title: Being John Malkovich

text: Spike Jonze makes a cameo appearance as Derek Mantini's assistant; Mantini is billed in the story as the greatest puppeteer in the history of the world and arouses Craig's envy. Brad Pitt also has a half-second-long cameo, as a miffed star in the documentary on Malkovich's career, who seems to be on the verge of saying something before the shot ends. Sean Penn appears as himself, a fan of Malkovich's puppeteer work. Film director David Fincher makes an uncredited appearance as Christopher Bing in the American Arts & Culture pseudo-documentary on John Malkovich. Winona Ryder, Andy Dick, and the members of Hanson can be seen in the audience of a Malkovich puppet show.


title: Being John Malkovich

text: Kaufman's idea of "Being John Malkovich" originated simply as "a story about a man who falls in love with someone who is not his wife." Gradually he added further elements to the story which he found entertaining, such as floor of the Mertin Flemmer building; among his first ideas, Malkovich was "nowhere to be seen". He wrote the script on spec in 1994 and though it was widely read by production company and film studio executives, all turned it down. Hoping to find a producer, Kaufman sent the script to Francis Ford Coppola, who passed it on to his daughter's then boyfriend Spike Jonze.


title: Being John Malkovich

text: Jonze first read the script in 1996 and had agreed to direct the film by 1997. Jonze took the script to Propaganda Films, which agreed to produce the film in partnership with production company Single Cell Pictures. Single Cell producers Michael Stipe and Sandy Stern pitched the film to numerous studios, including New Line Cinema, who dropped the project after chairman Robert Shaye asked: "Why the fuck can't it be "Being Tom Cruise"?". Jonze recalled that Malkovich asked the same question, and that Malkovich had felt that "Either the movie's a bomb and it's got not only my name above the title but my name in the title, so I'm fucked that way; or it does well and I'm just forever associated with this character." Jonze explained in the same interview that he had not realized how brave Malkovich's performance was.


title: Being John Malkovich

text: With a budget of $10 million, principal photography of "Being John Malkovich" began on July 20, 1998, and continued through August. Filming took place primarily in Los Angeles; specific locations included the University of Southern California campus and the Observation Bar on board the RMS "Queen Mary".


title: Being John Malkovich

text: The puppets were created by Kamela Portuges-Robbins and Images in Motion. Phillip Huber animated the puppets. About Huber's puppetry, Jonze has said he was a full-time puppeteer and controlled his puppets with impressive means, such as using strings and no rods to control them, as well as swinging the puppets on high wires.


title: Being John Malkovich

text: Diaz's make-up artist Gucci Westman described styling Diaz in the role as "a challenge, to make her look homely." The script included minimal physical descriptions of characters, and thus when Diaz took up the role she did not know that "people weren't going to recognize me."


title: Being John Malkovich

text: Cusack read the film's script after he had asked his agent to present him with the "craziest, most unproduceable script you can find." Impressed with the script, he asked his agent to follow its progress and book him an audition, which won him the role.


title: Being John Malkovich

text: Keener cited "Being John Malkovich" as an instance of her taking up a role based on the director's previous work. She had heard about Jonze's experience with music videos and took up the part of Maxine although she initially disliked the character and did not feel that she was right for the part. She was subsequently nominated for an Oscar.


title: Being John Malkovich

text: Kaufman said that there was never another actor in Malkovich's place in the script: "The screenplay was always "Being John Malkovich", even before I had any expectation that John Malkovich would even read the script." He chose Malkovich because he believed there to be "an enigmatic quality about him that works", though Malkovich was partly chosen because of the sound of his name in repetition. Kaufman explained that "When we were thinking of alternatives, we found that a lot of them weren't fun to say." Jonze's then-father-in-law Francis Ford Coppola was able to contact Malkovich, and Jonze flew with producer Sandy Stern to Malkovich's home in France. Stern said that Malkovich was "half intrigued and half horrified" when he first read the script, but he eventually agreed to star in the film.


title: Being John Malkovich

text: "Being John Malkovich" was given limited release in the United States theatres on October 22, 1999 and opened across 25 screens. On its opening weekend, the film grossed US$637,731 across 25 screens with a per-screen average of $25,495. It expanded to another 150 screens the following week, bringing in $1.9 million with a per-screen average of $10,857. In its third week, the film's release widened to 467 locations and grossed $2.4 million, averaging a lower $5,041 per screen with a cumulative gross of $6.1 million. It moved into a wide release the next week, expanding to 591 screens, and grossed $1.9 million with a 20% drop in ticket sales. Its fifth week brought in $2.2 million with a 17% increase in ticket sales, which dropped a further 33% the following week despite further expansion to 624 screens. It finished its theatrical run after 26 weeks with a total gross of $22,863,596.


title: Being John Malkovich

text: The film opened in the United Kingdom in March 2000, earning £296,282 in its debut week and closing after fifteen weeks with a total gross of £1,098,927. In France, the film opened in December 1999 with a gross of US$546,000 from 94 venues and went on to further success due to positive reviews and word of mouth. It grossed $205,100 from 109 screens on its opening weekend in Italy and ticket sales dropped by 37% the following week with a cumulative gross of $480,000 from 82 screens. Its German release brought in a total of $243,071. "Being John Malkovich" had a total foreign gross of $9,523,455, combined with its domestic gross to give an international total of over $32 million.


title: Being John Malkovich

text: "Being John Malkovich" was initially released in 2000 on VHS, both as a regular edition and a limited edition collector's set, and on DVD, with special features including a theatrical trailer, TV spots, cast and crew biographies, the director's photo album and featurettes on floor 7½ and puppeteering. A special edition DVD, released later the same year, included the aforementioned features, an interview with Jonze and two behind-the-scenes featurettes. It was released on HD DVD in 2008. The Criterion Collection released a special edition of the film on Blu-ray and DVD in 2012.


title: Being John Malkovich

text: On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 94% based on 136 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Smart, funny, and highly original, "Being John Malkovich" supports its wild premise with skillful direction and a stellar ensemble cast." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 90 out of 100 based on 36 critics reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C" on an A+ to F scale.


title: Being John Malkovich

text: The film ranked 441st on "Empire" magazine's 2008 list of the 500 greatest films of all time. In his review, Roger Ebert awarded the film a full four stars; he would later name it the best film of 1999. His comments of praise included: "Rare is the movie where the last half hour surprises you just as much as the first, and in ways you're not expecting. The movie has ideas enough for half a dozen films, but Jonze and his cast handle them so surely that we never feel hard-pressed; we're enchanted by one development after the next" and he also felt that "Either "Being John Malkovich" gets nominated for best picture, or the members of the Academy need portals into their brains." Another top critic Peter Rainer, writing for "New York", commented that "dazzlingly singular movies aren't often this much fun" in his review, and Owen Gleiberman, writing for "Entertainment Weekly", called it "the most excitingly original movie of the year."


title: Being John Malkovich

text: Malkovich's performance in "Being John Malkovich" is ranked number 90 on "Premiere's" "100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time".


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: Rhabdomyolysis (also called rhabdo) is a condition in which damaged skeletal muscle breaks down rapidly. Symptoms may include muscle pains, weakness, vomiting, and confusion. There may be tea-colored urine or an irregular heartbeat. Some of the muscle breakdown products, such as the protein myoglobin, are harmful to the kidneys and can cause acute kidney injury.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: The muscle damage is mostly caused by a crush injury, strenuous exercise, medications, or a substance use disorder. Other causes include infections, electrical injury, heat stroke, prolonged immobilization, lack of blood flow to a limb, or snake bites. Statins (prescription drugs to lower cholesterol) are considered a small risk. Some people have inherited muscle conditions that increase the risk of rhabdomyolysis. The diagnosis is supported by a urine test strip which is positive for "blood" but the urine contains no red blood cells when examined with a microscope. Blood tests show a creatine kinase activity greater than 1,000 U/L, with severe disease being above 5,000-15,000 U/L.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: The mainstay of treatment is large quantities of intravenous fluids. Other treatments may include dialysis or hemofiltration in more severe cases. Once urine output is established, sodium bicarbonate and mannitol are commonly used but they are poorly supported by the evidence. Outcomes are generally good if treated early. Complications may include high blood potassium, low blood calcium, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and compartment syndrome.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: Rhabdomyolysis occurs in about 26,000 people a year in the United States. While the condition has been commented on throughout history, the first modern description was following an earthquake in 1908. Important discoveries as to its mechanism were made during the Blitz of London in 1941. It is a significant problem for those injured in earthquakes, and relief efforts for such disasters often include medical teams equipped to treat survivors with rhabdomyolysis.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: The symptoms of rhabdomyolysis depend on its severity and whether kidney failure develops. Milder forms may not cause any muscle symptoms, and the diagnosis is based on abnormal blood tests in the context of other problems. More severe rhabdomyolysis is characterized by muscle pain, tenderness, weakness and swelling of the affected muscles. If the swelling is very rapid, as may happen with a crush injury after someone is released from under heavy collapsed debris, the movement of fluid from the bloodstream into damaged muscle may cause low blood pressure and shock. Other symptoms are nonspecific and result either from the consequences of muscle tissue breakdown or from the condition that originally led to the muscle breakdown. Release of the components of muscle tissue into the bloodstream causes electrolyte disturbances, which can lead to nausea, vomiting, confusion, coma or abnormal heart rate and rhythm. The urine may be dark, often described as "tea-colored", due to the presence of myoglobin. Damage to the kidneys may give rise to decreased or absent urine production, usually 12 to 24 hours after the initial muscle damage.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: Swelling of damaged muscle occasionally leads to compartment syndrome—compression of surrounding tissues, such as nerves and blood vessels, in the same fascial compartment—leading to the loss of blood supply and damage or loss of function in the part(s) of the body supplied by these structures. Symptoms of this complication include pain or reduced sensation in the affected limb. A second recognized complication is disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), a severe disruption in blood clotting that may lead to uncontrollable bleeding.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: Any form of muscle damage of sufficient severity can cause rhabdomyolysis. Multiple causes can be present simultaneously in one person. Some have an underlying muscle condition, usually hereditary in nature, that makes them more prone to rhabdomyolysis.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: Recurrent rhabdomyolysis may result from intrinsic muscle enzyme deficiencies, which are usually inherited and often appear during childhood. Many structural muscle diseases feature episodes of rhabdomyolysis that are triggered by exercise, general anesthesia or any of the other causes of rhabdomyolysis listed above. Inherited muscle disorders and infections together cause the majority of rhabdomyolysis in children.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: The following hereditary disorders of the muscle energy supply may cause recurrent and usually exertional rhabdomyolysis:


