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So, what exactly is Michael Bay doing with TRANSFORMERS 2?

Published at:  Aug 22, 2007 10:03:47 AM CDT

Ahoy, squirts! Quint here. Let’s talk a little bit about this TRANSFORMERS 2 Michael Bay Blu-Ray shenanigan.

When Bay first posted on his blog (SHOOT FOR THE EDIT) that it was “No Transformers 2 for me!” because of Paramount’s exclusive HD-DVD deal, I thought it must be a sarcastic statement. Really? He’d give up the payday and the chance to continue a successful franchise that he was gung-ho about doing sequels for last week because the tiny high definition market was being divided?

I’m not the only one who thinks that doesn’t make any sense, right?

So count me shocked when news sources began reporting it as Bay announcing his departure from TRANSFORMERS sequels.

Then count me even more shocked when Bay withdrew his comment and replaced it with this one:



Last night at dinner I was having dinner with three blu-ray owners, they were pissed about no Transformers Blu-ray and I drank the kool aid hook line and sinker. So at 1:30 in the morning I posted - nothing good ever comes out of early am posts mind you - I over reacted. I heard where Paramount is coming from and the future of HD and players that will be close to the $200 mark which is the magic number. I like what I heard.

As a director, I'm all about people seeing films in the best quality possible, and I saw and heard firsthand people upset about a corporate decision.

So today I saw 300 on HD, it rocks!

So I think I might be back on to do Transformers 2!

Michael Bay


I’m not shocked that he reversed his stance, but that he seemed to have been serious about leaving the series over the exclusivity deal for the studio’s high-def releases. That blows my mind a little bit.

Or maybe he was just drunk.

There’s been a huge amount of chatter about this deal. The funny thing is even though I own a stand-alone HD-DVD player and love it, I don’t disagree with what I’m reading from a lot of Blu-Ray supporters.

I’ve gotten so many emails and read so many sites saying how it’s not fair that Paramount/Dreamworks is excluding Blu-Ray owners. I agree. But that’s also an incredibly hypocritical statement. They sure didn’t mind when Disney went exclusively Blu-Ray, but now it’s unfair?

However, I agree, ultimately. Why not let the market choose? Make all studios neutral, including Sony and Universal and let the market choose.

That’s not going to happen, but in a perfect world that’s how this would unfold… of course, in a perfect world there wouldn’t be a format war in the first place. No politics, just great movies looking amazing.

I’m sure there’ll be a ton of arguing about the different formats in the talkbacks below… but try to keep it civil. At the end of the day, it’s all about loving and collecting movies, right?

-Quint
quint@aintitcool.com







    + Expand All

    Readers Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:03:52 AM CDT

    First?

    by brachus12

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:06:13 AM CDT

    It should be consumer driven anyway...

    by killakane

    Price, choice, longevity and fidelity that's what most punters would ultimately consider.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:07:42 AM CDT

    oh well, hopefully he'll make a better sequel

    by jubba

    that's all i'm really hoping for at this point

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:07:49 AM CDT

    Hmmmm

    by gwai lo

    I'll just keep buying regular DVDs until a new format comes along to replace HD/Blu Ray, or until one side wins the battle. No one wants to end up with Betamax or a Sega Dreamcast. Good thing I won't be buying Transformers on any format anyway.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:08:40 AM CDT

    It's all about what porn looks best on

    by vanfan

    Thats what it'll come down to, what the porn companies decide to go with. They sell more dvd's than the rest of the market combined.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:09:23 AM CDT

    W00T!

    by brachus12

    I still havent seen it yet. I'll wait for it on BLU RAY.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:09:24 AM CDT

    Transformers 2

    by darrenspool

    Dear god, bring on Grimlock!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:10:01 AM CDT

    I don't get how anyone actually buys porn

    by gwai lo

    I have downloaded gigs upon gigs of quality shit and I've never paid a dime. And porn is expensive as hell and has a really short replay value, so why do people buy it?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:11:20 AM CDT

    Grimlock

    by thenothing

    Hell yes!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:11:40 AM CDT

    Wall-E

    by chanoc

    Next year, when Disney-Pixar pull out a Blu-Ray only Wall-E DVD, you´ll be very glad to have gone with that format. Transformers, beh!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:11:44 AM CDT

    Turd Furgeson picks Beta Max and here's why

    by turd furgeson

    Cause certain things need to come back, like big bush and beta max... afro's and bell bottoms.... Cotter and JJ....

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:14:06 AM CDT

    Bay is an Idiot- and Transformers sucked.

    by thylacine

    Nuff said.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:14:28 AM CDT

    Uh...the market IS choosing

    by dannychico

    It's just that the market is a complex bitch that can be manipulated by closed-door money exchanges.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:14:49 AM CDT

    why would I spend my money when the jury's still out?

    by lance rock

    call me when it's over...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:15:40 AM CDT

    Drunk, more likely.

    by gorrister

    I know from first-hand experience that 'dinner' with people in the entertainment business really means 'drinks'.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:16:47 AM CDT

    TRANSFORMERS 2: FORMAT WARS

    by premiere warlord bush

    Blu-Ray players everywhere are suddenly revealed to be Decepticons in disguise, and thusly are able to kill the majority of humanity and punch Shia Labeouf in the crotch.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:17:29 AM CDT

    In a perfect world . . .

    by greatwhite

    There would be no Michael Bay Transformers movie, either 1 or 2. And after reading his comments -- Jesus, what a flake.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:19:12 AM CDT

    Great, another format war TB...

    by abin sur

    Blu-Ray/HD-DVD and Superbad are like 90% of this site right now - very diverse, guys!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:19:42 AM CDT

    He should direct a movie where raptors are on the loose

    by inwosuxred

    attacking humans! I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE! Then he should release it on miniHD tapes to screw over everyone.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:19:54 AM CDT

    COCAINE IS A HELL OF A DRUG.

    by justicesabre

    The studio should drop his monkey ass for that stunt.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:21:12 AM CDT

    this really should be a neutral thing

    by bloo

    But if I was a consipiary theorist and I am a little bit of one, I would guess that HD-DVD and Blue-Ray are stricking these "exclusive" deals so that people will buy both players. Think about this for a moment, Family of 4 say a 10 y/o, a 17 y/o, Mom and Dad. They have a high-def television so they want a hi-def player, now sister wants to watch High School Musical 2, a Disney product, so you have a plus for Blue Ray, however Jr wants Transformers wich is a plus for HDDVD, dad wants movies that are exclusive in both formats, and Mom doesn't understand why they had to switch anyways, what was wrong with VHSI'm being facetious of course but I think that is what we're going to see either a)people like me who are holding back for a high def tv, and a clear winner, or b)going to buy both players so they can watch their favorite movies that are exclusive to one playermaybe I'm just parnoid but it does seem like something those corporte greedy execs would think up

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:21:30 AM CDT

    Drunk?

    by tehgreekhammer

    More like coming out of an allnight bender of Coke, small filipino boys, and tanning lotion.




    Too bad hes not off of Transformers. There was hope there for the slightest of moments.



    ahhh well.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:21:41 AM CDT

    Strange thing about Michael Bay movies

    by gorrister

    For me, I usually like his movies the first time I see them. However, the more I watch them, the less I like them. I eventually reach the point where I can't stand the movie and can't understand what enjoyment I ever got out of them. Armageddon, Pearl Harbor and The Rock were all movies I liked the first time I saw them, but now I'm embarassed to even admit that I've ever seen. It's like watching a show or movie now, as an adult, that I absolutely loved as a child and then realizing how absurd it really is.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:21:46 AM CDT

    Bay is a bitch...

    by judge briggs

    How whiny did he look when he said that? What a fucking bitch. I was actually excited about that statement. I would prefer to someone else come in and do a sequel. Oh and lets drop all of the super hot girl roles. Really isn't needed in the franchise. I mean, how fooking stupid is a super brilliant hot scientist. Bay basically dumbs down a movie when he adds that sort of casting to the movies. Bay is still a bitch.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:22:35 AM CDT

    Microsoft probably hit bay with $150 million cash too.

    by w3bzpinn3r

    They have to buy HD-DVD's current support, since customers, retail stores, and most major studios support the bluray format. Microsoft thinks the HD market is a game. That's why they think two formats will survive, like different game systems survive together. That's not true for video, though, and unrealistic. HD-DVD doesn't have a chance against bluray since Sony has control over so many of the other studios (thanks to it's acquisition of the MGM library).
    Sorry Quint and Harry, but your HD-DVD players will soon be used only as drink coasters by the end of next year.
    As for Michael Bay, I hope this temper tantrum gets him booted from TF2, and they get a REAL director with a qualified writing team to make the next movie.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:23:01 AM CDT

    The idea

    by pacmanfever

    That Bay would not make an almost certainly lucrative film because he was dissatisfied with the way consumers were being treated was the coolest thing I ever heard about the man. So, of course, it turns out to not be true. The first TF film was slightly above average only because of special effects. IMHO some things have little live-action potential and TF is one of them.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:26:13 AM CDT

    UH the Market HASN"T Decided

    by stormwatcher

    Stop counting PS3 sales as deciding. Again, Reese Witherspoon movies don't sell to PS3 owners and sorry, as sad as it is, they want to sell those crappy films too, not just Pirates, Star Wars, and Japanese Kung Fu. Let's see those numbers in say March/April of 08 and then we can say if the market has decided. Until then stop bitching about ratios.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:27:35 AM CDT

    This format war is overhyped

    by tvguy4566

    Many manufacturers are already coming out with players that will play either disc. I assume those players will drop below $300 within a year or two. If that happens quick enough, it won't matter which format studios produce their HD quality DVDs in. I think studios are acting like idiots with this whole thing anyway. They are being so timid about really committing to either format they aren't releasing enough worthy titles to make it worthwhile for anyone to spend $300 plus on a new DVD player.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:29:31 AM CDT

    Champions of either format are loonies, and here's why:

    by docpazuzu

    This is an UNWINNABLE format war. As soon as studios started lining up as equally as they have behind one or the other, they have effectively killed both formats. Once the war is over, do you really think the "losing" studios are going to suddenly pump hundreds of millions of dollars more into the "winning" system or just sit back and watch it wither on the vine, pump money into the sure thing (regular DVDs) and wait for a universal HD format in a few years' time?

