Kevin Spacey Kevin Spacey Fowler , KBE ( born July 26 , 1959 ) , better known as Kevin Spacey , is an American actor , film director , producer , screenwriter , and singer . He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s before obtaining supporting roles in film and television . He gained critical acclaim in the early 1990s that culminated in his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the neo-noir crime thriller The Usual Suspects ( 1995 ) , and an Academy Award for Best Actor for midlife crisis-themed drama American Beauty ( 1999 ) .   His other starring roles have included the comedy-drama film Swimming with Sharks ( 1994 ) , psychological thriller Seven ( 1995 ) , the neo-noir crime film L.A. Confidential ( 1997 ) , the drama Pay It Forward ( 2000 ) , the science fiction-mystery film K-PAX ( 2001 ) , and the role of Lex Luthor in the superhero film Superman Returns ( 2006 ) .   In Broadway theatre , Spacey won a Tony Award for his role in Lost in Yonkers . He was the artistic director of the Old Vic theatre in London from 2004 until stepping down in mid-2015 . Since 2013 , Spacey has played Frank Underwood in the Netflix political drama series House of Cards . For his role as Underwood , he has won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Television Series Drama and two consecutive Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series .


Beautiful got to number two on the Billboard charts.

Beautiful (Christina Aguilera song) `` Beautiful '' is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for her fourth studio album , Stripped ( 2002 ) . It was released as the album 's second single on November 16 , 2002 . A pop and R&B ballad , `` Beautiful '' was written and produced by Linda Perry . Lyrically , it discusses inner beauty , as well as self-esteem and insecurity issues . Aguilera commented that she put `` her heart and her soul '' into the track , which she felt represented the theme of Stripped . The song was later re-recorded in an electronic style for her first greatest hits album Keeps Gettin ' Better : A Decade of Hits ( 2008 ) .   Upon its release , `` Beautiful '' received universal acclaim from music critics , who have ranked it among Aguilera 's strongest material . It won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and was also nominated for Song of the Year at the 2004 ceremony . `` Beautiful '' was also a commercial success , topping the charts in Australia , Belgium , Canada , Ireland , New Zealand and the United Kingdom . The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States , where it was certified Gold for 500,000 units shipped . It was kept from the number one spot by `` Bump , Bump , Bump '' by B2K featuring P. Diddy .   `` Beautiful '' has been widely embraced as an anthem by the LGBT community for its message of self-empowerment and inner beauty . An accompanying music video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund , and earned Aguilera a GLAAD Media Award for its positive portrayal of gay and transgender people . In 2011 , UK LGBT rights organization Stonewall named `` Beautiful '' the most empowering song of the previous decade for gay , lesbian , and bisexual people . In 2009 , Rolling Stone and VH1 listed it as one of the best songs of the 2000s ( decade ) . The song is widely recognized as one of Aguilera 's signature songs and has been covered on numerous occasions and featured on several television shows .


Zayn Malik Zain Javadd `` Zayn '' Malik ( -LSB- 'm ælɪk -RSB- زین مالک ) ( born 12 January 1993 ) , who records mononymously as Zayn , is a British singer and songwriter . Born and raised in Bradford , Malik aspired to pursue a career in music from a young age leading him to audition as a solo artist for the British reality television music competition The X Factor in 2010 . After being eliminated as a solo performer , Malik was brought back into the competition , along with four other contestants , to form the boy band that would become known as One Direction . During his time in the group , they released the albums Up All Night ( 2011 ) , Take Me Home ( 2012 ) , Midnight Memories ( 2013 ) , and Four ( 2014 ) .   Malik split from the boy band in March 2015 and signed a solo recording contract with RCA Records . Adopting a more R&B music style , with his debut studio album Mind of Mine ( 2016 ) and its lead single , `` Pillowtalk '' , Malik became the first British male artist to debut at number one in both the UK and US with a debut single and debut album . Malik is the recipient of several accolades , including an American Music Award and a Billboard Music Award .


James McAvoy has been in television shows.

James McAvoy James McAvoy ( -LSB- ˈmækəvɔɪ -RSB- born 21 April 1979 ) is a Scottish actor . He made his acting début as a teen in 1995 's The Near Room and continued to make mostly television appearances until 2003 , when his feature film career began and he continued to work in both areas from then on . His notable television work includes the drama show State of Play , the adult comedy-drama Shameless , and the science fiction show Frank Herbert 's Children of Dune .   Besides screen acting , McAvoy has performed in several West End productions , receiving three nominations for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor . He has also done voice work for animated films including Gnomeo & Juliet and Arthur Christmas ( both 2011 ) .   In 2003 , McAvoy appeared in a lead role in Bollywood Queen , a British Indian take on the Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet , directed by Jeremy Wooding . This was followed by a supporting role , the faun Mr. Tumnus , in The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion , the Witch and the Wardrobe ( 2005 ) . His performance in Kevin Macdonald 's drama The Last King of Scotland ( 2006 ) garnered him several award nominations . The critically acclaimed romantic drama war film Atonement ( 2007 ) earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination and his second BAFTA nomination . He appeared opposite Angelina Jolie as a newly trained assassin in the action thriller Wanted ( 2008 ) .   Since then , he is known for playing the young Professor Charles Xavier in the 2011 superhero film X-Men : First Class , a role he reprised in X-Men : Days of Future Past ( 2014 ) , and X-Men : Apocalypse ( 2016 ) . McAvoy starred in the 2013 crime comedy-drama film Filth for which he won Best Actor in the British Independent Film Awards . In 2016 , he portrayed Kevin , a man with 23 personalities in his body , in M. Night Shyamalan 's Split , for which he received critical acclaim .


Shameless (UK TV series) Shameless is a British adult comedy-drama series set in Manchester on the fictional Chatsworth council estate . Produced by Company Pictures for Channel 4 , the series aired from 13 January 2004 to 28 May 2013 . The comedy drama , centred on British working class culture , was accorded critical acclaim by various sections of the British media , including The Sun newspaper and Newsnight Review on BBC Two . The programme was created and partially written by Paul Abbott , who is also the programme 's executive producer . In 2005 , the show won `` Best Drama Series '' at the BAFTA TV Awards and `` Best TV Comedy Drama '' at the British Comedy Awards . The network Showtime adapted the series into its own American version , which debuted in 2011 .


State of Play (TV series) State of Play is a British television drama series , written by Paul Abbott and directed by David Yates , that was first broadcast on BBC One in 2003 . The series tells the story of a newspaper 's investigation into the death of a political researcher , and centres on the relationship between the leading journalist , Cal McCaffrey , and his old friend , Stephen Collins , who is a Member of Parliament and the murdered woman 's employer . The series is primarily set in London and was produced in-house by the BBC in association with the independent production company Endor Productions . The series stars David Morrissey , John Simm , Kelly Macdonald , Polly Walker , Bill Nighy , and James McAvoy in the main roles .   The series was Abbott 's first attempt to write a political thriller , and he initially made the majority of the plot up as he went along . He was prompted to write the series after BBC Head of Drama Jane Tranter asked him whether he would consider writing a piece `` bigger '' than anything he had written so far in his career . The serial was Abbott 's third major writing project for the channel , following Clocking Off and Linda Green . The series was also a major turning point in David Yates ' directorial career , as he began to direct various high-profile television projects following his work on the series .   The six-part series was broadcast on BBC One on Sunday evenings at 9:00 pm from May 18 to June 22 , 2003 . Episodes two to five were initially premiered on the digital television station BBC Four at 10:00 pm on the nights of the preceding episodes ' BBC One broadcast ; however episode six was held back for a premiere on BBC One , so as not to allow the final twists to be spoiled for those who did not have access to digital television . In 2004 , the series ran in the United States on the BBC 's BBC America cable channel . In 2005 , the series was released on DVD by BBC Worldwide , in a two-disc set . Episode one features an audio commentary from Abbott and Yates , and episode six a commentary from Yates , producer Hilary Bevan-Jones and editor Mark Day .   The success of the series and it 's favourable impression on BBC executives led to Abbott being commissioned to write a sequel , before the first series had even been aired . In 2006 , however , a second series appeared to have been abandoned , with Abbott telling Mark Lawson on BBC Radio 4 's Front Row in November that he `` could n't find a way to make the story work '' . In 2007 , Abbott was quoted in The Sun as saying that he was currently writing scripts for a second , six-episode series of State of Play , with John Simm and Bill Nighy reprising their roles ; however no such series has since come to fruition .


Jessica Chastain was not in a science fiction film.

Jessica Chastain Jessica Michelle Chastain ( born March 24 , 1977 ) is an American actress and film producer . Born in Carmichael , California , and raised in Sacramento , Chastain developed an interest in acting from a young age . In 1998 , she made her professional stage debut as Shakespeare 's Juliet . After studying acting at the Juilliard School , she was signed to a talent holding deal with the television producer John Wells . She was a recurring guest star in several television shows , including Law & Order : Trial by Jury . She also took on roles in the stage productions of Anton Chekhov 's play The Cherry Orchard in 2004 and Oscar Wilde 's tragedy Salome in 2006 .   Chastain made her film debut in the drama Jolene ( 2008 ) , and gained wide recognition in 2011 for starring roles in half a dozen films , including the dramas Take Shelter and The Tree of Life . Her performance as an aspiring socialite in The Help earned her an Academy Award nomination . In 2012 , she won a Golden Globe Award and received a second Oscar nomination for playing a CIA agent in the thriller Zero Dark Thirty . Chastain made her Broadway debut in a revival of The Heiress in the same year . Her highest-grossing releases came with the science fiction films Interstellar ( 2014 ) and The Martian ( 2015 ) , as she continued to draw praise for her performances in the dramas The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby ( 2013 ) , A Most Violent Year ( 2014 ) , and Miss Sloane ( 2016 ) .   Chastain 's accolades include two Academy Award and British Academy Film Award nominations . She is known to prepare extensively for her roles . Chastain is the founder of the production company Freckle Films , which was created to promote diversity in film . She is vocal about social issues such as gender and racial equality , and mental health . Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2012 .


