Probot Toy Cinema Newsblog

NEW VIDEO: American "Black Hole Machine" Doomsday Collider

2008-09-17T00:23:00.000-07:00

Omni News Now: Faith Careheart reporting on a demonstration of the Top Secret new American Particle Collider, aka "The Big-Bang Machine" that some fear could trigger Doomsday!

New PROBOT video! 90210: Tori Surprise!

2008-09-04T16:22:00.000-07:00

Drama behind the scenes on the New 90210 as Tori Spelling drops by the set to visit Jennie Garth. Seems like old times again!
Written by Kat Shuchter
Produced by Probot Productions

2008-07-28T17:01:00.000-07:00

NEW MOVIE- JUST ADDED!

iVader 3G

Darth Vader gets a new iPhone!

2008-07-28T16:59:00.000-07:00

NEW GALLERY

COMIC-CON 2008

BATPOD AND COSTUME PHOTOS FROM THE DARK KNIGHT

2008-07-28T16:56:00.000-07:00

NEW GALLERY!

BATPOD AND COSTUME PHOTOS FROM

THE DARK KNIGHT

Probot's Star Wars in 3 Minutes Ranks #5 in W.I.R.E.D. Magazine's list of top 10 Best Star Wars Remakes

2008-07-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

ORIGINALLY POSTED JULY 25th, 2008 FRIDAY

PROBOT RANKS #5

IN W.I.R.E.D. MAGAZINE'S

TOP 10 BEST STAR WARS REMAKES

Do us a favor and watch the video through W.I.R.E.D.'s site... We're trying to break 200,000 YouTube views! Thanks!

GEEKTOPIA: The Summer of 2008

2008-07-28T16:40:00.000-07:00

Originally posted JULY 23rd, 2008 WEDNESDAY

GEEKTOPIA -- THE SUMMER OF 2008

by Sebastian O'Brien
photos by Damon Wellner

There was a lot of expectation for this summer move season. I remember looking at the line-up and thinking to myself. This is too much. There is no way this summer is going to live up to it's promise. There had never been a summer this packed -- a veritable geektopia of films, for seemingly every type of fan. Spielberg/Lucas fan? We've got the return of Indiana Jones and a Clone Wars animated movie. Into Disney/Pixar? We've got a painfully adorable robot named WALL-E. Like Will Smith Fourth of July tentpoles? We've got Hancock. Into comic books? Well, we've got -- EVERYTHING. I just couldn't imagine this feast wouldn't leave me feeling gorged and sick with all the sugary, shiny confections.

But the summer season kicked of with IRON MAN and things looked promising. Really promising. In fact, my cynical mind thought that the bar had been set too high and everything that followed would be a disappointment. (Maybe that’s why I, like the rest of the world, sat out SPEED RACER, despite hearing good things about it from reputable sources.) Next for me was INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL and...well, I most confess to some mild disappointment there. But despite my reservations on the film it still delivered the thrills, gave you the Indy you remembered as a kid and was a generally good time at the movies. The INCREDIBLE HULK followed, a sequel/reboot that I intended to skip but ended up seeing at a matinee anyway. And you know what? While not earth shattering, I liked the movie and was suitably entertained. So far, the summer of ‘08 was shaping up nicely.

I needed a breather from blockbuster spectacle and as a result missed WANTED and HANCOCK. Word on those films was a mixed bag but they definitely had their fans. I dived back into the summer pool with Guillermo del Toro’s HELLBOY II THE GOLDEN ARMY and felt refreshed by the film’s wonderful characters, creatures and even its ideas and themes. Now we’re starting to get into the deep end of the pool because these blockbusters are giving you some thought to go along with your entertainment. WALL-E followed and what could have been just a kids cartoon about a cute robot actually served as a meditation on where we could be headed if we’re not careful -- it was by far and away the best science fiction movie I had seen all year. So now, I’m getting scared. There’s no way the summer of ‘08 can keep this up, and we’re about to hit the movie that I had been most eagerly anticipating, a movie that I was being literally driven to distraction in my desire to see.

