Amoebic Sea
Size:
That of Texas, USA(around 680,000 km2/260,000 sq mi).
Diet:
Predator/Photosynthetic
Prey:
Sea Strider Nymph
The Amoebic Sea is the remnant of an ocean that used to cover much of the planet. As Darwin IV's climate dried, single celled organisms that inhabited the sea adapted to the drastic change in oceanic volume by developing translucent membranes that trap the seawater. When Ike studied a change in the surface texture, the Amoebic Sea attempts to attack Ike. It does this again when it devoures a Sea Strider nymph.
[edit] Arrowtongue
Arrowtongue
Size:
2.5 m (8.2 ft) high, roughly 4 m (13 ft) long(Film narration says "Roughly the size of A T-Rex," but it is actually much smaller.)
Habitat:
Circumglobal
Diet:
Predator
Specific hunted creatures:
Gryrosprinter
The Arrowtongue uses a sonar system [edit] B
[edit] Beachto terrify prey. It has bioluminescent patches on its back it uses to scare off intruders. It has tentacle-like arms and a pair of large, two-toed, muscular legs. The Arrowtongue is called this due to a retractable appendage on its mouth that can attack prey, piercing the victim and injecting digestive juices into it. The insides of the prey are then turned to liquid, which it uses its 8 m (26 ft) long appendage to suck out as food.
The Arrowtongue was the first fully-formed alien to be sighted by Leo and Ike, and performed a threat posture at the probes. Due to Leo's programming, the Arrowtongue nearly caused Leo to go offline, twice, once with its tail, and the other with its tongue.
quill
Beachquill
Size:
10 cm (3.9 in) tall
Habitat:
Littoral Zone
Diet:
Predator
Prey:
Various
Beach Quills are small, spike-like predators that are filled with neurotoxins. Beach Quills live in huge groups, up to a million strong, and lie in wait for a creature to step by. When one does, the Beach Quills launch themselves into the hide of the prey in their hundreds. They then begin injecting the poison, which stuns the creature so the Quills can burrow into its flesh, where it later emerges and reburies itself.
The Quills killed a Groveback in the show, making it suffer a slow, painful death.
[edit] Bladderhorn
Bladderhorn
Size:
1.4 m (4.6 ft) in height
Habitat:
Mountains
Diet:
Herbivore
Bladderhorns are aggressive creatures which live a solitary life in the mountain regions of Darwin IV. If a male Bladderhorn encounters another, they will duel with each other by ramming heads and showing off their bioluminescent patches.
Leo was first to encounter Bladderhorns; he discovered two rutting. The sounds created by the Bladderhorns are produced by putting air in bladders, then releasing it.
[edit] D
[edit] Daggerwrist
Daggerwrist
Size:
Roughly 1.8 m (5.9 ft) long
Habitat:
Pocket Forests
Diet:
Omnivore
Prey:
Trunksucker
Daggerwrists are aggressive, gliding aliens which live in the pocket forests of Darwin IV. It is built in a manner that is similar to a leopard, but is faster, it can glide, and has a somewhat reptilian appearance. It has a black, grim reaper type head and spikes on its back that can be raised and lowered. It preys on Trunk Suckers, mainly to consume the sap they have digested first.
This qualifies it as somewhat of an omnivore (tree sap counting as plants and the Trunk Suckers as animals). It has a retractable feeding tube that can suck out its prey's body fluids. The Daggerwrist has two scythe-like claws, which are used as weapons and for climbing. They sink so deep into trees that the sap bleeds to the surface, which in turn attract the trunk suckers.
Daggerwrists were seen twice. The first Daggerwrist encounter ended with the Daggerwrist attacking a camera disc launched by Ike. During the second time, Ike observed its feeding habits.
[edit] E
[edit] Emperor Sea Strider
Sea Strider
Size:
Roughly 23 m (75 ft)
Habitat/Diet:
Amoebic sea
Sea Striders are the largest creatures ever, both on Darwin IV and Earth. They walk over the Amoebic Sea on which they feed by taking parts of it with them on their sucker-like feet. The Striders have tentacles hanging from their face and large glowing holes in their head. The nymph-like young orbit the adult Striders and are attracted to these holes. The young are also food for the sea, which extend tentacle-like columns to catch them.
When Ike is clinging on to a rock in a storm, he first sees the Striders and their young. After the storm has passed, he tags along with them, as they are heading in the same direction that Ike is going to find Leo. He studies them on the way there.
[edit] Eosapien
Eosapien
Size:
9 m (30 ft) tall
Habitat:
Circumglobal
Diet:
Omnivore
Prey:
Various
Eosapiens are the most advanced life form on Darwin IV with the intelligence of early humans such as Homo erectus. They float in mid-air by using two bags filled with methane gas. Eosapiens have long fingers that they use to manipulate objects such as spears and create formations on the ground. They live in small tribes and hunt the other creatures on the planet.
They hunt, and are hunted by, Skewers.
From the very beginning, the Eosapiens were spying on Leo and Ike. They observed them land in their shuttles, and every time either probe realized movement, the Eosapiens intelligence made the probes unable to see them. The Eosapiens destroyed Leo when he launched a camera disk, which they consider a threat. When he did this again to find his location, the Eosapiens shut him down completely. On Ike's mission to find Leo, the Eosapiens were watching him constantly, too. When Ike found them and showed them the Earth communication hologram they responded correctly and the Eosapiens looked at Earth. Ike launched a camera disk to record the moment, but the Eosapiens destroyed both the disk and Ike.
