1.
Kurgan
–
A kurgan is a tumulus, a type of burial mound or barrow, heaped over a burial chamber, often of wood. The Russian noun, which is attested in Old East Slavic, is borrowed from an unidentified Turkic language, compare Modern Turkish kurgan. They are mounds of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves, associated with its use in Soviet archaeology, the word is now widely used for tumuli in the context of Eastern European and Central Asian archaeology. The earliest kurgans date to the 4th millennium BC in the Caucasus, kurgans were built in the Eneolithic, Bronze, Iron, Antiquity and Middle Ages, with ancient traditions still active in Southern Siberia and Central Asia. Kurgan cultures are divided archeologically into different sub-cultures, such as Timber Grave, Pit Grave, Scythian, Sarmatian, Hunnish, many placenames contain the word kurgan. The earliest known kurgans are dated to the 4th millennium BC in the Caucasus, Kurgan barrows were characteristic of Bronze Age peoples, and have been found from the Altay Mountains to the Caucasus, Ukraine, Romania, and Bulgaria. Kurgans were used in the Ukrainian and Russian steppes, their use spreading with migration into eastern, central, the monuments of these cultures coincide with Scythian-Saka-Siberian monuments. Scythian-Saka-Siberian monuments have common features, and sometimes common genetic roots, the archaeological site on the Ukok Plateau associated with the Pazyryk culture is included in the Golden Mountains of Altai UNESCO World Heritage Site. Scythian-Saka-Siberian classification includes monuments from the 8th to the 3rd century BC and this period is called the Early or Ancient Nomads epoch. Hunnic monuments date from the 3rd century BC to the 6th century AD, the tradition of kurgan burials was adopted by some neighboring peoples who did not have such a tradition. The Kurgan hypothesis postulates that the Proto-Indo-Europeans were the bearers of the Kurgan culture of the Black Sea, the hypothesis was introduced by Marija Gimbutas in 1956, combining kurgan archaeology with linguistics to locate the origins of the Proto-Indo-European -speaking peoples. She tentatively named the culture Kurgan after their burial mounds. This hypothesis has had a significant impact on Indo-European studies and those scholars who follow Gimbutas identify a Kurgan culture as reflecting an early Indo-European ethnicity, which existed in the steppes and southeastern Europe from the 5th to 3rd millennia BC. In Kurgan cultures, most of the burials were in kurgans, most prominent leaders were buried in individual kurgans, now called Royal kurgans. More elaborate than clan kurgans and containing grave goods, the examples have attracted the greatest attention. Burial mounds are complex structures with internal chambers, within the burial chamber at the heart of the kurgan, elite individuals were buried with grave goods and sacrificial offerings, sometimes including horses and chariots. The structures of the earlier Neolithic period from the 4th to the 3rd millenniums BC and they were inspired by common ritual-mythological ideas. In all periods, the development of the kurgan structure tradition in the various zones is revealed by common components or typical features in the construction of the monuments
Kurgan
–
Sarmatian Kurgan 4th century BC, Fillipovka, South Urals,
Russia. This kurgan was excavated in a dig led by
Russian Academy of Sciences Archeology Institute Prof. L. Yablonsky in the summer of 2006. It is the first kurgan known to be completely destroyed and then rebuilt to its original appearance.
Kurgan
–
Oleg being mourned by his warriors, an 1899 painting by
Viktor Vasnetsov. This burial rite, with the funerary tumulus, is typical of both
Scandinavian and
Eurasian nomadic customs.
Kurgan
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Inside view of the
Thracian mound tomb at Sveshtari, Bulgaria
Kurgan
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Coloured lithograph by
Carlo Bossoli (London, 1856) of the so-called "Tomb of Mithridates",
kurgan near Kerch
2.
Monster Brawl
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Monster Brawl is a 2011 independent horror-comedy film. The film depicts a fight to the death set inside an abandoned and cursed graveyard. The fighters are eight classic movie monsters – Cyclops, Swamp Gut, Frankensteins Monster, Lady Vampire, Werewolf, Mummy, Witch Bitch, acting as play-by‐play announcer is Buzz Chambers with color commentating by former champ Sasquatch Sid. The Brawl itself is divided into two classes, The Creature class and the Undead class, for the Creatures, Cyclops, Werewolf, Witch Bitch and Swamp Gut. For the Undead, Lady Vampire, Zombie Man, The Mummy, each round is preceded by the origin of the combatants. As their combat starts off, Cyclops clearly has the advantage, as the combat ensues, she attempts to slam and pin the Cyclops down, her efforts leading to an illegal move called by the referee. Cyclops counters her attacks by bringing out a mallet to brutally bludgeon her. Her retaliation is by whipping out a knife and attacking. She tries to blind Cyclops, but he turns his legendary optic beam on her, melting her face clean off, outraged by the loss, Grub attempts to attack the Cyclops, only to be decapitated in a single punch. Cyclops stands as winner for round one, Mummy has the advantage of no blood or feeling to the vampires throws and attacks. He out-muscles most of her attacks and keeps on coming, he blinds her, but when he goes to get a wooden stake and bring it back, she revives and continues to wail on him. He has an advantage with his magical amulet that harnesses the power of the sun. But she throws him from the ring, separating him from his amulet, after hitting him with a tombstone, she punches him through his chest, ripping out his black heart and she is declared the winner of the Undead lightweight round. However the werewolf attacks and bites him, cursing him even though he manages to finish the wolf off and he is smarmy and sarcastic and viciously self confident with the advantage of the full moon showing that night. Swamp Guts story is portrayed as a documentary where, like a crocodile he hunts unassuming victims in his swamps, paralyzing them with his toxic spit and devouring them. As the match starts, Werewolf proves little effectiveness in his body due to Swamp Guts girth. Sid makes reference to King Hippo of Punch Out in comparison to the battle, werewolfs blows weaken his opponent who collapses to the ring. He does a dive from the corner onto Swamp Gut, causing his stomach to explode, Werewolf is the king of the creature heavyweight championship and moves on to the final match
Monster Brawl
–
Promotional film poster
Monster Brawl
–
Cast and crew of the film Monster Brawl at the gala opening of the 2011 festival.
3.
Georgetown, Ontario
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Georgetown is a community in the town of Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada and is part of the Regional Municipality of Halton. It is situated on the Credit River, located approximately 60 km west of Toronto, Georgetown takes its name from George Kennedy, who settled in the area in 1821. By 1650, the once plentiful Hurons had been wiped out by European diseases, the region was now open to the Algonquian Ojibwa, who moved in. By 1850 the remaining Mississauga natives were removed to the Six Nations reserve, commencing in 1781, the British government purchased blocks of land from the Mississauga Nation. In 1818, they purchased land that became the townships of Esquesing. The task of laying out the townships fell to Timothy Street, Charles Kennedy was hired by Nelles to survey the northern part of the townships, and Charles Kennedy received a significant parcel of land as payment for his work. The brothers of Charles Kennedy, all acquired land close to another in the Silver Creek Valley. A sawmill was built by Charles Kennedy where today Main Street meets Wildwood Road, George Kennedy also built a sawmill which became the centre of a small settlement, which was located near 10th line. Esquesing Village was the capital of the township, in addition, it was on the main north-south route to the steamships at Oakville. The Stewart Brothers had a mill in Esquesing Village. In 1828, John Galt, through the Canada Company, opened the road connected the settlement around George Kennedys Mill with the other two settlements in the area. As Kennedys Mill prospered, he built a gristmill, foundry, unfortunately, business was poor, which led to the nickname Hungry Hollow. Around 1834 the Barber brothers arrived and within three years had purchased the mills from Kennedy, around 1837, the area adopted the name Georgetown. It was also the year two of the Barber Brothers purchased the mill and land from George Kennedy. In May 1852 a rail route through Georgetown, Brampton and Weston to Toronto was announced, Georgetown was incorporated as a village in 1864, and erected into a town in 1921. On May 13,1895, brothers Sam & John McGibbon leased, in partnership, the Hotel McGibbon was originally built by Robert Jones and was sold to Clark in about 1867. A double veranda graced the Main & Mill Street side of the building until the hotel was ravaged by fire in the 1880s, after the fire, a third floor was added to part of the building. The McGibbon family lived at the hotel and took pride in the business they had established
Georgetown, Ontario
–
Main Street
Georgetown, Ontario
–
Georgetown Station
4.
Ontario
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Ontario, one of the 13 provinces and territories of Canada, is located in east-central Canada. It is Canadas most populous province by a margin, accounting for nearly 40 percent of all Canadians. Ontario is fourth-largest in total area when the territories of the Northwest Territories and it is home to the nations capital city, Ottawa, and the nations most populous city, Toronto. There is only about 1 km of land made up of portages including Height of Land Portage on the Minnesota border. Ontario is sometimes divided into two regions, Northern Ontario and Southern Ontario. The great majority of Ontarios population and arable land is located in the south, in contrast, the larger, northern part of Ontario is sparsely populated with cold winters and is heavily forested. The province is named after Lake Ontario, a thought to be derived from Ontarí, io, a Huron word meaning great lake, or possibly skanadario. Ontario has about 250,000 freshwater lakes, the province consists of three main geographical regions, The thinly populated Canadian Shield in the northwestern and central portions, which comprises over half the land area of Ontario. Although this area mostly does not support agriculture, it is rich in minerals and in part covered by the Central and Midwestern Canadian Shield forests, studded with lakes, Northern Ontario is subdivided into two sub-regions, Northwestern Ontario and Northeastern Ontario. The virtually unpopulated Hudson Bay Lowlands in the north and northeast, mainly swampy. Southern Ontario which is further sub-divided into four regions, Central Ontario, Eastern Ontario, Golden Horseshoe, the highest point is Ishpatina Ridge at 693 metres above sea level located in Temagami, Northeastern Ontario. In the south, elevations of over 500 m are surpassed near Collingwood, above the Blue Mountains in the Dundalk Highlands, the Carolinian forest zone covers most of the southwestern region of the province. A well-known geographic feature is Niagara Falls, part of the Niagara Escarpment, the Saint Lawrence Seaway allows navigation to and from the Atlantic Ocean as far inland as Thunder Bay in Northwestern Ontario. Northern Ontario occupies roughly 87 percent of the area of the province. Point Pelee is a peninsula of Lake Erie in southwestern Ontario that is the southernmost extent of Canadas mainland, Pelee Island and Middle Island in Lake Erie extend slightly farther. All are south of 42°N – slightly farther south than the border of California. The climate of Ontario varies by season and location, the effects of these major air masses on temperature and precipitation depend mainly on latitude, proximity to major bodies of water and to a small extent, terrain relief. In general, most of Ontarios climate is classified as humid continental, Ontario has three main climatic regions
Ontario
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Algonquin Provincial Park, Cache Lake
Ontario
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Flag
Ontario
–
Summer at
Sandbanks Provincial Park on Lake Ontario.
