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The delay " gobsmacked " the film industry , according to Deadline.com , because Paramount had already implemented a substantial advertising campaign beginning with a Super Bowl commercial , because " warehouses full of " toys were waiting for the film 's launch , and because it was one of only three Paramount @-@ produced films scheduled for Summer 2012 ( along with The Dictator and Katy Perry : Part of Me ) . The studio also wanted to avoid competing with Tatum 's Magic Mike , also scheduled for June 29 , Deadline reported . |
= = = Ban in Pakistan = = = |
The film was banned by the Central Board of Film Censors of Pakistan due to initial scenes at the beginning of the movie which depict the country negatively , according to film censor board officials . A Karachi @-@ based cinema posted on its Facebook page that the film would not be screened due to restrictions by the censor board . The censorship was due to the film 's depiction of Pakistan as an unstable state and the fictional portrayal of a " foreign invasion of Pakistan ’ s nuclear installations " , which caught the ire of film censor authorities . Consequently , restrictions were imposed on screening the movie countrywide . According to an official at the censor board , the film portrayed Pakistan negatively not only on the issue of the War on Terror but also on the international standing of the country : " There is a scene which shows the assassination of the Pakistani president and the imposition of martial law , which is not a fair representation of the country . " Another cinema official explained " There were obviously several objectionable things which would never have passed the censors , but these things are also relevant to the content of the film . " |
= = = Promotion = = = |
On December 12 , 2011 , the premiere trailer for the film was released on YouTube exclusively from Machinima.com. The trailer itself features a remix of the White Stripes ' song " Seven Nation Army " by The Glitch Mob . Following the release of the trailer , Interview magazine featured G.I. Joe : Retaliation in " Thursday video Face @-@ Off " against the indie film Alter Egos on January 12 , 2012 . A shorter teaser trailer for the film aired during Super Bowl XLVI , containing music by Jay @-@ Z. A Japanese trailer focusing on actor Byung @-@ hun Lee was released in April 2012 . The second full trailer made its debut on April 24 , 2012 , containing a viral marketing initiative inviting viewers to interact with a website and Facebook application for the film . On December 13 , 2012 , a third trailer was released featuring more footage of London 's destruction . In January 2013 , a four @-@ minute clip of the film featuring a ninja battle between Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow was attached with IMAX screenings of Hansel and Gretel : Witch Hunters . A soundtrack of the score by composer Henry Jackman was released in April 2013 . |
A toyline for the film was confirmed by Hasbro in February 2012 . Despite the movie 's release being moved from June 2012 to March 2013 , the initial assortments of figures , vehicles , and role @-@ play items were shipped to retailers , and appeared on store shelves in May 2012 . A Variety article was published stating that the already released figures had been pulled from the shelves and recalled by Hasbro , although the company 's official statement indicated that existing product would be sold through . New product shipments were halted by Hasbro , but existing Retaliation figures were available in Target , Wal @-@ Mart , and Toys R Us as late as December 2012 . The toyline was re @-@ released in the United States in February 2013 . |
= = = Home media = = = |
G.I. Joe : Retaliation was released on DVD , Blu @-@ ray and Blu @-@ ray 3D on July 30 , 2013 . A Blu @-@ ray " Extended Action Cut " added 12 minutes of footage and uncensored violence was also available , with the United States version being a Best Buy exclusive . |
The film topped No. 1 on both the Blu @-@ ray and DVD sales charts with at least 54 % of both Blu @-@ ray and DVD units sold . The film also topped weekend rentals as well . |
= = Reception = = |
= = = Critical response = = = |
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 28 % approval rating with an average rating of 4 @.@ 5 / 10 based on 161 reviews . The website 's consensus reads , " Though arguably superior to its predecessor , G.I. Joe : Retaliation is overwhelmed by its nonstop action and too nonsensical and vapid to leave a lasting impression . " At Metacritic , which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics , the film has received an average score of 41 % , indicating " mixed or average reviews " , based on 31 critics , which was higher than the first film 's 32 % average score . |
Dota 2 received universal acclaim , according to video game review aggregator Metacritic . PC Gamer previewed the game in September 2012 , stating the game was " an unbelievably deep and complex game that offers the purest sequel to the original Defense of the Anicents . Rewarding like few others , but tough " , giving it a rating of 85 / 100 . Adam Biessener , the editor who authored the announcement article for Dota 2 for Game Informer in 2010 , praised Valve for maintaining the same mechanics and game balance that made Defense of the Ancients successful nearly a decade prior and Quintin Smith of Eurogamer described Dota 2 as the " supreme form of the MOBA which everyone else working in the genre is trying to capture like lightning in a bottle " . The most frequently praised aspects of the game were its depth , delivery , and overall balance . Chris Thursten of PC Gamer described the gameplay as being " deep and rewarding " . Martin Gaston of GameSpot complimented Valve for the delivery and artistic design of Dota 2 , citing the execution of the user interface design , voice acting and characterization as exceeding those of the game 's competitors . Phill Cameron of IGN praised Dota 2 for its freely @-@ available game balance that was not affected by cosmetic items . |
