Iridescent Music Video, Monster Sneak Peeks

MTV has posted a 35 second sneak peek (below) of the music video for Iridescent which is the first single from the Transformers: Dark of the Moon soundtrack. The music video is going to be officially released on Thursday, June 2nd on MTV and MTV.com. For those not sure why to care, music videos tend to use footage from the movie it is for and this one is no exception...sort of. The segment below shows how they incorporated Shockwave and a Decepticon ship in a way that is very different from the norm so the final full product should be interesting to watch if only looking for movie footage. Thanks to MV for the link.

In addition, Paramore has released a 30 second clip (below) from their new single "Monster" from the soundtrack which will be released on June 7th. The Dark of the Moon soundtrack and score is scheduled for June 14th release.

Update: Added another video. This is a brief behind the scenes video that Linkin Park posted on their YouTube channel.

New Dark of the Moon Movie Stills

Paramount has released eight new movie stills from Transformers: Dark of the Moon. The images focus on the human characters like Carly, Sam, and Lennox among others with a shot of Michael Bay working. All 8 can be found at TFormers.

Clarification About Wheelie and Wheeljack

For those upset about the red Ferrari not being called Mirage, this post might just be considered a pile on before it’s all said and done with news about Wheeljack. In a Shoot for the Edit thread called "Clarification", Nelson decided to clear up the confusion on who the buddy team is in the movie.

He wrote, "For some time now, I've implied through some of my post that Wheelie's sidekick was the Mercedes E550 (the E550 is a whole different character). It's not. My bad, my apologies. Brains is Wheelie's buddy. And what's Brain's alt-mode you ask? You'll have to wait and see. He later added, "I've read all the scripts in two languages. I got my two robots mixed up, plain and simple. Move on." This bit of info aligns with the comic and novel adaptations which revealed a character called "Brains" that is about the size of Wheelie.

DOTM's Iridescent Music Video Out Thursday

TFW2005 is reporting that at some point MTV has mentioned that the premiere of the music video Linkin Park's Iridescent will be out this Thursday. The track is the first single from the Transformers: Dark of the Moon soundtrack. The video itself is expected to have at least some footage from the movie but much of that will be new footage is unknown. Meanwhile, LP's Mike Shinoda tweeted the left pic with note indicating the music video is finished, "Watching final edit of video for new @linkinpark single "Iridescent"-wow! Way to go @joehahnLP." Thanks to Winston for the link.

Dark of the Moon Chevy Commercial

A new Chevy commercial uses Transformers: Dark of the Moon footage that focuses on Bumblebee to promote the Chevy Camaro. Most of the cuts are from previous trailers but one part of it is little bit longer look at the Bumblebee Stealth mode. I saw this commercial last night before trailers started for Pirates 4 but doubt it is a movie specific thing. Safe to assume it will hit TV soon.

Red Ferrari No Longer Called Mirage? (Updated)

Nelson dropped a minor bomb over at the Shoot for the Edit forums when he posted that the red Ferrari 458 Italia is no longer going to be called "Mirage" in the movie. He wrote, "All I will say is that he speaks with an Italian accent and is named after a famous Italian.”

The name Mirage was first confirmed due to an unintentional leak from Hasbro with an image of the Mirage Speed Stars toy and repeatedly verified in the various novel and comic book adaptations recently released. However, Nelson's response to that is "That doesn't mean shit. In the comic and novels the twins are still in it." His point being that the Twins where cut from the film (to the point of a $25k bounty if see them in it).

Transformers: Dark of the Moon Running Time

Nelson has tweeted the Transformers: Dark of the Moon running time. He wrote on the MB.com twitter account "#Transformers3 runs at approximately 134 minutes." That works out to two hours and 14 minutes which is about what was expected as it closely matches the time of the previous two movies.

"Birdman" TV Spots to Debut June 1st (Updated)

MichaelBay.com admin Nelson has posted that the next TV spot for Transformers: Dark of the Moon is "A 15-sec & a 30-sec "Birdmen" ad will air globally June 1." Let the speculation begin on why "Birdmen" but I think has something to do with the NEST troops jumping. Should be interesting to see how TV spots may get released over the next month. Revenge of the Fallen had around 18 if I remember correctly.

Update: Nelson amended his update but with good news since have a better time frame for when will air (probably primetime) and ad will be longer.

I need to issue a correction.
In the US there will be a :60 TV "Birdmen:" ad/featurette that will run once on June 1 on Spike TV.
Then on June 2 we will have an extended "Birdmen" featurette on this site.

Transformers Linkfest

Decepticon Base Diarama (10x)
From Transformers customizer frenzy_rumble is a gallery of images of his latest custom which is a diarama of G1 Decepticons. The base is a modified version of iGear Ark playset and I believe the figures are custom paint jobs of various G1, Masterpiece toys and others.

Starscream and the Seekers Cover "Bad"
A few months ago there was a music video to Michael Jackson's Thriller mostly featuring Autobots and now here is one covering Bad with all the Decepticon jets.

Transformers: DOTM The Game Multiplayer Hands-On, Trailer

Another press embargo has passed as multiple websites have posted hands-on reviews of Transformers: Dark of the Moon The Game for multiplayer along with a new multiplayer trailer (below). Nothing new has been revealed about the game play but at least have a new trailer. As expected, the multiplayer mode is essentially a port of the War for Cybertron version with the added use of "stealth mode" for game play.