Interstellar (film) Use mdy dates | date = May 2016 -RCB-   Interstellar is a 2014 British-American epic science fiction film directed , co-written , and co-produced by Christopher Nolan . The film stars Matthew McConaughey , Anne Hathaway , Jessica Chastain , Bill Irwin , Casey Affleck , Ellen Burstyn , John Lithgow , and Michael Caine . Set in a dystopian future where humanity is struggling to survive , it follows a group of astronauts who travel through a wormhole in search of a new home for humanity .   Brothers Christopher and Jonathan Nolan wrote the screenplay , which has its origins in a script Jonathan developed in 2007 . Nolan produced the film with his wife Emma Thomas through their production company Syncopy and with Lynda Obst through Lynda Obst Productions . Caltech theoretical physicist Kip Thorne , whose work inspired the film , was an executive producer and acted as scientific consultant . Later , he also wrote a tie-in book , The Science of Interstellar . Paramount Pictures , Warner Bros. , and Legendary Pictures co-financed the film . Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema shot the film on 35 mm in anamorphic format and IMAX 70 mm . Principal photography commenced in late 2013 in Alberta , Iceland and Los Angeles . The film utilized extensive practical and miniature effects , while the company Double Negative created additional digital effects .   Interstellar premiered on October 26 , 2014 in Los Angeles . In the United States , it was first released on film stock , expanding to venues using digital projectors . The film was successful at the box office , with a worldwide gross of over $ 675 million , and received positive reviews , particularly in regards to its science fiction themes , visual effects , musical score , and the cast 's performances . It received several awards and nominations ; at the 87th Academy Awards , the film won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects , and was nominated for Best Original Score , Best Sound Mixing , Best Sound Editing , and Best Production Design .


The Martian (film) The Martian is a 2015 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott , based on Andy Weir 's 2011 novel The Martian . Matt Damon stars as an astronaut who is mistakenly presumed dead and left behind on Mars . The film depicts his struggle to survive and others ' efforts to rescue him . The film 's ensemble cast also features Jessica Chastain , Kristen Wiig , Jeff Daniels , Michael Peña , Kate Mara , Sean Bean , Sebastian Stan , Donald Glover , Aksel Hennie and Chiwetel Ejiofor .   Producer Simon Kinberg began developing the film after 20th Century Fox optioned the novel in March 2013 , which Drew Goddard adapted into a screenplay and was initially attached to direct , but the film did not move forward . Scott replaced Goddard , and with Damon in place as the main character , production was approved . Filming began in November 2014 and lasted approximately seventy days . Twenty sets were built on a sound stage in Budapest , Hungary , one of the largest in the world . Wadi Rum in Jordan was also used as a backdrop for filming .   The film premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival on September 11 , 2015 , followed by the United States ' theatrical release on October 2 , 2015 , by 20th Century Fox . The film was released in 2D , 3D , IMAX 3D and 4DX . It received critical acclaim and has grossed over $ 630 million worldwide , becoming Scott 's highest-grossing film to date , as well as the tenth-highest-grossing film of 2015 . It received several accolades , including the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy , seven Academy Award nominations , including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay for Goddard , and the 2016 long form Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation . Damon won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy and was nominated for several awards including the Academy Award for Best Actor , the BAFTA for Best Actor , and the Critic 's Choice Award for Best Actor .


Cream (band) Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup power trio consisting of bassist/singer Jack Bruce , drummer Ginger Baker , and guitarist/singer Eric Clapton . The group 's third album , Wheels of Fire ( 1968 ) , was the world 's first platinum-selling double album . The band is widely regarded as the world 's first successful supergroup . In their career , they sold more than 15 million copies of their albums worldwide . Their music included songs based on traditional blues such as `` Crossroads '' and `` Spoonful '' , and modern blues such as `` Born Under a Bad Sign '' , as well as more eccentric songs such as `` Strange Brew '' , `` Tales of Brave Ulysses '' and `` Toad '' .   The band 's biggest hits were `` I Feel Free '' ( UK number 11 ) , `` Sunshine of Your Love '' ( US number 5 ) , `` White Room '' ( US number 6 ) , `` Crossroads '' ( US number 28 ) , and `` Badge '' ( UK number 18 ) .   The band made a significant impact on the popular music of the time , and , along with Jimi Hendrix and other notable guitarists and bands , popularised the use of the wah-wah pedal . They provided a heavy yet technically proficient musical theme that foreshadowed and influenced the emergence of British bands such as Led Zeppelin , The Jeff Beck Group , Deep Purple and Black Sabbath in the late 1960s and the early 1970s . They also had an impact on American southern rock leading groups The Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd . The band 's live performances influenced progressive rock acts such as Rush .   The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 . They were included in both Rolling Stone and VH1 's lists of the `` 100 Greatest Artists of All Time , '' at number 67 and 61 respectively . They were also ranked number 16 on VH1 's `` 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock '' .


Ginger Baker Peter Edward `` Ginger '' Baker ( born 19 August 1939 ) is an English drummer , best known as the founder of the rock band Cream . Baker 's work in the 1960s earned him praise as `` rock 's first superstar drummer '' , although his individual style melded a jazz background with his interest in African rhythms . Baker is an inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Cream and is widely considered one of the most influential drummers of all time , recognised by his induction into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2008 , and his induction into the Classic Drummer Hall of Fame in 2016 . Baker is credited as a pioneer of drumming in genres like jazz fusion , heavy metal and world music .   Baker began playing drums at age 15 around 1954 , and later took lessons from Phil Seamen . In the 1960s , he joined Blues Incorporated , where he met bassist Jack Bruce . The two clashed often , but would be rhythm section partners again in the Graham Bond Organisation and Cream , the latter of which Baker co-founded with Eric Clapton in 1966 . Cream achieved worldwide success but only lasted until 1968 , in part due to Baker 's and Bruce 's volatile relationship . After briefly working with Clapton in Blind Faith and leading Ginger Baker 's Air Force , Baker spent several years in the 1970s living and recording in Africa , often with Fela Kuti , in pursuit of his long-time interest in African music . Among Baker 's other collaborations are his work with Gary Moore , Masters of Reality , Public Image Ltd , Atomic Rooster , Bill Laswell , jazz bassist Charlie Haden , jazz guitarist Bill Frisell , and another personally led effort , Ginger Baker 's Energy .   Baker 's drumming attracted attention for his style , showmanship , and use of two bass drums instead of the conventional one . In his early days , he performed lengthy drum solos , most notably in the Cream song `` Toad '' , one of the earliest recorded examples in rock music .


The Wayans Bros. The Wayans Bros. is an American sitcom that aired from January 11 , 1995 , to May 20 , 1999 , on The WB Television Network . The series starred real-life brothers Shawn and Marlon Wayans . The series also starred John Witherspoon and Anna Maria Horsford ( season 2 onward ) .


The Shining (film) The Shining is a 1980 British-American psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick , co-written with novelist Diane Johnson , and starring Jack Nicholson , Shelley Duvall , Danny Lloyd , and Scatman Crothers . The film is based on Stephen King 's 1977 novel The Shining .   Unlike Kubrick 's previous works , which developed audiences gradually through word-of-mouth , The Shining was released as a mass-market film , initially opening in two U.S. cities on Memorial Day , then nationwide within a month . The European release of The Shining a few months later was 25 minutes shorter due to Kubrick 's removal of most of the scenes taking place outside the environs of the hotel .   Although contemporary responses from critics were mixed , assessment became more favorable in following decades , and it is now widely regarded as one of the greatest horror films ever made . American director Martin Scorsese ranked it one of the 11 scariest horror movies of all time . Critics , scholars , and crew members ( such as Kubrick 's producer Jan Harlan ) have discussed the film 's enormous influence on popular culture .


Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick ( -LSB- ˈkuːbrɪk -RSB- July 26 , 1928 -- March 7 , 1999 ) was an American film director , screenwriter , producer , cinematographer , editor , and photographer . He is frequently cited as one of the greatest and most influential directors in cinematic history . His films , which are mostly adaptations of novels or short stories , cover a wide range of genres , and are noted for their realism , dark humor , unique cinematography , extensive set designs , and evocative use of music .   Kubrick was born and raised in the Bronx , New York City , and attended William Howard Taft High School from 1941 to 1945 . Although he only received average grades , Kubrick displayed a keen interest in literature , photography , and film from a young age , and taught himself all aspects of film production and directing after graduating from high school . After working as a photographer for Look magazine in the late 1940s and early 1950s , he began making short films on a shoestring budget , and made his first major Hollywood film , The Killing , for United Artists in 1956 . This was followed by two collaborations with Kirk Douglas , the war picture Paths of Glory ( 1957 ) and the historical epic Spartacus ( 1960 ) . His reputation as a filmmaker in Hollywood grew , and he was approached by Marlon Brando to film what would become One-Eyed Jacks ( 1961 ) , though Brando eventually decided to direct it himself .   Creative differences arising from his work with Douglas and the film studios , a dislike of Hollywood , and a growing concern about crime in America prompted Kubrick to move to the United Kingdom in 1961 , where he spent most of the remainder of his life and career . His home at Childwickbury Manor in Hertfordshire , which he shared with his wife Christiane , became his workplace , where he did his writing , research , editing , and management of production details . This allowed him to have almost complete artistic control over his films , but with the rare advantage of having financial support from major Hollywood studios . His first British productions were two films with Peter Sellers , Lolita ( 1962 ) and Dr. Strangelove ( 1964 ) .   A demanding perfectionist , Kubrick assumed control over most aspects of the filmmaking process , from direction and writing to editing , and took painstaking care with researching his films and staging scenes , working in close coordination with his actors and other collaborators . He often asked for several dozen retakes of the same scene in a movie , which resulted in many conflicts with his casts . Despite the resulting notoriety among actors , many of Kubrick 's films broke new ground in cinematography . The scientific realism and innovative special effects of 2001 : A Space Odyssey ( 1968 ) were without precedent in the history of cinema , and the film earned him his only personal Oscar , for Best Visual Effects . Steven Spielberg has referred to the film as his generation 's `` big bang '' , and it is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made . For the 18th-century period film Barry Lyndon ( 1975 ) , Kubrick obtained lenses developed by Zeiss for NASA , to film scenes under natural candlelight . With The Shining ( 1980 ) , he became one of the first directors to make use of a Steadicam for stabilized and fluid tracking shots . While many of Kubrick 's films were controversial and initially received mixed reviews upon release -- particularly A Clockwork Orange ( 1971 ) , which Kubrick pulled from circulation in the UK following a mass media frenzy -- most were nominated for Oscars , Golden Globes , or BAFTA Awards , and underwent critical reevaluations . His last film , Eyes Wide Shut , was completed shortly before his death in 1999 at the age of 70 .