While the majority of reviewers gave Dota 2 highly positive reviews , a common criticism was that the game maintains a steep learning curve that requires exceptional commitment to overcome . While providing a moderately positive review that praised Valve 's product stability , Fredrik Åslund from the Swedish division of Gamereactor described his first match of Dota 2 as one of the most humiliating and inhospitable experiences of his gaming career , citing the learning curve and players ' attitudes as unwelcoming . Benjamin Danneberg of GameStar alluded to the learning curve as a " learning cliff " , calling the newcomer 's experience to be painful , with the tutorial feature new to the Dota franchise only being partially successful . In a review for the Metro newspaper , Dota 2 was criticized for not compensating for the flaws with the learning curve from Defense of the Ancients , as well as the sometimes hostile community , as is often the case for multiplayer online battle arena games . |
Peter Bright of Ars Technica directed criticism at the ability for third @-@ party websites to allow gambling and betting on match results and in @-@ game items , similar to controversies that also exist with Valve 's Counter @-@ Strike : Global Offensive . Using Dota 2 as an example , Bright also stated that he thought Valve built gambling elements directly into their games , and had issues with the unregulated practice , which was often used by underage players and regions where gambling is illegal . In response to the controversy , Valve and Dota 2 producer , Erik Johnson , stated that they would be taking action against the third @-@ party sites , saying the practice was " not allowed by our API nor our user agreements " . |
In May 2013 , Dota 2 reached almost 330 @,@ 000 concurrent players and held the record for the game with the most concurrent users in Steam history , breaking its own record set in March the same year . Simultaneous with this benchmark , it was determined that the concurrent number of Dota 2 players in May 2013 outweighed the number of players for the rest of Steam 's top ten most @-@ played games combined . In February 2015 , Dota 2 became the first game in Steam 's history to have over one million concurrent players . Also in 2015 , Dota 2 was the third most watched game on Twitch.tv , after League of Legends and Counter @-@ Strike : Global Offensive . Concurrent viewership numbers of professional Dota 2 matches have reached upwards of two million . |
= = = Awards and accolades = = = |
Following its first public showing in 2011 , Dota 2 won IGN 's People 's Choice Award . In December 2012 , PC Gamer listed Dota 2 as a nominee for the 2012 Game of the Year award , as well as the best electronic sports title of the year . The game won 2013 eSport of the year awards from PC Gamer and onGamers . GameTrailers awarded the game the award for Best PC Game of 2013 . For IGN 's Best of 2013 award series , Dota 2 won the awards for Best PC Strategy & Tactics Game , as well as Best PC Multiplayer Game . The game 's awards for IGN 's Best of 2013 won their People 's Choice Award counterparts , as well . Similarly , Game Informer recognized Dota 2 for the categories of Best PC Exclusive , Best Competitive Multiplayer and Best Strategy of 2013 . In the 2013 edition of Game Revolution 's countdown of the top twenty @-@ five PC video games of all time , Dota 2 was listed in the number four position . Dota 2 was nominated for a number of Game of the Year awards by Destructoid , including the award for the best competitive game . While the staff selected StarCraft II : Heart of the Swarm , Dota 2 received the majority of the votes distributed between the nine nominees . In 2014 , Dota 2 was nominated for best multiplayer game at the 10th British Academy Games Awards , but lost to Grand Theft Auto V. In 2015 , Dota 2 was nominated for eSports Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2015 , and won the award for best MOBA at the 2015 Global Game Awards . |
= = = Merchandise = = = |
The popularity of Dota 2 led Valve to produce apparel , accessories , posters , and a number of other products featuring the heroes and other elements from the game . In addition , Valve secured licensing contracts with third @-@ party producers ; the first of these deals concerned a Dota 2 SteelSeries QcK + mousepad , which was announced at Gamescom 2011 . In September 2012 , Weta Workshop , the prop studio that creates the " Aegis of Champions " trophy for winners of The International , announced a product line that would include statues , weapons , and armor based on Dota 2 characters and items . In February 2013 , the National Entertainment Collectibles Association announced a new toy line featuring hero @-@ themed action figures at the American International Toy Fair . After the conclusion of The International 2015 finals , Valve awarded the Collector 's Aegis of Champions , which was a 1 / 5th scale brass replica of the Aegis of Champions trophy , to those with compendiums of 1 @,@ 000 levels or more . For The International 2016 , Valve began selling a limited edition Dota 2 themed HTC Vive virtual reality headset . Valve have also created webcomics related to the game , featuring some of the heroes and detailing their background lore . |