    You doofuses (doofi?) who are cheering from the sidelines as the two formats rack up their points against each other are completely deluded. Whoever wins, a HUGE chunk of cinematic properties will have become casualties of backing the "wrong" format, thus reaffirming Joe Sixpack's contentment with regular DVD since with that format he can watch it all.

    Wake up, for fuck's sake.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:29:40 AM CDT

    microsoft pulled up with a dump truck full of coke

    by inwosuxred

    and Bay changed his mind. Plus Michael Bay knows that technology is cyclical, so he isn't too worried by the format wars.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:30:45 AM CDT

    struggling to care

    by lost prophet

    format war? don't really give a fuck. Bay- give slightly more of a fuck. TF2, erm TF1 is only just out. Maybe if they find writers with a clue and bury bay under a mountain of coke so deep that it will take him 1000 years to snort his way out of then I might care.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:32:53 AM CDT

    DocPaz is going to explode through frustration

    by lost prophet

    about this. he is right though- seriously, don't we change formats after about 20 years, and DVD's have only been out for 10

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:33:16 AM CDT

    Quint, here's where your argument is flawed

    by zoefan

    When Paramount/DreamWorks decided to go HD-DVD exclusive (thanks Microsoft), they were already producing BluRay. When Disney went BluRay exclusive they didn't decide to discontinue producing HD-DVD material because they hadn't produced any yet. There's nothing hypocritical about BluRay supporter's problem with Paramount/DreamWorks decision at all.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:34:01 AM CDT

    Was this supposed to be bad news?

    by iamlegolas

    Maybe we'll get a strong, up and coming, hungry director who's a fan of "the toys" for the next one, and the movie can start off explaining how the last one was just a dream. Let's get this franchise done "right".

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:35:08 AM CDT

    accidentally posted- sorry- it should have read

    by lost prophet

    DocPaz is going to explode through frustration about this.

    He is right though- seriously, don't we change formats after about 20 years, and DVD's have only been out for 10-ish. That makes both Bluray and HDDVD the equivalent of laserdiscs. The worlds not ready to change yet, and this pissing competition is kind of sad

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:35:10 AM CDT

    I don't think it is wrong to count PS3 sales

    by tvguy4566

    I don't think the "war" is decided, but PS3 does give Blu-Ray a big advantage. This is a very large group within the HD quality DVD format audience. These people will most likely eventually buy either a Blu Ray or HD DVD player when they are more affordable (just like the rest of the country). If they already have dozens or even hundreds of Blu Ray discs, which format do you think they will buy? Don't you think a lot of studios are thinking this way?
    I still think this war will become irrelevant once the universal HD quality DVD players become more affordable, but HD DVD supports are far too quick to discount PS3 consumers. In the end, if there is a winner of this war, PS3 consumers could play a big part of who wins.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:37:29 AM CDT

    And maybe...

    by iamlegolas

    ... I should read the whole article before posting!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:39:38 AM CDT

    i see the Bay haters are out in farce again even though

    by bongo123

    the movie was a fucking great piece of technical popcorn cinema thats making millions and proving all you fucktards well and truly wrong, thank god hes back for TF2 and so what if he was fucking drunk and had a rant cause he doesn't want his movie to be seen on HD by one camp and then later retracted it like most people do in the light of the day, hes not fucking perfect being you know, you lot should be glad he's format neutral and besides it was a class movie that was surprisingly funny as fuck.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:40:14 AM CDT

    zoe

    by quint

    It is when the basic argument is that it is unfair for a studio to release only one of the two high def formats. Does it matter that there had been Blu-Ray produced before this deal? Sure, that might be a reason to be pissed, but to say it's unfair is a stretch.I would assume Sony had some similar deals with Target and Blockbuster (as well as their exclusive partners) that Microsoft is having with Paramount/Dreamworks... so what's the difference? It's all bullcrap, but at the end of the day this particular piece of bullcrap adds value to my personal player, so I'm happy with it. W3 tried to warn me above that my player will be dead "by the end of next year." So, I'll be getting 2 years out of my $270 HD-DVD player? My $700 first generation DVD player conked out after 3 years, so I'm fine with that.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:41:06 AM CDT

    You pay? You Play!

    by redbox

    Look, if you're an early technology adapter, you know that eventually you will most likely be holding an obsolete item. So stop crying! The real good news is that by the time the market really buys onto HDTV and understands what you need to have it. the DVD disc will no longer be the vessel of exchange. It will all be digital. Movies are going the way of mp3s and no one is going to pay big bucks for HD/BluyRay DVDs, when they just bought regular ones and when they can download for free or cheap. Pandora's Box is Open, for ill or boon.
    Cheers!- Redbox

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:42:21 AM CDT

    was there a story about Transformers 2?

    by nooneimportant

    because all I saw was blue-ray vs HD DVD again. Really, who gives a white shit?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:44:59 AM CDT

    ZoeFan is correct

    by inwosuxred

    if anyone was looking at the format wars and thinking I'll pick this one because I can count on this studio to release these films on this format, now they know that, just like with DVD releases, the studios can't be trusted. Dropping a format like that is even more insulting than the double dip that has really reduced my interest in purchasing video of any kind. They're increasing uncertainty and consumer skepticism with this war. People won't buy DVDs because they're going to wait till they have an HD player. They aren't going to buy an HD player because that format doesn't have a standard. For me, I watch most releases on the HD channels if I care how they look, and if I don't, I watch them on-demand. The studios are pushing me away from buying video.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:48:50 AM CDT

    "Friends over for dinner?"

    by spandau belly

    Strippers don't count as friends, and eating off them isn't technically a "dinner".

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:48:56 AM CDT

    But did Michael Bay Denis watch 300 on a Toshiba HD-DVD

    by pound sand

    This Format War is nearly as boring as Lucas' Clone Wars.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:49:03 AM CDT

    Noooooo!

    by yodalovesyou

    I went cross-eyed watching the first Transformers because that twat seemed to think a stupid fucking robot movie required a Jason Bourne style of filmmaking. Fuck off Bay, yer big knobhead!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:50:34 AM CDT

    If VHS and Betamax...

    by docpazuzu

    ...had had an equally divisive share in properties back during that "format war" as Blu-Ray and HD DVD do today, then both systems would have folded eventually to make room for one which everyone would get behind. In the case of VHS, it had an overwhelming domination in the market, making resistance impossible. Neither Blu-Ray nor HD DVD have that kind of advantage. Whoever wins, they both lose.

    The winners? Regular DVD owners who sit back and wait for the real HD breakthrough technology.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:53:12 AM CDT

    oh no, Doc!

    by lost prophet

    "WHoever Wins, They Lose" is very very near to the AvP tagline. I feel violated now, as you've just managed to introduce the lamest film in the history of cinema into the most pedantic argument.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:53:28 AM CDT

    What he said...

    by the moseph

    Hunh, what? I'm sorry, all I've heard on the site for the last two weeks has been Superbad and King Of Kong, Superbad and King Of Kong, Superbad and King Of Kong, Superbad and King Of Kong, Superbad and King Of Kong, Superbad and King Of Kong, Superbad and King Of Kong, Superbad and King Of Kong...

    What was the site about? I forgot.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:54:05 AM CDT

    Quint

    by zoefan

    Unfair might not be the right description. However, I definately see a difference between the Paramount/DreamWorks decision vs. Disney or Blockbuster because they never offered the choice of HD-DVD, whereas Paramount/DreamWorks did offer BluRay (and then Microsoft came in with the Brinks truck).

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:54:32 AM CDT

    Lost Prophet

    by docpazuzu

    It's a match made in Heaven.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:54:36 AM CDT

    who gives a shit? It's an artifically created market

    by s0nicdeathmonkey

    anyway. I mean, who here was dissatisfied with the quality of DVD's until we were told "you should want this!" and shown HDDVD or Blu-Ray or whatever. It's like Ford once said, "If I asked the consumer what he wanted, he would have said a faster horse." I don't give a shit because I don't honestly see any advantage to an upgrade in format so soon after the last. VCR's were around for like 30 years, and when DVD's came out, it was a huge improvement. When I look at HD, all I see is a sharper picture. Which is all well and good, but that's not enough to justify asking me to rebuy 350 DVDs.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:56:15 AM CDT

    The most lame film in history...

    by the moseph

    Come on, Prophet...you can't be serious...what, and leave out the entire resume of Uwe Boll?

    Personally, I'd have to vote for the live action Garfield as lamest movie ever. I of course refer to the first one. I've not seen the second as I learned my lesson the first time around. I only wish I'd learned it before I saw it.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:57:00 AM CDT

    I'm buying an HD player soon,

    by fish tacos

    and I'm still not sure which one yet. Someone in the other TB mentioned that with some savvy shopping he got a PS3 and Memento on Blu-Ray for $399, that's pretty damn good.