Ontario
–
The
Niagara Escarpment on the
Bruce Peninsula.
5.
Professional wrestling
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Professional wrestling is an athletic form of entertainment that portrays a combat sport. Various forms of weaponry are sometimes used, the content – including match outcomes – is scripted and choreographed, and the combative actions and reactions are performed to appear violent without injuring the wrestlers. Before the 1980s, these facts were considered trade secrets, in the mid-90s, the presentation of scripted events as legitimate is known as kayfabe. Although the combative content is staged and communicated between the wrestlers, there are physical hazards involved - including permanent injury and death. While it has declined in Europe, in North America it has experienced several different periods of prominent cultural popularity during its century. The advent of television gave professional wrestling a new outlet, unlike in Europe, show wrestling has become especially prominent in Japan and in North America. In Brazil, there was a popular wrestling television program from the 1960s to the early 1980s called Telecatch. High-profile figures in the sport have become celebrities or cultural icons in their native or adopted home countries, although professional wrestling started out as petty acts in sideshows, traveling circuses and carnivals, today it is a billion-dollar industry. Revenue is drawn from live event ticket sales, network television broadcasts, pay-per-view broadcasts, personal appearances by performers, branded merchandise, pro wrestling was also instrumental in making pay-per-view a viable method of content delivery. Annual shows such as WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble, and formerly Bash at the Beach, Halloween Havoc, home video sales dominate the Billboard charts Recreational Sports DVD sales, with wrestling holding anywhere from 3 to 9 of the top 10 spots every week. Due to its persistent cultural presence and to its novelty within the performing arts, there have also been many fictional depictions of wrestling, the 2008 film The Wrestler received several Oscar nominations and began a career revival for star Mickey Rourke. Because actual events are often co-opted by writers for incorporation into storylines for the performers, special care must be taken when talking about people who perform under their own name. The actions of the character should be considered fictional events, wholly separate from the life of the performer and this is similar to other entertainers who perform with a persona that shares their own name. Some wrestlers will incorporate elements of their real-life personalities into their characters, even if they and those who participated felt that it was necessary that spectators should be kept in a constant and complete illusion of a real competition to keep audience interest. For decades, up until the mid-1980s, wrestlers lived their lives as though they were their characters. Wrestlers, bookers and promoters all rigorously enforced the illusion and very few were allowed into the society of professional wrestling to maintain suspension of disbelief. The practice of keeping the illusion, and the methods used to do so, came to be known as kayfabe within wrestling circles. An entire lexicon of slang jargon and euphemism developed to allow performers to communicate without outsiders knowledge of what was being said, occasionally a performer will deviate from the intended sequence of events
Professional wrestling
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A professional wrestling match in Sikeston, Missouri in May 1938. Two wrestlers grapple in a wrestling ring while a referee (in white, right) looks on.
Professional wrestling
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A wrestler (
Christopher Daniels) leaps off the top rope
Professional wrestling
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WWE Money in the Bank Ladder Match, 2009
Professional wrestling
–
A tag team match in progress -
Jeff Hardy kicks
Umaga, while their respective partners,
Triple H and
Randy Orton, encourage them and reach for the tags.
6.
South Africa
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South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa, is the southernmost country in Africa. South Africa is the 25th-largest country in the world by land area and it is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World or the Eastern Hemisphere. About 80 percent of South Africans are of Sub-Saharan African ancestry, divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different Bantu languages, the remaining population consists of Africas largest communities of European, Asian, and multiracial ancestry. South Africa is a multiethnic society encompassing a variety of cultures, languages. Its pluralistic makeup is reflected in the recognition of 11 official languages. The country is one of the few in Africa never to have had a coup détat, however, the vast majority of black South Africans were not enfranchised until 1994. During the 20th century, the black majority sought to recover its rights from the dominant white minority, with this struggle playing a role in the countrys recent history. The National Party imposed apartheid in 1948, institutionalising previous racial segregation, since 1994, all ethnic and linguistic groups have held political representation in the countrys democracy, which comprises a parliamentary republic and nine provinces. South Africa is often referred to as the Rainbow Nation to describe the multicultural diversity. The World Bank classifies South Africa as an economy. Its economy is the second-largest in Africa, and the 34th-largest in the world, in terms of purchasing power parity, South Africa has the seventh-highest per capita income in Africa. However, poverty and inequality remain widespread, with about a quarter of the population unemployed, nevertheless, South Africa has been identified as a middle power in international affairs, and maintains significant regional influence. The name South Africa is derived from the geographic location at the southern tip of Africa. Upon formation the country was named the Union of South Africa in English, since 1961 the long form name in English has been the Republic of South Africa. In Dutch the country was named Republiek van Zuid-Afrika, replaced in 1983 by the Afrikaans Republiek van Suid-Afrika, since 1994 the Republic has had an official name in each of its 11 official languages. Mzansi, derived from the Xhosa noun umzantsi meaning south, is a name for South Africa. South Africa contains some of the oldest archaeological and human fossil sites in the world, extensive fossil remains have been recovered from a series of caves in Gauteng Province. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has termed the Cradle of Humankind
South Africa
–
Mapungubwe Hill, the site of the former capital of the
Kingdom of Mapungubwe
South Africa
–
Flag
South Africa
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Arrival of
Jan van Riebeeck, the first European to settle in South Africa, with
Devil's Peak in the background
South Africa
–
Depiction of a
Zulu attack on a Boer camp in February 1838
7.
Bret Hart
–
Bret Sergeant Hart, better known by the ring name Bret The Hitman Hart, is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, retired amateur wrestler, writer and actor. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling background, wrestling at Ernest Manning High School. Hart is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Sky Sports noted that his legacy is that of one of, if not the greatest, Hart joined his father Stu Harts promotion Stampede Wrestling in 1976, and made his in-ring debut in 1978. He gained championship success throughout the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation and he left for World Championship Wrestling following the controversial Montreal Screwjob in November 1997, where he remained until October 2000. Having been inactive from in-ring competition since January 2000, owing to a December 1999 concussion, he retired in October 2000. He returned to sporadic in-ring competition from 2010–2011 with WWE, where he won his championship, headlined the 2010 SummerSlam event. Throughout his career, Hart headlined WrestleManias IX, X, and XII, Hart has held championships in five decades from the 1970s to the 2010s, with a total of 32 held throughout his career, and 17 held between the WWF/WWE and WCW. He is a world champion, having held the WWF World Heavyweight Championship five times. Hart is also the 1994 Royal Rumble match winner, and the only two-time King of the Ring, winning the 1991 tournament and the first King of the Ring pay-per-view in 1993. Stone Cold Steve Austin, with whom Hart headlined multiple pay-per-view events as part of a rivalry from 1996 to 1997. The eighth child of wrestling patriarch Stu Hart, Bret Hart was born in Calgary and he is of Greek descent through his maternal grandmother and Irish through his maternal grandfather. His father was mainly of Scots-Irish descent but also had Scottish and English ancestry, Hart is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States since his mother Helen was born in New York. Hart has stated that he himself to be North American. Hart spent the vast majority of his childhood in the Hart family mansion which was owned by his father. Hart grew up in a household with eleven siblings and he was close with his older brother Dean who was the nearest to him in age of all his older brothers, being three years his senior. Together they would fight with Brets two older sisters Ellie, who was two years older, and Georgia, who was one year older. His introduction to professional wrestling came at an early age, as a child, he witnessed his father training future wrestlers like Billy Graham in the Dungeon, his household basement which served as a training room. Before school, Harts father, also a promoter, had him hand out fliers to local wrestling shows
Bret Hart
–
Hart in 2010
Bret Hart
–
Hart as a
collegiate wrestler.
Bret Hart
–
Hart (left) with
Jim Neidhart behind him as
The Hart Foundation.
Bret Hart
–
For his entrances, Hart often wore a leather jacket with shoulder tassels (epaulets), Mylar wrap-around (originally silver, later pink) sunglasses and bright pink attire.
8.
Actor
–
Anyone who meets the eligibility requirements may apply for aid, which could vary from medical assistance, paying rent, or finding employment. Heros benefits are not meant to be a permanent crutch for needy creators, any granted aid is kept confidential. The Hero Initiative has two boards of directors, the Executive Board and the Fund Disbursement Board, former board members include founders Pat McCallum, editor-in-chief of Wizard Magazine, and Mike Richardson, publisher and founder of Dark Horse Comics. They are George Pérez, Roy Thomas, Charlie Novinskie, Dennis ONeil, John Romita Sr. the charity is currently supported by Dark Horse Comics, Dynamic Forces, Image Comics, Marvel Entertainment, Top Cow Productions, and Wizard Entertainment. The Hero Initiative utilizes many methods of fundraising, foremost is their annual art auction, auctioning donated original comics art-work at fan conventions. Year-long, they sell donated art and special edition comics at conventions, artists, writers, and publishers are invited to donate work, and fans are invited to donate money directly to the fund. ACTOR also sells a green Excelsior, wrist-band similar in design to the Livestrong wristband. The Hero Initiative was formerly known as A Commitment to Our Roots, or ACTOR, while the original name of the organization reflected the charitys goal, the acronym that resulted, ACTOR, more often confused people unfamiliar with the organization. 2006, George Pérez, John Romita, Sr.2007, Joe Kubert 2008, Nick Cardy 2009, Neal Adams 2010, Walt Simonson 2011, Stan Lee 2012, John Romita, Jr. The award recognizes one person in each year who demonstrates particular generosity and integrity in support of the overall comic book community. It debuted at the 2010 Harvey Awards ceremony held at the Baltimore Comic-Con
Actor
–
The Hero Initiative
Actor
9.
