document_title: The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)

question_text: who sang the theme song for robin hood

question_tokens: who sang the theme song for robin hood

text: Characters[edit]

text: Main characters[edit]

text:
Robin Hood (Robin of Locksley), a Saxon nobleman returned from the Crusades and forced into outlawry in Sherwood Forest. Played by Richard Greene.
The Sheriff of Nottingham, Robin Hood's enemy who schemes to capture the outlaw. Played by Alan Wheatley.
Little John, Robin Hood's trusted friend and his second in command. Played by Archie Duncan. Duncan was briefly replaced by Rufus Cruikshank for ten episodes after Duncan was injured when a horse bolted toward the spectators, mostly children, watching the location filming of the episode "Checkmate" on 20 April 1955. Archie Duncan grabbed the bridle, stopping the horse, but the cart it was pulling ran him over, causing a fractured kneecap and cuts and bruises. He received the Queen's Commendation for Bravery Award and £1,360 in damages from Sapphire films.
Maid Marian (Lady Marian Fitzwalter), a Norman-Irish noblewoman and Robin Hood's lover. Played in series one and two by Bernadette O'Farrell and in series three and four by Patricia Driscoll.
Friar Tuck, a member of Robin Hood's band. Played by Alexander Gauge.
Will Scarlet, a member of Robin Hood's band. Played by Ronald Howard (2 episodes/Series 1) and Paul Eddington (Series 4).
Derwent, a member of Robin's band. Played by Victor Woolf. Excepting Robin, this character was featured in the most episodes of the show, a total of 112.
Joan, the barmaid at the Blue Boar Inn, a friend of Robin and his band. Played by Simone Lovell.
Sir Richard of the Lea, a friend of Robin and his band. Played by Ian Hunter. Hunter had earlier played King Richard the Lionheart in the 1938 production The Adventures of Robin Hood starring Errol Flynn.
Lady Leonia, wife of Sir Richard of the Lea. Played by Patricia Burke in 5 episodes.
The Deputy Sheriff of Nottingham, (The Sheriff's replacement in series 4), played by John Arnatt.

text: Minor characters[edit]

text:
Alan-a-Dale, a member of Robin Hood's band. Played by John Schlesinger (two episodes), Richard Coleman (3 episodes/Series 4).
Ethel, Derwent's wife played by Paula Byrne

text: Historical characters[edit]

text:
Queen Eleanor, mother of King Richard and Prince John. Played by (Jill Esmond) (2 episodes, series 1)
Richard the Lionheart, the King of England and brother of Prince John. Played by Patrick Barr (2 episodes, series 1)
Prince John, the scheming friend of the Sheriff of Nottingham and brother of King Richard. Played by Donald Pleasence, Hubert Gregg, and Brian Haines.
Princess Avice of Gloucester, the first wife of Prince John played by Helen Cherry before her divorce from John,
Isabella of Angoulême, the second wife of Prince John played by Zena Walker before her marriage to John though not played as a 12-year-old.
Prince Arthur played by Peter Asher (3 episodes series 1 & 2), Richard O'Sullivan (1 episode series 3) and Jonathon Bailey (1 episode series 4)
Constance, Duchess of Brittany (Prince Arthur's mother), played by Dorothy Alison (3 episodes series 1 & 2), Pamela Alan (1 episode series 3), and Patricia Marmont (1 episode series 4)
King William the Lion of Scotland played by Duncan McKintrye.

text: Many soon-to-be-famous faces pop up, including: Lionel Jeffries ("Murder Ahoy" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"), Leslie Phillips, Jane Asher, Anne Reid (Coronation Street and Dinnerladies), Edward Mulhare (The Ghost & Mrs. Muir and Knight Rider), Patrick Troughton (the Second Doctor), Irene Handl, Nicholas Parsons , Desmond Llewelyn (Q in the Bond films), Sam Kydd, Sid James, Joan Sims and Bernard Bresslaw (Carry On films), Leo McKern (Rumpole of the Bailey), Alfie Bass (The Army Game), Sylvia Kay (Just Good Friends), Harry H. Corbett and Wilfrid Brambell (Steptoe and Son), Barbara Mullen (Dr Finlay's Casebook), Richard O'Sullivan (Man About the House), Geoffrey Bayldon (Catweazle), Billie Whitelaw, Ronald Allen, Gordon Jackson, Conrad Phillips (William Tell), Martin Benson (Sword of Freedom). John Schlesinger as an actor appeared in three episodes as singing minstrels (Hale and Alan a Dale (2)).

text: A number of actors appeared in supporting roles in most episodes, for series one these include: Victor Woolf, Willoughby Gray, John Drake, John Longden, Charles Stapley, John Dearth, Arthur Skinner, Paul Connell, and Gabriel Toyne. And for later series include: Paul Hansard, Paul Eddington, Michael Lane, Edward Mulhare, Shaun O'Riordan, Morris Barry, Patrick Troughton, Wilfrid Brambell, Nigel Davenport, Harry H. Corbett, Kevin Stoney, Ronald Hines, and Max Faulkner, who also did stunt/double work. Frank Maher later Patrick McGoohan's stunt double played many small non-speaking parts, and stuntman Terry Yorke, who doubled for Richard Greene, played many small roles throughout all four series.

text: Plot and Writing[edit]

text: The series is set in the 12th Century, during the reign of King Richard. Robin of Locksley, a nobleman, is forced into the life of an outlaw, dwelling in Sherwood Forest with a band of men who right the wrongs committed by the rich and powerful against the poor and defenceless. Given the name Robin Hood by the outlaw band's leader, Will Scatlock, who was fatally wounded. Hood's enemy in the series is the Sheriff of Nottingham who, with his cohorts, schemes to capture the outlaw by any means possible. Lady Marian Fitzwalter (Maid Marian), a young noblewoman and Robin Hood's lover, keeps him informed of the Sheriff of Nottingham's whereabouts and intentions. Episodes are punctuated with manly deeds of derring-do, tense escapes and pursuits, princely tournaments, the thundering hoof-beats of powerful steeds, the clattering of flashing swords, and the whizzing of fatally-placed arrows.

text: In "A Year and A Day" (Series 2), a refugee peasant explains that, under English law, a peasant who escapes serfdom and lives in a city for "a year and a day" is a free man, given the man lives openly, not in hiding. When Robin Hood helps the peasant move about the city, the Sheriff invokes "the law of hue and cry", explaining that any man within hearing must drop his chores and help apprehend the felon. In "A Christmas Goose" (Season 3), a boy's goose nips a lord's horse so the lord is thrown. The lord condemns the goose to death – for his Christmas dinner. But Robin Hood counters that under English common law, an accused animal is entitled to a fair trial, the same as a human. While Robin Hood drags out the trial, Friar Tuck gets the cook drunk and switches geese. When the deception is revealed, the lord relents and pardons the goose. Two episodes, "Brother Battle" (#84) and "To Be a Student" (#90) emphasized the Catholic Church's struggle to educate commoners, and even the children of serfs, despite laws forbidding the practice and in the face of opposition from the nobility.

text: The writers created supporting characters who were likable and occasionally resourceful. In "The Goldmaker's Return" (Season 2), Robin Hood is away in France on a mission. Lady Marian, Little John, and the other Merry Men carry the day without the star of the show ever showing his face. Most of the time, however, Robin is required to save the day following the usual comment about "Many men will be noticed. Only one going in will be successful," etc. Despite simplistic plotting required by the 30-minute format, the writing was both professional in its handling of situations, and pointed in its dialog. Anachronisms abound: the lipsticked girl with modern hairdo in the Friar Tuck episode, for instance, wine cups for each occupant at a table in Checkmate when that only became the practice hundreds of years later, the 20th century school implements in Brother Battle, and a "bard" in The Challenge episode who sings a song to the late 17th century tune of Lillibulero, in 13th century England. All this is typical of every series of historical fiction, but the show's producers pointed with pride to their accuracy, courtesy of hired consultants.

text: There was also an element of self-parody at times that sat uneasily on the series. In one episode, The Challenge, the plot-as-such was finished halfway through the show, and during the rest, the hapless Richard of the Lea and his wife worried as their larder and wine cellar were emptied during a siege with Robin, Little John, and Tuck eating and dancing all day and night.

text: Episodes[edit]

text: 143 episodes were filmed in four series.

text: Production details[edit]

text: Blacklisted writers[edit]

text: The Adventures of Robin Hood was produced by Hannah Weinstein, who had left-wing political views. Weinstein hired many blacklisted American writers to script episodes of the series: these included Ring Lardner Jr., Waldo Salt, Robert Lees, and Adrian Scott. Howard Koch, who was also blacklisted, served for a while as the series' script editor. The blacklisted writers were credited under pseudonyms, to avoid the attention of studio executives.[9]

text: (The sponsored prints of the first five episodes of series one, screened by CBS in the US on its first run, had no writer credits on their end title sequences, writers were only credited on sponsored prints from episode 6 onward, only later non-sponsored US re-run prints of series one have writer credits for these episodes, some of which differ from writer credits on UK prints. As an example, Lawrence McClellan is credited as writer of "The Coming of Robin Hood" on US prints, for the UK the pseudonym used is Eric Heath.)[10]

text: After the blacklist collapsed, Lardner said that the series' format allowed him "plenty of opportunities to comment on issues and institutions in Eisenhower-era America;" presumably A Tuck in Time was such an episode, in which a twin of Friar Tuck arrives boasting of his willingness to sell a weapon that could destroy the world. In addition to the redistributive themes of a hero who robs from the rich and gives to the poor, many episodes in the programme's first two seasons included the threat that Robin and his band would be betrayed to the authorities by friends or loved ones, much as the blacklisted writers had been.[9] But the half-hour length episodes and broad-target market precluded any political criticism that went beyond the generalities of 19th century Robin Hood revival books.

text: Filming[edit]

text: Whilst interiors were filmed at Nettlefold Studios, location shooting for the series took place on the nearby Wisley common, Wisley, Surrey, and at the adjoining Foxwarren Park estate, near Cobham, owned by Hannah Weinstein. Horses used for filming were also stabled at Foxwarren house, which had a projection room for viewing daily film rushes and completed films. In 1956 a replica castle exterior, complete with drawbridge, was built in the grounds of the estate for filming of 'The Adventures of Sir Lancelot' series (it features prominently in title sequence for the colour episodes), this was used predominantly for castle scenes in series 3 & 4 of Robin Hood, it first appears as Chateau Marmont in 'The Bandit of Brittany' during series 2, in place of the standing castle and village set on the backlot at Nettlefold studios used in series 1 & most of series 2.

text: As well as this, establishing shots and short film sequences were also shot at various medieval buildings in the UK including: Allington Castle in Kent, this was used to establish Fitzwalter Castle, Marian's home in the series, Painshill Park, near Cobham, Saltwood Castle in Hythe, and Pencoed Castle near Magor in Monmouthshire. Three Northumberland sites were used – Alnwick Castle, Lindisfarne Castle, and Warkworth Castle. Bodiam Castle in East Sussex, Leith Hill near Dorking, Framlingham Castle in Suffolk, Newark Priory near Ripley, Castle Mill in Dorking, and Newark Mill amongst others were used through the series.

