1.
Videotape
–
Videotape is magnetic tape used for storing video and usually sound in addition. Information stored can be in the form of either a signal or digital signal. Videotape is used in video tape recorders or, more commonly, videocassette recorders and camcorders. Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the produced by an electrocardiogram. Tape is a method of storing information and thus imposes delays to access a portion of the tape that is not already under the heads. The early 2000s saw the introduction and rise to prominence of high quality video recording media such as hard disks. Since then, videotape has been relegated to archival and similar uses. The electronics division of entertainer Bing Crosbys production company, Bing Crosby Enterprises, overall the picture quality was still considered inferior to the best kinescope recordings on film. Bing Crosby Enterprises hoped to have a version available in 1954. The BBC experimented from 1952 to 1958 with a high-speed linear videotape system called VERA and it used half-inch tape traveling at 200 inches per second. RCA demonstrated the magnetic recording of both black-and-white and color television programs at its Princeton laboratories on December 1,1953. The high-speed longitudinal tape system, called Simplex, in development since 1951, could record, the color system used half-inch tape to record five tracks, one each for red, blue, green, synchronization, and audio. The black-and-white system used quarter-inch tape with two tracks, one for video and one for audio, both systems ran at 360 inches per second. RCA-owned NBC first used it on The Jonathan Winters Show on October 23,1956 when a song sequence by Dorothy Collins in color was included in the otherwise live television program. BCE demonstrated a color system in February 1955 using a longitudinal recording on half-inch tape. CBS, RCAs competitor, was about to order BCE machines when Ampex introduced the superior Quadruplex system, BCE was acquired by 3M Company in 1956. Quad employed a transverse four-head system on a tape. On January 22,1957, the NBC Television game show Truth or Consequences, produced in Hollywood, Ampex introduced a color videotape recorder in 1958 in a cross-licensing agreement with RCA, whose engineers had developed it from an Ampex black-and-white recorder
2.
Stereophonic sound
–
Stereophonic sound or, more commonly, stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that creates an illusion of multi-directional audible perspective. Thus the term applies to so-called quadraphonic and surround-sound systems as well as the more common two-channel. It is often contrasted with monophonic, or mono sound, where audio is heard as coming from one position, in the 2000s, stereo sound is common in entertainment systems such as broadcast radio and TV, recorded music and the cinema. The word stereophonic derives from the Greek στερεός, firm, solid + φωνή, sound, tone, voice and it was coined in 1927 by Western Electric, the signal is then reproduced over multiple loudspeakers to recreate, as closely as possible, the live sound. Secondly artificial or pan-pot stereo, in which a sound is reproduced over multiple loudspeakers. By varying the amplitude of the signal sent to each speaker an artificial direction can be suggested. The control which is used to vary this relative amplitude of the signal is known as a pan-pot, by combining multiple pan-potted mono signals together, a complete, yet entirely artificial, sound field can be created. In technical usage, true stereo sound recording and sound reproduction that uses stereographic projection to encode the relative positions of objects and events recorded. During two-channel stereo recording, two microphones are placed in strategically chosen locations relative to the source, with both recording simultaneously. The two recorded channels will be similar, but each will have distinct time-of-arrival and sound-pressure-level information, during playback, the listeners brain uses those subtle differences in timing and sound level to triangulate the positions of the recorded objects. Stereo recordings often cannot be played on systems without a significant loss of fidelity. This phenomenon is known as phase cancellation and this two-channel telephonic process was commercialized in France from 1890 to 1932 as the Théâtrophone, and in England from 1895 to 1925 as the Electrophone. Both were services available by coin-operated receivers at hotels and cafés, modern stereophonic technology was invented in the 1930s by British engineer Alan Blumlein at EMI, who patented stereo records, stereo films, and also surround sound. In early 1931, Blumlein and his wife were at a local cinema, Blumlein declared to his wife that he had found a way to make the sound follow the actor across the screen. The genesis of ideas is uncertain, but he explained them to Isaac Shoenberg in the late summer of 1931. His earliest notes on the subject are dated 25 September 1931, the application was dated 14 December 1931, and was accepted on 14 June 1933 as UK patent number 394,325. The patent covered many ideas in stereo, some of which are used today and these discs used the two walls of the groove at right angles in order to carry the two channels. Much of the development work on this system for cinematic use did not reach completion until 1935, in Blumleins short test films, his original intent of having the sound follow the actor was fully realised
3.
