9. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
Fleeing the evil Galactic Empire, the rebels abandon their new base on Hoth. Princess Leia, Han Solo and the droids R2-D2 and C-3P0 escape in the damaged Millenium Falcon, but are later captured by Lord Darth Vader on Bespin. Skywalker, meanwhile, follows Ben Kenobi’s posthumous command and receives Jedi training by Yoda on Dagobah. Will Skywalker manage to rescue his friends from the dark lord?

8. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
McMurphy thinks he can get out of doing work while in prison by pretending to be mad. His plan backfires when he is sent to a mental asylum. He tries to liven the place up a bit by playing card games and basketball with his fellow inmates, but the head nurse is after him at every turn.

7. 12 Angry Men (1957)
The defence and the prosecution have rested and the jury is filing into the jury room to decide if a young Spanish-American is guilty or innocent of murdering his father. What begins as an open and shut case of murder soon becomes a mini-drama of each of the jurors’ prejudices and preconceptions about the trial, the accused, and each other. Based on the play, all of the action takes place on the stage of the jury room.

6. Schindler’s List (1993)
Oskar Schindler is a vain, glorious and greedy German businessman who becomes unlikely humanitarian amid the barbaric Nazi reign when he feels compelled to turn his factory into a refuge for Jews. Based on the true story of Oskar Schindler who managed to save about 1100 Jews from being gassed at the Auschwitz concentration camp. A testament for the good in all of us.

5. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega are two hitmen who are out to retrieve a suitcase stolen from their employer, mob boss Marsellus Wallace. Wallace has also asked Vincent to take his wife Mia out a few days later when Wallace himself will be out of town. Butch Coolidge is an aging boxer who is paid by Wallace to lose his next fight. The lives of these seemingly unrelated people are woven together comprising of a series of funny, bizarre and uncalled-for incidents.

4. Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo. (1966)
The Good is Blondie, a wandering gunman with a strong personal sense of honor. The Bad is Angel Eyes, a sadistic hitman who always hits his mark. The Ugly is Tuco, a Mexican bandit who’s always only looking out for himself. Against the backdrop of the Civil War, they search for a fortune in gold buried in a graveyard. Each knows only a portion of the gold’s exact location, so for the moment they’re dependent on each other. However, none are particularly inclined to share..

3. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
The continuing saga of the Corleone crime family tells the story of a young Vito Corleone growing up in Sicily and in 1910s New York; and follows Michael Corleone in the 1950s as he attempts to expand the family business into Las Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba.

2. The Godfather (1972)
The story begins as “Don” Vito Corleone, the head of a New York Mafia “family”, oversees his daughter’s wedding. His beloved son Michael has just come home from the war, but does not intend to become part of his father’s business. Through Michael’s life the nature of the family business becomes clear. The business of the family is just like the head of the family, kind and benevolent to those who give respect, but given to ruthless violence whenever anything stands against the good of the family. Don Vito lives his life in the way of the old country, but times are changing and some don’t want to follow the old ways and look out for community and “family”. An up and coming rival of the Corleone family wants to start selling drugs in New York, and needs the Don’s influence to further his plan. The clash of the Don’s fading old world values and the new ways will demand a terrible price, especially from Michael, all for the sake of the family.

1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Andy Dufresne is a young and successful banker whose life changes drastically when he is convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife and her lover. Set in the 1940’s, the film shows how Andy, with the help of his friend Red, the prison entrepreneur, turns out to be a most unconventional prisoner.

Huge advancements in scientific technology have been able to create an island full of living dinosaurs. John Hammond have invited four individuals, plus his two grandchildren to join him at Jurassic Park. But will everything go to plan? Especially when one of the parks own workers attempt to steal the dinosaurs embryos, and have to shut down all the electricity in the process. It’s now a race for survival with everyone located all over the island.

9.The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - $921,600,000

Sauron’s forces increase. His allies grow. The Ringwraiths return in an even more frightening form. Saruman’s army of Uruk Hai is ready to launch an assault against Aragorn and the people of Rohan. Yet, the Fellowship is broken and Boromir is dead. For the little hope that is left, Frodo and Sam march on into Mordor, unprotected. A number of new allies join with Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Pippin and Merry. And they must defend Rohan and attack Isengard. Yet, while all this is going on, Sauron’s troops mass toward the City of Gondor, for the War of the Ring is about to begin

8.Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace  - $922,379,000

This First Episode follows the young years of Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader). The friendship of Obi-wan Kenobi, Yoda and Qui-Gon Jinn are also central aspects. And the beginning of the rise to power of Senator Palpatine to Emperor.