= Don 't Take It Personally , Babe , It Just Ain 't Your Story = |
don 't take it personally , babe , it just ain 't your story is a 2011 indie video game by Christine Love . Intended as a spiritual sequel to Love 's Digital : A Love Story , the game was developed over the course of a month and was released as a free download on April 4 , 2011 . Don 't take it personally is a visual novel , with the majority of the plot taking place outside of the player 's control except for key decisions . It follows a new high school literature teacher in 2027 over the course of a semester , with the ability to see private messages between students at any time without their knowledge . It deals with themes of privacy and relationships in the future . The game was received positively , with critics praising the interplay between the metafictional elements of the story and those of the game itself , with special acknowledgment reserved for the writing . |
= = Gameplay = = |
Don 't take it personally is a visual novel , or interactive fiction game where the majority of the story is told through still images of the speaking characters in front of anime @-@ style backgrounds with text overlaid . The player 's viewpoint follows one character , the teacher in a school , with the player seeing his thoughts as well as his and the other characters ' statements . The player advances the conversations the teacher is in or witnesses at will , but cannot go backwards and has little control over what any of the characters , including the teacher , are saying except at a few key moments . At these points , the player is presented with two or three choices for what the teacher says ; which option is chosen can change what path the plot takes , in either a minor or major way . |
In a departure from most visual novels the player can also see , at any time , the equivalent of texts and Facebook postings between the students on a school social network called AmieConnect ( often shortened to " Amie " ) , as well as conversation threads on a 4chan @-@ like imageboard that serve as foreshadowing for future plot points . These extra conversations take place in parallel to in @-@ person conversations between characters , occasionally at the same time ; the player is notified anytime a new text message or post is made . A single playthrough of the game takes " over an hour " . |
= = Scenario = = |
= = = Setting = = = |
The game is set in a private high school in Ontario , in 2027 . The player follows a new 11th @-@ grade literature teacher at the school , John Rook , who has recently had his second divorce and is undergoing , in his words , a " bizarre midlife crisis " that has led him to quit his career in computers and become a teacher . The students in his class are Arianna Belle @-@ Essai , Kendall Flowers , Taylor Gibson , Charlotte Grewal , Isabella Hart , Nolan Striukas , and Akira Yamazaki . Rook and all of the students have school @-@ issued computers , which the students use to communicate between each other in private and public messages . Rook , and therefore the player , can see all of the messages that the students send , even the private ones ; the school administration has told Rook that it is for monitoring online bullying , and that he is not to let anyone know that he can see students ' private messages . |
= = = Plot = = = |
Soon after the game opens , the player learns that Kendall and Charlotte have just broken up out of a lesbian relationship , while a few weeks prior Taylor and Nolan had broken up out of a heterosexual relationship . Arianna develops a crush on the teacher , which in the player 's first decision point Rook can reciprocate or not . Akira soon comes out as gay , finding to his dismay that everyone else already knew . He then attempts to enter into a relationship with Nolan , who is unsure how to respond ; Rook can encourage him to try it out or let him decide on his own , but he enters a relationship with Akira regardless . |
The next day , Isabella misses a meeting she set up with Rook , and does not return to the class . Through Amie texts and wall posts , the other students insinuate that she committed suicide , while the school is unable to provide Rook with any contact information for her . Class continues without her , and a little while later Arianna , if the player rejected her earlier in the game , makes another attempt to have a relationship with Rook . The player may choose to accept or reject her again . Through Amie , Rook learns that both Charlotte and Kendall wish to resume their relationship , and can influence Charlotte to try again or not , which changes whether or not they get back together . Taylor jealously and unsuccessfully tries to drive a wedge between Nolan and Akira . |
As the end of term approaches , Rook begins getting strange emails about Isabella 's death , and begins seeing shinigami figures . Upset by these occurrences , when Akira 's mother asks to speak to him concerning misuses of Amie , he assumes that she has found out that he is spying on the students ' conversations . When he meets her , he finds that Isabella is alive and had simply moved away ; the students made it look like she was dead via Amie as a prank that got out of control . Furthermore , they already knew that he could see their messages ; Akira 's mother explains that the students have no idea of online privacy , having always had technology like Amie , and assumed that anything they put online might be read by anyone . The game ends with Rook having a casual lunch with the students , a date with Arianna , or neither , depending on the choices made during the game by the player . |
= = Development = = |
