visual effects.

HollywoodChicago.com spoke to Farrar, who gave a precise overview of the challenges and proven results in upping the ante from the first Transformers film.

The Human Element: Megan Fox and Shia LaBeouf in ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’
Photo credit: ©2009 Paramount Pictures

HollywoodChicago.com: First things first for the geeks…What will be the most noticeable difference between the look of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen versus the first Transformers film?

Scott Farrar: The lighting is better, also the texturing on the robots and we’ve made big strides forward with more realism. There are sequences shot on IMAX so the resolution is 8 times higher than the first one, as far as how much render time is required for each frame of film.

There are close-ups of Optimus Prime that surprised us, when we would zoom in and say, ‘I can’t believe the quality and detail of the burnish on the metal.’

HC: For the uniformed, what are the distinct contrasts between a Visual Effects Supervisor and a Special Effects Supervisor?

SF: Special Effects, as handled by John Frazier, are physical effects, meaning if you need a car flipped it’s a cable that gets pulled. He does the pyro plants and the explosions, bullet hits, different mortar effects. Everything that is physical and arranged on the day is triggered by his team as the cameras roll.

The Visual Effects, which I handle, is essentially things that are not there on the day that I’m going to put in later. For example, a robot has to stand on mark ‘A’ and walk to mark ‘B’.

For that, I use what is called ‘low tech for high effect’, window washer poles with Production Assistants standing there. Then I might have a person walk from A to B, or have those poles extended to the proper height of the robot, because the camera operator needs to know what to look for, where to frame for a robot when they are looking through the camera. We can at least establish where a robot will be and how high he is.

I am there as a visual referee. I can imagine those robots much better than most, because that is what I’ve been doing for long time. It’s all imagination.

HC: Knowing that the essence of the Transformers are derived from a cartoon and a toy, how did your team maintain visually the innocence of the source while working in a real-world type of robotic look and power?

SF: Once you go from cartoon to photo real, a whole bunch of rules come into place. Some of the things that work in a cartoon just fly out the window when doing it in photo real. So many design decisions are made for you right off the bat.

They’ve got to look heavy, they’ve got to look like real metal and they’ve got to photograph as real. They have to look like car parts, and car finishes. When the camera gets up close, you’ll see the metal fleck paint with clear coat finish over the top of it with all the appropriate glints and gleams. That’s how exacting we got.

To compare changing the cartoon idea it’s like taking an oil painting and turning it into a photograph. Realism forces you to go that route.

HC: When creating realistic movement for something as subjective as a transforming robot, what man, animal or machine in real life did the effects team use to inspire that movement, and why did you think it works so well?

Transformers Visual Effects Supervisor Scott Farrar
Photo credit: Industrial Light & Magic

SF: For inspiration we looked at Japanese anime, and our animators are very keen on this sort of thing. We do a lot of research before the project and we love seeing what has been done before, to see the ideas out there. In anime, there have been some fabulous transforming effects, very animal-like.

There also is this one animator from Japan on our team, Keiji Yamaguchi, who is an amazing ‘transformer’ guy. He can figure out the puzzle of transforming elements all by himself.

HC: Michael Bay is famous for his attention to a certain look and feel in his visual palette. How closely do you advise him on the approach to this palette during filming and what type of communication process with you is he most comfortable with?

SF: I’m one of the first people to start meeting with him once there is a script in place. As head of the visual effects team, I’m the first in and the last out. We finished the picture last week [two weeks before the release].

Everything we do starts with artwork. And Michael Bay is a fine artist and an excellent photographer in his own right. He is ultra strong visually and has an opinion about it.

For me, he guides us very quickly. He’s great about making decisions, and if he doesn’t know he tells us to figure it out and show him the result. And then he selects from that. For an artist like myself, it’s a very rewarding method.

HC: The term ‘green screen’ seems to be a catch-all word for a number of visual effects. What is your definition of green screen today based both on its evolution and its use as a tool in modern filmmaking?

SF: Green or blue screen is something you put behind an actor when you want to render in a different background, and then you bring the two elements together – the actor you film and the background put in later.

On the Michael Bay show, we use little of it if none at all. Essentially we use no green or blue screen whatsoever when shooting live action photography.

For a nighttime scene, for example, we have the actors and the real physical elements in place, like the truck before it transforms, with real set lighting. If you were to use blue or green screen, you get rid of all of the lighting, you wreck all the refraction and actor realism.

