Been extraordinarily busy over the last month with Uni work. My Dissertation on Michael Bay has turned into torture, one word, one explosion, one fucked-frame at a time. On top of that is the usual deadlines and life crap thrown my way.
As such, I haven’t been to the cinema to see new releases as much as I wanted to. I will catch up in the summer, but have only seen a few and as such means this is just a round-up post.
This series focuses on the one and only Michael Bay. Attempting to deconstruct his filmography, one film at a time. The ideas explored here may or may not end up in my Dissertation about Michael Bay and Post-Cinema.
And to answer the question: Does it ever rain in a Michael Bay movie?
It is fitting that the last film (until Michael Bay releases his next feature) in this series for my dissertation should be a sequel to Michael Bay’s own original property, BAD BOYS.
The reason for looking at this sequel is to help identify what different filmmakers do with a similar playset. BAD BOYS FOR LIFE is the most coherent and mature in the series, and that might have something to do with the fact that Michael Bay isn’t directing this one. It’s Belgian duo, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah.
This series focuses on the one and only Michael Bay. Attempting to deconstruct his filmography, one film at a time. The ideas explored here may or may not end up in my Dissertation about Michael Bay and Post-Cinema.
And to answer the question: Does it ever rain in a Michael Bay movie?
And so, we come on to the last stretch of films. First up is Travis Knight’s entry to the TRANSFORMERS series, BUMBLEBEE.
The reason for looking at this spin-off entry is to help identify what a different filmmaker does with a similar playset. What followed is perhaps the best film in the whole series.
This series focuses on the one and only Michael Bay. Attempting to deconstruct his filmography, one film at a time. The ideas explored here may or may not end up in my Dissertation about Michael Bay and Post-Cinema.
And to answer the question: Does it ever rain in a Michael Bay movie?
After TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT failed critically and commercially, and i’d also argue artistically, Michael Bay got picked up by Netflix to direct a movie for them. They pretty much gave him an open cheque.
Written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (ZOMBIELAND, DEADPOOL), directed by Bay, financed by Netflix, this is 6 UNDERGROUND. Which I think is Bay’s best film.
This series focuses on the one and only Michael Bay. Attempting to deconstruct his filmography, one film at a time. The ideas explored here may or may not end up in my Dissertation about Michael Bay and Post-Cinema.
And to answer the question: Does it ever rain in a Michael Bay movie?
After 13 HOURS, Michael Bay went back to the TRANSFORMERS series for potentially it seems, the last time. TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT attempts a sortof reboot to the franchise.
But with Michael Bay at the helm, this didn’t reboot as much as rehash what has come before. This is the worst performing, worst reviewed film in the series. But why?
This series focuses on the one and only Michael Bay. Attempting to deconstruct his filmography, one film at a time. The ideas explored here may or may not end up in my Dissertation about Michael Bay and Post-Cinema.
And to answer the question: Does it ever rain in a Michael Bay movie?
The story goes that Michael Bay wnated to direct BLACK HAWK DOWN, but Ridley Scott got the rights to the story before he did. Then it was the rights to the book, LONE SURVIVOR but Peter Berg snapped them up.
Then he got his chance to direct an American war film with 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF THE BENGHAZI in 2016.
This series focuses on the one and only Michael Bay. Attempting to deconstruct his filmography, one film at a time. The ideas explored here may or may not end up in my Dissertation about Michael Bay and Post-Cinema.
And to answer the question: Does it ever rain in a Michael Bay movie?
After making his smaller movie, Michael Bay returned to the TRANSFORMERS series. TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION brings Mark Wahlberg along for the ride, adding (according to the marketing) Dinobots, Stanley Tucci, and Bud Light.
This one goes back to basics, but doesn’t forget the narrative threads of the previous film.
This series focuses on the one and only Michael Bay. Attempting to deconstruct his filmography, one film at a time. The ideas explored here may or may not end up in my Dissertation about Michael Bay and Post-Cinema.
And to answer the question: Does it ever rain in a Michael Bay movie?
After blowing up Chicago, and saying he was done with the TRANSFORMERS movies (for about 10 minutes and then signed on for a fourth one), he made a smaller film, PAIN & GAIN.
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, and Anthony Mackie. “Unfortunately…”, the opening narration declares, “Unfortunately this is a true story.”
This series focuses on the one and only Michael Bay. Attempting to deconstruct his filmography, one film at a time. The ideas explored here may or may not end up in my Dissertation about Michael Bay and Post-Cinema.
And to answer the question: Does it ever rain in a Michael Bay movie?
After making more money with the sequel, work promptly started on, what at the time Bay called his final TRANSFORMERS film. A trilogy capper with Shia Lebeouf, TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON has Bay go all out.
The third film adds more mythology, more explosions, more Robots, and the largest action set-piece Bay has attempted thus far.
This series focuses on the one and only Michael Bay. Attempting to deconstruct his filmography, one film at a time. The ideas explored here may or may not end up in my Dissertation about Michael Bay and Post-Cinema.
And to answer the question: Does it ever rain in a Michael Bay movie?
TRANSFORMERS was a massive success. Naturally audiences wanted more of the same. But after the Spielbergian/Bay mashup of the first film, TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN ended up becoming a critically derided mess.
It had something to do with the Writer’s Strike of 07/08, but there is something admirable about the sequel.
