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I read that Transformers the Movie was Stack's first voice over work and he took great pride in it.

I thought he did a good job. He really gave a good account of a war weary veteran who feels is most certainly not worthy of leadership and might be well over his head. He nails "Prime, I'm not worthy, I'm just a soldier."

That said, he is a far better leader than Rodimus Prime.

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I remember watching it at the movie theater when I was a kid. I’m pretty sure it’s the first movie I ever went to see. Well it’s the first that I remember at least.

when Stack/ultra magnus made the “open damn you” line, I was like “oh man, an autobot swore!”
 
I remember watching it at the movie theater when I was a kid. I’m pretty sure it’s the first movie I ever went to see. Well it’s the first that I remember at least.

when Stack/ultra magnus made the “open damn you” line, I was like “oh man, an autobot swore!”

And Spike too: "Ah, shit! Whadda we gonna do now?"

Did you cry when Prime died?
 
And Spike too: "Ah, shit! Whadda we gonna do now?"

Did you cry when Prime died?

It was allergies. Pretty sure the pollen count was high that day. Actually, it’s probably why I could never get behind Hot Rod becoming Rodimus Prime until Optimus returned years later because his dumbass got Prime killed. Hey, that shit was real to me back then!
 
It was allergies. Pretty sure the pollen count was high that day. Actually, it’s probably why I could never get behind Hot Rod becoming Rodimus Prime until Optimus returned years later because his dumbass got Prime killed. Hey, that shit was real to me back then!

Its still real.

My buddy who is a psychologist said it was a seminal moment for kids our age because we grew up in the 80s, the very height of divorce. Many of us grew up without fathers or seldom saw them.

Optimus Prime is perhaps the greatest example that era of cartoons and kid's entertainment as a surrogate father.

His death very much felt like the loss of a parent: He was a mentor, friend, coach, leader. He was strong, but also sensitive and empathetic. And his death was that cartoonish death. We saw him get mortally wounded, suffer and struggle to the last flicker of light.

And jackass Rodimus in no way ever filled that billet. If anything he only exacerbated the feelings of loss.

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Its still real.

My buddy who is a psychologist said it was a seminal moment for kids our age because we grew up in the 80s, the very height of divorce. Many of us grew up without fathers or seldom saw them.

Optimus Prime is perhaps the greatest example that era of cartoons and kid's entertainment as a surrogate father.

His death very much felt like the loss of a parent: He was a mentor, friend, coach, leader. He was strong, but also sensitive and empathetic.

And jackass Rodimus in no way ever filled that billet. If anything he only exacerbated the feelings of loss.
That’s actually fascinating. And absolutely probably explains my childhood. Both my family and our neighbors grew up in divorced families with our custody going to our mothers. I had 2 brothers and the neighbors had 4 total siblings (2 boys, 2 girls) all the same age. They had no idea who their dad was and our dad could not care less to spend any time with us. He had custody every other weekend, and would bother not seeing us some of those weekends. We were all big Transformers, GI Joe, He-man fans. My oldest brother and the youngest daughter of the 4 neighbor kids are engaged. Transformers were a good way for me and my oldest son to bond early in life. They were some of the first toys I bought him. He’s 12 now and doesn’t play with them anymore, but it’s something that we will always share. Hopefully, I’ll always be his Optimus.

BTW: Peter Cullen will always be the voice that all other Prime actors should follow, just as all Batman voice actors should use the standard that has been set by Kevin Conroy. Looks like Netflix didn’t use Cullen, but this new guy still sounds similar. It’s a smart move.
 
That’s actually fascinating. And absolutely probably explains my childhood. Both my family and our neighbors grew up in divorced families with our custody going to our mothers. I had 2 brothers and the neighbors had 4 total siblings (2 boys, 2 girls) all the same age. They had no idea who their dad was and our dad could not care less to spend any time with us. He had custody every other weekend, and would bother not seeing us some of those weekends. We were all big Transformers, GI Joe, He-man fans. My oldest brother and the youngest daughter of the 4 neighbor kids are engaged. Transformers were a good way for me and my oldest son to bond early in life. They were some of the first toys I bought him. He’s 12 now and doesn’t play with them anymore, but it’s something that we will always share. Hopefully, I’ll always be his Optimus.

