Entertainment Today and Beyond

More thoughts on TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen / TNT’s alien invasion series has a lead and Oliver Stone talks Wall Street 2

While the industry talk over the weekend was centered on the mammoth $390.4 million dollar five day worldwide take of Michael Bay’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, I can’t help but continue to shake my head at how disappointing the movie was. One of the things that sticks in my craw is the fact that Steven Spielberg, who is an exec-producer on the film, came out in an interview a month or so ago and said this was the best film of Michael Bay’s career. While I fully understand that Spielberg directed his own summer clunker (creatively) in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull last year, he’s also the man behind Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jaws, E.T and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I can’t believe for a second that he really meant what he said about Bay’s sequel. People can say what they want about Bay’s movies (I like a lot of them) but it’s hard to argue that “The Rock” isn’t a great action film and Transformers 2 is not. The Rock is Bay’s BEST movie. 

While I fully understand Spielberg has a financial stake in the Transformers movie franchise and he obviously wants to help promote it, someone with his reputation shouldn’t come out with a statement that strong unless he really believes it. At least that’s my opinion. If he can’t deduce that Revenge of the Fallen is a hollow shell of the first Transformers movie no one can. Still, with this kind of box-office, Paramount is most likely brainstorming how fast they can get a third film in the franchise into production and strike while the iron is hot. Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox are reportedly signed for a third go-round. 

Speaking of Spielberg, he has officially brought on actor Noah Wyle to star in his alien invasion series pilot for TNT. Wyle, who just wrapped up his 15 year turn as John Carter on NBC’s ER, will play the leader of a ragtag group of soldiers and civilians who struggle against an occupying alien force after they have wiped out most of the human population. This is a program I can get excited about. Besides being a good actor, Wyle is a fascinating person. On a recent appearance on the ELLEN talk show he recited a very extensive piece of medical dialogue from the first episode of ER (14 years ago) that was both fascinating and incredible to listen to. This is one smart guy.  

Bill Maher’s taped edition of Real Time on HBO Friday night was an enjoyable piece of television. Going away from his regular three person panel format, Maher did one on one interviews with Cameron Diaz, Oliver Stone and Billy Bob Thornton. In the Oliver Stone segment (posted below) Maher and Stone talk about Stone’s Wall Street sequel which begins filming in August. Michael Douglas reprises his role of Gordon Gekko and will be the film’s “good guy” this time around. “It” actor of the moment, Shia LaBeouf (Transformers), will co-star as a character similar to the original film’s Bud Fox who was played by Charlie Sheen. I must say Maher does a great job interviewing as all three interviews were really good.   

July 1, 2009 - Posted by Entertainment Today & Beyond | And Beyond - Trailers & News | Bill Maher ono on one interviews, Michael Bay’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen review, Noah Wyle to star in alien show on TNT