www.TransformersMovie.com is running a contest to vote on a single line of fan-submitted dialog to appear in the 2007 Transformers movie, to be spoken by Autobot Leader Optimus Prime.

Proving once again you can’t trust INTER-NET to do anything, here are some highlights from the list–

• “I can’t explain the flames, they’re just cool”
• “These pretzels are making me thirsty”
• “Do a barrel roll”
• “Its clobberin’ time”
• “I’ll be back”

The long awaited convention video.

We travel to Botcon, accomplish nothing, leave satisfied.

When the new Ghost Rider trailer was released, apparently a lot of fans assumed that what we saw in it was the full transformation of Johnny Blaze into the Ghost Rider, despite the quick cutaways that likely suggested otherwise. Well, the writer/director Mark Steven Johnson immediately hit the internet – most specifically at the SuperHeroHype boards – to say this:

I just wanted to say thanks for both the kind words and the criticisms on the new trailer. It all goes towards making a better movie. There’s a couple things I thought I’d mention that might help explain what you’re seeing. First, the TRANSFORMATION. Ghost Rider is a PG-13 movie, albeit, a very intense PG-13 movie. The MPAA governs the movie trailers as well. And one of the rules is that you can’t show people on fire in a PG-13 trailer. Obviously, this presents a problem for us. So for the fans who have wondered if that’s all there is for the transformation — God no. Not by a long shot. But that’s all we can show. In fact, we had to cut many shots out of the trailer for being too intense or horrific. … Second, the VOICE. The voice of Ghost Rider can’t be judged on an internet trailer. There are multiple tracks of animal growls, fire, rusty chains, etc. mixed into Ghost Rider’s voice. But all of those tracks have to be terribly condensed into a trailer like this and so all you can really hear is a deep, raspy voice. Trust me, GR’s voice will rock the movie house.

He speaks more on other points, but those are the two I found most interesting.  And today he lives up to his word on the first one, showing us the full transformation of Blaze (Nic Cage) into Ghost Rider (flaming skullhead), available HERE.  Trust me, you want to check this out.  It’s good ‘n creepy.

A review of the new 2 disc platinum edition release of Disney’s The Little Mermaid which includes the infamous Priest boner scene!

Well, we shared the forbidden trailer with you freely, but today the official trailer – with the company stamp of approval – is now available. Interestingly, while many of the scenes from the old trailer show up, they’re cut somewhat differently, and even better, there are plenty of new scenes to feast your eyes upon.

Interestingly, there’s also a behind-the-scenes type featurette available too. Personally, I think the trailer’s a little more exciting.

So once again, the trailer is available here. Watch it before it becomes forbidden too!

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….
[Read the rest of this entry…]

A few recently surfaced newsbits regarding the Fantastic Four sequel:

• Beau Garrett will be playing Frankie Raye, a character that (in the comics) ultimately offers herself to be a new herald for Galactus, much like the Silver Surfer was before being kicked to the curb for turning his back on the big purple jerk. Prior to taking the role of herald, she’d had a relationship with Johnny Storm, which is confirmed as a story angle for the movie.  The former is generally undiscussed at the moment, but conveniently enough, it’d fit nicely with the story.
• Some set images surfaced HERE on the Hollywood North Reporter message boards, courtesy of memeber “seven.”  Images mirrored for your pleasure:

 

• IESB.net recently spoke with Chairman of 20th Century Fox Tom Rothman. Technically, it’s an interview, but there’s some interesting nuggets in there about the Silver Surfer in the sequel: “I will say this, we are investing a tremendous amount of money, time and care, to make the state of the art CGI Silver Surfer, to make him as great as modern technology can make him. And, the only thing that I would say is that the real, the ultimate pay off of that level of investment and doing it to its fullest possible extent, would really come if we are able to make future films. … We’re certainly putting everything that the business has to offer behind it in the hopes of doing that, in the hopes that the Silver Surfer has a long life. … I will tell you that the first teaser that we are going to put out of the movie, which will be very early in the new year, the first teaser will definitely reveal the Silver Surfer. So people won’t have long to wait to judge how well it is done.”