BTW: Peter Cullen will always be the voice that all other Prime actors should follow, just as all Batman voice actors should use the standard that has been set by Kevin Conroy. Looks like Netflix didn’t use Cullen, but this new guy still sounds similar. It’s a smart move.

Wow that is so cool that you and your son bonded that way!

I have re-watched the entire Transformers run from 1984-1987 while sick with the 'Rona. And as a former Army officer I have an insight into leading people in times of conflict.

It amazes me how great of a leader Prime is. Not in a military sense per se, but as a role model. I think Prime and Jean-Luc Picard are the two greatest role-models to spring from 1980s entertainment. The thing that is most impressive about the writing and voice acting for Peter Cullen is his humanity.

Little things I noticed that every man should use: Things like Optimus taking a knee to bring himself to the same eye level as humans. He never once acted like he was a superior being even though he was objectively far more powerful than any person. He would always put his arms around other Autobots, or otherwise touch a shoulder and openly express affection for them. He would explain things to his troops rather than yell or order them around. He tried to take an interest in the hobbies of his troops even if he didn't really like their tastes like Jazz and Blaster's fondness for rock and rap. He always held himself to a higher standard but never pushed his values on others. He learned to appreciate Earth's cultures and taught himself how to play both football and basketball.

Truly strong men are both heroic and compassionate. They are the intersection of confidence, strength, tolerance and empathy.

And its that line about being quiet, about not yelling or being a Hollywood tough guy. My Dad loved John Wayne movies, and frankly I never understood why he, or many others, considered Wayne the epitome of American manhood.

Next to Optimus Prime, Wayne seems very fake, and very insecure. A swaggering, blustering man who never tolerated other people's opinions, was emotionally closed off and had no use for people who thought, or were, different from him and his milieu.

I saw an interview with Peter Cullen in how he approaches the character, and talks about his brother, his older brother who was a Marine infantry captain and company commander during Vietnam who served multiple tours and earned several Bronze Stars with a V/Device and several Purple Hearts. Peter asked his advice for voicing a military leader like Prime. And what his brother said surprised him.

In Popular Military interview in 2014, Cullen explains:

“I was living with my brother, a former Marine,” he began, “He was K Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines and he fought in Vietnam…He was decorated, wounded and came home…And there was a change. There was a significant change in his demeanor, his sense of living.

We were sharing an apartment at the same time and he said ‘Peter, where ‘ya goin?’

I said ‘I’m going to an audition, Larry,’ and he said ‘What are you going to audition for?’

I said ‘I’m gonna be a truck.’ He started to laugh, I started to laugh and I said ‘But Larry, he’s a hero. He’s a hero truck!’

He looked at me and he said ‘Okay, a hero. Well if you’re gonna be a hero, Peter, be a realhero. Don’t be one of those pretend Hollywood heroes- always yelling and acting tough, be a real hero.’

His voice got very low, there was a seriousness in him and the way he talked, there was a gentle smoothness to it- and he said ‘If you’re gonna be a hero, Peter, remember: be strong enough to be gentle. Be compassionate, you know? Be understanding. Don’t go yelling and screaming.”

For the younger Cullen, the moment was so powerful that it could still choke him up, even in his later years.

“It’s the way he said it,” he recalled. “When I got to the audition… about twenty minutes after that conversation, I read the lines. That influence that he sad on me, his voice -the way he had said what he had said just rolled out of me…and it felt so comfortable, it felt so good. By the time it was all over and I was driving away, I had this warm that I had just done the best audition I’ve ever done in my life.”

“So,” he concluded, “My brother Larry was directly responsible and for that, I’m forever grateful.”

While his younger brother skyrocketed to fame, Larry Cullen went on to do many things as well. From a stockbroker to commercial pilot, actor to computer programmer, Cullen seemed to do well at anything he put his mind to.

Sadly, Larry would die suddenly in his Virginia home in March of 2011 and was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in July of the same year.

