title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: Travolta's involvement in "Battlefield Earth" was first publicized in late 1995. He told the "New York Daily News" that ""Battlefield Earth" is the pinnacle of using my power for something. I told my manager, 'If we can't do the things now that we want to do, what good is the power? Let's test it and try to get the things done that we believe in. It was assumed from the start that Travolta would star in and produce the film, which would be distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; J. D. Shapiro was to write the screenplay. Shapiro was eventually fired because he refused to accept some suggestions from the studio producers that changed the tone of his script, including removing key scenes and characters. In 1997, Travolta's long-time manager, Jonathan Krane, signed a two-year deal with 20th Century Fox under which that studio would release "Battlefield Earth" instead of MGM, but the deal with Fox also fell through. James Robert Parish, author of "Fiasco: A History of Hollywood's Iconic Flops", comments that both MGM and Fox regarded the project as too risky on several grounds: Its heavy reliance on special effects would be very expensive, pushing the budget up to as much as $100 million; Hubbard's narrative was seen as naïve and outdated; and the "Scientology factor" could work against the film, negating Travolta's star power. As one studio executive put it, "On any film there are ten variables that can kill you. On this film there was an eleventh: Scientology. It just wasn't something anyone really wanted to get involved with."


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: In 1998, the project was taken over by Franchise Pictures, a recently established company whose head, Elie Samaha, a former dry-cleaning mogul turned nightclub-owner, specialized in rescuing stars' pet projects. Franchise sought out stars whose projects were stalled at the major studios, bringing them aboard at reduced salaries. Samaha's approach made waves in Hollywood, earning him a reputation of being able to produce star vehicles more cheaply than the larger studios. His unorthodox deals raised eyebrows and the entertainment industry magazine "Variety" commented that they were "often so complex and variable as to leave outsiders scratching their heads". As Samaha put it, "I said, 'If John wants to make this movie, what does he want to get paid?' ... Because I do not pay anybody what they make. That is not my business plan. He learned of "Battlefield Earth" from Cassian Elwes, an agent at the theatrical agency William Morris, and approached Travolta. A deal was soon struck and financing was arranged; Travolta significantly reduced his normal fee of $20 million, lowering the film's cost from the $100 million that had previously been forecast, and costs were reduced further by using Canadian locations and facilities.


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: The film was set up as an independent production for Morgan Creek Productions which would release the film through Warner Bros. in the United States under an existing distribution agreement. Travolta's company JTP Films was also involved, and Travolta invested $5 million of his own money in the production. Warner Bros. allocated $20 million for the film's marketing and distribution. Franchise retained the foreign rights, licensing the European distribution rights to the German group Intertainment AG in exchange for 47% of the production costs which were set at $75 million. The Intertainment deal later became the focus of a legal action that bankrupted Franchise. Samaha forecast that the film would be a hit: "My projected numbers on "Battlefield Earth" are really conservative. I'm already covered internationally, and there's no way I'm going to lose if the movie does $35 million domestically. And Travolta has never had an action movie do under $35 million."


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: According to Samaha, he got around the "negative factor" of the Scientology connection by the simple expedient of "yell[ing] at everyone, 'This is a science-fiction film starring John Travolta!' again and again". Samaha acknowledged that "everyone thought I was crazy or mentally retarded" for taking on the project, but pitched the film as ""Planet of the Apes" starring John Travolta". Others in Hollywood were still skeptical; an unnamed producer was quoted by the "Los Angeles Daily News" as saying that ""Battlefield Earth" has the stench of death. It should never have been made. It's an $80 million vanity project for Travolta." Travolta's theatrical agency William Morris was also said to be unenthusiastic, reportedly leading to Travolta threatening to leave them if they did not help him to set up the film. Fellow Scientologist Tom Cruise was said to have warned Warner Bros. that he thought the movie was a bad idea. Cruise's spokesperson later denied this.


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: In 1999, Author Services Inc., which controls Hubbard's copyrights, said that it was "donating its share of the profits from the film to charitable organizations that direct drug education and drug rehabilitation programs around the world". It was reported that the merchandising revenues would be passed on to the Scientology-linked groups Narconon, a drug rehabilitation program, and Applied Scholastics, which promotes Hubbard's Study tech, with movie-related sales of the book funding the marketing of Hubbard's fiction books and the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future contest. The size of the revenue deal was not disclosed by the parties; Trendmasters, the makers of the "Battlefield Earth" line of toys, stated that its deal was strictly with Franchise Pictures, which declined to comment, and Warner Bros. stated that its role was limited to distribution and had nothing to do with the associated merchandising deals.


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: In February 2000, Church of Scientology spokesman Mike Rinder told Tribune Media Services that any spinoff deals based on Hubbard's novel would benefit Author Services Inc.; another Church spokesman, Aron Mason, stated, "The church has no financial interest in "Battlefield Earth". Author Services is not part of the Church of Scientology. They are a literary agency without any connection to the church."


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: Travolta's manager Jonathan Krane denied that the Church of Scientology was playing any part in the production: "I've never even dealt with or talked to the church on this. This is an action-adventure, science-fiction story. Period. The movie has nothing to do with Scientology." Krane stated that the film had been financed "without a dollar coming from the Scientologists". Some people in Hollywood feared that Travolta was using his box office draw to promote Scientology teachings, and one film producer stated, "This film could encourage kids to embrace the whole strange world of Scientology." Travolta stated, "I'm doing it because it's a great piece of science fiction. This is not about Hubbard. I'm very interested in Scientology, but that's personal. This is different." In a separate interview Travolta commented on the perceived similarities between "Battlefield Earth" and Scientology: "Well, they are kind of synonymous ... L. Ron Hubbard is very famous for Scientology and Dianetics. On the other hand, he's equally as famous in the science fiction world. So for people to think that ... look, I don't want everybody to try Scientology. I don't really care if somebody thinks that. I'm not worried about it. You can't be. The truth of why I'm doing it is because it's a great piece of science fiction. I'm going to be the wickedest 9-foot alien you've ever seen in your life."


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: Travolta and his manager, Jonathan Krane, took the lead in hiring the on-set personnel. They initially approached Quentin Tarantino to direct the film. When Tarantino declined, Roger Christian, a protégé of George Lucas, was recruited as the director on the advice of Lucas. Christian had most recently been the second unit director on Lucas' "". Patrick Tatopoulos was signed to develop the production design and costumes, including the design of the alien Psychlos, and Czech composer Elia Cmiral was signed to provide the film's score. Travolta and Krane also signed cinematographer Giles Nuttgens and most of the principal actors. Corey Mandell signed on to write the script for the film, which had previously gone through 10 revisions. Mandell stated in an interview, "I am not a Scientologist ... I came on board because John asked me to read the book and said, 'It's not a religious book. It's a science-fiction story. There's nothing sacred about the story, nothing of the religious philosophy. I was given this to read purely as science fiction – to see whether it was intriguing as a movie. And it was."


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: Filmed in Canada, principal photography took place in Montreal, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, and several other Quebec locations during the summer and autumn of 1999. In parallel, second unit shooting took place in Jeju Island, South Korea. In January 1999, Travolta flew his private Boeing 707 on a secret visit to Montreal to scout out locations for shooting. The film was reported to have been the most expensive production shot in Canada up to that point. It was also reported that the production costs would have been twice as high had the film been shot in the United States. Almost every shot in the film is at a Dutch angle, because, according to Roger Christian, he wanted the film to look like a comic book.


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: Travolta's wife Kelly Preston also appeared in one scene, playing Terl's "baldish Psychlo girlfriend" Chirk. Travolta originally saw himself in the role of Jonnie, but by the time the movie was actually made, Travolta felt he was too old to play the role, and took the role of the main villain instead. Travolta's role in the film required what he described as an amazing physical transformation: "I wear a tall head apparatus with strange hair. I have amber eyes and talons for hands. It's quite remarkable ... I'm on 4-foot stilts." To star in the film, Travolta turned down the movie "The Shipping News" and postponed production on "Standing Room Only".


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: The film was "plagued by bad buzz" before release with the media speculating about the possible influence of Scientology and commenting on the production's tight security. As the film was entering post-production, the alternative newspaper "Mean Magazine" obtained a copy of the screenplay. "Mean"s staffers changed the script's title to ""Dark Forces"", re-attributed it to "Desmond Finch", and circulated it to readers at major Hollywood film production companies. The comments that came back were unfavorable: "a thoroughly silly plotline is made all the more ludicrous by its hamfisted dialog and ridiculously shallow characterizations", "a completely predictable story that just isn't written well enough to make up for its lack of originality". One reviewer labeled the screenplay "as entertaining as watching a fly breathe".


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: "Battlefield Earth" was released on May 12, 2000, three days after the 50th anniversary of the publication of Hubbard's book "", a date celebrated by Scientologists worldwide as a major Scientology holiday. Its premiere was held on May 10, 2000, at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: The film's scathingly bad reviews and poor word-of-mouth led to a precipitous falling-off in its grosses. Having earned $11,548,898 from 3,307 screens on its opening weekend, its take collapsed by 67 percent to $3,924,921 the following weekend, giving an average take of $1,158 per screen. The film made almost 54 percent of its entire domestic gross in its first three days and flatlined thereafter, with earnings dropping a further 75 percent by the end of its third week to $1 million. The following week, facing earnings of just $205,745, Warner Bros. attempted to cut its losses by slashing the number of screens at which the film was being shown. The number was reduced from 2,587 to 641. By its sixth weekend on release, the film was showing on 95 screens and had made $18,993 in a week – less than $200 per screen.


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: The film ultimately earned $21,471,685 in the United States and Canada and $8,253,978 internationally for a total of $29,725,663 worldwide, falling well short of its reported $73 million production budget and $20 million in estimated marketing costs. Financially, it is regarded as one of the most expensive box office bombs in film history.


