Features.

Adobe Flash Player is a runtime that executes and displays content from a provided SWF file, although it has no in-built features to modify the SWF file at runtime. It can execute software written in the ActionScript programming language which enables the runtime manipulation of text, data, vector graphics, raster graphics, sound and video. The player can also access certain connected hardware devices, including the web cameras and microphones, after permission for the same has been granted by the user.  Flash Player is used internally by the Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR), to provide a cross-platform runtime environment for desktop applications and mobile applications. AIR supports installable applications on Windows, Linux, macOS, and some mobile operating systems such as iOS and Android. Flash applications must specifically be built for the AIR runtime to use additional features provided, such as file system integration, native client extensions, native window/screen integration, taskbar/dock integration, and hardware integration with connected Accelerometer and GPS devices.

Data formats.

Flash Player includes native support for many data formats, some of which can only be accessed through the ActionScript scripting interface.

Multimedia formats.

Flash Player is primarily a graphics and multimedia platform, and has supported raster graphics and vector graphics since its earliest version. It supports the following different multimedia formats which it can natively decode and play back.

Performance.

Hardware acceleration.

Until version 10 of the Flash player, there was no support for GPU acceleration. Version 10 added a limited form of support for shaders on materials in the form of the Pixel Bender API, but still did not have GPU-accelerated 3D vertex processing. A significant change came in version 11, which added a new low-level API called Stage3D (initially codenamed Molehill), which provides full GPU acceleration, similar to WebGL. (The partial support for GPU acceleration in Pixel Bender was completely removed in Flash 11.8, resulting in the disruption of some projects like MIT's Scratch, which lacked the manpower to recode their applications quickly enough.)  Current versions of Flash Player are optimized to use hardware acceleration for video playback and 3D graphics rendering on many devices, including desktop computers. Performance is similar to HTML5 video playback. Also, Flash Player has been used on multiple mobile devices as a primary user interface renderer.

Compilation.

Although code written in ActionScript 3 executes up to 10 times faster than the prior ActionScript 2, the Adobe ActionScript 3 compiler is a non-optimizing compiler, and produces inefficient bytecode in the resulting SWF, when compared to toolkits such as CrossBridge.  CrossBridge, a toolkit that targets C++ code to run within the Flash Player, uses the LLVM compiler to produce bytecode that runs up to 10 times faster than code the ActionScript 3 compiler produces, only because the LLVM compiler uses more aggressive optimization.  Adobe has released ActionScript Compiler 2 (ASC2) in Flex 4.7 and onwards, which improves compilation times and optimizes the generated bytecode and supports method inlining, improving its performance at runtime.  As of 2012, the Haxe multiplatform language can build programs for Flash Player that perform faster than the same application built with the Adobe Flex SDK compiler.

Development methods.

Flash Player applications and games can be built in two significantly different methods:  In both methods, developers can access the full Flash Player set of functions, including text, vector graphics, bitmap graphics, video, audio, camera, microphone, and others. AIR also includes added features such as file system integration, native extensions, native desktop integration, and hardware integration with connected devices.

Development tools.

Adobe provides five ways of developing applications for Flash Player:  Third-party development environments are also available:

Game development.

Adobe offers the free Adobe Gaming SDK, consisting () of several open-source AS3 libraries built on the Flash Player Stage3D APIs for GPU-accelerated graphics:  A few commercial game engines target Flash Player (Stage3D) as run-time environment, such as Unity 3D and Unreal Engine 3. Before the introduction of Stage3D, a number of older 2D engines or isometric engines like Flixel saw their heyday.  Adobe also developed the CrossBridge toolkit which cross-compiles C/C++ code to run within the Flash Player, using LLVM and GCC as compiler backends, and high-performance memory-access opcodes in the Flash Player (termed "Domain Memory") to work with in-memory data quickly. CrossBridge is targeted toward the game development industry, and includes tools for building, testing, and debugging C/C++ projects in Flash Player.  Notable online video games developed in Flash include "Angry Birds", "FarmVille" and "FarmVille 2", and "AdventureQuest" (started in 2002, and still active as of 2011).

Availability.

Desktop platforms.

The latest version of Flash Player is available for Windows XP and later, Mac OS X 10.6 and later and Linux.  Adobe Flash Player is available in four flavors:  On February 22, 2012, Adobe announced that it would no longer release new versions of NPAPI Flash plugins for Linux, although Flash Player 11.2 would continue to receive security updates. In August 2016 Adobe announced that, beginning with version 24, it will resume offering of Flash Player for Linux for other browsers.  The Extended Support Release (ESR) of Flash Player on macOS and Windows was a version of Flash Player kept up to date with security updates, but none of the new features or bug fixes available in later versions. It has been on version 11.7 as of July 9, 2013, version 13 as of May 13, 2014, and version 18 as of August 11, 2015. Adobe has decided to discontinue the ESR branch and instead focus solely on the standard release as of August 2016.

Mobile platforms.

In 2011, Flash Player had emerged as the de facto standard for online video publishing on the desktop, with adaptive bitrate video streaming, DRM, and fullscreen support. On mobile devices however, after Apple refused to allow the Flash Player within the inbuilt iOS web browser, Adobe changed strategy, enabling Flash content to be delivered as native mobile applications using the Adobe Integrated Runtime.  Up until 2012, Flash Player 11 was available for the Android (ARM Cortex-A8 and above), although in June 2012, Google announced that Android 4.1 (codenamed Jelly Bean) would not support Flash by default. Starting in August 2012, Adobe no longer updates Flash for Android. In spite of this, Adobe Flash is still available to install on Android devices via Adobe's update archives (up to Android 4.3).  Flash Player is certified to be supported on a select range of mobile and tablet devices, from Acer, BlackBerry 10, Dell, HTC, Lenovo, Logitech, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sharp, SoftBank, Sony (and Sony Ericsson), and Toshiba. As of 2012, Adobe has stopped browser-based Flash Player development for mobile browsers in favor of HTML5, however Adobe continues to support Flash content on mobile devices with the Adobe Integrated Runtime, which allows developers to publish content that runs as native applications on certain supported mobile phone platforms.  Version 9 was the most recent version available for the Linux/ARM-based Nokia 770/N800/N810 Internet tablets running Maemo OS2008, classic Mac OS and Windows 95/NT. Version 10 can be run under Windows 98/Me using KernelEx. HP offered Version 6 of the player for HP-UX. Other versions of the player have been available at some point for OS/2, Symbian OS, Palm OS, BeOS and IRIX. The Kodak Easyshare One includes Flash Player.  Adobe said it will optimize Flash for use on ARM architecture (ARMv7 and ARMv6 architectures used in the Cortex-A series of processors and in the ARM11 family) and release it in the second half of 2009. The company also stated it wants to enable Flash on NVIDIA Tegra, Texas Instruments OMAP 3 and Samsung ARMs. Beginning 2009, it was announced that Adobe would be bringing Flash to TV sets via Intel Media Processor CE 3100 before mid-2009. ARM Holdings later said it welcomes the move of Flash, because "it will transform mobile applications and it removes the claim that the desktop controls the Internet." However, as of May 2009, the expected ARM/Linux netbook devices had poor support for Web video and fragmented software base.  Among other devices, LeapFrog Enterprises provides Flash Player with their Leapster Multimedia Learning System and extended the Flash Player with touch-screen support. Sony has integrated Flash Player 6 into the PlayStation Portable's web browser via firmware version 2.70 and Flash Player 9 into the PlayStation 3's web browser in firmware version 2.50. Nintendo has integrated Flash Lite 3.1, equivalent to Flash 8, in the Internet Channel on the Wii.  The following table documents historical support for Flash Player and AIR on mobile operating systems:

Other hardware.

Some CPU emulators have been created for Flash Player, including Chip8, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum and the Nintendo Entertainment System. They enable video games created for such platforms to run within Flash Player.

Open source.

Adobe has taken steps to reduce or eliminate Flash licensing costs. For instance, the SWF file format documentation is provided free of charge after they relaxed the requirement of accepting a non-disclosure agreement to view it in 2008. Adobe also created the Open Screen Project which removes licensing fees and opens data protocols for Flash.  Adobe has also open-sourced many components relating to Flash.  Adobe has not been willing to make complete source code of the Flash Player available for free software development and even though free and open source alternatives such as Shumway and Gnash have been built, they are no longer under active development. The only fully functional third-party Flash Player is the commercially available Scaleform GFx Player, which is game development middleware designed for integration into non-Flash video games.

Criticism.

Usability.

In some browsers, prior Flash versions have had to be uninstalled before an updated version could be installed. However, as of version 11.2 for Windows, there are now automatic updater options. Linux is partially supported, as Adobe is cooperating with Google to implement it via Chrome web browser on all Linux platforms.  Mixing Flash applications with HTML leads to inconsistent behavior with respect to input handling (keyboard and mouse not working as they would in an HTML-only document). This is often done in web sites and can lead to poor user experience with the site.  The February 20, 2014 update to 12.0.0.70 introduced a reported bug, producing green video with sound only. This defect is related to hardware acceleration and may be overcome by disabling hardware acceleration via the Adobe settings in Firefox (accessed by right clicking within the video) or in Internet Explorer (within the Tools settings). This defect may be related to widely used graphics hardware, AMD Radeon HD video cards, and similar visual defects have occurred in earlier Flash updates, with the same workaround.

Privacy.

