Mercedes-Benz Shares Thoughts and Pictures on the “Sex and the City” Movie

The only time we happily watched anything in concern of “Sex and the City” without some nagging gal twisting our arm was when a paparazzi video featuring a scene with the then, unrevealed Mercedes-Benz GLK was leaked into the net last December.

Now Mercedes-Benz has released a set of images shot during the filming of the “Mature women do it everyway and with everyone in the city” along with a short interview with Kim Cattrall –aka Samantha “Just do it” Jones, and a behind the scenes story on the GLK’s promotional appearance in the movie. -Continued

Excerpt from Kim Cattrall interview at the Laureus World Sports Award 2008 (St. Petersburg, February 17th, 2008)

Interview transcripted from original TV recording, incomprehensible interview questions and passages were cut

I = Interviewer
C = Kim Cattrall

I: Kim, I heard that in the new 'Sex and the City' movie there's gonna be a Mercedes involved which nobody saw yet.

C: Yes, when we were filming with my co-star - it was the GLK Mercedes SUV - there were so many photographers in Beverly Hills and there have been very many photographers in New York. When we were filming.I thought, there's all these photographers, I felt so proud and happy, but they weren't interested in me, they were interested in the new Mercedes GLK. They were all trying to photograph the dashboard, which was completely new, so they would have the first photograph - so I was upstaged by the Mercedes car (laughing).

I: By the car! (laughs)

C: Exactly, a newer model, I guess (laughing).

I: Do you drive a Mercedes in your private life?

C: I just ordered an SL. I've had a romantic love affair with a Mercedes for a very long time, especially when I was a struggling actress - but now I am so happy that I am successful enough to own one myself.

I: And why is it the Mercedes - that you like so much, is it because of the style, or is it the technical details?

C: You know, I think that the Mercedes is made by very, very smart, passionate people. I've been playing this very passionate character for a very long time - I think it goes very well hand in hand, with me as a person and with me as an actor. I also very much like something that has that steel around me, I feel very, very safe in it and I live in New York where we have a lot of weather conditions. It's not like sunny California. So it put a lot of demands on the car that you drive, I feel very happy and safe.

…

(end of interview excerpt)

Mercedes-Benz Thoughts on Sex and the City

Transportation of vehicle from Stuttgart factory to Rodeo Drive

Although the all new GLK small SUV isn’t scheduled to hit dealers until October 2008 (January 2009 for the U.S.), the opportunity for a vehicle to be showcased in a scene of the summer’s hottest film, Sex and the City, was too good to pass up. It was however, quite challenging to secure an early release from the prototype vault at the Stuttgart factory.

Having not made its debut prior to the shoot on Rodeo Drive, the vehicle had to travel to the US in a cloak of secrecy. Accompanied by a designated Mercedes-Benz representative from Germany, there were many steps taken to protect the visual identity of the beautiful prototype from the outside world. Even the key which opened a tamper-proof container holding the car was locked away in a safe place and only accessible by one security personnel!

The GLK arrived in Long Beach California just days before shooting and was transported to Beverly Hills and kept secret until the cast and crew were ready for the scene. Given that the car had to sit on a public street, security had their hands full keeping the car under wraps until the scene was ready.

Finally, when the shoot was over, the same security personnel responsible for handling the container upon its arrival, was the only person who could lock it back up on its return trip to Germany.

Prepping the vehicle for the scene on Rodeo Drive

Nothing in Hollywood is left to chance, and every aspect of filmmaking is perfectly prepared, reviewed, and double checked to ensure that the scenes are absolutely perfect. For the Rodeo Drive shoot the set design and inclusion of the GLK were no exception. In the short weeks leading up to the scheduled shoot, costume designer Patricia Field recommended the color of the car match the rest of the set design. Since the car was originally black, the paint shop at the factory had to work their own magic in order to repaint the entire vehicle, as most of the car parts on prototypes are unique, handmade and not available in large quantities the way they are on traditional assembly line vehicles.

