title: Jack and Jill (2011 film)

text: Peter Travers of "Rolling Stone" also argued, "Al Pacino said something great. After he looks at himself in the commercial, he says, 'Burn this! Nobody must ever see this!' That's my review of "Jack and Jill"." Andrew Barker of "Variety" said that the film's "general stupidity, careless direction and reliance on a single-joke premise that was never really funny to begin with are only the most obvious of its problems."


title: Jack and Jill (2011 film)

text: Pacino's performance was positively received, and some critics noted it to be one of the film's best parts, although his presence was questioned. The "London Evening Standard" found the actor (playing himself) to be "slumming" it in providing Jill one of the film's few funny parts.


title: Jack and Jill (2011 film)

text: Despite generally scathing reviews, the film did receive some positive reception. Mick LaSalle of the "San Francisco Chronicle" stated that while he found the character Jill annoying, "almost everything else in this comedy succeeds. The central situation...has comic energy...[the film has] successful bits and big moments of satisfying comedy." Tom Russo of "The Boston Globe" gave the film two and a half out of a possible four stars, writing "What's more genuinely wacky is what a kick this movie can sometimes be, completely in spite of its big, flat stunt." Armond White of CityArts praised the film's "comic introspection," writing that "Sandler's comedies are not 'dumb fun,' maybe that's why they're not in critics' favor."


title: Jack and Jill (2011 film)

text: "Jack and Jill" was in the top five of numerous critics' lists of the worst films of 2011, ranking number one on those of "People"s Alynda Wheat, the "Miami Herald"s Rene Rodriguez, "Time"s Mary Pols, "The A.V. Club" staff, and the "Sioux City Journal"s Bruce Miller. For "Rolling Stone", Peter Travers ranked it the year's second worst film and tied Sandler's performance with Anne Hathaway in "One Day" for his recognition of worst actor of the year. In later years, it has been called one of the worst films of all-time by the "Evening Standard" and "Rotten Tomatoes", as well as one of the worst Sandler films by "Variety".


title: Jack and Jill (2011 film)

text: At the 32nd Golden Raspberry Awards, "Jack and Jill" won all 10 categories, a first in the 32-year history of the annual parody event: Worst Picture (for Sandler, Jack Giarraputo, and Todd Garner), Worst Actor and Worst Actress (for Sandler), Worst Supporting Actor (for Swardson and Pacino, which the latter won), Worst Supporting Actress (for Homles and Spade in drag, which the latter won), Worst Director (for Dugan), Worst Screenplay (for Sandler, Ben Zook, and Steve Koren), Worst Screen Couple (for Sandler and either Pacino, Holmes or Sandler), Worst Ensemble and Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel.


title: Jack and Jill (2011 film)

text: Sandler also set another Razzie record by garnering 12 nominations in total, breaking Eddie Murphy's 2008 five-nomination record for the most garnered by one individual in a single ceremony (for "Norbit"). In addition to "Jack and Jill", he was also nominated for Worst Picture, Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off, or Sequel, and Worst Screenplay nominations for ""; and two Worst Screen Couple awards for "Just Go with It". Razzie founder John J. B. Wilson called "almost karmic for someone to have made that much razz-able stuff in one year", suggesting the actor "angered someone really powerful, I would say".


title: Kendo

text: Swordsmen in Japan established schools of "kenjutsu" (the ancestor of kendo). These continued for centuries and form the basis of kendo practice today. Formal kendo exercises known as "kata" were developed several centuries ago as "kenjutsu" practice for warriors. They are still studied today, in a modified form.


title: Kendo

text: The introduction of bamboo practice swords and armor to sword training is attributed to during the Shotoku Era (1711–1715). Naganuma developed the use of this armor and established a training method using bamboo swords.


title: Kendo

text: , third son of Naganuma and the 8th headmaster of the Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū Kenjutsu, is credited with improving the art with Japanese wooden and bamboo swords, according to his gravestone's inscription. He is also credited with refining the armor by adding a metal grille to the headpiece (面; "men") and thick cotton protective coverings to the gauntlets (小手; "kote"). inherited the tradition from his father Heizaemon in 1708, and the two of them collaborated to improve what would become modern kendo training armor.


title: Kendo

text: Shūsaku Narimasa Chiba , founder of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū Hyōhō (北辰一刀流兵法), introduced "gekiken" (撃剣) (full contact duels with bamboo swords and training armor) to the curriculum of tradition arts in the 1820s. Due to the large number of students of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū Hyōhō at the end of the Edo period, the use of bamboo swords and armor as a form of practice became popular. Modern kendo techniques, such as Suriage-Men and Oikomi-Men, were originally Hokushin Ittō-ryū techniques, were named by Chiba Shūsaku. After the Meiji Restoration in the late 1800s, Sakakibara Kenkichi popularized public "gekiken" for commercial gain, resulting in increased interest in kendo and kenjutsu.


title: Kendo

text: In 1876, five years after a voluntary surrender of swords, the government banned the use of swords by the surviving samurai and initiated sword hunts. Meanwhile, in an attempt to standardize the sword styles ("kenjutsu") used by policemen, Kawaji Toshiyoshi recruited swordsmen from various schools to come up with a unified swordsmanship style. This led to the rise of the "Battotai" (抜刀隊, lit. "Drawn Sword Corps"), consisting mainly of sword-wielding policemen. However, it proved difficult to integrate all sword arts, leading to a compromise of ten practice moves ("kata") for police training. This integration effort led to the development of modern kendo. In 1878, Kawaji wrote a book on swordsmanship, "Gekiken Saikō-ron" (Revitalizing Swordsmanship), stressing sword styles should not disappear with modernization, but should be integrated as necessary skills for the police. He draws a particular example from his experience with the Satsuma Rebellion. The Junsa Kyōshūjo (Patrolman's Training Institute), founded in 1879, provided a curriculum that allowed policemen to study "gekiken" during their off-hours. In the same year, Kawaji wrote another book on swordsmanship, "Kendo Saikō-ron" (Revitalizing Kendo), defending the significance of such sword art training for the police. While Junsa Kyōshūjo remained active only until 1881, the police continued to support such practice.


title: Kendo

text: The Dai Nippon Butoku Kai (DNBK) was established in 1895 to promote martial arts in Japan. It changed the name of the sporting form of swordsmanship, "gekiken", (Kyūjitai: and Shinjitai: , "hitting sword") to "kendō" in 1920.


title: Kendo

text: Kendo (along with other martial arts) was banned in Japan in 1946 by the occupying powers. This was part of "the removal and exclusion from public life of militaristic and ultra-nationalistic persons" in response to the wartime militarization of martial arts instruction in Japan. The DNBK was also disbanded. Kendo was allowed to return to the curriculum in 1950, first as and then as kendo in 1952.


title: Kendo

text: The All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF or ZNKR) was founded in 1952, immediately after Japan's independence was restored and the ban on martial arts in Japan was lifted. It was formed on the principle of kendo not as a martial art, but as educational sport and it has continued to be practiced as such to this day.


title: Kendo

text: The International Kendo Federation (FIK) was founded in April 1970. It is an international federation of national and regional kendo federations, and the world governing body for kendo. The FIK is a non-governmental organization, and it aims to promote and popularize kendo, iaido and jodo.


title: Kendo

text: The International Martial Arts Federation (IMAF), established in Kyoto 1952, was the first international organization founded since WWII to promote the development of martial arts worldwide. Today, IMAF includes kendo as one of the Japanese disciplines.


title: Kendo

text: Practitioners of kendo are called , meaning "someone who practices kendo", or occasionally , meaning "swordsman". Additionally, the old term of "kendoists" is sometimes used.


title: Kendo

text: The Kodansha Meibo, a register of "dan" graded members of the AJKF, lists (as of September 2007) 1.48 million registered "dan" graded "kendōka" in Japan. According to a survey conducted by AJKF, the number of active kendo practitioners in Japan is 477,000, including 290,000 "dan" holders. From these figures, AJKF estimates that the number of "kendōka" in Japan is 1.66 million, with over 6 million practitioners worldwide, with registered "dan" holders and active kendo practitioners without "dan" grade.


title: Kendo

text: In 1975, the All Japan Kendo Federation developed and published "The Concept and Purpose of Kendo" (reproduced below).


title: Kendo

text: Kendo is a way to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the "katana".


title: Kendo

text: Kendo is practiced wearing a traditional Japanese style of clothing, and using one or, less commonly two, .


title: Kendo

text: The "shinai" is meant to represent a Japanese sword ("katana") and is made up of four bamboo slats which are held together by leather fittings. A modern variation of a "shinai" with carbon fiber reinforced resin slats is also used.


title: Kendo

text: Protective armor is worn to protect specified target areas on the head, arms, and body. The head is protected by a stylized helmet, called , with a to protect the face, a series of hard leather and to protect the throat, and padded to protect the side of the neck and shoulders. The forearms, wrists, and hands are protected by long, thickly padded fabric gloves called . The torso is protected by a , while the waist and groin area are protected by the , consisting of three thick vertical fabric flaps or faulds.


title: Kendo

text: The clothing worn under the "bōgu" comprise a jacket ("kendogi" or "keikogi") and "hakama", a garment separated in the middle to form two wide trouser legs.


title: Kendo

text: A is wrapped around the head, under the "men", to absorb perspiration and provide a base for the "men" to fit comfortably.


title: Kendo

text: Kendo training is quite noisy in comparison to some other martial arts or sports. This is because "kendōka" use a shout, or , to express their fighting spirit when striking. Additionally, "kendōka" execute , an action similar to a stamp of the front foot, during a strike.


title: Kendo

text: Like some other martial arts, "kendōka" train and fight barefoot. Kendo is ideally practiced in a purpose-built "dōjō", though standard sports halls and other venues are often used. An appropriate venue has a clean and wooden sprung floor, suitable for "fumikomi-ashi".


title: Kendo

text: Kendo techniques comprise both strikes and thrusts. Strikes are only made towards specified on the wrists, head, or body, all of which are protected by armor. The targets are "men", "sayu-men" or "Yoko-men" (upper, left or right side of the "men"), the right "kote" at any time, the left "kote" when it is in a raised position, and the left or right side of the "dō". are only allowed to the throat. However, since an incorrectly performed thrust could cause serious injury to the opponent's neck, thrusting techniques in free practice and competition are often restricted to senior "dan" graded "kendōka".


