1.
Washington, D.C.
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Washington, D. C. formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D. C. is the capital of the United States. The signing of the Residence Act on July 16,1790, Constitution provided for a federal district under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Congress and the District is therefore not a part of any state. The states of Maryland and Virginia each donated land to form the federal district, named in honor of President George Washington, the City of Washington was founded in 1791 to serve as the new national capital. In 1846, Congress returned the land ceded by Virginia, in 1871. Washington had an population of 681,170 as of July 2016. Commuters from the surrounding Maryland and Virginia suburbs raise the population to more than one million during the workweek. The Washington metropolitan area, of which the District is a part, has a population of over 6 million, the centers of all three branches of the federal government of the United States are in the District, including the Congress, President, and Supreme Court. Washington is home to national monuments and museums, which are primarily situated on or around the National Mall. The city hosts 176 foreign embassies as well as the headquarters of international organizations, trade unions, non-profit organizations, lobbying groups. A locally elected mayor and a 13‑member council have governed the District since 1973, However, the Congress maintains supreme authority over the city and may overturn local laws. D. C. residents elect a non-voting, at-large congressional delegate to the House of Representatives, the District receives three electoral votes in presidential elections as permitted by the Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1961. Various tribes of the Algonquian-speaking Piscataway people inhabited the lands around the Potomac River when Europeans first visited the area in the early 17th century, One group known as the Nacotchtank maintained settlements around the Anacostia River within the present-day District of Columbia. Conflicts with European colonists and neighboring tribes forced the relocation of the Piscataway people, some of whom established a new settlement in 1699 near Point of Rocks, Maryland. 43, published January 23,1788, James Madison argued that the new government would need authority over a national capital to provide for its own maintenance. Five years earlier, a band of unpaid soldiers besieged Congress while its members were meeting in Philadelphia, known as the Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783, the event emphasized the need for the national government not to rely on any state for its own security. However, the Constitution does not specify a location for the capital, on July 9,1790, Congress passed the Residence Act, which approved the creation of a national capital on the Potomac River. The exact location was to be selected by President George Washington, formed from land donated by the states of Maryland and Virginia, the initial shape of the federal district was a square measuring 10 miles on each side, totaling 100 square miles. Two pre-existing settlements were included in the territory, the port of Georgetown, Maryland, founded in 1751, many of the stones are still standing
2.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
3.
Walt Whitman High School (Bethesda, Maryland)
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The school is named in honor of the American poet. It is fed into by Thomas W. Pyle Middle School, the school opened in the fall of 1962 with 1,418 students. Designed by local architect, Anthony Ferrara, it was built on 17 levels, with a center courtyard, a Ford Foundation grant underwrote the design and construction of the dome. In 1981, a 1, 176-seat auditorium was added to the school, daryl Shaw served as the inaugural principal from 1962 until 1975. Jerome Marco was principal from 1975 until his retirement in 2004, today, the Principal is Alan Goodwin, who was assistant principal for several years before taking his current post. Five elementary schools feed Thomas W. Pyle Middle School, which in turn feeds Walt Whitman, the elementary schools are Wood Acres, Bannockburn, Burning Tree, Carderock Springs, and Bradley Hills. The Bethesda area is served by Whitman High School, Walter Johnson High School, the Black & White is the student-run newspaper. It was established in 1961 and produces nine issues each academic year, the newspaper was inducted into the National Scholastic Press Association Hall of Fame in 1991. Walt Whitman is often noted as one of Marylands best high schools, in 2008, Newsweek ranked Whitman at #69 on its Best High Schools in America list. In 2015, Whitman remained ranked as the best high school in Maryland, in 2016, Whitman was once again ranked as the best high school in Maryland and #63 nationwide. Students can choose from 16 varsity sports and several club sports, such as ice hockey, rowing
4.
New York University
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New York University is a private nonprofit research university based in New York City. Founded in 1831, NYU is considered one of the worlds most influential research universities, University rankings compiled by Times Higher Education, U. S. News & World Report, and the Academic Ranking of World Universities all rank NYU amongst the top 32 universities in the world. NYU is a part of the creativity, energy and vibrancy that is Manhattan, located with its core in Greenwich Village. Among its faculty and alumni are 37 Nobel Laureates, over 30 Pulitzer Prize winners, over 30 Academy Award winners, alumni include heads of state, royalty, eminent mathematicians, inventors, media figures, Olympic medalists, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, and astronauts. NYU alumni are among the wealthiest in the world, according to The Princeton Review, NYU is consistently considered by students and parents as a Top Dream College. Albert Gallatin, Secretary of Treasury under Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, declared his intention to establish in this immense, a system of rational and practical education fitting and graciously opened to all. A three-day-long literary and scientific convention held in City Hall in 1830 and these New Yorkers believed the city needed a university designed for young men who would be admitted based upon merit rather than birthright or social class. On April 18,1831, an institution was established, with the support of a group of prominent New York City residents from the merchants, bankers. Albert Gallatin was elected as the institutions first president, the university has been popularly known as New York University since its inception and was officially renamed New York University in 1896. In 1832, NYU held its first classes in rented rooms of four-story Clinton Hall, in 1835, the School of Law, NYUs first professional school, was established. American Chemical Society was founded in 1876 at NYU and it became one of the nations largest universities, with an enrollment of 9,300 in 1917. NYU had its Washington Square campus since its founding, the university purchased a campus at University Heights in the Bronx because of overcrowding on the old campus. NYU also had a desire to follow New York Citys development further uptown, NYUs move to the Bronx occurred in 1894, spearheaded by the efforts of Chancellor Henry Mitchell MacCracken. The University Heights campus was far more spacious than its predecessor was, as a result, most of the universitys operations along with the undergraduate College of Arts and Science and School of Engineering were housed there. NYUs administrative operations were moved to the new campus, but the schools of the university remained at Washington Square. In 1914, Washington Square College was founded as the undergraduate college of NYU. In 1935, NYU opened the Nassau College-Hofstra Memorial of New York University at Hempstead and this extension would later become a fully independent Hofstra University. In 1950, NYU was elected to the Association of American Universities, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, financial crisis gripped the New York City government and the troubles spread to the citys institutions, including NYU
5.
Clay Pigeons
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Clay Pigeons is a 1998 crime-comedy film written by Matt Healy and directed by David Dobkin. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix, Vince Vaughn, and Janeane Garofalo, Clay Bidwell is a young man in a small town who witnesses his friend, Earl, kill himself because of the ongoing affair that Clay was having with the mans wife, Amanda. Feeling guilty, Clay now resists the widow when she presses him to continue with their affair as if nothing has happened, clays problems worsen when he inadvertently befriends a serial killer named Lester Long, who murders the nagging widow in an attempt to help his fishing buddy. Clay is horrified, but does not go to the police for fear of his role in his friends coming to light. But that doesnt matter for the police, as well as for savvy female FBI agent Dale Shelby and her partner Reynard, yet Clay doesnt tell them of his friend, who has confessed his crimes to him. Reitman as Glen Clay Pigeons was developed under filmmakers Ridley and Tony Scotts company, Vaughn has described his character, Lester, as a guy who isn’t necessarily from the West — that’s just an image he’s created of himself. Whatever his reality is — being badly hurt by women or whatever — he’s made it over, taking bits and he sees his life as a strange Western movie, with himself as the hero. He thinks he’s a sane person in an insane world, the film received mixed to positive reviews, holding a 63% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 49/100 score on Metacritic, indicating mixed or average reviews. Clay Pigeons at the Internet Movie Database Clay Pigeons at AllMovie Clay Pigeons at Box Office Mojo Clay Pigeons at Rotten Tomatoes Clay Pigeons at Metacritic
6.
Shanghai Knights
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Shanghai Knights is a 2003 American-Hong Kong action comedy film. It is the sequel to Shanghai Noon and it was directed by David Dobkin and written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. In 1887, Chon Lin is drinking tea with her father and she tells him her brother, Chon Wang, is doing well as a sheriff in Carson City, Nevada, but her father replies that her brother is dead to him. At that moment, Lord Nelson Rathbone, leads a band of Boxers into the city, despite Lins efforts, her father is killed and the seal is stolen. With his last breath, he gives Lin a box and tells her to give it to her brother, meanwhile, Chon Wang is doing well as sheriff, having captured an impressive array of fugitives. His deputy is relaxing with a book called Roy OBannon Vs, the Mummy, a highly fictionalized account of the events of the first film that now portrays Wangs Shanghai Kid as a cowardly sidekick, which Wang is dismayed. Wang receives a parcel, which contains the puzzle box and Lins letter, telling him their father is dead and that she has tracked the murderer to London. Chon Wang travels to New York City to find his old partner Roy OBannon, needing his share of the gold left over from the first film to buy his ticket. Roy has left his brief stint in law enforcement, broken off his romance with Falling Leaves, spent most of the gold investing in the Zeppelin, and is now a hotel waiter and part-time gigolo. After they attempt prostitution to pay for a trip to the United Kingdom, Chon Wang fights off a number of New York police officers, and he and Roy ship themselves to London in a crate. On the way, Wang tells Roy about his father, in London, Wang and OBannon have their duster and watch stolen, respectively, by a number of street thugs including a young boy named Charlie. After an extensive battle to reclaim these items, they are arrested by the police, in Scotland Yard, Inspector Artie Doyle thanks the two for defeating the Fleet Street gang and gives Roy his watch that Charlie had stolen. He tells Wang that Lin is also in Scotland Yard, having attempted to kill Lord Rathbone, Doyle is a reader of the Roy OBannon novels, and is enthralled to meet the actual Roy OBannon. Roy tries to use this to get Lin released, but it not work. Sometime later, Roy and Wang wander through London, seeing Buckingham Palace and they encounter Charlie, who lets them into the empty house of a nobleman. Charlie brings it to their attention that the nobleman has an invitation to a gala at the castle, Roy and Wang arrive that night at the gala, wearing disguises, Roy masquerades as Major General Sherlock Holmes, and Wang is the Maharaja of Nevada. After turning down the offer to try some spotted dick, Wang, once they enter, they cannot find him, he has slipped through a secret passage, which Wang discovers in a fireplace. As Roy occupies himself with a copy of the Kama Sutra, Wang enters the secret room, rathbones guards attack Roy, but he is rescued by Lin, who has escaped from Scotland Yard
7.
Wedding Crashers
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Wedding Crashers is a 2005 American romantic comedy film directed by David Dobkin and written by Steve Faber and Bob Fisher. John Beckwith and Jeremy Grey are divorce mediators in Washington D. C. who crash wedding parties to meet and bed women. At the end of a season of successful crashes, Jeremy takes John to a wedding for the daughter of the U. S. Secretary of the Treasury, once inside, the pair set their sights on Clearys other daughters, Gloria and Claire. Jeremy ends up having sex with Gloria on a beach during the reception. Gloria is possessive and quickly becomes obsessed with Jeremy, and Jeremy urges John to escape the reception with him. Meanwhile, John attempts to court Claire, the maid of honor, but is interrupted by her boyfriend, Sack Lodge. When Gloria invites Jeremy and John to a weekend party at their family compound, John overrules Jeremy to accept. At dinner, John spikes Sacks wine with eye-drops to make him sick, John and Claire continue to bond the next day on a sailing trip. The suspicious Sack takes the men on a trip, where Jeremy is shot in the buttocks. While he recovers, John and Claire go on a ride to a secluded beach. Claire finally admits she isnt sure how she feels about Sack, meanwhile, Gloria tends to Jeremys wounds and reveals to him that she is not as innocent or inexperienced as she initially let on. Jeremy realizes that he himself has been played and that he may be in love with Gloria, betrayed, Claire turns away from John and the Secretary tells them to leave. Over the following months, John attempts to reach Claire but she refuses to see him and he attempts to crash Claire and Sacks engagement party but is caught and beaten by Sack. Confronting Jeremy about abandoning him, he learns that Jeremy has secretly continued his relationship with Gloria, betrayed, John spirals into depression, crashing weddings alone and becoming nihilistic and suicidal. Meanwhile, as Claire and Sack plan their wedding, Claires doubts grow, Jeremy proposes to Gloria and tries to ask John to be his best man, but a depressed John refuses. John visits Jeremys former wedding crashing mentor, Chazz Reinhold, who convinces him to crash a funeral, while there, he reconsiders his belief in love and marriage and rushes to Jeremys wedding. Sack interrupts, but Claire finally tells him that she cant marry him, Sack tries to attack John, but Jeremy intervenes to knock him out, and John and Claire kiss. After the wedding, the two drive away from the ceremony together, discussing crashing another wedding together, apparently skipping Jeremys own wedding reception
8.
The Judge (2014 film)
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The Judge is a 2014 American drama film directed by David Dobkin. The film stars Robert Downey Jr, Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Vincent DOnofrio, Jeremy Strong, Dax Shepard, the film was released in the United States on October 10,2014. Thomas Newman also received a Satellite Award nomination for Best Original Score, Hank Palmer is a successful defense attorney in Chicago who has been estranged from his family in a small town in Indiana for some time. While in court, he receives a call telling him his mother has died, as he leaves to fly to his hometown of Carlinville, it is revealed that Hank is going through a divorce and custody battle for his young daughter. In Carlinville, Hank reunites with his older brother Glen, owner of a shop, and his younger brother Dale. Hank then stops by the county courthouse, softly enters a courtroom. The judge is Joseph Palmer, Hanks father, when Joseph sees Hank for the first time in many years, at the funeral, he is treating guests with kindness but acknowledges his son coldly. The next morning, Hank notices damage to his fathers Cadillac Coupe DeVille as he is preparing to leave, upon seeing the damage, Joseph denies knowing how it happened, but Hank believes his father was drinking and driving and damaged his own car. After a heated exchange, Hank leaves, promising never to return, but after boarding his plane, Hank learns that Joseph is being questioned by police with regard to a fatal hit and run. The victim is identified as Mark Blackwell, a recently released convicted murderer whose crimes, before the killing, after Blackwells blood is found on the car, Joseph is soon indicted, with prosecutor Dwight Dickham seeking a conviction for first-degree murder. Hank agrees to defend Joseph and learns that his father was undergoing chemotherapy, Joseph saw to it that Hank was sent to a youth detention center, and Hank left Carlinville after never receiving acknowledgement from Joseph for turning his life around. Hank also reconnects with his old girlfriend Sam, whom he abandoned after going to a Metallica concert more than 20 years ago and he discovers that Sam has a daughter, Carla, born nine months after he left, and deals with his concern that he is Carlas father. At trial, Hank believes he has established enough reasonable doubt in the case to result in an acquittal, but Joseph sabotages the case by testifying that although he still cannot remember the accident, he has come to believe that he probably did kill Blackwell intentionally. Joseph confesses on the stand that he was haunted by Blackwells case, having seen Hank in Blackwell. Having misread Blackwell, Joseph afterward saw him in Hank, after acknowledging Hank as the best lawyer he knows, Joseph dies peacefully in the boat. Hank, having peace with his father, returns to the courtroom Joseph once reigned over, and spins the judges chair. The script was written by Nick Schenk. In March 2011, the script was to be rewritten by David Seidler, in April 2013, Bill Dubuque was enlisted to rewrite it
9.
Ridley Scott
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Sir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer. Scott is known for his atmospheric, highly concentrated visual style and his films are also known for their strong female characters. Scott has been nominated for three Academy Awards for Directing, in 1995, both Ridley and his brother Tony received the BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Contribution To Cinema. In 2003, Scott was knighted for his services to the British film industry, in a 2004 BBC poll Scott was named the tenth most influential person in British culture. In 2015 he received a doctorate from the Royal College of Art in London. Scott was born in South Shields, County Durham, North East England, to Elizabeth and he was brought up in an army family, so for most of his early life, his father – an officer in the Royal Engineers – was absent. His elder brother, Frank, joined the British Merchant Navy when he was still young, during this time the family moved around, living in Cumberland in North West England, Wales and Germany. He had a brother, Tony, who also became a film director. He studied at Grangefield Grammar School and West Hartlepool College of Art from 1954 to 1958, Scott went on to study at the Royal College of Art in London, contributing to college magazine ARK and helping to establish the college film department. For his final show, he made a black and white film, Boy and Bicycle. In February 1963 Scott was named in title credits as Designer for the BBC television programme Tonight, about the severe winter of 1963. After graduation in 1963, he secured a job as a set designer with the BBC, leading to work on the popular television police series Z-Cars. He was originally assigned to design the second Doctor Who serial, The Daleks, however, shortly before Scott was due to start work, a schedule conflict meant he was replaced by Raymond Cusick. In 1965, he began directing episodes of series for the BBC, only one of which. In 1968, Ridley and Tony Scott founded Ridley Scott Associates, a nostalgia themed television advertisement that captured the public imagination, it was voted the UKs all-time favourite commercial in a 2006 poll. In the 1970s the Chanel No.5 brand needed revitalisation having run the risk of being labelled as mass market, five members of the Scott family are directors, and all have worked for RSA. His brother Tony was a film director whose career spanned more than two decades, his sons Jake and Luke are both acclaimed directors of commercials, as is his daughter, Jordan Scott. Jake and Jordan both work from Los Angeles, Luke is based in London, in 1995, Shepperton Studios was purchased by a consortium headed by Ridley and Tony Scott, which extensively renovated the studios while also expanding and improving its grounds
10.
Tony Scott
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Anthony David Leighton Tony Scott was an English film director and producer. Scott was the brother of film director Sir Ridley Scott. They both graduated from the Royal College of Art in London, in 1995 both Tony and Ridley received the BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Contribution To Cinema. In 2010, they received the BAFTA Britannia Award for Worldwide Contribution to Filmed Entertainment and he committed suicide on 19 August 2012, by jumping off the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro, California. Scott was born in Tynemouth, Northumberland, North East England and he followed in his elder brothers footsteps, studying at Grangefield School, West Hartlepool College of Art and graduating from Sunderland Art School with a fine arts degree. At the age of 16 he appeared in Boy and Bicycle, Scott studied art in Leeds after failing to gain admission to the Royal College of Art in London at his first attempt. He made a film in 1969 based on the Ambrose Bierce story One of the Missing. As Ridley had previously cast him in a film, he reciprocated by giving his brother a role too, the film cost £1,000, he recalled in April 2012. He graduated from the Royal College of Art, following in the footsteps of his elder brother Ridley and his eldest brother Frank had earlier joined the British Merchant Navy. It was the success of his elder brothers fledgling television commercial production outfit, Ridley Scott Associates and his brother Ridley said, Tony had wanted to do documentaries at first. I told him, Dont go to the BBC, come to me first, I knew that he had a fondness for cars, so I told him, Come work with me and within a year youll have a Ferrari. He directed many commercials for RSA while also overseeing the companys operation while his brother was developing his feature film career. My goal was to make films but I got sidetracked into commercials, I had 15 years, and it was a blast. We were very prolific, and that was our training ground, youd shoot 100 days in a year, then we gravitated from that to film, he said. Scott took time out in 1975 to direct an adaptation of the Henry James story The Author of Beltraffio. His eldest brother Frank died, aged 45, of cancer during the same year. Scott reflected on his career in 2009, Scott persisted in trying to embark on a film career. Among the ideas interesting to him was an adaptation of the Anne Rice novel Interview with the Vampire then in development, MGM was already developing the vampire film The Hunger, for which they brought Scott on in 1982
11.
Vince Vaughn
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Vincent Anthony Vince Vaughn is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, activist, and comedian. Vaughn began acting in the late 1980s, appearing in television roles before attaining wider recognition with the 1996 comedy-drama film Swingers. He has appeared in a number of films in the 1990s, including the sports film Rudy, the sci-fi adventure dinosaur film The Lost World, Jurassic Park, and the drama-thriller Return to Paradise. In the 2000s, he acted in comedies, including Old School, Dodgeball, A True Underdog Story, Wedding Crashers, The Break-Up. He continued his comedic roles in the 2010s with The Dilemma, The Watch, in 2015, he starred as Frank Semyon in the second season of the HBO anthology crime drama television series True Detective alongside Colin Farrell, Taylor Kitsch and Rachel McAdams. Vaughn was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and his mother, Sharon Eileen, is a real estate agent and stockbroker who was once ranked as one of the United States top money managers by Bloomberg Wealth Manager magazine. His father, Vernon Lindsay Vaughn, worked as a salesman for a toy company and he has two older sisters, Victoria and Valerie. His surname comes from Ulster-Scots immigrants who first settled in Kentucky and his paternal grandmother was of Syrian Lebanese descent, and his maternal grandfather was of Italian descent, his other roots are Canadian, Dutch, English, German, Irish, Scottish, and Swiss. As a child, he was raised both Protestant and Catholic by his Catholic mother and Protestant father, Vaughn grew up in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, where he played football and baseball and wrestled, although he has called himself unathletic and very average at high school sports. He then moved to Lake Forest, where he graduated from Lake Forest High School in 1988 and he was introduced to musical theater at a young age and decided to become an actor in 1987. He has credited his mother as the inspiration behind his career, saying that I saw her overcome stuff, in 1988, Vaughn was cast in a Chevrolet television commercial and subsequently moved to Hollywood. He appeared in the 1989 season of the television series China Beach and his first film role was 1993s Rudy playing Jamie OHare, where he also struck up a friendship with featured Jon Favreau. Two years later, he was cast in a role in a proposed revival of 77 Sunset Strip that was to air on the fledgling WB Television Network. Vaughn did not receive wider success until his role in 1996s Swingers with Jon Favreau, Swingers was released in July 1996 and became a successful independent film. Vinces father Vernon also did a cameo in this film, afterwards, director Steven Spielberg cast Vaughn in the blockbuster The Lost World, Jurassic Park which gave him increased exposure. In 1998, he starred in the acclaimed drama Return to Paradise with Anne Heche. In 2000, he starred in The Cell with Jennifer Lopez and in 2001, appeared in Made, Vaughn also appeared in Dwight Yoakams directorial debut movie South of Heaven, West of Hell. Vaughns role in the successful 2003 comedy Old School skyrocketed his popularity, in 2004, Vaughn appeared alongside Ben Stiller in the hit films Starsky & Hutch and Dodgeball
12.
Joaquin Phoenix
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Joaquín Rafael Phoenix, known formerly as Leaf Phoenix, is a Puerto Rican–born American actor, producer, music video director, musician and activist. For his work as an artist, Phoenix has received a Grammy Award, Phoenix started acting in television shows with his brother River Phoenix and sister Summer Phoenix. His first major release was in the comedy-drama film Parenthood. During his period as an actor he was credited as Leaf Phoenix. He received international attention for his portrayal of Commodus in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, to this date, he and River Phoenix hold the distinction of being the first and only brothers to be nominated for acting Academy Awards. Aside from his career, he has also ventured into directing music videos, as well as producing films. He has recorded an album, the soundtrack to Walk The Line, Phoenix is a social activist, lending his support to a number of charities and humanitarian organizations. He is also known for his animal rights advocacy. He has been a vegan since the age of three, and actively campaigns for PETA and In Defense of Animals, Phoenix was born Joaquín Rafael Bottom in the Río Piedras district of San Juan, Puerto Rico, to parents from the U. S. mainland. He is the third of five children, including River, Rain, Liberty and Summer and he also has a half-sister named Jodean from a previous relationship of his fathers. Phoenixs father, John Lee Bottom, originally from Fontana, California, was a lapsed Catholic, of English, Phoenixs mother, Arlyn, was born in the Bronx, New York, to Jewish parents whose families emigrated from Russia and Hungary. Arlyn left her family in 1968 and moved to California, later meeting Phoenixs father while hitchhiking and they married in 1969, then later joined a religious group, the Children of God, and began traveling throughout South America. His parents eventually became disenchanted with the Children of God, they made the decision to leave the group and they changed their last name to Phoenix, after the mythical bird that rises from its own ashes, symbolizing a new beginning. Around this time, Joaquín began calling himself Leaf, desiring to have a name like his siblings. Leaf became the name he used as a actor, until at age 15. He first used it as a credit in his big comeback film To Die For. In order to provide food and financial support for the family, in Los Angeles, his mother started working as a secretary for NBC, and his father worked as a landscaper. He went on to himself as a child actor before deciding to withdraw from acting for a while and travel to Mexico
13.
Janeane Garofalo
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Janeane Garofalo is an American actress, stand-up comedian, and writer. Clay Pigeons, Sweethearts, Mystery Men, and The Independent and she has also been a series regular on television programs such as Wet Hot American Summer, First Day of Camp,24, and Girlfriends Guide to Divorce. Garofalo is a progressive activist. From March 2004 to July 2006, she hosted Air America Radios The Majority Report with Sam Seder, Garofalo was born in Newton, New Jersey, the daughter of Joan and Carmine Garofalo. Her mother, a secretary in the industry, died of cancer when Janeane was 24. Her father is an executive at Exxon. Garofalo was raised in a conservative Catholic family and is of Italian and she grew up in various places, including Ontario, California, Madison, New Jersey, and Katy, Texas. She was quoted as having disliked life in Texas because of the heat, humidity, while studying history at Providence College, Garofalo entered a comedy talent search sponsored by the Showtime cable network, winning the title of Funniest Person in Rhode Island. Her original gimmick was to read off her hand, which was not successful in subsequent performances and she struggled for a number of years, working briefly as a bike messenger in Boston. Garofalo has described herself thus, I guess I just prefer to see the side of things. The glass is half empty. And I just cut my lip on it, Garofalo was initially known as a stand-up comedian, making numerous stand-up appearances on television and in live clubs and larger venues beginning in the 1990s and continuing today. Garofalo has said that she not tell jokes as much as make observations designed to get laughs. During her filmed stand-up show in Seattle, she proclaimed herself asexual, the role helped solidify Garofalos status as a Generation X icon. Initially an independent film, it became a movie when Thurman was signed. The film was a modest hit, but Garofalo disparaged it back in 2003, saying, I think its soft and corny, and the soundtrack makes you want to puke, and everybodys dressed in Banana Republic clothing. The original script and the intent was very different than what it wound up being when it became a studio commercial film. It was originally supposed to be an independent film where there would be much more complexity to all the characters, and Abby
14.
Jackie Chan
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Chan Kong-sang, SBS, MBE, PMW, known professionally as Jackie Chan, is a Hong Kong martial artist, actor, film director, producer, stuntman, and singer. In his movies, he is known for his fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts. He has trained in Kung Fu and Hapkido and he has been acting since the 1960s and has appeared in over 150 films. Chan has received stars on the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars, and he has been referenced in various pop songs, cartoons, and video games. He is a trained vocalist and is also a Cantopop and Mandopop star, having released a number of albums. He is also a notable philanthropist, in 2015, Forbes magazine estimated his net worth to be $350 million. Chan was born on 7 April 1954, in British Hong Kong, as Chan Kong-sang, to Charles and Lee-Lee Chan and his mother or parents nicknamed him Pao-pao Chinese, 炮炮 because the energetic child was always rolling around. His parents worked for the French ambassador in Hong Kong, Chan attended the Nah-Hwa Primary School on Hong Kong Island, where he failed his first year, after which his parents withdrew him from the school. In 1960, his father emigrated to Canberra, Australia, to work as the cook for the American embassy, and Chan was sent to the China Drama Academy. Chan trained rigorously for the decade, excelling in martial arts. He eventually became part of the Seven Little Fortunes, a group made up of the schools best students. Chan became close friends with group members Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao. After entering the industry, Chan along with Sammo Hung got the opportunity to train in hapkido under the grand master Jin Pal Kim. Jackie Chan also trained in other styles of arts such as Karate, Judo, Taekwondo. He began his career by appearing in roles at the age of five as a child actor. At age eight, he appeared with some of his fellow Little Fortunes in the film Big, Chan appeared with Li again the following year, in The Love Eterne and had a small role in King Hus 1966 film Come Drink with Me. In 1971, after an appearance as an extra in another kung fu film, A Touch of Zen, at seventeen, he worked as a stuntman in the Bruce Lee films Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon under the stage name Chan Yuen Lung. He received his first starring role later that year in Little Tiger of Canton that had a release in Hong Kong in 1973
15.
Owen Wilson
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Owen Cunningham Wilson is an American actor, producer and screenwriter. His older brother Andrew and younger brother Luke are also actors and he starred with Ben Stiller in numerous films, and is known for his roles in Frat Pack comedies. Wilson was born in Dallas, Texas to photographer Laura Wilson and Robert Andrew Wilson and his parents, originally from Massachusetts, are of Irish descent. Wilson attended New Mexico Military Institute and the University of Texas at Austin, Wilson then landed a role in The Cable Guy, directed by Ben Stiller, an early admirer of Bottle Rocket. Wilson starred in the 2000 comedy action film Shanghai Noon, with Jackie Chan, the film grossed nearly US$100 million worldwide. His fame continued to rise after starring alongside Ben Stiller and Will Ferrell in the 2001 film Zoolander, gene Hackman reportedly took notice of Wilsons performance in Shanghai Noon and recommended the actor to co-star in the 2001 action film Behind Enemy Lines. Also in 2001, Wilson and Anderson collaborated on their film, The Royal Tenenbaums. The film earned the team an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Wilson returned to the genre in 2002 with the action comedy I Spy. This big-screen remake of the series did not perform well at the box office. He made a appearance in the Girl Skateboards video Yeah Right. He then reunited with Jackie Chan to make Shanghai Knights, due to his busy schedule as an actor and an ongoing sinus condition, Wilson was unavailable to collaborate on the script for Wes Andersons fourth feature film, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. The 2004 film was ultimately co-written by filmmaker Noah Baumbach, however, Wilson did star in the film as Bill Murrays would-be son, Ned Plimpton, a role written specifically for Wilson. In 2004, he and his brother, Luke played the Wright brothers in the 2004 film Around the World in 80 Days, Wilson partnered with Vince Vaughn in the 2005 comedy film Wedding Crashers, which grossed over US$200M in the U. S. alone. Also in 2005, Owen collaborated with his brothers by appearing in The Wendell Baker Story, written by brother Luke, directed by Luke and brother Andrew. In the 2006 Disney/Pixar film Cars, Wilson voiced Lightning McQueen, starred in You, Me and Dupree with Kate Hudson, Wilson next starred in the Judd Apatow comedy, Drillbit Taylor, released in March 2008. He appeared in an adaptation of John Grogans best-selling memoir, Marley & Me. He also starred in The Darjeeling Limited with Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman and he provided the voice for the Whackbat Coach Skip in Wes Andersons Fantastic Mr. Fox
16.
ESPN
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ESPN is a U. S. -based global cable and satellite sports television channel owned by ESPN Inc. a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the Hearst Corporation. ESPN broadcasts primarily from studio facilities located in Bristol, Connecticut, the network also operates offices in Miami, New York City, Seattle, Charlotte, and Los Angeles. John Skipper currently serves as president of ESPN, a position he has held since January 1,2012, as of February 2015, ESPN is available to approximately 94,396,000 paid television households in the United States. In 2011, ESPNs history and rise was chronicled by These Guys Have All the Fun, Bill Rasmussen conceived the concept of ESPN in late May 1978, after he was fired from his job with the World Hockey Associations New England Whalers. One of the first steps in Bill and his son Scotts process was finding land to build the channels broadcasting facilities, the Rasmussens first rented office space in Plainville, Connecticut. However, the plan to base ESPN there was put on hold because a local ordinance prohibiting buildings from bearing rooftop satellite dishes and this helped the credibility of the fledgling company, however there were still many doubters to the viability of their sports channel concept. ESPN launched on September 7,1979, beginning with the first telecast of what would become the flagship program. Taped in front of a live audience inside the Bristol studios. ESPNs next big break came when the acquired the rights to broadcast coverage of the early rounds of the NCAA Mens Division I Basketball Tournament. It first aired the NCAA tournament in March 1980, creating the modern day television event known as March Madness. The channels tournament coverage also launched the career of Dick Vitale. In April of that year, ESPN created another made-for-TV spectacle, the next major stepping stone for ESPN came over the course of a couple of months in 1984. During this time period, the American Broadcasting Company purchased 100% of ESPN from the Rasmussens, for years, the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball refused to consider cable as a means of broadcasting some of their games. However, with the backing of ABC, ESPNs ability to compete for major sports contracts greatly increased, later in 1984, the U. S. ESPNs Sunday Night Football games would become the highest-rated NFL telecasts for the next 17 years. In 1992, ESPN launched ESPN Radio, a sports talk radio network providing analysis. It became the fastest growing cable channel in the U. S. during the 1990s, ownership of ABC, and in effect control of ESPN, was acquired first by Capital Cities Communications in 1985, and then by The Walt Disney Company in 1996. In 2012, ESPN generated more revenue for Disney than any of its other properties combined, alongside its live sports broadcasts, ESPN also airs a variety of sports highlight, talk, and documentary-styled shows. 30 for 30 started airing in 2009 and continues airing to this day, each episode is through the eyes of a well known filmmaker and has featured some of the biggest directors in Hollywood
17.
Heineken
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Heineken Lager Beer, or simply Heineken, is a pale lager beer with 5% alcohol by volume produced by the Dutch brewing company Heineken International. Heineken is well known for its signature green bottle and red star, on 15 February 1864, Gerard Adriaan Heineken got his wealthy mother to buy De Hooiberg brewery in Amsterdam, a popular working-class brand founded in 1592. In 1873 after hiring a Dr. Elion to develop Heineken-A Yeast for Bavarian bottom fermentation, the HBM was established, after Prohibition was lifted in 1933, Heineken became the first European beer to be imported to the United States. In 2013 Heineken joined leading alcohol producers as part of a producers commitments to reducing harmful drinking, in Heinekens early years, the beer won four awards, Medaille dOr at the International Maritime Exhibition in Paris in May 1875. Diplome dHonneurs at the International Colonial Exposition in Amsterdam in 1883, Grand Prix at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1889. Hors Concours Membre du Jury in Paris in 1900, the two awards that are still mentioned on the label are the Medaille dOr and Diplome dHonneurs. In 2014 Heineken celebrated its 150th anniversary, in 2015 Heineken won the Creative Marketer of the Year Award, becoming the second company to win the award twice. The original brewery where Gerard Adriaan Heineken first started making Heineken is now the Heineken Experience Museum, since 1975 most Heineken brand beer has been brewed at their brewery in Zoeterwoude, Netherlands. Sold in more than 170 countries, Heineken is the worlds most international premium beer and it has been incorporated with numerous beer brands from different countries all over the world including Mexico, China, and Africa. Heineken was the sponsor of UEFA Champions League and Rugby World Cup. In 2016, Heineken became the Official Beer of the Formula One World Championship starts from Canadian Grand Prix
18.
Carl's Jr.
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Carls Jr. is a fast food restaurant chain operated by CKE Restaurant Holdings, Inc. with locations primarily in the Western and Southwestern United States. Carl Karcher and his wife Margaret founded the predecessor of Carls Jr. in 1941, in 1945, the Karchers moved the short distance to Anaheim, California, and opened their first full-service restaurant, Carls Drive-In Barbeque. As the restaurant became successful, Carl expanded his business by opening the first two Carls Jr. restaurants in Anaheim and nearby Brea in 1956 and they were so named because they were smaller versions of Carls original drive-in restaurant. That same year, the chain was officially renamed Carls Jr. as of March 2016, CKE has a total of 3,664 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 44 states and 38 foreign countries and U. S. territories. From their newly purchased cart, they sold hot dogs, chili dogs, and tamales for a dime, within a few years, Carl and Margaret owned and operated four hot dog stands in Los Angeles. In 1945, the Karchers moved the short distance to Anaheim, California, a year later, hamburgers were added to the menu for the first time. In 1956, Karcher opened the first two Carls Jr. restaurants – so named because they were a version of Carls drive-in restaurant — in Anaheim. By the end of the 1950s, there were four Carls Jr. restaurants in Orange County, the restaurants also had a new supervisor, Donald F. Karcher, Carls younger brother, who would later become the companys president. By the 1960s, Carl was operating 24 restaurants in Southern California, the company incorporated in 1966 as Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc. and launched a major expansion of the chain in 1968. The menus were limited for faster service, featuring charbroiled hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, by 1975, there were more than 100 Carls Jr. locations in Southern California, and the company expanded into the northern part of the state. Carls Jr. celebrated its success by building its Anaheim corporate headquarters in 1976, the following year, it became the first QSR chain to offer salad bars in all 200 locations. The first out-of-state restaurant opened in Las Vegas in 1979, by the end of the decade, sales exceeded the $100 million mark. In 1980, the hired its 10, 000th employee. In 1981, with 300 restaurants in operation, Carl Karcher Enterprises became a publicly held company, in 1984, Carls Jr. was franchised for the first time. Carls Jr. s menu expanded during the decade with the addition of the Western Bacon Cheeseburger, breakfast items, by the end of the decade, sales topped $480 million at 534 restaurants. The company also opened its first international units in the Pacific Rim, in addition, Carls Jr. was one of the first chains to introduce a debit card payment system, inviting customers to use their ATM cards in the restaurants. In 1988, Karcher and his family were accused of trading by the Securities. They had sold large quantities of stock before the price dropped, Karcher agreed to a settlement with the SEC and paid more than half a million dollars in fines
19.
