title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: After much anticipation by the media, Brown announced that he would run for U.S. Senate seat in New Hampshire. Born at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, to parents who lived near downtown Portsmouth, Brown then spent his early childhood in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and later in Wakefield, Massachusetts following his parents' divorce. He has also been a taxpayer and owned a home in Rye, New Hampshire for more than two decades. In December 2013, he sold his primary home in Massachusetts and expressed to the Rye town clerk "his intention to establish residency and register to vote".


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Polling done by various agencies in April and May 2014 showed incumbent Senator Jeanne Shaheen leading Brown by 3 to 5 points. A poll conducted in May by the Republican Governors Association showed Brown leading Jeanne Shaheen by 5 points. In late August, a WMUR/UNH poll showed Shaheen leading Brown by two points, 46 to 44. Polls were mixed in the final three weeks of the election, with most showing Shaheen ahead by 1–8 percentage points, and weekly polls by NH1 News, New England College, and Vox Populi showing Brown leading by 1–4 points.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: There were five total debates during the election, three of which were televised. The televised U.S. Senate Debates were hosted by WMUR-TV, NECN, and NH1 News. The WMUR Debate was moderated by George Stephanopoulos of ABC and Josh McElveen of WMUR-TV and was held at Saint Anselm College in Goffstown. The NH1 News Debate was moderated by Wolf Blitzer of CNN and Paul Steinhauser of NH1 and was held at the NH1 Media Center in Concord. The NECN Debate was moderated by Chuck Todd of NBC and was held at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown was sworn into office on February 4, 2010, by Vice President Joe Biden, in his capacity as President of the Senate, on the floor of the Senate. As a Class I Senator, his term lasted until January 3, 2013.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown was among the speakers at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C., introducing former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. Despite his appearance at CPAC, where he alluded to his election as making "big government spenders ... [not] feel good at all", Brown refused to rule out a vote for a Democratic "jobs bill" proposal, and praised both Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and then-senior Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts for indicating their willingness to work with him across party lines. Brown was one of five Republican senators to vote for cloture on the jobs bill. The motion passed in the Senate 62–30 on February 22, 2010. In an up or down vote on the bill itself on February 24, 2010, Brown voted for final passage, helping to pass the bill 70–28.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: According to "The Washington Post", Brown voted with the majority of Republicans 80% of the time. In the same poll, "56% of Massachusetts voters believed he had kept his promise to be an independent voice in the U.S. Senate."


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown's views on the 2011 budget cuts and his departures from Republican consensus placed him at odds with some of his fellow Republicans and prominent Tea Party conservatives, including Glenn Beck. He said he opposed these measures because he believed that they would have a negative impact on low income families and children.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: In late June 2010, Brown was ranked as "the most popular officeholder in Massachusetts" according to a poll conducted by "The Boston Globe". 55% of those polled had favorable opinions of Brown nearly five months after his January 19, 2010, special election victory to finish the term of the late Senator Edward Kennedy. 50% of respondents generally approved of how Brown had handled his new position.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: On March 30, 2011, the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee released a poll showing that Brown remained the "most popular politician in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with an approval rating of 73 percent." Brown's "'re-elect' score was comfortably above 50 percent, which is unusual for a Republican in an overwhelmingly Democratic state."


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: On February 13, 2013, Fox News Channel hired Brown as an on-air contributor. In February 2014, it was reported that Brown was no longer under contract with Fox News; however Brown's contract was renewed.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Following Brown's defeat in the 2012 U.S Senate race there was wide speculation that he would run again in 2013 due to John Kerry resigning from the other Massachusetts Senate seat to become Secretary of State. However, on February 1, 2013, he ruled out undertaking a third U.S. Senate campaign in less than four years.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: In March 2013 Brown joined Nixon Peabody, a company which provides legal and lobbying services. Nixon Peabody reported that Brown would be working with the financial services and commercial real estate industries. In April 2014 Brown left the company. This work later received media attention when Lawrence Lessig with the Mayday PAC called Brown a lobbyist during the 2014 Senate election campaign. Brown's campaign denied the claim and said that Lessig had breached the honor code of Harvard University in making it.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: While visiting the Iowa State Fair in August 2013, Brown stated he was considering a 2016 presidential run.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: On August 21, 2013, Brown, during an interview on WBZ's "NightSide With Dan Rea" radio program, said he would not be a candidate for Massachusetts governor in 2014.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: In September 2013, Brown joined the advisory board of Airtronic USA/Global Digital Solutions, a wireless communications and small arms manufacturer and exporter.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: In early February 2014, Brown's email list was used to promote "a video from a doctor warning against flu vaccines, fluoridated water, and excessive exercising, among other questionable medical claims." The email generated news coverage. Brown subsequently cut ties with the vendor that sent the email.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: On March 13, 2014, Brown began seeking campaign staff while aggressively courting New Hampshire's political elite, marking what local Republicans considered serious steps toward launching a Senate campaign against Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: On April 2, 2014, a local New Hampshire station reported that Brown "confirmed and announced on NH Today that he is running for the US Senate in NH" against Democratic Incumbent Jeanne Shaheen, and would announce the next week.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown had stated that win or lose in his 2014 New Hampshire Senatorial bid, he planned to remain a New Hampshire resident for the rest of his life. In January 2015, it was revealed that shortly after losing to Shaheen, Brown, age 55, filed an application to the Massachusetts State Retirement Board to claim a state pension. Brown did not rule out running for office again in the future. Brown is also working as a contributor for Fox News Channel and as an on-call host for Fox & Friends. Brown served as a featured speaker at the 2015 Republican Leadership Summit in Nashua, New Hampshire. Brown continues to play an active role in politics, campaigning and fundraising with senatorial and congressional candidates and meeting with Republican candidates for president in New Hampshire.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: In 2015, Brown used his Facebook page to promote AdvoCare, a company that uses multi-level marketing to sell nutrition, weight-loss, energy, and sports performance products. He said that he had lost 30 pounds in 24 days on the regimen. He later added that neither he nor his wife were "paid spokesrepresentatives for Advocare," although he was confirmed as being an independent representative of the company. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has requested a Federal Trade Commission investigation of Brown's non-disclosure of financial interest in AdvoCare.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: In February 2016, Brown became the first current or former U.S. Senator to endorse Donald Trump's presidential election bid. He introduced Trump to Anthony Scaramucci, who later briefly served as Trump's communications director.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: In an August 2016 sexual harassment lawsuit against Fox News, Andrea Tantaros claimed that Brown made sexually suggestive comments to her and touched her without her consent. Brown denied the allegations.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: On April 20, 2017, it was reported that Brown was nominated by President Donald Trump to be the next United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa. He was confirmed by the Senate as Ambassador to New Zealand on June 8, 2017 and arrived in New Zealand on June 25. He was confirmed as Ambassador to Samoa a month later.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: In October 2017, the U.S. State Department advised Brown to be more culturally sensitive after he called United States Peace Corps volunteers "beautiful" and told servers at an event that they could make good money in the food service industry. The State Department conducted a review and Brown was counseled on standards of conduct for government employees.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown used a private jet to dodge the mandatory New Zealand quarantine. During this time, 112 other international diplomats used the government run quarantine facilities, which were temporarily housed in New Zealand hotels, to spend 14 days in monitored quarantine, but Brown's group of 6 did not. Brown's flouting of the uniform quarantine – partly credited with keeping New Zealand mostly COVID-19 free – caused a furor as was made known after Brown had returned from a "working holiday" in the US.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown departed New Zealand on December 20, 2020, at the close of his term, leaving Kevin Covert as the chargé d'affaires.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: In December 2020, Brown became the dean of New England Law Boston. He had been selected for this position in November 2019, with an initial agreement being made that he would assume the position in December 2020, at the end of his commitment with the State Department to serve as ambassador. He started his tenure as dean in January 2021. He resigned from this job in August 2021, with his resignation letter citing a difference of vision from that of the board of directors, and declaring that he would "re-engage in the political arena," by supporting,


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: "candidates and causes who share my vision of re-building the Republican Party and moving our country beyond partisan gridlock."


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: In April 2022, it was reported that Brown would lead "The Competitiveness Coalition", a coalition formed in opposition to the proposed American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICO). Organizations included in the coalition include the National Taxpayers Union, Americans for Prosperity, and the R Street Institute.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Scott Brown is a moderate Republican. Brown describes himself as socially moderate and fiscally conservative. He said he is a "pro-choice moderate Republican." He said that he voted 50–50 with Democrats and Republicans and said he is bipartisan. He identifies himself as a "Reagan Republican". He has said, "I'm going to be the only person down there who is going to be the independent voter and thinker ... I've always been the underdog in one shape or form."


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: The University of Chicago's Boris Schor completed an analysis of his tenure in the state legislature and concluded that his voting record was more liberal than two-thirds of Massachusetts Republican state legislators. "He has supported abortion rights and come out against a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage – an issue he has said should be up to states to decide.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: As a state legislator, he also supported Massachusetts' legislation to provide universal healthcare." However, in 2010, Brown was endorsed by the conservative Tea Party Express. After being elected, Brown said that "[he's] not a Tea Party member." As a United States Senator, "Congressional Quarterly" found that Brown voted with President Obama's 2011 positions on legislation 69.6% of the time. According to GovTrack, Brown was the third most moderate Republican Senator during his tenure in the Senate. He has a lifetime 53% conservative rating from the American Conservative Union and a 50% liberal rating from the Americans for Democratic Action. In 2012, the non-partisan "National Journal" gave him a rating of 54% conservative and 46% liberal.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown is a signer of Americans for Tax Reform's Taxpayer Protection Pledge. In a letter to the editor of "The Boston Globe" written on January 8, 2012, Brown wrote, "With out-of-control government spending and rising debt and deficits, politicians in Washington have proven time and time again that they cannot manage hard-earned taxpayer money responsibly. So why should we give them even more?"


