Surprise surprise, Bobert here again to present yet another leaked photo from the set of Michael Bay’s “super secret” production of THE TRANSFORMERS. I’m beginning to believe the higher-ups at Paramount Pictures are deliberately allowing these pictures to make it into the public arena in some desperate attempt to gain some buzz for Bay’s sure-to-be-lame adaptation of the popular Saturday morning cartoon series. The frequency and ease in which these photos are making their way online is getting ridiculous. Anyways, the standing Bumblebee shot has been online for awhile, but the second pic is the first time anyone has seen a close-up shot of an actual practical Transformer’s face. After seeing this and the anus-faced monstrosity that is the film version of Megatron from earlier last week, I think it’s fair to say that Michael Bay has some sort of issue with the original cartoon’s depiction of human-like mouths on robots. Take a look at the pics below and be sure to chime in with your opinions!

When the folks over at Warner Bros. Online sent me DUCK SEASON, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Simply looking at the cover, the flick seemed to focus on a couple adolescent kids but was rated R. The cover proclaimed that Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron (Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN, HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN) had something to do with the production, yet his name is nowhere to be found in the actual credits. Plus the film is shot in Black & White, which either means the filmmaker is a pretentious snob or the flick is a low budget affair. These seeming contradictions and elements brought me some worry, like it would for any viewer that isn’t previously familiar with the material in front of them. Luckily, this import from Mexico turned out to be quite a little gem.

The story focuses on two best friends named Flama and Moko as they spend their Sunday the same way they always: playing video games, drinking way too much soda, and generally goofing off. The duo become a trio when Rita, the 16-year-old girl next door, comes over to use their oven. When the power goes out (subsequently ending their “Slayer” deathmatch in the Xbox game, HALO. Coincidentally one of my fav scenes in the entire flick), the three find themselves with nothing to do. Opting to order a pizza despite not really being hungry, the boys time the pizza delivery man. When the hapless pizza man named Ulises finally arrives, the boys proclaim him late and refuse to pay. Ulises refuses to leave until he gets paid, thus finally bringing together our film’s four protagonists. From here we watch as the boys and Ulises try to settle their argument over a game of video game soccer, Rita introduces Moko to french kissing (as well as ear-licking), Flama becomes convinced he’s adopted, and the entire gang indulge in some special brownies while gazing upon a painting of ducks that move. Filmed in Black & White with a pace that matches the restlessness of a uneventful Sunday, DUCK SEASON is reminiscent of both Kevin Smith’s CLERKS and Cuaron’s Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN.

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Looks like Microsoft has released an update that adds more games to the backward compatibility list. With this update, the 360 now supports somewhere around 300 games from the original Xbox. Sadly, while I have quite a few games for the original Xbox, I don’t have many games on this list. Hopefully eventually we’ll get Panzer Dragoon Orta or Otogi support. Check out the complete list to see whats been added!

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/backwardcompatibilitygameslist.htm

I’ve fallen quite behind on my movie reviews (we won’t even go into how bad things are in the DVD and Game departments), so today I’m going to try play catch-up by posting the first in what I hope will be a lot of quickie reviews. Some of these flicks certainly deserve a lot more space than they’re going to get here, so feel free to add your own opinions on each respective film in the comments below. The first flick has already left theater screens for some time now, with a DVD release undoubtedly just around the corner, but I still wanted to get in my two cents. But enough babbling, let’s get this Round-Up started…

THE NOTORIOUS BETTIE PAGE Review

The 1950’s was an extremely prosperous post-World War II era. It’s also one of the most idealized by pop culture. Watching TV shows from that time period, you’d think everyone lived in a nice home, with the traditional nuclear family being the majority and not the exception to the current rule. But if you know your history, the 1950’s was an era of extensive Government investigations and suppression of rights. We’re talking about everything from Civil rights and liberties, to the anti-Communist hysteria that gripped the nation in those years. THE NOTORIOUS BETTIE PAGE takes a look at another infringement on our liberties, the witch hunt that followed the emergence of the Pin-Up Girl. Ok so S&M photos and Bondage films aren’t the first things on most folk’s Free Speech list, but it takes all kinds to make up a world.