Fergie (singer)
–
Fergie Duhamel is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She is the female vocalist for the hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas, in 2001, she left the group and in the subsequent year began to team up with The Black Eyed Peas. With The Black Eyed Peas, she enjoyed a series of hits, the Black Eyed Peas enjoyed further success with the release of their third album with Ferguson, The E. N. D. they attained their first string of Billboard Hot 100 number one songs. She began touring in 2009/2010 with her group and she launched her fragrance, Outspoken. She continued success with The Black Eyed Peas and they released the album The Beginning, Ferguson was born in Hacienda Heights, California, the daughter of devout Roman Catholic school teachers Theresa Ann and Jon Patrick Ferguson. Her ancestry includes Irish, Scottish, English, Mexican and Native American and she was raised Roman Catholic and attended Mesa Robles Middle School and Glen A. Wilson High School. She was a cheerleader, straight-A student and spelling bee champion, from 1984 to 1989, she starred on the TV show Kids Incorporated and was the longest running cast member, she starred in the first six of the shows nine seasons. Ferguson was a member of the female trio Wild Orchid, which she fronted with Stefanie Ridel, by 1992, the girls began meeting with record labels, but they still could not get a recording contract. They eventually signed a publishing deal with Sony Publishing before signing a record contract with RCA Records in 1994. In April 2007, she gave an interview in which she admitted that she went on a sex and drugs spree when she turned eighteen, saying, I wont say how many men Ive had sex with—but I am a very sexual person. Wild Orchids first single, At Night I Pray, debuted on the Billboard charts in September 1996, in March 1997, the band released their self-titled debut album, which debuted at number one. In September 1998, they released their album, Oxygen. From June 16 to August 28,1999, they opened for Chers Do You Believe, Tour alongside Cyndi Lauper, which took them to 52 cities across the United States and Canada. They completed an album, which their record label declined to release. In 2006, Ferguson told Entertainment Weekly that both frustrations with the image and personal drug problems led her to leave Wild Orchid. The Black Eyed Peas were recording their album, Elephunk. She got the gig and instantly bonded with the trio, going on to five additional songs on the album. From Elephunk came Where is the Love, which became The Black Eyed Peas first major hit, it peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in several other countries
4.
