1.
London
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London /ˈlʌndən/ is the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdom. Standing on the River Thames in the south east of the island of Great Britain and it was founded by the Romans, who named it Londinium. Londons ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its 1. 12-square-mile medieval boundaries. London is a global city in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism. It is crowned as the worlds largest financial centre and has the fifth- or sixth-largest metropolitan area GDP in the world, London is a world cultural capital. It is the worlds most-visited city as measured by international arrivals and has the worlds largest city airport system measured by passenger traffic, London is the worlds leading investment destination, hosting more international retailers and ultra high-net-worth individuals than any other city. Londons universities form the largest concentration of education institutes in Europe. In 2012, London became the first city to have hosted the modern Summer Olympic Games three times, London has a diverse range of people and cultures, and more than 300 languages are spoken in the region. Its estimated mid-2015 municipal population was 8,673,713, the largest of any city in the European Union, Londons urban area is the second most populous in the EU, after Paris, with 9,787,426 inhabitants at the 2011 census. The citys metropolitan area is the most populous in the EU with 13,879,757 inhabitants, the city-region therefore has a similar land area and population to that of the New York metropolitan area. London was the worlds most populous city from around 1831 to 1925, Other famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, St Pauls Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, and The Shard. The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world, the etymology of London is uncertain. It is an ancient name, found in sources from the 2nd century and it is recorded c.121 as Londinium, which points to Romano-British origin, and hand-written Roman tablets recovered in the city originating from AD 65/70-80 include the word Londinio. The earliest attempted explanation, now disregarded, is attributed to Geoffrey of Monmouth in Historia Regum Britanniae and this had it that the name originated from a supposed King Lud, who had allegedly taken over the city and named it Kaerlud. From 1898, it was accepted that the name was of Celtic origin and meant place belonging to a man called *Londinos. The ultimate difficulty lies in reconciling the Latin form Londinium with the modern Welsh Llundain, which should demand a form *lōndinion, from earlier *loundiniom. The possibility cannot be ruled out that the Welsh name was borrowed back in from English at a later date, and thus cannot be used as a basis from which to reconstruct the original name. Until 1889, the name London officially applied only to the City of London, two recent discoveries indicate probable very early settlements near the Thames in the London area
2.
University of Oxford
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The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university located in Oxford, England. It grew rapidly from 1167 when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris, after disputes between students and Oxford townsfolk in 1209, some academics fled north-east to Cambridge where they established what became the University of Cambridge. The two ancient universities are frequently referred to as Oxbridge. The university is made up of a variety of institutions, including 38 constituent colleges, All the colleges are self-governing institutions within the university, each controlling its own membership and with its own internal structure and activities. Being a city university, it not have a main campus, instead, its buildings. Oxford is the home of the Rhodes Scholarship, one of the worlds oldest and most prestigious scholarships, the university operates the worlds oldest university museum, as well as the largest university press in the world and the largest academic library system in Britain. Oxford has educated many notable alumni, including 28 Nobel laureates,27 Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, the University of Oxford has no known foundation date. Teaching at Oxford existed in form as early as 1096. It grew quickly in 1167 when English students returned from the University of Paris, the historian Gerald of Wales lectured to such scholars in 1188 and the first known foreign scholar, Emo of Friesland, arrived in 1190. The head of the university had the title of chancellor from at least 1201, the university was granted a royal charter in 1248 during the reign of King Henry III. After disputes between students and Oxford townsfolk in 1209, some academics fled from the violence to Cambridge, the students associated together on the basis of geographical origins, into two nations, representing the North and the South. In later centuries, geographical origins continued to many students affiliations when membership of a college or hall became customary in Oxford. At about the time, private benefactors established colleges as self-contained scholarly communities. Among the earliest such founders were William of Durham, who in 1249 endowed University College, thereafter, an increasing number of students lived in colleges rather than in halls and religious houses. In 1333–34, an attempt by some dissatisfied Oxford scholars to found a new university at Stamford, Lincolnshire was blocked by the universities of Oxford and Cambridge petitioning King Edward III. Thereafter, until the 1820s, no new universities were allowed to be founded in England, even in London, thus, Oxford and Cambridge had a duopoly, the new learning of the Renaissance greatly influenced Oxford from the late 15th century onwards. Among university scholars of the period were William Grocyn, who contributed to the revival of Greek language studies, and John Colet, the noted biblical scholar. With the English Reformation and the breaking of communion with the Roman Catholic Church, recusant scholars from Oxford fled to continental Europe, as a centre of learning and scholarship, Oxfords reputation declined in the Age of Enlightenment, enrolments fell and teaching was neglected
3.
Trevor Eve
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Trevor John Eve is an English film and television actor. In 1979 he gained fame as the lead in the detective series Shoestring and is also known for his role as Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd in BBC television drama Waking the Dead. He is the father of three children, including actress Alice Eve, Eve was born in Sutton Coldfield, near Birmingham, the son of Elsie and Stewart Frederick Eve. His father was English, and his Welsh mother was from Glynneath, educated at Bromsgrove School, he had little acting experience during his school days. In his early years, Eve wanted to be an artist but was dissuaded from this career path and he dropped out of the course after three years to enrol at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where, upon leaving, he was awarded The Bancroft Gold Medal. During his early career as an actor, Eve also played Pro-Am tennis, Eve has enjoyed a long and successful acting career on stage, television and film, with his career spanning back to the 1970s. Eve appeared in Hindle Wakes directed by Laurence Olivier as part of the Laurence Olivier Presents TV series, in 1977, Eve joined the cast of Franco Zeffirellis Filumena in Londons West End, where he met future wife, Sharon Maughan. From 1979 to 1980, Eve became famous for the role of the private investigator Eddie Shoestring in Shoestring and he then went on to his first major film role in the 1979 Dracula directed by John Badham, playing Jonathan Harker, alongside Laurence Olivier. His success on stage continued, and in 1981, Eve won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor and he also co-starred in the short-lived 1985 ABC series Shadow Chasers. Eve won his second Laurence Olivier Award in 1996 for his portrayal of Dr Astrov in Uncle Vanya, in September 2000, Eve starred in the award-winning BBC drama series Waking the Dead, in the central role of Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd. Eve continued to play Boyd throughout the subsequent nine series of the drama, Eve was one of the many artists who recited Shakespearian sonnets on the 2002 album When Love Speaks. That same year, Eve played Cropper in Possession, directed by Neil LaBute, and continued his work in film in Troy directed by Wolfgang Petersen in 2004, and The Family Man in 2006. In April 2008, Eve starred as game show host and TV personality Hughie Green in the BBC Four biographical film Hughie Green, Most Sincerely. In 2010, Eve played the father of the lead, his real-life daughter, Alice, in Shes Out of My League. In January 2011, he starred in the three-part ITV drama Kidnap and Ransom, filmed on location in South Africa, Eve has also achieved success as a producer. Eve also served as producer on his successful series Kidnap and Ransom. He also starred in a drama on ITV called Lawless. Most recently, Eve played the part of Judge Sir Selwyn Hardcastle in the BBCs Death Comes to Pemberley in December 2013, on 19 February 2014, Eve was part of the invited audience at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the centennial of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
4.
Star Trek Into Darkness
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Star Trek Into Darkness is a 2013 American science fiction action film directed by J. J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof. It is the 12th installment in the Star Trek film franchise, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve, and Peter Weller are also credited in the films principal cast. The film was the last time Nimoy would portray the character of Spock before his death in 2015, set in the 23rd century, Kirk and the crew of USS Enterprise are sent to the Klingon homeworld seeking former Starfleet member-turned-terrorist John Harrison. After the release of Star Trek, Abrams, Burk, Lindelof, Kurtzman, into Darknesss visual effects were primarily created by Industrial Light & Magic. The film was converted to 3D in post-production, the film was released on May 17 in the United States and Canada, opening at IMAX cinemas a day earlier. Into Darkness was a success and received positive reviews from critics. Its gross earnings of over $467 million worldwide made it the highest-grossing entry in the Star Trek franchise, at the 86th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for Best Visual Effects. A sequel, Star Trek Beyond, was released on July 22,2016, in 2259, Captain James T. Admiral Christopher Pike is reinstated as commanding officer with Kirk demoted to the rank of Commander and first officer. Commander Spock is transferred to another ship, shortly after, the Section 31 installation in London is bombed, perpetrated by the renegade Starfleet operative John Harrison. Harrison then attacks Starfleet Headquarters in a jumpship during the meeting about the situation, killing Pike. Kirk disables the jumpship by throwing a rifle one of its engines, but Harrison escapes by transporting to Kronos. Admiral Alexander Marcus reinstates Kirk and Spock to Enterprise with orders to kill Harrison by using a new missile called a Photon torpedo, chief Engineer Montgomery Scott strongly objects to allowing untested missiles on board the ship, but when he is overruled he resigns from his post. Kirk assigns Pavel Chekov to replace Scotty, en route to Kronos, Enterprises warp capabilities mysteriously become disabled. Kirk leads a team with Spock and Uhura onto the planet in a landing craft. Uhura leaves the craft to talk to the Klingons. They instead decide to kill Uhura, but Kirk and the landing party manage to kill the Klingons, after the battle, Harrison comes up to Kirk demanding to know the number of missiles on board the Enterprise and surrenders when Kirk tells him. Dr. Leonard McCoy and Marcuss daughter, Dr. Carol Marcus, inside is a man in cryogenic stasis. Every torpedo aboard Enterprise contains a human in stasis, Khan reveals that Marcus had sabotaged Enterprises warp drive, intending for the Klingons to destroy the ship after it fired on Kronos, creating an act of war by the Klingon Empire
5.
Bedales School
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Bedales School is a co-educational, boarding and day independent school in the village of Steep, near the market town of Petersfield in Hampshire, England. It was founded in 1893 by John Haden Badley in reaction to the limitations of conventional Victorian schools, Bedales is one of the most expensive public schools in the UK. For the school year 2015/2016, boarders fees were £11,230 per term, Bedales is renowned for its liberal ethos, relaxed attitude, fashionable parents and famous alumni. Since 1899 the school has been on an 120-acre estate in the village of Steep, near Petersfield, Hampshire. The school was started in 1893 by John H Badley and Oswald B Powell after they had introduced to each other by Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson. Their wives, Amy Badley and Winifred Powell were a part of the team. A house called Bedales was rented just outside Lindfield, near Haywards Heath, in 1899 Badley and Powell purchased a country estate near Steep and constructed a purpose-built school, including state of the art electric light, which opened in 1900. The site has been developed over the past century, including the relocation of a number of historic vernacular timber frame barns. A preparatory school, Dunhurst, was started in 1902 on Montessori principles, the school was also well known and popular in some Cambridge and Fabian intellectual circles with connections to the Wedgwoods, Darwins, Huxleys, and Trevelyans. Bedales was originally a small and initimate school, the 1900 buildings were designed for 150 pupils, in the first half of the 20th century the progressive movement around Bedales attracted a community of artists, craftsmen and writers to live in Steep. Edward Thomas, a poet killed in World War I –, in the early 1920s Stanley Spencer made a number of drawings and paintings of activities at the school while staying with Muirhead Bone. Other important artistic connections include Edward Barnsley, Ernest Gimson, Ivon Hitchens, Alfred Hoare Powell, Bedales has educated boys and girls together since 1898. They dont want to be self-controlled, but one of the most valuable things that psychology has taught us is the importance of sublimation, and here is our chance. Adolescence is a time when it is natural to be active, the boy and girl see these first in their human counterparts, and if left to themselves will hardly look anywhere else. But it is now that they are ready for the beauty of poetry, music, painting, drawing, and above all the earth around them, children now see erotic films and posters and read erotic books at an age when we had not thought about such things. They hear erotic dance-music, with its imbecile sentimental words, wherever they go, the attitude of a city-bred boy of fourteen to a city-bred girl of fourteen is quite different from what it was ten years ago. The early Bedalian curriculum provided sound coverage of English and modern languages, science and design, while gardening, crafts, drama, academic standards in the early years oscillated through many phases of experimental syllabus. Eleven BACs are offered, Ancient Civilizations, Geography, PRE, English Literature, History, Art, Design, Dance, Classical Music, Theatre Arts, Outdoor Work is a unique aspect of the Bedales curriculum
6.