We fly by the seat of our pants with this technique. It’s dirty, live, with the flares right in the lens. And then we hope to heck we can match it later (laughs).

All the difficult articulate roto-animation is done around the hair, clothing and actors, whatever is required. It’s all hand work, but what it yields, with the lighting, is actually a much higher quality look.

HC: What type of coaching do live actors need the most when working against the “fill in the blanks” interaction with the yet-to-be-developed robot counterparts?

SF: I spend a lot of time with the actors when we’re doing all these set-ups. And Shia LaBeouf, he’s a great guy. He wants to know the bits and pieces of what I’ve got in mind.

I’m going to give you a trade secret. When I first met Shia, I told him when looking at the robot, whose face is 5 feet wide and 10 feet high, don’t just lock eye-to-eye, search around with your eyes around the robot’s face. And he really sells that. He is tremendous at it.

HC: I wanted to ask you a few career questions. “Artificial Intelligence: AI” was famously a collaboration between Steven Spielberg and the late Stanley Kubrick. What visual elements did you use to successfully conjure up a Kubrick feel through the lens and eye of Spielberg?

SF: That again goes back to artwork. There was this British fellow who had been working with Stanley, as the project had been in the cooker for awhile. So we had hundreds of storyboards the two had produced together. When Stanley passed away, we still had his artist on the production and basically we used a lot of their ideas.

HC: In your bio it states that when you were a freelance cameraman in Los Angeles in the mid 1970s, you were privileged to visit the visual effects set of the first Stars Wars movie. What do you remember most about that experience and how did it inspire your journey towards what you are doing now?

SF: I was working on this cheap sci-fi film in Canoga Park, about two miles away. I was doing frame-by-frame flight effects, with no playback, using tape markings in the hopes I was getting it right.

Their was a friend I knew from UCLA who was working on what was to become Star Wars. He asked me to come to the set, and I got to meet Dennis Muren [Miniature and Optical Effects] for the first time and I was stunned.

They had this technique called icebox, which was a method of recording moves and playing them back – radical technology in 1975. It was like a bolt of lightning from the sky. It was so cool I thought to myself, ‘I want to do this’.

You see a good idea and you think ‘that makes so much sense’.

‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ opens June 24th everywhere and features Megan Fox, Shia LaBeouf, John Turturro, Ramon Rodriguez and Rainn Wilson, directed by Michael Bay.

Read our “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” film review.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: Jason Voorhees Returns in Killer Cut of ‘Friday the 13th’

BrianTT — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:00:00 -0600

CHICAGO – The reboot of “Friday the 13th” was another financially successful notch in the belt of Platinum Dunes, the film company behind the remakes of “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “The Hitcher,” and “The Amityville Horror”. Making $90 million worldwide and more domestically than any previous Jason Voorhees movie (that didn’t include Freddy Krueger), “Friday the 13th” has a following that will be ecstatic with the excellent Blu-Ray release for the slasher title.

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

The Blu-Ray of “Friday the 13th” delivers everything fans could ask for. Not only do they present a longer and better cut of the film in the 9-minutes-longer “Extended Cut,” but the special features enhance the “Friday the 13th” experience and the technical transfer is nearly flawless.

Friday the 13th was released on Blu-Ray on June 16th, 2009.
Photo credit: WB

As for the film itself, my response to “Friday the 13th” is mixed at best. I love the concept of the pre-credits prologue - which plays nearly like a mini-movie in itself - and I think the film is technically proficient, but I think an opportunity was missed to do something more than just make another slasher pic with a bigger budget.

The plot of “Friday the 13th” is essentially divided into two groups of beautiful people waiting to meet the ugly end of Jason’s machete. In the very opening moments, we see the details of the original film, detailing the beheading of Jason’s mom from the end of the first movie and the undead Jason’s return to take her place as a serial killer at Camp Crystal Lake.

Friday the 13th was released on Blu-Ray on June 16th, 2009.
Photo credit: WB

Years later, Wade (Jonathan Sawoski) has brought some of his friends to the woods near the camp looking for weed - Richie (Ben Feldman), Amanda (America Olivo), Whitney (Amanda Righetti), and Mike (Nick Mennell). Most of them are sliced and diced by Jason, leaving only the lovely Whitney alive.