As far as characters, Nemesis Prime and Breakaway join the multiplayer cast on top of the core movie TF cast. Like the preview from a month ago, the over all impression remains very good. It seems if you liked War for Cybertron, you will like Dark of the Moon The Game. The links below are to various articles, screenshots and the like related to the game. The game is coming out on June 14th for the XBox 360, PS3, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and the Nintendo DS in Autobot and Decepticon editions but no PSP or PC version will be available.

TFormers Review | TFormers DS Review | Newsarama | TFW2005 | GameSpot | G4 | GameSpot

Transformers: Dark of the Moon Novelization Spoilers

If you managed to avoid the Transformers: Dark of the Moon spoilers revealed in the comic book adaptation, you can take another stab at it with the official release of the novelization by Peter David. If you don't mind having the entire story spoiled for you (and there are some major twists that are best to not know in advance), then head over to ComicBookMovie.com to read the full story summary from the novel. Thanks to Rumah for the link.

Comments Spoiler Warning: Avoid comments on this post if don't want to be spoiled as discussing the spoilers on this post ONLY are not off topic. Attempts to post spoilers elsewhere will be deleted.

Two New TV Spots for Transformers: Dark of the Moon

The MichaelBay.com admin Nelson has posted the two TV spots that aired during the finale of American Idol. Most of the footage is from the previous trailers but each has a little bit of new. Thanks to AK-47 for heads-up.

TV Spot #3 - "Secret"

TV Spot #4 - "Everything"

3D Conversation with Bay and Cameron Video

The Hollywood Reporter has posted the full 16 minute video of the "3D: A Transforming Visual Art A Conversation with Michael Bay and James Cameron" that Paramount sponsored last week to promote Transformers: Dark of the Moon's 3D trailer. The polish indicates this will be a future special feature for the Blu-ray/DVD release.

New Transformers: Dark of the Moon Banner

ShockYa has posted a new banner for Transformers: Dark of the Moon. It is essentially a combination of the recent theatrical poster with the Optimus Prime banner (and standee). On a related note, Apple Trailers and Yahoo Movies! now have the trailer and 3D version available in 1080p. Thanks to Feris Othman for the heads-up.

Transformers: DOTM Track List Official, Exclusives Announced

In light of yesterday's leak of the track list for Transformers: Dark of the Moon The Album, the official album website finally updated to provide more details. It confirmed the leak and revealed that Gamestop and iTunes will each get exclusive tracks on top of the first 11 songs. The site also has several songs from the album available to listen too - Iridescent, Get Through This, Faith (When I Let You Down), and Only Hope For Me Is You. I am unclear if Gamestop's version is a digital download or their own CD printing. Below is the full listing. A * indicates a new song.

CD
1. Linkin Park - Iridescent
2. Paramore - Monster*
3. My Chemical Romance - The Only Hope For Me Is You
4. Taking Back Sunday - Faith (When I Let You Down)
5. Staind - The Bottom*
6. Art Of Dying - Get Thru This
7. Goo Goo Dolls - All That You Are*
8. Theory Of A Deadman - Head Above Water*
9. Black Veil Brides - Set The World On Fire
10. Skillet - Alive & Awake (Remix)
11. Mastodon - Just Got Paid (ZZ Top cover)

iTunes Exclusives:
12. Biffy Clyro - Many of Horror
13. Stone Sour - The Pessimist
14. Serj Tankian - Gate 21

Gamestop Exclusives
12. Middle Class Rut - Lifelong Dayshift
13. D.R.U.G.S. - Graveyard Dancing

ILM - Behind VFX of Revenge of the Fallen

ILM has posted more videos to their YouTube channel including a look at the visual effects for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Previously ILM had posted videos around the first movie. Visual Effects Supervisor Scott Farrar returns to explains the complexity that was involved in creating many of the complicated images of the film. Even if not a fan of the story, the special effects were outstanding. The channel still refuses to allow embeds so click here to view.

Hearts of Darkness #3 Preview

Today brings a new Transformers comic to stores and a 7 page preview online. Transformers: Hearts of Darkness #3 continues the "Chaos" prelude that involves Galvatron discovering a major threat to everyone. For the covers and first seven pages of the issue head over to AllSpark.

TRANSFORMERS: Hearts of Darkness #3 (of 4)
Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning(w) • Ulises Farinas (a) • Farinas, Casey Coller (c)
“CHAOS” PRELUDE! We learn new truths about the TRANSFORMERS’ ancient history—truths that may lead to their ruin. GAVATRON and company gather arms and recruit major forces. With a raving lunatic leading the DECEPTICON forces—absolute destruction is sure to follow. HoD leads directly into “CHAOS”—the first-ever TRANSFORMERS event book from IDW!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99 • 2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio.

Full Track List for DOTM Soundtrack?

TFW2005 is reporting that several music sites have confirmed the full track list and final cover for Transformers: Dark of the Moon - The Album. Earlier today several bands including Goo Goo Dolls and Mastodon has verified their participation in the soundtrack along with other bands. Thanks to Sahara for the link.

01. Linkin Park - Iridescent
02. Paramore - Monster
03. My Chemical Romance - The Only Hope For Me Is You
04. Taking Back Sunday - Faith
05. Staind - The Bottom
06. Art Of Dying - Get Thru This
07. Goo Goo Dolls - All That You Are
08. Theory Of A Deadman - Head Above Water
09. Black Veil Brides - Set The World On Fire
10. Skillet - Alive & Awake (Remix)
11. Mastodon - Just Got Paid (ZZ Top cover)

Update: On a somewhat related note, here is the DOTM theatrical trailer music. From the description, "The first track is by Methodic Doubt off their album Machine Vandals and is titled "Thorgasm". The second is titled "Prelude" by Pusher Music. And Music supervisor and composer of the film Steve Jablonsky created the sound details and effects heard in the trailer." Thanks to @El_Grasa01 for heads-up and Feris Othman for video with credit info.