GCE Advanced Level
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A number of countries, including Singapore, Kenya, Mauritius and Zimbabwe have developed qualifications with the same name as and a similar format to the British A Levels. Obtaining A Level or equivalent qualifications is generally required for university entrance, a Levels are generally worked towards over two years and split into two parts, with one part studied in each year. The first part is known as the Advanced Subsidiary Level, A1 Level or AS Level, the second part is known as the A2 Level and is more in depth and academically rigorous than the A1 Level. Up to June 2009 a third Special/Advanced Extension Award level was available for the brightest candidates, a number of countries use A Levels as a school-leaving qualification. The A Levels taken by students in some countries often differ significantly from the A Levels taken in the United Kingdom, a Levels are the secondary school leaving qualification offered in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. These are not compulsory, unlike GCSEs, in Scotland, A Levels are also offered by selected schools as an alternative school-leaving qualification in place of the Scottish Advanced Higher. The British variant of A/AS levels are taken in many Commonwealth and former Commonwealth countries. British international schools in foreign countries generally offer the British A Levels as offered through Edexcel or Cambridge International Examinations, at select examination centres, the British A Level exams may also be available to private candidates. A-level has become a choice for a number of students in Nepal. A-levels offered in Pakistan by non-governmental, private institutions, along with International Baccalaureate, Examinations are handled by international British boards and the program is equivalent to Higher Secondary School Certificate. Academies are established all around the country which prepare the students to take the examinations as a private candidate, in Brunei, the A Level qualification is offered, with examinations conducted by Cambridge International Examinations. Some subjects are unique to Brunei or have a format, curriculum, in Malaysia, the A Level qualification is offered, with examinations conducted by Cambridge International Examinations. Some subjects are unique to Malaysia or have a format, curriculum, for instance, there are two types of A Level in Malaysia, Cambridge A Level and Edexcel International Advanced Level. A number of papers for offered, such as French, are customised to support the national educational standards. Additionally, International A Level qualifications from Edexcel are available, for which exams may be registered through the Mauritius Examinations Syndicate, in Seychelles, the A Level qualification is offered, with examinations conducted by Cambridge International Examinations. Some subjects are unique to Seychelles or have a format, curriculum, in Sri Lanka, A Level is offered by governmental and non governmental schools. The qualifications are awarded upon completion of examinations called Local A Levels while most of the private schools award them upon London A Levels. Local GCE Advanced Level qualification is offered by the Department of Examinations, passing A Levels is the major requirement for applying local universities
7.
Westminster School
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Westminster School is an English independent day and boarding school located within the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It has the highest Oxford and Cambridge university acceptance rates of any school or college in the world. With origins before the 12th century, the tradition of Westminster probably dates back as far as AD960. Boys are admitted to the Under School at age seven and to the school at age thirteen. The school has around 750 pupils, around a quarter are boarders, most of whom go home at weekends and it is one of the original seven public schools as defined by the Public Schools Act 1868. Charging up to £7,800 per term for day pupils and £11,264 for boarders in 2014/15, Westminster is the 13th most expensive HMC day school and 10th most expensive HMC boarding school in the UK. In 1540, Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries in England, including that of the powerful Abbots of Westminster, the Royal College of St. Peter carried on with forty Kings Scholars financed from the royal purse. By this point Westminster School had certainly become a public school, during Mary Is brief reign the Abbey was reinstated as a Roman Catholic monastery, but the school continued. Elizabeth I refounded the School in 1560, with new statutes to select 40 Queens Scholars from boys who had attended the school for a year. Queen Elizabeth frequently visited her scholars, although she never signed the statutes nor endowed her scholarships, Elizabeth I appointed William Camden as headmaster, and he is the only layman known to have held the position until 1937. Regardless of politics, he thrashed Royalist and Puritan boys alike without fear or favour, Busby also took part in Oliver Cromwells funeral procession in 1658, when Robert Uvedale, a Westminster schoolboy, succeeded in snatching the Majesty Scutcheon draped on the coffin. Busby remained in office throughout the Civil War and the Commonwealth, when the school was governed by Parliamentary Commissioners, and well into the Restoration. In 1679, a group of scholars killed a bailiff, ostensibly in defence of the Abbeys traditional right of sanctuary, dr Busby obtained a royal pardon for his scholars from Charles II and added the cost to the school bills. Until the 19th century, the curriculum was made up of Latin and Greek. After the Public Schools Act 1868, in response to the Clarendon Commission on the financial and other malpractices at nine pre-eminent public schools, the school began to approach its modern form. It was legally separated from the Abbey, although the organisations remain close, there followed a scandalous public and parliamentary dispute lasting a further 25 years, to settle the transfer of the properties from the Canons of the Abbey to the School. School statutes have been made by Order in Council of Queen Elizabeth II, the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford and the Master of Trinity College, Cambridge are ex officio members of the schools governing body. Westminster Under School was formed in 1943 in the school buildings in Westminster
8.
Beverly Hills Playhouse
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The Beverly Hills Playhouse is an acting school with theaters and training facilities in Beverly Hills, California, and also in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City. It is one of the oldest acting schools and theatres in Los Angeles County and it is located at 254 South Robertson Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Veronica Lake, Mamie Van Doren and many other professional actors studied there, in 1954, the Bliss-Hayden Theatre was acquired by Douglas Frank Bank and Jay Manford, and renamed The Beverly Hills Playhouse. This was a showcase for many written by Douglas Bank as well as well-known plays of the time including Jenny Kissed Me, Room Service, The Lawyer, Harvey. Many actors had performed there including Stanley Adams, Anne Baxter, Ken Mayer, Michael Fox and Louella Parsons and they owned the theatre until 1959. In 1978, Milton Katselas, the director and acting teacher. The Beverly Hills Playhouse is one of the citys oldest and most respected, the BHP is one of only a few schools that not only teaches the craft of acting, but also attitude and administration. With regard to acting technique, the BHP uses Katselas approach and it is a down-to-earth training, with vastly reduced emphasis on exercises, and with techniques to create full, believable performances that enlighten and entertain. There has been controversy regarding the BHP and Scientology. Some of the teachers on the staff of the school were Scientologists, by 2007, almost all those involved with the movement left the school. Also, as Katselas was highly respected by countless non-Scientologist actors such as Doris Roberts and John Glover, his reputation remained primarily that of a first rate teacher above all else. The BHP operates out of its headquarters in Beverly Hills, but also has an operation in Los Feliz at the Skylight Theatre, as well as programs in San Francisco. Its current focus under the leadership of Gary Grossman is the development of new plays, a Christmas Held Captive Oppenheimer, Mark. Archived from the original on September 12,2008
9.
English literature
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However, until the early 19th century, it only deals with the literature of the United Kingdom and Ireland. It does not include literature written in the languages of Britain. The English language has developed over the course of more than 1,400 years, the earliest forms of English, a set of Anglo-Frisian dialects brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the fifth century, are called Old English. Middle English began in the late 11th century with the Norman conquest of England, early Modern English began in the late 15th century with the introduction of the printing press to London and the King James Bible as well as the Great Vowel Shift. Through the influence of the British Empire, the English language has spread around the world since the 17th century. 450, after the withdrawal of the Romans, and ending soon after the Norman Conquest in 1066. These works include such as epic poetry, hagiography, sermons, Bible translations, legal works. In all there are about 400 surviving manuscripts from the period, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English, from the 9th century, that chronicle the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The poem Battle of Maldon also deals with history and this is a work of uncertain date, celebrating the Battle of Maldon of 991, at which the Anglo-Saxons failed to prevent a Viking invasion. Oral tradition was strong in early English culture and most literary works were written to be performed. Epic poems were popular, and some, including Beowulf, have survived to the present day. Beowulf is the most famous work in Old English, and has achieved national status in England. The only surviving manuscript is the Nowell Codex, the date of which is debated. Beowulf is the title, and its composition is dated between the 8th and the early 11th century. Cædmon is the earliest English poet whose name is known, and it is also one of the earliest recorded examples of sustained poetry in a Germanic language. The poem, The Dream of the Rood, was inscribed upon the Ruthwell Cross, Two Old English poems from the late 10th century are The Wanderer and The Seafarer. Classical antiquity was not forgotten in Anglo-Saxon England, and several Old English poems are adaptations of late classical philosophical texts, the longest is King Alfreds 9th-century translation of Boethius Consolation of Philosophy. After the Norman conquest of England in 1066, the form of the Anglo-Saxon language became less common. Under the influence of the new aristocracy, French became the language of courts, parliament
10.
St Catherine's College, Oxford
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St Catherines College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its motto is Nova et Vetera, which translates as, the new, the college was founded by the historian Alan Bullock, who went on to become the first master of the college, and later Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. As of 2006, the college had a financial endowment of £53m. The college traces its descent from the Delegacy of Non-Collegiate Students, nonetheless, the social role of a college was re-established by the Delegacys students, meeting as St Catherines Club, which was named after its meeting place in a hall on Catte Street. The club was recognised by the University in 1931 as St Catherines Society. It was thus developing the characteristics of a college, and in 1956 the Delegates decided to formalise this change in status, by 1960 Sir Alan Bullock raised a further £1,000,000 with invaluable assistance from two industrial notables, Sir Alan Wilson and Sir Hugh Beaver. After a total cost of £2.5 million, the college opened in 1962 to male students, in 1974 St Catz was one of the first mens colleges to admit women as full members, the others being Brasenose, Jesus College, Hertford and Wadham. The college is situated towards the east of Oxford, on the bank of the Cherwell river and its striking buildings in glass and concrete by the Danish architect Arne Jacobsen marry modern materials with a traditional layout around a quadrangle. Jacobsens designs went further than just the fabric of the buildings, with cutlery, furniture, the dining hall is notable for its Cumberland slate floor. The original college buildings received a Grade I listing on 30 March 1993, the St Catherines Christmas carol concert has since been held in Harris Manchester Colleges chapel. The college has a bell tower however, it is visible since no college building is more than three storeys high. An extra floor was planned for most accommodation blocks, but due to regulations concerning safe building on marshland. There are also additional purpose-built conference facilities with lecture theatres, meeting rooms and bar, the dining hall, which seats 350 diners, has the largest capacity of any Oxford college. The majority of St Catherines buildings are in the form of staircases that open directly onto the quad outside, there is little indoor space in the college and St Catherines favours a minimalist, rather austere environment, though still comfortable. Student rooms are light and spacious, notable for their curtain wall glazing, prior to this, all undergraduates had the experience of living off-campus for their second year. These new staircases effectively form a quad, which is largely used to provide accommodation for conferences during the breaks between academic terms. The college celebrates its patron saint each year with a special Catz Night dinner, every three years the college also holds a ball, usually off site due to the problem of securing the colleges perimeter sufficiently for insurance purposes. The most recent off-site ball was held was 9 February 2008 at Heythrop Park, on 12 February 2011, the latest incarnation of the Catz Ball was held on-site
11.