Eyes Wide Shut Eyes Wide Shut is a 1999 erotic drama film directed , produced , and co-written by Stanley Kubrick . Based on Arthur Schnitzler 's 1926 novella Traumnovelle ( Dream Story ) , the story is transferred from early 20th century Vienna to 1990s New York City . The film follows the sexually charged adventures of Dr. Bill Harford , who is shocked when his wife , Alice , reveals that she had contemplated an affair a year earlier . He embarks on a night-long adventure , during which he infiltrates a massive masked orgy of an unnamed secret society .   Kubrick obtained the filming rights for Dream Story in the 1960s , considering it a perfect text for a film adaptation about sexual relations . The project was only revived in the 1990s , when the director hired writer Frederic Raphael to help him with the adaptation . The film was mostly shot in the United Kingdom ( aside from some exterior establishing shots ) , and included a detailed recreation of some exterior Greenwich Village street scenes at Pinewood Studios . The film spent a long time in production , and holds the Guinness World Record for the longest continuous film shoot at 400 days .   Eyes Wide Shut was Kubrick 's last film , as he died four days after showing his final cut to Warner Bros. . To ensure a theatrical R rating in the United States , Warner Bros. digitally altered several sexually explicit scenes during post-production . This version was released on July 16 , 1999 to moderately positive reactions from critics ; worldwide takings at the box office amounted to $ 162 million . The uncut version has since been released in DVD , HD DVD , and Blu-ray Disc formats .   As with many of Kubrick 's works , reception to Eyes Wide Shut has become more favorable in the years since the film 's initial release .


Dr. Strangelove Dr. Strangelove or : How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb , more commonly known as Dr. Strangelove , is a 1964 political satire black comedy film that satirizes the Cold War fears of a nuclear conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States . The film was directed , produced , and co-written by Stanley Kubrick , stars Peter Sellers and George C. Scott , and features Sterling Hayden , Keenan Wynn , and Slim Pickens . Production took place in the United Kingdom . The film is loosely based on Peter George 's thriller novel Red Alert ( 1958 ) .   The story concerns an unhinged United States Air Force general who orders a first strike nuclear attack on the Soviet Union . It follows the President of the United States , his advisers , the Joint Chiefs of Staff , and a Royal Air Force ( RAF ) officer as they try to recall the bombers to prevent a nuclear apocalypse . It separately follows the crew of one B-52 bomber as they try to deliver their payload .   Dr. Strangelove is considered one of cinema 's best comedies . In 1989 , the United States Library of Congress included it in the first group of films selected for preservation in the National Film Registry . It was listed as number three on AFI 's 100 Years ... 100 Laughs list .


Catherine Zeta-Jones Catherine Zeta-Jones , ( -LSB- ˈziːtə -RSB- born 25 September 1969 ) is a Welsh actress . Born and raised in Swansea , Zeta-Jones aspired to be an actress from a young age . In her early teens , she played roles in the West End productions of the musicals Annie and Bugsy Malone . She studied musical theatre at the Arts Educational Schools , London , and made her stage breakthrough with a leading role in a 1987 production of 42nd Street . Her screen debut came in the unsuccessful French-Italian film 1001 Nights ( 1990 ) , and she went on to find greater success as a regular in the British television series The Darling Buds of May ( 1991 -- 93 ) . Dismayed at being typecast as the token pretty girl in British films , Zeta-Jones relocated to Los Angeles .   Zeta-Jones initially established herself in Hollywood with roles that highlighted her sex appeal such as in the action film The Mask of Zorro ( 1998 ) and the heist film Entrapment ( 1999 ) . Critics praised her portrayal of a vengeful pregnant woman in Traffic ( 2000 ) and a murderous singer in the musical Chicago ( 2002 ) . The latter won her Academy and BAFTA Awards for Best Supporting Actress , among other accolades . She starred in high-profile films for much of the decade , including the black comedy Intolerable Cruelty ( 2003 ) , the heist film Ocean 's Twelve ( 2004 ) , the comedy The Terminal ( 2004 ) , and the romantic comedy No Reservations ( 2007 ) . Parts in smaller-scale features were followed by a decrease in workload , during which she returned to stage and portrayed an ageing actress in A Little Night Music ( 2009 ) , winning a Tony Award . Zeta-Jones continued to work intermittently in the 2010s , starring in the psychological thriller Side Effects ( 2013 ) and the action film Red 2 ( 2013 ) .   Zeta-Jones is the recipient of several accolades , including an Academy Award , a British Academy Film Award and a Tony Award , and in 2010 she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire ( CBE ) for her film and humanitarian endeavours . She supports various charities and causes , and is a prominent celebrity endorser of brands . Her struggle with depression and bipolar II disorder has been well-documented by the media . She is married to the actor Michael Douglas with whom she has two children .


Academy Awards The Academy Awards , now known officially as the Oscars , is a set of twenty-four awards for artistic and technical merit in the American film industry , given annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS ) , to recognize excellence in cinematic achievements as assessed by the Academy 's voting membership . The various category winners are awarded a copy of a golden statuette , officially called the `` Academy Award of Merit '' , which has become commonly known by its nickname `` Oscar '' . The awards , first presented in 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel , are overseen by AMPAS .   The awards ceremony was first broadcast on radio in 1930 and televised for the first time in 1953 . It is now seen live in more than 200 countries and can be streamed live online . The Academy Awards ceremony is the oldest worldwide entertainment awards ceremony . Its equivalents -- the Emmy Awards for television , the Tony Awards for theater , and the Grammy Awards for music and recording -- are modeled after the Academy Awards .   The 89th Academy Awards ceremony , honoring the best films of 2016 , were held on February 26 , 2017 , at the Dolby Theatre , in Los Angeles , California . The ceremony was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and was broadcast on ABC . A total of 3,048 Oscars have been awarded from the inception of the award through the 88th .


Arrested Development follows the fictitious Bluth family which was formerly wealthy and is habitually dysfunctional.

Arrested Development (TV series) Arrested Development is an American television sitcom created by Mitchell Hurwitz , which originally aired on Fox for three seasons from November 2 , 2003 to February 10 , 2006 . A fourth season of 15 episodes was released on Netflix on May 26 , 2013 . The show follows the fictitious Bluth family , a formerly wealthy and habitually dysfunctional family . It is presented in a continuous format , incorporating handheld camera work and voice-over narration , as well as the use of occasional archival photos and historical footage . The show also utilizes several long-running `` Easter egg '' jokes throughout each season . Ron Howard serves as both an executive producer and the series ' uncredited narrator . Set in Newport Beach , California , Arrested Development was filmed primarily in Culver City and Marina del Rey .   After its debut in 2003 , the series received widespread critical acclaim , six Primetime Emmy Awards , and one Golden Globe Award , and has attracted a cult following , including several fan-based websites . In 2007 , Time listed the show among its `` All-TIME 100 TV Shows '' ; in 2008 , it was ranked 16th on Entertainment Weekly `` New TV Classics '' list . In 2011 , IGN named Arrested Development the `` funniest show of all time '' . Its humor has been cited as a key influence on later single-camera sitcoms such as 30 Rock and Community .   Despite critical acclaim , Arrested Development received low ratings and viewership on Fox , which canceled the series in 2006 . Rumors of an additional season and a feature film persisted until 2011 , when Netflix agreed to license new episodes and distribute them exclusively on its video streaming service . These episodes were later released in 2013 . Netflix has also commissioned a fifth season of Arrested Development which will premiere in 2018 .


Splash (film) Splash is a 1984 American fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Ron Howard , written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel , and starring Tom Hanks , Daryl Hannah , John Candy , Eugene Levy , and Dody Goodman . The film involves a young man who falls in love with a mysterious woman who is secretly a mermaid . The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay . The original music score was composed by Lee Holdridge .   The film is notable for being the first film released by the Walt Disney Studios ' Touchstone Pictures label , which had been created that same year in an effort to release films targeted at adult audiences , with mature content not appropriate for the studio 's flagship Walt Disney Pictures banner . Splash had received a PG-rating for including some profanity and brief nudity .


Block (basketball) In basketball , a block or blocked shot occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a field goal attempt from an offensive player . The defender is not allowed to make contact with the offensive player 's hand ( unless the defender is also in contact with the ball ) or a foul is called . In order to be legal , the block must occur while the shot is traveling upward or at its apex . A deflected field goal that is made does not count as a blocked shot and simply counts as a successful field goal attempt for shooter plus the points awarded to the shooting team . Every successful blocked shot is counted as a missed field goal attempt for the shooter . Also , on a shooting foul , a blocked shot can not be awarded or counted , even if the player who deflected the field goal attempt is different from the player who committed the foul . If the ball is heading downward when the defender hits it , it is ruled as goaltending and counts as a made basket . Goaltending is also called if the block is made after the ball bounces on the backboard ( NFHS excepted ; the NCAA also used this rule until the 2009 -- 10 season ) .   Nicknames for blocked shots include `` rejections , '' `` stuffs , '' `` bushed '' , `` fudged '' , or notably `` double-fudged '' ( two-handed blocks ) , `` facials , '' `` swats , '' `` denials , '' and `` packs . '' Blocked shots were first officially recorded in the NBA during the 1973 -- 74 season .   Largely due to their height and position near the basket , centers and power forwards tend to record the most blocks , but shorter players with good jumping ability can also be blockers , an example being Dwyane Wade , the shortest player , at 6 ' 4 '' , to record 100 blocked shots in a single season . A player with the ability to block shots can be a positive asset to a team 's defense , as they can make it difficult for opposing players to shoot near the basket and by keeping the basketball in play , as opposed to swatting it out of bounds , a blocked shot can lead to a fast break , a skill Bill Russell was notable for . To be a good shot-blocker , a player needs great court sense and timing , and good height or jumping ability . One tactic is that a shot-blocker can intimidate opponents to alter their shots , resulting in a miss .