WWE
–
WWE also refers to the professional wrestling promotion itself, founded by Jess McMahon and Toots Mondt in 1952 as Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd. As of 2016, it is the largest wrestling promotion in the world, holding over 500 events a year, the companys global headquarters is located in Stamford, Connecticut, with offices in major cities across the world. This was first publicly acknowledged by WWEs owner Vince McMahon in 1989 to avoid taxes from athletic commissions, since the 1980s, WWE publicly has branded their product as sports entertainment, acknowledging the products roots in competitive sport and dramatic theater. The companys majority owner is its chairman and CEO, Vince McMahon, along with his wife Linda, children Shane and Stephanie, and son-in-law Paul Triple H Levesque, the McMahon family holds approximately 70% of WWEs equity and 96% of the voting power. As of August 2014, Eminence Capital, a New York-based hedge fund, the current entity, incorporated on February 21,1980, was previously known as Titan Sports, Inc. which was founded in 1979 in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts. It acquired Capitol Wrestling Corporation, the company for the World Wrestling Federation. Titan was renamed World Wrestling Federation, Inc. in 1998, then World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. in 1999, since 2011, the company has officially branded itself solely as WWE though the companys legal name was not changed. WWEs origins can be traced back as far as 1952 when Roderick James Jess McMahon, McMahon, who was a successful boxing promoter, began working with Tex Rickard in 1926. With the help of Rickard, he began promoting boxing at the third Madison Square Garden and it was not the first time he had promoted wrestling cards, as he had already done so during the 1910s. In November 1954, McMahon died and Ray Fabiani, one of Mondts associates, the younger McMahon and Mondt were very successful and soon controlled approximately 70% of the NWAs booking, largely due to their dominance in the heavily populated Northeast region. In 1963, McMahon and Mondt had a dispute with the NWA over Nature Boy Buddy Rogers being booked to hold the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Both men left the company in protest and formed the WWWF in the process and he lost the championship to Bruno Sammartino a month later on May 17,1963, after suffering a heart attack a week before the match. After gaining a television deal and hiring Lou Albano as a manager for Sammartinos heel opponents. Mondt left Capitol in the sixties and although the WWWF had withdrawn from the NWA, Vince McMahon. Capitol renamed the World Wide Wrestling Federation to the World Wrestling Federation in 1979, Vincent J. McMahons son, Vincent K. McMahon, and his wife Linda, established Titan Sports, Inc. in 1979 in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts. The company was incorporated on February 21,1980, in the Cape Cod Coliseum offices, the younger McMahon bought Capitol from his father in 1982, effectively seizing control of the company. Seeking to make the WWF the premier wrestling promotion in the country, and eventually, at the annual meeting of the NWA in 1983, the McMahons and former Capitol employee Jim Barnett all withdrew from the organization. McMahon also worked to get WWF programming on syndicated television all across the United States, in addition, the company used income generated by advertising, television deals, and tape sales to secure talent from rival promoters
WWE
–
The WWE Headquarters in
Stamford,
Connecticut.
WWE
–
Current WWE minority owners/front office executives/wrestlers
Triple H and his wife
Stephanie McMahon.
10.
300 (film)
–
300 is a 2006 American epic fantasy war film based on the 1998 comic series of the same name by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley. Both are fictionalized retellings of the Battle of Thermopylae within the Persian Wars, the film was directed by Zack Snyder, while Miller served as executive producer and consultant. It was filmed mostly with a chroma key technique, to help replicate the imagery of the original comic book. The plot revolves around King Leonidas, who leads 300 Spartans into battle against the Persian god-King Xerxes, as the battle rages, Queen Gorgo attempts to rally support in Sparta for her husband. The story is framed by a narrative by the Spartan soldier Dilios. Through this narrative technique, various fantastical creatures are introduced, placing 300 within the genre of historical fantasy, the events are revealed to be a story told by Delios, the only one of the 300 Spartans to survive the battle. 300 was released in conventional and IMAX theaters in the United States on March 9,2007, and on DVD, Blu-ray Disc. A sequel, entitled Rise of an Empire, which is based on Millers unpublished graphic novel prequel Xerxes, was released on March 7,2014. In 479 BC, one year after the famed Battle of Thermopylae, Dilios, the Ephors consult the Oracle, who decrees that Sparta will not go to war during the Carneia. As Leonidas angrily departs, a messenger from Xerxes appears, rewarding the Ephors for their covert support, at Thermopylae, they construct the wall made up of stones and slain Persian scouts as mortar, angering the Persian Emissary. Stelios, an elite Spartan soldier, orders him to go back to the Persian lines, meanwhile, Leonidas encounters Ephialtes, a deformed Spartan whose parents fled Sparta to spare him certain infanticide. Ephialtes asks to redeem his fathers name by joining Leonidas army, warning him of a path the Persians could use to outflank. Though sympathetic, Leonidas rejects him since his deformity physically prevents him from holding his shield high enough, potentially compromising the phalanx formation, the battle begins soon after the Spartans refusal to lay down their weapons. Using the Hot Gates to their advantage, as well as their superior fighting skills, in response, Xerxes sends in his elite guard, the Immortals, later that night. Despite some Spartans being killed, they defeat the Immortals. On the second day, Xerxes sends in new waves of armies from Asia and other Persian city-states, including war elephants, to crush the Spartans once and for all, but to no avail. Meanwhile, Ephialtes defects to Xerxes to whom he reveals the secret path in exchange for wealth, luxury, the Arcadians retreat upon learning of Ephialtes betrayal, but the Spartans stay. Leonidas orders an injured but reluctant Dilios to return to Sparta and tell them of what has happened, in Sparta, Queen Gorgo tries to persuade the Spartan Council to send reinforcements to aid the 300
300 (film)
–
Theatrical release poster
300 (film)
–
Above: the film version of a panel from the graphic novel (below).
300 (film)
–
Above: A scene during filming. Below: The finished scene.
300 (film)
–
Lena Headey at the London premiere, 2007
11.
Sherlock Holmes (2009 film)
–
Sherlock Holmes is a 2009 British-American neo-noir mystery period action film based on the character of the same name created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The film was directed by Guy Ritchie and produced by Andrew Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Susan Downey, the screenplay, by Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham and Simon Kinberg, was developed from a story by Wigram and Johnson. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law portray Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson respectively. In the film, set in 1890, eccentric detective Holmes, rachel McAdams stars as their former adversary Irene Adler and Mark Strong portrays villain Lord Henry Blackwood. The film went on release in the United States on December 25,2009, and on December 26,2009 in the UK, Ireland, the Pacific. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards, Best Original Score and Best Art Direction, which it lost to Up and Avatar. A sequel, Sherlock Holmes, A Game of Shadows, was released on December 16,2011. In 1890, private detective Sherlock Holmes and his partner Dr. John Watson prevent the murder of a woman by Lord Henry Blackwood. Inspector Lestrade and the police arrest Blackwood, meanwhile, Blackwood has been sentenced to death and requests to see Holmes, whom he warns of three more unstoppable deaths that will cause great changes to the world. Holmes is visited by Irene Adler, an adversary who asks him to find a missing man named Luke Reordan. After her departure, Holmes follows her as she meets with her employer, and only learns that the man is a professor. Meanwhile, sightings of a living Blackwood and the discovery of his destroyed tomb lead to belief that Blackwood has risen from the grave, following a series of clues from the body, Holmes and Watson find Reordans home and discover experiments attempting to merge science with magic. After they survive a battle with Blackwoods men that attempt to destroy the lab, Holmes is taken to the Temple of the Four Orders, a secret magical fraternity with considerable political influence. The leaders – Lord Chief Justice Sir Thomas Rotheram, U. S. Ambassador Standish, and Home Secretary Lord Coward – ask Holmes to stop Blackwood, a former member of the society and Sir Thomass son. That night Sir Thomas drowns in his bath as Blackwood watches, and he nominates Blackwood to take command in place of Sir Thomas and Blackwood reveals himself to the group. Standish attempts to shoot Blackwood but is set on fire when he pulls the trigger of his gun, Lord Coward issues an arrest warrant for Holmes, causing him to go into hiding. Blackwood comes before Parliament and announces their impending deaths, then attempts to activate the device by remote control. Blackwood flees Parliament and sees Adler and Holmes in the sewers, Blackwood fights Holmes, as the latter deduces how all of Blackwoods supposed supernatural feats were the work of science and trickery
Sherlock Holmes (2009 film)
–
Theatrical release poster
Sherlock Holmes (2009 film)
–
The finale is on the unfinished
Tower Bridge.
Sherlock Holmes (2009 film)
–
McAdams and Downey, Jr. at a panel to promote the film at the 2009
San Diego Comic-Con
Sherlock Holmes (2009 film)
–
Geometric staircase at St. Paul's Cathedral was used for the opening sequence of the film.
12.