The Importance of Being Earnest
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The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St Jamess Theatre in London and its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wildes most enduringly popular play. The successful opening night marked the climax of Wildes career but also heralded his downfall, the Marquess of Queensberry, whose son Lord Alfred Douglas was Wildes lover, planned to present the writer with a bouquet of rotten vegetables and disrupt the show. Wilde was tipped off and Queensberry was refused admission, soon afterwards their feud came to a climax in court, where Wildes homosexual double life was revealed to the Victorian public and he was eventually sentenced to imprisonment. His notoriety caused the play, despite its success, to be closed after 86 performances. After his release, he published the play from exile in Paris, the Importance of Being Earnest has been revived many times since its premiere. It has been adapted for the cinema on three occasions, after the success of Wildes plays Lady Windermeres Fan and A Woman of No Importance, Wildes producers urged him to write further plays. In July 1894 he mooted his idea for The Importance of Being Earnest to George Alexander, Wilde spent the summer with his family at Worthing, where he wrote the play quickly in August. His fame now at its peak, he used the working title Lady Lancing to avoid pre-emptive speculation of its content. Many names and ideas in the play were borrowed from people or places the author had known, Lady Queensberry, Lord Alfred Douglass mother, for example, lived at Bracknell. Wilde continually revised the text over the months, no line was left untouched. In revising as he did, Wilde transformed standard nonsense into the more systemic, richard Ellmann argues that Wilde had reached his artistic maturity and wrote this work more surely and rapidly than before. When Henry Jamess Guy Domville failed, Alexander turned to Wilde, Alexander began his usual meticulous preparations, interrogating the author on each line and planning stage movements with a toy theatre. In the course of these rehearsals Alexander asked Wilde to shorten the play from four acts to three, Wilde agreed and combined elements of the second and third acts. The largest cut was the removal of the character of Mr. Gribsby, Algernon, who is posing as Ernest, will be led away to Holloway Jail unless he settles his accounts immediately. Jack finally agrees to pay for Ernest, everyone thinking that it is Algernons bill when in fact it is his own, the four-act version was first played on the radio in a BBC production and is still sometimes performed. Peter Raby argues that the structure is more effective. The play was first produced at the St Jamess Theatre on Valentines Day 1895 and it was freezing cold but Wilde arrived dressed in florid sobriety, wearing a green carnation
12.
Animal Crackers (musical)
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Animal Crackers is a musical with music and lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby and a book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. The musical starred the Marx Brothers, Animal Crackers opened on Broadway on October 23,1928 at the 44th Street Theatre, and closed April 6,1929, running for 191 performances. The musical was produced by Sam H. Harris, staged by Oscar Eagle, hermes Pan appeared as a chorus boy. The musical was filmed in 1930 with most of the principal leads repeating their roles from the stage production, the musical was revived in 1982 at the Arena Stage, Washington, D. C. directed by Douglas C. Wager and choreographed by Baayork Lee and it was also revived in 1992 by Goodspeed Musicals, Connecticut and in 1993 at the Paper Mill Playhouse, New Jersey. It was produced in the U. K. by the Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre and it was then revived at that theatre’s Swan Street Studio from 12 March to the 14th April 1998. Starring were Ben Keaton, Toby Sedgwick, Joseph Alessi, Animal Crackers was produced to open the 2009-2010 season at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, opening September 18,2009, and closing on November 1. The revival starred Joey Slotnick, Molly Brennan, Jonathan Brody, in addition, with a cast of only nine, several of the roles were doubled up by actors. Animal Crackers also ran from May 6,2011 to June 4,2011 at The Lyric Stage Company of Boston, Animal Crackers opened the 2013 season at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, running from June 26,2013 to July 13,2013. After The Cocoanuts ran for almost three years at the Lyric Theatre, the anarchic Animal Crackers became the third and last Broadway show for the Marx Brothers and it would be their last stage show, after which they focused on film. Vaudevilles heyday was finishing, as talking movies were beginning to become popular, while the Marx Brothers performed in Animal Crackers in the evenings, they were busy during the day filming The Cocoanuts at Paramounts Astoria Studios in Astoria, Queens. Three Little Words † ‡ Oh By Jingo, **Character not in the film adaptation
13.
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
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The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the worlds largest arts festival, which in 2016, spanned 25 days and featured 50,266 performances of 3,269 shows in 294 venues. Established in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival, it takes place annually in Edinburgh, Scotlands capital and it is an open access performing arts festival, meaning there is no selection committee, and anyone may participate, with any type of performance. The Fringe has often showcased experimental, challenging or controversial works that might not be invited to a more conservative arts festival, the Fringe board of directors is drawn from members of the Festival Fringe Society, who are often Fringe participants themselves – performers or administrators. Elections are held once a year, in August, and Board members serve a term of four years, the Board appoints the Fringe Chief Executive, who is currently Shona McCarthy and assumed the role in March 2016. The Chief Executive operates under the chair, currently Professor Sir Timothy OShea, the Fringe started life when eight theatre companies turned up uninvited to the inaugural Edinburgh International Festival in 1947. With the official festival using the major venues, these companies took over smaller. Seven performed in Edinburgh, and one undertook a version of the morality play Everyman in Dunfermline Abbey, about 20 miles north. These groups aimed to take advantage of the large assembled theatre crowds to showcase their own alternative theatre, although at the time it was not recognised as such, this was the first Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This meant that two defining features of the future Fringe were established at the very beginning – the lack of invitations to perform. I am afraid some of us are not going to be at home during the evenings. The word fringe had in fact used in a review of Everyman in 1947. Late night revues, which would become a feature of Fringes, the first one was the New Drama Groups After The Show, a series of sketches taking place after Donald Pleasences Ebb Tide, in 1952. Among the talent to appear in early Fringe revues were Ned Sherrin in 1955, due to many reviewers only being able to attend Fringe events late night after the official festival was finished, the Fringe came to be seen as being about revues. It was a few years before an official programme for the Fringe was created. John Menzies compiled a list of shows under the title Other Events in their omnibus festival brochure and this was funded by participating companies and was entitled Additional Entertainments, since the name Fringe was still not yet in regular usage. It also used a strange cover motif, a first attempt was made to provide a central booking service in 1955 by students from the university, although it lost money, which was blamed on those who had not taken part. Formal organisation progressed in 1959, with the formation of the Festival Fringe Society, the push for such an organisation was led by Michael Imison, director of Oxford Theatre Group. A constitution was drawn up, in which the policy of not vetting or censoring shows was set out, nineteen companies participated in the Fringe in that year
14.
BBC
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The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. It is headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, the BBC is the worlds oldest national broadcasting organisation and the largest broadcaster in the world by number of employees. It employs over 20,950 staff in total,16,672 of whom are in public sector broadcasting, the total number of staff is 35,402 when part-time, flexible, and fixed contract staff are included. The BBC is established under a Royal Charter and operates under its Agreement with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The fee is set by the British Government, agreed by Parliament, and used to fund the BBCs radio, TV, britains first live public broadcast from the Marconi factory in Chelmsford took place in June 1920. It was sponsored by the Daily Mails Lord Northcliffe and featured the famous Australian Soprano Dame Nellie Melba, the Melba broadcast caught the peoples imagination and marked a turning point in the British publics attitude to radio. However, this public enthusiasm was not shared in official circles where such broadcasts were held to interfere with important military and civil communications. By late 1920, pressure from these quarters and uneasiness among the staff of the licensing authority, the General Post Office, was sufficient to lead to a ban on further Chelmsford broadcasts. But by 1922, the GPO had received nearly 100 broadcast licence requests, John Reith, a Scottish Calvinist, was appointed its General Manager in December 1922 a few weeks after the company made its first official broadcast. The company was to be financed by a royalty on the sale of BBC wireless receiving sets from approved manufacturers, to this day, the BBC aims to follow the Reithian directive to inform, educate and entertain. The financial arrangements soon proved inadequate, set sales were disappointing as amateurs made their own receivers and listeners bought rival unlicensed sets. By mid-1923, discussions between the GPO and the BBC had become deadlocked and the Postmaster-General commissioned a review of broadcasting by the Sykes Committee and this was to be followed by a simple 10 shillings licence fee with no royalty once the wireless manufactures protection expired. The BBCs broadcasting monopoly was made explicit for the duration of its current broadcast licence, the BBC was also banned from presenting news bulletins before 19.00, and required to source all news from external wire services. Mid-1925 found the future of broadcasting under further consideration, this time by the Crawford committee, by now the BBC under Reiths leadership had forged a consensus favouring a continuation of the unified broadcasting service, but more money was still required to finance rapid expansion. Wireless manufacturers were anxious to exit the loss making consortium with Reith keen that the BBC be seen as a service rather than a commercial enterprise. The recommendations of the Crawford Committee were published in March the following year and were still under consideration by the GPO when the 1926 general strike broke out in May. The strike temporarily interrupted newspaper production and with restrictions on news bulletins waived the BBC suddenly became the source of news for the duration of the crisis. The crisis placed the BBC in a delicate position, the Government was divided on how to handle the BBC but ended up trusting Reith, whose opposition to the strike mirrored the PMs own
15.