7.Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - $937,000,866

After a lonely summer on Privet Drive, Harry returns to a Hogwarts full of ill-fortune. Few of students and parents believe him or Dumbledore that Voldemort is really back. The ministry had decided to step in by appointing a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher that proves to be the nastiest person Harry has ever encountered. Harry also can’t help stealing glances with the beautiful Cho Chang. To top it off are dreams that Harry can’t explain, and a mystery behind something Voldemort is searching for. With these many things Harry begins one of his toughest years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

6. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End - $958,404,152

Elizabeth, Will and the crew of the Pearl sail off the edge of the map (literally) with the help of mysterious Tia Dalma and the late Captain Barbossa who has been raised by the dead to save Captain Jack Sparrow . He has been condemned to the terrible fate of remaining in the void of Davey Jones’ locker for eternity. But rescuing Jack isn’t the real meat of this movie - Lord Cutler Beckett has control of the heart of Davey Jones, and with that he controls the sea. The nine pirate lords of the world must unite for a final stand against Beckett, Jones and the East India Trade company 

5.Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone - $968,657,891

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is the first film in the Harry Potter series based on the novels by J.K. Rowling. It is the tale of Harry Potter, an ordinary 11-year-old boy serving as a sort of slave for his aunt and uncle who learns that he is actually a wizard and has been invited to attend the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry is snatched away from his mundane existence by Hagrid, the grounds keeper for Hogwarts, and quickly thrown into a world completely foreign to both him and the viewer. Famous for an incident that happened at his birth, Harry makes friends easily at his new school. He soon finds, however, that the wizarding world is far more dangerous for him than he would have imagined, and he quickly learns that not all wizards are ones to be trusted

4. The Dark Knight - $995,037,655

Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as The Joker

3. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest - $1,060,332,628

Once again we’re plunged into the world of sword fights and “savvy” pirates. Captain Jack Sparrow is reminded he owes a debt to Davy Jones, who captains the flying Dutchman, a ghostly ship, with a crew from hell. Facing the “locker” Jack must find the heart of Davy Jones but to save himself he must get the help of quick-witted Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan. If that’s not complicated enough, Will and Elizabeth are sentenced to hang, unless will can get Lord Cutler Beckett Jack’s compass, Will is forced to join another crazy adventure with Jack

2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - $1,129,219,252

While Frodo & Sam continue to approach Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring, unaware of the path Gollum is leading them, the former Fellowship aid Rohan & Gondor in a great battle in the Pelennor Fields, Minas Tirith and the Black Gates as Sauron wages his last war against Middle-Earth

1. Titanic - $1,835,300,000

84 years later a 100-year-old woman named Rose DeWitt Bukator tells the story to her granddaughter Lizzy Calvert, Brock Lovett, Lewis Bodine, Bobby Buell, and Anatoly Mikailavich on the Keldysh about her life set in April 10th 1912, on a ship called Titanic when young Rose boards the departing ship with the upper-class passengers and her mother, Ruth DeWitt Bukater, and her fiancé, Caledon Cal Hockley. Meanwhile, a drifter and artist named Jack Dawson and his best friend Fabrizio De Rossi win third-class tickets to the ship in a game. And she explains the whole story from departure until the death of Titanic on its first and last voyage April 15th, 1912 at 2:20 in the morning

via Imdb

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9. The Wire - In chronicling a multi-generational family business dealing illegal drugs and the efforts of the Baltimore police to curb their trade, this series draws parallels between these organizations and the men and women on either side of the battle.

8. Las Vegas - Las Vegas is a fast paced drama about one of Sin City’s biggest casinos The Montecito. It follows the lives of 6 key employees and how they solve everyday problems that occur and could cost the casino a lot of money.

7. The Mentalist - tells the tale of a man, Patrick Jane who is employed as an independent detective working with the California Bureau of Investigation to solve crimes. He was making a living a psychic and would assist the police on cases — only his life changed when he lost the two most important people in his life to one of those serial killers he was helping track. He works with the Serious Crime Unit and uses his refined observations skills to help them solve cases. He works with senior agent, Teresa Gibson, agents Kimball Cho & Wayne Rigsby and the rookie, Grace Van Pelt.

6.  The Tudors - The Tudors will focus on the rarely dramatized, tumultuous early years of King Henry VIII’s nearly 40-year, omnipotent reign (1509-1547) of England. In addition to dalliances with famous female consorts Catherine of Aragon and the infamous Anne Boleyn, the series delves into Henry’s most notable political relationships, including those with philosopher Sir Thomas More and Thomas Cardinal Wolsey, head of the Catholic Church of England during its break with Rome.

5. The Pretender - The Pretender is the story of Jarod, a boy-genius taken from his family as a child. Jarod possesses the ability to quickly learn and impersonate different jobs and occupations. His abductors, a facility simply known as The Centre, tested his abilities through various simulations.

4. Alias - Sydney Bristow is an international spy recruited out of college and trained for espionage and self-defense

3. Prison Break - Michael Scofield is a desperate man in a desperate situation. His brother, Lincoln Burrows, is on death row and scheduled to die in a few months for a murder Michael is convinced Lincoln did not commit. With no other options and time winding down, Michael holds up a bank to get himself incarcerated alongside his brother in Fox River State Penitentiary. Once he’s inside, we learn that Michael — a structural engineer with the blueprints for the prison — has hatched an elaborate plan to break Lincoln out and prove his innocence.

2. 24 - One of the tensest, most intriguing television shows airing today, the critically acclaimed 24 has captured the attention of millions of viewers. Created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, 24 has become one of FOX’s leading TV shows. It centres around its main protagonist, Jack Bauer, as well as a plethora of supporting characters. Bauer, a skilled government agent, works in the Counter Terrorist Unit, located in Los Angeles. Over the course of six thrilling seasons, Jack Bauer has evaded terrorists, nuclear weapons, assassins, and many other sinister figures, all with equally sinister goals in mind. 24 is highly unique in the fact that each season takes place over 24 hours in real time, with each episode spanning one hour of the day.

1.  Rome - “Rome” is the saga of two ordinary Roman soldiers and their families. An intimate drama of love and betrayal, masters and slaves, and husbands and wives, it chronicles epic times that saw the fall of a republic and the creation of an empire.

