1.
John H. Noble
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Noble had been born in Detroit, Michigan. His father, born in Germany, came to the US as a Seventh-day Adventist missionary in 1922, finding contradictions in church teachings, he eventually left the church. His mother, a photographer, worked in a company in Detroit. The Nobles eventually built the company to one of the top ten photo-finishing companies in the US. His father was an acquaintance of a German camera manufacturer who wanted to emigrate to the USA, the Nobles stayed in Germany during World War II and survived the controversial firebombing of Dresden in February 1945. A trumped-up allegation of spying against the Soviets was levelled against the two members of the family. However, subsequently, the commissar did not provide sufficient numbers of the cameras to his superiors, the concentration camp was the former Buchenwald, now renamed Soviet Special Prison Number 2. During his transfer through Russia he saw the English phrase scrawled on a wall reading I am sick. The inscription was dated in mid-August 1950 and believed to have been written by the American soldier Major Frank A. Roberts who is recorded as missing in action during World War II. Soon afterwards, Nobles journey continued and he was sent to the Vorkuta Gulag, filling a variety of menial jobs during his imprisonment, the highest being a uniformed lavatory attendant for the staff, he took part in the Vorkuta uprising of July 1953 as a prominent leader. Apparently making it half way en route, those inmates were intercepted, all the camps soon returned to state control. Noble eventually managed to out a postcard loosely glued to the back of another prisoners. The message addressed to a relative in West Germany was passed to his family, the postcard was passed to the U. S. State Department who formally requested the Soviet government to release Noble. He was finally released in 1955, together with several American military captives, by the mid-1990s, Noble was again residing in Dresden, Germany, where he had originally been taken prisoner 50 years earlier. The factory, but not the trademark Praktica, which had been created independently, had restored to family ownership. He died on November 10,2007 after a heart attack, Noble wrote the following three books about his ordeal, I Found God in Soviet Russia, by John Noble and Glenn D Everett. I Was a Slave in Russia, by John Noble, verbannt und Verleugnet, by John H. Noble. Buchenwald#Soviet Special Camp 2 Vorkuta uprising The Ghost of the Executed Engineer An American Engineer in Stalins Russia, The Memoirs of Zara Witkin, Witkin, Zara Alexander Dolgun survivor of the Soviet Gulag who returned to his native United States
2.
WonderCon
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The convention will return to the Anaheim Convention Center in 2017. The convention was conceived by retailer John Barrett and originally held in the Oakland Convention Center, in 2003, it moved to San Franciscos Moscone Center. The shows original name was the Wonderful World of Comics Convention, the WonderCon logo was designed by Richard Bruning and Tim Zach. Retailer Joe Field and his partner Mike Friedrich owned and operated the convention for fifteen years, in 2001, they brokered a deal with the management team that runs the San Diego Comic-Con International to make it part of the Comic-Con International convention family. This gave the San Francisco show an audience and has made it a venue for previews and early screenings of major motion pictures. These have included Spider-Man 2 in 2004, Batman Begins and Fantastic Four in 2005, Superman Returns in 2006,300 in 2007, Watchmen in 2009, all of these events featured the stars of the films fielding questions from the audience. WonderCon had 34,000 attendees in 2009,39,000 in 2010, the show left the Bay Area after the 2011 con, because San Franciscos Moscone Center was being remodeled. The convention moved to Anaheim in 2012, and was rebranded WonderCon Anaheim, in 2016, a new convention started in the Bay Area, called the Silicon Valley Comic Con. WonderCon relocated from Anaheim to Los Angeles in 2016, and is now called WonderCon Los Angeles and was held March 25-27,2016 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the 2017 edition of the convention returned to Anaheim and was held March 31-April 2,2017. While the main attraction of WonderCon has always been various retailers selling back issues of comic books and action figures, there is also an Artists Alley featuring mainly comic book artists selling artwork, signing books, and doing sketches, and mainstream celebrities signing autographed pictures. WonderCon hosted the Harvey Award ceremonies from 1997–1999, since 2007, academicians and comic industry professionals have held the Comics Arts Conference in conjunction with WonderCon. In addition, WonderCon features an event called Trailer Park, where trailers for upcoming films are shown, the WonderCon masquerade competition usually takes place on Saturday after the convention closes. Awards are given to those with the most creative performances, though anyone can participate, official website WonderCon feature on Sidewalks Entertainment WonderCon founders website
3.
Port Pirie
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Port Pirie is the sixth most populous city in South Australia after Adelaide, Mount Gambier, Whyalla, Murray Bridge and Port Lincoln. It is a seaport on the east coast of the Spencer Gulf,223 km north of Adelaide, at June 2015 Port Pirie had an estimated urban population of 14,247. The settlement was founded in 1845 and is the site of the worlds largest lead smelter and it also produces refined silver, zinc, copper and gold. Prior to European settlement, the location that became Port Pirie was occupied by the tribe of Nukunu. The location was called Tarparrie, which is suspected to mean Muddy Creek, the first European to see the location was Matthew Flinders in 1802 as he explored the Spencer Gulf by boat. The first land discovery by settlers of the location was by the explorer Edward Eyre who explored regions around Port Augusta, John Horrocks also discovered a pass through the Flinders Ranges to the coast, now named Horrocks Pass. The town was originally called Samuels Creek after the discovery of Muddy Creek by Samuel Germein, in 1846, Port Pirie Creek was named by Governor Robe after the John Pirie, the first vessel to navigate the creek when transporting sheep from Bowmans Run near Crystal Brook. In 1848, Matthew Smith and Emanuel Solomon bought 85 acres, little development occurred on site and by the late 1860s there were only three woolsheds on the riverfront. The government town was surveyed in December 1871 by Charles Hope Harris, the thoroughfares and streets were named after the family of George Goyder, Surveyor General of South Australia, with the streets running parallel and at right angles to the river. In 1873 the land of Solomon and Smith was re-surveyed and named Solomontown, on 28 September 1876, Port Pirie was declared a municipality, with a population of 947. In 1889 a lead smelter was built by the British Blocks company to treat Broken Hill ore, Broken Hill Proprietary initially leased the smelter from British Blocks and then began constructing their own smelter from 1892. In 1915 the smelter was taken over by a joint venture of Broken Hill-based companies. Led by the Collins House Group, BHAS became the biggest lead smelter in the world by 1934, the smelter gradually passed to Pasminco, then Zinifex, and is now operated by Nyrstar. By 1921 the towns population had grown to 9801 living in 2308 occupied dwellings, by this date there were also 62 boarding houses to cater for the labour demands at the smelter and on the increasingly busy waterfront. Port Pirie was declared South Australias first provincial city in 1953 and it is characterised by a gracious main street and some interesting and unusual historic buildings. Approximately 51. 8% of the population were female,86. 9% are Australian born, the most popular industries for employment were Basic Non-Ferrous Metal Manufacturing, School Education, Hospitality, Health and Animal Husbandry, while the unemployment rate is approx. The median weekly income is A$608 or more per week. 27. 1% of the population identify themselves as Catholic, while 23. 7% identify with no religion at all, Port Pirie is at an elevation of 4 metres above sea level
4.
South Australia
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South Australia is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country, with a total land area of 983,482 square kilometres, it is the fourth-largest of Australias states and territories. Other population centres in the state are relatively small, the state comprises less than 8 percent of the Australian population and ranks fifth in population among the six states and two territories. The majority of its people reside in Adelaide, most of the remainder are settled in fertile areas along the south-eastern coast and River Murray. The states colonial origins are unique in Australia as a settled, planned British province. Official settlement began on 28 December 1836, when the colony was proclaimed at the Old Gum Tree by Governor John Hindmarsh, as with the rest of the continent, the region had been long occupied by Aboriginal peoples, who were organised into numerous tribes and languages. The first British settlement to be established was Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, on 26 July 1836, the guiding principle behind settlement was that of systematic colonisation, a theory espoused by Edward Gibbon Wakefield that was later employed by the New Zealand Company. The goal was to establish the province as a centre of civilisation for free immigrants, promising civil liberties, although its history is marked by economic hardship, South Australia has remained politically innovative and culturally vibrant. Today, it is known for its wine and numerous cultural festivals. The states economy is dominated by the agricultural, manufacturing and mining industries, the state has an increasingly significant finance sector as well. Evidence of human activity in South Australia dates back as far as 20,000 years, with flint mining activity, in addition wooden spears and tools were made in an area now covered in peat bog in the South East. Kangaroo Island was inhabited long before the island was cut off by rising sea levels, thijssen named his discovery Pieter Nuyts Land, after the highest ranking individual on board. The complete coastline of South Australia was first mapped by Matthew Flinders, the land which now forms the state of South Australia was claimed for Britain in 1788 as part of the colony of New South Wales. Although the new colony included almost two-thirds of the continent, early settlements were all on the eastern coast and it took more than forty years before any serious proposal to establish settlements in the south-western portion of New South Wales were put forward. In 1834, the British Parliament passed the South Australia Act 1834, the act stated that 802,511 square kilometres would be allotted to the colony and it would be convict-free. In contrast to the rest of Australia, terra nullius did not apply to the new province, although the patent guaranteed land rights under force of law for the indigenous inhabitants it was ignored by the South Australian Company authorities and squatters. Settlement of seven vessels and 636 people was made at Kingscote on Kangaroo Island. The first immigrants arrived at Holdfast Bay in November 1836, the Colonisation Commissioners intended to establish a police service as soon as misconduct within the increasing population warranted it
5.
