Pulp Fiction Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American black comedy neo-noir crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino , from a story by Tarantino and Roger Avary . Directed in a highly stylized manner , Pulp Fiction connects the intersecting storylines of Los Angeles mobsters , fringe players , small-time criminals , and a mysterious briefcase . The film 's title refers to the pulp magazines and hardboiled crime novels popular during the mid-20th century , known for their graphic violence and punchy dialogue .   The screenplay of Pulp Fiction was written in 1992 and 1993 , and incorporated some scenes originally written by Avary for True Romance . Its plot , as in many of Tarantino 's other works , is presented out of chronological order . The film is also self-referential from its opening moments , beginning with a title card that gives two dictionary definitions of `` pulp '' . Considerable screen time is devoted to monologues and casual conversations with eclectic dialogue revealing each character 's perspectives on several subjects , and the film features an ironic combination of humor and strong violence . Its script was reportedly turned down by Columbia TriStar as `` too demented '' . Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein was instantly enthralled with it , however , and the film became the first that Miramax fully financed .   Pulp Fiction won the Palme d'Or at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival , and was a major critical and commercial success upon its U.S. release . It revitalized the careers of John Travolta ( who received an Academy Award nomination ) , Samuel L. Jackson , and Uma Thurman . It was also nominated for seven Oscars , including Best Picture ; Tarantino and Avary won for Best Original Screenplay . The nature of its development , marketing , and distribution -- and its consequent profitability -- had a sweeping effect on the field of independent cinema .   Since its release , Pulp Fiction has been widely regarded as Tarantino 's masterpiece , with particular praise singled out for its screenwriting . The film 's self-reflexivity , unconventional structure , and extensive use of homage and pastiche have led critics to describe it as a touchstone of postmodern film . It is often considered a cultural watershed , with a strong influence felt not only in later movies that adopted various elements of its style , but in several other media as well . A 2008 Entertainment Weekly poll named it the best film since 1983 , and the work has appeared on many critics ' lists of the greatest films ever made . In 2013 , Pulp Fiction was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being `` culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant '' .


Jet Li went on permanent hiatus from Wushu at age 19.

Jet Li Li Lianjie ( born 26 April 1963 ) , better known by his stage name Jet Li , is a Chinese film actor , film producer , martial artist , and retired Wushu champion who was born in Beijing . He is a naturalized Singaporean citizen .   After three years of training with Wu Bin , Li won his first national championship for the Beijing Wushu Team . After retiring from Wushu at age 19 , he went on to win great acclaim in China as an actor making his debut with the film Shaolin Temple ( 1982 ) . He went on to star in many critically acclaimed martial arts epic films , most notably as the lead in director Zhang Yimou 's 2002 Hero , Fist of Legend which is the best acclaimed Li movie by Rotten Tomatoes , and the Once Upon a Time in China series , in which he portrayed folk hero Wong Fei-hung .   Li 's first role in a non-Chinese film was as a villain in Lethal Weapon 4 ( 1998 ) , and his first leading role in a Hollywood film was as Han Sing in Romeo Must Die ( 2000 ) . He has gone on to star in many action films , including in French cinema with Luc Besson Kiss of the Dragon and Unleashed . He co-starred in The One ( 2001 ) , The Forbidden Kingdom ( 2008 ) with Jackie Chan , all three of The Expendables films with Sylvester Stallone , and as the title character villain in The Mummy : Tomb of the Dragon Emperor ( 2008 ) .


Loni Love was born in a year before 1980.

Loni Love Loni Love ( born July 12 , 1970 or 1971 ) is an American comedian and actress . While working as an electrical engineer in 2003 , Love began to pursue a career in music engineering . She was the runner-up on Star Search 2003 and was named among the `` Top 10 Comics to Watch '' in both Variety and Comedy Central in 2009 . She is currently one of the hosts of The Real talk show along with Jeannie Mai , Tamera Mowry and Adrienne Bailon , which premiered on July 15 , 2013 .


Inferno (2016 film) is not the third installment in the Robert Langdon film series.

Inferno (2016 film) Inferno is a 2016 American mystery adventure thriller film directed by Ron Howard and written by David Koepp , based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Dan Brown . The film is the sequel to The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons , and is the third installment in the Robert Langdon film series . It stars Tom Hanks , reprising his role as Robert Langdon , alongside Felicity Jones , Omar Sy , Sidse Babett Knudsen , Ben Foster and Irrfan Khan . Together with the previous film , it remains Hanks ' only live-action sequel .   Filming began on April 27 , 2015 in Venice , Italy , and wrapped on July 21 , 2015 in Budapest . The film premiered in Florence on October 9 , 2016 and was released in the United States on October 28 , 2016 in 2D and IMAX formats . The film received generally negative reviews from critics and grossed $ 220 million against a production budget of $ 75 million .


Dubai Dubai ( -LSB- duːˈbaɪ -RSB- ; دبي , Gulf pronunciation : -LSB- dʊˈbɑj -RSB- ) is the largest and most populous city in the United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) . It is located on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf and is the capital of the Emirate of Dubai , one of the seven emirates that make up the country . Abu Dhabi and Dubai are the only two emirates to have veto power over critical matters of national importance in the country 's legislature . The city of Dubai is located on the emirate 's northern coastline and heads the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area . Dubai will host World Expo 2020 .   Dubai emerged as a global city and business hub of the Middle East . It is also a major transport hub for passengers and cargo . By the 1960s , Dubai 's economy was based on revenues from trade and , to a smaller extent , oil exploration concessions , but oil was not discovered until 1966 . Oil revenue first started to flow in 1969 . Dubai 's oil revenue helped accelerate the early development of the city , but its reserves are limited and production levels are low : today , less than 5 % of the emirate 's revenue comes from oil .   The emirate 's Western-style model of business drives its economy with the main revenues now coming from tourism , aviation , real estate , and financial services . Dubai was recently named the best destination for Muslim travellers by Salam Standard . Dubai has recently attracted world attention through many innovative large construction projects and sports events . The city has become iconic for its skyscrapers and high-rise buildings , in particular the world 's tallest building , the Burj Khalifa . Dubai has been criticised for human rights violations concerning the city 's largely South Asian and Filipino workforce . Dubai 's property market experienced a major deterioration in 2008 -- 09 following the financial crisis of 2007 -- 08 , but the emirate 's economy has made a return to growth , with a projected 2015 budget surplus .   , Dubai was the 22nd most expensive city in the world and the most expensive city in the Middle East . In 2014 , Dubai 's hotel rooms were rated as the second most expensive in the world , after Geneva . Dubai was rated as one of the best places to live in the Middle East by U.S. global consulting firm Mercer .


Christian Slater Christian Michael Leonard Slater ( born August 18 , 1969 ) is an American actor and producer . He made his film debut with a leading role in the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean . He played a monk 's apprentice alongside Sean Connery in The Name of the Rose ( 1986 ) and gained wider recognition for his breakthrough role in the 1988 cult film Heathers .  In the 1990s , Slater starred in many big budget films , including Robin Hood : Prince of Thieves , Interview with the Vampire , FernGully : The Last Rainforest , Broken Arrow , and Hard Rain . He was also featured in the cult film True Romance . Since 2000 , Slater has combined work in the film business with television , including appearances in The West Wing and Alias and starring in Breaking In and Mind Games .   He currently has a leading role in the USA Network TV series , Mr. Robot , for which he won his first Golden Globe at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Series , Miniseries or Television Film .


The Contender (2000 film) The Contender is a 2000 political drama film written and directed by Rod Lurie . It stars Gary Oldman , Joan Allen , Jeff Bridges and Christian Slater . The film focuses on a fictional United States President ( played by Bridges ) and the events surrounding his appointment of a new Vice President ( Allen ) .   The film serves as a response to the Lewinsky scandal that arose during the presidency of Bill Clinton . It also became the subject of controversy regarding alterations that allegedly displeased Oldman , who co-produced . Joan Allen was nominated for Best Actress and Jeff Bridges for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards .


Stephon Marbury Stephon Xavier Marbury ( born February 20 , 1977 ) is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association ( CBA ) . He has won three CBA championships with Beijing in 2012 , 2014 and 2015 , and is widely considered as the greatest foreign player to ever play in the Chinese Basketball Association .   The , 205 lb point guard was selected out of the Georgia Institute of Technology by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 4th overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft , but was traded shortly thereafter to the Minnesota Timberwolves .   He was an NBA All-Star in 2001 and 2003 and was voted into the All-NBA Third Team in 2000 and 2003 .


From 2005 to 2013 Jason Sudeikis was a member of the SNL cast.

Jason Sudeikis Daniel Jason Sudeikis ( -LSB- sʊˈdeɪkɪs -RSB- ; born September 18 , 1975 ) is an American actor , comedian , screenwriter , and producer . He began his career in improvisational comedy and was a member of The Second City . In 2003 , he was hired as a sketch writer for Saturday Night Live and was a cast member from 2005 to 2013 .   He has appeared on the television shows 30 Rock , The Cleveland Show , Eastbound & Down , The Last Man on Earth , Son of Zorn , and other shows . He is best known for his film roles in Hall Pass ( 2011 ) , A Good Old Fashioned Orgy ( 2011 ) , Horrible Bosses ( 2011 ) , We 're the Millers ( 2013 ) , Horrible Bosses 2 ( 2014 ) , Sleeping with Other People ( 2015 ) , The Angry Birds Movie ( 2016 ) , and Colossal ( 2017 ) .


Gendry was created by American author George R.R. Martin in his series of fantasy novels A Song of Ice and Fire.