Immortals (2011 film)
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Immortals is a 2011 American epic-fantasy-action-adventure film directed by Tarsem Singh and starring Henry Cavill, Freida Pinto, and Mickey Rourke. The film also stars Luke Evans, Steve Byers, Kellan Lutz, Joseph Morgan, Stephen Dorff, Daniel Sharman, Alan van Sprang, Isabel Lucas, Corey Sevier, and John Hurt. The film was previously named Dawn of War and War of the Gods before being officially named Immortals, and is based on the Greek myths of Theseus, the Minotaur. Before the dawn of man and beast, Immortals waged war against each other in Heaven, the victors declared themselves gods while the vanquished were renamed the Titans and imprisoned beneath Mount Tartarus. The Epirus Bow, a weapon of immense power, was lost on Earth during the war. In 1228 B. C. the mortal king Hyperion of Heraklion searches for the bow, Hyperion captures the virgin oracle Phaedra, believing that she can use her visions to find the Epirus Bows resting place. In a small village nearby, the inhabitants prepare to flee to Mount Tartarus to avoid Hyperions army, one inhabitant named Theseus is a skilled warrior trained by his mentor, a mysterious old man. Theseus and his mother Aethra, are considered undesirables because Theseus was born from Aethra being raped, Theseus is able to beat multiple opponents until the Athenian officer Helios intervenes and discharges Lysander from the army for his actions. Lysander travels to Hyperion, offering his service and the villages location, Hyperion accepts, but hammers Lysanders testicles for being a traitor so he can never father children. Hyperions forces attack Theseuss village, murdering the villagers and Aethra, the old man is revealed to be Zeus when he meets with his fellow gods Athena, Poseidon, Ares, Apollo, and Heracles. Zeus warns them not to interfere in mortal affairs as gods unless the Titans are released, Theseus is enslaved alongside the thief Stavros. Phaedra, who is held nearby, sees a vision of Theseus. Phaedra organizes a riot, using the chaos to escape with Theseus, Stavros, Theseus decides to pursue Hyperion and attempts to capture a boat, but he and his allies are overwhelmed by Hyperions forces. Poseidon disobeys Zeus orders and falls from Olympus into the ocean, Phaedra sees another vision of Theseus standing near a shrouded body. She determines that Theseus must return home to bury Aethra, while laying Aethra to rest in the villages Labyrinth, Theseus discovers the Epirus Bow embedded in nearby rock. He frees the Epirus Bow, but is attacked by Hyperions henchman the Minotaur, Theseus kills the Minotaur and uses the Bow to save his allies from being executed before collapsing from poisoned scratches inflicted by the Minotaur. Phaedra tends to Theseus and later falls in love with him and they make love to each other, stripping her of the visions she deemed a curse. The group returns to Phaedras temple while Hyperion and his forces are away at Mount Tartarus, at the temple, Stavros and Theseus are lured into an ambush and Theseus loses the Epirus Bow
Immortals (2011 film)
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Theatrical poster
Immortals (2011 film)
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From left to right: Director
Tarsem Singh and cast
Luke Evans,
Henry Cavill and
Isabel Lucas at WonderCon 2011.
13.
Pacific Rim (film)
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The screenplay is by Travis Beacham and del Toro, with a story by Beacham. The film is set in the future, when Earth is at war with the Kaiju, to combat the monsters, humanity unites to create the Jaegers, gigantic humanoid mechas each controlled by at least two pilots, whose minds are joined by a neural bridge. Principal photography began on November 14,2011, in Toronto, the film was produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. It was released on July 12,2013, including in 3D and IMAX 3D, receiving positive reviews, the visual effects, action sequences. While it underperformed at the box office in the United States and it earned a worldwide total of more than $411 million—$114 million in China alone, its largest market—becoming Del Toros most commercially successful film to date. A sequel titled Pacific Rim, Uprising, directed by Steven S. DeKnight and produced by Del Toro, and with Kikuchi, Day, in 2013, alien monsters called Kaiju emerge from an interdimensional portal called “The Breach” at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Over the course of 2 years, the kaiju wreak havoc upon coastal cities along the ring of fire, such as San Francisco, San José del Cabo, Sydney, Manila, humanity responds by constructing giant mecha called Jaegers, to combat the alien threat. Each Jaeger is co-piloted by two or more people, who share a link via a process called “Drifting” to share the mental stress of piloting the machine. In 2020, Gipsy Danger, piloted by brothers Raleigh and Yancy Becket, the Kaiju ambushes them, wrecks the Jaeger and drags Yancy out of the cockpit. Raleigh manages to pilot Gipsy Danger alone, killing Knifehead, traumatised by Yancy’s death, Raleigh quits the Jaeger Program. The remaining Jaegers are relocated to Hong Kong under the command of Marshal Stacker Pentecost, Pentecost tracks down Raleigh to a wall construction site to re-recruit him. Traveling to the Hong Kong base, the Shatterdome, Raleigh is introduced to Mako Mori, director of the Jaeger restoration program, to find a new co-pilot, Raleigh participates in tryouts, deciding Mako is Drift-compatible, despite Pentecosts protests. During their first test, Raleigh is distracted by the memory of Yancy’s death, Mako, in turn, is lost in the memory of the Kaiju attack on Tokyo that orphaned her, and nearly fires Gipsy’s plasma cannon. Mako is promptly relieved of piloting duties, and Raleigh confronts Pentecost, Pentecost consults Kaiju experts Newton Geiszler and Herman Gottlieb. Hermann claims the Breach will stabilize and the Kaiju will increase in number, Newton goes ahead with his plan and discovers Kaiju are bioweapons grown by alien colonists. With Pentecosts permission, Newton looks for black market dealer Hannibal Chau to obtain a fresher Kaiju brain to drift with, however, he soon figure out that since Drifting is a two-way link, the Kaiju hive mind can gain access to his knowledge. Soon after, two new Kaiju, Leatherback and Otachi, emerged simultaneously to find Newton, all Jaegers save Gipsy Danger are dispatched to intervene. The Kaiju destroy Crimson Typhoon and Cherno Alpha with their pilots, out of options, Pentecost allows Mako and Raleigh to pilot Gipsy Danger
Pacific Rim (film)
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Theatrical release poster
Pacific Rim (film)
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Top to bottom:
Charlie Hunnam,
Idris Elba, and
Rinko Kikuchi star in the film as Raleigh Becket, Stacker Pentecost and Mako Mori respectively.
Pacific Rim (film)
Pacific Rim (film)
14.
Brick Mansions
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Brick Mansions is a 2014 English-language French-Canadian crime-thriller film starring Paul Walker, David Belle and RZA. The film was directed by Camille Delamarre and written by Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen and it is a remake of the 2004 French film District 13, in which Belle had also starred. Brick Mansions was released on April 25,2014, five months after Paul Walkers death on November 30,2013 and has a dedication to him at the start of the credits and this is Walkers last completed film before his death, but not his last film appearance. At the time of his death, he was almost done filming Furious 7 which was released on April 3,2015, in 2018, in a dystopian Detroit, abandoned brick mansions left from better times now house only the most dangerous criminals. Unable to control the crime, the police have constructed a colossal containment wall around this area to protect the rest of the city, for undercover cop Damien Collier, every day is a battle against corruption. For French-Caribbean ex-convict Lino, every day is a fight to live an honest life, eventually, with the help of Lino and Tremaine, Damien realizes that his father was killed by his fellow officers and that the mayor was behind the plot. Damien, Lino and Tremaine confront the mayor and manage to prove his true intentions and have him arrested, Brick Mansions is welcomed back into the city, with Damien and Lino continuing their friendship. Following Walkers death, the North American release was scheduled for February, on February 62014, Relativity and EuropaCorp announced a move to April 25,2014 as a release date for the film, along with paying the cost of the film’s world premiere and distribution. The first official trailer was released on February 13,2014, featuring the DJ Snake, the second full trailer was released on March 20,2014. Reviews for Brick Mansions have been generally negative, Rotten Tomatoes gives a 26% rating based on 88 reviews. The sites consensus states, Choppily edited and largely bereft of plot, Metacritic gives the film a 40/100 rating, based on 28 critics, indicating mixed or average reviews. However, some critics have been more positive, isaac Feldberg of We Got This Covered called the film a highly entertaining action thriller. Varietys Justin Chang added that the film was propulsively entertaining, District 13, Ultimatum – sequel to the original. The film, directed by Patrick Alessandrin and written and produced by Luc Besson, sees parkour artists David Belle and Cyril Raffaelli reprising their roles of Leïto. Brick Mansions at the Internet Movie Database Brick Mansions at Box Office Mojo Brick Mansions at Rotten Tomatoes Brick Mansions at Metacritic
Brick Mansions
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Theatrical release poster
15.
Hercules (2014 film)
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It is based on the graphic novel Hercules, The Thracian Wars. Distributed jointly by Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it was released on July 25,2014 and it is one of two Hollywood-studio Hercules films released in 2014, the other one being Lionsgates The Legend of Hercules. The film earned $244 million on a $100 million budget and received mixed reviews from critics, Hercules was released on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD on November 4,2014 by Paramount Home Media Distribution. Throughout the film, it is not clearly established that Hercules is truly the son of Zeus, despite this, Hercules displays unusual strength and nigh-unmatched skill in combat. Hercules is frequently haunted by the memory of the deaths of his wife and daughters by his hand, as well as visions of Cerberus. Hercules accepts after he and his men are offered his weight in gold, however, Rhesus has reached the Bessi tribe in Central Thrace and Cotys insists that Hercules lead the army into battle to defend the Bessi, despite their lack of training. However, they are too late as Rhesus sorcery has turned the Bessi against the Thracians, after the Bessi are defeated, Hercules properly trains the army, then Hercules and Sitacles confront Rhesus and his soldiers on the battlefield before Mount Asticus. The Thracians force Rhesus army to retreat, but Rhesus himself rides out to confront Hercules and is defeated by him, Rhesus is taken back to Thrace as a prisoner, where he is tortured and humiliated. Later in the hall of the palace, Rhesus has been chained up, although Ergenia doesnt agree with Lord Cotyss methods, she goes along with them for the sake of her son Arius, Lord Cotyss successor to the throne, who is being threatened by Cotys. After receiving their reward, the mercenaries are ready to leave, but Hercules decides to stay behind to stop Cotys, however, they are overpowered and captured by Sitacles and his men. While chained, Hercules is confronted by King Eurystheus, who is in league with Lord Cotys, Eurystheus reveals that he drugged Hercules the night his family died, viewing him as a threat to his power. Herculess family was in fact killed by three vicious wolves sent by Eurystheus, resulting in Herculess constant hallucinations of Cerberus, when Lord Cotys orders Ergenia to be executed for her betrayal, Hercules is encouraged by Amphiaraus to believe in himself just as everyone believes in him. In a show of strength, Hercules breaks free of his chains, saving Ergenia. Hercules releases the prisoners, including Rhesus, and then confronts King Eurystheus and he is attacked by Sitacles, who is then stabbed by Iolaus. Outside, Hercules and his forces battle Lord Cotys and his army, Arius is taken hostage, but then rescued by Autolycus, who has decided to return to help his friends. In the ensuing battle, Tydeus is mortally wounded while protecting Arius, Hercules again uses inhuman strength and pushes a massive statue of Hera from its foundations and uses it to crush Lord Cotys and many of his soldiers. The remaining soldiers see Hercules as lightning flashes in the background, the surviving soldiers bow to Hercules, and Arius takes the throne, with Ergenia at his side, while Hercules and his men depart in search of other adventures. As the credits roll, a retelling of the Twelve Labors shows how Hercules accomplished these feats with the help of his companions
Hercules (2014 film)
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Theatrical release poster
16.
