This week it was announced that Megan Fox was un-invited to star in the next “Transformers” movie.

Megan and Shia running from their own words...

Apparently Paramount Pictures and director Michael Bay had an option to have the actress return to the mega-robot franchise. Last year, Bay even said she would be back.

But the director apparently has had enough of the actress sniping about him and his directing style in a few different interviews over the last couple years that he finally decided to kick her out!

Earlier this week, Shia Lebeouf, Fox’s co-star in “Transformers” decided to publicly take director Steven Spielberg to task in a magazine interview. Shia apologized for “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” You may remember Shia starred as Harrison Ford’s son in the fourth movie of the blockbuster movie series. Shia said the movie wasn’t very good, took himself to task as well, and dissed Spielberg in the article as having to face up to the fact that the movie wasn’t very good.

Hmmm. My guess is that if there is another Indiana Jones film, I doubt Shia is going to find himself welcomed back to the set.  

Heigel in "Greys"

Earlier this year, Katherine Heigel was finally released from the blockbuster TV show “Grey’s Anatomy.” You remember Katherine had issues with “Grey’s” for a few years now, dissing the writers and producer Shonda Rhimes for doing less than excellent work. Nice.

Entertainment Weekly did a cover story a couple months ago where the actress, now wanting to concentrate on her family…and feature films (of course)  fumbled through an interview trying to explain and apologize for some of the stupid things she has said and done.  Heigel is also the actress that slammed her hilarious movie breakthrough, “Knocked Up” and dissed the writer/director Judd Apatow.

Ungrateful actors?

You bet. 

Talented folks that decided to bite (verbally slam) the talented folks that gave them the chance to have the success they currently enjoy.

Dumb moves by talented actors.

Will “Transformers 3″ be a success without Megan Fox? Absolutely.

Does Steven Spielberg make great movies without Shia Labeouf? Yep.

Is “Grey’s Anatomy” a better show without Katherine Heigel? If you saw the incredibly intense and oh-so-good season finale/ratings powerhouse on Thursday night you know Shonda Rhimes will continue to produce outstanding TV.

*****

I’m looking forward to this weekend not just because its the weekend. It’s my LOST weekend.

Saturday night, ABC is re-airing the very first episode of LOST as an enhanced episode.

Then on Sunday night, after a two hour preview special recapping the amazing run of the show over the past six years,

the two and a half hour series finale will air.

Terry O’Quinn, the wonderful actor who portrays John Locke, has likened the series and the final episode to the joy of reading a great book.

I know the feeling. You can’t wait to get to the end of the story. But when you do, you sit back and say, ”that was so great but now I’m sad it’s over.”

I’ll post some thoughts on the finale on Monday.

It’s the end of June. Occasionally I like to rant and rave about entertainment happenings. See if you agree:

A RANT -

The Academy Awards ceremony next March is going to look different because they are going to expand the number of Best Picture nominees from FIVE to a whopping TEN!!!?…WTF?

This past year at least a couple of great movies were left off the Best Picture list (Wall-E and The Dark Knight.) I think the exclusion of commercial (read=popular) movies from the nomination list has left many film fans (myself included) a little jaded about the Oscars. Doubling the number of nominees though is a little too much! At this rate “Land of the Lost” could end of nominated! (that’s satire…not a prediction)

On the other hand…

A RAVE -

They are also changing the Oscar rules to limit Best Song nominees. So if all the music sucks, we won’t have to listen to it and they won’t give out an Oscar to it. Does anyone really think “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” should have a Best Song Oscar (for “Hustle and Flow”?)

A RAVE -

Watching TV in HDTV. Even a lame program can look good…

A (Techie) RANT -

So how come so many theatrical movies on channels like FX, A&E and others are not 16×9 HD? What’s almost worse though, is when some channels (like TBS) stretch 4×3 sitcoms like “Friends” to fill the whole 16×9 rectangle…making Jennifer Anniston look wider in wide screen!  

A RANT -

DTV is wonderful…but losing Channel 6’s audio that used to be at 87.7 on your FM radio dial is terrible. The audio went away with the analog signal switch-off ordered by the FCC.  Hundreds of viewers have emailed and called to tell us how much they miss listening to the 6 NEWS and GMA in the mornings on the way to work or to Judge Judy and 6 NEWS on the commute home. We miss it too!

A RAVE -

AMC aired a restored/widescreen version of “Lonesome Dove” on that mini-series 20th Anniversary this month.

I had forgotten how good it was!

And Robert Duvall is truly an acting icon! The man is pure genius! If you haven’t watched, check it out.

Outstanding!

A RANT -

ABC is airing the final episodes of “Eli Stone” this summer on Saturday nights.

Great storytelling.

Too bad it didn’t get enough eyeballs.

A RAVE –

“Wipeout.” Big Balls. People crashing and stumbling. Announcers making fun of them. Great summer TV. Especially in HD!

A RAVE -

Dave versus Conan. The late night battle is giving Letterman new sarcastic bite…As much as I love Conan and Andy Richter, Big Dave is the new King of Late Night. (Forget the Sarah Palin swipes…it was how Dave reacted to people protesting that he should be fired that makes me love Letterman even more!)

A RANT –

“Transformers”.

Intern Joe’s quickie review: (I paraphrase)

It’s very loud.  

But it is what it is and that’s a popcorn movie about fighting robots. It’s just numbingly too long.

I can’t wait to see it on my big home theatre screen. It will rock the sound system.