The Energon Pub

News Credits: 86 · by **ScoutBumblebee** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 5:17 pm

The Telegraph's Chief Film Critic thinks so.

Definitely an interesting perspective, especially considering that, love them or hate them, we pretty much all go see the live action movies.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film ... ywood.html

What do you think?

News Credits: 37 · by **SlyTF1** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 6:23 pm

He certainly is the best.

News Credits: 22 · by **Rodimus Prime** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 6:32 pm

Whether he is the most important or the best is a matter of opinion. I do think he has made a lot of contribution to the advancement of technology in filming, and has given newcomers a chance at succeeding through his production company. However, as a director in and of itself, he is kind of one-tracked. He sticks to the car chases and explosions, because it's in his comfort zone. It's what he knows how to do. He has never tested his boundaries with other genres of movies as a director. That puts him at a disadvantage when considered for "best."

News Credits: 37 · by **SlyTF1** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 7:13 pm

Rodimus Prime wrote:Whether he is the most important or the best is a matter of opinion. I do think he has made a lot of contribution to the advancement of technology in filming, and has given newcomers a chance at succeeding through his production company. However, as a director in and of itself, he is kind of one-tracked. He sticks to the car chases and explosions, because it's in his comfort zone. It's what he knows how to do. He has never tested his boundaries with other genres of movies as a director. That puts him at a disadvantage when considered for "best."

Watch Pain and Gain. Then, come back and tell me that. There are only about one or two action scenes in the entire movie.

News Credits: 25 · by **VirusCarnage** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:29 pm

I think he's an important director, most important? Maybe not

He's probably the best action and special effects actor in Hollywood, the only person who even comes in the same world as him is probably Nolan or Cameron imo.

News Credits: 22 · by **Rodimus Prime** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 5:58 am

SlyTF1 wrote:
Rodimus Prime wrote:Whether he is the most important or the best is a matter of opinion. I do think he has made a lot of contribution to the advancement of technology in filming, and has given newcomers a chance at succeeding through his production company. However, as a director in and of itself, he is kind of one-tracked. He sticks to the car chases and explosions, because it's in his comfort zone. It's what he knows how to do. He has never tested his boundaries with other genres of movies as a director. That puts him at a disadvantage when considered for "best."

Watch Pain and Gain.

I did.

Then, come back and tell me that.

Whether he is the most important or the best is a matter of opinion. I do think he has made a lot of contribution to the advancement of technology in filming, and has given newcomers a chance at succeeding through his production company. However, as a director in and of itself, he is kind of one-tracked. He sticks to the car chases and explosions, because it's in his comfort zone. It's what he knows how to do. He has never tested his boundaries with other genres of movies as a director. That puts him at a disadvantage when considered for "best."

News Credits: 6188 · by **Va'al** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 7:02 am

Well played, Rodimus.

I think the strength of Pain and Gain is not entirely in the cinematography, but how the latter works really quite well with the script - written by McFeely and Markus, the authors of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Thor: The Dark World among others, and based on pre-existing fictional narrative.

And this is something that keeps coming up in this type of discussion (including staff emails): with all their flaws, Bay, Nolan, Cameron, Abrams are indeed important names in mainstream/blockbuster/Hollywood industry and cinematography in general - and I bunch them all together because I'm not a big fan of any of them myself - but they need good writers to build upon.

News Credits: 226 · by **Burn** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 7:05 am

When did Nolan start getting recognised as a big name director?

And more importantly, why?

News Credits: 6188 · by **Va'al** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 8:17 am

Burn wrote:When did Nolan start getting recognised as a big name director?

And more importantly, why?

He goes in that same bunch of praised for a list of reasons that I have little love or care for that I mentioned above.

Memento is still his best film, to me.

News Credits: 22 · by **Rodimus Prime** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 8:59 am

If anything, to me Pain and Gain exposed Bay's flaws due to the lack of action scenes being able to gloss them over like in his other films, because he does action so well. The story wasn't really his responsibility, and it was a good story. But the movie to me felt very choppy due to shoddy editing, it never got into a good rhythm and flow. And even if there's an actual editor's name on the credits, it's still Bay having the final say on the progression of the movie. So it is his shortcoming. Otherwise, the movie was pretty good.

News Credits: 6188 · by **Va'al** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 1:05 pm

According to a new article in media website The Wrap, the deal between Paramount Pictures and director Michael Bay has been extended for another three years, and includes two of Bay's companies. This does not really come as a surprise, given the sheer amount of money even just Transformers: Age of Extinctions has made internationally. It also reinforces the idea that Bay will be directing the next installment in the movie series, of course - to find out more, head here, and check out a snippet below!

Paramount is keeping cash cow Michael Bay around for the long haul.