text: Crew[edit]

text:
Directors of Photography – Gerald Gibbs (series 1), Ken Hodges (series 1–4), Ernest Palmer (series 2), Michael Reed (series 2–3), Ian Craig (series 4)
Camera Operators – Noel Rowland (series 1–4), Eric Williams (series 4)
Art Directors – Peter Proud (series 1), John Blezard (series 2–4), Peter Mullins (series 2–3)
Production Designer – Peter Proud (series 2)
Art Supervisor – William Kellner (series 2)
Assistant Director – Christopher Noble
Sound – H.P. Pearson
Film Editors – Bill Lewthwaite, Peter Seabourne, Harry Booth, Inman Hunter, and Thelma Connell (series 1), Joan Warwick (series 2–4), David Hawkins (series 2), Lee Doig (series 3–4), Peter Rolfe Johnson (series 4), Richard Sidwell (series 4)
Dubbing Editors – Harry Booth and Michael Deeley (series 1), Freddie Cook (series 2)
Supervising Film Editors – Thelma Connell (series 1–2), Maurice Rootes (series 2)
Continuity – Joanna Busby/Barbara Thomas (series 1) Olga Marshall (series 2)
Make-Up Supervisor – Walter Schneiderman
Hairdressers – Eileen Bates (series 1–2), Bill Griffiths (series 1), Betty Sheriff (series 2)
Wardrobe Supervisor – Brenda Gardner
Script Editors – Albert G. Ruben (series 1–3), Kathryn Dawes (series 2), Peggy Phillips (series 2–3), Raymond Bowers (series 4)
Production Supervisor/Manager – George Mills (series 1), Harold Buck (series 1–4)
Assistant Producer – John C. George
Production Associate – Richard Greene (series 4)
Associate Producer – Thelma Connell (series 2–4)
Producer – Sidney Cole (series 1–4) (credited as Associate Producer on series 1)
Executive Producer – Hannah Weinstein

text: Music[edit]

text: Each episode in the first two series started with a country scene of faux-normal life in Olde England during which an introductory poem in rhymed cadence to the tune of the English folksong "Early One Morning," which derived from a much later period than the series. The poem was a humorous summary vignette of what could be expected in the episode. An actor portraying the Minstrel would use the same melody at the final fade to black before the end credits for 1st run CBS sponsored screenings in the USA, letting viewers know that the sponsor "now begs a word with you."

text: "Sumer Is Icumen In" is featured throughout the series. At times it is heard as background music at parties. In "The Betrothal," Sir Richard's son plays it on his flute while his betrothed sings it. In the episode "Carlotta," Little John sings it to his sweetheart. In "The Path of True Love," Marian sings it to stall Sir Charles. In one of its most prominent uses, Robin forces a group of soldiers to sing it.

text: The Merry Men perform the soul cake song in "The Thorkil Ghost," with Derwent singing a solo.

text: Theme song[edit]

text: Carl Sigman wrote the words and music for the theme song which was sung by Dick James. The song is still fondly remembered:

text:
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, Riding through the glen
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, With his band of men
Feared by the bad, Loved by the good
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, Robin Hood

He called the greatest archers to a tavern on the green
They vowed to help the people of the king
They handled all the trouble on the English country scene
And still found plenty of time to sing

text: [Chorus (1st paragraph) repeat]

text: In 1956 the theme song was released on Parlophone records by Dick James with Stephen James and his chums and Ron Goodwin's Orchestra and reached number 14 in the UK charts (78rpm single:R.4117/45rpm single:MSP6199), and by PYE records as a 78rpm single by Gary Miller with Tony Osbourne orchestra and the Beryl Stott chorus (PYE N.15020) and reached number 10 on the UK charts. Versions by Frankie Laine (CBS Coronet), Nelson Riddle and his Orchestra (Capitol), Alan Dale (Coral), Joe Reisman's orchestra and chorus (RCA Victor), and Ronnie Ronaldo (Colombia) were also issued. These versions had the extended song with fives verses and the chorus six times. The sound effect at the atart of the theme tune, of the arrow being fired into a tree, was produced by record producer Joe Meek, who was also the recording engineer on the Gary Miller version. [11]

text: This song was parodied by Monty Python's Flying Circus in their Dennis Moore sketch, which depicted a masked highwayman from the 18th century (more like the Scarlet Pimpernel) stealing lupins from the rich to give to the poor. It is also played at every Nottingham Forest home match.

text: "Robin des Bois" was the theme recorded for the French TV market, sung in French, it can be heard on the 3rd series episode "Farewell To Tuck" released by Network on DVD. The series was first broadcast in France as "Aventures dans la Foret de Sherwood" in 1965 on ORTF. Other countries to broadcast the series include Canada 1955–1958 on CBOT, Toronto, and CKCO, Kitchener, Ontario, Australia 1956–1961 on HSV7 (The Seven Network), Finland in 1964 on NORDEEZE, Holland in 1965/66 on AVRO and Germany between 1971 and 1974 on ARD.

text: First series episodes also exist with a variant downbeat instrumental end theme by Edwin Astley, it can be heard on the episode "The Highlander" released by Network DVD.

text: Artistic details[edit]

text: Art director Peter Proud, an expert at wartime camouflage, hit on the idea of putting many props on wheels to facilitate quick set changes, since one 26-minute episode was shot every four and a half days. The show boasted "140 set pieces (baronial fireplaces, staircases, stone walls, entrance halls, and the like)". There was some outdoor location filming, mainly involving horse-riding doubles and stuntmen, and without dialogue recording. Sets were designed from parchments and sketches from the British Museum, and modeled on castles of Harlech, Farleigh, and Framlingham. Some of the 100 soldiers who manned the battlements of Nottingham Castle were miniature toy soldiers.[12]

text: Sponsorship[edit]

text: In the US the original CBS syndication prints had a few variants to the original UK prints, after the brief title sequence the US prints would repeat this sequence but with "Brought to You By" and after the arrow strikes the tree the sponsors name "Wildroot Cream-Oil" superimposed, "Johnson & Johnson" sponsored episodes had a voice-over over the opening titles "Richard Greene in The Adventures of Robin Hood" and over the repeated sequence "presented by" followed by the names of two Johnson & Johnson products, images of which would appear over the shot of the arrow in the tree, a commercial featuring one of the products would then be shown, the Wildroot Cream-Oil sponsored episodes would then feature an animated commercial showing a Robin Hood–type figure with lank hair and a dinosaur. A Minstrel song would then be sung at the beginning of each episode, over the episode title, providing a playful poetic synopsis in short prose of what could be expected to be seen. After the final fade to black a sequence featuring an actor playing the Minstrel would be shown as he sang these lyrics to the tune of "Early One Morning": "We'll have the merry time again with Robin and his Merry Men and the folk who'll bring him to you then now beg a word with you." followed by a commercial for the next week's sponsor before the end titles would be shown, (Wildroot Cream Oil and Johnson & Johnson sponsored alternate episodes) the end credits start with the opening sequence, with Sandy Becker mentioning the sponsors name again, and the sponsors product appearing on screen through the end titles which are shown over the shot of the tree. This caption also appeared: "This film was flown to the USA via Pan American World Airways". The opening minstrel tunes were also sung to the tune of 'Early One Morning'. There were two sponsors of the CBS syndicated screenings, Wildroot Cream-Oil (a hair tonic company), and Johnson & Johnson (known in the UK and US for its baby powder). The commercials involved "within" the episodes appeared originally on all three Seasons broadcast at 7.30pm (eastern standard time) /6.30pm (central standard time) Monday nights on CBS (not series 4).[10]

text: Alternative title captions appear over the opening sequence on some US prints. Instead of "Richard Greene in The Adventures of Robin Hood" they state "Richard Greene plays Robin Hood – Adventures in Sherwood Forest". This practice occurred because of an FCC rule demanding that reruns of a series be retitled for syndication packaging if aired while first-run episodes of the series were still being shown on one of the three major networks. Five years of "Gunsmoke" episodes, for instance, were retitled "Marshall Dillon" for syndicated run because "Gunsmoke" was still going strong on CBS.

text: Alternate US end credit titles crediting the series as "A Hannah Weinstein Production for Sapphire Films Limited",(and for later episodes from 1958 credited as "A Hannah Fisher Production") also exist.

text: In the UK, at the time, sponsorship of programmes was not allowed and each episode had one commercial break in the middle.

text: Influence[edit]

text: The series was an immediate hit on both sides of the Atlantic, drawing 32,000,000 viewers per week.[12] Sapphire films were commissioned to make four other series by Lew Grade: The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956/57) (broadcast by NBC on Monday nights at 8.00 pm), The Buccaneers (1956/57) (broadcast by CBS on Saturday nights at 7.30 pm), Sword of Freedom (1957/58), and The Four Just Men (1958/59). ITC continued to make and sell TV series to the US until the late 1970s, including The Saint, The Prisoner, Thunderbirds, Space 1999, The Muppet Show and many more.

text: Merchandise[edit]

text: Products[edit]

text: Many licensed products and knockoffs were sold, including books, jigsaw puzzles, iron-on patches, toy bows and arrows, a series of bubble gum cards, and more. The "Robin Hood" shoe brand sporting Richard Green's likeness on the interior heel lasted long after the series stopped production. Magazine Enterprises featured Richard Greene photos on three Robin Hood comic books. Robin and Marian made the cover of TV Guide in the Week of 12–18 May 1956.

text: DVD[edit]

text: In Region 1, Mill Creek Entertainment has released all 4 seasons on DVD. They have also released a complete series set featuring all 143 episodes of the series.[13]

text: Alpha Video has released 22 single volume collections of the series, featuring various episodes.[14]

text: In Region 2, Network DVD has released all 4 seasons on DVD in the UK.

text: Three DVD boxsets of the series have also been released in Germany by KNM Home Entertainment as "Die Abenteuer Von Robin Hood" with German language soundtracks in 2009.

text:
DVD Name
Ep#
Release dates

Region 1
Region 2

The Complete First Season
39
18 March 2008[15]
3 March 2008[16]

The Complete Second Season
39
14 October 2008[17]
1 December 2008[18]

The Complete Third Season
39
31 March 2009[19]
1 November 2008[20]

The Complete Fourth Season
26
25 August 2009[21]
24 January 2005[22]

The Complete Series
143
25 August 2009[23]
12 December 2011

text: Compilation Episodes[edit]

text: In the 1990s, three movie-length compilation features (approx. 90 min. each) were created from the series by producers Philip May & Joseph Shields, through editing parts of the various episodes, though not necessarily in chronological order. These were as follows:

text:
Robin Hood: The Movie (1991) – featuring edited material from episodes: 1,2,3,5,8 & 27. Notably, Will Scatlock who dies at the end of episode 2 in the series (thereby transferring the outlaw leadership to Robin Hood), is not killed until the end of the 90 min feature.
Robin Hood's Greatest Adventures (1991)
Robin Hood: Quest for the Crown (1991)

text: Film[edit]

text: In 1960, Sydney Cole and Richard Greene produced the feature film Sword of Sherwood Forest for Hammer Film Productions (in association with Yeoman Films), directed by Terence Fisher, written by Alan Hackney, director of photography was Ken Hodges, and the film editor was Lee Doig, all TV series alumni. Richard Greene starred as Robin Hood with Peter Cushing as The Sheriff of Nottingham, blonde haired Sarah Branch played Maid Marian with Nigel Green as Little John, Jack Gwillim as Archbishop Hubert Walter, and Richard Pasco as Edward, Earl of Newark. Oliver Reed also had a small role. It was filmed in colour and in a widescreen process referred to as 'Megascope' on the opening titles. The film itself was a retelling of how Robin first met Marion.


document_title: Howl's Moving Castle (film)

question_text: who is the voice of calcifer in howl's moving castle

question_tokens: who is the voice of calcifer in howl 's moving castle

root

text: Howl's Moving Castle (film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: Sophie, a young milliner, encounters a wizard named Howl on her way to visit her sister Lettie. Upon returning home, she meets the Witch of the Waste, who transforms her into a ninety-year-old woman. Seeking to break the curse, Sophie leaves home and sets off through the countryside; she meets a living scarecrow, whom she decides to call 'Turnip Head'. He leads her to Howl's moving castle, where she meets Howl's young apprentice Markl, and the fire-demon Calcifer, who is the source of the castle's magic. When Howl appears, Sophie announces that she has hired herself as a cleaning lady.