A Song of Ice and Fire A Song of Ice and Fire is a series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin . He began the first volume of the series , A Game of Thrones , in 1991 and had it published in 1996 . Martin , who initially envisioned the series as a trilogy , has published five out of a planned seven volumes . The fifth and most recent volume of the series published in 2011 , A Dance with Dragons , took Martin five years to write . He is still writing the sixth novel , The Winds of Winter .   A Song of Ice and Fire takes place on the fictional continents Westeros and Essos . The point of view of each chapter in the story is a limited perspective of a range of characters growing from nine , in the first novel , to thirty-one by the fifth . Three main stories interweave a dynastic war among several families for control of Westeros , the rising threat of the supernatural Others in the northernmost reaches of Westeros , and the ambition of Daenerys Targaryen , the deposed king 's exiled daughter , to assume the Iron Throne .   Martin 's inspirations included the Wars of the Roses and the French historical novels The Accursed Kings by Maurice Druon . A Song of Ice and Fire received praise for its diverse portrayal of women and religion , as well as its realism . An assortment of disparate and subjective points of view confronts the reader , and the success or survival of point of view characters is never assured . Within the often morally ambiguous world of A Song of Ice and Fire , questions concerning loyalty , pride , human sexuality , piety , and the morality of violence frequently arise .   As of April 2015 , the books have sold more than 60 million copies worldwide and , as of January 2017 , have been translated into 47 languages . The fourth and fifth volumes reached the top of The New York Times Best Seller lists upon their releases . Among the many derived works are several prequel novellas , a TV series , a comic book adaptation , and several card , board , and video games .


A Game of Thrones A Game of Thrones is the first novel in A Song of Ice and Fire , a series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin . It was first published on August 1 , 1996 . The novel won the 1997 Locus Award and was nominated for both the 1997 Nebula Award and the 1997 World Fantasy Award . The novella Blood of the Dragon , comprising the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel , won the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Novella . In January 2011 the novel became a New York Times bestseller and reached # 1 on the list in July 2011 .   In the novel , recounting events from various points of view , Martin introduces the plot-lines of the noble houses of Westeros , the Wall , and the Targaryens . The novel has inspired several spin-off works , including several games . It is also the basis for the first season of Game of Thrones , an HBO television series that premiered in April 2011 . A March 2013 paperback TV tie-in re-edition was also titled Game of Thrones , excluding the indefinite article `` A '' .


Gendry Gendry is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin , and its television adaptation Game of Thrones .   He first appeared in 1996 's A Game of Thrones . He subsequently appeared in Martin 's A Clash of Kings ( 1998 ) and A Storm of Swords ( 2000 ) and A Feast for Crows ( 2011 ) . Gendry is an apprentice blacksmith in King 's Landing and an unacknowledged bastard of King Robert Baratheon .   Gendry is portrayed by Joe Dempsie in the HBO television adaptation . He and the rest of the cast were nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2014 .


Death by Black Hole was penned by Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Neil deGrasse Tyson Neil deGrasse Tyson ( -LSB- ˈniːl_dəˈɡræs_ˈtaɪsən -RSB- born October 5 , 1958 ) is an American astrophysicist , author , and science communicator . Since 1996 , he has been the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York City . The center is part of the American Museum of Natural History , where Tyson founded the Department of Astrophysics in 1997 and has been a research associate in the department since 2003 .   Born and raised in New York City , Tyson became interested in astronomy at the age of nine after a visit to the Hayden Planetarium . After graduating from the Bronx High School of Science , where he was editor-in-chief of the Physical Science Journal , he completed a bachelor 's degree in physics at Harvard University in 1980 . After receiving a master 's degree in astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin in 1983 , he earned his master 's ( 1989 ) and doctorate ( 1991 ) in astrophysics at Columbia University . For the next three years , he was a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton University . In 1994 , he joined the Hayden Planetarium as a staff scientist and the Princeton faculty as a visiting research scientist and lecturer . In 1996 , he became director of the planetarium and oversaw its $ 210-million reconstruction project , which was completed in 2000 .   From 1995 to 2005 , Tyson wrote monthly essays in the `` Universe '' column for Natural History magazine , some of which were published in his books Death by Black Hole ( 2007 ) and Astrophysics for People in a Hurry ( 2017 ) . During the same period , he wrote a monthly column in Star Date magazine , answering questions about the universe under the pen name `` Merlin '' . Material from the column appeared in his books Merlin 's Tour of the Universe ( 1998 ) and Just Visiting This Planet ( 1998 ) . Tyson served on a 2001 government commission on the future of the U.S. aerospace industry , and on the 2004 Moon , Mars and Beyond commission . He was awarded the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal in the same year . From 2006 to 2011 , he hosted the television show NOVA ScienceNow on PBS . Since 2009 , Tyson hosted the weekly podcast StarTalk . A spin-off , also called StarTalk , began airing on National Geographic in 2015 . In 2014 , he hosted the television series Cosmos : A Spacetime Odyssey , a successor to Carl Sagan 's 1980 series Cosmos : A Personal Voyage . The U.S. National Academy of Sciences awarded Tyson the Public Welfare Medal in 2015 for his `` extraordinary role in exciting the public about the wonders of science '' .


Death by Black Hole Death by Black Hole : And Other Cosmic Quandaries is a 2007 popular science book written by Neil deGrasse Tyson . It is an anthology of several of Tyson 's most popular articles , and was featured in an episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart .


Marta Kauffman Marta Fran Kauffman ( born September 21 , 1956 ) is an American writer and TV producer , best known as the co-creator of the popular sitcom Friends , alongside David Crane . Both Kauffman and Crane were also executive producers of the show , along with Kevin Bright . Kauffman and Crane also produced Veronica 's Closet , starring Kirstie Alley , and Jesse , starring Christina Applegate . From 2005 -- 2006 she was an executive producer on Related . Both writers were the creators of the 1990 HBO series Dream On .


Nicolas Cage has avoided the acting profession entirely.

Ghost Rider (film) Ghost Rider is a 2007 American supernatural superhero film written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson . It is based on the character of the same name appearing in Marvel Comics . The film stars Nicolas Cage as Ghost Rider/Johnny Blaze with supporting roles done by Eva Mendes , Wes Bentley , Sam Elliott , Donal Logue , Matt Long , and Peter Fonda .   Ghost Rider was released theatrically on February 16 , 2007 in the United States by Columbia Pictures . The film was met with negative reviews from critics and fans , but was a box office success , earning $ 228.7 million on a $ 110 million budget . Ghost Rider was released on DVD , Blu-ray Disc and UMD on June 12 , 2007 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment . A sequel , Ghost Rider : Spirit of Vengeance , was released on February 17 , 2012 , with Cage reprising his role .


Nicolas Cage Nicolas Kim Coppola ( born January 7 , 1964 ) , known professionally as Nicolas Cage , is an American actor and producer . He has performed in leading roles in a variety of films , ranging from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films . In the early years of his career , Cage starred in films such as Valley Girl ( 1983 ) , Racing with the Moon ( 1984 ) , Birdy ( 1984 ) , Peggy Sue Got Married ( 1986 ) , Raising Arizona ( 1987 ) , Moonstruck ( 1987 ) , Vampire 's Kiss ( 1989 ) , Wild at Heart ( 1990 ) , Fire Birds ( 1990 ) , Honeymoon in Vegas ( 1992 ) , and Red Rock West ( 1993 ) .   Cage received an Academy Award , a Golden Globe , and Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance as an alcoholic Hollywood writer in Leaving Las Vegas ( 1995 ) before coming to the attention of wider audiences with mainstream films , such as The Rock ( 1996 ) , Face/Off ( 1997 ) , Con Air ( 1997 ) and City of Angels ( 1998 ) . He earned his second Academy Award nomination for his performance as Charlie and Donald Kaufman in Adaptation ( 2002 ) . In 2002 , he directed the film Sonny , for which he was nominated for Grand Special Prize at Deauville Film Festival . Cage owns the production company Saturn Films and has produced films such as Shadow of the Vampire ( 2000 ) and The Life of David Gale ( 2003 ) .   He has also appeared in National Treasure ( 2004 ) , Lord of War ( 2005 ) , Bad Lieutenant : Port of Call New Orleans ( 2009 ) , and Kick-Ass ( 2010 ) . Films such as Ghost Rider ( 2007 ) and Knowing ( 2009 ) were box office successes . Cage has been strongly criticized in recent years for his choice of roles , some of which have been universally panned . However , he recently starred in The Croods and Joe , both of which were warmly received by critics .


The largest city in the Pacific Northwest region of North America is Seattle.

Seattle Seattle ( -LSB- siˈætəl -RSB- ) is a seaport city on the west coast of the United States and the seat of King County , Washington . With an estimated 704,352 residents , Seattle is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of North America . In July 2013 , it was the fastest-growing major city in the United States and remained in the Top 5 in May 2015 with an annual growth rate of 2.1 % . In July 2016 , Seattle was again the fastest-growing major U.S. city , with a 3.1 % annual growth rate . The city is situated on an isthmus between Puget Sound ( an inlet of the Pacific Ocean ) and Lake Washington , about 100 mi south of the Canada -- United States border . A major gateway for trade with Asia , Seattle is the fourth-largest port in North America in terms of container handling .   The Seattle area was previously inhabited by Native Americans for at least 4,000 years before the first permanent European settlers . Arthur A. Denny and his group of travelers , subsequently known as the Denny Party , arrived from Illinois via Portland , Oregon , on the schooner Exact at Alki Point on November 13 , 1851 . The settlement was moved to the eastern shore of Elliott Bay and named `` Seattle '' in 1852 , after Chief Si'ahl of the local Duwamish and Suquamish tribes .   Logging was Seattle 's first major industry , but by the late-19th century , the city had become a commercial and shipbuilding center as a gateway to Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush . Growth after World War II was partially due to the local Boeing company , which established Seattle as a center for aircraft manufacturing . The Seattle area developed as a technology center beginning in the 1980s , with companies like Microsoft becoming established in the region . In 1994 , Internet retailer Amazon was founded in Seattle . The stream of new software , biotechnology , and Internet companies led to an economic revival , which increased the city 's population by almost 50,000 between 1990 and 2000 .   Seattle has a noteworthy musical history . From 1918 to 1951 , nearly two dozen jazz nightclubs existed along Jackson Street , from the current Chinatown / International District , to the Central District . The jazz scene developed the early careers of Ray Charles , Quincy Jones , Ernestine Anderson , and others . Seattle is also the birthplace of hip-hop sensation Neema , rock musician Jimi Hendrix , origin of the bands Nirvana , Pearl Jam , Soundgarden , Alice in Chains and the alternative rock subgenre grunge .


Mao Zedong is not one of the most important individuals in modern world history.