Kingdom Hearts III has a character named Sora.

Kingdom Hearts III Kingdom Hearts III is an upcoming action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One . It is the twelfth installment in the Kingdom Hearts series , sequel to Kingdom Hearts II , and the final chapter in the Dark Seeker saga . Set after the events of Kingdom Hearts 3D : Dream Drop Distance , returning protagonist Sora is joined by Donald Duck , Goofy , King Mickey and Riku in their search for the seven guardians of light and the `` Key to Return Hearts '' as they attempt to thwart Master Xehanort 's plan to bring about a second Keyblade War . Their journey has them cross paths with characters , and visit worlds , based on Disney properties and Final Fantasy .   Concepts for the game began as early as 2006 , after the release of Kingdom Hearts II : Final Mix in Japan , with the game not officially confirmed to be in development until E3 2013 , after years of rumors and speculation . Kingdom Hearts III sees many returning gameplay features from the series , while introducing new `` Attraction Flow '' attacks that incorporate Disney Parks attractions . The game also is the first in the series to utilize Unreal Engine 4 .


Jon Huntsman Jr. worked for the 40th President of the United States.

Jon Huntsman Jr. Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. ( born March 26 , 1960 ) is an American politician , businessman , and diplomat who served as the 16th Governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009 , and as United States Ambassador to Singapore from 1992 to 1993 , and China from 2009 to 2011 . He has served in the administrations of five U.S. Presidents and was a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination . In January 2014 , Huntsman was named Chairman of the Washington-based foreign policy think-tank the Atlantic Council . It has been reported he was chosen to be the next Ambassador to Russia in March 2017 .   Huntsman has served in every presidential administration since Ronald Reagan . He began his career as a White House staff assistant for Ronald Reagan , and was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce and United States Ambassador to Singapore by George H.W. Bush . Later as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative under George W. Bush , he launched global trade negotiations in Doha in 2001 and guided the accession of China into the World Trade Organization . He also served as CEO of his family-owned Huntsman Corporation and chairman of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation . In 2009 , he was appointed United States Ambassador to China by Barack Obama .   While Governor , he was named Chairman of the Western Governors Association , and joined the Executive Committee of the National Governors Association . Under his leadership , Utah was named the best managed state in America by the Pew Center on the States . He won re-election in 2008 with nearly 78 % of the vote and left office with approval ratings over 80 % .


Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( -LSB- ˈrɒnəld_ˈwɪlsən_ˈreɪɡən -RSB- ) ( February 6 , 1911 -- June 5 , 2004 ) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th President of the United States from 1981 to 1989 . Before his presidency , he was the 33rd Governor of California , from 1967 to 1975 , after a career as a Hollywood actor and union leader .   Raised in a poor family in small towns of northern Illinois , Reagan graduated from Eureka College in 1932 and worked as a sports announcer on several regional radio stations . After moving to Hollywood in 1937 , he became an actor and starred in a few major productions . Reagan was twice elected President of the Screen Actors Guild , the labor union for actors , where he worked to root out Communist influence . In the 1950s , he moved into television and was a motivational speaker at General Electric factories . Having been a lifelong Democrat , his views changed . He became a conservative and in 1962 switched to the Republican Party . In 1964 , Reagan 's speech , `` A Time for Choosing '' , in support of Barry Goldwater 's foundering presidential campaign , earned him national attention as a new conservative spokesman . Building a network of supporters , he was elected Governor of California in 1966 . As governor , Reagan raised taxes , turned a state budget deficit to a surplus , challenged the protesters at the University of California , ordered National Guard troops in during a period of protest movements in 1969 , and was re-elected in 1970 . He twice ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for the U.S. presidency in 1968 and 1976 ; four years later , he easily won the nomination outright , becoming the oldest elected U.S. president up to that time , defeating incumbent Jimmy Carter in 1980 .   Entering the presidency in 1981 , Reagan implemented sweeping new political and economic initiatives . His supply-side economic policies , dubbed `` Reaganomics '' , advocated tax rate reduction to spur economic growth , control of the money supply to curb inflation , economic deregulation , and reduction in government spending . In his first term he survived an assassination attempt , spurred the War on Drugs , and fought public sector labor . Over his two terms , the economy saw a reduction of inflation from 12.5 % to 4.4 % , and an average annual growth of real GDP of 3.4 ; while Reagan did enact cuts in domestic discretionary spending , tax cuts and increased military spending contributed to increased federal outlays overall , even after adjustment for inflation . During his re-election bid , Reagan campaigned on the notion that it was `` Morning in America '' , winning a landslide in 1984 with the largest electoral college victory in American history . Foreign affairs dominated his second term , including ending of the Cold War , the bombing of Libya , and the Iran -- Contra affair . Publicly describing the Soviet Union as an `` evil empire '' , and during his famous speech at the Brandenburg Gate , President Reagan challenged Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to `` tear down this wall ! '' . He transitioned Cold War policy from détente to rollback , by escalating an arms race with the USSR while engaging in talks with Gorbachev , which culminated in the INF Treaty , shrinking both countries ' nuclear arsenals . Reagan 's presidency came during the decline of the Soviet Union and just ten months after the end of his term , the Berlin Wall fell , and on December 26 , 1991 , nearly three years after he left office , the Soviet Union collapsed .   Leaving office in 1989 , Reagan held an approval rating of sixty-eight percent , matching those of Franklin D. Roosevelt , and later Bill Clinton , as the highest ratings for departing presidents in the modern era . He was the first president since Dwight D. Eisenhower to serve two full terms , after a succession of five prior presidents failed to do so . While having planned an active post-presidency , in 1994 Reagan disclosed his diagnosis with Alzheimer 's disease earlier that year , appearing publicly for the last time at the funeral of Richard Nixon ; he died ten years later in 2004 at the age of 93 ; Reagan had the second-longest life out of all the presidents ; the current longest lifespan of a president is held by Gerald Ford , who died two years after Reagan . An icon among Republicans , he is viewed favorably in historian rankings of U.S. presidents , and his tenure constituted a realignment toward conservative policies in the U.S.


Jennifer Garner Jennifer Anne Garner ( born April 17 , 1972 ) is an American actress . Her breakthrough film debut was in the comedy Dude , Where 's My Car ( 2000 ) . Following a supporting role in Pearl Harbor , Garner gained recognition for her performance as CIA officer Sydney Bristow in the ABC spy-action thriller Alias , which aired from 2001 to 2006 . For her work on the series , she won a Golden Globe Award and a SAG Award and received four Emmy Award nominations .   While working on Alias , Garner gained a cameo role in Catch Me if You Can ( 2002 ) , followed by a praised leading performance in the romantic comedy film 13 Going on 30 ( 2004 ) . Garner has appeared in supporting as well as lead film roles including the superhero films Daredevil ( 2003 ) and Elektra ( 2005 ) , the comedy-drama Juno ( 2007 ) , and the fantasy romantic comedy The Invention of Lying ( 2009 ) . In the 2010s , she appeared in the romantic-comedy film Valentine 's Day , the fantasy comedy-drama film The Odd Life of Timothy Green ( 2012 ) , the biographical drama Dallas Buyers Club ( 2013 ) , and the comedy Alexander and the Terrible , Horrible , No Good , Very Bad Day ( 2014 ) .   Garner works frequently as an activist for early childhood education and is a board member of Save the Children . She is also an advocate for anti-paparazzi campaigns among children of celebrities . Garner had a five-year relationship with Scott Foley from 1998 to 2003 , during which they married . Garner married Ben Affleck in 2005 , with whom she has three children ; they separated in 2015 and filed for divorce in April 2017 .


Benedict Cumberbatch was named one of the Most Influential People in the World.

Benedict Cumberbatch Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch CBE ( born 19 July 1976 ) is an English actor who has performed in film , television , theatre and radio . He is the son of actors Timothy Carlton and Wanda Ventham . Cumberbatch graduated from the University of Manchester and continued his training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art , obtaining a Master of Arts in Classical Acting . He first performed at the Open Air Theatre , Regent 's Park in Shakespearean productions and made his West End debut portraying George Tesman in Richard Eyre 's revival of Hedda Gabler in 2005 . Since then he has starred in the Royal National Theatre productions After the Dance ( 2010 ) and Frankenstein ( 2011 ) . In 2015 , he played William Shakespeare 's Hamlet at the Barbican Theatre .   Cumberbatch 's television work includes appearances in Silent Witness ( 2002 ) and Fortysomething ( 2003 ) before playing Stephen Hawking in the television film Hawking in 2004 . He has starred as Sherlock Holmes in the series Sherlock since 2010 . He has also headlined Tom Stoppard 's adaptation of Parade 's End ( 2012 ) and The Hollow Crown : The Wars of the Roses ( 2016 ) . In film , he has starred in Amazing Grace ( 2006 ) as William Pitt the Younger , Star Trek Into Darkness ( 2013 ) as Khan , 12 Years a Slave ( 2013 ) as William Prince Ford , The Fifth Estate ( 2013 ) as Julian Assange and The Imitation Game ( 2014 ) as Alan Turing . From 2012 to 2014 , through voice and motion capture , he played the characters of Smaug and the Necromancer in The Hobbit film series . Cumberbatch portrays the Marvel Comics character Dr. Stephen Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe , first appearing in the film Doctor Strange ( 2016 ) .   Cumberbatch has received numerous awards and nominations for acting including three Laurence Olivier Award nominations , winning Best Actor in a Play for Frankenstein . He has also received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations , winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for Sherlock . His performance in The Imitation Game earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor . In addition , he has received six BAFTA nominations , five Screen Actors Guild Award nominations and two Golden Globe Award nominations among others . In 2014 , Time magazine included him in its annual Time 100 as one of the `` Most Influential People in the World '' . He was appointed a CBE by Queen Elizabeth II in June 2015 for his services to the performing arts and to charity .


That '70s Show That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that originally aired on Fox from August 23 , 1998 , to May 18 , 2006 . The series focused on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place , Wisconsin , from May 17 , 1976 , to December 31 , 1979 .   The main teenage cast members were Topher Grace , Mila Kunis , Ashton Kutcher , Danny Masterson , Laura Prepon and Wilmer Valderrama . The main adult cast members were Debra Jo Rupp , Kurtwood Smith , Don Stark , Tommy Chong and Tanya Roberts .