Australia
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Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It is the worlds sixth-largest country by total area, the neighbouring countries are Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and East Timor to the north, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to the north-east, and New Zealand to the south-east. Australias capital is Canberra, and its largest urban area is Sydney, for about 50,000 years before the first British settlement in the late 18th century, Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians, who spoke languages classifiable into roughly 250 groups. The population grew steadily in subsequent decades, and by the 1850s most of the continent had been explored, on 1 January 1901, the six colonies federated, forming the Commonwealth of Australia. Australia has since maintained a liberal democratic political system that functions as a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy comprising six states. The population of 24 million is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard, Australia has the worlds 13th-largest economy and ninth-highest per capita income. With the second-highest human development index globally, the country highly in quality of life, health, education, economic freedom. The name Australia is derived from the Latin Terra Australis a name used for putative lands in the southern hemisphere since ancient times, the Dutch adjectival form Australische was used in a Dutch book in Batavia in 1638, to refer to the newly discovered lands to the south. On 12 December 1817, Macquarie recommended to the Colonial Office that it be formally adopted, in 1824, the Admiralty agreed that the continent should be known officially as Australia. The first official published use of the term Australia came with the 1830 publication of The Australia Directory and these first inhabitants may have been ancestors of modern Indigenous Australians. The Torres Strait Islanders, ethnically Melanesian, were originally horticulturists, the northern coasts and waters of Australia were visited sporadically by fishermen from Maritime Southeast Asia. The first recorded European sighting of the Australian mainland, and the first recorded European landfall on the Australian continent, are attributed to the Dutch. The first ship and crew to chart the Australian coast and meet with Aboriginal people was the Duyfken captained by Dutch navigator, Willem Janszoon. He sighted the coast of Cape York Peninsula in early 1606, the Dutch charted the whole of the western and northern coastlines and named the island continent New Holland during the 17th century, but made no attempt at settlement. William Dampier, an English explorer and privateer, landed on the north-west coast of New Holland in 1688, in 1770, James Cook sailed along and mapped the east coast, which he named New South Wales and claimed for Great Britain. The first settlement led to the foundation of Sydney, and the exploration, a British settlement was established in Van Diemens Land, now known as Tasmania, in 1803, and it became a separate colony in 1825. The United Kingdom formally claimed the part of Western Australia in 1828. Separate colonies were carved from parts of New South Wales, South Australia in 1836, Victoria in 1851, the Northern Territory was founded in 1911 when it was excised from South Australia
6.
Walter Bishop (Fringe)
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Walter Harold Bishop, Ph. D. is a fictional character on the Fox television series Fringe. He is portrayed by John Noble, Noble also plays Walters counterpart in the shows parallel universe, who is referred to in the show as Walternate. Walter Bishop is the son of former allied spy, Doctor Robert Bischoff and he married Elizabeth Bishop in an undisclosed year, and their son, Peter Bishop was born in 1978. Walter and his friend William Bell conducted numerous experiments in the area of fringe science, at some point during the 1970s, Walter and Bell discovered the existence of another universe, through the heightened use of LSD, among other drugs. They constructed a trans-dimensional window, a portal which could view the other universe and they began copying the advanced technologies they saw over there, and sold them to the Army to benefit this world. They spent much time sending objects over to the Other Side, including Bells car, if a car goes over the Other Side, then a car of the same mass must be sent into our universe. In 1985, the now seven-year-old Peter contracted a rare and savage disease, but Walter could not save his son, and he died in his arms. Following the funeral, which Bell never attended, Walter became consumed with watching Walternate work to save the other Peter. Through the trans-dimensional window, Walter discovered that Walternate had formulated the correct cure for his son, Nina Sharp, discovering Walters intentions and their universally-destructive repercussions, went to stop Walter from opening the wormhole on Reiden Lake. In the ensuing struggle, Walter managed to get through the wormhole, on the journey to the Other Side, the vial holding the cure was destroyed, forcing Walter to kidnap Peter, cure him back in our universe, and then return him. On the way back, they fell through an icy lake, but were rescued by September, after he cured Peter, he and Elizabeth could not find themselves able to send Peter back, so they decided to raise him as their own. Walter would spend 17 years inside St. Claires, and was never visited by Peter, Bell, under the alias of Dr. With the pieces of his brain gone, Walters intellect was diminished, in the beginning of the first season, Olivia Dunham blackmailed the adult Peter Bishop to release his father from St. Claires, in hopes of curing her lover, John Scott. After they saved John, Olivia requested that Walter and Peter remain in Boston, in episode 1x04, The Arrival, September returned and asked Walter to hide a mysterious cylinder for him. Peter became fed up with his father and decided to leave Boston, September encountered Peter, and appeared to read his mind, making Peter realize The Pattern was far more than just plain coincidence. He also began to see that Walter was not as insane as he thought. And, Walter and Peter became civilian consultants to the U. S. Department of Homeland Security, during the episode, Safe, Mitchell Loeb and a team of bank robbers used a vibrational dematerializing device to steal components from safety deposit boxes around the country. Loeb used the device to rescue David Robert Jones from a German prison, Walter discovered that the ZFT manifesto was written in his very lab, by William Bell, years ago, after they discovered the alternate universe
7.
Fox Broadcasting Company
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The Fox Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcast television network that is owned by the Fox Entertainment Group subsidiary of 21st Century Fox. It is the third largest major network in the world based on total revenues, assets. Launched on October 9,1986 as a competitor to the Big Three television networks, Fox and its affiliated companies operate many entertainment channels in international markets, although these do not necessarily air the same programming as the U. S. network. Most viewers in Canada have access to at least one U. S, the network is named after sister company 20th Century Fox, and indirectly for producer William Fox, who founded one of the movie studios predecessors, Fox Film. Fox is a member of the North American Broadcasters Association and the National Association of Broadcasters, 20th Century Fox had been involved in television production as early as the 1950s, producing several syndicated programs. Following the demise of the DuMont Television Network in August of that year after it became mired in financial problems. 20th Century Fox would also produce original content for the NTA network, KTTV in Los Angeles, KRIV in Houston, WFLD-TV in Chicago, and KRLD-TV in Dallas. In October 1985, 20th Century Fox announced its intentions to form a television network that would compete with ABC, CBS. The plans were to use the combination of the Fox studios, organizational plans for the network were held off until the Metromedia acquisitions cleared regulatory hurdles. Then, in December 1985, Rupert Murdoch agreed to pay $325 million to acquire the remaining equity in TCF Holdings from his original partner, Marvin Davis. These first six stations, then broadcasting to a reach of 22% of the nations households. Except for KDAF, all of the original owned-and-operated stations are part of the Fox network today. Like the core O&O group, Foxs affiliate body consisted of independent stations. The Fox Broadcasting Company launched at 11,00 p. m. Eastern and its inaugural program was a late-night talk show, The Late Show, which was hosted by comedian Joan Rivers. By early 1987, Rivers quit The Late Show after disagreements with the network over the creative direction. The network expanded its programming into prime time on April 5,1987, with Children and the sketch comedy series The Tracey Ullman Show. Fox added one new show per week over the several weeks, with the drama 21 Jump Street. On July 11, the network rolled out its Saturday night schedule with the premiere of the drama series Werewolf
8.
Fringe (TV series)
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Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci. It premiered on the Fox Broadcasting network on September 9,2008, the team uses fringe science and FBI investigative techniques to investigate a series of unexplained, often ghastly occurrences, which are related to mysteries surrounding a parallel universe. The series has been described as a hybrid of fantasy and procedural dramas and serials, influenced by film and television such as Lost, The X-Files, Altered States. The series began as a traditional mystery-of-the-week series and became more serialized in later seasons, most episodes contain a standalone plot, with several others also exploring the series overarching mythology. Critical reception was at first lukewarm but became more favorable after the first season, the show, as well as the cast and crew, were nominated for many major awards. Despite its move to the Friday night death slot and low ratings and it also spawned two six-part comic book series, an alternate reality game, and three novels. They are supported by Phillip Broyles, the director, and Agent Astrid Farnsworth. The team is also watched silently by a group of bald, the ZFT threat appears to end when Peter kills Jones as he attempts travel to a parallel universe. Olivia comes to learn she was a child test subject for Walter years ago for a drug, Cortexiphan. Walter is forced to tell Peter that he is from the universe, a replacement for his own Peter. On return, they fell through the ice but were saved by the Observer September, who told Walter of the importance of the boy, Walters crossing is what caused the singularities in the parallel universe, with Reiden Lake at their epicenter. Walter has been looking for a sign of forgiveness in the form of a white tulip, Season 3 presents episodes that alternate between the two universes. Walternate, Walters doppelgänger in the universe, is the U. S. Secretary of Defense and has set events in motion to assemble the Machine. By happenstance, Fauxlivia becomes pregnant with Peters child, Henry, Walternate orchestrated acceleration of the pregnancy to gain a sample of the babys blood, which he uses to activate the machine. Season 4 begins in a timeline, one in which September had failed to save the alternate version of Peter in 1985. This creates a butterfly effect influencing the main characters pasts but otherwise stabilizing both universes due to the creation of the bridge, Peter is pulled into this new timeline due to the actions of the alternate timelines Fringe team, which includes Lincoln Lee. September also reveals to Peter that the Observers needed to erase Peters son, Henry, to assure their future will be created, the Fringe division is forced to close the dimensional bridge, but this fails to stop Bells plan. Walter is left with one choice, to shoot and kill Olivia, her death disrupting the process, Olivias death is only temporary, as the Cortexiphan in her body is consumed to repair the bullet wound, leaving her alive and healthy but lacking her psionic abilities
9.
Sleepy Hollow (TV series)
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Sleepy Hollow is an American supernatural drama television series that premiered on Fox on September 16,2013. The series is based on the 1820 Halloween short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving with added concepts from Rip Van Winkle. The series is set in real-life Sleepy Hollow, New York, in October 2013, Sleepy Hollow was renewed for a second season with 13 episodes. The season was extended to 18 episodes in May 2014, early in March 2015, Sleepy Hollow showrunner Mark Goffman left the series after the second season. On March 18,2015, Sleepy Hollow was renewed for an 18-episode third season by Fox with a new showrunner, Clifton Campbell, on May 13,2016, Fox renewed the show for a fourth season which premiered on January 6,2017. In 1781, Ichabod Crane works for George Washington as a double agent, Crane beheads a Horseman, who doesnt die, in desperation, Crane wins with a mutual blow. However, Crane next awakes in 2013 Sleepy Hollow with Washingtons bible to guide him, he meets Lt. Abigail Mills, and learns the Horseman is back. Crane learns he and Abbie are the Witnesses and the Horseman is Death, should he get his head back, or his master, Moloch, be released from Purgatory, the End of Days will occur. Crane also learns his wife, Katrina, was a witch banished to Purgatory for saving him as his blunder linked his life with the Horsemans. They manage to defeat Moloch, but at the cost of releasing everything trapped in Purgatory, henry gets Katrina to side with him to awaken the descendants of their coven, but both are regretfully killed by Crane. In the following months, Crane investigates all myths regarding the Witnesses, the second comes in the form of Pandora, and her master the Hidden One. As Moloch is dead, Crane gives the Horseman back his head, allowing him to destroy Pandora, however, the head is sucked into her box, unfortunately, this battle cost Abigail her soul. Learning that there always be two Witnesses, Crane vows to find her replacement to face the last five Tribulations. Tom Mison as Ichabod Crane, Esq. soldier of the revolutionary war, Ichabod Crane also acts as both a Sheriffs consultant and an FBI consultant whilst working with Mills. M. T. The rest of the first season, all of the second season, the remainder of the third season was filmed in Conyers and Lawrenceville, Georgia, in the metro Atlanta area. Aerial footage for the series is filmed over the village of Sleepy Hollow. Sleepy Hollow airs simultaneously on Global in Canada, for the third season, the show moved to CTV Two. In India, it airs on Star World Premiere HD and on Star World India, in Australia, the series premiered on September 17,2013 on Network Ten
10.