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: Damage to skeletal muscle may take various forms. Crush and other physical injuries cause damage to muscle cells directly or interfere with blood supply, while non-physical causes interfere with muscle cell metabolism. When damaged, muscle tissue rapidly fills with fluid from the bloodstream, including sodium ions. The swelling itself may lead to destruction of muscle cells, but those cells that survive are subject to various disruptions that lead to rise in intracellular calcium ions; the accumulation of calcium outside the sarcoplasmic reticulum leads to continuous muscle contraction and depletion of ATP, the main carrier of energy in the cell. ATP depletion can itself lead to uncontrolled calcium influx. The persistent contraction of the muscle cell leads to breakdown of intracellular proteins and disintegration of the cell.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: Neutrophil granulocytes—the most abundant type of white blood cell—enter the muscle tissue, producing an inflammatory reaction and releasing reactive oxygen species, particularly after crush injury. Crush syndrome may also cause reperfusion injury when blood flow to decompressed muscle is suddenly restored.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: The swollen, inflamed muscle may directly compress structures in the same fascial compartment, causing compartment syndrome. The swelling may also further compromise blood supply into the area. Finally, destroyed muscle cells release potassium ions, phosphate ions, the heme-containing protein myoglobin, the enzyme creatine kinase and uric acid (a breakdown product of purines from DNA) into the blood. Activation of the coagulation system may precipitate disseminated intravascular coagulation. High potassium levels may lead to potentially fatal disruptions in heart rhythm. Phosphate binds to calcium from the circulation, leading to low calcium levels in the blood.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: Rhabdomyolysis may cause kidney failure by several mechanisms. The most important is the accumulation of myoglobin in the kidney tubules. Normally, the blood protein haptoglobin binds circulating myoglobin and other heme-containing substances, but in rhabdomyolysis the quantity of myoglobin exceeds the binding capacity of haptoglobin. Myoglobinuria, the presence of myoglobin in the urine, occurs when the level in plasma exceeds 0.5–1.5 mg/dL; once plasma levels reach 100 mg/dL, the concentration in the urine becomes sufficient for it to be visibly discolored and corresponds with the destruction of about 200 grams of muscle. As the kidneys reabsorb more water from the filtrate, myoglobin interacts with Tamm–Horsfall protein in the nephron to form casts (solid aggregates) that obstruct the normal flow of fluid; the condition is worsened further by high levels of uric acid and acidification of the filtrate, which increase cast formation. Iron released from the heme generates reactive oxygen species, damaging the kidney cells. In addition to the myoglobinuria, two other mechanisms contribute to kidney impairment: low blood pressure leads to constriction of the blood vessels and therefore a relative lack of blood flow to the kidney, and finally uric acid may form crystals in the tubules of the kidneys, causing obstruction. Together, these processes lead to acute tubular necrosis, the destruction of the cells of tubules. Glomerular filtration rate falls and the kidney is unable to perform its normal excretory functions. This causes disruption of electrolyte regulation, leading to a further rise in potassium levels, and interferes with vitamin D processing, further worsening the low calcium levels.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: A diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis may be suspected in anyone who has sustained trauma, crush injury or prolonged immobilization, but it may also be identified at a later stage due to deteriorating kidney function (abnormally raised or increasing creatinine and urea levels, falling urine output) or reddish-brown discoloration of the urine.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: The most reliable test in the diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis is the level of creatine kinase (CK) in the blood. This enzyme is released by damaged muscle, and levels above 1000 U/L (5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN)) indicate rhabdomyolysis. More than 5,000 U/L indicates severe disease but depending on the extent of the rhabdomyolysis, concentrations up to 100,000 U/l are not unusual. CK concentrations rise steadily for 12 hours after the original muscle injury, remain elevated for 1–3 days and then fall gradually. Initial and peak CK levels have a linear relationship with the risk of acute kidney failure: the higher the CK, the more likely it is that kidney damage will occur. There is no specific concentration of CK above which kidney impairment definitely occurs; concentrations below 20,000 U/L are unlikely to be associated with a risk of kidney impairment, unless there are other contributing risk factors. Mild rises without kidney impairment are referred to as "hyperCKemia". Myoglobin has a short half-life, and is therefore less useful as a diagnostic test in the later stages. Its detection in blood or urine is associated with a higher risk of kidney impairment. Despite this, use of urine myoglobin measurement is not supported by evidence as it lacks specificity and the research studying its utility is of poor quality.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: Elevated concentrations of the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) may be detected. Other markers of muscle damage, such as aldolase, troponin, carbonic anhydrase type 3 and fatty acid-binding protein (FABP), are mainly used in chronic muscle diseases. The transaminases, enzymes abundant in both liver and muscle tissue, are also usually increased; this can lead to the condition being confused with acute liver injury, at least in the early stages. The incidence of actual acute liver injury is 25% in people with non-traumatic rhabdomyolysis; the mechanism for this is uncertain.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: High potassium levels tend to be a feature of severe rhabdomyolysis. Electrocardiography (ECG) may show whether the elevated potassium levels are affecting the conduction system of the heart, as suggested by the presence of T wave changes or broadening of the QRS complex. Low calcium levels may be present in the initial stage due to binding of free calcium to damaged muscle cells.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: As detectable levels of myoglobinemia and myoglobinuria occur, blood tests and urine tests may show elevated levels of myoglobin. For example, a urine test strip may reveal a positive result for "blood", even though no red blood cells can be identified on microscopy of the urine; this occurs because the reagent on the test strip reacts with myoglobin. The same phenomenon may happen in conditions that lead to hemolysis, the destruction of red blood cells; in hemolysis the blood serum is also visibly discolored, while in rhabdomyolysis it is normal. If kidney damage has occurred, microscopy of the urine also reveals urinary casts that appear pigmented and granular.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: Compartment syndrome is a clinical diagnosis, i.e., no diagnostic test conclusively proves its presence or absence, but direct measurement of the pressure in a fascial compartment, and the difference between this pressure and the blood pressure, may be used to assess its severity. High pressures in the compartment and a small difference between compartment pressure and blood pressure indicate that the blood supply is likely to be insufficient, and that surgical intervention may be needed.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: Disseminated intravascular coagulation, another complication of rhabdomyolysis and other forms of critical illness, may be suspected on the basis of unexpected bleeding or abnormalities in hematological tests, such as a decreasing platelet count or prolongation of the prothrombin time. The diagnosis can be confirmed with standard blood tests for DIC, such as D-dimer.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: If an underlying muscle disease is suspected, for instance, if there is no obvious explanation or there have been multiple episodes, it may be necessary to perform further investigations. During an attack, low levels of carnitine in the blood and high levels of acylcarnitine in blood and urine may indicate a lipid metabolism defect, but these abnormalities revert to normal during convalescence. Other tests may be used at that stage to demonstrate these disorders. Disorders of glycolysis can be detected by various means, including the measurement of lactate after exercise; a failure of the lactate to rise may be indicative of a disorder in glycolysis, while an exaggerated response is typical of mitochondrial diseases. Electromyography (EMG) may show particular patterns in specific muscle diseases; for instance, McArdle's disease and phosphofructokinase deficiency show a phenomenon called "cramp-like contracture". There are genetic tests available for many of the hereditary muscle conditions that predispose to myoglobinuria and rhabdomyolysis.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: Muscle biopsy can be useful if an episode of rhabdomyolysis is thought to be the result of an underlying muscle disorder. A biopsy sample taken during an episode is often uninformative, as it will show only evidence of cell death or may appear normal. Taking the sample is therefore delayed for several weeks or months. The histopathological appearance on the biopsy indicates the nature of the underlying disorder. For instance, mitochondrial diseases are characterized by "ragged red fibers". Biopsy sites may be identified by medical imaging, such as magnetic resonance imaging, as the muscles may not be uniformly affected.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: The main goal of treatment is to treat shock and preserve kidney function. Initially this is done through the administration of generous amounts of intravenous fluids, usually isotonic saline (0.9% weight per volume sodium chloride solution). In victims of crush syndrome, it is recommended to administer intravenous fluids even before they are extracted from collapsed structures. This will ensure sufficient circulating volume to deal with the muscle cell swelling (which typically commences when blood supply is restored), and to prevent the deposition of myoglobin in the kidneys. Amounts of 6 to 12 liters over 24 hours are recommended. The rate of fluid administration may be altered to achieve a high urine output (200–300 mL/h in adults), unless there are other reasons why this might lead to complications, such as a history of heart failure.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: While many sources recommend additional intravenous agents to reduce damage to the kidney, most of the evidence supporting this practice comes from animal studies, and is inconsistent and conflicting. Mannitol acts by osmosis to enhance urine production and is thought to prevent myoglobin deposition in the kidney, but its efficacy has not been shown in studies and there is a risk of worsening kidney function. The addition of bicarbonate to the intravenous fluids may alleviate acidosis (high acid level of the blood) and make the urine more alkaline to prevent cast formation in the kidneys; evidence suggesting that bicarbonate has benefits above saline alone is limited, and it can worsen hypocalcemia by enhancing calcium and phosphate deposition in the tissues. If urine alkalinization is used, the pH of the urine is kept at 6.5 or above. Furosemide, a loop diuretic, is often used to ensure sufficient urine production, but evidence that this prevents kidney failure is lacking.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: In the initial stages, electrolyte levels are often abnormal and require correction. High potassium levels can be life-threatening, and respond to increased urine production and renal replacement therapy (see below). Temporary measures include the administration of calcium to protect against cardiac complications, insulin or salbutamol to redistribute potassium into cells, and infusions of bicarbonate solution.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: Calcium levels initially tend to be low, but as the situation improves calcium is released from where it has precipitated with phosphate, and vitamin D production resumes, leading to hypercalcemia (abnormally high calcium levels). This "overshoot" occurs in 20–30% of those people who have developed kidney failure.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: Kidney dysfunction typically develops 1–2 days after the initial muscle damage. If supportive treatment is inadequate to manage this, renal replacement therapy (RRT) may be required. RRT removes excess potassium, acid and phosphate that accumulate when the kidneys are unable to function normally and is required until kidney function is regained.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: Three main modalities of RRT are available: hemodialysis, continuous hemofiltration and peritoneal dialysis. The former two require access to the bloodstream (a dialysis catheter) and peritoneal dialysis is achieved by instilling fluid into the abdominal cavity and later draining it. Hemodialysis, which is normally done several times a week in chronic kidney disease, is often required on a daily basis in rhabdomyolysis. Its advantage over continuous hemofiltration is that one machine can be used multiple times a day, and that continuous administration of anticoagulant drugs is not necessary. Hemofiltration is more effective at removing large molecules from the bloodstream, such as myoglobin, but this does not seem to confer any particular benefit. Peritoneal dialysis may be difficult to administer in someone with severe abdominal injury, and it may be less effective than the other modalities.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: Compartment syndrome is treated with surgery to relieve the pressure inside the muscle compartment and reduce the risk of compression on blood vessels and nerves in that area. Fasciotomy is the incision of the affected compartment. Often, multiple incisions are made and left open until the swelling has reduced. At that point, the incisions are closed, often requiring debridement (removal of non-viable tissue) and skin grafting in the process. The need for fasciotomy may be decreased if mannitol is used, as it can relieve muscle swelling directly.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: Disseminated intravascular coagulation generally resolves when the underlying causes are treated, but supportive measures are often required. For instance, if the platelet count drops significantly and there is resultant bleeding, platelets may be administered.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: The prognosis depends on the underlying cause and whether any complications occur. Rhabdomyolysis complicated by acute kidney impairment in patients with traumatic injury may have a mortality rate of 20%. Admission to the intensive care unit is associated with a mortality of 22% in the absence of acute kidney injury, and 59% if kidney impairment occurs. Most people who have sustained kidney impairment due to rhabdomyolysis fully recover their kidney function.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: The exact number of cases of rhabdomyolysis is difficult to establish because different definitions have been used. In 1995, hospitals in the U.S. reported 26,000 cases of rhabdomyolysis. Up to 85% of people with major traumatic injuries will experience some degree of rhabdomyolysis. Of those with rhabdomyolysis, 10–50% develop acute kidney injury. The risk is higher in people with a history of illicit drug use, alcohol misuse or trauma when compared to muscle diseases, and it is particularly high if multiple contributing factors occur together. Rhabdomyolysis accounts for 7–10% of all cases of acute kidney injury in the U.S.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: Crush injuries are common in major disasters, especially in earthquakes. The aftermath of the 1988 Spitak earthquake prompted the establishment, in 1995, of the Renal Disaster Relief Task Force, a working group of the International Society of Nephrology (a worldwide body of kidney experts). Its volunteer doctors and nurses assisted for the first time in the 1999 İzmit earthquake in Turkey, where 17,480 people died, 5392 were hospitalized and 477 received dialysis, with positive results. Treatment units are generally established outside the immediate disaster area, as aftershocks could potentially injure or kill staff and make equipment unusable.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: Acute exertional rhabdomyolysis happens in 2% to 40% of people going through basic training for the United States military. In 2012, the United States military reported 402 cases. Another group at increased risk is firefighters.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: The Bible may contain an early account of rhabdomyolysis. In , the Pentateuch says that the Jews demanded meat while traveling in the desert; God sent quail in response to the complaints, and people ate large quantities of quail meat. A plague then broke out, killing numerous people. Rhabdomyolysis after consuming quail was described in more recent times and called "coturnism" (after "Coturnix", the main quail genus). Migrating quail consume large amounts of hemlock, a known cause of rhabdomyolysis.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: In modern times, early reports from the 1908 Messina earthquake and World War I on kidney failure after injury were followed by studies by London physicians Eric Bywaters and Desmond Beall, working at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School and the National Institute for Medical Research, on four victims of The Blitz in 1941. Myoglobin was demonstrated in the urine of victims by spectroscopy, and it was noted that the kidneys of victims resembled those of patients who had hemoglobinuria (hemoglobin rather than myoglobin being the cause of the kidney damage). In 1944 Bywaters demonstrated experimentally that the kidney failure was mainly caused by myoglobin. Already during the war, teams of doctors traveled to bombed areas to provide medical support, chiefly with intravenous fluids, as dialysis was not yet available. The prognosis of acute kidney failure improved markedly when dialysis was added to supportive treatment, which first happened during the 1950–1953 Korean War.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: The word "rhabdomyolysis" () uses the combining forms "rhabdo-" + "myo-" + "-lysis", yielding "striated muscle breakdown".