As it was, the car arrived in the US without its side mirrors, and had to have them attached at the Mercedes-Benz Long Beach Tech Center the night before the shoot. While this doesn’t sound complicated, side mirrors on prototypes cannot just be screwed into the doors, but instead need to be adjusted in a very meticulous process.

Security for the GLK

Because the design and entire shape of the vehicle had never been exposed to the public before, and was scheduled for its first public debut at the NAIAS Detroit Motor Show 3 weeks later, the vehicle require high security at all times. Therefore, there was a team of 12 security guards whose job it was to prevent photos from being taken by bystanders and the press. Camouflage was placed over the dash to prevent images of the interior from being taken.

To visually protect the car as much as possible, the shoot was scheduled for 6 am on a Sunday morning on Rodeo Drive. Despite their best efforts, all bets were off once the paparazzi arrived. At one point, in the middle of the shoot, one of the security guards and three deputy sheriffs had to grab the cover of the vehicle and jump into the middle of the scene in order to shield it from paparazzi cameras.

Additionally, a photographer was spotted lying on the roof of a hotel across the street with a telephoto lens focusing in on the scene. Even though a photo was leaked to the internet just a few hours later, it was an incredible effort by the security team to protect the privacy of the car. Keeping a high profile car secret when it is exposed to the pubic for the first time is hard enough. Add that to an association with a high profile film shoot, and sneak peaks are bound to get out.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

When watching the film, it may seem that the scene featuring Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week actually happened during the event itself, but it wasn’t that easy. With the permission of M-B and IMG, Production was given the original Sept., 2007 Fashion Week tent, sets, props, graphics, etc. so they could re-create the event for this scene of the film. This was as challenging for the film production team as getting the GLK prototype out of the factory was for Mercedes-Benz: Its hard to imagine how many things need to be orchestrated and how many people need to be involved to recreate such an event in New York for a movie scene.

It took approximately 36 hours and plenty of explanation to the many New Yorkers who were surprised to see the tent being constructed in November (Fashion Week season is normally in September and February). The Mercedes-Benz SLR Roadster display alone took 12 hours to rebuild. It was amazing to watch a film set with more than 200 people, each with their own assignment, get the scene shot - from the caterer serving a hungry crew, to the director watching every single detail in order to have the perfect sequence locked in. Mercedes-Benz was even given 7 “extra” spots and engaged their employees in a small contest to win one of these 7 walk-on spots. While the lucky winners were on set for 14 hours on the day of their shoot, they were treated like true VIP’s, had their hair and makeup done, and were made to feel like real movie stars.

Mercedes-Benz Manhattan dealership

In another scene, the outside of the Manhattan Mercedes-Benz dealership was used for filming. The dealership allowed the production crew to disguise the outside of the dealership to look like a night club by covering their side windows in a red film. When you see the movie you won’t be able to tell that this is usually a Mercedes-Benz car dealership.

Additional Thoughts

The filming of the GLK scene on Rodeo Dr. took approximately 7 hours to shoot. The 7 hours of work will eventually become only 2 minutes of time in the final cut of the film. It is easy to understand how a 2-hour movie can take over 100 days to shoot.

Jenna Jameson’s Lamborghini Murcielago for Sale on eBay: Plenty of treads left on these tires...

You all know who Jenna Jameson is, right? If by any rare chance the answer to that question is no, well, to put it simple, she’s commonly referred to as “The Queen of porn”. Unlike Jenna herself, this 2002 Lamborghini Murcielago that once belonged to the famous actress hasn’t clocked up many miles on its odometer – just 11,658 to be precise.

However, we aren’t sure whether or not the yellow-mellow Lamborghini starred in any of Jenna’s films. Now that we think of it, we wonder if the Lamborghini did indeed star in any of Jenna’s movies, would that deteriorate or improve the car’s value? Have your say in the comment section below. –Continued after the jump

Via: eBay , Thanks for the tip Stu!