    The one thing that gets me is the talk that we're all going to be downloading content anyways in a few years. Storage is still costly and a library of over 100 films would cost a lot to store. Even if they figure that out, I still think we want something physical for our money, something real to display on the shelf.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:57:28 AM CDT

    Doc

    by lost prophet

    Lame film in lame, pointless argument. If this was a film it would be directed by Bay, with a soundtrack featuring cover versions performed by Celine Dion. you can't get lamer than that

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:57:32 AM CDT

    Transformers HD hilarity!

    by spamgelus

    Ooooh! Maybe now Bay will throw in a scene in Transformers 2 where a robot changes into an HD-DVD player and gets blasted apart by a breakdancing Autobot after it pulls down Shia TheBeef's pants, breaks his chihuahua's other leg, pisses on Turturro, hides behind a tree, makes Anthony Anderson scream like a girl, and gets the finger from Bernie Mac's mom. That would be SO FRIGGIN' FUNNY. I can't wait.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:58:16 AM CDT

    The story about Transformer 2 is....

    by tvguy4566

    Michael Bay may or may not be back for Transformers 2. That is huge news. Actually I think the biggest story is alcohol + director + blog = potential career suicide. I was pretty much indifferent to the first movie. It had its momements, but wasn't even in my top three Michael Bay movies. I'd still watch The Rock, Bad Boys, and Armegeddon (it was a bad popcorn movie, but I think the actors minus Ben Affleck made it enjoyable) again over Transformers. I didn't think it was a bad popcorn movie, but I didn't see all the hype either. I mean it wasn't offensive like Pearl Harbor was or boring like the Island. I guess I was never really emotionally attached to the Transformers when I was younger and felt the cartoon was cheesy.
    If Michael Bay directs or not, really doesn't really affect me because I will probably see it on video anyway.
    Personally, I think Bay was just kissing Speilberg's ass. Based on Bay basically stealing the tone first part of Transformers directly from Speilberg, I think he is trying to have Speilberg make him his protege or something.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:58:40 AM CDT

    nope, AvP is worse than all of those examples

    by lost prophet

    as it managed to shit on not one but TWO gold standard science fiction masterpieces. Nothing that has been done comes near to that sacrilege.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:59:16 AM CDT

    The Mospeh

    by tehgreekhammer

    Its about Super-Kong!!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:01:10 AM CDT

    HD vs. Blue Ray?

    by deadpanwalking

    Who cares? Everything is going to be downloadable within 2 or 3 years, what is this obsession with removable media? Why did they even bother?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:01:39 AM CDT

    LP

    by docpazuzu

    I can't help myself. When I read the outrageous amounts of regurgitated statistics and market tactics which are supposedly going to "win" this idiotic "war", I feel like throttling small animals.

    I should know better, yes, and it is all pointless... but...

    THIS! IS! TALKBAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:02:32 AM CDT

    wow I actually agree with DocPaz

    by darthmartel

    It seems that those who have picked a side in the format war are the ones who are getting bitchy whenever news like this comes out. Really, the only reasonable solutions are to either stick with standard def DVDs or go HD-neutral and own both HD formats. I just recently picked up a PS3 for $500. While that's pretty salty, I have no quams about the purchase since it plays all Playstation games (PS1, PS2, PS3) as well as Blu-Ray movies, as well as standard def DVDs upconverted to 1080p, as well as SACDs, CDs, and oh yeah, you can use it as a media server. Not only that but, Sony actually supports the thing with firmware updates almost monthly. In the near future I'll shell out a few hundred more bucks and get an HD-DVD player. I might even just wait till Christmas when they're rumored to be around the $200 mark. At that point, who cares what studio backs which format. They can circle-jerk eachother all they want and play their little games. I just want to watch movies in HD. "Joe Sixpack" probably can't afford to do that and probably is put off of the whole HD thing because of the way the HD war is being played. Nobody has to buy anything. If you can afford it then buy it. Eventually, we'll all be downloading movies directly to our tv sets and it'll all be a moot point anyway. Is it ridiculous for there to be a format war to begin with? Most definitely. It's a war though, in which you don't have to take sides and can just wait and see what happens. Early adopters who are bitching back and forth about which format will win and which is superior are just getting tiring to listen to.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:04:22 AM CDT

    Fish Tacos

    by zoefan

    What you said about downloading is correct. Believe it or not, Microsoft holds the most to gain from downloading. Yet they're throwing hundreds of $millions$ at Paramount/DreamWorks. Which the full explanation of the situation would take like 2 or 3 pages.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:04:32 AM CDT

    Good thing about crap is...its easy to improve upon

    by bong

    So a sequel will undoubtedly be better...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:04:48 AM CDT

    BLU-RAY & HD-DVD ARE ALREADY DEAD

    by thinboyslim.

    I've said it once and I'll say it again Holography will own both formats asses. Numbers don't lie as BluRay supporters always point out, so 6x more storage than a BluRay disc now and 200x more storage than a DVD by 2010.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:05:18 AM CDT

    in honour of that, Doc, I'll come clean

    by lost prophet

    I couldn't really give a monkey's about this stupid marketing war as now I know that I don't have to replace my DVD's it DOESN'T FUCKING MATTER. Oh yes, and I'm likely to buy a PS3 when, in the UK, you don't have to mortgage your kidneys to pay for it.That means that what I am doing is, technically, trolling. Luckily for the TB, I'm back off home to my bridge having spent a hard day stealing billy goats etc.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:05:43 AM CDT

    The only BAD NEWS here is that TINO 2 is still planned

    by finky089

    Forget this "controversy" over HD vs Blu-Ray. Fix the fuckin robot designs in Transformers and pick a decent director first.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:05:49 AM CDT

    and isn't this deal collusion?

    by s0nicdeathmonkey

    wait...the supreme court just OKAY'ed that one. Sorry, I forgot.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:06:09 AM CDT

    its not a fully exclusive deal...

    by joevfx

    paramount /dreamsworks is exclusive for only 18 months and may realease certain titles on blu ray if they choose. THats comign from soemone who works damage control at paramount. see PAramoutn wasnt fully stupid enough to go fully exclusive, they just wanted a quick 150mil

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:07:46 AM CDT

    That's a comedown statement that is

    by dirkd13"

    Lay off the Bolivian marching powder Mike.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:08:33 AM CDT

    joevfx

    by lost prophet

    no-one has answered this and you may know- Is the money some sort of license deal- so may be an advance? If this is the case then it isn't a hysterical bribe or anything like that and isn't particularly unfair.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:09:20 AM CDT

    If there is a Transformers 2...

    by hank henshaw

    It's all your fault for going out and watch that shit at the theaters. I did my part and avoided it like the plague. Hollywood will keep churning out garbage as long as there are dumbfucks that go and spend money on them.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:10:44 AM CDT

    Hmm

    by xsi kal

    Do you have a link for that joevfx? Good news for blu-ray owners, if so.
    I have a PS3, but honestly, I'm not buying BluRay discs anyway... I'm just using Netflix, and renting them. Less concern and potential fallout with the HD war that way.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:14:52 AM CDT

    "it’s all about loving and collecting movies right"?

    by mr. brownstone

    Exactly. That's why I'll be getting a dual format player (there's a good one coming out in September). I want flexibility, not limits and frustration. Dual format player = format war a non issue.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:16:28 AM CDT

    By the way, I wish Bay would...

    by mr. brownstone

    publicly shoot off at the mouth more often. It's insanely entertaining. No wonder he gets paid the big bucks. hah!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:17:39 AM CDT

    Why can't they do both abnd eventually let consumers

    by yeti

    be the de-facto decion makers?
    Seriously I'm not bothering investing in either untill this pissing contest (which is really what it is) is over and done with.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:17:46 AM CDT

    I really don't get the hate from either side.

    by darthtarter

    I'm only in this "war" because I have a PS3 which I only bought because I got it for $200 bucks. I own over 1200 movies on dvd...with a big whopping 4 of them on Blu (300, The Host, Fifth Element & Casino Royale). Even though I do plan on buying more as time passes. So what will I do if Blu loses? Or both lose? What have I lost by purchasing those discs that may or may not succeed in the long run? Not a damn thing. They are beautiful and I will continue to enjoy them on the PS3 for years to come. It's not like if HD-DVD wins I'm throwing my Blus away. No matter who wins you might have to drop $200 bucks on a new player...but you DON'T have to dump your current library of titles!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:18:25 AM CDT

    Or maybe he's just an egomaniac moron

    by industrykiller!

    Does the pit of this guys idiocy ever come to an end? Dropping out of a movie because of which HD format it eventually gets a release on? You gotta be fucking kidding me. As if as a director he has any right to comment on that kind business practice anyhow. It's not like it would change the content of that insipid mess of a film anyway so what the fuck does he care? It's unfortunate though that he came to his senses, The franchise desperately needs someone with talent at the helm, and that guy aint Michael Bay. What a douche bag.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:21:32 AM CDT

    I Guess We Can Kiss PS3 Goodbye Then

    by laserpants

    HD exclusivity from a major studio? The one who makes movies targeted at the gaming demographic? (Only neglected children, toddler to pre-adolescent, watch Disney, so unless you have kids, why go Blu-Ray?) Isn't one of their big selling points the whole Blu-Ray thing? Couple that with the fact that its still about $200 more expensive than the competition console (yes, console, singular; the Wii isn't for gamers/geeks, its for families; the only real next gens are PS3 and the 360) means you can pretty much kiss Neo Geo, er, I mean, Dreamcast, er, I mean, PS3 goodbye. Too bad. I loved my PS2, but I can't afford yr new console, Sony, and it appears your losing hte game altogether.
    Seriously, Sony, that PS3 debacle has to be in the top ten of the worst business decisions ever made. You had it all, and threw it away due to hubris. Sort of like how Singer and Jackson killed their respective (and, at one time, respectable) careers away on two self-indulgent, masturbatory projects that bombed (for Singer it was Donnerman Regurgitated, for Jackon, King Long).