Coca-Cola
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Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink produced by The Coca-Cola Company. The drinks name refers to two of its ingredients, which were kola nuts and coca leaves. The current formula of Coca-Cola remains a secret, although a variety of reported recipes. The Coca-Cola Company produces concentrate, which is sold to licensed Coca-Cola bottlers throughout the world. The bottlers, who hold exclusive territory contracts with the company, produce the product in cans and bottles from the concentrate, in combination with filtered water. A typical 12-US-fluid-ounce can contains 38 grams of sugar, the bottlers then sell, distribute and merchandise Coca-Cola to retail stores, restaurants and vending machines throughout the world. The Coca-Cola Company also sells concentrate for soda fountains of major restaurants, the Coca-Cola Company has on occasion introduced other cola drinks under the Coke name. Based on Interbrands best global brand study of 2015, Coca-Cola was the third most valuable brand. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries worldwide, confederate Colonel John Pemberton, who was wounded in the American Civil War and became addicted to morphine, began a quest to find a substitute for the problematic drug. The prototype Coca-Cola recipe was formulated at Pembertons Eagle Drug and Chemical House and he may have been inspired by the formidable success of Vin Mariani, a French coca wine. It is also worth noting that a Spanish drink called Kola Coca was presented at a contest in Philadelphia in 1885, the patent for this Spanish drink was bought by Coca-Cola in 1953. In 1885, Pemberton registered his French Wine Coca nerve tonic, in 1886, when Atlanta and Fulton County passed prohibition legislation, Pemberton responded by developing Coca-Cola, a nonalcoholic version of French Wine Coca. The first sales were at Jacobs Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia, Pemberton claimed Coca-Cola cured many diseases, including morphine addiction, indigestion, nerve disorders, headaches, and impotence. Pemberton ran the first advertisement for the beverage on May 29 of the year in the Atlanta Journal. By 1888, three versions of Coca-Cola – sold by three separate businesses – were on the market, a co-partnership had been formed on January 14,1888 between Pemberton and four Atlanta businessmen, J. C. Mayfield, A. O. Not codified by any signed document, a statement given by Asa Candler years later asserted under testimony that he had acquired a stake in Pembertons company as early as 1887. John Pemberton declared that the name Coca-Cola belonged to his son, Charley, Charleys exclusive control over the Coca Cola name became a continual thorn in Asa Candlers side. Candlers oldest son, Charles Howard Candler, authored a book in 1950 published by Emory University, in this definitive biography about his father, Candler specifically states
20.
Honda
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Honda Motor Co. Ltd. is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles, aircraft, motorcycles, and power equipment. Honda became the second-largest Japanese automobile manufacturer in 2001, Honda was the eighth largest automobile manufacturer in the world behind General Motors, Volkswagen Group, Toyota, Hyundai Motor Group, Ford, Nissan, and PSA Peugeot Citroën in 2011. Honda was the first Japanese automobile manufacturer to release a luxury brand, Acura. Aside from their automobile and motorcycle businesses, Honda also manufactures garden equipment, marine engines, personal watercraft and power generators. Since 1986, Honda has been involved with artificial intelligence/robotics research and they have also ventured into aerospace with the establishment of GE Honda Aero Engines in 2004 and the Honda HA-420 HondaJet, which began production in 2012. Honda has three joint-ventures in China, in 2013, Honda invested about 5. 7% of its revenues in research and development. Also in 2013, Honda became the first Japanese automaker to be a net exporter from the United States, exporting 108,705 Honda and Acura models, throughout his life, Hondas founder, Soichiro Honda had an interest in automobiles. He worked as a mechanic at the Art Shokai garage, where he tuned cars, in 1937, with financing from his acquaintance Kato Shichirō, Honda founded Tōkai Seiki to make piston rings working out of the Art Shokai garage. After initial failures, Tōkai Seiki won a contract to supply piston rings to Toyota, Honda also aided the war effort by assisting other companies in automating the production of military aircraft propellers. The relationships Honda cultivated with personnel at Toyota, Nakajima Aircraft Company, with a staff of 12 men working in a 16 m2 shack, they built and sold improvised motorized bicycles, using a supply of 500 two-stroke 50 cc Tohatsu war surplus radio generator engines. When the engines ran out, Honda began building their own copy of the Tohatsu engine and this was the Honda A-Type, nicknamed the Bata Bata for the sound the engine made. In 1949, the Honda Technical Research Institute was liquidated for ¥1,000,000, or about US$5,000 today, at about the same time Honda hired engineer Kihachiro Kawashima, and Takeo Fujisawa who provided indispensable business and marketing expertise to complement Soichiro Hondas technical bent. The close partnership between Soichiro Honda and Fujisawa lasted until they stepped down together in October 1973, the first complete motorcycle, with both the frame and engine made by Honda, was the 1949 D-Type, the first Honda to go by the name Dream. Honda Motor Company grew in a time to become the worlds largest manufacturer of motorcycles by 1964. The first production automobile from Honda was the T360 mini pick-up truck, powered by a small 356-cc straight-4 gasoline engine, it was classified under the cheaper Kei car tax bracket. The first production car from Honda was the S500 sports car and its chain-driven rear wheels pointed to Hondas motorcycle origins. Over the next few decades, Honda worked to expand its line and expanded operations. In 1986, Honda introduced the successful Acura brand to the American market in an attempt to ground in the luxury vehicle market
21.
Coors Light
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Coors Light is a 4. 2% ABV light beer brewed in Golden, Colorado and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was first produced in 1978 by the Coors Brewing Company, the beer has a Cold Certified label which turns the mountains on the label from white to blue when the beers temperature is lowered to 39 degrees fahrenheit. Coors Light has an icon to represent the beer in place of the logo. The icon is a drawing of a mountain with two peaks. The bottom has a tail that signifies movement, Adolph Coors was born in 1847 in a German town known today as Wuppertal-Oberbarmen. At the age of 14 he began working at the Henry Wenker Brewery in Dortmund, Adolph Coors considered that water was the key ingredient for a perfect beer. Therefore, he decided to locate Adolph Coors Company in Golden, the Rocky Mountains are the primary source of the water used in the beer. There were a number of trends occurring in the mid-1970s, health was one of the most discussed topics in the American population. The baby-boomer generation was reaching their drinking age, and therefore gave the beer drinking demographic a shift. They were concerned about their health, but they wanted to drink beer. There was a growing interest in low-calorie beverages, in 1975, light beers made up only 1% of beer consumption in the United States, and by 1994, they accounted for 35% of all domestic beer sold in the United States. In 1978, Coors introduced the popular Coors Light brand, Coors Light advertisings highlight the quality of the beer as the most refreshing place on earth. Additionally, Coors Light ads are designed to target young demographics, the stories behind the ads seek to capture the attention of young people, situating them in cool places they would like to be. Cavalry Agency out of Chicago, IL, is the current Advertising Agency for Coors Light and they are responsible for the Reach For The Cold Campaign featuring the Coors Light Explorers. Additionally, on April 2013, the agency produced a Digital Video for Coors Light ad known as Coors Light the brewer ambushes a summer party with the frosty taste of winter. The T. V. ad was considered the ad of the week in the Adweek publication, the brewery introduced the “perfect shot of refreshment” under the slogan of a “Silver Bullet”, a symbol of the silver can where the beer was packaged. The Coors Light aluminum pint was selected for its graphics, recyclability. On August,2013, the advertising industry’s self-regulatory unit referred Miller Coors’ ad claims to the Federal Trade Commission, according to the National Advertising Division, Miller Coors declined to provide a substantive response to the challenge
22.
PlayStation
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It is created and owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment since December 3,1994, with the launch of the original PlayStation console in Japan. The original console in the series was the first video game console to ship 100 million units,9 years and 6 months after its initial launch and its successor, the PlayStation 2, was released in 2000. The PlayStation 2 is the home console to date, having reached over 155 million units sold as of December 28,2012. Sonys next console, the PlayStation 3, was released in 2006 and has sold over 80 million consoles worldwide as of November 2013. Sonys latest console, the PlayStation 4, was released in 2013, selling 1 million consoles in its first 24 hours on sale, the first handheld game console in the PlayStation series, sold a total of 80 million units worldwide by November 2013. Its successor, the PlayStation Vita, which launched in Japan on December 17,2011, PlayStation TV is a microconsole and a non-portable variant of the PlayStation Vita handheld game console. The main series of controllers utilized by the PlayStation series is the DualShock, the PlayStation Network is an online service with over 110 million users worldwide. PlayStation Mobile is a framework that provides PlayStation content on mobile devices. Content set to be released under the framework consist of only original PlayStation games currently, 7th generation PlayStation products also use the XrossMediaBar, which is an award-winning graphical user interface. A new touch screen-based user interface called LiveArea was launched for the PlayStation Vita, additionally, PlayStation 2 and original PlayStation 3 consoles also featured support for Linux-based operating systems, though this has since been discontinued. The series has also known for its numerous marketing campaigns. The consoles origins date back to 1988 where it was originally a joint project between Nintendo and Sony to create a CD-ROM for the Super Famicom. However, a day after the announcement at CES, Nintendo announced that it would be breaking its partnership with Sony, opting to go with Philips instead but using the same technology. The deal was broken by Nintendo after they were unable to come to an agreement on how revenue would be split between the two companies. The breaking of the partnership infuriated Sony President Norio Ohga, who responded by appointing Kutaragi with the responsibility of developing the PlayStation project to rival Nintendo. At that time, negotiations were still on-going between Nintendo and Sony, with Nintendo offering Sony a non-gaming role regarding their new partnership with Philips. This proposal was rejected by Kutaragi who was facing increasing criticism over his work with regard to entering the video game industry from within Sony. At the meeting, Kutaragi unveiled a proprietary CD-ROM-based system he had working on which involved playing video games with 3D graphics to the board
23.
George Thorogood
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George Thorogood is an American musician, singer and songwriter from Wilmington, Delaware. His high-energy boogie-blues sound became a staple of 1980s rock radio, with hits like his original songs Bad to the Bone, with his band, the Delaware Destroyers, Thorogood has released over 20 albums, of which two have been certified Platinum and six have been certified Gold. He has sold 15 million albums worldwide, Thorogood and band continue to tour extensively and in 2014 celebrated their 40th anniversary performing. Thorogood began his career in the early 1970s as an acoustic performer in the style of Robert Johnson. However, he formed a band, the Delaware Destroyers, with a high school friend. With additional players they developed their own sound, a mixture of Chicago blues and rock and their first shows were in the Rathskeller at the University of Delaware and at the Deer Park Tavern. Eventually, they shortened the name to The Destroyers. Thorogoods demo, Better Than the Rest, was recorded in 1974 and his major recording debut came in 1976 with the album George Thorogood & The Destroyers, which was released in 1977. In 1978, Thorogood released his album with the Destroyers titled Move It on Over. Please Set a Date and their reworking of the Bo Diddley song Who Do You Love, the bands early success contributed to the rise of folk label Rounder Records. In the early 1970s, Thorogood supplemented his income by working as a roadie for Hound Dog Taylor, during the late 1970s, Thorogood and his band were based in Boston. He was friends with Jimmy Thackery of the Washington, D. C. -based blues band, while touring in the 1970s, the Destroyers and the Nighthawks happened to be playing shows in Georgetown at venues across the street from each other. The Destroyers were engaged at The Cellar Door and the Nighthawks at Desperados, the connection with the Nighthawks was extended further, when Nighthawks bass player Jan Zukowski supported Thorogoods set at the Live Aid concert in Philadelphia, PA on July 13,1985. Thorogood gained his first mainstream exposure as an act for The Rolling Stones during their 1981 U. S. tour. He also was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on the October 2,1982 broadcast. After two shows in Boulder, Colorado, Thorogood and his band flew to Hawaii for one show and then performed a show in Alaska on the following night. The next day the band flew to Washington State, met their roadies who had their Checker car and a truck, and continued a one show per state tour for all fifty states in exactly fifty nights. In addition, they played Washington, D. C. on the day that they performed a show in Maryland
24.
Coolio
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Artis Leon Ivey Jr. known professionally as Coolio, is an American rapper, chef, actor, and record producer. Coolio achieved mainstream success in the mid to late 1990s with his albums It Takes a Thief, Gangstas Paradise, and My Soul. He is best known for his 1995 Grammy Award-winning hit single Gangstas Paradise and he was also known for rapping the theme song for the late 1990s Nickelodeon series Kenan & Kel. Coolio has since gone on to release independently, as well becoming a chef, creating a web series titled Cookin with Coolio. He recorded two singles in 1987, titled Watch Gonna Do and Youre Gonna Miss Me, Coolio made connections in the L. A. rap scene, and in 1991, ended up joining the group WC and the Maad Circle, led by rapper WC. He had a few verses on the debut album Aint a Damn Thang Changed. In 1994, Coolio signed to Tommy Boy Records and released his solo album It Takes a Thief. The lead single Fantastic Voyage received heavy rotation on MTV, Fantastic Voyage would become one of the biggest rap singles of the year, and the album contained a few other minor hits in County Line and I Remember. It Takes a Thief peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200, the album received praise for bringing a humorous and lighthearted perspective to often violent and profane themes of typical gangsta rap. In 1995, Coolio made a song featuring R&B singer LV for the movie Dangerous Minds and it would become one of the most successful rap songs of all time, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 3 weeks. The song also created a controversy when Coolio claimed that parody artist Weird Al Yankovic had not asked for permission to make his parody of Gangstas Paradise, at the 1996 Grammy Awards, the song won Coolio a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance. Originally Gangstas Paradise was not meant to be included on one of Coolios studio albums, but its success led to Coolio not only putting it on his next album, but also making it the title track. The title track sampled the chorus and music of the song Pastime Paradise by Stevie Wonder, the album Gangstas Paradise was released in 1995 and was certified 2X Platinum by the RIAA. The album contained two major hits in 1,2,3,4 and Too Hot with J. T. Taylor of Kool & the Gang doing the chorus. Despite no longer being a member of the group, Coolio made an appearance on the second WC. In 1996, Coolio had another top 40 hit with the song Its All the Way Live from the soundtrack to the movie Eddie. He was also featured on the song Hit em High from the soundtrack to the movie Space Jam with B-Real, Method Man, LL Cool J, and Busta Rhymes. In 2014, the band Falling in Reverse did a cover of Gangsters Paradise for Punk Goes 90s, with Coolio making a cameo in the music video
25.
Maroon 5
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Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band that originated in Los Angeles, California. The band, which self-released an album called We Like Digging, then signed to Reprise Records and released the album The Fourth World in 1997. After the album garnered a tepid response, the band parted ways with the record label, in 2001, the band changed its image by adding guitarist James Valentine and pursuing a different direction under the name Maroon 5. At this point, Carmichael switched to playing keyboards, which has become his main instrument in the band. After these changes, Maroon 5 signed with a subsidiary of J Records, Octone Records, the albums lead single, Harder to Breathe, received heavy airplay, which helped the album to debut at number six on the Billboard 200 chart. In 2004, the album went platinum and has dubbed the sleeper hit of the millennium. The band won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2005, for the next few years, Maroon 5 toured extensively worldwide in support of Songs About Jane and produced two live recordings, 2004s 1.22.03. Acoustic and 2005s Live – Friday the 13th. In 2006, Dusick officially left Maroon 5 after suffering from serious wrist, the band then recorded their second album, It Wont Be Soon Before Long and released it in May 2007. The album reached number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, in September 2010, Maroon 5 released their third studio album Hands All Over, which was re-released in 2011 to include the single Moves like Jagger featuring Christina Aguilera. While the original version of the album received mixed reviews, Moves like Jagger reached the one position on the Billboard Hot 100. The band released their album, Overexposed, on June 26,2012. All four singles of the album were successful on the Billboard Hot 100, including second single One More Night. Keyboardist PJ Morton became a member of the band in 2012. The addition of PJ Morton meant that for the first time, in 2014, the band signed with Interscope Records and released their fifth studio album, V. Maroon 5 has sold more than 20 million albums and 70 million singles worldwide, Adam Levine was introduced to Ryan Dusick by a mutual friend and guitarist, Adam Salzman. Levine was 15 years old and Dusick was 16, three of the five members of the band started playing together at age 12. The four original members of the band met while attending Brentwood EMH School in Los Angeles, while attending Brentwood EMH School, Adam Levine and Jesse Carmichael joined up with Mickey Madden and Ryan Dusick to form Karas Flowers, a rock band. The name was taken from a girl went to their high school that the band had a collective crush on
26.
Sugar (Maroon 5 song)
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Sugar is a song recorded by American pop rock band Maroon 5 for their fifth studio album, V. It was written by Mike Posner, Adam Levine, Dr. Luke and it was sent to contemporary hit radio in the United States, as the third single from the album on January 13,2015. Sugar is a disco, funk-pop and soul song that features a range of instruments including percussion, keyboards. Commercially, Sugar peaked at two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became the bands third top 10 single from V. Sugar is the 68th song in history to score at least 20 weeks in the top 10 of the Hot 100, film director David Dobkin shot the accompanying music video for the single in Los Angeles. Inspired by the 2005 romantic comedy Wedding Crashers, it features Maroon 5 crashing weddings that happened in the city, the video premiered on January 14,2015, and received its television premiere on January 17. The song is used as the encore of the shows during the Maroon 5 World Tour 2015. A remix of the song, featuring rapper Nicki Minaj was digitally released on March 10 via the iTunes Store, Sugar received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. Since the release of his studio album,31 Minutes to Takeoff, American singer and songwriter Mike Posner started writing material to be included in his follow-up record. One of the set to be included in the album was Sugar. However, in 2014, he switched labels and announced that Pages would not be launched, Im a big fan, so Im glad they did it. The final version of Sugar was written by Levine, Posner, Lukasz Gottwald, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Joshua Coleman, the production of the song was done by the latter two under their respective production names Ammo and Cirkut. The lead vocals were sung by Levine, with vocals provided by singer Posner who co-wrote the track. Sugar was recorded at Conway Recording Studios in Hollywood, Dr. Luke in the Boo in Malibu, John Hanes was the mixing engineer while all the instrumentation and programming was provided by Maroon 5, Dr. Luke, Ammo and Cirkut. Artie Smith was the instrument technician, interscope Records serviced the song to contemporary hit radio in the United States on January 13,2015. The same day, the band unveiled the artwork for the single that features red-colored lips holding a sugar cube. On March 10, a remix of the song, featuring Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj, was released via the iTunes Store. Sugar is a disco, funk-pop, and soul song with a length of three minutes and fifty-six seconds
27.
Tupac Shakur
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Tupac Amaru Shakur, also known by his stage names 2Pac, Makaveli or just Pac, was an American rapper, record producer, actor, activist and poet. As of 2007, Shakur has sold over 75 million records worldwide and his double disc albums All Eyez on Me and his Greatest Hits are among the best-selling albums in the United States. He has been listed and ranked as one of the greatest artists of all time by publications, including Rolling Stone. He is consistently ranked as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, on April 7,2017, Shakur will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Shakur began his career as a roadie, backup dancer, and MC for the hip hop group Digital Underground. The themes of most of Shakurs songs revolved around the violence and hardship in inner cities, racism, and other social problems. Both of his parents and several people in his family were members of the Black Panther Party, whose ideals were reflected in his songs. I. G. On September 7,1996, Shakur was fatally shot in a shooting at the intersection of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane in Las Vegas. He was taken to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, Shakur was born on June 16,1971, in the East Harlem section of Manhattan in New York City. His mother Afeni Shakur and his father Billy Garland were active members of the Black Panther Party in New York in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Lesane was born a month after his mother was acquitted of more than 150 charges of Conspiracy against the United States government, Many people in Shakurs life were involved with the Black Liberation Army, some were convicted of serious criminal offenses and imprisoned, including his mother. His godfather, Elmer Geronimo Pratt, a high-ranking Black Panther, was convicted of murdering a school teacher during a 1968 robbery and his stepfather, Mutulu, spent four years at large on the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list beginning in 1982. Mutulu was wanted for having helped his sister Assata Shakur, Tupacs godmother and she had been imprisoned since 1977 for killing a state trooper in 1973. She lived as a fugitive for years before gaining asylum in Cuba in 1985. Mutulu was caught in 1986, tried and convicted, and imprisoned for the robbery of a Brinks armored truck in two police officers and a guard were killed. Shakur had a stepbrother, Mopreme Komani Shakur, and a half-sister, Sekyiwa. His stepbrother Mopreme performed in many of his recordings, in 1986, his family moved to Baltimore, Maryland. After completing his year at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
28.
Extreme (band)
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Extreme is an American rock band, headed by frontmen Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt, that reached the height of their popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Among some of Extremes musical influences are Van Halen, Queen, Aerosmith, the band played at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992 and Cherone joined Van Halen in 1996. The band has described their music as funky metal in the early days and they have released five studio albums, two EPs and two compilation albums since their formation. The band was one of the most successful acts of the early 1990s. Extreme achieved their greatest success with their 1990 album Pornograffitti, which peaked at number 10 on the Billboard 200 and that album featured the acoustic ballad single More Than Words, which reached No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. Extreme was formed in Malden, Massachusetts, in 1985, vocalist Gary Cherone and drummer Paul Geary were in a band called The Dream. Guitarist Nuno Bettencourt was in a band called Sinful, and bassist Pat Badger was playing with a Berklee-based act called In The Pink, following an altercation between the rival groups over communal dressing rooms, the four decided to form a new band together. Cherone and Bettencourt began writing together and the band played numerous shows in the Boston area. They gradually developed a local following, and were named Outstanding Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Act at the Boston Music Awards in 1986 and 1987. The band had accumulated several original songs by the time A&R director Bryan Huttenhower signed them to A&M Records in 1988, the band then recorded their self-titled debut album which was issued in 1989. The first single was Kid Ego, a song that Cherone would later admit made him cringe, the final track on the album, Play With Me, was used as the mall chase song in the film Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure. Sales of Extremes first record were sufficient to support a second release, michael Wagener, who had previously worked with Dokken and White Lion, was hired to produce the bands Extreme II, Pornograffitti album in 1990. The record, which showcased Bettencourts guitar-playing, was a mixture of funk, pop, decadence Dance and Get the Funk Out were released as singles. Get the Funk Out reached No.19 in the UK charts in June 1991, neither single was successful in the United States, however, and the album had fallen off the charts when A&M sent the third single to a number of radio stations in Arizona. The acoustic ballad More Than Words entered the Hot 100 on March 23,1991 and it later became a huge smash, hitting No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. The subsequent single, Hole Hearted, another track, was also successful. The band began recording their album in 1992. Their appearance at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in April 1992 interrupted the recording sessions, by playing a medley at the tribute, as well as Love of My Life and More Than Words acoustically, Extreme gained a considerable amount of fans along with the Queen fan base
29.
Robin Zander
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Robin Zander is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Cheap Trick. Zander was born in Beloit, Wisconsin, and grew up in nearby Loves Park and he learned to play guitar by the age of 12, and appearing in high school productions like “Annie Get Your Gun” helped him to develop his stage presence. His early bands included The Destinations, Butterscotch Sundae and The Hoods, covering songs by such as The Animals, The Beatles. In high school, Zander sang for three years in the Madrigals, the most demanding of the three groups at his school, played basketball and football, and had a part-time job at a sandwich shop. In the early 1970s, Zander teamed up with Brian Beebe to form a duo called Zander, the lead singer role was then offered to Randy Hogan, but he left in the fall of 1974, which neatly coincided with Zander’s Dells contract expiring in September of that year. Zander accepted the invitation to join Cheap Trick, and the classic line-up of Zander, Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson. With Cheap Trick, Zander has toured the world, released albums and has been widely acknowledged by his peers. Guitarist Rick Nielsen introduces Zander at every Cheap Trick concert as being his …favorite lead singer in the wide world. The May 2009 issue of Classic Rock magazine published a list of the “50 Greatest Singers in Rock”. On Sept.30,2016, Los Angeles rock band Steel Panther released a version of Cheap Trick song Shes Tight. March 4,1983, saw “An Evening with Robin Zander” held at Rockford’s Midway Theater and this solo show included choir and orchestra conducted by Ralph Nielsen, with Zander singing a variety of English ballads, classical pieces, contemporary classics and Cheap Trick songs. Robin Zander released the solo album Robin Zander in 1993, a second solo album, Countryside Blvd. was finally released online in April 2011 but was withdrawn from online music outlets within hours of being available. In January 2013, Zander formed The Robin Zander Band with drummer, the band also includes Mark Hitt on guitar and Larry Hobbs on bass. The band plays occasional shows nationally in the USA when Cheap Trick is off the road, on Sept.26,2014, Robin reunited with old musical partner Brian Beebe for a show at Monk’s in the Wisconsin Dells. As noted in the booklet for Cheap Trick’s 2006 Rockford CD, Zander uses Shure microphones, in 2012, Schecter Guitar Research released a Robin Zander signature Corsair Electric Guitar. Zander lives in Florida with his wife, former Playboy Playmate Pamela Stein and he has two children from a previous marriage, Ian and Holland
30.
Sonic Youth
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Sonic Youth was an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. In their early career Sonic Youth were associated with the no wave art, the band is considered to be a pivotal influence on the alternative and indie rock movements. In 2011 Ranaldo announced that the band was ending for a following the separation of married couple Gordon. Thurston Moore updated and clarified the position in May 2014, Sonic Youth is on hiatus, the band is a democracy of sorts, and as long as Kim and I are working out our situation, the band can’t really function reasonably. Gordon refers several times in her 2015 autobiography Girl in a Band to the band having split up. Shortly after guitarist Thurston Moore moved to New York City in early 1977, he formed a group, Room Tone, with his roommates, after the breakup of the Coachmen, Moore began jamming with Stanton Miranda, whose band, CKM, featured Kim Gordon. Moore and Gordon formed a band, appearing under names like Male Bonding and Red Milk, the name came from combining the nickname of MC5s Fred Sonic Smith with Youth from reggae artist Big Youth. Gordon later recalled that as soon as Thurston came up with the name Sonic Youth, the band played Noise Fest in June 1981 at New Yorks White Columns gallery, where Lee Ranaldo was playing as a member of Glenn Brancas electric guitar ensemble. Their performance impressed Moore, who described them as the most ferocious guitar band that I had ever seen in my life, the new threesome played three songs at the festival later in the week without a drummer. Each band member took turns playing the drums, until they met drummer Richard Edson, Branca signed Sonic Youth as the first act on his record label Neutral Records. In December 1981 the group recorded five songs in a studio in New Yorks Radio City Music Hall, the material was released as the Sonic Youth that, while largely ignored, was sent to a few key members of the US press, who gave it uniformly favorable reviews. After their first release, Edson quit the group for a career and was replaced by Bob Bert. During their early days as part of the New York music scene, the bands came to share the same rehearsal space, and Sonic Youth embarked on its first tour, a two-week journey through the southern United States starting in November 1982, supporting Swans. During a second tour with Swans of the Midwest the following month, tensions ran high and Moore constantly criticized Berts drumming, Bert was fired afterwards and replaced by Jim Sclavunos, who played drums on the bands first studio album, 1983s Confusion Is Sex. Sonic Youth set up a tour of Europe for the summer of 1983. Sclavunos, however, quit after only a few months, the group asked Bert to rejoin, and he agreed, on the condition that he would not be fired again after the tours conclusion. Sonic Youth found themselves well received in Europe, but the New York press largely ignored the noise rock scene. After a substandard September concert in New York, another critic from The Village Voice panned it, Gordon wrote a scornful letter to the newspaper, criticizing it for not supporting its local music scene, to which Christgau responded by saying they are not obligated to support them
31.
Blues Traveler
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Blues Traveler is an American rock band formed in Princeton, New Jersey in 1987. The bands music covers a variety of genres, including rock, psychedelic rock, folk rock, soul. It is known for use of segues in their live performances. Currently, the group comprises singer and harmonica player John Popper, guitarist Chan Kinchla, drummer Brendan Hill, bassist Tad Kinchla, Tad Kinchla and Ben Wilson joined the band following the death of original bassist Bobby Sheehan in 1999. While Blues Traveler is best known among fans for their live shows. They gained mainstream popularity after their studio album four, released in 1994. Sheehans death and Poppers struggle with obesity put a damper on the groups success, however, the band took this transition period as an opportunity to start in new directions musically, going largely independent and releasing on smaller experimental labels. Blues Travelers most recent studio album Blow Up the Moon, is the studio album and was released on April 7,2015. As part of the Blow Up the Moon album, Blues Traveler released a video using Rockstar editor in Grand Theft Auto V on September 14,2015. The music video features JC Chasez and 3OH.3, on 12/07/2016 Blues Traveler released a cover version of Go Tell It On THe Mountain. The genesis of Blues Traveler was as a high school garage band formed in Princeton, harmonicist, singer and guitarist John Popper and drummer Brendan Hill formed a group they called The Establishment with Hills brother on bass and a rotating roster of guitarists. The band produced a few cassette tape demos, in addition to some original songs, their repertoire included upbeat covers of Gloria and The Battle Hymn of the Republic. The group added guitarist and football player Chan Kinchla, although he was a promising athlete, Kinchla decided to commit to playing music instead after a knee injury. Popper met bassist Bobby Sheehan and the two good friends, with Sheehan becoming the new bass player for Blues Band in 1987. The quartet held a basement jam session which spawned the core grooves for songs on their first album. A black cat happened to be nearby, and the group took this as a sign, the group changed their name to Blues Traveler, taking the latter part from the name of the primary demon in the film Ghostbusters, Gozer the Traveler. After graduating Princeton High School and moving to New York City, Popper, Hill, another bar, The Nightingale, was a regular gig, and later became the setting for the song Defense and Desire. The group shared an apartment on Bergen Street in Brooklyn, N. Y. along with their school friend
32.
Dark Horse Comics
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Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book and manga publisher. It was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, Richardson started out by opening his first comic book store, Pegasus Books, in Bend, Oregon, in 1980. From there he was able to use the funds from his operation to start his own publishing company. Frank Millers Sin City is one of the most famous associated with Dark Horse. Today, the arm of the company flourishes despite no longer having its own universe of superpowered characters. Dark Horse also published the English translation of The Legend of Zelda, like Dell and Gold Key, Dark Horse was one of the few major American publishers of comic books never to display the Comics Code Authority seal on its covers. From 1993 to 1996, Dark Horse published a line of comics under the Comics Greatest World imprint. Legend was a book imprint at Dark Horse Comics created in 1994 by Frank Miller. Its logo was a moai drawn by Mike Mignola, later on, other creators were asked to join them. Art Adams Frank Miller John Byrne Mike Mignola Paul Chadwick, Dave Gibbons, Mike Allred Walter Simonson Dark Horse Manga is an imprint for Japanese manga. by Kōsuke Fujishima. Dark Horse also publishes a number of CLAMP titles, including Clover, Chobits, Okimono Kimono, Cardcaptor Sakura, Magic Knight Rayearth, a manga magazine titled Super Manga Blast. was published by Dark Horse starting in the spring of 2000. It was discontinued in December 2005 after 59 issues, Dark Horse also publish a number of Korean manhwa titles, including Banya, The Explosive Delivery Man. Maverick was an imprint for creator owned material, the DH Press imprint publishes novelizations of Dark Horses more popular comic book titles, including Aliens and Predator. DH Press has now been absorbed by DH Books, publications ranging from novels to film books by Leonard Maltin about John Landis, to comic related material such as a biography of Will Eisner, to health books. They have also published a series reprinting Playboy interviews, the M Press imprint was created to publish a diverse list of both literary fiction and non-fiction prose for authors with a unique voice. One such series is Orchid by Tom Morello, published from 2011–2013, the newest addition to M Press is an original graphic novel The Fifth Beatle by Vivek Tiwary, Andrew Robinson, and Kyle Baker, published on November 2013. In 2011, Dark Horse launched their iOS app and online comics store. Any device with a web browser can be used to read Dark Horse comics at their web store
33.
R.I.P.D.
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R. I. P. D. is a 2013 American supernatural fantasy action comedy film starring Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds. Robert Schwentke directed the film based on an adapted from the comic book Rest in Peace Department by Peter M. Lenkov. The film also stars Kevin Bacon, Mary-Louise Parker, Stephanie Szostak, and Marisa Miller. Filming was completed on January 28,2012, and the film was set to be released on June 28,2013 in the United States by Universal Pictures. The film received reviews and was a box office flop. Boston Police Department officers Detective Sergeant Nick Walker and Detective Lieutenant Bobby Hayes discover, Nick buries his share under an orange tree sapling in his garden, his wife, Julia, thinks that the tree is a surprise gift and mentions how content she is with their life together. Nick realizes that they do not need the gold, and decides to submit it as evidence, during a subsequent raid, Hayes, dissatisfied with Nicks stroke of conscience, kills him. In the afterlife, as penance for his thievery, Nick is recruited for the R. I. P. D. The R. I. P. D. is responsible for finding souls who refuse to move on to the afterlife, becoming deados and he is partnered with Roycephus Roy Pulsipher, a former U. S. Marshal and participant in the American Civil War, on his first field mission, Nick aids Roy in interrogating a suspected deado, whereupon Nick discovers the perpetrator in possession of shards of gold like those he and Hayes had discovered. On their way they stop at a cemetery to watch his funeral, officers are given new identities and appearances to prevent them revealing that the afterlife exists. Nick dupes one of Roys informants into revealing Hayes as his contact and they follow Hayes to Nicks old house, where he discovers Nicks stolen gold. After arguing over the gold, R. I. P. D, chief Mildred Proctor receives orders to remove them from the case and from active duty due to this exposure. Proctor learns from Eternal Affairs that the gold could be used to construct the Staff of Jericho, after Nick and Roy make amends, they decide to work together to stop whatever Hayes is planning. They discover that Hayes is a deado and arrest him, but an item of his freezes the whole department, and Hayes. They assemble the Staff of Jericho, and Hayes takes Julia hostage, a battle ensues, Pulsipher destroys the Staff of Jericho, and Nick exacts his revenge on Hayes. Close to death, Julia sees Nick for who he is, later, Proctor informs Nick that Julia will live. She reinstates them both fully, though she adds 53 years to Roys term in the R. I. P. D, as a reward, Roy gives Nick a new appearance, but he is dismayed to find it is that of a Girl Scout
34.
The Change-Up
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The Change-Up is a 2011 American fantasy comedy film produced and directed by David Dobkin, written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, and starring Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman. The film was released on August 5,2011, in North America, Dave Lockwood and Mitch Planko are close friends who are each jealous of the others lifestyle. While Dave is a lawyer with a wife and kids, Mitch is an actor who has sex with many different women. After getting drunk at a bar, Mitch and Dave urinate in a parks fountain, the next morning, Mitch and Dave realize they have switched bodies. Forced to wait a few days until the department can locate the fountain, Mitch. When Mitch arrives at Daves law firm office, he befriends Daves attractive assistant, however, Mitchs lack of professionalism and legal knowledge cause a big merger to fall through. Meanwhile, Dave arrives at Mitchs film shoot to discover that it is a porno, tired of pretending to be Mitch, Dave has them go back to his house to tell his wife Jamie the truth, but Jamie does not believe him. Dave gives Mitch advice on how to behave professionally and Mitch sets Dave up on a date with Sabrina, after speaking with his father, Mitch rededicates himself to doing everything Daves life demands, from taking care of the kids and buying groceries to making decisions at the firm. On the night of her recital, Cara, Daves eldest child, is about to be pushed by the other girl again. Cara tells Dave that she loves him and Mitch says the same thing, Jamie comforts him, and he discreetly rests his head on her breasts. The next day, Dave decides to take advantage of being Mitch, Dave does everything that he finds relaxing, including going to an aquarium and watching a showing of National Lampoons Animal House at the theater. After Dave finishes having fun, he calls Mitch to help show him how to act fun on his date with Sabrina that night, Mitch teaches Dave how to act like him, and finally shaves off Daves pubic hair. Sabrina comes to him at a classy restaurant and, despite only originally going because Mitch told her to, they eventually legitimately start liking each other. Dave walks Sabrina home, and she tells him to call her, later, Jamie asks Dave about their anniversary party and he asks why Mitch was not invited. She says that he told her not to him because he was afraid Mitch would ruin it with his usual antics. Meanwhile, Dave is rollerblading through the park when he is called by the woman from the managers office. Dave goes to meet Mitch and tell him, but when Dave gets there, he and Mitch imply that they want to stay each other, however, Mitch forgets about the Dialogue Night that he and Jamie had planned and accidentally stands her up. The following day, Mitch goes with the rest of the representatives to the new meeting between the two firms
35.
Ryan Reynolds
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Ryan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian actor. Additionally, he portrayed the Hal Jordan version of the DC Comics superhero Green Lantern in the 2011 film of the same name. Reynolds has also starred in such as National Lampoons Van Wilder, The Amityville Horror, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, The Croods. Ryan Rodney Reynolds was born on October 23,1976 in Vancouver and his father, James Chester Jim Reynolds, was a food wholesaler, and his mother, Tammy, is a retail salesperson. He is of Irish ancestry and was raised as a Roman Catholic, the youngest of four brothers, he graduated from Kitsilano Secondary School in Vancouver in 1994. He attended Kwantlen Polytechnic University, also in Vancouver, until dropping out, Two of his elder brothers work as police officers in British Columbia, one of whom is a Royal Canadian Mounted Police member. Reynolds career began in 1991, when he starred as Billy Simpson in the Canadian-produced teen soap Hillside, in 1996, he co-starred with Melissa Joan Hart in the TV movie Sabrina the Teenage Witch. As an adult, Reynolds starred in the American television series Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place, playing medical student Michael Berg Bergen, in 1993–94 he had a recurring role in The Odyssey as Macro. He also cameoed in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle as a nurse, appeared in The In-Laws with Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks, as well as in the Canadian production Foolproof. In 2005, he played a waiter named Monty in Waiting. and as music executive Chris Brander in the romantic comedy Just Friends alongside Amy Smart, Reynolds played the protagonist in the 2008 film Definitely, Maybe. He has also appeared in the season finale of the television series Scrubs. In 2007, Reynolds guest-starred as Brendans friend Hams in the episode Douchebag in the City of the TBS sitcom My Boys, in 2009, he portrayed Andrew Paxton, starring opposite Sandra Bullock, in The Proposal, and Mike Connell in Adventureland. Although he has performed primarily in comedies, Reynolds underwent intense training to play an action role as the character of Hannibal King in the 2004 film Blade. Reynolds played George Lutz in the 2005 remake of the 1979 horror film The Amityville Horror, additionally, he played an FBI agent alongside Ray Liotta in the 2006 crime action film Smokin Aces. In 2010, Reynolds starred in the Spanish and American thriller Buried, in June 2010, Reynolds was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Reynolds portrayed the Hal Jordan version of superhero Green Lantern in Warner Bros. film Green Lantern, though the film didnt fare well both financially and critically, this role made him one of the few actors to headline in films based on both Marvel and DC characters. In 2011 he co-starred in the comedy, The Change-Up, as well as being the narrator for the documentary film The Whale, in 2012, he portrayed an agent in Safe House, alongside Denzel Washington. He then had starring roles in two Dreamworks Animation feature films, The Croods and Turbo, both released in 2013 and his next role was in portraying Nick Walker in the Universal Pictures film adaptation of Dark Horse Comics R. I. P. D
36.
Jason Bateman
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Jason Kent Bateman is an American actor, director and producer. He began acting on television in the early 1980s on Little House on the Prairie, in the 2000s, he became known for his role of Michael Bluth in the critically acclaimed sitcom Arrested Development, for which he won a Golden Globe, and a Satellite Award. He has had starring roles in the films, Juno, Hancock, Up in the Air, The Switch, Paul, Horrible Bosses, The Change-Up, Identity Thief, Bad Words, Horrible Bosses 2, The Gift, Bateman was born in Rye, New York. His mother, Victoria Elizabeth, a flight attendant for Pan Am, was English, born in Shrewsbury. His father, Kent Bateman, is an actor, writer and director of film and television, Bateman is the younger brother of Family Ties actress Justine Bateman. Bateman was four years old when his family moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, from 1982 to 1984, he was a supporting character on the television show Silver Spoons as Ricky Schroders bad boy best friend Derek Taylor. He appeared in the Knight Rider third-season episode Lost Knight in 1984, in 1987, he appeared with Burt Reynolds on the mens team in the inaugural week of game show Win, Lose or Draw. Bateman earned the status of teen idol in the mid-1980s for his television work and he became the Directors Guild of Americas youngest-ever director when he helmed three episodes of The Hogan Family at the age of eighteen. After the series ended its run, he gained recognition in the motion picture sequel Teen Wolf Too. In 1994, he played opposite legendary actors Katharine Hepburn and Anthony Quinn in the television film This Cant Be Love. During this period, he had roles on four series—Simon, Chicago Sons, George & Leo and he also directed an episode of Two of a Kind in 1999. In 2002, he played the frisky sibling of Thomas Janes character in the feature film The Sweetest Thing, in 2003, Bateman was cast as Michael Bluth in the comedy series Arrested Development. Although critically acclaimed, the series never achieved high ratings and ended on February 10,2006, the show was revived in spring 2013. Bateman won several awards for his work on the series, including a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy and he was also nominated in 2005 for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series. New episodes of Arrested Development have been released on Netflix with the original cast, in 2006, he appeared as a guest star on the Scrubs episode My Big Bird as Mr. Sutton, a garbage man with a flock of vicious ostriches as pets. In 2009, Bateman became a voice actor for the short-lived Fox comedy series Sit Down. He voiced Larry Littlejunk, the gym teacher and only member that can teach. In 2010, Bateman and Arrested Development co-star Will Arnett created DumbDumb Productions and their first video was Prom Date, the first in a series of Dirty Shorts for Orbit
37.
Robert Downey Jr.
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Robert John Downey Jr. is an American actor. His career has included critical and popular success in his youth, followed by a period of abuse and legal troubles. For three consecutive years from 2012 to 2015, Downey has topped the Forbes list of Hollywoods highest-paid actors, making an estimated $80 million in earnings between June 2014 and June 2015. He starred as the character in the 1992 film Chaplin. This earned him a Golden Globe Award and his character was written out when Downey was fired after two drug arrests in late 2000 and early 2001. After his last stay in a drug treatment program, Downey achieved sobriety. Each of these films has grossed over $500 million at the box office worldwide, four of these—The Avengers, Avengers, Age of Ultron, Iron Man 3 and Captain America, Downey Jr. has also played the title character in Guy Ritchies Sherlock Holmes and its sequel. Downey was born in Manhattan, New York, the younger of two children and his father, Robert Downey Sr. is an actor and filmmaker, while his mother, Elsie Ann, was an actress who appeared in Downey Sr. s films. Downeys father is of half Lithuanian Jewish, one-quarter Hungarian Jewish, and one-quarter Irish descent, while Downeys mother had Scottish, German, Downey and his older sister Allyson grew up in Greenwich Village. As a child, Downey was surrounded by drugs and his father, a drug addict, allowed Downey to use marijuana at age six, an incident which his father has said he now regrets. Eventually, Downey began spending every night abusing alcohol and making a phone calls in pursuit of drugs. During his childhood Downey had minor roles in his fathers films and he made his acting debut at the age of five, playing a sick puppy in the absurdist comedy Pound, and then at seven appeared in the surrealist Greasers Palace. At the age of ten, he was living in England and he attended the Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center in upstate New York as a teenager. When his parents divorced in 1978, Downey moved to California with his father, Downey and Kiefer Sutherland, who shared the screen in the 1988 drama 1969, were roommates for three years when he first moved to Hollywood to pursue his career in acting. Downey began building upon theater roles, including in the short-lived off-Broadway musical American Passion at the Joyce Theater in 1983, rolling Stone magazine named Downey the worst SNL cast member in its entire run, stating that the Downey Fail sums up everything that makes SNL great. That same year, Downey had a dramatic acting breakthrough when he played James Spaders sidekick in Tuff Turf and he was considered for the role of Duckie in John Hughes film Pretty in Pink, but his first lead role was with Molly Ringwald in The Pick-up Artist. Because of these and other coming-of-age films Downey did during the 1980s, in 1987, Downey played Julian Wells, a drug-addicted rich boy whose life rapidly spirals out of his control, in the film version of the Bret Easton Ellis novel Less Than Zero. In 1992, he starred as Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin, a role for which he prepared extensively, learning how to play the violin and he had a personal coach in order to help him imitate Chaplins posture and way of carrying himself
38.
Robert Duvall
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Robert Selden Duvall is an American actor and filmmaker. He has been nominated for seven Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and has multiple nominations and one win each of the BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild Award and he received the National Medal of Arts in 2005. Duvall began appearing in theatre during the late 1950s, moving into television and film roles during the early 1960s, playing Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird and appearing in Captain Newman and this was followed by a series of critically lauded performances in commercially successful films. Duvall was born January 5,1931, in San Diego, California, the son of Mildred Virginia, an actress, and William Howard Duvall. He has English, and smaller amounts of Belgian, French Huguenot, German, Scottish, Swiss-German, and Welsh ancestry. His mother was a relative of American Civil War General Robert E. Lee, Duvall was raised in the Christian Science religion and has stated that, while it is his belief, he does not attend church. He grew up primarily in Annapolis, Maryland, site of the United States Naval Academy and he recalled, I was a Navy brat. My father started at the Academy when he was 16, made captain at 39 and he attended Severn School in Severna Park, Maryland, and The Principia in St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated, in 1953, from Principia College in Elsah, Duvall served in the United States Army for a brief period shortly after the Korean War leaving the Army as private first class. Thats led to confusion in the press, he explained in 1984. Hell, I barely qualified with the M-1 rifle in basic training, while stationed at Camp Gordon in Georgia, Duvall acted in an amateur production of the comedy Room Service in nearby Augusta, Georgia. In the winter of 1955, Duvall began studies at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City, under Sanford Meisner and he was there for two years. Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman, and James Caan were among his classmates and he was there in 1957 attending Meisners classes. While studying acting, he worked as a Manhattan post office clerk, Duvall remains friends today with fellow California-born actors Hoffman and Hackman, who he knew during their years as struggling actors. In 1955, Duvall roomed with Hoffman in a New York City apartment while they were studying together at the Playhouse. Around this time, he roomed with Hackman, while working odd jobs such as clerking at Macys, sorting mail at the post office. The three roommates have since earned, among themselves,19 Academy Award nominations, with five wins, Duvall began his professional acting career with the Gateway Playhouse, an Equity summer theatre based in Bellport, Long Island, New York. Arguably his stage debut was in its 1952 season when he played the Pilot in Laughter In The Stars, after a years absence when he was with the U. S
39.
Ice Cream Man (film)
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Joe Bob Briggs hosted the film on TNT, when it was shown on MonsterVision and Howard made an appearance, discussing the film with Briggs. It was released on DVD in 2004, in a black-and-white prologue, a young boy witnesses the murder of an ice cream man in a small town. Years later, the boy, named Gregory Tudor, returns to the town to become an ice cream man himself and he has spent the intervening years in a mental hospital. He kills some people while doing his duties as ice cream man, leading to suspicion from local kids, the ice cream man even goes so far as to mix parts of people hes killed into his frozen treats, making his customers unwitting cannibals. On October 9,2014 a kickstarter campaign backed by star Clint Howard was started to fund a sequel entitled Ice Cream Man 2, Sundae Bloody Sundae to coincide with the films 20th anniversary. However the campaign was closed on October 30,2014 after only 70 backers and just over $4,000 was made, Ice Cream Man at the Internet Movie Database Ice Cream Man at AllMovie Ice Cream Man at Rotten Tomatoes
40.
Mr. Woodcock
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Mr. Woodcock is a 2007 sports comedy film directed by Craig Gillespie, and starring Seann William Scott, Billy Bob Thornton, Susan Sarandon, Amy Poehler, and Ethan Suplee. The film was released on September 14,2007, John Farley is a successful self-help author who returns to his hometown in Nebraska to receive an award. Farley arrives at home and learns that his widowed mother Beverly is dating his former Physical Education teacher Jasper Woodcock, Farley disapproves of the relationship because he remembers Woodcock as an abusive bully. Woodcock and Beverly become engaged and the majority of the film centers on Farleys attempts to convince his mother to break off the relationship, Farley becomes increasingly obsessed with beating Woodcock at various competitions and with proving that Woodcock is not a suitable mate for Beverly. Farleys antics are so childish and extreme that his new love interest Tracy, Farley is set to receive his award at the same ceremony where Woodcock will be presented with an award for Educator of the Year. Woodcock receives his award first and is praised by members of the community for being a great teacher. Farley is unconvinced and devotes his entire speech to explaining why Woodcock is the biggest asshole on the planet. Woodcock and various crowd members refute Farleys points, and Woodcock then challenges Farley to a fight, Beverly witnesses the confrontation and dumps Woodcock. The next day, Farley has a conversation with his mother. Farley realizes she is correct and attempts to apologize to Woodcock, the two have a final exorcising fight, which leads to Woodcock suffering a concussion. Farley and Beverly visit Woodcock in the hospital and all three seemingly make peace, Farley declares that the key to life is not getting past your past but instead learning to embrace your past. He opines that Woodcocks vicious treatment in gym class helped him become the man he is today, the film ends with several short scenes cut into the final credits. These scenes reveal that Woodcock and Beverly got married, Farley was reunited with Tracy, Woodcocks father Tyra Banks as Herself Kyley Baldridge as Young John Farley Alec George as Young Nedderman Melissa Leo as Sally Jansen Jennifer Aspen as Cindy Allisyn Ashley Arm as Scout Girl M. C. Gainey as Hal the Barber Mr. Woodcock lacks the comic energy, on Metacritic, the film has an average score of 41%, based on 25 reviews. Although the film was panned by most critics, Roger Ebert gave the film 3 out of 4 stars in his review, in a 2009 interview on The Opie & Anthony Show, Scott said that he and Thornton spent time on set discussing how terrible the movie was. Scott said theres nothing worse than going to a movie set knowing that could end my career, the Blu-ray Disc and DVD were released on January 15,2008. Official site Mr. Woodcock at the Internet Movie Database Mr. Woodcock at AllMovie Mr. Woodcock at Rotten Tomatoes Mr. Woodcock at Metacritic Mr. Woodcock at Box Office Mojo
41.
Fred Claus
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Fred Claus is a 2007 American fantasy comedy family film directed by David Dobkin, written by Dan Fogelman and Jessie Nelson, and starring Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti. The film was released on November 9,2007 in the US and it is loosely based on the poem A legend of Santa and his brother Fred written by Donald Henkel. A baby is born, and within a few minutes of his birth, he starts saying, Ho, Mother Claus calls her son, Frederick, over to meet his new brother, whom she has decided to name Nicholas. Mother Claus lovingly refers to the new baby as her little Saint Nick, during Christmas, when Nick opens his gifts including Freds, he decides to give them away to orphans which makes Fred angry. Mother Claus advises Fred to be a person by stating he should be more like his brother. Feeling isolated, Fred often climbs a tree to confide his problems in a bird, on one occasion, Nick cuts down the tree, saying that now Fred can bring it inside since he liked it so much. However, the birdhouse Freds confidant lived in is smashed, causing the bird to leave, this causes a temporary rift between Fred and Nick. In the present-day, it is revealed that when Nick becomes a saint due to all his deeds, he, Fred. Nick has become the modern-day Santa Claus, giving gifts to people, Fred meets his girlfriend, Wanda, who gets mad at him for forgetting that her birthday was the next day. Wanda refers to a previous birthday where Fred promised to take her to France, when Fred gets back to his own apartment, he packs up when a young orphan boy named Samuel Slam Gibbons comes in. Slam talks about wanting a puppy named Macaroni for Christmas, after Fred gets arrested, he calls his brother for $5,000 bail money. He also asks for an additional $50,000 for a get rich quick scheme, Nick agrees to give him the bail money, but tells him that if he wants the $50,000, he has to come to the North Pole and work for it. Soon after, an elf named Willie shows up to take Fred to the North Pole and he is the head elf and has a crush on Santas Little Helper, Charlene. Once Fred and Willie arrive at the North Pole, Nick welcomes Fred, there is a snow globe in the main area of the workshop, where you can say any persons name and see if they are being naughty or nice. While Fred starts working, Nick introduces Clyde Northcut, an expert who has come to evaluate the North Pole. Clyde takes Nick to the workshop and on the way tells Nick that he has three strikes, if Nick gets three strikes, the workshop will be shut down for good. Meanwhile the workshop is in a state of chaos because of Fred and that night at dinnertime, Nick convinces Fred to come to dinner with Mother and Father Claus and Clyde. Fred teaches Willie to dance, and Willie then falls down in front of Charlene, a pep talk by Fred later lifts his spirits
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Jack the Giant Slayer
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Jack the Giant Slayer is a 2013 American heroic fantasy adventure film based on the British fairy tales Jack the Giant Killer and Jack and the Beanstalk. The film tells the story of Jack, a farmhand who must rescue a princess from a race of giants after inadvertently opening a gateway to their land in the sky. Development of Jack the Giant Slayer began in 2005, when Lemke first pitched the idea. D. J. Caruso was hired to direct the film in January 2009, but in September of that year, Caruso was replaced by Singer, who hired McQuarrie and Studney to rework the script. The main characters were cast between February and March 2011, and principal photography began in April 2011 in England with locations in Somerset, Gloucestershire, release of the film was moved back in post-production to allow more time for special effects and marketing. Jack the Giant Slayer premiered on February 26,2013 in Hollywood and was released theatrically in the United States on March 1,2013 in 2D and 3D. The film received mixed reviews critics and is considered a box office failure. Jack the Giant Slayer was released on home media on June 18,2013, at the same time, Princess Isabelle becomes fascinated with the same legend. Ten years later, Jack goes into town to sell his horse to support his uncles farm, there, Jack spots Isabelle and becomes enamored with her after defending her honor from a group of hooligans. Meanwhile, Lord Roderick returns to his study, only to find that a monk has robbed him, the monk offers Jack some magic beans he stole from Roderick as collateral for Jacks horse. Back at the castle, Isabelle quarrels with her father King Brahmwell as she wants to explore the kingdom, likewise, Jacks uncle scolds him for being foolish before throwing the beans on the floor and leaving the house. Determined to be free, Isabelle sneaks out of the castle, as it rains, one of the beans takes root and grows into a massive beanstalk that carries the house and Isabelle into the sky as Jack falls to the ground. Jack, Roderick, and Rodericks attendant Wicke volunteer to join the knights, led by Elmont and his second in-command, Crawe. As they climb, Roderick and Wicke cut the safety rope, Jacks group is trapped by a giant, who takes everyone prisoner except Jack. Meanwhile, Rodericks group encounters two other giants, one eats Wicke, but before they can do the same to Roderick, Roderick dons the magic crown, Jack follows the giant to their stronghold, where the two-headed giant leader, Fallon, has killed Crawe. There, Jack finds the imprisoned Isabelle and Elmont, as the giants prepare to kill their remaining prisoners, Roderick walks in and enslaves the giants with the crown. He tells the giants they will attack Cloister at dawn and gives permission to eat Isabelle. Jack rescues Isabelle and Elmont as one of the giants prepares to cook Elmont as a pig-in-a-blanket, the trio makes for the beanstalk, where Jack causes the giant guarding the beanstalk to fall off the realms edge
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Vacation (2015 film)
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Vacation is a 2015 American comedy film written and directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. It stars Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Skyler Gisondo, Steele Stebbins, Leslie Mann, Chris Hemsworth, Beverly DAngelo and it is the fifth installment of the Vacation film series serving as both a modernized reboot and a sequel to the original four films. It is also the not to carry the National Lampoon name after Vegas Vacation. The film has received reviews from critics but it was a box office success. The gloating from his friends Jack and Nancy Peterson about a trip they had in Paris doesnt help his situation. He desires to relive the fun of his vacations from his childhood. For the trip, Rusty hires a Tartan Prancer, an ugly, along the way, the Griswolds take many detours. In Arkansas, they are led to a hidden hot spring by a helpful local. They return to the Prancer only to see its been broken into, their luggage and cash stolen, next they stop in Texas to get help from Rustys sister, Audrey, and her husband, Stone Crandall. Rusty begins to suspect problems in his relationship with Debbie due to Stones obviously outward sexual behavior and actions, one night, Stone walks in on the couple and makes a show of his attractive body and oversized member. James finally asserts himself against Kevin with encouragement from Adena, who they encounter again and they intend to fly home to Chicago the next day, but Rusty and Debbie confront each other about their stale marriage and decide to start over again. After spending the day waiting in line, they are cut off by Ethan, a more successful airline pilot rival of Rustys. A fight breaks out, which the Griswolds win, forcing the family to flee. The Griswolds finally board the ride, but it stalls halfway up a loop, as the film end, we see them on the plane to Paris sitting in a pair of uncomfortable seats right next to a lavatory. Exasperated, Debbie asks and learns that it will be a 12-hour flight, in February 2010, it was announced by New Line Cinema that a new Vacation film was being produced. Produced by David Dobkin and written by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, in July 2012, it was announced that Ed Helms would star in the sequel as Rusty Griswold, who now has his own family misadventures on the road. On March 28,2013, Variety announced that original series stars Beverly DAngelo and Chevy Chase were in talks to reprise their roles, no mention was made of other series regulars, such as Randy Quaids Cousin Eddie. On April 23,2013, it was reported that the film had been delayed indefinitely, later, Chris Hemsworth and Charlie Day were also reported to co-star
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The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (film)
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The film stars Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, Jared Harris and Hugh Grant. The film was produced by RatPac-Dune Entertainment and Davis Entertainment, in 1993, John Davis obtained the rights for a film adaptation based on the original series. However, the fell into development hell due to multiple script rewrites. Over the years, Matthew Vaughn, David Dobkin and Steven Soderbergh were optioned for directing until Ritchie signed on in March 2013, the film premiered at Barcelona on August 2,2015 and was released on August 14 by Warner Bros. Pictures, receiving mixed reviews and was a box office disappointment, Vikander, with a number of films that year, won awards from three different critics associations for Actor of the Year and Breakthrough Film Artist. The Man from U. N. C. L. E. was released on DVD, the trio travels to Rome, where Gaby and Kuryakin reluctantly pose as an engaged couple, and Solo pretends to be an antiquities dealer. Solo deduces they are being monitored and instructs Kuryakin not to himself from muggers so as to preserve this cover. Despite their hostilities towards each other, Kuryakin heeds his advice, later, at an auto racing event promoted by the Vinciguerras, Solo and Gaby flirt with Victoria and Alexander, respectively, in order to lure out information about Teller. Meanwhile Kuryakin acquires evidence the Vinciguerras were recently exposed to radiation, Solo and Kuryakin begrudgingly join forces to break into a Vinciguerra shipping yard, in which they find traces of uranium. After accidentally setting off the alarm, they escape into the only to find their way blocked. During the ensuing scuffle with the guards, Kuryakin nearly drowns in the waters but Solo escapes, although a suspicious Victoria pursues them with her henchmen, Solo and Kuryakin manage to slip past into their own rooms undetected, and Victoria and Solo spend the night together. Solo is saved by Kuryakin, who straps Rudi into the electric chair, Teller quickly adds the finishing touches to the bomb, but is then shot in the head by Victoria as soon as he does. He and his Special Boat Service commandos help Solo and Kuryakin infiltrate the Vinciguerras’ compound, Alexander Vinciguerra attempts to escape with Gaby and the warhead, but is intercepted and Alexander is killed by the duo. The two instead choose to share a drink on the terrace and burn the contents of the disk and they then reunite with Gaby and Waverly, who reveals that the trio has been reassigned to a new international organization under his command. He then announces a new mission to Istanbul under their new codename, producer John Davis optioned the film rights to the 1960s TV series in 1993, setting up a development deal for an adaptation with Warner Bros. and series producer Norman Felton. Davis has estimated that he commissioned 12 or 14 different scripts over the course of 20 years, with writers Jim and John Thomas, John Requa, Glenn Ficarra, quentin Tarantino was briefly attached following the success of Pulp Fiction, but opted to make Jackie Brown instead. Continued to labor in development hell with directors Matthew Vaughn and David Dobkin, Steven Soderbergh was attached to direct Scott Z. Burns screenplay, with production slated to begin in March 2012. Emily Blunt was nearly cast as the lead, but she left the project shortly after Soderbergh departed in November 2011