Opel Agila High-Heel Shoes – Again, its No Joke!

Just like our previous article on Volvo’s C30 personalized sticker program, while it may look like an April Fools’ Day photoshop gag, the Opel Agila high-heel shoes do exist. Designed by Luca Stappers, these one-of-a-kind aqua-colored high heel shoes were unveiled on Wednesday April 2 during a special party at the SHOEBALOO shoe shop in Amsterdam, Holland as part of Opel’s promotional campaign for the new Agila minicar. Still don’t believe us? Well just skip the jump to check out the photos from the event. -Continued

Knight Rider TV Series Coming This Fall

You probably saw or at least heard of the two-hour long new Knight Rider movie that aired on NBC last February. Well, yesterday NBC officially announced that its fall-lineup will include a weekly series based on that film. We’ll be able to see Michael Knight and his black Shelby GT500KR in the role of K.I.T.T. every Wednesday at 8-9 pm EST while reruns will be playing on Saturday night from 9 to 10 pm EST.

Via: Motorpasion

Video: Fast and Furious KDBC(4) & KVIA(7) News Vans Hit the Drag Strip

Apparently the KDBC(4) and KVIA(7) TV-channel crews didn’t get the story they where looking for at the drag strip so since they had nothing else better to do, they decided to fool around a bit by drag racing their news vans. Little did they know that they themselves would become the news story of the day...

New Iron Man Trailer Featuring the Audi R8

Earlier today we told about the launch of a new microsite by Audi dedicated to the carmaker's product placement in Paramount’s movie version of “Iron Man” (see details here). In the movie, Tony Spark drives an R8 while his female assistant Virginia, an S5. Along with the microsite the German automaker also released a special trailer that is made up of exclusive scenes from the movie and Audi R8 road shots. Check out the trailer right after the jump. -Continued

Audi Launches “Iron Man” Microsite – Director Says Stunt Drivers Couldn’t Turn The R8 onto its Roof...

Today, Audi announced that it has launched a micro-site to promote its product placement in Paramount’s movie version of “Iron Man” that’s set for release in theaters this May. Tony Spark (played by Robert Downey Jr.) will be driving an aluminum (…) Audi R8 when he’s not wearing his hi-tech “Iron Man” armour-suit while his assistant, Virginia “Pepper” Potts (played by Gwyneth Paltrow), will drive an Audi S5.

The German carmaker has all the details in its official press release which includes among other things, a statement made by director Jon Favreau that really caught our attention. The statement concerns Favreau’s original plan to use the R8 in a final crash scene with Iron Man’s adversary. “The crash just wasn’t spectacular enough! Our stunt specialists did their best to turn the R8 over onto its roof, which would have given us a dramatic final scene, but they failed – the car clung to the road too well!”, said Favreau.

We don’t now why, but the first thing that comes into our mind right now is the waste product of bulls… -Details and images after the jump

Press Release

„Iron Man“ and Audi R8: Vorsprung durch Technik

· “Iron Man” opens in theaters around the world in early May 2008

· Audi campaign accompanies the product placement

· Technical details, backgrounds, history: www.audi.com/ironman

Robert Downey Jr. plays Tony Stark, the leading man in the Paramount and Marvel Studios movie version of “Iron Man”. Head of a big industrial complex, he owes his super-powers to an indestructible, hi-tech suit of armor of his own design that has a variety of uses and earns him the title “Iron Man.” When he’s not wearing it, this billionaire technophile relies on his Audi R8. It matches Stark’s super hero guise very well: The slits through which Iron Man views the world resemble the all-LED headlamps on the R8, Stark’s artificial heart with its ring of lights recalls the sports car’s exposed mid-engine and his immensely tough armor is matched by the Audi Space Frame, the high-strength aluminum structure on which this hi-tech automobile is built. The film’s hero and his favored mode of transport both symbolize Audi’s famous technical leadership claim: “Vorsprung durch Technik.”