title: Kendo

text: Once a "kendōka" begins practice in armor, a practice session may include any or all of the following types of practice:


title: Kendo

text: Techniques are divided into "shikake-waza" (仕掛け技; to initiate a strike) and "ōji-waza" (応じ技; a response to an attempted strike). "Kendōka" who wish to use such techniques during practice or competitions often practice each technique with a "motodachi". This is a process that requires patience. The "kendōka" and "motodachi" practice the technique slowly at first; as familiarity and confidence build, they increase the speed to the level used in matches and competitions.


title: Kendo

text: These attack techniques are used to create an opening in an opponent by initiating an attack, or striking boldly when the opponent has created an opening. Such techniques include:


title: Kendo

text: This is a technique used when one's opponent has weak "kisei" (spirit, vigor) or when they yield an opening under pressure. Always hold "kisei" and strike quickly.


title: Kendo

text: Body and "shinai" will lose balance as the initiator strikes or when being attacked. This technique takes advantage of this to help execute a strike. A good example is "Hikibana-kote" when a strike is made to an opponent's "kote" as they feel threatened and raise their "kensen" as the initiator pushes forward.


title: Kendo

text: This provides a surprise attack by lifting the "shinai" over the initiator's shoulder before striking. Here a skillful use of the "kensen" and spirited attack is crucial for effective "katsugi-waza" or luring the opponent into breaking their posture.


title: Kendo

text: There are two types. The first is for moving to the next "waza" after a failed first strike, and the second holds the opponent's attention and posture to create the opening for a second strike. The former requires a continuous rhythm of correct strikes. The latter requires continuous execution of "waza", to take advantage of the opponent's opening.


title: Kendo

text: This can be used if one's opponent's stance has no opening when the opponent tries to attack. The opponent's "shinai" is either knocked down from above or swept up from below with a resulting strike just when their stance is broken.


title: Kendo

text: This technique involves striking the opponent as they are about to strike. This is because their concentration will be on striking and their posture will have no flexibility to respond. Thus "debana-waza" is ideal. This can be to any part of the opponent's body, with valid strikes being: "debana-men", "debana-kote", and "debana-Tsuki".


title: Kendo

text: These counter-attack techniques are performed by executing a strike after responding or avoiding an attempted strike by the opponent. This can also be achieved by inducing the opponent to attack, then employing one of the "Ōji-waza".


title: Kendo

text: Avoiding an attack from another, then instantly responding. Here, timing has to be correct. A response that is too slow or fast may not be effective. Therefore, close attention to an opponent's every move is required.


title: Kendo

text: If struck by an opponent's "shinai", this technique sweeps up their "shinai" in a rising-slide motion, with the right ("ura") or left ("omote") side of the "shinai". Then strike in the direction of their "shinai", or at the opening resulting from their composure's collapse. This technique needs to be smooth. That is, don't separate the rising-slide motion and the upward-sweeping motion or it will not be successful. Valid strikes include: "men-suriage-men", "kote-suriage-men", "men-suriage-do", "kote-suriage-kote", and "Tsuki-suriage-men".


title: Kendo

text: This "waza" knocks an opponent's "shinai" to the right or left. This neutralises a potential strike and gives the ideal chance to strike as an opponent is off-balance. For success, the distance between oneself and the opponent has to be correctly perceived, and then one knocks down their "shinai" before their arm fully extends. Valid strikes include: "do-uchiotoshi-men" and "Tsuki-uchiotoshi-men".


title: Kendo

text: This technique is a response. As the opponent strikes, the opponent parries their "shinai" with the initiator's. They then flip over (turn over the hands) and strike their opposite side. Valid strikes include: "men-kaeshi-men", "men-kaeshi-kote", "men-kaeshi-do", "kote-kaeshi-men", "kote-kaeshi-kote", and "do-kaeshi-men".


title: Kendo

text: A scorable in a kendo competition ("tai-kai") is defined as an accurate strike or thrust made onto a "datotsu-bui" of the opponent's "kendo-gu" with the "shinai" making contact at its "datotsu-bu", the competitor displaying high spirits, correct posture and followed by "zanshin".


title: Kendo

text: "Datotsu-bu" of the "shinai" is the forward, or blade side ("jin-bu") of the top third ("monouchi") of the "shinai".


title: Kendo

text: , or continuation of awareness, must be present and shown throughout the execution of the strike and the "kendōka" must be mentally and physically ready to attack again.


title: Kendo

text: In competition, there are usually three . Each referee holds a red flag and a white flag in opposing hands. To award a point, a referee raises the flag corresponding to the color of the ribbon worn by the scoring competitor. Usually, at least two referees must agree for a point to be awarded. Play is stopped after each point is awarded.


title: Kendo

text: Kendo competitions are usually a three-point match. The first competitor to score two points, therefore, wins the match. If the time limit is reached and only one competitor has a point, that competitor wins.


title: Kendo

text: The All Japan Kendo Championship is regarded as the most prestigious kendo championship. Despite it being the national championship for only Japanese "kendōka", kendo practitioners all over the world consider the All Japan Kendo Championship as the championship with the highest level of competitive kendo. The World Kendo Championships have been held every three years since 1970. They are organised by the International Kendo Federation (FIK) with the support of the host nation's kendo federation. The European championship is held every year, except in those years in which there is a world championship. Kendo is also one of the martial arts in the World Combat Games.


title: Kendo

text: Technical achievement in kendo is measured by advancement in grade, rank or level. The and grading system, created in 1883, is used to indicate one's proficiency in kendo. The "dan" levels are from to . There are usually six grades below first-dan, known as "kyu". The "kyu" numbering is in reverse order, with being the grade immediately below first dan, and being the lowest grade. There are no visible differences in dress between kendo grades; those below dan-level may dress the same as those above dan-level.


title: Kendo

text: In Japan, kyu ranks are generally held by children. The exam for 1st kyu (ikkyū) is often their first exam and grade. Adults generally will do their 1st dan (shodan) as their first exam. In most other countries outside of Japan, kendoka go through every kyu rank before being eligible for dan ranks.


title: Kendo

text: All examination candidates face a panel of examiners. A larger, more qualified panel is usually assembled to assess the higher "dan" grades. Kendo examinations typically consist of "jitsugi", a demonstration of the skill of the applicants, "Nihon Kendo Kata," and a written exam. The eighth-"dan" kendo exam is extremely difficult, with a reported pass rate of less than 1 percent.


title: Kendo

text: can be earned in addition to the above "dan" grades by "kendōka" of a defined "dan" grade. These are , , and . The title is affixed to the front of the "dan" grade when said, for example . The qualifications for each title are below.


title: Kendo

text: "Kata" are fixed patterns that teach "kendōka" the basic elements of swordsmanship. The "kata" include fundamental techniques of attacking and counter-attacking, and have useful practical application in general kendo. There are ten . These are generally practiced with . Occasionally, real swords or swords with a blunt edge, called or , may be used for display of "kata".


title: Kendo

text: All are performed by two people: the , the teacher, and , the student. The "uchidachi" makes the first move or attack in each "kata". As this is a teaching role, the "uchidachi" is always the losing side, thus allowing the "shidachi" to learn and to gain confidence.


title: Kendo

text: "Kata" one to seven are performed with both partners using a normal length wooden sword. "Kata" eight to ten are performed with "uchidachi" using a normal length weapon and "shidachi" using a shorter one ("kodachi").


title: Kendo

text: The forms of the were finalized in 1933 based on the "Dai nihon Teikoku Kendo Kata", composed in 1912. It is impossible to link the individual forms of "Dai nihon Teikoku Kendo Kata" to their original influences, although the genealogical reference diagram does indicate the masters of the various committees involved, and it is possible from this to determine the influences and origins of Kendo and the Kata.


title: Kendo

text: In 2003, the All Japan Kendo Federation introduced , a set of basic exercises using a "bokuto". This form of practice is intended primarily for "kendōka" up to , but is very useful for all kendo students who are organized under FIK.


title: Kendo

text: "Kata" can also be treated as competitions where players are judged upon their performance and technique.


title: Kendo

text: Many national and regional organizations manage and promote kendo activities outside Japan. The major organizing body is the International Kendo Federation (FIK). The FIK is a non-governmental international federation of national and regional kendo organisations. An aim of the FIK is to provide a link between Japan and the international kendo community and to promote and popularize kendo, iaido and jodo. The FIK was established in 1970 with 17 national federations. The number of affiliated and recognized organizations has increased over the years to 57 (as of May 2015). The FIK is recognized by SportAccord as a 'Full Member'. and by the World Anti-Doping Agency.


title: Kendo

text: Other organizations that promote the study of Japanese martial arts, including kendo, are the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai (DNBK) and the International Martial Arts Federation (IMAF). The current DNBK has no connection to the pre-war organization, although it shares the same goals. The International Martial Arts Federation (IMAF) was established in Kyoto in 1952 and is dedicated to the promotion and development of the martial arts worldwide, including kendo.


title: It Comes at Night

text: It Comes at Night is a 2017 American psychological horror film written and directed by Trey Edward Shults. It stars Joel Edgerton, Christopher Abbott, Carmen Ejogo, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Riley Keough. The film focuses on a family hiding in a forest as the Earth is taken over by a highly contagious disease.


title: It Comes at Night

text: The film had its premiere at the Overlook Film Festival at Timberline Lodge in Oregon on April 29, 2017, and was theatrically released on June 9, 2017 in the United States, by A24. It was positively received by critics but less well received by the general public, and grossed over $20 million worldwide.


title: It Comes at Night

text: A highly contagious disease ravages the planet. A couple, Paul and Sarah, and their teenage son Travis are secluded in their home deep in the woods in an undisclosed location. After Sarah's father, Bud, contracts the disease, they kill him, and burn his body in a shallow grave.


title: It Comes at Night

text: That night, they capture an intruder breaking into the house. Paul ties him to a tree, and places a bag over his head overnight to confirm he is not suffering from the disease. The stranger, Will, explains he did not know the house was occupied, and was searching for fresh water for his wife and his young son. Will offers to trade some of their food for water. Sarah suggests bringing the strangers to their home, reasoning the more people, the easier it would be to defend themselves, if and when necessary. Paul reluctantly agrees, and drives Will to collect his family. Along the way, they are ambushed by two men. Paul kills them, while accusing Will of setting him up. Will explains he fought them, and assuages Paul's mistrust.