Flash Player supports persistent local storage of data (also referred to as Local Shared Objects), which can be used similarly to HTTP cookies or Web Storage in web applications. Local storage in Flash Player allows websites to store non-executable data on a user's computer, such as authentication information, game high scores or saved games, server-based session identifiers, site preferences, saved work, or temporary files. Flash Player will only allow content originating from exactly the same website domain to access data saved in local storage.  Because local storage can be used to save information on a computer that is later retrieved by the same site, a site can use it to gather user statistics, similar to how HTTP cookies and Web Storage can be used. With such technologies, the possibility of building a profile based on user statistics is considered by some a potential privacy concern. Users can disable or restrict use of local storage in Flash Player through a "Settings Manager" page. These settings can be accessed from the Adobe website or by right-clicking on Flash-based content and selecting "Global Settings".  Local storage can be disabled entirely or on a site-by-site basis. Disabling local storage will block any content from saving local user information using Flash Player, but this may disable or reduce the functionality of some websites, such as saved preferences or high scores and saved progress in games.  Flash Player 10.1 and upward honor the privacy mode settings in the latest versions of the Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari web browsers, such that no local storage data is saved when the browser's privacy mode is in use.

Security.

Adobe security bulletins and advisories announce security updates, but Adobe Flash Player release notes do not disclose the security issues addressed when a release closes security holes, making it difficult to evaluate the urgency of a particular update. A version test page allows the user to check if the latest version is installed, and uninstallers may be used to ensure that old-version plugins have been uninstalled from all installed browsers.  In February 2010, Adobe officially apologized for not fixing a known vulnerability for over a year. In June 2010 Adobe announced a "critical vulnerability" in recent versions, saying there are reports that this vulnerability is being actively exploited in the wild against both Adobe Flash Player, and Adobe Reader and Acrobat. Later, in October 2010, Adobe announced another critical vulnerability, this time also affecting Android-based mobile devices. Android users have been recommended to disable Flash or make it only on demand. Subsequent security vulnerabilities also exposed Android users, such as the two critical vulnerabilities published in February 2013 or the four critical vulnerabilities published in March 2013, all of which could lead to arbitrary code execution.  Symantec's Internet Security Threat Report states that a remote code execution in Adobe Reader and Flash Player was the second most attacked vulnerability in 2009. The same report also recommended using browser extensions to disable Flash Player usage on untrusted websites. McAfee predicted that Adobe software, especially Reader and Flash, would be primary target for attacks in 2010. Adobe applications had become, at least at some point, the most popular client-software targets for attackers during the last quarter of 2009. The Kaspersky Security Network published statistics for the third quarter of 2012 showing that 47.5% of its users were affected by one or more critical vulnerabilities. The report also highlighted that "Flash Player vulnerabilities enable cybercriminals to bypass security systems integrated into the application."  Steve Jobs criticized the security of Flash Player, noting that "Symantec recently highlighted Flash for having one of the worst security records in 2009". Adobe responded by pointing out that "the Symantec Global Internet Threat Report for 2009, found that Flash Player had the second lowest number of vulnerabilities of all Internet technologies listed (which included both web plug-ins and browsers)."  On April 7, 2016, Adobe released a Flash Player patch for a zero-day memory corruption vulnerability that could be used to deliver malware via the Magnitude exploit kit. The vulnerability could be exploited for remote code execution.

Vendor lock-in.

Flash Player 11.2 does not play certain kinds of content unless it has been digitally signed by Adobe, following a license obtained by the publisher directly from Adobe.  This move by Adobe, together with the abandonment of Flex to Apache was criticized as a way to lock out independent tool developers, in favor of Adobe's commercial tools.  This has been resolved as of January 2013, after Adobe no longer requires a license or royalty from the developer. All premium features are now classified as general availability, and can be freely used by Flash applications.

Apple controversy.

In April 2010, Steve Jobs, at the time CEO of Apple Inc. published an open letter explaining why Apple would not support Flash on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. In the letter he blamed problems with the "openness", stability, security, performance, and touchscreen integration of the Flash Player as reasons for refusing to support it. He also claimed that when one of Apple's Macintosh computers crashes, "more often than not" the cause can be attributed to Flash, and described Flash as "buggy". Adobe's CEO Shantanu Narayen responded by saying, "If Flash [is] the number one reason that Macs crash, which I'm not aware of, it has as much to do with the Apple operating system."  Steve Jobs also claimed that a large percentage of the video on the Internet is supported on iOS, since many popular video sharing websites such as YouTube have published video content in an HTML5 compatible format, enabling videos to playback in mobile web browsers even without Flash Player.

China-specific version.

Starting with version 30, Adobe stopped distributing Flash Player directly to Chinese users. Instead, they selected 2144.cn as a partner and released a special version of Flash Player on a specific website, which contains a non-closable process that collects privacy information and pops up advertisement window contents. The partnership started in about 2017, but in version 30, Adobe disabled the usage of vanilla (global) version of Flash Player in China, forcing users to use that specific version, which may pose a risk to its users due to China's Internet censorship. This affects Google Chrome users using Windows 10, Internet Explorer users using Windows 7, and Firefox users using all versions of Windows, as Microsoft still directly distributes Flash Player for Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge through Windows Update in Windows 8 and upward.

Adobe Flash Player (labeled Shockwave Flash in Internet Explorer and Firefox) is computer software for using content created on the Adobe Flash platform, including viewing multimedia contents, executing rich Internet applications, and streaming audio and video. Flash Player can run from a web browser as a browser plug-in or on supported mobile devices. Flash Player was created by Macromedia and has been developed and distributed by Adobe Systems since Adobe acquired Macromedia in 2005. Flash Player is distributed as freeware.

Adobe Flash Player je software určený pro prohlížení animací a filmů pomocí počítačových programů jako je například webový prohlížeč. Flash player je široce distribuovaný proprietární multimediální a aplikační přehrávač původně vytvořený společností Macromedia, po jeho získaní v současnosti vyvíjený a distribuovaný společností Adobe. Používá soubory typu SWF, které mohou být vytvořeny nástrojem Adobe Flash authoring tool, Adobe Flex, dalšími nástroji společnosti Macromedia, ale i nástroji třetích stran. Flash Player podporuje skriptovací jazyk nazývaný ActionScript (AS), který je založen na ECMAScript.


Types of water storage.

Groundwater.

Groundwater is located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock become completely saturated with water is called the water table. There are two broad types of aquifers: An unconfined aquifer is where the surface is not restricted by impervious rocks, so the water table is at atmospheric pressure. In a confined aquifer, the upper surface of water is overlain by a layer of impervious rock, so the groundwater is stored under pressure.  Aquifers receive water through two ways, one from precipitation that that flows through the unsaturated zone of the soil profile, and two from lakes and rivers. When a water table reaches capacity, or all soil is completely saturated, the water table meets the surface of the ground where water discharge in the forms of springs or seeps.  It is also possible to artificially recharge aquifers (using wells), for example through the use of Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR).

Soil moisture.

Groundwater is stored in two zones, one being the saturated zone, or Aquifer, the other is the pore space of unsaturated soil immediately below the ground surface. Soil moisture is the water held between soil particles in the root zone (rhizosphere) of plants, generally in the top 200 cm of soil. Water storage in the soil profile is extremely important for agriculture, especially in locations that rely on rainfall for cultivating plants. For example, in Africa rain-fed agriculture accounts for 95% of farmed land.

Wetlands.

Wetlands span the surface/sub-surface interface, storing water at various times as groundwater, soil moisture and surface water. They are vital ecosystems that support wildlife and perform valuable ecosystem services, such as flood protection and water cleansing. They also provide livelihoods for millions of people who live within and around them. For example, the Inner Niger River Delta in the Western Sahel zone supports more than a million people who make their living as fishermen, cattle breeders or farmers, using the annual rise and fall of the river waters and its floodplains.  Wetlands are basically sponges that capture and slowly release large amounts of rain, snowmelt, groundwater and floodwater. Trees and other wetlands vegetation slow the speed of flood water and more evenly distribute it across the wetland. The combination of increased water storage and flood water hindrances lower flood heights and reduce erosion.

Ponds and tanks.

Detention basins and water tanks can be defined as community-built and household water stores, filled by rainwater, groundwater infiltration or surface runoff. They are usually open, and therefore exposed to high levels of evaporation. They can be a great help to farmers in helping them overcome dry spells. However, they can promote vector-borne diseases such as malaria or schistosomiasis.  Detention basins are designed for temporary capture of flood waters and do not allow for permanent pooling of water and therefore do not make viable or reliable sources of water storage. Retention basins are similar to detention basins for flood control management, but are build to for permanent pooling to control sediment and pollutants in the flood water.

Dams and reservoirs.

In the past, large dams have often been the focus of water storage efforts. Many large dams and their reservoirs have brought significant social and economic benefits. For example, Egypt's Aswan High Dam, built in the 1960s, has protected the nation from drought and floods and supplies water used to irrigate some 15 million hectares. However, dams can also have great negative impacts. Because sediment is trapped by the Aswan High Dam, the Nile no longer delivers nutrients in large quantities to the floodplain. This has reduced soil fertility and increased the need for fertilizer. Water stored in dams and reservoirs can be treated for drinking water, but in the past due to poor taxing and high water prices in the US, water supply dams are unable to reach their intended levels of operation. Due to the increased surface area of water that dams create, huge amounts of water is lost to evaporation, much more so than what would have been lost from the river that flowed in its place.

Planting basins.

Rainfed agriculture constitutes 80% of global agriculture. Many of the 852 million poor people in the world live in parts of Asia and Africa that depend on rainfall to cultivate food crops. As the global population swells, more food will be needed, but climate variability is likely to make farming more difficult. A range of water stores could help farmers overcome dry spells that would otherwise cause their crops to fail. Field studies have shown the effectiveness of small-scale water storage. For example, using small planting basins to 'harvest' water in Zimbabwe have been shown to boost maize yields, whether rainfall is abundant or scarce. In Niger, they have led to three or fourfold increases in millet yields.