Don 't take it personally was developed over the course of a month , and was released as a free download on April 4 , 2011 . It was written and developed by Christine Love , with artwork made for the game by Auro @-@ Cyanide , artwork licensed from Tokudaya and Kimagure After , and with music licensed from Rengoku Teien and propanmode . It was created using the Ren 'Py engine . It was Love 's longest game to date , and her first attempt at a game with a branching storyline . It was intended as " a spiritual sequel of sorts " to Digital : A Love Story , a 2010 game by Love . The game was made for NaNoRenO ( National Ren 'ai Game Writing Month ) , a month @-@ long contest in the vein of National Novel Writing Month ( NaNoWriMo ) where developers attempt to create a visual novel in one month . Love 's favorite character to write was Kendall . |
= = Reception = = |
Don 't take it personally was chosen as a " freeware game pick " by IndieGames 's Michael Rose , who said that it was worth playing through multiple times in order to see the different paths the story takes depending on the player 's choices . Pete Davidson of GamePro noted the game as an example of the " creativity " missing in many large @-@ budget titles , and praised the story , calling Love " a writer first and a game developer second . " Alec Meer of Rock , Paper , Shotgun described the game as " a game about love , sex and the internet " that was " capable of being profoundly moving " and was about " what it is to feel like someone ’ s kicked me straight in the heart . " He praised Love 's ability to use dialogue to effect an emotional response , though he noted that the game seemed to lose some of its impact in the final chapters and felt that the use of the " 12chan " threads as a Greek chorus was " perhaps a meta @-@ layer too far " . |
Aaron Poppleton of PopMatters called the game " a meditation on privacy in the modern age " and " one of the more thoughtful games to come out in a long time . " He criticized the art direction of the game , saying that the limitation of creating the game in a month led to poor artwork and an unpolished presentation that lets down the possibilities of the story . He did note that the story and writing of the game made the downsides of the game " almost entirely a moot point " , and that it is a very strong game . Pete Davidson of PC World , in an article about the treatment of sexuality in video games , called out the game as an example of a game that used sexual themes maturely to explore love and relationships . Emily Short of Gamasutra , in a discussion about the game , said that it was definitely worth playing and full of " charming characters , colorful dialogue , and important questions " , but criticized the uneven exploration of issues regarding privacy versus personal boundaries . She said that the game 's lack of focus on Rook 's issues with personal and professional boundaries was a weakness in the story , given that the distinction between boundaries and privacy was crucial to the plot . Love collated common criticisms and reviews of the game on her blog , summarizing that while it was less praised than Digital : A Love Story , most players seemed to like the way she wrote the relationships and overall story , though her portrayal of Rook was weak and that many players seemed to miss that he was intended to be " an absolutely awful teacher " and that the potential relationship with Arianna was intended to be creepy and make the player feel bad . She also noted that her use of licensed artwork was detracting from the game 's potential in comparison to the reaction to the custom works . |
The Daily Telegraph gave the visual novel the award for " Best Script " in its video game awards of 2011 , stating that " Love 's layered narrative of a high school teacher embroiled in his student ’ s worries goes places most mainstream video games wouldn 't dare . " |
= The Dreamscape = |
" The Dreamscape " is the ninth episode of the first season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe . It centers on a Fringe investigation of a Massive Dynamic employee who , after believing himself to be under attack by a swarm of sharp @-@ winged butterflies , jumps out of a window . Meanwhile , Olivia ( Anna Torv ) continues her visions of the deceased John Scott ( Mark Valley ) , and discovers how he related to a deadly psychoactive drug synthesized by Massive Dynamic . |
" The Dreamscape " was written by series staff writers Julia Cho and Zack Whedon , and was directed by Fred Toye . To create the opening scene , they " relied entirely on actor performance , " with guest actor Ptolemy Slocum simulating being cut , freezing for the crew to apply prosthetic make @-@ up , and then unfreezing to continue shooting the scene . VFX coordinator Christopher Stollard wished the computer generated butterflies to look as realistic as possible , and modeled them after mounted butterfly specimens his team studied . |
The episode first aired in the United States on November 25 , 2008 on the Fox network . It was watched by an estimated 8 @.@ 73 million viewers and earned a 3 @.@ 9 / 10 ratings share among adults aged 18 to 49 . Reviews of the episode were mixed , with one reviewer believing it " certainly moves [ the series ] in the right direction " . |
= = Plot = = |
Massive Dynamic executive Mark Young ( Ptolemy Slocum ) delivers a presentation at the company ’ s Manhattan office . When he is done and the other attendees have left , he sees an unusual butterfly . Upon picking it up , he experiences a cut on his hand and is then attacked by a swarm . Mark jumps out of a window , to his death . Olivia Dunham ( Anna Torv ) , despite preparing to go out to dinner with her sister , instead agrees to Phillip Broyles ' ( Lance Reddick ) demand that she join the Fringe team 's investigation at the scene . While examining the body , Dr. Walter Bishop ( John Noble ) sees lacerations on Young ’ s skin and notes a lack of corresponding tears on his shirt . At the scene , Olivia has a brief vision of her deceased lover John Scott ( Mark Valley ) watching them , which troubles her . |