title: It Comes at Night

text: Paul returns with Will, his wife Kim, and son Andrew. After establishing the rules Paul and Sarah use to stay safe, including a) keeping the only entrance locked with a key Paul or Sarah wear around their neck, and b) keeping nighttime excursions to a minimum, the two families establish a sense of normality, and grow closer.


title: It Comes at Night

text: One day, Travis's dog Stanley begins barking aggressively at an unseen presence and chases it into the woods. Travis follows the dog into the woods before Stanley's barking suddenly ceases. Travis insists to Paul and Will he heard something in the woods. They return home after Paul assures Travis that Stanley knows the woods and will find his way home. That night, Will seemingly contradicts a story he told Paul earlier about his and Kim's activities prior to finding the abandoned house. Paul's response suggests an increasing distrust of Will.


title: It Comes at Night

text: That evening, Travis discovers Andrew sleeping on the floor of Bud's old room suffering from a nightmare. Travis leads him back to his parents' room before hearing a sound from downstairs. Travis finds the front door of the house is slightly open, and he hears noises. He wakes the others. They investigate, finding a bleeding and gravely-sick Stanley on the floor. They kill and burn the dog. After Travis reveals the door was open before he came downstairs, Sarah suggests sleepwalking Andrew opened the door. Kim argues the possibility as tensions rise. Paul suspects Andrew is infected, and decides they should quarantine in their separate rooms for a couple of days so they can calm down and ensure no one is sick. That evening, Travis is awakened by a nightmare about his grandfather.


title: It Comes at Night

text: The next morning, Travis overhears Andrew crying constantly. A distraught Kim tells Will they need to leave. Travis informs his parents Andrew might be infected, and, as such, he too may be infected. Paul and Sarah don protective masks and gloves, and take weapons to confront Kim and Will. After Paul asks to be let in to see if Andrew is sick, Will draws a gun and takes Paul captive. Will insists his family is healthy, repeatedly tells Andrew to keep his eyes shut and orders Paul to remove the mask. Will demands Paul give him "...a fair share..." of food and water so they can leave. Sarah and Paul overwhelm Will, and force him and his family outside. Will attacks Paul, and tries to beat him to death until Sarah shoots Will in the back. He dies from his wound. Kim flees into the woods with Andrew. Paul fires at them, killing Andrew, and then fires again to kill Kim.


title: It Comes at Night

text: Later, Travis awakens in bed, visibly sick. His mother comforts him as he dies. Paul and Sarah, now visibly infected, sit at the dinner table in silence. They share a shattered, devastated look.


title: It Comes at Night

text: Shults began writing the film after the death of his father as a way of dealing with the pain. He cites Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s 1562 oil painting "The Triumph of Death" as inspiration and it features prominently in the movie and its first trailer. Although the film is post-apocalyptic Shults did not look to any other such films as inspiration; instead, he cited the work of Paul Thomas Anderson and John Cassavetes and the films "Night of the Living Dead" and "The Shining" as inspirations. To the later point, the film takes some influences from "The Shining"s Overlook Hotel in that the layout of the house is deliberately vague and never properly established. Shults has described it "as this kind of labyrinth" and a metaphor for "the mesh of Travis' head".


title: It Comes at Night

text: In June 2016, Joel Edgerton joined the cast of the film. In August 2016, it was announced that Christopher Abbott, Riley Keough and Carmen Ejogo had also joined the cast.


title: It Comes at Night

text: The film had its world premiere at Overlook Film Festival at Timberline Lodge, Oregon, on April 29, 2017. The film was scheduled to be released on August 25, 2017, but was rescheduled for June 9, 2017.


title: It Comes at Night

text: "It Comes at Night" grossed $14 million in the United States and Canada and $5.7 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $19.7 million.


title: It Comes at Night

text: "It Comes at Night" was released alongside "The Mummy" and "Megan Leavey", and was expected to gross around $7 million from 2,533 theaters in its opening weekend, with a chance of making as much as $12 million. It made $700,000 from Thursday night previews and $2.4 million on its first day. It ended up debuting to $6 million, finishing 6th at the box office. "Deadline Hollywood" noted the film's poor audience word-of-mouth led to a drop of potential Saturday and Sunday sales.


title: It Comes at Night

text: On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 87% based on 252 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads, ""It Comes at Night" makes lethally effective use of its bare-bones trappings while proving once again that what's left unseen can be just as horrifying as anything on the screen." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score 78 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "D" on an A+ to F scale.


title: It Comes at Night

text: Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com gave the film a thumbs up, saying "It is a movie in which the villains are loss, grief, pain, fear and distrust — very human emotions — and it has no traditional brain-eaters." He added that "it is one of the most terrifying films in years".


title: The Silence (2019 film)

text: The Silence is a 2019 horror film directed by John R. Leonetti and starring Kiernan Shipka, Stanley Tucci, Miranda Otto, and John Corbett. The screenplay by Carey and Shane Van Dyke adapts the 2015 horror novel of the same name by Tim Lebbon. The film depicts a world under attack by creatures who hunt by sound. Shipka plays a deaf teenager who seeks shelter with her family, and a cult tries to take advantage of her fertility.


title: The Silence (2019 film)

text: Netflix released "The Silence" on April 10, 2019. It was also released in theaters in seven countries in the rest of 2019, grossing $2.3 million.


title: The Silence (2019 film)

text: A cave research team unearths an unknown species of pterosaur-like creature, referred to as "vesps", from a mine. The vesps violently kill the researchers, fly out of the mine, and seek the noisiest areas.


title: The Silence (2019 film)

text: Ally Andrews, a teenage girl who lost her hearing in a car accident, lives with her parents Hugh and Kelly Andrews; her maternal grandmother Lynn, who has terminal lung cancer; her brother Jude; and a pet dog. As news of the vesp outbreak spreads, the U.S. government declares a state of emergency and asks people to stay indoors and quiet. Hugh recommended the family to put their cellphones on silent mode, and, they see four videos, one showing two victims running, the second one showing a mother and her child in a car. The child has her mouth taped,


title: The Silence (2019 film)

text: and the mother shows a note written, "Don't make noise". The third one shows the cave research team screaming, and it cuts to another shot of the vesps fleeing, shortly before getting interrupted by an emergency broadcast. Ally suggests they head to the countryside, which is likely to be quieter. Glenn, Hugh's best friend, joins them and brings his guns. They set out in two cars, but a man tries to hijack Hugh's car, risking the family. Glenn shoots the man in the leg, and they drive away.


title: The Silence (2019 film)

text: The group hits a massive traffic jam, blocking all the interstates, and Glenn goes off-road. Speeding through the countryside, Glenn's car hits a herd of fleeing deer and tumbles down the embankment. He survives but is trapped in the car. Hugh and Kelly fail to free him, and Glenn asks Hugh to leave. As the Andrews family returns to their car, their dog barks, attracting the vesps. Glenn fires his gun, leading them away from the Andrews and sacrificing himself. To keep his family safe, Hugh is forced to let their dog out of the car to die.


title: The Silence (2019 film)

text: Hugh leads his family on foot after setting Glenn's car on fire as a decoy. Lynn struggles to keep up, and her coughing puts the family at risk. The family finds a house with a high fence and locked gate. The homeowner, unaware of the situation, comes out and speaks and the vesps rip her apart. The family uses a storm drain to enter the house. A rattlesnake appears in front of Jude, attracting the vesps with its rattle they proceed to attack it. The attracted vesps bite Kelly's leg from behind. Hugh distracts them by turning on a woodchipper, crushing the vesps flying into it, and the family enters the house.


title: The Silence (2019 film)

text: Ally contacts her boyfriend, Rob, who tells her his parents are dead. She learns that religious cults have sprung up in the wake of the disaster. By morning, Kelly's wound is infected, so Hugh and Ally leave to find antibiotics. At the store, Ally discovers vesp eggs growing inside corpses. The tongueless reverend of a cult tries to recruit them, but Hugh and Ally leave. They return with the antibiotics and Kelly recovers. Ally learns from the internet that vesps cannot survive in the cold, prompting the family in planning to head to the north.


title: The Silence (2019 film)

text: The reverend finds the family's hide-out and shows up with his followers, revealing that he intends to recruit Ally. Hugh brings out his gun, forcing the cultists to leave. Rob lets Ally know he is headed north to "the refuge". Hugh and Kelly find a little girl at the door in the middle of the night. After letting her in, they find she is a member of the tongueless cult. Phones strapped to her and placed around the house go off, attracting vesps. The cult members abduct Ally but Grandma Lynn runs outside to help her. Lynn holds Ally's captors down and screams; vesps kill her and the captors while Ally escapes. The family fights back and kills most of the cult, including the reverend.


title: The Silence (2019 film)

text: Weeks later, the family treks across America and arrives at the refuge. Ally finds Rob and they hunt the vesps with arrows. Ally wonders whether the vesps will adapt to the cold and whether humans will adapt to a soundless lifestyle, like she did when she lost her hearing.


title: The Silence (2019 film)

text: "The Silence" is based on the 2015 horror novel of the same name by Tim Lebbon. The film is directed by John R. Leonetti based on an adapted screenplay by Carey Van Dyke and Shane Van Dyke. Actors Kiernan Shipka and Stanley Tucci were cast in the film in May 2017. In the following August, additional cast members were hired.


title: The Silence (2019 film)

text: According to the film's production notes, the creatures are named "Vesps" after the Spanish "avispa", meaning wasps. Director John R. Leonetti said that research was done into other cave creatures in order to design the Vesps. "Their skin is translucent, they have wings and they fly, but they also crawl and lay eggs like reptiles ... A lot of scientific research went into the design, the creation, and the computer animation of the creatures, right down to the detail of every joint, every vessel, and every move they make."


title: The Silence (2019 film)

text: Netflix released "The Silence" on April 10, 2019. Global Road Entertainment originally acquired in December 2017 the U.S. distribution rights to the film. The distributor had financial troubles, and in a failed attempt to avoid bankruptcy, Global Road sold distribution rights to various films, including "The Silence", to Netflix.


title: The Silence (2019 film)

text: The film was also released in seven countries around the world like Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Bolivia, Singapore, South Korea, and China, grossing over $2.3 million.