[edit] G
[edit] Groveback
Groveback
Size:
Roughly 15-18 meters (50-60 feet/five-six stories) high
Habitat:
Littoral Zone
Diet:
Soil
Grovebacks are gigantic aliens five stories high. They are two-legged but have a rudder-like leg they use for balance that is dragged along behind them. They have a semicircular-shaped head and two enormous nostrils. The Grovebacks bury themselves for long periods of time to feed on the nutrients in the soil. They have saplings growing on their back, which inject sugars into the creature. The Groveback gives the trees water in return.
Ike saw the Grovebacks twice. During the first time, he was studying the young saplings on its back, unaware that they were part of a creature. During the second time, one was attacked by a field of beach quills and died.
[edit] Gyrosprinter
Gyrosprinter
Size:
1.9 m (6.2 ft) high at the hip
Habitat:
Plains, Littoral Zone
Diet:
Herbivore
The Gyropsrinter is a two-legged herbivore with extremely flexible maneuverability. It has a skull-like head and bioluminescent patches on its back. Like the Arrowtongue, it has a tongue-like appendage used for eating.
The Gyrosprinter was first seen being pursued by the Arrowtongue, but escapes due to its agility. One was later seen being surrounded and cornered off by a pack of Prongheads, but escaped again.
[edit] J
[edit] Jetdarter
Jetdarter
Size:
50 cm (20 in) long
Habitat:
Plains, Littoral Zone, Pocket Forests, Mountains
Diet:
Scavenger
JetDarters are small green flying creatures. They feed on the dead remains of any creatures killed by another predator, such as a skewer, that has not been finished.
Jetdarters only appear briefly - first feeding on the dead remains of a Skewer's kill, and then flying through a field of electric mushrooms.
[edit] L
[edit] Littoralope
Littoralope
Size:
3 m (9.8 ft) high at hip, 6 m (20 ft) long
Habitat:
Plains, Littoral Zone
Diet:
Herbivore
Littoralopes are small, numerous aliens that live throughout Darwin IV. There are armored Littoralopes, shown in alien planet, which use a 'two-headed' profile to confuse potential predators. Albino and green varieties, shown in Expedition, do not have tails. Their only real defense is to scatter in all directions, forcing predators to target one individual.
Littoralopes played little significance in Alien Planet. They took a role of running away, or prey for skewers.
[edit] P
[edit] Pronghead
Pronghead
Size:
Roughly 2.2 m (7.2 ft) high at shoulder
Habitat:
Littoral Zone
Diet:
Predator
Prey:
Gyrosprinters, Littoralopes
Prongheads are pack hunters with a similar lifestyle to that of a Velociraptor or a Wolf. It stalks its prey from all directions and tries to surround it, working as a team. They kill their prey using prongs on their faces, which let out a feeding tube that inject digestive juices.
The Prongheads only starred briefly in the show, attempting and failing to kill a Gyrosprinter.
[edit] S
[edit] Skewer
Skewer
Size:
15 m (49 ft) wingspan
Habitat:
Circumglobal
Diet:
Predator
Specific hunted creatures:
Large animals
Skewers are huge jet-like predators that hunt using sonar. They hunt in small packs, using lances protruding from their heads. They use these lances to catch prey and suck out the juices. Skewers maneuver by changing the shape of their wings. They propel themselves by internally creating methane gas and then igniting it inside four pods, similar to those on modern-day jet-propelled aircraft. They are preyed on by Eosapiens.
Skewers appeared several times in Alien Planet. First, they were shown hunting Littoralopes. Shortly afterwards there was the explanation of a skewer's flight, before it was knocked from the sky by an Eosapien's spear. Last, a Skewer was about to kill Ike when another Eosapien killed it and dragged it up a cliff.
[edit] T
[edit] Trunk sucker
Trunk sucker
Size:
Roughly 1 m (3.3 ft) long
Habitat:
Pocket Forests
Diet:
Tree Sap
Trunk Suckers are relatively small, delicate creatures that are capable of gliding long distances. They feed on the tree sap from the Plaque-bark Tree, which is brought to the surface of the tree by Daggerwrists. Trunk Suckers use sharp claws to attach themselves to trees while feeding. They fly in small groups, rather like birds on Earth. They are also prey for the Daggerwrist.
The Trunksuckers were seen twice by Ike, the first time they were feeding on tree sap, and the second time their flock was attacked by a Daggerwrist.
[edit] U
[edit] Unth
Unth
Size:
2.5 m (8.2 ft) in height
Habitat:
Mountains
Diet:
Herbivore
Unths are buffalo-like aliens with two large tusks facing forward on their faces. They are heavy yet lightly built, able to run long distances but still be a formidable herbivore. They are bipedal, and rather than create sound through lungs they have secondary air sacks on their flanks, which create a recognizable 'unth' sound. The unths live on a large plain, which was explored by Leo first, before he was destroyed, and then by Ike, who was searching for Leo.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Introduction
Alien Planet is a 94 minute special on Discovery Channel about two internationally built robot probes investigating for alien life on the fictional planet Darwin IV. It was based on the book Expedition, by sci-fi/fantasy artist and writer Wayne Douglas Barlowe, who was also executive producer on the special. It premiered on May 14, 2005.
