If you want to be on Wipeout, you have to sign a huge release
So I watched a repeat of the first episode of ABC’s new game show Wipeout, and I’m not sure what to think of it. Like most American males, I like seeing people* fall from high, wet places and get punched in the face, but I’m not sure how many weeks I can watch the thing. I’m also not happy with the plugged-in comments from the hosts (John Henson and John Anderson) we have to listen to. For every really funny comment there are seven that make you groan. And I wonder if the show will just grow tired after a few weeks.
But there’s no denying that there are some wild stunts here. Everytime someone goes sailing off that ramp in the dark or bounces on those giant balls and their body jackknifes and hits the water I’m thinking, these people could easily break their necks. Sure, Survivor has crazy challengs and Fear Factor had nutty stunts, but this stuff seems especially dangerous. And that’s why ABC has them sign a 50 page release.
The network is covering their butts on this one. Besides the release they have each player sign (”Player states that if he if is stupid enough to sign up for a dangerous game show and breaks his neck bouncing off a giant ball, ABC is cleared of all responsibility…”), they have each event/course tested by a team of experts called The Black and Blue Squad (which was going to be the name of this site until we changed our minds). They test the depth of the water, how consistent the mud is, and make sure everything is padded enough. Which is good, because you don’t want your death certificate to read “killed by giant balls.”
* By the way, is there some law now that says contestants on game shows have to act like dicks? I mean, really. Remember when we never found out the personal background/attitude/personality of a contestant on a game show, unless it was Jeopardy, where they’re interviewed by Alex Trebek? Now game shows can’t just have regular contestants, they have to be trash talkers and they have to brag and insult the other contestants. Wipeout has contestants like that. It’s an odd thing on this show, really, because even though we don’t find out much about the contestants (they just seem to show up, their names are splashed on the screen, and they hit the water), they still seem irritating and over the top.
Megan Fox says Transformers 2 “Ten Times as Big”; Julie White Returns
A couple new Transformers 2 updates. First up, Megan Fox tells MTV that Transformers sequel will be ten times bigger and talks about the rewrites created by the writers strike.
“As big as the first movie was, this is 10 times as big, 10 times as many set pieces, explosions, and acrobatic stunts,” Fox told MTV. “You know, we’ve been having script meetings, and we’ve been reworking the script, because they wrote it fast because of the writer’s strike. And, we’ve just been going through and trying to do some character stuff for Shia and myself in the middle of this crazy world that they’re in. I can tell you that we’re on locations in some really exotic places. It’s just going to be a badass movie. It’s just going to be a popcorn-visual-spectacle, summer film.”
I’m sure the 10 times as big is only slightly exaggerated. The first film cost an estimated $150 million, and if Fox’s claims were literally true, the sequel would cost $1.5 billion. But speaking of exotic locations… [location spoiler warning]
The Philadelphia City Hall has been transformed into a Cafe in France. The scene apparently involves Sam’s parents Ron and Judy Witwicky (played by Kevin Dunn and Julie White) as they are on vacation in Paris. This is actually the first confirmation of White’s return. The Philly Chit Chat Blog was able to get a few shots of the set. The signs read “Ecole Militaire”, which is a military school. It now hosts the Collège Interarmées de Defense (Joint Defense College) and the Institut des Hautes Études de la Défense Nationale (IHEDN, Institute of High Studies of National Defense).
contributing source: TMLB
Megan Fox Talks Transformers 2
In a new interview, Megan “Just Look Hot” Fox talks about the filming of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
“As big as the first movie was, this is 10 times as big, 10 times as many set pieces, explosions, and acrobatic stunts,” she told [MTV] about “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”. “Shia and I make out a little bit; I don’t know if anyone wants to see that.”
Something tells us that Shia LeBeouf wants to see it.
Regardless, Megan insisted that the blossoming romance between Sam and Mikaela is only one of the many plotlines Bay will be juggling for the June 2009 flick. But according to the actress, some last-minute scrambling has been taking place to make sure their romance can hold its own among all those Autobot vs. Decepticon showdowns.
“You know, we’ve been having script meetings, and we’ve been reworking the script, because they wrote it fast because of the writer’s strike,” she explained. “And, we’ve just been going through and trying to do some character stuff for Shia and myself in the middle of this crazy world that they’re in.”
“I can tell you that we’re on locations in some really exotic places,” she added. “It’s just going to be a badass movie. It’s just going to be a popcorn-visual-spectacle, summer film.”
As for Michael Bay’s main directorial input to his lead actress, Megan had this to say: “His main note to me is just to look hot; so I try my best.”
Sounds like she’s in for an easy paycheck!
I don’t know about everyone else, but I didn’t mind the Sam/Mikaela storyline in the first film. And it would only be natural to continue developing it for the second one.
Can’t wait to see 10 times the explosions, though!
P.S. Shia, we all hate you right now.
I don’t know why people aren’t watching The Mole
It’s only the first episode, but people seem to be avoiding ABC’s new edition of The Mole like it was on The CW or something.
The first episode of the show this past Monday at 10pm got a 1.9 rating in the important 18 to 49 demographic. It came in third place in the time slot and lost a lot of the lead-in from The Bachelorette.
I don’t understand why viewers don’t make this one of the top reality shows on television. I mean, if you love reality television, why don’t you watch this show? Is it the time slot? Is it the fact that you have to figure things out on the show yourself? I think this is actually one of the most interesting parts of the show, that it’s actually a reality show that you can actually play along with. You don’t get that with The Bachelorette or Survivor. It’s actually a reality show mixed with a mystery/spy series. It’s a TV mystery series, where viewers have to guess who the bad guy is, mixed with a reality competition series. And it has great music and great Amazing Race-like stunts and worldwide locales and is immensely entertaining. Why aren’t more people, especially people who watch reality shows, watching The Mole?