RIP Peter Cullen
- Thread starter LordGigaIce
- Start date
This news has suddenly made next month's anniversary screening of TFTM in very poor taste.
Yeah, not necessarily the idea of an anniversary screening itself, but most definitely the "sorry for killing Optimus" theme of the event. Unfortunate timing, for sure.
Kind of the screening too since it's a film where Cullen's most famous role is given a death scene within the first 20 minutes of the movie.
It's making me actually not want to go see it next month, frankly.
I understand the sentiment, but also realize that Peter Cullen was a professional, and that Optimus Prime, beyond everything else, was just a role for him. I really doubt he'd associate his death with Optimus Prime dying, no reason for you to do so as well.
He was an actor; no greater way to show your appreciation than by enjoying the art he helped create.
I was thinking just yesterday that if you're not careful to meet new people, get into new experiences and new things part of growing old is all the people and things you love slowly going away until one day you realize there's just nothing much left you are staying for.
ZacWilliam, it's been that kinda week
ZacWilliam, it's been that kinda week
I just don't feel like going to watch the tragic, funeral-like death scene of arguably Peter Cullen's most defining role, surrounded by his friends crying their eyes out as he turns to gray, and punctuated by grim "death march"-like percussion... blown up to giant-size on the big screen.
And so early into the feature presentation.
Even if it's over a week away from now, it will still feel too soon.
And 1986.Inevitable, but still, damn.
Starting to feel like 2016 again...
There have been, and will be, replacements, but they're just actors. We will always know that Optimus is supposed to sound like Peter Cullen, just like Starscream is supposed to sound like Chris Latta.
Chris Latta didn't actually sound like that in real life. He was putting on a (silly) voice.
Wheeljack and Sparkplug were closer to how he actually sounded.
Heck, Latta even did a fill-in voice for Optimus once (and, dare I say, he sounded quite good, acting-wise):
Damn. It really does come in 3s.
Yeah...it just doesn't feel right anymore.
You know what would feel more appropriate now to screen in his honor and would still fit the "Apology" aspect of the tour? The two-part episode "The Return of Optimus Prime". Complete with a montage at the end consisting of various clips of Cullen and his many roles played in his memory.
After I saw the news, and went into that other thread... This is the first thing that came to mind. The joke has run its course, it was funny for what it was. But however close we are to the finish line, they need to reshape the narrative of what they're doing if this has any hope of not turning sour or backfiring. It's time to reconfigure the remainder of the campaign into something more appropriate for the changed circumstances.