The show uses sophisticated computer-generated imagery, which is interspersed with interviews from such notables as Stephen Hawking, George Lucas, Michio Kaku, and Jack Horner. The show was filmed in Iceland and Mono Lake in California.
The show uses sophisticated computer-generated imagery, which is interspersed with interviews from such notables as Stephen Hawking, George Lucas, Michio Kaku, and Jack Horner. The show was filmed in Iceland and Mono Lake in California.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
The Da Vinci Code
IntroductionThe Da Vinci Code is a 2006 feature film, which is based on the bestselling 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. It was one of the most anticipated films of 2006, and was previewed at the opening night of the Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2006. The Da Vinci Code then entered major release in many other countries on May 18, 2006 and was released in the United States by Columbia Pictures on May 19, 2006.
Because of some controversial interpretations and factual inaccuracies of Christian history in both the book and movie, they were criticized by the Roman Catholic Church. Some bishops urged members to boycott the film.[2] Many of the early showings were accompanied by protesters outside the movie theaters, and early critical reviews were decidedly mixed.
However, in its opening weekend, the film earned over US$224 million worldwide, second only to the opening of 2005's Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. It is the second highest grossing movie of 2006 worldwide—having reached US$758,239,851 as of November 2, 2006, making it both Tom Hanks' and Ron Howard's most successful film.[3] The film's soundtrack, composed by Hans Zimmer, was nominated for the 2007 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.
Plot
A man revealed to be Jacques Saunière is pursued by a mysterious hooded character known as Silas through the Grand Gallery in the Louvre. Silas demands the location of the Priory's clef de voûte or "keystone." Under threat of death, Saunière finally confesses the keystone is kept in the sacristy of Church of Saint-Sulpice, "beneath the Rose." Silas thanks him, and then shoots him in the stomach.
Meanwhile, American symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), who is in Paris as an AUP guest lecturer on Symbols and the sacred feminine, is contacted by the French police, and summoned to the Louvre to view the crime scene. He discovers the dying Saunière had created an intricate display using black light ink and his own body and blood. Captain Bezu Fache (Jean Reno) asks him for his interpretation of the puzzling scene.
Silas calls a mysterious man known as The Teacher, revealing that he has killed all four protectors of the keystone and that all confirmed the same location. He dons a metal cilice on his thigh and proceeds to flagellate himself with a whip for the sins of murder. Facilitated by Bishop Manuel Aringarosa, Silas then travels to Saint-Sulpice and is admitted by an elderly nun; left alone, he excavates beneath the floor of the church to find a stone saying only JOB 38:11. He confronts the nun, who quotes the passage: "Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further." Realizing that he has been deceived, Silas is enraged and kills the nun.
Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), a cryptologist with the French police, enters the Louvre as well and slips Langdon a message which leads him to go to the men's room. There, Sophie meets him and tells him that he is being tracked, a GPS tracking dot has been (unknown by him) slipped into his jacket and that he is a primary suspect in the murder case because of a line of text found by the corpse (P.S. find Robert Langdon). Sophie however, believes that Saunière, who is revealed to be her grandfather, wanted to pass a hidden message on to her, and that he had wanted to bring Langdon into the equation so that he could help her crack the code.
Having bought some time by removing the tracking device, the pair begin exploring the Louvre, finding more anagram messages that Saunière had left behind. Many of these relate to Leonardo Da Vinci's art, and the pair find a key with a Fleur-de-lis behind Madonna of the Rocks.
Pursued by the French Police and cut off from the United States Embassy, the pair escape to the Bois de Boulogne where Langdon closely inspects the key. He notices an inscription on the side -- an address. The address directs them to the Depository Bank of Zurich where the key is used for a safety deposit box.
In the bank, they find Saunière's deposit box and open it using the 10 digit Fibonacci numbers in order (1123581321). Inside the box, they find a rosewood container, which contains a cryptex: a cylindrical container with five alphabetical dials which must be arranged in the correct sequence to spell out a 5-letter code word, in order to open and access the parchment message inside. Using force to open the cryptex would break a vial of vinegar inside, which would dissolve the parchment and destroy the message.
Unfortunately, the police are called by a security guard and they are forced to leave. The bank manager, Andre Vernet, assists them in escaping by taking them as passengers in an armoured truck to escape the routine checks of the police. In the back of the truck Langdon and Neveu have a lengthy discussion about the cryptex and Neveu says that her grandfather often played games with her involving cryptexes. Langdon says that the cryptex might hold valuable information or another clue about what they are trying to discover. Eventually, they come to a sudden stop and Vernet forces them at gunpoint to give him the cryptex. Langdon tricks Vernet and disarms him and he and Sophie escape.
Langdon suggests that they visit his friend, Leigh Teabing (Sir Ian McKellen), for assistance to opening the cryptex. Leigh Teabing turns out to be an enthusiastic seeker of the Holy Grail, which he believes is not actually a cup but instead Mary Magdalene, the wife of Christ, who was driven away because Jesus's followers didn't want to follow a woman after their leader was killed. Mary was pregnant at the time, and Teabing tells Sophie that a secret society was formed to protect the descendants of Jesus.
Jacques Saunière was believed to be a part of this society and Teabing suspects that he was training Sophie to join it also. Silas, meanwhile, breaks into Teabing's mansion and attempts to steal the cryptex. Teabing uses his cane to knock Silas out and they escape again, taking the butler, Remy Jean, and Silas with them. The group escapes in Teabing's plane.