The Rotters' Club (novel)
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The Rotters Club is a 2001 novel by British author Jonathan Coe, set in Birmingham during the 1970s, and inspired by the authors experiences at King Edwards School, Birmingham. The title is taken from the album The Rotters Club by experimental rock band Hatfield, in 2004 the book was followed by a sequel, The Closed Circle. The book appears to hold the record for the longest sentence in English literature and it contains a sentence of 13,955 words. The Rotters Club was inspired by Bohumil Hrabals Dancing Lessons for the Advanced in Age, three teenage friends grow up in 1970s Britain watching their lives change as their world gets involved with IRA bombs, progressive and punk rock, girls and political strikes. Ben Trotter, A romantic musician and writer who has fallen for Cicely Boyd, Philip Chase, Best friend of Ben. He is heavily into progressive rock and attempts to form a band named Gandalfs Pikestaff, Doug Anderton, A passionate writer and opinionated young man, Doug attempts to transfer the socialist values of his father Bill to his mostly middle-class school. Claire Newman, Closest female friend of Benjamin, Philip and Doug, and she has bitter feelings about religion due to the Christianity forced upon her and her sister by their ill-tempered father. Colin Trotter, In middle management at British Leylands Longbridge plant and he interacts obliquely with Derek Robinson or Red Robbo as he was dubbed by the media. Lois Trotter, Paul and Bens sister and she attends the adjoining girls school. Malcolm, Amiable guitarist and self-professed Hairy Guy Malcolm is Loiss boyfriend, Bill Anderton, Shop steward at the Longbridge factory and an active Union man, he begins an affair with one of his colleagues, Miriam. Irene Anderton, Bills wife and Dougs mother, Miriam Newman, The attractive secretary at the Longbridge factory. Sam Chase, Philips dad, who works as a bus driver, friend of Ben, Philip, barbara Chase, Wife of Sam and mother of Philip, she begins an affair with Miles Plumb, her sons art teacher. Miles Plumb, The flamboyant art teacher at King Williams, the school the teenagers attend, Cicely Boyd, The most beautiful girl at the adjoining girls school. She is the object of many of the affections, particularly Ben Trotters. Harding is viewed as a practical joker and he writes letters to the school newspaper, The Billboard, under the pseudonym Arthur Pusey-Hamilton. In 2003, a four-part BBC Radio 4 adaptation written by Simon Littlefield was broadcast with David Tennant playing the part of Bill Anderton, the UK indie band Neils Children featured as the band playing at the live concert in the programme. The song used was one of their own, after the band turning down the song supplied by the director of the show. A sequel to the book, titled The Closed Circle, which picked up the lives at the very end of the 1990s, was published in 2004
16.
Agatha Christie's Poirot
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Agatha Christies Poirot is a British mystery drama television series that aired on ITV from 8 January 1989 to 13 November 2013. David Suchet stars as the detective, Agatha Christies fictional Hercule Poirot. Initially produced by LWT, the series was produced by ITV Studios. In the United States, PBS and A&E have aired it as Poirot, clive Exton in partnership with producer Brian Eastman adapted the pilot. Together, they wrote and produced the first eight series, Exton and Eastman left Poirot after 2001, when they began work on Rosemary & Thyme. Michele Buck and Damien Timmer, who went on to form Mammoth Screen, were behind the revamping of the series. The episodes aired from 2003 featured a shift in tone from the previous series. The humour of the series was downplayed with each episode being presented as serious drama. Recurrent motifs in the additions included drug use, sex, abortion, homosexuality, story changes were often made to present female characters in a more sympathetic or heroic light, at odds with Christies characteristic gender neutrality. However, a more upbeat string arrangement of the music is used for the end credits of Halloween Party, The Clocks. In flashback scenes, later also made extensive use of fisheye lens, distorted colors. Series 9–12 lack Hugh Fraser, Phillip Jackson and Pauline Moran, the introduction of Wanamaker and Yellands characters and the absence of the other characters is generally consistent with the stories on which the scripts were based. Hugh Fraser and David Yelland returned for two episodes of the series, with Phillip Jackson and Pauline Moran returning for the adaptation of The Big Four. Zoe Wanamaker also returned for the adaptations of Elephants Can Remember, anthony Horowitz was another prolific writer for the series, adapting three novels and nine short stories, while Nick Dear adapted six novels. Comedian and novelist Mark Gatiss has written three episodes and also guest-starred in the series, as have Peter Flannery and Kevin Elyot. Ian Hallard, who co-wrote the screenplay for The Big Four with his partner Mark Gatiss, appears in the episode and also Halloween Party, florin Court in Charterhouse Square, London, was used as Poirots fictional London residence, Whitehaven Mansions. The final episode to be filmed was Dead Mans Folly in June 2013 on the Greenway Estate broadcast on 30 October 2013, Suchet was recommended for the part by Christies family, who had seen him appear as Blott in the TV adaptation of Tom Sharpes Blott on the Landscape. Suchet, an actor, said that he prepared for the part by reading all the Poirot novels and every short story
17.
Hawking (2004 film)
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It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Hawking and premiered in the UK in April 2004. The film received acclaim, with critics particularly lauding Cumberbatchs performance as Hawking and it was nominated for Best Single Drama in the BAFTA TV Awards in 2005. Cumberbatch won the Golden Nymph for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Film or Miniseries, Cumberbatchs portrayal of Hawking was the first ever portrayal of the physicist on screen. At Stephen Hawkings 21st birthday party he meets a new friend, a stay in hospital results in a horrifying diagnosis. Stephen is suffering from motor neurone disease and doctors dont expect him to survive for more than two years, Stephen returns to Cambridge where the new term has started without him. But he cannot hide from the reality of his condition through work because he cant find a subject for his PhD, while his colleagues throw themselves into academic and college life, Stephens life seems to have been put on hold. He rejects the help of his supervisor Dennis Sciama and sinks into a depression and it is only Stephens occasional meetings with Jane and her faith in him that seem to keep him afloat. Stephen gets a glimpse of a paper by Hoyle that is to be presented at a Royal Society lecture. He works through the calculations, identifies a mistake, and publicly confronts Hoyle after the man has finished speaking. The row causes a stir in the department but, more importantly, at almost the same time Stephen is introduced to a new way of thinking about his subject by another physicist, Roger Penrose. Penroses great passion is the fate of dying stars, when a star comes to the end of its life, it begins to collapse in on itself. The collapse of the star appears to continue indefinitely, until the star is infinitely dense. And at the heart of black hole, Penrose shows, is something scientists call a singularity. It is this which leads Stephen to his PhD subject, Sciama is sceptical but supportive – glad to see his student fired up and ready to work. Meanwhile, Stephens condition continues to decline, he writes and walks with difficulty, but he now has a focus for his energies and, with the support of Jane, enters a new phase. He also commits to his relationship with her, asking her to marry him, with his mind fired up, Stephen begins to work away at the implications of Penroses discovery and starts to home in on the idea of a singularity. With remarkable insight – a real Eureka moment – he asks himself, instead of something collapsing into nothingness, what if nothingness exploded into something. And what if you applied this not to a star but to the whole universe, answer, the universe really could have originated in a big bang
18.
Stage Beauty
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Stage Beauty is a 2004 British-American-German romantic period drama directed by Richard Eyre. Ned Kynaston is one of the actors of his day, particularly famous for his portrayal of female characters. His loyal dresser, Maria, aspires to perform in the theatre but is forbidden because of a law enacted by the Puritans prior to the restoration of the House of Stuart. Instead, she appears in productions at a tavern under the pseudonym Margaret Hughes. Her activity aided by the novelty of a woman acting in public, which attracts the attention of Sir Charles Sedley, eventually she is presented to King Charles II. Nell Gwynn, an actress and Charles IIs mistress, comes upon Kynaston ranting rabidly about women on stage. Called upon for a performance, Maria panics and her friends implore Kynaston for coaching during which she coaches him to develop his ability to regain a theatrical career in male roles. He agrees with the proviso that he replace the company head Thomas Betterton in the role of the titular protagonist, Maria evolves as an acclaimed theatrical star. Nell Gwynne is represented as a mistress of the King who subsequently becomes an actress, the sequence in which Maria and Kynaston discover naturalistic acting is anachronistic, as naturalism was not developed until the 19th century. Interiors were filmed at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, the Costumes were designed by Tim Hatley. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in May 2004 prior to its release in the UK. It was shown at the Deauville Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, in his review in the New York Times, A. O. Scott said, At times, the movie feels like a version of A Star Is Born. Mr. Stage Beauty is both timorous and ungainly, words that also describe Ms. Daness performance. Trapped in an English accent and in a character who must appear conniving and warmhearted in turn, the British actors in smaller roles handle the material better. George Fentons Sunday-brunch score, on the hand, is an indigestible dose of good taste ladled heavily over even the films witty. David Rooney of Variety called the film an intelligent and entertaining adaptation, in a delicately measured performance that favors graceful subtlety over campy mannerism, Crudup conveys a nuanced sense of a man struggling to know himself. Put in the position of playing second fiddle to her male co-star in terms of feminine allure
19.
Starter for 10 (film)
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Starter for 10 is a 2006 British comedy-drama film directed by Tom Vaughan from a screenplay by David Nicholls, adapted from his own novel Starter for Ten. The film stars James McAvoy as a university student who wins a place on a University Challenge quiz team. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2006, and was released in the UK and Ireland on 10 November 2006, and in Canada, in 1985, Brian Jackson is a first-year university student and information sponge. Since his working-class childhood in Southend-on-Sea, Brian has loved the TV quiz show University Challenge, soon after arriving at Bristol University, Brian attends a party where he meets the politically conscious Rebecca, with whom he seems to have an instant connection. Brian attempts to join their University Challenge team but narrowly fails to secure a spot when he helps another potential candidate, Alice, Brian falls for the glamorous Alice and tries to date her, despite her multiple signals that she only sees him as a platonic friend. As the term starts, Brian is invited to join the University Challenge team after one of the members falls ill. The captain of the team, Patrick Watts, is a stuck-up post-grad who has managed to remain team captain despite never having achieved success on University Challenge, unfortunately, Brian embarrasses himself in front of her family by getting stoned while trying to impress Alice. He returns to Bristol to spend the rest of the vacation and they once more hit it off, but as they are hooking up, he inadvertently calls her Alice, offending her and ruining the moment. Following his romantic failures, he talks with Spencer, his friend from Southend, Brian invites him to a party before he has to face the judge. During the party, Patrick insults Spencers upbringing and belittles him in front of the rest of the partygoers, in retaliation, Spencer hits Patrick in the face and disrupts the event. In the aftermath, Brian shares a drink with Rebecca and tries to apologise for his behaviour, however, Rebecca still feels that Brian is in love with Alice and encourages him to follow his heart and tell her how he feels. He takes her advice and arrives at Alices flat to declare his love, excited by his violent behaviour at the party, she had invited him back to her place. Brian feels betrayed by both Alice and Spencer, especially since he had told his friend how he had felt about her, Brian falls into a depression and struggles with not only concentrating during University Challenge practices, but also with his studies, threatening his university place. Patrick becomes increasingly frustrated with Brian, and just as they arrive for their University Challenge match, Brian headbutts Patrick in response, but only ends up knocking himself unconscious. He is revived backstage by Rebecca who has come to watch the show, however, as he is being brought back to his team, Brian is briefly left with an open envelope containing the quiz questions. He reads one of the cards before putting it back in the envelope, the match starts off poorly, with nerves clearly getting to Patrick as he fails to answer several questions and puts the team in a hole. Brian slowly but surely digs them out of it, getting into his swing as he answers question after question, realising that Brian has seen the cards, Gascoigne suspends the match and Brians team is disqualified. Brian returns home and falls back into depression, sleeping all day
20.
