document_title: Transformers: Age of Extinction

question_text: what happened to optimus prime at the end of age of extinction

text: Transformers: Age of Extinction

text: Plot[edit]

text: Sixty five million years ago, an alien race known as the "Creators" used devices called Seeds to terraform planet Earth, effectively wiping out the dinosaurs and covering it with an alloy called Transformium. In the present day, geologist Darcy Tirrel excavates the Transformium for K.S.I. Industries, which uses it to build man-made artificial Transformer drones.

text: Five years after The Battle of Chicago, the humans have begun to view the Transformers as a threat, leading the U.S government to terminate all human-Autobot joint programs. Although the public believes that the Autobots have been granted sanctuary, they are being hunted by a rogue, vengeful and xenophobic CIA black ops division known as Cemetery Wind, led by opportunistic government official Harold Attinger, who believes that all Transformers should be exterminated regardless of their faction. They are aided by Lockdown, a Cybertronian bounty hunter working for the Creators, promising to give Attinger a Seed if his division manages to capture Optimus Prime. Cemetery Wind locates Ratchet in Mexico City and Lockdown kills him when he refuses to give up the whereabouts of Optimus Prime.

text: Optimus, damaged in Mexico City and disguised as a rundown semi-truck, is discovered in an abandoned theater by Cade Yeager, a financially struggling Texan inventor, and brings him back to the farm. While his teenage daughter Tessa and business partner Lucas Flannery encourage him to turn Optimus over to the authorities after realizing what he really is, Cade instead fixes Optimus, hoping to understand his technology and unexpectedly revives him. Still skeptical of Optimus and worried about Cade's safety, Lucas calls Cemetery Wind, who attacks and destroys the farm, but Optimus and Tessa's boyfriend, Irish rally car driver Shane Dyson, come to the family's aid. While on the run from Cemetery Wind and Lockdown, Lucas is killed by one of Lockdown's grenades. After escaping from their attackers, they take refuge in an abandoned gas station. Later, Optimus scans a passing truck and turns into a Western Star 5700 Phantom Custom truck with the original red and blue paint with flames. Afterwards, Optimus summons the surviving Autobots – Bumblebee, who has assumed an alternate form, Hound, Drift, and Crosshairs – who have come to distrust humans due to Cemetery Wind constantly hunting them down. Using a CIA drone which he stole during the home invasion, Cade discovers K.S.I.'s involvement in the attacks on the Autobots. Optimus vows to personally kill Attinger for his actions against his brethren.

text: Infiltrating K.S.I.'s headquarters in Chicago, Cade discovers the remains of Autobots and Decepticons are being melted down to make the drones. Joshua Joyce, the ambitious company CEO, is in league with Attinger to revolutionize global defenses and improve human society using the Seed. He has captured Brains and is using him and Megatron's head to create prototype Transformer soldiers Galvatron and Stinger. In a fit of rage, the Autobots storm the building, during which Bumblebee regains his original form by scanning a passing car, where they rescue Brains and destroy the laboratory, but they soon leave after Joshua announces that they are no longer needed. Attinger forces Joshua to deploy Galvatron and Stinger to attack the Autobots. During the battle, Galvatron's behavior becomes slightly erratic when he starts destroying vehicles. As Galvatron battles Optimus, it frees itself from control and speaks to Optimus. Lockdown then arrives and abducts Optimus while Galvatron and Stinger retreat; Tessa is inadvertently captured alongside Optimus in the midst of the chaos, leaving Cade and Shane devastated.

text: While Lockdown's large prison spacecraft hovers over Chicago to hand over the Seed, Cade, Shane, and the Autobots use this opportunity to sneak on board and rescue Optimus and Tessa. They hijack a smaller ship, containing a number of other Autobots called the Dinobots, just before Lockdown leaves Earth. The Autobots reveal to Cade that "Galvatron" is in fact Megatron, who had transferred his consciousness into the Galvatron drone after K.S.I. officials had accidentally revived him. They realize that Galvatron is plotting to use the Seed and the K.S.I. drones to conquer the world, by detonating the Seed in Hong Kong, as K.S.I. has brought it there to use it in the remote Mongolian desert to create vast amounts of usable Transformium. Cade informs Joshua of Megatron's presence, causing him to have a change of heart and agreeing to hand over the Seed with help from Darcy and his Chinese business associate Su Yueming. Meanwhile, Lockdown discovers that Optimus has escaped and stole a part of his ship, forcing him to return to Earth to retrieve them. Optimus decides for the Autobots to no longer help the humans because of how they revived Megatron, but Cade explains to Optimus why something unintentional is not a reason for him to lose faith in them. Back at the facility, Joshua gets into a disagreement with Attinger over the Seed, threatening to expose Attinger's nefarious activities, whilst Attinger deduces Joshua's plot to betray him. Galvatron unexpectedly reactivates himself and promptly takes control of the K.S.I. drones, and a battle follows in Hong Kong's streets between Cade's group, the Autobots, Cemetery Wind, Galvatron, and his drones. During the fight, Optimus gains the alliance of the Dinobots, who become essential to the Autobots' victory while Bumblebee kills Stinger.

text: Lockdown returns to capture Optimus and the Dinobots, using a large magnet in his ship that picks up and drops metal objects, causing destruction to the city. After disabling the magnet, Optimus fights Lockdown at an abandoned factory. In the ensuing duel, Optimus kills Attinger (who still angrily deems all Cybertronians aside from Lockdown as a threat) to save Cade, and avenging the deaths of his fellow Autobots. However, this allows Lockdown to pin Optimus down by impaling his chest with his own sword, damaging his spark. Cade, Bumblebee, Tessa, and Shane fight Lockdown, with Cade ending up fighting him one-on-one while Tessa and Shane use a tow truck to free Optimus, who kills Lockdown before using one of his grenades to finish off the remaining drones. Galvatron retreats, vowing to return. As Lockdown's ship leaves Earth, Optimus tells the Autobots to protect the Yeagers (with Joshua offering to help the Yeagers build a new home) and lets the Dinobots go, before flying away into space with the Seed to hide it away, sending a message to the Creators that he is coming for them.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Mark Wahlberg as Cade Yeager
A single father and struggling inventor.[7]
Stanley Tucci as Joshua Joyce
The ambitiously arrogant head of KSI who wants to build his own Transformers.[8][9]
Kelsey Grammer as Harold Attinger
A paranoid CIA operative and government official who created the CIA black-ops unit, Cemetery Wind to eliminate all Transformers, Autobot or Decepticon, from Earth.[10]
Nicola Peltz as Tessa Yeager
Cade's daughter who is secretly dating Shane.
Jack Reynor as Shane Dyson
Tessa's boyfriend and an Irish rally car driver.[11][12]
Titus Welliver as James Savoy
A ruthless CIA Agent and second-in command of the Cemetery Wind working for Attinger.[13]
Sophia Myles as Darcy Tirrel
Joshua's geologist assistant and ex-girlfriend.[14][15]
Li Bingbing as Su Yueming (苏月明 Sū Yuèmíng)
The owner of the Chinese factory used by KSI to build their artificial Transformers.[16]
T. J. Miller as Lucas Flannery
Cade's best friend and a mechanic.[17]
James Bachman as Gill Wembley
A scientist working with Joshua Joyce at KSI.
Thomas Lennon as the Chief of Staff.