Contamination.

As of 2010, it was reported that nearly half of the global population depends on in-home water storage due to a lack of adequate water supply networks. Many of the in-home solutions have improvised from available materials. It has been suggested that the lack of proper tools and equipment for construction, leads to a system more likely to contain breaches, making them more susceptible to contamination from the environment and users.

Decontamination.

In the event that a water tank or tanker is contaminated, the following steps should be taken to reclaim the tank or tanker, if it is structurally intact. Additionally, it is recommended that tanks in continuous use are cleaned every five years, and for seasonal use, annually.  If the test results are negative for bacteria, the drinking water is considered safe to use and drink.

Water storage is a broad term referring to storage of both potable water for consumption, and non potable water for use in agriculture. In both developing countries and some developed countries found in tropical climates, there is a need to store potable drinking water during the dry season. In agriculture water storage, water is stored for later use in natural water sources, such as groundwater aquifers, soil water, natural wetlands, and small artificial ponds, tanks and reservoirs behind major dams. Storing water invites a host of potential issues regardless of that waters intended purpose, including contamination through organic and inorganic means.

Nádrž je většinou uzavřená nádoba nebo obezděný prostor pro uchovávání kapalin (vody). Nádrží na palivo (palivová nádrž) obvykle bývají vybavena všechna motorová vozidla. Ta mohou mít i další menší nádrže na motorový olej, brzdnou kapalinu.


Cesta kolem světa za 80 dní (film, 2004)

Plot.

In 1890, England, a Chinese man, Lau Xing (Jackie Chan) robs the Bank of England. To evade the police, Xing becomes the valet for Phileas Fogg (Steve Coogan), an inventor, taking the pseudonym Passepartout. Phileas, just before Xing arrived, had been trying to break the 50-mph speed barrier, and after succeeding with the help of Passepartout, they head to the Royal Academy of Science. There, Fogg is insulted by the other "brilliant minds", in particular Lord Kelvin (Jim Broadbent) who believes that everything worth discovering has already been discovered. After a debate between the scientists about the bank thief, Phileas is pressured into a bet to see whether he can travel around the world in 80 days. If he wins, he will become Minister of Science in Lord Kelvin's place, if not, he will destroy his lab and never invent anything again. Phileas and Xing start their journey around the world, taking a carriage and leaving London after a confrontation with Inspector Fix (Ewen Bremner), a corrupt officer hired by Lord Kelvin to stop them.  Xing and Phileas journey to Paris, France. Pretending to take Phileas to a convention with Thomas Edison, Xing leads him to an art school where Phileas meets Monique La Roche (Cécile de France), a would-be impressionist. There, Xing is attacked by disguised warriors, the Black Scorpions, sent by General Fang, a warlord from China who is after the Jade Buddha that he stole. Fang had previously given it to Kelvin in exchange for military assistance in China. When Monique learns of Phileas's ambition, she convinces them to take her with them. They depart in a hot-air balloon, chased by Fang's warriors.  Whilst on the Orient Express, Monique learns that Xing is trying to return the Jade Buddha back to his village, and is travelling with Phileas to get there quickly. Monique keeps his secret in exchange for him convincing Phileas to let her travel with him. They travel to Turkey, where the train stops. Guards climb onboard and inform the trio that they are greeted by Prince Hapi. During the Prince's banquet, he orders Monique to stay as his seventh wife while the men are ordered to leave. The men blackmail Prince Hapi into releasing Monique using a prized but apparently flimsy "The Thinker" statue of the Prince. The statue is destroyed, much to Hapi's anger, but the trio escape from the guards. Lord Kelvin, learning that Phileas has been abetting a thief's escape, orders the British colonial authorities in India to arrest both. Xing notices this and warns his companions, disguising themselves as Indian women to evade capture and successfully flee to China. On the train Xing tells the story of the Ten Tigers of Canton to children. Fogg tells him legends are meaningless and Xing tells him that him traveling around the world in eighty days is a legend.  Xing leads his friends to his village, Lanzhou, where they are happily greeted. Phileas, however, finds out Xing stole the Jade Buddha and leaves, but is immediately captured along with Xing and Monique by the Black Scorpions. With them is a man who was imprisoned for public urination. Xing challenges the leader of the group to a fight, during which he is joined by the martial arts masters of the "Ten Tigers of Canton", of which Xing is a member. The Tigers drive the Black Scorpions from the village and free the Westerners. The Buddha is returned to the village temple. Phileas, feeling used by Xing and Monique, leaves for San Francisco, United States, alone, only to be proven wrong when the latter decide to help him win his bet. In New York City, Fang's disguised warriors trick the trio to an ambush site. Fang reveals the nature of their arrangements with Lord Kelvin to take Lanzhou and tap the jade reserves underneath it. A battle against Fang and her warriors commences in the workshop where the Statue of Liberty is being constructed, resulting in Phileas missing a boat to help Xing. Fang's warriors were defeated and Xing nearly dies to save Phileas. Fang also survives but is knocked out by Monique with a punch and Xing jokes that she is the 11th Tiger. Phileas feels he has lost, but the other two say they may still make it if they catch the next ship.  They board an old ship and Phileas convinces the captain to let him build a plane out of the ship's old wood in exchange for a new ship. Using an altered version of the Wright brothers' plans, Phileas builds the plane while the ship's crew builds a catapult to launch it into the sky. They reach London, where the machine falls apart and they crash in front of the Royal Academy. Lord Kelvin sends police to arrest them for robbing the bank, in order to stop them from making it to the top step of the Academy, and proclaims himself the victor when Big Ben strikes noon, seemingly ending the wager. Monique, Fix and other ministers attest to Kelvin's unfair methods and his bullying nature, but Kelvin scoffs at them. In the process he insults Queen Victoria, who arrives on the scene. She learned that he had sold her arsenal to Fang in exchange for jade mines in China thanks to one of his aides. Kelvin is arrested and sent to prison, and Phileas realizes he is one day early thanks to crossing the international date line. He victoriously ascends the stairs of the Academy and kisses Monique.

Release.

"Around the World in 80 Days" premiered at Los Angeles, California on June 13, 2004 and was released in theaters on June 16, 2004 by Walt Disney Pictures. It was also released on DVD and VHS on November 2, 2004 by Walt Disney Home Entertainment.

Critical reception.

"Around the World in 80 Days" was met with mixed reviews. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 32% approval rating, based on 128 reviews, with an average score of 4.8/10, with the site's consensus stating: "Hit-and-miss family fare that bears only the slightest resemblance to Verne's novel." Metacritic gives the film a weighted score of 49 out of 100, based on 33 sampled reviews, indicating "mixed to average reviews." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.  While some reviewers, such as "The Guardian" critic Rob Mackie, criticized it for having little to no resemblance to the novel it is based on, others such as Roger Ebert praised it for its visual style and for being "goofy fun". In 2014, the "Los Angeles Times" listed the film as one of the most expensive box office flops of all time. The film was nominated for two Razzie Awards - Worst Remake or Sequel and Worst Supporting Actor (Arnold Schwarzenegger).

Around the World in 80 Days is a 2004 American action adventure comedy film based on Jules Verne's 1873 novel of the same name and remake of the movie of the same name of 1956. It stars Jackie Chan, Steve Coogan and Cécile de France. The film is set in the nineteenth century and centers on Phileas Fogg (Coogan), here reimagined as an eccentric inventor, and his efforts to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days. During the trip, he is accompanied by his Chinese valet, Passepartout (Chan). For comedic reasons, the film intentionally deviated wildly from the novel and included a number of anachronistic elements. With production costs of about $110 million and estimated marketing costs of $30 million, it earned $24 million at the U.S. box office and $72 million worldwide, making it a box office flop. It was Arnold Schwarzenegger's last film before he took a hiatus from acting to become Governor of California until 2010's "The Expendables".

Cesta kolem světa za 80 dní (anglicky: "Around The World In 80 Days") je americký akční film z roku 2004 režiséra Franka Coraciho, v němž je děj stejnojmenného románu Julesa Vernea dosti volně převyprávěn tak, aby mohlo vyniknout bojové umění Jackieho Chana. Ve filmu se objevují stroje steampunkového designu a příběh se od původního knižního výrazně liší. Délka filmu činí 116 min.


Geology.

Around 50 to 60 million years ago, during the Paleocene Epoch, Antrim was subject to intense volcanic activity, when highly fluid molten basalt intruded through chalk beds to form an extensive lava plateau. As the lava cooled, contraction occurred. Horizontal contraction fractured in a similar way to drying mud, with the cracks propagating down as the mass cooled, leaving pillarlike structures, which also fractured horizontally into "biscuits". In many cases, the horizontal fracture resulted in a bottom face that is convex, while the upper face of the lower segment is concave, producing what are called "ball and socket" joints. The size of the columns was primarily determined by the speed at which lava cooled. The extensive fracture network produced the distinctive columns seen today. The basalts were originally part of a great volcanic plateau called the Thulean Plateau, which formed during the Paleocene.

Legend.