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: Rhabdomyolysis is recognized in horses. Horses can develop a number of muscle disorders, many of which may progress to rhabdomyolysis. Of these, some cause isolated attacks of rhabdomyolysis (e.g., dietary deficiency in vitamin E and selenium, poisoning associated with pasture or agricultural poisons such as organophosphates), while others predispose to exertional rhabdomyolysis (e.g., the hereditary condition equine polysaccharide storage myopathy). 5–10% of thoroughbred horses and some standardbred horses have the condition equine exertional rhabdomyolysis; no specific cause has been identified, but an underlying muscle calcium regulation disorder is suspected.


title: Rhabdomyolysis

text: Rhabdomyolysis affecting horses may also occur in outbreaks; these have been reported in many European countries, and later in Canada, Australia, and the United States. It has been referred to as "atypical myopathy" or "myoglobinuria of unknown etiology". No single cause has yet been found, but various mechanisms have been proposed, and a seasonal pattern has been observed. Very high creatine kinase levels are detected, and mortality from this condition is 89%.


title: Deborra-Lee Furness

text: Deborra-Lee Furness (born 30 November 1955) is an Australian actress and producer. She is married to actor Hugh Jackman.


title: Deborra-Lee Furness

text: Furness was born in Annandale, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, and raised in Melbourne, Victoria. She studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, where she graduated in either 1981 or 1982. She performed on the stage in New York and played Kathleen, the Australian wife of Cole Gioberti (Billy Moses) on the television series "Falcon Crest" before returning to Australia to continue her acting career.


title: Deborra-Lee Furness

text: Furness rose to fame in 1988 when she starred in the movie "Shame", for which she won Best Actor awards from the Film Critics Circle of Australia and Golden Space Needle. Other roles included an episode of "Halifax f.p." and "The Flying Doctors". In 1993, Furness appeared as Chrissy in the television mini-series "Stark" starring Ben Elton and Jacqueline McKenzie. In 1995 she featured in the film "Angel Baby" directed by Michael Rymer and starring Jacqueline McKenzie and John Lynch. The film followed the story of two schizophrenic people who met during therapy and fell passionately in love.


title: Deborra-Lee Furness

text: In 1995, she starred in the title role in the television series "Correlli", where she met her future husband, Hugh Jackman.


title: Deborra-Lee Furness

text: From 1995 to 1996, Furness starred in television series "Fire" alongside Andy Anderson and Wayne Pygram. Furness played the role of Dolores Kennedy.


title: Deborra-Lee Furness

text: An adoptive mother of two, Furness is known for her work assisting orphans globally and streamlining international adoptions, especially in her native Australia where she is a patron, and one of the creators, of National Adoption Awareness Week. She has addressed the National Press Club of Australia on the subject of adoption laws in Australia. Furness is a patron of the Lighthouse Foundation for displaced children and International Adoption Families for Queensland. She is also a World Vision ambassador and serves on the Advisory Committee for Film Aid International, working with refugees throughout the world.


title: Deborra-Lee Furness

text: Furness is married to actor Hugh Jackman. They met on the set of Australian TV show "Correlli" in 1995. The ceremony took place on 11 April 1996 at St. John's in Toorak, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne. After going through two miscarriages, she adopted two children with Jackman: a son born in 2000 and a daughter born in 2005.


title: Deborra-Lee Furness

text: In 2014, Deborra-Lee Furness was named as the New South Wales Australian of the Year for her work in adoption campaigning.


title: The Piano

text: The Piano is a 1993 period drama film written and directed by Jane Campion. Starring Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, and Anna Paquin in her first major acting role, the film focuses on a mute Scottish woman who travels to a remote part of New Zealand with her young daughter after her arranged marriage to a frontiersman.


title: The Piano

text: A co-production between New Zealand, Australia and France, "The Piano" was a critical and commercial success, grossing US$140.2 million worldwide against its US$7 million budget. Hunter and Paquin both received high praise for their performances. In 1993, the film won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, making Jane Campion the first female director to ever receive this award. It won three Academy Awards out of eight total nominations in March 1994: Best Actress for Hunter, Best Supporting Actress for Paquin, and Best Original Screenplay for Campion. Paquin was 11 years old at the time and remains the second-youngest actor to win an Oscar in a competitive category.


title: The Piano

text: The plot has similarities to Jane Mander's 1920 novel "The Story of a New Zealand River", but also substantial differences. Campion says that "Wuthering Heights" and "The African Queen" were her inspirations.