tag: p

text: Meanwhile, Sophie's nation is caught up in a war with a neighboring kingdom, who is searching for their missing prince. The King summons Howl to fight in the war; however, Howl decides to send Sophie to the King (under the pretense of being his mother) to tell him that Howl is too much of a coward to fight. Before leaving, he gives Sophie a charmed ring that connects her to Calcifer. Sophie meets Suliman, the king's advisor, and also the Witch of the Waste, whom Suliman punishes by draining all of her power, causing her to regress into a harmless old woman. Suliman warns that Howl will meet the same fate if he does not fight. Howl arrives to rescue Sophie; Suliman tries to trap him, but with Sophie's help, they escape along with the former witch.

text: Sophie learns that Howl's life is somehow bound to Calcifer's, and that Howl has been transforming into a bird-like creature in order to interfere with both sides in the war, but each transformation makes it more difficult for him to return to human form. Howl then has the castle magically-linked to Sophie's home, parking the castle itself on the town's outskirts. A few days later, the town is bombed by enemy aircraft and Suliman's henchmen attack the abode. Howl heads out to protect the group; Sophie then moves everyone out of the abode and removes Calcifer from the fireplace, which collapses the castle. The witch realizes that Calcifer has Howl's heart, and grabs the fire demon; Sophie panics and pours water onto the witch, which douses Calcifer. The castle then splits in two; Sophie falls down a chasm and is separated from the group.

text: Following the charmed ring, Sophie wanders into a scene from the past: she sees a young Howl catch a falling star — Calcifer — and give him his heart. Sophie calls for them to find her in the future as she is teleported away. She returns to the present and finds Howl, and they reunite with the others. The witch returns Howl's heart, and Sophie places it back inside Howl, reviving him and freeing Calcifer, though he decides to stay. Sophie's curse is broken, and after she kisses Turnip Head on the cheek he reverts back to human form — revealed to be the missing prince from the enemy kingdom, who promptly heads for home. Suliman, watching through a crystal globe, decides to end the war. As the bombers are seen flying away, Howl and the others are seen high in the air in a new flying castle.

text: Voice cast[edit]

text:
Character
Japanese
English (Disney Release)

Sophie (Sofî) (young)[2]
Chieko Baisho
Emily Mortimer

Sophie (old)[2]
Jean Simmons

Howl (Hauru)[2]
Takuya Kimura
Christian Bale

Witch of the Waste (Arechi No Majo)[2]
Akihiro Miwa
Lauren Bacall

Calcifer (Karushifā)
Tatsuya Gashūin[2]
Billy Crystal

Markl (Marukuru)
Ryūnosuke Kamiki[2]
Josh Hutcherson

Madame Suliman (Sariman)[2]
Haruko Kato
Blythe Danner

Lettie
Yayoi Kazuki
Jena Malone[8]

Honey
Mayuno Yasokawa
Mari Devon

Prince Justin/Turnip Head (Kakashi No Kabu)
Yō Ōizumi[2]
Crispin Freeman[8]

Madge
Rio Kanno
Liliana Mumy

King of Ingary (Kokuō)
Akio Ōtsuka[2]
Mark Silverman

Hin[2]
Daijirō Harada
Frank Welker

tag: table

text: Themes[edit]

text: Pacifism[edit]

text: Howl's Moving Castle contains strong anti-war themes, influenced by Miyazaki's distaste for the 2003 Iraq War.[5][9][10] When he received an Oscar for Spirited Away, he said that he "had a great deal of rage about [the war]. So [he] felt some hesitation about the award."[5] Miyazaki identifies as a pacifist.[9][10][11] On the eve of the Iraq War, Miyazaki decided to make a film that he felt would be poorly received in the United States. Despite the film's success in that country, literary scholar Dani Cavallaro stated that Miyazaki was able to "create a film which ought, in principle, to have caused a certain unease among American audiences."[5] In the movie, Madame Suliman appears to have only sadistic motivations for creating conflict,[5] and despite being omniscient, is unable to recognize the idiocy of the war until the very end of the story. This reflects Miyazaki's desire to show real-world conflicts as also being somewhat arbitrary and fueled by the desires of capricious people.[12] Cavallaro stated that the depiction of the war carried "an unmistakable bitter taste."[5]

text: The universe of Howl's Moving Castle is depicted as not having clear-cut villains and heroes; instead, the characters are complex, and even those that are initially portrayed in a negative light, such as Howl, are shown as capable of change.[13] Matt Kimmich has stated, however, that the simplistic message of the film is that "war is bad."[11] A scene where Sophie is standing in a beautiful field of flowers is interrupted by a war machine, "a finger accusing empire as the destroyer of peace."[14] This portrayal is in strong contrast to other Miyazaki films like Princess Mononoke, which criticizes military conflict in a more nuanced manner.[11] Andrew Osmond stated that "Howl's pure-hearted anti-war stance is presented as nihilism with no alternative as he fights forces from each side and becomes the worst terror of all," in the form of the monstrous bird. By transforming into the bird, Howl risks losing his own humanity; Calcifer comments at one point that he will soon not be able to return to human form.[11] In contrast, Ashitaka in Princess Mononoke fights the demonic sickness with which he is afflicted, and tries to negotiate a peace between the two sides.[11] Osmond states that both films also point out the limits of masculinity, as exemplified by Howl and Ashitaka.[11]

text: Flight and critique of modernity[edit]

text: Like several other Miyazaki films,[13] Howl's Moving Castle reflects the director's love of flying.[15] Sequences in the film include both several aircraft of inventive design, as well as Howl transforming into a bird.[15] Miyazaki examines flight as a theme most directly in the later film The Wind Rises.[15] Miyazaki stated that he was attracted to military aircraft as a child, but that he grew to detest them because of the destructive purpose for which they are created.[15] Thus Howl's Moving Castle contains images both of aircraft shown as harmless, and large military craft depicted as ugly and destructive.[15] Cavallaro writes that Miyazaki wants to "portray flight as an object of admiration and awe," but that he is not "[blind] to its abuse by unscrupulous strategists and rulers."[15]

text: The nuanced view of flight is part of Miyazaki's broader critique of modern society and technology. Margaret Talbot writes that in person, Miyazaki exhibits "a profound dissatisfaction with modern life,"[13] particularly with the effects of technology and a disconnection from nature.[13] Many of his films depict technological hubris as among the roots of evil.[16] The battleships which are seen moving over the landscape are depicted as "gleaming with modernity and parading righteousness,"[17] but are then shown to be highly destructive.[17] In contrast, the semi-organic castle demonstrates "Miyazaki’s Taoist presentation of industrialism needing to be aligned with nature" according to Carl and Garrath Wilson.[17] Antonio Lioi writes that Miyazaki often depicts beautiful scenes in contrast to those containing symbols of modernity, such as the scene where Sophie's reverie is interrupted by a war machine. This contrast is part of an ecological criticism of modernity, but Miyazaki also offers an alternative, in the form of beautiful natural scenery.[14]

text: Old age and compassion[edit]

text: Miyazaki stated that an attractive aspect of the story of Howl's Moving Castle was the relatively positive light it shed on growing old.[13] When Sophie becomes old as a result of the witch's spell, she also feels more able to speak her mind. According to Miyazaki, old women are only infrequently allowed to dominate the screen as in Howl's Moving Castle, which made it a risky concept.[13] Elizabeth Parsons stated that the film disrupts the stereotype of "aged unattractiveness," when the artificially aged Sophie manages to rescue two attractive men (who come to love her) and to unintentionally end the war in her country.[18] Sophie's actions are those usually associated with grandmothers, such as being kind and nurturing to those around her, and engaging in housework; however, these actions are depicted as being powerful and heroic.[18] Sophie is one of several strong female protagonists in Miyazaki's films.[14] According to Parsons, this gives the film a feminist aspect as well.[18] Additionally, even though Sophie manages to make her presence in the castle legitimate by claiming to be a cleaning lady, the film goes on to show that the housework is equitably distributed, strengthening its feminist aspect.[18]

text: In 2013, Miyazaki stated that Howl's Moving Castle was his favorite creation, and explained his choice by saying "I wanted to convey the message that life is worth living, and I don't think that's changed."[6] In the film, Sophie is shown to overcome extreme challenges by learning to put the well-being of those she cares about above her own self-interest, a quality which Miyazaki refers to as devotion.[6] Several of the protagonists in Miyazaki's films, such as Ashitaka and San in Princess Mononoke and Sheeta and Pazu in Castle in the Sky learn to survive by learning the same lesson.[6] Cavallaro states that Miyazaki spreads this moral through the entire film, to convey human beings' ability to be compassionate, such as when the scarecrow holds an umbrella over Sophie's head when it rains.[6] Over the course of the film, Howl, its most vain and selfish character, also learns to put others before himself.[18] When Madame Suliman returns the Witch of the Waste to her true form as a decrepit old woman, Sophie takes her in and cares for her, despite the witch being responsible for Sophie's curse, thus strongly demonstrating the idea of compassion.[18] The witch then nearly destroys Howl through her selfish behavior, but also helps save the castle at the end. Parsons writes that "In Miyazaki's balancing act, old women can be powerful and weak, positive and negative, nurturing and selfish, maligned and loved; in short, they can not be simply categorized or stereotyped, and they can not be dismissed as fantasy malefactors embodied by evil witches."[18] They are also given a lot of space in the film as active characters, something not commonly found in western movies.[18]

text: Production[edit]

text: In September 2001, Studio Ghibli announced the production of two films. The first would become The Cat Returns and the second was an adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones' novel, Howl's Moving Castle.[19] A rumor persists that Miyazaki had an idea to do Howl's Moving Castle during a visit to Strasbourg Christmas market.[19] Toshio Suzuki, who produced Howl's Moving Castle, stated that Miyazaki was inspired to make the film when he read Jones' novel, and was struck by the image of a castle moving around the countryside.[20] The novel does not explain how the castle moved, and Miyazaki was interested in figuring out how the castle might move, which led to the image of a castle on chicken legs.[13] The complex moving castle changes and rearranges itself several times throughout the movie in response to Howl's eccentricity and the various situations.[19] The basic structure of the castle consists of more than 80 elements including turrets, a wagging tongue, cogwheels and chicken legs, that were rendered as digital objects.[19]

text: Mamoru Hosoda of Toei Animation was originally selected to direct the film, but quit the project after Studio Ghibli's executives rejected many of his concept ideas.[21] The film was shelved until Miyazaki took over.[21] The project resumed with production in February 2003.[19] It was scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2004, and released in the summer of that year.[21]

text: Miyazaki went to Colmar and Riquewihr in Alsace, France, to study the architecture and the surroundings for the setting of the film.[19] Additional inspiration came from the concepts of future technology in Albert Robida's work.[19] Commentators have stated that Miyazaki's imagery was influenced by his fondness for the "illusion art" of 19th century Europe.[22] Suzuki stated that unlike many Western films, in which the imagery went "from the general [to] the specific,"[13] Miyazaki employed a uniquely Japanese approach, frequently beginning with a very specific image and moving from there.[13] However, Howl's Moving Castle, and Miyazaki films in general, have a focus on realistic imagery in a way that other anime films do not.[13]

text: The film was produced digitally, but the original backgrounds were drawn by hand and painted prior to being digitized, and the characters were also drawn by hand prior to scanning them into the computer.[19] The 1400 storyboard cuts for the film were completed on 16 January 2004.[23] On 25 June the in-between animation was completed and checking was completed on 26 June.[24] Studio Ghibli used digital technology to run many copies of the still portions of a scene, a process which avoids inconsistencies between various still frames, but can create an impression of artificiality. Therefore, the studio chose to manually retouch the digitally altered images, recreating the "feel" of a hand-drawn image.[25]

text: Like with the other Studio Ghibli movies, the film was co-produced with other companies, which were Tokuma Shoten, the Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Mitsubishi and Toho.[26]

text: Comparisons between film and novel[edit]