Big Nothing
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Big Nothing is a 2006 British-American-French black comedy crime film directed by Jean-Baptiste Andrea starring David Schwimmer and Simon Pegg. It was released in December 2006, and had its premiere at Cardiff Film Festival in November 2006, Big Nothing was filmed on the Isle of Man and in Wales at Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan and at Caerwent and other areas of Monmouthshire. Other scenes were at Squamish, British Columbia, Canada, the film is set in a small Oregon town, where a brutal serial killer nicknamed the Oregon undertaker has been murdering and mutilating young women. Charlie is an ex-teacher turned disaffected call center employee who is fired on his first day, Gus plans on extorting money from Reverend Smalls, with the intention of publicly exposing his secret shame should he refuse to pay. The normally cautious Charlie reluctantly agrees to play a part in the scam, a teenage pageant queen Josie McBroom, Guss scheming one-night stand, forces herself into the scheme. Josie convinces Charlie and Gus that she should make the call to Smalls on the grounds that if either of them called, the plan goes into action, and Gus goes to Smalls house where he is surprised by the Reverend wielding a gun. From outside the two shots are heard. Charlie runs away and goes to Smalls house, where he finds the Reverend dead, scared, he drags the body outside, and dumps him into a nearby septic tank. He goes back inside the house, tries to call Josie and he then finds Gus and learns that the Reverend shot Gus in the leg, explaining the blood near the corpse. After the first shot, Gus hit the Reverend over the head with a vase, leaving him alive, Gus and Charlie leave the house to escape the scene of the crime, but Charlie remembers that he left Josies card inside. They go back and get it, but in the process Gus stumbles upon a hidden DVD collection of the Reverend and they put one in, and find a video of the Reverend killing and torturing a young girl. They try to flee the house, but are met by a deputy police officer outside the door. The policeman explains that the Reverend was found dead, with three holes in his head. Charlie lets in the policeman, who notices some blood on the floor, Charlie, in the kitchen, grabs a knife and cuts himself, and then goes back to the policeman to explain that he cut himself on a vase. Right before leaving, the policeman decides to see what Charlie had been watching and he presses play, and watches the beginning of a childrens movie Gus had secretly switched in. Satisfied, he leaves the house, but finds marks in the ground look like someone had been dragged. Charlie follows the policeman to the end of the drag marks, as Charlie is about to open it, Gus smashes a vase against the head of the deputy, who is promptly dragged inside. Inside, Charlie panics about the murder of the Reverend and the kidnapping of a policeman and leaves, where he is met by the Reverends wife who has a gun pointed at Charlie
21.
Simon Pegg
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Simon John Pegg is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. He co-wrote and starred in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy of films, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and he and Nick Frost wrote and starred in the sci-fi film Paul. Pegg portrayed Benji Dunn in the Mission, Impossible film series and Montgomery Scott in Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, and Star Trek Beyond, co-writing the latter. Pegg was born and raised in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, the son of Gillian Rosemary, a civil servant, and John Henry Beckingham. His parents divorced when he was seven and he took the surname of his stepfather after his mother remarried, Pegg attended Castle Hill Primary School, Brockworth Comprehensive Secondary School, and The Kings School, Gloucester. Pegg moved to Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire when he was 16 and studied English Literature and Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon College. He graduated from the University of Bristol in 1991 with a BA in Theatre, Film, while there, he performed as a member of a comedy troupe called David Icke and the Orphans of Jesus, alongside David Walliams, Dominik Diamond, and Jason Bradbury. Peggs early appearances in TV series and films include Asylum, Six Pairs of Pants, Faith in the Future, Big Train, between 1998 and 2004, Pegg was regularly featured on BBC Radio 4s The 99p Challenge. He played various roles during the tour of Steve Coogans 1998 live stage show The Man Who Thinks Hes It, in 1999, he created and co-wrote the Channel 4 sitcom Spaced with Jessica Stevenson. The series was directed by Edgar Wright, with whom Pegg and Stevenson had previously worked on Asylum, for his performance in this series, Pegg was nominated for a British Comedy Award as Best Male Comedy Newcomer. At George A. Romeros invitation, Pegg and Wright made cameo appearances in Romeros zombie film, in 2004, Pegg starred in a spin-off of the television show Danger. 50,000 Zombies. in which he played a hunter named Dr. Fell. He played mutant bounty hunter Johnny Alpha, the Strontium Dog and he also narrated the first series of the making-of documentary series Doctor Who Confidential. When the film Mission, Impossible III was subsequently made, Pegg appeared in it as Benji Dunn and he reprised the role of Benji Dunn in the 2011 film Mission, Impossible – Ghost Protocol and the 2015 film Mission, Impossible – Rogue Nation. In 2006, he played Gus in Big Nothing alongside David Schwimmer, the same year, Pegg and Wright completed their second film, Hot Fuzz, released in February 2007. In 2007, Pegg starred in The Good Night and Run Fatboy Run directed by David Schwimmer and co-starring Thandie Newton, in 2008, he wrote the dialogue for an English language re-release of the cult 2006 animated Norwegian film, Free Jimmy. Pegg received screenwriting credit for this, and Pegg also voiced one of the characters in the English-language version. Pegg co-wrote the script for a film called Paul, about two men who encounter a comedic extraterrestrial alien during a road trip across the US
22.
Backpacking (travel)
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Backpacking is a form of low-cost, independent travel. Backpacking may include wilderness adventures, local travel and travel to nearby countries while working from the country in which they are based, the definition of a backpacker has evolved as travellers from different cultures and regions participate. A2007 paper said backpackers constituted a group with respect to the diversity of rationales. They also displayed a commitment to a non-institutionalised form of travel. Backpacking as a lifestyle and as a business has grown considerably in the 2000s as a result of low-cost airlines, seventeenth-century Italian adventurer Giovanni Francesco Gemelli Careri has been suggested as one of the worlds first backpackers. Some backpackers follow the trail today. Technological developments and improvements have contributed to changes in backpacking, traditionally, backpackers did not travel with expensive electronic equipment like laptop computers, digital cameras and PDAs because of concerns about theft, damage and additional luggage weight. However, the desire to stay connected, coupled with breakthroughs in lightweight electronics, has given rise to a trend that has been termed flashpacking, of importance to some backpackers is a sense of authenticity. Backpacking is perceived as being more than a holiday, but a means of education, backpackers want to experience the real destination rather than the packaged version often associated with mass tourism, which has led to the assertion that backpackers are anti-tourist. For many young people in Northern Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Israel, in Canada, it is quite common for gap-year students to visit Europe. Backpackers are less commonly from China, India, the United States, Japan and South Korea, particularly taking into account their large populations. But it is gradually becoming more popular among affluent people from those countries. Backpacking trips were undertaken either in a gap year between high school and university, or between the latter and the commencement of work. However the average age of backpackers has gradually increased over time, Backpacking has been criticised, with some criticism dating back to travellers behaviour along the Hippie Trail. For example, the host countries and other travellers may disagree with the actions of backpackers, however, the perception of backpackers seems to have improved as backpacking has become more mainstream. Resources provide information about topics as the language, culture, food and history, provide listings of accommodation and places to eat. Digital format guidebooks are becoming popular, especially since the advent of smart phones and lightweight netbooks. Adventure travel Grand Tour Hostelling International Walking tour Travel pack Backpacking at DMOZ
23.
Tom Stoppard
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Sir Tom Stoppard OM CBE FRSL is a Czech-born British playwright and screenwriter, knighted in 1997. He co-wrote the screenplays for Brazil, The Russia House, and Shakespeare in Love, themes of human rights, censorship and political freedom pervade his work along with exploration of linguistics and philosophy. Stoppard has been a key playwright of the National Theatre and is one of the most internationally performed dramatists of his generation, in 2008 The Daily Telegraph ranked him number 11 in their list of the 100 most powerful people in British culture. Born in Czechoslovakia, Stoppard left as a refugee, fleeing imminent Nazi occupation. He settled with his family in Britain after the war, in 1946, after being educated at schools in Nottingham and Yorkshire, Stoppard became a journalist, a drama critic and then, in 1960, a playwright. He has been married three times, to Josie Ingle, then Miriam Stoppard, and Sabrina Guinness, Stoppard was born Tomáš Straussler, in Zlín, a shoe town, in the Moravia region of Czechoslovakia. He was the son of Martha Becková and Eugen Straussler, a doctor with the Bata shoe company, both of his parents were non-observant Jews, part of a long-established community. Just before the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, the patron, Jan Antonín Baťa, helped re-post his Jewish employees, mostly physicians. On 15 March 1939, the day that the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia, before the Japanese occupation of Singapore, the two sons and their mother were sent on to Australia. Stoppards father remained in Singapore as a British army volunteer, knowing that, as a doctor and his father died when Stoppard was four years old. From there, in 1941, when Tomas was five, the three were evacuated to Darjeeling in India, the boys attended Mount Hermon School, an American multi-racial school, where Tomas became Tom and his brother Petr became Peter. In 1945, his mother Martha married British army major Kenneth Stoppard, setting up Stoppards desire as a child to become an honorary Englishman. I fairly often find Im with people who forget I dont quite belong in the world were in, he says. I find I put a foot wrong – it could be pronunciation, a bit of English history – and suddenly Im there naked, as someone with a pass. This is reflected in his characters, he notes, who are constantly being addressed by the name, with jokes. Stoppard attended the Dolphin School in Nottinghamshire, and later completed his education at Pocklington School in East Riding, Yorkshire, which he hated. Stoppard left school at seventeen and began work as a journalist for the Western Daily Press in Bristol, never receiving a university education, having taken against the idea. Years later he came to not going to university, but at the time he loved his work as a journalist
24.
Royal Court Theatre
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The Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre, in 1956 it was acquired by and is home to a resident company, the English Stage Company. The first theatre on Lower George Street, off Sloane Square, was the converted Nonconformist Ranelagh Chapel, marie Litton became its manager in 1871, hiring Walter Emden to remodel the interior, and it was renamed the Court Theatre. By 1878, management of the theatre was shared by John Hare, further alterations were made in 1882 by Alexander Peebles, after which its capacity was 728. After that, Arthur Cecil was co-manager of the theatre with John Clayton, among other works, they produced a series of Arthur Wing Pineros farces, including The Rector, The Magistrate, The Schoolmistress, and Dandy Dick, among others. The theatre closed on 22 July 1887 and was demolished, the present building was built on the east side of Sloane Square, replacing the earlier building, and opened on 24 September 1888 as the New Court Theatre. Designed by Walter Emden and Bertie Crewe, it is constructed of red brick, moulded brick. Originally the theatre had a capacity of 841 in the stalls, dress circle, amphitheatre, Cecil and Clayton yielded management of the theatre to Mrs. John Wood and Arthur Chudleigh in 1887, although Cecil continued acting in their company until 1895. The first production in the new building was a play by Sydney Grundy titled Mamma, starring Mrs. John Wood and John Hare, with Arthur Cecil and Eric Lewis. Harley Granville-Barker managed the theatre for the first few years of the 20th century and it ceased to be used as a theatre in 1932 but was used as a cinema from 1935 to 1940, until World War II bomb damage closed it. The interior was reconstructed by Robert Cromie, and the number of seats was reduced to under 500, George Devine was appointed artistic director at the suggestion of Oscar Lewenstein, one of the other two co-founders of the English Stage Company. The ESC opened at the Royal Court in 1956 as a subsidised theatre producing new British and foreign plays, Devine aimed to create a writers theatre, seeking to discover new writers and produce serious contemporary works. Devine produced the new companys production in 1956, John Osbornes Look Back in Anger. Osborne followed Look Back In Anger with The Entertainer, with Laurence Olivier in the lead as Archie Rice, significantly, although it was quickly reversed, the artistic board of the ESC initially rejected the play. Two members of the board were in agreement in opposing The Entertainer, in the mid-1960s, the ESC became involved in issues of censorship. The succès de scandale of the two helped to bring about the abolition of theatre censorship in the UK. During the period of Devines directorship, besides Osborne and Bond, early seasons included new international plays by Bertolt Brecht, Eugène Ionesco, Samuel Beckett, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Marguerite Duras. In addition to the 400-seat proscenium arch Theatre Downstairs, the smaller studio Theatre Upstairs was opened in 1969
25.