title: The Piano

text: In the mid-1800s, an electively mute Scotswoman named Ada McGrath is sold by her father into marriage to a New Zealand frontiersman named Alisdair Stewart, bringing her young daughter Flora with her. Ada has not spoken a word since she was six and no one, including herself, knows why. She expresses herself through her piano playing and through sign language, for which her daughter, in parent-child role reversal, has served as her interpreter. Flora is the product of a relationship with a piano teacher whom Ada believed she had seduced through mental telepathy, but who "became frightened and stopped listening" and thus left her.


title: The Piano

text: Ada, Flora, and their belongings, including a hand-crafted piano, are deposited on a New Zealand beach by a ship's crew. The following day, Alisdair arrives with a Māori crew and his neighbor, George Baines, a fellow forester and retired sailor who has adopted many of the Māori customs, including tattooing his face. Alisdair at first tells Ada there are not enough bearers for the piano, then refuses to go back for it saying they all must make sacrifices. Ada, in turn, is cold to him and is determined to be reunited with her piano. Unable to persuade Alisdair, Ada and Flora visit George with a note asking to be taken to the piano and although he cannot read he agrees. He is spellbound by Ada's playing and offers Alisdair land he coveted in exchange for the instrument, and lessons from Ada. Alisdair consents, oblivious to George's attraction to her. Ada is enraged but cannot resist being able to play when George says he wants to learn by listening. Very soon, George proposes Ada can earn her piano back at a rate of one piano key per "lesson", provided he can observe her and do "things he likes" while she plays. She agrees, but negotiates for a number of lessons equal to the number of black keys only. Ada continues to rebuff Alisdair's affectionless overtures while beginning to explore her sensuality with George, who bargains for more intimacy in exchange for greater numbers of keys, while Ada holds back a great deal still. Realizing she is not willing to commit to him emotionally, George gives up and simply returns the piano to Ada, saying their arrangement "is making you a whore, and me wretched", and what he really wants is for her to actually care for him.


title: The Piano

text: Despite having her piano back, Ada finds herself missing George. She returns soon after and does not hold back; Alisdair hears them having sex as he walks by George's house and then watches them through a crack in the wall. Outraged, he follows her the next day and confronts her in the forest, where he attempts to force himself on her, despite her intense resistance. He eventually exacts a promise from Ada she will not see George.


title: The Piano

text: Soon afterwards, Ada orders Flora to take a package to George containing a single piano key inscribed with a declaration of love reading, "Dear George, you have my heart. Ada McGrath". Flora argues, then brings the piano key to Alisdair instead. After reading the love note burnt onto the piano key, Alisdair runs home with an axe, with Flora on his heels, and cuts off Ada's index finger in a rage, to deprive Ada’s ability to play the piano. He then sends a sobbing Flora to George with the severed finger wrapped in cloth, saying if the latter ever attempts to see Ada again, he will “chop off another, and another, and another”. Later that night, while touching Ada in her sleep, Alisdair hears what he believes to be Ada's voice inside his head, asking him to let George take her away. Deeply shaken, he goes to the man's house and asks if she has ever spoken words to him. George assures him she has not. They depart from the same beach on which she first landed in New Zealand. While being rowed to the ship with her baggage and Ada's piano tied onto a Māori longboat, Ada asks George to throw the piano overboard. As it sinks, she deliberately tangles her foot in the rope trailing after it. She is pulled overboard but, deep under water, changes her mind and kicks free and is pulled to safety.


title: The Piano

text: In an epilogue, Ada describes her new life with George and Flora in Nelson, New Zealand, where she has started to give piano lessons in their new home, and her severed finger has been replaced with a metal finger made by George. Ada describes taking speech lessons and practicing, and sometimes dreaming of her piano's resting place in the ocean and of herself still tethered to it.


title: The Piano

text: Casting the role of Ada was a difficult process. Sigourney Weaver was Campion's first choice, but ultimately turned down the role. Jennifer Jason Leigh was also considered, but had a conflict with her commitment to "Rush" (1991). Isabelle Huppert met with Jane Campion and had vintage period-style photographs taken of her as Ada, and later said she regretted not fighting for the role as Hunter did.


title: The Piano

text: The casting for Flora occurred after Hunter had been selected for the part. They did a series of open auditions for girls age 9 to 13, focusing on girls who were small enough to be believable as Ada's daughter (as Holly Hunter is relatively short at 157 cm / 5' 2" tall). Anna Paquin ended up winning the role of Flora over 5,000 other girls.


title: The Piano

text: Alistair Fox has argued that "The Piano" was significantly influenced by Jane Mander's "The Story of a New Zealand River". Robert Macklin, an associate editor with "The Canberra Times" newspaper, has also written about the similarities. The film also serves as a retelling of the fairytale "Bluebeard", itself depicted as a scene in the Christmas pageant.


title: The Piano

text: In July 2013, Campion revealed that she originally intended for the main character to drown in the sea after going overboard after her piano.


title: The Piano

text: Production on the film started in April 1992, filming began on 11 May 1992 and lasted until July 1992, and production officially ended on 22 December 1992.


title: The Piano

text: Reviews for the film were overwhelmingly positive. Roger Ebert wrote: ""The Piano" is as peculiar and haunting as any film I've seen" and "It is one of those rare movies that is not just about a story, or some characters, but about a whole universe of feeling". Hal Hinson of "The Washington Post" called it an "evocative, powerful, extraordinarily beautiful film".


title: The Piano

text: "The Piano" was named one of the best films of 1993 by 86 film critics, making it the most acclaimed film of 1993.


title: The Piano

text: In his "2013 Movie Guide", Leonard Maltin gave the film 3 1/2 stars out of 4, calling the film a "Haunting, unpredictable tale of love and sex told from a woman's point of view" and went on to say "Writer-director Campion has fashioned a highly original fable, showing the tragedy and triumph erotic passion can bring to one's daily life".


title: The Piano

text: On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 91% based on 68 reviews, and an average rating of 8.50/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Powered by Holly Hunter's main performance, "The Piano" is a truth-seeking romance played in the key of erotic passion." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 89 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".


title: The Piano

text: The film was the highest-grossing New Zealand film of all-time surpassing "" (1986) with a gross of $NZ3.8 million.


title: The Piano

text: The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards (including Best Picture), winning three for Best Actress (Holly Hunter), Best Supporting Actress (Anna Paquin) and Best Original Screenplay (Jane Campion). At age 11, Anna Paquin became the second youngest competitive Academy Award winner (after Tatum O'Neal in 1973).


title: The Piano

text: At the Cannes Film Festival, the film won the Palme d'Or (sharing with Chen Kaige's "Farewell My Concubine"), with Campion becoming the first woman to win the honour, as well as the first filmmaker from New Zealand to achieve this. Holly Hunter also won Best Actress.


title: The Piano

text: In 2019, the BBC polled 368 film experts from 84 countries to name the 100 best films by women directors, and "The Piano" was named the top film, with nearly 10% of the critics polled giving it first place on their ballots.


title: The Piano

text: The score for the film was written by Michael Nyman, and included the acclaimed piece "The Heart Asks Pleasure First"; additional pieces were "Big My Secret", "The Mood That Passes Through You", "Silver Fingered Fling", "Deep Sleep Playing" and "The Attraction of the Peddling Ankle". This album is rated in the top 100 soundtrack albums of all time and Nyman's work is regarded as a key voice in the film, which has a mute lead character.


title: The Piano

text: The film was released on DVD in 1997 by LIVE Entertainment and on Blu-ray on 31 January 2012 by Lionsgate, but already released in 2010 in Australia.


title: The Piano

text: On 11 August 2021, the Criterion Collection announced their first 4K Ultra HD releases, a six-film slate, will include "The Piano". Criterion indicated each title will be available in a 4K UHD+Blu-ray combo pack, including a 4K UHD disc of the feature film as well as the film and special features on the companion Blu-ray. "The Piano" was released on January 25, 2022.


title: Friday Night Funkin'

text: Friday Night Funkin' (stylized as FRIDAY NIGHT FUNKIN' and often abbreviated to FNF) is an open-source donationware rhythm game first released in 2020 for a game jam. The game was developed by a team of four Newgrounds users, Cameron "ninjamuffin99" Taylor, David "PhantomArcade" Brown, Isaac "Kawai Sprite" Garcia, and evilsk8r. The game shares some gameplay features with "Dance Dance Revolution" and "PaRappa the Rapper" and borrows aesthetic influences from Flash games. The game has been credited with driving users back to Newgrounds, a site whose popularity peaked in the early 2000s.


title: Friday Night Funkin'

text: The game mainly revolves around the player character, Boyfriend, who must defeat a variety of characters in singing and rapping contests in order to continue dating his love interest, Girlfriend. Gameplay revolves around hitting notes with timed inputs while avoiding running out of health for the duration of the song.


title: Friday Night Funkin'

text: The game was initially created for the Ludum Dare 47 game jam in October 2020. A full version backed on Kickstarter titled "Friday Night Funkin': The Full Ass Game" is under development.


title: Friday Night Funkin'

text: "Friday Night Funkin"' is a rhythm game in which the player controls a character called Boyfriend, who must defeat a series of opponents in order to continue dating his significant other, Girlfriend. The player must pass multiple levels, referred to as "weeks" in-game, containing three songs each. Each week, the player faces a different opponent, though some deviate in structure from this via the inclusion of multiple opponents. During gameplay, the opponent will sing a pattern of notes (represented as arrows) which the player must then mirror by using the arrow keys or the W, A, S, and D keys. Some songs introduce more complicated patterns, with the player's pattern sometimes varying from the opponent's or both singers engaging in a duet.


title: Friday Night Funkin'

text: For each week, the player has the option to select one of three difficulties: Easy, Normal, or Hard. As the difficulty increases, the speed of incoming arrows increases, and the patterns of arrows become more complex. The player's high score for each week on each difficulty is tracked and shown in the top corner of the week selection screen. The game contains two different modes of play: a story campaign in which songs are played linearly and a "free play" mode which allows for free selection of any of the game's music tracks.