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 .


Vladimir Putin did not have two terms as Prime Minister.

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin ( ˈ ; born 7 October 1952 ) is the current President of the Russian Federation , holding the office since 7 May 2012 . He was Prime Minister from 1999 to 2000 , President from 2000 to 2008 , and again Prime Minister from 2008 to 2012 . During his second term as Prime Minister , he was the Chairman of the ruling United Russia Party .   Born in Leningrad ( now Saint Petersburg ) , Putin studied German in high school and speaks the language fluently . He studied Law at the Saint Petersburg State University , graduating in 1975 . Putin was a KGB Foreign Intelligence Officer for 16 years , rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before retiring in 1991 to enter politics in Saint Petersburg . He moved to Moscow in 1996 and joined President Boris Yeltsin 's administration , rising quickly through the ranks and becoming Acting President on 31 December 1999 , when Yeltsin resigned . Putin won the subsequent 2000 Presidential election by a 53 % to 30 % margin , thus avoiding a runoff with his Communist Party of the Russian Federation opponent , Gennady Zyuganov . He was re-elected President in 2004 with 72 % of the vote .   During Putin 's first presidency , the Russian economy grew for eight straight years , and GDP measured in purchasing power increased by 72 % . The growth was a result of the 2000s commodities boom , high oil prices , and prudent economic and fiscal policies . Because of constitutionally mandated term limits , Putin was ineligible to run for a third consecutive presidential term in 2008 . The 2008 Presidential election was won by Dmitry Medvedev , who appointed Putin Prime Minister , beginning what has been called a period of `` tandemocracy '' . In September 2011 , after presidential terms were extended from four to six years , Putin announced he would seek a third term as president . He won the March 2012 presidential election with 64 % of the vote , a result which aligned with pre-election polling . Falling oil prices coupled with international sanctions imposed at the beginning of 2014 after Russia 's annexation of Crimea and military intervention in Eastern Ukraine led to GDP shrinking by 3.7 % in 2015 , though the Russian economy rebounded in 2016 with 0.3 % GDP growth and is officially out of the recession .   Under Putin 's leadership , Russia has scored poorly on both the Economist Intelligence Unit 's Democracy Index and Transparency International 's Corruption Perceptions Index . Putin has enjoyed high domestic approval ratings during his career , and received extensive international attention as one of the world 's most powerful leaders . In 2007 , he was the Time Person of the Year . In 2015 , he was # 1 on the Time 's Most Influential People List . Forbes ranked him the World 's Most Powerful Individual every year from 2013 to 2016 .


Cory Monteith Cory Allan Michael Monteith ( -LSB- mɒnˈtiːθ -RSB- May 11 , 1982 July 13 , 2013 ) was a Canadian actor and musician , known for his role as Finn Hudson on the Fox television series Glee .   As an actor based in British Columbia , Monteith had minor roles on television series before an audition tape of him singing `` Ca n't Fight This Feeling '' resulted in him being cast on Glee . Following his success on Glee , Monteith 's film work included the movie Monte Carlo and a starring role in Sisters & Brothers .   Monteith had a troubled adolescence involving substance abuse from age 13 ; he left school at age 16 . After an intervention by family and friends he entered drug rehabilitation at age 19 . In a 2011 interview with Parade magazine , he discussed his history of substance abuse as a teen , and in March 2013 , he again sought treatment for addiction . On July 13 , 2013 , he died of a toxic combination of heroin and alcohol in a Vancouver hotel room .


Dwight D. Eisenhower submitted the Formosa Resolution.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David `` Ike '' Eisenhower ( -LSB- ˈaɪzənˌhaʊ.ər -RSB- ; October 14 , 1890 -- March 28 , 1969 ) was an American politician and Army general who served as the 34th President of the United States from 1953 until 1961 . He was a five-star general in the United States Army during World War II and served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe . He was responsible for planning and supervising the invasion of North Africa in Operation Torch in 1942 -- 43 and the successful invasion of France and Germany in 1944 -- 45 from the Western Front .   Eisenhower was born in Denison , Texas , and raised in Kansas in a large family of mostly Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry by parents with a strong religious background . His mother was born a Lutheran , married as a River Brethren and later converted to Jehovah 's Witnesses . Eisenhower did not belong to any denomination until he was President . He graduated from West Point in 1915 and later married Mamie Doud , with whom he had two sons . During World War I , he was denied a request to serve in Europe , instead commanding a unit training tank crews . Following the war , he served under several notable generals , and was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in 1941 . After the U.S. entered World War II , Eisenhower oversaw the successful invasions of North Africa and Sicily before supervising the invasions of France and Germany . After the war , Eisenhower served as Army Chief of Staff and then in an uncomfortable role as president of Columbia University . In 1951 -- 52 , he served as the first Supreme Commander of NATO .   Eisenhower entered the 1952 presidential race as a Republican , in order to block the foreign policies of Senator Robert A. Taft . He won two landslide elections , becoming the first Republican winner to do so since 1928 . Eisenhower 's main goals in office were to contain the expansion of the Soviet Union and reduce federal deficits . In 1953 , he threatened the use of nuclear weapons until China agreed to terms regarding POWs in the Korean War . An armistice ended the stalemated conflict . His New Look policy of nuclear deterrence prioritized inexpensive nuclear weapons while reducing funding for expensive Army divisions . He continued Truman 's policy of recognizing the Republic of China as the legitimate government of China , and he won congressional approval of the Formosa Resolution . His administration provided major aid to help the French fight off Vietnamese Communists in the First Indochina War . After the French left he gave strong financial support to the new state of South Vietnam . He supported local military coups against hostile governments in Iran and Guatemala . During the Suez Crisis of 1956 , Eisenhower condemned the Israeli , British and French invasion of Egypt , and forced them to withdraw . He also condemned the Soviet invasion during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 but took no action . After the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957 , Eisenhower authorized the establishment of NASA , which led to the space race . During the Syrian Crisis of 1957 he approved a CIA-MI6 plan to stage fake border incidents as an excuse for an invasion by Syria 's pro-western neighbours . He deployed 15,000 soldiers during the 1958 Lebanon crisis . Near the end of his term , his efforts to set up a summit meeting with the Soviets collapsed when an American spy plane was shot down over Russia .   On the domestic front , Eisenhower was a moderate conservative who continued New Deal agencies and expanded Social Security . He covertly opposed Joseph McCarthy and contributed to the end of McCarthyism by openly invoking executive privilege . Eisenhower was reluctant to support civil rights but signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and sent Army troops to enforce federal court orders that integrated schools in Little Rock , Arkansas . His largest program was the Interstate Highway System . He promoted the establishment of strong science education via the National Defense Education Act . Eisenhower 's two terms saw widespread economic prosperity except for a minor recession in 1958 . In his farewell address to the nation , Eisenhower expressed his concerns about the dangers of massive military spending , particularly deficit spending and government contracts to private military manufacturers . Voted Gallup 's most admired man twelve times , he achieved widespread popular esteem both in and out of office . Since the late 20th century , consensus among Western scholars has consistently held Eisenhower as one of the greatest U.S. Presidents .


Tubelight (film) Tubelight is an upcoming Indian historical war drama film written , and directed by Kabir Khan . The film is produced by Salman Khan and Kabir Khan . Set in the 1962 Sino-Indian War , it stars Salman Khan in the lead role who plays a man from India . It is confirmed from the director that Shah Rukh Khan will play a cameo on the film . Julius Packiam and Pritam will compose the music of the film , with the former composing the film score and latter composing the songs . The film is scheduled for release on 23 June 2017 during EID Festival . The end credits in the teaser revealed that the story of the film is based on the 2015 movie Little Boy . .


Angela Lansbury was never married to Peter Shaw.

Angela Lansbury Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury , ( born 16 October 1925 ) is a British-American-Irish actress who has appeared in theatre , television and film , as well as a producer , voice actress , singer , and songwriter . Her career has spanned seven decades , much of it in the United States , and her work has attracted international attention .   Lansbury was born to an upper-middle-class family in central London , the daughter of actress Moyna Macgill and politician Edgar Lansbury . To escape the Blitz , in 1940 she moved to the United States with her mother and two younger brothers , and studied acting in New York City . Proceeding to Hollywood in 1942 , she signed to MGM and obtained her first film roles , in Gaslight ( 1944 ) and The Picture of Dorian Gray ( 1945 ) , earning her two Oscar nominations and a Golden Globe Award . She appeared in eleven further MGM films , mostly in minor roles , and after her contract ended in 1952 she began supplementing her cinematic work with theatrical appearances . Although largely seen as a B-list star during this period , her appearance in the film The Manchurian Candidate ( 1962 ) received widespread acclaim and is cited as being one of her finest performances . Moving into musical theatre , Lansbury finally gained stardom for playing the leading role in the Broadway musical Mame ( 1966 ) , which earned her a range of awards and established her as a gay icon .   Amid difficulties in her personal life , Lansbury moved from California to County Cork , Ireland , in 1970 , and continued with a variety of theatrical and cinematic appearances throughout that decade . These included leading roles in the stage musicals Gypsy , Sweeney Todd , and The King and I , as well as in the hit Disney film Bedknobs and Broomsticks ( 1971 ) . Moving into television , she achieved worldwide fame as fictional writer and sleuth Jessica Fletcher in the American whodunit series Murder , She Wrote , which ran for twelve seasons from 1984 until 1996 , becoming one of the longest-running and most popular detective drama series in television history . Through Corymore Productions , a company that she co-owned with her husband Peter Shaw , Lansbury assumed ownership of the series and was its executive producer for the final four seasons . She also moved into voice work , thereby contributing to animated films such as Disney 's Beauty and the Beast ( 1991 ) . Since then , she has toured in a variety of international theatrical productions and continued to make occasional film appearances .   In 2014 , Lansbury was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in a ceremony at Windsor Castle for `` services to drama , charitable work , and philanthropy . '' Lansbury has received an Honorary Oscar and has won five Tony Awards , six Golden Globes , an Olivier Award , and one Grammy Award . She has also been nominated for numerous other industry awards , including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress on three occasions , and various Primetime Emmy Awards on eighteen occasions . She has been the subject of three biographies .