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:25:25 AM CDT

    Lost Prophet... BRING BACK MY GOAT!!!!!!!!!!!

    by darthmartel

    goat thieving troll... As for Transformers 2... as long as Megan Fox is in it I'm there. Seeing her fine ass on the big screen is worth the price of admission in my eyes. YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:37:27 AM CDT

    Zoefan

    by fre3cajunlove

    Actually, I've been renting HD-DVDs at my local Blockbuster for 3 months now. Corporate made them take away their HD-DVD section, but continues to send them new releases. They're stacked in a corner, but still able to be rented out.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:41:38 AM CDT

    damn you blu ray!

    by wazza

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:43:24 AM CDT

    Isn't anyone going to damn Michael Bay?

    by cletus van damme

    C'mon now, it's tradition!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:43:41 AM CDT

    Hopefully, TF2 will have plenty of...

    by immortal_fish

    Dick jokes. That's what every property based on toys needs. Dick jokes aplenty. Dicks and toys go together like chocolate and peanut butter. More jokes about the dick, please, in your toy movie, Mr. Bay.And you can always bring ze brewskies.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:47:34 AM CDT

    The actual reason is obvious:

    by mcvamp

    $$$ Bay heard these Blu-Ray owners (probably industry chumps) griping about the decision and said something like "Mike, this affects you directly! All those Blu-Ray owners were dying to buy something like Transformers, and now you're going to lose your cut of all that money!" Bay probably replied with "Fuck that noise" and made his post. He probably got a phone call the next day offering a payoff to reverse his stance as "good faith" based on the projected Blu-Ray money he was going to lose. Boom. Flip flop, Kerry style.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:50:55 AM CDT

    It will continue for awhile...

    by philvis

    I believe that until the HDTV's are truly affordable, there will be no winner because most people still cannot afford to buy a HDTV to play an HD DVD on. I understand they are slowly decreasing in price, but until you can get the 42 inch plasma/lcd for about $500 or $600, the majority of consumers will not even have an opportunity to use an HD DVD player. Just my two cents.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:51:13 AM CDT

    So in High Definition.....

    by c.k. lamoo

    will you be able to figure out who's fighting who?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:59:06 AM CDT

    Now I know why 12 year old boys...

    by stalin vs predator

    ...and adults with 12-year-old minds like Michael Bay. Because he acts the way they do. (No, I'm not a "Baya hata", by the way; I don't hate him or his movies - I'm just completely indifferent about them)

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 12:03:15 PM CDT

    Hmmm...

    by kid z

    ... betcha this whole little tirade of Bay's was the result of the usual cause for this sort of hissy fit... way too much blow.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 12:04:48 PM CDT

    "He sounds like a 13 year old in that blog post"

    by kid z

    ... yeah, Bay's really matured in the last couple of years, hasn't he?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 12:07:09 PM CDT

    The Porn industry will dictate

    by silentjay

    The porn industry forced the adoption of video tape, the DVD and now ... HD DVD. Buy HD DVD players, folks, the war is over.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 12:08:20 PM CDT

    HD-TF-BR

    by dogstar69

    Already got an X-box HD DVD so bought a blu ray rom for my PC, got films on both formats and couldn't tell the difference, both seem to be pretty much the same. Can't wait for TF2 as i watched it with my 4 year old son who loved it and has had his imagination for cinema fired up, takes me back to the days of dragging my parents to ROTJ every day during holidays

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 12:11:57 PM CDT

    What's wrong with Microsoft?

    by no time for haters

    I don't understand why people hate Microsoft the way they do? If they paid $150 million to get Paramount exclusive to HD-DVD, isn't that just smart business. As we can see, HD-DVD is falling behind Blu-Ray, so they have to do something. If you were in their position, wouldn't you do the same if you had the money to do it? Besides, as was stated before, it's not like Sony hasn't done things to try and keep Blu-ray exclusive and above HD-DVD. Just look at the recent Fox/MGM news to see further proof of that.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 12:12:09 PM CDT

    I hate it when

    by ravenl0rd

    somebody says something and then retracts it. Does anybody else find it annoying?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 12:14:16 PM CDT

    mr. brownstone is exactly right

    by al bino

    There is no format war once they get the kinks worked out with dual format players. All this talk is a waste of time. Who's going to be an exclusive player when you can buy a dual format player for exactly the same price?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 12:15:54 PM CDT

    Transformers 2: Cocaine Decisions

    by stuntcock mike

    What a douche.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 12:16:03 PM CDT

    Yes... I hate that

    by darthmartel

    eh... not really I guess.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 12:20:53 PM CDT

    If It Weren't For Cocaine, Hollywood Couldn't Exist

    by laserpants

    It appears to be both the cause of and solution to, all of its problems. What a paradox!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 12:23:27 PM CDT

    Why this is different from Disney/Fox

    by hauptman

    Paramount switched in the middle of the game. Some poor jerk went out and bought a Blu-ray player, thinking he'll be able to see Paramount movies and then, a few months later, Paramount decided to say "FU" and stopped offering it to him. At least Disney and Fox let everyone know from the beginning that they were not going near HD DVD.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 12:28:13 PM CDT

    The really fucked up thing...

    by pdorwick

    ...is that Michael Bay might make another movie....and the really, really fucked up thing is that it's going to be another piece of shit Transformers movie. Christ

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 12:34:33 PM CDT

    I was going to post something intelligent here

    by atari

    but then I realised that all the good material had been taken.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 12:35:51 PM CDT

    Michael "Bipolar" Bay

    by mike_d

    is his new name.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 12:45:51 PM CDT

    whole hd thing not fun anymore I think I'm done

    by skiff

    It's just to hard on the head hometheatre was a fun relaxing hobby now its all turning to shit. Maybe I should just sell it all and just do torrents off the web. Find something new to do this shit is taking all the fun out of movies.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 12:46:45 PM CDT

    silentjay...

    by mcvamp

    You couldn't be more wrong. The internet has made porn in physical media obsolete. No trips to the Adult Bookstore. No making sure the wife doesn't find the box in your closet. No more setting up a P.O. box to recieve your goods. For a few bucks a month or even free (if you're savvy) there are lifetimes of hours worth of porn out there, all in the comfortable confines of your PC. Anyone with the "early adopter" mindset? 9 out of 10 times, if they're porn junkies, they discovered the joys of web porn long ago and never looked back. Porn on disc is going the way of music CDs, only faster.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 12:47:48 PM CDT

    NUTS to Them

    by electricdreams

    Hey who says speaking up and raising a stink doesnt make a difference, tell that to Nina Tassler over at CBS when they got all those cases of Nuts to save "Jericho", and CBS is under the umbrella of Viacom which also owns Paramount, so I say we send them cases of Blue Sting Rays...or something to make a stand, or maybe cases of spray-painted Blue Transformers!!! Cmon, who's with me people!!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 12:52:01 PM CDT

    DAMN YOU MICHAEL BAY!

    by the knight

    Someone had to say it!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 12:54:04 PM CDT

    The Studios are idiots

    by zenzer

    The Studio's are idiots for not trying to reach a mutual agreement regarding the support of ONE type of HD disc technology. Not doing so leaves the market in doubt and TONS of money on the table. Hollywood seems so focused on the almighty dollar that you would think they could get past their centrist egos for the sake of the cash. Sheesh.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 1:02:12 PM CDT

    I would waste probably a vhs for TF1...

    by lord_soth

    ...but being a cheap guy I won't.
    P.S.: There's no real format war, until Uncle George has not unleashed a HD Star Wars. Well, that won't happen anytime soon, so I'm just waiting for the budget combo players.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 1:05:34 PM CDT

    This whole flip-flopping

    by lionbiu

    This whole flip-flopping with Michael Bay is 100 times more entertaining than Transformers, I think I see why people like him soo much.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 1:07:09 PM CDT

    I think he's licking its balls

    by abominable snowcone

    Honestly, it was an okay flick. I enjoyed watching it. But it was also completely forgettable.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 1:08:21 PM CDT

    Paramount= STAR TREK!

    by cpt shaw

    As soon as heard the Paramount was going HD exclusive...my decision was made! I want the Star Trek:Remastered Box set...so that settles it for Me. Plus...I already own a Xbox 360...so I can pick up an HD Player for $199.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 1:12:12 PM CDT

    What about the whole Blockbuster going w/Blue Ray?

    by the dum guy

    I can't wait for the future (say five years from now) when we, the consumers, can actually choose a format that will last long enough for us not to worry about upgrading... No sir, I don't like it, it is almost like choosing a game console.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 1:13:32 PM CDT

    Trik_Ster

    by tehgreekhammer

    Toshiba did go ahead and pay 150 million to Paramount but thats only because they dont own any movie studios of their own like Sony does.

    If you ask my theyre just leveling the playing field a little bit.

    All the PS3 lovers really need to take a look at the number of quality games that are available for that piece of crap and admit to themselves that if mommy and daddy had only bought them a 360 instead, we wouldnt having this problem. Also now that Sonys exclusive deal with ROCKSTAR is over with we can now get the new Grand Theft Auto on the 360.
    oh and by the way.....





    HALO 3 BITCHES!!!!!!!!!!!!




    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 1:13:59 PM CDT

    I don't have an HD television

    by abominable snowcone

    And don't plan on getting one anytime soon. So I won't be splurging for BluGay or HD/DVD. I mean, are they REALLY that much better? Can your eyes truly discern a difference between a regular DVD and a BluRay? Has anyone done 'blind' studies where they show people a clip from the same film on the different formats on the same model TV and asked them to guess which was which? Even if there is a slightly noticable improvement, it's certainly not worth my paying an additional 10 bucks on top of what the 'regular' DVD would have cost. Thank God my right index finger is in good shape. I'll keep clickin' my mouse to download.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 1:17:00 PM CDT

    I will buy an hd-dvd player

    by huggerorange

    I will buy an hd-dvd player when they cost about 50-60$ at walmart...Eventhough transformers sucked a little, ill be seeing it again at the Imax..