title: The Silence (2019 film)

text: Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The site's critics' consensus reads: ""The Silence" has nothing new to say with a derivative premise and placid pacing -- even a wasted Stanley Tucci is unable to elevate the stodgy material a decibel above dreadful." Metacritic assigned the film a score of 25 out of 100 from 4 critics, reflecting "generally unfavorable reviews".


title: The Silence (2019 film)

text: Scott Tobias, reviewing for "The New York Times", called "The Silence" "niche-targeted dreck" where "only a quality cast and more generous production values can cover up the shoddy stitching". Tobias said despite the film's depiction of "a grand evolutionary struggle... every moment feels like regression". "RogerEbert.com"s Brian Tallerico said that "The Silence" was "a dull retread of ideas explored more interestingly in other films and TV shows", and went on to say, "'The Silence' is barely a horror movie, and that's its biggest problem. A horror movie needs stakes, and you just never feel them here."


title: The Silence (2019 film)

text: Hearing actress Kiernan Shipka plays the lead character, a deaf teenager who battles monsters. Shipka learned some parts of American Sign Language for the role, and director John R. Leonetti said in an interview, "She learned to sign for the film, and now she's flawless, like she's been signing her entire life. She seems to have an almost innate sense of what it's like being a deaf person." Deaf celebrities Nyle DiMarco and Marlee Matlin and other members of the deaf community criticized Leonetti for saying that Shipka learning to sign was synonymous with knowing the culturally deaf experience and for undermining deaf representation by casting a hearing actor. DiMarco also criticized Shipka's ASL grammar, and others pointed out plot holes related to her character being deaf.


title: The Silence (2019 film)

text: "The Silence" was compared to "A Quiet Place", a 2018 horror film with a similar premise. The novel "The Silence" was published in 2015, and filming of the adaptation took place in 2017, at the same time as "A Quiet Place". While "The Silence" was acquired by a distributor, it was not released in theaters and was later picked up by Netflix. "Quartz"s Adam Epstein said while the parallel productions were coincidental, he compared "The Silence" to mockbusters (low-budget films that exploit blockbusters), highlighting that one of its screenwriters, Shane Van Dyke, wrote several scripts for The Asylum, a studio that specializes in mockbusters. The novel's author Tim Lebbon admitted that the two films' similarities are "a little troubling" and defended the film adaptation of his novel, "There are similarities, of course, but I'm confident that the movie of "The Silence" will stand on its own."


title: The Silence (2019 film)

text: "The Guardian"s Charles Bramesco called "The Silence" "a shoddy remix" of "A Quiet Place" and said, ""The Silence" exists for the sole purpose of being digitally sorted into a list of recommendations For Viewers Who Liked "Bird Box", though that classification would be more accurately clocked as For Viewers Who Liked "A Quiet Place"... the demographic they're really after would be something closer to Viewers Who Have Trouble Telling Similar Things Apart." "Decider"s Anna Menta compared the films, ""The Silence" is much darker and gorier than "A Quiet Place"," and found "The Silence" to look low-budget in production values. Menta said "The Silence" was started before the invasion while "A Quiet Place" was set fully after the invasion. She noted the criticism of "The Silence" for having a hearing actor as a deaf character and highlighted its additional elements, a teen romance and a religious cult.


title: The Silence (2019 film)

text: Writing for Comic Book Resources, Renaldo Matadeen contrasted "The Silence" from "A Quiet Place", writing, "There are quite a few plot threads which make it clear the Netflix movie is far from a rip-off and is, in fact, it's [sic] own thing." Matadeen said "The Silence"s deaf teenage girl can read lips and speak, "After a while, you almost forget Ally is deaf, resulting in the film lacking some of the genuine tension of "A Quiet Place". He found the creatures "totally different" as well as the times compared to the creature invasion. While both films have "a somewhat similar format" in families trying to survive the creatures, "In "The Silence", we get interference from external segments of mankind via the Hushed."


title: Soundtrack album

text: A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", the soundtrack to the film of the same name, in 1938. The first soundtrack album of a film's orchestral score was that for Alexander Korda's 1942 film "Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book", composed by Miklós Rózsa.


title: Soundtrack album

text: When a feature film is released, or during and after a television series airs, an album in the form of a soundtrack is frequently released alongside it.


title: Soundtrack album

text: A soundtrack typically contains instrumentation or alternatively a film score. But it can also feature songs that were sung or performed by characters in a scene (or a cover version of a song in the media, rerecorded by a popular artist), songs that were used as intentional or unintentional background music in important scenes, songs that were heard in the closing credits, or songs for no apparent reason related to the media other than for promotion, that were included in a soundtrack.


title: Soundtrack album

text: Soundtracks are usually released on major record labels (just as if they were released by a musical artist), and the songs and the soundtrack itself can also be on music charts, and win musical awards.


title: Soundtrack album

text: By convention, a "soundtrack" record can contain any kind of music including music "inspired by" but not actually appearing in the movie; the "score" contains only music by the original film's composers.


title: Soundtrack album

text: Contemporaneously, a soundtrack can go against normality, (most typically used in popular culture franchises) and contains recently released or exclusive never before released original pop music selections, (some of which become high-charting records on their own, which due to being released on another franchises title, peaked because of that) and is simply used for promotional purposes for well known artists, or new or unknown artists. These soundtracks contain music not at all heard in the film/television series, and any artistic or lyrical connection is purely coincidental.


title: Soundtrack album

text: However depending on the genre of the media the soundtrack of popular songs would have a set pattern; a lighthearted romance might feature easy listening love songs, whilst a more dark thriller would compose of hard rock or urban music.


title: Soundtrack album

text: In 1908, Camille Saint-Saëns composed the first music specifically for use in a motion picture (L'assasinat du duc de Guise), and releasing recordings of songs used in films became prevalent in the 1930s. Henry Mancini, who won an Emmy Award and two Grammys for his soundtrack to "Peter Gunn", was the first composer to have a widespread hit with a song from a soundtrack.


title: Soundtrack album

text: Before the 1970s, soundtracks (with a few exceptions), accompanied towards musicals, and was an album that featured vocal and instrumental, (and instrumental versions of vocal songs) musical selections performed by cast members. Or cover versions of songs sung by another artist.


title: Soundtrack album

text: After the 1970s, soundtracks started to include more diversity, and music consumers would anticipate a motion picture or television soundtrack. Majority of top charting songs were those featured or released on a film or television soundtrack album.


title: Soundtrack album

text: Nowadays, the term "soundtrack" sort of subsided. It now mostly commonly refers to instrumental background music used in that media. Popular songs featured in a film or television series are instead highlighted and referenced in the credits, not a part of a "soundtrack".


title: Soundtrack album

text: In advertisements or store listings, soundtrack albums are sometimes confused with original cast albums. These are albums made with the original stage cast of a musical, and are recorded by the cast either in live performance or in a studio, not transferred from a movie soundtrack.


title: Soundtrack album

text: In some cases, recorded dialogue may be incorporated into the soundtrack album. This comes in two kinds: audio clips from the movie itself (used on the albums for "Pulp Fiction" and "Apollo 13", for example) or radio dramas that involve the characters from the movie involved in other events (example: "King of Pirates", from "FLCL"). The unusual first soundtrack album of the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz", issued in 1956 in conjunction with the film's first telecast, was virtually a condensed version of the film, with enough dialogue on the album for the listener to be able to easily follow the plot, as was the first soundtrack album of the 1968 "Romeo and Juliet", and the soundtrack albums of "The Taming of the Shrew" (1967 version), "Cromwell", and "Little Big Man". In the case of "Patton", the bulk of the album featured the film's musical score, while the opening and final tracks featured George C. Scott's opening and closing speeches from the movie. The highly unusual soundtrack album of the 1972 mystery film "Sleuth" was designed as a sort of teaser, with Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine's voices heard for the first three minutes, after which the dialogue was abruptly cut off and the musical score of the film took over, forcing listeners to "see the film if they wished to know what the mystery was all about."


title: Soundtrack album

text: In a few rare instances, the "complete" soundtrack for a film — dialogue, music, sound effects, etc. — has been released. One notable example was a 3-LP set of the 1977 Rankin-Bass film "The Hobbit". Because this particular film was produced for television, it lent itself well to the LP format: built-in commercial insert points were used to end each LP side, thus avoiding any additional editing. Another example was the above-mentioned Zeffirelli "Romeo and Juliet" – the movie proved so popular that two years after the film's original release, an album set of the complete soundtrack was released. Still another example was the Laurence Olivier "Richard III", the soundtrack of which was released as a 3-LP album by RCA Victor in 1955.


title: Soundtrack album

text: Sometimes tracks not in the movie are included in the album, especially on a CD release of the soundtrack as opposed to an LP. Some of these may be "outtakes" (songs or instrumental music recorded for use in the movie but "cut" in the final edit as released), or they may have been used in trailers but not in the movie itself. Examples include the "" soundtrack. Two other well-known examples are the soundtrack albums to Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel" and "The King and I" both of which include two or more songs not heard in the finished film.


title: Soundtrack album

text: Soundtrack albums account for the bulk of the Indian music industry. Music from the Indian film industry, particularly the music of Bollywood, usually sells more than Indian pop records.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: The Lion King is a musical play based on the 1994 Walt Disney Animation Studios' animated feature film of the same name with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and book by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi, along with additional music and lyrics by Lebo M., Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor, and Hans Zimmer. Directed by Taymor, the musical features actors in animal costumes as well as giant, hollow puppets. The show is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: The musical debuted on July 8, 1997, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at the Orpheum Theatre and was successful before premiering on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre on October 15, 1997, in previews, with the official opening on November 13, 1997. On June 13, 2006, the Broadway production moved to the Minskoff Theatre to make way for the musical version of "Mary Poppins", where it is still running after more than 9,000 performances. It is Broadway's third longest-running show in history, and has grossed more than $1 billion, making it the highest grossing Broadway production of all time. Over 112 million people worldwide have seen the musical and it has earned numerous awards and honors, including six Tony Awards, one for Best Musical and Best Direction of a Musical, making director Julie Taymor the first woman to earn such an honor.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: The show opened in the West End's Lyceum Theatre on October 19, 1999, and is still running after more than 7,500 performances. The cast of the West End production were invited to perform at the Royal Variety Performance in 1999 and 2008, in the presence of senior members of the British Royal Family. The theatre flooded on May 11, 2020, while the theatre was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "The Lion King" reopened at the Lyceum in July 2021.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: In September 2014, "The Lion King" became the top-earning title in box-office history for both stage works and films, surpassing the record previously held by "The Phantom of the Opera". The musical has grossed nearly as of 2017.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: As of March 12, 2020, the show suspended production on Broadway due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "The Lion King" resumed Broadway performances on September 14, 2021.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: As the sun rises, Rafiki the mandrill calls the animals to Pride Rock. She greets King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi before presenting their cub to the gathered animals ("Circle of Life"). Elsewhere, Mufasa's brother, Scar, laments his lost chance at becoming King. Back at her baobab tree, Rafiki paints an image of the cub and asks the spirits to conjure the new prince's name: Simba.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: Time passes and Simba grows into a lively young cub ("Grasslands Chant"). Mufasa shows Simba the Pride Lands from the top of Pride Rock and explains that everything exists in a delicate balance known as the Circle of Life. Mufasa warns Simba not to stray beyond the boundaries of the Pride Lands, pointing out a shadowy area in the distance. Zazu, a hornbill who acts as Mufasa's advisor, arrives and delivers his daily report on the state of affairs in the King's domain ("The Morning Report", now cut from the Broadway production).