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: In a 2006 list of "The top 10 biggest box office failures", Kat Giantis of "MSN Movies" placed "Battlefield Earth" as tied with "Inchon" (both of which are sponsored by their respective movements: Scientology and the Unification Church) for number seven.


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: A limited range of merchandising was produced for the film, including posters, a soundtrack CD by Elia Cmíral recorded by the Seattle Symphony, and a re-released version of the novel with a new cover based on the film's poster. Trendmasters also produced a range of action figures of the main characters, including an figure of Travolta as Terl voicing lines from the film such as "Exterminate all man-animals at will!", "You wouldn't last one day at the academy", and "Man is an endangered species". Despite pre-release reports that the toy spoke the phrase "ratbastard", a line not present in the novel or film, the retail version does not.


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: A special edition DVD was released in 2001, deleting one scene and including two additional scenes which added two minutes to the film's running time. The DVD includes commentary tracks with director Roger Christian and production, costume and creature designer Patrick Tatopoulos, as well as special features including John Travolta's alien makeup test. Jeff Berkwits of "Sci Fi Weekly" wrote that "the "Battlefield Earth" Special Edition DVD is packed with information, offering an enlightening glimpse into the creative process behind this imperfect but entertaining picture". Randy Salas of the "Star Tribune" described it as the "Best DVD for a bad movie." A review of the DVD release in the "Los Angeles Times" was more critical: "A dated visual style, patched-together special effects and ludicrous dialogue combine in a film that is a wholly miserable experience."


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: The original theatrical version was released on Blu-ray by Mill Creek Entertainment on September 15, 2020.


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: "Battlefield Earth" is often considered to be one of the worst films ever made. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film had a score of 3% based on 152 reviews, with an average rating of 2.8/10. The critical consensus stated: "Ugly, campy, and poorly acted, "Battlefield Earth" is a stunningly misguided, aggressively bad sci-fi folly." On Metacritic, as of September 2020, the film had an average score of 9 out of 100, based on 33 critics indicating "overwhelming dislike". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "D+" on an A+ to F scale.


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: The film was greeted with widespread derision in preview screenings. An audience of Los Angeles entertainment journalists, critics, and others greeted the film with guffaws and hoots at a screening in Century City while other viewers in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore responded with derisive laughter or simply walked out. At a post-launch publicity event, Travolta, on asking assembled journalists if they had enjoyed it, received no reply. He later asserted that other filmmakers had enjoyed the film: "When I felt better about everything was when George Lucas and Quentin Tarantino, and a lot of people that I felt knew what they were doing, saw it and thought it was a great piece of science fiction." Christian also spoke of an initially positive reception, mentioning an enthusiastic response from both the audience and Tarantino.


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: "Chicago Sun-Times" film critic Roger Ebert gave the film the rating of half a star out of four, and compared his screening to "taking a bus trip with someone who has needed a bath for a long time. It's not merely bad; it's unpleasant in a hostile way ... I watched it in mounting gloom, realizing I was witnessing something historic, a film that for decades to come will be the punch line of jokes about bad movies." Leonard Maltin rated the film a "BOMB" in his book "Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide", writing: "Clumsy plot, misplaced satire, unbelievable coincidences, and a leaden pace trample Travolta's weird but amusing performance." David Bleiler gave the film one star out of four in the "TLA Video & DVD Guide", writing: "This is disjointed, tedious, and every bit as bad as its reputation." Jon Stewart mocked the film on his television program "The Daily Show", describing it as "a cross between "Star Wars" and the smell of ass".


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: Rita Kempley of "The Washington Post" commented: "A million monkeys with a million crayons would be hard-pressed in a million years to create anything as cretinous as "Battlefield Earth". This film version of L. Ron Hubbard's futuristic novel is so breathtakingly awful in concept and execution, it wouldn't tax the smarts of a troglodyte." Elvis Mitchell of "The New York Times" wrote: "It may be a bit early to make such judgments, but "Battlefield Earth" may well turn out to be the worst movie of this century" and called it ""Plan 9 from Outer Space" for a new generation." The British film critic Jonathan Ross said: "Everything about "Battlefield Earth" sucks. Everything. The over-the-top music, the unbelievable sets, the terrible dialogue, the hammy acting, the lousy special effects, the beginning, the middle and especially the end." "The Hollywood Reporter" summarized the film as being "a flat-out mess, by golly, with massive narrative sinkholes, leading to moments of outstanding disbelief in the muddled writing and shockingly chaotic "mise en scène" that's accompanied by ear-pummeling sound and bombastic music."


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: Many critics singled out the excessive use of angled camera shots. "The director, Roger Christian, has learned from better films that directors sometimes tilt their cameras", wrote Ebert, "but he has not learned why". Derivative special effects and illogical plotting were also widely criticized. The "Providence Journal" highlighted the film's unusual color scheme: ""Battlefield Earth's" primary colors are blue and gray, adding to the misery. Whenever we glimpse sunlight, the screen goes all stale yellow, as though someone had urinated on the print. This, by the way, is not such a bad idea."


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: The reviews were not uniformly negative. Bob Graham of the "San Francisco Chronicle" wrote that the film "effectively presented" the "wary, uncomprehending relationship" between the humans and the Psychlos. A review at "JoBlo's Movie Reviews" was also positive; Berge Garabedian wrote, "Despite starting off like a bad "Star Trek" episode, this film eventually graduates to a higher level with great special effects, some really slick bad-ass aliens, an intriguing premise, and a good flow of loud, campy fun." Luke Thompson of "New Times LA" wrote: "Think "Independence Day" without the ponderous build-up or self-importance. Imagine how much more enjoyable the other blockbuster-of-the-moment, "Gladiator", might have been if Joaquin Phoenix had addressed every one of his rivals as 'Rat brain. Sean Axmaker of the "Seattle Post-Intelligencer" wrote positively of the interaction between Travolta and Whitaker in the film, comparing them to Abbott and Costello. Axmaker wrote that they provide "much-needed comic relief in an otherwise humorless paean to freedom". Axmaker also wrote positively of the production design used in the film, commenting that the director had created "a world of crumbling dead cities and empty malls turned into human hunting grounds". Hap Erstein of "The Palm Beach Post" commented: "production designer Patrick Tatopoulos contributes some good work, imagining the ruins of Denver and Washington, D.C., with echoes of "Planet of the Apes"." In her book "I Love Geeks: The Official Handbook", Carrie Tucker lists "Battlefield Earth" as a cult classic in the "so bad, it's good" genre.


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: J.D. Shapiro, who wrote the original screenplay, was critical of the film as well. In a 2010 letter to "The New York Post", he asserted that his draft bore little resemblance to the final script; the result, he said, was embarrassing: "The only time I saw the movie was at the premiere, which was one too many times."


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: Responding to the criticism, one of the film's producers, Elie Samaha, complained: "[The] critics were waiting for us to ... chop our heads off. Everybody hated Scientology for some reason. I didn't know people were so prejudiced." Ebert noted, however, that the film "contains no evidence of Scientology, or any other system of thought."


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: "Battlefield Earth" frequently appears on worst film lists, and is included on Rotten Tomatoes' "100 Worst of the Worst Movies" list. Rotten Tomatoes ranked the film 27th in the 100 worst reviewed films of the first decade of the 21st century. "The Arizona Republic" listed it as the worst film of 2000, and called it a "monumentally bad sci-fi flick". In 2003, Richard Roeper placed the film on his alphabetized list of his forty least favorite films of all time, writing, "The real danger of Scientology is that John Travolta may someday make another movie based on the writings of L. Ron Hubbard." In 2001 the film received the "Worst Picture" award from the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association. James Franklin of McClatchy-Tribune News Service put the film as the worst of his "summer blockbuster bombs" list, giving it a rating of four stars for "traumatic" on his scale of how the films "generate a perverse sense of nostalgia". Christopher Null of Filmcritic.com listed the film's villain Terl at number 8 of his "10 Least Effective Movie Villains", writing: "we still can't imagine how anyone would go face to face with one of these creatures and react with anything other than simple laughter."


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: "Battlefield Earth" swept the 2000 Golden Raspberry Awards and received seven "Razzies", including Worst Picture, Worst Actor (Travolta), Worst Supporting Actor (Pepper), Worst Supporting Actress (Preston), Worst Director (Christian), Worst Screenplay (Mandell and Shapiro) and Worst Screen Couple (Travolta and "anyone sharing the screen with him"). This tied for the highest number of Razzies won by a single film at that time, with "Showgirls" achieving seven wins in 1995. "Battlefield Earth" was later awarded an eighth Razzie for "Worst Drama of Our First 25 Years". In 2010, the film received an award for "Worst Picture of the Decade", bringing its total number of Razzie Awards to nine and consequently setting a record for the most Razzies won by a single film. That record was surpassed in 2012 when "Jack and Jill" won ten awards.


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: As Travolta did not attend to collect his trophies, an action figure of Terl, his character, accepted them in his place. Travolta responded a week later to the awards: "I didn't even know there were such awards. I have people around me whose job it is to not tell me about such things. They're obviously doing their job. Not every film can be a critical and box office success. It would have been awful only if "Battlefield Earth" was neither. That's not the case. It is edging toward the $100m mark which means it has found an audience even if it didn't impress critics. I'd rather my films connect with audiences than with critics because it gives you more longevity as a performer." He later insisted that he still felt "really good about it. Here I was taking big chances, breaking a new genre."


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: Pepper said that he regretted not having been invited to the Razzies and blamed the film's failure on "a weak script and poor production values". Writer J. D. Shapiro received his Worst Screenplay award from Razzies founder John J. B. Wilson during a radio program; he commented that Travolta had called the script "the "Schindler's List" of science fiction". Shapiro also made an appearance to pick up the Worst Picture of the Decade award at the 30th Golden Raspberry Awards, giving a speech quoting negative reviews, and thanking both the studio for firing him and Corey Mandell for "rewriting my script in a way I never, ever, ever — could have imagined or conceived of myself."


