Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics ( Jeux olympiques ) are leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competitions . The Olympic Games are considered the world 's foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating . The Olympic Games are held every four years , with the Summer and Winter Games alternating by occurring every four years but two years apart .   Their creation was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games , which were held in Olympia , Greece , from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD . Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) in 1894 , leading to the first modern Games in Athens in 1896 . The IOC is the governing body of the Olympic Movement , with the Olympic Charter defining its structure and authority .   The evolution of the Olympic Movement during the 20th and 21st centuries has resulted in several changes to the Olympic Games . Some of these adjustments include the creation of the Winter Olympic Games for ice and winter sports , the Paralympic Games for athletes with a disability , and the Youth Olympic Games for teenage athletes . The IOC has had to adapt to a variety of economic , political , and technological advancements . As a result , the Olympics has shifted away from pure amateurism , as envisioned by Coubertin , to allowing participation of professional athletes . The growing importance of mass media created the issue of corporate sponsorship and commercialisation of the Games . World wars led to the cancellation of the 1916 , 1940 , and 1944 Games . Large boycotts during the Cold War limited participation in the 1980 and 1984 Games .   The Olympic Movement consists of international sports federations ( IFs ) , National Olympic Committees ( NOCs ) , and organising committees for each specific Olympic Games . As the decision-making body , the IOC is responsible for choosing the host city for each Games , and organises and funds the Games according to the Olympic Charter . The IOC also determines the Olympic programme , consisting of the sports to be contested at the Games . There are several Olympic rituals and symbols , such as the Olympic flag and torch , as well as the opening and closing ceremonies . Over 13,000 athletes compete at the Summer and Winter Olympic Games in 33 different sports and nearly 400 events . The first , second , and third-place finishers in each event receive Olympic medals : gold , silver , and bronze , respectively .   The Games have grown so much that nearly every nation is now represented . This growth has created numerous challenges and controversies , including boycotts , doping , bribery , and a terrorist attack in 1972 . Every two years the Olympics and its media exposure provide unknown athletes with the chance to attain national and sometimes international fame . The Games also constitute an opportunity for the host city and country to showcase themselves to the world .


Jean-Claude Van Damme was born on October 18, 1960.

Jean-Claude Van Damme Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg ( born 18 October 1960 ) , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme and abbreviated as JCVD , is a Belgian actor , martial artist , screenwriter , film producer , and director best known for his martial arts action films . The most successful of these films include Bloodsport ( 1988 ) , Kickboxer ( 1989 ) , Lionheart ( 1990 ) , Double Impact ( 1991 ) , Universal Soldier ( 1992 ) , Hard Target ( 1993 ) , Street Fighter ( 1994 ) , Timecop ( 1994 ) , Sudden Death ( 1995 ) , JCVD ( 2008 ) and The Expendables 2 ( 2012 ) .


Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins ( -LSB- əˈdɛl -RSB- born 5 May 1988 ) is an English singer-songwriter . After graduating from the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in 2006 , Adele was given a recording contract by XL Recordings after a friend posted her demo on Myspace the same year . In 2007 , she received the Brit Awards `` Critics ' Choice '' award and won the BBC Sound of 2008 poll . Her debut album , 19 , was released in 2008 to commercial and critical success . It is certified seven times platinum in the UK , and three times platinum in the US . The album contains her first song , `` Hometown Glory '' , written when she was 16 , which is based on her home suburb of West Norwood in London . An appearance she made on Saturday Night Live in late 2008 boosted her career in the US . At the 51st Grammy Awards in 2009 , Adele received the awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance .   She released her second studio album , 21 , in early 2011 . The album was critically well received and surpassed the success of her debut , earning the singer numerous awards in 2012 , among them a record-tying six Grammy Awards , including Album of the Year ; two Brit Awards , including British Album of the Year , and three American Music Awards . The album has been certified 16 times platinum in the UK , and is the fourth best-selling album in the UK of all time . In the US , it has held the top position longer than any album since 1985 , and is certified diamond . The album has sold over 31 million copies worldwide . The success of 21 earned Adele numerous mentions in the Guinness Book of World Records . She is the first woman in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 to have three simultaneous top 10 singles as a lead artist , and the first female artist to simultaneously have two albums in the top five of the Billboard 200 and two singles in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 . 21 is the longest-running number one album by a female solo artist in the history of the UK and US Album Charts .   In 2012 , Adele released `` Skyfall '' , which she co-wrote and recorded for the James Bond film of the same name . The song won an Academy Award , a Grammy Award , and a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song , as well as the Brit Award for British Single of the Year . After taking a three-year break , Adele released her third studio album , 25 , in 2015 . It became the year 's best-selling album and broke first week sales records in the UK and US . 25 was her second album to be certified diamond in the US and earned her five Grammy Awards , including her second Grammy Award for Album of the Year , and four Brit Awards . The lead single , `` Hello '' , became the first song in the US to sell over one million digital copies within a week of its release . Her third concert tour , Adele Live 2016 , visited Europe , North America and Oceania , and will conclude with four finale concerts at Wembley Stadium in mid-2017 .   In 2011 , 2012 and 2016 , Billboard named Adele Artist of the Year . In 2012 , she was listed at number five on VH1 's 100 Greatest Women in Music . Time magazine named her one of the most influential people in the world in 2012 and 2016 . With sales of more than 100 million records , Adele is one of the best-selling recording artists in the world .


Nineteen Eighty-Four did not appear on the readers' list for Modern Library's 100 Best Novels.

Nineteen Eighty-Four Nineteen Eighty-Four , often published as 1984 , is a dystopian novel published in 1949 by English author George Orwell .  The novel is set in Airstrip One ( formerly known as Great Britain ) , a province of the superstate Oceania in a world of perpetual war , omnipresent government surveillance , and public manipulation . The superstate and its residents are dictated to by a political regime euphemistically named English Socialism , shortened to `` Ingsoc '' in Newspeak , the government 's invented language . The superstate is under the control of the privileged elite of the Inner Party , a party and government that persecutes individualism and independent thinking as `` thoughtcrime '' , which is enforced by the `` Thought Police '' .   The tyranny is ostensibly overseen by Big Brother , the Party leader who enjoys an intense cult of personality , but who may not even exist . The Party `` seeks power entirely for its own sake . It is not interested in the good of others ; it is interested solely in power . '' The protagonist of the novel , Winston Smith , is a member of the Outer Party , who works for the Ministry of Truth ( or Minitrue in Newspeak ) , which is responsible for propaganda and historical revisionism . His job is to rewrite past newspaper articles , so that the historical record always supports the party line . The instructions that the workers receive portray the corrections as fixing misquotations and never as what they really are : forgeries and falsifications . A large part of the Ministry also actively destroys all documents that have not been edited and do not contain the revisions ; in this way , no proof exists that the government is lying . Smith is a diligent and skillful worker but secretly hates the Party and dreams of rebellion against Big Brother . The heroine of the novel , Julia , is based on Orwell 's second wife , Sonia Orwell .   As literary political fiction and dystopian science-fiction , Nineteen Eighty-Four is a classic novel in content , plot and style . Many of its terms and concepts , such as Big Brother , doublethink , thoughtcrime , Newspeak , Room 101 , telescreen , 2 + 2 = 5 , and memory hole , have entered into common use since its publication in 1949 . Nineteen Eighty-Four popularised the adjective Orwellian , which describes official deception , secret surveillance , and manipulation of recorded history by a totalitarian or authoritarian state . In 2005 , the novel was chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to 2005 . It was awarded a place on both lists of Modern Library 100 Best Novels , reaching number 13 on the editor 's list , and 6 on the readers ' list . In 2003 , the novel was listed at number 8 on the BBC 's survey The Big Read .


Tennessee Tennessee ( -LSB- tɛnᵻˈsiː -RSB- ) ( -LSB- ᏔᎾᏏ , translit = Tanasi -RSB- ) is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States . Tennessee is the 36th largest and the 16th most populous of the 50 United States . Tennessee is bordered by Kentucky and Virginia to the north , North Carolina to the east , Georgia , Alabama , and Mississippi to the south , and Arkansas and Missouri to the west . The Appalachian Mountains dominate the eastern part of the state , and the Mississippi River forms the state 's western border . Nashville is the state 's largest city , with a population of 660,388 . Tennessee 's second largest city is Memphis , which has a population of 652,717 .   The state of Tennessee is rooted in the Watauga Association , a 1772 frontier pact generally regarded as the first constitutional government west of the Appalachians . What is now Tennessee was initially part of North Carolina , and later part of the Southwest Territory . Tennessee was admitted to the Union as the 16th state on June 1 , 1796 . Tennessee was the last state to leave the Union and join the Confederacy at the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861 . Occupied by Union forces from 1862 , it was the first state to be readmitted to the Union at the end of the war .   Tennessee furnished more soldiers for the Confederate Army than any other state besides Virginia , and more soldiers for the Union Army than the rest of the Confederacy combined . Beginning during Reconstruction , it had competitive party politics , but a Democratic takeover in the late 1880s resulted in passage of disfranchisement laws that excluded most blacks and many poor whites from voting . This sharply reduced competition in politics in the state until after passage of civil rights legislation in the mid-20th century . In the 20th century , Tennessee transitioned from an agrarian economy to a more diversified economy , aided by massive federal investment in the Tennessee Valley Authority and , in the early 1940s , the city of Oak Ridge . This city was established to house the Manhattan Project 's uranium enrichment facilities , helping to build the world 's first atomic bomb , which was used during World War II .   Tennessee 's major industries include agriculture , manufacturing , and tourism . Poultry , soybeans , and cattle are the state 's primary agricultural products , and major manufacturing exports include chemicals , transportation equipment , and electrical equipment . The Great Smoky Mountains National Park , the nation 's most visited national park , is headquartered in the eastern part of the state , and a section of the Appalachian Trail roughly follows the Tennessee-North Carolina border . Other major tourist attractions include the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga ; Dollywood in Pigeon Forge ; Ripley 's Aquarium of the Smokies and Ober Gatlinburg in Gatlinburg ; the Parthenon , the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum , and Ryman Auditorium in Nashville ; the Jack Daniel 's Distillery in Lynchburg ; Elvis Presley 's Graceland residence and tomb , the Memphis Zoo , and the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis ; and Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol .


Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake ( born January 31 , 1981 ) is an American singer-songwriter , actor and record producer . Born and raised in Tennessee , he appeared on the television shows Star Search and The All-New Mickey Mouse Club as a child . In the late 1990s , Timberlake rose to prominence as one of the two lead vocalists and youngest member of NSYNC , which eventually became one of the best-selling boy bands of all time . Timberlake began to adopt a more mature image as an artist with the release of his debut solo album , the R&B - focused Justified ( 2002 ) , which yielded the successful singles `` Cry Me a River '' and `` Rock Your Body '' , and earned his first two Grammy Awards .   His critically acclaimed second album FutureSex/LoveSounds ( 2006 ) , characterized by its diversity in music genres , debuted atop the U.S. Billboard 200 and produced the Hot 100 number-one singles `` SexyBack '' , `` My Love '' , and `` What Goes Around ... Comes Around '' . Established as a solo artist worldwide , his first two albums both exceeded sales of 10 million copies . He produced records and collaborated with other artists . From 2008 through 2012 , Timberlake focused on his acting career , effectively putting his music career on hiatus ; he held starring roles in the films The Social Network , Bad Teacher , In Time , and Friends with Benefits .   Timberlake resumed his music career in 2013 with his third and fourth albums The 20/20 Experience and The 20/20 Experience -- 2 of 2 , exploring neo soul styles , partly inspired by the expansive song structures of 1960s and 1970s rock . The former became the best-selling album of the year in the US with the largest sales week , and spawned the top-three singles `` Suit & Tie '' and `` Mirrors '' , while the latter produced the top-ten song `` Not a Bad Thing '' . For his live performances , including the eponymous concert tour for the albums , he began performing with his band The Tennessee Kids , composed by instrumentalists and dancers . Timberlake voiced the lead character in DreamWorks Animation 's Trolls ( 2016 ) , which soundtrack includes his fifth Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping single , `` Ca n't Stop the Feeling ! '' .   Among numerous awards and accolades , Timberlake is the recipient of ten Grammy Awards , four Emmy Awards , three Brit Awards , and nine Billboard Music Awards . Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2007 and 2013 . His other ventures include record label Tennman Records , fashion label William Rast , and the restaurants Destino and Southern Hospitality .


Kristen Bell declined to act as Veronica Mars.

Kristen Bell Kristen Anne Bell ( born July 18 , 1980 ) is an American actress and singer . She began her acting career starring in stage productions and attended the Tisch School of Arts in New York . In 2001 , she made her Broadway debut as Becky Thatcher in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and starred in the Broadway revival of The Crucible the following year . In 2004 , she had a supporting role in the film Spartan and received praise for her first leading performance in Gracie 's Choice .   Bell gained critical acclaim for her first major role as the title character in the teen noir drama television series Veronica Mars ( 2004 -- 07 ) . For her performance she was awarded a Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television . She reprised the eponymous role in the 2014 film continuation of the series . During her time on Veronica Mars , Bell appeared as Mary Lane in the film Reefer Madness : The Movie Musical ( 2005 ) , a reprise of the role she had played in the New York musical upon which the film was based . In 2007 , Bell joined the cast of the sci-fi series Heroes , playing the character Elle Bishop , for which she was nominated for a Saturn Award .   In 2008 , she had her breakout film role as the title character in Forgetting Sarah Marshall . She has since appeared in a number of comedy films , such as Couples Retreat ( 2009 ) , When in Rome ( 2010 ) , You Again ( 2010 ) , and The Boss ( 2016 ) . Bell garnered further recognition for voicing Princess Anna in the Disney film Frozen ( 2013 ) , the short film Frozen Fever ( 2015 ) , and the upcoming Frozen 2 . She also starred as the female lead on the Showtime series House of Lies . Since 2016 , she has starred in the main role of Eleanor Shellstrop on the NBC comedy series The Good Place .   Bell married actor Dax Shepard in 2013 , with whom she has two daughters .


Gunday Gunday ( English : Outlaws ) is a 2014 Indian action thriller film written and directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and produced by Aditya Chopra . The film features Ranveer Singh , Arjun Kapoor , Priyanka Chopra and Irrfan Khan in the principal roles . The film starts off in the 1970s , with the introduction of 2 young boys : Bikram and Bala , who initially become gun carriers and later coal bandits . They ultimately grow up to become the most powerful goons of Calcutta . The film was released on 14 February 2014 .   The film also released in Bengali with a full Bengali soundtrack also composed by Sohail Sen. Though , in some of the Bengali songs , the singers differ from the original . This was also the first Indian film to have its trailer premiere at the Dubai International Film Festival .


Frank Ocean Christopher Francis `` Frank '' Ocean ( born Christopher Edwin Breaux ; October 28 , 1987 ) , is an American singer , songwriter , and rapper . Known for his idiosyncratic musical style , Ocean first embarked on a career as a ghostwriter , and in 2010 he became a member of hip hop collective Odd Future . He released his breakout mixtape , Nostalgia , Ultra , to critical acclaim in 2011 . It generated his first charting single `` Novacane '' . In 2012 , Ocean finished in second place in BBC 's Sound of 2012 poll .   His debut studio album , Channel Orange , was released in July 2012 to critical acclaim and reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 . It was promoted with three singles : `` Thinkin Bout You '' , `` Pyramids '' and `` Sweet Life '' . In 2016 , Ocean released the visual album Endless alongside his second studio album Blonde , following several years of delays . Blonde was acclaimed by critics , and debuted at number one in the United States and the United Kingdom .


Room (2015 film) Room is a 2015 independent drama film directed by Lenny Abrahamson and written by Emma Donoghue , based on her novel of the same name . It stars Brie Larson as a woman who has been held captive for seven years , and whose 5-year-old son ( Jacob Tremblay ) was born in captivity . Their escape allows the boy to experience the outside world for the first time . The film also stars Joan Allen , Sean Bridgers , and William H. Macy .   A co-production of Canada and Ireland , Room was shot in Toronto , with the eponymous Room set built at Pinewood Toronto Studios . The crew designed each part of the Room set to be removable to fit the crew . Larson researched trauma and nutrition for her part , while numerous children were considered for the role of Jack .   Room premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on 4 September 2015 and had a limited release in the United States on 16 October 2015 , to acclaim from critics . Larson won multiple awards for her performance , including the Academy Award for Best Actress , the BAFTA Award , Golden Globe Award , and the Screen Actors Guild Award . Room also received three other Academy Award nominations , including Best Picture and Best Director .


Uzbekistan is a member of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan ( -LSB- ʊzˈbɛkᵻˌstæn , _ - ˌstɑːn -RSB- , -LSB- ʊzˌbɛkᵻˈstɑːn , _ ʌz - , _ - ˈstæn -RSB- ) , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Oʻzbekiston Respublikasi , Ўзбекистон Республикаси Республика Узбекистан ) , is one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world . Located in Central Asia , it is a unitary , constitutional , presidential republic , comprising twelve provinces , one autonomous republic and a capital city . Uzbekistan is bordered by five landlocked countries : Kazakhstan to the north ; Tajikistan to the southeast ; Kyrgyzstan to the northeast ; Afghanistan to the south ; and Turkmenistan to the southwest .   Once part of the Turkic Khaganate and later Timurid Empires , the region that today includes the Republic of Uzbekistan was conquered in the early 16th century by Eastern Turkic-speaking nomads . The area was gradually incorporated into the Russian Empire during the 19th century , and in 1924 what is now Uzbekistan became a bordered constituent republic of the Soviet Union , known as the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic ( Uzbek SSR ) . Following the breakup of the Soviet Union , it declared independence as the Republic of Uzbekistan on 31 August 1991 ( officially celebrated the following day ) .   Uzbekistan is officially a democratic , secular , unitary , constitutional republic with a diverse cultural heritage . The country 's official language is Uzbek , a Turkic language written in the Latin alphabet and spoken natively by approximately 85 % of the population ; however , Russian remains in widespread use . Uzbeks constitute 81 % of the population , followed by Russians ( 5.4 % ) , Tajiks ( 4.0 % ) , Kazakhs ( 3.0 % ) , and others ( 6.5 % ) . A majority of Uzbeks are non-denominational Muslims . Uzbekistan is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States ( CIS ) , Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe ( OSCE ) , UN , and the SCO . While officially a democratic republic , non-governmental human rights organizations define Uzbekistan as `` an authoritarian state with limited civil rights '' .   Uzbekistan 's economy relies mainly on commodity production , including cotton , gold , uranium , and natural gas . Despite the declared objective of transition to a market economy , its government continues to maintain economic controls which imports in favour of domestic `` import substitution '' .


Tyrese Gibson is famous for his part in the Fast and the Furious series.

Tyrese Gibson Tyrese Darnell Gibson ( born December 30 , 1978 ) , also known mononymously as Tyrese , is an American Grammy-nominated singer , songwriter , actor , author , television producer , former fashion model and MTV VJ . He is best known for his roles as Joseph `` Jody '' Summers in Baby Boy , Roman Pearce in the Fast and the Furious series and Robert Epps in the Transformers film series . After releasing several albums , he transitioned into films , with lead roles in several major Hollywood releases .


One example of a fictional character is Gimli.

The Fellowship of the Ring The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of three volumes of the epic novel The Lord of the Rings by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien . It is followed by The Two Towers and The Return of the King . It takes place in the fictional universe of Middle-earth . It was originally published on 29 July 1954 in the United Kingdom . The volume consists of a prologue titled `` Concerning Hobbits , and other matters '' followed by Book I and Book II .