The Beach Boys were co-founded by Billy Joel.

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne , California , in 1961 . The group 's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian , Dennis , and Carl Wilson ; their cousin Mike Love ; and their friend Al Jardine . Distinguished by their vocal harmonies and early surf songs , they are one of the most influential acts of the rock era . The group , led by their principal songwriter and producer Brian , pioneered novel approaches to popular music form and production , combining their affinities for jazz-based vocal groups , 1950s rock and roll , and black R&B to create their unique sound . He later arranged his compositions for studio orchestras and explored a variety of other styles , often incorporating classical or jazz elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways .   The Beach Boys began as a garage band managed by the Wilsons ' father Murry , with Brian 's increasingly sophisticated songwriting and recording abilities dominating their creative direction . Emerging at the vanguard of the `` California Sound '' , they performed original material that reflected a southern California youth culture of surfing , cars , and romance . After 1964 , they abandoned the surfing aesthetic for more personal lyrics and multi-layered sounds . In 1966 , the Pet Sounds album and `` Good Vibrations '' single vaulted the group to the top level of rock innovators and established the band as symbols of the nascent counterculture era . Following the dissolution of the group 's Smile project in 1967 , Brian gradually ceded production and songwriting duties to the rest of the band , reducing his input because of mental health and substance abuse issues . The group 's public image subsequently faltered , and despite efforts to continue their psychedelic/avant-garde ventures and reclaim their hippie audiences , they were dismissed as an embodiment of the values and outlooks shared by early 1960s white , suburban teenagers .   The continued success of their greatest hits albums during the mid 1970s precipitated the band 's transition into an oldies act , a move that was denigrated by critics and many fans . Since the 1980s , much-publicized legal wrangling over royalties , songwriting credits and use of the band 's name transpired . Dennis drowned in 1983 and Carl died of lung cancer in 1998 . After Carl 's death , many live configurations of the band fronted by Mike Love and Bruce Johnston continued to tour into the 2000s while other members pursued solo projects . Even though Wilson and Jardine have not performed with Love and Johnston 's band since their one-off 2012 reunion tour , they remain a part of the Beach Boys ' corporation , Brother Records Inc. .   The Beach Boys are one of the most critically acclaimed , commercially successful , and widely influential bands of all time . The group had over eighty songs chart worldwide , thirty-six of them US Top 40 hits ( the most by an American rock band ) , four reaching number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart . The Beach Boys have sold in excess of 100 million records worldwide , making them one of the world 's best-selling bands of all time and are listed at No. 12 on Rolling Stone magazine 's 2004 list of the `` 100 Greatest Artists of All Time '' . The core quintet of the three Wilsons , Love and Jardine were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 .


Claudia Leitte Cláudia Cristina Leite Inácio Pedreira ( -LSB- ˈklawdʒɐ ˈlejtʃi -RSB- ; born 10 July 1980 ) is a Brazilian singer , songwriter , entrepreneur and television personality . She rose to fame in late 2002 as the lead vocalist of the Axé music group Babado Novo . The group achieved a string of consecutive diamond-certified hit singles in Brazil and five golden and platinum albums from 2003 to 2007 , as granted by the Brazilian Association of Record Producers ( ABPD ) .   Leitte embarked on a solo career and released her first solo album Ao Vivo em Copacabana ( 2008 ) , recorded live in front of a crowd of over one million people . The album was awarded gold and triple platinum certifications and established the singer as one of Brazil 's greatest stars . The lead single from the album , `` Exttravasa '' , hit number one on the Brazilian charts -- becoming one of the best-selling singles of the year along with topping radio airplays . 2010 saw the release of Leitte 's first studio album As Máscaras which topped Billboards Brazilian Albums chart and earned her a Latin Grammy Best Brazilian Contemporary Pop Album nomination . Along with Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez , she recorded `` We Are One ( Ole Ola ) '' , which served as the official song of the 2014 FIFA World Cup .   With more than 36 million followers on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter combined , she is one of the most powerful and popular female acts in Brazil and Latin America , having sold over 2 million records and being the recipient for many awards including a Latin Grammy and three World Music Awards nominations for 2014 alone . Aside from her musical career , since 2012 she also serves as coach and mentor on the Brazilian version of television show The Voice .


Plans to adapt the alternative history novel The Man in the High Castle were abandoned over budget disputes.

The Man in the High Castle The Man in the High Castle ( 1962 ) is an alternative history novel by American writer Philip K. Dick . Set in 1962 , fifteen years after an alternative ending to World War II , the novel concerns intrigues between the victorious Axis Powers -- primarily , Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany -- as they rule over the former United States , as well as daily life under the resulting totalitarian rule . The Man in the High Castle won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1963 and the Tähtivaeltaja Award in 1993 . The book would later receive a two season 2015 TV adaptation also under the name , The Man in the High Castle .   Reported inspirations include Ward Moore 's alternative Civil War history , Bring the Jubilee ( 1953 ) , various classic World War II histories , and the I Ching ( referred to in the novel ) . The novel features a `` novel within the novel '' comprising an alternate history within this alternate history wherein the Allies defeat the Axis ( though in a manner distinct from the actual historical outcome ) .


Hansel and Gretel is of European origin.

Germany Germany ( listen ) , is a federal parliamentary republic in central-western Europe . It includes 16 constituent states , covers an area of 357,021 km2 , and has a largely temperate seasonal climate . With about 82 million inhabitants , Germany is the most populous member state of the European Union . After the United States , it is the second most popular immigration destination in the world . Germany 's capital and largest metropolis is Berlin , while its largest conurbation is the Ruhr ( main centres : Dortmund and Essen ) . The country 's other major cities are Hamburg , Munich , Cologne , Frankfurt , Stuttgart , Düsseldorf , Leipzig , Bremen , Dresden , Hannover and Nuremberg .   Various Germanic tribes have inhabited the northern parts of modern Germany since classical antiquity . A region named Germania was documented before 100 AD . During the Migration Period the Germanic tribes expanded southward . Beginning in the 10th century , German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire . During the 16th century , northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation . The remains of the Holy Roman Empire formed the German Confederation in 1815 , while the German revolutions of 1848 -- 49 established major democratic rights first .   In 1871 , Germany became a nation state when most of the German states were unified into the Prussian-dominated German Empire . After World War I and the German Revolution of 1918 -- 1919 , the Empire was replaced by the parliamentary Weimar Republic . In 1933 the Nazi seizure of power quickly led to the establishment of Nazi Germany which was built upon a dictatorship and consequently led to World War II and one of the biggest genocides in history , the Holocaust . By 1945 Germany and most of Europe were left in destruction and ruins . After the end of World War II in Europe and a period of Allied occupation , two German states were founded : the democratic Federal Republic of Germany ( commonly known as West Germany ) and the socialist German Democratic Republic ( commonly known as East Germany ) . A wall encircling West Berlin was created on August 13 , 1961 , and was torn down on November 9 , 1989 . On 3 October 1990 , the country was reunified .   In the 21st century , Germany is a great power and has the world 's fourth-largest economy by nominal GDP , as well as the fifth-largest by PPP . As a global leader in several industrial and technological sectors , it is both the world 's third-largest exporter and importer of goods . Germany is a developed country with a very high standard of living sustained by a skilled and productive society . It upholds a social security and universal health care system , environmental protection and a tuition-free university education .   The Federal Republic of Germany was a founding member of the European Economic Community in 1957 and the European Union in 1993 . It is part of the Schengen Area , and became a co-founder of the Eurozone in 1999 . Germany is a member of the United Nations , NATO , the G8 , the G20 , and the OECD . The national military expenditure is the 9th highest in the world . Known for its rich cultural history , Germany has been continuously the home of influential and successful artists , philosophers , musicians , sportspeople , entrepreneurs , scientists , engineers , and inventors .


Hansel and Gretel `` Hansel and Gretel '' ( also known as Hansel and Grettel , Hansel and Grethel , or Little Brother and Little Sister ) ( -LSB- ˈhænsəl -RSB- or -LSB- ˈhɑːnsəl -RSB- and -LSB- ˈɡrɛtəl -RSB- Hänsel und Gretel -LSB- ˈhɛnzl̩ ʊnt ˈɡʁeːtl̩ -RSB- ) is a well-known fairy tale of German origin , recorded by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 . Hansel and Gretel are a young brother and sister kidnapped by a cannibalistic witch living deep in the forest in a house constructed of cake and confectionery . The two children escape with their lives by outwitting her . The tale has been adapted to various media , most notably the opera Hänsel und Gretel ( 1893 ) by Engelbert Humperdinck . Under the Aarne -- Thompson classification system , `` Hansel and Gretel '' is classified under Class 327 .


Tamara Taylor Tamara Taylor ( born September 27 , 1970 ) is a Canadian actress . Her most notable role is that of Dr. Camille Saroyan , head of the Forensic Division , in the forensic crime drama Bones .


Mike Pence has worked since at least 1988 and is a conservative.

Mike Pence Michael Richard Pence ( born June 7 , 1959 ) is an American politician , lawyer , and the 48th and current Vice President of the United States . He previously served as the 50th Governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2017 .   Born and raised in Columbus , Indiana , Pence graduated from Hanover College and earned a law degree from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law before entering private practice . After losing two bids for a U.S. congressional seat in 1988 and 1990 , he became a conservative radio and television talk show host from 1994 to 1999 . Pence was elected to the United States Congress in 2000 and represented and in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013 . He served as the chairman of the House Republican Conference from 2009 to 2011 . Pence positioned himself as a principled ideologue and supporter of the Tea Party movement , noting he was `` a Christian , a conservative , and a Republican , in that order . ''   Upon becoming Governor of Indiana in January 2013 , Pence initiated the largest tax cut in Indiana 's history , pushed for more funding for education initiatives , and continued to increase the state 's budget surplus . Pence signed bills intended to restrict abortions , including one that prohibited abortions if the reason for the procedure was the fetus 's race , gender , or disability . Pence stirred several high-profile controversies , including with his signature of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act , for which he encountered fierce resistance from moderate members of his party , the business community , and LGBT advocates . He later signed an additional bill acting as an amendment intended to protect LGBT people .   On November 8 , 2016 , Pence was elected as Vice President , after he dropped out of his gubernatorial re-election campaign in July to become the vice presidential running mate for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump , who went on to win the presidential election .