text: The film has several differences from the novel, partly due to the different requirements of the two media. Diana Wynne Jones' novel has a very large cast of characters, and several plot threads that were too complex to be transferred into the film.[27] As a result, characters such as Sophie's second sister Martha are left out, as is the plot thread involving Markl (who is called Michael in the novel, and depicted as an adolescent, rather than as a young boy) courting her.[28] Jones discussed the film with Studio Ghibli representatives, but did not have any input or involvement in the production of the film. Miyazaki traveled to England in the summer of 2004 to give Jones a private viewing of the finished film. She has been quoted as saying "It's fantastic. No, I have no input—I write books, not films. Yes, it will be different from the book—in fact it's likely to be very different, but that's as it should be. It will still be a fantastic film."[29]

text: The novel depicts Howl's castle as a tall, dark and sinister wizard's tower, very different from the complex image in the film. The film's castle may be seen as a parody of the machines seen in the movie, driven both by steam-engines and by magic. In the film, it is a "rotund collage of chimneys, roofs, steam pipes, and other odd appendages, borne along on mechanized bird legs"[28] that is similar to Baba Yaga's hut in the popular fairy tale. It is vaguely organic, and almost depicted as a life-form.[28] Similarly, Calcifer is a demonic figure in the book, as compared to the "endearing" persona and image that he has in the film.[28] Both film and novel try to render fantastic elements as mundane and ordinary things. Although they are set in a fantasy universe, the characters are often shown performing routine tasks, like cooking breakfast or washing up, in contrast to the heroic actions typical of a fantasy universe.[30] In the novel, Jones disrupts the fantasy-world setting by including scenes in which the characters travel to the real-world Wales. The movie, however, avoids this digression, and maintains a constant setting.[31]

text: Miyazaki's biggest addition to the plot of the book was the use of the war as a large part of the plot. In the book, the war is only tangentially referred to; the king orders Howl to find the king's missing brother Justin, because Justin's military skills are needed for a forthcoming war.[32] Howl's frequent disappearances are because of his womanizing habits, which makes Sophie see him as a superficial and cowardly person.[32] In the film, however, Howl disappears from the scene in order to transform into a giant bird and disrupt the battle plans of both armies.[32]

text: The roles of several characters also differ between novel and film due to this plot change. The Witch of the Waste is the chief antagonist of the book, whereas in the film she is reduced by Madame Suliman's magic to an ultimately harmless old woman who evokes sympathy in the audience and in Sophie.[32] In contrast, the film conflates the novel's two characters of Mrs. Penstemmon and the wizard Suliman into Madame Suliman. Although Suliman comes closest to being a traditional villain in the film, she is shown as having ambiguous motivations, and reviewers have stated that the real villain is war itself.[32] Howl loses the "rakish" womanizing aspect that was a significant part of his character in the novel.[32] In contrast, Sophie becomes a more conventional figure in the film; she is less grumpy and outspoken, and demonstrates her love for Howl earlier and more explicitly.[32] The storyline in the novel of Sophie being a powerful sorceress in her own right is muted in the film, although she is still shown to have control over her curse.[7]

text: The thematic focus of the story also differs between the novel and the film. Reviewer Antonia Levi wrote that the experience of watching the film was similar to reading high quality fan fiction; although the characters and the setting were the same, the story was different.[7] Although in both cases the story begins with Sophie being a prisoner of her circumstances and of social norms, the challenges she faces are slightly different. Levi said that "Jones uses Sophie, Howl, and Calcifer in a fairytale format to tell a story about challenging class and gender expectations, Miyazaki uses the same characters to tell a story about personal loyalty, love, and war."[7]

text: Music[edit]

text: The score was composed and conducted by Joe Hisaishi, and performed by the New Japan Philharmonic.[33] The soundtrack CD was first released on 19 November 2004 by Tokuma Japan Communications. Hisaishi also composed and conducted a Howl's Moving Castle: Symphony Suite, an album published on 21 January 2004 which includes ten re-arranged pieces from the original soundtrack. He and Youmi Kimura also composed Howl's Moving Castle CD Maxi-Single, a CD single published on 27 October 2004 which includes the film's theme song, sung by Chieko Baisho (the Japanese voice actor for Sophie), its karaoke version, and a piano version of the film's main theme, "The Merry-Go-Round of Life".[34]

text: Release and reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: The film opened at the 61st Venice Film Festival in 2004,[4] and was released in Japan on 20 November 2004.[3] The film grossed $14.5 million in its first week of release in Japan alone.[13] The film was distributed in Japan by Toho, and made $190,000,000 in that country.[3] It was distributed internationally by various companies, and made approximately an additional $45,000,000 outside Japan, for a worldwide total of $235,184,110.[3] The film was later dubbed into English by Pixar's Pete Docter.[35] It was distributed in the United States by Buena Vista, a subsidiary of Disney.[3] It was released on DVD on 10 March 2006.[8] It was one of the most commercially successful Japanese films ever made.[4] Soon after its release, it became the third most financially successful film in Japan, behind Titanic and Spirited Away.[16] GKIDS re-released the film on Blu-ray and DVD on 17 October 2017.[36]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports an 87% approval rating based on 175 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Exquisitely illustrated by master animator Miyazaki, Howl's Moving Castle will delight children with its fantastical story and touch the hearts and minds of older viewers as well."[8] The film also holds an 80/100 average on Metacritic, based on 40 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[2]

text: USA Today critic Claudia Puig gave the film a positive review, praising it for its ability to blend "a childlike sense of wonder with sophisticated emotions and motives".[37] Helen McCarthy in 500 Essential Anime Movies said that the natural world was "beautifully represented", with "some absolutely breathtaking mountains and lakeside landscapes". She also praised the design of the Castle and added that Miyazaki added his own themes to the film: "man's relationship to nature, the futility of war, and the joy of flight".[38] Joel Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal called the film "a moveable feast of delights".[39] Richard Corliss of TIME magazine wrote, "Palaces and shimmering lakes, warplanes and fire sprites all come to life at the breath of Miyazaki's graphic genius."[40] Writing for The Boston Globe, Ty Burr said, "At its best, 'Howl's Moving Castle' offers a rich fantasy of adolescent escape, of romance in the old and epic sense. At its worst, it's the most amazing 12-course meal you can't bring yourself to finish."[41] A.O. Scott of The New York Times wrote, "Admirers of [Hayao Miyazaki's] work, which is wildly imaginative, emotionally intense and surpassingly gentle, will find much to appreciate in this film because it demonstrates, once again, his visual ingenuity and his sensitivity as a storyteller. For newcomers to his world, "Howl's Moving Castle" is a fitting introduction to one of modern cinema's great enchanters."[42]

text: Conversely, Roger Ebert, also of the Chicago Sun-Times, gave it two and a half out of four stars, and called the film a "disappointment" compared to his recent movies.[43] Jonathan Trout of the BBC said, "Youngsters and Miyazaki fans will coo at the world's depth and rich surreality, but opaque plotting, and a tendency to mope with Sophie whilst Howl is off affecting events let the momentum of the first act vanish into thin air."[44] Writing for Salon, Stephanie Zacharek said, "the plot of "Howl's Moving Castle" meanders so listlessly that its details become less and less charming. Miyazaki's storytelling style resembles that of a breathless young tot who's fearlessly exercising his newfound powers of expression."[45] Stephen Hunter from The Washington Post criticized the plot of the film, saying "There is no story, or rather, there's no force to the story, which meanders almost casually this way and that for no apparent reason."[46] However, he said that the movie also empowered young women, and was "beautiful beyond telling."[46] David Rooney, writing in Variety, stated that "the narrative motor roars ahead in the opening hour and is more erratic thereafter," and suggested that better translation would help.[1] Literary scholar Matt Kimmich stated that the film came across as "uneasy compromise between two plots and two imaginations," referring to Jones' original story and Miyazaki's style of animation and storytelling.[47] However, he stated that those scenes which were not dependent either on Jones' original plot or Miyazaki's added plot threads found "a visual humor that recalls the verbal wit and lightness of Jones's novel,"[48] and that the "animation manages to free itself from the demands of the two plots—and flies."[48]

text: Top ten lists[edit]

text:
"There's a word for the kind of comic, dramatic, romantic, transporting visions Miyazaki achieves in Howl's: bliss."

—Peter Travers, Rolling Stone[35]

text: The film appeared on many critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2005.[49]

text:
2nd – Ella Taylor, LA Weekly (tie)
4th – Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
5th – Tasha Robinson, The A.V. Club
6th – Lawrence Toppman, The Charlotte Observer
6th – Jonathan Rosenbaum, The Chicago Reader (tie)
8th – Michael Sragow, The Baltimore Sun
8th – Michael Wilmington, The Chicago Tribune
NA – Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor (listed alphabetically)

tag: ul

text: Accolades [edit]

text:
Year
Award
Category
Result
Recipient
Reference

2004
61st Venice Film Festival
Osella Awards for Technical Achievement
Won
Howl's Moving Castle
[50]

Mainichi Film Awards
Best Japanese Movie Overall
(Readers' Choice Award)
Won
Howl's Moving Castle
[51]

Japan Media Arts Festival
Excellence Prize, Animation
Won
Howl's Moving Castle
[52]

2005
Tokyo Anime Award
Animation of the Year
Won
Howl's Moving Castle
[53]

Best Director
Won
Hayao Miyazaki
[53][54]

Best Voice Actor/Actress
Won
Chieko Baisho
[53][54]

Best Music
Won
Joe Hisaishi
[53][54]

Maui Film Festival
Audience Award
Won
Howl's Moving Castle
[53][54]

Seattle International Film Festival
Golden Space Needle Award
1st Runner-up
Howl's Moving Castle
[53][54]

2006
78th Academy Awards
Best Animated Feature
Nominated
Howl's Moving Castle
[55]

Saturn Awards
Best Animated Film
Nominated
Howl's Moving Castle
[56]

2007
Nebula Award
Best Script
Won
Hayao Miyazaki (script),
Cindy Davis Hewitt, and Donald H. Hewitt
(English translation)
[57]


document_title: I Am Number Four (film)

question_text: where does i am number four take place

question_tokens: where does i am number four take place

text: I Am Number Four (film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: John Smith is an alien from the planet Lorien. He was sent to Earth as a child with eight others to escape the invading Mogadorians, who destroyed Lorien. Here, John is protected by a Guardian, Henri, and has developed powers, including enhanced strength, speed and agility, telekinesis and the power to transmit plasma light through his hands.

text: The Mogadorians, led by the Commander learn about the nine children and come to Earth to find them. The Loriens can only be killed in sequence; Number One through Number Nine, though, and three of them are already dead, with John being Number Four. Knowing this, he and Henri move from a beachside bungalow in Florida to an old farm in Paradise, Ohio, where John befriends conspiracy theorist Sam Goode and a dog which he names Bernie Kosar. He also falls for an amateur photographer, Sarah Hart. Her ex-boyfriend, football player Mark James is a bully who torments both John and Sam.

text: During the Spring Fair, Mark and his friends chase Sarah and John into the woods, where they try to beat John up. However, he uses his powers to fend them off and rescue Sarah. Sam witnesses this and how he had used his powers. John reveals his true origins to Sam. The next day, Mark's father, the local sheriff, interrogates Henri on John's whereabouts when his son and his friends were attacked.

text: Henri tells John that too many people are suspicious of them so they have to leave. John refuses because of Sarah. Meanwhile, the Mogadorians continue searching for John, while being trailed by another Lorien, Number Six, who is also trying to locate Number Four. Number Six's guardian was killed, and she realizes that the remaining six of the Lorien Garde will have to team up and fight against the Mogadorians. She knows Number Three is dead and that Number Four is being hunted.