Denethor
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Denethor II, son of Ecthelion II, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkiens The Return of the King, which is the third and final part of his novel The Lord of the Rings. He is the 26th and final Ruling Steward of Gondor, Denethor was born in T. A.2930, the first son and third child of Ecthelion II. Ecthelion became the 25th Ruling Steward of Gondor in T. A.2953 and he succeeded his father as Denethor II in T. A.2984. As stated in the chapters and the Appendices of The Return of the King, Denethor was widely considered a man of great will, foresight. However, he failed to reach out to his people, who flocked instead to Thorongil, Thorongil vanished from Gondor four years before Denethor would succeed his father as Ruling Steward. Thorongil had advised Ecthelion to put faith in the wizard Gandalf, in T. A.2976 Denethor had married Finduilas, daughter of Prince Adrahil of Dol Amroth. She gave birth to two sons, Boromir and Faramir, before dying when they were ten and five years old, Denethor never remarried, and became more grim and silent than before. In a conversation with Pippin just before the first meeting with Denethor, Gandalf described Denethor as …proud and subtle and he can perceive, if he bends his will thither, much of what is passing in the minds of men, even of those that dwell far off. It is difficult to him, and dangerous to try. Unlike Saruman, Denethor was too strong to be corrupted by Sauron, in the novel, he began secretly using a palantír to probe Saurons strength, though he incorrectly insisted he was able to control it. The effort aged him quickly, and the knowledge of Saurons overwhelming force depressed him greatly, mostly due to deliberately biased visions from the palantír on the part of Sauron, boromirs death depressed Denethor further, and he became ever more grim. Nonetheless he continued to fight Sauron with every resource at his disposal until the forces of Mordor arrived at the gates of the White City, at which point he lost all hope. In the published essay on the Palantiri, Tolkien wrote, He must have guessed that the Ithil-stone was in evil hands and his trust was not entirely unjustified. Sauron failed to dominate him and could influence him by deceits. Saruman fell under the domination of Sauron, Denethor remained steadfast in his rejection of Sauron, but was made to believe that his defeat was inevitable, and so fell into despair. Near the novels climactic battle, Denethor ordered the warning beacons of Gondor to be lit, the civilian population of Minas Tirith was sent away to safety. As invasion seemed imminent, Denethor sent the Red Arrow to the Rohirrim as a call for aid. The Council decided that Gondor could make no stroke of its own, but Denethor ordered Gondors forces to the outer defences at Osgiliath
11.
Peter Jackson
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Sir Peter Robert Jackson ONZ KNZM is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and film producer. He is best known as the director, writer, and producer of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit trilogy and he also produced District 9, The Adventures of Tintin, The Secret of the Unicorn, and the documentary West of Memphis. Jackson began his career with the horror comedy Bad Taste. He shared a nomination for Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay with his partner Fran Walsh for Heavenly Creatures, Jackson has been awarded three Academy Awards in his career, including the award for Best Director in 2003. He has also received a Golden Globe, four Saturn Awards and his production company is Wingnut Films, and his most regular collaborators are co-writers and producers Walsh and Philippa Boyens. Jackson was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2002 and he was later knighted by Anand Satyanand, the Governor-General of New Zealand, at a ceremony in Wellington in April 2010. In December 2014, Jackson was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Jackson was born on 31 October 1961 in Wellington and was raised at the nearby coastal town of Pukerua Bay. His parents—Joan, a worker and housewife, and William Bill Jackson. Bill Jackson was a veteran of the Siege of Malta in World War II, as a child, Jackson was a keen film fan, growing up on Ray Harryhausen films, as well as finding inspiration in the television series Thunderbirds and Monty Pythons Flying Circus. After a family gave the Jacksons a Super 8 cine-camera with Peter in mind. Jackson has long cited King Kong as his film. Most notable though was a 20-minute short called The Valley, which won him a prize because of the shots he used. In school, Jackson expressed no interest in sports and his classmates also remember him wearing a duffle coat with an obsession verging on religious. He had no training in film-making, but learned about editing, special effects and make-up largely through his own trial. As a young adult, Jackson discovered the work of author J. R. R. Tolkien after watching The Lord of the Rings, when he was 16 years old, Jackson left school and began working full-time as a photo-engraver for a Wellington newspaper, The Evening Post. For the seven years he worked there, Jackson lived at home with his parents so he could save as much money as possible to spend on film equipment. After two years of work Jackson bought a 16 mm camera, and began shooting a film later became Bad Taste. Jackson has long cited several films as influences and it is well known that Jackson has a passion for King Kong, often citing it as his favourite film and as the film that inspired him early in his life
12.
The Lord of the Rings (film series)
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The Lord of the Rings is a film series consisting of three high fantasy adventure films directed by Peter Jackson. They are based on the novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, the films are subtitled The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King. They were distributed by New Line Cinema, each film in the series also had special extended editions released on DVD a year after their respective theatrical releases. While the films follow the general storyline, they do omit some of the novels plot elements and include some additions to. The Fellowship eventually splits up and Frodo continues the quest together with his loyal companion Sam and the treacherous Gollum. Meanwhile, Aragorn, heir in exile to the throne of Gondor, Legolas, Gimli, Merry, and Pippin, the series was a major financial success, with the films collectively being among the highest-grossing film series of all time. The films were acclaimed and heavily awarded, winning 17 out of 30 total Academy Award nominations. The series received praise for its innovative special and visual effects. Director Peter Jackson first came into contact with The Lord of the Rings when he saw Ralph Bakshis 1978 animated film The Lord of the Rings, Jackson enjoyed the film and wanted to know more. Afterwards, he read an edition of the book during a twelve-hour train journey from Wellington to Auckland when he was seventeen. In 1995, Jackson was finishing The Frighteners and considered The Lord of the Rings as a new project, with the new developments in computer-generated imagery following Jurassic Park, Jackson set about planning a fantasy film that would be relatively serious and feel real. Negotiations then stalled when Universal Studios offered Jackson a remake of King Kong, Weinstein was furious, and further problems arose when it turned out Zaentz did not have distribution rights to The Hobbit, United Artists, which was in the market, did. By April 1996, the question was still not resolved. It was also revealed that Jackson originally wanted to finish King Kong before The Lord of the Rings began, but due to location problems, he decided to start with The Lord of the Rings franchise instead. When Universal cancelled King Kong in 1997, Jackson and Walsh immediately received support from Weinstein, Jackson and Walsh asked Costa Botes to write a synopsis of the book and they began to re-read the book. Two to three months later, they had written their treatment, Bilbo attends the Council of Elrond, Sam looks into Galadriels mirror, Saruman is redeemed before he dies and the Nazgûl just make it into Mount Doom before they fall. They presented their treatment to Harvey and Bob Weinstein, the latter of whom they focused on impressing with their screenwriting as he had not read the book and they agreed upon two films and a total budget of $75 million. During mid-1997, Jackson and Walsh began writing with Stephen Sinclair, sinclairs partner, Philippa Boyens, was a major fan of the book and joined the writing team after reading their treatment
13.
DC Comics
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DC Comics, Inc. is an American comic book publisher. It is the unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. a division of Time Warner, the company has also published non-DC Universe-related material, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta and many titles under their alternative imprint Vertigo. The initials DC came from the popular series Detective Comics. Random House distributes DC Comics books to the market, while Diamond Comic Distributors supplies the comics shop specialty market. DC Comics and its major, longtime competitor Marvel Comics together shared 70% of the American comic book market in 2016, entrepreneur Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson founded National Allied Publications in autumn 1934. The company debuted with the tabloid-sized New Fun, The Big Comic Magazine #1 with a date of February 1935. That title evolved into Adventure Comics, which continued through issue #503 in 1983, in 2009 DC revived Adventure Comics with its original numbering. In 1935, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the creators of Superman, created Doctor Occult. Wheeler-Nicholsons third and final title, Detective Comics, advertised with a cover illustration dated December 1936, the themed anthology series would become a sensation with the introduction of Batman in issue #27. By then, however, Wheeler-Nicholson had gone, Detective Comics, Inc. was formed, with Wheeler-Nicholson and Jack S. Liebowitz, Donenfelds accountant, listed as owners. Major Wheeler-Nicholson remained for a year, but cash-flow problems continued, shortly afterward, Detective Comics, Inc. purchased the remains of National Allied, also known as Nicholson Publishing, at a bankruptcy auction. Detective Comics, Inc. soon launched a fourth title, Action Comics, Action Comics #1, the first comic book to feature the new character archetype—soon known as superheroes—proved a sales hit. The company quickly introduced such popular characters as the Sandman and Batman. That year, Gaines let Liebowitz buy him out, and kept only Picture Stories from the Bible as the foundation of his own new company, at that point, Liebowitz promptly orchestrated the merger of All-American and Detective Comics into National Comics. Next he took charge of organizing National Comics, Independent News, National Periodical Publications became publicly traded on the stock market in 1961. The company began to move aggressively against what it saw as copyright-violating imitations from other companies, such as Fox Comics Wonder Man and this extended to DC suing Fawcett Comics over Captain Marvel, at the time comics top-selling character. Despite the fact that parallels between Captain Marvel and Superman seemed more tenuous, the courts ruled that substantial and deliberate copying of copyrighted material had occurred, faced with declining sales and the prospect of bankruptcy if it lost, Fawcett capitulated in 1955 and ceased comics publication
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Supervillain
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A supervillain is a variant of the villainous stock character archetype commonly found in American comic books, sometimes possessing superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero, Supervillains are often used as foils to present a daunting challenge to a superhero. Other traits may include megalomania and possession of considerable resources to further their aims, many supervillains share some typical characteristics of real world dictators, gangsters, and terrorists, with aspirations of world domination or universal leadership. Some notable examples of female supervillains are Catwoman, Mystique, Harley Quinn, Talia al Ghul, Supervillains are sometimes members of supervillain groups, such as the Sinister Six, the Suicide Squad, the Brotherhood of Mutants, the Injustice League, and the Masters of Evil. The dictionary definition of supervillain at Wiktionary Media related to Supervillains at Wikimedia Commons
15.