Cyrano de Bergerac
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Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the literature of the first half of the seventeenth century. Today he is best known as the inspiration for Edmond Rostands most noted drama Cyrano de Bergerac which, although it includes elements of his life, also contains invention and myth. Since the 1970s, there has been a resurgence in the study of Cyrano, demonstrated in the abundance of theses, essays, articles and biographies published in France, Cyranos short life is poorly documented. His paternal grandfather, Savinien I de Cyrano, was born into a notable family from Sens in Burgundy. Documents describe him in turn as a merchant and burgher of Paris, fish merchant to the King in several documents in following years. In Paris, on 9 April 1551, he married Anne Le Maire, daughter of Estienne Le Maire and Perrette Cardon and they are known to have had four children, Abel, Samuel, Pierre and Anne. Of his maternal grandfather, Estienne Bellanger, Financial Controller of the Parisian general revenue, Espérance Bellanger and Abel I de Cyrano were married on 3 September 1612 at the church of St-Gervais-et-St-Protais. She was at least twenty-six years old, he was about forty-five, in 1911 Jean Lemoine made known the inventory of Abel de Cyranos worldly goods. On the religious side, one notices the presence of two Bibles, of an Italian New Testament and the Prayers of St. Basil in Greek, but no pious works. Espérance and Abel I had at least six children, Denis, baptised at the church of Saint-Eustache on 31 March 1614 by Anne Le Maire, his grandmother, and Denis Feydeau, financier. Died at an age, Honoré, baptized at Saint-Eustache on 3 July 1617 by Honoré Barentin, trésorier des parties casuelles. Thus Espérance Bellanger was thirty-three years old, Abel de Cyrano around fifty-two, the surname Fanny appears nowhere in the very complete study of La Chambre des comptes de Paris published by Count H. Coustant dYanville in 1875. In 1898, Viscount Oscar de Poli suggested that it must have been a transcription error and his wife, Catherine Vigor, associate of Vincent de Paul, would become President of the Confrérie de la Charité de Gentilly where the couple set up a mission in 1634. She could well be the godmother of Catherine de Cyrano and it was in this rustic setting that the child grew up and in the neighbouring parish he learnt to read and write. It is unknown at what age Savinien arrived in Paris and he may have been accommodated by his uncle Samuel de Cyrano in a large family residence in the Rue des Prouvaires, where his parents had lived up until 1618. In this theory, it was there that he was introduced to his cousin Pierre, with whom, according to Le Bret and he continued his secondary studies at an academy which remains unknown. But there is no certainty that Savinien went to live with them, as an example of the romantic imagination of some biographers, Frédéric Lachèvre wrote, Against an embittered and discontented father, Cyrano promptly forgot the way to his fathers house
26.
Chichester Festival Theatre
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Chichester Festival Theatre, located in Chichester, Sussex, England, was designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, and opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Martin in 1962. Subsequently the smaller and more intimate Minerva Theatre was built nearby in 1989, the inaugural Artistic Director was Sir Laurence Olivier, and it was at Chichester that the first National Theatre company was formed. Chichesters productions would transfer to the NTs base at the Old Vic in London. The opening productions in 1962 were, The Chances by John Fletcher which opened on 3 July, The Broken Heart, by John Ford, opened 9 July, Uncle Vanya, by Anton Chekov, opened 16 July. The Festival Season usually runs from April to September and includes productions from classics to contemporary writing, during this time the theatre also puts on outdoor promenade performances and organises other festival events including cabaret and comedy nights. A range of events is designed to add to the experience of visiting the theatre, including events, family days, tours. The theatre is run as a registered charity and is chaired by Sir William Castell. It is a Grade II* listed building, Sir Laurence Olivier Sir John Clements Keith Michell Peter Dews Patrick Garland John Gale Michael Rudman Patrick Garland Sir Derek Jacobi and Duncan C
27.
She's Out of My League
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Shes Out of My League is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Jim Field Smith and written by Sean Anders and John Morris. The film stars Jay Baruchel and Alice Eve, and was produced by Jimmy Miller and David Householter for Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures and filmed in Pittsburgh, production on the film finished in 2008. The film received its theatrical release on March 12,2010. The film is director Jim Field Smiths first feature, at work one morning, an attractive young woman, Molly McCleish, arrives at the passenger terminal to board a flight to New York City. While proceeding through the TSA security checkpoint, Mollys striking looks attract unwanted attention from several male TSA officers who try flirting with her awkwardly, Kirk is the only TSA officer to treat Molly courteously. On the airplane, she realizes that she left her cellphone in the airport security area. When she calls up her phone, Kirk answers and arranges a time to meet the following evening so that Kirk can return it. Kirk takes the blame for the incident to protect Katie, after which a grateful Molly offers Kirk tickets to a Pittsburgh Penguins hockey game at the Mellon Arena. Molly then invites herself to Kirks family lunch, where she charms his family, Mollys attentions to Kirk stir jealousy in Marnie, who feels upstaged by Mollys attractiveness, and takes a sudden interest in Kirk again. After returning to Mollys apartment, Kirk ejaculates prematurely in his pants when things start to heat up, desperate to conceal the stain on his pants, Kirk seems discourteous by avoiding to stand up and shake hands, and quickly leaves Mollys apartment. Molly grows cool to Kirk after this, believing he fled to avoid meeting her parents, at Jacks urging, Kirk admits the true reasons for his leaving, and their relationship resumes. During a date, Kirk suggests to Molly that she throw a party for Katie. Kirk is troubled, when Molly is intentionally vague about Kirks line of work to her parents, to add to his troubles, Mollys macho ex-boyfriend Cam shows up and messes with Kirk by deliberately alluding to Molly having some sort of defect. Molly is upset that Kirk is so insecure that he felt he could only be with her if something was wrong with her, Kirk leaves and later resumes his relationship with Marnie, planning on a family trip to Branson. Stainer and Patty realize their mistake in telling Kirk and Molly it wouldnt work out and they pull Kirk off his plane as the aircraft prepares to depart to Branson as he tries to leave with his family and Marnie, while Patty brings Molly to the airport. She then continues to him that she doesnt care what he is employed as. Kirk and Molly then make up and resume their relationship, even if their friends dont approve it. Later, as a surprise, Kirk is seen walking on the airport Tarmac with Molly where he takes Molly on a trip in a small plane, the couple are last seen happily together in a small plane taking off from Pittsburgh airport
28.
Charlotte York Goldenblatt
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Charlotte Goldenblatt, is a fictional character on the HBO-produced television series Sex and the City. She is portrayed by actress Kristin Davis, Davis received a Screen Actors Guild Award for her performances. Charlotte York is the daughter of Dr. Stephen Foster York and she is an art dealer with a Connecticut blue-blooded upbringing. Charlotte graduated from Smith College, where she lived in Haven-Wesley House and was a member of the College Republicans and Kappa Kappa Gamma. She is the most conservative and traditional of the group, placing emphasis on emotional love than lust, believing in many romantic ideals. Presenting a more straightforward attitude about relationships, usually based upon The Rules of love and dating, she scoffs at the lewder. Despite her conservative outlook, she has known to make concessions that surprise even her sexually freer girlfriends. She receives a Park Avenue apartment as part of the settlement, although this is a battle fiercely fought by Treys mother. She converts to Judaism in order to him, and models herself vaguely on Elizabeth Taylor in this aspect. In the series finale, Charlotte and Harry adopt a girl, Lily. In the movie, Sex and the City, she and Harry have a baby girl. Charlotte is viewed by some to be the most naive of the four characters, often showing signs of belief in the old-fashioned and this has earned her the nickname Park Avenue Pollyanna, coined by Carrie Bradshaw in narrations. Yet, her friends are sometimes envious and even in awe of her overall optimism on love and life, Charlotte is fiercely optimistic, although often anxious to make sure everything goes right. She also possesses a supportive personality with regard to her friends, because it should be, its the hottest spot in town, its always open. Yet in this instance, she apologizes by baking Samantha a basket of muffins, demonstrating her classic graceful and her belief in romance leads her to decide to not have sex with fiancé Trey until the honeymoon. However, she is confronted by the problems of this when she discovers, the night before the wedding, when she tries to seduce Trey, later, she realizes he has problems sleeping with her and they do a lot of work to solve the issue. She is also loyal to her friends and to her belief in the sanctity of marriage. She also faces a comeuppance in her relationship with Harry Goldenblatt and she is not attracted to him but has sex with him and calls it the best sex of my life
29.
HBO
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Home Box Office is an American premium cable and satellite television network that is owned by Time Warner through its respective flagship company Home Box Office, Inc. HBO is the oldest and longest continuously operating pay television service in the United States, in 2014, HBO had an adjusted operating income of US$1.79 billion, compared to the US$1.68 billion it accrued in 2013. HBO has 49 million subscribers in the United States and 130 million worldwide as of 2016, the network provides seven 24-hour multiplex channels, including HBO Comedy, HBO Latino, HBO Signature and HBO Family. It launched the streaming service HBO Now in April 2015, and has over 2 million subscribers in the United States as of February 2017. In addition to its U. S. subscriber base, HBO distributes content in at least 151 countries, HBO subscribers generally pay for an extra tier of service that includes other cable- and satellite-exclusive channels even before paying for the channel itself. Cable providers can require the use of a converter box – usually digital – in order to receive HBO, many HBO programs have been syndicated to other networks and broadcast television stations, and a number of HBO-produced series and films have been released on DVD. The new system, which Dolan named Sterling Information Services, became the first urban underground cable system in the United States. In that same year, Time-Life, Inc. purchased a 20% stake in Dolans company, in the summer of 1971, while on a family vacation in France, Charles Dolan began to think of ideas to make Sterling Manhattan profitable. He came up with the concept for a television service. Dolan later presented his idea to Time-Life management, though satellite distribution seemed only a distant possibility at the time, he persuaded Time-Life to back him on the project. To gauge whether consumers would be interested in subscribing to a pay television service, in a meeting of Dolan and some Time-Life executives who were working on the project, various other names were discussed for the new service. Home Box Office launched on November 8,1972, however, HBOs launch came without fanfare in the press, as it was not covered by any local or national media outlets. Home Box Office distributed its first sports event immediately after the film, Four months later in February 1973, Home Box Office aired its first television special, the Pennsylvania Polka Festival. Home Box Office would use a network of relay towers to distribute its programming to cable systems throughout its service area. Sterling Manhattan Cable continued to lose money because the company had only a small base of 20,000 customers in Manhattan. Time-Life dropped the Sterling name and the company was renamed Manhattan Cable Television under Time-Lifes control in March 1973, Gerald Levin, who had been with Home Box Office since it began operations as its vice president of programming, replaced Dolan as the companys president and chief executive officer. In September 1973, Time-Life, Inc. completed its acquisition of the pay service. HBO would eventually increase its fortunes within two years, by April 1975, the service had around 100,000 subscribers in Pennsylvania and New York state, in 1974, they settled on using a geostationary communications satellite to transmit HBO to cable providers throughout the United States
30.