According to legend, the columns are the remains of a causeway built by a giant. The story goes that the Irish giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn MacCool), from the Fenian Cycle of Gaelic mythology, was challenged to a fight by the Scottish giant Benandonner. Fionn accepted the challenge and built the causeway across the North Channel so that the two giants could meet. In one version of the story, Fionn defeats Benandonner. In another, Fionn hides from Benandonner when he realises that his foe is much bigger than he is. Fionn's wife, Oonagh, disguises Fionn as a baby and tucks him in a cradle. When Benandonner sees the size of the 'baby', he reckons that its father, Fionn, must be a giant among giants. He flees back to Scotland in fright, destroying the causeway behind him so that Fionn would be unable to chase him down. Across the sea, there are identical basalt columns (a part of the same ancient lava flow) at Fingal's Cave on the Scottish isle of Staffa, and it is possible that the story was influenced by this.  In overall Irish mythology, Fionn mac Cumhaill is not a giant but a hero with supernatural abilities, contrary to what this particular legend may suggest. In "Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry" (1888), it is noted that, over time, "the pagan gods of Ireland [...] grew smaller and smaller in the popular imagination, until they turned into the fairies; the pagan heroes grew bigger and bigger, until they turned into the giants". There are no surviving pre-Christian stories about the Giant's Causeway, but it may have originally been associated with the Fomorians ("Fomhóraigh"); the Irish name "Clochán na bhFomhóraigh" or "Clochán na bhFomhórach" means "stepping stones of the "Fomhóraigh"". The "Fomhóraigh" are a race of supernatural beings in Irish mythology who were sometimes described as giants and who may have originally been part of a pre-Christian pantheon.

Tourism.

The Bishop of Derry visited the site in 1692. The existence of the causeway was announced to the wider world the following year by the presentation of a paper to the Royal Society from Sir Richard Bulkeley, a fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. The Giant's Causeway received international attention when Dublin artist Susanna Drury made watercolour paintings of it in 1739; they won Drury the first award presented by the Royal Dublin Society in 1740 and were engraved in 1743. In 1765, an entry on the causeway appeared in volume 12 of the French "Encyclopédie", which was informed by the engravings of Drury's work; the engraving of the "East Prospect" appeared in a 1768 volume of plates published for the "Encyclopédie". In the caption to the plates, French geologist Nicolas Desmarest suggested, for the first time in print, that such structures were volcanic in origin.  The site first became popular with tourists during the 19th century, particularly after the opening of the Giant's Causeway Tramway, and only after the National Trust took over its care in the 1960s were some of the vestiges of commercialism removed. Visitors can walk over the basalt columns that are at the edge of the sea, a half-mile walk from the entrance of the site.

Visitors' centre.

The causeway was without a permanent visitors' centre between 2000 and 2012, as the previous building, built in 1986, burned down in 2000. While preliminary approval was given for a publicly funded (but privately managed) development by then Environment Minister and DUP member Arlene Foster in 2007, the public funding was frozen due to a perceived conflict-of-interest between the proposed private developer and the DUP. Ultimately, the private developer dropped a legal challenge to the publicly funded plan, and the new visitor centre was officially opened by 2012. Its construction was funded by the National Trust, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, the Heritage Lottery Fund and public donations. Since opening, the new visitor centre has garnered mixed reviews from those visiting the causeway, for its pricing, design, contents and placement across the causeway walk descent. In 2018, the visitor's centre was visited by 1,011,473 people.  There was some controversy regarding the content of some exhibits in the visitor centre, which refer to the Young Earth Creationist view of the age of the Earth. While these inclusions were welcomed by the chairman of the Northern Irish evangelical group, the Caleb Foundation, the National Trust stated that the inclusions formed only a small part of the exhibition and that the Trust "fully supports the scientific explanation for the creation of the stones 60 million years ago." An online campaign to remove creationist material was launched in 2012, and following this, the Trust carried out a review and concluded that they should be amended to have the scientific explanation on the causeway's origin as their primary emphasis. Creationist explanations are still mentioned but presented as a traditional belief of some religious communities rather than a competing explanation for the causeway's origins.

Notable features.

Some of the structures in the area, having been subject to several million years of weathering, resemble objects, such as the "Organ" and "Giant's Boot" structures. Other features include many reddish, weathered low columns known as "Giant's Eyes", created by the displacement of basalt boulders; the "Shepherd's Steps"; the "Honeycomb"; the "Giant's Harp"; the "Chimney Stacks"; the "Giant's Gate" and the "Camel's Hump".

Flora and fauna.

The area is a haven for seabirds, such as fulmar, petrel, cormorant, shag, redshank, guillemot and razorbill, while the weathered rock formations host numerous plant types, including sea spleenwort, hare's-foot trefoil, vernal squill, sea fescue and frog orchid. A stromatolite colony was reportedly found at the Giant's Causeway in October 2011 – an unusual find, as stromatolites are more commonly found in warmer waters with higher saline content than that found at the causeway.

Similar structures.

Although the basaltic columns of the Giant's Causeway are impressive, they are not unique. Basalt columns are a common volcanic feature, and they occur on many scales, because faster cooling produces smaller columns.

Transport access.

The Belfast-Derry railway line run by Northern Ireland Railways connects to Coleraine and along the Coleraine-Portrush branch line to Portrush. Locally, Ulsterbus provides connections to the railway stations. There is a scenic walk of 7 miles from Portrush alongside Dunluce Castle and the Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Railway.

The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption. It is located in County Antrim on the north coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles (4.8 km) northeast of the town of Bushmills.

Giant's Causeway (, či "Obrovy schody", nebo ) je zvláštní geologický útvar v Severním Irsku, který se řadí mezi kamenné varhany vzniklé díky sloupcovité odlučnosti bazaltů. V oblasti se nachází okolo 40 000 sloupců čediče, které vznikly jako výsledek dávné sopečné erupce. Nachází se v hrabství Antrim v Severním Irsku přibližně tři kilometry od města Bushmills. Tento přírodní úkaz byl v roce 1986 zařazen na Seznam světového dědictví v Evropě a o rok později byl prohlášen národní přírodní rezervací. Sloupce čediče vytváří přirozené útesy vedoucí do moře, kde pokračují i pod jeho hladinou. Většina těchto sloupců je šestistěnná, ale dají se mezi nimi pozorovat i kusy, které mají čtyři, pět, sedm i osm stěn. Nejvyšší odkrytý sloupec měří 12 metrů a lávový příkrov zde dosahuje mocnosti 28 metrů.


Plot.

Picking up several months after the events of the first film, Kenai, now a bear, is living joyfully with his foster brother Koda. Having just awoken from hibernation, the bears begin traveling to Crowberry Ridge for the first berries of the season. However, Kenai is plagued by visions of his childhood friend Nita, to whom he gave a special amulet many years ago after saving her from drowning. Nita, now grown up, is set to wed Atka, a man from a neighboring Inuit village. However, on the day of the wedding, the Spirits appear in the form of a storm that causes a fissure to open up in the ground between Nita and Atka, much to Nita's shock. Believing it to be a sign, Nita consults Innoko, the wisest shaman of the tribes. By communicating with the Spirits, Innoko reveals that the amulet that Kenai gave Nita all those years ago bonded her and Kenai together. The only way for Nita to sever the bond and be able to marry Atka is to find Kenai, go with him to Hokani Falls (where Kenai gave Nita the amulet), and burn the amulet on the eve of the Equinox, thus returning the bond to the Spirits. Innoko grants Nita the ability to communicate with Kenai and the other wildlife.  Eventually, Kenai and Koda meet up with Nita. At first, Kenai refuses to destroy the bond, but Nita tells him that the Spirits may turn him back into a human and send him to find her. Under pressure from Nita and Koda, who is upset that he and Kenai could no longer be brothers if this happens, Kenai relents and the three make their way to Hokani Falls. As they spend more time together, Kenai and Nita rekindle their old friendship, much to Koda's annoyance. One night, Nita asks Kenai if he ever thought of being human again. When Kenai says that he has considered it, Koda hears this and races up a mountain, anxious that Kenai may leave him. Nita finds Koda hiding in a cave, but both are caught in an avalanche and are rescued by Kenai. Kenai shouts at Koda for almost getting himself killed, but the two reconcile with Kenai assuring Koda that he would never leave him.  The trio eventually make it to Hokani Falls, where they burn the amulet. Without it, Nita can no longer communicate with Kenai or Koda, so she says goodbye. Seeing how miserable Kenai is and realizing that he loves Nita, Koda secretly asks his mother in the spirit world to turn Kenai back into a human so he can be happy. The next morning, Rutt and Tuke (whom Kenai, Koda, and Nita ran into multiple times throughout their journey, and whom Nita helped woo a pair of female Canadian moose) inform Kenai that Koda went to the village to retrieve Nita. Knowing that Koda will be killed, Kenai runs after him.  At the village, the tribes prepare for the wedding once again, but Nita, realizing her feelings are for Kenai, tells her father Chilkoot that she cannot marry Atka. At that moment, Koda creates a major commotion in the village in order to get Nita's attention, while Kenai arrives to stop Koda. Rutt and Tuke rescue Koda from two of the villagers, while Atka fights with Kenai, throwing him off of a cliff and into shallow water. Nita rushes to Kenai's aide, where the two profess their love for each other. The Spirits appear to change Kenai back into a human, allowing Nita to communicate with Kenai and Koda. Kenai tells Nita that he cannot become a human again and leave Koda, but Nita tells him that she can be with him. With her father's blessing, the Spirits transform Nita into a bear. The film ends with Kenai and Nita's wedding that the tribes, bears, Koda, Rutt, Tuke and their mates happily watch.

Production.

The film was produced by DisneyToon Studios, Disney Animation Australia and Project Firefly, a start up animation company founded by former Disney Feature Animation Florida employees.

Reception.

