This past weekend at Botcon, while the last year of Transformers Cybertron weighed heavily on our minds, and the new Transformers Classics line captured our attention with every peek, there was little doubt that an unstoppable force was looming ready to make or break Transformers.
Thats force was without question, the 2007 Transformers movie from director Michael Bay.

First thing anyone saw after entering the gates to the convention was a giant fist with a countdown time to the 7-4-7 release date. A quick sweep around it, there was no doubt it was the hand of Optimus Prime.

Once inside, the Hasbro booth was supplying Autobot and Decepticon car magnets with 7-4-7 printed on them. All their reps seemed trained to dodge any movie questions.

Activision had a small booth promoting the new Transformers Game, which was officially announced for Xbox 360. I pressed the reps for info, but aside from mentioning it would be multiplatform and based on the movie, they had nothing.

On Saturday’s Hasbro panel is where news finally broke. Hasbro has historically allowed no cameras, audio or video during their panel, and this was no exception. Except that they reminded us AGAIN. Michael Bay had sent over an approx. 2 minute video from the set. Prime’s truck roared through the frame, Bumblebee out ran Barricade, and smashed through a window… and then explosions. Cars flying, a bus igniting and splitting in half, mixed shots of cast and extras running from a CG menace to be added later. When the lights went up, all anyone could do was demand it be played again. As we let out of the panel, it looked like half the fans in the room were on cellphones trying to reach anyone who wasn’t attending to let them know what they’d just seen.

This was easily the highlight, but not the end. Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime mentioned during his panel that he’s signed a 3 picture deal. That doesn’t mean we get 3 movies, but it does mean Paramount/Dreamworks want him available to do a Transformers 2 and 3. Cullen also announced the Make Prime Speak contest, where fans can submit a single line of dialog for the heroic Autobot leader. Submissions end on Oct 12, and voting begins on Oct 16, so if you want in, do it now!

Finally, Botcon 2007 has been announced at the Rhode Island Convention Center for June 28, 2007 thru July 1, 2007. This is significant for 2 reasons: Its in the backyard of Hasbro World Headquarters, and its mere days before the movie’s release. Nothing else has been announced, but I’d be surprised if the red carpet movie premiere isn’t right there.

My brother mentioned to me on the phone that the long awaited 4th installment of the Die Hard series is being filmed in Baltimore. Much to the chagrin of locals, Baltimore is merely a stand-in city for Washington DC.

I don’t think theres a whole post’s worth of news here, so lets just revel at how hilariously awesome the title is.
LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD.
Mother of god.

You can read all about Bruce Willis body double here.

Trailer for Die Hard 4 after the jump….
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The biggest news: Microsoft Partners with Peter Jackson. Not only is PJ producing the forthcoming Halo movie, he’s also developing a brand new game with his new Wingnut Interactive development company. In addition to the brand new game, he’s scripting a new Halo game with Bungie. A Halo game that is not Halo 3, but a brand new entry in the series.
Further, theres the long rumoured, much anticipated HALO WARS. Its an Xbox 360 exclusive Real Time Strategy game set at the outset of the war with the Covenant, back when Master Chief was actually a Master Chief of a group of highly trained SPARTAN warriors and not just a clever name. Read more direct from Bungie here.

Also, DOOM available on XBLA. Right now. Seriously. Doom 1. Full game, multiplayer, everything. Download it, play tonight.

Guitar Hero 360 is coming next year. Downloads are promised, but that white Explorer guitar is only a prototype.

For reasons unknown, Microsoft is allowing Rare to make another Banjo game.

We’ve already shown you Marvel Universe Online, but may I say this game looks like it may just cure the blues for folk like me who are bummed only 24 playable characters are in Marvel Ultimate Alliance. Let’s just hope Cryptic tries to grab hold of the X-Men Legends audience with great gameplay.

Thanks to SparkStalker for links!

Remember that show Friends? Remember Thundercats? Right now you’re only able to think about the memorable theme songs to those shows since in function neither was very good.
As a fitting tribute to terrible animation combined with terrible live action, here is a 90’s band’s cover of an 80’s cartoon theme song.
Apparently this gem is found on the second season dvd set for the Thundercats show. But now thanks to INTER-NET, you can see for free and not pay.
The Rembrandts do “Thundercats”

Jazz, the soulful Transformer made famous in the 1984-86 cartoon series by the voice of Scatman Crothers, has made it to the Transformers 2007 movie. Now after the jump you can see the car he turns into, and a detailed design sketch of his robot mode. (skip to the good part)

Producer Don Murphy has announced the last day of shooting the movie was today. Or at least major filming…

Today is the last day of main unit shooting. In two hours we’ll break for lunch. Then blow up more shit in downtown LA.
Next week a reduced unit with very few actors will head to different cities and pick up some establishing shots. Then some of the team will head to the Frozen North.
The film is basically done today boys and girls. And by done I mean filming. If ever there was a film that was really going to be made in post production, this is it. Much editing and many effects to go.
How do I feel? There is a promo reel that has been put together for exhibitors and retailers that is mind boggling. There is a trailer being put together for later this year that should blow your mind.
I’m feeling pretty good that we’ve made a film that you will like. Only time will tell.

Ok… now on to Jazz…
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I’m going to go ahead and play with fire here. According to Dru, Warner Brothers doesn’t want this trailer online yet. I’ll just wait for them to shake the angry stick my way before I take it down, because I think this movie looks cool.

“300” is adapted from Frank Miller’s graphic novel of the same name, about the Spartan warriors who defended Greek democracy against Persia.

Weird Al’s latest is a knock on the Chamillionaire hit “Ridin Dirty” and pretty much covers the entire list of geek culture cliches.

I gotta point out how highly derivitive of “All About The Pentiums” the song itself is, but this is probably the biggest Al hit in years, so I’ll let him slide.

Thanks Logan!

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So often these Gundam games turn out to be not good.
But if you like Gundam, you probably won’t care too much right now, since at least the trailers are cool.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire will be released on PlayStation 3 next year.

wait… another Gundam game? Oh yeah, theres a completely different one for Xbox 360. Mobile Ops: The One Year War thats also being shown at Tokyo Game Show this week.

Both games are about Gundams and shooting. I can’t imagine anything really revolutionary. I think we’d all be happy if it controlled well, had decent AI, and a story/voice acting that didn’t make me want to take my own life.