Transformers

This post has been corrected. See note at bottom for details. Television fans have watched LeVar Burton for 35 years now, but when they walk up to the actor he’s never quite sure which of his three signature personas they will mention. For many, he will always be the face of the groundbreaking 1977 miniseries “Roots,” but more recent generations know him as the ever-affable host of “Reading Rainbow,” which opened up the world of books to young PBS viewers for 22 years and 150 episodes. And, of course, to millions of Starfleet fans he’s the chief engineer of a starship called Enterprise. Burton portrayed the resourceful Geordi La Forge for seven seasons of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and in the crew’s four feature films. These days, Burton is working full-time to relaunch an online revival of “Reading Rainbow,” which went off the air in 2009. […]

If you tune in to the Super Bowl on Sunday you’ll see a parade of commercials for Hollywood’s upcoming heavy-hitter hopefuls (“The Hunger Games,” “The Avengers,” “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” “John Carter”)  but two even bigger box-office brand names — “Transformers” and “Star Wars” — will be selling something beyond the silver screen. “Star Wars” is back in a Volkswagen ad (after last year’s super-popular tiny-tot Darth Vader spot) while the massive space robots from Michael Bay’s film franchise will be bringing their unique version of heavy-metal combat to a pre-game, 30-second ad for Transformers: The Ride 3-D, which opens in May at Universal Studios Hollywood.  Here’s a snippet that, if you think about it, is a promotional teaser for a commercial about a ride  based on a movie created around a toy line. The ad will also introduce the website PrepareForBattle.com, where fans can check out tie-in videos or […]

We’re still hearing a lot of response to our biggest article this week, “Terry Gilliam: The heir of Fellini and the enemy of God?,” but the story isn’t quite done yet. Gilliam, the director of “Brazil” and “Twelve Monkeys,” is a man of fiery opinions and during our two interviews (covering three hours and spread over two days) he lobbed a few Molotov cocktails in different directions. So, with quotes that didn’t make it into that first article, we bring you the World According to Gilliam: * On “Transformers: Dark of the Moon“: “The latest ‘Transformers’ movie was on the plane coming over to Los Angeles. It’s horrible and there’s all these phallic things going on. I just couldn’t even deal with it. C’mon, leave some room for me, as the audience. The audience is totally excluded, you just sit there and watch the explosions. […]

After seeing the third installment in Michael Bay‘s big-budget blockbuster action film franchise, Los Angeles Times film critic Betsy Sharkey writes in her review that “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” takes the audience on a romp, delivering excellent 3-D, a cleaner story and more eye candy than its critically panned predecessor. That’s not to say “Revenge of the Fallen” set the bar very high, Sharkey writes, saying the series “remains as much an endurance test as a movie.” Sharkey praises performances by Frances McDormand, John Turturro, Shia LaBeouf and even newcomer Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, “who delivers just as convincing a pillowy pout as Megan Fox did” in the first two films, but notes that the real stars are the robots themselves. Though the bulk of the film follows Bay’s babes, ‘bots and blasts formula, Sharkey writes that it also allows the […]

First, the stars of “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” turned out for the film’s grand world premiere in Russia, then this week, they walked the red carpet for the U.S. premiere in New York.  Actors Shia LaBeouf and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and director Michael Bay were among those who took a moment to answer a few questions, talking about the movie and their experiences on and off set. Shia LaBeouf: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley: Michael Bay: –Jevon Phillips RECENT AND RELATED: LaBeouf on Megan Fox’s absence (photos) Shia LaBeouf says he’s ready to grow up LaBeouf: New “Transformers” is best 3-D film ever Bay wants you to forget last “Transformers” Photos: The leading ladies of summer Bay: “There’s a lot of poison on the Internet … whatever” Bay talks about Shia LaBeouf’s dark moods Bay’s payday? $75 million … and counting

Watch director Michael Bay and stars Shia LeBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson and more “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” cast and crew make their way down the red carpet in New York City for the film’s U.S. premiere. RECENT AND RELATED: LaBeouf on Megan Fox’s absence (photos) Shia LaBeouf says he’s ready to grow up LaBeouf: New “Transformers” is best 3-D film ever Bay wants you to forget last “Transformers” Photos: The leading ladies of summer Bay: “There’s a lot of poison on the Internet … whatever” “Avatar” sequel will dive into the oceans of Pandora Bay talks about Shia LaBeouf’s dark moods Bay’s payday? $75 million … and counting

As the summer ramps up with a slew of testosterone-fueled action hero flicks such as “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” and “Cowboys & Aliens,” here’s a gallery of 18 women from the big screen who can do everything their male counterparts can, and often in heels and lipstick. – Noelene Clark twitter.com/noeleneclark RECENT AND RELATED: LaBeouf on Megan Fox’s absence (photos) Rough-edged LaBeouf says he’s ready to grow up LaBeouf: New “Transformers” is best 3-D film ever Bay wants you to forget last “Transformers” Bay: “There’s a lot of poison on the Internet … whatever” “Avatar” sequel will dive into the oceans of Pandora Bay talks about Shia LaBeouf’s dark moods Cameron: ‘Avatar’ is my most personal film Bay’s payday? $75 million … and counting

Shia LaBeouf learned how to play with others on action-movie sets, which may help explain why he’s often ready for a fight. One scrape last October during the filming of “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center pitted the young actor against director Michael Bay over a song. With military and NASA personnel watching, Bay and his leading man were shooting an emotional sequence from the script’s third act on a shuttle launchpad at Cape Canaveral. To put himself in a somber frame of mind, LaBeouf plugged his iPod into some speakers and started playing a wistful ballad, Feist’s “Brandy Alexander.” “Yeah, it’s a little feminine, but it touches me,” LaBeouf says, starting to pepper his recollection with more expletives than are allowed in the PG-13 film. “I feel something when I hear it. … But Mike […]

Moviegoers will have to decide whether to pony up the extra cash to see director Michael Bay’s “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” in 3-D and Imax when the stereoscopic edition of the latest entry in the big-budget franchise opens at 9 p.m. June 28, three hours before it premieres on movie screens in 2-D. According to the franchise’s enthusiastic star, Shia LaBeouf, this is one summer movie worth seeing in its full depth. “We took the 3-D cameras out of the ‘Avatar‘ stages and put them on the head of a dude jumping out of a plane in Chicago while a building is exploding. For real. Four or five dudes actually,” LaBeouf said. “It’s the greatest 3-D film ever made. It’s an amalgamation of ideas from Jim Cameron, Steven [Spielberg] and Michael [Bay]. “ Bay, working for the first time […]

Director Michael Bay has a new toy in “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” — British model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who replaces Megan Fox as the love interest for Shia LaBeouf’s human hero in the center of the warring-alien-robots franchise. Huntington-Whiteley is equipped for Bay’s brusque shooting style in a way that Fox (who in the media likened her director’s on-set behavior to Napoleon and Hitler) was not, according to LaBeouf. “Megan developed this Spice Girl strength, this woman-empowerment [stuff] that made her feel awkward about her involvement with Michael, who some people think is a very lascivious filmmaker, the way he films women,” LaBeouf said. “Mike films women in a way that appeals to a 16-year-old sexuality. It’s summer. It’s Michael’s style. And I think [Fox] never got comfortable with it. This is a girl who was taken from complete obscurity and placed in […]