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: The film's producer, Elie Samaha, declared that he welcomed the "free publicity", as "the more the critics [bash] "Battlefield Earth", the more DVDs it sells. It is the kind of film that makes a movie legend and we feel we have enough staying power to last long after the critics have quieted down."


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: At the 2000 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards, the film received individual nominations in nine categories and won in eight of them: Worst Picture, Worst Director (Christian), Worst Actor (Travolta, also for "Lucky Numbers"), Worst On-Screen Couple (Travolta and anyone in the entire galaxy), Worst On-Screen Group (The Psychlos and Man-Animals), Most Unintentionally Funny Movie, Worst On-Screen Hairstyle (Travolta and Whitaker), and Least "Special" Special Effects. It also received a nomination for Worst Supporting Actor (Pepper) but lost to Tom Green for "Road Trip" and "Charlie's Angels". The Stinkers later unveiled their "100 Years, 100 Stinkers" list in which people voted for the 100 worst films of the 20th century. "Battlefield Earth" not only made the final ballot; it took home the top prize for Worst Film of the Century. The provided commentary is listed on the side.


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: Stacy Brooks, then-president of the Lisa McPherson Trust, stated: "There's no way that this movie would be happening without Scientology's backing ... This is one example of how Scientology insinuates itself in various aspects of the culture." Mark Bunker characterized the film as a recruitment tactic for the Church of Scientology, stating, "It's designed to introduce L. Ron Hubbard to a whole new generation of kids. It's there to plant a favorable seed in children's minds." Bunker criticized the promotional methods of the film—instead of granting interviews about the film to the press, John Travolta went on a book tour and signed copies of L. Ron Hubbard's novel. Bunker stated, "When Michael Caine goes around to promote "The Cider House Rules", he doesn't tour bookstores and sign copies of John Irving's novel ... Through the movie tie-in with the book, kids will send in the card to get their free poster, and eventually be introduced to Dianetics." Scientologist Nancy O'Meara, at the time treasurer of the Foundation for Religious Freedom and currently treasurer of the Scientology-run New Cult Awareness Network, responded to Bunker's statement: "Gimme a break ... That's like saying people are going to go see "Gladiator" and then suddenly find themselves wanting to explore Christianity."


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: Before the film was released, rumors and allegations began to circulate that "Battlefield Earth" contained subliminal messages promoting Scientology. Former Scientologist Lawrence Wollersheim, in a press release issued by his group Fight Against Coercive Tactics Network, said that the Church of Scientology "has placed highly advanced subliminal messages in the "Battlefield Earth" film master to surreptitiously recruit new members from the movie audience and to get the audience to develop a revulsion for psychiatry and current mental health organizations and practices". Warner Bros. dismissed the claims as "silly nonsense", the Church of Scientology denounced them as "hogwash" and the media reacted with skepticism; as the Scottish journalist Duncan Campbell put it, "the only subliminal voice I could detect came about 10 minutes into this 121-minute film and it seemed to be saying "Leeeaaave thisssss cinemmmaaa nooow"". When asked about the similarities between the film and Scientology beliefs in intergalactic travel and aliens, church spokesman Aron Mason stated, "That's a pretty crude parallel ... You'd have to make some serious leaps of logic to make that comparison." John Travolta also stated that the film was not inspired by Scientology tenets.


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: Hugh Urban of Ohio State University notes a number of connections between Scientology and "Battlefield Earth" in his 2011 book "The Church of Scientology: A History of a New Religion". Not only was the film released only three days after the 50th anniversary of the publication of Hubbard's book "Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health", but the villainous Psychlos have been interpreted by many observers as an obvious allusion to Scientology's "bête noire", psychiatry. The conflict between the Psychlos and the free humans can be seen as a reflection of Scientology's own conception of itself as fighting on behalf of humanity against the forces of psychiatry. The "space opera" genre of the book and film manifests itself in numerous places in Scientology itself, most famously in OT III (the Xenu story). Travolta's own commitment to such a disastrous project as the film version of "Battlefield Earth" is, in Urban's estimation, indicative of his "unusual dedication" to Scientology.


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: "South Park" parodied the film at the 2000 MTV Movie Awards. The MTV short was the first time "South Park" had satirized Scientology, in a piece titled "The Gauntlet". The short was primarily a "Gladiator" parody, with the characters fighting Russell Crowe in the Roman Colosseum; it included "John Travolta and the Church of Scientology" arriving in a spaceship to defeat Crowe and attempting to recruit the boys into Scientology. Travolta, along with his fellow Scientologists, was depicted as a Psychlo, as he appeared in the film.


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: Following the failure of "Battlefield Earth" and other films independently produced by Franchise Pictures, "The Wall Street Journal" reported that the FBI was probing "the question of whether some independent motion picture companies have vastly inflated the budget of films in an effort to scam investors". In December 2000 the German-based Intertainment AG filed a lawsuit alleging that Franchise Pictures had fraudulently inflated budgets in films including "Battlefield Earth", which Intertainment had helped to finance. Intertainment had agreed to pay 47% of the production costs of several films in exchange for European distribution rights, but ended up paying for between 60 and 90% of the costs instead. The company alleged that Franchise had defrauded it to the tune of over $75 million by systematically submitting "grossly fraudulent and inflated budgets".


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: The case was heard before a jury in a Los Angeles federal courtroom in May–June 2004. The court heard testimony from Intertainment that according to Franchise's bank records the real cost of "Battlefield Earth" was $44 million, not the $75 million declared by Franchise. The remaining $31 million had been fraudulent "padding". Intertainment's head Barry Baeres told the court that he had only funded "Battlefield Earth" because it was packaged as a slate that included two more commercially attractive films, the Wesley Snipes vehicle "The Art of War" and the Bruce Willis comedy "The Whole Nine Yards". Baeres testified that "Mr. Samaha said, 'If you want the other two pictures, you have to take "Battlefield Earth" — it's called packaging. Baeres commented: "We would have been quite happy if he had killed ["Battlefield Earth"]".


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: Intertainment won the case and was awarded $121.7 million in damages. Samaha was declared by the court to be personally liable for $77 million in damages. The jury rejected Intertainment's claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) statute, which would have tripled the damages if Franchise had been convicted on that charge. The judgment forced Franchise into bankruptcy on August 19, 2007. The failure of the film was also reported to have led in 2002 to Travolta firing his manager Jonathan Krane, who had set up the deal with Franchise in the first place.


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: "Battlefield Earth" is significantly shorter than its source novel, covering only the first 436 pages of the 1,050-page book. A sequel covering the remainder of the book was originally planned at the outset. When asked during promotion of the film if there would be a "Battlefield Earth 2", Travolta responded, "Sure. Yeah." Travolta asserted that the first film would become a cult classic, stating that there were already fan websites dedicated to the film. Corey Mandell, the scriptwriter for the first film, was commissioned to deliver the script for the sequel, and Travolta, Pepper and producer Krane were all signed up to the sequel in their contracts for the first film. Christian and Whitaker were approached to reprise their respective roles, and the producers planned for a 2003 release date so as not to compete with George Lucas' "".


title: Battlefield Earth (film)

text: Despite Travolta's initial commitment to a sequel, such plans never came to fruition. According to James Robert Parish's "Fiasco: A History of Hollywood's Iconic Flops", the disastrous performance of "Battlefield Earth" and the collapse of Franchise Pictures made it very unlikely that a live-action sequel would be made. In a 2001 interview, Travolta stated that a sequel was not planned: "Ultimately the movie did $100 million when you count box office, DVD sales, video, and pay per view ... But I don't know what kind of number it would have to do to justify filming the second part of the book. And I don't want to push any buttons in the press and stir anybody up about it now." Author Services announced in 2001 that Pine Com International, a Tokyo-based animation studio, would produce 13 one-hour animated television segments based on the book and rendered in a manga style. The plans appear to have fallen through, and according to Parish, "little has been heard of the series since."


title: 24th Special Tactics Squadron

text: The 24th Special Tactics Squadron is one of the Special Tactics units of the United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). It is the U.S. Air Force component to Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). It is garrisoned at Pope Field, North Carolina.


title: 24th Special Tactics Squadron

text: The 24th STS provides special operations airmen for the Joint Special Operations Command, including Pararescuemen, Combat Controllers, Special Reconnaissance, and Tactical Air Control Party personnel. They are the Air Force's Tier 1 unit, and 24th STS members are mostly known for being enablers to the Army's 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (a.k.a. Delta Force) and the Navy's Special Warfare Development Group, or DEVGRU (a.k.a. SEAL Team 6) due to their specific skill sets, but the 24th STS conducts operations on their own as well. 24th STS members are also trained in conducting classified and clandestine operations such as direct action, counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency, hostage rescue, and special reconnaissance.


title: 24th Special Tactics Squadron

text: The first predecessor of the squadron was activated at Hamilton Field, California in October 1941 to be the director unit for the 24th Pursuit Group, which was formed simultaneously at Clark Field, Philippines as the headquarters for pursuit squadrons of the Philippine Department Air Force. After completing training, the squadron sailed on the USAT "President Garfield" on 6 December 1941. However, due to the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor and Clark Field, the "President Garfield" returned to port on 10 December and the squadron returned to Hamilton Field.


title: 24th Special Tactics Squadron

text: Although nominally assigned to the 24th Group from January through October 1942, the squadron served with air defense forces on the Pacific coast until it was disbanded on 31 March 1944 when the Army Air Forces converted its units in the US from a rigid table of organization units to more flexible base units. Accordingly, its personnel and equipment were transferred to the 411th AAF Base Unit (Fighter Wing) at Berkeley, California.


title: 24th Special Tactics Squadron

text: The 24th Special Tactics Squadron was initially called BRAND X from 1977 until Operation Eagle Claw in 1980, then after the founding of JSOC, Det 1 MACROS (Detachment One, Military Airlift Command Operations Staff), while in late 1985 (the "Achille Lauro" hijacking) it was Det 4 NAFCOS (Detachment Four, Numbered Air Force Combat Operations Staff), and in 1987 it became 1724th Combat Control Squadron, and then in the same year the 124th Special Tactics Squadron. By the time of Operation Just Cause in mid-December 1989, it had the then-new name of 24th Special Tactics Squadron.