text: Greg Anderson, Melanie Specht and Victoria Summer play Joshua's assistants.[18][19] Han Geng portrays himself, playing the guitar and singing in a parked car that is magnetized by Lockdown's ship.[20] Edward T. Welburn plays a KSI executive.[21] Kevin Covais plays a motorist.[22]

text: Voices[edit]

text:
Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime
The leader of the Autobots who transforms into a rusty Marmon 97 semi truck and later, a blue and red Western Star 5700 XE semi-trailer truck with flame decals.[23][24][25][26][27]
Frank Welker as Galvatron
A human-made KSI Transformer drone intended to be modeled after Optimus Prime, but ultimately using data downloaded from the remains of Megatron. It is later revealed that the Galvatron drone has become possessed by the Decepticon leader, who molecularly transforms into a black and grey 2014 Freightliner Argosy cab over trailer truck.[26][27][28][29]
John Goodman as Hound
An Autobot commando unit who transforms into an Oshkosh Defense Medium Tactical Vehicle.[30][31][32]
Ken Watanabe as Drift
A Samurai-motif Autobot, tactician and a former Decepticon assassin who transforms into a black and blue 2013 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse and a Sikorsky S-97 Raider Helicopter.
Robert Foxworth as Ratchet
The Autobot medical officer who transforms into a white and green 2004 Search and rescue Hummer H2 ambulance.
John DiMaggio as Crosshairs
An Autobot paratrooper and elite sniper who transforms into a black and green 2014 Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray.[24]
Mark Ryan as Lockdown
An extremely powerful, relentless, heavily enhanced, ruthless Cybertronian bounty hunter who transforms into a grey 2013 Lamborghini Aventador LP 700–4 Coupe and is hired by the mysterious Creators to bring Optimus Prime back to them.[24][26]
Reno Wilson voices Brains
A former Decepticon drone turned Autobot who has lost his right leg.[27]

text: Non-speaking characters[edit]

text:
Bumblebee
An Autobot scout and Optimus Primes' new second in command, who communicates through voice clips and sound bites via his radio who transforms into a modified 1967 Chevrolet Camaro and later, a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro concept.
Grimlock, the leader of the vicious Dinobots who transforms into a mechanical horned, fire-breathing Tyrannosaurus.[24][26]
Strafe
A Dinobot who specializes in assault infantry and transforms into a mechanical two-headed, two-tailed Pteranodon.[26][28]
Slug
The Dinobots' destroyer who transforms into a mechanical spiked and bestial Triceratops.[26][28]
Scorn
The Dinobots' demolition specialist who transforms into a mechanical three-sailed Spinosaurus.[26][28]
Stinger
a human-made KSI Transformer modeled after Bumblebee who later becomes a Decepticon and molecularly transforms into a red and black 2013 Pagani Huayra.[24][25][26][27]
Junkheap
A human-made KSI Transformer who has a three-man splitting technique and later becomes a Decepticon under Galvatron's control. It molecularly transforms into a Mack garbage truck of Waste Management, Inc.[33]
"Traxes"
A human-made KSI Transformers modeled after Roadbuster who later become Decepticons under Galvatron's control and molecularly transform into red, blue, black or white Chevrolet Traxes.[34]
"Two-Heads"
A two-headed human-made KSI Transformers modeled from the remains of Shockwave who later become Decepticons under Galvatron's control.
"KSI Bosses"
A human-made KSI Transformers modeled after Soundwave who later become Decepticons under Galvatron's control.
Steeljaws
the savage techno-organic wolf-like minions of Lockdown.

text: Cameos[edit]

text: Ironhide, Arcee, Wheeljack Loader and Starscream make cameos, depicted on cards stamped with an X to indicate their deaths. The leader of the Wreckers, Leadfoot, makes a cameo voiced by Robert Foxworth in video footage shown after Cade steals the KSI spy drone, shown being killed by humans from Cemetery Wind. Sentinel Prime and Megatron's heads ares seen in the KSI labs, where they download data from the dead Transformers' remains. Barricade and some Decepticon Protoforms make cameos in footage from the Battle of Chicago. The Insecticons make a cameo, transferring data from Megatron's mind, infecting the Galvatron drone.

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text: During production for Dark of the Moon, Shia LaBeouf and Bay confirmed that they would not return for a fourth installment of the franchise.[35] Roland Emmerich, Joe Johnston, Jon Turteltaub, Stephen Sommers, Louis Leterrier and David Yates were rumored to replace Bay.[36] Jason Statham was rumored to star in the fourth installment. Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner revealed that he was able to announce the film as he was talking with Steven Spielberg, Bay and Paramount.[37] There were rumors that the fourth and fifth installment would be shot back-to-back with Statham as the lead role, which he and Bay denied.[38] Spielberg hoped Bay would return for a fourth installment.[39]

text: After final negotiations with Bay to direct the film,[40] producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura confirmed that there would be a fourth film in the franchise.[41] In February 2012, Paramount Pictures and Michael Bay announced that Bay would be producing and directing a fourth Transformers film, scheduled for a June 27, 2014 release.[42][43] The film will not be a reboot but a sequel to Dark of the Moon,[12] taking place four years later.[44] Ehren Kruger and Steve Jablonsky returned to write the script and the score, respectively.[45] In April 2013, it was announced that China Movie Channel and Jiaflix Enterprises would co-produce the film with Paramount.[46][47]

text: On September 1, 2013, Fusible revealed three possible subtitles for the film, which were Last Stand, Future Cast, and Apocalypse. On September 2, TFW 2005 revealed one last possible title, Age of Extinction.[48][49] On September 3, 2013, Paramount released an official teaser poster for the film, revealing the title to be Transformers: Age of Extinction.[50]

text: Casting[edit]

text: In November 2012, Mark Wahlberg was cast in the film.[7] Also in November 2012, The Hollywood Reporter reported that casting had begun for two additional leads: the daughter to Wahlberg's character and her boyfriend, a race car driver. Isabelle Cornish, Nicola Peltz, Gabriella Wilde, and Margaret Qualley were all considered for the role of the daughter, while Luke Grimes, Landon Liboiron, Brenton Thwaites, Jack Reynor, and Hunter Parrish were all considered for the boyfriend. The leads are contracted for three films.[51] In January 2013, Reynor was cast as the boyfriend,[12] and in March 2013, Nicola Peltz was cast as Wahlberg's daughter.[52]

text: Peter Cullen reprises his role as the voice of Optimus Prime.[23] Glenn Morshower stated in September 2012 that he would appear in the next two films, reprising his role of General Morshower, but Morshower announced in May 2013 that he would not be able to appear in the new films due to a scheduling conflict.[53] In April 2013, Bay revealed that actor Stanley Tucci had joined the cast.[54] On May 1, 2013, actor Kelsey Grammer was cast as the lead human villain named Harold Attinger.[55] On May 6, 2013, actress Sophia Myles was cast in a major role.[14] That same month, Chinese actress Li Bingbing and comedian T. J. Miller joined the cast.[56] On July 14, 2013, Bay announced that Han Geng had joined the cast.[20] That same month, Titus Welliver also joined the cast.[13]

text: Filming[edit]

text: Bay announced that filming had begun on May 28, 2013, in Monument Valley, Utah. Detroit, Michigan, was used as a stand-in for Hong Kong[57] while McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, was re-dressed to portray a city in China.[58] The movie was the first feature film to be shot using smaller digital IMAX 3D cameras.[54] It also was shot in various other formats, including IMAX 70mm film cameras, digital stereo 3D, and anamorphic and spherical 35mm film.[59] From May 28 to June 24, 2013, Michael Bay uploaded photographs of several cars featured in the film, all apparently Autobots, to social networks including Facebook and Flickr. The film featured two unknown Autobots that transformed into a black and blue 2013 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse (going by production name "Drift"), and a green 2014 C7 Corvette Stingray concept (going by production name "Slingshot"). Also revealed was a truck from Western Star Trucks as Optimus Prime's new alternate mode. The Dinobots and Lockdown were confirmed to appear. On October 29, Michael Bay's Official Twitter Account tweeted that principal photography of Transformers 4 had been completed in Hong Kong, China and the cast and crew were heading to the Chinese mainland. (According to previous reports, they would be filming there for one week.)[60] Additional filming in Detroit began in early 2014; a pair of steamships (Columbia and Ste. Clair) which had once traveled between Detroit and Bois Blanc Island's amusement park were partially restored and used as props for the film.[61]

text: Incidents[edit]