"Brother Bear 2" holds a 50% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an average rating of 5.6/10 (based on 8 votes). The film is the second direct-to-video sequel to have a higher rating on Rotten Tomatoes than its predecessor, following "An Extremely Goofy Movie".  Enthusiastic reviews included Kevin Carr of 7M Pictures, which wrote "The kids will love "Brother Bear 2", especially if they loved the first film. It has a good message and some decent scenes." RealTalk Movie Reviews said "Although sequels -- even a few from Disney -- are often disappointing, this one is a keeper, mostly because of its charming story and extraordinary background music", and DVDTalk's Brian Orndorf said "As money-grabbing animated product goes, "Brother Bear 2" rests nicely on a lowered expectation level, and is hardly an offensive affront to the first film. The texture and polish is deeply missed, but the characters are so strong and engaging, it still entertains." David Cornelius of DVDTalk wrote "The story fails to impress, but everything else adds up in all the right ways to make up for it. The makers of "Brother Bear 2" break the curse of the Disney sequel and turn in a welcome effort." Movie Metropolis said "When you consider that Disney meant this production strictly for the home and it probably didn't cost nearly as much as the first film to make or market, it's actually a superior product..."Brother Bear 2" may not be first-tier Disney filmmaking, but it is first-tier Disney animation, and that and the sweetness of the story line may be enough to keep even grown-ups entertained."  Negative reviews came from Pablo Villaca of Cinema em Cena, who said "sad to say... the magic of the first film and sensitivity were replaced by cliches, ridiculous story and cheap sentimentality." Reel Film Reviews said "There's little doubt that "Brother Bear 2", for the most part, comes off as an affable yet entirely needless piece of work, as filmmaker Ben Gluck, working from Rich Burns' script, is generally unable to wholeheartedly capture and sustain the viewer's interest - with the ongoing emphasis on stand-alone segments (eg the central trio run afoul of several violent raccoons) ensuring that the movie is only sporadically engaging."

Soundtrack.

The soundtrack to "Brother Bear 2" was released August 15, 2006. It is available only on digital outlets such as the iTunes Store and walmart.com. It includes the following tracks:

Brother Bear 2 is a 2006 American animated direct-to-video road film and the sequel to the animated feature "Brother Bear", which was released on August 29, 2006. Melissa Etheridge contributed three songs to the film. In the film, the adventures of bear brothers Kenai and Koda continue. While the first film dealt with Kenai's relationship with Koda, this one focuses more on his bond with a young human of his past, Nita.

Medvědí bratři 2 (v anglickém originále Brother Bear 2) je animovaný film z roku 2006 režiséra Bena Glucka. Film je volným pokračováním snímku "Medvědí bratři" z roku 2003.


Specifications.

The Ariel was to be a monoplane with a wing span of, weigh and was to be powered by a specially-designed lightweight steam powered engine producing. The wing area was to be., with the tail another 1500, yielding a very low wing loading. The inventors hoped that the Ariel would achieve a speed of 50 mph, and carry 10–12 passengers up to. The plan was to launch it from an inclined ramp. The undercarriage was a 3-wheel design.

British patent 9478.

William Samuel Henson (1812–1888) and John Stringfellow (1799–1883) received British patent 9478 in 1842. In order that the description hereafter given be rendered clear, I will first shortly explain the principle on which the machine is constructed. If any light and flat or nearly flat article be projected or thrown edgewise in a slightly inclined position, the same will rise on the air till the force exerted is expended, when the article so thrown or projected will descend; and it will readily be conceived that, if the article so projected or thrown possessed in itself a continuous power or force equal to that used in throwing or projecting it, the article would continue to ascend so long as the forward part of the surface was upwards in respect to the hinder part, and that such article, when the power was stopped, or when the inclination was reversed, would descend by gravity aided by the force of the power contained in the article, if the power be continued, thus imitating the flight of a bird. Now, the first part of my invention consists of an apparatus so constructed as to offer a very extended surface or plane of a light yet strong construction, which will have the same relation to the general machine which the extended wings of a bird have to the body when a bird is skimming in the air; but in place of the movement or power for onward progress being obtained by movement of the extended surface or plane, as is the case with the wings of birds, I apply suitable paddle-wheels or other proper mechanical propellers worked by a steam or other sufficiently light engine, and thus obtain the requisite power for onward movement to the plane or extended surface; and in order to give control as to the upward and downward direction of such a machine I apply a tail to the extended surface which is capable of being inclined or raised, so that when the power is acting to propel the machine, by inclining the tail upwards, the resistance offered by the air will cause the machine to rise on the air; and, on the contrary, when the inclination of the tail is reversed, the machine will immediately be propelled downwards, and pass through a plane more or less inclined to the horizon as the inclination of the tail is greater or less; and in order to guide the machine as to the lateral direction which it shall take, I apply a vertical rudder or second tail, and, according as the same is inclined in one direction or the other, so will be the direction of the machine.

Aerial Transit Company.

William Samuel Henson, John Stringfellow, Frederick Marriott, and D.E. Colombine, incorporated as the "Aerial Transit Company" in 1843 in England, with the intention of raising money to construct the flying machine. Henson built a scale model of his design, which made one tentative steam powered "hop" as it lifted or bounced, off its guide wire. Attempts were made to fly the small model, and a larger model with a wing span, between 1844 and 1847, without success.  The company planned "to convey letters, goods and passengers from place to place through the air", according to the patent.  In an attempt to gain investors and support in Parliament, the company engaged in a major publicity campaign using images of the Ariel in exotic locales, but the company failed to gain the needed investment. There was speculation in the press about whether the Ariel was a hoax or fraud.  Stringfellow's son wrote the following:  My father had constructed another small model which was finished early in 1848, and having the loan of a long room in a disused lace factory, early in June the small model was moved there for experiments. The room was about long and from 10 to high. The inclined wire for starting the machine occupied less than half the length of the room and left space at the end for the machine to clear the floor. In the first experiment the tail was set at too high an angle, and the machine rose too rapidly on leaving the wire. After going a few yards it slid back as if coming down an inclined plane, at such an angle that the point of the tail struck the ground and was broken. The tail was repaired and set at a smaller angle. The steam was again got up, and the machine started down the wire, and, upon reaching the point of self-detachment, it gradually rose until it reached the farther end of the room, striking a hole in the canvas placed to stop it. In experiments the machine flew well, when rising as much as one in seven. The late Reverend J. Riste, Esquire, lace manufacturer, Northcote Spicer, Esquire, J. Toms, Esquire, and others witnessed experiments. Mister Marriatt, late of the San Francisco News Letter brought down from London Mister Ellis, the then leasee of Cremorne Gardens, Mister Partridge, and Lieutenant Gale, the aeronaut, to witness experiments. Mister Ellis offered to construct a covered way at Cremorne for experiments. Mr Stringfellow repaired to Cremorne, but not much better accommodations than he had at home were provided, owing to unfulfilled engagement as to room. Mister Stringfellow was preparing for departure when a party of gentlemen unconnected with the Gardens begged to see an experiment, and finding them able to appreciate his endeavours, he got up steam and started the model down the wire. When it arrived at the spot where it should leave the wire it appeared to meet with some obstruction, and threatened to come to the ground, but it soon recovered itself and darted off in as fair a flight as it was possible to make at a distance of about, where it was stopped by the canvas. Having now demonstrated the practicability of making a steam-engine fly, and finding nothing but a pecuniary loss and little honour, this experimenter rested for a long time, satisfied with what he had effected. The subject, however, had to him special charms, and he still contemplated the renewal of his experiments.

The aerial steam carriage, also named Ariel, was a flying machine patented in 1842 that was supposed to carry passengers into the air. It was, in practice, incapable of flight since it had insufficient power from its heavy steam engine to fly. A more successful model was built in 1848 which was able to fly for small distances within a hangar. The aerial steam carriage was significant because it was a transition from glider experimentation to powered flight experimentation.

Vzdušný parní kočár (jinak zvaný Ariel) byl létající stroj patentovaný v roce 1842, u kterého se předpokládalo, že bude létat s cestujícími. Ve skutečnosti nebyl letu schopen, protože jeho těžký parní stroj nedokázal dodat k letu dostatek energie. Mnohem úspěšnější byl následující model z roku 1848, který dokázal uletět malé vzdálenosti uvnitř hangáru. Vzdušný parní kočár měl ale i tak pro letectví význam, protože se jednalo o přechod mezi testováním kluzáků a experimentům s lety s pohonnou jednotkou.


Films.

Plot.

In the original "Friday the 13th" (1980), Mrs. Pamela Voorhees (Betsy Palmer) stalks and murders the teenagers preparing Camp Crystal Lake for re‐opening. She is determined to ensure the camp does not reopen, after her son Jason (Ari Lehman) drowned in the lake, due to the negligence of two staff members. The last counselor, Alice Hardy (Adrienne King), fends off Mrs. Voorhees long enough to grab a machete and decapitate her. In "Friday the 13th Part 2" (1981), Jason (Steve Daskewisz/Warrington Gillette) is revealed to be alive and fully grown. After killing Alice Hardy, Jason returns to Crystal Lake to guard it from all intruders. Five years later, a group of teenagers arrive at Crystal Lake to set up a new camp, but Jason murders them. Ginny Field (Amy Steel), the last counselor Jason attempts to kill, finds a cabin in the woods with a shrine built around the severed head of Mrs. Voorhees. Ginny fights back and slams a machete through Jason's shoulder. Jason is left for dead as Ginny is taken

Future.