title: Friday Night Funkin'

text: Ninjamuffin99 assembled a small team of Newgrounds creators to develop an initial "Friday Night Funkin"' prototype as a submission to Ludum Dare 47 in October 2020, which contained only a handful of music tracks and lacked menus. Despite its rudimentary design, the prototype received unexpected success, leading to many requests for a full game. In response, ninjamuffin99 stated that he had plans to expand the game.


title: Friday Night Funkin'

text: Ninjamuffin99 would later update this demo on November 1, 2020, which added several additional menus and options as well as Week 2, an additional fight. Interest in the game increased, with it quickly growing in notoriety on Newgrounds as it had received significant attention via platforms such as YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, and Twitch. Its soundtrack by composer Kawai Sprite has been made available for free on Bandcamp and Spotify.


title: Friday Night Funkin'

text: In February 2021, ninjamuffin99 asked Nintendo to allow his game to be ported to the Nintendo Switch. However, his request was rejected, which he believed was because the game was incomplete.


title: Friday Night Funkin'

text: Week 7 was released as a timed exclusive on Newgrounds. Due to the increase in traffic this caused to Newgrounds, the site crashed. The game ended its weekly update following Week 7, with the developers instead focusing on working on the full game, titled "Friday Night Funkin': The Full Ass Game".


title: Friday Night Funkin'

text: In April 2021, the developers announced plans to launch a Kickstarter project later in the month to turn the demo into a full game. On April 18, a Kickstarter project for the full version of the game was released under the name "Friday Night Funkin': The Full Ass Game" and reached its goal of $60,000 within hours. The Kickstarter ultimately raised over $2 million. In February 2022, "IGN" reported that "Friday Night Funkin': The Full Ass Game" was one of the most funded Kickstarter projects of 2021. The full game will include a mobile version for Android and iOS, an "Erect" mode which remixes the songs to make them harder, online multiplayer, and multiple new levels. The game will cost $10 to $20 USD but may be free and open-source on GitHub.


title: Friday Night Funkin'

text: The game has an extremely active modding community due to its open-source release, allowing for the implementation of fan-made content. As a result, the full game will receive mod support using the Polymod framework.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: Park Ji-sung (; ; born 30 March 1981) is a South Korean former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in the South Korean capital Seoul, Park is the most successful Asian player in football history, having won 19 trophies in his career. He is the first Asian footballer to have won the UEFA Champions League, to play in a UEFA Champions League final, as well as the first Asian to have won the FIFA Club World Cup. Park was able to play anywhere across the midfield and was noted for his exceptional fitness level, discipline, work ethic and off-the-ball movement. His remarkable endurance levels earned him the nickname "Three-Lungs" Park.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: Park began his football career in his native South Korea and played for the Myongji University team before moving to Japan to play for Kyoto Purple Sanga. After Park's national team manager Guus Hiddink moved back to the Netherlands to manage PSV Eindhoven, Park followed him to the Dutch side a year later. After PSV reached the semi-finals of the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, Park's talents were recognised by Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and he signed Park for a fee of around £4 million in July 2005. In his time at United, Park won four Premier League titles, the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League, and the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup. He moved to Queens Park Rangers in July 2012 after suffering a reduction in his number of appearances for Manchester United the previous season. However, an injury-interrupted season with QPR, combined with the club's relegation, led to Park rejoining PSV on loan for the 2013–14 season.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: As a member of the South Korea national team, Park won 100 caps and scored 13 goals. He was a member of the team that finished fourth at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and also represented his nation at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. At the World Cup, he was named man of the match four times, the most of any Asian player, and is currently South Korea's joint all-time leading World Cup goalscorer with three goals alongside Ahn Jung-hwan and Son Heung-min, having scored in three consecutive tournaments.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: Park was born in Seoul, but his family registered his birth in Goheung, Jeonnam, which is his father's hometown. He then left for Suwon, a satellite city of Seoul, and spent his adolescence there. He began playing football during his fourth year of elementary school. He attended Anyong Middle School and Suwon Technical High School. While at school, Park attracted attention as one of the most promising young talents in South Korea and was scouted by a number of clubs. He was well known for his excellent work rate, mesmerising dribbling and accurate passes. However, his small physique became a weak point after he entered middle school. His father, Park Sung-jong, quit his job and started a butcher shop for his son's dream. Sung-jong not only fed Park different meats but also frogs, antlers and deer blood, in the belief that it would increase his physical abilities. While in high school, Park helped his high school team's win at high school competition of the Korean National Sports Festival in 1998, though he was at that point rejected by a number of professional clubs and universities due to his small stature. He ended up playing for Myongji University after Lee Hak-jong, his high school coach, strongly recommended him to Kim Hee-tae, the university coach. Park was attached to the university's tennis club at that time, because the football club was full, so Kim asked the tennis coach for help.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: From the winter holiday of his secondary school year, Park began to train with his university team as a prospective member. A few weeks later, in January 1999, his university team was given the chance to train with the South Korea Olympic team. After a splendid performance, he attracted the attention of Huh Jung-moo, the coach of the South Korea national team and Olympic team. Thereafter he became a preliminary member of the Olympic team, and finally a formal member of its squad. At 18 years old, it was believed that if Park had not been selected for the Olympic team, he would have been selected for the under-20 team instead. This selection was so unexpected for Park and others that it was rumoured that Huh selected Park to fulfil a bet after losing to Kim Hee-tae in a game of Go.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: On 5 April 2000, in a 2000 AFC Asian Cup qualification match against Laos, Park made his debut as a member of the national team, along with Lee Chun-soo. In June 2000, while he was a national team member and a second year student at Myongji University, Kyoto Purple Sanga of Japan offered Park a contract and he took the offer though he was still a relative unknown. Park was the first instance of a relatively unknown Korean player being offered a contract by a Japanese club.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: In September 2000, at the 2000 Summer Olympics, his Olympic team failed to advance to the knockout stage, and the South Korea national football team replaced head coach Huh Jung-moo with Guus Hiddink.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: In June 2000, Park signed with the Kyoto-based then J1 League side Kyoto Purple Sanga. In the spring of 2000, hearing that there was a rising star in Korea, Bunji Kimura, Sanga's coach at the time, visited Korea along with other scouts. In a practice game, the rising star did not attract their attention, whereas Park did. In an interview, Kimura said:


title: Park Ji-sung

text: In 2001, the club won the J2 League title and were promoted to the J1 League. In 2002, Park led the team to the final of the Emperor's Cup, and in the final on 1 January 2003, he scored the equaliser with a header. The team went on to win the match 2–1 to become the Emperor's Cup champions for the first time in Sanga's history. This was Park's last game for Sanga. In January 2003, he left Sanga as Guus Hiddink invited him to play for PSV Eindhoven.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: After the World Cup, Hiddink was appointed as manager of Dutch club PSV Eindhoven. In 2003, Park and South Korean teammate Lee Young-pyo moved to PSV in order to play under their mentor and former national team coach. While Lee quickly became a fixture in PSV's starting line-up, Park struggled due to injuries. He had an operation to remove his meniscus after the injury and this affected his ability. He felt fear when the ball came to him because he was jeered at by PSV fans disappointed at his performance.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: By the end of 2003–04 season, however, Park had begun to adapt to the Netherlands, both on and off the field. In the 2004–05 season, the departure of Arjen Robben to Chelsea afforded Park more starting opportunities and he quickly proved his worth to the team. Along with Johann Vogel, DaMarcus Beasley and Dutchmen Mark van Bommel and Philip Cocu, Park formed the backbone of PSV's midfield play with his pace and passing. Having been a top contributor of goals and assists that season, the highlight of Park's PSV career came when he scored the first goal against Italian team Milan in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. PSV went on to win the home leg 3–1, but their 2–0 loss during the away leg meant Milan advanced to the final.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: Nevertheless, thanks to these strong performances, Park was chosen, along with Andriy Shevchenko, Adriano, Samuel Eto'o and Ronaldinho, as one of the nominees for the 2005 UEFA Best Forward award. PSV fans were so enamoured with Park that they wrote a song about him entitled "Song for Park", which was included on the official PSV album "PSV Kampioen".