“The Audi R8 is the perfect car for Tony Stark,” says Iron Man’s director Jon Favreau. “It’s a technical masterpiece, it’s fast and safe – and it’s the ultimate eye-catcher.” Tony Stark delights in luxury; he’s intelligent, demanding and a lover of life to the full. Naturally he utilizes his exceptional abilities for the good of mankind – when he takes on the personality of Iron Man, his super-hero alter ego. There has never been a comic-strip hero with such a deep-seated understanding of technology and the opportunities opened up by innovation and progressive ideas.

The attitudes that the leading character represents were one of the main reasons why Audi became involved in this production: interaction between the role, the movie as a whole and the product is the decisive factor in successful product placement. Michael Renz, Head of Central Marketing at Audi, says: “The character and lifestyle of Tony Stark tie in very well with the attributes of the Audi R8. And in any case, “Iron Man” is one of the world’s best-known, never-aging super-heroes – an opportunity we were determined not to miss!”

But in reality the combination of automobile and screen hero has to be credible – actor Robert Downey Jr. sees it this way too. “I grew up with the Audi mystique. This carmaker has always been right in the forefront when it comes to technology, performance, innovation and safety. I see Tony and myself as worthy ambassadors for Audi – we’re genuine fans of the make.” Renz too regards this as an important precondition: “Unless the star of a production identifies with the brand, and the image of the leading role matches what Audi stands for, the connection is simply not credible enough. We’re fortunate in this respect: Many Hollywood stars value Audi very highly, and are driving our cars in their private lives anyway.”

Audi has another worthy ambassador on the cast list too: Tony Stark’s assistant Virginia “Pepper” Potts, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, drives an Audi S5 in the movie. She is an intelligent, ambitious woman who knows exactly what she wants. The sporty dynamics and elegant finesse of the Audi S5 suit her character well. Her honest approach is evident as the plot progresses: She supports Tony Stark unhesitatingly even before he plunges into his fight against the evil forces of this world. As the chief executive of Stark Industries, a gigantic multinational armaments group, the billionaire demonstrates his ability as a business policymaker. His life changes abruptly, however, when he is kidnapped while launching one of his latest inventions in Afghanistan. The criminals intend to force him to build a weapon of immense destructive force.

Instead of this, Stark develops and builds a revolutionary metal suit of armor while in the kidnappers’ clutches. With its aid he is able to escape and reach home again. His next move is to perfect his suit and start to combat what proves to be a conspiracy of global dimensions. Another loyal colleague in addition to Virginia “Pepper” Potts is Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes (“Rhodey”), played by Terrence Howard.

This comedy drama, which is full of action and special effects, opens in theaters around the world in early May 2008, but fans and other interested people all over the world don’t need to wait for the movie to reach their local theaters before immersing themselves in the world of “Iron Man.” An Audi micro-site has been produced especially for this movie. On its complex home page the user can pay a virtual visit to Tony Stark’s top-secret New York workshop. Two perspectives are available: Through the eyes of Tony Stark, trailers and background information on the movie can be called up and viewed. Alternatively the special “Iron Man Vision” infrared viewer can be used, for instance to explore the design details of the Audi R8 and A5. The micro-site also contains historical facts about Audi and the ‘Iron Man’ comic strip, which can be found in a virtual Audi R10 TDI racecar.

The micro-site goes online at www.audi.com/ironman on March 10, 2008.

“One Man. One Machine. One Mission.” The online campaign starts with this motto alongside the micro-site. The key visual shows Iron Man with the Audi R8. This action-packed motif recalls a movie theater poster and is intended to draw Internet users’ attention to the web site. The decision in favor of this theater-style campaign was a deliberate one, with the aim of strengthening the link between the Audi R8 and Tony Stark, alias Iron Man. In communication terms it is very different from regular Audi advertising. “We want to address a young movie-going public directly,” says Michael Renz. Advertising measures are also being put into effect at Audi dealers, starting in March.