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown opposed a proposed multibillion-dollar tax on banks to recoup bailout money and prescribing of bank executive compensation. Brown, discussing the proposal through a spokesperson, said that he is "opposed to higher taxes, especially in the midst of a severe recession". He also opposed it on the grounds that the tax would likely be passed onto consumers in the form of higher service and ATM fees. In September 2010, Brown opposed a Senate bill creating a $30 billion government fund aimed at encouraging lending to small businesses. The bill combined the fund with $12 billion in new tax breaks. Brown criticized the bill for including a provision much like the Troubled Asset Relief Program, stating: "Banks making lending decisions with government funds is not the way to get our economy moving again."


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: On December 12, 2010, "The Boston Globe" reported that "[c]ampaign contributions to [Brown] from the financial industry spiked sharply during a critical three-week period last summer as the fate of the Wall Street regulatory overhaul hung in the balance and Brown used the leverage of his swing vote to win key concessions sought by firms." Brown received more than ten times the amount of contributions from the financial services industry as House Financial Services Committee chairman (and author of the legislation) Barney Frank during the same period. According to the "Globe":


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: In December 2011, with a temporary payroll tax cut set to expire at the end of the month, the Senate considered the Middle Class Tax Cut Act of 2011, which would extend the tax cut for 113 million workers or families and fund the plan by a 3.25 percent surtax on incomes over $1 million. Brown voted against proceeding to take up the bill (i.e., voted against cloture that would end the filibuster). He announced that his opposition was to the surtax on high incomes.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown supported President Barack Obama's decision to send 30,000 more troops to fight in Afghanistan. He cited Stanley McChrystal's recommendations as a reason for his support. He also advocates that suspected terrorists be tried in military tribunals and not civilian courts. He also supported the limited use of "enhanced interrogation techniques", including waterboarding against non-citizen terrorist suspects. He supports a two-state solution for the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in which Israel and a new, independent Palestinian state would co-exist side by side.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: In 2007, Brown wrote a law establishing a check off box on State income tax forms to allow a filer to indicate if he or she is a veteran of the Iraq or Afghanistan wars. The measure's purpose is to locate and inform returning veterans of benefits they qualify for. Known as the "Welcome Home" bonus, it was passed with bipartisan support. Brown also amended the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, with Senator Jack Reed (RI), to create a dedicated military liaison office within the newly formed Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which aside from defending against unscrupulous lenders, also ensures protection of military families against fraudulent life insurance policies. The measure passed the United States Senate 99 to 1.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown supported the 2006 Massachusetts health care reform, which requires all residents to have health insurance, with a state-subsidized plan created for those who cannot afford to insure themselves. Brown did not support President Obama's health care reform plan in the form approved. He stated that the plan was fiscally unsound, and during his campaign he pledged to be the 41st vote to filibuster the bill in the Senate.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown voted for a state measure on patients' rights that, among other provisions, requires emergency rooms to provide what is known as the morning-after pill to rape victims to prevent an unwanted pregnancy from developing. In consideration of health care workers who might have a religious objection to administering this medication, Brown attached what became known as the Conscientious Objector amendment which would have exempted these workers, as well as religious hospitals, from being required to provide this medication. However, Brown's amendment also required that all hospitals still had to provide a means for the patient to receive the medication, either by providing another healthcare worker willing to administer the medication, or, in the case of religious hospitals, to provide transportation to another facility, and in a timely manner. The amendment did not pass. Brown remains in favor of allowing religious hospitals to refuse to provide emergency contraception on moral or religious grounds, as he stated in the January 5, 2010 candidate debate.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown supports expanding solar, wind, and nuclear power, and offshore drilling exploration as a means to reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil. But, when faced with the controversial issue of whether an offshore wind farm should be allowed in the waters off the Cape Cod coast in Massachusetts, a major tourist destination and boating location, he expressed opposition, saying he believed it would hinder tourism and boating in the area.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown is an avid supporter of bipartisan cooperation among members of Congress. He has said that his goal in Congress is "to work in a bipartisan and bicameral manner." According to a Congressional Weekly study, in 2011 Brown was the second-most bipartisan U.S. Senator, voting with his own party only 54% of the time. By comparison, his partner in the Massachusetts Senate delegation, Senator John Kerry, voted with his own party 96% of the time, and the entire Massachusetts delegation to the House of Representatives voted with their party over 90% of the time. This centrism, though he was also sometimes described as libertarian in his ideology, had earned him criticism from the movement conservatives some of whom considered him a RINO or insufficiently conservative.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: During the second half of 2011, Brown wrote the 2011 version of the STOCK Act, a move to ban insider trading in Congress. The act, which was co-written with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), would prohibit asset trading by members of Congress (and their staff) who have advance knowledge of their assets' behavior due to their involvement in Congress. The bill was verbally supported by President Barack Obama during his third State of the Union address, and passed a major procedural hurdle in the Senate by a vote of 93–2 on January 30, 2012.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown has stated that "Roe v. Wade" is settled law and is self-described as "pro-choice" or pro-abortion rights. When the Republicans approved a stricter anti-abortion platform, Brown sent a letter to protest the decision calling it a "mistake". When he ran for the Senate in New Hampshire in 2014, his campaign said that "he is pro-choice and will protect a woman's right to choose." He is against intact dilation and evacuation abortions (known legally as "partial birth abortion") and has spoken in favor of parental consent for minors who seek an abortion. In 2005, Brown supported a 24-hour waiting requirement as well as one that women receive photographs of ultrasounds before an abortion. In 2002, he selected the statement "abortion should always be legally available" in a questionnaire. He said he would not use abortion as a litmus test in Supreme Court confirmations. He opposes federal funding for elective abortion in accordance with the Hyde Amendment. He supported funding for Planned Parenthood. In 2012, he supported the Shaheen Amendment to allow the military to provide abortions for servicewomen who were the victims of rape or incest.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: As a state legislator and senator, Brown has mixed reviews from abortion rights and anti-abortion special interest groups. In 2000, he was given a 100% score from Planned Parenthood and a 0% score from Massachusetts Citizens for Life. In 2002, NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts gave him a 100% rating for supporting abortion rights positions. However, as a United States Senator, in 2011 he was rated 45% by NARAL Pro-Choice America and 75% by the anti-abortion group, National Right to Life.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Regarding other reproductive issues, Brown says that he supports a woman's ability to access contraception and use birth control, but he did vote against requiring businesses with religious objections to provide birth control. As a state legislator, he also supported stem-cell research voting for a bill that included embryonic stem-cell research in 2005. He authored legislation to fund research for stem cells from umbilical cords. In 2005, he broke with his party by voting with Democrats in support of a bill to allow embryonic stem cell research. However, he later opposed funding for embryonic stem-cell research.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown has supported a presumption of shared parenting after divorce and was a co-sponsor of Fathers and Families HB 1460. He also voted for reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act in 2012.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown voted against the DREAM Act. He also opposed President Obama's executive order to decrease the deportation of undocumented immigrants. During his campaign for Senate, his platform included tighter regulation on immigration. Brown opposed bilingual education classes in Massachusetts schools; Brown did respond to a survey and said that most undocumented immigrants should be deported but that there should be some exceptions. In 2004, Brown voted to allow undocumented immigrants to receive in-state tuition, but later opposed it in 2014. As a US Senator in 2011, Brown introduced a bipartisan resolution to apologize to Chinese Americans and immigrants for discrimination. In 2012, Brown introduced legislation to give 10,500 employee visas to Irish immigrants. He argued that the Irish had fallen behind in the US immigration system. The Federation for American Immigration Reform, which seeks to reduce legal as well as illegal immigration, gave Brown a 100% rating in 2010 and Numbers USA, another PAC which seeks to restrict legal immigration, gave Brown an overall 32% rating.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in December 2012, Brown became the first Republican Senator to support a federal ban on assault weapons. During campaigning in September 2014, he said he would not propose new legislation if he returned to Congress and would listen to all viewpoints if others presented a bill.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: In 2008, Brown had an A rating from the National Rife Association (NRA), but received a 43% score in 2012. In 2014, Gun Owners of America gave him a 30% grade and New Hampshire Firearms Coalition gave him a 14% rating; both groups are supportive of gun rights and oppose gun control.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: After the Massachusetts Sensible Marijuana Policy Initiative was passed in 2008 and subsequently implemented, he proposed in the State Senate to enact higher fines for "drugged driving". In 2012, he opposed a state initiative to legalize the use of medicinal marijuana in Massachusetts. He also said efforts should be made to end drug trade in Afghanistan.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown voted for a 2004 state constitutional amendment to define marriage as between "one man and one woman" and which would have established civil unions. In 2007, Brown explained that he was opposed to gay marriage but also pointed "out that he does support civil unions for same-sex couples." Brown refers to the currently legalized same-sex marriage in New Hampshire and Massachusetts as a settled issue, which he does not wish to change. Brown has said he personally believes marriage is between a man and a woman, but would still oppose a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. He is in favor of civil unions. He opposes ending the Defense of Marriage Act, but otherwise favors leaving the issue to the states to decide. After initially claiming neutrality on "don't ask, don't tell", the ban on openly gay military personnel, he joined a handful of Republicans who broke with their party to repeal the ban in December 2010. In 2012, he voted in favor of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act which included provisions to assist victims regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity and which prohibited its funds from being given to programs that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. He was one of 15 Republicans in the Senate who voted in favor of the re-authorization.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: When asked about same-sex marriage, he focused on the economy; "Brown said the economic challenges in regards to jobs, healthcare and college tuition affect both straight and gay couples and that is what he is working to address." In 2012, his campaign said "Senator Brown is a supporter of civil unions, but believes that marriage is between a man and a woman. He believes that individual states are best positioned to decide whether to allow gay marriage, and he does not support a 'one size fits all' approach from the federal government."