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: Simba goes to see his Uncle Scar. The scheming lion piques the cub's curiosity by mentioning the elephant graveyard, where Simba is forbidden to go. Meanwhile, the lionesses go hunting ("The Lioness Hunt"). Simba arrives and asks his best friend, a female cub named Nala, to come with him to the elephant graveyard. He lies to the lionesses about where they are going, and Sarafina (Nala's mother) and Sarabi allow the cubs to go, escorted by Zazu. Simba and Nala formulate a plan and manage to lose Zazu, while Simba brags about his future position ("I Just Can't Wait to Be King").


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: The cubs go to the graveyard and begin to explore. Zazu catches up, but they are confronted by three hyenas: Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. The hyenas intend to eat the trespassers and they gloat about their find ("Chow Down"). Mufasa rescues the cubs and frightens off the hyenas.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: Mufasa is disappointed and angry at Simba's reckless disobedience, and explains the difference between bravery and bravado. Mufasa tells Simba about the great kings of the past and how they watch over everything from the stars ("They Live in You"). Mufasa says that he will always be there for his son. Later he discusses Simba's behavior with Zazu, who reminds Mufasa that he had the same tendency to get into trouble at Simba's age.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: Back at the elephant graveyard, Scar tells the hyenas of his plan to kill Mufasa and Simba so that he can become king. He raises an army of hyenas, promising that they will never go hungry again if they support him ("Be Prepared"). Scar takes Simba to a gorge and tells him to wait there. On Scar's signal, the hyenas start a wildebeest stampede into the gorge ("The Stampede"). Scar tells Mufasa that Simba is trapped in the gorge. Mufasa leaps into the stampede and manages to save his son, but as he tries to escape, Scar throws him off the cliff back into the stampede, killing him. Scar convinces Simba that his father's death was his fault and tells him to run away, but as he leaves, Scar orders the hyenas to kill him. Simba escapes but the hyenas tell Scar that he is dead. Rafiki and the lionesses mourn the deaths ("Rafiki Mourns"). Scar claims the throne and allows the hyenas into the Pride Lands ("Be Prepared (Reprise)"). Rafiki returns to her tree and smears the drawing of Simba, while Sarabi and Nala quietly grieve.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: Out in the desert, Simba collapses from heat exhaustion. Vultures begin to circle, but are scared away by Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the warthog. Simba feels responsible for Mufasa's death, but the duo take the cub to their jungle home and show him their carefree way of life and bug diet ("Hakuna Matata"). Simba grows to adulthood in the jungle.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: The chorus, dressed in colorful clothes with ornate bird puppets and kites, begin the Second Act ("One by One"). As the song ends, however, the beautiful birds are replaced by vultures and gazelle skeletons. Under Scar's rule, the Circle of Life is out of balance and a drought has hit the Pride Lands. Zazu, now a prisoner of Scar, listens to the king's woes. The hyenas are complaining about the lack of food, but Scar is only concerned with himself and why he is not loved. He is haunted by visions of Mufasa and rapidly switches between delusional confidence and paranoid despair ("The Madness of King Scar"). Nala arrives to confront Scar about the famine and Scar decides she will be his queen and give him cubs. Nala fiercely rebukes him and resolves to leave the Pride Lands to find help. Rafiki and the lionesses bless her for her journey ("Shadowland").


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: Back in the jungle, Timon and Pumbaa want to sleep, but the restless Simba is unable to settle. Annoyed, Simba leaves them, but Timon and Pumbaa lose their courage and follow him. Simba leaps across a fast-moving river and challenges Timon to do the same. Timon falls in and is swept downstream. He grabs a branch over a waterfall and calls for Simba's help, but Simba is paralyzed by a flashback of Mufasa's death. Timon falls from the branch and Simba snaps out of the flashback, rescuing his friend. Simba is ashamed that Timon nearly died because of his recklessness.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: The three friends settle to sleep and discuss the stars. Simba recalls Mufasa's words, but his friends laugh at the notion of dead kings watching them. Simba leaves, expressing his loneliness and bitterly recalling Mufasa's promise to be there for him ("Endless Night"). Rafiki hears the song on the wind, joyfully realizes that Simba is alive, and draws a mane onto her painting of Simba.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: In the jungle, Pumbaa is hunted and chased by a lioness. Simba confronts her and saves his friend, but recognizes the lioness as Nala. She is amazed to find Simba alive, knowing that he is the rightful king. Timon and Pumbaa are confused, but Simba asks them to leave him and Nala alone. Timon realizes what is happening and laments the end of Simba's Hakuna Matata lifestyle ("Can You Feel the Love Tonight"). Nala tells Simba about the devastated Pride Lands, but Simba still feels responsible for Mufasa's death and refuses to return home.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: On his own, Simba meets Rafiki, who explains that his father lives on ("He Lives in You"). Mufasa's spirit appears in the sky and tells Simba he is the one true king and must take his place in the Circle of Life. Reawakened, Simba finds his courage and heads for home. Meanwhile, Nala wakes Timon and Pumbaa to ask where Simba is, and Rafiki appears to tell them all the news. The three of them catch up with him in the Pride Lands, where he witnesses the ruin of his home. Timon and Pumbaa distract some hyenas by doing the Charleston, allowing Simba and Nala to reach Pride Rock.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: Scar calls for Sarabi and demands to know why the lionesses are not hunting. Sarabi stands up to him about the lack of anything to hunt, angrily comparing him to Mufasa, and Scar strikes his sister-in-law, saying he's ten times the king Mufasa was. Enraged, Simba reveals himself. Scar forces a confession of murder from Simba and corners him. Believing that he has won, Scar taunts Simba by admitting that he killed Mufasa. Furious, Simba recovers and forces Scar to reveal the truth to the lionesses ("Simba Confronts Scar"). Simba's friends fight the hyenas while Simba battles Scar to the top of Pride Rock. Scar begs for his life, blaming the hyenas for everything. Simba lets him leave out of mercy, but Scar attacks again. Simba blocks the attack and Scar falls from the cliff. The hyenas, who heard Scar's betrayal and are still starving, tear him to shreds.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: With the battle won, Simba's friends come forward and acknowledge Simba as the rightful king. Simba ascends Pride Rock and roars out across the kingdom ("King of Pride Rock"). The Pride Lands recover and the animals gather in celebration as Rafiki presents Simba and Nala's newborn cub, continuing the Circle of Life ("Circle of Life (Reprise)").


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: The musical incorporates several changes and additions to the storyline as compared to the film. The mandrill Rafiki's gender was changed to a female role because Taymor believed that there was generally no leading female character in the film. Rafiki was portrayed by Tsidii Le Loka in the original Broadway musical, and by Josette Bushell-Mingo in the original London production.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: Several new scenes are present, including a conversation between Mufasa and Zazu about Mufasa's parenting and a perilous scene in which Timon finds himself nearly drowning in a waterfall while Simba feels powerless to help him. A major narrative addition is the depiction of Nala's departure in the scene "The Madness of King Scar", where the mentally deteriorating villain tries to make Nala his mate. Nala refuses and later announces her intention to depart the Pride Lands and find help. She receives the blessings of the lionesses and Rafiki during the new song "Shadowland".


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: Like its predecessor, the "Beauty and the Beast" musical, the show adds more songs to its stage production, including "Morning Report", sung by Zazu the hornbill and later added to the film for the Platinum Edition DVD release. "Shadowland" originally featured on the CD "Rhythm of the Pride Lands" with Zulu lyrics as "Lea Halelela", was adapted for the musical with new English lyrics. It is sung by Nala, the lionesses, and Rafiki. "Endless Night", also from "Rhythm of the Pride Lands" with Swahili lyrics as "Lala", is sung by Simba while reflecting on Mufasa's promise to always be there. "One by One", from the "Rhythm of the Pride Lands" CD, was adapted as the rousing African-styled entre act sung by the chorus at the opening of the second act.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: Many of the animals portrayed in the production are actors in costume using extra tools to move their costumes. For example, the giraffes are portrayed by actors walking on stilts. For principal characters such as Mufasa and Scar, the costumes feature mechanical headpieces that can be raised and lowered to foster the illusion of a cat "lunging" at another. Other characters, such as the hyenas, Zazu, Timon, and Pumbaa, are portrayed by actors in life-sized puppets or costumes. The Timon character is described by Taymor as one of the hardest roles to master because the movement of the puppet's head and arms puts a strain on the actor's arms, back, and neck.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: A new section of the production, the Lioness Hunt, features a particularly complicated dance sequence for the actresses, and the dance is made even more difficult by the large headpieces worn during the scene.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: As of June 27, 2010, nine minutes of the Broadway version were cut, among them the entire "Morning Report" musical number. The song was also removed from subsequent productions and cast recordings, such as the Spanish one.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: As of 2022, the musical is touring North America for the third time. This tour, named the "Rafiki Tour", began on October 26, 2017. The tour version is very similar to the original Broadway production; however, certain scenic elements which rise out of the stage floor (such as Pride Rock, the stampede, and the grasslands) were converted to less costly configurations for the touring productions. The sun during the opening is reduced in size for the shorter-lasting tours. Stage sizes are also smaller, and the size of the pit orchestra is decreased. The first national tour ("Gazelle Tour") launched on April 17, 2002, and closed on July 23, 2017. The second tour ("Cheetah Tour") began on April 23, 2003, and ended on March 2, 2008.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: A Las Vegas production opened at Mandalay Bay on May 15, 2009, with previews beginning May 5, 2009. The Las Vegas cast performed on the ninth season of the American dance competition "Dancing With the Stars" on September 23, 2009. Led by Buyi Zama, the cast performed "Circle of Life". When this production closed, on December 30, 2011, it turned into the second longest run the show had in a same American city (only coming after Broadway), running longer than the 2000–2003 Los Angeles Production.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: A Los Angeles production began performances at the Pantages Theatre on September 29, 2000, with an official opening on October 19, 2000. The show closed on January 12, 2003, after 952 performances. The cast of this production performed a set of the show's songs in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on October 2, 2001. The cast was led by Walker.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: A Canadian production was staged in Toronto and ran for nearly four years at the Princess of Wales Theatre. The show was directed by the original director Julie Taymor and premiered on April 25, 2000. The Lion King ran until January 2004 when it had its final performance. This first Canadian staging comprised 1,560 performances and was seen by 2.9 million people according to David Mirvish, whose Mirvish Productions theater and management company owns and operates the theater. The "" star Raymond Ablack starred as Young Simba In 2001. The show returned for a five-week engagement that began in April 2011, as part of the North American tour