Entourage (U.S. TV series)
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Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18,2004 and concluded on September 11,2011, after eight seasons. Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson served as the executive producers. The series deals with themes of friendship and real-life situations in modern-day Hollywood. The show is known for its array of guests, having featured several actors, athletes. According to Mark Wahlberg, Entourage was initially conceived when his assistant asked if he could film Wahlberg and his friends, other reports credit Eric Weinstein, a long-time friend of Wahlberg, with the idea of filming the actors group of friends. However, according to Donnie Carroll, who was the inspiration for the Turtle character and it had originated as a book idea, centered on Carrolls own life and his experiences with Wahlberg, titled From the Hood to Hollywood, A Soldiers Story. Vincent Chase was envisioned to be similar to Wahlberg. A lighter approach was subsequently decided upon and his best friend and manager is Eric Murphy. E, as his friends call him, is based on Mark Wahlbergs friend, hes also been reported to be inspired by Stephen Levinson, Mark Wahlbergs manager. Vincents older half-brother, Johnny Drama Chase, is Vinces personal chef, trainer, Johnny is a C-list actor who was in the fictional show Viking Quest during his younger days. His role in the new hit show Five Towns had begun to resurrect his fame and career. As the show went on, Drama got offers for more and more roles, the show ended with Drama having his own animated TV show called Johnnys Bananas and him landing a new TV movie with the help of Vince. Dramas character is based on Johnny Drama Alves, whom Donnie Wahlberg had hired to keep his brother out of trouble. Rounding out the entourage of friends is Salvatore Turtle Assante, who is another of Vinces old friends from childhood, Turtles official role is as Vinces driver and assistant, though his value as such is often brought into question. This character is based on Wahlbergs former gofer Donnie Carroll aka Donkey, Carroll auditioned for the role, but the Boston native was turned down when it was decided the actors would have to be New Yorkers. Carroll died on December 18,2005, after an asthma attack, Ari Gold is Vinces abrasive but lovable agent. The role has led to several nominations and Emmy Awards for Piven, Ari is based on Wahlbergs real-life agent Ari Emanuel. Connolly, Grenier, Dillon, Ferrara, and Piven are credited in episode in the opening credits of the entire series
31.
Vincent Chase
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Vincent Vince Chase is a fictional character on the comedy-drama television series Entourage. He is played by Adrian Grenier, Vincent Chase grew up in Queens, New York, along with neighborhood friends Eric, Turtle, Dom, and Cara. Vinces father was an alcoholic, and his absence in the episode Aquamom suggests that he is estranged from the family, Eric mentioned in a Season 1 episode that Vince went to the High School of Performing Arts in New York City. Vinces older brother, Johnny Drama Chase, is also an actor and has been living in Hollywood for at least twelve years, chases personal life has been an area of great speculation as he has claimed to have slept with over 1,000 women. He is eager to share the financial and social spoils of his current stardom with them, while at first glance it seems that his friends are just leeches, they prove to be the ones he can depend on through thick and thin. Vince is around 33 years old, his 29th birthday being the storyline in the season 3 episode Less Than 30. Vinces full ethnic background has never been revealed, Vince claims to be part Japanese, after his agent, Ari Gold, made a racial slur referring to Japanese people. Vince replies, Cmon Ari, my grandfather is Japanese, Vince has also stated that he is Italian during an interview for Vanity Fair. Vince and Drama are also part Irish, as revealed in the episode I Love You Too, Vincent Chase is a young Hollywood movie star described as potentially the best young actor of his generation. Chase moved to Los Angeles following his half brother Johnny Chase with friend Sal Turtle when the two were 24. He started his career appearing in commercials for Mentos, soon signing with agent Ari Gold who got him doing minor roles on television and cinema, during this time he dated and proposed to Mandy Moore, who rejected his proposal. Soon after his best friend Eric Murphy quit his job at an Italian restaurant, dropped out of Queensborough Community College, chases breakout role was as the lead in the film Head On, co-starring Jessica Alba. After Head On, he was offered a role in the action film Matterhorn, instead, Vince chooses to star in the independent film Queens Boulevard, based on the advice of his manager and best friend E. The film is about a man running from the law in Queens, New York. Queens Boulevard was submitted to the Sundance Film Festival upon completion, because of his performance in Q. B. Vince is offered the role in the film Aquaman, which was to be directed by James Cameron. The movie becomes a success, making $116 million in ticket sales on its opening weekend. But conflict arose when a sequel to Aquaman was greenlit with the start date as Medellín
32.
The Decoy Bride
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The film was made by Ecosse Films. Lara Tyler is one of the most famous film stars around, besieged by the press, especially Ballani, who is obsessed with Lara, they escape to the tiny Scottish island of Hegg. Ballani somehow manages to get to the island, and then local girl Katies mother alerts the press, Lara discovers all this, becomes upset and hides away. In desperation her management team, led by Steve Korbitz, decide to stage a wedding, hoping the paparazzi will fall for the scam. Katie, nursing a broken heart because of her latest break-up, is recruited to pretend to be a heavily-veiled Lara to complete the charade, subsequent circumstances lead to Katie and James falling in love. Kelly Macdonald as Katie Meaghaid, the decoy bride David Tennant as James Arber, best-selling English writer who wants to marry Lara, a deaf couple believes he is a famous bagpiper and dance around him happily. The fictional island of Hegg was inspired by Jura and Eigg and it received the largest grant possible from Scottish Screen, £300,000. Rehearsals started in London on 21 June 2010, filming began on 27 June on the Isle of Man, before moving to Scotland. Filming ended on 31 July 2010, many of the outdoor scenes were filmed on the Isle of Man while other scenes were filmed in Glasgow and at the Caerlaverock Castle in Dumfries and by Loch Fyne in Argyll. The score was written by Julian Nott, cinemaNX distributed the film in the United Kingdom and HanWay Films is the international sales agent. The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics and it holds a score of 23% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 42/100 on Metacritic. Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times liked the film, praising the performance by Tennant and Macdonald, the Decoy Bride at the Internet Movie Database
33.
Men in Black 3
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Men in Black 3 is a 2012 American 3D comic science fiction-action film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin. It is the installment in the Men in Black film series based on Lowell Cunninghams The Men in Black comic book series published by Marvel. It was released fifteen years after the original Men in Black and ten years after the first sequel, Sonnenfeld and Steven Spielberg returned as director and executive producer, respectively. This forces Agent J to go back in time and team up with Ks younger counterpart on a mission to save his partner, Men in Black 3 was released on May 25,2012 and grossed over $624 million worldwide. Unadjusted for inflation, it is the film in the series. He confronts K, who is with his partner Agent J, J then discovers that K was responsible not only for capturing Boris, but for deploying the ArcNet, a shield that prevented the Boglodites from conquering Earth and caused their extinction. Boris travels back in time to kill the young Agent K. With K out of the picture, the ArcNet was never deployed, Back in 1969, he travels to Coney Island, knowing from the Agencys records that, in 1969, Boris will commit a murder there. He finds Boris, but is discovered and arrested by 1969 K, who prepares to wipe his memory, but decides at the last minute to investigate Js claims. K and J follow clues, leading them to an alley, and then to The Factory, where they come across an alien named Griffin. Griffin, who can see all possible future timelines and outcomes, senses Boris is coming and escapes, J and K pursue and rescue Griffin, acquiring the ArcNet. 1969 Boris escapes and 2012 Boris arrives, and they team up, the three fly there using jetpacks, and are stopped by military police. Griffin shows a skeptical colonel the future, convincing him of the importance of their mission, as the agents climb up the rockets launch tower, they are attacked by both 1969 Boris and 2012 Boris. Using his time-travel device, J evades an attack by 2012 Boris, K shoots off 1969 Boriss left arm, knocking him off the tower as well. The ArcNet is attached and deploys successfully when the rocket launches,1969 Boris then attacks K on the beach, but the colonel pushes K down and out of the way, taking the hit himself instead. K then kills Boris instead of arresting him as he originally did, the colonels young son inquires about his father, but rather than tell him the truth, K wipes his memory and tells him only that his father is a hero. His mission complete, J returns to 2012, where he thanks K for being his surrogate father. Meanwhile, Griffin observes the moment and is terrified when K almost forgets to tip a waitress, which sets off a chain of events
34.
Emma Thompson
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Emma Thompson is a British actress, activist, author, comedienne and screenwriter. Born in London to English actor Eric Thompson and Scottish actress Phyllida Law, Thompson was educated at Newnham College, University of Cambridge, where she became a member of the Footlights troupe. Her first film role was in the 1989 romantic comedy The Tall Guy, and in the early 1990s she frequently collaborated with her then husband, the pair became popular in the British media and co-starred in several films, including Dead Again and Much Ado About Nothing. In 1992, Thompson won an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress for the period drama Howards End. In 1993, she garnered dual Academy Award nominations for her roles in The Remains of the Day as the housekeeper of a grand household and In the Name of the Father as a lawyer. Thompson scripted and starred in Sense and Sensibility, which earned her an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, in 2013, she received acclaim and several award nominations for her portrayal of P. L. Travers in Saving Mr. Banks. Thompson is married to actor Greg Wise, with whom she lives in London and they have one daughter and an adopted son. She is an activist in the areas of rights and environmentalism and has received criticism for her outspokenness. She has written two books adapted from The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Thompson was born in Paddington, London, on 15 April 1959. Her godfather was the director and writer Ronald Eyre and she has one sister, Sophie Thompson, who also works as an actress. The family lived in West Hampstead in north London, and Thompson was educated at Camden School for Girls and she spent much time in Scotland during her childhood and often visited Ardentinny, where her grandparents and uncle lived. In her youth, Thompson was intrigued by language and literature, a trait which she attributes to her father, in 1977, she began studying for an English degree at Newnham College, University of Cambridge. Thompson believes that it was inevitable that she would become an actress, commenting that she was surrounded by people and I don’t think it would ever have gone any other way. While there, she had a moment that turned her to feminism. She became a punk rocker, with short red hair and a motorbike. At Cambridge, Thompson was invited into Footlights, the universitys sketch comedy troupe, by its president, Martin Bergman. Also in the troupe were fellow actors Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, Fry recalled that there was no doubt that Emma was going the distance. Our nickname for her was Emma Talented, in 1980, Thompson served as the Vice President of Footlights, and co-directed the troupes first all-female revue, Womans Hour
35.
