This week sees the release of the new "Transformers" movie, but children of the 80's know that there already was a Transformers movie back in 1986. As collectible toys, the Transformers were very popular, as an animated TV series, the Transformers had kids glued to the set. The movie was a moderate success however, and went on to become something of a cult classic. It's rather lukewarm reception might have had something to do with the fact that Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, was killed off in the film, much to the horror of many young fans. Those fans didn't know it at the time, but the writers of both the film and the TV series were encouraged by the toy company to kill off older characters in order to introduce new toys to sell (no wonder we're such a cynical generation).

Anyways, the voice for one of the robots in the film was provided by one of the classic figures from the golden era of cinema. His success and his stature in the film world had withered away somewhat in his later years, as evidenced by his role in this film, which he described as playing "a big toy who attacks a bunch of smaller toys." But his best work is still regarded as some of the most innovative and important examples of film making. Sadly, he passed away before this project was completed or released, making "Transformers" officially the last film to which he contributed. So who was this historic cinematic icon?

Bonus Question: The Transformers were, of course, robots in disguise, capable of transforming into cars or trucks or planes or household objects. Which Transformer could transform into a large pistol, which was then fired by another Transformer?