text: The Mogadorians eventually locate John and manipulate two conspiracy theorists into capturing Henri. When John and Sam go to rescue him, they are attacked but manage to fend the Mogadorians off. However, Henri dies after John and Sam escape with some Lorien artifacts, including a blue rock that acts as a tracking device for other Loriens. Sam's father, a conspiracy theorist who disappeared while hunting aliens in Mexico, had another of the rocks. While Sam searches for it, John tries to say goodbye to Sarah at a party, only to discover that the Mogadorians have framed him and Henri for the murders of the conspiracy theorists. Mark sees John and calls his father, who corners John and Sarah. John saves Sarah from a fall, revealing his powers in the process, and they escape to their high school.

text: Meanwhile, The Commander arrives in Paradise, in a convoy of trucks. He is confronted by Mark and his father, and after injuring the sheriff, he forces Mark to show him where John is hiding. Mark takes him to the school, which he knows is Sarah's hideout.

text: There, John, Sarah, and Sam are attacked by the Mogadorians, who brought two giant monsters to hunt the trio. They are saved by Number Six and Bernie, who is actually a shapeshifting Chimera sent by John's biological parents to protect him. John and Number Six, who can teleport and can block energy attacks, continue to fight the Mogadorians. They eventually defeat them all, including the Commander.

text: The following day, John and Number Six unite their blue rocks and discover the location of the other four surviving Lorians. John decides to let Sam come with them in hopes of finding Sam's father. They set off to find the others so they can all protect Earth from the Mogadorians, leaving Sarah and a repentant Mark, who lies to his father about John's whereabouts and returns a box left to John by his Dad that was in police evidence. John leaves after promising to return to Paradise and to Sarah.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Alex Pettyfer as Daniel Jones/John Smith/Number Four
Timothy Olyphant as Henri
Teresa Palmer as Number Six
Dianna Agron as Sarah Hart
Callan McAuliffe as Sam Goode
Kevin Durand as Mogadorian Commander
Jake Abel as Mark James
Jeff Hochendoner as Sheriff James
Patrick Sebes as Kevin
Greg Townley as Number Three
Reuben Langdon as Number Three's Guardian
Emily Wickersham as Nicole
Brian Howe as Frank
Andy Owen as Bret
Charles Carroll as Sam's stepfather
Garrett M. Brown as Mr. Simms
Cooper Thornton as Mr. Hart
Judith Hoag as Mrs. Hart
Beau Mirchoff as Drew
Tucker Albrizzi (uncredited) as Tuck

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text: The film was produced by DreamWorks and Reliance Entertainment.[7] Film producer and director Michael Bay brought the manuscript of the young adult novel I Am Number Four to Stacey Snider and Steven Spielberg at DreamWorks. A bidding war developed for the film rights between DreamWorks and J.J. Abrams, with DreamWorks winning the rights in June 2009, with the intention of having Bay produce and possibly direct the project.[8][9] The rights were purchased with the hope of attracting teenage fans of The Twilight Saga films,[10] and the potential of establishing a film franchise, with at least six more installments planned by the book's publisher.[11]

text: Al Gough and Miles Millar, the creators of the television series Smallville, were hired to write the screenplay in August 2009.[12] Marti Noxon, writer and producer for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, also contributed to the screenplay. D. J. Caruso was brought on to direct in early 2010, after Bay opted to focus on directing the third film of the Transformers series. Caruso had been selected by Spielberg to direct Disturbia and Eagle Eye for DreamWorks, and had success with both films.[13] Caruso had less than a year to prepare, shoot and edit the film, due to a worldwide release date set for Presidents Day weekend.[11]

text: Chris Bender, J.C. Spink, and David Valdes executive produced the film.[14] Steven Spielberg contributed to the film's characters, but did not take a credit on the film.[13] It was the first DreamWorks film to be released by Disney's Touchstone Pictures label, as part of the 30-picture distribution deal between DreamWorks and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.[15] The film was also the first release for DreamWorks after the studio's financial restructuring in 2008.[13]

text: Casting[edit]

text: In March 2010, Alex Pettyfer was in talks to play the title character in the film, Number Four.[16] It was later confirmed that the 21-year-old British actor would play the lead.[17] Sharlto Copley was going to star as Henri, Number Four's guardian and mentor, but had to drop out due to press obligations with his film The A-Team. Copley was replaced by Timothy Olyphant.[18] Kevin Durand plays the villain of the film, Commander, the Mogadorian who leads the hunt for the Lorics on Earth.[19]

text: DreamWorks went through multiple rounds of tests to find the right actress for the female romantic lead. Dianna Agron, a star in the Fox television series Glee, won the role. She plays Sarah Hart, a girl who used to date a high school football player, but falls for Number Four and keeps his secret.[20] Jake Abel plays the football player, Mark James, an antagonist in the film.[21] Teresa Palmer plays the other Loric, Number Six, and 16-year-old Australian actor Callan McAuliffe plays Sam Goode, Number Four's best friend.[22]

text: Filming[edit]

text: Principal photography began on May 17, 2010, using 20 locations all within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.[23][24] DreamWorks selected the area primarily due to tax incentives from the Pennsylvania Film Production Tax Credit.[14] The film studio also had a positive experience shooting She's Out of My League in Pittsburgh in 2008. The production was scheduled to last 12 to 13 weeks.[25]

text: Cinematographer Guillermo Navarro shot the film on 35 mm, using a format known as Super 1:85.[26] Beaver, the former Conley Inn in Homewood, and nearby Buttermilk Falls were used as locations in the film; interior and exterior scenes were shot near a boat launch in Monaca.[27] A spring fair scene was filmed in Deer Lakes Park in West Deer; Port Vue, North Park, New Kensington and Hyde Park were also used as locations.[14][24][28] The setting of the film's fictional town of Paradise, Ohio is Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, where filming took place from June to July 2010.[29] Producers chose Vandergrift as the "hero town" of the film because of its unique look and curved streets, laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of New York City's Central Park.[24]

text: Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville was chosen over 50 other schools in the area, due to its proximity to nearby woods, a part of the film's plot, and its surrounding hills. The school was also selected for its one floor layout, wide hallways, and its football stadium in front.[14][30] Teachers and recent graduates appear in the film, and a set that replicates the school was built in a studio in Monroeville for filming explosion scenes.[31] In the last few weeks of production, scenes were filmed at the 200-year-old St. John's Lutheran Stone Church in Lancaster Township.[32] Additional filming took place in the Florida Keys in the beginning of the film in Big Pine Key, Florida as well as the spanning of the drive over the bridge showcases the keys 7 mile bridge.[33]

text: Post-production[edit]

text: I Am Number Four was edited by Jim Page, with Industrial Light & Magic developing the visual effects for the alien Pikens.[34] The film was scored by former Yes guitarist Trevor Rabin.[35]

text: Release[edit]

text: A teaser trailer for the film was issued in late September 2010,[36] and a full-length trailer premiered on December 8.[37] Advertisements ran in Seventeen and Teen Vogue magazines, Disney released a promotional iPhone app in January 2011.[9] Disney also developed a lot of Internet content to target a teen audience with their marketing campaign.[11] A cast tour, in association with American retailer Hot Topic, and cast media appearances were scheduled to lead up to the release of the film.[9]

text: I Am Number Four premiered at the Village Theatre in Los Angeles on February 9, 2011. The film was released in theaters on February 18, 2011, and was also released in the IMAX format.[6][37]

text: Home media[edit]

text: The film was released by Touchstone Home Entertainment on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital download on May 24, 2011.[38][39] The release was produced in three different packages: a three-disc Blu-ray, DVD, and "Digital Copy" combo pack, a single-disc Blu-ray, and a single-disc DVD.[40][41] The "Digital Copy" included with the 3-disc version is a stand-alone disc that allows users to play the film from any location via iTunes or Windows Media Player. All releases include bloopers and the "Becoming Number 6" featurette, while the single-disc Blu-ray and three-disc Blu-ray, DVD, and "Digital Copy" combo pack versions additionally include six deleted scenes with an introduction from the director.[40][42] In its first three weeks of release, 316,081 Blu-ray units were sold in the US, bringing in $7,693,808. As of October 2, 2011, the standard DVD of 'I am Number Four' has sold 767,692 copies in the United States, generating $12,571,326, and thus bringing the total gross to $166,247,931.[43]

text: Release[edit]

text: I Am Number Four grossed $55,100,437 at the North American box office and $90,778,000 overseas, for a worldwide total of $149,878,437.[5] It topped the worldwide box office on its second weekend (February 25–27, 2011) with $28,086,805.[44][45]

text: The film opened at number two in the United States and Canada with a gross of $19,449,893. In its second weekend, it dropped 43.4%, earning $11,016,126.[5] The only other market where it has grossed over $10 million is China. It began in third place with $3.4 million, but had an increase of 91% in its second week, topping the box office with $6.4 million. In its third week, it decreased by 21% to $5.0 million. As of March 27, 2011, it has grossed $17,328,244.[46]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 33% approval rating and an average rating of 4.8/10 based on 158 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "It's positioned as the start of a franchise, but I Am Number Four's familiar plot and unconvincing performances add up to one noisy, derivative, and ultimately forgettable sci-fi thriller."[47] Metacritic gives the film an average score of 36 out of 100 based on reviews from 30 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[48] Empire Magazine gave the film three out of a possible five stars and said, "If you can make it through the bland schmaltz of the first half you'll be rewarded with a spectacular blast of sustained action and the promise of even better to come. This could be the start of something great."[49]

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text:
"Radioactive" - Kings of Leon
"Tighten Up" - The Black Keys
"Rolling in the Deep" - Adele
"Somebody's Watching Me" - Rockwell
"Shelter" - The xx
"Soldier On" - The Temper Trap
"Invented" - Jimmy Eat World
"Curfew" - Beck
"As She's Walking Away" - Zac Brown Band (ft. Alan Jackson)
"Letters from the Sky" - Civil Twilight

tag: ol

text: Sequel[edit]

text: In 2011, screenwriter Noxon told Collider.com that plans for an imminent sequel were shelved due to the disappointing performance of the first installment at the box office.[51][52]

text: In 2013, director Caruso was asked if there are any possibilities that The Power of Six will get a movie adaption, he replied: "There’s been some talk in the past couple of months about trying to do something because there is this audience appetite out there [...]. Most of the people on Twitter that contact me from all over the world ask, “Where’s the next movie?” I think DreamWorks is getting those too so it’ll be interesting. I don’t know if I’d be involved, but I know they’re talking about it."[53]

text: In a 2015 interview, James Frey, the co-author of the series, said that he hoped more movies would be made.[citation needed]


document_title: America's Got Talent (season 13)

question_text: when do the live shows start for agt

question_tokens: when do the live shows start for agt

text: America's Got Talent (season 13)

text: Preliminary auditions

text: The season had preliminary open call auditions in Orlando, Cincinnati, Savannah, Milwaukee, Houston, Las Vegas, New York City, Nashville, and Los Angeles.[5] As in years past, prospective contestants could also submit online auditions.[6]

text: Auditions were taped from March 6-23 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles[7] and began to air on May 29, 2018.[8]

text: Golden buzzer

text: The golden buzzer returned for its fifth consecutive season. Any act that receives the golden buzzer during the judges' auditions will be sent directly to the live shows and will not compete in the Judge Cuts round. In the first episode, Tyra Banks was the first to press the golden buzzer for acrobatic and dance group Zurcaroh.[8] Simon Cowell was second to press it for 40-year-old singer Michael Ketterer. Howie Mandel was third to press it for 13 year old singer Courtney Hadwin. Mel B was fourth to press it for 15 year old singer Amanda Mena. Heidi Klum was the final judge to use the golden buzzer, using it for 15 year old singer Makayla Phillips.

text: Judge Cuts

text: The Judge Cuts rounds began airing on Tuesday, July 17, 2018. Like the previous season, one guest judge will join the judges' panel each show and will be given one golden buzzer opportunity to send an act straight to the live shows. Eighteen acts perform each week instead of twenty as in the previous three seasons. Of the eighteen acts performing each week seven acts advance including the guest judge's golden buzzer which immediately advances if used. Guest judges will not be given a red buzzer to use. Any act that will receive all four red buzzers will be immediately eliminated from the competition. The four guest judges are Ken Jeong, Olivia Munn, Martina McBride, and Chris Hardwick, who was also a guest judge in the previous season.[9] The final Judge Cuts episode aired on August 7, 2018. This is the first Judge Cuts rounds in history where no acts received four red buzzers.