Barry Williams (actor)
–
Barry William Blenkhorn, known professionally as Barry Williams, is an American actor best known for his role as the eldest of the Brady sons, Greg Brady, on the ABC television series The Brady Bunch. Williams decided as a child that he wanted to be an actor, in 1988, Williams appeared on Broadway in the musical Romance/Romance with Tony Award-nominee Alison Fraser. Williams took over the male role of Alfred/Sam when Scott Bakula left the production. Years later, Williams was able to capitalize on being typecast as Greg Brady, amid a procession of appearances in TV and movies that played up his famous teen role, he ended up landing a role that was a departure from the Brady image. He was tapped to play English con man Hannibal in 1984, Williams has appeared in various Brady Bunch TV movie reunions, including the 1988 Christmas movie, A Very Brady Christmas. In 1989, Williams was honored by the Young Artist Foundation with its Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award for his role as Greg Brady. In 2001–2002, he played Manager Dean The Machine Strickland in 13 episodes of the sitcom, Hollywood 7, in 2002, Williams participated on the FOX television show Celebrity Boxing, in a boxing match between him and former Partridge Family star, Danny Bonaduce. He lost to Bonaduce who holds a black belt in martial arts, Williams played himself in the 2003 film Dickie Roberts, Former Child Star. In December 2007, he launched a fan portal named The Greg Brady Project, the site features ongoing conversations with Barry, fans and other celebrities. In 2008, Williams appeared in Episode 6 of the VH1 series, Williams participated as a friend of one of the patients, Chyna, and explained to her during a group session how her drinking had a negative impact on his own life and career. In January 2010, he took a role in The Asylum mockbuster, Mega Piranha, in late 2011, Williams started appearing in a show at the Yakov Smirnoff theater in Branson, Missouri, where he resides. He then moved to the Americana Theatre in Branson, where he performs his 70s Music Celebration, musical variety show, which showcases his singing and guitar playing ability along with clips, videos, and stories from his time on The Brady Bunch. On September 4,2016, Williams performed the anthem at the NASCAR Sprint Cup 2016 Bojangles Southern 500. The TV announcer said Williams was in full Johnny Bravo mode, with the death of Florence Henderson on November 24,2016, Williams became the oldest surviving cast member from The Brady Bunch. In January 2001, Williams was fined $52,000 by Actors Equity Association, according to Variety, the production was picketed in several cities. Williams responded by filing a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, Equity alleged that Williams, who joined the union in 1974, was still a member when he began contract negotiations for the role. Williams was reinstated by Actors Equity as a member in standing in 2005 after he unionized a non-Equity production of A Christmas Carol in late 2004. Show at the Hughes Brothers Theatre in Branson, Missouri
5.
David Hasselhoff
–
David Michael Hasselhoff, nicknamed The Hoff, is an American actor, singer, producer, and businessman, who set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV. He first gained recognition on The Young and The Restless, playing Dr. Snapper Foster and his career continued with his leading role as Michael Knight on Knight Rider and as L. A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the series Baywatch, Hasselhoff produced Baywatch from the 1990s until 2001 when the series ended with Baywatch Hawaii. On screen, he appeared in films including Click, Dodgeball, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, in 2000, he made his Broadway debut in the musical Jekyll & Hyde. Following his debut, he starred in musicals including Chicago. Hasselhoff was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Dolores Therese, a homemaker, and Joseph Vincent Hasselhoff and his family is Roman Catholic, of German, Irish and English descent. His great-great-grandmother, Meta, emigrated with her family to Baltimore from Völkersen, Germany,30 kilometres from Bremen and he spent his pre-teen years in Jacksonville, Florida, and later lived in Atlanta, Georgia, where he attended Marist High School. Hasselhoff made his debut at age seven in Peter Pan. He graduated from Lyons Township High School in La Grange, Illinois in 1970 and he was a member of the speech team, senior discussion leaders, president of the choir, captain of the volleyball team and held roles in several plays. He studied at Oakland University before graduating with a degree in theater at the California Institute of the Arts, Hasselhoff portrayed Dr. Snapper Foster on The Young and the Restless from 1975–82, leaving the series as the show wrote out many of their original characters. In 1979, he played Simon in Starcrash and he launched his singing career with guest appearances on the first season of childrens program Kids Incorporated, performing Do You Love Me. He guest starred on two episodes of Diffrent Strokes and the soap opera Santa Barbara as himself in 1984, Hasselhoff was recruited by then NBC President Brandon Tartikoff to star in the science-fiction series Knight Rider from 1982 to 1986 as Michael Knight. He has described Knight Rider as more than a TV show and its bigger than Baywatch ever was. On the success of Knight Rider – Its because it was saving lives, not taking lives. And we had a blast making it, and we made sure nobody died on the show and his role in the show led him to a Peoples Choice Award for Most Popular Actor. Now, over 33 years later, the show is playing throughout the world. While his star status waxed and waned in the USA, his popularity endured longer in Germany to the end of the 1980s, in 1989, David trained with Patsy Swayze at Debbie Reynolds Studio in North Hollywood for the Austrian segment of his Knight Rider tour. Hasselhoff returned to television on Baywatch which premiered in 1989 and his contract stipulated royalties to be paid to him from the rerun profits, which gave him the financial liberty to buy back the rights to Baywatch from NBC
6.