Six weeks later, Whitney’s hunky brother Clay (Jared Padalecki) appears to try and find his sister and runs across the film’s second group of lovely people just waiting to fill Jason’s compost heap - Jenna (Danielle Panabaker), Trent (Travis Van Winkle), Nolan (Ryan Hansen), Chelsea (Willa Ford), Bree (Julianna Guill), Chewie (Aaron Yoo), and Lawrence (Arlen Escarpeta). Of course, they will all die in various, oddly uninspired ways. In fact, the death count in “Friday the 13th,” not counting Jason’s mother in the prologue, totals thirteen.

There are definitely things about “Friday the 13th” to like and my response to it wasn’t nearly as negative as the “TCM” remakes, perhaps because the original Sean Cunningham film is more a pop culture classic than a great film in its own right. There was certainly room for improvement. Derek Mears has a strong physical presence as Jason, Padalecki & Righetti are good, and the film is expertly shot.

Friday the 13th was released on Blu-Ray on June 16th, 2009.
Photo credit: WB

My ultimate problem with “Friday the 13th” is that it’s just not scary. Director Marcus Nispel doesn’t know how to build tension and the film plays like an homage to the originals more than an effective horror film in its own right. A good remake or reboot should stand on its own and not just be an ode to the ’80s original.

Having said that, the Blu-Ray release of “Friday the 13th” is a beauty. This is one of the best horror home releases of the year to date with perfect video and audio, a superior extended cut of the film, and excellent special features.

I’m a sucker for picture-in-picture special features and “Friday the 13th” includes a great trivia track, a pip feature that varies between printed trivia about the franchise and the behind-the-scenes interviews and footage about the scene you’re watching. All b-t-s material should be presented this way instead of bouncing back and forth between menu screens, the movie, and mini-featurettes.

The Blu-Ray release of “Friday the 13th” also includes “The Rebirth of Jason Voorhees” (11:24), “Hacking Back/Slashing Forward” (11:41), and “The 7 Best Kills” (22:33).

Timed with the release of “Friday the 13th” on Blu-Ray and DVD, Paramount have also released excellent deluxe editions of three of the original films on standard DVD - “Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter,” “Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning,” and “Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives”. Pick up all four releases as soon as your horrific little heart lets you.

Synopsis and special feature details below:

“Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter”

Photo credit: Paramount

Synopsis: “The body count continues in this vivid thriller, the fourth - but not final - story in the widely successful Friday the 13th series. Jason, Crystal Lake’s least popular citizen, returns to wreak further havoc in Friday the 13th - The Final Chapter. After his revival in a hospital morgue, the hockey-masked murderer fixes his vengeful attention on the Jarvis family and a group of hitherto carefree teenagers. Young Tommy Jarvis is an aficionado of horror films with a special talent for masks and make-up. Has the diabolical Jason finally met his match?”

“Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter” stars Kimberly Beck, Erich Anderson, Corey Feldman, Crispin Glover, Barbara Howard, Julie Aronson, Alan Hayes, Ted White, Peter Barton, Lisa Freeman, Joan Freeman, Bruce Mahler, Lawrence Monoson, Camilla More, Carey More, and Antony Ponzini. It was directed by Joseph Zito.

Special features include Commentary by director Joe Zito, screenwriter Barney Cohen and editor Joel Goodman, Fan Commentary with Adam Green and Joe Lynch, “Lost Tales from Camp Blood - Part 4,” “Slashed Scenes,” “Jason’s Unlucky Day: 25 Years After Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter,” ‘The Lost Ending,” “The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part I,” “Jimmy’s Dead Dance Moves,” and Original Theatrical Trailer.

“Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning”

Photo credit: Paramount

Synopsis: “Jason is back, hockey mask and all. And he’s up to his old maniacal tricks in Friday The 13th, Part V: A New Beginning. This time he seems to have set his sights on the young patients at a secluded halfway house. And more than a few of his teen targets end up in half, in quarters…you name it, Jason does it. This is the fifth scary installment in the Friday The 13th saga. If you liked the first four, and think you’re up to getting back on Jason’s bloody trail, you’ll love Friday The 13th, Part V: A New Beginning.”

“Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning” stars John Shepard, Melanie Kinnaman, Shavar Ross, Richard Young, Marco St. John, Carol Locatell, Vernon Washington, Juliette Cummins, Dominick Brascia, Tiffany Helm, Deborah Voorhees, John Dixon, Ron Sloan, Dick Wieand, and Chuck Wells. It was directed by Danny Steinmann.