title: 24th Special Tactics Squadron

text: The 24th Special Tactics Squadron participated in the United States invasion of Panama in 1989. The 24th STS deployed 11 personnel including the unit commander, Lt. Col. Jim Oeser, as part of JSOC's Task Force Ranger during Operation Restore Hope in 1993. Due to their actions during the Battle of Mogadishu multiple decorations were awarded to the airmen. Pararescueman (PJ) TSgt Tim Wilkinson received the Air Force Cross and fellow PJ MSgt Scott Fales received the Silver Star, both for providing lifesaving medical care to wounded soldiers. Combat Controller (CCT) SSgt. Jeffrey W. Bray also received the Silver Star for coordinating helicopter attack runs throughout the night around their positions.


title: 24th Special Tactics Squadron

text: From 15 to 20 September 2000 the 24th STS with the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron took part in the annual Canadian military exercise, Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX). This was the first time Special Tactics units took part in SAREX.


title: 24th Special Tactics Squadron

text: In recent years the squadron has been heavily involved in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan where the unit was part of the JSOC groupings Task Force 121, Task Force 6-26 and Task Force 145. In 2003 members of the unit were involved in two combat jumps in the initial phases of the Iraq War alongside the 3rd Ranger Battalion. The first combat jump was on 24 March 2003 near the Syrian border in the Iraqi town of Al Qaim where they secured a small desert landing strip to allow follow-on coalition forces into the area. The second combat jump was two days later near Haditha, Iraq, where they secured the Haditha Dam.


title: 24th Special Tactics Squadron

text: On 8 April 2003 Combat Controller Scott Sather, a member of the 24th STS, became the first airman killed in combat in Operation Iraqi Freedom near Tikrit, Iraq. He was attached to a small team from the Regimental Reconnaissance Company. The RRD team and Sather were operating alongside Delta Force, under Lieutenant Colonel Pete Blaber, west of Baghdad. They were tasked with deceiving the Iraqi army into believing the main U.S. invasion was coming from the west in order to prevent Saddam Hussein from escaping into Syria. Sather Air Base was named after him.


title: 24th Special Tactics Squadron

text: The 24th STS was a part of JSOC's Task Force 145 which was a provisional grouping specifically charged with hunting down high-value al-Qaeda and Iraqi leadership including Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was killed in June 2006.


title: 24th Special Tactics Squadron

text: The squadron lost three members – PJs John Brown and Daniel Zerbe and CCT Andrew Harvell – in 2011 when the Chinook in which they were flying was shot down in Afghanistan. To honor the three 24th STS members who died in the 2011 Chinook shootdown, 18 members of AFSOC marched 800 miles from Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio Texas to Hurlburt Field, Florida in their memory.


title: Rise Against

text: Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, formed in 1999. The group's current line-up comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist Tim McIlrath, lead guitarist Zach Blair, bassist Joe Principe and drummer Brandon Barnes. Rooted in hardcore punk and melodic hardcore, Rise Against's music emphasizes melody, catchy hooks, an aggressive sound and playstyle, and rapid tempos. Lyrically, the band is known for their outspoken social commentary, covering a wide range of topics such as political injustice, animal rights, humanitarianism, and environmentalism.


title: Rise Against

text: The band spent its first four years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which they released two studio albums, "The Unraveling" (2001) and "Revolutions per Minute" (2003). Both the albums were met with underground success, and in 2003 the band signed with the major label Dreamworks, which was absorbed by Geffen. Rise Against's major label debut "Siren Song of the Counter Culture" (2004) brought the band mainstream success, largely in part to the popularity of the singles "Give It All" and "Swing Life Away". The band's next album, "The Sufferer & the Witness" (2006), peaked at number ten on the "Billboard" 200 in the United States, and was Rise Against's first album to chart in countries outside of North America.


title: Rise Against

text: With the release of "Appeal to Reason" (2008), Rise Against's music shifted toward a more accessible and radio-friendly sound, with greater emphasis on production value. The album's third single, "Savior", broke the record for the most consecutive weeks spent on both the Hot Rock Songs and Alternative Songs charts. Rise Against's popularity grew with the release of "Endgame" (2011), which peaked at number two on the "Billboard" 200, and charted highly worldwide. The band's seventh and eighth albums, "The Black Market" (2014) and "Wolves" (2017) continued the trend of commercial success, and both peaked with the top ten on the "Billboard" 200. Their ninth and most recent album, "Nowhere Generation", was released in 2021.


title: Rise Against

text: Rise Against is also known for their advocacy of progressivism, supporting organizations such as Amnesty International and the It Gets Better Project. The band actively promotes animal rights and most of the members are straight edge, PETA supporters and vegetarians.


title: Rise Against

text: Rise Against was formed in 1999, by bassist Joe Principe and guitarist Dan Wleklinski. Before Rise Against, Principe and Wleklinski were members of the Chicago punk rock band 88 Fingers Louie. This band toured and recorded to moderate success, but disbanded on two separate occasions in the late 1990s. Following the second breakup, Principe and Wleklinski decided to form a new band called Transistor Revolt, and recruited drummer Tony Tintari, guitarist Kevin White, and lead vocalist Tim McIlrath. Principe met McIlrath in Indianapolis while attending a Sick of It All concert, and recalled seeing him perform with his previous band Baxter. Impressed with McIlrath's gritty vocals, Principe gave him a seven track demo he had recorded, and invited him to join the nascent band. McIlrath accepted the invitation, and dropped out of Northeastern Illinois University.


title: Rise Against

text: The initial jam sessions were problematic, as McIlrath was unaccustomed to Principe's and Wleklinski's fast-paced style of play. McIlrath described these early sessions as "the meeting of different worlds and worlds colliding", and noted how many of his friends questioned the future of the band. Despite these early issues, they were able to self-publish the extended play (EP) "Transistor Revolt" in 2000. The EP attracted the attention of the local punk community, as well as Fat Mike, the lead vocalist of NOFX and co-founder of the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords. Fat Mike offered to sign the band to a recording contract, with the stipulation that they change their name. He gave some suggestions, like Jimmy Cracked Corn And The I Don't Cares, although none of the band members liked them. Tintari suggested Rise Against, to which the band agreed upon.


title: Rise Against

text: After signing with Fat Wreck Chords, Tintari and White left the band. The remaining members then spent the next few months looking for another drummer capable of playing double-time beats at a rapid pace. During this period, the band Good Riddance found their new drummer, and sent Rise Against the audition tape of their number two choice, Brandon Barnes. A mutual friend gave Barnes' phone number to Principe, and after listening to "Transistor Revolt", Barnes accepted the band's invitation.


title: Rise Against

text: With their new lineup finalized, Rise Against began work on their debut studio album, "The Unraveling". Recording sessions took place in late 2000, at Sonic Iguana Studios in Lafayette. Wleklinski served as an assistant engineer under producer Mass Giorgini, and later remarked on the grueling workdays: "12-hour days for 4 of those weeks, and then 22-24 hours per day during that last week of tracking. These were the times of 'If you don't play it right, you have to play it again,' not 'That was good enough, I'll edit it so it's on time." "The Unraveling" was released on April 24, 2001. Although the album failed to reach any record charts, it did receive positive reviews from critics, who commended the raw and unadulterated music. To promote the album, Rise Against toured extensively throughout North America and Europe. While on tour, Wleklinski left the band due to several complaints from McIlrath. Rumor spread that Wleklinski was fired because of his long hair, although McIlrath derided these claims. Phillip Hill stood in as the lead guitarist while on tour, after which White returned as a replacement.


title: Rise Against

text: Less than a year later, White left the band for a second time, and was replaced by Todd Mohney, McIlrath's roommate and former bandmate. When it came time to record their second album, "Revolutions per Minute", McIlrath noted that the band was suffering from an "identity crisis". Fat Wreck Chords was known for a specific pop punk sound, and Rise Against wanted to find a producer that could highlight the heavier side of their music. They decided on Bill Stevenson—the former drummer of the punk band Descendents—and Jason Livermore to produce the album. "Revolutions per Minute" was recorded at the Blasting Room in Fort Collins, from November to December 2002. The band members developed a strong rapport with Stevenson and Livermore, and the two parties would eventually collaborate on four of next five Rise Against albums.


title: Rise Against

text: "Revolutions per Minute" was released on April 8, 2003. Like "The Unraveling", it failed to reach any major record charts, but did reach number thirty-five on the Independent Albums chart in the United States. Critics praised the album for its impassioned lyrics and unique blend of hardcore punk and melodic hardcore; Brian Hiatt of "Rolling Stone" called "Revolutions per Minute" "easily among the finest punk records of the past decade". To support the album, Rise Against traveled with other Fat Wreck Chord bands like Anti-Flag, None More Black, and No Use for a Name on North American and Japan based tours, and participated in the 2003 Warped Tour in North America. When asked about the band's early years with Fat Wreck Chords, Principe said: "Our goal was to be on Fat Wreck Chords and just sell enough records so that when we were home from tour, we wouldn't have to get jobs...Of course, that was all before we had families and children and numerous responsibilities. That was the beauty. And then the longer we did it things just kept coming our way."


title: Rise Against

text: Rise Against's extensive touring schedule helped to establish an early fanbase, and attracted the attention of major record labels, including Dreamworks Records. The general consensus among Fat Wreck Chords musicians was that major record labels sacrifice musical integrity in exchange for commercial profit. Rise Against held the same belief, but eventually came to the conclusion that unlike other labels, DreamWorks supported their politically charged lyrics. According to McIlrath: "Their faith in what we do and the fact that they cared about stuff we cared about was an eye-opener." The band signed with Dreamworks in September 2003, and was given complete creative control to record their major record label debut album, "Siren Song of the Counter Culture".