Brittany Murphy
–
Brittany Murphy-Monjack, known professionally as Brittany Murphy, was an American film and stage actress, singer, and voice artist. A native of Atlanta, Murphy moved to Los Angeles as a teenager and her breakthrough role was as Tai Frasier in Clueless, followed by supporting roles in independent films such as Freeway and Bongwater. She made her debut in a Broadway production of Arthur Millers A View from the Bridge in 1997, before appearing as Daisy Randone in Girl, Interrupted. The 2000s saw Murphy with roles in Dont Say a Word alongside Michael Douglas and her later roles included Riding in Cars with Boys, Spun, Uptown Girls, Sin City, and Happy Feet. Murphy also voiced Luanne Platter on the television series King of the Hill. Her final film, Something Wicked, was released in April 2014, in December 2009, Murphy died of pneumonia and anemia at the age of 32. The Los Angeles County Coroners Office at first ruled her death a drug overdose. In 2011, Murphys mother Sharon filed a lawsuit against the attorneys who represented her in a suit against the builders of the home where her daughter. Brittany Anne Bertolotti was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to Sharon Kathleen Murphy and Angelo Joseph Bertolotti, Murphy was raised by her mother in Edison, New Jersey. Bertolotti was not named as her father on Brittanys first death certificate, prior to her enrolling at Edison High School, the family moved to Los Angeles in 1991 so that Murphy could pursue an acting career. Murphys mother is of Irish and Eastern European descent and her father is of Italian ancestry and she was raised a Baptist and later became a non-denominational Christian. She had two older half-brothers and a younger half-sister, Murphy attended Verne Fowler School of Dance and Theatre Arts in Colonia, New Jersey, in 1982. From the age of four, she trained in singing, dancing, Murphy made her Broadway debut in 1997, as Catherine, in a revival of Arthur Millers A View from the Bridge opposite veteran actors Anthony LaPaglia and Allison Janney. Murphy landed her first job in Hollywood when she was thirteen and she then went on to play Molly Morgan in the short-lived The Torkelsons spinoff Almost Home. Murphy also guest-starred on several series, including Parker Lewis Cant Lose, Blossom, seaQuest 2032, Murder One. She also had recurring roles on Sister, Sister, Party of Five, Murphys breakthrough role was in her second feature film, the teen comedy Clueless, directed by Amy Heckerling, which went on to receive cult status. She followed this with roles in Freeway, with Reese Witherspoon and Kiefer Sutherland, and she also voiced the character Luanne Platter on Foxs animated sitcom King of the Hill for the entirety of the shows run from 1997 to 2009, and Joseph Gribble until the fifth season. She was nominated for an Annie Award for voice acting in the King of the Hill episode Movin On Up, in 2003, she starred in the romantic comedies Just Married and Little Black Book and the critically acclaimed Sin City
7.