It is revealed that Remy Jean is actually a follower of The Teacher as well, however he is killed by the mysterious man after freeing Silas. Silas is attacked by the police and, in the ensuing gunfire, accidentally shoots Bishop Manuel Aringarosa. In his grief, Silas dies in police-assisted suicide and Aringarosa is taken to the hospital, as well as being arrested by Fache for betraying him. As Langdon gets closer to solving the mystery, he is betrayed by Teabing, who is revealed to be The Teacher.
Teabing explained that he wanted to find Mary Magdalene's remains to prove he was correct about the Holy Grail and threatens to shoot Sophie if Langdon does not crack the code. Langdon responds by throwing the cryptex into the air. Teabing runs to catch it, but cannot, and it hits the ground.
The vial of vinegar breaks and apparently spreads onto the document, destroying it. Teabing is arrested, however it is revealed that Langdon had cracked the code ('Apple') and removed the clue from the cryptex before throwing it at Teabing. Using the clue, they travel to a church where Magdalene's remains had previously been hidden. There, they meet other members of the secret organization that protected her. It is revealed that Sophie is actually Magdalene's descendant and therefore is the current living descendant of Jesus Christ. They vow to keep her safe. Langdon and Sophie part ways shortly after.
At his hotel, Langdon accidentally cuts himself and the line of blood on the sink reminds him of the Rose Line. He follows the Rose Line and finds the location of the Holy Grail, buried under the pyramid in the Louvre. Langdon then kneels above Mary Magdalene's tomb as the Templar Knights did before him.
Hugh Mitchell as Young Silas
Seth Gabel as Michael the Cleric
Marie-Françoise Audollent as Sister Sandrine
Steve Carell as Directer
If I were a gay, Beyonce song parody
If I were a gay even just for a day
I'd roll out of bed in the morning
And throw on what I wanted
And go take drugs with the guys
And chase after girls
I'd pump it with who I wanted
And I'd never get confronted for it'
Cause they stick up for me
If I were a gay
I think I could understand
How it feels to love a boy
I swear I'd be a better man
I'd listen to him'
Cause I know how it hurts
When you lose the body you wanted
'Cause he's taking you for granted
And everything you had got destroyed
If I were a gay
I would turn off my phone
Tell everyone it's broken
So they'd think that I was sleeping alone
I'd put myself first
And make the rules as I go
'Cause I know that she'd be faithful
Waiting for me to come home, to come home
If I were a gay
I think I could understand
How it feels to love a boy
I swear I'd be a better man
I'd listen to him
'Cause I know how it hurts
When you lose the body you wanted
'Cause he's taking you for granted
And everything you had got destroyed
It's a little too late for you to come back
Say it's just a mistake
Think I'd forgive you like that
If you thought I would wait for you
You thought wrong
But you're just a gay
You don't understand
And you don't understand, oh
How it feels to love a boy
Someday you wish you were a better man
You don't listen to him
You don't care how it hurts
Until you lose the body you wanted
'Cause you're taking her for granted
And everything you had got destroyed
But you're just a gay...
© B-DAY PUBLISHING; EMI APRIL MUSIC INC.; these lyrics are last corrected by Osama
I'd roll out of bed in the morning
And throw on what I wanted
And go take drugs with the guys
And chase after girls
I'd pump it with who I wanted
And I'd never get confronted for it'
Cause they stick up for me
If I were a gay
I think I could understand
How it feels to love a boy
I swear I'd be a better man
I'd listen to him'
Cause I know how it hurts
When you lose the body you wanted
'Cause he's taking you for granted
And everything you had got destroyed
If I were a gay
I would turn off my phone
Tell everyone it's broken
So they'd think that I was sleeping alone
I'd put myself first
And make the rules as I go
'Cause I know that she'd be faithful
Waiting for me to come home, to come home
If I were a gay
I think I could understand
How it feels to love a boy
I swear I'd be a better man
I'd listen to him
'Cause I know how it hurts
When you lose the body you wanted
'Cause he's taking you for granted
And everything you had got destroyed
It's a little too late for you to come back
Say it's just a mistake
Think I'd forgive you like that
If you thought I would wait for you
You thought wrong
But you're just a gay
You don't understand
And you don't understand, oh
How it feels to love a boy
Someday you wish you were a better man
You don't listen to him
You don't care how it hurts
Until you lose the body you wanted
'Cause you're taking her for granted
And everything you had got destroyed
But you're just a gay...
© B-DAY PUBLISHING; EMI APRIL MUSIC INC.; these lyrics are last corrected by Osama
Obama Girl, Best of both worlds parody
Oh yea
Come on
You get the hippo out front
Obama styles, every shoe, every color
Yea when your famous it can be kinda fun
It's really you but no one ever discovers
In some ways you're just like all your friends
But on stage you're a star
You get the best of both worlds
Chillin' out, take it slow
Then you rock out the show
You get the best of both worlds
Mix it all together and you know that
It's the best of both worlds
The best of both worlds
You go the movie premiers
(Is that Barack Obama?)
Hear your songs on the radio
Livin' two lives is a little weird
But school's cool cuz nobody knows
Yea you get to be a small town girl
But big time when you play your guitar
You get the best of both worlds
Chillin' out take it slow
Then you rock out the show
You get the best of both worlds
Mix it all together and you know that
It's the best of both
You know the best of both worlds
Pictures and autographs
You get your face in all the magazines
The best part's that
You get to be who ever you wanna be
Yea best of both
You get the best of both
Come on, best of both
Who would of thought that a girl like me
Would double as a superstar?