Shortly after the 2009 reboot's theatrical release, producers Brad Fuller and Andrew Form expressed an interest in producing another "Friday the 13th" film, citing the enjoyment they had working on the reboot. On October 1, 2009, Warner Bros. Pictures announced that it planned to release the "Friday the 13th" sequel on August 13, 2010. Subsequently, on December 10, 2009, Warner Bros. announced that it had pulled the sequel from the August 13, 2010 release slot and listed its release as "TBD" (to be determined). Warner Bros. also announced that Damian Shannon and Mark Swift were penning the sequel. On April 21, 2010, Fuller announced on his Twitter page that a sequel to the 2009 remake was no longer in the works, declaring it, "dead — not happening". In a later interview, Fuller explained that the 2009 reboot was the result of a joint effort between Paramount and New Line Cinema,

Television.

On September 28, 1987, Paramount began airing "", a television series that focuses on two cousins' attempts to recover cursed antiques that were sold from a shop they inherited from their uncle. The show starred John D. LeMay as Ryan Dallion and Louise Robey as Michelle Foster. It was created by Frank Mancuso, Jr. and Larry B. Williams originally under the title of "The 13th Hour", and the series ran for 72 episodes. Mancuso, Jr. never intended to link the television show directly to the film series, but he utilized "the idea of "Friday the 13th", which is that it symbolizes bad luck and curses". The creators wanted to tie‐in Jason's trademark hockey mask to the series, but the idea was discarded so that the show could have a chance to exist on its own. Mancuso, Jr. was afraid that mentioning any events from the films would take the audience away from "the new world that we were trying to create". The decision to name the show "Friday the 13th" over the original title was made because Mancuso, Jr. believed a ""Friday the 13th"" moniker would better help to sell the show to networks. Filming took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. "Friday the 13th: The Series" initially aired in first-run syndication in a late-night spot; the success of the series as a late-night show prompted some broadcasting

Production.

The original "Friday the 13th" was produced and directed by Sean S. Cunningham, who had previously worked with filmmaker Wes Craven on "The Last House on the Left" (1972). Cunningham, inspired by the success of John Carpenter's "Halloween" (1978), wanted "Friday the 13th" to be shocking, visually stunning, and "[make] you jump out of your seat". Distancing himself from "The Last House on the Left", Cunningham wanted "Friday the 13th" to be more of a "roller coaster ride". The first film was meant to be "a real scary movie", and at the same time make audiences laugh. The concept for "Friday the 13th" began as nothing more than a title. "A Long Night at Camp Blood" was the working title Victor Miller used while he drafted a script, but Cunningham believed in his "Friday the 13th" moniker and rushed to place an advertisement in "International Variety". Worrying that someone else owned the rights to the title and wanting to avoid potential lawsuits, Cunningham thought it would be best to find out immediately. Cunningham commissioned a New York advertising agency to develop his visual concept of the "Friday the 13th" logo, which consisted of big block letters bursting through a pane of glass. In the end, Cunningham believed there were "no problems" with the title, but distributor George Mansour contends that there was an issue: "There was a movie before ours called "Friday the 13th: The Orphan". Moderately successful. But someone still threatened to sue. It is unknown whether Phil [Scuderi] paid them off, but the issue was eventually resolved."  Following the success of "Friday the 13th" in 1980, Paramount Pictures began plans to make a sequel and immediately acquired the worldwide distribution rights. According to Paramount Pictures' Chairman and CEO Frank Mancuso, Sr., "We wanted it to be an event, where teenagers would flock to the theaters on that Friday night to see the latest episode." Initial ideas for a sequel involved the "Friday the 13th" title being used for a series of discontinuous films, released once a year, and each would be a separate "scary movie" of its own right. Phil Scuderi—a co‐owner of Esquire Theaters with Steve Minasian and Bob Barsamian and a producer of the original film—insisted that the sequel must have Jason Voorhees, Pamela's son, even though his appearance at the end of the original film was only meant to be a joke. Steve Miner, associate producer of the first film, believed in the idea, and he ultimately directed the first two sequels after Cunningham opted not to return to the director's chair.  The studio continued to generate sequels over the years, based on the financial success they produced compared to their relatively low budgets. With every film repeating the same basic premise, the filmmakers came up with subtle adjustments so the audience would return. Changes involved the addition of a subtitle—as opposed to just a number attached to the end—like "The Final Chapter" and "Jason Takes Manhattan", or filming the movie in 3-D, as Miner did for "Friday the 13th Part III". The third film would also be the birthplace of one of the most recognizable images in popular culture, that of Jason's hockey mask. Producer Frank Mancuso, Jr. eventually decided to kill Jason for good, after he experienced problems finding new films to produce that were more than just horror movies, because his name brought constant association to the "Friday the 13th" film series.  Jason would not stay buried for

Reception.

Box office and reception.

The "Friday the 13th" films generally received negative reception from professional critics, in contrast to other slashers like "Halloween". Critics disliked how the series favored high body counts over plot and character development and how each film was almost indistinguishable from the last. Nevertheless, the films were a financial success, prompting Paramount to release more sequels contingent on the box office appeal. When comparing "Friday the 13th" to the other top-grossing American slasher franchises—"A Nightmare on Elm

Impact.

In December 2006, IGN ranked "Friday the 13th" seventh in the top 25 film franchises. Qualifications included: the franchise must have at least three films released before December 2006; the franchises must be either a commercial or artistic success; and the franchise must have had some form of impact on popular culture. Three senior editors, the editor-in-chief, and IGN's entertainment editorial manager judged the various film franchises. In commenting on "Friday the 13th"s seventh-place ranking, the general consensus among the reviewers was that even though the "Halloween" franchise started the slasher genre, "Friday the 13th" became

Music.

When Harry Manfredini began working on the musical score for the 1980 film, the decision was made to play the music only alongside the killer so as not to trick the audience into believing that the killer was around during moments that they were not supposed to be. Manfredini explains that the lack of music for certain scenes was deliberate: "There's a scene where one of the girls [...] is setting up the archery area [...] One of the guys shoots an arrow into the target and just misses her. It's a huge scare, but if you notice, there's no music. That was a choice." Manfredini also noted that when something "was" about to happen, the music would cut off so that the audience would relax a bit, which allowed the scare to become more effective. Since Mrs. Voorhees, the killer in the original "Friday the 13th", does not show up until the final reel of the film, Manfredini had the job of creating a score that would represent the killer in her absence. Manfredini was inspired by the 1975 film "Jaws", where the shark is not seen for the majority of the film, but the motif created by John Williams cued the audience as to when the shark was present during scenes and unseen. While listening to a piece of Krzysztof Penderecki music, which contained a chorus with "striking pronunciations", Manfredini was inspired to recreate a similar sound for "Friday the 13th". He came up with the sound "ki ki ki, ma ma ma", based on the line "Kill her mommy!", which Mrs. Voorhees recites repeatedly in the final reel. The "ki" comes from "kill", and the "ma" from "mommy". To achieve the unique sound he wanted for the film, Manfredini spoke the two words "harshly, distinctly, and rhythmically into a microphone" and ran them into an echo reverberation machine. Manfredini finished the original score after a few weeks and recorded it in a friend's basement. Victor Miller and assistant editor Jay Keuper have commented on

Other media.

Novels.

Six of the 12 films have been adapted into novels—"Friday the 13th 1 – 3", "Jason Lives", "Jason X", and "Freddy vs. Jason"—with "Friday the 13th Part 3" being adapted twice. The first novel was Michael Avallone's 1982 adaptation of "Friday the 13th Part 3"; Avallone had previously adapted "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" and "Shock Treatment". The author chose to use an alternate ending, one that was filmed for "Part 3" but never used, as the conclusion for his adaptation. In the alternate ending, Chris, who is in a canoe, hears her boyfriend Rick's voice and immediately

Comic books.

Since New Line Cinema's acquisition of the franchise, several "Friday the 13th" comic books have been published by Topps Comics, Avatar Press, and DC Comics imprint WildStorm. The first comic book release for the franchise was the 1993 Topps Comics adaptation of "Jason Goes to Hell", written by Andy Mangels. The three-issue series was a condensed version of the film with a few added scenes. Topps Comics published another series in 1995, with Nancy A. Collins writing a three-issue, non‐canonical miniseries involving a crossover between Jason and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"'s Leatherface - "Jason Vs. Leatherface". The story involves Jason stowing away aboard a train and eventually meeting Leatherface. The two initially become friends, with Leatherface adopting Jason into the former's family. After a series of misunderstandings, Jason and Leatherface turn on each other.  On May 13, 2005, New Line first exercised their rights to use the "Friday the 13th" moniker when they, along with Avatar comics, released a special issue of "Friday the 13th". Written by Brian Pulido and illustrated by Mike Wolfer and Greg Waller, the story takes

Video games.

In May 1986, Domark released a "Friday the 13th" game for the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum. The plot involved the player picking a "sanctuary" and attempting to persuade others to hide there. Jason is "disguised as a friend" until he decides to attack the player. Three years later, LJN published a game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. In 2007, Xendex released their own "Friday the 13th" game for mobile phones. In the game, the player plays as one of the counselors at Camp Crystal Lake. While the staff is preparing the camp for its first summer weekend, an "unknown stalker" begins murdering each of them. The player must discover

Merchandise.

In addition to the films, television series, and various literature based on the "Friday the 13th" franchise, there are over 100 licensed products that have grossed more than $125 million in revenue. Over the years, the characters of "Friday the 13th" have been marketed under various toy lines. In 1988, Screamin' Toys produced a model kit of Jason Voorhees. Six years later, Screamin' Toys issued a second model kit based on Jason's appearance in "Jason Goes to Hell". Both kits are no longer in production. In 1998, as part of McFarlane Toys' Movie Maniacs 1 collection, a figure of Jason from "Jason Goes to Hell" was released. Jason was one of the three most popular figures sold from the Movie Maniacs 1 collection,

Books.