text: On October 17, 2013, while filming in Hong Kong, Bay was assaulted by two brothers surnamed Mak, who demanded a payment of HK$100,000 (US$12,900). The elder brother also assaulted three police officers during the incident. Both brothers and a third man surnamed Chan were arrested on suspicion of assault, with the younger Mak also charged on suspicion of blackmail.[62] The Mak brothers pleaded guilty to both charges in February 2014 and were incarcerated, with the prosecutor noting that the case had attracted a great deal of media attention and affected Hong Kong's image.[63]

text: Post-production[edit]

text: Industrial Light & Magic's VFX supervisor Scott Farrar, who had also supervised the three prior films in the Transformers franchise, rendered the visual effects. He said the film contains about ninety minutes of visual effects (out of the movie's 165-minute length).[64] Farrer said it was the biggest project, using the largest crew, of his career, and noted that over five hundred crews had worked on it, using various facilities.[65]

text: The nine different formats used in the film included IMAX film, IMAX digital, single-frame anamorphic film, GoPros, crashcams, Red cameras on 3Ality stereo 3D gigs, and red cameras for 2D.[65]

text: Music[edit]

text: Like its predecessors, Steve Jablonsky composed the film's score, marking his sixth film collaboration with director Michael Bay, four of which are Transformers films. The film's score was praised by critics and fans. The soundtrack album sold more than 15,000 units worldwide. It is also the first Transformers film not to feature a Linkin Park song.

text: Skrillex worked on sound design for the film, having said that he was creating "the craziest Skrillex sounds I could ever make" and mentioned working on sounds for the Dinobots.[66][67]

text: Imagine Dragons wrote a single specifically for the film itself, titled "Battle Cry". The track "Leave Planet Earth Alone" samples the drum beat of Battle Cry so that the former serves as an intro to the latter as the credits start, though this version is only present in the film; Battle Cry isn't featured on the soundtrack album, and Leave Planet Earth Alone has a unique outro. No mashup version or otherwise is available for purchase. Imagine Dragons also worked with Steve Jablonsky and Hans Zimmer to contribute additional music to the film's score.[68]

text: Linkin Park's new single "Until It's Gone" is included in the video game soundtrack of the movie.[69]

text: On June 30, 2014, an extended play was digitally released on iTunes, featuring four tracks as a teaser for the full official score, which features variations of the four themes.[70] On July 4, 2014, the long play was released digitally on iTunes containing the full score of the film.[71] The soundtrack album was released on CD by record label La-La Land Records on October 7, 2014.

text: On November 20, 2014, Steve Jablonsky released a statement via Facebook saying that the score would no longer be available on iTunes and other digital music stores after it had reached its limit of 15,000 units before re-use fees would have to be paid. Jablonsky personally expressed his own disappointment in the turn of events, hoping there would be a way to eventually re-release the score, along with the score to Transformers: Dark of the Moon, which had also been removed from iTunes and other digital music stores several months prior when it too reached the 15,000 unit limit.[72]

text: Release[edit]

text: The film had its world premiere in Hong Kong on June 19, with a live concert by Imagine Dragons.[73]

text: Marketing[edit]

text: The first televised advertisement for Transformers: Age of Extinction aired during Super Bowl XLVIII. In a poll by Fandango, the spot was determined to be the most anticipated film trailer to be shown, receiving 48% of the vote in the poll.[74] The first official teaser trailer was released on March 4, 2014.[75] A viral marketing campaign was started for the film upon the teaser trailer's release.[76] On March 30, 2014, a shortened version of the teaser trailer was aired during the season 4 finale of The Walking Dead. Another shortened version of the teaser trailer was aired during the 2014 MTV Movie Awards.

text: Chevrolet aired a commercial at the New York International Auto Show featuring General Motors vehicles with clips from the film, along with putting them on display.[77]

text: Hasbro released an app on May 8 surrounding the film available for iOS and Android devices, allowing users to access exclusive material such as character biographies, images, and interviews with the stars, among other things.[78] A clip featuring never-before-seen scenes from the film and an interview with Imagine Dragons aired during The Voice on May 12, 2014.

text: DeNA and Hasbro teamed up to construct an official mobile video game for the film. The game was first announced on May 13, 2014, though, the title is still in active development.[79] Also on this date, Oreo launched a marketing campaign to promote the film.[80] This included a television commercial where a boy gives a wounded Optimus Prime an Oreo cookie to continue the fight.[81]

text: An exclusive theatrical trailer debuted on May 15 on iTunes Movie Trailers at 12:01 AM Pacific Standard Time.[82] On May 21, 2014, two television spots appeared online, both containing new footage from the film.[83] The film's viral campaign updated on May 22, showcasing all-new posters and realistic news reports of the damage done to Chicago from the third film.[84] Three more television spots, all sporting new footage, appeared online on May 30, 2014.[85][86][87]

text: Imagine Dragons's single for the film officially released online on June 2, 2014.[88]

text: Jack Reynor and Nicola Peltz made multiple appearances in the Twin Cities on June 8, 2014. During an appearance on the Canadian version of The Morning Show, both Reynor and Peltz promised big things that would please fans.[89] Kelsey Grammer made an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman on June 9, 2014. During his visit, the very first clip from the film debuted, showcasing Grammer's character and Wahlberg's in a heated argument. During the first commercial break for the show, a brand new television spot aired.[90] On June 10, 2014, two television spots appeared online, both containing extensive new footage from the film.[citation needed]

text: At the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards on March 29, 2014, Mark Wahlberg, who stars in the film, hosted the event. There was also a transmission from Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime, and Nicola Peltz and Jack Reynor assembled with Wahlberg to take out cannons that fired slime.

text: Three more television spots appeared online on June 14, 2014, containing new footage of the Dinobots transforming and of Lockdown speaking.[91] On June 17, a brand-new television spot aired on Comedy Central containing new footage.[citation needed] Another television spot appeared online on June 18, sporting new footage as well.[citation needed]

text: The film's unusual marketing strategy of letting people video the shooting of the film in select locations was the subject of film critic Kevin B. Lee's critical video essay Transformers: The Premake.[92]

text: Video games[edit]

text: In February 2014, Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark, developed by Edge of Reality, published by Activision was announced as a companion to the film. It was released in June 2014 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.[93]

text: In summer 2014, Rovio and Hasbro announced Angry Birds Transformers. The game has Transformers movie designs on two of the characters.

text: Reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: Worldwide[edit]

text: Transformers: Age of Extinction grossed $245.4 million in the United States and Canada and $858.6 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $1.104 billion, against a budget of $210 million.[4] It was the only film of 2014 to earn over $1 billion at the box office worldwide.[94] Deadline.com calculated the net profit of the film to be $250.2 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues for the film, making it the most profitable film of 2014.[94] Worldwide, in its opening weekend, the film earned $302.1 million, which is the 14th-highest ever, the highest in 2014, and the second-largest for Paramount behind Transformers: Dark of the Moon ($382.4 million).[95] It was the 17th-highest-grossing film worldwide, the highest-grossing film of 2014, the second-highest-grossing film in the Transformers film series, and the 11th-highest-grossing film of Paramount (domestically).[96] It is the second film in the Transformers installment to earn over $1 billion following Dark of the Moon[97] and the 19th film overall. Despite being a box office hit, it was considered by several box office experts to have fallen well below expectations.