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: He was endorsed by Log Cabin Republicans which supports same-sex marriage and other gay rights. The Log Cabin Republicans gave him their top award after he voted to repeal DADT. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), an advocacy group which measures support for LGBT rights, has given Brown mixed ratings. In 2010, the HRC gave him a 33% score and in 2012 he was given a 55% score. The American Civil Liberties Union, which supports gay rights among other civil rights causes, gave Brown a rating of 50% in 2012.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown supports strengthening New Hampshire sex offender penalties, the death penalty, the right to bear arms (with some restrictions such as licenses and background checks) and strengthening border enforcement and creating an employment verification system with penalties for companies that hire illegal immigrants.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown was a 35-year member of the Army National Guard, retiring as a colonel in the Judge Advocate General's Corps. Brown was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service in organizing the National Guard to quickly support homeland security following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He has also completed Airborne School and been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown has received the Public Servant of the Year Award from the United Chamber of Commerce for his leadership in reforming the state's sex offender laws and protecting victims' rights. Brown's family has helped raise funds for such non-profit organizations as Horace Mann Educational Associates (HMEA, Inc.), Wrentham Developmental Center, Charles River Arc, and the Arc of Northern Bristol County, all for the care and support of those with developmental disabilities. He has also been recognized by the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) for his work in creating an environment that encourages job growth and expansion in Massachusetts. "The Boston Globe" selected Brown as the 2010 Bostonian of the Year, citing his "profound impact on national politics in the last year".


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown is married to former NH1 News reporter Gail Huff, whom he met through modeling. They have two daughters, Ayla, an "American Idol" semi-finalist and 2010 graduate of Boston College, and Arianna, a competitive equestrian and 2012 graduate of Syracuse University. Arianna earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Cornell University in 2018 and is a practicing vet. Gail announced in September 2021 her candidacy in a run for New Hampshire's 1st congressional district in the 2022 election.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Besides their primary home in Rye, New Hampshire, the couple owns three rental condos in Boston, and a timeshare on the Caribbean island of Aruba.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown and his family are members of the Christian Reformed Church in North America. They also have a relationship with a Trappist community of Roman Catholic nuns at Mount St. Mary's Abbey in Wrentham, Massachusetts. The Brown family has "assisted efforts to raise $5.5 million" to replace the abbey's candy factory with a new greener facility with solar panels and a wind turbine.


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown plays guitar in his spare time, and as of February 2014 had appeared on stage multiple times with American power pop band Cheap Trick as a guest musician. Brown is currently playing guitar with his band "Scott Brown and the Diplomats."


title: Scott Brown (politician)

text: Brown coached his local Rye, New Hampshire, junior high school boys basketball team in the 2015–16 and 2016–17 seasons before returning to the coaching in 2021.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: Timur Nuruakhitovich Bekmambetov (, ; ; born June 25, 1961) is a Russian-Kazakh film director, producer, screenwriter, and tech entrepreneur. He is best known for the fantasy epic "Night Watch" (2004) and action thriller "Wanted" (2008), as well as for pioneering Screenlife films: "Unfriended" (2015), "Searching" (2018) and "Profile" (2021). He founded Baselevs, a production company that earned a spot among the 2021 World's 10 Most Innovative Companies in Video, according to Fast Company.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: Bekmambetov was born on 25 June 1961, in the city of Atyrau, formerly known as Guriev. His father, Nuruakhit Bekmambetov, worked in management positions with the energy supplier GuryevEnergo. As Timur recollects, he was chief power engineer of Western Kazakhstan. His mother, Mira Bogoslovskaya, was deputy editor leading the party issues department at the regional newspaper "Prikaspiyskaya Kommuna". He has Kazakh ancestry on his father's side, and Jewish ancestry on his mother's side.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: After graduation from school, Bekmambetov entered the Moscow Power Engineering Institute in 1979 and left it in 1980, on the eve of the 1980 Summer Olympics. He was deported from Moscow on the grounds of being "unreliable" and moved to Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, to study at the Alexander Ostrovsky Theatrical and Artistic Institute, from which he graduated in 1987 with a degree in theater and cinema set design.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: Bekmambetov started his career in the late 1980s as a production designer at Ilkhom Theater in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and at Uzbek national film studio Uzbekfilm.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: After the demise of the Soviet Union, Bekmambetov moved from Uzbekistan to Moscow, Russia, where he started making commercials for the Russian market. His commercial series World History retelling life episodes of the world’s prominent rulers (from Neron and Tamerlan to Napoleon and the last Russian emperor Nicholas 2d) is still considered the best video advertising in Russia. In 1994, he founded Bazelevs, an advertising and film production company. Its advertising division continues making commercials for big Russian and international brands (in 2021 its commercial featuring Apple’s new iPhone in the Hermitage Museum interiors was nominated for the Cannes Lions.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: Bekmambetov's directorial debut was Peshavar Waltz (1994) depicting the war fought by the USSR in Afghanistan. The film was dubbed in English as Escape from Afghanistan and released direct-to-video by Roger Corman in 2002. In 1998, Corman invited Bekmambetov to direct his production of "The Arena" (2001) starring Karen McDougal and Lisa Dergan. The film was a remake of the 1974 gladiator exploitation film "The Arena".


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: In 2004, Bekmambetov wrote and directed "Night Watch" (2004), a Russian fantasy film based on the book by Sergey Lukyanenko. The film was the first Russian production which, after the demise of the Soviet Union, managed to top the domestic box office, making US$16.7 million in Russia alone, thus overtaking "". The sequel to Night Watch, "Day Watch" (2006), was likewise written and directed by Bekmambetov and set a new record for the domestic box office, having grossed more than US$26 million in the first two weeks. The Russian blockbuster epic attracted the attention of Fox Searchlight Pictures, which paid US$4 million to acquire the worldwide distribution rights (excluding Russia and the Baltic states). In 2010, the tape entered the 100 Best Films of World Cinema by Empire magazine. The film received positive reviews from American directors Quentin Tarantino and James Gunn ("Guardians of the Galaxy").


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: Bekmambetov's Hollywood directorial debut was Universal's action thriller "Wanted" (2008), an adaptation of the graphic novel series created by Mark Millar and J. G. Jones. Starring Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman, the action film grossed US$341 million worldwide, became Universal's highest ever grossing “R” rated film, and earned two Oscar nominations.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: In 2009, alongside Tim Burton and Jim Lemley, Bekmambetov produced an animation film titled "9" (2009), the story of a rag doll in a post-apocalyptic world, directed by Shane Acker.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: In 2011, Bekmambetov produced the science fiction thriller Apollo 18, together with The Weinstein Company, and the science fiction film "The Darkest Hour""" set in Moscow and produced by New Regency.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: In 2012, Bekmambetov directed and produced the of Seth Grahame-Smith’s novel – "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter", together with Tim Burton and Jim Lemley. He was awarded the 2012 International Filmmaker of the Year award by the National Association of Theatre Owners.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: In 2013, Variety (Russian Edition) named Bekmambetov one of the most commercially successful Russian directors of the decade.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: In 2016, Bekmambetov directed "Ben-Hur", the fifth film adaptation of the novel "" by Lew Wallace. At the same time, he produced the action film "Hardcore Henry" (directed by Nobody’s Ilya Naishuller), using the first-person perspective of a first-person shooter.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: In 2017, Bekmambetov produced the historical drama "The Current War" starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland and Nicholas Hoult. The film was inspired by the 19th-century war of currents between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: In 2021, Bekmambetov directed the WW2 action film V2. Escape from Hell, with its aircraft battle scenes using the War Thunder game engine. The film was released in Russia both theatrically as a feature and on a streaming platform as a smartphone-only vertical series.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: In 2021, Deadline announced Bekmambetov bringing to the screen a new universe based on the unexploited works in the horror genre by the Marvel Сomics creator Stan Lee.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: Bekmambetov is the pioneer of the Screenlife filmmaking, thus responding to people’s life migrating to the digital world of mobile gadgets. In a screenlife film, viewers see the action play out from the POV of the computers, tablets or smartphones used by the characters.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: In 2015, Bekmambetov's debut screenlife production, the teen horror "Unfriended", was picked up by Universal, grossing $65 million worldwide with a budget of $1 million; three years later a sequel "" appeared.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: Bekmambetov followed that up with the 2018 thriller led by John Cho, "Searching", grossing more than $75 million worldwide.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: In 2019, he produced the 10-episode series "Dead of Night" for Snapchat, with the story revolving around a viral outbreak that turns people into zombies. It scored over 16 million viewers in the first releasing month and got extended for the second season.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: In 2020, Universal and Bekmambetov inked a deal to partner on five Hollywood features to be made in the screenlife format in various genres.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: In 2021, Focus Features released "Profile", Bekmambetov's first directorial feature in the screenlife format, where a reporter goes online to catch a Jihadi recruiter to get a story on why and how European women join ISIS. Inspired by the 2015 nonfiction bestseller "In the Skin of a Jihadist" by a French journalist Anna Erelle, "Profile" won a 2018 Audience Award by Berlin Film Festival.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: Bekmambetov's recent screenlife production, "R#J", a Gen Z adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, premiered at Sundance 2021 and won a special prize at SXSW.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: Invention of the screenlife filmmaking technique brought Bekmambetov’s Bazelevs a spot among Fast Company’s 2021 World’s Most Innovative Companies.


title: Timur Bekmambetov

text: Bekmambetov is married to the Russian urbanist Natalia Fishman-Bekmambetova, who worked on the facelift of the Gorky Park in Moscow and the renovation of Kazan.


