GI Joe - the movie

After the Transformers movie there are now plans for a GI Joe film. There has been predictable outrage that this new version of the team is international in scope.

In a follow-up to their confirmation that Stephen Sommers will direct G.I. Joe, Variety offers this new description of the team: "G.I. Joe is now a Brussels-based outfit that stands for Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity, an international co-ed force of operatives who use hi-tech equipment to battle Cobra, an evil organization headed by a double-crossing Scottish arms dealer. The property is closer in tone to X-Men and James Bond than a war film."

There are enough GIs lined up for the project that there may still be a few remaining when the film comes out and I can do "A GI reviews GI Joe".

In memory of Andy McCruden. To find out more about Andy read the obituaries on Spinneyhead and UK-Rag. To make a donation please go to the justgiving page set up to remember him.

BOT028

BOT028, originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

Manchester Cathedral.

JOE014

JOE014, originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

Manchester Cathedral.

JOE028

JOE028, originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

Manchester Cathedral.

JOE026

JOE026, originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

JOE026 made the ultimate sacrifice as his commanding officer (me) misjudged a throw and he ended up on the ground where he was run over by several lorries and a tank. Check out the crime scene photos taken after the grisly event.

JOE027

JOE027, originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

Released during the Pride parade. I think this is the guy I threw at the crowd of goth kids that was retrieved by someone near the end of the parade.

JOE025

JOE025, originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

This Joe was successfully thrown at the pink tank in the Pride parade. I hope he found a good home there.

JOE019

JOE019, originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

Released at Pride.

The Glasgow Joes

Whilst attending the collection in Glasgow in Andy's memory I gave Joes to the other people who were there. I'm afraid I didn't record who got which soldier, but if you have a Joe that isn't listed anywhere else on bot-crossing (numbered between 012 and 024 I think) please leave a comment here.

In memory of Andy McCruden. To find out more about Andy read the obituaries on Spinneyhead and UK-Rag. To make a donation please go to the justgiving page set up to remember him.

BOT004

BOT004, originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

Thanks to Alan for sending me this photo. Ruth and he took BOT004 around Europe with them and left it with some orphans in Andorra.

BOT018

BOT018, originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

George Square, Glasgow. I'm up here to help with a collection in Andy's memory, so I came with a few robots and GIs to release.

In memory of Andy McCruden. To find out more about Andy read the obituaries on Spinneyhead and UK-Rag. To make a donation please go to the justgiving page set up to remember him.

BOT023

BOT023, originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

Travel centre, St Enoch Square, Glasgow.

In memory of Andy McCruden. To find out more about Andy read the obituaries on Spinneyhead and UK-Rag. To make a donation please go to the justgiving page set up to remember him.

BOT025

BOT025, originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

Off Queen Street, Glasgow. I can't remember exactly where, it may come back to me when I put it on a map.

In memory of Andy McCruden. To find out more about Andy read the obituaries on Spinneyhead and UK-Rag. To make a donation please go to the justgiving page set up to remember him.

JOE021

JOE021, originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

Left somewhere in Strathclyde student union.

In memory of Andy McCruden. To find out more about Andy read the obituaries on Spinneyhead and UK-Rag. To make a donation please go to the justgiving page set up to remember him.

BOT026

BOT026, originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

Killington Lake services, Cumbria

In memory of Andy McCruden. To find out more about Andy read the obituaries on Spinneyhead and UK-Rag. To make a donation please go to the justgiving page set up to remember him.

A Transformer reviews Transformers

A Transformer reviews Transformers, originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

It seemed obvious to take a bot-crossing Transformer to see the Transformers movie. This is BOT016, who was subsequently left in the cinema atop the movie's poster. He liked the show.

Michael Bay made the better than expected The Island and the awful Pearl Harbour (to be fair, the sequence that covers the attack on Pearl Harbour is excellent and deserves to be rescued from the dire love story framing it and edited into the superior Tora! Tora! Tora!) so I didn't know what to expect.

What I got was a no nonsense adventure story that moved fast enough to keep me thinking too much about plot holes. It provided a few laughs as well, which is always good. The special effects were stunning, as you'd expect, making this another on of those films where I'd buy the DVD for the special features on the cgi.

A few observations-

Nice family dynamics in the Witwicky clan. It made a change to see a functionally eccentric clan rather than the usual miserably dysfunctional kind.