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Active troops : 484 000
Reserve troops: 4 000 000
Defense budget: 3.2 BN $
Tanks: 1 829
Aircraft carriers: 0
Submarines: 2
Nuclear submarines: 0
Fighter aircraft: 211
Nuclear weapons: 0

9.Turkey

Active troops : 514 000
Reserve troops: 378 000
Defense budget: 22.56 BN $
Tanks: 4 205
Aircraft carriers: 0
Submarines: 14
Nuclear submarines: 0
Fighter aircraft: 900
Nuclear weapons:  NATO Shared

8.Iran

Active troops : 545 000
Reserve troops: 350 000
Defense budget: 6.2 BN $
Tanks: 1 800
Aircraft carriers: 0
Submarines: 13
Nuclear submarines: 0
Fighter aircraft: 214
Nuclear weapons:0

7.Pakistan (Nuclear power)

Active troops : 650 000
Reserve troops: 518 000
Defense budget: 5.2 BN $
Tanks: 2 451
Aircraft carriers: 0
Submarines: 8
Nuclear submarines: 0
Fighter aircraft: 523
Nuclear weapons:55-90

6.Republic of Korea

Active troops : 687 000
Reserve troops: 4 500 000
Defense budget: 29.53 BN $
Tanks: 2 300
Aircraft carriers: 0
Submarines: 11
Nuclear submarines: 0
Fighter aircraft: 388
Nuclear weapons:0

5.Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

Active troops : 1 106 000
Reserve troops: 4 700 000
Defense budget: 5.0 BN $
Tanks: 3 500
Aircraft carriers: 0
Submarines: 26
Nuclear submarines: 0
Fighter aircraft: 621
Nuclear weapons: 0

4.Russia (Nuclear power)

Active troops : 1 245 000
Reserve troops: 1 690 000
Defense budget: 50.0 to 70.0  BN $
Tanks: 28 381
Aircraft carriers: 0
Submarines: 18
Nuclear submarines: 35
Fighter aircraft: 2 099
Nuclear weapons: 16 800

3.India (Nuclear power)

Active troops : 1 325 000
Reserve troops: 1 155 000
Defense budget: 27.0  BN $
Tanks: 3 978
Aircraft carriers: 1
Submarines: 16
Nuclear submarines: 0
Fighter aircraft: 1 430
Nuclear weapons: 100-140

2.United States of America (Nuclear power)

Active troops : 1 380 000
Reserve troops: 1 463 000
Defense budget: 711.0  BN $
Tanks: 7 821
Aircraft carriers: 12
Submarines: 0
Nuclear submarines: 72
Fighter aircraft: 2 604
Nuclear weapons:9 200

1.People’s Republic of China  (Nuclear power)

Active troops : 2 255 000
Reserve troops: 800 000
Defense budget: 61.0-121.0  BN $
Tanks: 7 580
Aircraft carriers: 0
Submarines: 55
Nuclear submarines: 8
Fighter aircraft: 1 471
Nuclear weapons: 400

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Hewitt began her acting career as a child by appearing in television commercials and the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated. She rose to fame in teenage popular culture via her roles in the Fox series Party of Five, as Sarah Reeves, and the films I Know What You Did Last Summer and its sequel, as Julie James.

As a singer, Hewitt has been signed by Atlantic Records and Jive Records. She is primarily known for her recordings in the pop genre and has a contralto vocal range. To date, her most successful single on the Billboard Hot 100 is the 1999 release “How Do I Deal,” which peaked at #59. In addition, she has contributed music to the promotion or soundtracks of acting projects.

Jennifer Love Hewitt

Hewitt’s physical appearance has been the subject of much media attention throughout her career. Named the sexiest woman in the world in 1999 and the sexiest woman on television in 2008, she has been repeatedly honored by publications such as Maxim, TV Guide, FHM, and numerous readers of these periodicals. In 2007, paparazzi photos of Hewitt on a beach led to a much-publicized matter in which she defended her weight, and was supported by other celebrities. These incidents received coverage from People magazine.

In addition to acting, Hewitt has also served as a producer on certain film or television projects. She can be seen on the CBS television program Ghost Whisperer as Melinda Gordon, a young woman who can communicate with ghosts. She won a Saturn Award in 2007 and 2008 for Best Actress on Television.

9. Jordana Brewster - is an American actress, perhaps best known for her roles in The Fast and the Furious, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, The Faculty, D.E.B.S., Annapolis, Chuck, and most recently Fast & Furious in 2009. Brewster made her debut in daytime soap operas, with a one-time appearance on All My Children as Anita Santos, followed by a recurring role on As the World Turns as Nikki Munson from 1995 to 1998. Her first film role was in Robert Rodriguez’s 1998 film, The Faculty.

Jordana Brewster

One of Brewster’s most notable film roles to date is Mia Toretto from The Fast and the Furious (2001), which she reprised in Fast and Furious (2009). Subsequent film work has included roles in Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (scenes deleted), as criminal mastermind Lucy Diamond in D.E.B.S., and as Chrissie in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning.

Her television work includes the NBC miniseries The 60’s, as Sarah Weinstock, a college student and radical activist, and a pilot for a followup to the film Mr & Mrs. Smith, playing the role depicted in the film by Angelina Jolie. She is also appearing on Chuck, as the title character’s former girlfriend in a multi-episode stint during the second season.