Later , in the lab at Harvard Walter 's autopsy reveals a synthetic compound in Mark 's blood , though any link to the cuts is not yet known to them . Olivia receives an email from someone who claims to be John Scott , listing an address for her to visit . Upon arriving she finds boxes , one of which contains a group of toads . At the lab , Walter finds that the toads contain a " psychoactive compound " , a hallucinogen that affects the fear center of the brain . They conclude that Mark ’ s brain was so convinced of something happening to his body that actual physical marks appeared . Mark was infected with a large dosage , leading them to attribute his death to murder . |
Olivia admits to Walter how she found the address and learns that her brain still contains some of John 's memories . Wishing to discover what else John knew and prevent any further visions from occurring , Olivia insists on returning to Walter ’ s sensory deprivation tank . Inside the tank , Olivia sees a memory of John in a restaurant . Despite Walter 's vehement protest that it is impossible , Olivia is convinced that John Scott saw her . Afterwards , she sees John meeting with Mark and two other unidentified men . After Mark and another man leave , John kills the other man . Olivia believes the group were looking to sell the compound as a street drug , and is able to track down the other man , George Morales ( Yul Vazquez ) . Once apprehended , he denies killing Mark and demands immunity and protection from Massive Dynamic , who he believes was responsible for Mark 's death as well as other recent fringe events . Olivia confronts Nina Sharp ( Blair Brown ) about her suspicions , but George is murdered before he can be of further help to them . Later that night , Olivia gets another email from John Scott simply saying , " I SAW YOU . IN THE RESTAURANT . " |
Meanwhile , Peter ( Joshua Jackson ) is contacted by Tess ( Susan Misner ) , a woman from his past who warns him to leave Boston . When he meets her , Peter intuits that she is being abused by her boyfriend Michael ( David Vadim ) . He ambushes Michael and warns him not to touch Tess again . Michael then informs local crime boss Worth ( Tom Riis Farrell ) that Peter is back in town . |
= = Production = = |
" The Dreamscape " , the season 's ninth episode , was co @-@ written by staff writer Zack Whedon and playwright Julia Cho . It was Whedon 's first contribution to the series , and Cho 's second . In an interview fifteen days before the broadcast of " The Dreamscape " , showrunner and executive producer Jeff Pinkner stated that it and several surrounding episodes would be " stand @-@ alone in quality , but at the same time we [ will ] start to peel back another layer of the onion " to transition the second half of the season into a " new chapter . " Anna Torv later commented that she wished for Olivia to " lighten up " during the first season , " but every time she did , something would happen . " The writers inputted small scenes to shine more light on her character , which included Olivia dressing up for a night out but then " the phone rings . It ’ s Broyles , and she wipes the lipstick off , puts on a coat , and goes out . That ’ s it . You ’ re on call . She breaks my heart . " |
Fred Toye served as the episode director , his second after directing " The Ghost Network " six installments earlier . To create the opening scene of character Mark Young being " attacked " by butterflies , Toye shot it in multiple phases . Series co @-@ creator Roberto Orci preferred the opening scene to involve a " more subtle " death , so Young was made to die from falling out a window , which was " a real thing , something that 's not imagined or whimsical " . VFX coordinator Christopher Stollard stated that his crew " relied entirely on actor performance , " with guest actor Ptolemy Slocum communicating often with the crew during filming . He shot his scenes in short bursts . Slocum summarized that he " would experience the [ butterfly ] cut and then we would freeze , apply make @-@ up [ to create the cut on his skin ] , and then unfreeze and move on " filming . On his first day , Slocum stated that he wore more than 75 individual prosthetics over his entire chest and arms . |
Stollard wished the butterflies to be as realistic as possible , and modeled them after mounted butterfly specimens his team studied . The butterflies were computer generated animations and added later in post @-@ production . To create the illusion of Young falling through the window , the visual effects crew placed small explosive charges on the tempered glass window ; Slocum 's stuntman Jared Burke then jumped through while they triggered the glass to explode . Two cameras , one high and one profile , were positioned to shoot the fall , and were composited together later into a matte painting of the World Trade Building . The fall was filmed multiple times with a green screen , with the stuntman falling on a cushion . While on @-@ set , Toye explained of the shoot , " with all the pieces put together with the visual effects and with the performance we got with our actor Ptolemy , it 's going to be fabulous . " A crewman believed that the addition of music to Young 's fall made the scene " far more elegant and more of a statement . " In a December 2012 interview , actress Jasika Nicole stated that she developed a fear of butterflies as a result of this episode . |
= = Reception = = |
= = = Ratings and marketing = = = |
" The Dreamscape " first aired on November 25 , 2008 in the United States on the Fox network . With its timeslot dominated by the Dancing With the Stars season finale , Fringe attracted an estimated 8 @.@ 73 million viewers , down from the previous week 's audience of 9 @.@ 36 million . This placed it in third place in its timeslot , behind The Mentalist . The episode also came in third place among viewers aged 18 – 49 , as it earned a 3 @.@ 9 / 10 ratings share ; this means that it was seen by 3 @.@ 9 percent of all 18- to 49 @-@ year @-@ olds , and 10 percent of all 18- to 49 @-@ year @-@ olds watching television at the time of broadcast . |
Fringe 's marketing team designed and launched www.massivedynamic.com near the beginning of the first season . Parts of the website can be seen in " The Dreamscape " , including on Olivia 's computer as she researches the company . |
= = = Reviews = = = |
Noel Murray of The A. V. Club was generally favorable to the episode , giving it a B + . He wrote , " Much like Fringe fan favorite ' The Arrival ' ( not a favorite of mine , sorry to say ) , ' The Dreamscape ' is an episode more involved with insinuation and mythology @-@ building than with telling a complete @-@ in @-@ one story . But perhaps because I 've come to trust Fringe more over its recent run of entertaining episodes , I enjoyed it fairly well , and found myself trying to figure out what kind of thematic connections I could make using the notion of the body reacting to mere thoughts . " Travis Fickett of IGN rated the episode 7 @.@ 8 / 10 , explaining that it " certainly moves in the right direction " . Fickett found the " coolest moment " to be when Olivia witnesses John Scott 's memory , and he also appreciated Peter 's backstory ( " It 's more than Peter usually gets , but what we know isn 't much and isn 't very exciting . " ) . Fickett criticized Olivia however for leaving the man at the hospital unsuitably protected . |
SFScope reviewer Sarah Stegall enjoyed Peter 's sideplot and hoped to learn more of his past , but thought the " cute in @-@ jokes " were meant to distract the audience from a " thin " plot " full of holes " . She added that " the shallow , cookie @-@ cutter plotting " was starting to annoy her , and noted that while the series had the potential to become " a breakout show like The X @-@ Files or Lost ... its major weakness is the continual reliance on the worn @-@ out cliché of the Big Bad Corporation , " which had become " stale and dry . " |
Jane Boursaw of AOL 's TV Squad wrote , " Another great episode tonight , and some of the little symbols we see leading into commercials were actually in tonight 's episode , " referring specifically to the hallucinatory butterflies and the frogs / toads found in the basement . Andrew Hanson of the Los Angeles Times took notice here of the pattern of Easter eggs teasing the next episode of the series . This feature of the show had earlier been touched on in an interview with showrunner Jeff Pinkner . As an example , the previous episode " The Equation " had contained a shot of a butterfly on a trashcan , foreshadowing the hallucinated butterfly attack in this episode . |
In a 2016 retrospective of the series , A.V. Club writer Joshua Alston considered " The Dreamscape " as a strong example of Fringe 's " monster of the week " episodes that predominated the first season , showing " how much effort and imagination went into the self @-@ contained stories " . |
= True Blue ( Madonna song ) = |
" True Blue " is a song by American singer Madonna . It is the title track from her third studio album True Blue ( 1986 ) , and was released as the album 's third single on September 29 , 1986 by Sire Records . Written and produced by Madonna and Steve Bray , the song deals with the feelings of Madonna for her then @-@ husband Sean Penn . A dance @-@ pop song , it features instrumentation from a rhythm guitar , a synthesizer , keyboards , and drums . The main chorus is backed by an alternate one , incorporating a chord progression generally found in doo @-@ wop music . |
Received by the critics as a light @-@ hearted and cute retro song , " True Blue " topped the charts in UK , Ireland and Canada and became another consecutive top ten song in U.S. for Madonna by reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100 . The original music video portrayed her again with a new look , leaner and sporting platinum blond bushy hair . An alternate video was made through the " Make My Video " contest on MTV . The final selected videos had a similar theme of a 1950s @-@ inspired setting and the storyline following the lyrics of the song . " True Blue " has been performed on the Who 's That Girl World Tour ( 1987 ) and the Rebel Heart Tour ( 2015 – 16 ) . |
= = Writing and composition = = |
Madonna wrote and produced the song with Steve Bray . According to her , " True Blue " takes its title from a favourite expression of her then husband Sean Penn and to his very pure vision of love and was a direct tribute to him as well as the album , which was as a whole inspired by her " unabashed valentine " for Penn . In an interview , Bray said , " She [ Madonna ] was very much in love . It was obvious if she 's in love she 'll write love songs . If she 's not in love she definitely won 't be writing love songs . " In 2015 , Madonna said that " True Blue " is " a song about true love . I didn 't know what I was talking about when I wrote it . " |
" True Blue " is a dance @-@ pop song inspired by the Motown 's girl groups from the 1960s which are considered the direct antecedents of Madonna 's musical sound . The song is composed in the key of B major . It is set in compound quadruple meter , commonly used in doo @-@ wop , and has a moderate tempo of 118 beats per minute . " True Blue " features instrumentation from a rhythm guitar , a synthesizer , keyboards , and drums for the bassline , with a basic sequence of I – vi – IV – V ( B – G ♯ m – E – F ♯ ) as its main chord progression . |
Madonna 's vocal range spans a bit less than one and a half octaves , from F ♯ 3 to B4 . The chorus is backed by sounds of bells ringing , an alternate verse — " This time I know it 's true " — which is sung by three back @-@ up singers during the interlude , and a bass counter melody which introduces her vocals during the second chorus . The lyrics are constructed in a verse @-@ chorus form , with the theme being Madonna 's feelings for Sean Penn ; it even uses the archaic love word " dear " in the line " Just think back and remember , dear " . |
= = Reception = = |
= = = Critical response = = = |
Davitt Sigerson from Rolling Stone magazine in a review of the album True Blue said that the song " squanders a classic beat and an immensely promising title " , LAUNCHcast 's Bill Holdship said that " True Blue " is " Madonna 's wonderful tribute to the late ' 50s / early ' 60s " girl groups " . In his book Madonna : An Intimate Biography , journalist J. Randy Taraborrelli described the song as " the light @-@ hearted , fun track of the whole True Blue album project having a retro 1950 's feel to it " . In the book Rock ' n ' Roll Gold Rush which contains information about various artists and their singles , author Maury Dean said that the song as a " masterwork of simplicity interwoven with secret complexity " adding that " on one hand , it 's just a basic steetcorner ditty , with four basic chords . In another context , it 's a counterpoint harmonic blanket , twirling with star @-@ spangled timbre and dynamic drive . " Rikky Rooksby , in his book The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna , said that " True Blue " is " a song that is merely cute and not really up to being the title track of an album " . |
The Wichita Eagle did not like the song , believing that it was " sassless and neutered " as compared to the other songs on the record . However , Daniel Brogan of The Chicago Tribune believed the song was good , calling it " impressive " like the rest of the album , and Jan DeKnock of the same paper believed it was " charming " . Steve Morse of The Boston Globe , when describing the song , said that it was a " bid to be an ' 80s Helen of Troy " . |
= = = Chart performance = = = |
" True Blue " was released in the United States in October 1986 . It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 40 , six weeks later it reached its peak of number three , remaining at the position for three consecutive weeks , and spent a total of 16 weeks on the chart . The song performed equally well on the other Billboard charts , peaking at number five on Adult Contemporary , and number six on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart . In October 1998 , the single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) for shipment of 500 @,@ 000 copies . In Canada , the song debuted at number 84 the RPM singles chart on September 27 , 1986 , reached the top for one week in November 1986 , and stayed on the chart for 23 weeks . It ended at the 37th position of the year @-@ end chart . |
In the United Kingdom , " True Blue " was released on September 29 , 1986 . It debuted at number three on the UK Singles Chart , before climbing to number one the next week , becoming Madonna 's third number @-@ one single there . It was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry ( BPI ) in October 1986 . According to the Official Charts Company , the song has sold 545 @,@ 000 copies there . The song peaked at number one for two weeks in October 1986 in Ireland , making it her fourth number @-@ one single on the Irish Singles Chart . Both in Australia and New Zealand , the song reached the top five , and was certified platinum in the former region by the Australian Recording Industry Association ( ARIA ) for sales of 70 @,@ 000 copies of the single . In Europe " True Blue " also topped the Eurochart Hot 100 for one week in October 1986 . It peaked in the top five in Belgium , Italy , and the Netherlands , and in the top ten in Austria , France , Germany , and Switzerland . |
= = Music videos = = |
= = = Official version = = = |
" True Blue " had two music videos to accompany it . Shot in early September 1986 in New York , Madonna 's own video for the song was directed by James Foley , who worked with Madonna in her videos for " Live to Tell " and " Papa Don 't Preach " , produced by Robert Colesberry and David Massar with photography by Michael Ballhaus . The Foley version features Madonna with three dancers and a 1950s car in an all @-@ blue diner . Madonna changes her hairstyle from short @-@ cropped in " Papa Don 't Preach " to a bushy platinum blonde hairdo and sings the song in choreographed moves backed by her dancers . It displays a flashing back to fifties rock 'n'roll youth culture . |
The blue background changes to a sunny one as she sings " The sun is bursting right out of the sky " to go @-@ along with the lyrical meaning of the song . Two of Madonna 's close friends , Erika Belle and Debi Mazar appear in the video . The video was released at a time when she was going through a failed marriage with then husband actor Sean Penn . During this period , Madonna focused on more traditional fashion and attitudes and tried to appear more respectful of traditional gender roles . After shedding her trampy sex @-@ kitten and boy @-@ toy image with the " Live to Tell " music video , Madonna again adopted a new look for this video . Madonna attended aerobics classes at Hollywood health centre The Sports Connection , which was responsible for her toned down look in the video . |