Special features include Commentary by director/co-screenwriter Danny Steinmann with cast and crew, “Lost Tales from Camp Blood - Part 5,” “The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part II,” “New Beginnings: The Making of Friday the 13th: Part V A New Beginning,” and Original Theatrical Trailer.

“Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives”

Photo credit: Paramount

Synopsis: “As a child, Tommy Jarvis did what many others died trying to do, he killed Jason Vorhees, the mass murderer who terrorized the residents of Crystal lake. But now, years later, Tommy is tormented by the fear that maybe Jason isn’t really dead. So, Tommy and a friend go to the cemetery to dig up Jason’s grave. Unfortunately for Tommy, (and very unfortunately for his friend), instead of finding a rotting corpse, they discover a well rested Jason who comes back from the dead for another bloody rampage in Friday The 13th, Part VI: Jason Lives.”

“Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives” stars Jennifer Cooke, David Kagen, Rene Jones, Kerry Noonan, Darcy De Moss, Tom Fridley, C.J. Graham, Vincent Guastaferro, Tony Goldwyn, and Ron Palillo. It was directed by Tom McLoughlin.

Special features include Commentary by director Tom McLoughlin with cast and crew, “Lost Tales From Camp Blood - Part 6,” “The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part III,” “Jason Lives: The Making of Friday the 13th: Part VI,” “Meeting Mr. Voorhees,” “Slashed Scenes,” and Original Theatrical Teaser Trailer.

‘Friday the 13th’ is released by Warner Brothers Home Video and stars Aaron Yoo, Amanda Righetti, Danielle Panabaker, Derek Mears, Jared Padalecki, Travis van Winkle, Julianna Guill, and Willa Ford. It was written by Damien Shannon & Mark Swift and directed by Marcus Nispel. The Blu-Ray and DVD were released on June 16th, 2009. It is rated R.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Slideshow: 30-Image Gallery For Premiere of ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ With Megan Fox

BrianTT — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:57:25 -0600

CHICAGO – This 30-image slideshow contains red carpet photos from the London premiere of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”. Celebrities in attendance include the sexy Megan Fox, Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Michael Bay, Ramon Rodriguez, and Danielle Lloyd. The film opens on June 24th, 2009.

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. Photos credited to Tim Whitby/ Getty Images for Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Transformers_London_01: Megan Fox attends the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_02: Megan Fox attends the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_03: Megan Fox attends the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_04: Megan Fox and Shia LaBeouf attend the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_05: Megan Fox and Shia LaBeouf attend the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_06: Danielle Lloyd attends the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_07: Danielle Lloyd attends the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_08: Megan Fox attends the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_09: Megan Fox and Shia LaBeouf attend the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_10: Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox attend the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_11: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox and director, Michael Bay attend the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_12: Shia LaBeouf attends the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_13: John Turterro attends the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_14: Ramon Rodriguez attends the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_15: Kate Walsh and Philip Taylor attend the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_16: Josh Duhamel attends the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_17: Josh Duhamel attends the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_18: Ramon Rodriguez attends the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_19: Shia LaBeouf attends the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_20: Tyrese Gibson attends the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_21: Tyrese Gibson attends the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_22: Tyrese Gibson attends the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_23: Actors, Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox with Starlight Wish-child, Kai Hamilton at the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_24: Actors, Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox with Starlight Wish-child, Kai Hamilton at the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_25: Actor, Megan Fox with Starlight Wish-child, Kai Hamilton at the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_26: Atmosphere at the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_27: Atmosphere at the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_28: Atmosphere at the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_29: Bianca Gascoigne attends the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.
Transformers_London_30: Tyrese Gibson, Ramon Rodriguez, Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Michael Bay, John Turterro, Josh Duhamel and Matthew Marsden attend the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Odeon Leicester Square on June 15, 2009 in London, England.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 20 Passes to ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ Screening in Chicago

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 02:19:11 -0600

CHICAGO – In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 20 admit-one tickets to the one and only advance Chicago screening of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” starring Megan Fox and Shia LaBeouf!

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” which opens on June 24, 2009, also stars Tyrese Gibson, Rainn Wilson, John Turturro, Hugo Weaving, Josh Duhamel, Isabel Lucas and Peter Cullen from director Michael Bay. We have 20 admit-one tickets for the Chicago screening of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” on June 22, 2009 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago.