Gimli (Middle-earth) Gimli is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien 's Middle-earth legendarium , featured in The Lord of the Rings . A dwarf warrior , he is the son of Glóin ( a character from Tolkien 's earlier novel , The Hobbit ) .   Gimli is chosen to represent the race of Dwarves in the Fellowship of the Ring . As such , he is one of the primary characters of the novel . In the course of the adventure , Gimli aids the Ring-bearer , participates in the War of the Ring , and becomes close friends with Legolas , overcoming an ancient enmity of Dwarves and Elves .


Elf (Middle-earth) In J. R. R. Tolkien 's legendarium , Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth , often called Middle-earth , and set in the remote past . They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings , but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion . Tolkien had been writing about Elves long before he published The Hobbit .


Middle-earth dwarf characters Many of the fictional characters in J.R.R. Tolkien 's legendarium are dwarves , a short stocky race inhabiting the world of Arda ( the Earth in an imagined mythological past ) . Dwarves lived in the continent Middle-earth , mostly under its mountains .


Joseph Fiennes Joseph Alberic Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes ( -LSB- ˈfaɪnz -RSB- born 27 May 1970 ) is an English film and stage actor .   He is known for his portrayals of William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love ( 1998 ) , for which he was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role , Sir Robert Dudley in Elizabeth ( 1998 ) , Commisar Danilov in Enemy at the Gates ( 2001 ) , and Monsignor Timothy Howard in the second season of the TV series American Horror Story ( 2012 -- 2013 ) . He currently stars in the drama series The Handmaid 's Tale ( 2017-present ) .


Pink Floyd has no album called Wish You Were Here.

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd were an English rock band formed in London . They achieved international acclaim with their progressive and psychedelic music . Distinguished by their use of philosophical lyrics , sonic experimentation , extended compositions and elaborate live shows , they are one of the most commercially successful and influential groups in the history of popular music .   Pink Floyd were founded in 1965 by students Syd Barrett on guitar and lead vocals , Nick Mason on drums , Roger Waters on bass and vocals , and Richard Wright on keyboards and vocals . They gained popularity performing in London 's underground music scene during the late 1960s , and under Barrett 's leadership released two charting singles and a successful debut album , The Piper at the Gates of Dawn ( 1967 ) . Guitarist and vocalist David Gilmour joined in December 1967 ; Barrett left in April 1968 due to deteriorating mental health . Waters became the band 's primary lyricist and conceptual leader , devising the concepts behind their albums The Dark Side of the Moon ( 1973 ) , Wish You Were Here ( 1975 ) , Animals ( 1977 ) , The Wall ( 1979 ) and The Final Cut ( 1983 ) . The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall became two of the best-selling albums of all time .   Following creative tensions , Wright left Pink Floyd in 1979 , followed by Waters in 1985 . Gilmour and Mason continued as Pink Floyd ; Wright rejoined them as a session musician and , later , a band member . The three produced two more albums -- A Momentary Lapse of Reason ( 1987 ) and The Division Bell ( 1994 ) -- and toured through 1994 . After nearly two decades of acrimony , Gilmour , Wright , and Mason reunited with Waters in 2005 to perform as Pink Floyd in London as part of the global awareness event Live 8 ; Gilmour and Waters later stated they have no plans to reunite as a band again . Barrett died in 2006 , and Wright in 2008 . The final Pink Floyd studio album , The Endless River ( 2014 ) , was recorded without Waters and based largely on unreleased material .   Pink Floyd were inducted into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005 . By 2013 , the band had sold more than 250 million records worldwide , including 75 million certified units in the United States .


Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd album) Wish You Were Here is the ninth studio album by English rock band Pink Floyd . It was released on 12 September 1975 by Harvest Records in the United Kingdom and a day later by Columbia Records in the United States . Inspired by material the group composed while performing around Europe , Wish You Were Here was recorded during numerous recording sessions at Abbey Road Studios in London , England . Two of the album 's four songs criticise the music business , another expresses alienation and the multi-part track `` Shine On You Crazy Diamond '' is a tribute to Syd Barrett . Barrett 's mental breakdown had forced him to leave the group seven years earlier after the release of the group 's debut studio album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn . It was lead writer Roger Waters ' idea to split `` Shine On You Crazy Diamond '' into two parts that would bookend the album around three new compositions and to introduce a concept linking them all . The band had used a linking concept for their previous album , The Dark Side of the Moon , to great success . As with The Dark Side of the Moon , the band used studio effects and synthesizers and brought in guest singers to supply vocals on some tracks of the album . These singers were Roy Harper , who provided the lead vocals on `` Have a Cigar '' , and the Blackberries , who added backing vocals to `` Shine On You Crazy Diamond '' .   Wish You Were Here was an instant commercial success ( despite the fact that Harvest Records ' parent company EMI was unable to print enough copies of the album to satisfy commercial demand ) , and although it initially received mixed reviews , the album has since gone on to receive critical acclaim . It appears on Rolling Stones lists of `` The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time '' and the `` 50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time '' . Band members Richard Wright and David Gilmour have cited Wish You Were Here as their favourite Pink Floyd album .


Bob Riley was the 52nd Governor of Alabama.

Bob Riley Robert Renfroe Riley ( born October 3 , 1944 ) is an American politician who was the 52nd Governor of Alabama from 2003 to 2011 . He is a member of the Republican Party .


Scars to Your Beautiful is by a Canadian person who writes songs.

Scars to Your Beautiful `` Scars to Your Beautiful '' is a song by Canadian singer and songwriter Alessia Cara for her debut studio album , Know-It-All ( 2015 ) . It was released to Top 40 radio on July 26 , 2016 , as the third single from the album . It peaked at number eight and thus became Alessia Cara 's second top-ten single on US Billboard Hot 100 . The song was written by Cara , Warren Felder , Coleridge Tillman , and Andrew Wansel , with the production being handled by Felder , Tillman , and Wansel .


Kit Harington Christopher Catesby `` Kit '' Harington ( born 26 December 1986 ) is an English actor . He rose to prominence playing the role of Jon Snow in the HBO television series Game of Thrones ( 2011 -- present ) , which garnered him a nomination for the 2016 Primetime Emmy Award . In 2017 , Harington became one of the highest paid actors on television and earned # 2 million per episode of Game of Thrones .   Harington also played lead roles in the films Pompeii ( 2014 ) , Testament of Youth ( 2014 ) , and Spooks : The Greater Good ( 2015 ) , as well as supporting roles in the films Silent Hill : Revelation ( 2012 ) , Seventh Son ( 2014 ) and How to Train Your Dragon 2 ( 2014 ) .


Jon Snow (character) Jon Snow 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 is a prominent point of view character in the novels , and has been called one of the author 's `` finest creations '' and most popular characters by The New York Times . Jon is a main character in the TV series , and his storyline in the 2015 season 5 finale generated a strong reaction among viewers . Speculation about the character 's parentage has also been a popular topic of discussion among fans of both the books and the TV series .   Jon is introduced in 1996 's A Game of Thrones as the illegitimate son of Ned Stark , the honorable lord of Winterfell , an ancient fortress in the North of the fictional kingdom of Westeros . Knowing his prospects are limited by his status , Jon joins the Night 's Watch , who guard the far northern borders from the wildlings who live beyond The Wall . As the rest of the Starks face grave adversity , Jon finds himself honor bound to remain with the Watch . In A Clash of Kings ( 1998 ) , he joins a scouting party investigating the growing threat from the otherworldly `` Others '' beyond the Wall , and manages to infiltrate the wildlings . Jon learns of their plans to invade Westeros in A Storm of Swords ( 2000 ) , and begins to fall in love with the fierce wildling woman Ygritte . He betrays them -- and Ygritte -- before they can attack , but the Night Watch 's victory comes at a heavy price for Jon . Now the Lord Commander of the Watch , he appears briefly in 2005 's A Feast for Crows . Jon returns as a prominent character in a A Dance with Dragons ( 2011 ) , working to negotiate an alliance between the Night 's Watch and the wildlings . The growing animosity he has attracted from among the Watch finally catches up with him , and he is forced to face the dire consequences .   Jon is portrayed by Kit Harington on the HBO series Game of Thrones . His storyline follows the character 's plot arc from the novel series , though season 6 of the TV adaptation continued on from the events of Martin 's latest published installment . Harington was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the role in 2016 . He was also nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television in 2012 and 2016 . 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 2012 , 2014 , 2015 and 2016 .


Nike, Inc. Nike , Inc. ( official , -LSB- ˈnaɪki -RSB- also , non-US -LSB- ` naɪk -RSB- ) is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design , development , manufacturing , and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear , apparel , equipment , accessories , and services . The company is headquartered near Beaverton , Oregon , in the Portland metropolitan area . It is one of the world 's largest suppliers of athletic shoes and apparel and a major manufacturer of sports equipment , with revenue in excess of US$ 24.1 billion in its fiscal year 2012 ( ending May 31 , 2012 ) . As of 2012 , it employed more than 44,000 people worldwide . In 2014 the brand alone was valued at $ 19 billion , making it the most valuable brand among sports businesses .   The company was founded on January 25 , 1964 , as Blue Ribbon Sports , by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight , and officially became Nike , Inc. on May 30 , 1971 . The company takes its name from Nike , the Greek goddess of victory . Nike markets its products under its own brand , as well as Nike Golf , Nike Pro , Nike + , Air Jordan , Nike Blazers , Air Force 1 , Nike Dunk , Air Max , Foamposite , Nike Skateboarding , and subsidiaries including Brand Jordan , Hurley International and Converse . Nike also owned Bauer Hockey ( later renamed Nike Bauer ) between 1995 and 2008 , and previously owned Cole Haan and Umbro . In addition to manufacturing sportswear and equipment , the company operates retail stores under the Niketown name . Nike sponsors many high-profile athletes and sports teams around the world , with the highly recognized trademarks of `` Just Do It '' and the Swoosh logo .