Of course I am talking about THE DARK KNIGHT.

The BatPod - SEE DARK KNIGHT GALLERY

OK, let me give you a little set-up here on my attitude coming into this film. I am a huge, huge Batman fan, have been as long as I can remember. As an adult, I enjoyed the Burton films but never felt like they really got the characters to my satisfaction. I’ll even cop to liking Schumacher’s BATMAN FOREVER for being a flamboyant and ridiculous take on the Batverse. (A take that would go horribly south in…oh, face it, I don’t need to call it by name.) But the batfan in me, like most, was not satisfied until Christopher Nolan’s BATMAN BEGINS. And for all the many, many things that film got right, it could never be the definitive Batman film because it didn’t have the definitive Batman villain, the Joker. But the end of BEGINS teased us with the promise of the clown prince of crime, and for three years, I waited for a film with an intensity not rivaled since I waited for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK as a small child. My expectations -- that this would be the definitive Batman film that would also be the next step in the evolution of the superhero genre -- were impossibly high. There was no way I wasn’t going to be disappointed, right?

THE DARK KINIGHT took my expectations, laughed at them with Heath Ledger’s already legendary cackle, and blew them to smithereens.

Heath Ledger's JOKER costume

SEE DARK KNIGHT GALLERY

I’m not going to go into a lengthy review of THE DARK KNIGHT because if the record breaking box office results are any indication, you’ve already seen it and have your opinion. Suffice it to say that whatever movie I had in my mind in anticipation of this film was made a mockery. I was unprepared to see characters I had loved for decades finally rendered as three-dimensional people on the screen. I was not prepared for a story that explored the ideas inherent in the Batverse in such a thorough, complex manner. And what I was really unprepared to see was a film that left me so sated, so thoroughly satisfied -- and I can’t believe I’m saying this -- that I don’t know if I ever need another Batman film.

Of course there will be another, and if Christopher Nolan has a good story to tell, I trust him to deliver. But for me, this is it. This is the one. Mission accomplished. How often in the lifetime of a geek can you say that? Not too many.

So, the point of all this, is that for me, the summer of 2008 managed to deliver on it’s massive potential, and that in itself is a miracle that won’t likely be repeated anytime soon. And there’s still some stuff to look forward to -- Star Wars, X Files, hell I’ve even heard good advanced word on the Mummy. And best of all, we as toy lovers have all sorts of great toys to help us keep the magic of this summer alive for years to come. And you can rest easy with the knowledge that we at Probot will be playing with those toys, as well as toys sprung from our own imaginations, and sharing what we create with you.

It sure has been a great summer to be a kid again.

The Joker's Goon Masks

SEE DARK KNIGHT GALLERY

PROBOT MOBILE: Optimized for the NEW iPhone 3G!

2008-07-16T11:43:00.000-07:00

NEW SITE FEATURE:

PROBOT MOBILE

Coinciding with the release of the new iPhone 3G, I am pleased to announce a new feature here at ProbotProductions.com, PROBOT MOBILE: Optimized for the iPhone! Now iPhone users can click on our PROBOT MOBILE icon and watch Probot videos easily on this page designed especially for the device.

Here's how it works...

There are THREE ways to enjoy Probot movies on your iPhone/iPod:

#1) On our PROBOT MOBILE page, just tap the image or title of the video you want to see and it will immediately begin playing the .m4v file.

Probot Mobile

#2) Or, if you prefer YouTube, just tap the YouTube button next to the movie and your YouTube application will open and play the video. The downsides of this option are that you cannot access YouTube CHANNELS on your iPhone, cannot rate videos, nor leave comments, AND you have to close the YouTube app and reopen the safari app to return to the PROBOT MOBILE page.