In 2002, Stuff magazine named her the 96th hottest woman in their “102 Sexiest Women in the World”. In 2005 Maxim magazine named her the 54th sexiest woman in the world in their annual Hot 100. In 2006 Maxim ranked her at #59 on their Hot 100. She placed 8th on afterellen.com’s “100 Hottest Women” list in 2007, 22nd in 2008. and 9th in 2009.

8. Rihanna - is a Barbadian singer, model, and beauty queen. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna relocated to the United States at the age of sixteen to pursue a recording career, under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers. She subsequently signed a contract with Def Jam Recordings after auditioning for then-label head Jay-Z.

Rihanna

In 2005, Rihanna released her debut studio album, Music of the Sun, which peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200 and features the Billboard Hot 100 hit single “Pon de Replay”. Less than a year later, she released her second studio album, A Girl Like Me, peaking within the top five of the Billboard albums chart and produced her first number one single, “SOS”. Rihanna’s third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), peaking at number two on the Billboard 200, released three US number one hit singles—”Umbrella”, “Take a Bow”, and “Disturbia”, and the worldwide hit “Don’t Stop the Music”. The album was nominated for nine Grammy Awards, winning Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for “Umbrella”, which features Jay-Z.

Rihanna had sold over twelve million albums worldwide[3][4] and has received several allocates, including the 2007 World Music Awards for World’s Best-Selling Pop Female Artist and Female Entertainer of the Year, as well as the 2008 American Music Awards for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist.[5][6] She also serves as one of Barbados’ cultural ambassadors.

7. Adriana Lima - is a Brazilian model best known as a Victoria’s Secret Angel since 2000 and a spokesmodel for Maybelline cosmetics from 2003 to 2009. At age 15, Lima finished first place in Ford’s “Supermodel of Brazil” competition and took second place the following year in the Ford “Supermodel of the World” competition before signing with Elite Model Management in New York City.

Adriana Lima

6. Eliza Dushku - born December 30, 1980) is an American actress who appeared in several Hollywood movies such as True Lies, The New Guy, Bring It On, Wrong Turn and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. She is also well known for her acting on television, such as her recurring appearances on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel as Faith, as well as the main character, Tru Davies, in the series Tru Calling. She also produces and stars as Echo in the series Dollhouse, created by Joss Whedon (with whom Dushku worked on Buffy and Angel), which premiered February 2009 on Fox.

Eliza Dushku

5.  Mila Kunis -  is an American actress. She is best known for her television roles, playing Jackie Burkhart on That ’70s Show and providing the voice of Meg Griffin on the animated series Family Guy. She is also well-recognized for some of her roles in film, such as Rachel Jansen in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and as Mona Sax in Max Payne.

Mila Kunis

4. Malin Akerman - is a Swedish-Canadian actress and model. At the age of seventeen, Åkerman won the Ford Supermodel of Canada search. She appeared in several television commercials, including one for Noxzema skin care. After a career in modeling she turned to acting and moved to California. She has had roles in several films including The Utopian Society (2003) with Sam Doumit and Austin Nichols and Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004) as Freakshow’s hot wife. She has made several TV guest appearances and in 2005 got the role as Juna in the HBO series The Comeback. She has also appeared on The Showbiz Show with David Spade as a correspondent and in the third season of HBO series Entourage in the role of “Tori”.

Malin Akerman

Åkerman starred in the 2007 Farrelly Brothers movie The Heartbreak Kid and in the 2008 film 27 Dresses. She played Silk Spectre II in the 2009 film adaptation of Watchmen. By mid-October, 2008, Åkerman has signed on to co-star in Couples Retreat, a comedy chronicling four couples who partake in therapy sessions at a tropical island resort. Vince Vaughn will play her husband.

Åkerman sings for the band the Petalstones (formerly known as Ozono).

3.  Bar Refaeli - is an Israeli model, known for her modeling work and for her relationship with American actor Leonardo DiCaprio. She is the 2009 covermodel of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

Bar Refaeli

2. Megan Fox- s an American actress and model. After having a successful career as a model, Fox launched her acting career in 2001, in which she played a supporting role as Brianna Wallace in Holiday In The Sun, starring opposite Ashley Olsen. Fox then guest starred in various television series, including What I Like About You, Two and a Half Men, The Help, Ocean Ave. and Hope and Faith.

Megan Fox

Megan FoxIn 2004, Fox went on to have a film career starring opposite Lindsay Lohan in Confessions Of A Teenage Drama Queen. Her most successful films include Crimes Of Fashion (2004), How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2007) and Whore (2008). Fox’s breakout role was playing Mikaela Banes, Shia Labeouf’s character’s love interest in the 2007 blockbuster film Transformers, a role for which Fox won and was nominated for various Teen Choice Awards. Her upcoming films include the sequel to Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Jennifer’s Body, Jonah Hex and The Crossing.

1. Olivia Wilde - is an Irish-American actress. She began acting in the early 2000s, and has since appeared in a number of film and television parts, including her roles on the series The O.C., The Black Donnellys, and House.

Olivia Wilde

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9. Criminal Minds - An elite group of profilers analyze the nation’s most dangerous criminal minds in an effort to anticipate their next moves before they strike again.