Marlon Brando was in a film by someone with the middle name Leo.

Joseph L. Mankiewicz Joseph Leo Mankiewicz ( February 11 , 1909 -- February 5 , 1993 ) was an American film director , screenwriter , and producer . Mankiewicz had a long Hollywood career , and he twice won the Academy Award for both Best Director and Best Writing , Screenplay for A Letter to Three Wives ( 1949 ) and All About Eve ( 1950 ) .


Marlon Brando Marlon Brando , Jr. ( April 3 , 1924 -- July 1 , 2004 ) was an American actor , film director and political activist . He is credited with bringing realism to film acting . He helped to popularize the Stanislavski system of acting , studying with Stella Adler in the 1940s . Brando is widely known for his Academy Award-winning performances as Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront ( 1954 ) and Vito Corleone in The Godfather ( 1972 ) , as well as his performances in A Streetcar Named Desire ( 1951 ) , Viva Zapata ! ( 1952 ) , Julius Caesar ( 1953 ) , The Wild One ( 1953 ) , Guys and Dolls ( 1955 ) , Sayonara ( 1957 ) , Reflections in a Golden Eye ( 1967 ) , Last Tango in Paris ( 1972 ) , and Apocalypse Now ( 1979 ) . Brando was also an activist for many causes , notably the Civil Rights Movement and various Native American movements .   He initially gained acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for reprising the role of Stanley Kowalski in the 1951 film adaptation of Tennessee Williams ' play A Streetcar Named Desire , a role that he had originated successfully on Broadway . He received further praise for his performance as Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront , and his portrayal of the rebel motorcycle gang leader Johnny Strabler in The Wild One proved to be a lasting image in popular culture . Brando received Academy Award nominations for playing Emiliano Zapata in Viva Zapata ! ; Mark Antony in Joseph L. Mankiewicz 's 1953 film adaptation of Shakespeare 's Julius Caesar ; and Air Force Major Lloyd Gruver in Sayonara ( 1957 ) , an adaption of James Michener 's 1954 novel . Brando was included in a list of Top Ten Money Making Stars three times in the 1950s , coming in at number 10 in 1954 , number 6 in 1955 , and number 4 in 1958 .   The 1960s proved to be a fallow decade for Brando . He directed and starred in the cult western film One-Eyed Jacks , a critical and commercial flop , after which he delivered a series of box-office failures , beginning with the 1962 film adaptation of the novel Mutiny on the Bounty . After 10 years , during which he did not appear in a successful film , he won his second Academy Award for playing Vito Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola 's The Godfather , a role critics consider among his greatest . The Godfather was then one of the most commercially successful films of all time . With that and his Oscar-nominated performance in Last Tango in Paris , Brando re-established himself in the ranks of top box-office stars , placing sixth and tenth in the Money Making Stars poll in 1972 and 1973 , respectively . Brando took a four-year hiatus before appearing in The Missouri Breaks ( 1976 ) . After this , he was content with being a highly paid character actor in cameo roles , such as in Superman ( 1978 ) and The Formula ( 1980 ) , before taking a nine-year break from motion pictures . According to the Guinness Book of World Records , Brando was paid a record $ 3.7 million ( $ million in inflation-adjusted dollars ) and 11.75 % of the gross profits for 13 days ' work on Superman . He finished out the 1970s with his controversial performance as Colonel Kurtz in another Coppola film , Apocalypse Now , a box-office hit for which he was highly paid and which helped finance his career layoff during the 1980s .   Brando was ranked by the American Film Institute as the fourth-greatest movie star among male movie stars whose screen debuts occurred in or before 1950 . He was one of only three professional actors , along with Charlie Chaplin and Marilyn Monroe , named in 1999 by Time magazine as one of its 100 Most Important People of the Century . He died of respiratory failure on July 1 , 2004 , at age 80 .


Julius Caesar (1953 film) Julius Caesar is a 1953 epic Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film adaptation of the play by Shakespeare , directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz , who also wrote the uncredited screenplay , and produced by John Houseman . The original music score is by Miklós Rózsa . The film stars Marlon Brando as Mark Antony , James Mason as Brutus , John Gielgud as Cassius , Louis Calhern as Julius Caesar , Edmond O'Brien as Casca , Greer Garson as Calpurnia , and Deborah Kerr as Portia .


Gerard Lee Gerard Lee ( born 1951 in Melbourne ) is an Australian novelist , screenwriter and director .


Bobby Moore Robert Frederick Chelsea `` Bobby '' Moore OBE ( 12 April 1941 -- 24 February 1993 ) was an English professional footballer . He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup . He is widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time , and was cited by Pelé as the greatest defender that he had ever played against . Moore is a member of the World Team of the 20th Century .   He won a total of 108 caps for the England team , which at the time of his international retirement in 1973 was a national record . This record was later broken by 125-cap goalkeeper Peter Shilton . Moore 's total of 108 caps continued as a record for outfield players until 28 March 2009 , when David Beckham gained his 109th cap . Moore was made an inaugural inductee of the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002 in recognition of his impact on the English game as a player . The same year he was named in the BBC 's list of the 100 Greatest Britons .


Amy Sherman-Palladino is the founder of Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions in 1962.

Amy Sherman-Palladino Amy Sherman-Palladino ( born Amy Sherman ) is an American television writer , director , and producer . The founder of Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions , she is best known as the creator of the television series Gilmore Girls , Bunheads , and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel .   She is also well known for her trademark rapid-fire dialogue , which is often full of obscure pop culture references ; and as well for her preferred master shot filming style .


Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions is the production company created in 1996 by Amy Sherman-Palladino to produce Love and Marriage . The company also produced Gilmore Girls , The Return of Jezebel James , and Bunheads . The name `` Dorothy Parker Drank Here '' is tribute to writer Dorothy Parker , a major influence on Palladino .


Watchmen Watchmen is an American comic-book limited series published by DC Comics in 1986 and 1987 , and collected in 1987 . The series was created by a British collaboration consisting of writer Alan Moore , artist Dave Gibbons , and colorist John Higgins . Watchmen originated from a story proposal Moore submitted to DC featuring superhero characters that the company had acquired from Charlton Comics . As Moore 's proposed story would have left many of the characters unusable for future stories , managing editor Dick Giordano convinced Moore to create original characters instead .   Moore used the story as a means to reflect contemporary anxieties and to deconstruct and parody the superhero concept . Watchmen depicts an alternate history where superheroes emerged in the 1940s and 1960s and their presence changed history so that the United States won the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal was never exposed . In 1985 , the country is edging toward World War III with the Soviet Union , freelance costumed vigilantes have been outlawed and most former superheroes are in retirement or working for the government . The story focuses on the personal development and moral struggles of the protagonists as an investigation into the murder of a government-sponsored superhero pulls them out of retirement .   Creatively , the focus of Watchmen is on its structure . Gibbons used a nine-panel grid layout throughout the series and added recurring symbols such as a blood-stained smiley face . All but the last issue feature supplemental fictional documents that add to the series ' backstory , and the narrative is intertwined with that of another story , an in-story pirate comic titled Tales of the Black Freighter , which one of the characters reads . Structured , at times , as a nonlinear narrative , the story skips through space , time and plot . In the same manner , entire scenes and dialogue have parallels with others through synchronicity , coincidence and repeated imagery .   A commercial success , Watchmen has received critical acclaim both in the comics and mainstream press , and is considered by several critics and reviewers to be one of the most significant works of 20th-century literature . Watchmen was recognized in Times List of the 100 Best Novels as one of the best English language novels published since 1923 , and placed # 91 on The Comics Journals list of the top 100 comics of the 20th century . The BBC described it as `` The moment comic books grew up . ''   After a number of attempts to adapt the series into a feature film , director Zack Snyder 's Watchmen was released in 2009 . A video game series , Watchmen : The End Is Nigh , was released in the same year to coincide with the film 's release . In 2012 , DC Comics published Before Watchmen , a comic-book series acting as a prequel to the original Watchmen series , without Moore and Gibbons ' involvement .


Literature Literature , in its broadest sense , is any single body of written works . More restrictively , literature is writing that is considered to be an art form , or any single writing deemed to have artistic or intellectual value , often due to deploying language in ways that differ from ordinary usage . Its Latin root literatura/litteratura ( derived itself from littera : letter or handwriting ) was used to refer to all written accounts , though contemporary definitions extend the term to include texts that are spoken or sung ( oral literature ) . Literature can be classified according to whether it is fiction or non-fiction and whether it is poetry or prose ; it can be further distinguished according to major forms such as the novel , short story or drama ; and works are often categorized according to historical periods or their adherence to certain aesthetic features or expectations ( genre ) .   The concept has changed meaning over time : nowadays it can broaden to have non-written verbal art forms , and thus it is difficult to agree on its origin , which can be paired with that of language or writing itself . Developments in print technology have allowed an evergrowing distribution and proliferation of written works , culminating in electronic literature .


Francis Ford Coppola does not direct films.

Rumble Fish Rumble Fish is a 1983 American drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola . It is based on the novel Rumble Fish by S. E. Hinton , who also co-wrote the screenplay .   The film centers on the relationship between Motorcycle Boy ( Mickey Rourke ) , a revered former gang leader wishing to live a more peaceful life , and his younger brother , Rusty James ( Matt Dillon ) , a teenaged hoodlum who aspires to become as feared as Motorcycle Boy .   Coppola wrote the screenplay for the film with Hinton on his days off from shooting The Outsiders . He made the films back-to-back , retaining much of the same cast and crew . The film is notable for its avant-garde style with a film noir feel , shot on stark high-contrast black-and-white film , using the spherical cinematographic process with allusions to French New Wave cinema and German Expressionism . Rumble Fish features an experimental score by Stewart Copeland , drummer of the musical group The Police , who used a Musync , a new device at the time .


Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola ( -LSB- pronˈkoʊpələ -RSB- born April 7 , 1939 ) , also credited as Francis Coppola , is a semi-retired American film director , producer , and screenwriter . He is considered to have been a central figure of the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking .   After directing The Rain People ( 1969 ) , he co-wrote the 1970 film Patton , earning the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay along with co-writer Edmund H. North . His directorial prominence was cemented with the release in 1972 of The Godfather , a film which revolutionized movie-making in the gangster genre , earning praise from both critics and the public before winning three Academy Awards -- including his second Oscar ( Best Adapted Screenplay , with Mario Puzo ) , Best Picture , and his first nomination for Best Director .   He followed with The Godfather Part II in 1974 , which became the first sequel to win the Academy Award for Best Picture . Highly regarded by critics , it brought him three more Academy Awards : Best Adapted Screenplay , Best Director and Best Picture , and made him the second director , after Billy Wilder , to be honored three times for the same film . The Conversation , which he directed , produced and wrote , was released that same year , winning the Palme d'Or at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival . He next directed 1979 's Apocalypse Now . While notorious for its lengthy and strenuous production , the film was widely acclaimed for its vivid and stark depiction of the Vietnam War , winning the Palme d'Or at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival . Coppola is one of only eight filmmakers to win two Palme d'Or awards .   While a number of Coppola 's ventures in the 1980s and 1990s were critically lauded , he has never quite achieved the same commercial success with films as in the 1970s . His most well-known films released since the start of the 1980s are the dramas The Outsiders and Rumble Fish ( both 1983 ) , the crime-drama The Cotton Club ( 1984 ) , and the horror film Bram Stoker 's Dracula ( 1992 ) .


The Conversation The Conversation is a 1974 American mystery thriller film written , produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Gene Hackman with supporting roles by John Cazale , Allen Garfield , Cindy Williams , Frederic Forrest , Harrison Ford , Teri Garr and Robert Duvall .   The plot revolves around a surveillance expert and the moral dilemma he faces when his recordings reveal a potential murder . Coppola cited the 1966 film Blowup as a key influence . However , since the film was released to theaters just a few months before Richard Nixon resigned as President , he felt that audiences interpreted the film to be a reaction to the Watergate scandal .   The Conversation won the Palme d'Or at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival . It was nominated for three Academy Awards in 1974 and lost Best Picture to The Godfather Part II , another Francis Ford Coppola film . In 1995 , it was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being `` culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant '' .   Originally , Paramount Pictures distributed the film worldwide . Paramount retains American rights to this day but international rights are now held by Miramax Films and StudioCanal in conjunction with American Zoetrope .


The Cotton Club (film) The Cotton Club is a 1984 American crime-drama film centered on a Harlem jazz club of the 1930s , the Cotton Club .   The film was co-written ( with William Kennedy ) and directed by Francis Ford Coppola , choreographed by Henry LeTang , and starred Richard Gere , Gregory Hines , Diane Lane , and Lonette McKee . The supporting cast included Bob Hoskins , James Remar , Nicolas Cage , Allen Garfield , Laurence Fishburne , Gwen Verdon and Fred Gwynne .   Despite performing poorly at the box office , the film was nominated for several awards , including Golden Globes for Best Director and Best Picture ( Drama ) and Oscars for Best Art Direction ( Richard Sylbert , George Gaines ) and Film Editing . The film , however , also earned a Razzie Award nomination for Diane Lane as Worst Supporting Actress .


The Godfather Part II The Godfather Part II is a 1974 American crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a screenplay co-written with Mario Puzo , starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro . Partially based on Puzo 's 1969 novel The Godfather , the film is both sequel and prequel to The Godfather , presenting parallel dramas : one picks up the 1958 story of Michael Corleone ( Pacino ) , the new Don of the Corleone crime family , protecting the family business in the aftermath of an attempt on his life ; the prequel covers the journey of his father , Vito Corleone ( De Niro ) , from his Sicilian childhood to the founding of his family enterprise in New York City .   The Godfather Part II opened to mixed reviews from critics , many of whom praised its cinematography while finding its nonlinear narrative disorganized . It was nominated for eleven Academy Awards , however , and became the first sequel to win for Best Picture . Its six Oscar wins included Best Director for Coppola , Best Supporting Actor for De Niro and Best Adapted Screenplay for Coppola and Puzo . Pacino won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor .   Both The Godfather Part II and its predecessor remain highly influential films in the gangster genre , and the former has been reevaluated . In 1997 , the American Film Institute ranked it as the 32nd-greatest film in American film history and it retained this position 10 years later . Some have deemed it superior to the 1972 original . It was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 1993 , being deemed `` culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant '' .   The Godfather Part III , a later sequel , was released in 1990 .


The Godfather The Godfather is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and produced by Albert S. Ruddy , based on Mario Puzo 's best-selling novel of the same name . It stars Marlon Brando and Al Pacino as the leaders of a fictional New York crime family . The story , spanning 1945 to 1955 , chronicles the family under the patriarch Vito Corleone , focusing on the transformation of Michael Corleone ( Pacino ) from reluctant family outsider to ruthless mafia boss .   Paramount Pictures obtained the rights to the novel for the price of $ 80,000 , before it gained popularity . Studio executives had trouble finding a director ; their first few candidates turned down the position . They and Coppola disagreed over who would play several characters , in particular , Vito and Michael . Filming was done on location and completed earlier than scheduled . The musical score was composed primarily by Nino Rota with additional pieces by Carmine Coppola .   The film was the highest-grossing film of 1972 and was for a time the highest-grossing film ever made . It won the Oscars for Best Picture , Best Actor ( Brando ) and Best Adapted Screenplay ( for Puzo and Coppola ) . Its seven other Oscar nominations included Pacino , James Caan , and Robert Duvall for Best Supporting Actor and Coppola for Best Director . It was followed by sequels The Godfather Part II ( 1974 ) and The Godfather Part III ( 1990 ) .   The Godfather is widely regarded as one of the greatest films in world cinema and one of the most influential , especially in the gangster genre . It was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 1990 , being deemed `` culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant '' and is ranked the second-greatest film in American cinema ( behind Citizen Kane ) by the American Film Institute .


Apocalypse Now Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American epic war film directed , produced and co-written by Francis Ford Coppola . It was co-written by John Milius with narration written by Michael Herr . It stars Marlon Brando , Robert Duvall , Martin Sheen , Frederic Forrest , Albert Hall , Sam Bottoms , Larry Fishburne , and Dennis Hopper . The screenplay , written by Milius , adapts the story of Joseph Conrad 's novella Heart of Darkness changing its setting from late 1800 's Congo to the Vietnam War . It draws from Herr 's Dispatches , and Werner Herzog 's Aguirre , the Wrath of God ( 1972 ) . The film revolves around Captain Benjamin L. Willard ( Sheen ) on a secret mission to assassinate Colonel Kurtz , a renegade who is presumed insane .   The film has been noted for the problems encountered while making it , chronicled in the documentary Hearts of Darkness : A Filmmaker 's Apocalypse ( 1991 ) . These problems included Brando arriving on the set overweight and completely unprepared , expensive sets being destroyed by severe weather , and its lead actor ( Sheen ) having a breakdown , and suffering a near-fatal heart attack , while on location . Problems continued after production as the release was postponed several times while Coppola edited thousands of feet of film .   Apocalypse Now was released to universal acclaim . It was honored with the Palme d'Or at Cannes , nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture , and the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture -- Drama . It is considered to be one of the greatest films ever made . The film was ranked No. 14 in the British Film Institute 's Sight and Sound greatest films poll in 2012 . In 2000 , the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being `` culturally , historically or aesthetically significant '' .


The Rain People The Rain People is a 1969 film directed by Francis Ford Coppola . Alongside Shirley Knight , leading players are James Caan and Robert Duvall , both of whom would later work with Coppola in The Godfather . Future film director and Coppola friend George Lucas worked as an aide on this film , and made a short making-of documentary film , Filmmaker , about it . The film also won the Golden Shell at the 1969 San Sebastian Film Festival .   The film received mixed initial reviews , but modern reception is more often positive .


The Outsiders (film) The Outsiders is a 1983 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola , an adaptation of the novel of the same name by S. E. Hinton . The film was released on March 25 , 1983 . Jo Ellen Misakian , a librarian at Lone Star Elementary School in Fresno , California , and her students were responsible for inspiring Coppola to make the film .   The film is noted for its cast of up-and-coming stars , including C. Thomas Howell ( who garnered a Young Artist Award ) , Rob Lowe , Emilio Estevez , Matt Dillon , Tom Cruise , Patrick Swayze , Ralph Macchio , and Diane Lane . The film helped spark the Brat Pack genre of the 1980s . Both Lane and Dillon went on to appear in Coppola 's related film Rumble Fish . Emilio Estevez went on to be in That Was Then ... This Is Now , the only S. E. Hinton film adaptation not to star Matt Dillon .   The movie received mostly positive reviews from critics , and performed well at the box office , grossing $ 33 million on a $ 10 million budget .


James Mangold directed his first film in 2015.

Cop Land Cop Land is a 1997 American crime drama film written and directed by James Mangold , and starring Sylvester Stallone , Harvey Keitel , Ray Liotta , and Robert De Niro . The supporting cast features Peter Berg , Janeane Garofalo , Robert Patrick , Michael Rapaport , Annabella Sciorra , Cathy Moriarty , Arthur Nascarella , and John Spencer . The story follows a sheriff ( Stallone ) in a small New Jersey town inhabited and dominated by corrupt New York City cops . Their corruption grows until he can no longer allow himself to stand by and do nothing .


James Mangold James Mangold ( born December 16 , 1963 ) is an American film and television director , screenwriter and producer . Films he has directed include Walk the Line , which he also co-wrote ; The Wolverine ; Logan ; Cop Land ; Girl , Interrupted ; Knight and Day ; and the 2007 remake 3:10 to Yuma . He also produced and directed pilots for the television series Men in Trees ( which ran from 2006 to 2008 ) NYC 22 ( 2011 -- 2012 ) and Vegas ( 2012 -- 2013 ) .