24 (2016 film) 24 is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language science fiction thriller film written and directed by Vikram Kumar . Based on the concept of time-travel , the film stars actor Suriya in triple roles , with actresses Samantha Ruth Prabhu , Nithya Menen and Saranya Ponvannan in lead roles .   The development dates back to 2009 , where the film was to feature actors Vikram and Ileana D'Cruz in lead roles . However , in February 2010 , the project was dropped due to difference in opinions between director , producer and actor , facing rejection of the refined script . In August 2014 , Suriya agreed to produce and act in the film , with principal photography commencing in Mumbai in April 2015 , continuing in Nasik , Goregaon and Pune . The second phase of filming was done in Poland by end-September 2015 . Filming was completed in Chennai by November 2015 .   Produced by 2D Entertainment , the film has cinematography by S. Tirru . The soundtrack and film score are composed by A. R. Rahman , with lyrics by Vairamuthu and Madhan Karky . The film along with the dubbed Telugu version having the same title was released on 6 May 2016 . It is also dubbed in Hindi as Time Story .   The film won two awards at the 64th National Film Awards Best Cinematography and Best Production Design .


Syria includes only one ethnic group which is Italian.

Syria Syria ( -LSB- ˈsɪ.riə -RSB- سوريا ) , officially known as the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia , bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west , Turkey to the north , Iraq to the east , Jordan to the south , and Israel to the southwest . Syria 's capital and largest city is Damascus .   A country of fertile plains , high mountains , and deserts , Syria is home to diverse ethnic and religious groups , including Syrian Arabs , Greeks , Armenians , Assyrians , Kurds , Circassians , Mandeans and Turks . Religious groups include Sunnis , Christians , Alawites , Druze , Mandeans , Shiites , Salafis , and Yazidis . Sunni Arabs make up the largest religious group in Syria .   In English , the name `` Syria '' was formerly synonymous with the Levant ( known in Arabic as al-Sham ) , while the modern state encompasses the sites of several ancient kingdoms and empires , including the Eblan civilization of the 3rd millennium BC . Its capital Damascus and largest city Aleppo are among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world . In the Islamic era , Damascus was the seat of the Umayyad Caliphate and a provincial capital of the Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt .   The modern Syrian state was established after the end of centuries of Ottoman control in World War I as a French mandate , and represented the largest Arab state to emerge from the formerly Ottoman-ruled Arab Levant . It gained independence as a parliamentary republic on 24 October 1945 when Syria became a founding member of the United Nations , an act which legally ended the former French Mandate -- although French troops did not leave the country until April 1946 . The post-independence period was tumultuous , and a large number of military coups and coup attempts shook the country in the period 1949 -- 71 . In 1958 , Syria entered a brief union with Egypt called the United Arab Republic , which was terminated by the 1961 Syrian coup d'état . The Arab Republic of Syria came into being in late 1961 after December 1 constitutional referendum , and was increasingly unstable until the Ba'athist coup d'état , since which the Ba'ath Party has maintained its power . Syria was under Emergency Law from 1963 to 2011 , effectively suspending most constitutional protections for citizens . Bashar al-Assad has been president since 2000 and was preceded by his father Hafez al-Assad , who was in office from 1970 to 2000 .   Syria is a member of one international organization other than the United Nations , the Non-Aligned Movement ; it has become suspended from the Arab League on November 2011 and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , and self-suspended from the Union for the Mediterranean . Since March 2011 , Syria has been embroiled in an uprising against Assad and the Ba'athist government as part of the Arab Spring , a crackdown that contributed to the Syrian Civil War and to Syria 's becoming one of the most violent countries in the world . Since the start of the war in 2011 , a number of self-proclaimed state entities have since emerged on Syrian territories , including the Syrian Opposition , the Federation of Northern Syria and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant .


Blue Velvet (film) Blue Velvet is a 1986 American neo-noir mystery film , written and directed by David Lynch . Blending psychological horror with film noir , the film stars Kyle MacLachlan , Isabella Rossellini , Dennis Hopper and Laura Dern . The title is taken from Bobby Vinton 's 1963 song of the same name .   The screenplay of Blue Velvet had been passed around multiple times in the late 1970s and early 1980s , with many major studios declining it because of its strong sexual and violent content . After the commercial and critical failure of Lynch 's Dune ( 1984 ) , the director made attempts at developing a more `` personal story '' , somewhat characteristic of the surrealist style displayed in his debut Eraserhead ( 1977 ) . The independent studio De Laurentiis Entertainment Group , owned at the time by Italian film producer Dino De Laurentiis , agreed to finance and produce the film .   Blue Velvet initially received a divided critical response , with many stating that its objectionable content served little artistic purpose . It nevertheless earned Lynch his second Academy Award nomination for Best Director and came to achieve cult status . As an example of a director casting against the norm , it was credited for re-launching Hopper 's career and for providing Rossellini with a dramatic outlet beyond her previous work as a fashion model and a cosmetics spokeswoman .   In the years since , the film has generated significant academic attention with regard to its thematic symbolism , and is now widely regarded as one of Lynch 's major works and one of the greatest films of the 1980s . Publications including Sight & Sound , Time , Entertainment Weekly and BBC Magazine have ranked it among the greatest American films of all time . In 2008 , Blue Velvet was chosen by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest American mystery films ever made .


Iraq Iraq ( -LSB- ɪˈræk -RSB- , -LSB- ɪˈrɑːk -RSB- , or -LSB- aɪˈræk -RSB- العراق ; عێراق ) , officially known as the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia , bordered by Turkey to the north , Iran to the east , Kuwait to the southeast , Saudi Arabia to the south , Jordan to the southwest , and Syria to the west . The capital , and largest city , is Baghdad . The main ethnic groups are Arabs and Kurds ; others include Assyrians , Turkmen , Shabakis , Yazidis , Armenians , Mandeans , Circassians , and Kawliya . Around 95 % of the country 's 36 million citizens are Muslims , with Christianity , Yarsan , Yezidism , and Mandeanism also present . The official languages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish .   Iraq has a coastline measuring 58 km on the northern Persian Gulf and encompasses the Mesopotamian Alluvial Plain , the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range , and the eastern part of the Syrian Desert . Two major rivers , the Tigris and Euphrates , run south through Iraq and into the Shatt al-Arab near the Persian Gulf . These rivers provide Iraq with significant amounts of fertile land .   The region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers , historically known as Mesopotamia , is often referred to as the cradle of civilisation . It was here that mankind first began to read , write , create laws , and live in cities under an organised government -- notably Uruk , from which `` Iraq '' is derived . The area has been home to successive civilisations since the 6th millennium BC . Iraq was the centre of the Akkadian , Sumerian , Assyrian , and Babylonian empires . It was also part of the Median , Achaemenid , Hellenistic , Parthian , Sassanid , Roman , Rashidun , Umayyad , Abbasid , Ayyubid , Mongol , Safavid , Afsharid , and Ottoman empires .   Iraq 's modern borders were mostly demarcated in 1920 by the League of Nations when the Ottoman Empire was divided by the Treaty of Sèvres . Iraq was placed under the authority of the United Kingdom as the British Mandate of Mesopotamia . A monarchy was established in 1921 and the Kingdom of Iraq gained independence from Britain in 1932 . In 1958 , the monarchy was overthrown and the Iraqi Republic created . Iraq was controlled by the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party from 1968 until 2003 . After an invasion by the United States and its allies in 2003 , Saddam Hussein 's Ba'ath Party was removed from power and multi-party parliamentary elections were held in 2005 . The American presence in Iraq ended in 2011 , but the Iraqi insurgency continued and intensified as fighters from the Syrian Civil War spilled into the country .


Western Asia Western Asia , West Asia , Southwestern Asia or Southwest Asia is the westernmost subregion of Asia . The concept is in limited use , as it significantly overlaps with the Middle East ( or the Near East ) , the main difference usually being the exclusion of Egypt ( which would be counted as part of North Africa ) . The term is sometimes used for the purposes of grouping countries in statistics . The total population of Western Asia is an estimated 300 million as of 2015 .   In an unrelated context , the term is also used in ancient history and archaeology to divide the Fertile Crescent into the `` Asiatic '' or `` Western Asian '' cultures as opposed to ancient Egypt . As a geographic concept , Western Asia includes the Levant , Mesopotamia , Anatolia , Iran , the Armenian Highlands , the South Caucasus , the Arabian peninsula as well as the Sinai Peninsula , making Egypt a transcontinental country . Although the term `` Western Asia '' is mostly used as a convenient division of contemporary sovereign states into a manageable number of world regions for statistical purposes , it is sometimes used instead of the more geopolitical term `` Middle East '' , for example by the Government of Canada .   The term is used pragmatically and has no `` correct '' or generally agreed-upon definition . The National Geographic Style Manual as well as Maddison 's The World Economy : Historical Statistics ( 2003 ) by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD ) only includes Bahrain , Iran , Iraq , Israel , Jordan , Kuwait , Lebanon , Oman , Qatar , Palestinian territories ( called West Bank and Gaza in the latter ) , Saudi Arabia , Syria , Turkey , UAE , and Yemen as West Asian countries . In contrast to this definition , the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation ( UNIDO ) in its 2015 yearbook also includes Armenia and Azerbaijan , and excludes Israel ( as Other ) and Turkey ( as Europe ) .  Unlike the UNIDO , the United Nations Statistics Division ( UNSD ) excludes Iran from Western Asia and include Turkey , Georgia , and Cyprus in the region . In the United Nation 's geopolitical Eastern European Group , Armenia and Georgia are included in Eastern Europe , whereas Cyprus and East Thracian Turkey are in Southern Europe . These three nations are listed in the European category of the United Nations Educational , Scientific , and Cultural Organisation ( UNESCO ) .   National members of West Asian sports governing bodies are limited to Bahrain , Iran , Iraq , Jordan , Kuwait , Lebanon , Syria , Oman , Palestine , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , Syria , United Arab Emirates , and Yemen . The Olympic Council of Asia 's multi-sport event West Asian Games are contested by athletes representing these thirteen countries . Among the region 's sports organisations are the West Asia Basketball Association , West Asian Billiards and Snooker Federation , West Asian Football Federation , and the West Asian Tennis Federation .