There have been two books released chronicling the making of the "Friday the 13th" films and one about making - "Curious Goods: Behind the Scenes of Friday the 13th: The Series". In February 2005, FAB Press published their book containing interviews with the cast and crew of the "Friday the 13th" series of films. David Grove, a film journalist who has written for "Fangoria", "Cinefantastique", and various other British magazines detailing the creation of the "Friday the 13th" films, wrote the comprehensive book, "Making Friday the 13th: The Legend of Camp Blood". Grove interviewed over 100 "key personnel involved in making the films" to collect "detailed production histories of

Documentary films.

A documentary film, titled "", was released in February 2009. This film was directed by Daniel Farrands, who had also written the film "" as well as a documentary on "The Amityville Horror". The film was broadcast on the Starz television channel during the first week of February, and afterwards it was released on DVD on February 3, 2009. The documentary is hosted by special make‐up effects artist Tom Savini, who interviews the cast and crew members of each of the "Friday the 13th" films, asking them questions on the choices they made during filming. It also features interviews with journalists and

External links.

Databases  Miscellaneous

Friday the 13th is an American horror franchise that comprises twelve slasher films, a television series, novels, comic books, video games, and tie‐in merchandise. The franchise mainly focuses on the fictional character Jason Voorhees, who drowned as a boy at Camp Crystal Lake due to the negligence of the camp staff. Decades later, the lake is rumored to be "cursed" and is the setting for a series of mass murders. Jason is featured in all of the films, as either the killer or the motivation for the killings. The original film, created to cash in on the success of "Halloween" (1978), was written by Victor Miller and was produced and directed by Sean S. Cunningham. The films have grossed over $529 million at the box-office worldwide. It was the highest-grossing horror franchise in the world until the release of "Halloween" (2018), putting that franchise in the top spot.

Pátek třináctého (v anglickém originále Friday the 13th) je série dvanácti amerických hororových filmů, natočených mezi lety 1980 a 2009. Jejich hlavní postavou je masový vrah Jason Voorhees.


In animals.

Animals produce gametes directly through meiosis from diploid mother cells in organs called gonads (testis in males and ovaries in females). Males and females of a species that reproduce sexually have different forms of gametogenesis:

Stages.

However, before turning into gametogonia, the embryonic development of gametes is the same in males and females.

Common path.

Gametogonia are usually seen as the initial stage of gametogenesis. However, gametogonia are themselves successors of primordial germ cells (PGCs) from the dorsal endoderm of the yolk sac migrate along the hindgut to the gonadal ridge. They multiply by mitosis, and, once they have reached the gonadal ridge in the late embryonic stage, are referred to as gametogonia. Once the germ cells have developed into gametogonia, they are no longer the same between males and females.

Individual path.

From gametogonia, male and female gametes develop differently - males by spermatogenesis and females by oogenesis. However, by convention, the following pattern is common for both:

In vitro gametogenesis.

In vitro gametogenesis (IVG) is the technique of developing in vitro generated gametes, i.e., "the generation of eggs and sperm from pluripotent stem cells in a culture dish." This technique is currently feasible in mice and will likely have future success in humans and nonhuman primates.

In gametangia.

Fungi, algae, and primitive plants form specialized haploid structures called gametangia, where gametes are produced through mitosis. In some fungi, such as the Zygomycota, the gametangia are single cells, situated on the ends of hyphae, which act as gametes by fusing into a zygote. More typically, gametangia are multicellular structures that differentiate into male and female organs:

In flowering plants.

In angiosperms, the male gametes (always two) are produced inside the pollen tube (in 70% of the species) or inside the pollen grain (in 30% of the species) through the division of a generative cell into two sperm nuclei. Depending on the species, this can occur while the pollen forms in the anther (pollen tricellular) or after pollination and growth of the pollen tube (pollen bicellular in the anther and in the stigma). The female gamete is produced inside the embryo sac of the ovule.

Meiosis.

Meiosis is a central feature of gametogenesis, but the adaptive function of meiosis is currently a matter of debate. A key event during meiosis is the pairing of homologous chromosomes and recombination (exchange of genetic information) between homologous chromosomes. This process promotes the production of increased genetic diversity among progeny and the recombinational repair of damage in the DNA to be passed on to progeny. To explain the adaptive function of meiosis (as well as of gametogenesis and the sexual cycle), some authors emphasize diversity, and others emphasize DNA repair.

Gametogenesis is a biological process by which diploid or haploid precursor cells undergo cell division and differentiation to form mature haploid gametes. Depending on the biological life cycle of the organism, gametogenesis occurs by meiotic division of diploid gametocytes into various gametes, or by mitosis. For example, plants produce gametes through mitosis in gametophytes. The gametophytes grow from haploid spores after sporic meiosis. The existence of a multicellular, haploid phase in the life cycle between meiosis and gametogenesis is also referred to as alternation of generations.

Gametogeneze je tvorba pohlavních buněk – gamet (z řeckého γαμετης = ženatý). Pohlavní buňky vznikají redukčním dělením – meiózou. Ta je evolučně mladší než mitóza. Gamety mají v důsledku redukčního dělení haploidní sadu chromozomů. Vyvíjejí se z buněk zárodečného epitelu pohlavních žláz samčích – varlata ("testes") – a samičích – vaječníky ("ovaria").


Description.

The wingspan ranges from 45 mm to 62 mm (median 55 mm). It is relatively stout-bodied, with forewings relatively narrow-elongate. The wings are white, "peppered" with black, and with more-or-less distinct cross lines, also black. The black speckling varies in amount, in some examples it is almost absent, whilst in others it is so dense that the wings appear to be black sprinkled with white. The antennae of males are strongly bipectinate.

Distribution.

"Biston betularia" is found in China (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Inner Mongolia, Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Henan, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Fujian, Sichuan, Yunnan, Tibet), Russia, Mongolia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Europe and North America.

Ecology and life cycle.

In Great Britain and Ireland, the peppered moth is univoltine ("i.e.", it has one generation per year), whilst in south-eastern North America it is bivoltine (two generations per year). The lepidopteran life cycle consists of four stages: ova (eggs), several larval instars (caterpillars), pupae, which overwinter live in the soil, and imagines (adults). During the day, the moths typically rest on trees, where they are preyed on by birds.  The caterpillar is a twig mimic, varying in colour between green and brown. On a historical note, it was one of the first animals to be identified as being camouflaged with countershading to make it appear flat (shading being the main visual cue that makes things appear solid), in a paper by Edward Bagnall Poulton in 1887. Research indicates that the caterpillars can sense the twig's colour with their skin and match their body colour to the background to protect themselves from predators, an ability to camouflage themselves also found in cephalopods, chameleons and some fish, although this colour change is rather slower in the caterpillars.  It goes into the soil late in the season, where it pupates in order to spend the winter. The imagines emerge from the pupae between late May and August, the males slightly before the females (this is common and expected from sexual selection). They emerge late in the day and dry their wings before flying that night.  The males fly every night of their lives in search of females, whereas the females only fly on the first night. Thereafter, the females release pheromones to attract males. Since the pheromone is carried by the wind, males tend to travel up the concentration gradient, i.e., toward the source. During flight, they are subject to predation by bats. The males guard the female from other males until she lays the eggs. The female lays about 2,000 pale-green ovoid eggs about 1 mm in length into crevices in bark with her ovipositor.

Resting behaviour.

A mating pair or a lone individual will spend the day hiding from predators, particularly birds. In the case of the former, the male stays with the female to ensure paternity. The best evidence for resting positions is given by data collected by the peppered moth researcher Michael Majerus, and it is given in the accompanying charts. These data were originally published in Howlett and Majerus (1987), and an updated version published in Majerus (1998), who concluded that the moths rest in the upper part of the trees. Majerus notes:  Creationist critics of the peppered moth have often pointed to a statement made by Clarke "et al". (1985): "... In 25 years we have only found two "betularia" on the tree trunks or walls adjacent to our traps, and none elsewhere". The reason now seems obvious. Few people spend their time looking for moths up in the trees. That is where peppered moths rest by day.  From their original data, Howlett and Majerus (1987) concluded that peppered moths generally rest in unexposed positions, using three main types of site. Firstly, a few inches below a branch-trunk joint on a tree trunk where the moth is in shadow; secondly, on the underside of branches and thirdly on foliate twigs. The above data would appear to support this.  Further support for these resting positions is given from experiments watching captive moths taking up resting positions in both males (Mikkola, 1979; 1984) and females (Liebert and Brakefield, 1987).  Majerus, "et al.", (2000) have shown that peppered moths are cryptically camouflaged against their backgrounds when they rest in the boughs of trees. It is clear that in human visible wavelengths, "typica" are camouflaged against lichens and "carbonaria" against plain bark. However, birds are capable of seeing ultraviolet light that humans cannot see. Using an ultraviolet-sensitive video camera, Majerus et al. showed that "typica" reflect ultraviolet light in a speckled fashion and are camouflaged against crustose lichens common on branches, both in ultraviolet and human-visible wavelengths. However, "typica" are not as well camouflaged against foliose lichens common on tree trunks; though they are camouflaged in human wavelengths, in ultraviolet wavelengths, foliose lichens do not reflect ultraviolet light.  During an experiment in Cambridge over the seven years 2001–2007 Majerus noted the natural resting positions of peppered moths, and of the 135 moths examined over half were on tree branches, mostly on the lower half of the branch, 37% were on tree trunks, mostly on the north side, and only 12.6% were resting on or under twigs.

Polymorphism.

Introduction on forms.