title: Park Ji-sung

text: In July 2005, Park chose to join Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United. Park signed for the Premier League side for £4 million, subject to a medical and work permit. He became the second East Asian player to sign for Manchester United, after Dong Fangzhuo.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: On 1 October 2005, Park largely contributed to a 3–2 victory against Fulham by assisting two goals and winning a penalty kick. On 18 October 2005, Park became the first Asian to ever captain Manchester United when he took the armband from Ryan Giggs as he replaced him during a Champions League home group match against Lille. Park's first goal for Manchester United came on 20 December 2005, during a 3–1 win over Birmingham City in the League Cup fifth round. On 5 February 2006, Park appeared to have scored his first Premier League goal, against Fulham in United's 4–2 victory at Old Trafford. The Premier League's Dubious Goals Panel, however, later ruled that this was an own goal due to a deflection off the Fulham defender Carlos Bocanegra. On 9 April 2006, Park scored his first official league goal, netting the second of a 2–0 home win over Arsenal.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: Park injured his ankle during the match against Tottenham Hotspur on 9 September 2006 and returned to the field after three months. On 17 March 2007, he scored two goals against Bolton Wanderers, the first time he had scored more than once in a Premier League match. In April 2007, Park was sent to America for surgery on a recurring knee injury, putting an end to his season. Although sidelined by injury for most of the season, he recorded five goals and two assists in 14 appearances, and satisfied enough matches for a Premier League medal. However, Park started suffering chronic knee problems which eventually accelerated his retirement.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: On 1 March 2008, Park scored his first league goal of the 2007–08 season after returning from his long-term injury against Fulham. His lack of appearances had caused much controversy in South Korea, but he proved his worth when he delivered an assist to Wayne Rooney in the Champions League quarter-final match against Roma. On 29 April 2008, Manchester United advanced to the Champions League Final after beating Barcelona. Park, however, was excluded from the squad to face Chelsea in the final despite starting both legs of the semi-final; manager Sir Alex Ferguson later stated that leaving him out was one of the hardest decisions he had had to make throughout his managerial career.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: Early in the 2008–09 Premier League season, in an away match versus Chelsea, Park scored the only goal for United in a 1–1 draw on 21 September 2008, in a game which he also won the man of the match award. On 13 December 2008, he made his 100th appearance for Manchester United, starting in the match against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, the game ended 0–0. Park was included in the 23-man squad for the FIFA Club World Cup held at the end of 2008. He missed the semi-final but played the full 90 minutes in the final which they won 1–0 becoming the first English side to win the competition. On 7 March 2009, Park scored his first FA Cup goal in the 4–0 quarter-final win over Fulham at Craven Cottage, he latched onto a misplaced pass by Zoltán Gera eventually slotting it into the far corner for the fourth and final goal. On 15 April 2009, Manchester United advanced to semi-finals of the Champions League by defeating Porto 3–2 on aggregate. This made Park the only Asian player to be part of Champions League semi-finals on four occasions.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: On 2 May 2009, Park verbally agreed to a new four-year £50,000-a-week deal at Manchester United, stating, "I have no reason to move. I play at the best club in the world." Following this announcement, Park scored his second league goal of the season – and third overall – in a 2–0 away win against Middlesbrough. On 5 May 2009, Park scored his first Champions League goal for Manchester United in the second leg of the semi-final against Arsenal at the Emirates. He pounced on a slip by Kieran Gibbs and placed the ball over Manuel Almunia in the eighth minute, with the game ending 3–1 (4–1 on aggregate), advancing United to the Champions League final for the second year running. Park became the first Asian player in history to play in a Champions League final, although his team lost 2–0 to Barcelona.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: On 14 September 2009, Park signed a three-year contract extension with United, keeping him at the club until 2012. Ferguson said during the summer that he was always confident a deal would be done with Park, whose wages were estimated to be about £75,000 a week. Park started the 2009–10 season poorly. He had to be absent again for a long period after the international match against Senegal, because a long flight filled his knee with water in October 2009.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: On 31 January 2010, Park scored his first goal of the 2009–10 season, hitting United's third in a 3–1 win against Arsenal. His last goal also came against Arsenal at the Emirates in the same scoreline, coming in the 2008–09 Champions League, this was also the first time United had beaten Arsenal at the Emirates in the Premier League. On 10 March 2010, Park scored his first European goal of the season which was also his first for United in Europe at Old Trafford, hitting the third in a 4–0 win over Milan. This was also his second goal against Milan in the Champions League. On 21 March 2010, Park scored a crucial winner in the derby against Liverpool, turning in Darren Fletcher's right-wing cross with a diving header. On 4 May 2010, Park committed himself to United by openly claiming he would like to spend the rest of career with them, saying, "There is no reason to move to any other team." On 9 May 2010, Park netted on the final day of the season, scoring a close-range diving header against Stoke City to wrap up a 4–0 win.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: Park returned to the United team for the first time following the World Cup as he started against a League of Ireland XI in their final pre-season game on 4 August 2010. He marked this game with the first ever goal scored at the newly built Aviva Stadium, he then scored a second later on as United ended the game 7–1 winners.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: On 22 September 2010, Park netted his first goal of the 2010–11 season as he scored United's fourth of a 5–2 away win against Scunthorpe United in the third round of the League Cup. He then netted in the next round of the League Cup, scoring United's second goal in a 3–2 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on 26 October 2010. Park scored his first two league goals of the season in a 2–1 home win over Wolves on 6 November, the second a late winner in the 93rd minute. On 27 November, Park scored United's second goal in a 7–1 home victory over Blackburn Rovers. Park's performance's during November 2010 helped him gain the Player of the Month award from the club's website. Park was then voted as United Player of the Month for December 2010, grabbing the award for the second month in a row. On 13 December, Park netted the only goal of the match against Arsenal, a looping header, his fourth goal in seven starts against them.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: Park jetted off to captain South Korea in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup and missed seven games for United after the turn of the year. Upon his return from the subsequent tournament, he was ruled out for one month due to an hamstring injury which occurred during training. He returned to action for the first time since Boxing Day on 2 April, playing 64 minutes of a 4–2 away win over West Ham United. On 12 April 2011, Park scored his first goal since the turn of the year when he scored the winning goal in the Champions League quarter-final second leg tie against Chelsea, ending in a 2–1 win. On 8 May, Park assisted Javier Hernández's opening goal with an accurate through-ball just 36 seconds after the start of the crucial match, which virtually decided United's league title with a 2–1 victory over rivals Chelsea. On 22 May, he scored a goal and set up the second goal for Anderson in the last match of the season against Blackpool. Park played in another Champions League final, against Barcelona in 2011, which United lost 3–1.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: During the United States tour, Park scored in a 4–1 win against the New England Revolution and in a 7–0 win against Seattle Sounders FC. In the MLS All-Star Game, which Manchester United won 4–0, Park was named the man of the match after scoring a goal on the stroke of half-time.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: On 28 August 2011, Park scored the sixth goal in an 8–2 home win against Arsenal, shortly after coming on as a second-half substitute. Park made his first start of the season in the Premier League in a 2–0 home win against Norwich City. Late on in the game he was involved in a neat one-two with Danny Welbeck in the creation of United's second goal of the day, which Welbeck finished. On 26 December 2011, Park scored an early goal in United's 5–0 home win against Wigan Athletic with a neat, side-foot finish from Patrice Evra's cutback. He also won the penalty that wrapped up the win which Dimitar Berbatov scored to complete his hat-trick. In an FA Cup fourth round clash against Liverpool, Park scored an equalising goal with a low finish from a Rafael cross to make it 1–1; however, United went on to lose the tie.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: On 5 February 2012, Park made his 200th appearance for Manchester United by coming on as a substitute in the 86th minute against Chelsea. He became the 92nd player in the history of the club to reach the milestone. On 23 February 2012, Park captained Manchester United for the first time from the beginning of a match in a 2–1 home defeat to Ajax in the UEFA Europa League. Although the match ended in a defeat, United still advanced to the round of 16 with a 3–2 aggregate score. On 30 April 2012, Park played in the Manchester derby, in a game that was widely perceived as crucial to Manchester United's title defence. Park absented seven consecutive games by lagging behind in his positional competition at that time, but Ferguson trusted Park's big game ability. However, Park's performance was lethargic and he was criticized by the press. Manchester United lost the game 1–0 and Manchester City went on to win the Premier League title.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: Having received less first-team football in his last season at Manchester United, Park moved to Queens Park Rangers for an undisclosed fee on 9 July 2012, signing a two-year contract with "the Hoops". He made his debut in a 5–0 defeat at home to Swansea City on the opening day of the season on 18 August 2012.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: Park's first season with QPR was largely unsuccessful. Despite initially being made club captain, a combination of injuries and lack of form meant that Park was unable to have the kind of impact that was expected after his signing from Manchester United. Park finished the season with only 20 Premier League appearances and no goals, as QPR were relegated from the top flight of English football.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: With QPR no longer in the top flight, Park rejoined PSV on loan for the 2013–14 season. The deal was completed on 8 August 2013, but Park's work permit application delayed his first game back for the club. He scored his first goal against Heracles Almelo at 86 minutes to tie the game on 24 August, his second match with PSV after his return. On 22 September 2013, Park led a 4–0 victory of team against Ajax with one goal and two assists.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: On 14 May 2014, shortly after the conclusion of the season, Park announced his retirement, citing issues with his knee. Reflecting on his career, he said, "I'm leaving with no regrets, I enjoyed playing football. I have achieved more than I thought I would. I'm truly grateful for all the support I have received and I will live the rest of my life thinking how I can pay it back."