Snoop Dogg has an album named No Limit Top Dogg.

No Limit Top Dogg No Limit Top Dogg is the fourth studio album ( the second on No Limit Records ) by American rapper Snoop Dogg . It was released May 11 , 1999 , by No Limit Records and Priority Records .   The album 's lead single `` Bitch Please '' featuring Xzibit and Nate Dogg , produced by Dr. Dre became a hit . The music video for the album 's second single `` G Bedtime Stories '' which was a success , the song was produced by Meech Wells . Production was handled by Master P , Dr. Dre , KLC and Snoop himself .


Snoop Dogg Cordozar Calvin Broadus , Jr. ( born October 20 , 1971 ) , known professionally as Snoop Dogg ( sometimes shortened to Snoop and formerly called Snoop Doggy Dogg and Snoop Lion ) , is an American rapper and actor from Long Beach , California . His music career began in 1992 when he was discovered by Dr. Dre of N.W.A , and as a result was prominently featured throughout Dr. Dre 's solo debut album , The Chronic ( 1992 ) . He has since sold over twenty-three million albums in the United States and thirty-five million albums worldwide .   Snoop 's debut album , Doggystyle , was released in 1993 under Death Row Records , debuting at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard Top R&B / Hip-Hop Albums charts . Selling almost a million copies in the first week of its release , Doggystyle became certified 4 × platinum in 1994 and spawned several hit singles , including `` What 's My Name ? '' and `` Gin & Juice '' . In 1994 Snoop released a soundtrack on Death Row Records for the short film Murder Was The Case , starring himself . His second album Tha Doggfather ( 1996 ) , also debuted at number one on both charts with `` Snoop 's Upside Ya Head '' , as the lead single . The album was certified double platinum in 1997 .   After leaving Death Row Records , Snoop signed with No Limit Records , where he recorded his next three albums . Da Game Is to Be Sold , Not to Be Told ( 1998 ) , No Limit Top Dogg ( 1999 ) , and Tha Last Meal ( 2000 ) . Snoop then signed with Priority/Capitol/EMI Records in 2002 , where he released Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss . He then signed with Geffen Records in 2004 for his next three albums R&G ( Rhythm & Gangsta ) : The Masterpiece , Tha Blue Carpet Treatment , and Ego Trippin ' . Malice 'n Wonderland ( 2009 ) , and Doggumentary ( 2011 ) , were released on Priority . Snoop Dogg has starred in motion pictures and hosted several television shows , including Doggy Fizzle Televizzle , Snoop Dogg 's Father Hood , and Dogg After Dark . He also coaches a youth football league and high school football team . In September 2009 , Snoop was hired by EMI as the chairman of a reactivated Priority Records .   In 2012 , after a trip to Jamaica , Snoop announced a conversion to the Rastafari movement and a new alias , Snoop Lion . Under the new moniker , he released a reggae album , Reincarnated , and a documentary film of the same name , of his Jamaican experience , in early 2013 . His fourteenth solo studio album , Coolaid , was released in July 2016 .   Snoop Dogg holds the dubious distinction of having seventeen Grammy nominations without a win .   In March 2016 , the night before WrestleMania 32 in Arlington , Texas , Snoop was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame having made several appearances for the company , including as Master of Ceremonies during a match at Wrestlemania XXIV .


David Schwimmer graduated from a university based in Evanston, Illinois in 1988.

Northwestern University Northwestern University ( NU ) is a private research university based in Evanston , Illinois , with campuses in Chicago , Illinois , and Doha , Qatar , and academic programs/facilities in Washington , D.C. , and San Francisco , California . Composed of twelve schools and colleges , Northwestern offers 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees . It is considered one of the most prestigious universities in the United States , notably in social sciences where it ranks 11th worldwide .   Northwestern was founded in 1851 by John Evans , for whom the City of Evanston is named , and eight other lawyers , businessmen and Methodist leaders . Its founding purpose was to serve the Northwest Territory , an area that today includes the states of Ohio , Indiana , Illinois , Michigan , Wisconsin and parts of Minnesota . Instruction began in 1855 ; women were admitted in 1869 . Today , the main campus is a 240 acre parcel in Evanston , along the shores of Lake Michigan 12 miles north of downtown Chicago . The university 's law , medical , and professional schools are located on a 25 acre campus in Chicago 's Streeterville neighborhood . In 2008 , the university opened a campus in Education City , Doha , Qatar with programs in journalism and communication . In 2016 , Northwestern opened its San Francisco space at 44 Montgomery St. , which hosts journalism , engineering , and marketing programs .   Northwestern is a large research university with a comprehensive doctoral program and it attracts over $ 650 million in sponsored research each year . Northwestern has the tenth largest university endowment in the United States , currently valued at $ 9.6 billion . In 2017 , the university accepted 9.0 % of undergraduate applicants from a pool of 37,255 .   Northwestern is a founding member of the Big Ten Conference and remains the only private university in the conference . The Northwestern Wildcats compete in 19 intercollegiate sports in the NCAA 's Division I Big Ten Conference .


David Schwimmer David Lawrence Schwimmer ( born November 2 , 1966 ) is an American actor , director , and producer . He was born in Flushing , Queens , New York , and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was 2 . He began his acting career performing in school plays at Beverly Hills High School . In 1988 , he graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts in theater and speech . After graduation , Schwimmer co-founded the Lookingglass Theatre Company . For much of the late 1980s , he lived in Los Angeles as a struggling , unemployed actor .   He starred in the television movie A Deadly Silence in 1989 and appeared in a number of television roles , including on L.A. Law , The Wonder Years , NYPD Blue , and Monty , in the early 1990s . Schwimmer later gained worldwide recognition for playing Ross Geller in the sitcom Friends , for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1995 . His first leading film role was in The Pallbearer ( 1996 ) , followed by roles in Kissing a Fool ( 1998 ) , Six Days , Seven Nights ( 1998 ) , Apt Pupil , and Picking Up the Pieces ( 2000 ) . He was then cast in the miniseries Band of Brothers ( 2001 ) as Herbert Sobel .   After the series finale of Friends in 2004 , Schwimmer was cast as the title character in the 2005 drama Duane Hopwood . Other film roles include the voice of Melman the Giraffe in the computer-animated Madagascar film franchise , the dark comedy Big Nothing ( 2006 ) , and the thriller Nothing But the Truth ( 2008 ) . Schwimmer made his West End stage debut in the leading role in Some Girl ( s ) in 2005 . In 2006 , he made his Broadway debut in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial . Schwimmer made his feature film directorial debut with the 2007 comedy Run Fatboy Run . The following year he made his Off-Broadway directorial debut in the 2008 production , Fault Lines .   In 2016 , he starred as lawyer Robert Kardashian in American Crime Story , for which he received his second Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie .


Back Off Boogaloo was an album released by Ringo Starr.

Ringo Starr Richard Starkey , ( born 7 July 1940 ) , known professionally as Ringo Starr , is an English drummer , singer , songwriter and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for the Beatles . He occasionally sang lead vocals , usually for one song on an album , including `` With a Little Help from My Friends '' , `` Yellow Submarine '' and their cover of `` Act Naturally '' . He also wrote the Beatles ' songs `` Do n't Pass Me By '' and `` Octopus 's Garden '' , and is credited as a co-writer of others , including `` What Goes On '' and `` Flying '' .   Starr was twice afflicted by life-threatening illnesses during childhood , and as a result of prolonged hospitalisations fell behind in school . In 1955 , he entered the workforce and briefly held a position with British Rail before securing an apprenticeship at a Liverpool equipment manufacturer . Soon afterwards , he became interested in the UK skiffle craze , developing a fervent admiration for the genre . In 1957 , he cofounded his first band , the Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group , which earned several prestigious local bookings before the fad succumbed to American rock and roll by early 1958 .   When the Beatles formed in 1960 , Starr was a member of another Liverpool group , Rory Storm and the Hurricanes . After achieving moderate success with that band in the UK and Hamburg , he quit the Hurricanes and joined the Beatles in August 1962 , replacing Pete Best . Starr played key roles in the Beatles ' films and appeared in numerous others . After the band 's break-up in 1970 , he released several successful singles including the US number four hit `` It Do n't Come Easy '' , and number ones `` Photograph '' and `` You 're Sixteen '' . In 1972 , he released his most successful UK single , `` Back Off Boogaloo '' , which peaked at number two . He achieved commercial and critical success with his 1973 album Ringo , which was a top ten release in both the UK and the US . He has been featured in a number of documentaries and hosted television shows . He also narrated the first two series of the children 's television programme Thomas & Friends and portrayed `` Mr Conductor '' during the first season of the PBS children 's television series Shining Time Station . Since 1989 , he has toured with twelve variations of Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band .   Starr 's creative contribution to music has received praise from other drummers such as Phil Collins , who described him as `` a great musician '' , and Steve Smith , who commented : `` Before Ringo , drum stars were measured by their soloing ability and virtuosity . Ringo 's popularity brought forth a new paradigm ... we started to see the drummer as an equal participant in the compositional aspect ... His parts are so signature to the songs that you can listen to a Ringo drum part without the rest of the music and still identify the song . '' He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1998 . In 2011 , Rolling Stone readers named Starr the fifth-greatest drummer of all time . Starr , who was previously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a Beatle in 1988 , was inducted for his solo career in 2015 , making him one of 21 performers inducted more than once .