I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (often stylized I don't feel at home in this world anymore.) is a 2017 American comedy thriller film written and directed by Macon Blair in his directorial debut. It stars Melanie Lynskey, Elijah Wood, David Yow, Jane Levy and Devon Graye. The film's title originates from an old gospel song "I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore", which was popularised by country singers Carter Family and Woody Guthrie.


title: I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore

text: The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2017; it went on to win the Grand Jury Prize for the U.S. Dramatic competition. It was released by Netflix on 24 February 2017.


text: Nursing assistant Ruth returns home from a bad day at work to find she has been burgled. She reports to the police that the thief has stolen her medication, her grandmother's silverware and a laptop computer. When she asks Detective William Bendix for advice, he merely chastises her for leaving her door unlocked. Ruth asks her neighbors if they saw anything suspicious; one of them, Tony, becomes enraged that someone would target a neighbor. When a mobile app reveals the location of her laptop and the police refuse to do anything, she enlists Tony's help.


text: Ruth and Tony go to the location, where Ruth intimidates the owner into returning her laptop. He claims that he bought it from a fence who operates a resale shop. Ruth and Tony investigate the shop the next morning, where they find the stolen silverware and a man whose shoe matches a print left in her yard. Ruth gets into a scuffle with the owner when he demands she pay for the stolen silverware, and after he breaks her finger, Tony knocks him unconscious, at which point the two flee.


text: Tony, having recorded the license plate number on the thief's van, researches it and learns that it is registered to someone named Christian Rumack. Ruth and Tony impersonate cops at the address belonging to the van, where a woman named Meredith lets them inside. She reveals that the owner of the van, her husband Chris, is not the one who uses the van; it is instead her step-son, who was given the van by his father. Chris Senior returns home abruptly with his bodyguard Cesar. Ruth states that she only wants to confront Christian about his behavior, but Chris taunts her for her idealism and kicks them out. As they leave, Ruth steals lawn art from Chris and Meredith. Disillusioned with Ruth's behavior, Tony goes back to his house, leaving Ruth alone.


text: Christian and his friends, Marshall and Dez, watch from the side, calling off their intended robbery of Chris. They send Christian to confront Ruth about what she knows about them. He surprises her inside her home, and she crushes his windpipe in self-defense. As he staggers into the street, a bus strikes and kills him. Marshall and Dez kidnap Ruth, forcing her to take Christian's place in their heist. Ruth gains them entry into the mansion, where Meredith and Cesar are held at gunpoint and told to summon Chris. A battle ensues, during which Tony comes to Ruth's aid and is badly wounded; Cesar, Chris, and Dez are killed; and Meredith escapes. Ruth and Tony flee into the woods behind the mansion, with Marshall close behind. Ruth hides Tony under some foliage, then attacks Marshall by throwing rocks at him, and his sudden movements cause him to be bitten by a water moccasin. Panicked that she cannot find Tony on her way back, Ruth sees her grandmother's ghost point her in the correct direction.


text: Grateful that Ruth saved her life, Meredith neglects to identify her as one of the burglars to Bendix. Ruth returns to her daily life with Tony, who survived his wounds.


text: Writer and director Macon Blair makes a cameo appearance as a man Ruth meets at a bar. The movie is dedicated "For Lee & Buck." (Lee Eddy who played Angie and Buck Eddy-Blair who played young Ruth.)


text: In April 2016, it was announced Melanie Lynskey and Elijah Wood had been cast in the film, with Macon Blair writing and directing the film.


text: The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2017. It received a worldwide release on February 24, 2017, streaming exclusively on Netflix.


text: On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 89% based on 62 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's critical consensus reads, ""I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore" transcends its unwieldy title to offer timely, intoxicatingly dark observations on gender dynamics and social norms in modern America." On Metacritic, the film has a 75 out of 100 rating, based on 15 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".


title: See No Evil, Hear No Evil

text: See No Evil, Hear No Evil is a 1989 American comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller. The film stars Richard Pryor as a blind man and Gene Wilder as a deaf man who work together to thwart a trio of murderous thieves. This is the third film (in a series of four) featuring Wilder and Pryor, who had appeared previously in the 1976 film "Silver Streak" and the 1980 film "Stir Crazy". The film was released in the United States on May 12, 1989.


title: See No Evil, Hear No Evil

text: Released to a mixed to negative critical reception, "See No Evil..." was the comic duo's last financially successful film as a screen couple. Their next film together, 1991's "Another You", was a box office failure as well as a critical one, and it proved to be the last collaboration of Pryor and Wilder.


title: See No Evil, Hear No Evil

text: Wallace "Wally" Karew (Richard Pryor), a blind man, and David "Dave" Lyons (Gene Wilder), a deaf man, meet when Wally applies for a job in Dave's New York City concession shop.


title: See No Evil, Hear No Evil

text: After a brief period of confusion and antagonism, Wally and Dave become close friends. Dave reads lips and guides Wally when they travel, and Wally tells Dave about invisible sources of sound and what people say behind his back. At a local bar, Wally defeats an aggressive bully in a fistfight with assistance from Dave, who uses clock-face directions to tell Wally where his opponent is. Dave hires Wally.


title: See No Evil, Hear No Evil

text: One morning, as Wally waits outside for the day's newspapers, a man walks into Dave's shop. When the man is approached by a beautiful woman named Eve (Joan Severance), he quickly removes a gold coin from a suitcase and places it in a box of coins sitting on the counter. The woman takes the suitcase and shoots the man in the stomach as Dave - whose back is turned - reads the information on a box of antacid pills. Dave neither sees nor hears the shooting, but he notices Eve's legs as she leaves the shop. Wally, who heard the gunshot, walks into the shop and trips over the man's dead body. Dave then rushes to help Wally and picks up the gun, which Eve left at the scene. When the police arrive, they find Dave and Wally standing over the body with Dave holding the gun. Before they are arrested, Dave tells Wally to collect the coins from the box.


title: See No Evil, Hear No Evil

text: At the police station, Dave and Wally are interrogated by Captain Emile Braddock (Alan North), a detective who immediately takes a dislike to them and makes them his prime suspects due to their relative uselessness as witnesses. When Eve and her accomplice Kirgo (Kevin Spacey) - hoping to recover the coin - arrive to bail them out by posing as attorneys, Wally recognizes Eve's perfume and Dave recognizes her legs, but Braddock ignores them when they insist that she is the killer. Wishing to avoid Eve and Kirgo when they are released, Dave and Wally escape from the police station, but the criminals soon find them. Eve takes the coin from Wally's pocket and telephones her boss Mr. Sutherland (Anthony Zerbe) for instructions, allowing Dave to learn the criminals' plans by reading her lips. When Kirgo tries to kill Dave and Wally, they use the fistfighting method they learned in the bar to knock him unconscious. They then steal an unattended police car, and drive away with Eve, Kirgo and Braddock chasing them. Working together to guide the patrol car, Dave and Wally evade both the police and the criminals, but they accidentally launch the car onto a waterborne garbage barge.


title: See No Evil, Hear No Evil

text: After hiding the police car, the two men walk to a motel and telephone Wally's sister Adele (Kirsten Childs) for help. The police follow Adele and search her motel room, but she, Wally, and Dave avoid detection, and they drive away after the police have left. Having incorrectly read Eve's lips, Dave believes they need to find a woman named "Grace George", but Adele realizes that Eve must have been referring to a resort called "Great Gorge". At the resort Wally impersonates a visiting professor. Meanwhile, Dave sneaks into the resort room to steal the coin from Eve. While Dave is digging through her bag Eve comes out of the shower wearing only a towel. Dave gets a huge erection and Eve mistakes it for a gun. Realizing this, Dave makes Eve raise her hands and drop the towel leaving her completely naked. Dave then looks Eve over and slips out of the room. Meanwhile, Adele distracts Kirgo by crashing her car into his. However, Kirgo and Eve kidnap Adele and take her to Sutherland's estate.


title: See No Evil, Hear No Evil

text: After a mishap with the car, Dave and Wally put their rescue plan into action, with the result that Adele escapes but the two men are captured. In his study, Sutherland – who is also blind – reveals that the coin is a room-temperature superconductor, which is extremely valuable. Kirgo and Sutherland are killed during an argument over sharing the profits from the coin's theft, after which Dave and Wally escape the study and have a violent altercation with Eve and her helicopter pilot. When the police arrive, the remaining criminals are arrested, and Wally and Dave are released having been cleared of the charges. Dave promises to wait for Eve when she gets out of prison. Shortly thereafter, the two men go to a local park and reprise a scene from the beginning of the film by dumping ice-cream cones on each other's head, enjoying each other's company.


title: See No Evil, Hear No Evil

text: Joseph Bologna and Renée Taylor wrote the first screenplay of the film and sold it to Columbia Pictures for $200,000 in 1984. They later sued the studio in the Los Angeles County Superior Court for $10 million in damages after being denied the promised additional $500,000 to be paid if Pryor were cast in the film, $25,000 per revision, and five-percent profit. Originally Jim Belushi was to be cast as the deaf man before Wilder was hired. Principal photography began on August 29, 1988, in New York and New Jersey, with New York City, Pound Ridge, and the Hackensack River marshlands serving as locations.


title: See No Evil, Hear No Evil

text: TriStar Pictures was looking to produce another film starring Wilder and Pryor, but Wilder would only agree to do "See No Evil, Hear No Evil" if he was allowed to re-write the script. The studio agreed and "See No Evil, Hear No Evil" premiered in May 1989 to mostly negative reviews. Many critics praised Wilder's, Pryor's, and Kevin Spacey's performances, but they mostly agreed that the script was absolutely terrible. Roger Ebert called it "a real dud", the "Deseret Morning News" described the film as "stupid", with an "idiotic" script that had a "contrived" story and "too many juvenile gags". On the other hand, Vincent Canby called it "by far the most successful co-starring vehicle for Mr. Pryor and Mr. Wilder", while also acknowledging that "this is not elegant movie making, and not all of the gags are equally clever."