New Tracks for Dark of the Moon Soundtrack

Along with the announcement of Linkin Park's world premiere concert is official confirmation of some of the bands joining the group on the Transformers: Dark of the Moon The Album. Not really sure why but the track list is one of the more (oddly) kept secrets around the movie. I can see why the Score doesn't reveal its list as the titles tend to reveal spoilers but a soundtrack rarely has that problem.

In a post on their official website, the Goo Goo Dolls announced, "There is a new Goo Goo Dolls song, "All That You Are" featured on the Transformers 3 soundtrack." The Goo Goo Dolls previously provided a track for the first Transformers movie with "Before It's Too Late."

Mastodon's Facebook page added to the track news by posting, "Mastodon will be on the upcoming Transformers: Dark Of The Moon soundtrack, coming June 14th. They will have their cover of ZZ Top's classic "Just Got Paid" featured, alongside cuts from Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, Black Veil Brides and more."

Art of Dying also joined the chorus on their FB page with post "Art Of Dying's "Get Thru This" from their new album Vices and Virtues will be featured on the new Transformers: Dark Of The Moon Soundtrack, coming 6/14. ...The album also features songs from Linkin Park, Staind, My Chemical Romance, Skillet, Theory of a Deadman and more!" With these three pieces of news we know have an idea of about 9 bands that are on the soundtrack. (links via TFW2005, thanks to Sahara for info)

To summarize the available track info for DOTM: The Album

Linkin Park - Iridiscent (movie remix)
Goo Goo Dolls - All That You Are
Mastodon - Just Got Paid
My Chemical Romance - ?
Black Veil Brides - ?
Art of Dying - Get Thru This
Staind - ?
Skillet - ?
Theory of a Deadman - ?

Transformers: Dark of the Moon World Premiere Set

Paramount Pictures has announced the date and location of the official world premiere of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. For a while it was mentioned to be in Russia and now it has be confirmed to be opening the Moscow International Film Festival on June 23rd. Linkin Park will be on hand with a live outdoor performance from Vasilyevsky Spusk of the Red Square to help promote their world tour. The first film's world premiere was in LA Taormina, Italy and the second was in Tokyo, Japan. Linkin Park also posted a video about the announcement. Below is the full press release.

New Transformers: Dark of the Moon Bumblebee Poster?

GeekTryant has posted what might be a new poster for Transformers: Dark of the Moon. With all the fan creations it is hard to tell but the poster if near identical to the unofficial Optimus Prime poster that made the rounds and was used by Hasbro. Official or not, it is still a cool looking.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon 3D Theatrical Trailer

MichaelBay.com has posted the 3D cut of the theatrical trailer that was released a few weeks ago. Nope it isn't in 3D. Differences to note as described previousily: a) We get to see Optimus and Ratchet walking in the Ark observing all the statis Autobots b) Shows more of the Dweller as it tears down the building Sam and Carly are in c) We get to see Optimus on flying mode shooting at the mouth of the Dweller in mid-sky. Thanks to Karimpie, WolfyWardark, and Chad for the heads-up.

Clip from Bay & Cameron 3D Conversation

Paramount Pictures UK has posted a brief video of some footage from "3D A Transforming Visual Art Conversation with Michael Bay and James Cameron" that was held Wednesday for the press as a promotional tool for the Transformers: Dark of the Moon 3D trailer that was released today. (via Tyrese, thanks to Brad for the link).

Update: Previous video kept freezing at 2:31 point. Replaced with video provided by MichaelBay.com. Thanks to Feris Othman for the vid.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon Getting Early Release

Deadline reports that Paramount has made the decision to release Transformers: Dark of the Moon two days early. Instead of coming out on July 1st, the movie will now come out on Wednesday, June 29th. This matches the release date of many international locations around the world. "Early response to footage, especially the 3D footage, has been great so we want to get the word out that this film is as good or better than the first and much better than the last," an insider just told [Deadline]. Except for China (July 8) and Japan (July 29) the rest of the world will have the film in theaters by July 1st. The news isn't really a surprise as the previous two Transformers films were released early as the studios often bump films up during the summer.

Speaking of DOTM, Counterpunch confirms that the 3D trailer is essentially identical to the 2D except for minor differences:

Yesterday I went to watch Pirates of the Caribbean 4 and before it started saw the trailer to DOTM in 3D here in Melbourne, Australia. Wow.... guess what? It's the same as the last official trailer released worldwide except for 3 major changes. a) We get to see Optimus and Ratchet walking in the Ark observing all the statis Autobots b) Shows more of the Dweller as it tears down the building Sam and Carly are in c) We get to see Optimus on flying mode shooting at the mouth of the Dweller in mid-sky. Really, really awesome!

Duhamel Pumps Up the Troops in 2nd DOTM Clip

A new clip is out via a tweet from the official Transformers: Dark of the Moon twitter account that focuses on Josh Duhamel's Lennox as he prepares his troops for their parachute jump on Decepticon invaded Chicago. Thanks to Ryan and Richard for the heads-up.