Back Off Boogaloo `` Back Off Boogaloo '' is a song by English musician Ringo Starr , released as a non-album single in March 1972 . Starr 's former Beatles bandmate George Harrison produced the recording , which took place in London shortly after the two had appeared together at Harrison 's Concert for Bangladesh shows in August 1971 . The single was a follow-up to Starr 's 1971 hit song `` It Do n't Come Easy '' and continued his successful run as a solo artist . `` Back Off Boogaloo '' peaked at number 2 in Britain and Canada , and number 9 on America 's Billboard Hot 100 . It remains Starr 's highest-charting single in the United Kingdom .   The title for the song was inspired by English singer-songwriter Marc Bolan . Some commentators have suggested that the lyrics were directed at Paul McCartney , reflecting Starr 's disdain for the music McCartney had made as a solo artist over the previous two years . `` Back Off Boogaloo '' demonstrates the influence of glam rock on Starr , who directed a documentary film , Born to Boogie ( 1972 ) , about Bolan 's band T. Rex around this time . Described by one author as a `` high-energy in-your-face rocker '' , the song features a prominent slide guitar part by Harrison and contributions from musicians Gary Wright and Klaus Voormann .   Starr re-recorded `` Back Off Boogaloo '' for his 1981 album Stop and Smell the Roses , in a collaboration with American singer Harry Nilsson that incorporates lyrics from Beatles songs such as `` With a Little Help from My Friends '' , `` Good Day Sunshine '' and `` Baby , You 're a Rich Man '' . The original version has appeared on Starr 's compilation albums Blast from Your Past and Photograph : The Very Best of Ringo Starr , and as a bonus track on his remastered 1974 studio album Goodnight Vienna . Since his return to touring in 1989 , Starr has performed `` Back Off Boogaloo '' regularly in concert with the various incarnations of his All-Starr Band .


The Champ (1979 film) The Champ is a 1979 American drama sports film directed by Franco Zeffirelli and a remake of the 1931 Academy Award-winning film of the same name which was directed by King Vidor . It stars Jon Voight , Faye Dunaway , and Ricky Schroder . It is also the final film for actress Joan Blondell to be released during her lifetime . Blondell , who died from leukemia on Christmas Day eight months later , also starred in two other films that were released after her death .


Ricky Schroder Richard Bartlett `` Rick/Ricky '' Schroder , Jr. ( born April 13 , 1970 ) is an American actor and film director . As a child actor , Schroder debuted in the film The Champ ( 1979 ) , going on to become a child star on the sitcom Silver Spoons . He has continued acting as an adult , notably on the western miniseries Lonesome Dove ( 1989 ) , and the crime-drama series NYPD Blue .


Jon Voight Jonathan Vincent Voight ( -LSB- vɔɪt -RSB- born December 29 , 1938 ) is an American actor . He is the winner of one Academy Award , having been nominated for four . He has also won four Golden Globe Awards and was nominated for eleven . He is the father of actress Angelina Jolie and actor James Haven .   Voight came to prominence in the late 1960s with his performance as Joe Buck , a would-be gigolo in Midnight Cowboy ( 1969 ) . During the 1970s , he became a Hollywood star with his portrayals of a businessman mixed up with murder in Deliverance ( 1972 ) ; a paraplegic Vietnam veteran in Coming Home ( 1978 ) , for which he won an Academy Award for Best Leading Actor ; and a penniless ex-boxing champion in the remake of The Champ ( 1979 ) .   Although his output slowed during the 1980s , Voight received critical acclaim for his performance as a ruthless bank robber in Runaway Train ( 1985 ) . During the 1990s , Voight made somewhat of a comeback , starring in Michael Mann 's cult classic Heat ( 1995 ) opposite Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino . He portrayed the antagonists in Mission : Impossible ( 1996 ) , Enemy of the State ( 1998 ) and as an unscrupulous showman attorney in Francis Ford Coppola 's The Rainmaker ( 1997 ) , which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor . Voight gave critically acclaimed biographical performances during the 2000s , appearing as sportscaster Howard Cosell in Ali ( 2001 ) for which he was nominated for an Academy Award , as Nazi officer Jürgen Stroop in Uprising ( 2001 ) , as Franklin D. Roosevelt in Michael Bay 's Pearl Harbor ( 2001 ) and as Pope John Paul II in the eponymous miniseries ( 2005 ) . Voight also appears in Showtime 's Ray Donovan TV series as Mickey Donovan , a role that brought him newfound critical and audience praise and his fourth Golden Globe win in 2014 .


Faye Dunaway Dorothy Faye Dunaway ( born January 14 , 1941 ) is an American actress . She has won an Academy Award , three Golden Globes , a BAFTA , an Emmy , and was the first recipient of a Leopard Club Award that honors film professionals whose work has left a mark on the collective imagination . In 2011 , the government of France made her an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters .   Dunaway 's career began in the early 1960s on Broadway . She made her screen debut in the 1967 film The Happening , and rose to fame that same year with her portrayal of famed outlaw Bonnie Parker in Arthur Penn 's Bonnie and Clyde , for which she received her first Academy Award nomination . Her most notable films include the crime caper The Thomas Crown Affair ( 1968 ) , the drama The Arrangement ( 1969 ) , the revisionist western Little Big Man ( 1970 ) , `` Doc '' ( 1971 film ) , a turn as Milady de Winter in the Alexandre Dumas classic The Three Musketeers ( 1973 ) , the neo-noir mystery Chinatown ( 1974 ) , for which she earned her second Oscar nomination , the action-drama disaster The Towering Inferno ( 1974 ) , the political thriller Three Days of the Condor ( 1975 ) , the satirical Network ( 1976 ) , for which she received an Academy Award for Best Actress , and the thriller Eyes of Laura Mars ( 1978 ) .   Dunaway 's career evolved to more mature and character roles in subsequent years , often in independent films , beginning with her controversial portrayal of Joan Crawford in the 1981 film Mommie Dearest . Other notable films in which she has appeared include the drama Barfly ( 1987 ) , the surrealist comedy-drama Arizona Dream ( 1993 ) , the biopic Gia ( 1998 ) , and the black comedy The Rules of Attraction ( 2002 ) . Dunaway also performed on stage in several plays including A Man for All Seasons ( 1961 -- 63 ) , After the Fall ( 1964 ) , Hogan 's Goat ( 1965 -- 67 ) , A Streetcar Named Desire ( 1973 ) and was awarded the Sarah Siddons Award for her portrayal of opera singer Maria Callas in Master Class ( 1996 ) .   Protective of her private life , she rarely gives interviews and makes very few public appearances . After romantic relationships with Jerry Schatzberg and Marcello Mastroianni , Dunaway married twice , first with singer Peter Wolf and then with photographer Terry O'Neill , with whom she had a son , Liam .


Matthew Vaughn's directorial debut features an acting role by Daniel Craig.

Layer Cake (film) Layer Cake ( also occasionally stylised as L4YER CAKƐ ) is a 2004 British crime thriller film directed by Matthew Vaughn , in his directorial debut . The screenplay was adapted by J. J. Connolly from his novel of the same name . The film 's plot revolves around a London-based criminal , played by Daniel Craig , working in the trade of cocaine who wishes to leave the drug business . The film features Tom Hardy , Colm Meaney , and Sienna Miller .   The film was produced by Adam Bohling , David Reid and Matthew Vaughn , with Stephen Marks as executive producer . The title refers to the social strata , especially in the British criminal underworld .


Daniel Craig Daniel Wroughton Craig ( born 2 March 1968 ) is an English actor . He trained at the National Youth Theatre and graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1991 , before beginning his career on stage . His film debut was in the drama The Power of One ( 1992 ) . Other early appearances were in the Disney family film A Kid in King Arthur 's Court ( 1995 ) and the biographical film Elizabeth ( 1998 ) , as well as in the historical war drama television series Sharpe 's Eagle ( 1993 ) and the action-adventure drama series Zorro . Cast as the fictional British secret agent James Bond in October 2005 , his first film in the role , Casino Royale , was released internationally in November 2006 .   Craig 's appearances in the British television film Love Is the Devil : Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon ( 1998 ) , the indie war film The Trench ( 1999 ) , and the drama Some Voices ( 2000 ) attracted the film industry 's attention . This led to roles in bigger productions such as the action film Lara Croft : Tomb Raider ( 2001 ) , the crime thriller Road to Perdition ( 2002 ) , the crime thriller Layer Cake ( 2004 ) , and the Steven Spielberg historical drama Munich ( 2005 ) . Craig achieved international fame when chosen as the sixth actor to play the role of Ian Fleming 's James Bond in the official film series , taking over from Pierce Brosnan in 2005 . Although his casting was initially greeted with scepticism , his debut was highly acclaimed and earned him a BAFTA award nomination , with Casino Royale becoming the highest-grossing in the series at the time . Quantum of Solace followed two years later .   Craig 's third Bond film , Skyfall , premiered in 2012 and is currently the highest-grossing film in the series , was the highest-grossing film in the UK until 2015 and the fifteenth highest-grossing film of all time . Craig 's fourth Bond film , Spectre , premiered in 2015 . In 2006 , he joined the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Since taking the role of Bond , he has continued to star in other films , including the World War II film Defiance ( 2008 ) , science fiction Western Cowboys & Aliens ( 2010 ) , and the English-language adaptation of Stieg Larsson 's mystery thriller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ( 2011 ) . Craig also made a guest appearance as Bond in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games , alongside Queen Elizabeth II . As of 20 February 2017 , Craig is the second longest serving James Bond , surpassed only by Roger Moore .


Jesse Eisenberg starred in Zombieland in 2009.

Jesse Eisenberg Jesse Adam Eisenberg ( born October 5 , 1983 ) is an American actor , author and playwright . Born and raised in New York City , Eisenberg began acting in plays at an early age , and made his television debut with the short-lived comedy-drama series Get Real ( 1999 -- 2000 ) . Following his first leading role in the comedy-drama film Roger Dodger ( 2002 ) , he appeared in the drama film The Emperor 's Club ( 2002 ) , the psychological thriller film The Village ( 2004 ) , the comedy-drama film The Squid and the Whale ( 2005 ) and the drama film The Education of Charlie Banks ( 2007 ) . In 2006 , Eisenberg was the recipient of the Vail Film Festival Rising Star Award for his role in The Living Wake .   In 2009 , he starred in the comedy-drama film Adventureland with Kristen Stewart and the horror comedy Zombieland with Emma Stone , Abigail Breslin , and Woody Harrelson . He then played Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in the 2010 film The Social Network , for which he received nominations for various awards , including the BAFTA , Golden Globe , and Academy Award . He also starred in Holy Rollers ( 2010 ) , which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival .   Since , he has gone on to voice the main character , Blu , a male Spix 's macaw , in the animated films Rio ( 2011 ) and Rio 2 ( 2014 ) ; starred in the 2011 action-comedy film 30 Minutes or Less ; starred in two films by Woody Allen , To Rome with Love ( 2012 ) and Café Society . He played a magician in the heist film Now You See Me ( 2013 ) and its 2016 sequel ; re-teamed with Kristen Stewart for the action-comedy film American Ultra ( 2015 ) ; and portrayed supervillain Lex Luthor opposite Ben Affleck , Henry Cavill , and Gal Gadot in Batman v Superman : Dawn of Justice , which was released in March 2016 .   Eisenberg has contributed pieces to The New Yorker and McSweeney 's websites . He has written and starred in three plays for the New York stage : Asuncion , The Revisionist , and The Spoils . Eisenberg 's first book , Bream Gives Me Hiccups : and Other Stories , a short story collection , was released in September 2015 .