text: North America[edit]

text: Transformers: Age of Extinction is the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2014 in the U.S. and Canada.[98] It was released on June 27, 2014 in across 4,233 theaters in North America. It earned $8.75 million from Thursday late-night run, which was the fifth-biggest of 2014.[99] On Friday, the film grossed an additional $31.25 million bringing its total day gross to $41.6 million, including $10.7 million from IMAX theaters. In its opening weekend, the film earned $100,038,390[nb 1] setting an opening record of 2014 (overtaken by The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 with $121.9 million),[102] which is the fourth-highest opening for Paramount,[103] and the fifth-highest for a film released in June.[104] The opening-weekend audience was evenly split among those under and over the age of 25 (with 58%), male (64%), and under 18 (27%).[105] The film remained at the summit for two consecutive weekends before being overtaken by Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in its third weekend. It also crossed the $200 million mark in its third weekend, becoming the fifth film of 2014 to do so.[106][107] The film closed down its theatrical run on October 9, 2014[108] and earned a total of $245,439,076, making it the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2014 in the U.S.[108][109]

text: Outside North America[edit]

text: Outside North America, it is the highest-grossing film of 2014,[110] and the sixth-highest-grossing film.[111] Transformers: Age of Extinction earned $202.1 million in its opening weekend from 37 countries in 10,152 screens, which is 35% bigger than Dark of the Moon and marking the biggest overseas opening of 2014 (breaking X-Men: Days of Future Past's record set one month prior).[112] It scored the biggest IMAX overseas opening weekend with $16.6 million from 266 theaters (overtaken by Jurassic World).[112][113] The film topped the box office outside North America for four consecutive weekends despite coinciding with the 2014 FIFA World Cup before being overtaken by Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in its fifth weekend.[114]

text: International openings of over $5 million occurred in South Korea ($21.7 million), Brazil ($16.5 million), Germany ($11.2 million), Australia ($9.6 million), France ($8.8 million), Taiwan ($8.1 million), Malaysia ($6.7 million), Japan ($6.4 million), the Philippines ($5.7 million), India ($5.35 million), Hong Kong ($5.1 million), and Italy ($5 million).[112] In Russia, the film opened to number one with $21.7 million from 1,100 screens, which is the second-largest in the territory for which 3D accounted for 80% of the total gross. IMAX comprised $2.6 million of the total gross from 34 IMAX screens.[112] Its biggest opener outside the U.S. was in China, where it scored one of the biggest non-North American openings of all time with $91.2 million from 4,400 screens, which was once the second-biggest opening of all time there.[112][115] The film set an all-time IMAX opening record with $9.7 million.[112][116] After five days of its release, Age of Extinction surpassed its North American run with $134.5 million.[117][118] In China, the film earned an additional $50.9 million in its second weekend for a total of $212.8 million. In only 10 days of its release, it became the highest-grossing film in China with $222.74 million, thus overtaking Avatar's previous record.[119][120][121] Adding to the film's revenue and popularity were product placements of Chinese brands edited into the movie specifically for Chinese audiences.[122]

text: It became the highest-grossing film in China, with $301–$320 million[nb 2] in revenue surpassing 2009's record set by Avatar ($204 million),[124][129][130] until it was surpassed by Furious 7 in 2015 over $390 million.[131] It is also the first movie in China to gross more than $300 million at the box office.[132] A large part of the success in China has been attributed to the large fan base there and because of its accompanying animated TV series—which ran during the 1980s and 1990—was one of the highest-quality TV programs at that time which resulted in many children getting attached to it. Transformers toy merchandising was one of the first successful cases by a foreign company in China at its time, its line of transforming robot toys was highly sought-after, especially by boys.[133]

text: At the end of its theatrical run outside North America, the film earned $858,600,000 which is 77.8% of its total gross. In total earnings, the highest revenue came from China ($301 million), Russia ($45.2 million), South Korea ($43.3 million), Germany ($38.2 million), Mexico ($33.5 million), and the UK ($33.1 million).[134]

text: Authenticity over North American box office opening[edit]

text: The $100 million opening announced for Transformers: Age of Extinction is disputed within the industry. According to Rentrak—which has a direct line into the vast majority of theatres in the United States and Canada to track actual ticket sales—about 4,100 of the 4,233 theatres playing the film generated $95.9 million. The projected total from the Rentrak sales data would put the opening three-day weekend gross at around $97.5 million. For Transformers to have crossed the $100 million threshold, it would have needed to gross more than the nationwide average in the theatres not tracked by Rentrak. Some media outlets have elected to go with the Rentrak figure.[100][101]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 18% based on 188 reviews, with an average rating of 3.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "With the fourth installment in Michael Bay's blockbuster Transformers franchise, nothing is in disguise: Fans of loud, effects-driven action will find satisfaction, and all others need not apply."[135] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 32 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[136] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale.[137]

text: Richard Roeper gave the film a "D", saying that "the longer the movie goes on, the less interesting it becomes; it just wears you down. As we were finally reaching the 165-minute mark, all that noise and fury was about as exciting as the special effects in an Ed Wood movie."[138] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film zero out of four stars, calling it "the worst and most worthless Transformers movie yet."[139] Kyle Smith of the New York Post gave the film one-and-a-half out of four stars, commenting that "This series was never good, but it was once fun, or at least flashy. Now that its gears have gone rusty, it’s time for an Alien vs. Predator-style rethink."[140] A. O. Scott of The New York Times said in his review that "The story is scaffolding for the action and like every other standing structure, it is wrecked in a thunderous shower of metal, glass, masonry, and earth."[141]

text: Clarence Tsui of The Hollywood Reporter commented on his review that it "barely skirts the idea that humankind and planet Earth are about to be totally annihilated. What is extinguished is the audience's consciousness after being bombarded for nearly three hours with overwrought emotions ('There's a missile in the living room!' Tessa hollers — twice), bad one-liners, and battles that rarely rise above the banal. A trio of editors make a technical marvel out of the fight scenes, but can do little to link the story's multiple threads into something coherent."[142] Roth Cornet of IGN gave the film a score of 6.3 out of 10, praising the "slightly darker/surprising tone and Lockdown and his ship while criticizing the logic/script issues and long running time."[143] Joe Neumaier of the New York Daily News gave the film 1 out of five stars, commenting that "If the 'human scenes' all reek of adolescent dialogue and dopey snark masquerading as character development, it's a toss-up if that's better or worse than seeing clattering collections of caliginous junk."[144]

text: Home media[edit]

text: Transformers: Age of Extinction was released on Blu-ray, DVD, and Blu-ray 3D formats on September 30, 2014, in North America. The film was also released on digital download through iTunes and Google Play on September 16, 2014.

text: Accolades[edit]

text: This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text:
Award
Category
Recipients
Result

2014 Teen Choice Awards
Choice Movie: Villain
Kelsey Grammer
Nominated

Choice Movie: Breakout Star
Nicola Peltz
Nominated

Choice Summer Movie
Transformers: Age of Extinction
Nominated

Choice Summer Movie Star
Mark Wahlberg
Nominated

2014 Golden Trailer Awards
Best Summer 2014 Blockbuster Trailer
Paramount Pictures and Creative Buzz Industries
Nominated

2014 Hollywood Film Awards
Best Visual Effects of the Year
Scott Farrar
Won

2014 Houston Film Critics Society Awards
Worst Film
Transformers: Age of Extinction
Nominated

2015 Annie Awards
Outstanding Achievement, Animated Effects in a Live Action Production
Michael Balog, Jim Van Allen, Rick Hankins, and John Hansen
Nominated

2015 Satellite Awards
Best Visual Effects
John Frazier, Patrick Tubach, Scott Benza, and Scott Farrar
Nominated

Best Sound (Editing & Mixing)
Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van Der Ryn, and Peter J. Devlin
Nominated

2015 Golden Raspberry Awards
Worst Picture
Transformers: Age of Extinction
Nominated

Worst Director
Michael Bay
Won

Worst Supporting Actor
Kelsey Grammer (also for The Expendables 3, Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return, and Think Like a Man Too)
Won

Worst Supporting Actress
Nicola Peltz
Nominated

Worst Screenplay
Ehren Kruger
Nominated

Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel
Transformers: Age of Extinction
Nominated

Worst Screen Combo
Transformers: Age of Extinction
Nominated

text: Sequels[edit]

text: A fifth Transformers film, titled The Last Knight, was released on June 21, 2017 to poor reviews, with both Bay and Wahlberg stating it was their final entry of the series.