title: See No Evil, Hear No Evil

text: The film holds a 27% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 30 critics. Despite the negative reviews, the film was a box office success, able to stay at number one for two weeks.


title: Knights of Sidonia

text: The manga was licensed for English release in North America by Vertical. An anime television series adaptation was produced by Polygon Pictures. The first season aired from April to June 2014; the second between April and June 2015. An anime film sequel titled "Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in the Stars" premiered in June 2021.


title: Knights of Sidonia

text: In 2015, "Knights of Sidonia" recived the 39th Kodansha Manga Award in the general category, as well as the 47th Seiun Award in the Best Comic category in 2016.


title: Knights of Sidonia

text: The story is set in the year 3394, a thousand years after mankind flees from Earth after it was destroyed by a race of shapeshifting aliens, the , aboard hundreds of colossal spacecraft created from the remains of the planet. One such ship is the "Sidonia", which has developed its own human culture closely based on that of Japan where human cloning, asexual reproduction, and human genetic engineering, such as granting humans photosynthesis, are commonplace. It is also revealed that the top echelons of this society have secretly been granted immortality. With a population of over 500,000 people, "Sidonia" is possibly the last human settlement remaining, as the fates of the other ships are unknown.


title: Knights of Sidonia

text: Little is known about the true nature of the Gauna or their motivation for attacking humanity. At any given time, a Gauna consists of a nearly impenetrable core protected by a dense layer of malleable flesh known as . Once the ena is shed away and the core is destroyed, the Gauna's body disintegrates.


title: Knights of Sidonia

text: "Sidonia" is defended by large mechanized weapons called whose weaponry and mobility is powered by , armed with a high-output cannon for long range assaults and a special spear known as "Kabizashi" for close combat. The tip of the kabizashi is made of a rare and little-understood material which has the unique property of being able to destroy a Gauna's core. Later the Gardes are also equipped with firearms whose ammunition have the same material of the Kabizashi after a means to artificially mass-produce it is discovered. Most people in the surviving human population are screened and drafted as Garde pilots at a young age, if they are shown to be capable of piloting them.


title: Knights of Sidonia

text: The story follows the adventures of Garde pilot Nagate Tanikaze, who lived in the underground layer of "Sidonia" since birth and was raised by his grandfather. Never having met anyone else, he trains himself in an old Guardian pilot simulator every day, eventually mastering it. After his grandfather's death, he emerges to the surface and is selected as a Garde pilot, just as "Sidonia" is once again threatened by the Gauna.


title: Knights of Sidonia

text: "Knights of Sidonia", written and illustrated by Tsutomu Nihei, was serialized in Kodansha's "seinen" manga magazine "Monthly Afternoon" from April 25, 2009, to September 25, 2015. It was compiled into fifteen "tankōbon" volumes. The manga has been licensed in North America by Vertical, who released all fifteen volumes in English between February 5, 2013, and April 26, 2016.


title: Knights of Sidonia

text: An anime television series adaptation, produced by Polygon Pictures, premiered on April 10, 2014, and ended its first season on June 26, 2014, on MBS and later on TBS, CBC and BS-TBS. The series was directed by Kōbun Shizuno, assisted by Hiroyuki Seshita, with scripts by Sadayuki Murai and character designs by Yuki Moriyama. The series has also been localized and streamed by Netflix in all of its territories since July 4, 2014, becoming the service's first original anime, as well as the first anime series on Netflix available in Dolby Vision/HDR. The first season has been licensed for home video release by Sentai Filmworks. The opening song is "Sidonia" by Angela and the ending song is by Eri Kitamura. A second season aired from April 10, 2015, to June 26, 2015, with "" by Angela as the opening song and "Requiem" by CustomiZ as the ending song. The second season was released on Netflix on July 3, 2015, and has been licensed by Sentai Filmworks for home video distribution. On June 16, 2017, a third season for the series was confirmed to be in development by director Hiroyuki Seshita. In July 2021, Funimation announced they acquired the streaming rights from Netflix to both seasons.


title: Knights of Sidonia

text: A compilation film of the first season with additional scenes and re-edited sound effects was released on March 6, 2015.


title: Knights of Sidonia

text: A new anime film, titled "Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in the Stars", was announced on July 3, 2020. Hiroyuki Seshita served as chief director, while Tadahiro Yoshihira served as director for the new film, with Polygon Pictures returning for production. Sadayuki Murai and Tetsuya Yamada returned to write scripts, while Shūji Katayama composed the music. The rest of the staff and cast returned to reprise their roles. The first four minutes of the film were shown on YouTube on April 28, 2021. The film was set to premiere on May 14, 2021, but was delayed to June 4, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Funimation screened the film in international theaters starting on September 13, 2021.


title: Knights of Sidonia

text: "Knights of Sidonia" won the 39th Kodansha Manga Award in the general category in 2015. The manga won the 47th Seiun Award in the Best Comic category in 2016. It also won the Best Seinen category at the 26th Salón del Manga de Barcelona in 2020. It was one of the Jury Recommended works in the Manga Division at the 17th Japan Media Arts Festival in 2013. The Young Adult Library Services Association listed "Knights of Sidonia" in its 2014 list of Top 10 Graphic Novels for Teens.


title: Knights of Sidonia

text: Carlo Santos from "Anime News Network" gave the first manga volume a B, stating, "It is got a young man piloting a giant robot against alien enemies, but "Knight of Sidonia" is no "Neon Genesis Evangelion". Yet it is not as bleak or incomprehensible as Tsutomu Nihei works like "Blame!" or "Biomega", either—rather, it is the best of both worlds, bringing Nihei's hard sci-fi mentality into a more conventional space-adventure environment".