You get the best of both worlds
Chillin' out, take it slow
Then you rock out the show
You get the best of both worlds
Mix it all together and you know that
It's the best
You get the best of both worlds
Without the shades and the hair
You can go anywhere
You get the best of both girls
Mix it all together
Oh yea
It's so much better cuz you know
You've got the best of both worlds
© WALT DISNEY MUSIC COMPANY; these lyrics are last corrected by Osama Yin Laddern.
Come on
You get the hippo out front
Obama styles, every shoe, every color
Yea when your famous it can be kinda fun
It's really you but no one ever discovers
In some ways you're just like all your friends
But on stage you're a star
You get the best of both worlds
Chillin' out, take it slow
Then you rock out the show
You get the best of both worlds
Mix it all together and you know that
It's the best of both worlds
The best of both worlds
You go the movie premiers
(Is that Barack Obama?)
Hear your songs on the radio
Livin' two lives is a little weird
But school's cool cuz nobody knows
Yea you get to be a small town girl
But big time when you play your guitar
You get the best of both worlds
Chillin' out take it slow
Then you rock out the show
You get the best of both worlds
Mix it all together and you know that
It's the best of both
You know the best of both worlds
Pictures and autographs
You get your face in all the magazines
The best part's that
You get to be who ever you wanna be
Yea best of both
You get the best of both
Come on, best of both
Who would of thought that a girl like me
Would double as a superstar?
You get the best of both worlds
Chillin' out, take it slow
Then you rock out the show
You get the best of both worlds
Mix it all together and you know that
It's the best
You get the best of both worlds
Without the shades and the hair
You can go anywhere
You get the best of both girls
Mix it all together
Oh yea
It's so much better cuz you know
You've got the best of both worlds
© WALT DISNEY MUSIC COMPANY; these lyrics are last corrected by Osama Yin Laddern.
The Obama Song Lyrics
Here's d lyrics of my O.B.A.M.A!!! Song!!!
who's got what it takes to be obama,
what is takes to be obama,
what it takes to be barack obama!
who's got what it takes to be obama,
what it takes to be obama,
what it takes to be barack obama!
everybody is counting un, deux, trois
everybody is called obama
you're obama, I'm obama
everyone has the name of obama.
who's got what it takes to be obama,
what it takes to be obama'
what it takes to be barack obama!
My name is obama,
barack o...bama,
Oh.....,
I was born in Kenya
and I lost my Papa (Louis Pasteur) Mama (Little Juno)!
who's got what it takes to be obama,
what it takes to be obama,
what it takes to be BARACK OBAMA!
who's got what it takes to be obama,
what is takes to be obama,
what it takes to be barack obama!
who's got what it takes to be obama,
what it takes to be obama,
what it takes to be barack obama!
everybody is counting un, deux, trois
everybody is called obama
you're obama, I'm obama
everyone has the name of obama.
who's got what it takes to be obama,
what it takes to be obama'
what it takes to be barack obama!
My name is obama,
barack o...bama,
Oh.....,
I was born in Kenya
and I lost my Papa (Louis Pasteur) Mama (Little Juno)!
who's got what it takes to be obama,
what it takes to be obama,
what it takes to be BARACK OBAMA!
Eagle Eye
Introduction
Eagle Eye is a 2008 action/thriller film directed by D.J. Caruso and starring Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan. The two portray a young man and a single mother who are brought together and coerced by an anonymous caller into carrying out a plan by a possible terrorist organization. The film has been released in regular 35mm theaters and IMAX theaters.
Plot
Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) is a Stanford University dropout who lacks direction and faces financial difficulty. He finds out his twin brother Ethan, an Air Force lieutenant, is dead. Following the funeral in January 2009, he goes to withdraw some money from an ATM and is surprised to see that he has $751,000 in his account. When he returns home, he finds his apartment filled with a large amount of weapons, explosives, and forged documents. He receives a phone call from an unknown woman, who explains that the FBI is about to apprehend him in thirty seconds and that he must escape.
Not believing her, he is caught by the FBI, and is sent to an interrogation room where he meets Special Agent Thomas Morgan (Billy Bob Thornton). When Morgan leaves the room to meet with Air Force Office of Special Investigations Special Agent Zoe Perez (Rosario Dawson), the unknown woman arranges Jerry's escape over a phone and has him join up with single mother Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan). Rachel is being coerced by the unknown woman into assisting Jerry, by threatening to kill her son, Sam, a trumpet player on his way to Washington, D.C. from Chicago for a band recital.
The woman helps the pair to avoid the Chicago Police and FBI units, demonstrating the ability to remotely control virtually any networked device, such as traffic lights, cell phones, and even automated cranes. While Jerry and Rachel follow her instructions, the woman has other 'agents' have a crystal explosive made into a necklace and its sound-based trigger placed inside Sam's trumpet. Jerry and Rachel are led from Chicago to Washington, D.C. via Indianapolis and Dayton through various means. They reach a Circuit City electronics store to which the woman directs them. Over several television screens she introduces herself to them: she is a top secret supercomputer called "Autonomous Reconnaissance Intelligence Integration Analyst" referred to as Ariia tasked with gathering intelligence from all over the world. Ariia can control virtually anything electronic and has been monitoring both their lives and brought both Jerry and Rachel to her.