First Five Minutes of DOTM from Cameron, Bay 3D Conversation

In a run-up to the release of the 3D version of the Transformers: Dark of the Moon trailer on Friday May 20th with Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, a press event called "3D A Transforming Visual Art Conversation with Michael Bay and James Cameron" was held for local LA press by The Hollywood Reporter and Paramount Wednesday night. During the "art conversation", Cameron (huge proponent of 3D) and Bay (forced to embrace 3D by Paramount) discussed 3D before showing the first five minutes from the movie, clips and the 3D trailer. Side note, the 3D trailer is expected to just be an extended version of the recently released 2D trailer. The two talked about the good and the bad of working with 3D. Below is a video from Collider as discuss what they saw and after that is links to various other articles about the event along with choice segments.

Hitflix | Collider | Movieline | MovieWeb | /Film | CinemaBlend | i09 | HeroComplex

1st Clip From Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Yahoo! Movies has posted the first clip from Transformers: Dark of the Moon titled "My Secret Weapon" as "Carly (Rosie Huntington-Whitely) introduces Sam (Shia LaBeouf) to her boss (Patrick Dempsey)." Thanks to Ryan and sp00ked_yuh for the link.

Bay and Spielberg Inducted into Transformers Hall of Fame

Hasbro has issued a press release (below) that announces that the two new human additions to the Transformers Hall of Fame are Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg. The 2nd annual ceremony will be held at Botcon on June 4th and will be attended by Michael Bay. Should be fun for attendees as Bay has been very friendly to fans, especially when compared to most other directors and stars. On the Transformer side Ratchet, Ironhide and Soundwave will be inducted. A fourth Transformer will be inducted based on voting from "Fan's Choice" (no idea when/where this was done) but the choices were Grimlock, Shockwave, Erector, Waspinator and Jazz.

HASBRO TO HONOR MICHAEL BAY AND STEVEN SPIELBERG WITH INDUCTION INTO THE TRANSFORMERS HALL OF FAME

Bay to attend ceremony at TRANSFORMERS “BOTCON” Fan Convention in Pasadena, California, on June 4

Pawtucket, R.I. (MAY 18, 2011) — Earlier today on its official TRANSFORMERS Facebook page, Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) announced the induction of film industry legends Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg—the director and executive producer of the blockbuster TRANSFORMERS film franchise—into its TRANSFORMERS Hall of Fame. The second annual TRANSFORMERS Hall of Fame ceremony, which celebrates more than 25 years of “MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE” action, will take place during the 2011 TRANSFORMERS “BOTCON” fan convention in Pasadena, California, and will feature TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOONdirector Michael Bay in person to accept his honor and share some special surprises with the audience.

Dark of the Moon Officially Rated PG-13

As if there was any real doubt, but the MPAA has given Transformers: Dark of the Moon a PG-13 rating. This is the same rating as the other two movies and what Hollywood considers the "sweet spot" for attempting to reach maximum ticket sells at the box office. The given reason for the rating is "intense prolonged sequences of sci-fi action violence, mayhem and destruction, and for language, some sexuality and innuendo" aka robots causing massive death and destruction while a hot blonde (Rosie) look sexy. Really it is a rubber stamping process as MPAA gives studios whatever rating they want on their big budget films as their funding comes from these studios. Bay would have had to intentionally throw in a few F-bombs and nudity for the film not to get a PG-13. Still confirmation is confirmation. (via TFW2005, thanks to Sahara for the link)

DOTM Toys Post Release Links

To my limited knowledge, the Transformers: Dark of the Moon toys are now released worldwide (press release). Reports indicate your mileage will vary at the local level as many stores are doing a less then spectacular job of getting the toys up on shelves despite having many months advance noticed to be prepared. Related to this is yet more toy news, reviews, and galleries along with a few DOTM odds and ends in the links below.

Mechtech Optimus Prime with Trailer (10x)
Another version of Optimus Orune that is currently Japan only. This one is a look of voyager class Optimus Prime that comes with his trailer. We have seen leaks of this toy before but still cool to see. No news if this will get a stateside release anytime soon but I would be really surprised if it didn't as an exclusive at some point in time.

Toys R Us Hong Kong Midnight Launch Gallery
Hit the link to view pictures from the launch of the line last Friday night in Hong Kong that to HK-TF.com.

ILM's Behind the Scenes of Transformers

Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) has started a YouTube channel that it is using to post interviews and behind the scenes interviews and segments for films they recently have worked on. The two part video for the first Transformers film has an interview with Visual Effects Supervisor Scott Farrar as he explains the thought process and how they performed some of the special effects for the 2007 film. Sadly the site isn't big on embedding so click the links to watch - Part 1 | Part 2.

Transformers Foundation, Ongoing Preview & Schmidt Leaving IDW

New comic book Wednesday is bringing two Transformers related books to the shelves. The first is Transformers: Foundation #4, the official prequel to Dark of the Moon and the other is Transformers #19 which continues the prelude story to IDW's "Chaos" storyline. Seibertron has the covers and and first seven pages of each book at these links - Foundation #4 | Ongoing #19

On a related note IDW Senior Editor Andy Schmidt is leaving IDW and joining Hasbro. I guess the last two years he spent over seeing their Transformers and G.I. Joe got their attention. He will leave the role at the end of May and IDW is looking for a replacement to start sometime in June. It will be interesting to see if they promote from within or hire someone from outside the company. The talent pool to choose from is fairly deep as DC recently jettisoned a few editors when they closed Wildstorm and downsized a few positions and TokyoPop recently ended its U.S. operations. With Transformers Chaos storyline and G.I. Joe's Cobra Civil War story lines pretty much set through the end of the year the new editor will have plenty of time to get up to speed.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon Toys Officially Released

Don't forget that the toy line for Transformers: Dark of the Moon is officially for sale at stores in North America. Be sure to post about your haul in the comments.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon Novel Excerpt

Barnes & Noble has posted an excerpt from the official novelization of Transformers: Dark of the Moon by Peter David that is coming out on paperback and e-book on May 24th. The novel appears to be partially from the perspective of Optimus Prime but also has the omniscient point of view that an adaptation would need. The main benefit of reading the novel is it can often fill out story details that a movie simply does not have time to do. On the down side it is working off the movie script that will not reflect whatever changes that might have occurred during filming and post-production. Continue to read below for what appears to be a portion of the first few pages of the novel.