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: The musical had a Mexican limited run (in English) between January 3 and January 27, 2008, in Mexico City, as part of the U.S. national tour.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: In May 2014, it was confirmed a new production of the musical, this time in Spanish. The production ran from May 7, 2015, to January 14, 2018, at the Teatro Telcel in Mexico City for 930 performances. Carlos Rivera returned to the role of Simba, which he also took in Spain four years earlier. The lyrics of the songs of this production differed from the European Spanish one. South-African actress Shirley Hlahatse was chosen as Rafiki, marking the first time in years a completely new actress was elected for that role.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: A Brazilian production was confirmed to debut in São Paulo on March 28, 2013. Auditions took place in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador. The cast contained mainly Brazilian actors and seven South African actors. The Portuguese lyrics were translated by Brazilian singer Gilberto Gil.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: Actress Phindile Mkhize, who had previously performed in many of the show's productions, was selected as Rafiki for this production, leaving in October 2013 and being replaced by Ntsepa Pitjeng. The show closed its doors on December 14, 2014.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: After the success of the Broadway show, the show opened in the United Kingdom in on October 19, 1999. The cast included Cornell John as Mufasa, Luke Youngblood as Young Simba, Dominique Moore as Young Nala, Martyn Ellis as Pumbaa, Simon Gregor as Timon, Rob Edwards as Scar, Paul J. Medford as Banzai and Josette Bushell-Mingo as Rafiki. As of October 2019, it has been playing at the Lyceum Theatre in London for 20 years. Taymor directed the British production of the show, with Melissa De Melo as the producer. The show also toured the UK from 2012 until March 2015.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: The West End cast of the show performed twice at the traditional Royal Variety Performance: in 1999 (led by Josette Bushell-Mingo) and 2008 (led by Brown Lindiwe Mkhize). In both performances, the song "Circle of Life" was performed. The company also performed at the show "Strictly Come Dancing" special "Strictly African Dancing", broadcast in 2005, led once again by Mkhize and performed the same song.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: In March 2012, a few South African cast members were invited to perform at the Diamond Jubilee Pageant.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom mandating the closure of all theatres, the production was forced to take a lengthy hiatus and its return at the London Lyceum Theatre was announced for July 29, 2021.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: There have also been two English tours, visiting places all through the United Kingdom, going as far as Ireland. The first one, named ""The Zebra Tour"", ran from September 6, 2012, to February 22, 2015, with stops in Bristol, Manchester, Dublin, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Plymouth, Bradford, Liverpool, Southampton, Sunderland and Cardiff. The second, the ""Rhino Tour"", started on July 9, 2019, in Cardiff and later visited Bristol and Edinburgh. Due to the COVID-19 pandemics, two engagements have been rescheduled: Manchester (the planned run from October 2020 to January 2021 was postponed to October 2022) and Bradford (the original run would have taken place from April 30 to June 20, 2020, but was postponed to March 2022). Other rescheduled cities include Birmingham (starting July 2021), Cardiff (July 2022) and Southampton (September 2022).


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: The German production has been playing in Hamburg at the Theater in Hafen since December 2, 2001, and had its 5,000th performance on January 14, 2014. Access to the theater is by ferry, where the boats are decorated in the colors of the musical and are named after characters in the musical (such as "Nala" and its sister ship "Rafiki"). By September 2014, the Hamburg production had passed the $1 billion in cumulative gross.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: A Dutch production was produced by Joop van den Ende Theaterproducties/Stage Entertainment and played at the Circustheater in Scheveningen, The Hague, running from April 4, 2004, until August 27, 2006, when it was replaced by another Disney musical, "Tarzan". A Dutch revival ran for 1,139 performances at the same Circustheater from October 30, 2016, to July 21, 2019.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: A French production debuted in Paris on September 22, 2007, at the Théâtre Mogador. This production won several Molière Awards and closed on July 25, 2010, after being watched by over a million people. A French revival opened at the same Théâtre Mogador on November 11, 2021.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: On October 20, 2011, the first Spanish production premiered at the Teatro Lope de Vega in Madrid, where it is still running after more than 3,900 performances.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: In Basel, Switzerland, the musical was performed for the first time from March 12, 2015, until October 11, 2015.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: Beginning in June 2007, "The Lion King" debuted its first-ever performance on the African continent in Johannesburg, South Africa at the Teatro at Montecasino. "The Lion King" was the first production to take place in the new theatre. The cast featured 53 artists, of whom all were South African. The opening night in Johannesburg was celebrated with key persons involving the creation of the musical and American talk show host Oprah Winfrey who had recently opened an educational academy for girls in Johannesburg. The show closed on February 17, 2008.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: The show was translated into Japanese and staged by the Shiki Theatre Company. The Tokyo production began in 1998 and continues to the present day at the Shiki Theatre HARU. The production achieved its 10,000th performance on July 15, 2015.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: It is the second longest-running musical production in Japan, running only behind the musical "Cats", selling 10.26million tickets as of March 2016.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: The musical had a Korean production from October 28, 2006, to October 28, 2007, at the Charlotte Theater in Seoul, where it ran for 330 performances.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: The show had a limited run at Shanghai's Grand Theatre from July to September 2006. This production was led by Buyi Zama and was performed in English, though a couple of Chinese elements were added to the story. From June 14, 2016, until October 8, 2017, "The Lion King" returned to China, in a new production that was staged at the 1,200 capacity Walt Disney Grand Theatre, in the Shanghai Disney Resort, where it ran for 500 performances. This production was performed in Mandarin and led by Ntsepa Pitjeng.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: During the show's run in China, Chinese elements were included in the musical. One of the songs was adapted to a well-known Chinese pop song, "Laoshu ai dami" or "Mice Love Rice".


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: The show played at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney, Australia, from October 16, 2003, until June 26, 2005. The production then ran at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne from July 28, 2005, until June 4, 2006. "The Lion King" returned to Sydney's Capitol Theatre on December 12, 2013.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: On March 28, 2018, the first international tour officially opened at the Solaire Resort & Casino in Manila, with stops in Singapore, South Korea (Daegu, Seoul, and Busan), Taipei, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Auckland, and Abu Dhabi. All these countries have had productions so far, except the Philippines, Hong Kong , Thailand, New Zealand and United Arab Emirates. The tour is performed in English, with subtitles in each country's official language projected in the screen, with alterations in the script to make references to local culture.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: As a result of the 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak and subsequent evacuation of the city, the show's originally planned March 2020 Chinese run, which would have taken place in both Wuhan and Beijing, was ultimately cancelled, with performances to be rescheduled. A return to South Africa was also postponed indefinitely.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: After more than a year with the production on hiatus, it was announced on March 15, 2021, that the show would return for a special season in New Zealand by June 2021, marking the first time ever the country received a production of it. It will be the first production to return performing - all others have been closed since March 2020. The announcement of this engagement was met with controversy due to New Zealand's response to the pandemics and the fact that most cast and crew members were either immigrants or not considered essential workers, while the native New Zealanders have been struggling to get back on their feet due to economic effects of COVID.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: On June 20, 2022, it was announced the show would go to the Middle East for the first time, with a limited engagement to take place from November 16 until December 10 at Abu Dhabi's Etihad Arena.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: Most of the show's international productions had cast recordings which are available on CD, including:


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: Of all the show's productions (counting the English ones), only the Brazilian and the Korean ones didn't have cast recordings released.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: The Lion King: Original Broadway Cast Recording is a cast recording released on 1997 by The Walt Disney Company, a recording of the songs as heard in the stage musical. Most of the tracks were composed by African composer Lebo M. and focused primarily on the African influences of the film's original music, with most songs being sung either partially or entirely in various African languages. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA on January 17, 2007.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: Rafiki's chants in "Rafiki Mourns" were written by Tsidii Le Loka, who originated the role on Broadway.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: Robert Elhai, David Metzger and Bruce Fowler orchestrated the original Broadway production for 23 players, including: 1 wood flute soloist/flute/piccolo, 1 concertmistress, 2 violin, 1 violin/viola, 2 celli, 1 flute/clarinet/bass clarinet, 3 French horns, 1 trombone, 1 bass trombone/tuba, 1 bass player (playing both contrabass and electric bass), 1 drum player, 1 guitar, 2 mallets/percussion players, 2 percussion players (both of them at the sides of the stage) and 3 keyboard synthesizers.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: David Metzger reduced the orchestration to 17 players for the West End premiere of the show; integrating 2 of the French Horns, a cello, a violin, the clarinets, and one of the mallet players into the keyboard parts.


title: The Lion King (musical)

text: Most of the current productions employ a smaller ensemble of 10 musicians (flutes, French horn, 2 keyboards, bass, guitar, drums, marimba, 2 percussionists), and fill out the rest with the electronic music system KeyComp.