title: Rise Against

text: The band went into the album with the assumption that Dreamworks was going to drop them at any moment, so they wanted to take advantage of the opportunity by working with their "dream producer". They chose Garth Richardson, who was known for his work with heavier sounding bands like Rage Against the Machine and Sick of It All. While writing songs for the album, Rise Against's lineup once again changed; Mohney quit, and was replaced by Chris Chasse of the band Reach the Sky. The recording sessions for "Siren Song of the Counter Culture" were marred by numerous distractions and inconveniences, the biggest of which was the transition from Dreamworks to Geffen Records. In November 2003, Dreamworks was acquired by Universal Music Group, and eventually merged with Geffen. The transition period between labels left Rise Against without an A&R representative, and little acknowledgement from Geffen executives.


title: Rise Against

text: "Siren Song of the Counter Culture" was released on August 10, 2004. For the first six months, the album sold poorly, and attracted little fanfare. Rise Against's incessant touring resulted in greater exposure and an eventual increase in sales. It became the band's first album to reach the "Billboard" 200, peaking at number 136, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of 500,000 copies. "Siren Song of the Counter Culture" was praised for its lyrical content, but drew some criticism for a lack of individually memorable songs and perceived overproduction. Three songs from the album were released as singles: "Give It All", "Swing Life Away", and "Life Less Frightening". All three songs charted on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in the United States. "Give It All" and "Swing Life Away" in particular are credited as the band's breakthrough singles, helping Rise Against achieve mainstream appeal.


title: Rise Against

text: After a year and a half of touring, Rise Against reconvened at the Blasting Room to record their fourth album, "The Sufferer & the Witness". The band members were dissatisfied with Richardson's contributions to "Siren Song of the Counter Culture", as he produced a more polished and heavier album than their previous works. As a result, they decided to return to Stevenson and Livermore, whom they felt had accurately captured the raw punk sound they strove for on "Revolutions per Minute". Unlike the stressful recording sessions for "Siren Song of the Counter Culture", the band had a much more enjoyable time with "The Sufferer & the Witness", as they no longer sought the approval of Geffen executives. According to McIlrath: "It went great, the songs just flowed out of us. There were really few questions and the song lyrics would just come out of us, it went really well and everyone really liked them."


title: Rise Against

text: "The Sufferer & the Witness" was released on July 4, 2006. The album sold 48,327 copies in its first week of release in the United States, and peaked at number ten on the "Billboard" 200. "The Sufferer & the Witness" also charted in seven other countries, including number five on the Canadian Albums Chart, making it the band's first album to chart outside of the United States. It was certified gold in three countries, and platinum by Music Canada. The album was well received by critics, who praised the production value, and noted how Rise Against was able to mature in their sound and simultaneously retain their punk roots.


title: Rise Against

text: Three songs from "The Sufferer & the Witness" were released as singles: "Ready to Fall", "Prayer of the Refugee", and "The Good Left Undone". These three songs also charted on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, with "Prayer of the Refugee" and "The Good Left Undone" in particular peaking within the top ten. Rise Against supported the album with The Sufferer & the Witness Tour throughout the second half of 2006 and all of 2007. The band was a headliner on the 2006 Warped Tour, during which author and filmmaker Davy Rothbart recorded several of the band's live performances, and interviewed some of their fans. This footage was used in the Rise Against DVD documentary "Generation Lost". Prior to a 2007 tour with My Chemical Romance, Chasse left the band, citing touring fatigue as the reason for his departure; Zach Blair of the band Only Crime joined shortly thereafter, as Rise Against's fifth different guitarist. At the time he received the call about joining Rise Against, Blair was a construction worker living paycheck to paycheck.


title: Rise Against

text: McIlrath and Principe had been writing songs for a new album throughout The Sufferer & Witness tour, and in December 2007, the band members went to the Blasting Room to record their fifth studio album "Appeal to Reason". This was the third Rise Against album to be produced by Stevenson and Livermore, and the band members had grown accustomed to the duo's work style. According to McIlrath: "[Stevenson's] got such a work ethic, just an amazing work ethic, and Livermore too, and the whole studio, all the people that work there." Blair went into the album with the goal to fit in seamlessly with the other band members, or as he put it "If you listen to every record this band had out, you could tell that Zach Blair played on this record". He took influence from how Nels Cline sounded on the album "Sky Blue Sky" when he joined Wilco. Blair was already well acquainted with Stevenson before joining Rise Against, as he and Stevenson were in Only Crime. Stevenson helped Blair replicate the sound of past Rise Against guitarists.


title: Rise Against

text: "Appeal to Reason" was released on October 7, 2008. It was the first Rise Against album to be released by Interscope Records. In the United States, the album peaked at number three on the "Billboard" 200, making it Rise Against's highest charting album at the time. The album sold 64,000 copies in its first week of release, and by December 2010, it had sold 482,000 copies. Rise Against's popularity continued to grow internationally, with "Appeal to Reason" charting highly in several countries including number one in Canadian Albums Chart. "Appeal to Reason" marked a musical shift for Rise Against to a more mainstream and radio-friendly sound, which led to division among critical opinions. Some critics commended the album's more radio-friendly sound, while other critics found the music to be stale, and bemoaned Rise Against for abandoning their punk roots.


title: Rise Against

text: Like with the previous two albums, three songs from "Appeal to Reason" were released as singles: "Re-Education (Through Labor)", "Audience of One", and "Savior". All three songs charted highly on the Modern Rock Tracks chart; "Savior" in particular held the record for the most consecutive weeks spent on both the Hot Rock Songs and Modern Rock Tracks charts, with sixty-three and sixty-five weeks respectively. In the midst of "Appeal to Reason" singles, Rise Against also released three EPs in 2009, including a short split album with Anti-Flag.


title: Rise Against

text: To promote the album, Rise Against embarked on the Appeal To Reason Tour, which began with United States-based tour with Thrice, Alkaline Trio, and The Gaslight Anthem. Rise Against then co-headlined a 2009 tour with Rancid throughout the summer months, which was followed by a short tour of the United Kingdom in November, supported by the bands Thursday and Poison the Well. Some of the 2009 performances were recorded and compiled in the 2010 DVD "Another Station: Another Mile". These performances were interspersed with interviews of the band members about the process of recording an album.


title: Rise Against

text: Rise Against finished recording their sixth studio album, "Endgame", in January 2011, after recording some last-minute guest vocals. The lyrics of the album focus on real world events, such as Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. According to McIlrath, although the lyrics discuss grim topics, they actually take on a positive view and were written from the perspective of: "What if the place on the other side of this transition is a place we'd all rather be living in?" On January 12, 2011, Rise Against announced the release date of "Endgame" as March 15, 2011. Although Spin Magazine labeled "Endgame" as a concept album, on January 7, 2011, McIlrath tweeted a clarifying message stating that "the record is not a concept record and, fret not, has absolutely nothing to do with the Dixie Chicks." The first single from the album, "Help Is on the Way", debuted on KROQ on January 17. A second song from the album, "Architects", was debuted and released digitally on February 15. As a promotion effort, the band embarked on a short tour of South America in February and then a month-long tour of Europe in March. Upon returning to the United States, the band announced a U.S. spring tour with Bad Religion and Four Year Strong.


title: Rise Against

text: On May 10, 2011, the band released a 7" split vinyl with Face to Face. The 7" features 2 songs, with each band covering a song by the other band. In August 2011, Rise Against made appearances at the Reading and Leeds Festivals. The band was the main support act for the Foo Fighters' fall US tour 2011. Rise Against supported the Foo Fighters on 9 dates in September, with Mariachi El Bronx as the opening act. After this, the band announced a tour of Canada throughout October 2011, supported by Flogging Molly and Black Pacific. The tour consisted of nine dates. Rise Against contributed a cover of "Ballad of Hollis Brown" to "Chimes of Freedom", a tribute album of Bob Dylan songs produced in February 2012 to commemorate Amnesty International's 50th anniversary.


title: Rise Against

text: Rise Against embarked on a two-leg US tour with A Day to Remember and The Menzingers in the spring of 2012. Leg one ended with the band launching another European tour. The band continued back to Europe for the summer months while doing a slew of festivals along the way. To end 2012, the band announced the return to the US with a fall tour with Gaslight Anthem and Hot Water Music. The tour included two shows in Arizona, which the band had not played since 2009 due to the Sound Strike. On January 2, 2013, vocalist Tim McIlrath told "Rolling Stone" that Rise Against was "focusing on recharging [their] batteries" after two years of touring in support of "Endgame". In March 2013, Rise Against played their first ever performances on African soil when they performed in South Africa for the Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town legs of RAMFest, where they headlined the festival along with the UK band Bring Me the Horizon.


title: Rise Against

text: The extensive touring schedule surrounding "Endgame" took a toll on the band members, and in 2013 they decided to take a year long hiatus. According to Blair: "You're constantly gone. You don't feel like you live anywhere". He also discussed how the other three band members lives had evolved, and were away from their families for months on end. "It's an interesting thing to kind of realize that and kind of get out of the bubble, get out of the bus, and go 'Oh, geez, we actually have lives outside of what we do.'" In January 2014, the band members reconvened at the Blasting Room to record Rise Against's seventh album "The Black Market". The band members used new recording techniques, such as greater usage of analog signals on a Kemper amplifier, and an Evertune bridge to keep the guitars in tune. As McIlrath put it: "I want the songs to feel a certain way. I want the songs to hit the guy and the girl who don't really care about guitar tones."


title: Rise Against

text: "The Black Market" was released on July 15, 2014. In the United States, the album entered at number three on the "Billboard" 200 and sold 53,000 copies in its first week. It was their fourth consecutive album to debut within the top ten on the "Billboard" 200, and it spent eleven weeks on the chart. "The Black Market" was an international success, in particular in Canada, where it became Rise Against's third consecutive album to reach number one. Reviews were generally positive; critics praised the more introspective lyrics, but often bemoaned the music as formulaic and stale. To promote the album, Rise Against toured throughout 2014 and 2015 with several other rock bands, such as Emily's Army, Touché Amoré, and Killswitch Engage.