In light of the mistake made by the President at the beginning of the film, Ariia has decided that the executive branch is a threat to the public good and must be eliminated. Ariia plans to destroy the President's cabinet, and calls this Operation Guillotine. It has decided to leave the Secretary of Defense, who had agreed with its recommendation to abort the mission, as the successor to the presidency. It does not reveal this to Jerry or Rachel, merely explaining that it is trying to help the people of the United States.
At the Pentagon, where Ariia is housed, Agent Perez discovers that Ethan worked as a technician for the computer and locked it down to prevent Ariia from carrying out her plan. Perez warns the Secretary of Defense and they discuss the situation in a sealed room to prevent Ariia from hearing their conversation. Jerry and Rachel arrive at the Pentagon and are led to the supercomputer, where Ariia forces Jerry to impersonate Ethan and use an override code allowing her to go ahead with the plan.
Watching CCTV footage displaying Ethan's fatal car crash Jerry realizes that Ariia orchestrated Ethan's death (by sabotaging traffic lights) because Ethan could have stopped Operation Guillotine. Ariia then instructs Rachel to eliminate Jerry to prevent the lock from being reinstated, but Rachel cannot bring herself to do it. Rachel is led out of the building by Ariia while Jerry is caught by Agent Morgan. Having been warned by Agent Perez, Morgan believes Jerry's story and takes him to the United States Capitol. Ariia sends a MQ-9 Reaper UCAV after them. Barely escaping the drone's first pass Agent Morgan has to sacrifice himself to destroy the drone and save Jerry.
Meanwhile, Agent Perez returns to the supercomputer and attempts to help destroy it. Rachel is unknowingly given the explosive necklace by an official who is also coerced by Ariia and sent to watch the President's speech. Sam's class, whose recital has been moved from the Kennedy Center to the Capitol for the President's State of the Union Address, begins to play.
The trigger that will set off the explosive necklace is set to activate when Sam plays a "high f" on his trumpet corresponding to the word "free" in the last stanza of the U.S. national anthem. Jerry successfully infiltrates the vicinity dressed as a Capitol policeman and fires his pistol into the air, stopping the performance and emptying the room just as Sam starts to play the note. Jerry is then shot several times by a Secret Service agent, who is unaware of the reason for Jerry's actions.
In a hearing after the chaos Ariia caused, the Secretary of Defense urges that another supercomputer should not be built: "sometimes the very measures we put into place to safeguard our liberty become threats to liberty itself." Ethan posthumously receives the Medal of Honor while Jerry, injured but alive and well, receives the Congressional Gold Medal. The film ends with Jerry attending Sam's birthday party. Rachel thanks him for attending, which her ex-husband had never done, and kisses him on the cheek. She then tells Jerry that she's glad he's there. He then responds, "Me too."
Eagle Eye is a 2008 action/thriller film directed by D.J. Caruso and starring Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan. The two portray a young man and a single mother who are brought together and coerced by an anonymous caller into carrying out a plan by a possible terrorist organization. The film has been released in regular 35mm theaters and IMAX theaters.
Plot
The United States armed forces have a lead on a suspected terrorist in the Middle East, but as the man is a recluse, getting a positive ID proves difficult, and the DOD's computer system recommends that the mission be aborted. The Secretary of Defense (Michael Chiklis) agrees with the abort recommendation, but the President orders the mission be carried out anyway. This turns into a political backlash when all those killed turn out to be civilians, and retaliatory bombings are carried out in response.
Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) is a Stanford University dropout who lacks direction and faces financial difficulty. He finds out his twin brother Ethan, an Air Force lieutenant, is dead. Following the funeral in January 2009, he goes to withdraw some money from an ATM and is surprised to see that he has $751,000 in his account. When he returns home, he finds his apartment filled with a large amount of weapons, explosives, and forged documents. He receives a phone call from an unknown woman, who explains that the FBI is about to apprehend him in thirty seconds and that he must escape.
Not believing her, he is caught by the FBI, and is sent to an interrogation room where he meets Special Agent Thomas Morgan (Billy Bob Thornton). When Morgan leaves the room to meet with Air Force Office of Special Investigations Special Agent Zoe Perez (Rosario Dawson), the unknown woman arranges Jerry's escape over a phone and has him join up with single mother Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan). Rachel is being coerced by the unknown woman into assisting Jerry, by threatening to kill her son, Sam, a trumpet player on his way to Washington, D.C. from Chicago for a band recital.
The woman helps the pair to avoid the Chicago Police and FBI units, demonstrating the ability to remotely control virtually any networked device, such as traffic lights, cell phones, and even automated cranes. While Jerry and Rachel follow her instructions, the woman has other 'agents' have a crystal explosive made into a necklace and its sound-based trigger placed inside Sam's trumpet. Jerry and Rachel are led from Chicago to Washington, D.C. via Indianapolis and Dayton through various means. They reach a Circuit City electronics store to which the woman directs them. Over several television screens she introduces herself to them: she is a top secret supercomputer called "Autonomous Reconnaissance Intelligence Integration Analyst" referred to as Ariia tasked with gathering intelligence from all over the world. Ariia can control virtually anything electronic and has been monitoring both their lives and brought both Jerry and Rachel to her.