#3) To DOWNLOAD FREE PROBOT VIDEOS, visit the iTunes store on your computer and subscribe to our PODCAST. Unfortunately you can't find our podcast directly from your iPhone, yet, but it's easy to sync your phone to store high quality .m4v versions of our videos! Subscribing to our podcast insures you get the latest videos...

so do it now!

Probot Podcast on iTunes

*****

Rated 5 Stars!

For Non-iPhone mobile users, I will try to expand this new section to make pages optimized for other phones soon. ;)

Artist Repairs Ancient Italian Walls With Lego Bricks

2008-06-07T17:37:00.000-07:00

FROM GIZMODO.COM:

Artist fixes ancient walls with LEGOS!

Follow the link to see the FULL GALLERY.

http://gizmodo.com/5014234/artist-repairs-walls-in-italy-with-lego-bricks

New Probot Video! Making Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

2008-06-03T11:34:00.000-07:00

Leaked footage behind the scenes on the latest Indy movie, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Featuring Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg.

Please rate and comment!

DVD REVIEW: The Passion of Greg The Bunny - Best of IFC Film Parodies Vol 2

2008-05-21T14:47:00.000-07:00

DVD REVIEW

THE PASSION OF

GREG THE BUNNY

BEST OF IFC FILM PARODIES VOLUME 2

by Damon Wellner

Greg the Bunny, Warren "the ape" Demontague, and the gang are back with Volume 2 of their Best of IFC shorts on DVD. I am a huge fan of G the B and have really been looking forward to this follow-up, and it's so good that I almost forgive them for making me wait this long for it. This volume contains some extras that us fans have been waiting a long time for!

Count Blah, Pal Friendlies, and The Wumpus return, as do some of the human cast from the Fox show. Lurking behind-the-scenes as always are Spencer and Sean, the human producers of the GTB show who the audience never quite sees on camera. Overall there is less Count Blah this time around, but Warren fans should be pleased, the usually drunk, helmet-clad monkey gets a lot of screentime on this DVD!
The disc contains 6 amazing episodes from Season 2 of their IFC movie parodies:

In "Wumpus the Monster" (parodying Patty Jenkins' Monster) we find out why many people are not willing to work with monsters. I love the very first scene in which we see the GTB cast and crew wrapping up shooting their version of A Clockwork Orange which i can only imagine would be incredible. Wumpus dressed as a droog is just one hilarious example of the fantastic puppet costuming that just keeps getting better this season. Gilbert Gottfried makes an appearance and gives Greg some bad advice... and pays dearly for it!

"Sockville" lampoons Lars Von Trier's minimalist film Dogville, and recreates the films look with chalkboard sets. Following an accident on the GTB set, Greg enters a strange dreamworld, gets exploited by a sexually repressed town, and when pushed too far, eventually unleashes chaos with a piece of chalk.

In "Blue Velveteen" the GTB gang take another swipe at David Lynch, and this episode is even better than their Eraserhead parody "Daddyhood" (on Vol 1). Definitely a contender for best episode. Again we are teased at the intro with a peek at Greg and Warren remaking Dune, which is only one of many, many references to amost all of Lynch's work. One of the things these guys do best is interweaving their references, which is extra satisfying to film geeks. Warren as Dennis Hopper is a must-see, but beware, the puppet menage a trois involving John "the Elephant Man" Merrick is hard to erase from ones mind!

Next up is "PLUSH - Behind the Seams" which is a great sendup of VH1's Behind the Music series. Greg and Warren's band, Plush, expose their creative process and face the skeletons in their closet while recording their new material. Plush's recording sessions are one of the highlights of the DVD, as is his reunion with former bandmember Skuzz Mulligan, who was paralyzed by Warren's recklessness. The episode concludes with a classic '80s style music video.