There are several melanic and non-melanic morphs of the peppered moth. These are controlled genetically. A particular colour morph can be indicated in a standard way by following the species name in the form "morpha "morph name"". The use of "form" in the method of "Biston betularia" f. "formname" in detailing these variations is also a widespread practice.  These forms are often accidentally elevated to subspecies status when they appear in literature. Not adding the "f." (forma) or morpha implies that the taxon is a subspecies instead of a form, as in "Biston betularia carbonaria" instead of "Biston betularia f. carbonaria". Rarely, forms have been elevated to species status, as in "Biston carbonaria". Either of these two circumstances might lead to the erroneous belief that speciation was involved in the observed evolution of the peppered moth. This is not the case; individuals of each morph interbreed and produce fertile offspring with individuals of all other morphs; hence there is only one peppered moth species.  By contrast, different subspecies of the same species can theoretically interbreed with one another and will produce fully fertile and healthy offspring, but in practice do not, as they live in different regions or reproduce in different seasons. Full-fledged species are either unable to produce fertile and healthy offspring, or do not recognize each other's courtship signals, or both.  European breeding experiments have shown that in "Biston betularia betularia", the allele for melanism producing morpha "carbonaria" is controlled by a single locus. The melanic allele is dominant to the non-melanic allele. This situation is, however, somewhat complicated by the presence of three other alleles that produce indistinguishable morphs of morpha "medionigra". These are of intermediate dominance, but this is not complete (Majerus, 1998).

Form names.

In continental Europe, there are three morphs: the white morph typica (syn. morpha/f. "betularia"), the dark melanistic morph carbonaria (syn. "doubledayaria"), and an intermediate form medionigra.  In Britain, the typical white morph is known as typica, the melanic morph is carbonaria, and the intermediate phenotype is named insularia.  In North America, the melanic black morph is morpha swettaria. In "Biston betularia cognataria", the melanic allele (producing morpha "swettaria") is similarly dominant to the non-melanic allele. There are also some intermediate morphs. In Japan, no melanic morphs have been recorded; they are all morpha "typica".

Evolution.

The evolution of the peppered moth over the last two hundred years has been studied in detail. At the start of this period, the vast majority of peppered moths had light coloured wing patterns which effectively camouflaged them against the light-coloured trees and lichens upon which they rested. However, due to widespread pollution during the Industrial Revolution in England, many of the lichens died out, and the trees which peppered moths rested on became blackened by soot, causing most of the light-coloured moths, or "typica", to die off due to predation. At the same time, the dark-coloured, or melanic, moths, "carbonaria", flourished because they could hide on the darkened trees.  Since then, with improved environmental standards, light-coloured peppered moths have again become common, and the dramatic change in the peppered moth's population has remained a subject of much interest and study. This has led to the coining of the term "industrial melanism" to refer to the genetic darkening of species in response to pollutants. As a result of the relatively simple and easy-to-understand circumstances of the adaptation, the peppered moth has become a common example used in explaining or demonstrating natural selection to laypeople and classroom students through simulations.  The first "carbonaria" morph was recorded by Edleston in Manchester in 1848, and over the subsequent years it increased in frequency. Predation experiments, particularly by Bernard Kettlewell, established that the agent of selection was birds who preyed on the "carbonaria" morph. Subsequent experiments and observations have supported the initial evolutionary explanation of the phenomenon.

Genetic basis of melanism.

The evolution of the industrial melanism mutation has been shown to be due to the insertion of a transposable element into the first intron of the "cortex" gene, resulting in an increase in the abundance of the "cortex" transcript, which is expressed in developing wings.

The peppered moth ("Biston betularia") is a temperate species of night-flying moth. Peppered moth evolution is an example of population genetics and natural selection.

Drsnokřídlec březový ("Biston betularia") je motýl z čeledi píďalkovitých, který se pro změnu svého zbarvení v průběhu průmyslové revoluce stal předkládaným důkazem evoluce živých organismů. Toto přebarvení motýla bylo způsobeno vymizením lišejníků z kůry stromů v oblastech se silným znečištěním ovzduší, na které se drsnokřídlec schovával před ptačími predátory. Jelikož byl bíločerný drsnokřídlec lépe viditelný, došlo k přizpůsobení se změně prostředí vlivem selektivního výběru a začala se zde vyskytovat nejčastěji nebo výhradně zbarvená černá forma zvaná "carbonaria".


Background.

At the end of its four-year term, the ruling AWS government of Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek faced bleak prospects for the September parliamentary election. In the previous presidential election in 2000, the SLD's Aleksander Kwaśniewski achieved a landslide reelection over AWS candidate Marian Krzaklewski. Economically, Polish consumer confidence dropped to its lowest since the mid-1990s, with unemployment rising above 16%. Politically, the Buzek government faced a series of crises undermining its credibility. In May 2000, the AWS' junior coalition partner, the Freedom Union, walked out of the government regarding the party's objections to the slow pace of reform, forcing Buzek to set up a relatively weak minority government in its place. Later in July 2001, Buzek's government was again hit by three further ministerial resignations over corruption charges, while the government's reform program for pensions and health care grounded to a halt in the Sejm.  In light of Buzek's besieged administration, opposition parties took advantage of AWS' organisational and economic weaknesses. From the centre left, a political coalition between the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) and the Labour Union (UP), headed by Leszek Miller, appeared as the ruling government's most formidable, united and vocal opposition. On the centre right, Solidarity's traditional spectrum of support increasingly became divided by the emergence of new political groups. Civic Platform (PO), composed of former AWS and UW members, repeated calls for a low flat-rate income tax and a culling of bureaucracy to attract investment. Further down the right, the Law and Justice party (PiS), composed of AWS' more conservative and anti-communist adherents, campaigned on promises of tough anti-corruption and organised crime legislation.  The campaign leading up to the September election was marred by voter apathy due to the summer holidays, and was also marginalized by the September 11 attacks in the United States.

Results.

The SLD triumphed in the final tally, receiving 41% percent of the vote, though shy of an outright parliamentary majority in the Sejm. The party increased its representation by 52 seats, earning it 216 representatives, and returned to the Chancellery after a four-year period of sitting in opposition. Partly due to the fractious nature of its opponents, the SLD secured pluralities in all of Poland's voivodeships as well as in an overwhelming majority of the nation's powiats. On the centre right, Civic Platform entered parliament for the first time, coming in second place with nearly 13% of the vote. The party stood relatively strong in Pomeranian Voivodeship.  Surprisingly, ultra-nationalist parties performed well in the election's final results. The left-wing nationalist Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland (SRP) increased its vote 100-fold from the 1997 election, securing 53 seats and 10% of the vote, coming in third place. Headed by populist Andrzej Lepper, the party campaigned against Warsaw excess and Poland's ongoing negotiations to enter the European Union. On the far right, the League of Polish Families, which campaigned on a staunchly Catholic and anti-EU platform, also entered the Sejm for the first time, gaining 38 seats and 8% of the vote.  Law and Justice (PiS), headed by Lech Kaczyński, a former Minister of Justice in the Buzek government, scored 44 seats and 9.5% of the vote, also securing his party's entrance into the Sejm for the first time. The Polish People's Party (PSL) won 42 seats, slightly reversing the party's devastating losses from 1997. The PSL would later enter into coalition with the SLD to achieve a parliamentary majority.  The election proved catastrophic for Solidarity Electoral Action and its former Freedom Union coalition partner. Both parties failed to secure the 8% for coalitions and 5% for standalone parties threshold to enter the Sejm, with AWS and UW falling to 5.6% and 3.1%, respectively. In the election's aftermath, Prime Minister Buzek tendered his resignation. Both the AWS and UW faced political extinction following the election's aftermath. The AWS dissolved itself by the end of 2001; the UW lingered until its own dissolution in 2005.

The 2001 Polish parliamentary election was held on 23 September 2001 to elect deputies to both houses of the National Assembly. The election concluded with an overwhelming victory for the centre-left Democratic Left Alliance – Labor Union, the electoral coalition between the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) and the Labour Union (UP), which captured 41% of the vote in the crucial lower house Sejm. The 2001 election is recognized as marking the emergence of both Civic Platform (PO) and Law and Justice (PiS) as players in Polish politics, while also witnessing the outright collapse of the Solidarity Electoral Action (AWS) and its former coalition partner, the Freedom Union (UW).

Polské parlamentní volby 2001 se uskutečnily 23. září 2001. Volbám přecházela změna volebního zákona. Byly posíleny proporcionální prvky ve volebním systému (především nahrazení d ́Hondtovy metody upravenou metodou Sainte-Laguë), což snížilo mandátní zisky velkých stran a naopak posílilo malé a střední strany. Očekávaným vítězem voleb se stala s velkým náskokem koalice SLD-UP. Její volební výsledek přitom nabízí zajímavé srovnání s předchozími volbami. Zatímco společný volební výsledek SLD a UP v roce 1993 dosáhl asi 27% (20,41 + 7,28) a v roce 1997 necelých 32% (27,13 + 4,74), v roce 2001 stoupl na 41% hlasů. Velkým podílem se na tom podílela SLD, která ke svému stabilnímu elektorátu dokázala přitáhnout další nerozhodnuté skupiny voličů, nespokojené s vládou pravice. Přesto byl tento výsledek brán jako neúspěch, protože mandátní zisk neumožnil SLD-UP vytvořit vládu s většinovou podporou v parlamentu bez participace dalšího koaličního partnera. Stalo se tak navzdory tomu, že krátce před volbami prezident Kwaśniewski ve veřejném vystoupení v televizním vysílání apeloval na Poláky, aby podpořili „formaci, která má šanci sestavit většinovou vládu“. Tento projev se setkal s ostrou kritikou ze strany pravice, která obvinila prezidenta z podpory SLD-UP.