title: Knights of Sidonia

text: The anime series received positive reviews, even from famous members of the Japanese anime/game industry, like Hideo Kojima, creator of the "Metal Gear" series, who claims that "It's a kind of anime that we haven't seen for a while that has that sci-fi spirit. Using digital technology cultivated through games, it creates animation that encapsulates Japan's cultural assets like manga, cel animation, kanji, giant robots, etc. What's born is a unique made-in-Japan work that could never be cooked up in Hollywood. Japanese culture has lost its 'cool', and "Knights of Sidonia" will be the white knight that saves it". Other industry pros left acknowledgements as well, including Akiko Higashimura, Digitarou and Yoshinao Dao.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: Spider-Man 2 is a 2004 video game based on the film of the same name. Published by Activision, the console versions were developed by Treyarch, while the others had different developers and are drastically different as a result. The game is the sequel to 2002's "Spider-Man", itself based on the film of that same name. The Treyarch-developed versions are considered a landmark title in the industry for being the first superhero video game to incorporate a full open world design.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: All versions of the game closely follow the film's plot, but expand upon it by including scenes and characters that do not appear in the movie. Set two years after the events of "Spider-Man", the game finds Peter Parker struggling to manage both his personal life and his duties as Spider-Man. When scientist and Peter's mentor, Dr. Otto Octavius, becomes the diabolical villain Doctor Octopus after an accident, Spider-Man must stop him from recreating a dangerous fusion power experiment. Tobey Maguire, Alfred Molina, Kirsten Dunst and J. K. Simmons (PSP version only) reprise their roles from the film, as Spider-Man, Doctor Octopus, Mary Jane Watson and J. Jonah Jameson, respectively, while Bruce Campbell, who played an usher in the doors of Mary Jane's show, narrates the game.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: The game was released on June 28, 2004 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Game Boy Advance and GameCube, followed by N-Gage and Nintendo DS versions, both released later in the same year. A PlayStation Portable version, which uses the same engine and graphics as the first game, was released almost one year later, on March 23, 2005. The Game Boy Advance version, developed by Digital Eclipse, was re-released on a twin pack cartridge and bundled with that system's version of the 2002 "Spider-Man" game in 2005. A tie-in game, titled "Spider-Man 2: Activity Center", was also released in June 2004.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: The console versions of the game were positively received, with critics commending the realistic Manhattan setting and web swinging mechanics. It has been called one of the best superhero games of all time, with some crediting the game for helping revolutionize the open world genre. The handheld versions received mixed reviews, while the PC version received largely negative reviews. The game was followed by "Spider-Man 3" the video game, itself based on the 2007 movie.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: The console version of "Spider-Man 2" is a third-person action-adventure video game, set in an open world based on New York City and composed of Manhattan, Roosevelt Island, Ellis Island, and Liberty Island. Players take on the role of Spider-Man and complete missions—linear scenarios with set objectives—to progress through the story.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: The story is divided into multiple chapters, each with its own set of objectives, such as purchasing upgrades for Spider-Man, or acquiring a certain number of hero points from completing side missions. These side missions are given by random pedestrians across the game's map, and mainly consist of battling criminals, stopping speeding cars by jumping on top of them and punching them, taking injured people to the hospital, or saving construction workers from falling to their deaths. Each chapter includes at least one story mission related to the main plot.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: Players are able to web swing, crawl walls, and fight enemies using a variety of combos. They can use Spider-Man's "spider sense" to slow down time and dodge incoming attacks, including gun fire. This version of the game was considered innovative at that time due to its physics-based algorithms that simulate Spider-Man's web swinging in three dimensions, creating a new game mechanic unlike the traditional jumping or flying of previous Spider-Man games. Combat is far more complex, as it involves carefully timing the player's attacks and dodges. After completing the main storyline, a bonus mode inside a warehouse is unlocked, where the player can fight waves of enemies and bosses from the main storyline, as well as an exclusive villain: Calypso.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: The Windows version of "Spider-Man 2" is a level-based beat 'em up. The player can use several combos and web-based attacks to fight enemies, as well as a power move that causes Spider-Man's fists to glow and deal extra damage; it is charged up by defeating enemies. In addition to wall crawling, web swinging is also featured in the levels set outdoors, though the player can only attach webs to glowing orbs that float in the sky.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: The PlayStation Portable version of "Spider-Man 2" uses the same engine as 2002's "Spider-Man". Because of this, the gameplay is virtually unchanged, and many locations from the first game are reused, as is its scoring system, which assigns players a score at the end of each level based on various factors, such as the time taken to complete the level and the number of combos used. The player can crawl walls and web swing, though Spider-Man is only able to move forward in a straight line. They can also lock their camera onto certain enemies and web them.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: Two years after the events of the first game, Peter Parker is struggling to balance his civilian life with his duties as Spider-Man. This dramatically affects his personal life, as he is frequently late or absent for school and leisure time with his friends: his crush, Mary Jane Watson, and best friend Harry Osborn, who blames Spider-Man for his father's death. While stopping a museum robbery, Spider-Man encounters cat burglar Black Cat, who manages to escape from him. Black Cat later returns and befriends Spider-Man, helping him fight crime on several occasions.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: Spider-Man defeats the supervillain Rhino and is challenged by special effects artist Quentin Beck to partake in a series of "games" meant to prove he is a fraud. After Spider-Man prevails, an embarrassed Beck assumes the identity of "Mysterio" and leads attacks on both an opera and the Statue of Liberty, which Spider-Man foils. He then finds Mysterio's hideout and overcomes another series of challenges, learning that Mysterio is a fraud in the process. However, he is unable to capture him due to Mysterio using illusions.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: Harry introduces Peter to Dr. Otto Octavius, a nuclear scientist who is trying to make a fusion power experiment, sponsored by Oscorp, which would provide an unlimited power source to Manhattan. Octavius befriends and begins to mentor Peter throughout their subsequent meetings. While handling hazardous materials, Octavius wears a harness of powerful robotic tentacle arms with artificial intelligence. During a public demonstration Peter and Harry attend, a power spike causes the fusion reactor to destabilize. Octavius refuses to shut down the reactor, which goes critical – killing his wife and burning the inhibitor chip blocking the arms from his nervous system. Peter, as Spider-Man, shuts the experiment down, destroying it in the process. Later, the arms' AI begins to influence Octavius, and he becomes the villain Doctor Octopus after a confrontation with his former friend and colleague, Curt Connors. Blaming Spider-Man for what happened to him, Octavius becomes determined to retry his experiment and robs a bank to fund it. Peter, who is coincidentally there with his Aunt May, suits up as Spider-Man and fights Octavius. Octavius takes May hostage, forcing Spider-Man to rescue her while Octavius escapes with the stolen money.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: Spider-Man later learns that Mary Jane is getting married to John Jameson, and reunites with Black Cat, who tries to convince him to give up on his civilian life to be Spider-Man full-time. The pair then work together to track down the Shocker, who escaped from prison during Beck's initial competition with Spider-Man. They defeat him, but Shocker escapes after injuring Black Cat. Later, Spider-Man stops Mysterio from robbing a convenience store and unmasks him as Beck before taking photos of him for the "Daily Bugle". Publisher J. Jonah Jameson uses the photos to make it look like Spider-Man and Mysterio were in cahoots; Peter decides to confront Jameson as Spider-Man but is stopped by Black Cat, who informs of Shocker's return. After capturing Shocker, Spider-Man tells Black Cat that he must continue living a double life, which she understands, before parting ways.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: Requiring the isotope tritium to fuel his reactor, Octavius visits Harry to demand it, who agrees to help in exchange for Spider-Man. Harry tells Octavius to seek Peter, who he believes is friends with the hero. Octavius locates Peter, tells him to find Spider-Man, and kidnaps Mary Jane. Spider-Man confronts Octavius and battles him on top of a New York City Subway train. Octavius sabotages the controls and leaves Spider-Man to save the passengers, which he does at a tremendous physical toll. Spider-Man falls unconscious, allowing Octavius to deliver him to Harry. As Octavius leaves with the tritium, Harry prepares to kill Spider-Man, only to be shocked to see Peter under the mask. Peter convinces Harry to direct him to Octavius' lair, as bigger things are at stake. As Peter arrives at Octavius's waterfront laboratory and attempts to rescue Mary Jane discreetly, Octavius discovers him, and they battle while the nuclear reaction swells. Peter ultimately subdues Octavius, reveals his identity, and helps him return to his senses. Realizing the error of his ways, Octavius sacrifices himself to destroy the fusion reactor, while Spider-Man rescues Mary Jane, who is now aware of his secret identity.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: On her wedding day, Mary Jane abandons John at the altar and runs to Peter's apartment. She confesses her feelings for him and says she will fully support his double life. As they hear police sirens in the distance, Mary Jane encourages Peter to go help as Spider-Man.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: Nuclear scientist Dr. Otto Octavius attempts to make a fusion power experiment, sponsored by Oscorp, that would provide an unlimited source of energy to Manhattan. While handling hazardous materials, Octavius wears a harness of powerful robot tentacle arms with artificial intelligence. During a public demonstration that Peter Parker and Harry Osborn are attending, a power spike causes the fusion reactor to destabilize. Octavius refuses to shut down the reactor, which goes critical – killing his wife and burning the inhibitor chip blocking the arms from his nervous system. Peter, as Spider-Man, shuts the experiment down, destroying it in the process. Later, the arms' AI begins to influence Octavius, and he becomes the villain Doctor Octopus, seeking to complete his work at all costs.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: While patrolling the city, Spider-Man spots a van being chased by the police and follows it to the prison, where a riot breaks out. He defeats some of the escaped inmates before Rhino bursts out of jail and attempts to escape, only to become caught in a laser cage set up by the police. Spider-Man fights Rhino, who manages to escape from the cage, but rams into a gas station, causing an explosion that knocks him out. Spider-Man puts out the flames while Octavius retrieves the unconscious Rhino. Later, Octavius attempts to rob a bank to fund a second experiment. Peter, who is coincidentally there with Mary Jane, suits up as Spider-Man and fights Octavius inside the vault. Octavius takes May hostage, forcing Spider-Man to rescue her while Octavius escapes with the stolen money.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: Sometime later, as Peter is walking through the city with his friend and crush, Mary Jane Watson, someone steals the latter's car. After telling Mary Jane to wait while he calls the police, Peter, as Spider-Man, follows the carjacker to a warehouse, where he is confronted by the villain Puma. Spider-Man defeats Puma's goons before engaging him in a battle across the city that culminates at a construction site. Puma reveals that Octavius hired him to keep Spider-Man distracted while he kidnaps Mary Jane, then attempts to escape, but Spider-Man captures him. Later, Octavius attacks Oscorp to steal a piece of equipment he needs to complete his fusion reactor. Spider-Man arrives to stop him and must disarm several bombs that Octavius has planted around the building before confronting him. Octavius escapes with the device while Spider-Man is attacked by Rhino, whom he manages to defeat by freezing him with liquid nitrogen. Spider-Man then attempts to pursue Octavius, only to be confronted by the villain Mysterio, who creates the illusion of a floating city.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: After defeating Mysterio, he tells Spider-Man where to find Octavius and then vanishes, revealing that he is also just an illusion. Arriving at the subway station, Spider-Man battles Octavius' henchmen before fighting Octavius himself on top of a New York City Subway train. Octavius sabotages the controls, causing the train to derail, and escapes. Still, Spider-Man follows him to his waterfront laboratory, where Octavius is attempting to recreate his experiment and is keeping Mary Jane hostage. Spider-Man tries to rescue Mary Jane discreetly, but Octavius discovers him, and they battle. As the nuclear reaction swells, Spider-Man defeats Octavius and helps him return to his senses. Realizing the error of his ways, Octavius sacrifices himself to destroy the fusion reactor while Spider-Man rescues Mary Jane.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: While patrolling the city one day, Spider-Man spots several thugs attempting to rob a bank and stops them. Later that night, after having dinner with his friends Mary Jane Watson (for whom he has hidden feelings) and Harry Osborn (who despises Spider-Man, blaming him for his father's death), Peter spots a van being chased by the police and follows it to the Queensboro Bridge, where the chase has led to a massive traffic accident. As Spider-Man, he rescues several endangered civilians and cops before following the van to a warehouse, where he finds thugs unloading explosives. While fighting the thugs, the explosives provoke a massive fire, but Spider-Man is able to put out the flames and deal with the remaining crooks.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: Later, Harry introduces Peter to Dr. Otto Octavius, a nuclear scientist who is trying to make a fusion power experiment, sponsored by Oscorp, which would provide an unlimited power source to Manhattan. Octavius quickly befriends and begins to mentor Peter. While handling hazardous materials, Octavius wears a harness of powerful robotic tentacle arms with artificial intelligence. During a public demonstration Peter and Harry attend, a power spike causes the fusion reactor to destabilize. Octavius refuses to shut down the reactor, which goes critical – killing his wife and burning the inhibitor chip blocking the arms from his nervous system. Peter, as Spider-Man, shuts the experiment down, destroying it in the process. Later, the arms' AI begins to influence Octavius, and he becomes the villain Doctor Octopus, seeking to complete his work at all costs.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: Peter later learns that a prison riot has allowed several supervillains to escape, and tasks his boss, J. Jonah Jameson, with taking photos of a gala at the Wax Museum. When he arrives, he discovers that Mysterio, one of the escaped villains, is holding everyone in attendance hostage and infiltrates the museum as Spider-Man to rescue the hostages and defeat Mysterio. The next day, Octavius attempts to rob a bank to fund a second experiment. Peter, who is coincidentally there with his Aunt May, suits up as Spider-Man and fights Octavius inside the vault. After a chase through the city, Octavius escapes with the stolen money.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: After foiling a bomb threat orchestrated by the Vulture, another escaped villain, Spider-Man learns from him that the Shocker has also escaped and is planning a job at a warehouse. Spider-Man goes there and discovers that Shocker has teamed up with Rhino, who broke him and the other villains out of prison. Spider-Man manages to defeat the two villains and leaves them for the police. Before Spider-Man departs, Shocker reveals that Octavius hired him and Rhino to steal some high-tech equipment from the government, which Spider-Man deduces that Octavius needs for his fusion reactor.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: On her wedding day, Mary Jane abandons her fiancé at the altar and runs to Peter's apartment. She confesses her feelings for him and says she will fully support his double life. As they hear police sirens in the distance, Mary Jane encourages Peter to help as Spider-Man.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: Development on "Spider-Man 2" began at Treyarch shortly after the financial success of 2002's "Spider-Man". The physics-based web swinging system was conceived by designer Jamie Fristrom, who was dissatisfied with the web swinging system of the first game, which he was on the development team for, and desired a "more realistic" swinging system in the follow-up. He cited the game "Rocket Jockey" as an inspiration. Although the concept was initially difficult to prototype due to the work involved in manually adding points into the game that web lines could be attached to, Fristrom and programmer Andrei Pokrovsky implemented ray casting into the game as a solution to automatically map infinite points where players could attach webs to swing from. Fristrom demonstrated the web-swinging system to Activision executives, including company COO Ron Doornink, who approved the system for use in the game. The open world design of the game was influenced by "Grand Theft Auto III".