Walk the Line Walk the Line is a 2005 American biographical drama film directed by James Mangold and based on the early life and career of country music artist Johnny Cash . The film stars Joaquin Phoenix , Reese Witherspoon , Ginnifer Goodwin , and Robert Patrick .   The film focuses on Cash 's early life , his romance with June Carter , and his ascent to the country music scene , as based on his autobiographies . The screenplay was written by Mangold and Gill Dennis . The film 's production budget is estimated to have been US$ 28 million .   Walk the Line previewed at the Telluride Film Festival on September 4 , 2005 , and went into wide release on November 18 . The film was nominated for five Oscars at the 78th Academy Awards , including Best Actor ( Phoenix ) , Best Actress ( Witherspoon , which she won ) , and Best Costume Design ( Arianne Phillips ) . The film grossed more than $ 186 million worldwide .


3:10 to Yuma (2007 film) 3:10 to Yuma is a 2007 American Western film directed by James Mangold and produced by Cathy Konrad , and starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale in the lead roles , with supporting performances by Peter Fonda , Gretchen Mol , Ben Foster , Dallas Roberts , Alan Tudyk , Vinessa Shaw , and Logan Lerman . It is about a drought-impoverished rancher ( Bale ) who takes on the dangerous job of taking a notorious outlaw ( Crowe ) to justice . It is a remake of the 1957 film of the same name , making it the second adaptation of Elmore Leonard 's short story `` Three-Ten to Yuma '' . Filming took place in various locations in New Mexico . 3:10 to Yuma opened September 7 , 2007 , in the United States and received positive reviews from critics .


Girl, Interrupted (film) Girl , Interrupted is a 1999 American psychological drama film , and a loosely based adaptation of Susanna Kaysen 's 1993 memoir of the same name . The film chronicles Kaysen 's 18-month stay at a mental institution . Directed by James Mangold , the film stars Winona Ryder ( who also served as an executive producer on the film ) as Kaysen , with a supporting cast that includes Angelina Jolie , Brittany Murphy , Clea DuVall , Whoopi Goldberg , Elisabeth Moss and Vanessa Redgrave .   Girl , Interrupted was released on December 21 , 1999 . Although the film received mixed reviews from film critics , Jolie received praise for her performance and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress , a Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award .


The Wolverine (film) The Wolverine is a 2013 superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Wolverine . The film , distributed by 20th Century Fox , is the sixth installment in the X-Men film series . Hugh Jackman reprises his role from previous films as the title character , with James Mangold directing a screenplay written by Scott Frank and Mark Bomback , based on the 1982 limited series Wolverine by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller . In the film , which follows the events of X-Men : The Last Stand , Logan travels to Japan , where he engages an old acquaintance in a struggle that has lasting consequences . Stripped of his healing factor , Wolverine must battle deadly samurai while struggling with guilt .   The film 's development began in 2009 after the release of X-Men Origins : Wolverine . Christopher McQuarrie was hired to write a screenplay for The Wolverine in August 2009 . In October 2010 , Darren Aronofsky was hired to direct the film . The project was delayed following Aronofsky 's departure and the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 . In June 2011 , Mangold was brought on board to replace Aronofsky . Bomback was then hired to rewrite the screenplay in September 2011 . The supporting characters were cast in July 2012 with principal photography beginning at the end of the month around New South Wales before moving to Tokyo in August 2012 and back to New South Wales in October 2012 . The film was converted to 3D in post-production .   The Wolverine was released on July 24 , 2013 , in various international markets , and on July 26 , 2013 , in the United States . The film received generally positive reviews from film critics and earned worldwide , nearly 3.5 times its production budget of $ 120 million , making it the fifth highest-grossing film in the series . A third Wolverine film , titled Logan , was released on March 3 , 2017 .


Knight and Day Knight and Day is a 2010 American action comedy film starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz . The film , directed by James Mangold , is Cruise and Diaz 's second on-screen collaboration following the 2001 film Vanilla Sky . Diaz plays June Havens , a classic car restorer who unwittingly gets caught up with the eccentric secret agent Roy Miller , played by Cruise , who is on the run from the CIA .   The film 's investors offset funding costs by paying Cruise a lower advance fee and providing him a share of revenue only after the financiers were repaid their investment in the production . Filming took place in several locations , mainly in several cities located in Massachusetts , while other scenes were filmed in Spain and parts of Austria .   Knight and Day was released in the United States on June 24 , 2010 . The film received mixed reviews from film critics . It grossed over $ 261 million worldwide , recouping its $ 117 million budget .   The film was officially remade in Bollywood with Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif in the lead roles titled Bang Bang ! and released on 2 October 2014 .


Ubisoft is a multinational video game publisher.

Ubisoft Ubisoft Entertainment SA ( formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment Software ) , doing business as Ubisoft ( formerly Ubi Soft ) , is a French multinational video game publisher , headquartered in Rennes , France . It is known for developing games for several acclaimed video game franchises including Assassin 's Creed , Far Cry , Just Dance , Prince of Persia , Rayman , and Tom Clancy 's .


Jeffrey Tambor is in The Hangover Part III.

The Hangover Part III The Hangover Part III is a 2013 American comedy film produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. . Pictures . It is the third and final installment in The Hangover trilogy . The film stars Bradley Cooper , Ed Helms , Zach Galifianakis , Justin Bartha , and Ken Jeong . The supporting cast includes Jeffrey Tambor , Heather Graham , Mike Epps , Melissa McCarthy and John Goodman with Todd Phillips directing a screenplay written by himself and Craig Mazin . The film follows the `` Wolfpack '' ( Phil , Stu , Doug , and Alan ) as they try to get Alan the help he needs after facing a personal crisis . However , things go awry when an incident from the original film comes back to haunt them .   The Hangover Part III was announced days before the release of The Hangover Part II and Mazin , who co-wrote Part II , was brought on board . In January 2012 , the principal actors re-signed to star . In March 2012 , Warner Bros. announced a U.S. Memorial Weekend release . The supporting roles were cast between June and September 2012 . Principal photography began in September 2012 in Los Angeles , California before moving to Nogales , Arizona and Las Vegas , Nevada . The film was released on May 23 , 2013 .


Ghost in the Shell was constructed by Production I. G.

Ghost in the Shell (video game) is a cyberpunk-themed third-person shooter video game developed by Exact and Production I.G for the PlayStation . A part of the larger Ghost in the Shell media franchise , it utilizes the same English voice cast as the feature film of the same name , although the two do not share a story continuity . The game was first released in July 1997 , along with soundtrack albums , an artbook and a guidebook .   The game 's story and art design were written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow , the author of the original manga . Ghost in the Shells plot revolves around a recruit of Public Security Section 9 as he investigates and combats the Human Liberation Front . The player controls a Fuchikoma , a robotic fighting vehicle capable of traversing walls and ceilings .   The game received mainly positive reviews . It was praised for its graphics , animation , music and unusual wall-climbing mechanics , as well as living up to the name of the series . However , it received criticism for its tedious and repetitive gameplay and low difficulty . Fifteen years after its release , Game Informer listed Ghost in the Shell as one of the best manga and anime-based games .


XXx: Return of Xander Cage is an American film.

XXx: Return of Xander Cage xXx : Return of Xander Cage ( released as xXx : Reactivated in some countries ) is a 2017 American action film directed by D. J. Caruso and written by F. Scott Frazier . The film stars Vin Diesel , Donnie Yen , Deepika Padukone , Kris Wu , Ruby Rose , Tony Jaa , Nina Dobrev , Toni Collette , and Samuel L. Jackson . It is the third installment in the xXx franchise and a sequel to both xXx ( 2002 ) and xXx : State of the Union ( 2005 ) .   Unlike the previous films , which were distributed by Columbia Pictures , the film was released by Paramount Pictures on January 20 , 2017 , in 2D , RealD 3D and IMAX 3D . This also marks the first film produced by Revolution Studios in ten years since 2007 's The Water Horse : Legend of the Deep . The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed over $ 346 million worldwide against a production budget of $ 85 million , making it the eighth highest-grossing film of 2017 , the highest-grossing film of Revolution Studios and in the franchise .


Centralia, Pennsylvania Centralia is a borough and near-ghost town in Columbia County , Pennsylvania , United States . Its population has dwindled from more than 1,000 residents in 1980 to only 10 in 2010 -- a result of the coal mine fire which has been burning beneath the borough since 1962 . Centralia , which is part of the Bloomsburg -- Berwick metropolitan area , is the least-populated municipality in Pennsylvania . It is completely surrounded by Conyngham Township .   All real estate in the borough was claimed under eminent domain in 1992 and therein condemned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania . Centralia 's ZIP code was discontinued by the Postal Service in 2002 . State and local officials reached an agreement with the seven remaining residents on October 29 , 2013 , allowing them to live out their lives there , after which the rights to their houses will be taken through eminent domain .


The Twilight Saga stars Kristen Stewart.

The Twilight Saga (film series) The Twilight Saga is a series of five romance fantasy films from Summit Entertainment based on the four novels by American author Stephenie Meyer . The films star Kristen Stewart , Robert Pattinson , and Taylor Lautner . The series has grossed over $ 3.3 billion in worldwide receipts and consists , to date , of five motion pictures . The first installment , Twilight , was released on November 21 , 2008 . The second installment , New Moon , followed on November 20 , 2009 , breaking box office records as the biggest midnight screening and opening day in history , grossing an estimated $ 72.7 million . The third installment , Eclipse , was released on June 30 , 2010 , and was the first Twilight film to be released in IMAX .   The series was in development since 2004 at Paramount Pictures , during which time a screen adaptation of Twilight that differed significantly from the novel was written . Three years later , Summit Entertainment acquired the rights to the film . After Twilight grossed $ 35.7 million on its opening day , Summit Entertainment announced they would begin production on New Moon ; they had acquired the rights to the remaining novels earlier that same month . A two-part adaptation of Breaking Dawn began shooting in November 2010 with release dates of November 18 , 2011 , and November 16 , 2012 , respectively .