text: After the Judge Cuts, three wildcards were chosen from eliminated acts to perform in the live shows: Daniel Emmet, Human Fountains and Front Pictures (who did not perform in the Judge Cuts round).

text: Golden Buzzer

text: The golden buzzer also returned for the Judge Cuts round. Each week during the Judge Cuts a guest judge will have the option to use their golden buzzer on any act. An act that receives the golden buzzer during the Judge Cuts round will not face elimination and will advance automatically to the live shows. In the first week of the Judge Cuts Ken Jeong pressed his golden buzzer for the Voices of Hope Children's Choir. In week 2, Olivia Munn pressed her Golden Buzzer for Angel City Chorale. In the third week, Martina McBride pressed her Golden Buzzer for Quin and Misha, a ballroom dance duo. Chris Hardwick gave the season’s final Golden Buzzer for Flau’jae, a 14-year old rapper, in the final week of the Judge Cuts.

text:
Key

 Buzzed

 Golden buzzer

  Advanced

  Quarterfinal Wildcard

  Eliminated

  Advanced Immediately

text: Week 1

text: Guest judge: Ken Jeong

text: Date: July 17, 2018

text:
Act

Order

Performance type

Buzzes

Result

Cowell

Klum

Jeong

Mel B

Mandel

Junior New System

1

Dance Group

Advanced

Harold & Regan

2

Dance Duo

Eliminated

Us the Duo

3

Band

Advanced

Kevin Blake

4

Magician

Eliminated

Mochi

5

Diabolo Artist

Advanced

Lilly Wilker

6

Animal Impressionist

Eliminated

Oscar and Pam

7

Singing Dog & Pianist

Eliminated

Daniel Emmet

8

Opera Singer

Quarterfinal Wildcard

Voices of Hope

9

Choir

Advanced Immediately

Aaron Crow

10

Danger Act

Advanced

Carmen Lynch

11

Stand-up Comedienne

Eliminated

Christina Wells

12

Singer

Advanced

Patches

13

Rapper

Eliminated

Andrew Johnston

14

Singer

Eliminated

Celina and Filiberto

15

Dance Duo

Eliminated

Trinh Tra My

16

Aerialist

Eliminated

Jack Tenney

17

Trampolinist

Eliminated

Duo Transcend

18

Trapeze Duo

Advanced

text: Week 2

text: Guest judge: Olivia Munn

text: Date: July 24, 2018

text:
Act

Order

Performance type

Buzzes

Result

Cowell

Klum

Munn

Mel B

Mandel

Human Fountains

1

Novelty Act

Quarterfinal Wildcard

Shin Lim

2

Close-up Magician

Advanced

The Melisizwe Brothers

3

Band

Eliminated

Macey Mac

4

Singer/Guitarist

Eliminated

Sophie Fatu

5

Singer

Eliminated

Reyes del Swing

6

Salsa Dance Troupe

Eliminated

The Future Kingz

7

Dance Group

Advanced

Lioz Shem Tov

8

Comedy Mentalist

Eliminated

Angel City Chorale

9

Choir

Advanced Immediately

Shannon and Reckon

10

Dog Act

Eliminated

EXISDANCE

11

Multimedia Dance Act

Eliminated

Hans

12

Singer/Accordionist/Dancer

Advanced

Vivien Vajda

13

Jump Rope Acrobat

Eliminated

Rob Lake

14

Illusionist

Advanced

Leah Mathies

15

Singer/Guitarist

Eliminated

Hunter Price

16

Singer/Guitarist

Eliminated

Joseph O'Brien[a]

17

Singer/Pianist

Advanced

Vicki Barbolak

18

Stand-up Comedienne

Advanced

text: Jump up ^ Simon Cowell forced Joseph O'Brien to stop performing during his act. After given the opportunity, O'Brien chose to perform for a second time. His result is based off the second performance.

text: Week 3

text: Guest judge: Martina McBride

text: Date: July 31, 2018

text: This is the second Judge Cuts episode in the show's history in which an act with at least one "X" buzzer was nevertheless promoted to the live shows.

text:
Act

Order

Performance type

Buzzes

Result

Cowell

Klum

McBride

Mel B

Mandel

The Savitsky Cats

1

Cat Act

Advanced

Blue Tokyo

2

Acrobatic Dance Group

Eliminated

OC Music and Dance

3

Orchestral Band

Eliminated

The PAC Dance Team

4

Dance Group

Advanced

Angel Garcia

5

Singer

Eliminated

Jeffrey Li

6

Singer

Eliminated

Ms. Trysh

7

Singer

Eliminated

Kazi

8

Singer/Guitarist

Eliminated

Bone Hampton

9

Stand-up Comedian

Eliminated

Quin and Misha

10

Ballroom Dance Duo

Advanced Immediately

Noah Guthrie[a]

11

Singer/Guitarist

Advanced

Jules and Jerome

12

Teeterboard Duo

Eliminated

Fratelli Rossi

13

Acrobatic Duo

Eliminated

Bensax International

14

Saxophonist

Eliminated

Oliver Graves

15

Stand-up Comedian

Eliminated

UDI Dance

16

Blacklight Dance Group

Advanced

We Three

17

Band

Advanced

The Sacred Riana

18

Illusionist

Advanced

text: Jump up ^ Simon Cowell forced Noah Guthrie to stop performing during his act. After given the opportunity, Guthrie chose to perform for a second time. His result is  based off the second performance.

text: Week 4

text: Guest judge: Chris Hardwick

text: Date: August 7, 2018

text: This is the first time in America's Got Talent Judge Cuts history where two or more acts that have been buzzed went on to the live shows.

text:
Act

Order

Performance type

Buzzes

Result

Cowell

Klum

Hardwick

Mel B

Mandel

Brian King Joseph

1

Electric Violinist

Advanced

Yumbo Dump

2

Comedy Duo

Advanced

Academy of Villains

3

Dance Group

Eliminated

Da RepubliK

4

Dance Group

Advanced

Berlin

5

Singer/Pianist

Eliminated

Sergey and Sasha

6

Acrobatic Duo

Eliminated

Flau'jae

7

Rapper

Advanced Immediately

Elijah Holt

8

Trampolinist

Eliminated

Sixto and Lucia

9

Quick Change Duo

Eliminated

Brody Ray

10

Singer/Guitarist

Eliminated

Ronnie Lamarque

11

Singer

Eliminated

Glennis Grace

12

Singer

Advanced

Diabolowalker

13

Diabolo Dance Group

Eliminated

Troy James

14

Contortionist

Eliminated

Street Drum Corps

15

Percussion Group

Eliminated

NUNNABOVE

16

Band

Eliminated

Lord Nil

17

Escape Artist

Advanced

Samuel J. Comroe

18

Stand-up Comedian

Advanced

text: Quarterfinals

text: The quarterfinals were broadcast live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles starting on August 14, 2018 with twelve acts performing each night.[10] The following night the results will be announced to the public with seven of the twelve acts proceeding to the semifinals.[11] Each week viewers of the show also have the opportunity to send one act, determined by popular vote, using "Google's Instant Save", sometimes also known as the "Dunkin' Save" due to a sponsorship contract with Dunkin Donuts, via the America's Got Talent app or the official website.[12][13] In the first week of the Quarterfinals, Human Fountains received a buzzer from Cowell and Lord Nil received one from Mel B. In the second week of the Quarterfinals, Yumbo Dump received a buzzer from Klum.

text:
Key

 Buzzed

 Judges' Choice

  Advanced (Won Public Vote)

  Advanced (Won Judges' Choice)

  Advanced (Recived Google's Instant Save / Dunkin' Save)

  Advanced (Received Judges' Wildcard)

  Eliminated

  Eliminated (Lost Judges' Choice)

text: Week 1 (August 14–15)

text: Guest: Darci Lynne Farmer

text:
Act

Order

Performance type

Buzzes

Result

Cowell

Klum

Mel B

Mandel

Mochi

1

Diabolo Artist

Lost Judges' Choice

Human Fountains

2

Novelty Act

Eliminated

Angel City Chorale

3

Choir

Google's Instant Save / Dunkin' Save

The PAC Dance Team

4

Dance Group

Eliminated

Amanda Mena

5

Singer

Advanced

Junior New System[a]

6

Dance Group

Won Judges' Choice

We Three

7

Band

Advanced

Lord Nil

8

Escape Artist

Eliminated

Flau'jae

9

Rapper

Eliminated

Shin Lim

10

Close-up Magician

Advanced

Vicki Barbolak

11

Stand-up Comedienne

Advanced

Courtney Hadwin

12

Singer

Advanced

text: Jump up ^ After the Judges' choice was split evenly, Junior New System was revealed to have received more of the public vote and therefore advanced to the next round.

text: Week 2 (August 21–22)

text: Guests: The Illusionists and Light Balance

text:
Act

Order

Performance type

Buzzes

Result

Cowell

Klum

Mel B

Mandel

Makayla Phillips

1

Singer

Google's Instant Save / Dunkin' Save

Da RepubliK

2

Dance Group

Won Judges' Choice

Noah Guthrie

3

Singer/Guitarist

Advanced

Yumbo Dump

4

Comedy Duo

X[a]

X[b]

Eliminated

Samuel J. Comroe

5

Stand-up Comedian

Advanced

Voices of Hope

6

Choir

Advanced

The Savitsky Cats

7

Cat Act

Eliminated

Glennis Grace

8

Singer

Advanced

The Sacred Riana

9

Illusionist

Eliminated

Quin and Misha

10

Ballroom Dance Duo

Eliminated

Front Pictures

11

Multimedia Performance Act

Received Judges' Wildcard

Duo Transcend

12

Trapeze Duo

Advanced

text:
Jump up ^ Cowell buzzed the act, but then took his buzzer back at the end.

Jump up ^ Mel B buzzed the act, but then took her buzzer back at the end.

text: Week 3 (August 28–29)

text: Guest: Beautiful Broadway

text:
Act

Order

Performance type

Buzzes

Result

Cowell

Klum

Mel B

Mandel

The Future Kingz

1

Dance Group

Lost Judges' Choice

Us the Duo

2

Band

Advanced

Daniel Emmet

3

Opera Singer

Google's Instant Save / Dunkin' Save

Brian King Joseph

4

Electric Violinist

Advanced

Aaron Crow

5

Danger Act

Won Judges' Choice

Joseph O'Brien

6

Singer/Pianist

Eliminated

Hans

7

Singer/Accordionist/Dancer

Eliminated

UDI Dance

8

Blacklight Dance Group

Eliminated

Christina Wells

9

Singer

Advanced

Zurcaroh

10

Acrobatic Group

Advanced

Rob Lake

11

Illusionist

Eliminated

Michael Ketterer

12

Singer

Advanced

text: Semifinals

text: The live semifinals started on September 4, 2018. They featured the 21 acts voted to the semifinals, plus the judges' semifinal wildcard pick. Each week, eleven acts performed; five went through to the finals, and six were eliminated.

text:
Key

 Buzzed

 Judges' Choice

  Advanced (Won Public Vote)

  Advanced (Won Judges' Choice)

  Advanced (Recived Google's Instant Save / Dunkin' Save)

  Eliminated

  Eliminated (Lost Judges' Choice)

text: Week 1 (September 4–5)

text:
Act

Order

Performance description

Buzzes

Result

Cowell

Klum

Mel B

Mandel

Amanda Mena

1

Singer; performed "Happy" by Pharrell.