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: "Spider-Man 2" featured a semi-original story loosely based on the film. This was decided after the development team received a copy of the film's shooting script, and came to the consensus that a straightforward adaptation of its narrative would be a poor fit for a video game. Thus, the developers opted to include characters from Spider-Man's extended rouges' gallery that had not been featured in the film, resulting in Mysterio's inclusion in the game, in part as a homage to "Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin", which directly inspired the game's "funhouse" level.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: A few months before the game's release, which was set to coincide with the release of the film, the developers at Treyarch were forced to cut a large amount of content and underwent a significant crunch period in order to complete and ship the game on time. Calypso, a bonus boss in the finished game's "Arena" battle mode, was one casualty of these cuts, initially planned to be featured as a boss character within the game's narrative proper. Some of this cut content was later reincorporated into "Spider-Man 3."


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: Critical reactions to the console versions of "Spider-Man 2" were generally positive. Reviewers noted that the realistic and life-sized Manhattan setting, the large variety of crimes and emergencies to stop, and the game's vivid use of Spider-Man's abilities all combined to make the player really feel like Spider-Man. The most popular aspect of the game was the web-swinging mechanic, where Spider-Man had to shoot webbing at an actual building, unlike previous games where he shot webbing up into the sky. However, small parts of the game were criticized, such as the repetition of some of the side missions. The game has been ranked by critics as one of the best "Spider-Man" games made.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: IGN gave the game a score of 8.8 out of 10 for the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube versions, 9 / 10 for the Xbox version, 7.1 / 10 for the N-Gage version, 7 / 10 for the PSP version, 7.5 / 10 for the Nintendo DS version, 6.5 / 10 for the Game Boy Advance version, and 4.5 / 10 for the PC version. IGN stated on the PS2, GameCube, and Xbox version to "call it "Grand Theft Spider-Man". And call it damn fine". The version even won the IGN Editor's Choice Award for the year. IGN, reviewing the GBA version, credited positively the presentation, graphics, sound, web-zipping and wall-crawling. They only negatively stated that the music loops a lot because of the enormously long levels, "not the tightest combat developed for a Spider-Man game", and stated that the levels are "a big pain in the butt to accomplish".


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: The PSP version received generally mixed reviews. Gameplay and graphics were praised, while the bad camera angle and the length of the game faced criticism.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: The "Official PlayStation 2 Magazine" ranked the game #80 of the "Top 100 PS2 Games of All Time". In ScrewAttack's 'Top 10 Movie-Based Games' "Spider-Man 2" came in eighth.


title: Spider-Man 2 (2004 video game)

text: Upon launch, the game had shipped more than 2million units in North America by July 7, 2004. In the United States, the game's Game Boy Advance version alone sold 600,000 copies and earned $17 million by August 2006. During the period between January 2000 and August 2006, it was the 47th highest-selling game launched for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS or PlayStation Portable in that country. By 2005, the game had grossed in sales revenue in the United States. The game's PlayStation 2 version received a "Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), indicating sales of at least 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom.


title: The Undertones

text: The Undertones are a rock band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1974. From 1975 to 1983, the Undertones consisted of Feargal Sharkey (vocals), John O'Neill (rhythm guitar, vocals), Damian O'Neill (lead guitar, vocals), Michael Bradley (bass, vocals) and Billy Doherty (drums). Much of the earlier Undertones material drew influence from punk rock and new wave; the Undertones also incorporated elements of rock, glam rock and post-punk into material released after 1979, before citing soul and Motown as the influence for the material released upon their final album. The Undertones released thirteen singles and four studio albums between 1978 and 1983 before Sharkey announced his intention to leave the band in May 1983, citing musical differences as the reason for the break up.


title: The Undertones

text: Despite the backdrop of the Troubles in Derry and across Northern Ireland, the vast majority (though not all) of the material the Undertones released focused not upon the political climate, but upon issues such as adolescence, teenage angst and heartbreak. "AllMusic" has stated that guitarists John and Damian O'Neill "mated infectious guitar hooks to 1960s garage, 1970s glam rock, and Feargal Sharkey's signature vocal quaver."


title: The Undertones

text: The Undertones remain the most successful band to have emerged from Derry, and one of the most successful bands to have emerged from Northern Ireland.


title: The Undertones

text: The Undertones formed in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1974. The band members were five friends from Creggan and the Bogside, who originally drew inspiration from such artists as the Beatles, Small Faces and Lindisfarne and who decided in part to form their own band due to both their common interest in music and the fact that—because of the Troubles—many entertainment venues in the city were closed in late evenings.


title: The Undertones

text: The band initially rehearsed cover versions at the home of the guitarists, brothers John and Vincent O'Neill, and in the shed of a neighbour. (In early 1976, before the band had played gigs at any venues, Vincent O'Neill left the band; he was soon replaced by his younger brother Damian.)


title: The Undertones

text: Beginning in February 1976 the group, at this stage still unnamed, began playing gigs at various minor local venues, including schools, parish halls and Scout huts, where the band's lead singer, Feargal Sharkey, was a local Scout leader. Sharkey was also responsible for giving the band their first name: at the introduction to a gig at Saint Joseph's Secondary School in Derry on 16 March 1976, Feargal Sharkey was asked the name of the band and quickly replied "The Hot Rods". At a later gig, Sharkey named the band "Little Feat": another name already used by another group.


title: The Undertones

text: Later that year, drummer Billy Doherty proposed an alternate name for the group: The Undertones, which Doherty had discovered in his school history book. The other members of the band agreed to the proposal.


title: The Undertones

text: With the arrival of punk rock in late 1976, the artistic focus of the band changed. Artists such as the Adverts, Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks and, particularly, the Ramones became major influences on the Undertones.


title: The Undertones

text: In addition to being a Scout leader, Feargal Sharkey worked as a television repairman and delivery man. The van which Sharkey drove in this employment was used by the Undertones to transport their equipment to and from various venues.


title: The Undertones

text: By 1977 the band were performing their own three-chord pop punk material, which was performed alongside cover versions at concerts, primarily at the Casbah, where the band began to perform in February. The Undertones had occasionally earned money at venues where they had performed throughout 1976, but these gigs at the Casbah were the first performances for which the Undertones were paid on a regular basis, as performing at the Casbah earned the group up to £30 for each attendance fee. Both the money earned and their popularity at this venue inspired the band to write and rehearse further material, as a means of remaining a popular act at the Casbah. By the following year, the concerts the Undertones performed would include the song "Teenage Kicks", which had been written by guitarist John O'Neill in mid-1977. The gigs performed at the Casbah gave the Undertones increased confidence in their musical ability, and in June 1977 they performed concerts outside Derry for the first time, supporting a Dublin punk group named The Radiators from Space.


title: The Undertones

text: In March 1978, the Undertones recorded a demo tape at Magee University in Derry and sent copies of the tape to various record companies in the hope of securing a record deal, but only received official letters of rejection. The band had also sent a copy of their recordings to influential BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, requesting he play the songs on his radio programme. Peel replied to the band, offering to pay for a recording session in Belfast. On 15 June 1978, the band recorded their debut four-song EP "Teenage Kicks" on a budget of only £200. The EP was engineered by Davy Shannon at Wizard Studios, Belfast, and was released on Belfast's Good Vibrations record label. The title song became a hit with support from John Peel, who considered Teenage Kicks his all-time favourite song, an opinion he held through to his death in 2004.


title: The Undertones

text: Seymour Stein, the president of Sire Records – in London on business – heard John Peel play "Teenage Kicks" on BBC Radio 1 and became interested in the band. Stein sent a London-based representative named Paul McNally to Derry to discuss a record deal with the band. McNally saw the band play live in what would ultimately prove to be their final performance at the Casbah on 29 September 1978. The following day, McNally convened with the Undertones to discuss a record contract. Three members of the band signed the proposed contract on this date, with the understanding that Feargal Sharkey and Michael Bradley would discuss negotiations to the contract with Seymour Stein in person in London.


title: The Undertones

text: On 2 October 1978, Bradley and Sharkey agreed to an increased advance fee of £10,000 offered by Stein upon the recording contract and signed to Sire Records on a five-year contract. Sire Records subsequently obtained all rights to the material released upon the Teenage Kicks EP and the song was re-released as a standard vinyl single upon Sire's own label two weeks later.