title: Park Ji-sung

text: Park began his international career for the South Korea under-23 team as an 18-year-old defensive midfielder, selected by the manager Huh Jung-moo. On 27 May 1999, he made his debut against Chinese Taipei in the regional qualifier of 2000 Summer Olympics. On 5 April 2000, Park also made his senior international debut against Laos in the 2000 AFC Asian Cup qualification. In September 2000, Park appeared all three matches in the group stage of 2000 Summer Olympics, and South Korea was eliminated by goal difference despite two victories in the group. In October 2000, Park played five matches at the 2000 AFC Asian Cup, where South Korea finished third.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: When Guus Hiddink became the head coach of South Korea, Park's position was shifted to that of a winger; since then, he has become a versatile player able to play in a variety of positions: central, right and left midfield, as well as wing-forward. Park showed his good condition by scoring against England and France in the friendly matches prior to the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Park scored a memorable goal during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. During the group stages South Korea had won their first game against Poland and drew against the United States. In order to advance, they had to manage a draw at the least against favoured Portugal side, which included Luís Figo and Rui Costa. The game was 0–0 until the 70th minute following two red cards against Portugal, when Park scored the match winner, controlling the ball with his chest and beating Sérgio Conceição before volleying it through the legs of Portugal goalkeeper Vítor Baía and into the net with his left foot. His goal eliminated Portugal and advanced South Korea into the knockout stages of the tournament for the first time. South Korea eventually made it to the semi-finals with victories over Italy and Spain, becoming the first Asian team to do so in the history of the FIFA World Cup. Park scored the second penalty in the quarter-final shoot-out against Spain, which South Korea won 5–3.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: Park was selected for the South Korea under-23 squad for the 2002 Asian Games and won a bronze medal. Park also played for South Korea in the 2004 AFC Asian Cup during July. In the quarter-final, Park assisted the Seol Ki-hyeon's goal, but South Korea lost 4–3 against Iran.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: Park participated in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Park drew a crucial free kick that led to a red card for Jean-Paul Abalo, and Lee Chun-soo finished the chance with the equalising goal in the first Group G match, a 2–1 win over Togo. Park scored the equalising goal in the second Group G match against eventual finalists France and was voted man of the match. However, South Korea lost 2–0 against Switzerland in the last group match and failed to advance into the knockout stage.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: On 11 October 2008, Park captained South Korea for the first time in a friendly, which Korea won 3–0 against Uzbekistan. He was the skipper for the remainder of the qualification campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and was South Korea's top scorer with five goals. One of his goals was against Iran in Seoul, beating two defenders then scored with his left foot. South Korea advanced to the finals without a single defeat. On 24 May 2010, Park scored the winning goal with a solo effort in the rivalry held in Japan just before the World Cup.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: On 12 June 2010, Park netted in his third consecutive World Cup, scoring the second goal in South Korea's 2–0 win over Greece in their first group match, and celebrated the goal with a double windmill (swinging both arms round and round). He became the first Asian to score in three consecutive World Cup finals and became Asia's joint all-time leading scorer in the World Cup with three goals, alongside compatriots Ahn Jung-hwan and Son Heung-min, as well as Sami Al-Jaber of Saudi Arabia. On 22 June 2010, South Korea drew 2–2 with Nigeria and Park won the man of the match award which is his fourth in the World Cup. South Korea successfully advanced to the knockout stage in the World Cup held in a foreign country for the first time, but lost 2–1 against Uruguay in the round of 16.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: Park's father, Park Sung-jong, said his son has planned to end his national team career after the 2011 AFC Asian Cup tournament in Qatar. Park travelled to the tournament on 26 December 2010 as squad captain. Park made his 100th international appearance in the semi-final match against Japan on 25 January 2011. Park induced a penalty kick which was finished as the opening goal but the match would not end in victory as they lost 3–0 during the penalty shoot-out following 2–2 after extra time. South Korea coach Cho Kwang-rae confirmed on 28 January that Park had retired from international duty as he was left out of their 3–2 third place play-off victory over Uzbekistan. Park was nominated as the tournament's Most Valuable Player alongside Mark Schwarzer, Keisuke Honda and Server Djeparov. The award was eventually won by Japan midfielder Honda. On 31 January, Park confirmed his retirement from international football to make way for younger players with potential.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: In January 2014, the national team manager Hong Myung-bo wanted Park's return to the team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but Park rejected Hong's suggestion because his knee was suffering to such an extent that he had to retire. Hong went to the Netherlands to persuade Park, but accepted Park's refusal after checking the condition of Park's knee.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: Park received much acclaim at Manchester United for his speed, off-the-ball movement, work rate and energy, which saw him deployed all over the midfield, including in the middle of the pitch, in a holding role, in a box-to-box role or on either wing, where he operated as a defensive winger, incessantly pressing the opponent players. He was also capable of playing as an attacking midfielder, or even in a more advanced role as a second striker on occasion. Moreover, Park was known as a big game player, as he was often used by Sir Alex Ferguson in big league games or European games where there was an extra emphasis on defensive work. Ferguson once claimed that Park was one of the few players in the world capable of marking Lionel Messi.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: In his 2013 autobiography, "I Think, Therefore I Play", Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo wrote that Park, who was deployed to man-mark him in matches for both PSV and Manchester United in the Champions League, was the one player that he could not get the better of. Pirlo wrote of Park, "The midfielder must have been the first nuclear-powered South Korean in history, in the sense that he rushed about the pitch at the speed of an electron."


title: Park Ji-sung

text: In May 2020, former teammate Wayne Rooney said that Park was as important to the Manchester United side of 2006–2009 as he and Cristiano Ronaldo were, commenting: "It's crazy but if you mentioned Cristiano Ronaldo to a 12-year-old, they would immediately say, 'Yeah, he was a brilliant player for Manchester United.' But if you said 'Ji-sung Park' they may not know who he was. Yet all of us who played with Park know he was almost as important to our success. That's because of what Park gave to the collective and I want to talk about teams. They – not stars – are the most important thing in sport. People say our United team had all these great players. In reality our biggest strength was as a pure counterattacking machine. We would sit back in our shape, win the ball and just go. Park or Fletch [Darren Fletcher] – or both – were always involved. They were vital to us. Players like me, Ronaldo, Tevez got the headlines but they [Park and Fletcher] were as important as us if not more, because of what they did for the team. We knew that inside the dressing room — and also that because they were so good at sacrificing themselves, their actual individual quality was often overlooked."


title: Park Ji-sung

text: In a promotional video for the Amazon Prime documentary "" (2021), Ferguson said that not substituting Park on at half-time of the 2011 Champions League final against Barcelona was "a mistake" and that, had he put Park in specifically to man-mark Lionel Messi, he believed they would have won that game.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: On 25 July 2014, Park participated in the K League All-Star Game, and was named the Most Valuable Player with a goal.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: On 5 October 2014, it was announced that Park was to take up a role as a global ambassador for Manchester United.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: In 2016, Park was selected to participate in the 17th edition of The FIFA Master - International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport with a view to furthering his ambition of working in sports administration. He graduated from the course in July 2017.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: In June 2018, he became a football commentator of a South Korean broadcasting company SBS, and commented on South Korean games at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: On 19 January 2021, he joined a K League 1 club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors as the advisor to help the selection, nurture, scouting, and training system of players. At a similar time, he announced his resignation as United's ambassador.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: In December 2021, Park rejoined Queens Park Rangers, coaching the under-16s under the guidance of the technical director Chris Ramsey.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: Park largely kept his personal life out of the spotlight and surprised the media by announcing his upcoming wedding to former television reporter Kim Min-ji at his retirement press conference. They married on 27 July 2014 in South Korea, and currently have a daughter and a son. Park is a Buddhist.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: Park has identified Brazilian former holding midfielder Dunga as his football idol in his early years.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: Park is the founder of the charitable foundation, JS Foundation, set up in 2011, which develop and launch charity programs that will support football infrastructure and also the necessaries of life. He is hosting the , contested between South Korea and guest youth teams, for development of the Korean youth players since 2015.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: He has participated in the Asian Dream Cup annual charity event with a team entitled "Park Ji-Sung and Friends". Fellow professionals who have played with him at the event include fellow South Korean internationals Ahn Jung-hwan and Lee Chung-yong, North Korean international Jong Tae-se and United teammate and former England captain Rio Ferdinand, while celebrities who have also done so include current cast members and alumni of the popular SBS variety show "Running Man", including actor Song Joong-ki, singer Kim Jong-kook and rapper Gary. As a result, Park's involvement in the 2012 edition marked his first appearance on the show over three episodes.


title: Park Ji-sung

text: During his time with Manchester United, the chant for Park, "Park, Park wherever you may be," included the controversial lyrics generalizing and disparaging Koreans about eating dogs, which was deemed racist. Park, who originally did not know the chant's meaning, still later he accepted the chant since it meant no harm. The chant, however, was later used on other South Korean players Ji So-yun and Hwang Hee-chan by Manchester United fans even after Park's retirement. When he participated in the anti-racism campaign of a South Korean YouTube channel in 2020, the South Korean fans criticized Park for tolerating and allowing the racist chant to be used continuously on other South Korean players. Park accepted the criticism and appealed to the United fans to stop singing his chant on behalf of Korean players and fans.


title: Tenacious D

text: Tenacious D is an American comedy rock duo formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994. It was founded by actors Jack Black and Kyle Gass, who were members of The Actors' Gang theater company at the time. The duo's name is derived from "tenacious defense", a phrase used by NBA basketball sportscasters Walt Frazier and Marv Albert.


title: Tenacious D

text: Prior to the release of Tenacious D's 2001 debut album "Tenacious D", the duo had a three-episode TV series released on HBO, with the episodes broadcasting between 1997 and 2000. This series came about after the band had met David Cross on the Los Angeles music scene—and Black featuring in episodes of "Mr. Show with Bob and David". The band also befriended former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, which began a working relationship between Foo Fighters and Tenacious D. Towards the end of the 1990s, the duo supported large rock acts such as Weezer, Pearl Jam, Tool, and Beck.


title: Tenacious D

text: In 2000, they signed with Epic Records and the year after released "Tenacious D," their debut album featuring a full band, including Grohl on the drums. Their first single, "Tribute", has achieved cult status since its release, contributing to their popularity in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Ireland and Australia. In 2003, the band released "The Complete Master Works", their first live concert DVD which achieved gold and platinum status by the RIAA.


title: Tenacious D

text: In November 2006, they starred in their own film, "Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny," released by New Line Cinema, with Epic Records releasing the soundtrack as their second album, "The Pick of Destiny." The film cost $20 million to produce, though only grossed $13.9 million at the box office and suffered mixed reviews from critics. Despite the poor reception of the actual film, the band would near sell-out arenas on its respective tour, including Madison Square Garden in New York. Following several years of sporadic festival dates and special appearances, the band released their third album "Rize of the Fenix" on May 15, 2012, through Columbia Records, with the album making light of "The Pick of Destiny's" commercial failure.


title: Tenacious D

text: In 2013, the band hosted the comedy music festival Festival Supreme in Los Angeles, which would go on to host three more editions. In 2014, the band were invited to feature on "Ronnie James Dio – This Is Your Life", a compilation album where various artists cover Ronnie James Dio songs to raise funds for cancer. Their cover of "The Last in Line" won a Grammy for best heavy metal performance at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards. Following teases from Black and Gass regarding a second film, in late 2018, the band began independently releasing an animatic hand-drawn web series titled, "Tenacious D in Post-Apocalypto", each of the six episodes uploading exclusively to YouTube every week starting September 28. Columbia Records released the album "Post-Apocalypto" on November 2, 2018, just after the release of the sixth episode.


title: Tenacious D

text: Tenacious D's music showcases Black's theatrical vocal delivery and Gass's acoustic guitar-playing abilities. Critics have described their fusion of vulgar absurdist comedy with rock music as "mock rock". Their songs discuss the duo's purported musical and sexual prowess, as well as their friendship and cannabis usage in a style that music critics have compared with the storyteller-style lyrics of rock opera.