Early in April, communication measures in Germany will be stepped up, with outdoor advertising and movie theater trailers. A notable feature of the trailers is that they were produced especially for Audi and are made up of exclusive scenes from the movie and Audi road shots. All eleven trailers will be placed on the micro-site in succession by the time the movie reaches theaters in early May 2008.

Although the Audi R8 impressed the cast and the production team so much while the movie was being shot, director Jon Favreau found himself facing a slight problem as the story reached its climax. He had planned for the car to be used in a final scene by being involved in a dramatic collision with Iron Man’s wicked adversary. This had to be omitted from the final cut, Favreau explains: “The crash just wasn’t spectacular enough! Our stunt specialists did their best to turn the R8 over onto its roof, which would have given us a dramatic final scene, but they failed – the car clung to the road too well!”

It looks as if the Audi R8 had better stick to what it does best, even after a promising start to its acting career. One of the great Hollywood stars of the past could maybe have hammed this scene with the director’s help, but not a car designed and hand-built according to Audi’s famous “Vorsprung durch Technik” slogan. A car such as this guarantees top dynamic performance, technological leadership and, thanks to its quattro permanent all-wheel drive, clings firmly to the road. Never mind if a spectacular crash could save the world – it’s simply too much to expect of an Audi R8 that’s built to perform its task perfectly in every other way.

Another important role in “Iron Man” – apart from Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard and of course the Audi R8 – is played by Jeff Bridges. Jon Favreau is the director and the screenplay was written by Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway. The producers of “Iron Man” are Avi Arad and Kevin Feige, the executive producers Louis D’Esposito, Peter Billingsley, Jon Favreau, Stan Lee and David Maisel.

Audi has a long product placement tradition. Systematic placement of automobiles in movies is an important element in its communication strategy. Of course, all activity of this kind has to be in conformity with Audi’s general brand strategy. This is why Audi chooses the projects carefully. Its contribution to the movie ‘I, Robot’ (2004) was spectacular: Will Smith drove the RSQ, which was especially designed for ‘I, Robot’ and in fact a futuristic design study for the Audi R8 now seen in ‘Iron Man’. Cars from the brand with the four-ring emblem were also to be seen as “leading automobile actors” in John Frankenheimer’s classic action movie ‘Ronin’ (with Jean Reno und Robert De Niro, 1998), and in ‘The Insider’ (with Russell Crowe, 1999), ‘Mission Impossible II’ (with Tom Cruise, 2000), ‘The Mothman Prophecies’ (with Richard Gere, 2002), ‘About a Boy’ (with Hugh Grant, 2002), Reese Witherspoon’s ‘Natural Blonde 2’ (2003), ‘Transporter 2’ (Jason Statham, 2005) or ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’ (Matt Damon, 2007).

Transformers Movie DVD Released

We just received an e-mail reminder from Paramount that the Transformers DVD will officially hit retailer stores in a few hours -that’s Oct 16, 2007. The movie comes as a single-disc DVD, a two-disc DVD Special Edition and a high-definition HD DVD Special Edition. Extras include commentaries, a batch of behind-the-scenes revealing the back-story of the Autobots and the Decepticons along with the moviemaking that went into the desert assault in the beginning of the movie.

The HD DVD also includes a TRANSFORMERS H.U.D. (Heads Up Display) that lets viewers access running text commentary while watching the film and even view relevant behind-the-scenes footage in a picture-in-picture window. Guess you all know what we’re going to do tomorrow evening. -See what Carscoop readers had to say about the movie by clicking here

5th Gear’s Jason Plato Injured During Caparo T1 Accident

Being an automotive persona on a TV show is a risky business for your health. A few months after Top Gear’s host, Richard Hammond, almost lost his life in a horrific accident, Jason Plato from Fifth Gear was hurt in an incident during filming for the show. Plato, who also takes part in the British Touring Car Championship as SEAT Sport UK’s driver, was testing a road-going Caparo T1 at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground in Leicestershire, UK when the 575Hp supercar burst into flames at an estimated 150mph – 241 km/h. -Continued after the jump

Luckily, Plato managed to come out suffering only minor burns to both hands (the right hand being more badly injured), his face and the back of the neck. Fifth Gear’s host received treatment in the specialist burns unit of the Stoke Mandeville Hospital and he was released the same evening. Despite the serious incident, Plato vowed to race at this weekend’s final BTCC race meeting at Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire on Sunday 14th October, which is also his 40th birthday.