8. The Tudors - The Tudors will focus on the rarely dramatized, tumultuous early years of King Henry VIII’s nearly 40-year, omnipotent reign (1509-1547) of England. In addition to dalliances with famous female consorts Catherine of Aragon and the infamous Anne Boleyn, the series delves into Henry’s most notable political relationships, including those with philosopher Sir Thomas More and Thomas Cardinal Wolsey, head of the Catholic Church of England during its break with Rome.

7. Sopranos - Meet Tony Soprano: your average, middle-aged businessman. Tony’s got a dutiful wife. A not-so-dutiful son. A daughter named Meadow. An uncle who’s losing his marbles. A hot-headed nephew. A not-too-secret mistress. And a shrink to tell all his secrets, except the one she already knows: Tony’s a mob boss who’s troubles are wrapped up in his two families. These days, it’s getting tougher and tougher to make a killing in the killing business. Just because you’re “made” - doesn’t mean you’ve got it made.

6. Death Note - Light Yagami is the top high school student of Japan who had, until recently, led a boring and uneventful life. That changed quickly when he found a mysterious notebook with the title “Death Note” on it, lying on the ground during the year 2003. Although initially skeptical, after realizing that the “Death Note” is a Shinigami’s tool with the power to kill anyone whose name is written on its pages, Light decided to use it to “cleanse” the world of evil.
Soon the many unexplainable deaths of reported criminals was noticed, and Light becomes hunted by the Japanese police force and a mysterious detective known as “L.” L quickly discovers that the murderer, that the publics dubs “Kira,” is located in Japan, and that he can kill just by knowing someone’s face and name. Light realizes that L is just as cunning, if not more intelligent than himself, and begins a cat and mouse chase with L to see who will be the first to have his identity exposed.

5. The Shield - The Shield breaks the conventional formula of the cop genre. It plays out in a tough, morally ambiguous world in which the line between good and bad is crossed ever day. The series focuses on the tension between a group of corrupt but effective cops and a captain torn between bringing them down and advancing his own political ambitions.

4. 24 - One of the tensest, most intriguing television shows airing today, the critically acclaimed 24 has captured the attention of millions of viewers. Created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, 24 has become one of FOX’s leading TV shows. It centres around its main protagonist, Jack Bauer, as well as a plethora of supporting characters. Bauer, a skilled government agent, works in the Counter Terrorist Unit, located in Los Angeles. Over the course of six thrilling seasons, Jack Bauer has evaded terrorists, nuclear weapons, assassins, and many other sinister figures, all with equally sinister goals in mind. 24 is highly unique in the fact that each season takes place over 24 hours in real time, with each episode spanning one hour of the day.

3. Rome - “Rome” is the saga of two ordinary Roman soldiers and their families. An intimate drama of love and betrayal, masters and slaves, and husbands and wives, it chronicles epic times that saw the fall of a republic and the creation of an empire.

2. House, M.D. - House, M.D is an hour-long Emmy-winning medical drama that debuted in the fall of 2004 and stars Golden Globe-winning British actor and comedian Hugh Laurie. Laurie plays Dr. Gregory House, a maverick medical genius who heads a team of young diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey. This team goes to extraordinary lengths to accomplish a common task: diagnosing and treating unusual ailments. Most episodes start outside the hospital, showing the events leading to the onset of illness for that week’s patient.

1. Dexter - Based on Jeff Lindsay’s novel “Darkly Dreaming Dexter,” this new crime thriller tells the story of a strange man named Dexter Morgan. Once an abused and abandoned child, Dexter is now a successful forensics pathologist…but lurking just beneath his charismatic personality is a terrible truth. Dexter has corralled his innate homicidal urges into a closely guarded second career: He hunts down and brutally murders those vicious criminals who have managed to avoid the clutches of the law.

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9. Entourage - Vince Chase is the newest “it” actor. His career is sky-rocketing. He makes the move to Hollywood and brings his childhood friends from Queens with him. Eric, his best and closest friend, takes on the roll of Vince’s manager. Drama, Vince’s half-brother, is also an actor who follows along with Vince hoping to gain his own fame. Turtle is the least experienced member of the group and spends his days running errands, wanting to party and using Vince’s fame to get girls. Then there is Ari, Vince’s aggressive and high-powered agent.
Watch as Vince and his buddies soak up everything that Hollywood has to offer. See what it’s like to make it as a movie star.

8. Futurama - Futurama follows the exploits of Fry, a pizza delivery boy who was cryogenically frozen by accident for 1,000 years; Leela, a female cyclops; Bender, an immoral robot, and others as they work for an intergalactic delivery service owned by Fry’s great, great, great… nephew, Professor Farnsworth.

7. The Simpsons - The FOX network’s most successful series to date was a spin-off from The Tracey Ullman Show. Originally appearing on that series as a 1 minute filler, it was decided that these characters could support a half hour series.

6. Californication - David Duchovny heads up the cast in this comedy about a novelist with sex and drug addictions who is struggling to raise his daughter half the time, while having problems with his ex-girlfriend. 

5. Scrubs - This half-hour comedy focuses on the bizarre experiences of fresh-faced medical intern John “J.D.” Dorian as he embarks on his healing career in a surreal hospital crammed full of unpredictable staffers and patients ? where humor and tragedy can merge paths at any time.