Scarecrow (DC Comics)
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The Scarecrow is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character first appeared in Worlds Finest Comics #3 and was created by Bob Kane, Scarecrow is one of Batmans most enduring enemies and belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up Batmans rogues gallery. Scarecrow is depicted as a professor of psychology in Gotham City who uses a variety of fear-enhancing chemical agents to exploit the fears, the character has been featured in various media adaptations, such as feature films, television series and video games. The character has been voiced by Henry Polic II and Jeffrey Combs in the DC animated universe and his live-action portrayals include Cillian Murphy in Christopher Nolans Dark Knight trilogy, and Charlie Tahan in the television series Gotham. In 2009, the Scarecrow was ranked as IGNs 58th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time, Bill Finger and Bob Kane introduced the Scarecrow in the fall of 1941 for Worlds Finest Comics #3. From Batman #189 onwards, the character becomes a foe in the Silver Age Batman stories. Following the 1986 multi-title event Crisis on Infinite Earths reboot, the origin story is expanded in Batman Annual #19. Cranes obsession with fear leads to his becoming a psychologist, taking a position at Arkham Asylum and he is also a professor of psychology at Gotham University, specializing in the study of phobias. As a college professor, Scarecrow mentored a young Thomas Elliot, the character also has a cameo in Sandman #5, seeming uncharacteristically friendly. In stories by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, the Scarecrow is depicted as one of the more deranged criminals in Batmans rogues gallery and these stories further revise his backstory, explaining that he was raised by his fanatically religious grandmother, whom he murdered as a teenager. Scarecrow appears in Batman, The Long Halloween, first seen escaping from Arkham on Mothers Day with help from Carmine Falcone, Scarecrow robs a bank with Hatter on Independence Day for Falcone, but is stopped by Batman and Catwoman. He later appears in Carmines office on Halloween with Batmans future rogues gallery, Scarecrow returns in Batman, Dark Victory as part of Two-Faces gang, and is first seen putting fear gas in childrens dolls on Christmas Eve. He is eventually defeated by Batman and he later appears as one of the villains present at Calendar Mans trial. Together, they manipulate Alberto into making an unsuccessful attempt on his sister. After Two-Faces hideout is attacked, Batman captures Scarecrow, who tells him where Two-Face is heading, in Catwoman, When in Rome, Scarecrow supplies the Riddler with fear gas to manipulate Catwoman, and later aids Riddler when he fights Catwoman in Rome. Scarecrow accidentally attacks Cheetah with his scythe before Catwoman knocks him out, the Scarecrow appears in such story arcs as Knightfall and Shadow of the Bat, first teaming with the Joker to ransom off the mayor of Gotham City. Batman foils their plan, and forces them to retreat, Scarecrow betrays Joker by spraying him with fear gas, but it has absolutely no effect, Joker then beats Scarecrow senseless with a chair. Scarecrow later tries to take over Gotham with an army of hypnotized college students and his lieutenant is the son of the first man he killed
16.
Batman: Arkham Knight
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Batman, Arkham Knight is a 2015 action-adventure video game developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows, based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, it is the successor to the 2013 video game Batman, Arkham Origins, and the fourth main installment in the Batman, Arkham series. Arkham Knight was released worldwide on June 23,2015, written by Sefton Hill, Ian Ball and Martin Lancaster, Arkham Knight is based on the franchises long-running comic book mythos. Scarecrow, with the help of the mysterious Arkham Knight, is able to unite Batmans greatest foes in an attempt to finally destroy Batman. The game is presented from a perspective, with a primary focus on Batmans melee combat, stealth abilities, detective skills. Arkham Knight also introduces the Batmobile as a vehicle, which is used for transportation, puzzle solving. The game expands Batmans arsenal of gadgets and combat attacks and offers an open world structure. Upon its release, the game was the fastest selling game of 2015, the remote controlled batarang is similarly upgraded to include a scanner that can be thrown out to gain information on the surrounding area. New gadgets include the Voice Synthesiser, which can be used to other characters voices such as Harley Quinn. The player can fly Batman throughout the city using his cape, with gliding now allowing for faster, longer sustained flights, steeper dives, Batman can use some gadgets while gliding, such as batarangs or the line-launcher. The grapnel gun can now be used to switch directions during a glide. Basic enemies include enemies armed with shields and shock batons, while others are armed with guns which significantly damage Batman. These enemies can perform a charge and tackle attack only used by enemies in previous games, precision timed dodging. The system adds the ability to combine attacks on prone enemies without interrupting a combo streak, Batman can counter enemy attacks and throw them into other enemies for increased damage. Batman is also capable of disarming enemies wielding items like baseball bats, each successful, uninterrupted attack adds to the players combat score, which carries over between each controlled character and unlocks double-team takedowns on opponents at higher scores. Throughout the city, Batman encounters enemy watchtowers, guard posts, aerial drones, some drones can be hacked and turned against their allies by using the Remote Hacking Device. Hazardous items such as power generators can be used in combat for environmental attacks, combat is rewarded with experience points, which are used to unlock gadget abilities, combat moves, and health upgrades. Some enemies carry devices capable of blocking Batmans Detective Vision, Arkham Knight features side missions, known as Most Wanted missions, which can be attempted at any time and feature prominent characters from the Batman universe
17.
Elementary (TV series)
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Elementary is an American procedural drama series that presents a contemporary update of Sir Arthur Conan Doyles character Sherlock Holmes. The series was created by Robert Doherty and stars Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes, the series premiered on CBS on September 27,2012. The series is set and filmed primarily in New York City, the show follows Holmes, a recovering drug addict and former consultant to Scotland Yard, as he assists the New York City Police Department in solving crimes. His indifference to police procedure often leads to conflict with Captain Thomas Gregson and he is accompanied by Dr. Joan Watson, who initially acts as his sober companion. She is a surgeon and was hired by Sherlocks father to help him in his rehabilitation. They eventually begin to work together on his cases, and she becomes Holmes apprentice, the series also features Holmes ongoing conflict with his nemesis Jamie Moriarty. Other supporting roles include Jon Michael Hill as Detective Marcus Bell, Rhys Ifans as Sherlocks brother, Mycroft Holmes, before the series premiered, it was met with some criticism given it followed closely on the heels of the BBCs modern adaptation Sherlock. After the premiere, it was picked up for a full season, the season two premiere was partly filmed on location in London. The series has since been received by critics, who have praised the performances, writing. On March 25,2016, CBS renewed the series for a fifth season, formerly a successful surgeon until she lost a patient, Watson views her current job as another opportunity to help people. However, Sherlock is nothing like her previous clients and he informs her that none of her expertise as an addiction specialist applies to him and that he has devised his own post-rehab regimen – resuming his work as a police consultant in New York City. Watson has no choice but to accompany her new charge on his jobs. Over time, Sherlock finds her medical background helpful, and Watson realizes she has a talent for investigation. Sherlocks police contact, Captain Thomas Gregson, knows from previous experience working with Scotland Yard that Sherlock is brilliant at solving cases, the investigative group also includes Detective Marcus Bell, an investigator with sharp intuition and intimidating interrogation skills. Although initially skeptical of Holmes and his methods, Bell begins to recognize Sherlock as an asset to their investigations. Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes, A former Scotland Yard consultant who now lives in New York City after completing drug rehabilitation there for addiction-related problems in the United Kingdom, Holmes is a deductive genius with a variety of unusual interests and enthusiasms that assist him in his investigations. Feeling that the more interesting cases are in America, he stays in New York. He contacts an old associate, Captain Thomas Gregson of the NYPD to resume his previous work as a consulting detective and he is forced by his father to live with Dr. Joan Watson, his sober companion who provides him with aftercare
18.
Sherlock Holmes
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Sherlock Holmes is a fictional private detective created by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. All but one are set in the Victorian or Edwardian periods, though not the first fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes is arguably the most well-known, with Guinness World Records listing him as the most portrayed movie character in history. Auguste Dupin is generally acknowledged as the first detective in fiction and served as the prototype for many that were created later, Conan Doyle once wrote, Each is a root from which a whole literature has developed. Where was the story until Poe breathed the breath of life into it. Conan Doyle repeatedly said that Holmes was inspired by the figure of Joseph Bell, a surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. Like Holmes, Bell was noted for drawing conclusions from minute observations. However, he wrote to Doyle, You are yourself Sherlock Holmes. Sir Henry Littlejohn, Chair of Medical Jurisprudence at the University of Edinburgh Medical School, is cited as an inspiration for Holmes. Littlejohn, who was also Police Surgeon and Medical Officer of Health in Edinburgh, One is thought to be Francis Tanky Smith, a policeman and master of disguise who went on to become Leicesters first private detective. Another might be Maximilien Heller, by French author Henry Cauvain and it is not known if Conan Doyle read Maximilien Heller, but in this 1871 novel, Henry Cauvain imagined a depressed, anti-social, polymath, cat-loving, and opium-smoking Paris-based detective. Details about Sherlock Holmess life, except for the adventures in the books, are scarce in Conan Doyles original stories, nevertheless, mentions of his early life and extended family paint a loose biographical picture of the detective. An estimate of Holmess age in His Last Bow places his year of birth at 1854 and his parents are not mentioned in the stories, although Holmes mentions that his ancestors were country squires. In The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter, he claims that his grandmother was sister to the French artist Vernet, without clarifying whether this was Claude Joseph, Carle. Mycroft has a civil service position as a kind of human database for all aspects of government policy. He lacks Sherlocks interest in investigation, however, preferring to spend his time at the Diogenes Club. Holmes says that he first developed his methods of deduction as an undergraduate, his earliest cases, the two take lodgings at 221B Baker Street, London, an apartment at the upper end of the street, up seventeen steps. Holmes worked as a detective for twenty-three years, with physician John Watson assisting him for seventeen and they were roommates before Watsons 1887 marriage and again after his wifes death. Their residence is maintained by their landlady, Mrs. Hudson, most of the stories are frame narratives, written from Watsons point of view as summaries of the detectives most interesting cases
19.
