1.
Naming in the United States
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The United States has very few laws governing given names. This freedom has given rise to a variety of names. Naming traditions play a role in the cohesion and communication within American cultures, cultural diversity in America has led to great variations in names and naming traditions and names have been used to express creativity, personality, cultural identity, and values. Restrictions vary by state, but most are for the sake of practicality, for example, several states limit the number of characters that can be used due to the limitations of the software used for official record keeping. For similar reasons, some states ban the use of digits or pictograms. A few states ban the use of obscenity, there are also a few states, Kentucky for instance, that have no naming laws whatsoever. One naming law that some find restrictive is Californias ban on diacritical marks, such as in José, the Office of Vital Records in California requires that names contain only the 26 alphabetical characters of the English language. There is no law restricting the use of diacritical marks informally, despite the freedom that Americans have regarding names, controversies do exist. In 2013, Tennessee judge Lu Ann Ballew ruled that a boy named Messiah must change his name to Martin stating its a title that has only been earned by one person … Jesus Christ. The decision was overturned in court a month later and the child retained his birth name. Ballew was fired and a hearing was scheduled on the basis that the name change order violated Tennessees code of Judicial Conduct. No laws exist banning the use of names and judges are required to perform their duties without regard to religious bias. In 2009, a three-year-old named Adolf Hitler Campbell made headlines after a bakery refused to put the name on the birthday cake. The name drew widespread outrage, along with the names of his siblings, who also had names inspired by Adolf Hitlers regime, Adolf and his siblings were later removed from the home and placed in foster care on the basis of other issues. The Campbells deny that any abuse occurred and assert their children were removed solely on the basis of their names, many African Americans use their own or their childrens names as a symbol of solidarity within their culture. Prior to the 1950s and 1960s, most African-American names closely resembled those used within European American culture, with the rise of the mid-century civil rights movement, there was a dramatic rise in names of various origins. One very notable influence on African-American names is the Muslim religion, islamic names entered the popular culture with the rise of The Nation of Islam among Black Americans with its focus on civil rights. The popular name Aisha has origins in the Koran, other Arabic names such as Jamal and Malik are now commonly used by African Americans regardless of religion
Naming in the United States
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The names in the Jackson family show the variety within African-American culture. La Toya is an inventive African-American name, Jermaine is French, Michael and Janet are common biblical names
2.
San Diego
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San Diego is a major city in California, United States. It is in San Diego County, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, approximately 120 miles south of Los Angeles and immediately adjacent to the border with Mexico. With an estimated population of 1,394,928 as of July 1,2015, San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest in California. It is part of the San Diego–Tijuana conurbation, the second-largest transborder agglomeration between the US and a country after Detroit–Windsor, with a population of 4,922,723 people. San Diego has been called the birthplace of California, historically home to the Kumeyaay people, San Diego was the first site visited by Europeans on what is now the West Coast of the United States. Upon landing in San Diego Bay in 1542, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo claimed the area for Spain, the Presidio and Mission San Diego de Alcalá, founded in 1769, formed the first European settlement in what is now California. In 1821, San Diego became part of the newly independent Mexico, in 1850, California became part of the United States following the Mexican–American War and the admission of California to the union. The city is the seat of San Diego County and is the center of the region as well as the San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. San Diegos main economic engines are military and defense-related activities, tourism, international trade, the presence of the University of California, San Diego, with the affiliated UCSD Medical Center, has helped make the area a center of research in biotechnology. The original inhabitants of the region are now known as the San Dieguito, the area of San Diego has been inhabited by the Kumeyaay people. The first European to visit the region was Portuguese-born explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo sailing under the flag of Castile, sailing his flagship San Salvador from Navidad, New Spain, Cabrillo claimed the bay for the Spanish Empire in 1542, and named the site San Miguel. In November 1602, Sebastián Vizcaíno was sent to map the California coast, in May 1769, Gaspar de Portolà established the Fort Presidio of San Diego on a hill near the San Diego River. It was the first settlement by Europeans in what is now the state of California, in July of the same year, Mission San Diego de Alcalá was founded by Franciscan friars under Junípero Serra. By 1797, the mission boasted the largest native population in Alta California, with over 1,400 neophytes living in, Mission San Diego was the southern anchor in California of the historic mission trail El Camino Real. Both the Presidio and the Mission are National Historic Landmarks, in 1821, Mexico won its independence from Spain, and San Diego became part of the Mexican territory of Alta California. In 1822, Mexico began attempting to extend its authority over the territory of Alta California. The fort on Presidio Hill was gradually abandoned, while the town of San Diego grew up on the land below Presidio Hill. The Mission was secularized by the Mexican government in 1833, the 432 residents of the town petitioned the governor to form a pueblo, and Juan María Osuna was elected the first alcalde, defeating Pío Pico in the vote
San Diego
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Images from top, left to right: San Diego Skyline,
Coronado Bridge, museum in
Balboa Park, Serra Museum in
Presidio Park and the
Old Point Loma lighthouse
San Diego
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Kumeyaay people lived in San Diego before Europeans settled there.
San Diego
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Namesake of the city,
Didacus of Alcalá: Saint Didacus in Ecstasy Before the Cross by Murillo (Musée des Augustins)
San Diego
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Mission San Diego de Alcalá
3.
California
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California is the most populous state in the United States and the third most extensive by area. Located on the western coast of the U. S, California is bordered by the other U. S. states of Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona and shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California. Los Angeles is Californias most populous city, and the second largest after New York City. The Los Angeles Area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nations second- and fifth-most populous urban regions, California also has the nations most populous county, Los Angeles County, and its largest county by area, San Bernardino County. The Central Valley, an agricultural area, dominates the states center. What is now California was first settled by various Native American tribes before being explored by a number of European expeditions during the 16th and 17th centuries, the Spanish Empire then claimed it as part of Alta California in their New Spain colony. The area became a part of Mexico in 1821 following its war for independence. The western portion of Alta California then was organized as the State of California, the California Gold Rush starting in 1848 led to dramatic social and demographic changes, with large-scale emigration from the east and abroad with an accompanying economic boom. If it were a country, California would be the 6th largest economy in the world, fifty-eight percent of the states economy is centered on finance, government, real estate services, technology, and professional, scientific and technical business services. Although it accounts for only 1.5 percent of the states economy, the story of Calafia is recorded in a 1510 work The Adventures of Esplandián, written as a sequel to Amadis de Gaula by Spanish adventure writer Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo. The kingdom of Queen Calafia, according to Montalvo, was said to be a land inhabited by griffins and other strange beasts. This conventional wisdom that California was an island, with maps drawn to reflect this belief, shortened forms of the states name include CA, Cal. Calif. and US-CA. Settled by successive waves of arrivals during the last 10,000 years, various estimates of the native population range from 100,000 to 300,000. The Indigenous peoples of California included more than 70 distinct groups of Native Americans, ranging from large, settled populations living on the coast to groups in the interior. California groups also were diverse in their organization with bands, tribes, villages. Trade, intermarriage and military alliances fostered many social and economic relationships among the diverse groups, the first European effort to explore the coast as far north as the Russian River was a Spanish sailing expedition, led by Portuguese captain Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, in 1542. Some 37 years later English explorer Francis Drake also explored and claimed a portion of the California coast in 1579. Spanish traders made unintended visits with the Manila galleons on their trips from the Philippines beginning in 1565
California
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A forest of redwood trees in
Redwood National Park
California
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Flag
California
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Mount Shasta
California
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Aerial view of the
California Central Valley
4.
Benji Madden
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Benjamin Levi Benji Madden is an American guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer. He is the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the band Good Charlotte and he formed both of these acts with his identical twin brother, Joel Madden. Benji is currently a coach on The Voice Australia and he is married to actress Cameron Diaz. Benjamin Benji Madden was born Benjamin Levi Combs on March 11,1979, in Waldorf, Maryland and he has an identical twin, Joel Madden, with whom he formed the band Good Charlotte. He has a brother named Josh and a younger sister. All attended La Plata High School in La Plata, Maryland, Madden started the fashion line called Made Clothing, along with his brothers Joel and Josh, but the line became defunct. In early 2006, it became DCMA Collective, a DCMA Collective store opened in Los Angeles on March 15,2008, but later closed. In 1996 Madden started a band with his twin brother Joel named Good Charlotte, while still playing in Good Charlotte, Madden and Joel wrote and produced for other artists. Madden was a co-writer and co-producer of some of the songs on Hilary Duffs Most Wanted compilation album and he later helped write the songs Amnesia for pop rockers 5 Seconds of Summer and No Ordinary Girl for pop artist Kalin and Myles. He has appeared as a back-up vocalist for such as MxPx, Kill Hannah, Apoptygma Berzerk, Mest, The 69 Eyes, Sean Kingston, Three 6 Mafia, Chamillionaire. As of September 2009 Madden has guest played in the band Taintstick, led by radio show host, professional MMA fighter. On April 3,2010, Madden took part in a match against MTV and VH1 host Riki Rachtman at Ellismania 5. The event was hosted by Jason Ellis at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel, Madden beat Rachtman by knockout at 1 minute and 42 seconds into the first round. On November 11,2011, Madden and his brother Joel Madden released a free mixed-tape, The Madden Brothers and it contains new artists the brothers were personally interested in. Their brother Josh Madden helped to produce the mixed-tape, in December 2011, it was announced that Benji and Joel were to record as The Madden Brothers. In 2012, Benji appeared on the TV show The Voice Australia, in early 2013, Benji helped write Tonight Alives song Breakdown. He sang back-up vocals at the end of the song and made an appearance in the video, in 2014, electronic dance music artist TJR released his track Come Back Down, which features Benji on the tracks vocals. The Madden Brothers recording Greetings from California was released on September 16,2014
Benji Madden
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Benji Madden
5.