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 1:22:18 PM CDT

    It'll look just like all his other movies.

    by chriss

    Jesus, Bay's directorial style is so predictable. Transformers was a mediocre movie at best. The goofy parents were so cliche and unrealistic. And the patriotic, broad sweeping shots and the closeups... god I saw this movie before it was called Amageddon or was it Independence Day?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 1:34:58 PM CDT

    Transformers 2

    by series7

    I don't care about HD and Blu Ray, I own a Wii and it doesn't play either. I'll wait for them to cancel each other out.
    But seriously the only way Transformers 2 will be good is if its set like way in the future when pretty much all the humans are gone and Transformers rule Earth. That and Anthony Anderson, Jon Voight, and John Turturro are not allowed back because they were horrible. Those 3 were the reason transformers was so blah when it could've been good. Whats worse is that they are all three actors with a decent track record and should have known better and I blame them for ruining the movie because Bay will be Bay. But those three knew better. Plus Shia LaBeouf was the only one who took this movie seriously and next to the special effects made the movie watchable. Between The Karate Dog, Bratz and this I think shows that Jon Voight just doesn't care anymore.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 1:37:28 PM CDT

    One good scratch on your hddvd disc and its trash

    by skiff

    Thats why bluray has a none scratch coating. Do you think paramount will replace your fucked disc. There is 30 gig of micro info on a disc very easy to damage

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 1:40:55 PM CDT

    I wouldn't see Transformers 2 in BlowJob-o-Vision

    by badmrwonka

    where Rebecca Romijn popped up under my seat and mouth-humped me while I watched.I'd rather spend $10 to watch a tootheless midget ride a dog like a horse in Tijuana. at least they would have better character development...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 1:46:58 PM CDT

    Transformers was an OK Film,,,,

    by c.k. lamoo

    Until the bots started talking. Dialogue that sounds cool to an eight year old in a cartoon show sounds really pretentious in a feature length movie. Besides, there were way too many "He'd be dead" moments.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 1:49:12 PM CDT

    One advantage of Blue Ray losing the battle

    by pelos_locos

    is that the PS3 would have to be re-released without the Blue Ray drive and that should bring the price down to about half the current price, and I would finally be able to afford it.
    Didn't any body notice the xbox 360 transformation in the Transformers movie? That was a clear indication that microsoft = HD-DVD was already involved with Bay/Paramount. I don't really know what the whole Bay deal was about. Was this only an opportunity for M Bay to get back on the spotlight? Me think so.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 1:54:13 PM CDT

    I want to sex my PS3

    by mooseaka

    They just announced that PS3 is going to have peripheral that will turn it into a DVR (including HD). It's going to be out in Europe early '08 and presumably US eventually.
    I have a PS3 and love it. I only have two games (Resistance/Tiger '07) and one Blu-Ray movie (the gorgeous Fifth Element remastered), but I'm on the PS3 almost every day adding digital photos which look awsome my 50 inch DLP 1080p TV, adding my music, surfing the net (because my computer is upstairs on the other side of the house), or downloading games and trailers from the PSN. I also sold my upconverter DVD player because it does that too. Call me a fanboy, hack, plant, whatever, but you really can't beat that for $500, and I can't imagine paying $300 for a HD DVD player or a $500 Blu Ray player than ONLY plays movies.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 1:56:41 PM CDT

    BadMrWonka

    by darthmartel

    I really have to call into question any man's sanity who would turn down a Rebecca Romijn hummer while watching a movie. Hell, I'd even watch Titanic again if it meant I'd get her services for the full duration of the flick.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 1:58:09 PM CDT

    MCVamp..pPhysical porn is NOT dead...

    by darthtarter

    I know because as I started to write this I got interrupted twice. Once for a $40 mag sale and once for $30 of just rentals...in the span of a couple of minutes. The store I work at used to be a nice little magazine/video store that had a few porn mags and movies. Now we have dumped the magazines/newspapers and only carry new releases while nearly 90% of our business comes from porn related sales. And we do even not carry toys or have viewing rooms. We do double the business we used to. While I agree these people are stupid and one day in the future physical porn may indeed be obsolete, calling a multi-billion dollar business dead as we speak is simply inaccurate.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 2:02:25 PM CDT

    scratched HD-DVDs

    by shanedugg2000

    In all fairness, I bought Planet Earth off amazon... when it arrived, one HD had gotten the crap kicked out of it during shipping and even though it was heavily scratched, it still works great. I also own a Ps3 and bluray is amazing - Black Hawk Down is awesome in Blu Ray. Then again, the Big Lebowski is awesome in HD-DVD. I can't imagine not owning both at this point and don't care who wins, really. One thing is for certain, just because I download music, doesn't mean I will download movies. I like owning my cinema and having shelves full of it. So long live HD and Blu ray!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 2:05:38 PM CDT

    Porn Exlusively on HDDVD = R.I.P. for Blu Ray

    by bill brasky

    Sorry Blu-Heads, that's just the cold, cruel reality of the sex-fueled market. Sony will continue to stay away from Porn, and HD-DVD will eventually win the Hi-Def wars. Just like VHS defeated the arguably superior Beta Max. Stop drinking the Blu Kool Aid and join me. Together, we can defeat the PS3 and rule the galaxy together...with our XBOX 360s....

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 2:06:36 PM CDT

    TF was badass

    by bagsalad

    on a par with Back to the Future, Jurassic Park. Its visual masturbation. There will always be a tangible format for movies and music. Nerds have to get a deluxe edition with Frodo bookends some fuckin how.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 2:07:20 PM CDT

    Isn't this Bay's problem? He cares more about the tech

    by big bad clone

    His bombing of Pearl Harbor was mostly him humping his own cameras rather than showing a tragic attack on the US (or a ballsy move by the Japanese).And that Transformers movie was like him sodomizing Bumblebee and then wiping his shit-stained dick on the Transformers covers I had when I was in 5th grade. I knew it would suck but I at least hoped it would have cool looking robots fighting. Motherfucker couldn't even get that right. He was too busy making sure the lighting on Megan Fox's narrow ass wqas just so that we'd forget that she's just an average skank and the sound of Anthony Anderson's screams were at just the right pitch as to set back civil rights 30 years. Fuck you, Bay, fuck you right in your Blu Ray Disc slot.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 2:08:45 PM CDT

    Can anyone remember what

    by lionbiu

    Can anyone remember what happened to Shia's parents in Transformers?!?! Also what happened to the latino soldier, or the hackers or jon voight....not that I care, it's just been bugging me.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 2:12:00 PM CDT

    Do people still buy physical

    by lionbiu

    Do people still buy physical porn?? Why? I though limewire, emule and all the other P2P download systems stop that and after downloading soo much porn I just got bored of it.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 2:14:41 PM CDT

    This fucking close to getting Bay off TRANSFORMERS 2...

    by spyguy

    Dammit, Michael Bay can't even bail on a new mega-franchise without fucking it up! Looks like another effects-heavy, story-light, overdesigned hip-hop Autobot TRANSFORMERS flick is on the way. Woo.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 2:18:31 PM CDT

    he's a SONY whore. what did you expect?

    by mrdinky

    Almost all of Bay's movies are SONY or Disney, which are both bluray exclusive. Even most of the stuff he produces is WB/New Line, which also does bluray. That's the one and ONLY reason he reacted the way he did. He stands to make more money off of bluray.
    FYI: bluray only has slightly better specs than HD-DVD and many more caveats (such as the porn and the fact that SONY won't cut unrated discs).

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 2:23:34 PM CDT

    Action Secretary of Defense, Jon Voight's fate

    by big bad clone

    They killed the annoying boombox robot with his own ninja star thing (I think, the fucking camera was moving too much). Then they got on the radio to call in that helicopter to go to LA. He's shown later walking around some overshot military command thingy. Shia's parents did some cute UFO interview thing on TV. It wasn't funny. Latino soldier had no epilouge. Maybe he survived that street fight but who the fuck could tell what was going on? As far as I could tell, the streets were jammed with metal tumblweeds and explosions.Hackerzzzzz joind the NSA. But I'm having trouble recalling why they were important to begin with.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 2:25:41 PM CDT

    Damn, I thought it was to good to be true.........

    by yoda's ball sack

    Thought Mikey Bay was out and a real director would take over..........

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 2:30:00 PM CDT

    The Hackers=

    by mcvamp

    Excue to cram another hot piece of female ass, and a dash of sassy black comic relief. Other than that, the whole hacker thing was goddamn pointless. But then so was the whole movie. Lots of purty robots and hot Megan Fox, though. And I stand corrected about physical porn, but the internet gave it a HUGE punch in the gut. I get mine free and streaming, baby!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 2:31:14 PM CDT

    Oh yea......

    by yoda's ball sack

    Blu Ray all the way baby.........!!!!!
    HD-DVD= dead.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 2:32:59 PM CDT

    Abominable

    by skimn

    I don't have an HD tv either. It's a good ol 27 inch Sony Vega that I'm perfectly happy with. And standard DVD's look just fine. It's when you start getting into 37 and 42 and 56 or whatever inch screens that resolution becomes a factor. I guess in this instance ignorance is bliss, cause I understand HD is noticably better. When I do splurge for a HD tv, I think I'll just spend about 50 bucks for a standard DVD player with an upconverter, which I understand works very nicely. Not like studios will stop making standard DVDs any time soon. Oh and to echo the cry since I've not seen MCMMVII-whatever around lately....Damn You Michael Bay.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 2:37:45 PM CDT

    This just in!

    by billypilgrim

    Sasquatch has chosen HD-DVD! Earlier this week we found out Yeti's chose Blu-Ray. Will the world be able to survive this clash if the titans? Up next....just what is this internets thing?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 2:39:09 PM CDT

    Gene Roddenberry chooses holodecks and here's why....

    by reasonaxe

    Let's abandon movies in general and invent god damned virtual reality and holodecks and start creating our own virtual adventures that we can star in ourselves

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 2:39:17 PM CDT

    The winner will always be DVD. Nobody has HD TV's.

    by tallboy66

    We're all too lazy and cheap to convert en-masse. And keep telling us about the switch to HD Television streams. That'll happen sometime in the next decade. Right. Sure. I'll probably get a Blu-Ray player if/when I buy a PS3, but that'll be it. Enjoy Laserdic 2.0 and we'll see you at the next format upgrade.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 2:39:19 PM CDT

    TRANSFORMERS II: TAKING IT FROM BEHIND

    by brokentusk

    I'm in the "can't give a crap either way" camp about Bay returning to direct. Same shit, different day.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 2:40:29 PM CDT

    Shoot for the edit

    by kwisatzhaderach

    This is basically Bay's problem in a nutshell. If he conceptualised his sequences and shot only what he needed, instead of 100 different variations and angles, his movies might actually be watchable.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 2:50:40 PM CDT