All Saints (TV series)
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All Saints was an Australian television medical drama that first screened on the Seven Network on 24 February 1998. It was produced by John Holmes alongside Jo Porter, MaryAnne Carroll, the final episode aired on 27 October 2009, completing its recording-breaking 12-year run. All Saints follows the lives of the staff at All Saints Western General Hospital, until its closure in 2004, the show primarily focused on the staff in Ward 17. Known as the ward as it took all the overflow from the other wards, Ward 17 was run by compassionate nun. Her staff included her nurses Connor Costello, Von Ryan, Bronwyn Craig, Jared Levine and Stephanie Markham, Luke Forlano and Peter Morrison were doctors who frequently worked with Terri and her staff. Ben Markham was an officer who worked closely with Luke. Bronwyn left Ward 17 and became an officer at the end of 1998. After the death of Dr. Mitch Stevens and the departure of Bron Craig in 2003, in February 2004, John Holmes told The Age journalist Debi Enker that All Saints would be undergoing major surgery when the focus shifted from Ward 17 to the Emergency Department. He also stated that while four familiar faces with be leaving, Holmes recalled a statement that he made in May 2003 in which he said, we were seeing the scripts and watching episodes and we were feeling that there was a little bit of a sameness in it. We started to think, Dont know about this, maybe weve had a few too many people through the door of Ward 17 on a trolley and had the Hi, Im Von, Im your nurse. After tossing up between cancelling the show and using it as the foundation of a series, Holmes. Ward 17 would then close and the show would be relocated to the Emergency Department, as a result of the shift, several cast members decided to leave the show. Paula Morgan, Luke Forlano, Alex Kearns and Sterling McCormack were all out of the show. Former Always Greener star John Howard signed a deal and was added to the cast as the cranky head of Emergency. Other new faces included Wil Traval as Dr. Jack Quade, Adrienne Pickering as nurse Sophia Beaumont and they would then bring those patients back to the ED and the staff there would assist in their treatment. In June 2009, after months of rumours that the cancellation of All Saints was imminent, season twelve of All Saints would screen 24 episodes instead of the usual 40 episodes and that production would cease in August instead of November. In July 2009, exactly one month later after the first announcement, Tim Worner and he told Michael Idato of the Sydney Morning Herald, All Saints is a show which Seven and viewers have loved. However, a shift and increased production costs are behind this tough decision
20.
24 (TV series)
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24 is an American crime thriller television series produced for the Fox network, created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, and starring Kiefer Sutherland as counter terrorist agent Jack Bauer. Each season, comprising 24 episodes, covers 24 hours in Bauers life using the real method of narration. Premiering on November 6,2001, the show spanned 192 episodes over eight seasons, in addition, a television film,24, Redemption, was broadcast between seasons six and seven, on November 23,2008. 24 returned as a 12-episode series titled 24, Live Another Day,24, Legacy, a spin-off series featuring new characters, premiered on February 5,2017, after Super Bowl LI. Throughout the series most of the plot elements unfold like a political thriller. At the conclusion of its season,24 became the longest-running U. S. espionage/counterterrorism-themed television drama ever. 24 is a drama that stars Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer. Each episode typically follows Bauer, officials in the U. S. government, the episodes take place over the course of one hour, depicting events as they happen, in real time. Season 1 begins at midnight on the day of the California presidential primary, Season 2, set 18 months later, begins at 8,00 a. m. Season 3, set three years later, begins at 1,00 p. m, Jack must infiltrate a Mexican drug cartel to seize a deadly virus being marketed underground. President Palmer must deal with potential scandal that could cost him his presidency, Season 4, set 18 months later, begins at 7,00 a. m. Jack must save the lives of his new boss, Secretary of Defense James Heller, Season 5, set 18 months after, begins at 7,00 a. m. Jack is believed to be dead by everyone except a few of his closest friends and he is forced to resurface when some of those friends are murdered and he is framed by terrorists with connections to the American government. The acquisition of nerve gas by the terrorists poses a new threat, Season 6, set 20 months later, begins at 6,00 a. m. Jack is released after being detained in a Chinese prison following the events of Season 5, terrorists who hold a vendetta against Jack plot to set off suitcase nuclear devices in America. Later, Jack is forced to choose between those he loves and national security when the Chinese set their sights on sensitive circuitry that could trigger a war between the U. S. and Russia. Redemption, set years later, begins at 3,00 p. m. Jack finds himself caught up in a coup in the fictional African nation of Sangala
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Rockstar Games
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Rockstar Games, Inc. is an American video game publisher, best known for their Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead, Midnight Club, Max Payne, and Manhunt series of video games. The Rockstar Games label was founded in December 1998 by Sam Houser, Dan Houser, Terry Donovan, Donovan left the company in January 2007, following a four-month leave of absence. He was replaced by former Capcom managing director, Gary Dale, the main headquarters of Rockstar Games are located on Broadway in the NoHo neighborhood of New York City, part of the Take-Two Interactive offices. It is home to the marketing, public relations and product development departments, Grand Theft Auto V shipped the highest number of units within series history and become one of the best selling video games of all time. In March 2014, Rockstar Games received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award at the British Academy Video Games Awards, Rockstar Games has been involved with charity work ranging from supporting Movember, offering appearances in games as a raffle prize, to charity live streams playing their games. Despite their status as creators of Grand Theft Auto and one of the most successful video game franchises of all-time, Sam Houser and they have focused on the Rockstar Games brand, rather than any one person getting the credit for the games success. In October 2011, Rockstar creative vice-president Dan Houser told Famitsu that Rockstar was intentionally avoiding developing in the shooter genre. Were deliberately avoiding that right now, he said, according to a 1UP. com translation and its in our DNA to avoid doing what other companies are doing. I suppose you could say that Max Payne 3 is something close to an FPS and you have to have originality in your games, you have to have some kind of interesting message. You could say that the goalpoint of Rockstar is to have the players really feel what were trying to do, Houser went on to say that Rockstar has made new genres by ourselves with games like the GTA series. We didnt rely on testimonials in a textbook to do what weve done. I think we succeeded precisely because we didnt concentrate on profit, if we make the sort of games we want to play, then we believe people are going to buy them. Rockstar has since released a remake of Grand Theft Auto V for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Rockstar Games Social Club is a gaming service created by Rockstar for use with their games
22.
L.A. Noire
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L. A. Noire is a neo-noir detective action-adventure video game developed by Team Bondi and published by Rockstar Games. It was initially released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms on 17 May 2011, L. A. Noire is set in Los Angeles in 1947 and challenges the player, controlling a Los Angeles Police Department officer, to solve a range of cases across five divisions. Players must investigate crime scenes for clues, follow up leads, and interrogate suspects, the game uses a distinctive colour palette, but in homage to film noir it includes the option to play the game in black and white. Various plot elements reference the major themes of detective and mobster stories such as The Naked City, Chinatown, The Untouchables, The Black Dahlia, and L. A. Confidential. The technology is central to the games interrogation mechanic, as players must use the suspects reactions to questioning to judge whether or not they are lying, L. A. Noire was the first video game to be shown at the Tribeca Film Festival. Upon release, the game received acclaim for its advances in storytelling. As of February 2012, both PC and console versions had shipped nearly 5 million copies combined, L. A. Noire is an action-adventure neo-noir crime game played from a third-person perspective. Players complete cases—linear scenarios with set objectives—to progress through the story, the game also features a mode which allows players to freely roam the open world. In this mode, players can engage in optional activities. The world features multiple landmarks, which are all based on real monuments from 1940s Los Angeles. The game takes place in the city of Los Angeles, in the year 1947, with players assuming the role of Los Angeles Police Department officer, and later detective, Cole Phelps. The game starts with Phelps as a patrolman, and follows his career as he advances through the police department bureaus of Traffic, Homicide, Vice. Each desk gives players a new partner who will help Phelps in his investigation of a number of based on a specific type of crime. The game assigns players with cases that they must solve, after each case, players receive a rating of 1–5 stars depending on their performance in both interrogations and searching for clues. In some cases, when searching an area for clues to the crime, besides reading the story, the newspapers give access to a short cinematic that either covers a part of the games overarching plot or a flashback to Phelps war memories. The game blends investigative elements with fast-paced action sequences, including chases, combat, interrogations, players use melee attacks and firearms to fight enemies, and may run, jump or use vehicles to navigate the world. In combat, auto-aim and a system can be used as assistance against enemies. Should player characters take damage, the health will gradually regenerate
23.
Unicron
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Unicron is a fictional character from the Transformers universe and toyline. Unicron is a large robot whose scale reaches planetary proportions. Unicrons origin has expanded over the years from simply being a robot to being a god of chaos who devours realities. He often employs the help of Decepticons in his work, according to the Transformers lore, before the dawn of time, Order and Chaos exist within an extra-dimensional entity known as The One. To explore the universe, he creates the astral being known as Unicron. Unicron later somehow becomes free from Primacon control and sets out to everything in its path. To avoid another mishap, Primacon creates Tornadron, an entity who would destroy every Transformer and whatever else gets in his way. Primus hopes to contain the evil force forever, unfortunately, over time, Unicron learns to physically shape his prison into a giant metallic planet, and Primus emulates his brother. The Primus planet becomes the world of Cybertron. The battle ends when the Fallen and Unicron are sucked into a black hole, with Unicron gone, Primus enters an eons-long slumber, preventing Unicron from detecting him through the mental link the brothers share. The Primus/Unicron backstory has evolved and been rewritten a number of times since it originated in the Marvel Comics series, the version recounted above is the current iteration, which has slowly solidified across a wide swath of media. Before the Primus/Unicron mythos reached its present form, it went through several versions in the Marvel Generation 1 comics. The first time the Primus/Unicron backstory appears is in the UK comic continuity, when Unicron recounts it to Deaths Head. Per Unicrons telling of events, he was a force of evil at the dawn of the universe. The story is told a second time in the United States book by the Keeper, the story is told a third time in the United States Marvel series by Primus, when he gathers all his children together to prepare for Unicrons coming. In this telling, Unicron predates the current universe, and destroyed the previous universe and he slept peacefully, alone in the void of un-creation that remained, until fragments of the old universe that he had overlooked reacted, causing the Big Bang and birthing the current universe. The sentient core of this new universe recognizes the threat that Unicron poses, the first modern retelling of the origins of Primus and Unicron comes from a set of Transformers, Armada trading cards released by Fleer. The backstory printed on Unicrons card introduces the concept of two created to explore the new universe by an extra-dimensional entity named the Allspark
24.