4. Boston Legal - Led by an Emmy Award-winning cast, “Boston Legal” tells the professional and personal stories of a group of brilliant but often emotionally challenged attorneys. Fast-paced and darkly comedic, the series confronts social and moral issues, while its characters continually stretch the boundaries of the law.
Back-to-back Emmy Award winners James Spader and William Shatner play Alan Shore and Denny Crane, unlikely kindred spirits among the brigade of high-priced litigators at Crane, Poole and Schmidt. In addition, one of the founding law partners, Shirley Schmidt (played by five-time Emmy winner Candice Bergen), has been coaxed back to the Boston law firm to help bring order to the chaotic office. She keeps a vigilant eye on all, particularly Denny Crane - with whom she has a checkered history.
3. South Park - South Park is an animated series featuring four boys who live in the Colorado town of South Park, which is beset by frequent odd occurrences. The show grew out of short film that Trey Parker and Matt Stone created called The Spirit of Christmas.

2. Two and a Half Men - A hedonistic jingle writer’s free-wheeling life comes to an abrupt halt when his brother and 10-year-old nephew move into his beach-front house.

1. How I Met Your Mother - Egged on by his best friend’s upcoming nuptials, Ted believes he finds the woman of his dreams in Robin — though destiny might have something different in mind.

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Brigitte Bardot

In her early life Bardot was an aspiring ballet dancer. She started her acting career in 1952 and after appearing in 16 films became world-famous due to her role in controversial film And God Created Woman. During her career in show business Bardot starred in 48 films, performed in numerous musical shows, recorded 80 songs. After her retirement from the entertainment industry in the 1973, Bardot established herself as an animal rights activist. During the 1990s she became outspoken in her criticism of immigration, interracial relationships, Islam in France and homosexuality, and has been convicted five times for “inciting racial hatred”

9. Halle Berry - is an American actress, former fashion model, and beauty queen. Berry has received Emmy and Golden Globe awards for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and an Academy Award for Best Actress in 2001 for her performance in Monster’s Ball, becoming the first and, as of 2008, only woman of African-American descent to have won the award for Best Actress. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood and also a Revlon spokeswoman. She has also been involved in the production side of several of her films.

Halle Berry

Before becoming an actress, Berry entered several beauty contests, finishing runner-up in the Miss USA (1986), and winning the Miss USA World 1986 title. Her breakthrough feature film role was in the 1991 Jungle Fever. This led to roles in The Flintstones (1994), Bulworth (1998), X-Men (2000) and its sequels, and as Bond Girl Jinx in Die Another Day (2002). She also won a worst actress Razzie Award in 2005 for Catwoman and accepted the award in person.

Divorced from baseball player David Justice and musician Eric Benét, Berry has been dating French-Canadian model Gabriel Aubry since November 2005. Their first child, a girl named Nahla Ariela Aubry,[6] was born on March 16, 2008.

8. Keira Knightley - is a Golden Globe-, BAFTA-, and Academy Award-nominated English[2] film and television actress. She began her career as a child and came to international prominence in 2003 after co-starring in the films Bend It Like Beckham and Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy.

Keira Knightley

Knightley has appeared in several Hollywood films and earned an Academy Award nomination for her role as Elizabeth Bennet in Joe Wright’s 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice. She received critical praise for her newest role as Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, in The Duchess.

As of 2008, Forbes claims Knightley to be the second highest paid actress in Hollywood (behind Cameron Diaz), having reportedly earned $32 million in 2007, making her the only non-American person on the list of highest paid actors or actresses. Knightley, however has denied such a figure.

7. Elizabeth Taylor - is an English-born American actress. Known for her acting skills and beauty, as well as her Hollywood lifestyle, including many marriages, Taylor is considered one of the great actresses of Hollywood’s golden years, as well as a larger-than-life celebrity.

Elizabeth Taylor

The American Film Institute named Taylor seventh among the Greatest Female Stars of All Time.

6. Catherine Zeta Jones - is a Welsh actress, presently based in the United States. She began her career on stage at an early age. After starring in a number of UK and US television films and small roles in films, she came to prominence with roles in Hollywood movies such as The Phantom, The Mask of Zorro, and Entrapment in the late 1990s. She won an Academy Award, BAFTA Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for portraying Velma Kelly in the 2002 film adaptation of Chicago.

Catherine Zeta-Jones

5. Sophia Loren - (born 20 September 1934) is an Academy Award-winning Italian film actress, born Sofia Villani Scicolone. She is widely considered to be the most popular Italian actress of her time and is also famous for being a major international sex symbol.

Sophia Loren

4. Marilyn Monroe -  (born Norma Jeane Mortenson, June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962; baptized Norma Jeane Baker) was an American actress, singer, model and, according to many, a sex symbol.

After spending much of her childhood in foster homes, Monroe began a career as a model, which led to a film contract in 1946. Her early roles were minor, but her performances in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve (both 1950) were well received; as her career progressed, she became known as a sex symbol. She was praised for her comedic ability in such films as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire and The Seven Year Itch, and became one of Hollywood’s most popular performers.
Marilyn MonroeThe typecasting of Monroe’s “dumb blonde” persona limited her career prospects, so she broadened her range. Her marriage to baseball player Joe DiMaggio failed. While married to playwright Arthur Miller, she studied at the Actors Studio and formed Marilyn Monroe Productions. Her dramatic performance in William Inge’s Bus Stop was hailed by critics, and she won a Golden Globe Award for her performance in Some Like it Hot.