Sweden is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel.

Sweden Sweden ( Konungariket Sverige ) , is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe . It borders Norway to the west and Finland to the east , and is connected to Denmark in the southwest by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund . At 450295 km2 , Sweden is the third-largest country in the European Union by area , with a total population of 10.0 million . Sweden consequently has a low population density of 22 PD/km2 , with the highest concentration in the southern half of the country . Approximately 85 % of the population lives in urban areas .   Germanic peoples have inhabited Sweden since prehistoric times , emerging into history as the Geats/G ötar and Swedes/Svear and constituting the sea peoples known as the Norsemen . Southern Sweden is predominantly agricultural , while the north is heavily forested . Sweden is part of the geographical area of Fennoscandia . The climate is in general very mild for its northerly latitude due to significant maritime influence , that in spite of this still retains warm continental summers . Today , Sweden is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy , with a monarch as head of state . The capital city is Stockholm , which is also the most populous city in the country . Legislative power is vested in the 349-member unicameral Riksdag . Executive power is exercised by the government chaired by the prime minister . Sweden is a unitary state , currently divided into 21 counties and 290 municipalities .   Sweden emerged as an independent and unified country during the Middle Ages . In the 17th century , it expanded its territories to form the Swedish Empire , which became one of the great powers of Europe until the early 18th century . Swedish territories outside the Scandinavian Peninsula were gradually lost during the 18th and 19th centuries , ending with the annexation of present-day Finland by Russia in 1809 . The last war in which Sweden was directly involved was in 1814 , when Norway was militarily forced into personal union . Since then , Sweden has been at peace , maintaining an official policy of neutrality in foreign affairs . The union with Norway was peacefully dissolved in 1905 , leading to Sweden 's current borders . Though Sweden was formally neutral through both world wars , Sweden engaged in humanitarian efforts , such as taking in refugees from German-occupied Europe .   After the end of the Cold War , Sweden joined the European Union on 1 January 1995 , but declined NATO membership , as well as Eurozone membership following a referendum . It is also a member of the United Nations , the Nordic Council , Council of Europe , the World Trade Organization and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD ) . Sweden maintains a Nordic social welfare system that provides universal health care and tertiary education for its citizens . It has the world 's eighth-highest per capita income and ranks highly in numerous metrics of national performance , including quality of life , health , education , protection of civil liberties , economic competitiveness , equality , prosperity and human development .


Muhammad Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd AllāhFull name : Abū al-Qāsim Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim ( ابو القاسم محمد ابن عبد الله ابن عبد المطلب ابن هاشم , lit : Father of Qasim Muhammad son of Abd Allah son of Abdul-Muttalib son of Hashim ) ( محمد -LSB- muħammad -RSB- ; Classical Arabic pronunciation c. 570 CE -- 8 June 632 CE ) is the prophet of Islam and widely identified as its founder by non-Muslims . According to Islamic doctrine , he was God 's Messenger ( rasūl Allāh ) sent to confirm the essential teachings of monotheism preached previously by Adam , Abraham , Moses , Jesus , and other prophets . He is viewed as the final prophet of God in primary branches of Islam , though some modern denominations diverge from this belief.The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community considers Muhammad to be the `` Seal of the Prophets '' ( Khātam an-Nabiyyīn ) and the last law-bearing Prophet but not the last Prophet . See :   There are also smaller sects which believe Muhammad to be not the last Prophet :  The Nation of Islam considers Elijah Muhammad to be a prophet ( source : African American Religious Leaders -- p. 76 , Jim Haskins , Kathleen Benson -- 2008 ) .  United Submitters International consider Rashad Khalifa to be a prophet . ( Source : Daniel Pipes , Miniatures : Views of Islamic and Middle Eastern Politics , p. 98 ( 2004 ) ) Muhammad united Arabia into a single Muslim polity and ensured that his teachings , practices , and the Quran , formed the basis of Islamic religious belief .   Born approximately 570CE ( Year of the Elephant ) in the Arabian city of Mecca , Muhammad was orphaned at an early age ; he was raised under the care of his paternal uncle Abu Talib . Periodically , he would seclude himself in a mountain cave named Hira for several nights of prayer ; later , at age 40 , he reported being visited by Gabriel in the cave , where he stated he received his first revelation from God . Three years later , in 610 , Muhammad started preaching these revelations publicly , proclaiming that `` God is One '' , that complete `` surrender '' ( lit . islām ) to him is the right course of action ( dīn ) , and that he was a prophet and messenger of God , similar to the other prophets in Islam .   Muhammad gained few early followers , and met hostility from some Meccan tribes . To escape persecution , Muhammad sent some followers to Abyssinia before he and his followers migrated from Mecca to Medina ( then known as Yathrib ) in the year 622 . This event , the Hijra , marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar , also known as the Hijri Calendar . In Medina , Muhammad united the tribes under the Constitution of Medina . In December 629 , after eight years of intermittent conflict with Meccan tribes , Muhammad gathered an army of 10,000 Muslim converts and marched on the city of Mecca . The attack went largely uncontested and Muhammad seized the city with little bloodshed . In 632 , a few months after returning from the Farewell Pilgrimage , he fell ill and died . Before his death , most of the Arabian Peninsula had converted to Islam .   The revelations ( each known as Ayah , lit . `` Sign -LSB- of God -RSB- '' ) , which Muhammad reported receiving until his death , form the verses of the Quran , regarded by Muslims as the `` Word of God '' and around which the religion is based . Besides the Quran , Muhammad 's teachings and practices ( sunnah ) , found in the Hadith and sira literature , are also upheld by Muslims and used as sources of Islamic law ( see Sharia ) .


Mao Zedong Mao Zedong or Mao Tse-tung ( -LSB- ˈmaʊ_dzəˈdʊŋ , _ zə - , _ - dɒŋ -RSB- December 26 , 1893September 9 , 1976 ) , also known as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese communist revolutionary and founding father of the People 's Republic of China , which he governed as the Chairman of the Communist Party of China from its establishment in 1949 , until his death in 1976 . His Marxist -- Leninist theories , military strategies , and political policies are collectively known as Maoism or Marxism-Leninism-Maoism .   Born the son of a wealthy farmer in Shaoshan , Hunan , Mao adopted a Chinese nationalist and anti-imperialist outlook in early life , particularly influenced by the events of the Xinhai Revolution of 1911 and May Fourth Movement of 1919 . Mao adopted Marxism -- Leninism while working at Peking University and became a founding member of the Communist Party of China ( CPC ) , leading the Autumn Harvest Uprising in 1927 . During the Chinese Civil War between the Kuomintang ( KMT ) and the CPC , Mao helped to found the Chinese Workers ' and Peasants ' Red Army , led the Jiangxi Soviet 's radical land policies and ultimately became head of the CPC during the Long March . Although the CPC temporarily allied with the KMT under the United Front during the Second Sino-Japanese War ( 1937 -- 45 ) , after Japan 's defeat China 's civil war resumed and in 1949 Mao 's forces defeated the Nationalists who withdrew to Taiwan .   On 1 October 1949 , Mao proclaimed the foundation of the People 's Republic of China ( PRC ) , a one-party state controlled by the CPC . In the following years Mao solidified his control through a campaign of classicide against landlords , and a mass purge of perceived enemies of the state he termed as `` counter-revolutionaries '' alleged to have caused between 2,000,000 to 6,000,000 deaths . ( Mao himself admitting 800,000 deaths in the classicide and 712,000 in the suppression of Counterrevolutionaries ) In 1957 , he launched the Great Leap Forward campaign that aimed to rapidly transform China 's economy from an agrarian economy to an industrial one . The campaign contributed to a widespread famine , whose death toll is estimated at between 15,000,000 and 55,000,000 . In 1966 , he initiated the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution , a program to remove `` counter-revolutionary '' elements of Chinese society that lasted 10 years and which was marked by violent class struggle that killed 400,000 to 10,000,000 people , widespread destruction of cultural artifacts and unprecedented elevation of Mao 's personality cult . In 1972 , Mao welcomed American President Richard Nixon in Beijing , signalling a policy of opening China , which was furthered under the rule of Deng Xiaoping ( 1978 -- 1992 ) . Mao suffered a series of heart attacks in 1976 , and died in September , aged 82 . He was succeeded as Paramount leader by Hua Guofeng ( 1976 -- 1978 ) , who was quickly sidelined and replaced by Deng .   A controversial figure , Mao is regarded as one of the most important individuals in modern world history , and is also known as a theorist , military strategist , poet and visionary . Supporters credit him with driving imperialism out of China , modernising China and building it into a world power , promoting the status of women , improving education and health care , and increasing life expectancy as China 's population grew from around 550 million to over 900 million under his leadership . In contrast , critics consider him a dictator comparable to Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin who damaged traditional Chinese culture , as well as considering him a perpetrator of human rights abuses , and they estimate that Mao was responsible for 40 to 70 million deaths through starvation , prison labour and executions , which would rank his tenure as the top incidence of excess mortality in human history .


Joy was written and directed by David O. Russell.

Joy (film) Joy is a 2015 American biographical comedy-drama film , written and directed by David O. Russell and starring Jennifer Lawrence as Joy Mangano , about whom the story is loosely based as a self-made millionaire who created her own business empire .   Joy received a theatrical release on December 25 , 2015 , distributed by 20th Century Fox . It received mixed reviews from critics , who praised Lawrence 's performance but criticized the writing and pace of the film . Lawrence received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress -- Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for her performance . Joy was also nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy , among other accolades .


Yellow (Coldplay song) `` Yellow '' is a song by British rock band Coldplay . The band wrote the song and co-produced it with British record producer Ken Nelson for their debut album , Parachutes ( 2000 ) . The song 's lyrics are a reference to the band 's lead singer Chris Martin 's unrequited love .   The song was recorded in March 2000 , and released in June that same year as the second single from Parachutes , following Shiver , and the lead single in the United States . `` Yellow '' reached number four in the UK Singles Chart , giving Coldplay their first top-five single in the United Kingdom . Helped by heavy rotation and usage in promotions , the song thrust the band into popularity . `` Yellow '' has since been covered by various recording artists worldwide , and remains one of the band 's most popular songs .


