Pinch Runner

Pinch Runner (ピンチランナー) is a Hello! Project movie starring members of Morning Musume. The movie was released in theaters on May 20, 2000. A making of VHS/DVD (pink cover) was released on October 21, 2000, and the VHS/DVD of the actual movie was released a month later on November 21, 2000 under the title Morning Musume Hashiru! Pinch Runner. The rental versions of the movie on VHS and DVD had alternate covers, and a Pinch Runner documentary on VHS was also released.
==Plot==
Minegishi Ayumi (Abe) is a student of Asahina High School, and the lone member of its Track and Field club. She seems hard to speak to, and despite being a good, quiet student, not many people care to know much about her. One day, a fire breaks out in the place that houses all the track and field supplies, and Ayumi is unable to get out. An aspiring member of the club, Hasegawa Sanae, cries out for someone to save her, but Ayumi cannot remember the face of whomever it was who took her out of the fire.
The events that follow the fire unknowingly change Ayumi's solitary life, and she will find herself leading Sanae, Michiko, Tomoko, Maho, Reiko and Ikue into a race where the goal is much more than just getting past the line in first place.
==Cast==
*Morning Musume
**Nakazawa Yuko as Masuda Ikue 
**Abe Natsumi as Minegishi Ayumi 
**Iida Kaori as Sendou Reiko 
**Yaguchi Mari as Kanzaki Tomoko 
**Yasuda Kei as Matsumoto Michiko 
**Ichii Sayaka as Hayashibara Maho 
**Goto Maki as Hasegawa Sanae 
*Oshio Manabu as Toshiya 
*Matsuzaka Keiko as Ayumi's Mother 
*Saito Yousuke as Maho's Father 
==Soundtrack==
An original soundtrack for the film was released on July 5, 2000. The album has 11 instrumental themes (track 1-11) from the movie, as well as 4 songs: two remixes of Morning Musume songs from their third album (track 13 and 14), a song by (track 15) and a song by Stardust Revue with (track 16). First press came with trading cards.
===CD Tracklist===
#Opening Theme (オープニングテーマ)
#Sanae no Theme (さなえのテーマ; Sanae's Theme)
#Tomoko no Theme (知子のテーマ; Tomoko's Theme)
#Maho no Theme (真穂のテーマ; Maho's Theme)
#Michiko no Theme (道子のテーマ; Michiko's Theme)
#Reiko no Theme (麗子のテーマ; Reiko's Theme)
#Ayumi no Theme (あゆみのテーマ; Ayumi's Theme)
#Asahina Gakuen Rikujoubu no Theme (朝比奈学園陸上部のテーマ; Asahina Academy Track Club Theme)
#Shitsui (失意; Disappointment)
#Shissou (疾走; Sprint)
#Goal (ゴール)
# (新・ラーメン大好き小池さんの唄; New Song Of Ramen Lover Koike-san) - 
#Dance Suru no da! (MASTERS OF FUNK Flavor Remix) - Morning Musume
#Omoide (BEAT WAVE SPIRAL MIX) - Morning Musume
#Natural ~Dakishimete Kono Mama de~ (ナチュラル~抱きしめてこのままで~) -  with 
==Album Information==
;Tracks 1-11 Arrangement
* Maejima Yasuaki
Shin Ramen Daisuki Koikesan no Uta
* Lyrics, Vocal, Chorus: Tsunku
* Composition: 
* Arrangement, Bass, Chorus: Dance☆Man
* Guitar, Chorus: Hatake
* Drums, Chorus: Makoto
* Keyboards, Chorus: Taisei
* Percussion: St. Chakkan (The Bandman)
* Keyboards, Chorus: Wata-Boo (The Bandman)
* Turn Table: DJ Ichiro (The Bandman)
Dance Suru no da! (MASTERS OF FUNK Flavor Remix)
* Remix: CPM-Marvin for Masters of Funk Entertainment./Artimage Inc.
* Keyboards: T-Sugie
* Rap: Doug Flex, First Class
* Mixed: Kawamoto Gonta, PM-Marvin at BX Studio
Omoide (BEAT WAVE SPIRAL MIX)
* Remix: N.Ishikawa
* Mixed: Yanagisawa Takeshi
Natural ~Dakishimete Kono Mama de~
* Lyrics: Makoto, Tsunku
* Composition, Vocal, Chorus: Nemoto Kaname
* Arrangement, Keyboards, Chorus: Mitsuda Kenichi
* Bass, Chorus: Kakinuma Kiyoshi
* Drums, Chorus: Terada Masami
* Percussion, Chorus: Hayashi 'VOH' Norikatsu
* Duet Vocal: Aida Shoko
==Concert Performances==
Natural ~Dakishimete Kono Mama de~ (ナチュラル~抱きしめてこのままで~)
* Dream Live Pop Revue 2000 - , 
==Trivia==
*Ishikawa Rika, Yoshizawa Hitomi, Kago Ai, and Tsuji Nozomi, who were recent additions to Morning Musume, appear in a post-credits epilogue.
*Almost every member of Hello! Project appeared in the marathon opening ceremony scene, divided in three teams. "Hello! Project 1" had T&C Bomber and Heike Michiyo (along with Michiyo's manager at the time, Segi Mariko), "Hello! Project 2" had Coconuts Musume, Maeda Yuki and Miyoshi Chinatsu, and "Hello! Project 3" had Melon Kinenbi and Kikuchi Ai. Rinne was originally meant to appear in Kikuchi's place, but she fell sick 3 days before filming the scene.
*, from , has a brief appearance in the movie.
*Filmed in Hitachinaka All-Japan Girls Ekiden 2000, a real marathon in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture.
==Gallery==
PINCH_PRESS_1.jpg
PINCH_PRESS_2.jpg
PINCH_PRESS_3.jpg
PINCH_PRESS_4.jpg
PINCH_PRESS_5.jpg
PINCH_PRESS_6.jpg
PINCH_PRESS_7.jpg
File:Pinch runner promo flyer.jpg
==External Links==
*Discography
**Movie DVD: Hello! Project, Toei
**Making of DVD: Hello! Project, Toei
**CD: Hello! Project
**Lyrics: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 
*Wikipedia: Japanese
Category:Morning Musume
Category:1st Generation Morning Musume
Category:2nd Generation Morning Musume
Category:3rd Generation Morning Musume
Category:2000 DVDs
Category:2000 Albums
Category:1st Generation Morning Musume Albums In
Category:2nd Generation Morning Musume Albums In
Category:3rd Generation Morning Musume Albums In
Category:Morning Musume Albums
Category:Morning Musume DVDs
Category:2000 VHSs
Category:2000 Films