Marilyn Monroe

The final years of Monroe’s life were marked by illness, personal problems, and a reputation for being unreliable and difficult to work with. The circumstances of her death, from an overdose of barbiturates, have been the subject of conjecture. Though officially classified as a “probable suicide”, the possibility of an accidental overdose has not been ruled out, while conspiracy theorists argue that she was murdered.


In 1999, Monroe was ranked as the sixth greatest female star of all time by the American Film Institute.

3. Grace Kelly - (later Grace, Princess of Monaco; November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was an Academy Award-winning American film and stage actress and fashion icon. Upon marrying Rainier III, Prince of Monaco in 1956, she became Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco, but was generally known as Princess Grace of Monaco. Princess Grace maintained dual American and Monegasque citizenship after her marriage. The principality’s current Sovereign Prince, Albert II, is the son of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace. The American Film Institute ranked Kelly #13 amongst the Greatest Female Stars of All Time.

Grace Kelly

2. Angelina Jolie - is an American film actor and a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency. She has been cited as one of the world’s most beautiful women and her off-screen life is widely reported. Jolie has received three Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and an Academy Award.

Though she made her screen debut as a child alongside her father Jon Voight in the 1982 film Lookin’ to Get Out, Jolie’s acting career began in earnest a decade later with the low-budget production Cyborg 2 (1993). Her first leading role in a major film was in Hackers (1995). She starred in the critically acclaimed biographical films George Wallace (1997) and Gia (1998), and won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the drama Girl, Interrupted (1999). Jolie achieved international fame as a result of her portrayal of video game heroine Lara Croft in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), and since then has established herself as one of the best-known and highest-paid actresses in Hollywood. She has had her biggest commercial successes with the action-comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) and the animated film Kung Fu Panda (2008).

Angelina Jolie

Divorced from actors Jonny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton, Jolie currently lives with actor Brad Pitt, in a relationship that has attracted worldwide media attention. Jolie and Pitt have three adopted children, Maddox, Pax, and Zahara, as well as three biological children, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne. Jolie has promoted humanitarian causes throughout the world, and is noted for her work with refugees through UNHCR.

1. Audrey Hepburn - Born in Brussels, Hepburn lived in Arnhem in The Netherlands during her childhood and for the duration of the Second World War. She studied ballet there and then moved to London in 1948, where she studied drama and worked as a photographer’s model. After making a few films and appearing in the 1951 Broadway play Gigi, Hepburn played the lead role in Roman Holiday (1953), winning an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for her performance. She also won a Tony Award for her performance in Ondine (1954).

Audrey Hepburn

via Femalefirst.co.uk

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The house is owned by the daughter of the ex-president of Vietnam, who studied architecture in Moscow.

It does not comply with any convention about house building, has unexpected twists and turns, roofs and rooms. It looks like a fairy tale castle, it has enormous “animals” like a giraffe and a spider, no window is rectangular or round,

and it can be visited like a museum.

Hang Nga Guesthouse a.k.a Crazy House

9. Cubic Houses (Rotterdam, Netherlands)

The original idea of these cubic houses came about in the 1970s. Piet Blom has developed a couple of these cubic houses that were built in Helmond.

The city of Rotterdam asked him to design housing on top of a pedestrian bridge and he decided to use the cubic houses idea. The concept behind these houses is that he tries to create a forest by each cube representing an abstract tree; therefore the whole village becomes a forest.

Cubic Houses

8. Habitat 67 (Montreal, Canada)

Expo 67, one of the world’s largest universal expositions was held in Montreal. Housing was one of the main themes of Expo 67.

The cube is the base, the mean and the finality of Habitat 67. In its material sense, the cube is a symbol of stability. As for its mystic meaning, the cube is symbol of wisdom, truth, moral perfection, at the origin itself of our civilization.

354 cubes of a magnificent grey-beige build up one on the other to form 146 residences nestled between sky and earth, between city and river, between greenery and light.

Habitat 67

7. Wonderworks (Pigeon Forge, TN, United States)

Located along the main thoroughfare, you might miss this odd structure altogether if not for its unique architecture. It leans! When you drive by, don’t dismiss it as yet another tourist trap in a town full of vendors capitalizing on the lure of the Smoky Mountains. Even parents on their way to the more famous Dollywood Theme Park might want to consider Wonderworks, when trying to budget which attractions deserve their hard earned vacation dollars.

Wonderworks

6. Kansas City Public Library (Missouri, United States)

This project, located in the heart of Kansas City, represents one of the pioneer projects behind the revitalization of downtown.

The people of Kansas City were asked to help pick highly influential books that represent Kansas City. Those titles were included as ‘bookbindings’ in the innovative design of the parking garage exterior, to inspire people to utilize the downtown Central Library.

Kansas City Public Library

5. The Basket Building (Ohio, United States)

The Longaberger Basket Company building in Newark, Ohio might just be a strangest office building in the world. The 180,000-square-foot building, a replica of the company’s famous market basket, cost $30 million and took two years to complete. Many experts tried to persuade Dave Longaberger to alter his plans, but he wanted an exact replica of the real thing.

The Basket Building

4. Ferdinand Cheval Palace a.k.a Ideal Palace

In 1879, French postman Ferdinand Cheval began building a structure that was inspired by the shape of a stone he tripped over one day. He wasn’t a mason and not more an architect and spent 33 years building his “Ideal Palace” using stones he collected on his daily mail route. The Palace was finished in 1912, took over 10,000 days and 93,000 hours to construct.