Dark of the Moon Theatre Display

If you hit your local theatre you might have a sweet new display to take in as it seems a new Transformers: Dark of the Moon display is starting to hit theatres. The display is based off of the Optimus Prime banner only with a more 3D that is pretty cool to see in person as the image from Winston Ray (thanks) shows. I just got back from seeing Priest (it was so-so) and my theatre has one set up too so probably rolling out pretty fast everywhere.

$25,000 Bounty Placed on the Twins

For reasons I don't really understand, it seems the suggestion that the Twins return for Transformers: Dark of the Moon in yesterday's movie review from Capone has kicked off a minor fire storm. Bay and co. have repeatedly said they are not in the movie. They were filmed for the movie but later cut from it. The one question the naysayers have not answered is how Michael Bay benefits by lying about this as I do not see the benefit. In the past Bay has lied but in general it has been an attempt to keep major plot points hidden. I don't entirely agree with the tactic but understand the motivation. In this case though there is no value to keep their appearance a secret. Those who read the spoilers (and probably regret it) know there are much bigger secrets to keep for the film. Since yesterday Capone (who has actually seen the film, important to know when the trolls come marching in) has clarified his review and Bay literally put money where his mouth is with a bounty.

From Capone:

Hey, everyone. Just to be 100 percent clear, I'm not referring about the "The Twins" here; they are most definitely not in this film. I'm talking about Wheelie (Tom Kenny, who also voiced Skids in REVENGE OF THE FALLEN) and other similar smaller robots, who act like streetwise teenagers.

From Michael Bay:

After the internet posting of a nice review by someone who saw Transformers Dark of the Moon, the writer had not been clear on one thing. He misstated that the Twins are in the film. They are not.

So I am offering a $25,000 REWARD to anyone who can find them performing in Transformers 3, on July 1, when the movie opens.

Michael

Shortly after he wrote:

The Twins are not in the movie. You will not find them anywhere. Trailer houses sometimes use shots that are not in the movie! End story I'm don't wasting my time this!

I hope this will put the "controversy" to rest but somehow I doubt it. So once again I simply ask "Don't feed the trolls." Thanks to John W. for the link.

First Transformers: Dark of the Moon Review

Some people just have all the luck and it seems that Capone over at Ain't It Cool News is one of them. He was able to view a sneak preview of Transformers: Dark of the Moon that was held in Chicago. He saw a non 3D version that was not quite finished final product but close enough to get an excellent review. HE calls DOTM, "...the third and easily best entry in the Michael Bay-directed franchise." About the only "bad" part of the review is he seems to indicate that the Twins do appear, at least briefly, in the movie. Below are large segments (was hard to trim down) but it is worth reading the whole review here.

...I'll be honest, the way my brain is spinning right now with thoughts of images I've just seen and the sheer destruction I've just experienced, sleep ain't happening. You see, I've just come from seeing TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON, the third and easily best entry in the Michael Bay-directed franchise, and all I wanted to do when I left the theater was gaze upon my beautiful city, just to make sure it was in one piece.

Make no mistake, D.C. takes a hell of a beating in DARK OF THE MOON, but it was in the final hour of this TRANSFORMERS chapter that I simply forgot to breathe; there isn't a spare second to do so. For a solid hour, Bay and his CGI-created robot buddies decimate Chicago. And I won't lie: seeing it so realistically and utterly leveled was almost more than I could handle. Granted, people outside of Chicago probably won't have the same reaction I did ...but our city has never been the victim of an alien hate crime like this before. And as much as it hurt to see, I also loved watching it happen.

More Dark of the Moon Spoilers from Peru

TFW2005's Neo-Bombshell has provided more spoilers from Transformers: Dark of the Moon to add to the Childrens Book ones. It is a good thing that Transformers is mostly an exercise in eye candy of CGI delights because most of the story secrets have been blown. He was part of a group of people that were allowed to see a 30 minute preview of the film. Based on the description (below), it seems it was a series of disconnected scenes rather than just taking a 30 minute section of the film and showing it. Thanks to Winston for the link.

SPOILER WARNING!

DOTM Children Books Reveal Spoilers

Two images from book removed due to DCMA request from whoever the publisher is. If they had contacted me directly could have learned what else they found questionable but I guess contacting me directly like an adult is beyond their capabilities.

Last week a leak of the comic book adaptation of Transformers: Dark of the Moon revealed major story spoilers from the moon that was significant enough to get Don Murphy to force all sites (including this one) to take them down. The info is significant enough that I don't recommend looking for it. Now this week it seems the childrens' book of "The Lost Autobot" and "Optimus Prime's Friends and Foes" is doing the same thing but not nearly at the same degree as Cth from TFW2005 reports (mirror). Thanks to Feris Othman for the link.