Florence Henderson
–
Florence Agnes Henderson was an American actress and singer with a career spanning six decades. She is best remembered for her role as matriarch Carol Brady on the ABC sitcom The Brady Bunch from 1969 to 1974. Henderson also appeared in film, as well as on stage and she appeared as a guest on many scripted and unscripted television programs and as a panelist on numerous game shows. She was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars in 2010, Henderson, the youngest of 10 children, was born on Valentines Day,1934, in Dale, Indiana, a small town in the southwestern part of the state. She was a daughter of Elizabeth, a homemaker, and Joseph Henderson, during the Great Depression, she was taught to sing at the age of two by her mother, who had a repertoire of 50 songs. By the time she was eight, her family called her Florency, Henderson graduated from St. Francis Academy in Owensboro, Kentucky, in 1951, and shortly thereafter, went to New York City, enrolling in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She was an Alumna Initiate of the Alpha Chi chapter of Delta Zeta sorority, Henderson started her career on the stage performing in musicals, such as the touring production of Oklahoma. And South Pacific at Lincoln Center and she debuted on Broadway in the musical Wish You Were Here in 1952, and later starred on Broadway in the long-running 1954 musical, Fanny in which she originated the title role. Henderson appeared with Gordon MacRae in the Oklahoma, segment of the 90-minute television special, General Foods 25th Anniversary Show, A Salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein. She later appeared in The Abbe and the Nymph, an episode of the 1950s TV series I Spy and she also portrayed Meg March in a CBS-TV musical adaptation of Little Women, which aired October 16,1958. Henderson appeared in two episodes of The United States Steel Hour and she portrayed Mary Jane in an episodic adaptation of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which aired on November 20,1957. She also appeared in A Family Alliance, an adaptation of a short story from A Harvest of Stories by Dorothy Canfield Fisher. Henderson, along with Bill Hayes, appeared in the Oldsmobile commercials from 1958 through 1961 on The Patti Page Show for which Oldsmobile was the sponsor, Hayes and she also made a musical performance in the January 13,1960, broadcast of Tonight Starring Jack Paar. Henderson also appeared on Broadway in The Girl Who Came to Supper and she also joined the ranks of what was then called The Today Girl on NBCs long-running morning show, doing weather and light news, a position also once held by Barbara Walters. She made later musical performances in Paars subsequent talk show in 1963, including the January 25 and she performed in the May 19,1963, broadcast of The Voice of Firestone, alongside baritone Mario Sereni. She also released her albums under RCA Victor as part of her music career and her most widely recognized role was as Carol Brady in The Brady Bunch which aired on ABC from 1969 until 1974. Primarily owing to her role on The Brady Bunch, Henderson was ranked by TV Land, an avid game-show fan, Henderson was a frequent panelist on the original version of Hollywood Squares and made occasional appearances on The $25,000 Pyramid. Henderson was the spokeswoman for Wesson cooking oil from 1974 to 1996, during that time, she hosted a cooking show on TNN, Country Kitchen, and did ads for Pranges, a former Wisconsin department store chain
8.
24 (TV series)
–
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
9.
The Black Eyed Peas
–
The Black Eyed Peas is an American group, consisting of rappers will. i. am, apl. de. ap, Taboo, and singer Fergie. Originally an alternative hip hop group, they changed their musical sound to pop and dance-pop music. Although the group was founded in Los Angeles in 1995, it was not until the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003 that they achieved record sales. Since that time, the group has sold an estimated 76 million records, according to Nielsen SoundScan, the Black Eyed Peas were the second-best-selling artist/group of all time for downloaded tracks, with over 42 million sales as of the end of 2011. Their first major hit was the 2003 single Where Is the Love, from Elephunk, which topped the charts in 13 countries, including the United Kingdom, where it spent seven weeks at number one and went on to become Britains biggest selling single of 2003. Another European hit single from the album was Shut Up. Their fourth album, Monkey Business, was an even bigger success, certified 4× Platinum in the U. S. and spawning four singles, Dont Phunk with My Heart, Dont Lie, My Humps. I Gotta Feeling became the first single to more than one million downloads in the United Kingdom. The Black Eyed Peas were ranked 12th on Billboards Decade-End Chart Artist of the Decade, at the 52nd Grammy Awards ceremony, held in January 2010, they won three awards out of six nominations. In November 2010, they released the album The Beginning, in February 2011, the group performed at the Super Bowl XLV halftime show. The Black Eyed Peas date back to 1988, when eighth-graders William Adams and Allan Pineda met, the pair signed to Ruthless Records in 1992, catching the attention of Eazy-E manager Jerry Hellers nephew. Along with another friend of theirs, Dante Santiago, they called their trio Atban Klann, will 1X, apl. de. ap, Mookie Mook, DJ Motiv8, and Dante Santiago formed Atban Klann. Their debut album, Grass Roots, was never released due to Ruthless records founder Eazy-Es death, after Eazy-E died in 1995, Atban Klann reformed and changed their name to Black Eyed Pods, and then Black Eyed Peas. Dante Santiago was replaced with Jaime Gomez, and Kim Hill became a background singer. Unlike the gangsta rap sounds of Los Angeles-based hip hop acts at the time, after being signed to Interscope Records and releasing their debut, Behind the Front the group earned critical acclaim. One of the singles from the album was Joints & Jam, singer Sierra Swan joined in 1998, appearing on the 1998 song Fallin Up, before she left in 2000. Their second album, Bridging the Gap, produced the singles Weekends featuring Esthero, Hill left the band while producing the album, but was still featured on the album tracks for Hot and Tell Your Mama Come as well as in the video for Weekends. Their third album Elephunk began development on November 2,2001 and it was the first album to feature the vocals of current member Fergie
10.