Transformers: Prime
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Transformers, Prime is an American computer-animated television series based on the Transformers toy franchise by Hasbro. The series aired on Hub Network from November 29,2010 to July 26,2013, the Transformers, Prime TV movie, Predacons Rising, premiered on October 4,2013. The first season available for instant streaming through Netflix on April 5,2012. The second season became available on December 7,2012, the third season also became available in 2013. The series has been well-received and has won multiple Daytime Emmy Awards, many references to other Transformers continuities have appeared in the series. The initial designs of the characters were first shown off at Botcon 2010 at its panel, Hasbro created a 400-page Transformers Prime production bible titled the Binder of Revelation, which the production team used as a reference for Prime. Whereas the movies were about a boy and his car, the dynamic between the kids and the robots on Prime was meant to be more like The Iron Giant. Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, the screenwriters of the first two films, developed the series and were executive producers of the series. Digitalscape Company Limited, a Japanese company famous for their work on such as Soulcalibur III, Ninja Gaiden. Although Digitalscape ran a job looking for a talent to work on the production, Polygon Pictures ultimately won. Jose Lopez, character designer, described the animation of the series as groundbreaking mix of 2D animation, film composer Brian Tyler serves as the music composer for Transformers, Prime. Matthew Margeson is the arranger for the series, first arranging the fifteen episodes of the series. The music features a live orchestra, a rarity in contemporary television scores. The official soundtrack of Transformers, Prime was released on iTunes on March 6,2012, an updated theme song with the Beast Hunters theme applied was introduced in the episode Project Predacon. The series began with a story called Darkness Rising. After a brief conversation, Starscream skewers Cliffjumper with his own fingers, meanwhile, three young humans - Jack Darby, Miko Nakadai, and Rafael Esquivel - are accidentally caught in the crossfire in a fight between enormous robots that transform into vehicles. They are taken to the base of the Autobots, where their leader Optimus Prime explains he, the Autobots once had a devastating war against the tyrannical Megatron and his army, the Decepticons, and the war made Cybertron uninhabitable. The Autobots foil his plan by destroying the Decepticons Space Bridge, following Megatrons supposed death, Starscream assumes leadership of the Decepticons, even though Megatrons most loyal ally Soundwave doesnt approve
25.
Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising
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Transformers Prime Beast Hunters, Predacons Rising is a 2013 American computer animated action adventure television film that concludes the Transformers, Prime television series. It was first broadcast on Hub Network on October 4,2013, not long after Megatrons demise and the restoration of Cybertron, the Autobots celebrate as Optimus Prime promotes Bumblebee to warrior class. Ultra Magnus is left in charge in Primes absence to hunt down the missing Shockwave, Unicron reformats Megatrons lifeless husk into a perfected body with new upgrades before heading to Cybertron. In the meantime, Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen continue to search for the fugitive Decepticons in the Sea of Rust, after a brutal fight, Magnus is severely damaged and Smokescreen is barely able to save his life and make it through an emergency space bridge with him. The damage is so critical that the Autobots are forced to call in Ratchet from Earth for assistance while the Autobots deduce that the two new Predacons must be creations of Shockwave. Meanwhile, Shockwave and Starscream are revealed to have restarted Project, Predacon and plan to create an army with Skylynx, however, Predaking refuses, having not forgiven the Autobots for destroying his brethren on Earth. The Autobots believe Megatron returned before Unicron corrects them, Unicron battles the Autobots, who are outmatched and are forced to the lower levels where Bulkhead, Arcee, and Smokescreen almost fall into a smelting pit. However, time bought by Bumblebee allows the Autobots to escape through a Ground Bridge portal, Unicron, enraged by his failure in his weak form, decides that he needs a greater weapon. Optimus heads out to find it, but is troubled with a plasma storm. Despite Wheeljacks insistence to turn back, Optimus keeps going and eventually retrieves it, though their ship is damaged by an asteroid, and they set course of Cybertron. Meanwhile, the Autobots try to contact Optimus from the former Decepticon flagship Nemesis, with Optimus not available and Ultra Magnus wounded in action, Bumblebee assumes temporary leadership of the Autobots. Megatron within, who seeks to have his back, deceives Unicron into talking to him. Predaking, believing Unicron to be Megatron, immediately attacks him, Unicron then puts Megatron under eternal suffering for his deception. Meanwhile, Shockwave, Darksteel, Skylynx, and Starscream find the Predacon bone yard, but are confronted by Unicron. Darksteel and Skylynx charges at Unicron for conflict, but he defeats them. Unicron then uses the power of Dark Energon to resurrect the Predacons into undead Terrorcons and they end up scaring Starscream away before attacking Shockwave, who holds them off before being overpowered. Meanwhile, the Autobots detect Megatrons signal through Unicron, and also detect the Terrorcons, which are headed for the Well of All Sparks, the most direct route to Primus himself. Bumblebee decides to lead a counterattack with Bulkhead, Smokescreen, and Arcee on the Nemesis, however, Starscream sneaks aboard the ship, and frees Knock Out and the few captive Vehicon troops, and tries to retake the ship, intending to use it to flee Cybertron
26.
Legends of Tomorrow
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The series, based on the characters of DC Comics, airs on The CW and premiered on January 21,2016. The show is a spin-off from Arrow and The Flash, existing in the fictional universe. On March 11,2016, The CW renewed the series for a second season, on January 8,2017, The CW renewed the show for a third season. When Vandal Savage murders his family, Time Master Rip Hunter goes rogue and they discover that the Time Masters are backing Savage in his domination of the world in 2166 to facilitate a successful repulsion of a Thanagarian invasion. Due to Snarts sacrifice, the Time Masters are destroyed, Savage attempts to rewrite history with a temporal explosion, but is killed by the team when he is rendered mortal by the same meteor he used for his scheme. With Savage dead, Kendra and Carter leave the team, following the demise of the Time Masters, Rip decides to take their place guarding history with Ray, Sara, Stein, Jax and Mick. However, they are warned by Rex Tyler / Hourman that they die in 1942 New York City. They ignore the warning, landing Mick in stasis and themselves scattered through time, historian Nate Heywood / Steel, aided by Oliver Queen, finds Mick and rescues all but Rip, who remained lost for a short period of time, until found and rescued by his teammates. During their mission to protect the timeline, the team meets the Justice Society of America, when Tyler is murdered by Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash, Amaya Jiwe / Vixen joins the Legends to find Tylers killer. However, Reverse-Flash is gaining allies throughout time, including Damien Darhk, Malcolm Merlyn and Leonard Snart himself, following the Legions defeat, both Amaya and Nate decide to remain on the team. However, a departing Rip realizes that the team does not need him anymore, leaves the team, due to their interference with their future selves, the Legends crash-land in a version of Los Angeles that has futuristic buildings and dinosaurs. Victor Garber as Martin Stein / Firestorm, A nuclear physicist focused on transmutation who is half of the character Firestorm with Jefferson Jackson. Graeme McComb portrays a young Stein in the 1970s and 1980s, the character was first introduced on The Flash. Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer / Atom, A scientist, inventor, businessman, the character was first introduced on Arrow. Arthur Darvill as Rip Hunter, A roguish time traveler and leader of the team and his goal is to defeat Vandal Savage in order to save the world and his family. He and Savage are archenemies throughout the timeline, aiden Longworth portrays a young Rip Hunter. In the second season, Rip disappears and gives command of the Waverider to the Legends. He later returns, first as a student in the 60s who has no recollection of his past life, then as a brainwashed killer working for the Legion
27.