Was the pilot/driver of all the Decepticon vehicles the same person? And couldn't they have got a hologram without a pornstar moustache?

I believe the original Bumblebee was a Beetle, which makes the car lot scene an inside joke.

Sector Seven were annoying, but I did like the logo.

Affiliate linkage - You can buy all sorts of Transformers stuff at Amazon.

In memory of Andy McCruden. To find out more about Andy read the obituaries on Spinneyhead and UK-Rag. To make a donation please go to the justgiving page set up to remember him.

BOT021

BOT021, originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

This brave robot nestled without fear in the lion's mouth.

By the main entrance to the Trafford Centre.

BOT024

BOT024
Originally uploaded by spinneyhead

Guarding the gate to Didsbury Methodist Church.

In memory of Andy McCruden. To find out more about Andy read the obituaries on Spinneyhead and UK-Rag. To make a donation please go to the justgiving page set up to remember him.

BOT022

BOT022
Originally uploaded by spinneyhead

A transformer on a transformer, what could be more apt. (Actually, I had a look around afterwards and I think this is actually some sort of gas main. Oh well.)

In memory of Andy McCruden. To find out more about Andy read the obituaries on Spinneyhead and UK-Rag. To make a donation please go to the justgiving page set up to remember him.

BOT016

BOT016
Originally uploaded by spinneyhead

BOT016 liked the film so much he took up station atop the poster and vowed never to come down.

In memory of Andy McCruden. To find out more about Andy read the obituaries on Spinneyhead and UK-Rag. To make a donation please go to the justgiving page set up to remember him.

JOE007

JOE007
Originally uploaded by spinneyhead

Left near the Market Hall in Bolton.

In memory of Andy McCruden. To find out more about Andy read the obituaries on Spinneyhead and UK-Rag. To make a donation please go to the justgiving page set up to remember him.

BOT014

BOT014
Originally uploaded by spinneyhead


On duty outside the Police station in the centre of town.

Update I received this email, which made me happy-

Hi my friend and I found bot014 on Saturday outside the police station near Albert Square we were going to the DPercussion concert at Castlefield anyway we picked the little fella up and later on in the pub over several drinks we tried to make the robot into the car but failed miserably so my friend took him home to her son to do, which of course he did with extremely little difficulty. I said I would find try to find out more about the bot-crossing blogsite on the internet as I have access at work, hence my e mail, so I have had a quick look at the blogs but am a newcomer to this kind of thing so perhaps you could enlighten me a bit.

Many thanks.

Jenny (robot saver)

Jenny is now an official Robot Saver, an honoraryb title that shall be bestowed upon everyone who contacts me to say they found one of Andy's Transformers or GIs.

In memory of Andy McCruden. To find out more about Andy read the obituaries on Spinneyhead and UK-Rag. To make a donation please go to the justgiving page set up to remember him.

JOE009

JOE009
Originally uploaded by spinneyhead

This GI was later thrown at Clint Boon during one of his DJ sets at DPercussion.

In memory of Andy McCruden. To find out more about Andy read the obituaries on Spinneyhead and UK-Rag. To make a donation please go to the justgiving page set up to remember him.

BOT015

BOT015
Originally uploaded by spinneyhead

Given to one of the graffiti artists at DPercussion.

In memory of Andy McCruden. To find out more about Andy read the obituaries on Spinneyhead and UK-Rag. To make a donation please go to the justgiving page set up to remember him.

BOT013

BOT013
Originally uploaded by spinneyhead

This guy's on Stevenson Square, complementing the graffiti.

In memory of Andy McCruden. To find out more about Andy read the obituaries on Spinneyhead and UK-Rag. To make a donation please go to the justgiving page set up to remember him.

JOE010

JOE010
Originally uploaded by spinneyhead

I gave this guy to a nice man and his family who were bemused by what I was doing. they're going to take it home and put it in their cupboard of curiosities.

In memory of Andy McCruden. To find out more about Andy read the obituaries on Spinneyhead and UK-Rag. To make a donation please go to the justgiving page set up to remember him.

BOT012

BOT012
Originally uploaded by spinneyhead

A safe, welcoming open hand, just the place for a Transformer to take refuge.

In memory of Andy McCruden. To find out more about Andy read the obituaries on Spinneyhead and UK-Rag. To make a donation please go to the justgiving page set up to remember him.