title: Nick Clooney

text: Nicholas Joseph Clooney (born January 13, 1934) is an American journalist, anchorman, and television host. He is the brother of singer Rosemary Clooney and the father of actor George Clooney.


title: Nick Clooney

text: Clooney was born in Maysville, Kentucky, the son of Marie Frances (née Guilfoyle; 1904–1972) and Andrew Joseph Clooney (1902–1974). He was one of five children. His father was of Irish and German descent and his mother was of Irish ancestry. While serving as a Corporal in the U.S. Army, he was a disc jockey in the American Forces Network in Germany, hosting the shows "Music in the Air" and "Melody-Go-Round". He then moved to California for a try at show business. When that did not work out, Clooney moved to Ohio, where he met Nina Warren when she was a contestant in a beauty pageant he was judging; they married in August 1959. In addition to his son, George, Nick Clooney has a daughter named Adelia (known as Ada).


title: Nick Clooney

text: Clooney had an eight-year stint (1958-1966) at WKYT-TV in Lexington, Kentucky, then went to Ohio to host his own TV show, "The Nick Clooney Show", first in Columbus, Ohio, for WLWC television in 1968, then for Cincinnati's WCPO-TV in 1969, and finally with its greatest degree of success for crosstown rival WKRC-TV through the early 1970s. "The Nick Clooney Show" was a local morning show, with a variety and talk-show format. In December 1974, he gained his first national fame by hosting the ABC daytime game show "The Money Maze". Broadcast nationally on ABC at 4 p.m., WKRC-TV (at the time an ABC affiliate) delayed "The Money Maze" so it could be seen back-to-back with "The Nick Clooney Show" at 10:30 and 11 a.m., respectively.


title: Nick Clooney

text: After ABC canceled "The Money Maze" on July 4, 1975, Clooney returned to WKRC-TV and became the station's news director and lead anchor. As a journalist, he is probably best remembered for his coverage of the 1977 Beverly Hills Supper Club fire and its aftermath, which spanned several years. Many people in the region first heard about the fire from Clooney when WKRC interrupted its Saturday night prime-time schedule to broadcast news of the fire. Clooney pursued a hard news focus that was quite different from the sensationalism often seen on local television. Under his leadership, WKRC-TV became a solid #1 in the local news ratings, dethroning CBS affiliate WCPO-TV, which had controlled ratings for more than two decades under Al Schottelkotte's leadership.


title: Nick Clooney

text: After leaving WKRC in 1984, Clooney then worked in Los Angeles, California, as the 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. co-anchor at KNBC. He returned again to WKRC-TV in the late 1980s, but by that time, NBC affiliate WLWT was number one in the late newscast, with former Cincinnati mayor Jerry Springer as its main anchor; Clooney was not able to lead WKRC back to ratings leadership it enjoyed in the past. He moved on to Salt Lake City, Utah for several years to anchor and help launch the news operation of the market's Fox station KSTU with its 9 p.m. newscast. Then in 1994, a short stint as a news anchor for NBC affiliate WGRZ-TV in Buffalo, New York.


title: Nick Clooney

text: He resurfaced nationally in television as a host and researcher for the cable channel American Movie Classics, where he introduced and presented backgrounds of classic movies, along with Bob Dorian. In 1999, he returned to his former radio home WSAI in Cincinnati, starting as afternoon host September 13, then moving to mornings in November to replace Bob Braun, who had health problems.


title: Nick Clooney

text: Despite his long association with WKRC-TV and helping it become one of the dominant stations in the Cincinnati area alongside WCPO-TV, Clooney has been critical of WKRC-TV's current owners, the Sinclair Broadcast Group, over their conservative viewpoints and their "must runs" during its stations' local newscasts including WKRC-TV. Clooney was critical of Sinclair's journalistic responsibility promos during the Presidency of Donald Trump, stating that he would have "quit and become a cab driver" if station management had forced him into reading it on the air.


title: Nick Clooney

text: Clooney ran as a Democrat in the 2004 election for a seat in the House of Representatives representing Kentucky's 4th Congressional District. His opponent for the open seat was Republican Geoff Davis. Clooney was recruited to run by Ken Lucas, the outgoing Democratic congressman who had held onto the conservative district with his moderate views. With his name recognition and well-publicized endorsement from Lucas, Clooney was a big favorite to keep the seat in Democratic hands.


title: Nick Clooney

text: Early in 2004, Davis fought through a (sometimes rough) three-way Republican primary. Despite a commanding early lead, when the national media began to report on the electoral contest (due to his famous son George Clooney), his Republican opponents began using the phrase "Hollywood vs the Heartland" to describe the race. Clooney's lead began to disappear and he was dealt a blow when both "The Kentucky Enquirer" and the "Community Press" newspapers endorsed Davis.


title: Nick Clooney

text: Clooney lost 44% to 54%. During his concession speech, he said his short career in politics was over. He went back to writing a column for "The Cincinnati Post" three times a week, covering a wide range of topics, until the "Post"'s discontinuation at the end of 2007.


title: Nick Clooney

text: In 2006, Clooney and his son George traveled to Darfur, Sudan, and filmed a documentary, "A Journey to Darfur", which was broadcast on American cable TV as well as in United Kingdom and France. In 2008, it was released on DVD with the proceeds from its sale being donated to the International Rescue Committee to help the people of Darfur.


title: Nick Clooney

text: Clooney became an activist for Darfur. He has done several open forums and speeches at local high schools in Ohio and Kentucky, and has participated in different rallies for Darfur. On March 16, 2007, following a Darfur rally, Clooney was awarded an honorary Class of 1952 diploma from St. Xavier High School, the high school he attended in Cincinnati before moving to California. On October 11, 2007, Clooney visited Turpin High School in Cincinnati to talk to students about Darfur. The University of Kentucky announced that it would present him with an honorary degree at its 2007 commencement.


title: Nick Clooney

text: In fall 2008, Clooney joined the faculty at American University in Washington, D.C. as American University School of Communication and Newseum Distinguished Journalist in Residence. Clooney's appointment is part of a long-term partnership between the School of Communication and the Newseum, the interactive museum of news in Washington, D.C. As part of the school-Newseum partnership, Clooney hosted the fifth annual AU School of Communication-Newseum Reel Journalism Film Festival and other events at the Newseum. "After a news career that stretches back to the Eisenhower administration, I'm looking forward to joining American University's School of Communication and the Newseum to work with a new generation of prospective journalists," said Clooney.


title: Nick Clooney

text: Clooney taught Opinion Writing in fall 2008, and in spring 2009, he taught Films that Changed Us, a new course based on his book, "The Movies That Changed Us: Reflections on the Screen" (Atria, 2002). The book analyzes the significance of such iconic American films as "The Birth of a Nation", "The Jazz Singer", "Dr. Strangelove", "Stagecoach", "The Graduate", "Star Wars" and "Saving Private Ryan".


title: Nick Clooney

text: Clooney was the commencement speaker for the University of Cincinnati on June 8, 2012, and was awarded an honorary degree the following day.


title: Nick Clooney

text: In 2014, Nick Clooney appeared in "The Monuments Men" which was directed by his son, George Clooney, who played one of the leading characters, Stokes. Nick Clooney played the older Stokes visiting Bruges, Belgium, years later to see the Madonna, which was one of the many treasures rescued by the Monuments Men.


title: Jim Halpert

text: James "Jim" Duncan Halpert is a fictional character in the U.S. version of the television sitcom "The Office", portrayed by John Krasinski. He is introduced as a sales representative at the Scranton branch of paper distribution company Dunder Mifflin, before temporarily transferring to the Stamford branch in the third season. Upon the merger of Scranton and Stamford branches, he becomes Assistant Regional Manager, and later co-manager alongside Michael Scott during the sixth-season episode arc from "The Promotion" to "The Manager and the Salesman". The character is based on Tim Canterbury from the original version of "The Office".


title: Jim Halpert

text: His character serves as the intelligent, mild-mannered straight man role to Michael, although he is also notable for his rivalrous pranks on fellow salesman Dwight Schrute and his romantic interest in receptionist Pam Beesly, whom he begins dating in the fourth season, proposes to in the fifth, marries in the sixth, and has children with in the sixth and eighth. Jim's co-worker, Andy Bernard, often calls him by the nickname "Big Tuna".


title: Jim Halpert

text: Krasinski auditioned for the role, along with Hamish Linklater, John Cho, and Adam Scott. Scott would later play Ben Wyatt on NBC's "Parks and Recreation", which was created by "The Office"'s creator Greg Daniels and producer Michael Schur. Lance Krall also auditioned, according to Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer in the "Office Ladies" podcast. Krasinski was ultimately chosen due to his chemistry with Jenna Fischer, who portrayed his co-worker and future wife Pam Beesly. The couple is known for being one of the most recognizable and beloved couples on American television.


title: Jim Halpert

text: Jim Halpert is first introduced in the pilot episode; he is adamant throughout the series about his job as a salesman at Dunder Mifflin Paper being a temporary one, stating: "Right now, this is just a job. If I advance any higher, this would be my career. And if this were my career, I'd have to throw myself in front of a train." This outlook is most apparent in the elaborate pranks that he plays on his workmates, primarily Dwight, as well as his sarcastic remarks, facial expressions to the film crew and his provoking comments during employee meetings. However, Jim succeeds professionally and is consistently one of the best salesmen.


title: Jim Halpert

text: A major plot point throughout the series is Jim's relationship with Pam Beesly, who is engaged to Roy Anderson, a Dunder Mifflin warehouse worker. Throughout the first two seasons, incidents such as Pam falling asleep on Jim's shoulder in "Diversity Day" and drunkenly kissing him in "The Dundies" show a possibility of the feelings being mutual; however, Pam never acts on them and remains engaged to Roy. On one occasion, in "The Fight," his flirting goes a little too far, causing her to shut him down immediately when their co-workers take notice. Jim is startled by her abruptness, but she eventually forgives him. Feeling bored by his job and tortured by his situation with Pam, Jim investigates a transfer to Dunder Mifflin's branch in Stamford, Connecticut. In the season-two finale, "Casino Night," Jim confesses his love for Pam in the office. Pam, whose wedding to Roy was planned out and just weeks away, clearly shows her anguish but gently turns him down. Jim tearfully walks away, but later kisses her in the office, closing the second season. In the season-three premiere "Gay Witch Hunt," it is revealed that Jim did transfer to Stamford, despite the fact that Pam has called off her wedding and he clearly still harbors intense feelings for her.