Jason Plato said: “We were testing the Caparo T1 for Fifth Gear, and we took it to Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, a private testing facility, which is common practice. There was a slight loss of power, I looked in the mirror and saw some smoke, there was a slight smell of oil and then suddenly there was this intense heat. The car spontaneously erupted into a ball of flame and I was sat in the middle of a fireball. I hit the brakes, brought the car to a stop as quickly as I could and jumped out.

“We found the nearest hospital on our sat nav and Phil Bennett [former BTCC racing driver who was at the test] took me to the local A&E. I would very much like to thank Phil, all the staff at Market Harborough and District Hospital, Kettering General Hospital and Stoke Mandeville Hospital for all the excellent care and treatment they so quickly administered.

“The back of my neck is burnt and so are my face and hands. I obviously couldn’t take my hands off the steering wheel whilst braking and my right hand is more badly burnt than my left. I’ll have to dig deep, but I’m still looking forward to the BTCC finale this weekend. It’s been a hard-fought season and I’ve led the Drivers’ Championship almost unbroken since winning the opening round, so this isn’t going to stop me winning the title on Sunday.”

Poll: Which Car Should Play In The New Knight Rider TV Series?

Since we learned last night that NBC has decided to revive Knight Rider (click here) with a new TV series next fall, we've been raking our brain to try and find the best candidate to surrogate Knight’s 1980’s Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am. Heck, we even stayed up last night playing around with photoshop just to see what KITT would look like if he were a Chevy Camaro –mmm, maybe, a Cadillac Cien –we liked this one, an Audi R8 –that sucked, even an Impreza WRX STi –that’ll piss off many Texans.

Which one of today’s production cars/concepts do you think would be the ideal choice for KITT’s role? And oh, if you know your way around with Photoshop, don’t hesitate to e-mail us a pic! Have your say in the comments below. -Chops after the jump

Pics: Carscoop

Knight Rider Coming Back To TV In 2008

If you’re in your late 20’s – early 30’s like yours truly, you’ve probably spent countless hours as a kid in front of the TV watching Michael Knight (played by David Hasselhoff) and his blacked out K.I.T.T. 2000. Yes, we shamelessly admit that there was a time and a place were we dreamed of driving Knight’s talking Trans-Am –with a handful of chicks in it! But we better stop here before we make a complete “arse” of ourselves… Anyway, what we really wanted to tell you is that NBC is bringing back the 1980s action-drama series. According to Variety, the new "Knight Rider" could air as early as next fall. There’s no word on which car will substitute the Pontiac Trans-Am, but producers are exploring the idea of adding "evil" cars to offset K.I.T.T.

Via: Autoblog.com , Source: Variety

Pimp My Ride VW Bug On Sale For $40,000

Here’s one more “Pimp My Ride” project vehicle that’s up for sale. Gus, a reader of Carscoop, discovered Lawanna's VW Bug that aired on MTV’s Pimp My Ride Show episode 414, on the Los Angeles area Craiglist. The seller –we don’t know for sure if it’s Lawanna, is asking a mere $40,000. Not bad at all for a rustbucket on wheels that was half-way to the scrapyard before Xzibit took over. -Continued after the jump

The VW Beetle’s theme was "Hair Force One" due to the fact that Lawanna was a hair stylist who was about to enter the air force. Among other things that the GAS crew did, was to install a sink with shampoo and conditioner dispensers in the front, as well as waterproof speakers and an iPod nano. Inside the car features a high-power hair dryer that got air via a scoop on the car's roof.

Link: Craiglist , Thanks for the tip Gus!