Model (person)
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A model is a person with a role either to promote, display, or advertise commercial products or to serve as a visual aide for people who are creating works of art or to pose for photography. Modelling is considered to be different from other types of public performance, although the difference between modelling and performing is not always clear, appearing in a film or a play is not generally considered to be modelling. Types of modelling include, fashion, glamour, fitness, bikini, fine art, body-part, Models are featured in a variety of media formats including, books, magazines, films, newspapers, internet and TV. Fashion models are featured in films, reality TV shows. Celebrities, including actors, singers, sports personalities and reality TV stars, modelling as a profession was first established in 1853 by Charles Frederick Worth, the father of haute couture, when he asked his wife, Marie Vernet Worth, to model the clothes he designed. The term house model was coined to describe this type of work, eventually, this became common practice for Parisian fashion houses. There were no standard physical measurement requirements for a model, with the development of fashion photography, the modelling profession expanded to photo modelling. Models remained fairly anonymous, and relatively poorly paid, until the late 1950s, one of the first well-known models was Lisa Fonssagrives, who was very popular in the 1930s. Fonssagrives appeared on over 200 Vogue covers, and her name recognition led to the importance of Vogue in shaping the careers of fashion models. In 1946, Ford Models was established by Eileen and Gerard Ford in New York, one of the most popular models during the 1940s was Jinx Falkenburg who was paid $25 per hour, a large sum at the time. During the 1940s and 1950s, Wilhelmina Cooper, Jean Patchett, Dovima, Dorian Leigh, Suzy Parker, Evelyn Tripp, Carmen DellOrefice, dorothea Church was among the first black models in the industry to gain notoriety in Paris. However, these models were unknown outside the fashion community, compared to todays models, the models of the 1950s were more voluptuous. Wilhelmina Coopers measurements were 38-24-36 whereas Chanel Imans measurements are 32-23-33, in the 1960s, the modelling world began to establish modelling agencies. Throughout Europe, secretarial services acted as models agents charging them weekly rates for their messages, for the most part, models were responsible for their own billing. In Germany, agents were not allowed to work for a percentage of a persons earnings, with the exception of a few models travelling to Paris or New York, travelling was relatively unheard of for a model. Most models only worked in one market due to different labor laws governing modelling in various countries, in the 1960s, Italy had many fashion houses and fashion magazines but was in dire need of models. Italian agencies would often coerce models to return to Italy without work visas by withholding their pay and they would also pay their models in cash, which models would have to hide from customs agents. It was not uncommon for models staying in such as La Louisiana in Paris or the Arena in Milan to have their hotel rooms raided by the police looking for their work visas
Model (person)
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Model Posing on a Typical Studio Shooting Set
Model (person)
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Fashion models on the
runway in 2008
Model (person)
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Jean Shrimpton in 1965
Model (person)
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Wilhelmina Cooper, founder of her agency
Wilhelmina Models, photographed by
Edgar de Evia in 1965.
6.
The Mask (film)
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The film stars Jim Carrey, Peter Greene, Amy Yasbeck, Peter Riegert, Richard Jeni, Ben Stein, Joely Fisher, and Cameron Diaz in her film debut. It revolves around a bank clerk finding the Mask of Loki that grants him extraordinary cartoon-like superpowers. The film was released on July 29,1994 by New Line Cinema, becoming a critical and commercial blockbuster, grossing over $351.6 million over a $23 million budget and receiving positive reviews. It cemented Carreys reputation as a dominant actor of the 1990s, Carrey was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role, and the film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects but lost to Forrest Gump. Stanley Ipkiss is a shy and unlucky bank clerk working at the local Edge City bank and he is frequently ridiculed by everyone around him, except for his Jack Russell Terrier Milo, and his co-worker and best friend Charlie Schumaker. Meanwhile, gangster Dorian Tyrell, owner of the Coco Bongo nightclub, one day, Tyrell sends his singer girlfriend Tina Carlyle into Stanleys bank to record its layout, in preparation to rob the bank. Stanley is attracted to Tina, and she seems to reciprocate, after being denied entrance to the Coco Bongo, he finds a wooden mask near the citys harbor. Placing it on his face transforms him into a zoot-suited, green-faced, bizarre, wise-cracking trickster known as the Mask, the next morning, Stanley encounters detective Lieutenant Kellaway and newspaper reporter Peggy Brandt investigating the Masks activity of the previous night. To attend Tinas performance, he becomes the Mask to raid the bank. At the Coco Bongo, Stanley dances exuberantly with Tina, whom he ends up kissing, based on the piece of cloth, Kellaway suspects Stanley to be the bank robber. Stanley later consults a psychiatrist who has published a book on masks, and is told that the object may be a depiction of Loki. The same night, Stanley transforms into the Mask and meets Tina at a park, but the meeting is interrupted by Kellaway. Tyrell tries on the mask and becomes a malevolent green-faced monster, forced to reveal the location of the stolen money, Stanley is kept hostage in one of the mobs cars while Tyrells henchmen search his apartment. With the money now in the hands of Tyrells gang, Stanley is then delivered to Kellaway, along with a green mask. When Tina visits Stanley in his cell, he urges her to flee the city, Tina thanks Stanley for treating her like a person and tells him that she knew he was the Mask all along. She attempts to leave the city, but is captured by Tyrells men and forcibly taken to a charity ball at the Coco Bongo hosted by Niko and attended by the citys elite, including Mayor Tilton. Upon arrival, the masked Tyrell kills Niko and prepares to destroy both the club and Tina with dynamite, Milo helps Stanley escape from his cell, and Stanley brings Kellaway as a cover and hostage in a desperate attempt to stop Tyrell. After locking Kellaway in his car, Stanley enters the club and manages to enlist the help of Charlie, but is soon after spotted and captured
The Mask (film)
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Theatrical release poster
The Mask (film)
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The Mask: Music from the Motion Picture
7.
Princess Fiona
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Princess Fiona is a fictional main character who serves as the female lead in DreamWorks animated Shrek film series. She made her first appearance in the first film in the franchise, Shrek, in the first film, Fiona appears as a princess plagued by a curse that transforms her into an ogress each and every sunset. Shrek and Donkey interrupt Fionas wedding ceremony and try to cancel any possibilities of her wedding Lord Farquaad, before they can kiss, the sun sets, and Fionas ogre transformation spell is triggered and manages to appall Farquaad into losing desires of marrying her. At the end of the movie, Shrek marries Fiona and Farquaad is swallowed by Donkeys new girlfriend, in Shrek 2, Princess Fiona tries to convince Shrek to meet her parents in the kingdom of Far Far Away. While there, her Fairy Godmother, who had her locked away in the tower to begin with, when Fairy Godmother finds out that Fiona is in fact married to an ogre, Fairy Godmother plots to kill Shrek and replace him with her son, Prince Charming. Fiona briefly returns to her form from the first film after Shrek drinks a Happily Ever After potion. Her plan ultimately fails when Harold, after seeing how much Fiona despises Charming, when Shrek tries to kiss Fiona so they can both remain human, she tells him that she wants to live happily ever after with the ogre she married. They then turn back into ogres, and Donkey turns back into a donkey, in Shrek the Third, Princess Fiona becomes the acting Queen of Far, Far Away while her father is ill. When the latter passes away, Shrek sets out to find her cousin Arthur Pendragon and she tells him that she is pregnant. While she is having a shower, Prince Charming stages an invasion so that he can proclaim himself king of Far Far Away. Fiona organizes the resistance with her friends Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel and Doris the Ugly Stepsister, thanks to her mothers fighting abilities, they escape prison, and the other princesses cut loose and become more independent. Artie makes a speech to convince the villains to go straight, outside Fiona confronts him about his outburst. Shrek responds that he is sick of not having his privacy respected, when Fiona asks him if he means before he rescued her, Shrek cruelly confirms her fear. Fiona is shocked and upset by Shreks actions, she tells him that he had everything he could have ever wanted and she goes back inside to the party, disappointed in him. When Shrek makes his deal with Rumpelstiltskin, for a day he is brought to a universe where he was never born. Here, Rumpel has seized power by tricking Fionas parents out of ruling the kingdom of Far Far Away, Fiona remains under the witchs curse from the first movie and has subsequently become the leader of a group of Ogre resistance fighters. Fiona is shown to still be kind hearted and caring but bitterly cynical and disillusioned about the power of true love and she begins to fall in love with him again when he starts training with her, but still does not kiss him. But Fionas attitude towards Shrek changes as she and the other ogres head off to take down Rumpelstiltskin once, during the day, Shrek realises that a loophole will negate the deal if he can receive a True Loves kiss from Fiona
Princess Fiona
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Princess Fiona
Princess Fiona
8.
Shrek (franchise)
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The Shrek franchise from DreamWorks Animation, based on William Steigs picture book Shrek. Consists of four computer-animated films including, Shrek, Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, a short 4-D film, Shrek 4-D, which originally was a theme park ride, was released in 2003. Two television specials, the Christmas television special Shrek the Halls, a spin-off film titled Puss in Boots was released in October 2011, and a 2008 Broadway musical adaption was produced for two years. The series was a success, becoming the 13th highest-grossing franchise of all time. Shrek, an ogre, finds a surprise when fairy tale creatures are sent to live in his swamp by Lord Farquaad. He befriends a talking donkey whose name is also Donkey, the latter needs Princess Fiona to marry him so he will become the king of Duloc. When Shrek and Donkey visit him, they are forced to rescue her from an enormous fire-breathing dragon, the Dragon turns out to be female, and she falls in love with Donkey. Donkey, Shrek and Fiona escape, and Dragon chases them, once Shrek and Donkey rescue Fiona, they take her back to Lord Farquaad. Along the way, Shrek falls in love with Fiona and she reveals to Donkey that she is cursed and turns into an ogress at night. The only way the curse can be broken is by true loves first kiss, Fiona and Farquaad have a marriage ceremony, but they are interrupted by Shrek, who tells Fiona he loves her. Donkey and Dragon enter, and Dragon eats Farquaad, Shrek and Fiona kiss, and Fiona turns into an ogress permanently. Shrek gets his swamp back, and the two marry there, after a karaoke party the newlyweds set off on their honeymoon. The second film opens with Prince Charming on a quest to rescue Princess Fiona from the Dragon, when he gets there, he finds the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs in Fionas bed. He asks the wolf where Fiona is and the wolf tells him that she is on her honeymoon with Shrek, once Shrek and Fiona return from their honeymoon, they find Donkey in the swamp who tells them he and Dragon are going through a rough patch. They then get invited to the land of Far Far Away by Fionas parents, when they arrive, Shrek and Fiona are not what they expected. The Fairy Godmother and her son, Prince Charming, are trying to break up Shreks marriage by making Fiona fall in love with Prince Charming, however it does not work and Shrek and Fiona stay together. Shrek and Donkey get a new sidekick called Puss in Boots and they have a lengthy quest to search the Fairy Godmothers cottage to get a love potion. Shrek and Donkey drink the potion and they become something quite unexpected, Shrek becomes human and Donkey becomes a horse
Shrek (franchise)
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Shrek
9.
The Sweetest Thing
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The Sweetest Thing is a 2002 American romantic comedy film directed by Roger Kumble and written by Nancy Pimental, who based the characters on herself and friend Kate Walsh. It stars Cameron Diaz, Christina Applegate and Selma Blair, in an opening scene, a group of men are interviewed regarding Christina Walters who introduce her as a player and a user of men in the swinging singles market. The men include, A neurotic loser who gets a nose bleed when she fails to call him after promising to do so, a man who saw the movie Swingers and is calling her after 3 days, only to find that she gave him a number for Moviefone. At the club, Jane feels out of place and Christina grabs a man passing by to set Jane up with and she meets Peter Donahue who confronts Christina for her methods before disappearing for the night. While in the bathroom with Courtney, she calls him by name, leading her to suspect that he got under Christinas skin and he invites Christina and Courtney to an after-party at their hotel, but Christina goes home and later regrets not going. The next day, Christina cannot stop talking about Peter while Jane deals with an embarrassing cleanup from her fun with the guy she met the night before. In the unedited version, Jane returns to the lunch and the talk about always complimenting men for the sizes of their penises. Meanwhile, Jane encounters her boyfriend at her job and is nearly caught having sex with him in the changing rooms. Arriving, they discover that it is Peter, not Roger who is getting married and the pair nearly ruin the ceremonies in their attempts to escape. Peter and his fiance then decide that they do not want to marry each other and they call off the wedding while Christina returns home, later, Peter finds Christinas address in the log at the store they bought their clothing in and tracks her down. Christina, determined not to fear the commitment, kisses Peter, whether they all live together is left ambiguous. The Sweetest Thing currently has a 26% rotten rating at Rotten Tomatoes based on 107 reviews with the consensus, at Metacritic, the film has an average score of 32 out of 100, based on 30 critics. It was among Ebert & Roepers Worst of 2002, in the category Big Stars in Big Bombs, the Sweetest Thing at the Internet Movie Database The Sweetest Thing at AllMovie The Sweetest Thing at Metacritic The Sweetest Thing at Rotten Tomatoes
The Sweetest Thing
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Theatrical release poster
10.
In Her Shoes (film)
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In Her Shoes is a 2005 American comedy-drama film based on the novel of the same name by Jennifer Weiner. It is directed by Curtis Hanson with a screenplay by Susannah Grant and stars Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette. The film focuses on the relationship between two sisters and their grandmother, Maggie and Rose Feller are sisters with nothing in common but their shoe size. They were raised by their father Michael and stepmother after their mother Caroline died in a car accident, Rose is the eldest, an ostensibly plain and serious lawyer who is protective of Maggie despite her flaws. Maggie is a spirit who is unable to hold a steady job and turns to alcohol. Rose grudgingly allows Maggie to move in with her in her Rittenhouse Square apartment in Philadelphia when their stepmother throws her out of the house and their already difficult relationship ends when Rose catches Maggie in bed with Jim, her boyfriend. Maggie subsequently disappears from Roses life, a few days before, while secretly looking through her fathers desk for money, Maggie discovered a bundle of old greeting cards containing cash. She was astonished to discover that the cards were addressed to both her and Rose and were from their grandmother Ella, now, homeless and without job prospects, Maggie travels to Florida to find her and hopefully a new source of income. So she letting Maggie stay with her out of guilt for abandoning her responsibilities as a grandmother. However, as passes, Ella discovers that Maggie has come to do nothing but sunbathe. Maggie asks Ella to finance an acting career for her, Ella agrees to match her salary dollar for dollar if she accepts a job with the living section of her grandmothers retirement community. Meanwhile, Rose has decided to quit her job, become a dog-walker, Maggie befriends one of her patients, a blind retired professor of English literature, who has asked Maggie to read works of poetry to him. She does so, but with great difficulty, after asking if she is dyslexic, the professor encourages Maggie to continue reading to him while offering emotional support to her. Maggie finds a friend in the professor, the first person in her life who does not ridicule her difficulties with reading, as time passes with the professor, Maggies confidence grows not only with reading but with her general image of herself. In addition, she becomes friendly with the residents of the retirement community. In doing so, Maggie discovers a livelihood that is greatly needed among the women, a personal clothing shopper. Ella offers to run the financial aspects of the business, in the process, they become close and resolve their history. Meanwhile, Roses reluctance to talk about Maggie is straining her relationships with those around her, such as Simon, her father, and stepmother
In Her Shoes (film)
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Theatrical release poster
11.
The Holiday
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The Holiday is a 2006 American romantic comedy film written, produced and directed by Nancy Meyers. Co-produced by Bruce A. Jude Law and Jack Black were cast as the leading men Graham and Miles, with Eli Wallach, Shannyn Sossamon, Edward Burns. Distributed by Columbia Pictures and Universal Pictures, The Holiday was first released on December 6,2006, in Spain and on December 8,2006, in North America and it grossed over $205 million worldwide. Critics praised the visual aesthetic design and the casts performances. When she learns at a company Christmas party that he is engaged to be married, on the spur of the moment she decides to get away for the Christmas holidays and visits a home-exchange website on which Iris has listed her quaint cottage in Surrey. Amanda contacts Iris, and the two women agree to swap homes for two weeks. While Iris revels in the luxury of Amandas Los Angeles home, Amanda is disappointed by the slow, Amanda grows bored after just a few hours and books a flight home for the next day. Later that night, Iriss brother, Graham, knocks at the door thinking Iris is home, Graham asks Amanda to let him spend the night despite the fact that he is a stranger, as he has been drinking at the pub and doesnt want to drive. Because of the chemistry between them, they end up sleeping together. In the morning, Graham receives phone calls from Sophie and Olivia, Graham, knowing that Amanda is planning to return home imminently, says to Amanda that if the flight gets cancelled, having dinner at the pub with friends. At the airport Amanda decides to stay and goes to the pub, Graham enters the pub and looks for her but cannot see her until he meets his friends and then sees Amanda. Amanda drinks far too much that night, and Graham agrees to stay the night with her, the next day Graham suggests they go to lunch to get to know one another better. During lunch, Amanda shares with Graham that her parents divorced when she was fifteen, Graham tells her that he cries all the time, movies, books, and birthday cards. He also reveals himself to be a book editor, while obviously enjoying each others company, Amanda is nonetheless worried that the relationship will become complicated. Meanwhile, Iris is enjoying her stay at Amandas house and she meets Ethans friend Miles when he comes with his girlfriend Maggie to Amandas house. Later, she meets an elderly neighbour named Arthur Abbott, standing lost at the corner and she learns that he was a screenwriter during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Amanda chooses not to see Graham again but, alone again in the cottage, she has a change of heart and he looks uncomfortable at the door, Amanda asks Graham whether he is alone, and he says he isnt. Before she can turn away, Olivia and Sophie come to the door, inside the house, Amanda asks Graham in a whisper if he is married
The Holiday
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Theatrical release poster
The Holiday
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Top to bottom:
Cameron Diaz,
Kate Winslet, and
Jack Black star in the film as, respectively, Amanda Woods, Iris Simpkins, and Miles Dumont.
The Holiday
The Holiday
12.
What Happens in Vegas
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What Happens in Vegas is a 2008 American comedy film directed by Tom Vaughan, written by Dana Fox and starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. The title is based on the Las Vegas marketing catchphrase What happens in Vegas, in New York City, high-strung equity trader Joy Ellis McNally is dumped by her fiancé at a surprise birthday party she throws for him. At the same time, easy-going carpenter Jack Fuller is fired from his job by his father, Jack, both become emotionally distraught and, with best friends Toni Tipper, a bartender, and Jeff Hater, a lawyer, take a debauched trip to Las Vegas. Joy and Jack meet by chance when they are given the hotel room because of a computer error. After clearing up the misunderstanding and receiving upgraded rooms and coupons to various clubs, they party and drink together, the next morning, they realize it was a mistake and decide to divorce. Before they do so, Jack uses a quarter Joy gives him in a slot machine and he hits a three million dollar jackpot and Joy reminds Jack that they are married and hence, she is entitled to half of the money. The couple return to New York, where they attempt to divorce, the judge declares that the couple cannot divorce until they attempt to co-exist for six months, while attending weekly sessions with a marriage counselor. If they work at the marriage but still want to divorce after six months, if either party does not cooperate, the money will be tied up in litigation by the judge. Jack gives Joys ex-fiancé, Mason, her engagement ring back without Joy knowing, at Joys job retreat, Jack and Joy find themselves developing an unexpected attraction to one another, and they soon realize that being with each other has brought out the best in both of them. After they get back from the retreat, its time for the judge to decide what happens to the money, on her way to the hearing, Joy sees her ex-fiancé Mason, and he tells her that he wants her back. He gives her back the engagement ring and tells her that she is good enough for him, Joy realizes that Jack set her up to get back with him, therefore cheating on him and letting Jack keep the money. Joy walks away from Mason and goes to the hearing, at the hearing, their marriage counselor testifies that the couple truly tried to work on their marriage. The judge decides that they split the remaining 1.4 million dollars. Joy tells the judge she doesnt want any money and gives the engagement ring to Jack, Jack realizes she knows that he talked to Mason. Joy gets the promotion shed been working for, but tells her boss she would rather be doing nothing than doing something she hates. Jack talks to his parents and they tell him it looks like he, realizing his mistake, he goes to find her. Tipper tells Jack that she quit her job and that nobody knows where she is and he has a suspicion that she has gone to a beach that she told him about, the only place that makes her feel truly happy. Jack asks her to be his wife and she says yes, as the two embrace, Joy says that she quit her job and has no idea what shes going to do
What Happens in Vegas
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Theatrical release poster
13.
Knight and Day
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Knight and Day is a 2010 American action comedy film starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. The film, directed by James Mangold, is Cruise and Diazs second on-screen collaboration following the 2001 film Vanilla Sky. Diaz plays June Havens, a classic car restorer who unwittingly gets caught up with the secret agent Roy Miller, played by Cruise. The films investors offset funding costs by paying Cruise a lower advance fee, filming took place in several locations, mainly in several cities located in Massachusetts, while other scenes were filmed in Spain and parts of Austria. Knight and Day was released in the United States on June 24,2010, the film received mixed reviews from film critics. It grossed over $261 million worldwide, recouping its $117 million dollar budget, the film was officially remade in Bollywood with Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif in the lead roles titled Bang Bang. and released on 2 October 2014. After colliding with Roy Miller twice in the departure terminal on the way home from Wichita to pick up car parts. Agent John Fitzgerald, believing Havens is working with Miller, puts her back on the plane, completely taken with Miller, Havens goes to the restroom to prep herself up. Meanwhile, Miller fights and kills everyone else on the plane, even the pilots, after Havens reemerges and gives him a kiss, Miller crash-lands the plane in a cornfield. He drugs a shocked and confused Havens, warning her about the agents who come after her. Havens is then picked up by a group of intelligence agents, Miller arrives and, through a long gunfight on the highway, kills several agents and reclaims Havens. She flees at the first opportunity and contacts Rodney, a firefighter and former boyfriend, believing Havens is merely stressed and is playing out a fantasy, Rodney takes her out and she tells him everything that has happened to her, though he still does not understand. Miller then arrives and pretends to take Havens hostage while holding everyone else at gunpoint, fleeing with her. Miller explains that Havens is safer with him and she agrees to him as they go to pick up Simon Feck. Traveling to Brooklyn, Miller and Havens discover that Feck has fled from the warehouse he was hiding in and they are then attacked by henchmen sent by Spanish arms dealer, Antonio Quintana. Accepting a call from her sister after leaving in frustration, Havens accidentally leads Quintanas men straight to the hideaway and they try to kill Miller and Havens with an unmanned aerial vehicle. Before they escape by helicopter, Havens is knocked-out by Miller since she is afraid of flying, Miller reunites with Feck and they, with Havens, get on a train heading for Austria. Havens is attacked by Bernard, an assassin sent by Quintana to retrieve the Zephyr and Feck, but Miller and Havens fight him and he is killed by another train
Knight and Day
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Theatrical teaser poster
14.
The Green Hornet (2011 film)
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Directed by Michel Gondry and written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the film stars Rogen, Jay Chou, Christoph Waltz, Edward James Olmos, David Harbour, Tom Wilkinson and Cameron Diaz. The film was released to theaters in North America on January 14,2011 by Columbia Pictures, in versions including RealD Cinema, the film earned $227.8 million on a $120 million budget. The Green Hornet was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and Blu-ray 3D on May 3,2011 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Britt Reid is the irresponsible 28-year-old slacker son of widower James Reid, publisher of the Los Angeles Daily Sentinel. Britts attitude changes when James is found dead from a reaction to a bee sting. After the funeral, Britt fires the staff aside from his maid, but later re-hires Kato, Jamess mechanic, Britt and Kato get drunk together and, upon agreeing that they both hated James, visit the graveyard to cut the head off Jamess memorial statue. After they succeed, they rescue a couple being mugged. When police mistake Britt and Kato themselves for criminals, Kato evades them in a car chase as he, Britt convinces Kato they should become crime-fighters who pose as criminals in order to infiltrate real criminals, and to prevent enemies from using innocents against them. Kato develops a car outfitted with gadgets and weapons, which they call the Black Beauty. Britt plans to capture Benjamin Chudnofsky, a Russian mobster uniting the families of Los Angeles under his command. To get Chudnofskys attention, Britt uses the Daily Sentinel as a vehicle to publish articles about a criminal he calls The Green Hornet. Britt hires Lenore Case, who has a degree in journalism and a minor in criminology, as his assistant and researcher, Britt and Kato blow up several of Chudnofskys meth labs, leaving calling cards so Chudnofsky can contact them. Britt asks Lenore out, but she rebuffs him and instead invites Kato to dinner, Kato learns from her that mobsters often offer a peace summit to rivals in order to get close enough to kill them, Britt then tells Kato that Chudnofsky has offered them such a meeting. Kato tries dissuading him, but Britt, feeling overshadowed, follows his instincts and this nearly proves fatal when Chudnofsky tries to kill them. Barely escaping to the mansion, Britt and Kato argue and fight, Kato receives an email from Chudnofsky on the Hornets calling-card email address, offering $1 million and half of Los Angeles to the Hornet if he kills Britt. Meanwhile, Britt discovers that Scanlon is corrupt, and that he tried to bribe James into downplaying the citys crime level to help his career, Scanlon invites Britt to meet in a restaurant, where he reveals he murdered Britts father. Kato arrives, and instead of killing Britt, he attacks Chudnofskys men, allowing him and Britt, at the Daily Sentinel, Britt intends to upload a recording of Scanlons confession onto the Web--which he belatedly discovers he did not manage to record. Chudnofsky and his men, who followed the duo there, engage them in a firefight, Kato ultimately stabs Chudnofsky in the eyes with wood in self-defense and Britt shoots him to death with Chudnofskys gun. A SWAT team appears and fires at the Green Hornet and Kato, the Green Hornet and Kato flee to Lenores house, where she learns both their real names and that she has been the accidental mastermind behind the Green Hornets plots
The Green Hornet (2011 film)
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Theatrical release poster
The Green Hornet (2011 film)
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Cameron Diaz in Berlin, December 3, 2010
The Green Hornet (2011 film)
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A Black Beauty used in the film
15.
Bad Teacher
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The film was released in the United States and Canada on June 24,2011. She plans to quit teaching and marry her wealthy fiancé, Mark and she tries to win over substitute teacher Scott Delacorte, who is also wealthy because his family runs a watch company. Early in the film, Elizabeth plans to get surgery to enlarge her breasts, however, when she tries to schedule an appointment for her breast surgery, she cannot afford the $9,300 procedure. To make things worse, Scott admits that he has a crush on Amy, Elizabeth later learns from her best friend, Lynn Davies, that the teacher of the class with the highest state test scores will receive a $5,700 bonus. With this knowledge, Elizabeth decides to change her style of teaching, forcing the class to intensely read, however, the change is too late and insufficient. The students have terrible scores on their quizzes, frustrating her even more, meanwhile, she befriends Russell the gym teacher as Amy and Scott start dating. Elizabeth gets Carl drunk and convinces him to take her to his office to have sex, a month later, Elizabeths class aces the test and she wins the bonus, giving her the funds needed to get her breasts enlarged. On the trip, Elizabeth seduces Scott and they dry hump and Elizabeth secretly calls Amy using Scotts phone leaving a message recording all the action, ensuring she knows about the affair. However, Scotts peculiar behavior, which was exposed by Russell. Elizabeth later gives advice to one of her students who has a crush on the superficial Chase in class. On a field trip the boy makes a public confession of his love and is ridiculed by his classmates. Elizabeth takes him aside, gives him her bra, and tells everyone she caught him having sex with a student from another school, left behind at the school, Amy switches Elizabeths desk with her own to trick the janitor into unlocking Elizabeths sealed drawer. Amy finds Elizabeths journalist disguise and the practice test, which leads her to suspect Elizabeth cheated on the state exam, Amy informs the principal and gets Carl to testify against her. However, Elizabeth took embarrassing photos of Carl while he was drugged and, with the help of her roommate, Kirk, having failed to nail Elizabeth for cheating, Amy accuses her of drug use, based on a tip from a student. At the end of the year, Amy is moved to the worst school in the county by the superintendent. Scott asks Elizabeth to start over, indicating that he now has a crush on her, but Elizabeth rejects him in favor of a relationship with Russell, who she has learned she has a lot in common with. When the new year starts, Elizabeth has not gotten the breast enlargement after all. She also has a new position as the guidance counselor
Bad Teacher
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Theatrical release poster
16.
The Counselor
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The Counselor is a 2013 British-American thriller film directed by Ridley Scott and written by Cormac McCarthy. The film deals with primal human concerns like greed, mortality, love, the Counselor was chosen as the closing film at the 2013 Morelia Film Festival and also played the Cork Film Festival. The London premiere was held on October 3,2013 in Leicester Square, the New York City premiere was held on October 9,2013. The film was released on October 25,2013. It is dedicated to Scotts brother, Tony, who died in 2012, a high-level cartel lawyer and his girlfriend Laura are talking sexily in bed. Meanwhile, somewhere in Mexico, cocaine is packaged in barrels and concealed in a truck, driven across the border. After the Counselor goes to Amsterdam to meet with a dealer to purchase an engagement ring for Laura, he proposes. The Counselor meets with Westray, an associate of Reiners. He hears of the deals four-thousand percent return rate, but Westray warns the Counselor about becoming involved, the Counselor remains outwardly confident and unconcerned. Malkina gains knowledge of the deal through her access to Reiner, Reiner describes an execution device called the bolito which gradually strangles and decapitates the victim. Reiner also tells the Counselor how disturbed and oddly aroused he was from an incident where he witnessed Malkina masturbate with his Ferrari Californias windshield, the Counselor visits a client, a prison inmate named Ruth who is on trial for murder. Ruths son is a biker and a cartel member known as the Green Hornet. The Counselor agrees to him out of jail. Malkina senses an opportunity to undermine the Counselors upcoming deal and to profit for herself and she employs the Wireman to steal the drugs. He decapitates the biker, Ruths recently released son, with a wire stretched across the highway, then the Wireman steals the truck containing the cocaine. Learning of the theft, Westray meets with the Counselor to notify him that the biker is dead, Westray says he is leaving town immediately and suggests the Counselor do the same. Westray explains that the cartels ruthlessness extends to creating snuff films where murder victims are filmed having necrophilia performed on them on camera, the Counselor makes an urgent call to Laura, arranging to meet her in another state, where he will explain. The cartel has learned that the Counselor bailed out the Green Hornet, in Texas, two cartel members pretending to be police officers pull over the Wireman and his accomplice, killing both and also gunning down an innocent driver who comes upon the scene
The Counselor
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Theatrical release poster
17.
The Other Woman (2014 film)
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The Other Woman is a 2014 American comedy film, directed by Nick Cassavetes and written by Melissa Stack. The film stars Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann and Kate Upton, with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Nicki Minaj, the film follows three women—Carly, Kate, and Amber —who are all romantically involved with the same man, Mark. After finding out each other, the trio decide to take revenge on Mark. Development of The Other Woman began in January 2012, when 20th Century Fox hired Stack to write the script, casting was done between November 2012 and June 2013. Aaron Zigman composed the score and LBI Productions produced the film, the film was released on April 25,2014, in the United States, and distributed worldwide by 20th Century Fox. It received negative reviews, with criticism focusing on the films script, directing, acting. The film has been a box office success, becoming number one at the box office during its opening weekend and it was released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 29,2014, and earned more than $13 million in home media sales. Carly, an attorney, has just started a relationship with Mark and she is upset when Mark tells her he has to go out of town but decides to go over to his house to seduce him. She is horrified to meet Marks wife, Kate, whom shed assumed to be Marks housekeeper, while initially hostile, the two women befriend one another. Kate then discovers that he is seeing another woman, whom she believes to be Carly. Carly and Kate travel to the beach, where Kate has a run-in with Amber, All three women then decide to take revenge on him together. They spike Marks drinks with estrogen to swell his nipples and a laxative to cause him to defecate heavy diarrhea, in the course of carrying out their pranks, they discover that Mark has been embezzling money from various companies at his workplace. Meanwhile, Carly begins to connect romantically with Kates brother Phil, in addition, Amber confides to Carly that she is seeing someone else as well. However, their camaraderie begins to fall apart when Kate finds herself falling in love with Mark again after an investors dinner, Carly exposes Marks fraud, upsetting Kate. Later, when Mark goes to the Bahamas on a business trip, Kate decides to follow him there. Kate also finds out that Mark has been seeing yet another woman and this, and the possibility of him facing prison, motivates her to take action with the help of Carlys legal expertise. When Mark returns from vacation, he visits Carly at her office and he is then locked in the clear glass conference room by Carlys assistant and friend, Lydia, and is shocked to see all three women sitting together. They proceed to confront him with his infidelities and embezzlement, with Carly as her attorney, Kate presents divorce papers and a list of their assets
The Other Woman (2014 film)
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Theatrical release poster
The Other Woman (2014 film)
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The female-lead cast of The Other Woman (from left to right): Kate Upton, Cameron Diaz, and Leslie Mann.
The Other Woman (2014 film)
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The
Atlantis Paradise Island, used for the filming location.
18.
Annie (2014 film)
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Annie is a 2014 American musical film directed by Will Gluck and produced by Village Roadshow Pictures and Will Smiths Overbrook Entertainment for Sony Pictures Columbia Pictures. A contemporary adaptation of the 1977 Broadway musical of the name, the film stars Quvenzhané Wallis, Jamie Foxx, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale. Annie received two Golden Globe Award nominations, one for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, conversely, the film won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel and Cameron Diaz was nominated for Worst Supporting Actress. Annie spends Fridays waiting outside Domonis restaurant, believing her parents come for her because a note written on a receipt from Domonis says they would return. Annie learns that nothing more about her than what she already knows. Trying to save a Shiba Inu from bullies, Annie is nearly run over, however, she is saved by William Stacks, a germaphobe cell phone mogul running for mayor. Annies rescue goes viral on the internet, boosting Stacks popularity, per suggestion of Stacks campaign manager Guy Danlily, Annie enjoys her new surroundings, befriending Stacks assistant Grace Farrell. Annie also gets to adopt the dog from before, naming her Sandy. Bonding with Annie, Stacks reveals that he had humble beginnings in Queens, he never knew his father due to his work hours. Annie also helps Grace and Stacks begin realizing that they like each other romantically, per Annies request, Stacks takes her and her friends in Hannigans foster care to see the premiere of MoonQuake Lake. Stacks is uninterested in the movie at first, but soon becomes a major fan, per Annie and Graces insistence, Stacks joins in the after-movie party. After returning her friends home, Annie shows Grace her Friday routine of waiting to see if her parents return, Grace sympathizes. At Hannigans, the girls accidentally wake her, Hannigan snaps at them, saying rich people arent nice, slightly hungover, she laments about her situation of foster kids and her desire to reclaim stardom. When Annie is asked to read a speech during a charity event, she runs out, Stacks decides to get her a special-ed teacher, but Guy decides that Annie will only hinder Stacks campaign as his popularity isnt improving any more. Teaming up with Hannigan, Guy plans to have imposters claim Annie as their daughter to boost Stacks popularity to the point where he wins, however, Guy plans to dump Annie back into the system after the election, not caring about her well-being. By the time Hannigan has second thoughts, Annie has already been kidnapped by the imposters, Hannigan tells Stacks about the plan, Stacks, Grace, Hannigan and the girls board Stacks helicopter, aided by the police, they chase the getaway car into the park. Annie, thinking Stacks arranged this, is upset and refuses to him when he tells her he didnt know about the scheme. Stacks, to prove his innocence, announces to the press that he quits the race, Annie then helps Grace
Annie (2014 film)
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Theatrical release poster
19.
Golden Globe Award
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Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign. The annual ceremony at which the awards are presented is a part of the film industrys awards season. The 74th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film, the 1st Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best achievements in 1943 filmmaking, was held in January 1944, at the 20th Century-Fox studios. Subsequent ceremonies were held at venues throughout the next decade, including the Beverly Hills Hotel. In 1950, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association made the decision to establish an honorary award to recognize outstanding contributions to the entertainment industry. Recognizing its subject as a figure within the entertainment industry. The official name of the award became the Cecil B. In 1963, the Miss Golden Globe concept was introduced, in its inaugural year, two Miss Golden Globes were named, one for film and one for television. The two Miss Golden Globes named that year were Eva Six and Donna Douglas, respectively, in 2009, the Golden Globe statuette was redesigned. It was unveiled at a conference at the Beverly Hilton prior to the show. The broadcast of the Golden Globe Awards, telecast to 167 countries worldwide, generally ranks as the third most-watched awards show each year, behind only the Oscars, gervais returned to host the 68th and 69th Golden Globe Awards the next two years. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted the 70th, 71st and 72nd Golden Globe Awards in 2015, the Golden Globe Awards theme song, which debuted in 2012, was written by Japanese musician and songwriter Yoshiki Hayashi. On January 7,2008, it was announced due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. The ceremony was faced with a threat by striking writers to picket the event, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association was forced to adopt another approach for the broadcast. In acting categories, Meryl Streep holds the record for the most competitive Golden Globe wins with eight, however, including honorary awards, such as the Henrietta Award, World Film Favorite Actor/Actress Award, or Cecil B. DeMille Award, Barbra Streisand leads with nine, additionally, Streisand won for composing the song Evergreen, producing the Best Picture, and directing Yentl in 1984. Jack Nicholson, Angela Lansbury, Alan Alda and Shirley MacLaine have six awards each, behind them are Rosalind Russell and Jessica Lange with five wins. Meryl Streep also holds the record for most nominations with thirty, at the 46th Golden Globe Awards an anomaly occurred, a three way-tie for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Golden Globe Award
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The Golden Globe statuette
20.
Being John Malkovich
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Being John Malkovich is a 1999 American fantasy-comedy film directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman, both making their feature film debut. The film stars John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, and Catherine Keener, with John Malkovich, the film follows a puppeteer who finds a portal that leads into Malkovichs mind. Released by USA Films, the film was nominated in three categories at the 72nd Academy Awards, Best Director for Jonze, Best Original Screenplay for Kaufman, Craig Schwartz is an unemployed puppeteer in a forlorn marriage with his pet-obsessed wife Lotte. Gaining a file clerk job through Dr. Craig enters a door hidden behind a filing cabinet. Craig is able to observe and sense whatever Malkovich does for fifteen minutes before he is ejected and dropped into a ditch near the New Jersey Turnpike and he reveals the portal to Maxine and they let others use it for $200 a turn. Craig tells Lotte, who becomes obsessed with the experience, allowing her to out her transgender desires. Lotte becomes attracted to Maxine and they begin a relationship via Lotte being inside Malkovichs head while Maxine has sex with Malkovich. Craig, forsaken by both women, binds and gags Lotte and locks her in a cage, then enters Malkovichs mind and has sex with Maxine, Craig discovers that he is able to control Malkovichs actions while in his head, causing the actor to become paranoid. He is ejected and meets Craig by the turnpike, Malkovich demands that the portal be closed, but Craig refuses. Lotte escapes with the help of the animals in the cage and phones Maxine, Maxine is annoyed but accepts it as she enjoyed the experience. Seeking help, Lotte finds Lester, who reveals himself to be Captain Mertin and he is aware of the portal and has a room dedicated to Malkovich. Lester explains that the connected to it becomes ripe for occupation on the eve of their 44th birthday. However, after the old host turns 44, the moves to its next host. The former allows one to increase their life before moving on to another host while the means being trapped within the unborn child. Lester, who has been using the portal to prolong his life, reveals his plan to use Malkovich for himself, offered the chance to join Lesters group, Lotte warns him that Craig has control. Craig finds he is able to remain in Malkovich indefinitely and he spends the next eight months in Malkovichs body, and through his control turns Malkovich into a world-famous puppeteer. Malkovich marries Maxine and learns that she is pregnant as their relationship grows distant, as Malkovichs 44th birthday approaches, Lester and his friends cut a deal with Maxine and fake her kidnapping. They call up Craig threatening to kill her if Craig does not leave Malkovich, Craig ends the call, causing Lester to think that he called their bluff
Being John Malkovich
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Theatrical release poster
21.
Vanilla Sky
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Vanilla Sky is a 2001 American science fiction psychological thriller romance film directed, written, and co-produced by Cameron Crowe. It is an English-language remake of Alejandro Amenábars 1997 Spanish film Open Your Eyes, the film has been described as an odd mixture of science fiction, romance and reality warp. Vanilla Sky stars Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, and Cameron Diaz with Jason Lee and it received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song, as well as Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe Award nominations for Cameron Diazs performance. The soundtrack was critically acclaimed. Vanilla Sky was released on Blu-ray on June 30,2015 in North America, from a prison cell where he has been charged with murder, David Aames, in a prosthetic mask, tells his life story to court psychologist, Dr. Curtis McCabe. In flashback, David is shown to be the owner of a large publishing firm in New York City which he inherited from his father. As David enjoys the lifestyle, he is introduced to Sofia Serrano by his best friend. David and Sofia spend a night talking and fall in love. When Davids former lover, Julianna Julie Gianni, hears of Sofia, she attempts to kill herself, Julie dies but David survives, his face grotesquely disfigured, leading him to wear a mask to hide the injuries. With no hope to use plastic surgery to repair the damage, on a night out with Sofia and Brian, David gets hopelessly drunk and Sofia and Brian leave David to wallow in the street outside. David is awakened the next day in the street by Sofia, who apologises for deserting him the night before, the two continue to see each other, and David has his face surgically repaired despite being told it was impossible before. One day, when he goes to Sofias apartment, he finds Julie there instead, angry and confused, David suffocates Julie, and is later arrested and placed in a mental institution, finding his face has reverted to its previously disfigured state. David completes telling his story to Curtis, who proceeds to then visit David further for more sessions to try to help him recuperate, during one interview Curtis tells David the staff reported him calling out Ellie in a bad dream and asks who she is. David later sees a nearby TV advertisement for Life Extension, a company specializes in cryonic suspension. David becomes anxious and breaks free of Curtis, realizing he is in his own lucid dream that has gone wrong and they ride up in an elevator to the top of an impossibly tall building, the height triggering Davids severe acrophobia. The man explains that David has been in cryonic sleep for 150 years, however, during his sleep, the dream went horribly wrong and attempted to incorporate elements from his subconscious, such as substituting Julie for Sofia and creating a father-figure in Curtis. David decides to wake up, ignoring the vision of Curtis that his subconscious has brought to life to him out of it. David envisions Sofia and Brian to say his goodbyes, conquering his final fear, David jumps off the building, his life flashing before his eyes, and whites out immediately before hitting the ground
Vanilla Sky
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Theatrical release poster
Vanilla Sky
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The "vanilla sky" title refers to the sky as painted by
Claude Monet, such as in The Seine at Argenteuil (1873) which is featured in the film.
22.
Gangs of New York
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Gangs of New York is a 2002 American epic period drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, set in the mid-19th century in the Five Points district of New York City. The screenplay is by Jay Cocks, Steven Zaillian, and Kenneth Lonergan and it was inspired by Herbert Asburys 1927 nonfiction book, The Gangs of New York. It was made in Cinecittà, Rome, distributed by Miramax Films and nominated for awards, including the Academy Award for Best Picture. The film is set in 1862 and follows gang leader Bill The Butcher Cutting in his roles as crime boss and political kingmaker under the helm of Boss Tweed. The film culminates in a violent confrontation between Cutting and his mob with the protagonist Amsterdam Vallon and his immigrant allies, which coincides with the New York Draft Riots of 1863 and it was released on December 20,2002 and grossed $193 million worldwide. Bill kills Vallon and orders that he be buried with honor, having witnessed this, Vallons young son hides the knife that killed his father and is taken to an orphanage on Blackwells Island. In September 1862, Vallons son, now calling himself Amsterdam, returns to Five Points seeking revenge, an old acquaintance, Johnny Sirocco, familiarizes him with the local clans of gangs and thieves, all of whom pay tribute to Bill, who controls the neighborhood. Amsterdam joins Johnnys gang of thieves and is introduced to Bill and he learns that many of his fathers former loyalists are now in Bills employ, including Happy Jack Mulraney, who is now a corrupt constable, and McGloin, who is one of Bills lieutenants. Each year, Bill celebrates the anniversary of his victory over the Dead Rabbits, Amsterdam becomes attracted to pickpocket and grifter Jenny Everdeane, who Johnny is infatuated with. Amsterdams interest is dampened, however, upon learning that she was once Bills ward, Amsterdam gains Bills confidence and Bill becomes his mentor, involving him in the dealings of corrupt politician William M. Tweed. Amsterdam saves Bill from an attempt, and is tormented by the thought that he may have done so out of honest devotion. Jenny nurses Bills wounds, and she and Amsterdam have an argument which dissolves into passionate lovemaking. Bill speaks to Amsterdam of the downfall of civilization and how he has maintained power through the spectacle of violence, on the evening of the anniversary, Johnny, in a fit of jealousy over Jenny, reveals Amsterdams true identity and intentions to Bill. Bill baits Amsterdam with a knife throwing act involving Jenny, as Bill toasts Priest Vallon, Amsterdam throws his knife, but Bill deflects it and wounds Amsterdam with a counter throw. Bill proclaims that rather than dying, Amsterdam shall live in shame, going into hiding, Jenny nurses Amsterdam back to health and implores him to escape with her to San Francisco. Monk McGinn, a barber who fought for Priest Vallon, gives Amsterdam a straight razor that belonged to Amsterdams father, Amsterdam announces his return by hanging a dead rabbit in Paradise Square. Bill sends Happy Jack to investigate, but Amsterdam kills him, in retaliation, Bill has Johnny severely beaten and run through with a pike, leaving it to Amsterdam to end his suffering. The racist McGloin attacks Amsterdams African American friend Jimmy, but is beaten by Amsterdam, the Natives confront them, and Bill promises to return when they are ready to fight
Gangs of New York
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Theatrical release poster
Gangs of New York
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Set of Gangs of New York in
Cinecittà Studios, Rome
23.
Hollywood
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Hollywood is an ethnically diverse, densely populated neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. It is notable as the home of the U. S. film industry, including several of its studios, and its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the industry. Hollywood was a community in 1870 and was incorporated as a municipality in 1903. It was consolidated with the city of Los Angeles in 1910, in 1853, one adobe hut stood in Nopalera, named for the Mexican Nopal cactus indigenous to the area. By 1870, an agricultural community flourished, the area was known as the Cahuenga Valley, after the pass in the Santa Monica Mountains immediately to the north. According to the diary of H. J. Whitley, known as the Father of Hollywood, along came a Chinese man in a wagon carrying wood. The man got out of the wagon and bowed, the Chinese man was asked what he was doing and replied, I holly-wood, meaning hauling wood. H. J. Whitley had an epiphany and decided to name his new town Hollywood, Holly would represent England and wood would represent his Scottish heritage. Whitley had already started over 100 towns across the western United States, Whitley arranged to buy the 500-acre E. C. Hurd ranch and disclosed to him his plans for the land. They agreed on a price and Hurd agreed to sell at a later date, before Whitley got off the ground with Hollywood, plans for the new town had spread to General Harrison Gray Otis, Hurds wife, eastern adjacent ranch co-owner Daeida Wilcox, and others. Daeida Wilcox may have learned of the name Hollywood from Ivar Weid, her neighbor in Holly Canyon and she recommended the same name to her husband, Harvey. In August 1887, Wilcox filed with the Los Angeles County Recorders office a deed and parcel map of property he had sold named Hollywood, Wilcox wanted to be the first to record it on a deed. The early real-estate boom busted that year, yet Hollywood began its slow growth. By 1900, the region had a post office, newspaper, hotel, Los Angeles, with a population of 102,479 lay 10 miles east through the vineyards, barley fields, and citrus groves. A single-track streetcar line ran down the middle of Prospect Avenue from it, but service was infrequent, the old citrus fruit-packing house was converted into a livery stable, improving transportation for the inhabitants of Hollywood. The Hollywood Hotel was opened in 1902 by H. J. Whitley who was a president of the Los Pacific Boulevard, having finally acquired the Hurd ranch and subdivided it, Whitley built the hotel to attract land buyers. Flanking the west side of Highland Avenue, the structure fronted on Prospect Avenue, the hotel was to become internationally known and was the center of the civic and social life and home of the stars for many years. Whitleys company developed and sold one of the residential areas
Hollywood
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The Four Ladies installation at the
Hollywood Boulevard –
La Brea Avenue Gateway
Hollywood
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Glen-Holly Hotel, first hotel in Hollywood, at the corner of what is now Yucca Street. It was built in the 1890s.
Hollywood
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Hollywood Hotel, 1905
Hollywood
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The intersection of
Hollywood and Highland, 1907
24.
Scarlett Johansson
–
Scarlett Johansson is an American actress, model and singer. She made her debut in the fantasy comedy North. Johansson subsequently starred in Manny & Lo, and garnered acclaim and prominence with roles in The Horse Whisperer. She shifted to roles with her performances in Girl with a Pearl Earring and Lost in Translation. Since 2010, Johansson has also portrayed the Marvel Comics character Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and she won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for her performance in the 2010 Broadway revival of A View from the Bridge. As a singer, Johansson has released two albums, Anywhere I Lay My Head and Break Up, Johansson is considered one of Hollywoods modern sex symbols, and has frequently appeared in published lists of the sexiest women in the world. As of February 2017, she is the actress of all time in North America. In 2016, she added another $1.2 billion to that box office record and her father, Karsten Johansson, is an architect originally from Copenhagen, Denmark, and her paternal grandfather, Ejner Johansson, was an art historian, screenwriter, and director. Her mother, Melanie Sloan, a producer, comes from an Ashkenazi Jewish family from the Bronx, Sloans ancestors were Jewish immigrants from Poland and Minsk in the Russian Empire. Scarlett Johansson has a sister, Vanessa, also an actress, an older brother, Adrian, a twin brother, Hunter. She holds both United States and Danish passports and citizenship, Johansson grew up in a household with little money, and with a mother who was a film buff. She and her brother attended PS41 elementary school in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan. Johansson began her training by attending and graduating from Professional Childrens School in Manhattan in 2002. Johansson began acting during childhood, after her mother started taking her to auditions and she would audition for commercials but took rejection so hard her mother began limiting her to film tryouts. She made her debut at the age of 9, as John Ritters daughter in the fantasy comedy North. Following minor roles in the mystery thriller Just Cause, as the daughter of Sean Connery and Kate Capshaw, and If Lucy Fell, she played the role of Amanda in Manny & Lo. Her performance in Manny & Lo garnered a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Female, after appearing in minor roles in Fall and Home Alone 3, Johansson garnered widely spread attention for her performance in the film The Horse Whisperer, directed by Robert Redford. She received a nomination for the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actress for the film, in 1999, she appeared in My Brother the Pig and in the neo-noir Coen brothers film The Man Who Wasnt There
Scarlett Johansson
–
Johansson at the
San Diego Comic-Con in July 2013
Scarlett Johansson
–
Johansson at the premiere of
Girl with a Pearl Earring at
Toronto International Film Festival in 2003
Scarlett Johansson
–
Johansson at the
2013 Toronto International Film Festival
Scarlett Johansson
–
Johansson with
Michael Caine at the
Nobel Peace Prize Concert in 2008
25.
Emma Watson
–
Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson is a British actress, model, and activist. Born in Paris and brought up in Oxfordshire, Watson attended the Dragon School and she rose to prominence after landing her first professional acting role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series, having acted only in school plays previously. Watson appeared in all eight Harry Potter films from 2001 to 2011, earning fame, critical accolades. Watson continued to work outside of the Harry Potter films, lending her voice to The Tale of Despereaux, in 2017, she portrayed Belle in a live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. Her modelling work has included campaigns for Burberry and Lancôme, as a fashion consultant, she helped create a line of clothing for People Tree. She was honoured by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 2014 and that same year, she was appointed as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and helped launch the UN Women campaign HeForShe, which calls for men to advocate gender equality. Watson was born in Paris, France, the daughter of English lawyers Jacqueline Luesby, Watson lived in Paris until the age of five. Her parents separated when she was young, following their divorce, Watson has stated that she speaks some French, though not as well as she used to. After moving to Oxford with her mother and brother, she attended the Dragon School in Oxford, remaining there until 2003. From the age of six, she wanted to become an actress, and trained at the Oxford branch of Stagecoach Theatre Arts, a theatre school where she studied singing, dancing. Following the Dragon School, Watson moved on to Headington School, while on film sets, she and her peers were tutored for up to five hours a day. In June 2006, she took GCSE school examinations in ten subjects, achieving eight A*, in 1999, casting began for Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, the film adaptation of British author J. K. Rowlings best-selling novel. Casting agents found Watson through her Oxford theatre teacher, and producers were impressed by her confidence, rowling supported Watson from her first screen test. The release of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone in 2001 was Watsons debut screen performance, the film broke records for opening-day sales and opening-weekend takings and was the highest-grossing film of 2001. Critics praised the performances of the three leads, often singling out Watson for particular acclaim, The Daily Telegraph called her performance admirable, Watson was nominated for five awards for her performance in Philosophers Stone, winning the Young Artist Award for Leading Young Actress. A year later, Watson again starred as Hermione in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, reviewers praised the lead actors performances. The Los Angeles Times said Watson and her peers had matured between films, while The Times criticised director Chris Columbus for under-employing Watsons hugely popular character, Watson received an Otto Award from the German magazine Bravo for her performance. In 2004, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was released, Watson was appreciative of the more assertive role Hermione played, calling her character charismatic and a fantastic role to play
Emma Watson
–
Watson at the
2013 Cannes Film Festival
Emma Watson
–
Handprints, footprints and
wand prints of (from left to right) Watson, Radcliffe, Grint, 2007
Emma Watson
–
Watson at the premiere of
Goblet of Fire in November 2005
Emma Watson
–
Watson at the premiere of
Half-Blood Prince in July 2009
26.
Unocal Corporation
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It was headquartered in El Segundo, California, United States. Unocal was involved in domestic and global energy projects, on August 10,2005, Unocal merged its entire upstream petroleum business with Chevron Corporation and became a wholly owned subsidiary. Unocal has now ceased operations as an independent company, but continues to conduct many operations as Union Oil Company of California, raaj Unocal Lubricants Ltd continues the legacy of Unocal 76 in the downstream petroleum business and has Intellectual property rights of the brand since 1994. The Union Oil Company of California was founded on October 17,1890, in Santa Paula, California, by Lyman Stewart, Thomas Bard, and Wallace Hardison. It was a merger of three Southern California Oil Companies, the Sespe Oil Company, the Hardison and Stewart Oil Company, all three were notable as being completely unaffiliated with Standard Oil. Union Oil moved its headquarters to Los Angeles, in 1901, the original headquarters in Santa Paula is a California Historical Landmark. This gave the independent producers an alternative to what they perceived as the low prices paid by Standard Oil and it gave Union access to a large volume of crude oil. The situation was fictionalized in the 2007 film There Will Be Blood. In 1919, the Union Oil Company of Delaware was incorporated as a company for the Union Oil Company of California. In 1920, Union Oil purchased the Central Petroleum Company from the Texas Company, in 1922, the Union Oil Associates, Inc. In 1961 Union entered into the Indonesian oil market, Henry L. Brandon, Unions Vice President of International Development wrote a contract of work arrangement, which was a first for Indonesia. The company expanded to national status in 1965, when Union Oil merged with the Pure Oil Company, headquartered in what was then Palatine, Illinois and now Schaumburg, Illinois. Over the next two decades, Union became the oil producer in southern Alaska and a major natural gas producer in the Gulf of Mexico. The company was reorganized in 1983, and Union Oil Company of California became a subsidiary of a new Delaware-based holding company. Virtually all operations are conducted by Union Oil Company of California, in 1977, Unocal acquired The Molybdenum Corporation of America. Among the assets acquired was Mountain Pass rare earth mine, a then worlds largest producer of rare earth elements. In 1989, Unocal placed its midwest refining and marketing assets, including Unions 150, 000-barrel-per-day refinery in Lemont, Illinois, into a 50/50 joint venture with Petróleos de Venezuela, the joint venture was dissolved in 1997, with P. D. V. S. A. During the life of the joint venture, the familiar Union 76 brand name continued in full force
Unocal Corporation
–
Original headquarters in Santa Paula, California.
Unocal Corporation
–
Cracking plant in
Orange County, California, 1961.
Unocal Corporation
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Research facility in
Brea, California, circa 1965.
27.
Spain
–
By population, Spain is the sixth largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union. Spains capital and largest city is Madrid, other urban areas include Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Bilbao. Modern humans first arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 35,000 years ago, in the Middle Ages, the area was conquered by Germanic tribes and later by the Moors. Spain is a democracy organised in the form of a government under a constitutional monarchy. It is a power and a major developed country with the worlds fourteenth largest economy by nominal GDP. Jesús Luis Cunchillos argues that the root of the span is the Phoenician word spy. Therefore, i-spn-ya would mean the land where metals are forged, two 15th-century Spanish Jewish scholars, Don Isaac Abravanel and Solomon ibn Verga, gave an explanation now considered folkloric. Both men wrote in two different published works that the first Jews to reach Spain were brought by ship by Phiros who was confederate with the king of Babylon when he laid siege to Jerusalem. This man was a Grecian by birth, but who had given a kingdom in Spain. He became related by marriage to Espan, the nephew of king Heracles, Heracles later renounced his throne in preference for his native Greece, leaving his kingdom to his nephew, Espan, from whom the country of España took its name. Based upon their testimonies, this eponym would have already been in use in Spain by c.350 BCE, Iberia enters written records as a land populated largely by the Iberians, Basques and Celts. Early on its coastal areas were settled by Phoenicians who founded Western Europe´s most ancient cities Cadiz, Phoenician influence expanded as much of the Peninsula was eventually incorporated into the Carthaginian Empire, becoming a major theater of the Punic Wars against the expanding Roman Empire. After an arduous conquest, the peninsula came fully under Roman Rule, during the early Middle Ages it came under Germanic rule but later, much of it was conquered by Moorish invaders from North Africa. In a process took centuries, the small Christian kingdoms in the north gradually regained control of the peninsula. The last Moorish kingdom fell in the same year Columbus reached the Americas, a global empire began which saw Spain become the strongest kingdom in Europe, the leading world power for a century and a half, and the largest overseas empire for three centuries. Continued wars and other problems led to a diminished status. The Napoleonic invasions of Spain led to chaos, triggering independence movements that tore apart most of the empire, eventually democracy was peacefully restored in the form of a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Spain joined the European Union, experiencing a renaissance and steady economic growth
Spain
–
Lady of Elche
Spain
–
Flag
Spain
–
Altamira Cave paintings, in
Cantabria.
Spain
–
Celtic castro in
A Guarda,
Galicia.
28.
Ybor City
–
Ybor City is a historic neighborhood in Tampa, Florida, United States, located just northeast of downtown. It was founded in the 1880s by Vicente Martinez-Ybor and other manufacturers and was populated by thousands of immigrants, mainly from Cuba, Spain. For the next 50 years, workers in Ybor Citys cigar factories rolled hundreds of millions of cigars annually, Ybor City was unique in the American South as a successful town almost entirely populated and owned by immigrants. The neighborhood had features unusual among communities in the south, most notably its multi-ethnic and multi-racial population. The cigar industry employed thousands of workers, helping Tampa grow from an economically depressed village to a bustling city in about 20 years. Attempts at redevelopment failed until the 1980s, when an influx of artists began a process of gentrification. In the 1990s and early 2000s, a portion of the neighborhood around 7th Avenue developed into a night club and entertainment district. Since then, the economy has diversified with more offices and residences. Ybor City has been designated as a National Historic Landmark District, in 2008, 7th Avenue, the main commercial thoroughfare in Ybor City, was recognized as one of the “10 Great Streets in America” by the American Planning Association. In 2010 Columbia Restaurant was named a Top 50 All-American icon by Nations Restaurant News magazine, in the early 1880s, Tampa was an isolated village with a population of less than 1000 and a struggling economy. However, its combination of a port, Henry Plant’s new railroad line, and humid climate attracted the attention of Vicente Martinez Ybor. Ybor had moved his operation from Cuba to Key West, Florida, in 1869. But, labor unrest and the lack of room for expansion had him looking for another base of operations, Ybor considered several communities in the southern United States and decided that an area of sandy scrubland just northeast of Tampa would be the best location. In 1885, the Tampa Board of Trade helped broker an initial purchase of 40 acres of land, Cigar making was a specialized trade, and Tampa did not possess a workforce able to man the new factories. To attract employees, Ybor built hundreds of houses for the coming influx of mainly Cuban and Spanish cigar workers, many of whom followed him from Key West. Other cigar manufacturers, drawn by incentives provided by Ybor to further increase the pool, also moved in. Italians were also among the settlers of Ybor City. Most of them came from a few villages in southwestern Sicily, the villages were Santo Stefano Quisquina, Alessandria della Rocca, Bivona, Cianciana, and Contessa Entellina
Ybor City
–
Centro Ybor complex with a TECO Line car passing in front
Ybor City
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Ybor's first cigar factory
Ybor City
–
Old cigar factory in Ybor City
Ybor City
–
Florida Brewing building in Ybor City
29.
Tampa
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Tampa is a major city in, and the county seat of, Hillsborough County, Florida. It is located on the west coast of Florida on Tampa Bay, near the Gulf of Mexico, the city had a population of 346,037 in 2011. The current location of Tampa was once inhabited by peoples of the Safety Harbor culture. The area was explored by Spanish explorers in the 16th century, resulting in violent conflicts and the introduction of European diseases, which wiped out the original native cultures. In 1824, the United States Army established a frontier outpost called Fort Brooke at the mouth of the Hillsborough River, near the site of todays Tampa Convention Center. The first civilian residents were pioneers who settled near the fort for protection from the nearby Seminole population, today, Tampa is part of the metropolitan area most commonly referred to as the Tampa Bay Area. For U. S. Census purposes, Tampa is part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, the Greater Tampa Bay area has over 4 million residents and generally includes the Tampa and Sarasota metro areas. The Tampa Bay Partnership and U. S. Census data showed an annual growth of 2.47 percent. A2012 estimate shows the Tampa Bay area population to have 4,310,524 people, Tampa was ranked as the 5th best outdoor city by Forbes in 2008. Tampa also ranks as the fifth most popular American city, based on where people want to live, a 2004 survey by the NYU newspaper Washington Square News ranked Tampa as a top city for twenty-somethings. Tampa is ranked as a Gamma+ world city by Loughborough University, ranked alongside other world cities such as Phoenix, Charlotte, Rotterdam, and Santo Domingo. The word Tampa may mean sticks of fire in the language of the Calusa and this might be a reference to the many lightning strikes that the area receives during the summer months. Other historians claim the name means the place to gather sticks, toponymist George R. Stewart writes that the name was the result of a miscommunication between the Spanish and the Indians, the Indian word being itimpi, meaning simply near it. The name first appears in the Memoir of Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda and he calls it Tanpa and describes it as an important Calusa town. While Tanpa may be the basis for the modern name Tampa, archaeologist Jerald Milanich places the Calusa village of Tanpa at the mouth of Charlotte Harbor, the original Bay of Tanpa. A later Spanish expedition did not notice Charlotte Harbor while sailing north along the west coast of Florida, the name was accidentally transferred north. Map makers were using the term Bay or Bahia Tampa as early as 1695, people from Tampa are known as Tampans or Tampanians. Latin Americans from Tampa are known as tampeños, or tampeñas for females and these terms of Spanish origin emerged after 1900 for the immigrant communities in West Tampa and Ybor City
Tampa
–
Hernando de Soto
Tampa
–
Images from top, left to right: Skyline of
Downtown Tampa,
Amalie Arena,
Ybor City,
Henry B. Plant Museum,
Raymond James Stadium,
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Tampa
–
Fort Brooke circa 1840.
Tampa
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A surviving Ft. Brooke cannon on the
University of Tampa campus.
30.
Long Beach, California
–
Long Beach is the 36th most populous city in the United States and the 7th most populous in California. It is located on the Pacific Coast of the United States, as of 2010, its population was 462,257. Long Beach is the second largest city in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the Port of Long Beach is the second busiest container port in the United States and is among the worlds largest shipping ports. The city also maintains a progressively declining oil industry with minor wells located both directly beneath the city as well as offshore, manufacturing sectors include those in aircraft, automotive parts, electronic equipment, audiovisual equipment, petrochemicals, precision metals and home furnishings. Long Beach lies in the corner of Los Angeles County. Downtown Long Beach is approximately 22 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles, indigenous people have lived in coastal Southern California for over 10,000 years, and several successive cultures have inhabited the present-day area of Long Beach. By the 16th-century arrival of Spanish explorers, the dominant group were the Tongva people and they had at least three major settlements within the present-day city. Tevaaxaanga was a settlement near the Los Angeles River, while Ahwaanga and Povuunga were coastal villages. Along with other Tongva villages, they were forced to relocate in the century due to missionization, political change. In 1784 the Spanish Empires King Carlos III granted Rancho Los Nietos to Spanish soldier Manuel Nieto, the Rancho Los Cerritos and Rancho Los Alamitos were divided from this territory. The boundary between the two ran through the center of Signal Hill on a southwest to northeast diagonal. A portion of western Long Beach was originally part of the Rancho San Pedro and its boundaries were in dispute for years, due to flooding changing the Los Angeles River boundary, between the ranchos of Juan Jose Dominguez and Manuel Nieto. In 1843 Jonathan Temple bought Rancho Los Cerritos, having arrived in California in 1827 from New England and he built what is now known as the Los Cerritos Ranch House, a still-standing adobe which is a National Historic Landmark. Temple created a cattle ranch and prospered, becoming the wealthiest man in Los Angeles County. Both Temple and his house played important local roles in the Mexican–American War. On an island in the San Pedro Bay, Mormon pioneers made an attempt to establish a colony. Two years previous Flint, Bixby & Co had also purchased along with Northern California associate James Irvine, to manage Rancho Los Cerritos, the company selected Lewellyns brother Jotham Bixby, the Father of Long Beach. Three years later Bixby bought into the property and would form the Bixby Land Company
Long Beach, California
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Images from top, left to right: Long Beach skyline from Bluff Park,
RMS Queen Mary,
Aquarium of the Pacific Blue Cavern exhibit, Hanjin Terminal at
Port of Long Beach,
Villa Riviera,
Metro Blue Line, Long Beach Lighthouse
Long Beach, California
–
Seal
Long Beach, California
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Long Beach boardwalk, 1907
Long Beach, California
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Oil field in Long Beach, 1920
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