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We're arriving to the burgeoning feud between The Movie Blog and Paramount in media res, but here's the short version of what's transpired between the warring factions: Blog publishes unauthorized advance photo of a robot from the Transformers movie; studio asks blog to take down photo; blog complies; without warning, studio has blog's host yank site over a complaint about a different photo; blog writes "angry" open letter to studio over comically ill-advised move; studio tries to head off bad publicity headed its way over botched attempt to crush blog. Got that? The Movie Blog updates what's transpired in their fight:

NEW 9) A representative from Paramount called me and apologized for the situation and claimed they that the whole situation was a horrible mistake and that they never intended for my site to be taken down at all. NEW 10) I explained to the Paramount representative that I'm not convinced it was an accident or that the apology is a sincere one, but rather damage control because of all the negative publicity this story has generated around the web NEW 11) When the Paramount representative asked me what she could do for me, I told her I wanted her boss, the director of Interactive Media at Paramount to call me to discuss the situation and how something this outrageously stupid could happen. NEW 12) The rep told me she would pass this along to her boss and have her call me when she is back from a road trip. [...]

I'm 50/50 on if I believe them or not, and I'm not sure this boss will bother calling me. Doug is 100% convinced they are lying weasels just trying to calm down the shit storm they themselves started. We'll have to wait and see.

We're inclined to agree with the "lying weasels scrambling to avoid being tainted by PR shitstorm" assessment of the studio's motives, but that's just our way. We will, however, credit the always forward-thinking Paramount with being completely unafraid of bucking the crass, buzz-building strategies of its competition: While the panderers at New Line solicit blogger input on what Samuel L. Jackson should nosh on at the craft services table on the Snakes on a Plane set, the 'Mount sagely dispatches an online hit squad to make sure that overzealous fans don't get excited about their projects until the studio gives its permission, knowing that this internet fad will soon blow over.

UPDATE: A Paramount exec interrupts her vacation to smooth things over before the bloodshed begins.