Video: Iron Man’s Audi R8

Even super heroes require a neat set of wheels and what a better choice for Tony Stark than the Audi R8. Scheduled for release on May 2, 2008, Marvel Comic’s Iron Man tells the story of billionaire industrialist, Tony Starks (played by Rober Downey Jr.) who creates a technologically advanced armor suit thus becoming the Iron Man. Paramount, which is putting the comic book on the big screen, has come to an agreement with Audi and from what we've heard, the R8 won’t be the only model from Ingolstadt to play in the film. -Follow the jump for the official teaser of the film

Transformer’s DVD Hits Shelves On Oct 16

The Transformers DVD is set to hit store shelves on October 16, and its jam packed with all sorts of goodies. The set will include the single-disc and two disc version, in addition to a 2 disc HD-DVD Special Edition. Other extras include director’s commentary, behind the scenes making of the movie and let’s not forget that GM had a little something to do with the Transformer’s disguise, so they’ll be adding some comments/advertising as well. So now you can actually put that fancy pants home-theatre system to good use, because as we recall, the sound and special effects in this movie were just sick! Press release after the jump. Posted by Dani

Via: Jalopnik

HOLLYWOOD , CALIF. - (September 5, 2007) The armies of CYBERTRON invaded theaters with a juggernaut fury that shook the summer of 2007, but on October 16, 2007 fans of all ages will discover that there is far "More Than Meets The Eye" to the massive mechanical behemoths when TRANSFORMERS arrives on Earth in spectacular DVD and HD DVD
two-disc Special Edition sets as well as on a single disc from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures; distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment.

Earning over $650 million at the global box office to date, the massive production exploded onto screens from the creative minds of director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg, in association with Hasbro, taking audiences by storm and becoming the biggest original film of the year. The first live-action film based on the enduringly popular "robots in disguise", TRANSFORMERS features the ultimate battle between good and evil, as the peace-loving AUTOBOTS seek to protect humanity from the evil forces of the DECEPTICONS. The action-packed film stars a hot young cast of
up-and-coming actors including Shia LaBeouf (Disturbia), Josh Duhamel ("Las Vegas"), Tyrese Gibson (Four Brothers) and Megan Fox ("Hope & Faith"), as well as seasoned performers such as Jon Voight (National Treasure) and John Turturro (The Good Shepherd). But the biggest stars are the TRANSFORMERS robots themselves - including fan favorites OPTIMUS PRIME, MEGATRON, BUMBLEBEE, RATCHET, JAZZ and more - brought to life by revolutionary new VFX techniques developed by the innovative digital wizards at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM).

The TRANSFORMERS Special Edition two-disc sets provide an incredible experience with an arsenal of bonus material that delivers excitement and fun for long-time fans, as well as for viewers who are new to the TRANSFORMERS universe. The extensive special features include commentary by Michael Bay and two multi-part in-depth documentaries exploring the human elements of the film as well as the phenomenal robot stars. Presented in multiple parts, "Our World" and "Their War" include segments with Steven Spielberg discussing his love for the franchise and the early concept for the movie, the extensive casting process, the training, consultants and real-world weapons provided by the military to lend authenticity to the film, the evolution of the robots from Hasbro's iconic toy line to big-screen stars, the unique vehicles created for the movie, a discussion with ILM's legendary digital artists and much more.

The discs go even further behind-the-scenes with early sketch concepts of the robots and an in-depth look at the making of the SKORPONOK attack from writing and conceptualization through the creation of the stunning visual effects.

Out-Of-This World High-Def Content:

In addition to superior picture and sound and all of the above bonus material presented in high definition, the HD DVD presentation provides consumers with a host of web-enabled features, which are accessible through all connected HD DVD players. The
web-enabled features take advantage of technology that allows the studio to present the content in a new way. These cutting-edge, online features can be updated, providing consumers with an evolving entertainment experience months, or even years, after the disc is physically produced. Initial features include a TRANSFORMERS Intelligence Mode in which an on-screen dashboard over the film provides information about the robots and weapons, their strength levels, character updates and more. Plus, a GPS Locator that can access a map and GPS coordinates. Paramount's TRANSFORMERS HD DVD connectivity capabilities will reveal additional HD DVD exclusive features at street date and at various time periods in the future.