To win your “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” ticket courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, all you need to do is be one of the first 20 people to submit a comment in this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup. That’s it! Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.

The movie poster for “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” with Megan Fox and Shia LaBeouf.
Image credit: Paramount Pictures

Here is the synopsis for “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”:

In the highly anticipated “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” following the smash-hit film “Transformers” in 2007, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) again joins with the Autobots against their sworn enemies: the Decepticons. Michael Bay directs from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.

To secure your free “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” pass, you must be logged into your HollywoodChicago.com account. If you don’t yet have one, you can quickly register here. Having an account with a valid e-mail is required to win this Hookup. Then, simply add a new comment in the form below. In your comment, include an answer to this simple question:

Is Transformers uber geeky or uber chic?

Like all Hookups here, this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film is simple: The first 20 people to comment below win! We will be in touch with the 20 winners to distribute your passes.

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” with Megan Fox, Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson, Rainn Wilson, John Turturro, Hugo Weaving, Josh Duhamel, Isabel Lucas and Peter Cullen from director Michael Bay opens nationwide on June 24, 2009.

Note: Due to the anticipated popularity of this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and the anticipated packed house at this screening, we reserve the right to pass on respondents who have won our Hookups in the past 90 days. This is a studio-mandated requirement for this Hookup.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Slideshow: 25-Image Gallery For Premiere of ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’

BrianTT — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:17:09 -0600

CHICAGO – This 25-image slideshow contains red carpet photos from the Tokyo premiere of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”. Celebrities in attendance include Megan Fox, Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Michael Bay, Ramon Rodriguez, and Isabel Lucas. The film opens on June 24th, 2009.

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. Photos credited to Kiyoshi Ota/ Getty Images for Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Transformers_Tokyo_01: Actress Megan Fox signs autographs for fans.
Transformers_Tokyo_02: Actor Tyrese Gibson poses for photographs upon his arrival.
Transformers_Tokyo_03: Director Michael Bay signs autographs for fans.
Transformers_Tokyo_04: Actor Ramon Rodriguez poses for photographs upon his arrival.
Transformers_Tokyo_05: Actor Shia LaBeouf signs autographs for fans.
Transformers_Tokyo_06: Actor Shia LaBeouf signs autographs for fans.
Transformers_Tokyo_07: Actor Josh Duhamel poses for photographs upon his arrival.
Transformers_Tokyo_08: Actress Megan Fox blows a kiss as she poses for photographs upon her arrival.
Transformers_Tokyo_09: Director Michael Bay (L) and actor Shia LaBeouf pose for photographs upon their arrival .
Transformers_Tokyo_10: Actress Isabel Lucas poses for photographs upon her arrival.
Transformers_Tokyo_11: Actress Megan Fox attends.
Transformers_Tokyo_12: Director Michael Bay (2nd L) attends.
Transformers_Tokyo_13: (Front L-R) Actress Megan Fox, director Michael Bay and actor Shia LaBeouf and (Back L-R) actor Ramon Rodriguez, actor Josh Duhamel, actor Tyrese Gibson and actress Isabel Lucas pose for photographs with a large model of the Autobot Bumblebee.
Transformers_Tokyo_14: (Front L-R) Actress Megan Fox, director Michael Bay and actor Shia LaBeouf and (Back L-R) actor Ramon Rodriguez, actor Josh Duhamel, actor Tyrese Gibson and actress Isabel Lucas pose for photographs with a large model of the Autobot Bumblebee.
Transformers_Tokyo_15: Actor Tyrese Gibson attends.
Transformers_Tokyo_16: (Front L-R) Actress Megan Fox, director Michael Bay and actor Shia LaBeouf and (Back L-R) actor Ramon Rodriguez, actor Josh Duhamel, actor Tyrese Gibson and actress Isabel Lucas pose for photographs with a large model of the Autobot Bumblebee.
Transformers_Tokyo_17: Director Michael Bay attends.
Transformers_Tokyo_18: Actress Isabel Lucas attends.
Transformers_Tokyo_19: Actor Ramon Rodriguez attends.
Transformers_Tokyo_20: (L-R) Director Michael Bay, actor Shia LaBeouf and actress Megan Fox attend.
Transformers_Tokyo_21: Actor Josh Duhamel attends.
Transformers_Tokyo_22: Actor Shia LaBeouf attends .
Transformers_Tokyo_23: Actor Shia LaBeouf (L) and actress Megan Fox attend.
Transformers_Tokyo_24: (Front L-R) Actress Megan Fox, director Michael Bay and actor Shia LaBeouf and (Back L-R) actor Ramon Rodriguez, actor Josh Duhamel, actor Tyrese Gibson and actress Isabel Lucas pose for photographs with a large model of the Autobot Bumblebee.
Transformers_Tokyo_25: A large model of the Autobot Bumblebee is displayed.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 10 VIP Passes to ‘Transformers,’ 1 For ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:50:08 -0600