Grammy Award
–
A Grammy Award, or Grammy, is an honor awarded by The Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the mainly English-language music industry. The annual presentation ceremony features performances by prominent artists, and the presentation of awards that have a more popular interest. It shares recognition of the industry as that of the other performance awards such as the Emmy Awards, the Tony Awards. The first Grammy Awards ceremony was held on May 4,1959, to honor, following the 2011 ceremony, The Academy overhauled many Grammy Award categories for 2012. The 59th Grammy Awards, honoring the best achievements from October 2015 to September 2016, was held on February 12,2017, the Grammys had their origin in the Hollywood Walk of Fame project in the 1950s. The music executives decided to rectify this by creating a given by their industry similar to the Oscars. This was the beginning of the National Academy of Recording Arts, after it was decided to create such an award, there was still a question of what to call it, one working title was the Eddie, to honor the inventor of the phonograph, Thomas Edison. They finally settled on using the name of the invention of Emile Berliner, the gramophone, for the awards, the number of awards given grew and fluctuated over the years with categories added and removed, at one time reaching over 100. The second Grammy Awards, also held in 1959, was the first ceremony to be televised, the gold-plated trophies, each depicting a gilded gramophone, are made and assembled by hand by Billings Artworks in Ridgway, Colorado. In 1990 the original Grammy design was revamped, changing the traditional soft lead for a stronger alloy less prone to damage, Billings developed a zinc alloy named grammium, which is trademarked. The trophies with the name engraved on them are not available until after the award announcements. By February 2009,7,578 Grammy trophies had been awarded, the General Field are four awards which are not restricted by genre. Album of the Year is awarded to the performer and the team of a full album if other than the performer. Record of the Year is awarded to the performer and the team of a single song if other than the performer. Song of the Year is awarded to the writer/composer of a single song, Best New Artist is awarded to a promising breakthrough performer who releases, during the Eligibility Year, the first recording that establishes the public identity of that artist. The only two artists to win all four of these awards are Christopher Cross, who won all four in 1980, and Adele, who won the Best New Artist award in 2009 and the other three in 2012 and 2017. Other awards are given for performance and production in specific genres, as well as for other such as artwork. Special awards are given for longer-lasting contributions to the music industry, the many other Grammy trophies are presented in a pre-telecast Premiere Ceremony earlier in the afternoon before the Grammy Awards telecast
11.