New Brunswick
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New Brunswick is one of Canadas three Maritime provinces and is the only constitutionally bilingual province. In the Canada 2016 Census, Statistics Canada estimated the population to have been 747,101, down very slightly from 751,171 in 2011. The majority of the population is English-speaking of Anglo and Celtic heritage and it was created as a result of the partitioning of the British colony of Nova Scotia in 1784 and was originally named New Ireland with the capital to be in Saint John. The name was replaced with New Brunswick by King George II. The provincial flag features a ship superimposed on a background with a yellow lion passant guardant on red pennon above it. The province is named for the city of Braunschweig, known in English and Low German as Brunswick, located in modern-day Lower Saxony in northern Germany. The then-colony was named in 1784 to honour the reigning British monarch, George III, the original First Nations inhabitants of New Brunswick were members of three distinct tribes. The largest tribe was the Mikmaq, and they occupied the eastern and they were responsible for the Augustine Mound, a burial ground built about 800 BCE near Metepnákiaq. The western portion of the province was the home of the Wolastoqiyik people. The smaller Passamaquoddy tribe occupied lands in the southwest of the province. The next French contact was in 1604, when a party led by Pierre du Gua de Monts and Samuel de Champlain set up camp for the winter on St. Croix Island, the colony relocated the following year across the Bay of Fundy to Port Royal, Nova Scotia. The whole maritime region was at that time claimed by France and was designated as the colony of Acadia, one of the provisions of the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713 was the surrender of Acadia to Queen Anne. The bulk of the Acadian population thus found themselves residing in the new British colony of Nova Scotia, the remainder of Acadia was only lightly populated and poorly defended. The Maliseet from their headquarters at Meductic on the Saint John River, participated in guerilla raids and battles against New England during Father Rales War. About 1750, to protect his interests in New France, Louis XV caused three forts to be built along the Isthmus of Chignecto and this caused what is known to historians as Father Le Loutres War. During the French and Indian War, the British completed their displacement of the Acadians over all of present-day New Brunswick, Fort Beauséjour, Fort Menagoueche and Fort Gaspareaux were captured by a British force commanded by Lt. Col. Robert Monckton in 1755. Inside Fort Beauséjour, the British forces found not only French regular troops, Governor Charles Lawrence of Nova Scotia used the discovery of Acadian civilians helping in the defence of the fort to order the expulsion of the Acadian population from Nova Scotia. The Acadians of the recently captured Beaubassin and Petitcodiac regions were included in the expulsion order, other actions in the war included British expeditions up the Saint John River in the St. John River Campaign
New Brunswick
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The Coming of the Loyalists, painting by
Henry Sandham showing a romanticised view of the Loyalists' arrival in New Brunswick.
New Brunswick
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Flag
New Brunswick
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Current
licence plate.
New Brunswick
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Acadians celebrating the
Tintamarre and
National Acadian Day in
Caraquet, New Brunswick
17.
United States Wrestling Association
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The United States Wrestling Association or USWA was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. The company was founded when the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association merged with the Dallas-based World Class Wrestling Association, the USWA was founded as an attempt to create a third national promotion, alongside Jim Crockett Promotions/WCW, and the WWF. The USWA was created through a merger of the WCCW and the CWA and it originally promoted shows, usually headlined by Jerry Lawler, in both Tennessee and Texas. The Dallas promotion, which was 40 percent owned by the Von Erich family, according to Skandor Akbar, there were lawsuits involved, most notably when Jerry Jarrett was sued by Kevin Von Erich. That promotion reverted to the World Class name, but ceased two months later due to lack of revenue. Several of the former World Class and USWA Dallas wrestlers joined the new GWF, in 1992, the USWA began a talent exchange with the WWF, which saw Lawler sign on to Vince McMahons federation, while several high-profile WWF stars appeared in the USWA. Dallas wrestler Gentleman Chris Adams spent a few months in the USWA in an angle involving Brian Christopher and Toni Adams, the wrestling landscape changed in 1995 - the Monday Night Wars began, with WWF and WCW battling for cable television supremacy on Monday nights each and every week. As for the USWA, their biggest crowds came every Monday night at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, a move to Thursday nights did not help what was becoming inevitable - the demise of the USWA. The future of the promotion was being questioned, following the previous resignation of general manager Randy Hales. The Louisville and Nashville crowds had stayed consistent, but the Memphis crowds, in addition, the Big One pavilion was less than inviting, the zigzag roof of its original owner causing its major leaking problem. In a civil RICO trial, a Federal District Court jury in Cleveland, the jury determined that Larry Burton and his son Jason Bertman had engaged in racketeering and awarded XL Sports treble damages in the amount of $2,595,000. The jury also determined that Mr. Burton was liable for fraud and conversion, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld all these judgments. de - United States Wrestling Association
United States Wrestling Association
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United States Wrestling Association
United States Wrestling Association
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The Big One Flea Market.
18.
The Kurgan
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The Kurgan is a fictional character from the first Highlander film. He is portrayed by Clancy Brown and he is an Immortal and the main antagonist to Connor MacLeod in Highlander, and the latters ultimate opponent in the Gathering. The Kurgans life story is fleshed out in several Highlander spin-offs in various media, the Kurgan—who was among the members of the Kurgan tribe where he was taken in and named Victor—was born in what is now Russia on the border of the Caspian Sea. His tribe, the Kurgans, Juan Ramírez notes, were infamous for their cruelty, and were known to children into pits full of starved dogs. In 1536, the Kurgan hired himself out to Clan Fraser in their battle with the MacLeod clan, in the midst of the battle, the Kurgan challenged MacLeod. Before Connor could strike, the Kurgan ran him through with his broadsword, however, Connors cousins Angus and Dougal beat the Kurgan back, rescuing Connor from certain beheading. The Kurgan promised he would finish it, screaming, Another time, five years later, another Immortal, Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez, sought out the now fully Immortal MacLeod as the only hope of defeating the Kurgan. However, the Kurgan discovered this, and tracked them down to MacLeods home, MacLeod was away, but Ramírez and Heather MacLeod, Connors wife, were there. He battled Ramírez, who managed to slice Kurgans throat before being impaled and decapitated himself, after taking Ramirezs Quickening, the Kurgan raped Heather and departed. MacLeod returned shortly after, narrowly missing his enemy, the Kurgan and Connor MacLeod would meet again in 1985, in New York City, where the Gathering was to take place. During this time, the Kurgan was using his status as a NYC criminal skinhead gang leader as a background to hide his true self. The last six Immortals at this time were he, MacLeod, Sunda Kastagir, Iman Fasil, Osta Vasilek, Vasilek was beheaded by the Kurgan in New Jersey before he learned of Fasils death in Madison Square Garden at the hands of the Highlander. He then defeated both Kim and Connors friend Kastagir, leaving just the two of them, McLeod and the Kurgan, MacLeod followed them to the site, where he and the Kurgan faced each other in deadly combat, with Brendas life at stake. Disarming MacLeod, the Kurgan was distracted by Brenda bashing him over the head with a pipe and this distraction gave Connor the time to recover his sword and gather his composure, and the two ancient warriors clashed once more. MacLeods calmness, maturity, and skill all proved to be superior to the Kurgans, the novelization of the film by Garry Kilworth expands on the Kurgans early life. The Kurgans first death occurred in 970 BC, when his father crushed his head with a rock. Upon returning to life, the Kurgan forced his father to swallow a searing hot stone and he then went off to join a group of bandits that raided caravans. He eventually encountered another Immortal, The Bedouin, who revealed to him his true nature, during the intervening centuries, the Kurgan took an incalculable number of Immortal heads
The Kurgan
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The Kurgan
The Kurgan
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Clancy Brown as the Kurgan
19.
Professional wrestling holds
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Professional wrestling holds include a number of set moves and pins used by performers to immobilize their opponents or lead to a submission. This article covers the pins, stretches and transition holds used in the ring. Some wrestlers use these holds as their finishing maneuvers, often nicknaming them to reflect their character or persona, moves are listed under general categories whenever possible. An element borrowed from professional wrestlings catch wrestling origins, stretches are techniques in which a wrestler holds another in a position that puts stress on the opponents body. Stretches are usually employed to weaken an opponent or to them to submit, either vocally or by tapping out, slapping the mat. Many of these holds, when applied vigorously, stretch the opponents muscles or twist their joints uncomfortably, chokes, although not in general stress positions like the other stretches, are usually grouped with stretches as they serve the same tactical purposes. In public performance, for sake, stretches are usually not performed to the point where the opponent must submit or risk injury. Likewise, chokes are usually not applied to the point where they cut off the supply to the opponents brain. The wrestler begins the hold by standing over a face-down opponent, a camel clutch can also refer simply to a rear chinlock while seated on the back of an opponent, without placing the arms on the thighs. The move was invented by Gory Guerrero in Mexico, where it was called la de a caballo, but got its common name from Ed Farhat. Rusev performs a variation he calls The Accolade, where he stomps on his opponents back before applying the hold. A standing variation of the clutch is also used, with this variation popularized by Scott Steiner in the late 1990s as he used it as his finisher dubbed the Steiner Recliner. The attacking wrestler stands over a face down opponent, facing the same direction, another version of the move is similar to a wheelbarrow facebuster but instead illegally pulls the hair of the opponent while leaning back to pull up the opponents head and neck. The attacking wrestler stands over a face down opponent, facing the same direction, the wrestler then reaches forwards and applies a chinlock as in a standard camel clutch, leaning backwards to apply pressure to the upper back and arm. The attacker then either pulls straight back on the chin or wrenches it to the side and this move sees the attacker kneel behind a sitting opponent and wrap around one arm under the opponents chin and lock their hands. As with a hold, this move can also be performed from a standing position. This can be transitioned into a clawhold STO, there is also double-handed version sometimes known as a head vise, the wrestler performing the hold approaches their opponent from behind and grip their head with both hands. While in the vise, the wrestler can control their opponent by squeezing the temples and it was innovated and used by Baron von Raschke as well as many members of the Von Erich family
Professional wrestling holds
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Yoshihiro Tajiri applying a camel clutch to
Rene Bonaparte.
Professional wrestling holds
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Shaun Koen applying the Lion's Claw (shoulder claw) to BDX-Treme
Professional wrestling holds
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Chris Benoit applying the crippler crossface to
Montel Vontavious Porter
Professional wrestling holds
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Angelina Love performing an inverted facelock on
Sarita.