    One format to rule them all

    by thunderbolt ross

    They call it DVD.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 2:52:45 PM CDT

    thanks for the info, now I

    by lionbiu

    thanks for the info, now I never have to see Transformers again.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 3:21:04 PM CDT

    I wish Bay was off a Transformers Sequel

    by bilboring

    The first one sucked balls. Honestly, how could anyone call it a good movie? It was horrible.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 3:23:40 PM CDT

    since when did some drunkin' MB quote become COOL NEWS?

    by future help

    geeeshh! this site needs to take a good look at it's past greatness.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 3:24:36 PM CDT

    well, past goodness.

    by future help

    never great...just the concept.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 3:27:34 PM CDT

    Everyone will need an HDTV by 2009

    by blwiseass

    February 17, 2009 is the day that broadcasters stop using analog signals. SO less than 2 years and everyone will either have an HDTV or won't watch any television other than their old VHS and DVD's

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 3:47:30 PM CDT

    No Blu-Ray, huh? Funny..

    by kragmose

    You'd think Bay would wanna squeeze as much money as he can out of this movie. I'm still refusing to watch it, so as a Blu-Ray user, I'm actually glad it's not coming!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 3:51:06 PM CDT

    Bummer!

    by ninpobugei

    I was hoping Bay would be out so we could get a decent sequel rather than another hard-to-watch bout of mindless drivel. As for HD-DVD vs. Blu Ray, anyone jumping onboard this bandwagon isn't too bright...direct downloads or media akin to jump drives are going to beat out the disc media long before HD-DVD or Blu Ray ever really get going. Who wants a disc that scratches and takes up as much space as the old DVD's? I'm saving my dollars for the next wave. HD-DVD and Blu Ray were old news before they started...so why is AintItCool promoting them so heavily? It's a huge waste of money!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 3:52:49 PM CDT

    If there is a transformers 2....

    by knifeandfork

    ...i really hope the action is shot properly. When watching transformers, i really had to squint to see any of the action sequences, they were so poorly shot and over edited that i couldnt make out what the fuck was going on . Whats the fuckin point of spending so much money on big action sequences if the audience cant see them? Isnt giant robots fighting each other meant to be the main attraction of this franchise ? Judging by the piss poor camera work and editing, it doesnt seem that way....

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 3:56:50 PM CDT

    "the tiny high definition market was being divided"

    by jfp2007

    "Hey, Eckhart!!! Think about the future!!!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 3:58:07 PM CDT

    ninpobugei

    by jfp2007

    Sorry, non-media whatever is never gonna happen or at least not for a very long time. The regular Joe Blow is going to hold that up, and I'm glad.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 4:04:00 PM CDT

    jfp2007

    by ninpobugei

    I disagree...direct downloads are being taken on by cable companies, phone companies, the internet, etc. Also, discs are NOT the only media. Digital drives are FAR better storage devices than discs, which scratch and take up space. Sorry, I wouldn't spend a single penny on high-def discs. Why spend money on DVD's...then replace those with high-def DVD's...then digital storage drives or whatever? A huge stupid waste of money for the ignorant.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 4:04:18 PM CDT

    Transformers - haters in disguise

    by dogstar69

    strange thing about this talk back is that probably half of the haters paid to go and see transformers at the cinema knowing they were going to hate it, and probably enjoyed it, but got caught up in their own vitriol that they are living in denial, finding it easier to be cool and bitch about it

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 4:07:50 PM CDT

    s0nicdeathmonkey

    by jfp2007

    You don't have to re-buy your 350 DVDs. There's this thing called DVD upscaling which makes your DVDs look fantastic on an HDTV. Of course, it's not going to be as crisp as true HD content, but it looks better than before we had upscaling.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 4:10:39 PM CDT

    ninpobugei 2

    by jfp2007

    See my prevous to s0nicdeathmonkey. The layman doesn't have time to fool around with all that non-media nonsense and the tech behind it. They don't understand it or care. They like to hold that disc in their hand, and downloadable content will only be a fashion trend for the techies. It has nothing to do with being ignorant.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 4:12:48 PM CDT

    ...and to add...

    by jfp2007

    ...and yes one day downloadable content will be the norm, but it won't be for many years and I'm talking at least a decade. I'm meaning the "norm" not what we have now or may have in a couple of years. I'll take my chances with physical media. It's the same thing and I can hold it in my hand. When I'm absolutely forced to go the download route (and I'll be an old man by the time that happens), I'll change over if need be.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 4:20:24 PM CDT

    BLWiseass

    by skimn

    Yes, but that only covers transmitted signal from the networks. I believe anyone with cable will be safe, as that signal will have converters, and I believe converter boxes will be available.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 4:25:53 PM CDT

    damn, my hopes were almost

    by jaylerd

    damn, my hopes were almost up. the only way i'll see transformers 2 is if michael bay has nothing to do with it. oh well. they'll still make a bajillion dollars off of the retards who loved the first one.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 4:31:11 PM CDT

    For the last time....

    by darthtarter

    YES people still buy physical porn. Tons of it! Yes, you can get free porn on the internet. You can get free movies on the internet as well, but people still turn Tuesday mornings to get their new releases, don't they? Believe it or not, lots of these guys are not online. Some of them can't sit in their living rooms and jack it while the kids are watching Dora 3 feet away. Some just like the idea of having the porn dvd to watch at their leisure. And others like having the mags, which for the life of me I can't believe sell for the prices they do. But dammit the biz is alive and well. The fact that I DO have a HD-TV, PS3 & XBox 360 is BECAUSE porn still sells!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 4:31:19 PM CDT

    Not to mention that the FCC

    by tehgreekhammer

    Has been claiming that all TVs will have to be HD capable by the year 2000, then it was 2004, Now its 2009.



    Whatever.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 4:36:12 PM CDT

    Thanks to you fools who watched Bayformers

    by toby___wong

    Bay bought Hogan's Miami Mansion for 18 million dollars. Only in America.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 4:37:12 PM CDT

    F^@K Blu-Ray, F^@K HD!!

    by jhol497

    I'm waiting for the super-capacity USB Flash Drives in 2020 for all my movies. Did I mention I'm from the future?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 4:49:04 PM CDT

    Transformers 2...

    by jimmy rabbitte

    ...featuring: nipples on the flames on Optimus...

    ...with real Transformer farts in "Scratch and Sniff-o-Vision."

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 4:58:50 PM CDT

    BAY IS AN ARROGANT IDIOT

    by havehope

    Cant believe the TF fans that are accepting this dumbo back. He just said 'NO TRANSFORMERS FOR ME!!' Like people actually care. Let him leave, and let a better director come. Bay deserves all the hate he gets. He brings it on himself.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 5:10:40 PM CDT

    gaaahey

    by zach_talks_back

    i think all the people who are buying hd/blueray movies right now are morons who like wasting money. Sure it looks nice, but who really cares. everyone I know or have met at work who has a HD player, some plasma/lcd hdtv or a PS3 has to keep reminding themselves and their freinds that they own it.To justify the purchase on their newly opened Best Buy card that they will be paying for the next 5 years while the hd format war finaly ends. "Hey man come over and watch Departed in HD man" Why. I mean how much clearer do you need matt damons mole to be?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 5:12:02 PM CDT

    Fuck, this is the worst news I've heard all month

    by photoboy

    Now we're going to get TINO 2: More kewl exploshuns! Still, now that Bay has raped the classic designs with his scrap metal designs any sequel would have sucked anyway, unless a new director found some way to have all the original designs come back.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 5:15:17 PM CDT

    Last for a bit!!!

    by spidercheek

    ooooh my first post!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 5:29:29 PM CDT

    TINO2: the crap metal designs.

    by mrdinky

    oddly enough, that was the first thing I noticed when I looked into TRANSFORMERS, and tbh, the designs didn't bother me at all really. sure, they could have been better, and bumblebee's face looking like a scuba diver was not a positive. but overall, the look wasn't one of the movie's many many problems. the action shots of two robots rolling around like a metal ball and the insulting gags (a transformer pees on someone to voice its disapproval? come on!) and a series of pointless, driveling "supporting" characters and subplots, and the basic attitude that the IQ of the average viewer will be 80 or lower were its problems. looking like Bionicle turned out not to be an issue at all as far as I'm concerned.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 5:38:12 PM CDT

    The Guy That WIll Make The Most

    by colier rannd

    Money will be the first to offer a dual-format player for under $200. He'll make so much it'll be ridiculous. Problem is (as has been stated) the tvs. No one is gonna put out over a thousand dollars for an HDTV. Especially in this economy with a shithead Republican in the white house.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 5:42:03 PM CDT

    Hated Transformers

    by hallmitchell

    And I love transformers.
    The movie is so terrible. Optimus saying " My bad ". The tacky masturbation scene. The Transformers being cameo players in their own movie. The very annoying Shia. The flash away from the action camera technique.

    I just don't get how people say they enjoyed this movie.
    Amongst my friends. People tell me to lighten up. Don't take it so seriously.

    I don't know anymore. At least rap album sales are down.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 6:16:54 PM CDT

    They should do a reimagining of Transformers..

    by mrtwig48

    ...with Rob Zombie as the director. Well, this isn't a serious comment, but it would be a step up. Hell Brett ratner might be a step up and he sucks too.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 6:17:12 PM CDT

    Just choose HDDVD and now lets move on!!

    by wadi77

    I mean, I'm tired of this. HDDVD is cheaper, so they win. At my work place I can test both formats on a 1080p TV, and I can tell you the quality between a HDDVD and a 50GB Blu-ray is about the same!For HD disc, the most important thing is that it can hold a 1080p video, that's it.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 6:20:16 PM CDT

    Ha!

    by spastic jedi

    Ha! I have put out over a thousand dollars on a HDTV, and it was because of this Economy and obvioulsy the Republican President.
    It's funny, if you work full time at a good job you can afford all sorts of cool stuff!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 6:33:34 PM CDT

    No Bay on TF2 = Greatest News Of All Time

    by spencey7

    No fucking awful designs, no shitty editing, no cheesey sunsets and no tremendous, improvised "comedy". With Kurtzman and Orci turning down the sequel we might even get a decent script/story!!! Can this franchise be saved, and become what it was supposed to be...?
    Probably not.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 6:35:25 PM CDT

    P.S....

    by spencey7

    Typical of Bay to be a whiny bitch about it.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 6:45:37 PM CDT

    Joe Rogan says porn is not a factor

    by chrighton

    Who the fuck buys porn on disc anymore? Who would want hidef porn for that matter? Scars, stretchmarks, pimples, etc. If you have to just buy a DVD version and play it on either HDDVD/Blu-ray, they both play DVDs just fine and the upscaling will soften the horrorshow that hidef reveals.