I Know What You Did Last Summer
–
I Know What You Did Last Summer is a 1997 American slasher film written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Jim Gillespie. The film is based on the 1973 novel of the same name by Lois Duncan. The film also draws inspiration from the legend known as The Hook. The film stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Freddie Prinze, Jr. with Anne Heche, Bridgette Wilson, and Johnny Galecki appearing in supporting roles. I Know What You Did Last Summer centers on four friends who are being stalked by a killer, the film was directed by Jim Gillespie, from a screenplay written by Kevin Williamson, writer of Scream. I Know What You Did Last Summer received mixed reviews from critics and it was also nominated for and won multiple awards. As a result, the film has been parodied and referenced in popular culture, the film was followed by two sequels, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer and the straight-to-DVD release Ill Always Know What You Did Last Summer. On the Fourth of July, four recent high-school graduates — Julie, her boyfriend Ray, Julies best friend Helen, while driving, Ray becomes distracted, hitting a pedestrian. Julie convinces him everything is okay, so he leaves, the group decides to dispose of the body. At the docks, the man revives, but falls into the water, a year later, Julie is home from college for the summer. She receives a letter stating, I know what you did last summer and she tells Barry and Helen about the note, Barry suspects Max. The trio go to the docks where Max works as a fisherman, Barry threatens Max with a hook. Julie discovers that Ray works there, he tries reconciling with Julie and that evening, Max is secretly killed by a figure in a rain slicker wielding a hook. Barry discovers a note in his gym locker containing a picture of his car, going outside, Barry is almost run over by the slicker-wearing figure, driving Barrys car. Julie believes that the person they hit was David Egan, Ray still suspects Max, while Julie and Helen think the killer may be a relative of Egans. They head out to the Egan home and they find Davids sister Missy, who explains that Davids death devastated their family. Missy tells them that a classmate, Billy Blue, paid his respects after David died, as Helen prepares for the Fourth of July parade. The killer sneaks into her house, cuts off her hair and writes, as Julie rushes to Helens house, she finds Maxs corpse in her trunk
12.
Billy Blanks
–
William Wayne Billy Blanks is an American fitness guru, martial artist, actor, and the creator of the Tae Bo exercise program. Blanks was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, the fourth of fifteen children, Blanks began his study of the martial arts at the age of eleven, attending Karate and Taekwondo classes. He was born with an anomaly in his hip joints that impaired his movement, the resulting clumsiness caused taunts from Blanks siblings and led his instructors to believe that he would never accomplish much. Blanks found the answer to challenges in karate. When he saw Bruce Lee on TV, he decided he wanted to be a world martial-arts champion, Blanks was hired as a bodyguard for lead actress Catherine Bach during the filming of 1988s Driving Force, which was filmed in Manila during a time of political unrest. Blanks impressed the producers and was written into the script in a supporting role and this led to Blanks work in several martial arts films, including King of the Kickboxers and the first Bloodfist. Perhaps his most recognizable role to mainstream audiences is in the scene of Tony Scotts The Last Boy Scout. Blanks also appeared as the instructor to Ashley Judds character in Kiss the Girls. In the late 1980s, Blanks developed the Tae Bo workout, while running a studio in Quincy. He used components of his arts and Boxing training. The name is derived from taekwondo and boxing, Blanks opened a fitness center in Los Angeles to teach his new workout. He later attracted some celebrity clients such as Paula Abdul, and he sold over 1.5 million VHS tapes in his first year, and is reported to have grossed between $80 million and $130 million in sales. Blanks is a Christian and released a line of Tae Bo workouts called the Believers series that includes motivational prayers. He has appeared on the Christian television network TBN, in 1974 Blanks married Gayle H. Godfrey, whom he met in karate class. Shortly after the marriage, he adopted Gayles daughter, Shellie, Shellie Blanks Cimarosti, a martial artist, is prominently featured in many Tae Bo videos. Shellie has also produced her own video called Tae Bo Postnatal Power, Gayle and Blanks also have a son, Billy Blanks, Jr. who works as a dancer, singer and fitness instructor. Blanks Jr. produced several best-selling DVDs, including Cardioke and Fat Burning Hip Hop Mix and he has also starred in a touring production of the musical Fame, and has worked as a dancer in music videos with Madonna, Quincy Jones and Paula Abdul. Blanks and Godfrey were divorced in 2008 after 33 years of marriage, Godfrey filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences
