Michael Bay is well-known for his use of explosions, helicopters, and sheer budgetary mayhem. But what is the breakdown, by movie, of the use of some of those factors? And which of the films managed to turn Bay’s excess into financial gain?
An infographic called The Formula for Complete and Utter Bayhem breaks it down. Check it out below. Read More »
Posted on Tuesday, August 9th, 2011 by Angie Han
Michael Bay may be best known as the guy who blows things up, but like any auteur, he’s got more than one signature move in his bag of tricks. Perhaps his second-favorite tool — after those big, loud, fantastically expensive explosions — is the slow-motion, low-angle, 360-degree shot. You know what I’m talking about: The character, who’s usually recovering from some earlier incident that’s landed him on the ground, looks off into the distance at something alarming and/or horrifying that we can’t see. As he comes to realize that shit has just gotten really real, the camera slowly revolves around him for dramatic effect.
This new supercut pulls together clips of Bay’s favorite shot while revealing what it is that has all these characters so riled up. (Hint: It’s another Bay staple.)
Posted on Thursday, January 6th, 2011 by Germain Lussier
Think of all the ridiculous, crazy things you’ve ever seen in science fiction movies: X-Wing Fighters flying through trenches, aliens bleeding acid blood, giant robots that transform into cars. Take all of those things into consideration and then realize this. NASA has named Roland Emmerich‘s film 2012 the least plausible science fiction movie ever made. They also made an inverse list, naming Andrew Niccol‘s Gattaca as the most plausible science fiction movie ever made. Want to know what else is on each list? You’ve gotta hit the jump. Read More »
IO9 has created a handy chart which shows which space movies feature the most common scientific mistakes. It might come as a surprise that Michael Bay’s Armageddon actually fares better than the Star Wars of Alien films. And it comes as no surprise that Apollo 13 and The Right Stuff have been graded a clean bill of accuracy. Hit the jump to see the entire chart.
Posted on Monday, November 30th, 2009 by Peter Sciretta
Goodie Bag has created a fantastic video called “Hollywood vs. New York”, featuring four decades of celluloid New York annihilation distilled into one musical montage. Watch the destruction now after the jump.
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Posted on Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 by Peter Sciretta
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen has just passed $600 million at the worldwide box office, despite mostly really bad reviews. This is nothing new. Mainstream audiences don’t listen to the critics, and big screen spectacle will almost always win over quality entertainment. Nothing was going to stop me from seeing the movie, not all the bad reviews in the world. It’s an event movie — and I needed to see it for myself. It should be noted that box office should never be looked at as an indication of the mainstream public’s thoughts on a movie (it sold tons of tickets so the mainstream public must’ve loved it) but only an indication of the hype (and in later weeks, possibly word of mouth).
The success of Transformers 2 got me thinking. What is the worst reviewed box office success of all time? Could it be Revenge of the Fallen? Find out what I’ve uncovered after the jump.
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Posted on Sunday, November 9th, 2008 by David Chen
The /Filmcast: After Dark is a recording of what happens right after The /Filmcast is over, when the kids have gone to bed and the guys feel free to speak whatever is on their minds. In other words, it’s the leftover and disorganized ramblings, mindfarts, and brain diarrhea from The /Filmcast, all in one convenient audio file. In this episode, Dave, Devindra, and Adam and reveal some of their favorite movie quotes, contemplate their own fanboy/girl-ism, point out Malcolm McDowell’s on-screen sexual deviancy, and discuss the shame of owning Michael Bay DVDs. Our colleague and friend Angie Han joins us to keep us on our toes.
Your voicemails (781-583-1993) and e-mails are always welcome. Join us on Monday at 9 PM EST / 6 PM PST as we review David Wain’s Role Models.
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Posted on Thursday, October 2nd, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
We’ve featured Jester and Jolin‘s incredible fan-created Transformers concept art in the past (The Dark Knight Tumbler, Trailblazer and Jetfire). Recently the duo created concept art based on the Armadillo, the space drilling vehicle from Michael Bay’s Armageddon. The new autobot apparently even has a myspace page.