    Oh, and Blu-ray FTW.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 6:51:34 PM CDT

    Spastic

    by skimn

    Unfortunately I spend all my money on drugs and alcohol to forget about the economy and Republican Administration.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 7:01:22 PM CDT

    HD is still a small market

    by dazzler69

    I don't know anybody with HD players yet. They have barely begun with HD tv's.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 7:10:14 PM CDT

    Awww FUCK NO!!!!

    by doc_strange

    Why oh why is this asshole allowed to make movies? Why don't you go and fuck up someone else's beloved franchise and leave Transformers alone?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 7:39:00 PM CDT

    Waiting for the dual reader

    by lfhlaw

    Maybe someone will come out with a dual reader then i won't have to worry about it.

    So far i'm still buying DVDs

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 7:55:43 PM CDT

    Paramount just prolonged the format war

    by cymbol

    indefinately. Hi-def will never be accepted now as this "war" is gauranteed to go on for years now. Microsoft wins. Congrats Paramount.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 8:01:46 PM CDT

    OPTIMUS PRIME CHOSE BLU-RAY AND HERE'S WHY .......... ,

    by bringingsexyback

    It's flame-resistant. hee? hee

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 8:02:25 PM CDT

    Eva Mendes = NOT HOT

    by bringingsexyback

    It needs to be said everywhere.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 8:03:08 PM CDT

    Michael Bay chooses Brawndo

    by wed vid guy

    Because electrolytes are what Transformers crave.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 8:07:02 PM CDT

    Whoa, whoa, slow down. Sony won't cut UNRATED discs?

    by immortal_fish

    I read this back up there. ^^ Sorry TB'er, but I forgot your handle.Is this true? And you so-called self-respecting movie buffs are backing this crap?Immortal_Fish has chosen HD-DVD, and THIS is why...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 8:10:29 PM CDT

    BringingSexyBack, re: Eva Mendes

    by immortal_fish

    Aw, gimme a break. You'd really kick her out of bed for eating crackers? That's like BadMrWonka claiming that he wouldn't endure a Rebbecca Romjin blowjob if it meant having to watch Bay's TF2.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 8:17:42 PM CDT

    Immortal, honestly, she is not all that

    by bringingsexyback

    For a Latina, she is seriously dime-a-dozen. I much prefer Roselyn Sanchez (for full-on Latina hotness) and Jessica Alba (for that mixed flavor). But no man would kick her out of bed, that would be stupid. But that's a different issue altogether.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 8:59:58 PM CDT

    hey BSB is Roslyn Sanchez

    by phategod2

    that chick from Boat trip I Downloaded a few weeks ago just to her And My girl was all like "why did you Down load that" and I'm like "I heard it was pretty funny". By the By BSB you seem like a man about town what do you think of the host of "On the Lot" Adrianna Costa she pretty hot if you missed the show just do a Google Image search.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 9:14:17 PM CDT

    Someone answer this: what about regular dvd?

    by warcraft

    Will TF2 still come out on regular dvd?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 9:51:09 PM CDT

    HD, Blue-Ray... the shit is still shit

    by br1947

    No matter the format, that was a god-awful movie.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 9:51:56 PM CDT

    HD will win out over blue ray for one reason...

    by sir not

    Porn. HD-DVD has it, Blue ray don't. You know you all want to see every pimple and bit of stubble on that skank's ass as you spank it. It's why VHS won out over Beta, despite Beta being the better format.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:21:08 PM CDT

    The only people mad at this deal

    by snukadaman

    Are ps3 owners who justify their purchase of a "gaming" machine that plays terrible versions of multi platform games that only use it as a movie player.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:21:10 PM CDT

    It's funny that Bay cares about...

    by vern

    ...providing to the consumer the highest resolution version of his movie, but DOES NOT care about providing the visual information from shot to shot that communicates a story.
    And by the way, if there's one thing those god damn robots don't need it's MORE detail! People will probaly go blind looking at it on HD.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:24:28 PM CDT

    Coked Up Late Night Blogging...

    by robzass

    ...can make you say things you will regret.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 10:29:25 PM CDT

    It's all B.S. anyway...

    by vettebro

    There was always going to be a Michael Bay Transformers 2. Didn't you guys see the end of the first movie? It doesn't get anymore obvious than that. This who talkback is a waste of time...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:08:09 PM CDT

    DOES IT MATTER?

    by bigblackdude

    Unless Bay has become a better filmmaker it'll be the same bull shit. Blu-Ray, ha. Shit is shit. Being able to see the microbes on a turd does not make it smell better.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:19:00 PM CDT

    I already saw Transformers in HD at the theater...

    by burnhollywood

    ...Or at least, with a digital projector, which is like a top-end Plasma TV on elephant testosterone. The verdict? Aside from being dazzled by the sight of Megan Fox's crystal-clear armpit stubble, the movie still sucked ass. You can't polish a turd.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:28:06 PM CDT

    The format is not the issue.

    by shan

    What is the issue is; why don't they actually make films people want to watch?/why don't they make films that are actually any good?

    The number of good films lately has been rather thin on the ground, in my opinion ...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:31:07 PM CDT

    Poor, Poor Vern

    by alpha trion

    You dont get it do you? Ive been watching the box office results the last couple months and I know it kills almost everyone on this board but Transformers is one of the biggest movies this summer. everyone I talked to loved it, Ill admit I wish it wouldve been better, but for the beginning of a franchise, it did its job. Its still bigger than Harry Potter was this year, its going to overtake Pirates 3 overall and Spiderman 3 is probably the only movie that will make more money by the end of this year. I hate to use profits as a selling point, but thats what hollywood looks at and thats what determines who will get the big money to do another. I only wish michael bay would leave so we could get a good story for number 2 and not just an army/gm car commercial.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:34:25 PM CDT

    Michael Bay = Pussy

    by marvel1967

    What a fuckn' fence riding asswipe.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:36:12 PM CDT

    hmmm

    by slkboxrman

    all i have to say is, that HD-DVD is the better format anyway and far more accessible than BluRay.... bluRay players are over-expensive and only a small percentage of studios are even putting out movies on blu-ray

    im just glad bay is still doing the movie

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 22, 2007 11:45:41 PM CDT

    Funniest thing ever...perfect for Talkback

    by zacdilone

    Check it out: http://tinyurl.com/32hkmm

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 12:35:50 AM CDT

    PORN DID NOT DECIDE THE BETA VS VHS WAR

    by slappy jones

    it is a complete myth based on the supposed fact that sony wouldn't allow porn to be put on beta...and that is easily dispelled by the fact that porn was readily available on beta throughout the 80's. you can go and see a ton of titles on e bay.
    it is a complete lie. I know it make a for a great fable but it is complete shit....there were much more realistic factors involved such as tape lengths, user friendliness - sonys caginess and stupidity being slow with licensing companies with their technology and as the home video market boomed people looked elsewhere - to the cheaper and easier to make VHS. There are a whole heap of reasons why vhs won and Porn I am sorry was not one of them.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 12:53:04 AM CDT

    Michael Bay to Blu Ray ala Tony Montana via his blog

    by snakesonabicycle

    You wanna play rough!? No more Transformers for anybody! I'll play! I'll play rough! You wanna see 300!? You wanna see it on HD!?? It's fucking beautiful man, it's fucking beautiful. And I don't care if they hear, cause you wanna know why I can't get Blu Ray pregnant? Cause it's belly is all rotten, and barren inside! Cause it costs $700 fucking dollars for one. Cause it's a whore! Cause it's a whoooooooore!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 1:15:07 AM CDT

    I want Blu-Ray to win because...

    by johnno

    I'm going to purchase a PS3 to play MGS4. And if blu-ray ios out there kicking ass then that means mroe movies for me. It's nice and convenient. And I want what's convenient for me. I don't care about any of you... You picked HD-DVD? Too bad... you will have to lose for my comfort. I demand you!And as for the whole stupid porn argument. Porn is releasing on both formats. Sony staying away from porn? Then how come porn is releasing all over in Japan on blu-ray and freakin UMD? Anyway if the whole porn community crashes and burns at the center of the earth tomorrow, it wouldn't make a difference to my day. Well maybe it would... but only for the better.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 1:25:13 AM CDT

    Anyway the deal with paramount isn't all that...

    by johnno

    It's supposedly exclusive for 18 months, almost 2 years, and doesn't include the Spielberg films. Honestly, 150 mil just landing in your lap for practically nothing is very tasty. I bet money that they won't release shit other than big bankable titles like Transformers, but I wouldn't expect them to rev up HD-DVD production either. Just a handful of titles so Toshiba has some kind of desperate newsworthy announcement on this year, their make or break holiday... Paramount will sit tight with few HD-DVD releases that should sell nicely, btu they know that despite blu-ray's enivitable win, HD sales will still not be lucrative enough for the next few years. And by then things should be better, blu-ray will eventually be the leader by a wide margin anyway, and they'll start doing blu-ray titles as well adn flooding the market with it. It'll save them time and money even if they fall behind a little. DVD will be more than enough to get them through. Why this is good for me? Sony will try harder and cut costs quicker, and hopefully next summer the PS3 will be another $100 less. The winner in the end is me. Now I'm going to go stare at more game trailers coming out at LGC this week.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 2:28:21 AM CDT

    Screw HD DVD & Blue Ray

    by d o o d

    I'm developing a system whereby you can use your old record player to play movies. I'v devised a system whereby I can record an entire 90 minutes movie onto 6 Vinyls (double sided off course).....The quality of the image is shit, 4:3 ratio, stereo and features dynamic crackles during play.