Guy Berryman Guy Rupert Berryman ( born 12 April 1978 ) is a Scottish musician , multi-instrumentalist and producer . He is the bassist for the bands Coldplay and Apparatjik . Though Berryman is left-handed , he plays the bass right-handed .


Mylo Xyloto Mylo Xyloto -LSB- ˈmaɪloʊ_ˈzaɪlətoʊ -RSB- is fifth studio album by British alternative rock band Coldplay . It was first released on 19 October 2011 , by EMI Music Japan , and in other countries beginning on 21 October by Parlophone ; it was later released on 25 October in the United States , by Capitol Records . The band collaborated closely with acclaimed producer Brian Eno following their successful collaborations on Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends , the band 's fourth studio album .   Mylo Xyloto is a concept album and a thematic rock opera . The album tells the story of a war against sound and colour by a supremacist government , set in the world of Silencia , an Orwellian society . Silencia has been overtaken by a government led by Major Minus , who controls the population through media and propaganda . His aim is to take sound and colour off the streets in hope to draw away `` feeders '' , creatures that use such energy to hunt its prey . The album follows Mylo , a `` silencer '' , a soldier in an army tasked to hunt and track down `` sparkers '' , people who harness light and energy and use it to create sparks , comparable to graffiti in real life . He encounters Xyloto , the sparker most wanted by Major Minus . Through Xyloto , Mylo discovers his sparker abilities and his affiliation with the Car Kids , a major sparker faction founded by Mylo 's parents , Aiko and Lela . Drummer Will Champion has noted that the album is a story of the characters `` falling in love and trying to escape together '' , with a general theme of `` love conquering all '' .   Mylo Xyloto received mixed to positive reviews from music critics , with a score of 65/100 on Metacritic . While some found it to be overproduced , others praised its uplifting tone and new electronic sound . `` Paradise '' and `` Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall '' received a total of three Grammy Award nominations in 2012 , while the album and `` Charlie Brown '' received two further Grammy nominations in 2013 . Internationally , Mylo Xyloto charted at number one in 34 countries . In the United Kingdom , Mylo Xyloto became Coldplay 's fifth album to debut at number one , selling 208,000 units in its first week , and setting a one-week digital sales record with 83,000 copies sold . Mylo Xyloto broke an iTunes record for digital downloads sales by selling over 500,000 digital copies in a week . The album became the group 's third to debut at number one on the US Billboard 200 , selling 447,000 units in its first week of sales . It was the UK 's best-selling rock album of 2011 , selling 908,000 copies . As of 2013 , it has sold over 8 million copies worldwide .


Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends , often referred to as simply Viva la Vida , is the fourth studio album by British rock band Coldplay , released on 12 June 2008 on Parlophone . The album was named after a Spanish phrase that translates in English as `` Live the life '' , although it can also be taken as `` Long live life '' . Lyrically , the album contains references to love , life , death , and war .   Recording sessions for the album took place during June 2007 to April 2008 and featured production by Jon Hopkins , Rik Simpson , Markus Dravs , and Brian Eno . The album was their first to be produced by Eno , and also their first album to not be produced by long-time Coldplay producer , Ken Nelson . The band forced themselves to explore experimental styles , as Eno required every song on the album to sound different , and expanded their musical interests while recording Viva la Vida . The band wanted to make the album shorter than 42 minutes . Despite this , the album is longer than the length they intended . Development of the album delayed the release date several times . The album cover of Viva la Vida is the painting Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix .   Viva la Vida was both a critical and commercial success . Five songs were released in promotion of the album ; `` Violet Hill '' and `` Viva la Vida '' in May 2008 , `` Lovers in Japan '' and `` Lost ! '' in November 2008 , and `` Strawberry Swing '' in September 2009 . `` Viva la Vida '' became the band 's first song to reach number one in both the United States and the United Kingdom . It won Best Rock Album at the 2009 Grammy Awards and was also nominated for Album of the Year . It was the best selling album of 2008 . By 2011 , the album had sold more than 10 million copies .  Viva la Vida was re-released on 25 November 2008 in a deluxe edition containing the original album and the Prospekt 's March EP .


The Blue Room (EP) The Blue Room is the second EP released by British rock band Coldplay , and their first release after signing with the Parlophone label in October 1999 .


X&Y X&Y is the third studio album by British rock band Coldplay . It was released on 6 June 2005 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom , and a day later by Capitol Records in the United States . The album was produced by Coldplay and producer Danton Supple . It is noted for its troubled and urgent development , with producer Ken Nelson having originally been tasked with producing much of the album ; however , many songs written during his sessions were discarded owing to the band 's dissatisfaction with them . The album 's cover art is a combination of colours and blocks , which is a representation of the Baudot code .   The album contains twelve tracks and an additional hidden track , '' 'Til Kingdom Come '' . It is omitted from the track listing on the album sleeve , but listed as '' + '' on the disc label and inside the album booklet . It was originally planned for American country star Johnny Cash to record it with lead singer Chris Martin , but Cash died before he was able to do so . The song `` Talk '' appeared in the track listing , although after it leaked online in early 2005 it was thought to have been downgraded to a B-side for the album 's subsequent single releases .   X&Y was released after a considerable amount of global anticipation . Overall reaction to the album was generally positive , though some critics cited it as being inferior to its predecessors . It was a significant commercial success , reaching the top spot of many charts worldwide , including the United Kingdom and United States , being the first time Coldplay topped the US chart . With accumulated sales of 8.3 million units in 2005 alone , X&Y was the best-selling music album released in 2005 worldwide . By 2011 the album had sold over 13 million copies worldwide . The album spawned the singles `` Speed of Sound '' , `` Fix You '' , `` Talk '' , `` The Hardest Part '' , `` What If '' and `` White Shadows '' .


Will Champion William `` Will '' Champion ( born 31 July 1978 ) is a British musician and multi-instrumentalist . He is the drummer and backing vocalist for the rock band Coldplay .


Coldplay Coldplay are a British rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist and keyboardist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London ( UCL ) . After they formed under the name Pectoralz , Guy Berryman joined the group as bassist and they changed their name to Starfish . Will Champion joined as drummer and backing vocalist , completing the lineup . Creative director Phil Harvey is often referred to as the fifth member by the band . The band renamed themselves `` Coldplay '' in 1998 , before recording and releasing three EPs : Safety in 1998 and Brothers & Sisters and The Blue Room in 1999 . The Blue Room was their first release on a major label , after signing to Parlophone .   Coldplay achieved worldwide fame with the release of the single `` Yellow '' in 2000 , followed in the same year by their debut album Parachutes , which was nominated for the Mercury Prize . The band 's second album , A Rush of Blood to the Head ( 2002 ) , was released to critical acclaim and won awards including NME 's Album of the Year . Their next release , X&Y , the bestselling album worldwide in 2005 , received mostly positive reviews , though some critics felt it was inferior to its predecessor . Their fourth studio album , Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends ( 2008 ) , was produced by Brian Eno and released to largely positive reviews , earning several Grammy Award nominations and wins at the 51st Grammy Awards . In October 2011 , Coldplay released their fifth studio album , Mylo Xyloto , which topped the charts in over 34 countries and was the UK 's best-selling rock album of 2011 , but received mixed reviews , In May 2014 , they released their sixth album , Ghost Stories , which also received mixed reviews and topped the iTunes Store albums charts in over 100 countries . In December 2015 , the band released their seventh album , A Head Full of Dreams , which reached the top two in most major markets , but received generally mixed reviews .   Coldplay have won 62 awards from 209 nominations throughout their career , including nine Brit Awards -- winning Best British Group four times -- five MTV Video Music Awards and seven Grammy Awards from 31 nominations . They have sold more than 80 million records worldwide , making them one of the world 's bestselling music artists . In December 2009 , Rolling Stone readers voted the group the fourth-best artist of the 2000s . Coldplay have supported various social and political causes , such as Oxfam 's Make Trade Fair campaign and Amnesty International . They have also performed at charity projects including Band Aid 20 , Live 8 , Sound Relief , Hope for Haiti Now : A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief , The Secret Policeman 's Ball , Sport Relief and the UK Teenage Cancer Trust .


To the Bone (film) To the Bone is a 2017 American drama film , written and directed by Marti Noxon . The film stars Lily Collins , Keanu Reeves , Carrie Preston , Lili Taylor , Alex Sharp , Liana Liberato , Brooke Smith , and Ciara Bravo . The film follows a girl ( Collins ) as she battles anorexia . It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22 , 2017 .


Goat Island's two bridges carry foot, car, and trackless train traffic.

Goat Island (New York) Goat Island ( previously called Iris Island ) is a small island in the Niagara River , located in the middle of Niagara Falls between the Bridal Veil Falls and the Horseshoe Falls . The island is at the southwest corner of the City of Niagara Falls ( and of Niagara County ) , New York , in the United States and is part of Niagara Falls State Park .   Goat Island has no residents , but is a popular destination for tourists visiting the falls on the U.S. side ; it offers some of the most spectacular views available there , in particular at Terrapin Point . Goat Island is connected to the U.S. mainland by two bridges carrying foot , car , and trackless train traffic , and to the smaller Luna Island ( adjacent to the American Falls ) by a pedestrian bridge . Goat island is largely wooded and is interlaced with foot trails . The Cave of the Winds tour elevator provides access down to the foot of the falls .