Eliminated

Junior New System

2

Dance Group; dancers performed with a basketball themed red stiletto extravaganza to "Work Bitch" by Britney Spears, "Bang Bang" by Jessie J ft. Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj, and "Lose Control" by Missy Elliott ft. Ciara & Fatman Scoop.

Eliminated

Us the Duo

3

Band; performed an original song called "Broke".

Eliminated

Voices of Hope

4

Choir; performed "Defying Gravity" from Wicked by Idina Menzel.

Lost Judges' Choice

Shin Lim

5

Close-up Magician; started the act by placing a card in his back pocket "for later". He asked Heidi to pick a card and sign it. He put the signed card down and after he made a gesture, smoke began to rise from beneath it, at which point the card was shown to be blank. He opened his mouth, smoke came billowing out, and Heidi's card appeared from it. He placed her card in a plastic bag and then asked Tyra to pick a card and sign it. Tyra's card jumped from Shin's hand to his vest pocket, and thence to the card that started in his back pocket. Tyra's card then appeared in his mouth amidst a cloud of smoke, then switched places with Heidi's card in the plastic bag before the two cards switched back. He put both cards into the plastic bag and then vanished them in full view of the audience. Finally, he placed the remaining cards back in the box, and when smoke began pouring from the box he crushed it flat, making the box immediately disappear.

Advanced

Makayla Phillips

6

Singer; performed "Who You Are" by Jessie J.

Eliminated

Front Pictures

7

Multimedia Performance Act; starts in outer space and then gets a low oxygen tank. Ends up swimming with sea creatures such as turtles, dolphins, and whales.

Eliminated

Duo Transcend[a]

8

Trapeze Duo; performed a dangerous trapeze act for half of the performance, and the other half was a fire roller skate act where Mary hung onto Tyce with just her legs wrapped around his neck.

Won Judges' Choice

Samuel J. Comroe

9

Stand-up Comedian; explains about being the only kid out of his six siblings with tourettes. Then talks about how a woman tried to pray away his Tourette Syndrome. He ends with a story about how he was at a party with his black friends and the cops came. The cops told him to blink twice if he was in danger, and having tourettes he is likely to blink, so his black friends had to run.

Google's Instant Save / Dunkin' Save

Michael Ketterer

10

Singer; performed "When I Look At You" by Miley Cyrus.

Advanced

Zurcaroh

11

Acrobatic Group; the act was set in Egypt. Start with a dance on the floor, and then began leaping and flipping from the air while other members held gold wings and swung them simultaneously. They ended with two men swinging from a rope that dangled from the ceiling, and then made a human tower where the little girl on the top jumped down.

Advanced

text: Jump up ^ After the Judges' choice was split evenly, Duo Transcend was revealed to have received more of the public vote and therefore advanced to the finale.

text: Week 2 (September 11–12)

text: Guest: BTS[14] and A Magical Cirque Christmas

text:
Act

Order

Performance description

Buzzes

Result

Cowell

Klum

Mel B

Mandel

Christina Wells

1

Singer; performed "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin.

Eliminated

Da RepubliK

2

Dance Group; dancers mixed a combination of flipping and dancing to "Get Ugly" by Jason Derulo, "Hit the Floor" by Twista ft. Pitbull, and "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-a-Lot.

Eliminated

Noah Guthrie

3

Singer; performed "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston.

Eliminated

Daniel Emmet

4

Opera Singer; performed "Somewhere" from West Side Story by Reri Grist.

Won Judges' Choice

Angel City Chorale

5

Choir; performed "The Rising" by Bruce Springsteen.

Eliminated

Aaron Crow

6

Danger Act; starts the act with a video of Crow asking Howie for his help in this routine. It then cuts back to the main stage with Howie trapped in a box. In total there are four boxes. Crow first asks Heidi to choose a box out of the four, then ask Mel B to do the same. Heidi selected box 3 and Mel B picked box 1. Crow proceeded to cut a rope that crushed box 3. He then did the same thing to box 1. Simon then had to pick a box which turned out to be box 4, Crow then crushed box 4. Finally, Crow opened box 2 and Howie was inside and safe.

Eliminated

Vicki Barbolak

7

Stand-up Comedienne; talks about how she is extra attracted to Italian men. She says the best way to get a guy to notice you is to trace your body. Next, she explains that no diet has worked for her in the past. She ends talking about if a cop caught her drunk in her trailer, she would just trace her body.

Advanced

We Three

8

Band; performed an original song called "Make Up".

Lost Judges' Choice

Glennis Grace

9

Singer; performed "This Woman's Work" by Kate Bush.

Google's Instant Save / Dunkin' Save

Brian King Joseph

10

Electric Violinist; started in the audience and made his way to the main stage. Performed "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio ft. L.V. to an electric mix on the song.

Advanced

Courtney Hadwin

11

Singer; performed "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf.

Advanced

text: Finals

text: The final performances took on September 18, followed by the final results show aired on September 19, 2018. No acts were buzzed.

text: During the finale results, the top 5 acts were revealed first; then they were eliminated in reverse ranking from fifth place to third place.

text:
Key

  Advanced to the Top 5

  Top 10

text:
Act

Order

Performance Description

Result

Brian King Joseph

1

Electric Violinist; performed "Heartless" by Kanye West to an electric beat on the song. Joseph was surrounded by fire and two drummers.

Advanced

Daniel Emmet

2

Opera Singer; gives an opera take on "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran.

Top 10

Vicki Barbolak

3

Stand-up Comedienne; starts by saying she thought the finale was a bathing suit contest. She proceeds to strip into her bathing suit and talk about her time as a stripper. Chats about all the accomplishments her grandson has in school, to later say he is homeschooled. She says her dad is an ex-football player, and she has the typical looks of a football player's daughter. Ends with talking about Hooter's and how she wants tom open a restaurant for women called, "Woodpeckers".

Top 10

Glennis Grace

4

Singer; performed "Run" by Snow Patrol.

Top 10

Zurcaroh

5

Acrobatic Group; started all lined up in a row. They broke out and performed a ritual dance to "Baba Yetu". Next, they created a human tower, and threw the little girl at the top off. They showed a scene where a little boy sees a girl acrobat and is scared of her appearance. The remaining acrobats do a flag routine. The little boy comes back and isn't scared of the girl anymore. They end the routine by making another human tower and throwing three girls in the air to be caught.

Advanced

Samuel J. Comroe

6

Stand-up Comedian; explains how he met his wife. Tells a story about a guy he met that was squeezing his girlfriend's butt. The guy then walked up to Comroe and said he doesn't really have tourettes because he doesn't cuss. Comroe said when he cusses it is from the heart. He finishes talking about how he does not like rude people. If you honk at him, he will follow you home. If he opens the door and you don't say thank you, he will pull you back in.

Advanced

Courtney Hadwin

7

Singer; performed "River Deep, Mountain High" by Tina Turner.

Top 10

Shin Lim

8

Close-up Magician; played piano for a bit, and talked about how he used to play piano until carpal tunnel made him stop, then got Tyra to randomly select a card. He then made multiple copies of this card appear and disappear, and displayed the name of the card with floating playing cards.

Advanced

Duo Transcend

9

Trapeze Duo; opens with both at the top of the trapeze. Mary blindfolds Tyce, and proceeds to dangle for his leg in the air. She then does many flips by just holding onto his arms. Mary stands on Tyce's shoulders and jumps down with Tyce just barely catching her. They continue to do flips. Mary takes off his blindfold and holds him by just her arms. They conclude by Mary dropping Tyce, on purpose.

Top 10

Michael Ketterer

10

Singer; performed "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell.

Advanced

text: Finale

text: Guest performers in the finale included Kiss, Bebe Rexha, The Struts, Plácido Domingo, and Lindsey Stirling. Other celebrity appearances included David Spade, Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila.[15]

text: The following chart describes the acts, appearances and segments presented during the finale.

text:
Act(s)

Performance Description

Glennis Grace

Singer; Guest performer Bebe Rexha sang a duet with Grace of her song "Meant to Be".

Samuel J. Comroe

Stand-up Comedian; Clips were shown of Comroe performing and acting as a judge to comment on the Mel B's performance as a stand-up comedienne.

Courtney Hadwin

Singer; Guest performer The Struts sang a duet with Hadwin of their song "Could Have Been Me" and Janis Joplin's version of "Piece of My Heart" song.

Daniel Emmet

Opera Singer; Guest performer Plácido Domingo sang a duet with Emmet of Les pêcheurs de perles opera song "Au fond du temple saint" (generally known as "The Pearl Fishers Duet").

Vicky Barbolak

Stand-up Comedienne; Guest performer David Spade performed together with Barbolak.

Michael Ketterer

Singer; Sang "The Courage To Love" by Garth Brooks.

Shin Lim

Close-up Magician; Guest volunteers Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila

Brian King Joseph & Duo Transcend

Electric Violinist and Trapeze Duo; Guest performer Lindsey Stirling and Joseph performed performed "Roundtable Rival" and "The Force of Nature" while Duo Transcend performs.

Zurcaroh

Acrobatic Group; Guest performer Lindsey Stirling

text:
Key

  1st place (Winner)

  2nd place (Runner-ups)

  3rd place

  4th place

  5th place

text:
Act

Result

Shin Lim

Winner

Zurcaroh

Runner-Ups

Brian King Joseph

3rd place

Samuel J. Comroe

4th place

Michael Ketterer

5th place

text: Top 36 acts

text:
Key

     Winner

     Runner-up

     Third Place

     Top 5

     Finalist

     Semifinalist (lost judges' vote)

     Semifinalist (lost audience vote)

     Quarterfinalist (lost judges' vote)

     Quarterfinalist (lost audience vote)

 Golden buzzer (Auditions)

 Golden buzzer (Judge Cuts)

 Judges' wild card (quarterfinals)

 Judges' wild card (semifinals)

text:
Name of Act

Age(s)

Genre

Act

Hometown

Quarterfinal

Semifinal

Result

Shin Lim

26

Magic

Close-up Magician

Acton, Massachusetts

1

1

Winner

Zurcaroh

8–39

Acrobatics

Acrobatic Group

 Götzis, Austria

3

1

Runners-Up

Brian King Joseph

27

Music

Electric Violinist

Los Angeles, California

3

2

3rd place

Samuel J. Comroe

30

Comedy

Stand-up Comedian

Los Angeles, California

2

1

4th place

Michael Ketterer

40

Singing

Singer

Anaheim, California

3

1

5th place

Courtney Hadwin

13

Singing

Singer

 County Durham, England

1

2

Finalist (Won Public Vote)

Daniel Emmet

25

Singing

Opera Singer

Las Vegas, Nevada

3

2

Finalist (Won Judges' Vote)

Duo Transcend

29 & 32

Acrobatics

Trapeze Duo

Salt Lake City, Utah

2

1

Finalist (Won Judges' Vote)

Glennis Grace

40

Singing

Singer

 Amsterdam, Netherlands

2

2

Finalist (Won Dunkin' Save)

Vicki Barbolak

60

Comedy

Stand-up Comedienne

Oceanside, California

1

2

Finalist (Won Public Vote)

Voices of Hope

5–17

Singing

Choir

Orange County, California

2

1

Semifinalist (Lost Judges' Vote)

We Three

21–27

Singing

Band

McMinnville, Oregon

1

2

Semifinalist (Lost Judges' Vote)

Aaron Crow

49

Danger

Danger Act

 Bruges, Belgium

3

2

Eliminated

Amanda Mena

15

Singing

Singer

Boston, Massachusetts

1

1

Eliminated

Angel City Chorale

19–88

Singing

Choir

Los Angeles, California

1

2

Eliminated

Christina Wells

42

Singing

Singer

Houston, Texas

3

2

Eliminated

Da RepubliK

15–32

Dance

Dance Group

 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

2

2

Eliminated

Front Pictures

41 & 43

Variety

Multimedia Performance Act

 Kiev, Ukraine

2

1

Eliminated

Junior New System

18–25

Dance

Dance Group

 Manila, Philippines

1

1

Eliminated

Makayla Phillips

16

Singing

Singer

Canyon Lake, California

2

1

Eliminated

Noah Guthrie

24

Singing

Singer/Guitarist

Greer, South Carolina

2

2

Eliminated

Us the Duo

27 & 28

Singing

Band

Los Angeles, California

3

1

Eliminated

Mochi

29

Variety

Diabolo Artist

 Shizuoka, Japan

1

N/A

Quarterfinalist (Lost Judges' Vote)