title: Rise Against

text: On April 18, 2017, the band posted a new mysterious website which appeared to show a cryptic tracklist, song length and an announcement date "4.20.2017" for the new album.


title: Rise Against

text: On April 20, 2017, Rise Against announced the title of their new album "Wolves" which was released on June 9, 2017 via Virgin Records. The album's lead single, "The Violence", was released on April 20, 2017. To promote the album, the band announced a headlining North American tour in fall 2017 with Pierce the Veil and White Lung supporting.


title: Rise Against

text: On March 29, 2018, the band's Instagram account published a video announcing a project entitled "The Ghost Note Symphonies, Vol. 1". A later announcement described the album as having "the songs stripped down, with alternate instrumentation, unique orchestration and a surprise or two" and announced a release date of July 27, 2018. The band released an acoustic version of "House on Fire" from "Wolves" as a single for the album on May 18 and an acoustic version of "Like the Angel" from "Revolutions per Minute" on June 8.


title: Rise Against

text: Following touring for "Wolves", Rise Against chose to take a more relaxed approach to writing their next album. In an interview with Kerrang!, McIlrath explained that we don't want to feel rushed, we'll put out the record when it's done, not to try and meet some deadline." New music began to be released in 2020, when the band collaborated with DC comics on the series. The band released a new song called "Broken Dreams, Inc" as the first single for the comic book storyline's soundtrack.


title: Rise Against

text: News of a new Rise Against album began to surface in early 2021 when the band began posting cryptic videos on their social media accounts. These videos eventually lead to the announcement of "Nowhere Generation" on March 17, 2021. Along with "Broken Dreams, Inc" being included on the track list, the band also released the title track as the second single. Additional singles, "The Numbers" and "Talking to Ourselves" were also released prior to the album, which released on June 4, 2021. The band embarked on a US tour in support of the album that summer with the Descendents and The Menzingers as opening acts. This was followed by multiple 2022 tours with Billy Talent, The Used, Senses Fail, Pennywise, and Stick To Your Guns.


title: Rise Against

text: During the recording process for "Nowhere Generation", Rise Against wrote a total of sixteen songs, but only included eleven of them on the album. The remaining five were eventually released in 2022 as "Nowhere Generation II"; an EP that acts as a continuation of the album. It was announced alongside the release of the single "Last Man Standing" on June 6, 2022, with the EP releasing four days later.


title: Rise Against

text: Critics have described Rise Against's musical style as punk rock, hardcore punk and melodic hardcore. The band's songs emphasize melody, catchy hooks, aggressive movements, and rapid-paced tempo. Guitarists McIlrath and Blair focus on speed riffing and multi-layered choruses, while bassist Principe uses aggressive picking to lock in with the snare and kick of the drums. Likewise, drummer Barnes follows the guitars, stating: "Sometimes I'll do it naturally, or we'll talk about different ways to accent things - fills from the snare or toms, or some big crashes." The band members have noted the influence of several punk bands, in particular Black Flag and Minor Threat. McIlrath commented: "We're emulating Minor Threat and Black Flag. Who knows, maybe if Ian MacKaye was wearing eyeliner then I would be." Other bands that have influenced Rise Against include 7 Seconds, AFI, Bad Brains, Bad Religion, Cave In, Dead Kennedys, Fugazi, Jawbreaker, Los Crudos, Nirvana, Pennywise, Rage Against the Machine, Ramones, Refused, and Social Distortion.


title: Rise Against

text: During the early part of its career, Rise Against's music was characterized by a gritty combination of hardcore punk and melodic hardcore. "The Unraveling" accentuated a raw punk sound, while "Revolutions per Minute" featured an overall darker tone. According to Principe: ""The Unraveling" was more of us just trying to figure out how we functioned as a band and what type of band we wanted to be. It all just came together with ["Revolutions per Minute"], my songwriting style and Tim's, it really meshes well together and I think it shows on that record. Although this darker tone carried into "Siren Song of the Counter Culture", McIlrath specially mentioned that "The Sufferer & the Witness" was an attempt to return to Rise Against's punk roots. Corey Apar of AllMusic wrote "["The Sufferer & the Witness"] is basically one shout-along, mosh-worthy song after another". In early Rise Against songs, McIlrath would often shift between clean vocals and screaming vocals.


title: Rise Against

text: With the release of "Appeal to Reason", Rise Against's music took a noticeable turn toward a more accessible and radio-friendly sound, with greater emphasis on production value. "The New York Times" reviewer Jon Pareles felt "Appeal to Reason" was more tune-oriented than the band's previous material, while Davey Boy of Sputnikmusic wrote how "Endgame" was "slickly produced to enhance the melodic nature of songs". Principe believes the shift in sound resulted from the longevity of the Rise Against. He explained that the band members grew as musicians, and wanted to challenge themselves with new musical directions. For example, at the insistence of Blair, Rise Against began to incorporate more guitar solos into their music. McIlrath's screaming vocals became less prevalent in "Appeal to Reason", a trend that would continue in subsequent albums.


title: Rise Against

text: Rise Against is known for their outspoken social commentary, which often permeates their lyrics. Throughout the years, the band has discussed a wide range of topics, including animal rights, economic injustice, environmental disasters, forced displacement, homophobia, and modern warfare. Political corruption is another subject commonly found in their lyrics, and as a result, Rise Against is often labeled as a "political band". Some journalists have stated that the band has specifically targeted the Republican administrations of George W. Bush and Donald Trump, while promoting anarchist ideologies.


title: Rise Against

text: As the band's primary lyricist, McIlrath is wary of the political label. "In this sort of current climate of music, we stand out simply because I think there are bands that are avoiding the question. So, it makes us sort of an anomaly and I think that's where we get the tag 'protest music' or 'political punk rock'". He also noted how the band's lyrics discuss these topics in general terms, instead of delving into the specifics. In a 2006 interview, McIlrath said: "I think that a lot of the problems we deal with today in the world are the ones that have been plaguing society for centuries and probably will be here a hundred years from now...There's a bigger picture than just the Bush administration and specific problems of 2006, and I want people to relate to that, even if they're listening to [our music] 10 years from now." Principe noted the band does not attempt to preach their beliefs, but instead encourage listeners to become involved, and learn about pertinent issues affecting society.


title: Rise Against

text: Not all Rise Against songs discuss controversial topics. More personal stories about broken relationships and forgiveness are common lyrical themes, as is the concept of self-reflection. "The Unraveling" is an early example of this style of songwriting, as the majority of the album's songs focus on friendships and memories. It was not until "Revolutions per Minute" that McIlrath began to integrate social issues into their music. Despite the grim subject matter, Rise Against songs are often hopeful in nature, a decision the band conscientiously made from the very beginning. Will Rausch of "PopMatters" wrote: "Unlike typical emo rants filled with despondency and arm chair philosophy, [Rise Against] songs deal with the reality that life sucks, but we must move on."


title: Rise Against

text: Rise Against will often produce an accompanying music video for a single. These videos typically either tell a narrative or feature documentary-like footage. This documentary style of filming can be seen in the music videos for "Ready to Fall", "Re-Education (Through Labor)", "Ballad of Hollis Brown", and "I Don't Want to Be Here Anymore". These videos juxtapose footage of the band playing the song and footage of a certain societal issue such as gun violence or animal abuse, overlaid with damning facts about the issue. For example, the video "Ballad of Hollis Brown" is about the dangers of industrialized farming and poverty in the United States, and features interviews with farmers who are struggling to stay afloat.


title: Rise Against

text: Rise Against's narrative videos are also usually political in nature. In the video for "Prayer of the Refugee" the band destroys products in a retail store, with intermittent shots of foreign workers making the store products. The goal was for the video to showcase how conventional business models allow for various human rights violations. Some narrative videos follow the song's lyric thread, such as in the Hurricane Katrina based video for "Help Is on the Way", while other videos are used to enforce the song's message, such as the band's anti-homophobic stance in the "Make It Stop (September's Children)" video.


title: Rise Against

text: Discussing the "Ready to Fall" video and need for politicized music videos, McIlrath said: "We looked at it from the perspective of hijacking the airwaves. If they're gonna give us three and a half minutes of airtime on TV that means we can play anything, we can make a video that would be intense even on mute". Rise Against has garnered some controversy for their music videos, particularly for perceived violent themes. The video for "Re-Education (Through Labor)" features the Chicago sect of the Moped Army planting and detonating bombs throughout the city. Some viewers saw this as an act of condoning terrorism. The video for "The Violence", which was to feature the detonation of busts of the forty-three United States Presidents on a plot of farmland, was prohibited by the farm's board of directors for "anti-government themes".


title: Rise Against

text: Their video for the single "Ready to Fall" contains footage of factory farming, rodeos, and sport hunting, as well as deforestation, melting ice caps, and forest fires. The group has called the video the most important video they have ever made. In February 2012, the band released a cover of the Bob Dylan song "Ballad of Hollis Brown" as part of a benefit for Amnesty International. In addition to being vegetarians, all the members of Rise Against, with the exception of Brandon Barnes, are straight edge; that is, they refrain from consuming alcohol or using drugs.


title: Rise Against

text: In addition to their support of animal rights, the band has voiced their support for Democratic and libertarian causes. During the 2004 United States presidential election, the band was part of Punkvoter, a political activist group, and appeared on the "Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1" compilation. The Rock Against Bush project raised over $1 million for then presidential candidate John Kerry. During the 2008 presidential election, the band members endorsed Barack Obama. In a news bulletin in early 2009, the band stated: "Few things are more exciting than watching Bush finally release America as his eight year hostage."