Atom (Ray Palmer)
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The Atom is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by editor and co-plotter Julius Schwartz, writer Gardner Fox, the Atom was one of the first superheroes of the Silver Age of comic books and debuted in Showcase #34. The Atom debuted in Showcase #34 from the DC Comics precursor, early comics-fandom pioneer, Jerry Bails, corresponded the National Comics editor Julius Schwartz in December 1960 outlining an updated version of Al Pratt, the companys 1940s Golden Age Atom. Bails, and future Marvel Comics editor-in-chief, Roy Thomas collaborated on a version that incorporated elements of the Golden Age hero. I am trying to cook up some new super-powers for him in and your own suggestions are excellent and most especially the one about the atomic compression of his body, which is to be a feature of the new Atom. I have seen art samples of how he will look, T the present moment the intent is to make him a college student rather than the scientific experimenter you have in mind. This is all talk, mind you — nothing definite, Kane, who lived in Jericho, New York, on Long Island, at the time, drove to the nearby Hicksville home of DC production person Tom Nicolosi, who colored the drawings using St. Martins dyes. Schwartz, after seeing the drawings, had the belt added, Schwartz said he had not wanted to reuse the Golden Age Atom, Al Pratt, and had read about dwarf stars and thought a fragment of one could power the new heros miniaturization. He added that he and Fox together plotted the stories of this new Silver Age Atom. Fox said in 1979, I doubt that any feedback from Bails or Thomas had very much of an influence and his civilian name, Ray Palmer, was an homage to science-fiction magazine editor Raymond A. Palmer. Using a mass of white dwarf star matter he finds after it lands on Earth, compression destabilizes an objects molecular structure, however, causing it to explode. During a spelunking expedition, Palmer and his students, along with his girlfriend, lawyer Jean Loring, using a diamond engagement ring, Palmer enlarges the hole sufficiently and descends to the floor to try to alert the others of the escape route before dying. However, upon entering the lens beam, he himself returned to normal size. As the lens is covered with cave moisture, Palmer believes this has altered the beam to allow this strange effect, when subsequent experiments still result in objects exploding, Palmer concludes some unknown force in his own body allows him to safely size-shift. He decides to use this effect to become a superhero, the prototype matrix later became his costume. In the same issue, Palmers father was introduced, contradicting issues of DC Comics Presents and The Atom Special #1 and he carries out the bulk of his early superheroic adventures in Ivy Town, where he often helps his girlfriend, Jean Loring, win her cases. Much later, he gains the innate equivalent powers within his own body and he also had several time travel adventures by means of Professor Alpheus V. Hyatts Time Pool. There, he meets Hawkman, one of his closest friends in the superhero community, Hawkman would manufacture prosthetic wings for a myna Ray saved, taking on the name Major Mynah and became the Atoms partner and steed
28.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
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It is the third and final installment in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, following The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, preceding The Hobbit film trilogy. Released on 17 December 2003, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King received rave reviews and universal acclaim, the film was the highest-grossing film of 2003 and, by the end of its theatrical run, the second highest-grossing film in history. As of January 2017, it is the fourteenth highest-grossing film of all time, at the 76th Academy Awards, it won all 11 Academy Awards for which it was nominated, therefore holding the record for highest Oscar sweep. The wins included the awards for Best Picture, the first and only time a film has done so, it was also the second sequel to win a Best Picture Oscar. The film jointly holds the record for the largest number of Academy Awards won with Ben-Hur, the film has been re-released twice, in 2011 and 2017. Gandalf leads Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and King Théoden to Isengard where they reunite with Merry, with Saruman defeated, Gandalf retrieves Sarumans palantír. Pippin later steals a glance into the seeing-stone, and suffers an attack from Sauron himself. Gandalf deduces that Sauron will attack Gondors capital Minas Tirith and he rides there to warn them, taking Pippin with him because Sauron believes Pippin is the ring bearer. The hobbits begin climbing a precarious stair carved in the face that will take them into Mordor via a secret way. But having overheard Gollums plot to regain the Ring, Sam keeps an eye on him. Saurons army strikes and overwhelms the city of Osgiliath, forcing Faramir, while helping Théoden gather his forces, Aragorn is approached by Elrond who informs him Arwen is dying. Following a vision of her son, she refused to leave Middle Earth, Elrond gives Aragorn the sword Andúril, Isildurs sword Narsil reforged, so he can reclaim his birthright while gaining reinforcements from the Dead Men of Dunharrow. Joined by Legolas and Gimli, Aragorn travels to the Paths of the Dead, Faramir is gravely wounded after a futile effort to retake Osgiliath, and believing his son to be dead, Denethor falls into madness. Gandalf is left to command the city defences against the Orc army led by Gothmog, but as Gothmogs forces eventually force their way into the city, Denethor attempts to kill himself and Faramir on a pyre. Pippin alerts Gandalf and they save Faramir, but Denethor leaps to his death from the top of Minas Tirith just before Théoden and the Rohirrim arrive. Initially, the Rohirrim have the advantage at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, though Théodens niece Éowyn, having posed as a male soldier, battles and slays the Witch-King with Merrys help, Théoden dies of his wounds. Aragorn arrives with the Army of the Dead, they overcome the Orcs, Aragorn and the other captains of Men decide to lead all who can march upon the Black Gate as a distraction, so Frodo and Sam can get to Mount Doom. Gollum disposes of the last of the food, blaming Sam
29.
The Nostradamus Kid
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The Nostradamus Kid is a 1992 Australian feature film written and directed by Bob Ellis. The film is about the religious and sexual coming of age of a 1950s and 1960s Seventh-day Adventist boy, ken Elkin is a randy young man who is told that the world is about to end. In a race against time, theres only one goal he wants to accomplish—bedding the love of his life and it was nominated for two AFI Awards, Best Screenplay, Original & Best Achievement in Costume Design. The project had been around for a number of years since David Puttnam suggested Bob Ellis turn his upbringing into a film and hired him to write it in 1979. It was originally announced that it would be made in the early 1980s with Paul Cox as director, Patric Juillet and Jane Ballantyne as producer, later on John Duigan, Carl Schultz and Chris McGill were attached as directors. Phillip Adams, who was to produce with Puttnam, said we couldnt raise the dough and it was obliterated during the 10BA rush because it wasnt expensive enough. Ellis then became a director and wanted to make it himself and he eventually succeeded in raising the money through the FFC. Another actor was originally cast in the role but the FFC had reservations. He ended up casting Noah Taylor and he was much less the sort of soft wimp that Id assumed, and it was one of the happiest experiences Ive ever had, working with him and those wonderful young actors, says Ellis. The original cut was 148 minutes but Ellis got it down to 122 minutes and he then reduced it to under two hours, but thought losing those last two minutes hurt the film. The Nostradamus Kid grossed $242,800 at the box office in Australia, Ellis, It ended up opening in October when all the kids who might have otherwise gone to see it were studying for exams and so on. So it didnt quite break out and it was dogged at every turn by The Piano, which I both detest and resent because it is a conscienceless piece of American betrayal of a story that wasnt very good in the first place
30.
The Monkey's Mask
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The Monkeys Mask is an international co-production 2000 thriller film directed by Samantha Lang. It stars Susie Porter and Kelly McGillis, Porter plays a lesbian private detective who falls in love with a suspect in the disappearance of a young woman. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Australian poet Dorothy Porter. A young woman called Mickey reads a poem to an audience at a bar, when she leaves, she gets into an unseen persons car. Jill Fitzpatrick is a police officer and a private detective who investigates missing persons. She gets a job to look for Mickey, who has been missing for two weeks, Jill goes to Mickeys university and meets her poetry professor, Diana. Jill is quickly attracted to Diana, who is married and they meet several times for coffee, not always talking about Mickey, and go out for a drink. Jill hears from Mickeys parents that Mickeys body has been found and they want Jill to continue investigating because the police are no help. Jill continues working but is distracted by her affair with Diana, one day Dianas husband catches them together, but he is not bothered. Jills friend Lou introduces her to the poet community and she meets two poets, Bill and Tony, both of whom are older men who were having sexual relationships with Mickey. Neither want to talk to Jill, Jill reads some of Mickeys poems that were written about Bill. Sexually explicit, Diana calls them victim poetry and calls Mickey a nympho, Jill starts receiving threatening telephone messages from someone with their voice disguised. Mickeys flatmate gives Jill a video taken of Mickey in the bar the night she went missing, one night Diana chokes Jill during sex to achieve erotic asphyxiation. Later Diana asks her if she enjoyed it, Jill meets Bill who tells her that Mickey broke him and made him write filth. He says he has connected to the case and will come to Jills house with it. On his way to her house, Bills car explodes and he dies, Jill tells Diana that Bill had told her about some evil poems Mickey had written. Diana says they must track them down, Jill begins to wonder who else was in Mickeys life and asks Diana if Mickey ever wrote poems for her. Diana says she not know, but that Mickey was straight
31.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
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The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers is a 2002 epic high fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson and based on the second volume of J. R. R. Tolkiens novel The Lord of the Rings. It is the installment in The Lord of the Rings film series. Continuing the plot of The Fellowship of the Ring, the film intercuts three storylines, Frodo and Sam continue their journey towards Mordor to destroy the One Ring, meeting and joined by Gollum, the rings former owner. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli come to the nation of Rohan and are reunited with the resurrected Gandalf. Merry and Pippin escape capture, meet Treebeard the Ent, meeting high critical acclaim, the film was an enormous box-office success, earning over $926 million worldwide and is currently the 39th highest-grossing film of all time. The film won accolades and was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee continue their journey to Mordor to destroy the One Ring by throwing it into Mount Doom and they are attacked in the night by Gollum, former owner of the Ring, but they capture him. Sympathising with Gollum for their shared burden, Frodo asks Gollum to lead them safely to Mordor, meanwhile, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli pursue the Uruk-hai who kidnapped their friends Merry and Pippin. The Uruk-hai are slaughtered by the Rohirrim army of Rohan, Aragorn’s group later meet the Rohirrim who have been banished by their king Théoden, who is manipulated by Saruman’s servant Grima Wormtongue. Tracking the Hobbits in Fangorn, Aragorn’s group encounter a resurrected Gandalf who perished in Moria, Gollum leads Frodo and Sam through the Dead Marshes while evading the Nazgûl. They reach the Black Gate to Mordor but Gollum stops them, saying its too risky, the trio later are captured by the Rangers of Ithilien, led by Faramir, brother of the late Boromir. When Faramir discovers Frodo has the Ring, he intends on taking him to Gondor, Aragorn, Gandalf, Legolas, and Gimli travel to Rohan’s capital Edoras where Gandalf releases Théoden from Saruman’s power and Wormtongue is banished. Aragorn strikes up a friendship with Théoden’s niece Éowyn who quickly falls in love with him, during a Warg attack, Aragorn falls off a cliff into a river, but is found by his horse and taken to Helm’s Deep. In Fangorn, Merry and Pippin attend an Ent council but learn Treebeard and they convince them otherwise when they show the destruction Saruman has unleashed on the forests around Isengard. The Ents storm Isengard, and release the dam placed upon the nearby river, the Uruk-hai army arrive at Helm’s Deep, finding a makeshift army of civilians and Elves from Rivendell waiting for them. A great battle follows with Théoden losing hope until Aragorn convinces him to ride out, Gandalf and the Rohirrim arrive, turning the tide of the battle and destroying the Uruk-hai. Frodo, Sam, and Gollum are taken to the fallen Gondor city Osgiliath but they are attacked by the Nazgûl, Sam informs Faramir of how the Ring nearly drove Boromir mad, stunning Faramir. Frodo is nearly captured by the Nazgûl but Sam tackles him down a flight of stairs, after the attack ends, Faramir frees the trio and sends them on their way
32.