Joaquin Phoenix Joaquín Rafael Phoenix ( -LSB- ˌhwɑːˈkiːn -RSB- born Joaquín Rafael Bottom ; October 28 , 1974 ) , known formerly as Leaf Phoenix , is a Puerto Rican -- born American actor , producer , music video director , musician and activist . For his work as an artist , Phoenix has received a Grammy Award , a Golden Globe Award and three Academy Award nominations .   Phoenix started acting in television shows with his brother River Phoenix and sister Summer Phoenix . His first major film release was in the comedy-drama film Parenthood ( 1989 ) . During his period as a child actor he was credited as Leaf Phoenix , his self-given name . He later went back to his birth name , Joaquín , and received positive reviews for his supporting work in a wide range of films , most notably in the film adaptation of the novel To Die For ( 1995 ) and the period film Quills ( 2000 ) . He received international attention for his portrayal of Commodus in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator , which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor . He has subsequently earned Best Actor nominations for portraying musician Johnny Cash in the biopic Walk the Line ( 2005 ) and for his role as Freddie Quell , a sex-obsessed alcoholic World War II veteran in the drama film The Master ( 2012 ) , the latter winning him the Volpi Cup for Best Actor . To this date , he and River Phoenix hold the distinction of being the first and only brothers to be nominated for acting Academy Awards .   Some of his other notable films include the satire film Buffalo Soldiers ( 2001 ) , the science fiction thriller Signs ( 2002 ) , the animated film Brother Bear ( 2003 ) , the historical drama film Hotel Rwanda ( 2004 ) , the psychological thriller The Village ( 2004 ) , the documentary Earthlings ( 2005 ) , the romantic drama Two Lovers ( 2008 ) , the drama The Immigrant ( 2013 ) , the romantic science fiction drama Her ( 2013 ) , the crime comedy-drama film Inherent Vice ( 2014 ) , and the thriller You Were Never Really Here ( 2017 ) , for which he won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor .   Aside from his acting career , he has also ventured into directing music videos , as well as producing films and television shows . He has recorded an album , the soundtrack to Walk The Line , for which he won the Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media . Phoenix is a social activist , lending his support to a number of charities and humanitarian organizations . He is also widely known for his animal rights advocacy . He has been a vegan since the age of three , and campaigns for PETA and In Defense of Animals .


Parenthood (film) Parenthood is a 1989 American comedy-drama film with an ensemble cast that includes Steve Martin , Tom Hulce , Rick Moranis , Martha Plimpton , Joaquin Phoenix , Keanu Reeves , Jason Robards , Mary Steenburgen , and Dianne Wiest .   The film was directed by Ron Howard , who assisted in developing the story with screenwriters Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel . Much of it is based on the family and parenting experiences of Howard , Ganz , Mandel , and producer Brian Grazer , who have at least 17 children among the four of them . Principal photography was filmed in and around Orlando , Florida with some scenes filmed at the University of Florida . It was nominated for two Academy Awards : Dianne Wiest for Best Supporting Actress and Randy Newman for Best Song for `` I Love to See You Smile '' .   The film was adapted into a NBC television series on two separate occasions , in 1990 and again in 2010 . While the first series was cancelled after one season , the second series ran for six seasons .


Buffalo Soldiers (2001 film) Buffalo Soldiers is a 2001 satire film , based on the 1993 novel by Robert O'Connor , which follows the rogue activities of a group of US soldiers based in West Germany during 1989 when the fall of the Berlin Wall is imminent . It stars Joaquin Phoenix , Ed Harris , Anna Paquin , Haluk Bilginer , Scott Glenn , and Elizabeth McGovern and is directed by Gregor Jordan .   The world premiere was held at the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival in early September . However , being a satire of the US military , the film 's wider theatrical run was delayed by approximately two years because of the September 11 attacks until it was released on July 25 , 2003 .


Kirsten Dunst Kirsten Caroline Dunst ( -LSB- ˈkɪərstən -RSB- born April 30 , 1982 ) is an American actress . She made her film debut in Woody Allen 's short film Oedipus Wrecks for the anthology film New York Stories ( 1989 ) . At the age of twelve , Dunst gained widespread recognition as Claudia in Interview with the Vampire ( 1994 ) , a role for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress . She appeared in Little Women the same year and in Jumanji the following year . After a recurring role in the third season of the NBC medical drama ER ( 1996 -- 97 ) as Charlie Chemingo and starring in films such as Wag the Dog ( 1997 ) , Small Soldiers ( 1998 ) , the 1998 English dub of Kiki 's Delivery Service ( 1989 ) , and The Virgin Suicides ( 1999 ) , Dunst began making romantic comedies and comedy-dramas , starring in Drop Dead Gorgeous ( 1999 ) , Bring It On ( 2000 ) , Get Over It and Crazy/Beautiful ( both released in 2001 ) .   Dunst achieved fame for her portrayal of Mary Jane Watson in Sam Raimi 's Spider-Man trilogy ( 2002 -- 07 ) . Since then , her films have included the romantic comedy Wimbledon ( 2004 ) , the science fiction romantic comedy-drama Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ( 2004 ) and Cameron Crowe 's romantic tragicomedy Elizabethtown ( 2005 ) . She played the title role in Sofia Coppola 's biographical film Marie Antoinette ( 2006 ) and starred in the comedy film How to Lose Friends & Alienate People ( 2008 ) . She won the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival and the Saturn Award for Best Actress for her performance in Lars von Trier 's Melancholia ( 2011 ) . She starred in the second season of the television series Fargo in 2015 , playing the role of Peggy Blumquist , a hairdresser who gets mixed up in a war between two crime families . Her performance garnered widespread critical acclaim , leading to her winning the Critics ' Choice Television Award for Best Actress and being nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie .   In 2001 , Dunst made her singing debut in the film Get Over It , in which she performed two songs . She also sang the jazz song `` After You 've Gone '' for the end credits of the film The Cat 's Meow ( 2001 ) .


Tobey Maguire Tobias Vincent `` Tobey '' Maguire ( born June 27 , 1975 ) is an American actor and producer . He began his career in the late 1980s . His first appearance in a feature film was a non-speaking part in The Wizard ( 1989 ) . He is known for playing the title character in Sam Raimi 's Spider-Man film trilogy ( 2002 , 2004 , and 2007 ) , as well as for his roles in Pleasantville ( 1998 ) , The Cider House Rules ( 1999 ) , Wonder Boys ( 2000 ) , Seabiscuit ( 2003 ) , The Good German ( 2006 ) , Brothers ( 2009 ) , and The Great Gatsby ( 2013 ) .   He was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe Awards , and received two Saturn Awards , including one for Best Actor . In 2012 he established his own production company , Material Pictures , and co-produced Good People that same year . In 2014 he produced and starred as Bobby Fischer in Pawn Sacrifice .


Spider-Man (2002 film) Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi . Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name , the film stars Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker , a high school student living in New York City , who turns to crimefighting after developing spider-like super powers . Spider-Man also stars Kirsten Dunst as Peter 's love interest Mary Jane Watson , Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin , Rosemary Harris and Cliff Robertson as Aunt May and Uncle Ben , and James Franco as his best friend Harry Osborn .   After progress on the film stalled for nearly 25 years , it was licensed for a worldwide release by Sony Pictures Entertainment in 1999 after it acquired options from MGM on all previous scripts developed by Cannon Films , Carolco and New Cannon . Exercising its option on just two elements from the multi-script acquisition ( a different screenplay was written by James Cameron , Ted Newsom , John Brancato , Barney Cohen and `` Joseph Goldman '' ) , Sony hired David Koepp to create a working screenplay ( credited as Cameron 's ) , and Koepp received sole credit in final billing . Directors Roland Emmerich , Ang Lee , Chris Columbus , Jan de Bont , M. Night Shyamalan , Tony Scott and David Fincher were considered to direct the project before Raimi was hired as director in 2000 . The Koepp script was rewritten by Scott Rosenberg during preproduction and received a dialogue polish from Alvin Sargent during production .   Filming took place in Los Angeles , and New York City from January 8 to June 30 , 2001 . Spider-Man premiered in the Philippines on April 30 , 2002 , and had its general release in the United States on May 3 , 2002 . It became a critical and financial success . At the time , it was the only film to reach $ 100 million in its first weekend , had the largest opening weekend gross of all time , and was the most successful film based on a comic book . With $ 821.7 million worldwide , it was 2002 's third-highest-grossing film and is the 56th-highest-grossing film of all time ( seventh at the time of release ) . The film was nominated at the 75th Academy Awards ceremony for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound Mixing . Due to the success of the film , Columbia Pictures and Marvel released two sequels , Spider-Man 2 in 2004 , and Spider-Man 3 in 2007 .