title: Jim Halpert

text: Things begin to look up for Jim when he befriends salesperson Karen Filippelli in Stamford, and when the company board of directors decides to close the Scranton branch, Jim is named assistant regional manager of the newly created "Dunder Mifflin Northeast." However, the company's plans change, and the Stamford branch closes instead, with a few employees being offered a transfer to Scranton; Jim is offered to be the assistant regional manager at Scranton. Jim is at first unwilling to return to Scranton because of Pam but eventually decides to do so. Karen, who has grown fond of Jim and wishes to pursue a relationship with him, also transfers to Scranton.


title: Jim Halpert

text: In "The Merger," Jim's and Pam reunite; Pam is overjoyed, but Jim is clearly uncomfortable. He lets Pam know that he is seeing someone, and gradually Karen is introduced as his girlfriend. As Jim settles back in at Scranton, he uses his promotion as an excuse to avoid his old interactions and pranks with Pam, claiming that pulling pranks is not appropriate for his position. However, in time, Jim does return to his old ways, especially targeting Dwight and Andy Bernard, another Stamford transfer.


title: Jim Halpert

text: Toward the middle of the season, it becomes clear that Jim's unresolved feelings toward Pam are affecting his relationship with Karen. In "The Return," Jim decides to pull a prank on Andy; however, Karen is unable and Ryan unwilling to aid him, so he turns to Pam, who readily agrees. Their interaction during the prank causes Karen to feel threatened. She confronts Jim, and he finally admits to still having feelings for Pam. Despite this fact, their relationship continues. In "Cocktails," Roy trashes the bar when Pam tells him she kissed Jim during "Casino Night." Roy then attempts to attack Jim at work in "The Negotiation," but Dwight sprays Roy with pepper spray. Roy is fired, but when Pam assures Jim that it is over between her and Roy for good, Jim doesn't believe it and tells her so.


title: Jim Halpert

text: In "Beach Games," during a company outing at the beach, Pam confesses to Jim in front of everyone that he was the reason she broke off her wedding to Roy. She also states that she has missed their friendship since he left Scranton for Stamford. Later that night, Jim tells Pam that he feels as if he never really came back from Stamford, tacitly admitting that he has actively been fighting his feelings for her all year. However, Jim's relationship with Karen and pending interview for a corporate position which would require his relocation to New York City, still obstructing a potential romance.


title: Jim Halpert

text: In "The Job," Jim, Karen, and Michael each interview for the corporate position. During the interview, he notices a caring note from Pam in his briefcase. After the interview he drives back to Scranton, leaving Karen without a ride. Back at the Scranton office, Pam is reflecting on her history with Jim, stating that they “never got the timing right” and were just “too similar”. Jim then suddenly interrupts the session to ask her to dinner, much to her surprise. Flustered and overjoyed, Pam accepts the invitation.


title: Jim Halpert

text: At the beginning of the season, it is revealed that Jim and Pam are dating, and that Karen had left the Scranton branch shortly after breaking up with Jim.


title: Jim Halpert

text: In the episodes "Survivor Man" and "Night Out," Jim takes on his role as manager while Michael is out of the office. Both times, however, his attempts at making the office better go awry. Ryan, annoyed by Jim's popularity with his boss David Wallace, gives Jim a performance warning in "Did I Stutter?" citing "goofing off with Dwight" and "spending time at reception" as productivity problems, despite his high sale numbers.


title: Jim Halpert

text: In "Goodbye, Toby," Jim shows his happiness and support for Pam getting into the Pratt Institute, where she will be for the next three months. He plans to propose at Toby's going away party until Andy proposes in front of everybody to Angela, who accepts. Jim puts his ring back in his pocket and postpones the engagement. Instead, he proposes during the season-five premiere, "Weight Loss," during a rainy last-minute lunch date at an Interstate rest stop between Scranton and New York City, where Pam is attending Pratt.


title: Jim Halpert

text: Jim and Pam keep in touch during her time at art school via webcam, instant messaging, and frequent phone calls. Jim eagerly awaits Pam's return in "Business Trip." He is sad but supportive when Pam calls to tell him she has failed a class and can't come home yet. That afternoon he finds Pam waiting in the parking lot, claiming that she hated art school anyway. He purchases his parents' house and begins to take his career more seriously. When new Vice President Charles Miner (Idris Elba) arrives at the office to oversee Michael, he and Jim immediately clash as Charles condescends to, and dismisses, Jim as an underachiever and a smartass with a "made-up position." Charles scoffs when Jim is invited to sit in on a meeting with David Wallace about the Michael Scott Paper Company. However, Jim comes off as intelligent and professional and persuades Michael to be bought out. In the process, he finally stands up to Charles after Charles makes up to their boss, prompting Jim to make a snide remark to his face. Upon realizing Dwight's incompetence during the meeting, Charles encourages Jim to speak to Michael. As a new receptionist has already been hired, Pam is rehired in sales, alongside Jim.


title: Jim Halpert

text: During "Company Picnic," Pam injures her ankle during a volleyball game and Jim takes her to the hospital. The camera crew is stationed outside an exam room while a doctor updates Jim and Pam on her condition. Jim and Pam are suddenly seen embracing, looking shocked and ecstatic, heavily implying that Pam is pregnant.


title: Jim Halpert

text: In season six, Pam's pregnancy is confirmed, and Jim is promoted to regional co-manager, alongside Michael, in "The Meeting." His promotion causes problems in the office as the staff doesn't take him seriously and he is often in a power struggle with Michael. When Dunder Mifflin files for bankruptcy and is taken over by Sabre, a company that sells printers, Jim chooses to become a salesman again, largely because Sabre's uncapped commission means a huge pay increase.


title: Jim Halpert

text: Jim and Pam marry in the hour-long episode "Niagara." When their guests' craziness threatens to ruin the wedding day, they run off and are privately married on the "Maid of the Mist" before returning to take part in their planned church wedding. Their daughter, Cecelia Marie Halpert is born several months later, in "The Delivery."


title: Jim Halpert

text: In season seven, some of Jim's vulnerabilities are displayed. He displays some mild jealousy when he meets Danny Cordray, a superior paper salesman who went on a few dates with Pam while he was in Stamford. His sales skills remain strong, when in "WUPHF.com" it is revealed that he has already maxed out his sales cap for the year and cannot make any more commissions, leading him to seek goofy respite in the office until Gabe Lewis chides him to stop bothering everyone. Since Gabe was unsympathetic to Jim's situation, Jim then sets up a prank that ends with Gabe being forced to listen to an audiobook version of Jo Bennett's entire autobiography. In "The Seminar," it is revealed he has had the highest sales out of the entire Scranton branch for at least three months running.


title: Jim Halpert

text: In "Goodbye, Michael," Jim is the only one to figure out that Michael is leaving earlier than he said and opts to stay quiet to let Michael leave, but he tells Pam so she can get to him at the airport before he leaves. He also emotionally tells Michael he's been the best boss he's ever had, and they part on good terms. After Michael's initial replacement, Deangelo Vickers, suffers a traumatic brain injury, Jo offers Jim the position of interim manager, which Jim rejects. Jo later calls Jim as "the only man who turned me down."


title: Jim Halpert

text: Early in season 8, it is revealed that Jim will be a father for the second time as Pam is expecting a son, Phillip, who first appears in the episode "Jury Duty". Jim also had to deal with a crush from co-worker Cathy Simms, who unsuccessfully tries to seduce him while they are part of the Sabre Store team in Tallahassee.


title: Jim Halpert

text: In "New Guys," Jim reveals that he was given an offer to help his friend start a sports marketing company in Philadelphia called Athlead. At first, he turns it down but later reveals that he accepted the offer. Pam doesn't find out until "Andy's Ancestry," and although she is supportive, she is later concerned about Jim not having told her sooner and about how much money he has put into it. Jim gets permission from David Wallace to take up the second job, and in "The Target" he convinces Stanley and Phyllis to agree to cover his duties on the days that he is away.


title: Jim Halpert

text: In "Suit Warehouse," Jim offers Darryl a chance to join him at the new job. Although Darryl has a not-so-perfect interview, he does get the position thanks to his preparation and Jim's recommendation. Later, Jim and Darryl become roommates, although in "Vandalism" Darryl is annoyed at Jim's messy and sloppy living habits.


title: Jim Halpert

text: Jim's weekly commute to Philadelphia causes increasing strain on his marriage until in "Customer Loyalty," it comes to a head when he misses Cece's dance recital and then angrily blames Pam for not videotaping it. Tearfully, Pam breaks down and confides in Brian, the boom mic operator of the documentary crew.


title: Jim Halpert

text: In "Moving On," Pam interviews for a job in Philadelphia, but then reveals to Jim that she doesn't really want to move there after all.


title: Jim Halpert

text: In "Finale," Jim serves as Dwight's Best Man during his wedding to Angela, where Pam is a bridesmaid. Jim and Pam also finalize their plan to move to Austin, where Jim will rejoin Athlead (now named Athleap) with Darryl. He plans to quit Dunder Mifflin, but Dwight insists on firing him and Pam instead, so they can receive a generous severance package. In his final interview, Jim thanks the documentary crew for giving him the opportunity to show his children many important parts of his life, and after a callback to his first interview, finally deems his job as "amazing".


title: Jim Halpert

text: Jim has appeared in every episode of "The Office" with the exception of "Mafia," in which only his voice is heard. The clip show episode "The Banker" features Jim in flashbacks of previous episodes, and Jim only appears in new footage momentarily, and without any lines. Additionally, in the season-seven episode "Ultimatum," Jim only appears in the cold open, and is absent without explanation for the rest of the episode. The cold open was actually filmed the previous season and recycled for the episode because John Krasinski was on location shooting a movie.


title: Jim Halpert

text: In the media, Jim is sometimes called an everyguy. In her article "Breaking Out of the First-Job Trap" for "U.S. News & World Report", Liz Wolgemuth used Jim's character as a template for an essay on under-motivated, young, college grads. In an article on stereotypical office worker profiles, Jim was identified as the worker who is "drifting along in a job, [while] you put off asking yourself hard questions about career plans."