Transformers3
Latest
Transformers: Dark of the Moon clip breaks down shooting movies, special effects in 3D (video)
The Transformers: Dark of the Moon Limited Edition Blu-ray 3D doesn't hit the streets officially until next week, but you can get a look at one of the special features early right here. In this video clip director Michael Bay and other members of the production team explain some of the special challenges that came with shooting the special-effects heavy movie in 3D. It required changes to his usual frenetic cutting style with fewer pans and longer shots, as well as extra work by the editors on each element of animation overlaid on each frame. For a longer discussion about the background of shooting the flick you can check out an interview featuring Bay and 3D-master James Cameron here, otherwise just press play, or check out the press release after the break for a full list of special features included when he disc debuts January 31st.
Transformers Blu-ray 3D comes home January 31st in Ultimate and Collector's editions
After a quickie Blu-ray dropped in the fall sans-extras, Transformers: Dark of the Moon is getting a full fledged release January 31st complete with 3D and four hours of bonus features. There's actually two versions coming, first up is the $39.99 four disc Ultimate Edition with a 2D copy on one disc, a Blu-ray full of extras, a Blu-ray 3D copy, and a DVD with the film in standard def plus iTunes / Windows Media Player compatible digital copies. Even though it's coming with that old school digital copy disc, this flick will also be Ultraviolet ready, so if you're packing the correct assortment of logins and software it can be downloaded or streamed on other devices. The other release is a $99 seven-disc Limited Collector's Edition Blu-ray Trilogy set that dedicates two discs each to the first two movies, and three for DotM as well as a signed plaque from the director. We may have to wait to see Martin Scorsese's Hugo to see a Blu-ray 3D release to watch a good movie on the format, but the extensive work done in creating Transformer's visual effects should definitely hold over AV junkies until Avatar gets a wide release. Check out the press release with a full list of extras and a picture of the LCE after the break.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon Blu-ray due September 30th, 3D version later
Besides being a lightning rod for the Blu-ray vs. HD DVD wars, the Transformers series also racked up some of the biggest HD sales ever, and now we'll see if the latest entry, Dark of the Moon, keeps up that trend. Paramount has announced it will be released September 30th in Blu-ray/DVD combo form for $29.99, with a "deluxe" release including Blu-ray 3D expected in "the coming months." There's no specifics on any extras included in this release, but it looks like PHE is going the Avatar route and saving those for later. For those anticipating the 3D release, hopefully this doesn't equal a similar exclusivity period, but until the disc is actually announced we won't assume anything. If 154 minutes of Michael Bay exploding things sounds like a good idea to you, check after the break for a press release and schedule that Friday off -- you have somewhere to be.
Screen Grabs: Nokia X7 scores cameo in third Transformers movie, joined by N950 lookalike
Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dot com. Nokia's hookup with the new Transformers movie runs deep -- some of its international X7 launches have been themed around the Dark of the Moon three-quel that's just come out in cinemas -- so it's no surprise to see plenty of the company's handsets in the film itself. The metal-backed, 4-inch X7 gets the most screen time, quickly showing off Ovi Maps in 3D, but there's also a portrait QWERTY device which may be the recently launched E6 or an earlier model such as the E72. A lot of consternation has also arisen regarding a third Nokia handset glimpsed in Transformers 3, which could well be an N950 running MeeGo, though if you ask us, there's no way a MeeGo phone would take 157 minutes to save the world. We'd expect a double-tap to kill the baddies, an edge-to-edge swipe to get the girl, and a simple flicking gesture to turn the lights out. [Thanks, Nicholas]
Razer trots out Transformers 3 Edition DeathAdder, Vespula and laptop case
After what we're guessing was a fruitful tie-up with Tron, the fine folks at Razer are back at a similar well; this time, the company's dishing out a limited run of gear that's been splashed with color and branding from the upcoming Michael Bay train wreck blockbuster, Transformers 3. Outside of being doused with red, yellow, silver and purple paint, the special edition DeathAdder mice ($69.99 a pop) are identical to the version already on the market. If that's just not enough, there's also a dual-sided Vespula mouse mat ($44.99) to commemorate the film, not to mention a foursome of colored laptop sleeves ($49.99 each) that'll make public your infatuation. Curiously absent? A handwritten letter of congratulations from Shia LaBeouf.
Chinese make Optimus Prime out of junk; Garbage Pail Megan Fox still nowhere to be found
Some Chinese dudes decided they couldn't wait a year for Michael Bay to drop his next 3D Transformabomb, so they went troweling around the local junkyards until they came up with the 10,108 car parts needed to erect this 33-foot Optimus Prime. We heard that 10 minutes after this picture was taken, OP tried to do a mating dance for the Olympic Stadium, but she didn't bite. Better luck next time!
Transformers 3 is using the Arri Alexa Pace cameras from Avatar to go 3D
After a bit of back and forth, Transformers 3 has been confirmed as yet another action flick jumping on the 3D train. The good news (unless you were really happy to hear that Megan Fox would no longer be a part of the franchise) is that they're filming in 3D as opposed to converting it in post production (like Clash of the Titans, Alice in Wonderland and The Last Airbender) as revealed by master of the 3D camera himself, Vince Pace. Apparently nothing would do for Michael Bay but Jimmy C's best, requiring the cameras used in Avatar and the upcoming Resident Evil flick. Just in case you were wondering, our friends at Cinematical have put together an impromptu list of recent/upcoming 3D movies that will be using a 2D to 3D conversion process (Harry Potter, Narnia, Piranha 3D) and those originally shot in 3D (Tron Legacy, Saw VII 3D) -- so you know what to expect before you put your cash down for a ticket.