To start with what I don't consider spoilers (the name and alt mode of characters), the images do finally confirm beyond doubt that the alt mode of Wheeljack (aka "Einstein")is the blue Mercedes-Benz E550. A whole lot of hints up to now made it common knowledge but this is the first real piece f official anything that put it all together. This would mean that Wheeljack is the new BFF for Wheelie that Nelson mentioned.

SPOILER WARNING!

Asian DOTM Toy Site Launch and Other Toy Links

The official release of the Transformers: Dark of the Moon toy line is just days away, at least in the United States. Depending on where you live it may have already arrived. Here is more links to galleries and reviews of upcoming DOTM products including the first look at the full body of the reformatted Megatron. But first the links start a website that is perfect for putting together your toy wish list.

Dark of the Moon Toys R Us WebsiteThe Asian side of Toys R Us has launched their website to support the upcoming worldwide launch of Transformers: Dark of the Moon toy line. The Toys R Us website covers China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan but they are using the Hasbro packaging so the information applies to North America and Europe. The region is getting the toys a few days earlier than the US with China starting today and the other countries tomorrow.

The main value of the website is in the Product section that provides a breakdown of the Wave 1 toys by class with in and out of package images for each toy along the toy bio. Very useful for creating that wish list. The site also has a Character section with the CGI headshots, bio and tech specs for each character that will be available in the toy line at launch. Thanks to Feris Othman for the link.

Two Fake Dark of the Moon Posters

Two new fake Transformers: Dark of the Moon posters have popped up online. The first image is for IMAX 3D version of the film but it seems like a photo shop job as the Prime half face looks like it is from the first movie poster. As for the second poster, it is missing the usual info that is on posters plus I do believe that is The Fallen in the background. So while it is fake, it is a sharp looking image and gives you a nice contract between a well done fake and a poorly done fake. Thanks to Feris Othman for the links.

Dark of the Moon Music Site Launched

The official site for Transformers: Dark of the Moon The Album and The Score has launched at Transformers3Music.com. Right now there isn't a whole lot to it. It has the Optimus Prime banner (but slightly altered) for background, lets you pre-order the albums for the June 7th release date. As with the previous two films, The Score was composed by Steve Jablonsky with an assist from Hans Zimmer.

It also lets you hear a sample of the DOTM remixed version of Iridescent that is the first single to be released from the album. A source that has provided accurate information in the past provided me with a copy of the song and it does match the version that was posted on Soundcloud last month. Amazon lists the single release date as May 17th but other sites have different dates. (via TFW2005, thanks to Sahara for link)

Transformers: Prime, Peter Cullen Get Emmy Nods

This is a repost. Do to blogspot.com failure, Google had to restore from a backup that was 30 hours old eliminating the original and related comments

Transformers: Prime's first season has scored 4 Daytime Emmy Award nominations and two wins today from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The show accounts for six of the eight nominations The Hub received in its first year of broadcasting. I also believe that it is the first Emmy nomination for the legendary Peter Cullen whose long history of voice work should have garnered more than just Emmy mod. Below is the press release from the Hub. Congratulations to Peter Cullen and the cast and crew of Transformers: Prime. Hopefully they will add a few trophies when winners are announced at the live ceremony on June 19th.

Nominations
Outstanding Performer In An Animated Program - Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime
Outstanding Directing In An Animated Program
Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction And Composition
Outstanding Writing In Animation

Winners
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - Vince Toyama (WINNER)
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - Christophe Vacher (WINNER)

DOTM at Cannes Video Arch with New Moments

This is a repost. Do to blogspot.com failure, Google had to restore from a backup that was 30 hours old eliminating the original and related comments

Early today we say the Cannes Film Festival trailer for Transformers: Dark of the Moon and now today it seems get the same teaser but in a unique way. The video from Lyricis Interactive shows an outdoor arch outside the Hotel Carlton for the festival that displays scenes from the teaser on three sections. It does seem to have new footage (like Mirage at beginning) but not entirely sure how much is new as the framing of the video is much closer to account for the different dimensions of the arch compared to normal screen. Thanks to Fox Prime for the link.

Update: The originating website pulled the video but found copy on YouTube.

DOTM Cast Presenting at MTV Movie Awards

This is a repost. Do to blogspot.com failure, Google had to restore from a backup that was 30 hours old eliminating the original and related comments

The core human cast of Transformers: Dark of the Moon will be presenters at the 2011 MTV Movie Awards when the show airs on Sunday, June 5th at 9:00PM EST. Schedule to appear is Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel and Patrick Dempsey along with other stars like Blake Lively, Steve Carell and others. The show will be hosted by Jason Sudeikis. It wouldn't surprise me if the show is used to debut a new TV spot as Paramount has used the award show to help promote the previous two films. If memory serves Michael Bay was on hand both times.

Really the show exists as a quick infusion of cash to MTV from the studios that want to promote their expensive summer films to youth with free time and disposable income but it does tend to be entertaining. Well usually. This year the movie with the most movies is The Twilight Saga followed by Inception and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. It should be interesting to see which tween contingent chooses but I suspect it will be a Twilight night. To check out the full list of nominations click here. Thanks to Winston for the link.

First Look at Malkovitch and Dempsey

French website Fox Prime finally gives us our first look at John Malkovitch and Patrick Dempsey in Transformers: Dark of the Moon (for France, Transformers 3: La Face Cachée de La Lune). The spot is half the length of trailer but twice as long as the normal TV commercial and made up of scenes almost entirely of the same scenes as the US trailer except for the very brief additions of Malkovitch and Dempsey. Below is the video with French subtitles and after that is the same trailer with French dubs.