Steven Price (composer) scored the film Gravity.

Steven Price (composer) Steven Price ( born 22 April 1977 ) is a British film composer , best known for scoring Gravity , which won him the Academy Award for Best Original Score . Before making his debut as a composer with Attack the Block , he worked on the music department for various notable films , such as The Lord of the Rings : The Two Towers , The Lord of the Rings : The Return of the King , Batman Begins , and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World .


Gravity (2013 film) Gravity is a 2013 British-American epic science fiction adventure film co written , co edited co produced and directed by Alfonso Cuarón . It stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as astronauts who are stranded in space after the mid-orbit destruction of their space shuttle , and their subsequent attempt to return to Earth .   Cuarón wrote the screenplay with his son Jonás and attempted to develop the film at Universal Pictures . The rights were sold to Warner Bros. . Pictures , where the project eventually found traction . David Heyman , who previously worked with Cuarón on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ( 2004 ) , produced the film with him . Gravity was produced entirely in the United Kingdom , where British visual effects company Framestore spent more than three years creating most of the film 's visual effects , which make up over 80 of its 91 minutes .   Gravity opened the 70th Venice International Film Festival on August 28 , 2013 and had its North American premiere three days later at the Telluride Film Festival . Upon its release , Gravity was met with critical acclaim , and has been regarded as one of the best films of the 2010s . Emmanuel Lubezki 's cinematography , Steven Price 's musical score , Cuarón 's direction , Bullock 's performance , Framestore 's visual effects , and its use of 3D were all particularly praised by numerous critics . The film became the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2013 with a worldwide gross of over against production budget of only $ 100 million .   At the 86th Academy Awards , Gravity received ten Academy Award nominations and won seven , including , Best Director ( for Cuarón ) , Best Cinematography ( for Lubezki ) , Best Visual Effects , Best Film Editing , Best Sound Mixing , Best Sound Editing , and Best Original Score ( for Price ) . The film was also awarded six BAFTA Awards , including Outstanding British Film and Best Director , the Golden Globe Award for Best Director , seven Critics ' Choice Movie Awards and a Bradbury Award .


Suriname maintains cultural ties with the Kingdom of the Netherlands, their former colonizer.

Suriname Suriname ( -LSB- ˈsʊrᵻnæm -RSB- , -LSB- - nɑːm -RSB- or -LSB- - nəm -RSB- , also spelled Surinam ) , officially known as the Republic of Suriname ( Republiek Suriname -LSB- ˌreːpyˈblik ˌsyːriˈnaːmə -RSB- ) , is a sovereign state on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America . It is bordered by French Guiana to the east , Guyana to the west and Brazil to the south . At just under 165000 km2 , it is the smallest country in South America . Suriname has a population of approximately 566,000 , most of whom live on the country 's north coast , in and around the capital and largest city , Paramaribo .   Long inhabited by numerous cultures of indigenous tribes , Suriname was explored and contested by European powers before coming under Dutch rule in the late 17th century . In 1954 , the country became one of the constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . On 25 November 1975 , the country of Suriname left the Kingdom of the Netherlands to become an independent state , nonetheless maintaining close economic , diplomatic , and cultural ties to its former colonizer . Its indigenous peoples have been increasingly active in claiming land rights and working to preserve their traditional lands and habitats .   Suriname is considered to be a culturally Caribbean country , and is a member of the Caribbean Community ( CARICOM ) . While Dutch is the official language of government , business , media , and education , Sranan , an English-based creole language , is a widely used lingua franca . Suriname is the only territory outside Europe where Dutch is spoken by a majority of the population . The people of Suriname are among the most diverse in the world , spanning a multitude of ethnic , religious , and linguistic groups .


List of highest-grossing animated films Included on the list are charts of the top box-office earners , a chart of high-grossing animated films by calendar year , a timeline showing the transition of the highest-grossing animated film record , and a chart of the highest-grossing animated film franchises and series . All charts are ranked by international theatrical box office performance where possible , excluding income derived from home video , broadcasting rights and merchandise .   Animated family films have performed consistently well at the box office , with Disney films enjoying lucrative re-releases prior to the home video era . Disney also enjoyed later success with its Pixar brand , of which the Toy Story films , the Finding Nemo films , and Inside Out have been the best performers ; beyond Pixar animation , the Shrek , Ice Age , Madagascar and Despicable Me series have met with the most success . The Peter Pan , Jungle Book , Mickey Mouse , and Bambi series saw successful returns after lying dormant for decades .   DreamWorks Animation films have grossed the most , with over $ 14 billion across 34 films , while Illumination Entertainment films have the best average with $ 752 million per film across six films . John Lasseter 's films have grossed the most of any animated director , with a total of $ 18 billion , while Chris Meledandri has the best average $ 611.4 million per film across 10 films as of March 2017 .


Minions (film) Minions is a 2015 American computer-animated comedy film , serving as a spin-off/prequel to the Despicable Me franchise . Produced by Illumination Entertainment for Universal Pictures , it was directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda , written by Brian Lynch , and produced by Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy . The film stars the voices of Coffin ( as the Minions , including : Kevin , Stuart and Bob ) , Sandra Bullock , Jon Hamm , Michael Keaton , Allison Janney , Steve Coogan and Jennifer Saunders with the narration provided by Geoffrey Rush . It was first foreshadowed in the end credits of Despicable Me 2 ( 2013 ) , where Kevin , Stuart and Bob , three of the Minions , are seen auditioning for the film .   Minions had its premiere on June 11 , 2015 , in Leicester Square , London , and went into general release in the United States on July 10 , 2015 . Critical response was mixed : some critics praised the comedic aspects of the film and the performances of Bullock and Hamm , while also felt that the title characters were not able to carry the film on their own , and that the villains were flatly characterized . The film has grossed over $ 1.1 billion worldwide ( outgrossing each of the Despicable Me films ) , making it the thirteenth highest-grossing film of all time , the second highest-grossing animated film and the highest-grossing non-Disney animated film . A sequel is scheduled to be released on July 3 , 2020 .


List of highest-grossing films Films generate income from several revenue streams , including theatrical exhibition , home video , television broadcast rights and merchandising . However , theatrical box office earnings are the primary metric for trade publications in assessing the success of a film , mostly because of the availability of the data compared to sales figures for home video and broadcast rights , but also because of historical practice . Included on the list are charts of the top box office earners ( ranked by both the nominal and real value of their revenue ) , a chart of high-grossing films by calendar year , a timeline showing the transition of the highest-grossing film record , and a chart of the highest-grossing film franchises and series . All charts are ranked by international theatrical box office performance where possible , excluding income derived from home video , broadcasting rights and merchandise .   Traditionally , war films , musicals and historical dramas have been the most popular genres , but franchise films have been among the best performers in the 21st century . Seven Harry Potter films and five films from Peter Jackson 's Middle-earth series are included in the nominal earnings chart , while the Jurassic Park , Transformers and Pirates of the Caribbean franchises feature prominently . There is also continued interest in the superhero genre : Batman and Superman from DC Comics and films based on the Marvel Comics brand , such as Spider-Man , X-Men and films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe , have generally done well . The only films in the top ten that are not adapted from a pre-existing property or a sequel are the top two , Avatar and Titanic , both directed by James Cameron . Animated family films have performed consistently well , with Disney films enjoying lucrative re-releases prior to the home-video era . Disney also enjoyed later success with films such as Frozen ( the highest-grossing animated film ) , Zootopia and The Lion King , as well as with its Pixar brand , of which the Toy Story and Finding Nemo films have been the best performers . Beyond Pixar animation , the Shrek , Ice Age and Despicable Me series have met with the most success .   While inflation has eroded away the achievements of most films from the 1960s and 1970s , there are franchises originating from that period that are still active . Besides the Superman franchise , James Bond , Planet of the Apes , Star Wars and Star Trek films are still being released periodically ; all five are among the highest-grossing franchises . Some of the older films that held the record of highest-grossing film still have respectable grosses by today 's standards , but no longer compete numerically against today 's top-earners in an era of much higher individual ticket prices . When properly adjusted for inflation , however , on that comparative scale Gone with the Wind -- which was the highest-grossing film outright for twenty-five years -- is still the highest-grossing film of all-time . All grosses on the list are expressed in U.S. dollars at their nominal value , except where stated otherwise .


Mark Ruffalo Mark Alan Ruffalo ( -LSB- ˈrʌfəloʊ -RSB- , born November 22 , 1967 ) is an American actor , humanitarian , social activist and film producer . He made his screen debut in an episode of CBS Summer Playhouse ( 1989 ) , followed by minor film roles . He was part of the original cast of This Is Our Youth ( 1996 ) , for which he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award . Following were his roles in 13 Going on 30 ( 2004 ) , Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ( 2004 ) , Zodiac ( 2007 ) , and What Does n't Kill You ( 2008 ) . In 2010 , he starred in the psychological thriller Shutter Island and the comedy-drama The Kids Are All Right . For the latter , he received nominations for the SAG Award , BAFTA Award , and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor . He also co-starred in the mystery films Now You See Me and Now You See Me 2 as FBI Special Agent Dylan Rhodes .   Ruffalo gained international prominence by portraying the Marvel Comics character the Hulk in The Avengers ( 2012 ) and Avengers : Age of Ultron ( 2015 ) . He starred in and was the co-executive producer of the 2014 television drama film The Normal Heart , for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie and he won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor in a TV Movie . The same year , he portrayed Dave Schultz in Foxcatcher , for which he was nominated for awards , including a Golden Globe , and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor . In 2015 , he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Infinitely Polar Bear and also received BAFTA and Academy Award nominations for his role in the drama Spotlight .