20.
Insane Clown Posse
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Insane Clown Posse is an American hip hop duo composed of Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Founded in Detroit in 1989, Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hip hop known as horrorcore and is known for its elaborate live performances. The duo has earned two platinum and five gold albums, according to Nielsen SoundScan, the entire catalog of the group has sold 6.5 million units in the United States and Canada as of April 2007. Originally known as JJ Boyz and Inner City Posse, the group introduced supernatural-, the duo founded the independent record label Psychopathic Records with Alex Abbiss as manager, and produced and starred in the feature films Big Money Hustlas and Big Money Rustlas. They formed their own wrestling federation, Juggalo Championship Wrestling. The group has established a following called Juggalos numbering in the tens of thousands. The songs of Insane Clown Posse center thematically on the mythology of the Dark Carnival, the Dark Carnival is elaborated through a series of stories called Jokers Cards, each of which offers a specific lesson designed to change the evil ways of listeners before the end consumes us all. The original lineup of Insane Clown Posse was John Rode, John Utsler, Joe Bruce, John Rode left after Dog Beats was released in 1991, and John Utsler left before Carnival of Carnage was released in 1992. Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler met in Oak Park, a suburb on the border of Detroit. Along with Utslers brother, John, and friend, Lacy and they also listened to hip hop music, including 3rd Bass, Beastie Boys, N. W. A and local rappers like Awesome Dre. Poverty and a home life drove Bruce to move in with Rudy The Rude Boy Hill in River Rouge. Bruce was jailed for ninety days in 1989–1990 for death threats, robbery, and violating probation, this experience convinced him to reduce his involvement in gang life. Bruce began his wrestling career after getting out of jail. During this time Bruce brought Utsler backstage with him, and all four became close friends, Bruce became frustrated with the backstage politics of the wrestling business and began searching for another career. Seeing a need for a manager, Bruces brother Robert recommended his friend and record store owner Alex Abbiss, later that year the group released the self-produced EP entitled Dog Beats. Local radio broadcasters were reluctant to play the EPs single, Dog Beats, Bruce met Esham for the first time at the station and praised him. Esham wished Bruce well and Bruce gave the rapper a copy of Dog Beats, growing popularity in the local music scene turned negative for the groups gang, which became the target of growing violence. After receiving jail sentences, the group members abandoned gang life, in late 1991, the group had the problem of having spent more money on production than was covered by returns
Insane Clown Posse
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Violent J (left) and Shaggy 2 Dope (right)
Insane Clown Posse
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Insane Clown Posse often brings the entire lineup out to end its elaborate live performances.
21.
Face (professional wrestling)
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In professional wrestling, a face is a heroic or a good guy wrestler, booked by the promotion with the aim of being cheered by fans. Faces, traditionally, wrestle within the rules and avoid cheating while behaving positively towards the referee, such characters are also referred to as blue-eyes in British wrestling, and técnicos in lucha libre. The face character is portrayed as a relative to the heel wrestlers. Not everything a face wrestler does must be heroic, faces need only to be cheered by the audience to be effective characters, the vast majority of wrestling storylines involving faces place a face against a heel, although more elaborate set-ups often happen as well. While many modern faces still fit this model, other versions of the character are now also common. A good example would be Stone Cold Steve Austin who despite playing an early on in his career would start to be seen more of an anti-hero because of his popularity with the fans. While clearly not championing rule following, nor submission to authority, during this time, wrestlers like Stone Cold Steve Austin and Sting used tactics traditionally associated with heels, but remained popular with the fans. Conversely, Kurt Angle was introduced to the then-WWF with an American hero gimmick based on his medal win at the 1996 Summer Olympics. He presented himself as a model, and stressed the need to work hard to realize ones dreams. Angles character served as a meta-reference to how wrestling had changed, unusually, Angle did not use any of these heroic mannerisms when playing a face character, instead acting as somewhat of an antihero with a few elements of the lovable loser character archetype. Fans sometimes dislike face wrestlers, despite the way they are promoted, some reasons for this include repetitive in-ring antics, a limited moveset, a lengthy title reign, lack of selling his or her opponents moves, or an uninteresting character. This often results in wrestlers who are supposed to be cheered receiving a negative or no reaction from the fans. Some face wrestlers would often give high fives or give out merchandise to fans entering the ring before their match, such as T-shirts, sunglasses, hats. Bret Hart was one of the first superstars to make this popular, rey Mysterio, who has been a face in WWE since his debut, would go to any fan wearing a replica of his mask, and touch their head with his head for good luck before wrestling. Alberto Del Rio, after turning face, would give his scarf to a fan before entering the ring. Big Show would give his hat to a fan when he was a face, the majority of the time, faces who are low-carders, or lesser known, are used as jobbers. These wrestlers usually lose matches against established wrestlers, some faces, such as Ricky Steamboat and Hulk Hogan, promoted an image as a family man and supported their persona by appearing with their family members before and after matches. These actions often relate to wrestlers promoting charity work or other actions outside of the ring, blurring the lines between scripted wrestling and their personal lives, glossary of professional wrestling terms Heel Foley, Mick
Face (professional wrestling)
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Wrestler
Rey Mysterio, seen here at
No Way Out in February 2006, is an example of a pure 'face' who has played heroic roles for almost his entire career, with his
lucha libre inspired outfit prominently displaying
Christian crosses.
22.
Jim Duggan
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James Edward Jim Duggan Jr. better known by his ring name Hacksaw Jim Duggan, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed with Global Force Wrestling and he is signed to WWE on a Legends contract. His best-known character is that of an American patriot, which sees him use a 2x4 length of wood as a weapon, the battle cry Hooo. and the U-S-A. In the WWF, Duggan was the winner of the first ever Royal Rumble match in 1988 and in WCW, he was a one time United States Heavyweight Champion, Duggan grew up in Glens Falls, New York, where he became a star athlete in high school. Duggan is of English and Scottish ancestry and his father was the Chief of Police for the City of Glens Falls. Duggan was a letterman in football, track, wrestling, in wrestling, Duggan won the New York State High School wrestling championship, unlimited weight class division – the first wrestler from Glens Falls to do so. Upon graduating from school, he was recruited by Ohio State University, but would instead choose to play football at Southern Methodist University. Duggan earned his bachelors degree in applied plant biology, after college, Duggan was signed by the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League, but was released after being plagued by knee injuries. Duggan broke into the wrestling business thanks in large part to wrestler Fritz Von Erich. The two met while Duggan was on a trip to SMU. Duggans first professional match was in 1979 against Gino Hernandez, Duggan began his career as a villain. Training at the Sportatorium in Dallas, Texas as well as with Samoan wrestling promoter Peter Maivia, Duggan gained the attention of Vince McMahon, Sr. after a brief stint with the WWF, Duggan began to work regularly for Georgia Championship Wrestling. During this time, Duggan was known by two in-ring aliases, in the United States as Big Jim Duggan and in Hawaii as The Convict, a masked wrestler. After wrestling for a Birmingham, Alabama-based promotion, Duggan began wrestling in a promotion based in San Antonio, in 1982, Duggan made his debut in Mid-South Wrestling. Upon debuting as a heel, Duggan soon became a member of the Rat Pack faction, alongside Ted DiBiase, Matt Bourne, after newcomer Hacksaw Butch Reed debuted within the promotion, Duggan and Reed had a personal feud for a time over who would be the true Hacksaw. The Rats also feuded with such as Reed, Magnum T. A. During this time, Duggan interfered in a DiBiase/JYD match while wearing a suit, causing JYD to lose a Loser Leaves Town match in New Orleans. After DiBiase aligned himself with Skandor Akbar, Duggan refused to go along with him, at this time, Duggan began carrying his iconic 2x4
Jim Duggan
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Duggan at a fan signing for wounded soldiers
Jim Duggan
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Duggan in a WWF event.
Jim Duggan
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Duggan waving an Australian flag during his ring entrance in Australia, 2007, with his 2x4 in the corner
Jim Duggan
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"Hacksaw" Duggan poses with a fan at an independent show in 2013.
23.
Canadian Football League
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The Canadian Football League is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football and its nine teams, which are located in nine separate cities, are divided into two divisions, the East Division, with four teams, and the West Division with five teams. As of 2016, the features a 20-week regular season. The CFL was officially founded on January 19,1958, the league was formed from a merger between the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union founded in 1907 and the Western Interprovincial Football Union founded in 1936. Rugby football began to be played in Canada in the 1860s, the CRFU was reorganized as the Canadian Rugby Union in 1891, and served as an umbrella organization for several provincial and regional unions. The Grey Cup was donated by Governor General Earl Grey in 1909 to the winning the Senior Amateur Football Championship of Canada. By that time, the sport as played in Canada had diverged markedly from its rugby origins, in 1956, the IRFU and WIFU formed a new umbrella organization, the Canadian Football Council. In 1958, the CFC left the CRU and became the Canadian Football League, as part of an agreement between the CRU and CFL, the CFL took possession of the Grey Cup, even though amateurs had not competed for it since 1954. The CRU remained the governing body for amateur play in Canada, initially, the two unions remained autonomous, and there was no intersectional play between eastern and western teams except at the Grey Cup final. This situation was analogous to how the American baseball leagues operated for years. The IRFU was renamed the Eastern Football Conference in 1960, while the WIFU was renamed the Western Football Conference in 1961, also in 1961, limited intersectional play was introduced. It was not until 1981 that the two agreed to a full merger, becoming the East and West Divisions of the CFL. With the merger came a full interlocking schedule of 16 games per season, Other team names had traditional origins. With rowing a national craze in the late 19th century, the Argonaut Rowing Club of Toronto formed a team for its members off-season participation. The football team name Toronto Argonauts still remains though it. After World War II, the two teams in Hamilton—the Tigers and the Flying Wildcats—merged both their organizations into the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, after the 1981 season, the Alouettes folded and were replaced the next year by a new franchise named the Concordes. In 1986 the Concordes were renamed the Alouettes to attract more fan support, the demise of the Alouettes forced the League to move its easternmost Western team, Winnipeg, into the East Division. In 1993, the league admitted its first United States-based franchise, after modest success, the league then expanded further in the U. S. in 1994 with the Las Vegas Posse, Baltimore Stallions, and Shreveport Pirates
Canadian Football League
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Edmonton's
Commonwealth Stadium (shown during player introductions prior to a game) is the largest venue in the CFL.