The HD DVD also includes a TRANSFORMERS H.U.D. (Heads Up Display) that lets viewers access running text commentary while watching the film and even view relevant behind-the-scenes footage in a picture-in-picture window. Additionally, viewers can explore the main robots' individual details in high definition with the TRANSFORMERS Tech Inspector.

DVD:

The TRANSFORMERS DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround with English, French and Spanish subtitles. Total runtime is 143 minutes.

TRANSFORMERS Special Edition DVD bonus features include:

Disc 1:

* Feature film
* Commentary by Michael Bay

Disc 2:

* The Story Sparks - Steven Spielberg discusses his love for the franchise and early concept art for the film. Explores how the writers adapted the cartoon into a live-action movie and why Michael Bay is the perfect director for the film.
* Human Allies - A look at how the actors were selected and their experiences on the set.
* I Fight Giant Robots - An exploration of the military training that
Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson underwent for their roles and the various stunts that the actors were asked to perform.
* Battleground - A piece on the senior officials from the Department of Defense and Air Force who consulted on the film to give it authenticity and the key locations that the U.S. government provided access to.
* Rise of the Robots - Explores the interaction between Hasbro designers and Michael Bay to bring the toy line roaring to life.
* AUTOBOTS Roll Out - Michael Bay discusses working with Chevy and its designers and the modifications that were made to the cars seen in the film.
* DECEPTICONS Strike - The film's military advisors discuss the "toys" they allowed the production to borrow: F-22 Raptors, Ospreys and A-10 Warthogs.
* Inside the AllSpark - ILM's digital artists discuss the challenges of bringing the TRANSFORMERS to life.
* From Script to Sand: The SKORPONOK Desert Attack - An in-depth look at the making of this particularly epic and challenging scene from initial storyboarding through production and visual effects.
* Concepts - Early sketch concepts of the robots.
* Trailers

TRANSFORMERS HD DVD

The HD DVD is presented in 1080p High Definition with English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus and English, English SDH+, French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese subtitles. In addition to the above features that will be presented in high definition, the TRANSFORMERS HD DVD will also offer the following exclusive content:

TRANSFORMERS HD DVD (cont'd)

Disc 1:

TRANSFORMERS H.U.D. (Heads Up Display)--In this mode, viewers can access running text-based behind-the-scenes background information on the production during the feature. Users can also watch relevant picture-in-picture b-roll and video with Bay, Spielberg and other filmmakers during select sequences.

Transformers Intelligence Mode web-enabled features consist of:

* Transformation Mode
* Health Meter
* Weapon Mode
* Robot Bio
* In Scene Indicator
* Text Ticker
* GPS

Disc 2:

TRANSFORMERS Tech Inspector - Gives viewers an unprecedented look at the TRANSFORMERS robots through the exquisitely detailed models created by ILM artists. Users can zoom in on each detail for a closer examination and pause and change the rotation of the models.

Chevy Suburban From Soprano's Auctioned on eBay

The 1999 4x4 Chevy Suburban, one of two original vehicles leased by the production as Tony Soprano's car for the series, is being auctioned off on eBay. With 53,743 miles on the odometer, the bid is starting at $30,000. If your skeptical of the authenticity of the vehicle just get a whiff of the stale cigar smoke and the panel enclosing the vanity mirror on the driver's side visor signed in ink, "Be nice to my car” by James Gandolfini himself.

The Suburban also comes with a letter of authenticity from the Move Time Cars which leased the vehicle for the series. Honestly, couldn’t they have found an uglier car or are the producers just trying to appeal to the common folk? -Continued after the jump

Posted by Dani

Link: eBay