text: A spin-off film, Bumblebee, is scheduled for a December 21, 2018 release, while a sixth installment, Transformers 6, is scheduled for release for June 28, 2019.[145]


document_title: Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse

question_text: cast of for better or for worse tyler perry

root

text: Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse

text: Production[edit]

text: TBS announced the straight-to-series order of For Better or Worse on April 26, 2011, the same day it was announced that House of Payne would be ending after its eighth season.[2][3] Unlike House of Payne and Meet the Browns, which are family-oriented, For Better Or Worse targets young adults.[4] The premiere episode of the series acquired 3.33 million viewers,[5] bringing the show to the top of the charts as basic cable's No. 1 comedy series for the month of October 2011.[5][6]

tag: p

text: In February 2012, TBS announced the thirty-five episode second season renewal, which premiered on July 13, 2012, with the first season averaging 2.9 million viewers.[7] For Better or Worse was also basic cable’s No. 1 sitcom of 2011 and the No. 1 show on all of television with African-American adults in the same year.[8][9]

text:
A year later, on February 20, 2013, it was announced that TBS chose not to renew the series, and that the Oprah Winfrey Network ordered a third season as part of a new deal with Tyler Perry.[10] The third season of the series premiered on September 18, 2013.[11][12] The second half of season 3 premiered on April 9, 2014. The third half of season 3 premiered on September 17, 2014. The fourth season of the series premiered on Friday, March 27, 2015. The second half of season 4 premiered on September 11, 2015. The fifth season of the series premiered on April 1, 2016. The second half
of season 5 premiered on September 30th. On January 30, 2017 OWN announced that the show will be ending after the sixth season. The sixth season premiered on Saturday, June 10, 2017. The series ended on July 22, 2017. The series had a total of 162 episodes.

text: The first season of the show did not have a laugh track, but one was added for the second season and onward.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Tasha Smith as Angela Williams: Marcus's spark plug of a wife, the affluent and successful owner of Lady Angie's hair salon and hair care products; originally, from Camden, New Jersey; has a degree in chemistry. In season 1, Angela deals with Marcus's infidelity issues. Marcus tries prove his innocence. It was confirmed in the season 2 premiere. She has hatred for Marcus's ex-girlfriend Keisha throughout the entire series. In season 3, Angela finds out that she has cancer, caused by a mass in her mammogram, but later is misdiagnosed in the seventh season. In the season 4 episode "The Results", Angela finds out she is pregnant, but later in the season 6 premiere, she had suffered a miscarriage.
Michael Jai White as Marcus Williams: Angela's husband, a former professional football player and owner of a highly rated sports television show C-Sports Now. Season 1 focuses on his infidelity struggles with Angela, Marcus proves his innocence and it was confirmed at the beginning of season 2. In season 4, he unknowingly fathered another child. In the season 4 episode, "The Results", Marcus finds out his wife, Angela is pregnant and is expecting his third child. In the 2007 film, Marcus was working for Angela before owning his sport business.
Jason Olive as Joseph Jetson: Marcus's partner at C-Sports Now, and best friend since college, a former tennis player and Leslie's husband-to-be. Towards the end of season 2, he and Leslie break up due to their sexual attraction with each other and feelings for marriage, but still has feelings for her and determines to win her back throughout season 3. In the season 2 finale, Joseph suffers from a motorcycle accident on Leslie and Chris's wedding day trying to stop it. In season 3, they get back together. And in season , Joseph finally proposes to Leslie.
Crystle Stewart as Leslie Morris: Angela's best friend since college, a real estate agent and Joseph Jetson's fiancee. Leslie has doubts about her and Joseph's relationship in Season 2. Towards the end of season 2, Leslie breaks off her relationship with Joseph, she later meets a high school friend, Chris and becomes attracted to him. Chris proposes to Leslie, and they get married in the season 2 finale and the season 3 premiere. In season 3 while married to Chris, Leslie begins to have conflicted feelings for Joseph, especially after learning of his motorcycle accident. Chris learns of that and they divorced.
Kent Faulcon as Richard Ellington: Marcus's partner and CFO at C-Sports Now, and friend since college,  previously dated Marcus' assumed baby mamma Keisha; a former baseball player. After finding out what kind of person she really was, Richard broke up with Keisha. While dealing with the divorce, Richard has anger management issues with Keisha in season 4. In season 5, he is dating Jennifer.
Cocoa Brown as Jennifer: Angela's comedic childhood friend from Camden, New Jersey and stylist at Lady Angie's. She has two kids. In season 2, she finds out that she has HIV but later is misdiagnosed. In season 5, she starts developing feelings for Richard.
Bobb'e J. Thompson as Marcus "M.J." Williams, Jr, (Season 1–2): Marcus and Angela's son.
Brad James as Todd: Intern at C-Sports Now who can be a good and irritating friend to Marcus, Joseph, and Richard. In season five, Todd learns that he fathered a child with a woman named Shawn.
Chandra Currelley as Miss V, (Season 1–2, 4–present; Guest, Season 3): Marcus and Angela's housekeeper.
Bobbi Kristina Brown as Tina, (Season 2): Jennifer's college-aged daughter.
Kiki Haynes as Ro'Keisha "Keisha" Jones, (Season 1, recurring; Season 2–present): Marcus's troublesome ex-girlfriend, who ignites bitter feuds with Angela throughout the series. She dated Richard Ellington and has a degree in accounting. They married and then divorced. In season 4, after the divorce settlement, Keisha is working with Marcus, Joseph, Richard, and Todd at C-Sports Now. Haynes was promoted to the main cast in season 2. Kaira Whitehead originally portrayed Keisha in the 2007 film.

tag: ul

text: Recurring[edit]

text:
Teka Brandon as Dominique Williams (Season 1–3): Keisha's daughter. Originally believed to be Marcus's daughter, until Season 2.
Jermaine L. Brantley (Season 1) Cedric Stewart (Season 2) as Tyrik: Contractor and Angela's old flame from college.
Rhyon Nicole Brown as Pam (Season 4): Marcus's 17 year-old daughter, who he unknowingly fathered.
Dorsey Levens as Benny (Season 6): Marcus's ex-teammate and friend who once shared a intimate past with Angela who he currently still has feelings for.

text: Episodes[edit]

text: SeasonEpisodesOriginally airedFirst airedLast airedNetwork110November 25, 2011 (2011-11-25)December 23, 2011 (2011-12-23)TBS235July 13, 2012 (2012-07-13)December 7, 2012 (2012-12-07)355September 18, 2013 (2013-09-18)December 17, 2014 (2014-12-17)OWN422March 27, 2015 (2015-03-27)October 16, 2015 (2015-10-16)520April 1, 2016 (2016-04-01)November 25, 2016 (2016-11-25)620June 10, 2017 (2017-06-10)July 22, 2017 (2017-07-22)

tag: table

text: Reception[edit]

text: The sitcom was welcomed to generally mixed reviews from critics. Boston Herald said "This is more soap than sitcom, an upscale Dynasty crossed with Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? with a dash of urban sass. It knocks you back with a bracing dose of its characters’ resentments and rages."[13] Opportunity LOL said "I am curious why Tyler Perry wrote for most characters to be so ostentatiously wealthy as it brings the style a little too close to day-time soap operas. Wait a second, did Tyler Perry convince me to watch a soap opera?".[14]

text: Awards/Nominations[edit]

text:
2012: Nomination - NAMIC Vision Award Best Performance - Comedy - Tasha Smith
2013: Nomination - NAMIC Vision Award Best Performance - Comedy - Tasha Smith
2014: Nomination - Image Awards Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series - Tasha Smith


document_title: Couples Retreat

question_text: where did the movie couples retreat take place

text: Couples Retreat

text: Plot[edit]

text: This section's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (March 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: Dave, a dealer for Guitar Hero, and Ronnie, a stay-at-home mom, are a typical couple raising two young children in the suburbs of Chicago. They experience various stresses including redecorating their house and raising their kids. Joey and Lucy are high school sweethearts with a smart but naive teenage daughter named Lacey. Their relationship is on the rocks and they are even considering a divorce once Lacey goes off to college. Jason and Cynthia are a neurotic couple who've experienced multiple failed attempts to conceive, and Shane, who has recently separated from his wife, has a much younger twenty-year-old girlfriend, Trudy.