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Hey folks, Bobert here! I know it seems like it’s become TRANSFORMERS-THE-MOVIE.com around here, but this flick is arguable the most anticipated flick for the Geek collective, as well as nostalgic fans of the original TV show. Every time I see a new design leaked, the less and less I like what I’m seeing. Bay’s vision seems to be straying into an Anime-esque realm, which would be fine in any other flick, but this is TRANSFORMERS dammit! The original designs for these characters were simple, sleek, and they worked perfectly. These new designs look like mechanized porcupines. Check out the pics below and see what you think!

Hey folks, Bobert here! I’ve been pretty busy this week, preparing for my own Weird and Wild Film Festival that I’ll be throwing in my own livingroom. But I decided to take a moment to post a few very interesting pics that have found themselves online. Now, there’s no proof that any of these shots are authentic. For all we know, they’re the work of a very talented and bored Photoshop enthusiast. I for one think they’re the real deal for a couple of reasons. First, the style of these Autobots seem to be in keeping with the look that director Michael Bay said he would be approaching everyone’s favorite giant transforming robots. Secondly, the Optimus Prime model has those flame decals we saw in the pic that supposedly revealed Prime in his vehicle form. Whatever these pics are, they have me hyped. While the leaked vehicle pics have been disappointing (a non-VW Bumblebee, and a long-nose Semi for Prime), these shots of the robots look spot on with a modern twist. You be the judge and check out the pics below!

As more and more details come out regarding HALO’s progression into a film, the more confident I become that this may very well be the greatest Video Game adaptation ever. I was initially encouraged by the fact that Bungie, the game’s developers, have stayed so involved in all of the aspects of production. And coupled with the news that screenwriter Alex Garland had signed on to draft a script; it seemed to be a very promising start. Then all kinds of exciting things started happening, not the least of which were Universal Pictures and 20 Century Fox’s decision to co-produce the big budget epic together, followed by Peter Jackson (the filmmaker behind the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy and KING KONG remake, as if you didn’t already know that) taking on the role of Executive Producer! And now yesterday, another development has emerged.

Microsoft (HALO’s publisher on the Xbox), has revealed that Jackson has chosen a director for the HALO film adaptation. Director Neill Blomkamp may not be a household name, but it’s very likely you’ve either seen or heard of his numerous creative and visually arresting TV commercials. We’re talking about imagery that includes a Scion transforming into giant robot that dances, a Third World Robocop, and a basketball that hatches an NBA All-Star. One thing is for sure, this guy definitely has an eye for stylized visuals and knows how to work with computer generated effects (a must for anyone contemplating taking on a Sci-Fi Space Opera like HALO). Click here to check out his commercials and short films over at YouTube.com. The HALO movie is scheduled to “spawn” into theaters next summer, in the meantime we’ll keep you updated as the flick nears production.

If you thought last week was hard on your wallet, you won’t want to see what this NEW RELEASE TUESDAY offers up. Besides the release of a high profile flick from one of Hollywood’s biggest directors, we have an Indie flick that’s made quite a splash with critics (including yours truly), an even smaller Independent flick from a film student that surprised and amazed many, and an animated sequel to one of Marvel’s biggest Comic book properties. Check that out and much more, all in today’s edition of NEW RELEASE TUESDAY…

Top Picks (08/08) -

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And another week just flies by. Besides having the weekend finally arrive, I know all of you have been highly anticipating this week’s edition of THIS WEEK @the MOVIES! So why make you wait any longer, let’s get started!

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Michael Mann’s MIAMI VICE is not your typical summer flick. It’s slow-paced (that is, until the ultra-graphic violence kicks in), it’s actually pretty long (maybe too long), and its one downer of a flick. In this day and age of ADD-friendly family flicks, it takes some real balls to make a movie like MIAMI VICE and then release it to the wolves (or is it PIRATES?) of summer. Amazingly enough, MIAMI VICE managed to take just enough wind out of PIRATES’ sails to claim first place at the Box Office. But will it stay there? Before you start thinking this a faithful film adaptation of the original TV series, let’s make a few things clear. Gone are the pink pastel fashions and Jerry Curl hairdos, in their place are grimaces and gruff mannerisms. There are no beaches or bikinis, replaced with white supremacist gangs and trailer parks. And don’t bother looking for Don Johnson or Philip Michael Thomas, you’ll only find a grungy-looking Colin Farrell and buffed-out Jamie Foxx. With an unlimited budget (reportedly just north of $130 Mil) and no studio involvement, Mann was given the opportunity to do whatever he wanted. He crafted a gritty tale of revenge, forbidden passion, and jealousy. Sounds like all the recipes for an exciting flick huh. So what the heck went wrong?

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