Canadian Football League
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Canadian Football League Ligue canadienne de football
Canadian Football League
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Montreal Alouettes quarterback
Anthony Calvillo looks down field with the ball during the
2005 Grey Cup game against the
Edmonton Eskimos at
BC Place
Canadian Football League
–
The
Grey Cup
24.
Montreal
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Montreal, officially Montréal, is the most populous municipality in the Canadian province of Quebec and the 2nd-most populous in Canada as a whole. Originally called Ville-Marie, or City of Mary, it is believed to be named after Mount Royal, the city has a distinct four-season continental climate, with warm-to-hot summers and cold, snowy winters. In 2016, Montreal had a population of 1,704,694, Montreals metropolitan area had a population of 4,098,927 and a population of 1,958,257 in the urban agglomeration, with all of the municipalities on the Island of Montreal included. Legally a French-speaking city,60. 5% of Montrealers speak French at home,21. 2% speak English and 19. 8% speak neither, Montreal is one of the most bilingual cities in Quebec and Canada, with 56% of the population able to speak both official languages. Montreal is the second-largest primarily French-speaking city in the world after Paris, historically the commercial capital of Canada, it was surpassed in population and economic strength by Toronto in the 1970s. It remains an important centre of commerce, aerospace, finance, pharmaceuticals, technology, design, education, culture, tourism, gaming, film, Montreal was also named a UNESCO City of Design. In 2009, Montreal was named North Americas leading host city for international events, according to the 2009 preliminary rankings of the International Congress. According to the 2015 Global Liveability Ranking by the Economist Intelligence Unit, in the 2017 edition of their Best Student Cities ranking, Quacquarelli Symonds ranked Montreal as the worlds best city to study abroad. Also, Montreal has 11 universities with 170,000 students enrolled, the Greater Montréal region has the highest number of university students per capita among all metropolitan areas in North America. It is the only Canadian city to have held the Summer Olympics, currently, the city hosts the Canadian Grand Prix of Formula One, the Montreal International Jazz Festival and the Just for Laughs festival. In 2012, Montreal was ranked as a Beta+ world city, in Kanien’kéha, or Mohawk language, the island is called Tiohtià, ke Tsi or Ka-wé-no-te. In Anishinaabemowin, or Ojibwe language, the land is called Mooniyaang, though the city was first named by French colonizers Ville Marie, or City of Mary, its current name comes from Mount Royal, the triple-peaked hill in the heart of the city. The most popular theory is that the name derives from Mont Réal, Cartiers 1535 diary entry, naming the mountain, according to the Commission de toponymie du Québec and the Geographical Names Board of Canada, Canadian place names have only one official form. Thus, Montreal is officially spelled with an accent over the e in both English and French. In practice, this is limited to governmental uses. English-speaking Montrealers, including English-language media, regularly omit the accent when writing in English, archaeological evidence demonstrates that First Nations native people occupied the island of Montreal as early as 4,000 years ago. By the year AD1000, they had started to cultivate maize, within a few hundred years, they had built fortified villages. Archeologists have found evidence of their habitation there and at locations in the valley since at least the 14th century
Montreal
–
Clockwise from top:
Downtown Montreal as seen from the
Champlain Bridge;
McGill University;
Saint Joseph's Oratory; the
Old Montreal featuring the
Montreal Clock Tower and the
Jacques Cartier Bridge during the
Montreal Fireworks Festival; a view of the
Notre-Dame Basilica from
Place d'Armes; and the
Olympic Stadium.
Montreal
–
The Montreal Harbour in 1889.
Montreal
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Saint Jacques Street (formerly St. James Street), in 1910
Montreal
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Bonsecours Market in autumn.
25.
Frank Miller (comics)
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He also directed the film version of The Spirit, shared directing duties with Robert Rodriguez on Sin City and Sin City, A Dame to Kill For, and produced the film 300. His film Sin City earned a Palme dOr nomination, and he has received every major comic book industry award, in 2015, Miller was inducted into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame. He created the book characters Elektra for Marvel Comics Daredevil series. Miller is noted for combining film noir and manga influences in his art creations. I realized when I started Sin City that I found American and English comics be too wordy, too constipated, so I was attempting to do a hybrid. Miller was born in Olney, Maryland, on January 27,1957, and raised in Montpelier, Vermont, the fifth of seven children of a nurse mother, Miller grew up a comics fan, a letter he wrote to Marvel Comics was published in The Cat #3. By the time of the latter, Miller had his first confirmed credit in writer Wyatt Gwyons six-page Deliver Me From D-Day, inked by Danny Bulanadi, in Weird War Tales #64. Former Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter recalled Miller going to DC Comics after having broken in with. a small job from Western Publishing, I think. Thus emboldened, he went to DC, and after getting savaged by Joe Orlando, got in to see art director Vinnie Colletta, who recognized talent and arranged for him to get a one-page war-comic job. His first work for Marvel Comics was penciling the 17-page story The Master Assassin of Mars, Part 3 in John Carter, at Marvel, Miller would settle in as a regular fill-in and cover artist, working on a variety of titles. One of these jobs was drawing Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #27–28, at the time, sales of the Daredevil title were poor but Miller saw potential in a blind protagonist in a purely visual medium, he recalled in 2000. Miller went to writer and staffer Jo Duffy and she passed on his interest to editor-in-chief Jim Shooter to get Miller work on Daredevils regular title, Shooter agreed and made Miller the new penciller on the title. As Miller recalled in 2008, When I first showed up in New York, I showed up with a bunch of comics, and said, Where are the guys in tights. And I had to learn how to do it, but as soon as a title came along, when Gene Colan left Daredevil, I realized it was my secret in to do crime comics with a superhero in them. And so I lobbied for the title and got it, Daredevil #158, Millers debut on that title, was the finale of an ongoing story written by Roger McKenzie and inked by Klaus Janson. After this issue, Miller became one of Marvels rising stars, however, sales on Daredevil did not improve, Marvels management continued to discuss cancellation, and Miller himself almost quit the series, as he disliked McKenzies scripts. Millers fortunes changed with the arrival of Denny ONeil as editor, realizing Millers unhappiness with the series, and impressed by a backup story he had written, ONeil fired McKenzie so that Miller could try writing the series himself. Miller and ONeil would maintain a working relationship throughout his run on the series
Frank Miller (comics)
–
Miller at
Comic-Con 2008
Frank Miller (comics)
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Miller at the 1982
Comic-Con
Frank Miller (comics)
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Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1 (Feb. 1986). Cover art by Miller.
Frank Miller (comics)
–
Marv walking through the rain in
The Hard Goodbye cover by Frank Miller, illustrating Miller's
film noir -influenced visual style.
26.
300 (comics)
–
300 is a historically inspired 1998 comic book limited series written and illustrated by Frank Miller with painted colors by Lynn Varley. The comic is a retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. 300 was particularly inspired by the 1962 film The 300 Spartans, the work was adapted in 2006 to a film of the same name. Each page of the novel is illustrated as a double-page spread, when the series was gathered into hardcover form, the individual pages were twice as wide as a normal comic. Millers art style for this project was similar to his Sin City work,300 was initially published as a monthly five-issue comic book limited series by Dark Horse Comics, the first issue published in May 1998. The issues were titled Honor, Duty, Glory, Combat, the series won three Eisner Awards in 1999, Best Limited Series, Best Writer/Artist for Frank Miller and Best Colorist for Lynn Varley. The work was collected as a volume in 1999. The popularity of the film has boosted sales of the paperback edition. The 10th printing had a print run of 40,000 copies. This is in addition to the 88,000 copies already sold since the volume was released in 1999. In 480 BC, King Leonidas of Sparta gathers 300 of his best men to fight the upcoming Persian invasion, in what is likely a suicide mission, they and their allies plan to stop King Xerxes invasion of Greece at the narrow cliffs of the Hot Gates. The terrain prevents the Greeks from being overwhelmed by Xerxes superior numbers, Ephialtes becomes so desperate by Leonidas refusal that he throws himself off a cliff. The Spartans and their allies successfully hold off the Persians for two days and nights, during a break in the fighting, Xerxes meets with Leonidas and offers wealth and power in exchange for his surrender. Meanwhile, Ephialtes awakes from his suicide attempt and decides to betray the Greeks by telling the Persians about the existence of a small pass that allows Xerxes to attack them from behind. Learning of the Persian maneuvers the Greeks realize their position is indefensible, but the Spartans, before engaging the Persians for the last time, Leonidas orders one Spartan to return home so that he might survive to tell their story. On the third day Xerxes has the Spartans surrounded, their remaining allies already dead and he gives Leonidas one final chance to surrender and kneel to him. After some hesitation, Leonidas finally complies and throws down his arms and this, however, is a trick by Leonidas, and signals the Spartans to fight. Leonidas throws his spear at Xerxes, intending to make the God-King bleed, the Spartans are killed to the last man by a storm of arrows
300 (comics)
–
Original book cover
27.