title: Rise Against

text: On May 23, 2007, Rise Against announced their endorsement of a new line of Vans shoes that would be "completely vegan in consideration to [their] animal rights efforts". In response to criticism spawning from rumors of Vans' use of sweatshops, Rise Against released a statement to address the matter on both their MySpace profile and website saying,


title: Leland Orser

text: Leland Jones Orser (born August 6, 1960) is an American actor. He has appeared in numerous film and television roles, notably as Lucien Dubenko in the television series "ER" (2004–2009) and Sam Gilroy in the "Taken" film series (2008–2014).


title: Leland Orser

text: Orser made his television debut in 1991 on the series "Gabriel's Fire". His next roles were small roles on "The Golden Girls", "Cheers", "L.A. Law", "The X-Files", "NYPD Blue", "" and "".


title: Leland Orser

text: In 1999, he played Dr. Arthur Zeller in "The Outer Limits" episode "Descent". He appeared in "Seven" (1995) as a man who was involuntarily recruited to kill a prostitute. He was credited as "Crazed Man in Massage Parlour". He played Larry Purvis in "Alien Resurrection" (1997).


title: Leland Orser

text: He played the antagonist Richard Thompson in the Denzel Washington thriller "The Bone Collector" (1999). In 2001, he had a role in "Pearl Harbor" as an injured officer saved by Kate Beckinsale's character. In 2003, he appeared as Wesley in the comic-turned-film "Daredevil".


title: Leland Orser

text: Orser also appeared in various roles in the "Star Trek" franchise, among them playing a Changeling posing as the Romulan Colonel Lovok in the "" episode "" and in the episode "" playing a bit part as a member of the Skrreean race. He also played a homicidal hologram in the "" episode "". In "", he played the character "Loomis" in the time-travel episode "".


title: Leland Orser

text: He played Ansel in the drama thriller film "Faults". From 2004–09, he played Chief of Surgery Dr. Lucien Dubenko, a recurring character, on "ER". Most recently he has appeared in all three of the "Taken" film series as "Sam".


title: Leland Orser

text: Orser was born in San Francisco, California on August 6, 1960. He graduated from Connecticut College in 1982. He married Roma Downey in 1987; they divorced in 1989. In 2000, he married Jeanne Tripplehorn; they have one son. Orser studied Acting at Drama Studio London.


title: Incoterms

text: The Incoterms or International Commercial Terms are a series of pre-defined commercial terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) relating to international commercial law. Incoterms define the responsiblities of exporters and importers in the arrangement of shipments and the transfer of liability involved at various stages of the transaction. They are widely used in international commercial transactions or procurement processes and their use is encouraged by trade councils, courts and international lawyers. A series of three-letter trade terms related to common contractual sales practices, the Incoterms rules are intended primarily to clearly communicate the tasks, costs, and risks associated with the global or international transportation and delivery of goods. Incoterms inform sales contracts defining respective obligations, costs, and risks involved in the delivery of goods from the seller to the buyer, but they do not themselves conclude a contract, determine the price payable, currency or credit terms, govern contract law or define where title to goods transfers.


title: Incoterms

text: The Incoterms rules are accepted by governments, legal authorities, and practitioners worldwide for the interpretation of most commonly used terms in international trade. They are intended to reduce or remove altogether uncertainties arising from the differing interpretations of the rules in different countries. As such they are regularly incorporated into sales contracts worldwide.


title: Incoterms

text: The first work published by the ICC on international trade terms was issued in 1923, with the first edition known as Incoterms published in 1936. The Incoterms rules were amended in 1953, 1967, 1976, 1980, 1990, 2000, and 2010, with the ninth version — Incoterms 2020 — having been published on September 10, 2019.


title: Incoterms

text: "Incoterms 2020" is the ninth set of international contract terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce, with the first set having been published in 1936. "Incoterms 2020" defines 11 rules, the same number as defined by "Incoterms 2010". One rule of the 2010 version ("Delivered at Terminal"; DAT) was removed, and is replaced by a new rule ("Delivered at Place Unloaded"; DPU) in the 2020 rules.


title: Incoterms

text: The insurance to be provided under terms CIF and CIP has also changed, increasing from Institute Cargo Clauses(C) to Institute Cargo Clauses(A). Under the CIF Incoterms rule, which is reserved for use in maritime trade and is often used in commodity trading, the Institute Cargo Clauses (C) remains the default level of coverage, giving parties the option to agree to a higher level of insurance cover. Taking into account feedback from global users, the CIP Incoterms® rule now requires a higher level of cover, compliant with the Institute Cargo Clauses (A) or similar clauses.


title: Incoterms

text: In prior versions, the rules were divided into four categories, but the 11 pre-defined terms of "Incoterms 2020" are subdivided into two categories "based only on method of delivery". The larger group of seven rules may be used regardless of the method of transport, with the smaller group of four being applicable only to sales that solely involve transportation by water where the condition of the goods can be verified at the point of loading on board ship. They are therefore not to be used for containerized freight, other combined transport methods, or for transport by road, air or rail.


title: Incoterms

text: Incoterms 2020 also formally defines delivery. Previously, the term had been defined informally but it is now defined as the point in the transaction where "the risk of loss or damage [to the goods] passes from the seller to the buyer".


title: Incoterms

text: In some jurisdictions, the duty costs of the goods may be calculated against a specific Incoterm: for example in India, duty is calculated against the CIF value of the goods, and in South Africa the duty is calculated against the FOB value of the goods. Because of this it is common for contracts for exports to these countries to use these Incoterms, even when they are not suitable for the chosen mode of transport. If this is the case then great care must be exercised to ensure that the points at which costs and risks pass are clarified with the customer.


title: Incoterms

text: There are certain terms that have special meaning within Incoterms, and some of the more important ones are defined below:


title: Incoterms

text: Parties adopting Incoterms should be wary about their intention and variations. The desire of the parties should be expressed clearly and casual adoption should be refrained. Also, making additions or variations to the meaning of a certain term should be carefully done as parties' failure to use any trade term at all can produce unexpected results.


title: Incoterms

text: The seller makes the goods available at their premises, or at another named place. This term places the maximum obligation on the buyer and minimum obligations on the seller. The Ex Works term is often used while making an initial quotation for the sale of goods without any costs included.


title: Incoterms

text: EXW means that a buyer incurs the risks of bringing the goods to their final destination. Either the seller does not load the goods on collecting vehicles and does not clear them for export, or if the seller does load the goods, they do so at buyer's risk and cost. If the parties agree that the seller should be responsible for the loading of the goods on departure and to bear the risk and all costs of such loading, this must be made clear by adding explicit wording to this effect in the contract of sale.


title: Incoterms

text: There is no obligation for the seller to make a contract of carriage, but there is also no obligation for the buyer to arrange one either - the buyer may sell the goods on to their own customer for collection from the original seller's warehouse. However, in common practice the buyer arranges the collection of the freight from the designated location, and is responsible for clearing the goods through Customs. The buyer is also responsible for completing all the export documentation, although the seller does have an obligation to obtain information and documents at the buyer's request and cost.


title: Incoterms

text: These documentary requirements may result in two principal issues. Firstly, the stipulation for the buyer to complete the export declaration can be an issue in certain jurisdictions (not least the European Union) where the customs regulations require the declarant to be either an individual or corporation resident within the jurisdiction. If the buyer is based outside of the customs jurisdiction, they will be unable to clear the goods for export, meaning that the goods may be declared in the name of the seller by the buyer, even though the export formalities are the buyer's responsibility under the EXW term.


title: Incoterms

text: Secondly, most jurisdictions require companies to provide proof of export for tax purposes. In an EXW shipment, the buyer is under no obligation to provide such proof to the seller, or indeed to even export the goods. In a customs jurisdiction such as the European Union, this would leave the seller liable to a sales tax bill as if the goods were sold to a domestic customer. It is therefore of utmost importance that these matters are discussed with the buyer before the contract is agreed. It may well be that another Incoterm, such as FCA "seller's premises", may be more suitable, since this puts the onus for declaring the goods for export onto the seller, which provides for more control over the export process.


title: Incoterms

text: The seller delivers the goods, cleared for export, at a named place (possibly including the seller's own premises). The goods can be delivered to a carrier nominated by the buyer, or to another party nominated by the buyer.


title: Incoterms

text: In many respects this Incoterm has replaced FOB in modern usage, although the critical point at which the risk passes moves from loading aboard the vessel to the named place. The chosen place of delivery affects the obligations of loading and unloading the goods at that place.


title: Incoterms

text: If delivery occurs at the seller's premises, or at any other location that is under the seller's control, the seller is responsible for loading the goods on to the buyer's carrier. However, if delivery occurs at any other place, the seller is deemed to have delivered the goods once their transport has arrived at the named place; the buyer is responsible for both unloading the goods and loading them onto their own carrier.


title: Incoterms

text: CPT replaces the C&F (cost and freight) and CFR terms for all shipping modes outside of non-containerized seafreight.


title: Incoterms

text: The seller pays for the carriage of the goods up to the named place of destination. However, the goods are considered to be delivered when the goods have been handed over to the first or main carrier, so that the risk transfers to buyer upon handing goods over to that carrier at the place of shipment in the country of Export.


title: Incoterms

text: The seller is responsible for origin costs including export clearance and freight costs for carriage to the named place of destination (either the final destination such as the buyer's facilities or a port of destination. This has to be agreed to by seller and buyer, however).


title: Incoterms

text: This term is broadly similar to the above CPT term, with the exception that the seller is required to obtain insurance for the goods while in transit. CIP requires the seller to insure the goods for 110% of the contract value under Institute Cargo Clauses (A) of the Institute of London Underwriters (which is a change from Incoterms 2010 where the minimum was Institute Cargo Clauses (C)), or any similar set of clauses, unless specifically agreed by both parties. The policy should be in the same currency as the contract, and should allow the buyer, the seller, and anyone else with an insurable interest in the goods to be able to make a claim.