title: The Undertones

text: On 26 October, the Undertones performed "Teenage Kicks" live on "Top of the Pops". With help from Peel (who had also recorded and broadcast a "Peel Session" with the Undertones on the 16th), Teenage Kicks peaked at number 31 in the UK Singles Chart the following month.


title: The Undertones

text: In November 1978, the Undertones embarked on their first tour of the UK. This tour lasted until 16 December and saw the band appear as the supporting act for The Rezillos and John Otway in England and Wales in addition to headlining in three concerts in Belfast and Derry.


title: The Undertones

text: In January 1979, the Undertones recorded their eponymous debut album at Eden Studios in Acton, West London, using producer Roger Bechirian, whom the band had worked with for the first time the previous December, when Bechirian had produced the band's second single, "Get Over You". Much of the material upon their first album had been performed regularly at the Casbah, and the band were able to record this album in the space of less than four weeks.


title: The Undertones

text: Following the release of "Get Over You" in February 1979, the Undertones' eponymous debut album was released in May. The primary lyrical concern of the songs focused upon youthful relationships and adolescence. Three further punk singles "Jimmy Jimmy", "Here Comes the Summer" and "You've Got My Number (Why Don't You Use It?)" were released between April and October 1979, each to critical acclaim. In September 1979, the Undertones toured the United States for the first time, supporting The Clash with eight concerts in six different States.


title: The Undertones

text: Following the 'You Got My Number tour' of October 1979, the Undertones began recording the songs for their second album, "Hypnotised", at Wisseloord Studios in the Netherlands. The recording of the songs began in December. Ten songs were recorded before the band returned to Derry prior to Christmas to write and record further songs for the album. Three further songs were written during this break: "Tearproof", "More Songs About Chocolate and Girls" and "Wednesday Week".


title: The Undertones

text: In January 1980, the production of "Hypnotised" was finished at Eden Studios in London, with the Undertones recording the three further songs written the previous December, plus two further songs: "Hypnotised" and a cover of "Under The Boardwalk". Following the completion of their second LP, the band embarked upon a two-week tour of Ireland before touring continental Europe for the first time in March.


title: The Undertones

text: On 28 March 1980, the Undertones released their sixth single, "My Perfect Cousin". The song, which had been written the previous summer by Damian O'Neill and Michael Bradley, reached number 9 in the UK charts and would subsequently prove to be the band's highest charting single in the United Kingdom. The following month, on 21 April 1980, the band's second LP, "Hypnotised" was released. This album reached number 6 in the UK Albums Chart, remaining in the Top 10 for one month. The same week the album was released, the Undertones embarked on their 'Humming tour', which saw the band play a total of 25 gigs across the UK between April and June.


title: The Undertones

text: Less than two weeks after the completion of the 'Humming tour', the Undertones toured the United States for the second time, this time as the headlining band. "Wednesday Week"—the second single to be released from "Hypnotised"—was released in July 1980. This single reached number 11 in the UK chart and remained in the Top 40 for a total of seven weeks.


title: The Undertones

text: Between September and December 1980, the Undertones performed two further tours: the 'Disaster Tour (European Style)', which saw the band perform in continental Europe and—in December—the 'See No More' tour of the UK.


title: The Undertones

text: In terms of chart sales, the year 1980 was the Undertones' most successful year. In a review by "Sounds" magazine the same year, the Undertones were described as: "Possibly the best pop group in the English speaking world."


title: The Undertones

text: In December 1980, the Undertones announced their intention to split from Sire Records as they were unhappy with the lack of promotion they were receiving outside of the UK, particularly in the US. Following negotiations, their manager, Andy Ferguson, succeeded in the band retaining ownership rights to the material released on Sire Records; Ferguson subsequently signed the group to EMI in March 1981.


title: The Undertones

text: On 4 January 1981, the band began recording their third album, "Positive Touch", again at Wisseloord Studios, and again with Roger Bechirian as producer. The band recorded a total of eight songs in five days before returning to Derry. Later the same month, the band returned to Wisseloord Studios to complete the recording of the LP. The songs on this album indicated a change in both musical and lyrical influences: although the songs remained largely guitar-oriented, the band had written songs which focused upon the Troubles in Northern Ireland such as "Crisis of Mine", "You're Welcome" and the single "It's Going To Happen!", which preceded the release of the LP and was inspired by the 1980–81 Hunger Strikes. In addition, several songs upon the LP included instruments such as pianos, saxophones, recorders and brass instruments, with two further songs ("Julie Ocean" and "It's Going To Happen!") drawing musical inspiration from contemporary artists Orange Juice and Dexy's Midnight Runners respectively. The band themselves were content with the change of influences for "Positive Touch", which bassist Michael Bradley later described as a "natural progression" for the band, adding that, at the time, consensus between the band members was that the songs upon the LP were their best yet.


title: The Undertones

text: One month prior to the release of this third album, in April 1981, the Undertones embarked on their 'Positive Touch tour'; this tour saw the band perform a total of 36 gigs across the UK mainland in the space of less than two months.


title: The Undertones

text: "Positive Touch" was released in May 1981. This third album peaked at number 17 in the UK charts—remaining in the Top 40 for a total of four weeks. The album also received favourable reviews from several music critics and was listed by "NME" as one of the best albums to be released in 1981, although neither the album nor either of the singles released were as successful as any of the material released the previous year.


title: The Undertones

text: Following the conclusion of their 'Positive Touch tour' in June 1981, the Undertones released their second single of 1981, "Julie Ocean". The single – an extended recording of the 90-second album version – was produced by Hugh Jones and Dave Balfe.


title: The Undertones

text: On 29 September 1981, the Undertones embarked on their biggest tour of Continental Europe, which lasted until 20 October 1981 and saw the band perform a total of 19 concerts in six countries.


title: The Undertones

text: 1982 saw a lull in activity from the Undertones, who only performed live on a total of five occasions throughout the entire year. Two of these gigs were held in England, with three further live appearances held in the United States in August. Much of the time the band spent together was devoted towards writing and recording songs for their next LP in their 8-track demo studio. Damian O'Neill, the Undertones' lead guitarist, later admitted: "We (had) definitely lost a bit of the spark. I don't know but I tend to think some of us got too complacent sitting in our homes in Derry." The Undertones released two studio singles, "Beautiful Friend" and "The Love Parade", in February and October; both of these singles failed to make an impact upon the UK charts.


title: The Undertones

text: In March 1983, the Undertones released their fourth album, "The Sin of Pride". This album, which drew inspiration from both soul and Motown, was produced by Mike Hedges, who had replaced Roger Bechirian as the Undertones' producer following the 1981 release of "Positive Touch". Feargal Sharkey is known to have stated he had worked harder upon this album than at any point in his singing career to date, and that he considers this album the finest the Undertones ever produced. "The Sin of Pride" was met with critical acclaim upon release, and the Undertones performed several gigs in both Scotland and England to promote the release of this album; it reached number 43 in the UK chart.


title: The Undertones

text: The Undertones released two further studio singles in 1983; their first single, "Got To Have You Back"—which was inspired by both ABC and Smokey Robinson—was released in February and their second single, "Chain of Love", was released in May. Both failed to make any major impact on the UK chart.


title: The Undertones

text: In April 1983, the Undertones embarked on their 'UK Sin of Pride tour' to promote their latest album. By this stage in their career, the band were acutely aware of the pressure they were under from EMI, who were unhappy with the lack of chart success of much of the material the band had released since the release of their "Positive Touch" LP. In addition, internal tensions between various members of the band, in particular between Feargal Sharkey and John O'Neill, had deteriorated significantly. These factors led to Sharkey announcing his intentions to leave the Undertones during the 'European Tour 1983', which the group performed in May of that year.


title: The Undertones

text: To fulfill agreed commitments, the Undertones remained together for a further two months, performing several gigs across continental Europe before disbanding in mid-1983, with their final concert being played at Punchestown Racecourse in County Kildare in Ireland on 17 July.


title: The Undertones

text: Following the disbandment of the Undertones in 1983, Feargal Sharkey was invited by Vince Clarke and Eric Radcliffe of the synthpop duet The Assembly to provide lead vocals on the single "Never Never", which was released by The Assembly in November 1983 and peaked at number 4 in the UK charts. Sharkey was never officially a member of The Assembly and his vocal contribution to "Never Never" proved to be Sharkey's only recording with the band, who would only issue this one single before folding.


title: The Undertones

text: Sharkey subsequently embarked upon a brief, but commercially successful solo career in the mid 1980s to early 1990s.


title: The Undertones

text: Two of the other band members, John O'Neill and Damian O'Neill, formed That Petrol Emotion in 1984. That Petrol Emotion released a total of fifteen singles and six albums between 1985 and 1994.


title: The Undertones

text: In the 1990s John O'Neill formed a trip hop group called Rare under the stage name Seán Ó'Néill with vocalist Mary Gallagher. They only had one notable chart appearance and disbanded shortly after the release of their only album in 1998.


title: The Undertones

text: The Undertones reformed in November 1999, initially to play concerts in Derry. For their reformation, the Undertones replaced Sharkey (who had declined to rejoin the band) with singer Paul McLoone. Since 1999, the Undertones have performed several tours across the UK, Ireland, Continental Europe, Japan, Turkey and North America and continue to perform live.


title: The Undertones

text: Noteworthy gigs by the Undertones since their 1999 reformation include performing at the Glastonbury Festival in June 2005 and 2022, providing pre-match entertainment prior to kick-off at Celtic Park in the UEFA Champions League play-off between Celtic and Arsenal in August 2009 and, in March and April 2011, performing a series of UK gigs in which they played their debut album, "The Undertones," in its entirety as part of each show. This tour was timed to accompany a re-release of a double compilation album containing all of the A- and B-sides of their singles.