    WHO'S IN...??

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 3:03:57 AM CDT

    Transformers is coming out on regular DVD, right?

    by mrmysteryguest

  • Aug 23, 2007 3:41:22 AM CDT

    Flake.

    by deanamatronix

    And a hack. Good lord.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 3:51:17 AM CDT

    Michael Bay

    by newc0253

    I can see that a director would care strongly about (i) reaching a wide an audience as possible and (ii) having his films look as good as possible on DVD.

    Even Michael Frakking Bay.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 4:04:54 AM CDT

    TRANSFORMERS 2: MORE LIKE THE CARTOON...

    by monkey_king

    That would help and please find a better voice actor for Starscream who was waaayyyyyy underused.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 4:53:00 AM CDT

    i dont

    by jimjom

    careabout what format it comes out on. i just want to see the god danm fucking movie in the theater.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 5:46:46 AM CDT

    I just don't want

    by deathpool

    Sony to control the format. They're stupid. I don't trust them.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 7:01:26 AM CDT

    Yes! Our Very First Transformers 2 Talkback!

    by rickey henderson

    My nipples are now hard.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 7:01:56 AM CDT

    jimjom

    by giant ape balls

    Trust me, you don't.

    Watch it on a small screen and maybe you can work out what the hell is going on.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 7:26:32 AM CDT

    Does this meant that...

    by bill brasky

    Transformers 2 will be a Michael Bay directed Robo-Porn movie, shot on HD cameras exclusively released on Blu-Ray??? Money shots have to be transmission fluid...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 7:49:21 AM CDT

    Phate, yes Roselyn Sanchez was sucking that banana

    by bringingsexyback

    Funny scene. Never watched the lot, but just Googled Adriana Costa - if you check out Wiki her real name is Adriana Heber. She's Jewish, not Latina, and only changed her name because she 'looks' Hispanic? On the Jewish front, I would count Natalie Portman as God's Chosen Hottie.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 8:16:21 AM CDT

    BAY + TRANSFORMERS= MONEY

    by milak83

    So STFU Haters. Over $306+ Million Domestic and $354+ Million Worldwide.
    Way beyond what the shitty Animated version did in theaters.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 8:38:12 AM CDT

    This SHOULD be the ultimate TB! Come ON people!

    by half vader

    Maybe folks are tired after the craziness of the intitial Paramount Tb, but hell, this one's got the High-def war, hating Mikey Bay AND the G1 fanboyzzz. Where's the life?!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 8:44:00 AM CDT

    Oh. Maybe you're saving strength for the JLA mocap TB

    by half vader

    Man, talk about unleashing hell. Probably another day or so before that rumour hits AICN.

    And then you'll get the usual idiots who can't be bothered to read the posts of others and are all like "HEY GUYS! GUESS WHAT?!"... They are still posting year-old stuff like the HD-DVD porn advantage and BD disc pit silliness (cancelled out by the disc spinning slower), after all...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 9:29:49 AM CDT

    Bayformers 2: Child's Bay

    by turketron

    Imagine Baby Geniuses 2 crossed with Transformers. Teh awesome...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 9:33:32 AM CDT

    Those canceled Paramount Blu Ray titles are still

    by elgordo

    Available on Amazon for preorder. I ordered Blades of Glory just to see if it gets canceled at the last minute. To think that Paramount produced tons of Blu Rays that are just sitting in warehouses but refuse to release them because of this deal. I hope MS paid them for those discs as well. Or maybe they'll release them when the contract is up. I'm sure some of them will get out and go for big bucks on ebay.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 9:47:43 AM CDT

    New LG Player plays both formats

    by reload

    So don't worry and just pick one up. Yea, it's expensive. But we don't have to worry about who wins the format war. Check Circuit City.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 10:03:44 AM CDT

    Porn and Blu-Ray

    by kevinwillis.net

    Vivid, one of the biggest porn studios, is producing plenty of Blu-Ray titles. Digital Playground, another huge porn purveyor, has announced Blu-Ray titles. There's going to be no shortage of Blu-Ray porn. People who want to say porn is going to be HDDVD exclusive is smoking crack. I also tend to think porn didn't make the difference in the past, and sure won't in the future. It can help drive adoption--that is, I'm sure there were plenty of people buy VHS or Beta players mainly so they could watch porn in the privacy of their home. Tons of money is spent on internet porn, which has probably helped drive increases in bandwidth and certainly given people careers they would otherwise not have had, but I think there would be an internet without porn, there would have been VHS without porn and DVD, and there will be HD-DVD and Blu-ray without porn. And I'll say it again: Beta was never going to be used as a storage medium for computers and game consoles, where has Blu-ray will, and the maximum limit to the format is huge compared to HD-DVD, so even if it doesn't "win" the format wars, Blu-Ray isn't going anywhere. HD-DVD does a lot more to maximize and utilize existing technology and infrastructure, making it cheaper to build players and manufacture discs, so, chances are, HD-DVD is going to be around for a while, as well.
    I have prophesied the future.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 10:30:30 AM CDT

    Do people even watch 'professional' porn?

    by bringingsexyback

    I only like amateur stuff. And it's free.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 10:47:13 AM CDT

    Blu-ray movies are just software for PS3's

    by gridrace

    Visited 2 Sam’s Club locations in my area yesterday and noticed they both had nice displays in the DVD dept. promoting HD-DVD players around $250 and HD-DVD movies around $14-$25 bucks. However, I didn’t see any blu-ray discs. When I went to the video game area I noticed that the blu-ray movies were mixed in with the PS3 games. I asked a lady putting out stuff why they had done this and she said the Blu-rays are considered software for the PS3’s. That was too funny! And just for the record I think both formats are great, but I won’t be buying either one because I am sure which ever one I pick will be the one that dies out first.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 10:58:36 AM CDT

    Isn't there a player that plays both?

    by jackalcack

    Or aren't they working on making one or something? Or did I just imagine that.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 11:20:06 AM CDT

    Good!

    by cuervojones

    He stays away from real movies!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 12:53:39 PM CDT

    I keep hearing people say Porn will decide the winner

    by tvguy4566

    Does that mean that neither side will win and the next generation of HD movie viewing will be streamed on the Internet. Not that I follow the industry, but porn video sales are in the toilet. People are not buying video/DVDs like they used to because they can get it cheaper and faster on the Internet or the many PPV channels that are exclusively porn. This isn't the 80s where porn had a big influence on the battle between VHS and Betamax was influential factor in a burgeoning industry.
    Besides, I assume HD DVDs in porn cost an arm and a leg. I wonder how many people will choose HD DVD over regular DVD for their porn. The only people who are buying any mainstream high def DVDs are moviephiles and PS3 owners. I can't see a lot of people upgrading to a higher definition DVD player just to get better quality porn than they can get with their DVDs. There isn't the jump from DVD to HD DVD or Blu Ray as it was from peepshows to VHS or VHS to DVD. I think people are overrating the influence of porn on this particular war.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 3:06:49 PM CDT

    Well, at least this whole story is good for a laugh.

    by a goonie

    For a second, it sounded like this story might be an intriguing, if not entirely silly, chapter in the ongoing Format War. Then it turns out that Michael Bay was tipsy and hopped up on HD-DVD bashing and made a goofy post on his blog. Oh well. For a moment it looked like we just might get a Bay-less Transformers flick, but alas, it was not to be. I'm not at all surprised. If it wasn't Bay retracting his comments, then something would have been put in motion to keep him in the franchise. Like him or not, the guy made a $150 million movie that has grossed over $300 million domestically. In today's world of ever-ballooning budgets, $150 million is not much to spend on a hit as big as this one. I am not a fan of the finished product that Bay and co. came up with, but as soon as those numbers started pouring in, it was obvious that (a) there'd be a sequel and that (b) Bay would be behind it yet again. I don't think Bay is the biggest piece of shit director out there. Not at all. But I'm certainly not his biggest fan and I would love to see those giant fucking robots fucking shit up with a different director at the reins. Perhaps one day it'll happen...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 5:24:18 PM CDT

    Anyone want to lend me £800

    by elpaw

    for the LG BH100?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 5:25:46 PM CDT

    Why is it double the price in the UK?

    by elpaw

    $800 in the US.

    $1600 equivalent in the UK

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 23, 2007 7:38:07 PM CDT

    No TVguy, people were saying porn will decide over a

    by half vader

    YEAR ago, and things have moved on since then. But people are digging up old crap like that, anything to support their argument.

    While I'm of the mind that even though MS are using both HD camps as their playthings and waiting things out, I don't think that even the HD downloads we'd be getting from Xbox live or wherever will be anywahere near the compression quality of a disc for ages (hey, why do we get Star Trek in 720 instead of 1080? Easy, half the pixels! and what about ISP costs with that much data?), I agree the porn boat has sailed for the most part and it's online all the way. Super high-rez relatively low compression obviously isn't so important when everything's motion blurred due to "furious masturbation" or whatever that was Mori said!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 24, 2007 4:14:52 AM CDT

    Bay's real reason for being pissed off

    by lmoose

    The real reason Bay is upset is because part of the Paramount deal is that all of Speilberg's films will be released in both formats. I think Bay is pissed off he is not getting the same treatment.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 27, 2007 4:01:13 AM CDT

    Who cares what Bay's doing with shitfest 2?

    by football

    The first movie was so bad I get really worked up and want to smash someone's face in whenever it's mentioned. Bay IS the worst director to ever come out of Shoddywood and makes Ed Wood look like a friggin master. The only redeeming quality Shitfest 1 had was it's end titles.

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