text: At Dave's son's birthday party, Jason and Cynthia, using a PowerPoint presentation, announce their troubled marriage and they are considering divorce because they cannot have a baby. As a last-ditch effort, they have found a couples therapy resort named Eden. A deal called the Pelican Package is half the normal cost if they can get three other couples to join them. In their presentation, they show beautiful pictures of sunlit beaches and beautiful locations. They also assure the others that the couples therapy is purely optional.

text: Dave and Ronnie discuss their inability to go because of childcare responsibilities and decline the trip. In the middle of the night, their home security alarm is activated when Jason shows up unexpectedly to further sell the idea of the retreat. The commotion wakes the kids, who have overheard their parents' conversations of not being able to go because of them. Fearing that their parents are contemplating divorce, the kids have already arranged for Dave's father, Grandpa Jim-Jim to babysit so their parents can go to Eden.

text: The retreat proves to be divided into Eden West and Eden East. West is for couples and uses the tagline "Stay Together". East is for singles and uses the tagline "Come Together". East and West attendees are not allowed to intermingle.

text: Upon arrival at Eden West, the four couples are shown their villas. At dinner, resort host Sctanley informs them that couples therapy, which starts at 6 a.m., is actually mandatory. If any couple fails to attend, it will be taken as an indication that they want to leave, and a refund for Eden will be given, although not for their airfare. The group debates what to do. After an indulgent dinner with many delicacies, they decide to put up with "a couple of hours" of therapy in order to enjoy the other amenities of the resort.

text: In the morning, each couple meets with an assigned therapist. All four couples learn that they have problems, even Ronnie and Dave, who thought they were fine. They endure resort owner Marcel's unusual methods, including swimming with and feeding lemon sharks and yoga sessions with amorous instructor Salvadore.

text: On the fourth night, Trudy escapes to Eden East. The other seven, encouraged by Joey who is unsatisfied with his marriage, leave to find her. Following an argument between Cynthia and Jason, the men and women split up. As they try to find their way to the resort, the men end up arguing and pointing out each others' marriage mistakes.

text: The women run into Salvadore who takes them to Eden East. The men come across the staff lounge where they find Sctanley playing Guitar Hero. He threatens to report them to Marcel, but Dave challenges him to the game (without telling Sctanley that he is involved in the game's production). Sctanley, after having lost the wager, directs them to Eden East, even though he knows he was tricked by Dave.

text: When they arrive, Dave realizes what a good thing he has with Ronnie. He goes with her to be alone at a waterfall. Joey finds Lucy with Salvadore and knocks him out, reuniting with his wife. Cynthia and Jason share drinks and end up becoming intimate. Shane runs into his ex-wife, who admits she still loves him. Shane tells Trudy to remain in Eden East and enjoy being single, then leaves with his ex-wife. All four couples return to Eden West.

text: Marcel, seeing that the couples have worked out their problems, frees them from the therapy and allows them to go jet skiing, and with that, really enjoy the rest of their vacation.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Vince Vaughn and Malin Åkerman as Dave and Ronnie (last name not revealed), a typical suburban couple with two children. Their marriage seems fine, but each of them realize that Dave tends to undermine Ronnie by crossing emotional boundaries and blocking her needs due to his exhausting work. At the conclusion of their therapy, Marcel grants them the ass as their animal spirit because they are both stubborn, and they bear the burden of not only their troubles but also those of others.
Jon Favreau and Kristin Davis as Joey and Lucy Tanzini, high school sweethearts that have fallen apart due to their belief that they "missed out" on living after high school, having been married and becoming parents immediately after and are contemplating getting a divorce as soon as their daughter goes off to college. They have a daughter named Lacey who is a smart but somewhat rebellious teen. After reuniting in therapy, Marcel gives them a wolf spirit token as they are pack animals but their hearts always lie with their destined mate.
Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell as Jason and Cynthia Smith, a troubled couple whose idea it was to go to Eden with their friends. Their issues stem from a lack of communication complicated with Jason's more controlling methods and their trouble with conceiving a baby. They are a very organized couple and are the most interested in repairing their relationship. Marcel grants them a rabbit token after they reunite, due to their innate ability to overcome any obstacles that stand in their way.
Faizon Love and Kali Hawk as Shane and Trudy, a completely polar opposite couple. Trudy and Shane soon tire of each other due to their differences in age and interests. Trudy goes off to the local single scene, and while attempting to find her and bring her back, Shane and his wife Jennifer reconcile instead. They are given the token of the honeybee to symbolize that while they may visit other flowers from time to time, nothing is as sweet as returning to their hive.
Jean Reno plays Marcel, the lead therapist, founder and operator of the resort
Peter Serafinowicz plays Sctanley (pronounced Stanley, from a silent "c"), the English manager of the resort who oversees the couples' stay and was the original scoring champion of Guitar Hero on the island. (Vaughan's DVD commentary explains the silent "c" as simple fun)
Tasha Smith as Jennifer, ex-wife of Shane
Jonna Walsh as Lacey Tanzini
Ken Jeong as a therapist
Amy Hill as a therapist
John Michael Higgins as a therapist
Carlos Ponce as Salvadore, the yoga instructor
Temuera Morrison as Briggs, the native assistant to Marcel - his name is misspelt as Temeura in the opening credits
Karen David as Spa Attendant

text: Vince Vaughn's real-life father, Vernon Vaughn, plays his on-screen father.

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text: Production[edit]

text: Filming locations[edit]

text: The primary location for filming was at the St. Regis Bora Bora Resort, Bora Bora in French Polynesia.[4][citation needed] Other filming locations include Los Angeles, Universal Studios and O'Hare International Airport.

text: Marketing[edit]

text: Universal Pictures was criticized for removing actors Faizon Love and Kali Hawk from the international posters for the film, showing only six rather than the eight cast members used for the U.S. promotional materials. The studio said it regretted causing offense and has abandoned plans to use the revised poster in other countries.[5][6]

text: Universal Pictures partnered with various groups for financial support to help market the film. Sponsors include the Tourism Board of Tahiti where the film was made, the manufacturers of Bud Light and Captain Morgan's Rum, Bloomingdale's department store, and Crunch Gyms. The video game Guitar Hero is also prominently featured in the film as it is considered one of the best games ever made.

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical reviews[edit]

text: Couples Retreat received generally negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 11% based on 159 reviews with an average rating of 3.6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Despite a talented cast and some reliably pleasant interplay between Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, Couples Retreat leaves viewers stranded in an arid, mirthless comedy."[7] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 23 out of 100 based on 27 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[8] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.[9]

text: Litigation[edit]

text: A former model and current salon stylist, Irina Krupnik, filed a $10 million misappropriation-of-likeness invasion-of-privacy lawsuit, naming several defendants including the producers of Couples Retreat arising from a purported masturbation scene in which actor Jon Favreau uses a photo of her.[10] Manhattan Supreme Court Judge O. Peter Sherwood ruled against Krupnik, and she received nothing.[11]

text: Box office[edit]

text: Despite the negative critical reception, it was a box office success, ranking first for its opening weekend grossing $34,286,740 and becoming Vince Vaughn's highest box office success since 2006's The Break-Up. The film has grossed $109.2 million domestically and $58.8 million in foreign markets for a worldwide total of $171 million.[3]


document_title: Smoking ban in England

question_text: when was smoking banned in the workplace uk

text: Smoking ban in England

text: Before the smoking ban[edit]

text: Before the ban many businesses voluntarily introduced bans on smoking mainly as a result of public feedback. The pub chain Wetherspoons was the first major chain to introduce a complete ban on indoor smoking.[1]

text: Tobacco advertising had been banned in England gradually starting with a ban on Television Advertising of cigarettes in 1965 to a complete ban on all Tobacco Advertising in 2005.