According to this obituary, “Larry’s greatest gift was friendship; compassionate, tolerant and respectful towards others. Larry’s many friends and his Marine Corps brothers cared deeply for him. This marvelous sensitive man with a great sense of humor will never be forgotten.”


While Captain H.L. Cullen may have passed on, his voice and approach to heroic leadership -channeled through his younger brother- has been immortalized, both in recorded history and in the hearts of millions of children- past, present and future.
 
Wow that is so cool that you and your son bonded that way!

I have re-watched the entire Transformers run from 1984-1987 while sick with the 'Rona. And as a former Army officer I have an insight into leading people in times of conflict.

It amazes me how great of a leader Prime is. Not in a military sense per se, but as a role model. I think Prime and Jean-Luc Picard are the two greatest role-models to spring from 1980s entertainment. The thing that is most impressive about the writing and voice acting for Peter Cullen is his humanity.

Little things I noticed that every man should use: Things like Optimus taking a knee to bring himself to the same eye level as humans. He never once acted like he was a superior being even though he was objectively far more powerful than any person. He would always put his arms around other Autobots, or otherwise touch a shoulder and openly express affection for them. He would explain things to his troops rather than yell or order them around. He tried to take an interest in the hobbies of his troops even if he didn't really like their tastes like Jazz and Blaster's fondness for rock and rap. He always held himself to a higher standard but never pushed his values on others. He learned to appreciate Earth's cultures and taught himself how to play both football and basketball.

Truly strong men are both heroic and compassionate. They are the intersection of confidence, strength, tolerance and empathy.

I saw an interview with Peter Cullen in how he approaches the character, and talks about his brother, his older brother who was a Marine infantry captain and company commander during Vietnam who served multiple tours and earned several Bronze Stars with a V/Device and several Purple Hearts. Peter asked his advice for voicing a military leader like Prime. And what his brother said surprised him.

In Popular Military interview in 2014, Cullen explains:

“I was living with my brother, a former Marine,” he began, “He was K Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines and he fought in Vietnam…He was decorated, wounded and came home…And there was a change. There was a significant change in his demeanor, his sense of living.

We were sharing an apartment at the same time and he said ‘Peter, where ‘ya goin?’

I said ‘I’m going to an audition, Larry,’ and he said ‘What are you going to audition for?’

I said ‘I’m gonna be a truck.’ He started to laugh, I started to laugh and I said ‘But Larry, he’s a hero. He’s a hero truck!’

He looked at me and he said ‘Okay, a hero. Well if you’re gonna be a hero, Peter, be a realhero. Don’t be one of those pretend Hollywood heroes- always yelling and acting tough, be a real hero.’

His voice got very low, there was a seriousness in him and the way he talked, there was a gentle smoothness to it- and he said ‘If you’re gonna be a hero, Peter, remember: be strong enough to be gentle. Be compassionate, you know? Be understanding. Don’t go yelling and screaming.”

For the younger Cullen, the moment was so powerful that it could still choke him up, even in his later years.

“It’s the way he said it,” he recalled. “When I got to the audition… about twenty minutes after that conversation, I read the lines. That influence that he sad on me, his voice -the way he had said what he had said just rolled out of me…and it felt so comfortable, it felt so good. By the time it was all over and I was driving away, I had this warm that I had just done the best audition I’ve ever done in my life.”

“So,” he concluded, “My brother Larry was directly responsible and for that, I’m forever grateful.”

While his younger brother skyrocketed to fame, Larry Cullen went on to do many things as well. From a stockbroker to commercial pilot, actor to computer programmer, Cullen seemed to do well at anything he put his mind to.

Sadly, Larry would die suddenly in his Virginia home in March of 2011 and was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in July of the same year.

According to this obituary, “Larry’s greatest gift was friendship; compassionate, tolerant and respectful towards others. Larry’s many friends and his Marine Corps brothers cared deeply for him. This marvelous sensitive man with a great sense of humor will never be forgotten.”


While Captain H.L. Cullen may have passed on, his voice and approach to heroic leadership -channeled through his younger brother- has been immortalized, both in recorded history and in the hearts of millions of children- past, present and future.

That’s some great stuff right there. Amazing how much an animated character can provide to impressionable minds.