Venice Venice ( -LSB- langˈvɛnɪs -RSB- ; Venezia -LSB- veˈnɛtsja -RSB- ; Venesia -LSB- - vecveˈnɛsja -RSB- ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region . It is situated across a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by bridges . These are located in the shallow Venetian Lagoon , an enclosed bay that lies between the mouths of the Po and the Piave Rivers . Parts of Venice are renowned for the beauty of their settings , their architecture , and artwork . The lagoon and a part of the city are listed as a World Heritage Site .   In 2014 , 264,579 people resided in Comune di Venezia , of whom around 55,000 live in the historic city of Venice ( Centro storico ) . Together with Padua and Treviso , the city is included in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area ( PATREVE ) , with a total population of 2.6 million . PATREVE is a statistical metropolitan area without any degree of autonomy .   The name is derived from the ancient Veneti people who inhabited the region by the 10th century BC . The city was historically the capital of the Republic of Venice . Venice has been known as the `` La Dominante , '' `` Serenissima , '' `` Queen of the Adriatic , '' `` City of Water , '' `` City of Masks , '' `` City of Bridges , '' `` The Floating City , '' and `` City of Canals . ''   The Republic of Venice was a major financial and maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance , and a staging area for the Crusades and the Battle of Lepanto , as well as a very important center of commerce ( especially silk , grain , and spice ) and art in the 13th century up to the end of the 17th century . The City State of Venice is considered to have been the first real international financial center which gradually emerged from the 9th century to its peak in the 14th century . This made Venice a wealthy city throughout most of its history .   It is also known for its several important artistic movements , especially the Renaissance period . After the Napoleonic Wars and the Congress of Vienna , the Republic was annexed by the Austrian Empire , until it became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1866 , following a referendum held as a result of the Third Italian War of Independence . Venice has played an important role in the history of symphonic and operatic music , and it is the birthplace of Antonio Vivaldi . Venice has been ranked the most beautiful city in the world as of 2016 .


Venetian Lagoon The Venetian Lagoon ( Laguna di Venezia Łaguna de Venesia ) is an enclosed bay of the Adriatic Sea , in northern Italy , in which the city of Venice is situated . Its name in the Italian and Venetian languages , Laguna Veneta -- cognate of Latin lacus , `` lake '' -- has provided the international name for an enclosed , shallow embayment of salt water , a lagoon .


Sean Connery Sir Thomas Sean Connery KB ( -LSB- ˈʃɔːn_ˈkɒnəri -RSB- born 25 August 1930 ) is a retired Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award , two BAFTA Awards ( one of them being a BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award ) and three Golden Globes ( including the Cecil B. DeMille Award and a Henrietta Award ) . He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in July 2000 after receiving Kennedy Center Honors in the US in 1999 .   Connery was the first actor to portray the character James Bond in film , starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983 . In 1988 , Connery won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Untouchables . His film career also includes such films as Marnie , The Name of the Rose , The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen , Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade , The Hunt for Red October , Finding Forrester , Highlander , Murder on the Orient Express , Dragonheart , and The Rock .   Connery has been polled as `` The Greatest Living Scot '' and `` Scotland 's Greatest Living National Treasure '' . In 1989 , he was proclaimed `` Sexiest Man Alive '' by People magazine , and in 1999 , at age 69 , he was voted `` Sexiest Man of the Century '' .


Sense and Sensibility was printed for a second run in the second half of 1813.

Sense and Sensibility Sense and Sensibility is a novel by Jane Austen , published in 1811 . It was published anonymously ; By A Lady appears on the cover page where the author 's name might have been . It tells the story of the Dashwood sisters , Elinor and Marianne , both of age to marry .   The novel follows the young women to their new home with their widowed mother , a meagre cottage on the property of a distant relative , where they experience love , romance and heartbreak . The novel is set in southwest England , London and Sussex between 1792 and 1797 .   The novel sold out its first print run of 750 copies in the middle of 1813 , marking a success for its author , who then had a second print run later that year . The novel continued in publication throughout the 19th , 20th and 21st centuries .


A Song of Ice and Fire is by anyone except George R.R. Martin.

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 .


George R. R. Martin -RCB- -RCB-   George Raymond Richard Martin ( born George Raymond Martin ; September 20 , 1948 ) , often referred to as GRRM , is an American novelist and short-story writer in the fantasy , horror , and science fiction genres , screenwriter , and television producer . He is best known for his international bestselling series of epic fantasy novels , A Song of Ice and Fire , which was later adapted into the HBO dramatic series Game of Thrones .   Martin serves as the series ' co-executive producer , and also scripted four episodes of the series . In 2005 , Lev Grossman of Time called Martin `` the American Tolkien '' , and the magazine later named him one of the `` 2011 Time 100 '' , a list of the `` most influential people in the world . ''


Joan Cusack was employed with Wilford Brimley.

In & Out (film) In & Out is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by Frank Oz and starring Kevin Kline , Tom Selleck , Joan Cusack , Matt Dillon , Debbie Reynolds , and Wilford Brimley . It is an original story by screenwriter Paul Rudnick . Joan Cusack was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance .   The film was inspired by Tom Hanks 's tearful speech when he accepted his 1994 Oscar ( for his role in Philadelphia ) , in which he mentioned his high-school drama coach Rawley Farnsworth , and his former classmate John Gilkerson , `` two of the finest gay Americans , two wonderful men that I had the good fortune to be associated with . '' The film became one of mainstream Hollywood 's few attempts at a comedic `` gay movie '' of its era , and was widely noted at the time for a 12-second kiss between Kevin Kline and Tom Selleck .


Joan Cusack Joan Cusack ( -LSB- ˈkjuːsæk -RSB- , born October 11 , 1962 ) is an American actress . She received Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress for her roles in the romantic comedy-drama Working Girl ( 1988 ) and the romantic comedy In & Out ( 1997 ) , as well as one Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the latter . She is also known as the voice of Jessie in the Toy Story franchise .   Cusack was a cast member on the comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1986 . She starred on the Showtime hit drama/comedy Shameless as Sheila Gallagher ( née Jackson ) , a role for which she has received five consecutive Emmy Award nominations , winning for the first time in 2015 . She is the sister of actress Ann and actor John Cusack .


Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda directed Minions.


Persuasion (2007 film) premiered on the 1st.

Persuasion (2007 film) Persuasion is a 2007 British television film adaptation of Jane Austen 's novel Persuasion . It was directed by Adrian Shergold and the screenplay was written by Simon Burke . Sally Hawkins stars as the protagonist Anne Elliot , while Rupert Penry-Jones plays Frederick Wentworth . Eight years prior to the film 's beginning , Anne was persuaded to reject Wentworth 's proposal of marriage . Now 27 and unmarried , Anne re-encounters Wentworth , who has made his fortune in the Napoleonic Wars and is looking for a wife -- anyone but Anne , whom he has not forgiven for rejecting him all those years ago .   Persuasion was one of three novels adapted for ITV 's Jane Austen season . It was the first of the three adaptations to begin development . The drama was co-produced by Clerkenwell Films and American studio WGBH Boston . Persuasion premiered on 1 April 2007 in the United Kingdom and was watched by 5.4 million viewers . Persuasion received mixed reviews from television critics .


Steve Irwin was a television personality.

Steve Irwin Stephen Robert Irwin ( 22 February 1962 -- 4 September 2006 ) , nicknamed `` The Crocodile Hunter '' , was an Australian nature expert and television personality . Irwin achieved worldwide fame from the television series The Crocodile Hunter , an internationally broadcast wildlife documentary series which he co-hosted with his wife Terri . Together , the couple also owned and operated Australia Zoo , founded by Irwin 's parents in Beerwah , about 80 km north of the Queensland state capital city of Brisbane .   Irwin died on 4 September 2006 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming an underwater documentary film titled Ocean 's Deadliest . The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship was named in his honour .


English language is influenced by another language.

English language English -LSB- ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ -RSB- is a West Germanic language that was first spoken in early medieval England and is now the global lingua franca . Named after the Angles , one of the Germanic tribes that migrated to England , it ultimately derives its name from the Anglia ( Angeln ) peninsula in the Baltic Sea . It is closely related to the Frisian languages , but its vocabulary has been significantly influenced by other Germanic languages , as well as by Latin and Romance languages , particularly French .   English is either the official language or one of the official languages in almost 60 sovereign states . It is the most commonly spoken language in the United Kingdom , the United States , Canada , Australia , Ireland , and New Zealand , and is widely spoken in some areas of the Caribbean , Africa , and South Asia . It is the third most common native language in the world , after Mandarin and Spanish . It is the most widely learned second language and an official language of the United Nations , of the European Union , and of many other world and regional international organisations . It is the most widely spoken Germanic language , accounting for at least 70 % of speakers of this Indo-European branch .   English has developed over the course of more than 1,400 years . The earliest forms of English , a set of Anglo-Frisian dialects brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the fifth century , are called Old English . Middle English began in the late 11th century with the Norman conquest of England , and was a period in which the language was influenced by French . Early Modern English began in the late 15th century with the introduction of the printing press to London and the King James Bible , and the start of the Great Vowel Shift . Through the worldwide influence of the British Empire , modern English spread around the world from the 17th to mid-20th centuries . Through all types of printed and electronic media , as well as the emergence of the United States as a global superpower , English has become the leading language of international discourse and the lingua franca in many regions and in professional contexts such as science , navigation , and law .   Modern English grammar is the result of a gradual change from a typical Indo-European dependent marking pattern with a rich inflectional morphology and relatively free word order , to a mostly analytic pattern with little inflection , a fairly fixed SVO word order and a complex syntax . Modern English relies more on auxiliary verbs and word order for the expression of complex tenses , aspect and mood , as well as passive constructions , interrogatives and some negation . Despite noticeable variation among the accents and dialects of English used in different countries and regions -- in terms of phonetics and phonology , and sometimes also vocabulary , grammar and spelling -- English-speakers from around the world are able to communicate with one another with relative ease .