CHICAGO – For those stoked to see “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” after “Transformers” in 2007 with Megan Fox and Shia LaBeouf smashed box offices, its release date of June 24, 2009 might still feel like light-years away. We are pleased to help bring it a little bit closer with a very unique edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film.

We have 10 VIP IMAX tickets for two for a special Chicago screening of the original “Transformers” at the giant Navy Pier IMAX screen on April 29, 2009 at 7 p.m. Even more, one lucky winner will be awarded an advance screening for two to “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” once the screening is set. “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” stars Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson and John Turturro from director Michael Bay.

To win your “Transformers” VIP IMAX ticket and to enter for your chance to be the first in Chicago to see “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” in theaters all courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, you’ll need to tell us why you’re the biggest “Transformers” fan in the land using this Web-based submission form. That’s it! Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.

The movie poster for “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” with Megan Fox and Shia LaBeouf.
Image credit: Paramount Pictures

Here is the synopsis for “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”:

In the highly anticipated “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” following the smash-hit film “Transformers” in 2007, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) again joins with the Autobots against their sworn enemies: the Decepticons. Michael Bay directs from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.

To secure your free “Transformers” VIP IMAX ticket for two with your chance to win an advance “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” pass for two, you must be logged into your HollywoodChicago.com account. If you don’t yet have one, you can quickly register here. Having an account with a valid e-mail is required to win this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup.

Next, simply tell us why you’re the biggest “Transformers” fan in the land. You must submit your “Transformers” story using this confidential, Web-based submission form. Please do not comment in this Hookup. Your entry will be invalid if you only comment here and don’t submit into our Web-based form. Please only submit your story using this submission form.

You must include your name, age, e-mail address and cell phone number in your submission. Your personal information will be kept strictly confidential and is only for awarding winning entries. Winning entries will receive a text message. Your personal information will not be sold or shared.

Tell us why you’re the biggest “Transformers” fan in the land now!

Like all Hookups here, this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film is simple: 10 people who submit valid entries will win! While winners of HollywoodChicago.com Hookups are typically awarded by HollywoodChicago.com based on time stamps, this Hookup will be chosen by a Chicago representative for the film based on the quality and energy of your submission. Good luck!

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Video: Teaser Trailer for ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ Game

BrianTT — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:29:11 -0600

CHICAGO – Activision recently released a teaser trailer for their movie tie-in, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” video game. What’s a good summer blockbuster without a video game tie-in? The Michael Bay-directed movie starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Hugo Weaving, Rainn Wilson, and Isabel Lucas opens on June 24th, 2009. The video game drops a day earlier on June 23rd, 2009. Check it out.

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By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

A Story So Scary They Told it Twice: What We Know About Upcoming Horror Remakes

BrianTT — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 11:35:49 -0600

CHICAGO – The total number of horrendous, stupid, useless horror movie remakes could fill a film festival from Hell, but this year we’ve already seen the massively successful “Friday the 13th” and the critically lauded surprises of “My Bloody Valentine 3D” and “Last House on the Left”. Maybe there’s actually life in this horror remake trend after all and it’s not just the walking undead.

So, what’s the next “My Bloody Valentine”? Where will the next “Friday the 13th” come from? We’ve highlighted six horror movie remakes in current stages of production - from mere rumor to shooting to practically already at a theater near you - with the details about what we know so far, who’s in it, and our gut feeling on if it’s going to be a successful reboot or merely a reason to go back and rent the original. Hit rewind and take notes. There might be a quiz.

The Birds
Photo credit: Universal

“The Birds”

Original: 1963, Alfred Hitchcock, Tippi Hedren, Suzanne Pleshette, Veronica Cartwright

Remake: 2011, Martin Campbell, Naomi Watts, produced by Michael Bay

What We Know: After doing remakes of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “The Amityville Horror,” and “Friday the 13th,” Bay is moving on to “The Birds” and the man who helped define the horror genre. Naomi Watts has circled the project a few times but has yet to officially sign on to the Hedren role of Melanie Daniels. Martin Campbell (“Casino Royale”) has been rumored to direct.