Berserker
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Berserkers were champion Norse warriors who are primarily reported in Icelandic literature to have fought in a trance-like fury, a characteristic which later gave rise to the English word berserk. These champions would often go into battle without mail-coats, berserkers are attested to in numerous Old Norse sources, as were the Ulfhednar. The English word berserker is derived from the Old Norse words ber-serkr meaning a bear-shirt i. e. a wild warrior or champion of the heathen age, however its interpretation remains controversial. The element ber- was interpreted by the historian Snorri Sturluson as bare and this word is also used in ber-skjaldaðr that means bare of shield, or without a shield. Others derive it from the preferred berr, and Snorris view has largely abandoned. Its values included self-reliance, self-control, strict training, able to perform feats with weapons, later, the coming of Christianity would transform the religious element into the chivalrous knight and the animal totems into heraldic devices. Three main animal cults appeared in the martial arts, the bear, the wolf. The bas relief carvings on Trajans column in Rome depict scenes of Trajans conquest of Dacia in 101-106 AD, the scenes show his Roman soldiers plus auxiliaries and allies from Romes border regions, including tribal warriors from both sides of the Rhine. There are warriors depicted as bare-foot, bare-chested, bearing weapons, scene 36 on the column shows some of these warriors standing together, with some wearing bearhoods and some wearing wolfhoods. Two relevant images are depicted below, along with two associated woodcuts made two later in 1872. It is proposed by some authors that the berserkers drew their power from the bear and were devoted to the bear cult, the bodies of dead berserkers were laid out in bearskins prior to their funeral rites. The bear-warrior symbolism survives to day in the form of the bearskin caps worn by the guards of the Danish and British monarchs, the Royal Life Guards. In battle, the berserkers were subject to fits of frenzy and they would howl like wild beasts, foamed at the mouth, and gnawed the iron rim of their shields. According to belief, during these fits they were immune to steel and fire, when the fever abated they were weak and tame. Accounts can be found in the sagas and this expression berserk most likely arose from their reputed habit of wearing a kind of shirt or coat made from the pelt of a bear during battle. The bear was one of the animals representing Odin, and by wearing such a pelt the warriors sought to gain the strength of a bear and the favor of Odin. To go berserk was to hamask, which translates as change form, in this case, one who could transform as a berserker was typically thought of as hamrammr or shapestrong. they built and shaped more like trolls than human beings. This is generally interpreted as the band of men being hamrammr, wolf warriors appear among the legends of the Indo-Europeans, Turks, Mongols, and North American Indians
Berserker
–
Vendel era bronze plate found on
Öland,
Sweden.
Berserker
–
Battle of the Storm Hjørungavåg Illustration for Olav Tryggvasons saga
Gerhard Munthe (1899)
28.
Immortals (Persian Empire)
–
The Immortals also known as the Immortals Army or Persian Warriors was the name given by Herodotus to an elite heavy infantry unit of 10,000 soldiers in the army of the Achaemenid Empire. This force performed the roles of both Imperial Guard and standing army. The force consisted mainly of Persians, but also included other Iranian peoples such as Medes and Elamites, essential questions regarding the unit remain unanswered, because authentic sources are missing. Herodotus describes the Immortals as being heavy infantry, led by Hydarnes and this elite corps is only called the Immortals in sources based on Herodotus. There is evidence of the existence of a permanent corps from Persian sources and these do not however record the name of Immortals. Probably, Herodotus informant has confused the name Anûšiya with Anauša, the Immortals played an important role in Cambyses IIs conquest of Egypt in 525 BC and Darius Is invasion of Indias smaller western frontier kingdoms and Scythia in 520 BC and 513 BC. Immortals participated in the Battle of Thermopylae 480 BC and were amongst the Persian occupation troops in Greece in 479 BC under Mardonius. During the final decades of the Achaemenid empire, the role expected of the hazarapatish of the Immortals was extended to include that of minister to the king. The provision of a bodyguard, in attendance on the monarch, had already been allocated to a select thousand strong detachment of the corps. Herodotus describes their armament as follows, wicker shields, short spears, quivers, swords or large daggers, slings, underneath their robes they wore scale armour coats. The spear counterbalances of the common soldiery were of silver, to differentiate commanding ranks, the headdress worn by the Immortals is believed to have been the Persian tiara. Its actual form is uncertain, but some describe it as a cloth or felt cap which could be pulled over the face to keep out wind. The title of Immortals was first revived under the Sassanid army, the most famous of the Savaran units were the Zhayedan and numbered 10,000 men, like the Achaemenid predecessors, with the difference that they were cavalry. Their task was mainly to secure any breakthroughs and to battles at crucial stages. Many centuries later, during the Napoleonic Wars, French soldiers referred to Napoleons Imperial Guard as the Immortals, the Iranian Army under the last Shahanshah included an all volunteer Javidan Guard, also known as the Immortals after the ancient Persian royal guard. The Immortals were based in the Lavizan Barracks in Tehran, by 1978 this elite force comprised a brigade of 4, 000–5,000 men, including a battalion of Chieftain tanks. Following the Iranian Revolution of 1979 the Immortals were disbanded and their signature shield is adopted in the insignia of the 65th Airborne Special Forces Brigade and 55th Airborne Brigade of the Iranian Army. However, they are dressed in black and other dark colors
Immortals (Persian Empire)
–
Modern reconstruction of the Immortals in their ceremonial dress at the
2,500 year celebration of the Persian Empire.
Immortals (Persian Empire)
–
Immortals at war against Alexanders' troops. Color reconstruction of the original reliefs on the
Alexander Sarcophagus, in Istanbul
Immortals (Persian Empire)
–
Median (left) and
Persian (right) soldiers, carvings at
Persepolis.
29.
Robert Downey, Jr.
–
Robert John Downey Jr. is an American actor. His career has included critical and popular success in his youth, followed by a period of abuse and legal troubles. For three consecutive years from 2012 to 2015, Downey has topped the Forbes list of Hollywoods highest-paid actors, making an estimated $80 million in earnings between June 2014 and June 2015. He starred as the character in the 1992 film Chaplin. This earned him a Golden Globe Award and his character was written out when Downey was fired after two drug arrests in late 2000 and early 2001. After his last stay in a drug treatment program, Downey achieved sobriety. Each of these films has grossed over $500 million at the box office worldwide, four of these—The Avengers, Avengers, Age of Ultron, Iron Man 3 and Captain America, Downey Jr. has also played the title character in Guy Ritchies Sherlock Holmes and its sequel. Downey was born in Manhattan, New York, the younger of two children and his father, Robert Downey Sr. is an actor and filmmaker, while his mother, Elsie Ann, was an actress who appeared in Downey Sr. s films. Downeys father is of half Lithuanian Jewish, one-quarter Hungarian Jewish, and one-quarter Irish descent, while Downeys mother had Scottish, German, Downey and his older sister Allyson grew up in Greenwich Village. As a child, Downey was surrounded by drugs and his father, a drug addict, allowed Downey to use marijuana at age six, an incident which his father has said he now regrets. Eventually, Downey began spending every night abusing alcohol and making a phone calls in pursuit of drugs. During his childhood Downey had minor roles in his fathers films and he made his acting debut at the age of five, playing a sick puppy in the absurdist comedy Pound, and then at seven appeared in the surrealist Greasers Palace. At the age of ten, he was living in England and he attended the Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center in upstate New York as a teenager. When his parents divorced in 1978, Downey moved to California with his father, Downey and Kiefer Sutherland, who shared the screen in the 1988 drama 1969, were roommates for three years when he first moved to Hollywood to pursue his career in acting. Downey began building upon theater roles, including in the short-lived off-Broadway musical American Passion at the Joyce Theater in 1983, rolling Stone magazine named Downey the worst SNL cast member in its entire run, stating that the Downey Fail sums up everything that makes SNL great. That same year, Downey had a dramatic acting breakthrough when he played James Spaders sidekick in Tuff Turf and he was considered for the role of Duckie in John Hughes film Pretty in Pink, but his first lead role was with Molly Ringwald in The Pick-up Artist. Because of these and other coming-of-age films Downey did during the 1980s, in 1987, Downey played Julian Wells, a drug-addicted rich boy whose life rapidly spirals out of his control, in the film version of the Bret Easton Ellis novel Less Than Zero. In 1992, he starred as Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin, a role for which he prepared extensively, learning how to play the violin and he had a personal coach in order to help him imitate Chaplins posture and way of carrying himself
Robert Downey, Jr.
–
Downey at the 2014
San Diego Comic Con International
Robert Downey, Jr.
–
Downey at the premiere of
Air America, 1990
Robert Downey, Jr.
–
With
Rachel McAdams promoting
Sherlock Holmes at the 2009
San Diego Comic-Con International.
Robert Downey, Jr.
–
With the cast of
The Avengers,
Joss Whedon and
Kevin Feige at the 2010
San Diego Comic-Con International.
30.
Late Show with David Letterman
–
Late Show with David Letterman is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the Late Show franchise. The show debuted on August 30,1993, and was produced by Lettermans production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated, the shows music director and leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, was Paul Shaffer. The head writer was Matt Roberts and the announcer was Alan Kalter, of the major U. S. late-night programs, Late Show ranked second in cumulative average viewers over time and third in number of episodes over time. In most U. S. markets the show aired from 11,35 p. m. to 12,37 a. m. Eastern and Pacific Time, and recorded Monday through Wednesdays at 4,30 p. m. the second Thursday episode usually aired on Friday of that week. In 2002, Late Show with David Letterman was ranked No.7 on TV Guides 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. As host of both Late Night and Late Show for more than 30 years, Letterman surpassed Johnny Carson as the longest running talk show host in 2013. That same year, Late Night and Late Show were ranked at #41 on TV Guides 60 Best Series of All Time, in 2014, Letterman announced his retirement and the final episode of Late Show aired on May 20,2015. The show was succeeded by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, hosted by Stephen Colbert. For most of the 20 years preceding Late Show, CBSs late night fare consisted of movies, reruns and specialty programming packaged under the title CBS Late Night and broadcast to middling ratings. When David Letterman became available following a conflict with NBC, CBS was eager to lure him and offered him a three-year, $14 million per year contract, according to their agreement, the show would spend a month in Hollywood at least once a year. CBS purchased the Ed Sullivan Theater for $4 million, spending several million to renovate it, the renovation was supervised by architect James Polshek. CBS total cost for acquiring the show including renovations, negotiation rights paid to NBC, signing Letterman, announcer Bill Wendell, Shaffer, the writers and the band was over $140 million. A significant issue regarding Lettermans move to CBS was the ownership of long-running comedy bits used on Late Night, NBC claimed that much of what he did on Late Night was intellectual property of the network. Ultimately a compromise was reached in key areas, NBC gave Letterman the choice of at least two options to name his new show, Late Show with David Letterman or Nightly with David Letterman. On this matter CBS executives stepped in, rejecting Nightly in part because of confusion with Nightline on ABC. Thus, Late Show with David Letterman quickly became the official title, after Letterman was introduced on Late Shows very first episode, NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw accompanied him on stage and wished him reasonably well. As part of an act, Brokaw then proceeded to retrieve a pair of cue cards while stating that These last two jokes are the intellectual property of NBC
Late Show with David Letterman
–
Letterman interviewing
Michelle Obama in 2012
Late Show with David Letterman
–
Late Show with David Letterman
