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Back in season 4 of "The Simpsons" Bart watches an episode of "Eye on Springfield" wherein Kent Brockman stands in a sparse warehouse in Korea to give viewers a "first-hand look at how American cartoons are made." As rows of harried animators furiously scribble on paper they're prodded by rifle-toting soldiers in a brief gag that saw the show's writers taking a jab at themselves and American networks outsourcing animation to countries where labor was much cheaper than in the U.S.

Since the very first episode of "The Simpsons" in 1989 — which was almost very different — the show has been at least partly animated in South Korea, with animator Nelson Shin's Akom studios being the most prominent example of a Korean studio contributing to the show's creation. The company has, to date, animated more than 200 episodes of the long-running series, and was surely part of the inspiration behind the "Eye on Springfield" segment.

Upon its release in 1986, Nelson Shin’s “The Transformers: The Movie” was massively influential — less as entertainment inspired by a popular line of children’s toys than one that was willing to kill off a major character in order to make room for new ones. The death of heroic Autobot leader Optimus Prime proved so traumatic to a generation of young viewers that toy company Hasbro scrambled to rescue Duke from a similar fate in “G.I. Joe: The Movie,” released a year later. For almost four decades, it prevented many family-friendly toons from raising the stakes too high. Thankfully, “Transformers One” mostly ignores its predecessor’s downstream legacy.

Now, in the first animated film in the franchise to play theatrically since that one, director Josh Cooley doesn’t commit widespread Cybertronian genocide. That wouldn’t do, since “Transformers One” serves as an origin story for the central conflict between...

Many of the Transformers movies are available to watch on streaming now, giving audiences time to catch up before Transformers One. Over the years, Transformers has gone through multiple iterations, including the TV series The Transformers in the 80s as well as numerous other films. The bulk of the Transformers live-action movie series is now synonymous with Michael Bay, who has been involved with the vast majority of the series.

The Transformers movie universe is expanding with the release of Transformers One. Unlike its most immediate predecessors, Transformers One is a fully animated project. It explores the backstory of Optimus Prime and Megatron, who grew up as friends before becoming notorious enemies later on in the series. Additionally, a Transformers and G.I. Joe crossover movie is in the works. Those interested in catching the Transformers series can do so on streaming platforms.

Every Live-Action Transformers Movie Is Streaming On...

The upcoming Transformers film signals the franchise's return to animation following The Transformers: The Movie in the 1980s. Transformers One aims to redeem the shortcomings of the 1986 animated film through an improved story and animation. The voice cast of Transformers One includes new stars such as Chris Hemsworth and Keegan-Michael Key.

The Transformers film series grows with every passing year, and a new movie that aims to make up for a 38-year-old disappointment in the franchise is set to premiere in 2024. The multimedia franchise began with a toy line in the 1980s, and its rapidly growing popularity quickly resulted in the production of comic books, video games, television shows, and movies (both animation and live-action). Its popularity spiked again in 2007 with the launch of the Transformers film series, which has produced seven movies, with another coming in 2024 that returns the franchise to its roots.

Although the upcoming Transformers film is...

This author is old enough to remember the death of Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen), the leader of the heroic Autobots in Nelson Shin's 1986 animated sci-fi epic "The Transformers: The Movie." Coming in the middle of a successful run on television, "The Movie" aimed to expand the series into a full-blown space opera, complete with interplanetary settings, all-new characters, and a massive mechanical cosmic deity played by Orson Welles (his final work before his death in October of 1985). Many fans of the TV series -- and they were legion -- flocked to theaters to see their favorite transforming robot characters wail on each other in a cinematic context.

It should be recalled that "The Transformers" was one of many 1980s TV shows that functioned explicitly as an advertising exercise. The Transformers were gimmicky toys -- puzzles that could be manipulated from robot shapes into cars and back --...

David H. DePatie, the the animation producer who, along with partner Friz Freleng created one of the most enduring and recognizable cartoon characters of the last century in the Pink Panther, died Sept. 23 of natural causes in Gig Harbor, Washington. He was 91.

His death was announced in a Seattle Times obituary.

In addition to the Pink Panther, which started as part of the main title credits for Blake Edwards’ 1963 heist comedy starring Peter Sellars before spinning off into its own cartoon shorts throughout the ’60s and ’70s, DePatie-Freleng Enterprises generated such instantly identifiable characters as StarKist Tuna’s Charlie Tuna, the cartoon versions of Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman for the opening credits of I Dream of Jeannie, and such children’s staples as The Ant and the Aardvark; Roland and Rattfink and Tijuana Toads, Here Comes the Grump, What’s New Mr. Magoo, Return to the Planet of the Apes,...

Get hyped. The Transformers: The Movie is returning to theaters this fall. In honor of the movie's 35th anniversary this year, Fathom Events has partnered with Hasbro to bring the beloved animated feature back to the big screen. But it will be a two-night-only event. So those hoping to catch the Autobots and Decepticons in a theater once again will have a relatively limited window to do so.

The screenings will take place in movie theaters across the U.S. on Sunday, September 26 at noon and Tuesday, September 28 at 7 p.m. local time. In addition to the feature, those who attend these special screenings will get to see some brand-new exclusive content as well. Ray Nutt, Fathom Events CEO, had this to say about it.

"Fathom is thrilled to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the release of Transformers: The Movie in partnership with Hasbro. It's exciting to give the fans...

The Transformers: The Movie is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, and Shout Factory is finally bringing the animated flick home in 4K Ultra HD. The company is set to release a new steelbook edition of the 1986 classic in time for summer. And pre-orders of the brand new, limited edition release are available now.

As of this writing, the Transformers: The Movie 4k 35th anniversary limited edition steelbook is available for pre-order. The retail price is set at $32.98. Currently, the price is lowered to $28.43. How long that will last exactly remains to be seen. Aside from having an ultra-high-definition version of the movie to watch, this new release comes loaded with bonus features. Per Shout Factor, here's what to expect from the two-disc release...

Bonus Features:• New 4K Transfer Of Original Film Elements• New Feature-Length Storyboards, Including Deleted, Alternate and Extended Sequences• New Fathom Events 30th Anniversary Featurette, Including Stan Bush...

Brace yourself to relive the excitement and nostalgia of the thrilling action battles between the Autobots and the Decepticons from the 1986 Transformers movie on the silver screen! The world-renowned animated feature film The Transformers: The Movie hits cinemas nationwide for a special one-night event on Thursday, September 27 at 7:00 p.m. local time. The film has been meticulously remastered, restored from the original film elements, and transferred in HD.

The Transformers The Movie Event will catapult audiences into the super-charged, action-packed Transformers universe, and enables lifelong fans to relive the excitement and awe of this 1986 animated feature, just months before Bumblebee, the new live-action feature film set in the year 1987, hits theatres everywhere in December 2018.

This special event is a collaboration between Fathom Events, Hasbro Studios and Shout! Factory, and it will also provide moviegoers with a sneak peek behind the making of the Bumblebee feature film, and a brand-new...

Ryan Lambie Dec 20, 2018

It's always a good time to look back at the utter strangeness of Transformers: The Movie.

The following contains spoilers for Transformers: The Movie. Just thought we should mention it.

The shadow of death hung like a black curtain over Transformers: The Movie. Thanks to an edict handed down by the powers that be at Hasbro, pretty much every toy in the original Transformers 1984 line was wiped out in the course of the film's events; and by the time the noble Autobot leader Optimus Prime died at the hands of Megatron towards the end of the first act, a generation of youngsters were scarred for life.

In retrospect, Hasbro's cold business decision - to wipe out one generation of toys in order to replace them with new ones - resulted in a far more effective movie. As well as a feature-length toy commercial, Transformers: The Movie wound...

Ryan Lambie Nov 30, 2016

With a 30th anniversary Blu-ray out soon, Ryan takes a timely look back at the quirky, dark, superbly animated Transformers: The Movie...

Nb: The following contains spoilers for Transformers: The Movie. Just thought we should mention it.

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The shadow of death hung like a black curtain over Transformers: The Movie. Thanks to an edict handed down by the powers that be at Hasbro, pretty much every toy in the original Transformers 1984 line was wiped out in the course of the film's events; and by the time the noble Autobot leader Optimus Prime died at the hands of Megatron towards the end of the first act, a generation of youngsters were scarred for life.

In retrospect, Hasbro's cold business decision - to wipe out one generation of toys...

Morning, Daily Deaders! In today’s Horror Highlights, fans of “The Caped Crusader” may be interested in the photos and release details for Tweeterhead’s Batman ’66 “Noir” variant maquette. Also: a bonus features Blu-ray clip and trailer from Shout! Factory’s The Transformers: The Movie Blu-ray and a look at preview pages and cover art for issue #30 of Dark Horse’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 10 comic book series.

Tweeterhead’s Batman (1966) Noir Variant Maquette Photos & Release Details: From Tweeterhead: “Announcing our first 66 Batman Variant!!

We will begin Pre-Selling our Batman ’66 “Noir” Variant next Wednesday, August 17th. We were given the chance to make these Super limited edition maquettes featuring our original Batman maquette with Black Cape, Cowl, Boots, Briefs, and Gloves.

This piece is limited to just 100 hand-numbered pieces and will retail for $199.99. This Batman Maquette does Not include the computer half of the base like the original did.

This week marked the 30th anniversary of the best toy commercial ever released to theaters, Transformers: The Movie. Jabbing aside, the film does use a classic hero’s-journey story to great effect, portraying an epic battle between good and evil. Look no further than the film’s director Nelson Shin and writers Flint Dille and and Ron Friedman to see that while Hasbro’s intent may have been more capitalistic, the creative types were interested in making an authentic slam-bang, sci-fi adventure with some gravitas. Flickering Myth ran an exhaustive piece earlier this week featuring quotes from Shin, Dille, and Friedman proving this further.

According to Flickering Myth, the first draft of Transformers: The Movie from Dille was titled Transformers: The Secret Of Cybertron and featured Optimus Prime on a quest into the innerspace of the Transformer’s home planet to find the origins of the Autobots and Decepticons.

Michael Bay is currently working on his fifth installment in the live-action Transformers franchise, and there are lots more to come after that. Even though the movies continue to make money at the box office, for a great many fans, these new sequels do not represent what they want out of the Transformers saga. For a lot of people, the best entry ever made featuring Optimus Prime and the gang was Transformers: The Movie, the animated version which came out in 1986. Lucky for us, a brand new, 4k release is on the way.

Shout! Factory and Hasbro have just released a new trailer, which is up on YouTube, showcasing the restoration of the movie for the Transformers 30th anniversary release. The trailer is definitely on the cheesy side of things, but all of the footage from Transformers: The Movie looks absolutely fantastic, and the special features seem well worth it for fans as well.

In my mind, the original 1986 Transformers: The Movie is the best Transformers movie ever made. I don’t care what anyone says. I loved that film, even though they killed off half of my favorite characters within the first 30 minutes. When I was a kid I was lucky enough to see it on the big screen at a special screening for some of the cast and crew members. I’ll never forget that experience. The movie just oozes '80s awesomeness.

I’m excited to report that Shout! Factory and Hasbro Studio are teaming up to release a special Blu-ray and DVD to celebrate the film’s 30th anniversary. I seriously can’t believe that it’s been 30 freakin’ years!

The 30th Anniversary Edition will feature some bonus content and collectible packaging. The film boasts an impressive voice cast that included Orson Welles in his final role as Unicron, Peter Cullen,...

Shout! Factory, a multi-platform media company, and Hasbro Studios announced a strategic distribution collaboration to bring the iconic animated feature, Transformers – The Movie to the home entertainment marketplace in the U.S. and Canada. This full-length animated adventure boasts the voice talent of Orson Welles in his final role and an all-star voice cast that includes Peter Cullen, Eric Idle, Casey Kasem, Judd Nelson, Leonard Nimoy, Robert Stack and Frank Welker. The announcement was made today by Shout! Factory’s founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos; and Hasbro’s Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer Stephen Davis.

The multi-year alliance provides Shout! Factory with exclusive home entertainment packaged media (Blu-ray and DVD) and select digital rights to Hasbro’s Transformers – The Movie for home entertainment releases in North America. In honor of the 30thanniversary of Transformers – The Movie, this beloved animated feature will be newly remastered and...

Shout! Factory, a multi-platform media company, and Hasbro Studios announced a strategic distribution collaboration to bring the iconic animated feature, Transformers - The Movie to the home entertainment marketplace in the U.S. and Canada. This full-length animated adventure boasts the voice talent of Orson Welles in his final role and an all-star voice cast that includes Peter Cullen, Eric Idle, Casey Kasem, Judd Nelson, Leonard Nimoy, Robert Stack and Frank Welker. The announcement was made today by Shout! Factory's founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos; and Hasbro's Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer Stephen Davis.

The multi-year alliance provides Shout! Factory with exclusive home entertainment packaged media (Blu-ray and DVD) and select digital rights to Hasbro's Transformers - The Movie for home entertainment releases in North America. In honor of the 30th anniversary of Transformers - The Movie, this beloved animated feature will be...

We all know George Lucas has a penchant for tweaking the visual look of the Star Wars universe. But did you know the tendency dates all the way back to 1977? If you get deep enough into the story of how “Star Wars: A New Hope” came to be, you discover the lightsabers were originally meant to be a practical effect. When it became apparent the technology just wasn’t up to the task yet, Nelson Shin was brought in to create an animated glowing effect. During an interview with CNN, Shin said: “ [the lightsabers] look[ed] like a fluorescent tube” Which is exactly what they Still looked like when the trailer was cut in 1977. At some point between the trailer and the May 25, 1977 opening, Lucas added the color to the lightsabers and the rest was Sith history. Check out the whole trailer below! Bonus trivia! Practical limitations would come into play again...

Michael Bay's big-scale Transformers blockbusters might be hugely popular with today's cinemagoers, but for film fans of a certain generation there'll always be a special place in their hearts for 1986's Transformers: The Movie.

A big screen spinoff from the animated TV series, the film was epic when seen for the first time by young eyes. Spanning from the Cybertron to Earth, via the far reaches of space and a planet-eating villain voiced by Orson Welles! Describing it as a classic might be a stretch but this was an exciting war movie that taught us about loss and the fist-pumping stadium rock majesty that is Stan Bush's 'The Touch'.

Digital Spy takes a look back at 9 bits of trivia from Transformers: The Movie.

1. It was hard to hold back the tears when Optimus Prime bit the dust in Transformers's brutal Battle of Autobot City. The passing of...

Michael Bay's big-scale Transformers blockbusters might be hugely popular with today's cinemagoers, but for film fans of a certain generation there'll always be a special place in their hearts for 1986's Transformers: The Movie.

A big screen spinoff from the animated TV series, the film was epic when seen for the first time by young eyes. Spanning from the Cybertron to Earth, via the far reaches of space and a planet-eating villain voiced by Orson Welles! Describing it as a classic might be a stretch but this was an exciting war movie that taught us about loss and the fist-pumping stadium rock majesty that is Stan Bush's 'The Touch'.

Digital Spy takes a look back at 9 bits of trivia from Transformers: The Movie.

1. It was hard to hold back the tears when Optimus Prime bit the dust in Transformers's brutal Battle of Autobot City. The passing of...

There are definitely bigger fans of The Transformers out there than I. Even though I born in their heyday I never gave them a lot of thought. I never watched the show. I never had any of the toys. I never wanted to be Optimus Prime for Halloween. However, I do recall seeing the 1986 movie at some point. I suppose I must have liked it enough that when a special edition was released to coincide with Michael Bay’s first Transformers flick…I bought it. I watched it once and stuck it back on the shelf, where it’s sat untouched since then. With last weekend’s release of Transformers: Age of Extinction I thought this would be a good time to revisit what is still probably the best Transformers film. So join me as I sit down to re-watch The Transformers: The Movie.

The first thing I noticed is...

Filming is about to commence on Star Wars: Episode VII, Jj Abrams's hotly-anticipated sequel that picks up the story 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi.

With almost 40 years of history - encompassing films, TV, comic books, video games and novels - there's a wealth of interesting facts and information about the vast universe hatched by George Lucas.

Here are ten fast facts we've discovered from a galaxy far, far away…

1. Inspired by the swashbuckling Flash Gordon adventures that began in the '30s, a young George Lucas initially wanted to bring that serial to the big screen, but found the rights to the character difficult to untangle. From there he began to fashion his own space epic - a project that would eventually become the Star Wars we know and love.

However, things could have been a lot different as Lucas's first draft script was...

From Nelson Shin, director of the original Transformers: The Movie, comes Future Fighters, a Mechs-in-space extravaganza that even includes Darth Maul himself, Ray Park.

The teaser after the break was created to gather interest and the project is now listed as "in production" with a release date of 2011. To give you a sense of where it's all headed, we've also included some artwork after the break.

Synopsis:

In the 22nd Century the darkest region of space lies in the hearts of men." The fate of all humanity rests with a small clutch of brave soldiers, and their sophisticated intra-stellar fighting machines, as they must defend the free solar system from a sinister invading force, in order to fight... for their future. But when allies become enemies and enemies become allies, battle-lines and allegiances are blurred as humanity races to save itself... from its own utter destruction.

Check out the goods...

With the resurgence of movies based on toys in recent years, it was high time to reach into the past and dust off the hidden gem that started it all. Many people who grew up watching the “Transformers” television show will remember that in 1986 Hasbro released a full length animated feature film called “The Transformers: The Movie.” This film contains a fairly predictable “Transformers” plot, meaning it’s convoluted and features loads of meaningless action and prolonged fighting. Awesome.

The movie begins with a cold open: the “camera” casually flies us through the quiet beauties of outer space. Planets, stars, galaxies and celestial debris float peacefully and gracefully through the great black expanse. We gradually close in on a small Death Star-like planet bustling with all sorts of alien robotic life forms. Suddenly, a giant spherical machine, known as Unicron, targets the planet and without warning begins to suck it in like a vacuum,...