"Wacky Wednesday" is possibly my favorite GTB episode yet (i remain hopeful for more). This episode lampoons the ALL-TIME beaten-zombie-horse of plots, the classic body switching story that has been told and retold since F. Anstey's 1882 novel, Vice Versa, and in my opinion the best version since FACE OFF. This time, it's Greg and Warren who switch bodies. Seeing Greg inside Warren and Warren possessing Greg is a great example of the way these guys experiment with puppetry. Also, it must have been quite a challenge for Dan Milano, who performs both puppets and both voices, sometimes simultaneously! Greg has to impersonate Warren while testifying to keep himself out of jail and it's just painfully funny, as is Warren auditioning as Greg to land a Cadbury ad. This episode also shows how Greg and Warren's agent/lawyer Pal Friendlies can do just about anything! And if that wasn't enough, Gilbert Gottfried makes his second appearance on the DVD attempting to return a malfunctioning mogwi to a Chinatown shop.

"The Passion of the Easter Bunny - Fabricated American Movie" is another contender for best episode. Greg is inspired by Mel Gibson and decides to direct and star in his own Biblical Epic, telling the story of the crucifixion, resurrection, and alien abduction, of the Easter Bunny. This incredibly blasphemous parody simultaneously satires American Movie, (Mark Borchardt's hilarious documentary on the making of a low budget horror film). Mark Borchardt and Mike Schank of A.M. help Greg make his film, and experience déjà vu while trying to get Count Blah to deliver his lines. Watch this episode again with commentary for the truth behind the ending and a valuable lesson in filmmaking which is a perfect compliment to Borchardt's film: sometimes destiny takes your film to a place you never expected.

The last of the episodes included is "Fur on the Asphalt", the 30 minute reunion special that served as the transition story from the Fox series, relaunching the IFC film parody format. This special takes Greg and Warren to Vegas, searching for Count Blah on a mission to resurrect the series, meanwhile parodying Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Rain Man, Shawshank Redemption, Casino, and IFC's celebrity dinner show "Table for 5". Lots of guest appearances in this special including GTB Fox cast members Sarah Silverman, Seth Green, and Bob Gunton! Also Jon Favreau, Adam Goldberg, Martha Plimpton, Lou Ferrigno, and Clint Howard, yes CLINT HOWARD! All those guest stars are great, but the best part is seeing Warren at the tables. Shot at a real casino, Warren has the fever and with Gregs help they become high rollers!

This DVD is also CRAMMED with Bonus Materials: Webisodes (Learn something new about Pal Friendlies past!); Gag reel (these puppets are disturbingly promiscuous); Deleted scenes; commentary by cast and creators; behind-the-scenes clips and photos; Plush's first music video; and the UNCUT "Supper with Friends" is incrediblly funny. But the crown of gems on the extras page are the NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN clips from Junktape, the original public-access show on which Greg was introduced. Seeing the original Greg puppet out on the streets of NYC interacting with the public is something many of us die hard GTB fans have only seen snippets of on the internet before now... if at all!

I also found some easter eggs, and I'll just say, they're worth hunting for!

I obviously love this DVD and highly suggest you pick one up. A must-have for any GTB fan or film geek! I only hope that someday they release ALL of the GTB IFC episodes. I want a BOXED SET!

ACTION FIGURE REVIEW: Heath Ledger as The Joker

2008-05-16T19:01:00.000-07:00

Here is Sebastian's review of the impossible to find,

SOLD-OUT LIMITED EDITION HEATH LEDGER JOKER action figure!

Rumor has it that Mattel has pulled this figure because it's "too scary!"

Well, SEE FOR YOURSELF...

CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE...