title: Tenacious D

text: Jack Black and Kyle Gass initially met in Los Angeles in 1986 at their teacher's house, both members of The Actors' Gang theater troupe. Black admits that, due to animosity, he and Gass didn't initially see eye-to-eye, as Gass was the main musician for the Actor's Gang and "felt threatened by Black". The Actor's Gang travelled to Edinburgh, Scotland, for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1989. They were performing Tim Robbins' and Adam Simon's play "Carnage". The two befriended during the trip, notably climbing Arthur's Seat on a day off.


title: Tenacious D

text: Following the trip, Black and Gass would bond over music. Black states he didn't learn guitar until he was "around twenty-three years old", so would regularly visit Gass's Cochran Avenue studio apartment, in the deal that Gass would teach Black to play guitar in return for food, mainly from fast-food chain Jack in the Box. Black has comically stated that their go-to order was two tacos for a dollar, "as it was cheap". "If [we] wanted to splurge, [we] would go with Monster Tacos, which included a little extra lettuce and salsa". The two would work together professionally at The Actor's Gang and would collaborate in productions.


title: Tenacious D

text: It took a few years after meeting in the early 1990s for the two to begin writing music of their own. Black and Gass eventually wrote their first song after Black had been dumped by a girlfriend called Melissa, a non-comedic song. The two have since admitted to feeling embarrassed about the song, though they occasionally sing it during interviews when telling their story. Their second song came about when Black was listening to the Metallica song "One" and told Gass that it was "the best song in the world". Gass told Black that they couldn't write the best song in the world, but Black put a twist on it and said they could "write a tribute". Gass played an A-minor chord on his guitar at the apartment and the two spent three full days crafting the song. When it was done, Gass mentioned that they "knew they had something". The song made the duo realize their comedic potential. The two would initially call themselves "Responsive Chord" for a brief period of time whilst rehearsing the comedy act.


title: Tenacious D

text: The band's first ever on-stage appearance was at Highland Grounds in Los Angeles, a coffee shop, where they performed as "The Axe Lords Featuring Gorgazon's Mischief," though the production was technically part of an Actor's Gang variety event"." Notably in the audience was Harry Shearer, best known for his role as Derek Smalls in Spinal Tap and as the voice of Principal Skinner on "The Simpsons".


title: Tenacious D

text: The band's first performance at an actual music event was a short appearance at Al's Bar in the summer of 1994; the band performed the live debut of "Tribute", still their only song at the time, and the duo also gave the audience the chance to vote for their name. Black and Gass gave them the choice between "Pets or Meat", "Balboa's Biblical Theater" and "The Axe Lords Featuring Gorgazon's Mischief" (Gass' personal favorite). "Tenacious D"—a basketball term used by commentators to describe robust defensive positioning in basketball — did not get the majority of votes, however, but according to Black "we forced it through". The venue had become a hotbed for upcoming bands, so much so that in attendance was David Cross, who invited Black and Gass to open for the live version of "Mr Show". Black would later be cast on the actual television series itself in 1995.


title: Tenacious D

text: The band would continue to generate momentum on the Los Angeles music scene, notably performing headline shows at Al's Bar, Pedro's, Largo and The Actors' Gang studio. Maynard James Keenan, lead vocalist of the band Tool, had also met Cross on the Los Angeles scene, and therefore had also become involved in "Mr. Show". Keenan invited Black and Gass to support three Californian Tool concerts in December 1995. Tool was the first large act that Tenacious D were a support act for. Black had previously attended UCLA with director Jason Bloom; therefore, when Bloom was made the director of 1996's Bio-Dome, Black and Gass were invited to perform a short song in the film. The two wrote the song "5 Needs", and this was their first on-screen appearance as Tenacious D.


title: Tenacious D

text: In 1997, Tenacious D had become a popular act on the Los Angeles music scene and would perform residencies at The Viper Room. Pete Stahl, the vocalist of the band Scream, worked at The Viper Room at the time and became a fan of Black and Gass. Stahl invited friend Dave Grohl to come and visit The Viper Room to see Tenacious D, though Grohl initially didn't want to go. Grohl changed his stance and went to see the band perform a couple of weeks later and thoroughly enjoyed it. This would start a relationship between Grohl, Black and Gass.


title: Tenacious D

text: Tenacious D recorded their songs "Tribute", "Kyle Quit the Band", "Krishna" and "History" and released them in a demo tape called "Tenacious Demo" in the late 1990s with Andrew Gross, distributing it to various record companies, until HBO offered them a TV show based upon the tape and Black's work on "Mr. Show".


title: Tenacious D

text: Cross, with "Mr. Show" writer Bob Odenkirk, continued his involvement with Tenacious D by producing three half-hour shows based on the band. The series, entitled "Tenacious D", premiered on HBO in 1997, immediately following an episode of "Mr. Show". While a total of three episodes consisting of two shorts each, ten to twelve minutes in length, were produced, only the first was aired that year; the final two episodes did not air until the summer of 2000. According to Gass, the series was cancelled after HBO requested ten episodes with the stipulation that he and Black would have to relinquish their role as executive producers, and only write songs. After the series aired, the band continued to perform live. At a show at the Viper Room in Los Angeles, they met Dave Grohl, who remarked that he was impressed with their performance; this led to their cameo in the Foo Fighters' "Learn to Fly" music video. The popularity of Tenacious D further increased as they began to open for high-profile acts, including Beck, Pearl Jam and Foo Fighters.


title: Tenacious D

text: In May 2000, Tenacious D signed to Epic Records. As Black's profile increased due to his roles in films such as "High Fidelity" the band worked on recording their first album with producers the Dust Brothers. In 2001, they released their debut "Tenacious D". It peaked at No. 33 on the "Billboard" 200 on October 13, 2001. While Tenacious D usually appears as a duo, the album was backed by a full band, consisting of Dave Grohl on drums and guitar, keyboardist Page McConnell of Phish, guitarist Warren Fitzgerald of The Vandals, and bassist Steven Shane McDonald of Redd Kross. According to Black, they chose to use a band because "no one's ever heard us with a band". The majority of songs on the album were performed previously on their short-lived television series.


title: Tenacious D

text: Although the critical reaction varied, by November 2005, the album had achieved platinum status in the US. "Entertainment Weekly" described the release as "hilarious", and "no mere comedy record". AllMusic wrote that the album "rocks so damn hard", but lamented the absence of some of the songs from the television show. "Flak Magazine" criticised the band's use of skits between songs, describing them as "distracting" and a "nuisance". In addition, "The Independent" remarked that the album was full of "swearing and scatology" and was "bereft of even the slightest skidmark of humour".


title: Tenacious D

text: The first single from the album was "Tribute": a tribute to the "greatest song in the world" which, in the song, Tenacious D claimed they had performed in order to save their souls from a demon. A music video, directed by Liam Lynch, was shot for the song. The video achieved success and was voted the fifth best music video ever by "Kerrang!" readers. This was followed by the second single, "Wonderboy", the music video of which was directed by Spike Jonze. A third video, an animation depicting Black and Gass as cherubs, was made for "Fuck Her Gently", directed by "Ren and Stimpy" creator John Kricfalusi.


title: Tenacious D

text: The album also included "Dio", a song written as a tribute to rock singer Ronnie James Dio, which mocked him somewhat for being too old. Dio liked the song enough to ask the band to appear in the music video for his song, "Push". An EP entitled "D Fun Pak" was released in 2002. It featured a skit and acoustic versions of "Jesus Ranch" and "Kyle Quit The Band", as well as a megamix by Mocean Worker. "The Complete Masterworks", a music DVD featuring the entire run of their TV series, music videos, and a live performance from London's Brixton Academy recorded in 2002, was released on November 9, 2003.


title: Tenacious D

text: Black and Gass had dreamt of producing a Tenacious D motion-picture since forming the band; archived footage of banter at an early Tenacious D show records Black as saying "a movie - that would be the pinnacle".


title: Tenacious D

text: The duo conceptualized numerous ideas for a film, though the first actual known draft of a script was published on November 7, 2000. The script was based around many songs that would later be released on the duo's eponymous debut album that would be released the following year. There is little known about the script, other than it being based around the band playing coffee shops and Black becoming fascinated by Atlantis. Black and Gass both falling in love with a girl called Simmeon who has written books about the fictional island. They later meet Ronnie James Dio, and are sent on a road trip to Miami. This concept was later scrapped.


title: Tenacious D

text: At some point prior to 2003, the band were in negotiations with British studio Working Title Films to write and distribute a Tenacious D film, but Black and Gass decided to assume creative control when they were not satisfied with the writers' ideas.


title: Tenacious D

text: In February 2003, it was announced that the band had signed with New Line Cinema to create a Tenacious D film, with Liam Lynch as the director, and Black, Gass and Lynch writing the script and being producers on the production. There was also speculation that Red Hour Productions would produce the film, which was later confirmed. Later in 2003, Black announced the film's working title as "Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny" and that the script was about the band's search for a sacred guitar pick. Filming had been expected to take place by the end of 2003; however, it was delayed by almost a year due to Black being cast in Peter Jackson's big budget remake of "King Kong". In December 2004, Black and Gass performed some songs from the upcoming soundtrack of the film whilst touring Australia, and announcing that the film would include cameos from Meat Loaf and Ronnie James Dio.


title: Tenacious D

text: Principal photography for "Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny" commenced in the spring of 2005, with the production finishing later that summer. The film held its first test screening to the press in October 2005. The film held two re-shoots in the summer of 2006 and according to Lynch, every crew member from the principal photography came back because they "had such a fun time working on set". Black also stated that the filming on this production was "the most fun I've ever had filming a movie".


title: Tenacious D

text: The film held its British premiere on November 1, 2006 at the Vue West End cinema in London, England. The film's domestic premiere was held at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on November 9, 2006. Many of the actors who had cameos in the film were in attendance; including Ronnie James Dio, Dave Grohl, and Ben Stiller. The soundtrack for the production was called "The Pick of Destiny" and featured a returning John King (of The Dust Brothers) producing it. It was released on November 14, 2006 through Epic Records.