title: Incoterms

text: CIP can be used for all modes of transport, whereas the Incoterm CIF should only be used for non-containerized sea-freight.


title: Incoterms

text: This Incoterm requires that the seller delivers the goods, unloaded, at the named place of destination. The seller covers all the costs of transport (export fees, carriage, unloading from main carrier at destination port and destination port charges) and assumes all risk until arrival at the destination port or terminal.


title: Incoterms

text: The terminal can be a port, airport, or inland freight interchange, but must be a facility with the capability to receive the shipment. If the seller is not able to organize unloading, they should consider shipping under DAP terms instead. All charges after unloading (for example, import duty, taxes, customs and on-carriage) are to be borne by buyer. However, it is important to note that any delay or demurrage charges at the terminal will generally be for the seller's account.


title: Incoterms

text: Some uncertainty has emerged since Incoterms 2020 were adopted as to the meaning of "unloaded" when goods are delivered in a container, usually by sea, as the removal of the container from the incoming vessel may suggest that it has been "unloaded", but the goods themselves are not yet "unloaded" while they remain in the container.


title: Incoterms

text: Incoterms 2010 defines DAP as 'Delivered at Place' – the seller delivers when the goods are placed at the disposal of the buyer on the arriving means of transport ready for unloading at the named place of destination. Under DAP terms, the risk passes from seller to buyer from the point of destination mentioned in the contract of delivery.


title: Incoterms

text: Once goods are ready for shipment, the necessary packing is carried out by the seller at their own cost, so that the goods reach their final destination safely. All necessary legal formalities in the exporting country are completed by the seller at their own cost and risk to clear the goods for export.


title: Incoterms

text: After arrival of the goods in the country of destination, the customs clearance in the importing country needs to be completed by the buyer, e.g. import permit, documents required by customs, etc., including all customs duties and taxes.


title: Incoterms

text: Under DAP terms, all carriage expenses with any terminal expenses are paid by seller up to the agreed destination point. The necessary unloading cost at final destination has to be borne by buyer under DAP terms.


title: Incoterms

text: Seller is responsible for delivering the goods to the named place in the country of the buyer, and pays all costs in bringing the goods to the destination including import duties and taxes. The seller is not responsible for unloading. This term is often used in place of the non-Incoterm "Free In Store (FIS)". This term places the maximum obligations on the seller and minimum obligations on the buyer. No risk or responsibility is transferred to the buyer until delivery of the goods at the named place of destination.


title: Incoterms

text: The most important consideration for DDP terms is that the seller is responsible for clearing the goods through customs in the buyer's country, including both paying the duties and taxes, and obtaining the necessary authorizations and registrations from the authorities in that country. Unless the rules and regulations in the buyer's country are very well understood, DDP terms can be a very big risk both in terms of delays and in unforeseen extra costs, and should be used with caution.


title: Incoterms

text: To determine if a location qualifies for these four rules, please refer to 'United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations (UN/LOCODE)'.


title: Incoterms

text: The four rules defined by Incoterms 2020 for international trade where transportation is entirely conducted by water are as per the below. It is important to note that these terms are generally not suitable for shipments in shipping containers; the point at which risk and responsibility for the goods passes is when the goods are loaded on board the ship, and if the goods are sealed into a shipping container it is impossible to verify the condition of the goods at this point.


title: Incoterms

text: Also of note is that the point at which risk passes under these terms has shifted from previous editions of Incoterms, where the risk passed at the ship's rail.


title: Incoterms

text: The seller delivers when the goods are placed alongside the buyer's vessel at the named port of shipment. This means that the buyer has to bear all costs and risks of loss of or damage to the goods from that moment. The FAS term requires the seller to clear the goods for export, which is a reversal from previous Incoterms versions that required the buyer to arrange for export clearance. However, if the parties wish the buyer to clear the goods for export, this should be made clear by adding explicit wording to this effect in the contract of sale. This term should be used only for non-containerized seafreight and inland waterway transport.


title: Incoterms

text: Under FOB terms the seller bears all costs and risks up to the point the goods are loaded on board the vessel. The seller's responsibility does not end at that point unless the goods are "appropriated to the contract" that is, they are "clearly set aside or otherwise identified as the contract goods". Therefore, FOB contract requires a seller to deliver goods on board a vessel that is to be designated by the buyer in a manner customary at the particular port. In this case, the seller must also arrange for export clearance. On the other hand, the buyer pays cost of marine freight transportation, bill of lading fees, insurance, unloading and transportation cost from the arrival port to destination. Since Incoterms 1980 introduced the Incoterm FCA, FOB should only be used for non-containerized seafreight and inland waterway transport. However, FOB is commonly used incorrectly for all modes of transport despite the contractual risks that this can introduce. In some common law countries such as the United States of America, FOB is not only connected with the carriage of goods by sea but also used for inland carriage aboard any "vessel, car or other vehicle."


title: Incoterms

text: The seller pays for the carriage of the goods up to the named port of destination. Risk transfers to buyer when the goods have been loaded on board the ship in the country of Export. The seller is responsible for origin costs including export clearance and freight costs for carriage to the named port. The shipper is not responsible for delivery to the final destination from the port (generally the buyer's facilities), or for buying insurance. If the buyer requires the seller to obtain insurance, the Incoterm CIF should be considered. CFR should only be used for non-containerized seafreight and inland waterway transport; for all other modes of transport it should be replaced with CPT.


title: Incoterms

text: The term "cost, insurance, freight" or "c.i.f." predates the introduction of Incoterms. Craighill noted in a 1919 article that in "earlier times" the initials were usually written "C. F. & I.": he quotes the phrase "C. F. & I. by steamer to N.Y." used in a shipping contract addressed in the New York State case of Mee v. McNider (1886).


title: Incoterms

text: The first English court case which referred to c.i.f. was Tregelles v. Sewell (1862), where the court established that under c.i.f. terms, risk passes to the buyer on shipment. In the case of E. Clemens Horst Co. v. Biddell Brothers, the UK House of Lords ruled in 1911 that "the sellers in a c.i.f. contract were entitled to payment of the price upon tender of the bill of lading and insurance policy. The purchasers' intent to wait for satisfactory delivery and inspection was overruled. Shortly afterwards in 1915-16, the case of Arnhold Karberg & Co. v. Blythe, Green, Jourdain & Co. in the High Court and Court of Appeal showcased judicial debate about whether a c.i.f. bill of lading could evidence a sale of goods, Scrutton J ruling in the High Court that it did not, because a c.i.f. sale is "not a sale of goods, but a sale of documents relating to goods". The Court of Appeal upheld his decision but Bankes LJ and Warrington LJ argued that "a c.i.f. contract is a contract for the sale of goods to be performed by the delivery of the documents".


title: Incoterms

text: As an Incoterm, CIF is broadly similar to the term CFR, with the exception that the seller is required to obtain insurance for the goods while in transit. CIF requires the seller to insure the goods for 110% of the contract value under Institute Cargo Clauses (A) of the Institute of London Underwriters (which is a change from Incoterms 2010 where the minimum was Institute Cargo Clauses (C)), or any similar set of clauses, unless specifically agreed by both parties. The policy should be in the same currency as the contract. The seller must also turn over documents necessary, to obtain the goods from the carrier or to assert claim against an insurer to the buyer. The documents include (as a minimum) the invoice, the insurance policy, and the bill of lading. These three documents represent the cost, insurance, and freight of CIF. The seller's obligation ends when the documents are handed over to the buyer. Then, the buyer has to pay at the agreed price. Another point to consider is that CIF should only be used for non-containerized sea freight; for all other modes of transport it should be replaced with CIP.


title: Incoterms

text: With all Incoterms beginning with D there is no obligation to provide insurance, however the insurable risk is for the seller's account.


title: Incoterms

text: The risk and the cost is not always the same for Incoterms. In many cases, the risk and cost usually goes together but it is not always the case. The below represents the transfer of risk.


title: Incoterms

text: While these terms do not feature in the current version of Incoterms it is possible that they may be seen in sales order contracts. Care must be taken to ensure that both parties agree on their obligations in this case.


title: Incoterms

text: This term can be used when the goods are transported by rail and road. The seller pays for transportation to the named place of delivery at the frontier. The buyer arranges for customs clearance and pays for transportation from the frontier to their factory. The passing of risk occurs at the frontier.


title: Incoterms

text: This term means that the seller delivers the goods to the buyer to the named terminal in the contract of sale, unloaded from the main carriage vehicle.


title: Incoterms

text: The seller is responsible for making a safe delivery of goods to the named terminal, paying all transportation and export and transit customs clearance expenses. The seller bears the risks and costs associated with supplying the goods to the delivery terminal and unloading them, where the buyer becomes responsible for paying the duty and taxes, as well as any further carriage to a destination.


title: Incoterms

text: Where goods are delivered ex ship, the passing of risk does not occur until the ship has arrived at the named port of destination and the goods made available for unloading to the buyer. The seller pays the same freight and insurance costs as they would under a CIF arrangement. Unlike CFR and CIF terms, the seller has agreed to bear not just cost, but also Risk and Title up to the arrival of the vessel at the named port. Costs for unloading the goods and any duties, taxes, etc. are for the Buyer. Until 2011, DES was a commonly used term in shipping bulk commodities, such as coal, grain, dry chemicals; and where the seller either owned or had chartered their own vessel.


title: Incoterms

text: This is similar to DES, but the passing of risk does not occur until the goods have been unloaded at the port of discharge.


title: Incoterms

text: This term means that the seller delivers the goods to the buyer to the named place of destination in the contract of sale. A transaction in international trade where the seller is responsible for making a safe delivery of goods to a named destination, paying all transportation and export and transit customs clearance expenses. The seller bears the risks and costs associated with supplying the goods to the delivery location, where the buyer becomes responsible for paying the duty and taxes.


title: Incoterms

text: These two terms were both included in Incoterms 1953, in each case specifying a named departure point.