Consumer Electronics Show
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The Consumer Electronics Show is an annual trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association. Held in January at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, the first CES was held in June 1967 in New York City. It was a spinoff from the Chicago Music Show, which then had served as the main event for exhibiting consumer electronics. The event had 17,500 attendees and over 100 exhibitors, from 1978 to 1994, CES was held twice each year, once in January in Las Vegas known as Winter Consumer Electronics Show and once in June in Chicago, known as Summer Consumer Electronics Show. The winter show was held in Las Vegas in 1995 as planned. However, the inaugural E3 gaming show was scheduled to be held on the West Coast in May and proved a source of increasing competition, causing the Philadelphia Summer CES show to be cancelled. The 1996 Winter show was held in Las Vegas in January, followed by a Summer show this time in Orlando, Florida. Again, the 1997 Winter show in Las Vegas was very successful, the next Summer show was scheduled to be held in conjunction with Spring COMDEX in Atlanta, however when only two dozen-or-so exhibitors signed on, the CES portion of the show was cancelled. In 1998, the changed to a once-a-year format with Las Vegas as the location. In Las Vegas, the show is one of the largest, taking up to 18 days to set up, run, organizers held the first CES in New York City from June 24 to 28,1967. The 200 exhibitors attracted 17,500 attendees to the Hilton, on view, the latest pocket radios and TVs sporting integrated circuits. In a one-time experiment, the Summer CES1993 was open to the general public, major announcements during this edition were, Capcom unveils Mega Man X First Time in North American. The Blu-ray Group held at the January 2004 CES the first US press conference to promote the Blu-ray Disc format, the 2005 CES was from January 6–9,2005, in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Samsung showed off a 102-inch plasma television, zimiti Ltd won the Best of Innovators award for Personal Electronics. It is the only British company to have won this award, the 2006 exhibition took place on January 5–8,2006 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Sands Convention Center, the Alexis Park Hotel and the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel. HDTV was a theme in the Bill Gates keynote as well as many of the other manufacturers speeches. The standards competition between HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc was conspicuous, with some of the first HD movie releases, philips showed a rollable display prototype whose screen can retain an image for several months without electricity. Hillcrest Labs won the Best Of Innovations award in the video category for software and hardware that allows a television to be controlled with natural gestures
36.
Paul McCartney
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Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer. With John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, he gained fame with the rock band the Beatles, largely considered the most popular. His songwriting partnership with Lennon is the most celebrated of the post-war era, after the bands break-up, he pursued a solo career and formed the band Wings with his first wife, Linda, and Denny Laine. McCartney has been recognised as one of the most successful composers and performers of all time, More than 2,200 artists have covered his Beatles song Yesterday, more than any other copyrighted song in history. Wings 1977 release Mull of Kintyre is one of the all-time best-selling singles in the UK.5 million RIAA-certified units in the United States. McCartney, Lennon, Harrison and Starr all received The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1965, McCartney has released an extensive catalogue of songs as a solo artist and has composed classical and electronic music. He has taken part in projects to promote international charities related to subjects as animal rights, seal hunting, land mines, vegetarianism, poverty. He has married three times and is the father of five children, James Paul McCartney was born on 18 June 1942 in Walton Hospital, Liverpool, England, where his mother, Mary Patricia, had qualified to practise as a nurse. His father, James McCartney, was absent from his sons birth due to his work as a firefighter during World War II. Paul has one brother, Michael. Though the children were baptised in their mothers Catholic faith, their father was a former Protestant turned agnostic, McCartney attended Stockton Wood Road Primary School in Speke from 1947 until 1949, when he transferred to Joseph Williams Junior School in Belle Vale because of overcrowding at Stockton. In 1953, with three others out of ninety examinees, he passed the 11-Plus exam, meaning he could attend the Liverpool Institute. In 1954, he met schoolmate George Harrison on the bus from his home in Speke. The two quickly became friends, McCartney later admitted, I tended to talk down to him because he was a year younger. McCartneys mother Mary was a midwife and the primary wage earner, her earnings enabled them to move into 20 Forthlin Road in Allerton. She rode a bicycle to her patients, McCartney described an early memory of her leaving at about three in the morning streets, on 31 October 1956, when McCartney was fourteen, his mother died of an embolism. McCartneys loss later became a point of connection with John Lennon, whose mother, McCartneys father was a trumpet player and pianist, who had led Jim Macs Jazz Band in the 1920s. He kept a piano in the front room, encouraged his sons to be musical and advised Paul to take piano lessons
37.
Rixton
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Rixton are a British pop rock band that formed in Manchester, England in 2012. They are signed by Scooter Brauns SB Projects, the band was established in 2012 as Relics before changing their name to Rixton. Their debut single Me and My Broken Heart charted internationally, the band consists of Jake Roche, Danny Wilkin, Charley Bagnall and Lewi Morgan. Jake Roche and Danny Wilkin started writing together after they left school and they were later joined by Charley Bagnall through mutual friends and finally Lewi Morgan was the last addition to the band after meeting Jake through a girl he was seeing at the time. Roche had heard The Nolans – of which his mother was a member – performing Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas when he was four, for this performance, Rixton wore elf ears and created what Roche called more of a comedy sketch. Scooter Braun saw this and offered to sign Rixton, the video was released on 22 October 2013 but it was never released as an official single. The bands debut single, Me and My Broken Heart, was released on 11 March 2014, Me and My Broken Heart was released to radio on 11 March 2014 and made its premiere on KIIS FM in Los Angeles during one of JoJo Wrights shows. It has charted in Australia, Sweden, the United States, Me and My Broken Heart went gold 27 May 2014 and Rixton was awarded their first gold plaque on 29 May 2014 in New York City. Their first extended play, also titled Me and My Broken Heart followed on 18 March 2014, an album is underway for release through School Boy, Giant Little Man, Mad Love and Interscope Records later in 2014. Justin Bieber joined the group on stage at the SXSW Festival on 10 March 2014 and this was followed shortly after by a UK tour in November 2014. In addition, they played a pop up gig in New York which required police attendance to control the crowds and they will open up for Ariana Grande on The Honeymoon Tour during the North American dates. The debut album Let the Road was released on 8 March 2015 and it only peaked at number 19 on the UK Albums Chart. Official website Rixton on Facebook Rixton on Twitter Rixton on Instagram
38.
Before We Go
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Before We Go is an independent romantic drama film directed by Chris Evans in his directorial debut, and starring Evans, Alice Eve and Mark Kassen. The film had its premiere in the special presentations section of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. The film was released on video on demand on July 21,2015, while busking in Grand Central Terminal, Nick Vaughan sees a woman running by to catch the 1,30 a. m. train to Boston dropping and breaking her phone. She misses the train and is forced to return, Nick returns the phone to the woman, Brooke. When he finds her standing outside the terminal she confesses that she has just been robbed and is trapped in the city and he offers to pay for a cab to take her to Boston but his credit cards are declined. When he tries to call a friend to loan him the money he finds his phone has died. Nick offers to try to pay for a room for Brooke to stay in overnight, Nick decides to help Brooke find her missing purse. The two are able to track it down at a sweatshop that deals in stolen purses but for his efforts to retrieve the purse Nick is punched in the face. The two try and go to Nicks friends wedding in order to find his friend to loan him money, Nick and Brooke perform My Funny Valentine before being forced to flee when the real band shows up. Elated that her problem is now solved Brooke offers to go to Nicks friends wedding and pretend to be his girlfriend in front of his ex, at the reception Nick sees Hannah but after being introduced to her new boyfriend he leaves abruptly. Outside Nick tells Brooke that he hadnt seen Hannah in six years since he went to propose to her, at Brookes insistence, Nick goes back to speak to Hannah to see if he still has a shot with her. Instead he discovers shes pregnant and that he has no chance with her. Wandering around the city the two find a psychic who is still open, after he reads her future, he allows Brooke to use his phone and she learns her friend could not get into her home to retrieve the letter. After they leave the place, Brooke reveals to Nick that she had discovered that her husband was cheating on her. Though he ended the relationship she discovered that he was going to see his mistress again, devastated, she wrote him a letter ending the marriage and went to New York for work. However, during her trip she received a call from her husband saying he was coming home early. At a restaurant Nick tells Brooke that her husband will most likely understand that what he did was wrong and they then go to Nicks friends hotel that hes staying at. Together they write on the back of paintings in the room and they then share a kiss and reflect on their night
39.
Chris Evans (actor)
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Christopher Robert Chris Evans is an American actor and filmmaker. Evans is known for his roles as the Marvel Comics characters Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In 2014, Evans made his debut with the drama film Before We Go. Evans was born in Boston and raised in the town of Sudbury and his mother, Lisa, is an artistic director at the Concord Youth Theater, and his father, Robert Evans, is a dentist. Their uncle, Mike Capuano, represents the same Massachusetts Congressional district formerly represented by Tip ONeill and his mother is of half Italian and half Irish ancestry. He and his siblings were raised Catholic, Evans graduated from Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. He moved to New York City and took classes at the Lee Strasberg Theatre, in 1999, Evans was the model for ″Tyler″ in Hasbros board game Mystery Date. The special edition of the game included a phone, which Evans is shown speaking into on the game box. He then played the superhero the Human Torch in the 2005 comic book adaptation Fantastic Four, Evans reprised the role in the 2007 sequel Fantastic Four, Rise of the Silver Surfer. That year, he starred as engineer-turned-astronaut Mace in Danny Boyles science-fiction film Sunshine, in 2008, Evans appeared in Street Kings, co-starring Keanu Reeves, and the Tennessee Williams screenplay adaptation The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, co-starring Bryce Dallas Howard and Ellen Burstyn. The following year he appeared in the science-fiction thriller Push, with Dakota Fanning, Evans performed his own fight scenes, which took weeks to film, and was bruised during filming. In 2010, he completed filming on co-directors Mark Kassen and Adam Kassens Puncture in Houston, the film was selected to debut at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival as one of the Spotlight projects for the 10th anniversary of the festival. Also that year, Evans appeared in Sylvain Whites The Losers, Evans then appeared in another comic-book adaptation, Edgar Wrights Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, where he portrayed Lucas Lee, one of Ramona Flowers seven evil exes. In 2011, Evans played the Marvel Comics character Captain America in Captain America, The First Avenger, a romantic comedy co-starring Anna Faris. There were initially scheduling conflicts, as films were set to film in the summer of 2010. Evans had signed on to appear in films as Captain America. He next starred opposite Michael Shannon in The Iceman, replacing James Franco, Evans wore a long wig and grew out a beard for the role. He starred in South Korean director Bong Joon-hos English-language film Snowpiercer, in 2014, Evans starred in Captain America, The Winter Soldier