Yeah, I bought the DVD box set for him a few years ago that included the movie. We actually managed to sit through even those crappy post movie seasons.
 
That’s some great stuff right there. Amazing how much an animated character can provide to impressionable minds.

Yeah, I bought the DVD box set for him a few years ago that included the movie. We actually managed to sit through even those crappy post movie seasons.

Oy vey, Season Three is bad. Rodimus sucks and Galvatron is so nuts one feels sorry for the Decepticons. It got really weird, Doctor Who vibe.

There are some gems though.

I love Starscream's Ghost and the episode where Cyclonus commits Galvatron to a planet full of therapists and then proceeds to utterly destroy the place.

Rodimus Prime never seemed much of a leader. He was disinterested, immature and Ultra Magnus and Kup seemingly did most of the leading.

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Oy vey, Season Three is bad.

There are some gems though.

I love Starscream's Ghost and the episode where Cyclonus commits Galvatron to a planet full of therapists and then proceeds to utterly destroy the place.

Rodimus Prime never seemed much of a leader. He was disinterested, immature and Ultra Magnus and Kup seemingly did most of the leading.
Yeah, Starscreams ghost was great, because you got to see all the immortalized statues of Transformers that died in the movie.
 
Finally getting around to going through Westworld. Watched the first season back when it came out but needed a refresher since this show is complicated as all hell.

I have to say, the guards in this park are more worthless than Star Wars stormtroopers.
 
I’ve got 2 episodes left of Dark. Really looking forward to see how everything wraps up. Honestly have no idea what direction they’re going to go.

I just finished the show last night. Wow. Lots of things are not exactly explained, but they gave you enough to fill in the gaps. I thought the overall concept for how it was resolved was fantastic. I'm sure there are a lot of folks who may quibble over the quantum aspects and the time loops, but the show was incredibly ambitious and I think they kept that up right through the end.
 
I just finished the show last night. Wow. Lots of things are not exactly explained, but they gave you enough to fill in the gaps. I thought the overall concept for how it was resolved was fantastic. I'm sure there are a lot of folks who may quibble over the quantum aspects and the time loops, but the show was incredibly ambitious and I think they kept that up right through the end.

I totally agree. Sure it was not perfect. And it took itself a little too seriously, lacking any semblance of humor that I usually want in even my serious tv shows (though what should we expect when the show is literally called "Dark"). But it's refreshingly ambitious. And I loved how it didn't even try to hold the hands of the viewers - it just expected you to follow. Rarely do I like shows that are purely plot-based with little else to offer - but here the plot was so tightly wound and fascinating that I didn't care. Ultimately, the ending was satisfying too, which is surprising given how many things the show was trying to juggle. Also listening to it in German with subtitles added to the flavor of it.
 
Finally getting around to going through Westworld. Watched the first season back when it came out but needed a refresher since this show is complicated as all hell.

I have to say, the guards in this park are more worthless than Star Wars stormtroopers.

I only ever watched season 1 of Westworld, which is one of my favorite seasons of anything I've watched on TV. Are seasons 2 and 3 as good as season 1?
 
Decided to start a rewatch of The Wire. It's almost depressing watching this and knowing there will probably never be another show this good. No show has such an abundance of great characters, and most don't even come close. Jimmy McNulty, Bunk Moreland, Omar Little, Stringer Bell, D'Angelo Barksdale, Tommy Carcetti, Lester Freamon, Frank Sobotka, Prop Joe, Slim Charles, Cedric Daniels, Bodie Broadus, Bunny Colvin...you can just go on and on and on.

It's to this day the most meaningful show I've ever watched. No show has made me stop and think more; it has literally informed my worldview. It has more great characters than any show ever. I would probably rank it the second best show I've ever seen (after Breaking Bad) and my second favorite (after Battlestar Galactica).
 
Was the ending of Adam's and Eva's respective timelines/realities necessary to bring back into being the "original" world, or did the original world already exist, and all that Jonah and Martha accomplished was to end the other two realities? I think it is the former, but I'm interested in the question sort of as moral issue.
 

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Video

Episode 3-13: "Backup Bash Brothers"

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Spotify

Episode 3:11: "Clipping Bucks."
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