DOTM News: Possible Running Time, Iridescent Release Date & Boom

Three quick stories around Transformers: Dark of the Moon about estimated running time, release date for Iridescent single and video from Chicago set that I don't recall seeing before.

Dutch website Pathe Cinema's page on DOTM put the movie's running time at 1 hour and 49 minutes. However, Nelson later debunked that writing, "False. It's over 2 hours." For Hollywood, 2 hours or less is the sweet spot with going past 2 and half hours only for good reasons. Guess we will find out soon where DOTM falls in that range. (via TFW2005, thanks to Sahara for the link)

It seems that the first single from the Transformers: Dark of the Moon soundtrack will officially be the remix of Linkin Park's Iridescent. No surprise. It also seems that release is coming up soon as Amazon UK lists the release date as May 16th, while iTunes has it at May 22nd and Amazon US shows a date of May 17th. So what we learned is the single may or may not be out sometime in the next two weeks.

So you know that scene in the trailer where Prime comes in swooping in and tears through the Decepticon ranks? Pretty sure the video below from Chicago last year is when that scene was filmed. Thanks to Jeff of Pixel Rally for the link.
Update: Thanks to Ian here is a little confirmation as he took a still from the trailer that matches the car flip at about the 49 second point in the video below.

Transformers: Prime Shadowzone Promo

This Saturday a new episode of Transformers: Prime called Shadowzone will air on The Hub. The episode description, "Kids are trapped in an alternate dimension with a reanimated Skyquake in the middle of a GroundBridge failure." Commercial is below.

Many DOTM Toys Galleries and Reviews

T-minus five six days and counting for the official release of Transformers: Dark of the Moon toy line on May 15th 16th. At least in the United States. I am unclear if this date is worldwide but assuming so. I got way behind on the various DOTM galleries but consider this a quick way to catch up and more importantly check out some of the various size molds and exclusives that are in the pipeline. At this point the issue is more of which version or versions to get as it seems most of the key characters have around 3 or more sizes, repaints, or exclusives coming. In addition, below are more video reviews because that also helps in working on that DOTM wish list. Oops got the date confused.

DOTM Galleries Part 1
Kre-0 | Human Alliance Roadbuster & Tailpipe | Deluxe Prime | HA Bee and Skids (repaints) | Exclusive Figures | Deluxe Arcee and Air Raid (repaints) | Scan Series I | Scan Series II
This first set provides another look at the Kre-O (Lego knockoff) line, more Human Alliance figures, and a summary of many of the exclusive figures that may hit toy shelves soon. Of this group probably the one most worth checking out is the Scan Series images which are Toys R Us exclusives and give the deluxe class of DOTM toys a pretty unique look. TRU tends to charge more for their exclusives but just might be worth it for some of the figures.

DOTM Transformers Headshots

HasbroTF blog has posted 13 images that show just the heads of various Dark of the Moon Transformers including Prime, 'Bee, Megatron, Starscream, the Wreckers and more. No idea where they found them but lets you look at many of the details that are etched into their surfaces. If unable to bring that website up, Seibertron has mirrored the images.

Dark of the Moon Toys Arriving Early

Reports have been showing up for the last couple days indicating that some stores have broken the May 15th embargo on Transformers: Dark of the Moon toys. Here and there read many reports from Target stores, a few from Wal-Mart and here and there for Toys R Us. Adding to the list is Meijer thanks to pics below from J1000 including another look at Crankcase (one of the Decepticons on the Moon's surface in the trailer). So far I have had no luck finding the DOTM toys but Target have put many of the existing toys on clearance in preparation for the release. Your mileage may vary but it seems a good time to hit your local stores to either find new Transformers or get good deals on some of the old.

DOTM The Game Exclusives Announced

Activision has revealed the pre-order exclusives for Transformers: Dark of the Moon The Video Game that consist of skins and a few additional characters. If War for Cybertron is any indication, these exclusives and more will be available in a DLC pack at some future point so at least that makes choosing which exclusive to order. The list of exclusives with images below.

Amazon - Ratchet for 360 and PS3
GameStop - Sideswipe for 360 and PS3
Best Buy - Free ticket upgrade to 3-D
Toys R Us - Inverted Bumblebee skin for 3DS
Target - Different Bumblebee skin for DS Autobots and Wii; Lockdown skin for DS Decepticons
Sears/K-Mart - Limited edition DOTM comic book
Everyone else - free Bumblebee toy with Wii and DS Autobot game; free Lockdown toy with DS Decepticons

DOTM Trailer Breaks Apple Trailers Record

A press release from Paramount has announced that the Transformers: Dark of the Moon trailer was downloaded 6 million times from Apple Trailers in the first 24 hours of release. It is now the most popular trailer in the site's history. It seems that the plan of few trailers and hiding the movie plot and details back is paying off. Full press release below. Thanks to Scott C. for the link.

Wheeljack Revealed?

An unofficial Transformers Dark of the Moon Facebook page has posted the below picture that could prove that the alt mode of Wheeljack is the blue Mercedes-Benz E550. The pic on the left is a panel from the comic book adaptation. From the comments, the image on the right is about 45 seconds into the trailer when Optimus enters warehouse talking about the "grave mistake" being made. There isn't enough detail to verify if the head matches "Einstein." Thanks to DJ.Bigtyme Beats for the link.