The Future Kingz

7–23

Dance

Dance Group

Chicago, Illinois

3

N/A

Quarterfinalist (Lost Judges' Vote)

Flau'jae

14

Music

Rapper

Savannah, Georgia

1

N/A

Eliminated

Hans

"19"

Variety

Singer/Accordionist/Dancer

 Adelaide, Australia

3

N/A

Eliminated

Human Fountains

24–29

Variety

Novelty Act

Los Angeles, California

1

N/A

Eliminated

Joseph O'Brien

20

Singing

Singer/Pianist

Columbia, Tennessee

3

N/A

Eliminated

Lord Nil

38

Danger

Escape Artist

 Italy

1

N/A

Eliminated

Quin and Misha

70 & 35

Dance

Ballroom Dance Duo

Orlando, Florida

2

N/A

Eliminated

Rob Lake

35

Magic

Illusionist

Norman, Oklahoma

3

N/A

Eliminated

The PAC Dance Team

15–18

Dance

Dance Group

Sahuarita, Arizona

1

N/A

Eliminated

The Sacred Riana

25

Magic

Illusionist

 Jakarta, Indonesia

2

N/A

Eliminated

The Savitsky Cats

24 & 45

Animal

Cat Act

 Ukraine

2

N/A

Eliminated

UDI Dance

20–37

Dance

Blacklight Dance Group

 Tomsk, Russia

3

N/A

Eliminated

Yumbo Dump

31 & 34

Comedy

Comedy Duo

 Okayama, Japan

2

N/A

Eliminated

text: International broadcast

text: This season is being aired in Asia within 48 hours of being broadcast in the US. It airs on AXN starting May 31, 2018 (UTC+8).[16][17]

text: In the United Kingdom and Ireland the first episode was brought to Netflix on May 31. In Singapore, the show was broadcast on MediaCorp Channel 5 every Thursday starting May 31, 2018.[18]

text: Ratings

text: U.S. Nielsen ratings

text:
Episode

Title

First air date

Timeslot (EDT)

Rating(18–49)

Share(18–49)

Viewers(millions)

NightlyRank

WeeklyRank

1

Auditions Week 1

May 29, 2018

Tuesday  8:00 p.m.

2.5

11

12.16

1[19]

3[20]

2

Auditions Week 2

June 5, 2018

2.2

10

11.27

1[21]

3[22]

3

Auditions Week 3

June 12, 2018

2.3

10

11.46

1[23]

1[24]

4

Auditions Week 4

June 19, 2018

2.2

10

11.86

1[25]

1[26]

5

Auditions Week 5

June 26, 2018

2.0

9

11.32

1[27]

1[28]

6

Auditions Week 6

July 10, 2018

2.1

9

11.55

1[29]

1[30]

7

Judge Cuts 1

July 17, 2018

2.1

9

11.33

1[31]

1[32]

8

Judge Cuts 2

July 24, 2018

2.0

8

11.68

1[33]

1[34]

9

Judge Cuts 3

July 31, 2018

2.1

9

11.83

1[35]

1[36]

10

Judge Cuts 4

August 7, 2018

1.9

9

11.04

1[37]

1[38]

11

Quarterfinals, Week 1 (Performances)

August 14, 2018

2.1

10

11.10

1[39]

1[40]

12

Quarterfinals, Week 1 (Results)

August 15, 2018

Wednesday  8:00 p.m.

1.5

8

9.85

2[41]

2[40]

13

Quarterfinals, Week 2 (Performances)

August 21, 2018

Tuesday  8:00 p.m.

2.1

9

11.21

1[42]

1[43]

14

Quarterfinals, Week 2 (Results)

August 22, 2018

Wednesday  8:00 p.m.

1.6

8

9.69

1[44]

2[43]

15

Quarterfinals, Week 3 (Performances)

August 28, 2018

Tuesday  8:00 p.m.

1.9

8

10.78

1[45]

1[46]

16

Quarterfinals, Week 3 (Results)

August 29, 2018

Wednesday  8:00 p.m.

1.5

7

9.90

2[47]

2[46]

17

Semifinals, Week 1 (Performances)

September 4, 2018

Tuesday  8:00 p.m.

1.8

8

10.69

1[48]

5[49]

18

Semifinals, Week 1 (Results)

September 5, 2018

Wednesday  8:00 p.m.

1.5

7

9.89

2[50]

7[49]

19

Semifinals, Week 2 (Performances)

September 11, 2018

Tuesday  8:00 p.m.

1.9

8

10.75

1[51]

4[52]

20

Semifinals, Week 2 (Results)

September 12, 2018

Wednesday  8:00 p.m.

1.6

8

10.15

1[53]

5[52]

21

The Finals

September 18, 2018

Tuesday  8:00 p.m.

2.3

10

12.99

1[54]

2[55]

22

Season Finale

September 19, 2018

Wednesday  8:00 p.m.

2.1

10

12.88

1[56]

3[55]

text: Special episodes

text:
Specials

Title

First air date

Timeslot (EDT)

Rating(18–49)

Share(18–49)

Viewers(millions)

NightlyRank

WeeklyRank

S1

Best of Auditions

July 11, 2018

Wednesday  8:00 p.m.

0.9

5

5.98

2[57]

4[30]

S2

Road to Lives

August 9, 2018

Thursday  8:00 p.m.

0.7

3

3.82

2[58]

21[38]

text: Contestants who appeared in other seasons or shows

text:
Act

Television show

Season

Result

Notes

Academy of Villains

America's Got Talent

7

Semifinalist

Sergey and Sasha

10

Cut Before Judge Cuts

Silicon Valley Girls

11

Cut Before Judge Cuts

Auditioned as "Trio Grace"

Junior New System

Asia's Got Talent

1

Finalist

Received the golden buzzer during the semifinals.[59]

The Sacred Riana

2

Winner

[60]

Yumbo Dump

Semi-Finalist

[61][62]

UDI

Britain's Got Talent

9

Finalist

Wes-P

12

Semi-Finalist

Auditioned as "Mr. Uekusa"

Aaron Crow

7

Semi-Finalist

La France a un incroyable talent

11

Semi-Finalist

Zurcaroh

12

Finalist

Received the golden buzzer during the auditions.[63]

David Pereira

8

Finalist

Got Talent España

1

Finalist

Noah Guthrie

Glee

6

N/A

Played Roderick Meeks[64]Recurring role; 12 episodes.

Lioz Shem Tov

Israel's Got Talent

1

Semi-Finalist

Jeffrey Li

Little Big Shots

1

N/A

Rob Lake

Masters of Illusion

3

N/A

Shin Lim

Penn & Teller: Fool Us

2

Fooler

4

Jimmy Ichihana

Non-Fooler

Flau'jae

The Rap Game

3

Final Four

Troy James

Showtime At The Apollo

1

N/A

Glennis Grace

Eurovision Song Contest

50 (2005)

Semi-Finalist

Dutch contestant with "My Impossible Dream"

Soundmixshow

10 (1994)

Winner

Sang "One Moment in Time" by Whitney Houston

Courtney Hadwin

The Voice Kids (UK)

1

Finalist

One-chair turn from Danny Jones.[65]

Angel Garcia

La Voz Kids (US)

2

Eliminated in the Battles

Auditioned as "Angelito Garcia". One-chair turn from Prince Royce.

Amanda Mena

Winner

Three-chair turner and joined Team Royce.[66]


document_title: Janie's Got a Gun

question_text: who is the girl in janie's got a gun

question_tokens: who is the girl in janie 's got a gun

text: Janie's Got a Gun

text: Song structure[edit]

text: On the album, "Janie's Got a Gun" is preceded by a 10-second instrumental called "Water Song", which features the work of instrumentalist Randy Raine-Reusch, who uses a glass harmonica, wind gong, and bullroarers to produce the special effects heard at the start of the song.[1]

text: Tyler came up with the main riff of "Janie's Got a Gun" using a low-tone setting on his keyboard. Hamilton then came up with the bassline. The guitars and drum parts were configured in later and Tyler wrote the lyrics. The guitar solo is played by Joe Perry and is accompanied by the main riff and rhythmic clapping.

text: Background and writing[edit]

text: Tyler said he came up with the title and melody before he knew what direction he wanted the song to take. It had taken nine months to finish the lyrics; after Tyler read a Newsweek article on gunshot victims, he was able to connect the song with the theme of child abuse and incest.[2][3] The singer declared that "I got really angry that nobody was paying homage to those who were abused by Mom and Dad".[4] The line "He jacked a little bitty baby" was originally "He raped a little bitty baby," but was changed for commercial purposes. Tyler often sings the original line when performing live. In addition, the line "...and put a bullet in his brain" was sometimes changed to "...and left him in the pouring rain" for the radio airplay version to make the song sound less graphic.

text: Content[edit]

text: The song is one of few Aerosmith songs to deal with a heavy social issue. The lyrics are about a girl named Janie who takes revenge on her father after years of being sexually abused by him.

text: Music video[edit]

text: The video, released in 1989, was directed by noted video director and later film director David Fincher. The actress playing Janie is Kristin Dattilo of The Chris Isaak Show fame. Actress Lesley Ann Warren played Janie's mother and actor Nicholas Guest played her father.

text: Covers and other versions[edit]

text: The song was parodied as "Elmo's Got a Gun" by Tommy & Rumble, about Sesame Street character Elmo going on a gruesome killing spree. It is often erroneously attributed to "Weird Al" Yankovic. The song appears on the duo's 1998 album Have a Cigar and has been featured in several fan-made music videos, mostly featured on YouTube.

text: In the 2001 comedy film Not Another Teen Movie, main character Jake is told that in order to seduce a classmate, Janie Briggs, he should sing her a song that features her name. Unfortunately, he chooses to sing "Janie's Got a Gun", which gets Janie tasered and arrested by campus police for suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon.

text: The song title was parodied on The Daily Show on February 13, 2006; at one point, while Jon Stewart and his "correspondents" were mocking the Dick Cheney hunting incident, a placard displayed the caption "Cheney's Got a Gun." A parody song of that same name was written by Bob Rivers and was featured on the website AtomFilms. Three other "Cheney's Got a Gun" parodies were submitted to the popular music parody website AmIRight, along with the Bob Rivers version of the parody.[5]

text: Steven Tyler re-recorded a version of the song for his 2016 solo studio album We're All Somebody from Somewhere.

text: Awards[edit]

text:
The song won the band a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1991. This was the band's first Grammy win.
The song's video won the band an MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video as well as MTV Video Music Award - Viewer's Choice in 1990. These awards marked the band's first VMA wins.

text: Charts[edit]

text:
Charts (1989-1990)
Peak
position

Australia (ARIA)[6]
1

Canada Top Singles (RPM)
2

Italy (FIMI)[7]
47

New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8]
13

Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[9]
12

UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)
76

US Billboard Hot 100
4

US Billboard Album Rock Tracks
2

text:
End of year chart (1990)
Position

US Billboard Hot 100[10]
61

text: Rankings on lists[edit]

text:
"Janie's Got a Gun" ranked #37 on VH1's 100 Greatest '80s Songs.
The video of "Janie's Got A Gun" ranked at #4 for the year of 1990 on MTV.
In 1993, "Rolling Stone: The Top 100 Music Videos" included "Janie" at #95.
In 1999, "MTV: 100 Greatest Videos Ever Made" included it at #48.
In 2001, "VH1: 100 Greatest Videos" included it at #48.