The studio announced on Thursday that the “Transformers” director had extended for three more years its first-look deal with Bay's production company, Platinum Dune, and added another of his companies, Bay Films, to the deal as well.

“With an ever-growing, worldwide fan base, Michael is truly one of the most inspired and beloved filmmakers of our time,” said Brad Grey, Paramount chairman and CEO. “We take great pride in the fact that Michael is part of the Paramount family and we look forward to growing our productive and successful partnership.”

[...]

“Over the years I have become part of the Paramount family,” Bay enthused in a press release. “There is a synergy there that feels different than any other place in Hollywood. From Brad Grey and Rob Moore, where my relationship goes back more than a decade, to my very good friend Adam Goodman, and to Philippe Dauman, who has put so much trust in me, and with the powerful marketing of Josh Greenstein and Megan Colligan, Paramount makes for a very comfortable place to work.”

News Credits: 1 · by **Autobot_Benz** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 1:36 pm

I can already see the Bay-Haters crying their eyes out. 3 more years to ruin their childhoods :michaelbay:

News Credits: 16 · by **Super Megatron** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 1:43 pm

At least he won't be making other garbage besides the pile he's already made. This IS good news.

News Credits: 7 · by **TulioDude** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 1:55 pm

Good to know that they are on good terms on each other,and that Bay is happy with working with them.

News Credits: 1 · by **rpetras** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 2:17 pm

I REALLY want them to turn over the GI Joe franchise to him.

I felt that was the property he should have had in the first place.

His proclivity for big explosions ( :michaelbay:

) and his overall good graces with the military would fit well with Joe.

by **Flashpoint_82** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 2:28 pm

Oh hell, please no more bayformers and stupid storylines. I mean Galvatron made by humans-absolutely no way !!!
What about UNICRON ? He trashed the whole story :BANG_HEAD:

News Credits: 1350 · by **ZeroWolf** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 2:44 pm

This wasn't much of a surprise, now it makes sense to get Bay to finish this trilogy, then maybe hitting some sort of reset button and tell new stories, maybe even go the route of beast wars

News Credits: 13 · by **OptimalOptimus2** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 2:54 pm

NNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have been defeated.

by **MGrotusque** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 3:03 pm

Autobot_Benz wrote:I can already see the Bay-Haters crying their eyes out. 3 more years to ruin their childhoods

It is true. I am one of them and alas i have given up on Transformers. Well....anything movie related anyways.

I think i'm gonna have a beer and pour a little out to my ruined childhood dreams of cool transformer movies. This is sad news indeed.

News Credits: 7 · by **Zeedust** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 3:55 pm

ZeroWolf wrote:This wasn't much of a surprise, now it makes sense to get Bay to finish this trilogy, then maybe hitting some sort of reset button and tell new stories, maybe even go the route of beast wars

Beast Wars had a small cast and strong characterization. I don't think Bay could manage that.

News Credits: 1350 · by **ZeroWolf** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 4:03 pm

Nemesis Primal wrote:
ZeroWolf wrote:This wasn't much of a surprise, now it makes sense to get Bay to finish this trilogy, then maybe hitting some sort of reset button and tell new stories, maybe even go the route of beast wars

Beast Wars had a small cast and strong characterization. I don't think Bay could manage that.

I was working with the assumption that there would be a change of directors.

News Credits: 4 · by **padfoo** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 4:09 pm

Autobot_Benz wrote:I can already see the Bay-Haters crying their eyes out. 3 more years to ruin their childhoods

No just three more years of really bad movies!

by **DeadCaL** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 7:10 pm

Flashpoint_82 wrote:Oh hell, please no more bayformers and stupid storylines. I mean Galvatron made by humans-absolutely no way !!!
What about UNICRON ? He trashed the whole story

To be fair, he doesn't write the script. So they have to take the blame for the plot.

*Shudder* Next I'll be defending Ewe Boll

News Credits: 8 · by **Megatron Wolf** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 7:39 pm

hurray 3 more years of IQs sharply dropping and franchises continuing to be run into the ground then blown up for no reason, at least he cant ruin franchises from other studios for a while. But this just shows the problem with studios like paramount, they care more about money than quality.

News Credits: 1 · by **SKYWARPED_128** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 11:13 pm

Kind of knew the whole "leave it to a new director" statement was wishful thinking on Bay's part. Paramount would never take the risk of having a new director at the helm, not when Bay's proven to be virtually bullet-proof at the box office with his TF movies.

While you'd never say no to money, I think he's made enough to live in absolute luxury for the rest of his life. The other half of the reason he's staying is probably because TF movies are his most successful ones to date, and he's enamored by the impression of being "indispensable" to a franchise.

Either way, I can't say it surprises me.