text: Passage of the law[edit]

text: On 16 November 2004 a Public Health white paper proposed a smoking ban in almost all public places in England and Wales. Smoking restrictions would be phased in, with a ban on smoking in NHS and government buildings by 2006, in enclosed public places by 2007, and pubs, bars and restaurants (except pubs not serving food) by the end of 2008.[2]

text: On 26 October 2005, after external challenge and debates within the Cabinet, the government announced that it would continue with its plans. All workplaces, including restaurants and pubs selling food, would have to comply by summer 2007[3] However, there was widespread criticism from all sides of the argument on this, with a number of MPs threatening to try to overturn the bill. Many representatives of the licensed trade told the Government that only a total ban would work, and over 90 MPs signed a motion demanding this, with over 100 signing a petition for a free vote on the issue. It was reported on 24 November that Chief Medical Officer Liam Donaldson nearly quit over the partial ban, but decided to stay to champion a total ban.[4] On the same day, the government released the results of the public consultation, after Cancer Research UK demanded them under the Freedom of Information Act, which revealed that nearly 9 out of 10 respondents wanted a total ban.[4]

text: On 11 January 2006, the government further announced that it would give MPs a free vote on an amendment to the Health Bill, submitted by the Health select committee, to instigate a comprehensive smoke-free workplace regulations. Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt voted in favour of the amendment and, in so doing, voted against her own Department's then publicly stated policy (i.e. the proposed partial regulations). All other parties had offered free votes on the issue which was debated on 14 February, with three options: the present compromise, a total ban, or an exemption for members' clubs only.

text: On 14 February 2006, the House of Commons first voted on the amendment to the original compromise plan, to extend the ban to all enclosed public places except private members' clubs. The amendment was carried with a large majority. MPs then voted on a further amendment to ban smoking in all enclosed public places including private members' clubs. Again this amendment gained significant support and was carried with a large majority. This therefore replaced the earlier successful amendment which would have allowed smoking only in private members' clubs. The legislation was passed by the House of Lords, allowing a total smoking ban in enclosed public places to come into force in England.

text: Political opposition did not entirely disappear at this point, the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee accused the Government of overreacting to the threat posed by passive smoking and said that the smoking ban was symptomatic of MPs' failure to understand risk[5] on 7 June 2006.

text: The ban came into force on 1 July 2007, as announced on 30 November 2006 by former Secretary of State for Health Patricia Hewitt, who called it "a huge step forward for public health".[3]

text: Following the passing of the law[edit]

text: On 30 June 2010, the recently formed Coalition Government announced that it would not be reviewing the ban.[6] An attempt in October 2010 by Conservative MP David Nuttall to amend the law to exempt private members' clubs and pubs from the smoking ban was defeated in the House of Commons on its first reading.[7]

text: Exemptions from the law[edit]

text: While the ban affects almost all indoor workplaces,[8] some exemptions were provided:[9]

text:
designated hotel rooms
designated rooms in nursing homes
designated rooms in prisons
designated rooms in offshore oil rigs
designated rooms in mental health units (until 1 July 2008)
specialist tobacconists in relation to sampling cigars and/or pipe tobacco.

text:
An exemption was also theoretically possible within the
Palace of Westminster,[10] as for other Royal Palaces, although members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords agreed to observe the spirit of the ban and restrict any smoking within the grounds of Parliament to four designated outside areas.[11]

text: Smoking is permitted in a private residence, although not in areas used as a shared work-space. In flats with communal entrances or shared corridors, these must be smoke-free.

text: University halls of residence presented some dilemmas in practice as regards defining what is public and private. Several universities have imposed a blanket ban on smoking including halls of residence.[12]

text: Public transport[edit]

text: As part of the implementation of the smoking ban, Transport for London announced that smoking would be no longer permitted on taxis, private hire vehicles and all London Buses premises, including all bus stop shelters.[13]

text: The Association of Train Operating Companies and Network Rail introduced an extended ban on smoking covering all railway property including all National Rail station platforms whether enclosed or not.[14] The ban has since been extended to cover the use of Electronic cigarettes.[15] Smoking on board trains was banned in 2005 when both GNER and First Caledonian Sleeper withdrew smoking accommodation from their services.[16][17]

text: The Tyne and Wear Metro was the first public transport system to ban in its entirety which has been enforced since the system first opened in 1980.[18]

text: Policing of the ban[edit]

text: The ban is enforced by Environmental Health Officers in England, who issue warnings and offer advice before resorting to punitive measures and have had to issue a low frequency of fines since the law came into force. However, there were some objectors who generated higher-profile legal cases, for instance Hugh Howitt, also known as Hamish Howitt, the landlord of the Happy Scots Bar in Blackpool who was the first landlord to be prosecuted for permitting smoking in a smoke-free place under his control. On 2 August 2007, Howitt appeared before Blackpool Magistrates' Court and pleaded not guilty to 12 counts of failing to stop people smoking in his pub. On 2 December 2008, Howitt effectively had his premises licence revoked, after an appeal by Blackpool Council was upheld; he was not allowed to appeal, and Howitt had to close the Delboys Bar following the decision.[19][20]

text: There have been some incidents of violence perpetrated by people refusing to obey the ban, in one of which a former heavyweight boxer, James Oyebola, was shot in the head after he asked a customer at a nightclub to stop smoking[21] and later died of his injuries.[22] However, the view of enforcement authorities is that the smoke-free workplace regulations are simple to understand, popular, and as a result largely 'self-policing'. For a short while, bars in the UK that offered shisha (the smoking of flavoured tobacco through a pipe) were still allowed to provide their services inside the establishment, however the ban covered this area in late 2007 leading to a rapid decline in shisha bars.

text: A legal blunder by Stoke-on-Trent City Council meant that, while the smoking ban still applied in the city, the council were unable to issue fines to people caught flouting the law until 16 July 2007.[23] The blunder caused the city to briefly be dubbed Smoke-on-Trent.[24]

text: Opposition to the ban[edit]

text: A group calling themselves "Freedom To Choose", launched a campaign for a judicial review of the smoke-free workplace regulations[25] claiming a breach of the Human Rights Act 1998, as it does not respect the right to privacy of people who wish to smoke in public.[26] Supporters of the regulations put forward counter-arguments positing that the rights of smokers to indulge in their habit cease as soon as it negatively affects other people in the vicinity.[27] In 2010 pub landlord Nick Hogan was jailed for an offence related to the smoking ban.[28]  In 2012 it was reported that "Five years after the introduction of the smoking ban in England, almost seven out of 10 licensees want the legislation amended to allow for separate smoking rooms in pubs".[29]


document_title: Opening Day

question_text: when is opening day of major league baseball

text: Opening Day

text: History[edit]

text: For generations, Opening Day has arrived amid pageantry. In Cincinnati, home of the sport's first professional team, the annual Findlay Market Parade marks an official "city holiday" with young and old alike taking the day off to cheer on the Reds. For decades, the first pitch of every major league season officially took place in Cincinnati, and the Reds remain the only major league team to always open the season with a home game (save for 1966, when they started the season at Philadelphia after rain washed out the opening series in Cincinnati; and 1990, when due to a lockout affecting the schedule they opened the season at Houston).[2] The Chicago Cubs have been the Reds' most common Opening Day opponent, visiting Cincinnati 36 times on Opening Day, most recently in 2007. The Pittsburgh Pirates, whom the current Reds organization played their first Opening Day against in 1882, is a close second with 31, most recently in 2015; no other team has more than 19 (by the St. Louis Cardinals, most recently in 2014), largely due to the Cubs and Pirates rotating as the Opening Day opponents from 1899 to 1916, then the two teams and the Cardinals rotated from 1917 to 1952.[3] Fittingly, the Reds were also the first team to host an Interleague game on Opening Day when the team hosted the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the first year of year-round Interleague play in 2013.[4]

text: Since 1994 ESPN has televised a regular-season game the night before "Opening Day" and recent years have seen the staging of season-opening series in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Japan, and Australia. While these are technically "opening games", Major League Baseball still reserves the title "Opening Day" for the first day in which multiple games are played. (For the first time ever, three televised games were played on Sunday, April 3, 2016, before the traditional "Opening Day" slate of games on Monday, April 4.)[5][6][7]

text: A home opener is a team's first game of the season on their home field.