In light of the mistake made by the President at the beginning of the film, Ariia has decided that the executive branch is a threat to the public good and must be eliminated. Ariia plans to destroy the President's cabinet, and calls this Operation Guillotine. It has decided to leave the Secretary of Defense, who had agreed with its recommendation to abort the mission, as the successor to the presidency. It does not reveal this to Jerry or Rachel, merely explaining that it is trying to help the people of the United States.
At the Pentagon, where Ariia is housed, Agent Perez discovers that Ethan worked as a technician for the computer and locked it down to prevent Ariia from carrying out her plan. Perez warns the Secretary of Defense and they discuss the situation in a sealed room to prevent Ariia from hearing their conversation. Jerry and Rachel arrive at the Pentagon and are led to the supercomputer, where Ariia forces Jerry to impersonate Ethan and use an override code allowing her to go ahead with the plan.
Watching CCTV footage displaying Ethan's fatal car crash Jerry realizes that Ariia orchestrated Ethan's death (by sabotaging traffic lights) because Ethan could have stopped Operation Guillotine. Ariia then instructs Rachel to eliminate Jerry to prevent the lock from being reinstated, but Rachel cannot bring herself to do it. Rachel is led out of the building by Ariia while Jerry is caught by Agent Morgan. Having been warned by Agent Perez, Morgan believes Jerry's story and takes him to the United States Capitol. Ariia sends a MQ-9 Reaper UCAV after them. Barely escaping the drone's first pass Agent Morgan has to sacrifice himself to destroy the drone and save Jerry.
Meanwhile, Agent Perez returns to the supercomputer and attempts to help destroy it. Rachel is unknowingly given the explosive necklace by an official who is also coerced by Ariia and sent to watch the President's speech. Sam's class, whose recital has been moved from the Kennedy Center to the Capitol for the President's State of the Union Address, begins to play.
The trigger that will set off the explosive necklace is set to activate when Sam plays a "high f" on his trumpet corresponding to the word "free" in the last stanza of the U.S. national anthem. Jerry successfully infiltrates the vicinity dressed as a Capitol policeman and fires his pistol into the air, stopping the performance and emptying the room just as Sam starts to play the note. Jerry is then shot several times by a Secret Service agent, who is unaware of the reason for Jerry's actions.
In a hearing after the chaos Ariia caused, the Secretary of Defense urges that another supercomputer should not be built: "sometimes the very measures we put into place to safeguard our liberty become threats to liberty itself." Ethan posthumously receives the Medal of Honor while Jerry, injured but alive and well, receives the Congressional Gold Medal. The film ends with Jerry attending Sam's birthday party. Rachel thanks him for attending, which her ex-husband had never done, and kisses him on the cheek. She then tells Jerry that she's glad he's there. He then responds, "Me too."
Cast
Shia LaBeouf as Jerry Shaw / Ethan Shaw, a young slacker framed as a terrorist; and as his late twin Ethan Shaw, USAF officer.
Michelle Monaghan as Rachel Holloman, A single mother, also framed as a terrorist.
Billy Bob Thornton as Thomas Morgan, the patriotic and relentless leader of an FBI team tracking the cell.
Rosario Dawson as Zoe Perez, a government agent tracking the terrorist cell.
Michael Chiklis as George Callister, the US Secretary of Defense.
Ethan Embry as Toby Grant, Morgan's assistant at the FBI
Anthony Mackie as Major William Bowman, a soldier assigned to monitor the supercomputer.
Cameron Boyce as Sam Holloman, Rachel's musically-gifted son.
Julianne Moore (uncredited) as the voice of Ariia, a top-secret supercomputer bent on destroying the executive branch, believing it is a threat to the nation. It serves as the main antagonist of the film.
Michelle Monaghan as Rachel Holloman, A single mother, also framed as a terrorist.
Billy Bob Thornton as Thomas Morgan, the patriotic and relentless leader of an FBI team tracking the cell.
Rosario Dawson as Zoe Perez, a government agent tracking the terrorist cell.
Michael Chiklis as George Callister, the US Secretary of Defense.
Ethan Embry as Toby Grant, Morgan's assistant at the FBI
Anthony Mackie as Major William Bowman, a soldier assigned to monitor the supercomputer.
Cameron Boyce as Sam Holloman, Rachel's musically-gifted son.
Julianne Moore (uncredited) as the voice of Ariia, a top-secret supercomputer bent on destroying the executive branch, believing it is a threat to the nation. It serves as the main antagonist of the film.
official website: http://www.eagleeye.com/home
Monday, March 2, 2009
Bonjour!
Bonjour,
Je me presente :
je m'appelle Michael, je suis singapourien. J'ai 13 ans. Je suis ne au Chine, mais j'habite a Singapour.
Je suis eleve a l'Institution de Hwa Chong ; j'etudie le histoire et le economie.
J'ai une passion : j'adore le cinema americaine! J'aime aussi le theatre, les musees et l'art en general. Quel est mon reve? Faire un film en Singapour.Je n'ai pas d'amis a Singapour. Je desire rencontrer des eleves ou des personnes passionnees de cinema.
A bientot,
Michael
Je me presente :
je m'appelle Michael, je suis singapourien. J'ai 13 ans. Je suis ne au Chine, mais j'habite a Singapour.
Je suis eleve a l'Institution de Hwa Chong ; j'etudie le histoire et le economie.