Collider recently spoke to Bay’s production partners, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form, and they confirmed that Watts and Campbell were still interested and even revealed that the director had been working on a script. They expressed reverence for the original, saying, “…that’s not a movie that we’re just going to step up and just go have birds attacking people and trying to throw that into the box office. If we can’t make that movie unique or add something to it, I don’t think we’re going to make it.”

Little about the plot or tone of the remake is known, but actress Brenna Lee Roth recently revealed, as reported by Oh My Gore, that the film might be in 3D. Considering how well that worked for “MBV” and the tongue-in-cheek fun it could bring to a tale of killer pigeons, this is actually the best news we’ve heard about this particular remake to date.

Reboot or Bust?: Campbell and Watts would add a huge amount of credibility to the project with the former having successfully rebooted the Bond franchise and the latter being no stranger to a classic role after stepping into Fay Wray’s shoes in the “King Kong” remake (and just generally ruling). The Bay/Form/Fuller track record offers no confidence, but a 3D Naomi Watts is something we’re definitely interested in seeing.

The Creature From the Black Lagoon
Photo credit: Universal

“The Creature From the Black Lagoon”

Original: 1954, Jack Arnold, Kay Lawrence, Richard Carlson, Julie Adams

Remake: 2011, Breck Eisner (“Sahara”), producer/screenwriter Gary Ross (“Seabiscuit”)

What We Know: Not a lot. The remake vultures have been circling the classic “Creature From the Black Lagoon” for years with rumors of another version going back to the end of last century. But it’s built up steam again in the last few years. In fact, Eisner was nearly packed up and ready to go and shoot it when the writer’s strike happened and the poor creature went into development hell.

There was little word post-strike, but Latino Review reported at the end of last year that Eisner was off the project but it was moving forward anyway with talks taking place with other directors. They even suggested that writer/producer Gary Ross, whose father Arthur actually wrote the original film, had mentioned the possibility of an all-CG monster. And we all muttered “Jar Jar Binks From the Black Lagoon”.

Ross himself emailed Ain’t It Cool shortly thereafter and said that Eisner was still attached, they were moving forward and “I PROMISE the creature will not be some weird CG invention that disappoints his loyal fans.” Well, that’s comforting.

Reboot or Bust?: Gary Ross has struggled to produce quality entertainment in the last few years and Breck Eisner isn’t exactly the kind of director we’re praying stays ON a project but if this is done well, it could really work. Our bet is that Universal is waiting to see how the reboot of “The Wolf Man” does to see if there’s still life in their classic horror flicks. “Black Lagoon” could be the first one to follow the hairy fellow.

The Nightmare on Elm Street
Photo credit: New Line

“A Nightmare on Elm Street”

Original: 1984, Wes Craven, Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon

Remake: 2010, Samuel Bayer, Michael Bay producing

What We Know: The latest reboot/pillaging of your favorite ’80s franchise after the mega-successes of “Halloween” and “Friday the 13th” is Freddy Krueger himself. In fact, the film has set up offices here in Chicago, where it plans to do a lot of the filming. Michael Bay is back with Platinum Dunes, his production company, and partnering with New Line to reboot another franchise. Yippee.

The reboot was announced in early 2008 in Variety and, almost immediately, we started to get nervous. Shock Till You Drop reported that Robert Englund was out, leaving the mind reeling at who could possibly take on such an iconic role. Freddy is not just a lumbering hulk like Leatherface or Michael Myers. Englund gave the character life.

Things were silent on Elm Street for most of 2008, until December when Brad Fuller (Bay’s producing partner) told Bloody Disgusting, “It’s like what we’re doing to Friday the 13th. It’s not Freddy cracking jokes. We want to make a horrifying movie. The concept is so scary, don’t fall asleep or you’ll die. This guy gets you when you’re most vulnerable, in your sleep. We love that. That’s the basis of the movie. It’ll be most similar to the first one but in terms of kills and dreams we’ll borrow from the entire series.”

Wesley Strick (“Cape Fear,” “Doom”) has reportedly written a screenplay and pre-production is underway.

Reboot or Bust?: Um, Fuller himself compares it to what they did to “Friday the 13th”. You mean suck? There’s so much potential in the “Elm Street” franchise that we’re not going to completely discount it, but the Bay/Fuller/Form machine has yet to make one single remake that worked. Why will this be the exception?