Richard Burbage Richard Burbage ( 6 January 1567 -- 12 March 1619 ) is considered the first great actor of English theatre . He is one of the most famous actors of the Globe Theatre of his time . In addition to being a stage actor he was also a theatre owner , entrepreneur and painter . He was the younger brother of Cuthbert Burbage . They were both actors in drama . Burbage was a business associate and friend to William Shakespeare .   The son of James Burbage , a joiner who became a theatrical impresario , and also founded the first theatre and was a famous theatrical entrepreneur . Burbage was a popular actor by his early 20s . He excelled in plays with the theme of tragedies . His early acting career is poorly documented . As many young actors of his time , he may have played the part of women in productions before taking any of the roles he is known for . It has been suggested that he spent time working with the Earl of Leicester 's company , but there is no good evidence for this . He was probably acting with the Admiral 's Men in 1590 , with Lord Strange 's Men in 1592 , and with the Earl of Pembroke 's Men in 1593 ; but most famously he was the star of William Shakespeare 's theatre company , the Lord Chamberlain 's Men which became the King 's Men on the ascension of James I in 1603 . He played the title role in the first performances of many of Shakespeare 's plays , including Hamlet , Othello , Richard III , and King Lear . But he was in great demand and also appeared in the plays of many of the great contemporary writers , such as Ben Jonson ( the title role in Volpone , and Subtle in The Alchemist ) , John Marston ( The Malcontent ) , John Webster ( The Duchess of Malfi ) and Beaumont and Fletcher ( The Maid 's Tragedy ) .   Burbage 's power and scope as an actor is revealed in the sheer size of the roles he played . He was a great box office draw . Of the hundreds of plays and thousands of roles for actors that date from the 1580 -- 1610 era , there are only twenty or so roles that are longer than 800 lines . Edward Alleyn was the first English actor to manage such roles , in Marlowe 's Tamburlaine and The Jew of Malta ; but the majority of these star roles , thirteen of the twenty , were acted by Burbage.He was said to be quite rich because he was earning income from being the primary housekeeping of two playhouses , a sharer in the King 's Men , a lead actor and a painter .   His acting style is closely compared with the method that actors use today called method acting ; it would be another four centuries before this came into popularity . He was described as being short and stout , but said to be an impressive figure , with numerous praises written of him in contemporary accounts .


Iron Man (2008 film) was nominated for zero Academy Awards.

Iron Man (2008 film) Iron Man is a 2008 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name , produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures . It is the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe . The film was directed by Jon Favreau , with a screenplay by Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby and Art Marcum & Matt Holloway . It stars Robert Downey Jr. , Terrence Howard , Jeff Bridges , Shaun Toub and Gwyneth Paltrow . In Iron Man , Tony Stark , an industrialist and master engineer , builds a powered exoskeleton and becomes the technologically advanced superhero Iron Man .   The film had been in development since 1990 at Universal Pictures , 20th Century Fox , or New Line Cinema at various times , before Marvel Studios reacquired the rights in 2006 . Marvel put the project in production as its first self-financed film , with Paramount Pictures as its distributor . Favreau signed on as director , aiming for a naturalistic feel , and he chose to shoot the film primarily in California , rejecting the East Coast setting of the comics to differentiate the film from numerous superhero films set in New York City-esque environments . Filming began in March 2007 and concluded in June . During filming , the actors were free to create their own dialogue because pre-production was focused on the story and action . Rubber and metal versions of the armors , created by Stan Winston 's company , were mixed with computer-generated imagery to create the title character .   Iron Man premiered in Sydney on April 14 , 2008 , and was released in theaters on May 2 , 2008 . The film was a critical and commercial success , grossing over $ 585 million and garnering widespread critical acclaim . Downey 's performance as Tony Stark was particularly praised . The American Film Institute selected the film as one of the ten best of the year . It was also nominated for two Academy Awards for the Best Sound Editing and the Best Visual Effects . Two sequels , Iron Man 2 and Iron Man 3 , were released on May 7 , 2010 , and May 3 , 2013 , respectively .


Briana Banks Briana Banks ( born May 21 , 1978 ) is the stage name of a German American pornographic actress and model . She is the Penthouse Pet of the Month for June 2001 .


Finding Nemo Finding Nemo is a 2003 American computer-animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures . Written and directed by Andrew Stanton with co-direction by Lee Unkrich , the film stars the voices of Albert Brooks , Ellen DeGeneres , Alexander Gould , and Willem Dafoe . It tells the story of the overprotective Ocellaris clownfish named Marlin who , along with a regal blue tang named Dory , searches for his abducted son Nemo all the way to Sydney Harbour . Along the way , Marlin learns to take risks and comes to terms with Nemo taking care of himself .   Finding Nemo was released on May 30 , 2003 , and has received universal critical acclaim since . The film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature , and was nominated in three more categories , including Best Original Screenplay . Finding Nemo became the highest-grossing animated film at the time and was the second highest-grossing film of 2003 , earning a total of $ 871 million worldwide by the end of its initial theatrical run .   The film is the best-selling DVD title of all time , with over 40 million copies sold , and was the highest-grossing G-rated film of all time before Pixar 's own Toy Story 3 overtook it . The film was re-released in 3D in 2012 . In 2008 , the American Film Institute named it the 10th greatest animated film ever made as part of their 10 Top 10 lists . A sequel , Finding Dory , was released on June 17 , 2016 in the United States .


List of Pixar shorts Beginning with Pixar 's second film A Bug 's Life , all subsequent Pixar feature films have been shown in theatres along with a Pixar-created short . Other Pixar shorts , released only on home media , were created to showcase what Pixar can do ( either technologically or cinematically ) , or were created specifically for a client .   Pixar 's ideas and technical capabilities have developed by producing shorts since the 1980s . The first shorts were made while Pixar was still a computer hardware company , when John Lasseter was the only professional animator in the company 's tiny animation department . Starting with Geri 's Game , after Pixar had turned into an animation studio , all later shorts have been produced with a larger crew and budget .   In 1991 , Pixar made four CGI shorts produced for the TV series Sesame Street . The shorts illustrates different weights and directions starring Luxo Jr. and Luxo -- Light and Heavy ( 1990 ) , Surprise ( 1991 ) , Up and Down ( 1993 ) , and Front and Back ( 1994 ) .   Also , beginning with A Bug 's Life , Pixar has created extra content for each of their films that is not part of the main story . For their early theatrical releases , this content was in the form of `` movie outtakes '' and appeared as part of the film 's credits . For each of their films , this content was a short made exclusively for the DVD release of the film .


Luxo Jr. Luxo Jr. is a 1986 American computer-animated short film produced by Pixar and directed by John Lasseter . The two-minute short film revolves around one larger and one smaller desk lamp . The larger lamp , named Luxo Sr. , looks on while the smaller , `` younger '' Luxo Jr. plays exuberantly with a ball that it accidentally deflates . Luxo Jr. was Pixar 's first animation after Ed Catmull and John Lasseter left Industrial Light and Magic 's computer division . It is the source of the hopping desk lamp included in Pixar 's corporate logo .   Lasseter 's aim was to finish the short film for the 1986 SIGGRAPH , an annual computer graphics conference attended by thousands of industry professionals . The film would come from his experiments with modeling his Luxo lamp . Lasseter worked to improve the story within the allotted two minutes . In animation , the film demonstrates the use of shadow maps within the rendering software . Lasseter applied classic animation principles defined by Disney 's Nine Old Men to convey the lamps ' emotions . Catmull and Lasseter worked around the clock , and Lasseter even took a sleeping bag into work and slept under his desk , ready to work early the next morning . In total it took about four and a half months to do .   The commitment paid off , and it was finished in time to be shown at SIGGRAPH . Before Luxo Jr. finished playing at SIGGRAPH , the crowd had already risen in applause . Luxo Jr. is regarded as a breakthrough in the animation medium as a whole , changing traditionalists ' interpretation of computer animation . The short was the first work of animation to use procedural animation , the software written by Eben Ostby . It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short Film , becoming the first CGI film nominated for an Academy Award .   In 2014 , Luxo Jr. was deemed `` culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant '' by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry .


Finding Dory Finding Dory is a 2016 American 3D computer-animated comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures . Directed by Andrew Stanton with co-direction by Angus MacLane , the screenplay was written by Stanton and Victoria Strouse . The film is a sequel/spinoff to 2003 's Finding Nemo and features the returning voices of Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks , with Hayden Rolence ( replacing Alexander Gould ) , Ed O'Neill , Kaitlin Olson , Ty Burrell , Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy joining the cast . The film focuses on the amnesiac fish Dory , who journeys to be reunited with her parents .   The film premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on June 8 , 2016 , and was released in the United States on June 17 , 2016 . Upon release , the film was a critical and commercial success , grossing over $ 1 billion worldwide , becoming the second Pixar film to cross this mark after 2010 's Toy Story 3 . The film set numerous records , including the highest-grossing animated film opening of all time in North America .


Toy Story 3 Toy Story 3 is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated comedy-drama film , the third installment in the Toy Story series , and the sequel to Toy Story 2 ( 1999 ) . It was produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures . It was directed by Lee Unkrich , the editor of the first two films and co-director of Toy Story 2 , written by Michael Arndt , while Unkrich wrote the story along with John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton , respectively director and co-writer of the first two films . The film was released in theaters June 18 , 2010 , and played worldwide from June through October in the Disney Digital 3-D , RealD , and IMAX 3D formats . Toy Story 3 was the first film to be released theatrically with Dolby Surround 7.1 sound .   The plot focuses on the toys Woody , Buzz Lightyear , and their friends dealing with an uncertain future as their owner , Andy , prepares to leave for college . The film features an ensemble voice cast with Tom Hanks , Tim Allen , Joan Cusack , Don Rickles , Wallace Shawn , John Ratzenberger , Estelle Harris , Jodi Benson , and John Morris reprising their roles from the previous films , along with Blake Clark as the voice of Slinky Dog ( because Jim Varney died ten years before the release of the film ) and Ned Beatty , Michael Keaton , Whoopi Goldberg , Timothy Dalton , Kristen Schaal , Bonnie Hunt , and Jeff Garlin voicing the new characters introduced in this film .   Like its predecessors , Toy Story 3 received critical acclaim upon release . It became the second Pixar film ( after Up ) and third animated film overall ( after Beauty and the Beast and Up ) to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture . The film received four more Academy Award nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay , Best Sound Editing , Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song , winning the latter two . Toy Story 3 grossed over $ 1 billion worldwide , becoming the highest-grossing film of 2010 -- both in North America and worldwide -- and the fourth highest-grossing film at the time of its release , as well as the third highest-grossing animated film of all time and the first animated film to generate $ 1 billion in ticket sales . A sequel , Toy Story 4 , directed by Lasseter , is scheduled to be released on June 21 , 2019 .