Fracture (2004 film)
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Fracture is a 2004 New Zealand film written and directed by Larry Parr and based on the novel by Maurice Gee. The film is set in Wellington and stars Kate Elliott, Jared Turner, the film was met with positive reviews and was the second highest grossing local film at the New Zealand box office in 2004 behind In My Fathers Den. A young solo mother loves her son and his needs are foremost, but when the brother is responsible for a womans broken neck, during his burglary of her house, families are changed as crisis amplifies and at times the young mother seems to be the only adult. A single crack can shatter everything, the film had originally been set for a 2003 release but was delayed during production by the dissolution of director Larry Parrs production company Kahukura Productions. NZFC Profile Page Fracture at the Internet Movie Database NZ On Screen page
33.
One Night with the King
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One Night with the King is a historical epic film that was released in 2006 in the United States. The movie was produced by Matt Crouch and Laurie Crouch of Gener8Xion Entertainment and it was ninth on the list of highest-grossing motion pictures during the week it was released. This film received a 2007 CAMIE Award, as Luke Goss did for his portrayal of King Xerxes, the movie is set in Susa, Persia. King Xerxes holds a great feast for all the people to attend, Hadassah longs to go to Jerusalem to see the Holy Land and prepares to leave with the caravan along with her friend, Jesse. They stop by the Kings feast before he goes marching to war to avenge his father’s death, Hadassah and Jesse witness the King summoning Queen Vashti. Queen Vashti was opposed to the war, desiring King Xerxes to enhance his kingdom instead and she holds her own feast in protest to the war. When the king summons her to his own feast, she refuses to come stating, I am queen, or shame my crown by wearing it before your drunk, and thinly veiled war council. Because of this, King Xerxes is advised to banish her, all beautiful virgin women in the stronghold of Susa are brought in so Xerxes could leave behind a queen to keep the kingdom unified. Under the command of her foster-father, Uncle Mordecai, Hadassah does not reveal her nationality or family and she is taken in with the rest of the selected women and given cosmetics, perfumes, and treatments under the care of Hegai, the king’s royal eunuch. Through her quick wit, intelligence, and integrity, she becomes Hegais favorite contestant, on their night with the king, each contestant is allowed to bring along whatever she wishes from the harem. She goes in the evening and returns in the morning to a second harem to another royal eunuch who is custodian to the concubines and she will not be able to return to the king unless she pleases him and he summons her by name. During their preparation, Hegai discovers Esther can read and listens to her reading to the other contestants, late into the night, he brings her to King Xerxes to read to him. She starts reading from the scroll and then begins telling the love story of Jacob. He is amused and intrigued and dismisses her, saying she would read to him again, from this interaction, Esther falls in love with the King. When it is Esthers turn for her one night with the king and she wins the kings favor by revealing her heart to him. He chooses her and crowns her queen, simultaneously, Haman the Agagite is promoted to the highest-ranking official. He has all the servants at the royal gate to kneel before him. Mordecai refuses, declaring he will only kneel before God and the king and he announces himself before Haman to be a son of Abraham, a Jew
34.
Running Scared (2006 film)
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Running Scared is a 2006 German-American crime thriller film written and directed by Wayne Kramer, and starring Paul Walker, Cameron Bright, and Vera Farmiga. It was released in the United States on February 24,2006, Joey Gazelle, a low-level associate for the Mafia member Tommy Tombs Perello, is present during a drug deal gone wrong. A trio of corrupt cops led by Rydell, storm in to steal the drugs, money and kill everyone else, Tommy looks to Joey to get rid of the guns but instead, Joey goes home to his wife Teresa, and his son, Nicky. Nicky and his friend from next door, Oleg, secretly watch as Joey stashes the guns in the basement. Oleg decides to one of the guns after Joey leaves and goes home that night to his mother Mila and abusive stepfather, Anzor Yugorsky. Oleg shoots Anzor after he becomes belligerent with him and his mother, after hearing the gunshot, Joey arrives to find Anzor wounded and Oleg gone. Anzor describes the gun to Joey, making him realize Oleg has one of the weapons, Joey realizes he has to find Oleg. Throughout the night, Oleg runs into many people, including a homeless man, a drug dealer. After saving Divina from Lester, she decides to help Oleg, Joey is there to talk to Frankie Perello, the Italian mob boss, about Oleg and to tell him that the gun Oleg used wasnt from the shootout. Nicky and Oleg stash the gun in the bathroom and when Oleg tries to flee, he is caught by the police. When Anzor takes Oleg out for ice cream to get him to him where the gun is. He is then found by a couple, Dez and Edele. When Oleg becomes suspicious of them, he fakes a stomach and on the way to the bathroom, he finds Edeles purse by the door, takes her cell phone. She prompts him to anything with the apartments address, and promises to come get him as Dez and Edele try. When Teresa arrives, she threatens her way inside and searches the whole apartment, when she goes to leave, she realizes something is off. She threatens Dez who eventually indicates a closet in the playroom, after Teresa saves Oleg by doing CPR, she holds the couple at gunpoint and tells Oleg to get the other kids and leave. Dez attempts to bribe Teresa with $100,000 in diamonds if she takes only Oleg with her. Teresa ignores him and finds children costumes, plastic bags, snuff films and surgical instruments in the playroom closet
35.
The Last Airbender
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The Last Airbender is a 2010 American action fantasy adventure film written, produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It is based on the first season of the 2000s Nickelodeon animated series Avatar, the film stars Noah Ringer as Aang, with Dev Patel as Prince Zuko, Nicola Peltz as Katara, and Jackson Rathbone as Sokka. Development for the film began in 2007 and it was produced by Nickelodeon Movies and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Premiering in New York City on June 30,2010, it opened the day in the rest of the country. However, some praised the style, James Newton Howards soundtrack, and the performances from Dev Patel, Aasif Mandvi. The film swept the Golden Raspberry Awards in 2010, with five wins including Worst Picture, despite the negative reviews, The Last Airbender opened in second place at the box office behind The Twilight Saga, Eclipse. Produced on a $150 million budget, the film grossed $131 million domestically and it is currently the fourth highest grossing Nickelodeon film, behind The SpongeBob Movie, Sponge Out of Water, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and The Adventures of Tintin. 15-year-old Sokka and his 14-year-old sister, Katara, are near a river at the Southern Water Tribe, while hunting, they discover an iceberg that when broken open shoots a beam of light into the sky. Inside of the iceberg is a 12-year-old boy named Aang and a giant flying bison named Appa, unknown to them, Aang is the long-lost Avatar — the only person capable of bending all 4 elements of Air, Water, Earth and Fire. A century has passed since the Fire Nation has declared war on the other 3 nations of Air, Water, and Earth in their attempt to conquer the world. Zuko is the scarred 16-year-old exiled prince of the Fire Nation on a quest to find the Avatar and bring him to his father, Fire Lord Ozai, so he can regain his honor. Seeing the light that appeared from Aangs release, Zuko and some Fire Nation soldiers arrive at the Southern Water Tribe to demand the hand over the Avatar. Aang reveals himself and surrenders to Zuko on the condition that he agrees to leave the village alone, on the ship, Aang is tested by Zukos paternal uncle Iroh to confirm he is the Avatar. After being informed that he is to be their prisoner for passing the test, Aang escapes using his glider and flies to his flying bison brought by Katara and Sokka. Aang and his new friends visit the Southern Air Temple where they meet a winged lemur, Aang also learns that he was in the ice for a whole century and that the Fire Nation wiped out all of the Air Nomads, including his guardian, Monk Gyatso. In despair, he enters the Avatar State and finds himself in the Spirit World where he encounters a Dragon Spirit, Kataras pleas bring Aang back out of the Avatar State. They incite a rebellion by reminding the disgruntled Earthbenders that Earth was given to them, Aang tells Katara and Sokka that he only knows airbending and must master the other three elements. During the prison break, Zhao realizes that Zuko is the masked vigilante, with the cloud covering their escape, Aang escapes with an unconscious Zuko into a nearby forest and watches over Zuko until morning, when he leaves to reunite with Sokka and Katara
36.
DC Universe Animated Original Movies
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The DC Universe Animated Original Movies are direct-to-video film projects being created by Warner Premiere, Warner Bros. Animation, and DC Comics with the help of such as Bruce Timm. These more recent movie projects have included many of the voice actors who worked on previous DC animated series. Unlike earlier animated DC films, the films in the line are aimed at a adult audience, often containing profane language, stronger violence. Many of the films are adapted from stories originally featured in DC print comics, currently,27 feature films and five short films have been released, with additional films slated for future releases until 2020. Justice League, Crisis on Two Earths and Batman, The Killing Joke had limited releases in theaters, most of the films were voice directed by Andrea Romano while the later films were voice directed by Wes Gleason. The first of these projects was Superman, Doomsday, which was based on the popular 1992–1993 storyline The Death of Superman where Superman fights Doomsday in a duel to the death. It was released on September 21,2007, the film received generally mixed-to-positive reviews. Justice League, The New Frontier was based on Darwyn Cookes 2003–2004 comic book limited series DC and it was released on February 26,2008. Also, Joe Alaskey briefly voices Bugs Bunny in one scene where Martian Manhunter was taking on different shapes when watching television, the film was the first to feature Batman using authentic Japanese anime from four different Japanese animation studios. Notable comic talents such as Brian Azzarello, David S. Goyer and it was released on July 8,2008. The solo Wonder Woman film dealt primarily with the story of Diana of Themyscira. Much of the structure of the story was borrowed from George Pérezs post-Crisis on Infinite Earths comics 1987 relaunch entitled Gods. Before screenwriter Michael Jelenic was brought on board for rewrites, the script was written by former monthly Wonder Woman scribe Gail Simone. It was released on March 3,2009, Miller as Thrax, John DiMaggio as Deimos, Rosario Dawson as Artemis, David McCallum as Zeus, Marg Helgenberger as Hera, and Rick Overton as the President. Lauren Montgomery returned from Wonder Woman to direct Green Lantern, First Flight, according to Montgomery, It’s a cop-thriller set in outer space, with very little time spent on Earth. It’s a training day sort of story where the veteran space cop meets the rookie space cop, the film focuses on Hal Jordan and his relationship with veteran Green Lantern Sinestro, and their relationship as pupil and teacher, until Sinestro betrays the Green Lantern Corps. It was released on July 28,2009, like its predecessors, the animated film also had a positive reception