Piranha
Photo credit: New World Pictures

“Piranha 3-D”

Original: 1978, Joe Dante

Remake: 2010, Alexandre Aja

What We Know: The crazy S.O.B. who made “High Tension,” “The Hills Have Eyes,” and “Mirrors” turns his Gallic gaze to the story of fish who like to eat people. The original “Piranha” gave Joe Dante and James Cameron (he directed the sequel) a career and was the stuff B-movie dreams were made of.

Trying to make a dime off the “Jaws” phenomenon, the original is about genetically engineered killer piranhas that devour the poor residents of a small town. It’s bad but in a great way. A tongue-in-cheek 3-D remake seemed both inevitable and kind of a fantastic idea. Sadly, “Piranha 3-D” appears to be in a state of limbo, even though a casting breakdown recently went out from a script by Aja and his writing partner Gregory Levasseur.

Aja told MTV last month, “We pushed production back to spring for weather reasons and location reasons. There’s so many problems that we’re going to have to solve. After doing a movie with mirrors where it was kind of like a nightmare to avoid all the reflections, making a movie in 3D underwater and on the water is going to be the biggest challenge.”

Reboot or Bust?: The same article implies that Aja plans “Piranha 3-D” as an ode to Dante, Cameron, Tobe Hooper, and Wes Craven. If he lives up to that intention, this could be the remake of 2010.

The Stepfather
Photo credit: New Century

“The Stepfather”

Original: 1987, Joseph Ruben, Terry O’Quinn

Remake: 2009, Nelson McCormick, Sela Ward, Dylan Walsh, Penn Badgley, Amber Heard

What We Know: If you only know Terry O’Quinn as John Locke on “Lost,” get thee to a video store or a Netflix queue and check out “The Stepfather,” a truly creepy slice of domestic horror loosely based on the life of mass-murderer John List. The tagline - “The All-American family…he’d kill for it.” - says it all.

After two awful sequels, “The Stepfather” went the way of other ’80s horror franchises like “Fright Night” and “Child’s Play” until a remake was announced by Screen Gems slated to come out in time for Halloween this year.

The perfectly-cast Dylan Walsh (“Nip/Tuck”) takes the Terry O’Quinn role and the child who knows their mother has married the VERY wrong man is now a boy named Michael (“Gossip Girl“‘s Penn Badgley). Amber Heard co-stars and Sela Ward plays the mother-in-distress. NBC TV vets Christopher Meloni (“Law & Order: SVU”) and Sherry Stringfield (“ER”) co-star with direction by Nelson McCormick.

Reboot or Bust?: Walsh has been domestically creepy for years on “Nip/Tuck” and that supporting cast is good, but why do we have that “When a Stranger Calls” feeling about this one? Oh, that’s right because it’s from the same director as the abysmal “Prom Night”. We hope it lives up to the potential of the concept and cast, not the pedigree of its director.

The Wolf Man
Photo credit: Universal

“The Wolf Man”

Original: 1941, George Waggner, Claude Rains, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney

Remake: 2009, Joe Johnston, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, Anthony Hopkins, Benicio Del Toro

What We Know: What don’t we know? “The Wolf Man” is high on our list of the most-anticipated films of 2009. Emily Blunt was born to be in a Universal horror remake and Benicio Del Toro always had a vaguely werewolf thing going on. With great actors like Anthony Hopkins and Hugo Weaving in the supporting cast and buzz very high on this one, it could easily be the best remake of the year.

To be fair, The Wolf Man has had more than its share of drama. The film was announced three years ago with Andrew Kevin Walker (“Seven”) attached to the screenplay. Mark Romanek (“One Hour Photo”) was the first director attached but he left due to “creative differences”. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it looked like Brett Ratner might replace him and the studio reportedly also spoke to or considered Frank Darabont, James Mangold, Bill Condon, and Martin Campbell before settling on Joe Johnston (“Jurassic Park III”), who brought in David Self (“Road to Perdition”).

Reboot or Bust?: The long production process, two writers & directors, and general blah feeling we get from Joe Johnston is off-set by the premise and cast. We’re ready for another era of old-fashioned horror. Bring ‘em all back. The Wolf Man, Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy (and, no, those Brendan Fraser movies don’t count) - it’s time for another trip around the horror icon block.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com