Ferdinand Cheval Palace a.k.a Ideal Palace

3. The Torre Galatea Figueras (Spain)

The first things you notice are the giant egg sculptures along the roofline. Then it hits you that the Salvador Dali Theater Museum in Figueras, Spain, is no ordinary building. The museum’s tower, Torre Galatea, was named for the surrealist artist’s deceased wife, and Dali himself lived there until his death in 1989. Interestingly, the museum sits next to the parish church where Dali was baptized in 1904; he is buried in an unmarked crypt in the museum’s main exhibition hall.

The Torre Galatea Figueras

2. Forest Spiral - Hundertwasser Building

The Hundertwasser house “Waldspirale” (”Forest Spiral”) was built in Darmstadt between 1998 and 2000. Friedensreich Hundertwasser, the famous Austrian architect and painter, is widely renowned for his revolutionary, colourful architectural designs which incorporate irregular, organic forms, e.g. onion-shaped domes.

The structure with 105 apartments wraps around a landscaped courtyard with a running stream. Up in the turret at the southeast corner, there is a restaurant, including a cocktail bar.

Forest Spiral - Hundertwasser Building

1. The Crooked House (Sopot, Poland)

Construction of the building started in in January 2003 and in December 2003 it was finished. House architecture is based on Jan Marcin Szancer (famous Polish drawer and child books illustrator) and Per Dahlberg (Swedish painter living in Sopot) pictures and paintings.

The Crooked House

via villageofjoy.com

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This castle complex is Louis XIV’s masterpiece, a structure so magnificent that the state treasury was almost depleted during its construction. Also known as the Palace of Versailles, and located now on the edge of Paris, this palace became home to French nobility during the seventeenth century. As the complex grew through four “building campaigns,” Versailles became the center of French government. Louis XIV lived at Versailles, and government offices, homes of thousands of courtiers and their retinues were built there, and nobles of a certain rank and position spent time each year at the court complex. Louis XIV’s attempt to centralize the French government succeeded, as few could match the ostentatious glamour represented by Versailles.

Château de Versailles

4. Bran Castle

This is another castle that the faint of heart might want to avoid! Commonly known as Dracula ’s Castle, the Bran Castle was originally a stronghold built by the Knights of Teutonic Order in 1212. The first documentary attestation of the Bran Castle is the act issued on 19 November 1377, giving the Saxons of Kronstadt (Brasov) the privilege to build the Citadel. The building started in 1378 as a defense against Turks and later became a customs post on the pass between Transylvania and Walachia. From 1920 the castle became a royal residence until the expulsion of the royal family in 1948. Today it functions as a very attractive museum of medieval arts. The official Romanian site will provide you with the lowdown on this country’s castles, so be sure to visit that site if you plan to visit Romania.

Bran Castle

3. Frankenstein Castle

Darmstadt, Germany is home to the setting for Mary Shelley’s Gothic horror novel, Frankenstein. This castle was the 18th century home of Lord Konrad Dippel Von Frankenstein. There are many theories about Dippel, including one that he sold his soul for eternal life. In reality, Dippel was a highly controversial alchemist in whose laboratory the colour Prussian Blue was discovered. Maybe his enemies tried to ruin his reputation with the legend about the monster created in his laboratory. Visit Frankenstein Castle during Halloween to get the maximum scare factor, as an elaborate monster-themed theater show is performed, along with actors who lurk in the castle shadows.

Frankenstein Castle

2. Castello di Strassoldo di Sopra

While there are more magnificent and famous Italian castles, this choice is far from the maddening tourist crowd. This castle is the ‘upper’ castle, which is located near the Castello di Strassoldo di Sotto (”lower” castle), and both castles are located in northeast Italy. Both castles also are privately owned by the Strassoldo family and have been in this family for almost one thousand years. Since they’re privately owned, they aren’t open to the public; however, the owners open their halls for two fascinating exhibits in the spring and fall each year. Additionally, important wedding banquets and other memorable events are personally organized by the owners. The castle’s splendid and fully furnished halls can host several hundred people, while the park can be used for open air buffets and wonderful photos. The owners of the Castello di Sopra have recently restored a fifteenth-century small house called “la Vicinia,” which they rent out overnight. This building and the castle are located in the heart of a lovely medieval village, surrounded by a centuries-old park that’s fed by spring waters.

Castello di Strassoldo di Sopra

1. Windsor Castle

If you plan to visit England, you’ll discover that you could spend months visiting all the castles on this island. However, Windsor Castle is probably the most well known castle in the world, as - together with Buckingham Palace in London and Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh - it is one of the official residences of England’s Queen and the largest occupied castle in the world. This building and its complex have provided a home and fortress for royalty for over 900 years. Originally made of wood, the castle was built for William the Conqueror to guard the approach to London. The site sits above the River Thames, on the edge of a Saxon hunting ground and one day’s march from the Tower of London. Visitors can walk around the State Apartments, which are extensive suites of rooms at the heart of the working palace. Once you’re through with this castle, you can visit some of the top castles in Britain listed at the Travel Channel. Those castles all come highly recommended, but don’t forget to visit some of the smaller castles such as the one located in Dolwyddelan, Wales. This castle is a lovely place to visit along the road from Betws-y-Coed to the western coast and provides a chance to view Mount Snowden, the highest mountain in Wales.

Windsor Castle

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