Transformers Linkfest

While it has been a pretty busy week in Transformers: Dark of the Moon news (yeah bit of an understatement), the non-movie related links have been stacking up. The latest round news of a fan wish to continue Marvel's Transformers comics, Transformers: Prime score, Starscreams, TF lego creations, a custom Pretender, G1 related DVD news, and bunch of Peaugh reviews.

Fans Petition for Transformers Comic
Hit the link for the full details but the summary is Simon Furman, writer of many things Transformers, expressed interested continuing the stories of Transformers from the Marvel comics continuity, fans listened. The idea is the same as what IDW is already doing with G.I. Joe A Real American Hero title so in theory a new issue would start with Transformers #81. According to Simon, "There was a lot we never got to do, that I’d like to revisit or just to take the next big steps with all that we’d set up in the previous 20 or so issues." Currently the petition has 1705 names but could always have more.

Transformers: Prime Score for Free
TF: Prime composer Brian Tyler has posted 10 tracks of music from the first season of the series. Not available for download just yet but still a great listen. Really except for Batman: The Animated Series I don't recall last time a cartoon series has such a solid score.

Lego Optimus Prime (27x)
While Hasbro has its response with the Kre-Q line, the gallery of images at the link shows that there still isn't nothing like a well-built Lego model. The Lego Prime figure is built from 10k pieces and stands 55cm tall. (via TFormers)

DOTM Adaptation Spoilers

Amazon.com has posted a preview of the official comic book adaptation of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. With it comes some major story spoilers if you get lucky with a little trick. Before Amazon corrected it, if you click the cover or "Search inside this book" you get about the first seven and last seven pages of the trade. To the left, click "Surprise Me!" a few times for random pages and would get access to more spoiler filled pages of the comic book. Fortunately, I did get screenshots of 11 pages the one time it worked for me so all the "extra" pages are below along with the spoilers they reveal. The trade is scheduled for release on May 25th.

It should be noted that adaptations usually work from a final movie script along with designs and storyboards offered by production. However, as Sir Peter Jackson points out, there are three phases to a script - writing it, filming it and editing it. As a result what the comic shows for a scene and what the movie shows may not be the same. Certain elements like the major plot points, characters, etc tend to stay static due to cost but the specific details can easily change (scenes, characters, etc being left on cutting room floor).

Update: Four additional pages added from Tempy5's flickr account. I don't consider characters and alt modes to be spoilers. So knowing that, the first set of images do confirm that Soundwave the silver Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG as indicated by the game image. The new bit of information from the four pages is Wheeljack is part of the Autobot cast but look and alt mode remains unknown. The rest below is some major bombshell stuff so consider reading further very carefully.

SPOILER WARNING! Major plots points and potential character death revealed. Proceed at your own risk. SPOILER WARNING!

Dark of the Moon Comic Adaptation Preview Reveals Story Spoilers (Updated)

Per the request of Transformers: Dark of the Moon producer Don Murphy, the copyrighted images and spoilers have been removed. Due to the content of the comments, they have been cut off.

Amazon.com has posted a preview of the official comic book adaptation of Transformers: Dark of the Moon scheduled for release on May 25th. If you click the cover or "Search inside this book" you get about the first seven and last seven pages of the trade. A system error revealed more pages than intended leading to major story points being revealed.

I don't consider characters and alt modes to be spoilers. So knowing that, I will reveal that the leaked images did confirm that Soundwave's alt mode is the silver Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG as indicated by the game image. Also Wheeljack is a confirmed Autobot in the movie but I saw only has his name being said. Did not see his robot mode or vehicle mode to confirm if "Einstein", the blue 2011 Mercedes-Benz E550.

It should be noted that adaptations usually work from a final movie script along with designs and storyboards offered by production. However, as Sir Peter Jackson points out, there are three phases to a script - writing it, filming it and editing it. As a result what the comic shows for a scene and what the movie shows may not be the same. Certain elements like the major plot points, characters, etc tend to stay static due to cost but the specific details can easily change (scenes, characters, etc being left on cutting room floor).

If you wish to seek out the spoilers, that is up to you. Be warned the pages did reveal major plot and character developments in the story. If you are even a little bit sensitive about spoilers it is advised to not seek out that information.

Shinoda Talks More About DOTM Soundtrack

Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda participated in a LPU Chat yesterday and answered a questions about the band's contribution to Transformers: Dark of the Moon Soundtrack with Iridescent. From TFW2005, thanks to Sahara for the link.

- The band will perform the sond during the Russian premiere of the movie. (Nope do not know when that is).
- Chords from Iridescent were transposed and used as part of the score, similiar to what was done in the previous two films. TFW thinks it is the sound hear from 2:05 to 2:43 in MTV's Behind the Scenes video.
- Song chosen because fans like it and Bay thought the song fit the movie plot.

IDW July Transformers Comics

IDW Publishing has released their publishing plans for July that is one of their smaller months after the May and June Dark of the Moon crop of books. The month kicks off their "CHAOS" event that takes the ongoing series bi-monthly through the end of year. A total of two books and one trade is being released. If you are interested in the books, just let your local comic book store know. For the full details of IDW's other books including GI Joe, Star Trek, Angel and more click here.

Transformers # 21
Mike Costa (w) • Guido Guidi, Brendan Cahill (a) • Marcelo Matere, Cahill (c)
TRANSFORMERS goes bi-weekly! Two stories for the price of one, kicking off the “CHAOS” event!! In part one, Rodimus makes his triumphant return to Earth, and sets off the major events that will spin off into CHAOS. And in part two, Prowl begins his investigation... of Spike. This storyline will change TRANSFORMERS forever! No, really!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99 • 2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio