1.
San Diego Comic-Con
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San Diego Comic-Con International is a multi-genre entertainment and comic convention held annually in San Diego, California. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International, San Diego and it is a four-day event held during the summer at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego. On the Wednesday evening prior to the opening of the event, there is a preview for professionals, exhibitors. Comic-Con International also produces two other conventions, WonderCon, held in Los Angeles, and the Alternative Press Expo and it is also the home of the Will Eisner Awards. In 2010, it filled the San Diego Convention Center to capacity with more than 130,000 attendees, the convention was founded in 1970 by Shel Dorf, Richard Alf, Ken Krueger, Mike Towry, Barry Alfonso, Bob Sourk, and Greg Bear. Detroit, Michigan-born, comics fan Shel Dorf, had, in the mid-1960s, mounted the Detroit Triple-Fan Fairs, one of the first commercial comics-fan conventions. When he moved to San Diego, California, in 1970, he organized a convention on March 21,1970. Dorf went on to be associated with the convention as president or manager, variously, Alf co-chaired the first convention with Krueger and became chairman in 1971. Following the initial gathering, Dorfs first three-day San Diego comics convention, other locations in the conventions early years included the El Cortez Hotel, the University of California, San Diego, and Golden Hall, before being moved to the San Diego Convention Center in 1991. I was quietly walking the floor stunned and in awe of just how much bigger it really was, the convention is organized by a panel of 13 board members,16 to 20 full-time and part-time workers, and 80 volunteers who assist via committees. Comic Con International is an organization, and proceeds of the event go to funding it, as well as the Alternative Press Expo. The convention logo was designed by Richard Bruning and Josh Beatman in 1995, in September 2010, the convention announced that it would stay in San Diego through 2015. In 2015, working with Lionsgate, a channel was created to host Comic-Con related content. According to the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau, the convention has a regional economic impact of $162.8 million. Along with panels, seminars, and workshops with comic book professionals, there are previews of upcoming feature films, like most comic-book conventions, Comic-Con features a large floorspace for exhibitors. These include media companies such as studios and TV networks, as well as comic-book dealers. And like most comics conventions, Comic-Con includes an area, as well as the Artists Alley where comics artists can sign autographs. Despite the name, artists alleys can include writers and even models, academics and comic industry professionals annually hold the Comics Arts Conference at Comic-Con, presenting scholarly studies on comics as a medium
2.
Boston
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Boston is the capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. Boston is also the seat of Suffolk County, although the county government was disbanded on July 1,1999. The city proper covers 48 square miles with a population of 667,137 in 2015, making it the largest city in New England. Alternately, as a Combined Statistical Area, this wider commuting region is home to some 8.1 million people, One of the oldest cities in the United States, Boston was founded on the Shawmut Peninsula in 1630 by Puritan settlers from England. It was the scene of several key events of the American Revolution, such as the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the Siege of Boston. Upon U. S. independence from Great Britain, it continued to be an important port and manufacturing hub as well as a center for education, through land reclamation and municipal annexation, Boston has expanded beyond the original peninsula. Its rich history attracts many tourists, with Faneuil Hall alone drawing over 20 million visitors per year, Bostons many firsts include the United States first public school, Boston Latin School, first subway system, the Tremont Street Subway, and first public park, Boston Common. Bostons economic base also includes finance, professional and business services, biotechnology, information technology, the city has one of the highest costs of living in the United States as it has undergone gentrification, though it remains high on world livability rankings. Bostons early European settlers had first called the area Trimountaine but later renamed it Boston after Boston, Lincolnshire, England, the renaming on September 7,1630 was by Puritan colonists from England who had moved over from Charlestown earlier that year in quest of fresh water. Their settlement was limited to the Shawmut Peninsula, at that time surrounded by the Massachusetts Bay and Charles River. The peninsula is thought to have been inhabited as early as 5000 BC, in 1629, the Massachusetts Bay Colonys first governor John Winthrop led the signing of the Cambridge Agreement, a key founding document of the city. Puritan ethics and their focus on education influenced its early history, over the next 130 years, the city participated in four French and Indian Wars, until the British defeated the French and their Indian allies in North America. Boston was the largest town in British America until Philadelphia grew larger in the mid-18th century, Bostons harbor activity was significantly curtailed by the Embargo Act of 1807 and the War of 1812. Foreign trade returned after these hostilities, but Bostons merchants had found alternatives for their investments in the interim. Manufacturing became an important component of the economy, and the citys industrial manufacturing overtook international trade in economic importance by the mid-19th century. Boston remained one of the nations largest manufacturing centers until the early 20th century, a network of small rivers bordering the city and connecting it to the surrounding region facilitated shipment of goods and led to a proliferation of mills and factories. Later, a network of railroads furthered the regions industry. Boston was a port of the Atlantic triangular slave trade in the New England colonies
3.
Stargate (film)
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Stargate is a 1994 American French science fiction adventure film released through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco Pictures. Created by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, the film is the first release in the Stargate franchise, directed by Roland Emmerich, the film stars Kurt Russell, James Spader, Jaye Davidson, Alexis Cruz, Mili Avital, and Viveca Lindfors. The plot centers on the premise of a Stargate, an ancient ring-shaped device that creates a wormhole enabling travel to a similar device elsewhere in the universe, the films central plot explores the theory of extraterrestrial beings having an influence upon human civilization. The film had a mixed critical reception, earning both praise and criticism for its atmosphere, story, characters, and graphic content. Nevertheless, Stargate became a success worldwide. Devlin and Emmerich gave the rights to the franchise to MGM when they were working on their 1996 film Independence Day, and MGM retains the domestic television rights. Egyptologist and linguist Daniel Jackson, Ph. D. is invited by Catherine Langford to translate Egyptian hieroglyphs on cover stones that her father had unearthed in Giza, Egypt in 1928. Jackson is taken to a U. S. Air Force installation, Jackson determines that the hieroglyphs refer to a stargate which uses constellations as spatial coordinates. On this revelation, Jackson is shown that the base has this Stargate and they use Jacksons coordinates to align the Stargates metal ring with markings along its outside, and once all seven are locked in, a wormhole opens, connecting the Stargate with a distant planet. Jackson joins ONeil and other soldiers as they pass through the wormhole, on the arid desert planet, they find themselves in a pyramid-like structure. Jackson locates the Stargate and its controls, but lacks the coordinates to return home, ONeil orders some men to stay behind to guard the Stargate. Nearby, they discover a tribe of humans working to mine a mineral from the planet. Jackson is able to communicate with them as they speak a variation of Ancient Egyptian, the tribes chieftain Kasuf presents Jackson with his daughter Shauri as a gift, and though Jackson initially refuses her, he becomes romantically attached to her. ONeil befriends the teenaged boy Skaara and his friends, in part because Skaara reminds him of his long-deceased son, Ra enslaved these humans and brought some to this planet through the Stargate to mine the mineral that is used in the alien technology. The humans on Earth revolted, overthrew Ras overseers, and buried the Stargate to prevent its use, Ra forbade the humans in the tribe from becoming literate, fearing another revolt. During this investigation, Jackson comes across a cartouche containing six of the seven symbols for the Stargate and that night, Ras ship lands atop the pyramid structure, and ONeils men there are captured or killed by Ras soldiers. When Jackson, ONeil, and the men return, they end up in a firefight against Ras soldiers. Jackson is killed and the others captured, Ra places Jacksons body in a sarcophagus-like device that regenerates him
4.