text: Opening Day is a state of mind as well, with countless baseball fans known to recognize this unofficial holiday as a good reason to call in sick at work or be truant from school (as most teams typically play their home opener in the afternoon) and go out to the ballpark for the first of 162 regular season games. Teams' home openers serve as the only regular season games during the year in which the entire rosters of both teams as well as coaches and clubhouse staff are introduced to the crowd prior to the games; for the rest of the year, ballparks only introduce the starting lineups (including the designated hitter in American League ballparks) and the team's manager. Some teams, among them the New York Mets, have had their broadcasters as the master of pre-game ceremonies for their home openers, which also typically feature appearances by retired players, local celebrities or media personalities, politicians, and other dignitaries.

text: Hall of Fame pitcher Early Wynn, who played for the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox, once said: "An opener is not like any other game. There's that little extra excitement, a faster beating of the heart. You have that anxiety to get off to a good start, for yourself and for the team. You know that when you win the first one, you can't lose 'em all."[1]

text: Prior to Opening Day, the teams' managers have to decide the starting pitchers for the game, an assignment typically given to the ace of each team's staff.[8] For a pitcher to start on Opening Day is considered an honor.[9]

text: In 2014, Ozzie Smith, with the support of Anheuser-Busch, began a campaign using the We the People site on WhiteHouse.gov to petition the U.S. government to make Opening Day an official national holiday.[10][11]

text: Memorable moments[edit]

text: In 1907, the New York Giants forfeited their game at the Polo Grounds to the Philadelphia Phillies, 9–0, after rowdy fans made and threw snowballs. Without police available to restore order, umpire Bill Klem awarded the game to the Phillies.[12]

text: In 1940, Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller threw a no-hitter to open the season against the Chicago White Sox. It remains the only no-hitter in Opening Day history.[13]

text: Twelve U.S. Presidents have thrown the first ball of the season. On April 14, 1910, baseball enthusiast William Howard Taft attended the home opener in Washington, D.C., becoming the first U.S. President to throw out the first pitch to start a season.[14] Harry S. Truman threw first pitches with both his right and left arm in 1950.[1] On April 4, 1994, Bill Clinton inaugurated the Cleveland Indians' new ballpark, then known as Jacobs Field and now as Progressive Field, with the first pitch.[15]

text: Ted Williams was a .449 hitter in openers, with three home runs and fourteen runs batted in during fourteen such games and at least one hit in each game.[16]

text: On April 4, 1974, Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hit his 714th career home run on Opening Day at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium, tying Babe Ruth on Major League Baseball's all-time list.[1] Aaron finished his career with 755 home runs.

text: In 14 season openers for the Washington Senators, Walter Johnson pitched a record nine shutouts. Two of his more famous starts include a 3–0 victory over the Philadelphia Athletics in 1910 and a 1–0 marathon victory while battling the A's Eddie Rommel for 15 innings.

text: On April 4, 2005, Dmitri Young of the Detroit Tigers hit three home runs in his team's opener against the Kansas City Royals at Detroit's Comerica Park. He became the third major leaguer with three home runs on Opening Day, following the Toronto Blue Jays' George Bell in 1988 and the Chicago Cubs' Tuffy Rhodes in 1994.[17]

text: The St. Louis Cardinals were the first major league team to open their home season with a night game, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 4–2 at Sportsman's Park on April 18, 1950.[18]

text: The longest Opening Day game in major league history was played on April 5, 2012 between the Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays. The game, played at Cleveland's Progressive Field, ended with the Blue Jays beating the Indians, 7–4, in 16 innings.[19] The previous record for longest Opening Day game was on April 19, 1960, again at Cleveland. That game, lasting 15 innings, also saw the Indians in a losing effort, 4–2, versus the Detroit Tigers. The Philadelphia Athletics and Washington Senators also played a 15-inning season opener on April 13, 1926, with Washington winning, 1–0, at home.

text: On rare occasions, predominantly in the early 20th century, a team would open its home season with a doubleheader. The first of these came when the Boston Americans hosted the Philadelphia Athletics for two games on April 20, 1903, with Boston winning the first game, 9–4, and Philadelphia taking the second game, 10–7.[20] The most recent Opening Day doubleheader in the major leagues came on April 7, 1971, with the Chicago White Sox defeating the host Oakland Athletics in both games (6–5 and 12–4, respectively).[21]

text: In 1968, Greg Washburn, a pitcher in the California Angels organization, pitched two Opening Day games in the same year—first for the San Jose Bees of the California League, and then for the Quad City Angels of the Midwest League. Washburn won both openers 2–0. This is the only record of a pitcher pitching two openers in the same year in professional baseball.

text: Hall of Famer Tom Seaver has been a starting pitcher for the most Opening Day games in Major League history, doing the honors 16 times for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, and Chicago White Sox.[22]

text: Recent Opening Days[edit]

text: Major League Baseball had most of its teams open the 2011 season on a Thursday (March 31) or Friday (April 1) rather than the traditional Monday, in order to prevent the World Series from extending into November.[23] Similarly, most teams opened the 2012 season on Thursday (April 5) or Friday (April 6). However, subsequent seasons through 2017 returned to Monday openers for most teams. For the 2018 season, all 30 teams were scheduled to open the season on Thursday, March 29 (the earliest domestic start for a regular season in MLB history, and the first time since 1968 that all major league teams were scheduled to start the season on the same day, although two games were subsequently rained out and postponed to Friday, March 30).[24]

text: International Opening Games[edit]

text:
Season
City
Venue
Guest Team
Score
Home Team
Ref

1999
 Monterrey
Estadio de Béisbol Monterrey
Colorado Rockies
8–2
San Diego Padres
[25]

2000
 Tokyo
Tokyo Dome
Chicago Cubs
5–3
New York Mets
[26]

2000
 Tokyo
Tokyo Dome
New York Mets
5–1
Chicago Cubs
[27]

2001
 San Juan
Hiram Bithorn Stadium
Texas Rangers
0–9
Toronto Blue Jays
[28]

2004
 Tokyo
Tokyo Dome
New York Yankees
3–8
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
[29]

2004
 Tokyo
Tokyo Dome
New York Yankees
12–1
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
[30]

2008
 Tokyo
Tokyo Dome
Boston Red Sox
6–5
Oakland Athletics
[31]

2008
 Tokyo
Tokyo Dome
Boston Red Sox
1–5
Oakland Athletics
[32]

2012
 Tokyo
Tokyo Dome
Seattle Mariners
3–1
Oakland Athletics
[33]

2012
 Tokyo
Tokyo Dome
Seattle Mariners
1–4
Oakland Athletics
[34]

2014
 Sydney
Sydney Cricket Ground
Los Angeles Dodgers
3–1
Arizona Diamondbacks
[35]

2014
 Sydney
Sydney Cricket Ground
Los Angeles Dodgers
7–5
Arizona Diamondbacks
[36]

text: Quotes[edit]

text: In the beginning, there was no baseball. But ever since, there have been few beginnings as good as the start of a new baseball season. It is the most splendid time in sport, in part because baseball is about the only sport left—now that football players report to training camp before the Fourth of July, and hockey players start skating in Indian summer—that still has a time and is true to it.

text: There is no sports event like Opening Day of baseball, the sense of beating back the forces of darkness and the National Football League.

text: You always get a special kick on Opening Day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you're a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen.

text: A home opener is always exciting, no matter if it's home or on the road.