HEATH LEDGER as The JOKER ACTION FIGURE

ACTION FIGURE REVIEW

by Sebastian O'Brien

Photos by Damon Wellner

Here it is folks...the much sought after Movie Masters Joker figure from the upcoming film THE DARK KNIGHT. Chances are you aren't one of the lucky few to nab one of these at your local toy store before the vultures descended, but one can be acquired through ebay for an average price of about $25.00 plus shipping. And I gotta say, for fans of the character and the late great Heath Ledger's already legendary portrayal, thirty bucks is a reasonable price. This figure perfectly captures Ledger's terrifying take on the iconic Batman villain, and the figure itself is gorgeously detailed and sculpted. The articulation is pretty great all around; the head swivels on a ball and socket joint that allows you to position it in many menacing angles and the pelvis section is designed in such a way that you can put the Joker in wild, expressive stances. And if that wasn't enough, the figure comes with a full size Joker playing card for your wallet and a mini switchblade so your clown prince of crime can give your other figures a nice, wide Glasgow smile. A must have all around. Why so serious, indeed!

ToyCinema and lots more at ProbotProductions.com

ACTION FIGURE REVIEW: Iron Man

2008-05-16T18:28:00.001-07:00

Here is Sebastian's review of Iron Man... the action figure!

Photos by Damon Wellner

IRON MAN:

ACTION FIGURE REVIEW

by Sebastian O'Brien

If you're anything like me, ie a total nerd, you saw IRON MAN this weekend -- twice -- and then ran out to buy the toy. After witnessing Robert Downey Jr.'s superb performance as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the superlative Jon Favreau film, I decided I simply must have one of the movie action figures.

Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. introduce

Iron Man at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, CA,

May 1st, 2008.

click to enlarge

Flying blind, I hoped that there would be a version with a removable helmet and Downey's likeness, and thankfully my prayers were answered. IRON MAN WITH SNAP ON ARMOR (HASBRO) had the features I wanted and then some. Actor's likeness are rarely perfect in regards to action figures, but the makers at Hasbro really managed to capture Downey's soulful eyes and angular features.

(click to enlarge)

The figure itself is pretty much everything you want an Iron Man figure to be, with decent articulation and a cool metallic paint-job. I did notice that some of the gold painting is a bit sloppy, but that's to be expected with a mass produced figure like this one. Another complaint I had was that his wrists were not positioned or articluated to face palm-upwards in "repulsor" mode, which is kind of the first pose you'd want to strike with the figure. Oh well.

The snap on armor is easy to secure and features a chest plate, a helmet, shoulder pads and switchable bare hands/gauntlets. When fully armored, the figure looks really cool and has none of the awkwardness that these type of "removable outfit" figures usually have, and that is a result of good toy design and the fact that Iron Man's armor lends itself to this sort of thing. I was pleased to see that the toyline sticks pretty much to what you see in the movie and doesn't bore you with endless counterfeit variations on the armor. (Batman toys, I'm looking at you.) All in all, a great figure and a must have for fans of the film and the one-and-only Robert Downey Jr.

Tony Stark with Bender-Action!

Iron Man and Spidey toast the success of the new franchise!

INDY 4 FEVER HITS HOLLYWOOD

2008-05-11T08:50:00.002-07:00

INDY 4 FEVER HITS HOLLYWOOD

Indy IV billboard @ Sunset & Vine

Got your Indy IV tix yet? I got mine.. and I got the fever real bad! But it's okay... in just over 2 weeks I will be sitting in the FRONT ROW of the balcony in the legendary CINERAMADOME for the 7am showing opening day!! I can see the billboard above from my apartment, in case I forget!On May 1st I celebrated my 36th birthday a little early. I was at Target by 8:30am and Toys R Us at opening time, before they even had their Indy display set up. As soon as the cases were cracked, me and a couple other grown men politely sorted through to make sure we all got what we came for, which for me was one of everything!

Check back for a full review!

Raiders of the Toy Box - New Probot VIdeo!

2008-05-10T18:16:00.000-07:00

"Raiders of the Toy Box"

The classic truck chase from Raiders, as performed with action figures. I bought these toys last Thursday May 1st, and made this movie in 3 days all by myself.

Downloadable HD version and lots more movies at my website:

http://www.probotproductions.com/raidersofthetoybox.html