“Transformers,” the Michael Bay directed aggro CGI-pileup has opened in theaters and the summer blockbuster gauntlet has been thrown down (or something like that).
We loathe nostalgia or nincompoops that claim the ’80s are back all of a sudden, but you know we’ll take Stan Bush and Weird Al over Billy Corgan and Linkin’ Park any day of the week (it’s sort of not fair; that’s not really a contest).
You’ll remember Paul Thomas Anderson slyly appropriated the Transformers’ “Touch” song for his summer of porn-love film, “Boogie Nights.” The song that Marky Mark and John C. Reilly “write” while they’re in the studio is none other than Bush’s over-the-top anthem and we still get wet thinking what a choice look this was for PTA (nice work).
To indulge in a little reminiscing: we cried when (*spoiler!*) Optimus Prime died in the original animated movie (yes, it ruled), we were incredulous when the dumbass Dinobot screamed, “shiiiiiiit!,” and we laughed hard to hear Orson Welles’ voice in the movie (his last ever credited film appearance before he died; Leonard Nimoy and Judd Nelson also did animated celebrity cameos and launched this trend and extra cash-cow padding for actors the world round). And yes, we owned a bunch of these toys.
Download: Stan Bush – “The Touch”
Download: Lion – “The Transformers Theme”
Download: Weird Al – “Dare To Be Stupid”
Download: Vince DiCola – “Death Of Optimus Prime”
Download: Vince DiCola/Stan Bush – “Transformers Theme (Alternate)”