= = = " Make My Video " contest = = = |
Sire Records decided to opt for a promotional device in the United States that would involve MTV viewers to make their own videos for " True Blue " . In the fall of 1986 , MTV asked its viewers to submit their own videos . The contest was known as " Madonna 's ' Make My Video ' Contest " . The winner was awarded a trip to MTV 's New York studio where Madonna presented a $ 25 @,@ 000 check live on MTV . Thousands of viewers submitted their recorded tapes which were mainly made using home @-@ made video equipment and featured themselves or relatives as the actors . MTV publicist Peter Danielson said that many of the submissions featured teenagers imitating Madonna . All the entries were shown in a continuous run on MTV as promised . The same song was played over and over for the whole day , but each time with a different video made by the finalists . Author Lisa A. Lewis said that this event emphasized the effect Madonna had on different kind of audiences due to the popularity and response to the contest . MTV selected ten finalists based mainly on a standard of popularity rather than slickness of production or concept creativity . |
The concepts used in the videos were wide ranging and included a number of different ideas to interpret the lyrical meaning of the song . The final three entries selected , portrayed a fifties @-@ style production referring to the thematic content of the song . The song 's narration about " True Love " formed the basis of the rest of the semi @-@ finalist videos but was used in very different ways . The videos were choreographed featuring heterosexual romance , though no particular male or female protagonist was singled out . Some even adopted a kind of literal montage technique rather than structuring the video around a narrative line . |
The winning entry was by Angel Gracia and Cliff Guest and it showed the female protagonist ( played by the director 's sister Anabel Garcia ) being supported and guided by her girlfriends who introduce her with the male protagonist . The girl even goes to the boy 's door to gift him flowers , thereby reversing the usual gender @-@ directed pattern of gift @-@ giving . The male protagonist is portrayed as a " perfect boy " ( played by William Fitzgibbon ) having the sensibilities like attentiveness , cuteness , playfulness like a friend ( after the lyrics " You 're my best friend " ) and not sexual overtones . The video in @-@ turn contrasts him with a self @-@ centered boy who puts on sunglasses , throws his leather jacket over his shoulder and walks away from the girl . Other videos portrayed a girl pining for her sailor , U.S.-Soviet relations and an arguing couple with the girl in a scene inspired by the music video of Tina Turner 's 1984 single " What 's Love Got to Do with It " . |
= = Live performances = = |
Madonna first performed the song on her 1987 " Who 's That Girl World Tour " . She came up on the stage wearing a blue dress to sing the song after finishing a performance of " Lucky Star " . In a similar setting to the original music video of the song , Madonna is backed up by her singers who play her girlfriends . At the end of the song Madonna is asked to dance again by the dancer playing her man in the performance . Her dance in the performance ( and also some other performances in the tour ) was choreographed by Jeffrey Hornaday from Flashdance . Two different performances of the song on the tour were included on two live video releases : Who 's That Girl : Live in Japan , filmed in Tokyo , Japan , on June 22 , 1987 , and Ciao Italia : Live from Italy , filmed in Turin , Italy , on September 4 , 1987 . |
Madonna did not perform the song again until 2015 , as part of her Rebel Heart Tour . She performed an acoustic , ukulele @-@ driven version of the song sitting on top of a tire stack while asking the crowd to sing along with her . Writing for the Daily News , Jim Farber felt that during the performance " [ Madonna ] emphasized a rare sincerity " while Jordan Zivitz from the Montreal Gazette opined that " it was both endearingly quaint and , supersized by an unprompted singalong from more than 16 @,@ 000 voices , a goosebumps moment that felt more grandiose in its way than the showpieces surrounding it " . Newsday 's Glenn Gamboa gave a similar feedback , saying that the " lovely acoustic version of " True Blue " was a rare bow to romance , the sweetest of Madonna sentiments " . |
= = Formats and track listing = = |
= = Credits and personnel = = |
Madonna – lyrics , producer , vocals |
Steve Bray – drums , keyboards , lyrics , producer |
Bruce Gaitsch – rhythm guitar |
Fred Zarr – additional keyboards |
Steve Peck – engineer |
Shep Pettibone – remixing |
Herb Ritts – photography |
Jeri McManus – design / artwork |
Credits adapted from the album 's liner notes . |
= = Charts = = |
= = Certifications = = |
= Invisible rail = |
The invisible rail , Wallace 's rail , or drummer rail ( Habroptila wallacii ) is a large flightless rail that is endemic to the island of Halmahera in North Maluku , Indonesia , where it inhabits impenetrable sago swamps adjacent to forests . Its plumage is predominantly dark slate @-@ grey , and the bare skin around its eyes , the long , thick bill , and the legs are all bright red . Its call is a low drumming sound which is accompanied by wing @-@ beating . The difficulty of seeing this shy bird in its dense habitat means that information on its behaviour is limited . |
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