J'ai une passion : j'adore le cinema americaine! J'aime aussi le theatre, les musees et l'art en general. Quel est mon reve? Faire un film en Singapour.Je n'ai pas d'amis a Singapour. Je desire rencontrer des eleves ou des personnes passionnees de cinema.
A bientot,
Michael
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Lonely Valentine's Day
Today is Valentine's Day! Sad.... I am having “ 孤单情人节”。 I really hope that i had a "beautiul girl" accompany but i'm just 13!!!!!! I had a 360 degrees panoramic view of Marina Bay today on the Singapore Flyer!!!!!
Last but not first, i would like to ask if any beauty would want to hang out with me. Ha.... Ha... Just kidding, how about 4 years later?!
Last but not first, i would like to ask if any beauty would want to hang out with me. Ha.... Ha... Just kidding, how about 4 years later?!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Barack H. Obama
Barack H. Obama is the 44th President of the United States.
His story is the American story — values from the heartland, a middle-class upbringing in a strong family, hard work and education as the means of getting ahead, and the conviction that a life so blessed should be lived in service to others.
With a father from Kenya and a mother from Kansas, President Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961. He was raised with help from his grandfather, who served in Patton's army, and his grandmother, who worked her way up from the secretarial pool to middle management at a bank.
After working his way through college with the help of scholarships and student loans, President Obama moved to Chicago, where he worked with a group of churches to help rebuild communities devastated by the closure of local steel plants.
He went on to attend law school, where he became the first African—American president of the Harvard Law Review. Upon graduation, he returned to Chicago to help lead a voter registration drive, teach constitutional law at the University of Chicago, and remain active in his community.
President Obama's years of public service are based around his unwavering belief in the ability to unite people around a politics of purpose.
In the Illinois State Senate, he passed the first major ethics reform in 25 years, cut taxes for working families, and expanded health care for children and their parents. As a United States Senator, he reached across the aisle to pass groundbreaking lobbying reform, lock up the world's most dangerous weapons, and bring transparency to government by putting federal spending online.
He was elected the 44th President of the United States on November 4, 2008, and sworn in on January 20, 2009. He and his wife, Michelle, are the proud parents of two daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7.
His story is the American story — values from the heartland, a middle-class upbringing in a strong family, hard work and education as the means of getting ahead, and the conviction that a life so blessed should be lived in service to others.
With a father from Kenya and a mother from Kansas, President Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961. He was raised with help from his grandfather, who served in Patton's army, and his grandmother, who worked her way up from the secretarial pool to middle management at a bank.
After working his way through college with the help of scholarships and student loans, President Obama moved to Chicago, where he worked with a group of churches to help rebuild communities devastated by the closure of local steel plants.
He went on to attend law school, where he became the first African—American president of the Harvard Law Review. Upon graduation, he returned to Chicago to help lead a voter registration drive, teach constitutional law at the University of Chicago, and remain active in his community.
President Obama's years of public service are based around his unwavering belief in the ability to unite people around a politics of purpose.
In the Illinois State Senate, he passed the first major ethics reform in 25 years, cut taxes for working families, and expanded health care for children and their parents. As a United States Senator, he reached across the aisle to pass groundbreaking lobbying reform, lock up the world's most dangerous weapons, and bring transparency to government by putting federal spending online.
He was elected the 44th President of the United States on November 4, 2008, and sworn in on January 20, 2009. He and his wife, Michelle, are the proud parents of two daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Catherine Lim
Doyenne of Writers
Catherine Lim, 66, has published more than 10 collections of short stories, five novels, two poetry collections, as well as numerous political commentaries. She has received local and regional prizes, including three National Book Development Council awards, the Montblanc-NUS Centre For The Arts Literary Award and the Southeast Asian Write Award. Her short stories have also been used as literature texts for the O levels.
She was made a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in 2003, and in 2005 was appointed an ambassador of the Hans Christian Andersen Foundation in Copenhagen.
Born in 1942 in the town of Kulim in Malaysia, she received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Malaya in 1963. She received her PhD in Applied Linguistics from the National University of Singapore in 1988, and also attended Columbia University and the University of California, Berkeley, in 1990 as part of the Fulbright programme.
She immigrated to Singapore in 1967 at the age of 26, where she has lived ever since. Originally a teacher, she later became a project director with the Curriculum Development Institute of Singapore and a specialist lecturer with the Regional Language Centre, teaching socio-linguistics and literature. She resigned to become a full-time writer in 1992.
She is divorced and has two grown children.
Catherine Lim, 66, has published more than 10 collections of short stories, five novels, two poetry collections, as well as numerous political commentaries. She has received local and regional prizes, including three National Book Development Council awards, the Montblanc-NUS Centre For The Arts Literary Award and the Southeast Asian Write Award. Her short stories have also been used as literature texts for the O levels.
She was made a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in 2003, and in 2005 was appointed an ambassador of the Hans Christian Andersen Foundation in Copenhagen.
Born in 1942 in the town of Kulim in Malaysia, she received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Malaya in 1963. She received her PhD in Applied Linguistics from the National University of Singapore in 1988, and also attended Columbia University and the University of California, Berkeley, in 1990 as part of the Fulbright programme.
She immigrated to Singapore in 1967 at the age of 26, where she has lived ever since. Originally a teacher, she later became a project director with the Curriculum Development Institute of Singapore and a specialist lecturer with the Regional Language Centre, teaching socio-linguistics and literature. She resigned to become a full-time writer in 1992.
She is divorced and has two grown children.
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