Adrienne Bailon Adrienne Eliza Houghton ( née Bailon ; born October 24 , 1983 ) is an American singer-songwriter , recording artist , actress , dancer and television personality . Adrienne Bailon first became publicly known when she rose to fame as one of the founding members and singer of both 3LW ( 1999 -- 2007 ) and Disney 's The Cheetah Girls ( 2003 -- 2008 ) .   Bailon recorded a debut solo album which was later shelved . Since then , Bailon has stated that she plans to record a Spanish-language solo album .   Aside from her work in 3LW and The Cheetah Girls , Bailon went on to develop her own acting career with roles in The Cheetah Girls films , Coach Carter and the MTV film All You 've Got . Aside from her work in film , she has also guest starred in numerous television series including the Disney Channel series That 's So Raven and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody . Bailon has established a solo music career , contributing two solo tracks , including `` What If '' , to The Cheetah Girls : One World soundtrack as well as the Confessions of a Shopaholic soundtrack , and numerous other guest musical ventures .   Bailon co-stars alongside television personality , model and actress Julissa Bermudez in their own reality series , Empire Girls : Julissa and Adrienne which airs on the Style Network . Adrienne met Julissa on the set of the 2006 film All You 've Got .   Currently , Bailon is one of the hosts of syndicated talk show The Real along with former fellow Disney Channel star Tamera Mowry , Jeannie Mai , and Loni Love , which premiered on July 15 , 2013 .   Bailon 's career , spanning over 16 years with both 3LW and The Cheetah Girls , has helped her sell a combined 5.6 million recording albums worldwide .


Avril Lavigne is a songwriter and singer.

Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( -LSB- ˈævrɪl_ləˈviːn -RSB- -LSB- avʁil laviɲ -RSB- ) ( born 27 September 1984 ) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actress . By the age of 15 , she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain ; by 16 , she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more than $ 2 million . In 2002 she released her debut album , Let Go , emphasising a skate punk persona in which she has been often referred by critics and music publications as The `` Pop Punk Queen '' due to her achievement and impact in the industry . Lavigne is considered a key musician in the development of pop punk music since she paved the way for female-driven punk-influenced pop music . Since her professional debut , Lavigne has sold more than 40 million albums and over 50 million singles worldwide making her the 2nd best selling Canadian Female Artist of all time , only behind Celine Dion .   Let Go made Lavigne the youngest female soloist to reach number 1 in the UK . As of 2013 , it has sold nearly 7 million copies in the United States and over 20 million copies worldwide . Her breakthrough single , `` Complicated '' , peaked at number 1 in many countries around the world , as did the album Let Go . Her second studio album , Under My Skin , was released in May 2004 and was her first album to peak at number 1 on the US Billboard 200 , eventually selling more than 12 million copies worldwide .   The Best Damn Thing , Lavigne 's third album , was released in April 2007 , becoming her third number 1 album in the UK Albums Chart and featuring her first US Billboard Hot 100 number 1 single , `` Girlfriend '' . Lavigne has scored six number-one singles worldwide , including `` Complicated '' , `` Sk8er Boi '' , `` I 'm with You '' , `` My Happy Ending '' , `` Nobody 's Home '' , and `` Girlfriend '' . Lavigne is one of the top-selling artists releasing albums in the US , with over 12 million copies certified by the RIAA . Her fourth studio album , Goodbye Lullaby , was released in March 2011 . Goodbye Lullaby gave Lavigne her fourth top 10 album on the US Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart and her third number 1 album in both Japan and Australia . Three months after the release of Goodbye Lullaby , Lavigne began work on her eponymously titled fifth studio album , which was released by Epic Records on 1 November 2013 following her departure from RCA Records in 2011 .   Lavigne took a break from recording music , pursuing careers in feature film acting and designing clothes and perfumes . She voiced Heather , a Virginia opossum , in the animated film Over the Hedge in 2006 . That same year , she made her on-screen feature film debut in Fast Food Nation . In 2008 , Lavigne introduced her clothing line , Abbey Dawn , and in 2009 she released her first perfume , Black Star , which was followed by Forbidden Rose in 2010 , and Wild Rose in 2011 . In July 2006 , Lavigne married her boyfriend of two years , Deryck Whibley , lead singer and guitarist for Sum 41 . The marriage lasted four years . In October 2009 , Lavigne filed for divorce . Whibley and Lavigne continued to work together , with Whibley producing her fourth album , as well as Lavigne 's single `` Alice '' , written for Tim Burton 's film Alice in Wonderland .


G.I. Jane's distributor was Hollywood Pictures.

G.I. Jane G.I. Jane is a 1997 American action film directed by Ridley Scott , produced by Largo Entertainment , Scott Free Productions and Caravan Pictures , distributed by Hollywood Pictures and starring Demi Moore , Viggo Mortensen and Anne Bancroft . The film tells the fictional story of the first woman to undergo training in U.S. Navy Special Warfare Group .


The National Basketball Association is an organization Oscar Robertson formerly played for.

Oscar Robertson Oscar Palmer Robertson ( born November 24 , 1938 ) , nicknamed `` The Big O '' , is an American former National Basketball Association player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks . The 6 ft , 205 lb Robertson played point guard and was a 12-time All-Star , 11-time member of the All-NBA Team , and one-time winner of the MVP award in 14 professional seasons . In 1962 , he became the first of only two players in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season . In the 1970 -- 71 NBA season , he was a key player on the team that brought the Bucks their only NBA title . His playing career , especially during high school and college , was plagued by racism .   Robertson is a two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee , having been inducted in 1980 for his individual career , and in 2010 as a member of the 1960 United States men 's Olympic basketball team and president of the National Basketball Players Association . He also was voted one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 . The United States Basketball Writers Association renamed their College Player of the Year Award the Oscar Robertson Trophy in his honor in 1998 , and he was one of five people chosen to represent the inaugural National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame class in 2006 . He was ranked as the 36th best American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN .   Robertson was also an integral part of Robertson v. National Basketball Ass 'n of 1970 . The landmark NBA antitrust suit , named after the then-president of the NBA Players ' Association , led to an extensive reform of the league 's strict free agency and draft rules and , subsequently , to higher salaries for all players .


Evan Rachel Wood has appeared in mainstream films.

Evan Rachel Wood Evan Rachel Wood ( born September 7 , 1987 ) is an American actress and musician . She began acting in the 1990s , appearing in several television series , including American Gothic ( 1995 -- 96 ) and Once and Again ( 1999 -- 2002 ) . Wood made her debut as a leading film actress at the age of eleven in Digging to China ( 1998 ) and garnered acclaim for her Golden Globe-nominated role as the troubled , drug-addicted teenager Tracy Freeland in the teen drama film Thirteen ( 2003 ) .   Wood continued acting mostly in independent films , including Pretty Persuasion ( 2005 ) , Down in the Valley ( 2006 ) , Running with Scissors ( 2006 ) , and in the big studio production Across the Universe ( 2007 ) . Since 2008 , Wood has appeared in more mainstream films , including The Wrestler ( 2008 ) , Whatever Works ( 2009 ) and The Ides of March ( 2011 ) . She has also returned to television , playing the supporting role of Queen Sophie-Anne on True Blood from 2009 to 2011 and playing Kate Winslet 's character 's daughter in the HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce ( 2011 ) , a role for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe and Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress . As of 2016 , she plays the sentient android Dolores Abernathy in the HBO television series Westworld , for which she won a Critics ' Choice Award and earned a Golden Globe nomination .   Her personal life , particularly her relationship with Marilyn Manson , to whom she was previously engaged , has attracted press attention . In 2012 , she married English actor Jamie Bell , with whom she has one son . They separated in 2014 after two years of marriage .


American Horror Story's first season took place in 2011.

American Horror Story: Murder House American Horror Story : Murder House ( originally titled as American Horror Story ) is the first season of the FX television series American Horror Story , aired between October 5 , 2011 , through December 21 , 2011 . The season was produced by 20th Century Fox Television , and the executive producers were Dante Di Loreto and series creators Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy .   It centers on the Harmon family : Dr. Ben Harmon , Vivien and their daughter Violet , who move from Boston to Los Angeles after Vivien has a miscarriage and Ben has an affair . They move into a restored mansion , unaware that the house is haunted by the ghosts of its former residents and their victims .   The first season of American Horror Story received generally positive reviews from critics . The series drew consistently high ratings for the FX network , ending its first season as the biggest new cable series of the year . The season was nominated for various industry awards , including the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series -- Drama , and received a total of seventeen Emmy Award nominations . In addition , Lange won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress , the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series , and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie .   Characters from Murder House made appearances in the series ' fifth season , Hotel . Christine Estabrook returned as Marcy , the nosy realtor . Matt Ross , who portrayed Dr. Charles Montgomery , appeared in the episode `` Room 33 '' and Sarah Paulson reprised her role as Billie Dean Howard in the season finale , `` Be Our Guest '' .


American Horror Story American Horror Story is an American anthology horror television series created and produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk . Described as an anthology series , each season is conceived as a self-contained miniseries , following a disparate set of characters and settings , and a storyline with its own `` beginning , middle , and end . '' Some plot elements of each season are loosely inspired by true events .   The first season , retroactively subtitled Murder House , takes place in Los Angeles , California , during the year 2011 and centers on a family that moves into a house haunted by its deceased former occupants . The second season , subtitled Asylum , takes place in Massachusetts during the year 1964 and follows the stories of the patients and staff of an institution for the criminally insane . The third season , subtitled Coven , takes place in New Orleans , Louisiana , during the year 2013 and follows a coven of witches who face off against those who wish to destroy them . The fourth season , subtitled Freak Show , takes place in Jupiter , Florida , during the year 1952 and centers around one of the few remaining American freak shows . The fifth season , subtitled Hotel , takes place in Los Angeles during the year 2015 and focuses on the staff and guests of a supernatural hotel . The sixth season , subtitled Roanoke , takes place in Roanoke Island , during the year 2016 and focuses on the paranormal events that take place at an isolated farmhouse .   The only actors to appear in all iterations of the show so far are Evan Peters , Sarah Paulson and Lily Rabe .   The series is broadcast on the cable television channel FX in the United States . On November 10 , 2015 , the show was renewed for a sixth season , and premiered , for the first time out of October , on September 14 , 2016 . On October 4 , 2016 , the series was renewed for a seventh season , which is set to premiere in September 2017 . On January 12 , 2017 , the series was renewed for an eighth and ninth season .   Although reception to individual seasons has varied , American Horror Story has been overall well received by television critics , with the majority of the praise going to the cast , particularly Jessica Lange , who won two Emmy Awards , a Golden Globe Award , and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her performances . Additionally , Kathy Bates and Lady Gaga won an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award , respectively , for their performances . The series draws consistently high ratings for the FX network , with its first season being the most-viewed new cable series of 2011 .