Crash (1996 film)
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Crash is a 1996 British-Canadian psychological thriller film written and directed by David Cronenberg based on J. G. Ballards 1973 novel of the same name. It tells the story of a group of people who take pleasure from car crashes. The film stars James Spader, Deborah Kara Unger, Elias Koteas, Holly Hunter, the film generated considerable controversy upon its release and opened to mixed and highly divergent reactions from critics. While some praised the film for its premise and originality, others criticized its combination of graphic sexuality. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Prize, Film producer James Ballard and his wife, Catherine, are in an open marriage. The couple engage in various infidelities but, between them, have unenthusiastic sex and their arousal is heightened by discussing the intimate details of their extramarital sex. While driving home from work one night, Ballards car collides head-on with another. While trapped in the wreckage, the driver, Dr. Helen Remington, wife of the dead passenger. While recovering, Ballard meets Remington again, as well as a man named Vaughan, while leaving the hospital, Remington and Ballard begin an affair, one primarily fueled by their shared experience of the car crash. When Transport Ministry officials break up the event, Ballard flees with Remington, Ballard becomes one of Vaughans followers who fetishize car crashes, obsessively watching car safety test videos and photographing traffic collisions. Ballard drives Vaughans Lincoln convertible around the city while Vaughan picks up and uses street prostitutes and, later, the films sexual couplings in cars are not restricted to heterosexual experiences. While watching videos of car crashes, Remington becomes extremely aroused, later, Vaughan and Ballard eventually turn towards each other and have sex while, also later, Gabrielle and Remington have sex with each other. The films climax begins with Vaughans death and ends with Ballard being involved in another car crash. Their fetish for car crashes has, ironically enough, had a bonding effect on the Ballards marriage. James Spader as James Ballard Deborah Kara Unger as Catherine Ballard Elias Koteas as Vaughan Holly Hunter as Dr, the film was extremely controversial, as was the book, because of its vivid depictions of graphic sexual acts instigated by violence. In the United States, the film was released in both NC-17 and R versions, the ratings controversy has now subsided and the film is readily available on DVD. In Australia, a cut version rated R18+ was given a limited release due to controversy, it was later released uncut on VHS in early 1997. The American NC-17 version was branded with the tagline The most controversial film in years, the movie was denounced by the Municipality of Naples and the environmental association Legambiente, but it was eventually distributed
5.
Secretary (2002 film)
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Secretary is a 2002 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Steven Shainberg and starring Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee Holloway and James Spader as E. Edward Grey. The film is based on a story from Bad Behavior by Mary Gaitskill. Edward explains that its work and they dont use computers, however. Though at first Edward appears to be irritated by Lees typos and other innocuous mistakes. After he confronts her about her propensity for self-injury and commands that she never hurt herself again, Lee experiences a sexual and personal awakening, and she falls deeply in love. Edward, however, displays insecurity concerning his feelings for Lee, during this period of exploration with Edward, Lee has also been attempting to have a more conventional boyfriend in Peter, even engaging in lukewarm sex with him. After a sexual encounter in Edward Greys office, Grey fires Lee, after Lee is fired from her job, Peter proposes to Lee, who reluctantly agrees to marry him. However, while trying on her gown, she leaves. Edward, still uncertain about their relationship, tests Lee by commanding her to sit in his chair without moving her hands or feet until he returns. Hours pass, as family members and acquaintances individually visit Lee to alternately attempt to dissuade or encourage her while Edward watches from afar. Because of Lees refusal to leave the office, she has gained coverage from the media. After three days, Edward returns to the office and takes Lee to a room upstairs where he bathes, the pair marry and happily continue their dominant-submissive relationship. Lines of dialogue were changed, Lees statement, Im so stupid became a cry of Im your Secretary. Additionally, the ending of the story was changed to give a positive outcome to the relationship. The desire to have the office feel homemade and express Edwards interest in the growing of plants led Danger to juxtapose a natural decor in the office with a predominantly artificial outside world. Speaking of her choices, Danger compares the office with the rest of the locations, All the materials I used were natural, natural wood, bamboo. If I wasnt using natural materials, it was natural colors, I covered Lees house in plastic sheeting, and used artificial, manufactured colors. Although the interior sets were constructed, the filmmakers did face some location-related challenges
6.
The Practice
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The Practice is an American legal drama created by David E. Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The Practice focused on the law firm of Robert Donnell and Associates, plots typically featured the firms involvement in various high-profile criminal and civil cases that often mirror current events. Conflict between legal ethics and personal morality was a recurring theme, Kelley claimed that he conceived the show as something of a rebuttal to L. A. Law and its romanticized treatment of the American legal system and legal proceedings. At the start of the series, attorney Bobby Donnell employs associate attorneys Ellenor Frutt, Eugene Young, Lindsay Dole, by the fourth episode, Bobbys friend Jimmy Berluti is hired as an associate. Before that, Jimmy is a working as a loan officer. When he falsifies loan documents to help Bobbys struggling practice, he loses his job, Bobby maintains sole control over the firm until an ultimatum by Lindsay motivates him to name Ellenor, Eugene, Lindsay, and Rebecca as junior partners. To maintain control over the firm, Bobby writes into the charter that each received one vote in partnership meetings. While this decision prevents Lindsays power play from becoming ugly, it causes some tension when Bobby and Lindsay later become romantically involved. The partnership agreement also initially alienates Jimmy who feels insulted that he was the one on staff not named a partner. This is exacerbated by the fact that Rebecca is made partner despite her being the receptionist, Rebecca earns her law degree in Season 3, and Jimmy is eventually made partner at the end of Season 7. Bobby and his associates all share a friendship with A. D. A, Helen Gamble, who even shares a brief romance with Bobby – all highly unusual, considering how often Helens job places her in opposition to the firm. While the strategy is effective, it would occasionally backfire once the D. A. s office grew familiar with the strategy. This tactic invariably causes great distress for the attorney employing the plan when they know that the target is most likely innocent. Thus, in cases, Plan B is used only as a last resort. In 2003, Bobby Donnell leaves the firm, fearing he had become the blue-chip lawyer he had long resented and he names Eugene as senior partner. Along with Ellenor, Eugene decides to make Jimmy a full partner and extends an offer to Lindsay, and her associate Claire Wyatt to return to the firm. This occurred at the end of seven, at the end of which most of the cast was fired for budgetary reasons as ABC agreed to renew the show only if the budget per episode was drastically cut. Season eight began with half the original cast missing
7.
Boston Legal
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Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley and produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for ABC. The series aired from October 3,2004, to December 8,2008, prior to the shows premiere, it had a working title of Fleet Street, an allusion to the real street in Boston where the fictitious Crane, Poole & Schmidt had its offices. The working title was modified to The Practice, Fleet Street. The real building shown as the law office is located at 500 Boylston Street,1.4 miles away from Fleet Street, the American producers of the series also hired British writer Sir John Mortimer, QC, as a consultant for Boston Legal. The shows pilot was produced with former The Practice stars James Spader and Rhona Mitra, guest stars William Shatner and Lake Bell. It featured a storyline with Larry Miller as Edwin Poole. Monica Potter was later cast as junior partner Lori Colson and René Auberjonois as senior partner Paul Lewiston, the pilot premiered on ABC on October 3,2004. On November 30,2004, it was announced that Candice Bergen would join the cast as senior partner Shirley Schmidt, Lake Bell left the series mid-season, and René Auberjonois was promoted to main cast member. Anthony Heald and Betty White also made regular guest appearances, having appeared as the same characters on The Practice. The success of Greys Anatomy placed Boston Legal on hold until autumn 2005, both Rhona Mitra and Monica Potter left the series during the hiatus, while Julie Bowen was cast as Denise Bauer. Ryan Michelle Bathe and Justin Mentell were later cast as junior associates Sara Holt, the second episode of Season 3 introduced Craig Bierko as Jeffrey Coho and Constance Zimmer as Claire Simms. In Episode 11, guest star Gary Anthony Williams joined the cast, on June 4,2007, TV Guide announced that René Auberjonois, Julie Bowen, Mark Valley, and Constance Zimmer would not return for Season 4. Christian Clemenson, who had guest-starred occasionally as Jerry Espenson – was promoted to main cast, production also stated that René Auberjonois, Mark Valley, Julie Bowen, and Constance Zimmer may return in guest roles. Burrows later became a full-time cast member, on May 13,2008, ABC announced that Boston Legal would return for a fifth season in the fall. Saffron Burrows did not return as a regular, having joined the cast of My Own Worst Enemy. The final season consisted of 13 episodes to reach the 100 episode mark, there was speculation that Boston Legal might receive an additional episode-order if the show had another strong showing in the Emmy Awards and produced solid ratings in its new fall time slot. The season began airing on September 22,2008, on June 18 and June 20,2008, it was reported that Gary Anthony Williams and Taraji P. Henson would not return for Season 5 as Clarence Bell and Whitney Rome, respectively. On July 17,2008, Boston Legal was nominated for a series-high seven Emmy nominations, Spader, Bergen, and Shatner were each nominated for their respective roles
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