21 (2008 Film)
''21'' is a 2008 American heist drama film directed by Robert Luketic and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film is inspired by the story of the MIT Blackjack Team as told in '' Bringing Down the House'', the best-selling 2003 book by Ben Mezrich. IMDb offers a brief summary of the film: "21 is about six MIT students who become trained to be experts in card counting in Black Jack and subsequently took Las Vegas casinos for millions in winnings." The film stars Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Bosworth, Liza Lapira, Jacob Pitts, Aaron Yoo, and Kieu Chinh. ''21'' was a box office success and was the number one film in the United States and Canada during its first and second weekends of release, despite some mixed reviews. Plot Ben Campbell, a mathematics major at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is accepted into Harvard Medical School but cannot afford the $300,000 tuition. He applies for the prestigious Robinson Scholarship which would cover ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Robert Luketic
Robert Luketic (born 1 November 1973) is an Australian film director. His films include ''Legally Blonde'' (2001), ''Monster-in-Law'' (2005), ''21 (2008 film), 21'' (2008), ''Killers (2010 film), Killers'' (2010), and ''Paranoia (2013 film), Paranoia'' (2013). Early life Robert Luketic was born in Sydney, Australia, the elder of two children of a Croatian father and Italian mother. Career Luketic started making short films as a teenager and went on to study at the Victorian College of Arts – School of Film and Television (VCA). He first attracted Hollywood's attention with his award-winning short film ''Titsiana Booberini'' written by Tania Lacy. After screening to much acclaim at several festivals within Australia, ''Titsiana Booberini'' became a hit at many internationally renowned festivals including the Sundance Film Festival. It won "Best Film" at the Aspen Shortsfest. Luketic directed the comedy ''Legally Blonde'' for MGM in the summer of 2001. This film, which grosse ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Trigger Street Productions
Trigger Street Productions is an American entertainment production company formed by Kevin Spacey in 1997 and further developed by his business partner Dana Brunetti. The company's credits include '' Captain Phillips'', ''Shakespeare High'', ''Safe'', ''The Social Network'', '' 21'', '' Shrink'', '' Fanboys'', the Emmy-nominated ''Bernard and Doris'', Emmy-winning ''Recount'', ''Mini's First Time'', '' Beyond the Sea'', ''The United States of Leland'', '' The Big Kahuna'' and ''House of Cards'', as well as stage productions of ''The Iceman Cometh'' and '' Cobb''. Shortly after the company was formed, Trigger Street Productions had signed a deal with Fine Line Features in order to release films for a two-year period. In 2001, Trigger Street Productions was then signed to a contract with film financer Intermedia in order to finance future Trigger Street features, for a first-look deal, which resulted in the founder's involvement in producing ''K-PAX''. The name "Trigger Street" ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Monty Hall Problem
The Monty Hall problem is a brain teaser, in the form of a probability puzzle, loosely based on the American television game show ''Let's Make a Deal'' and named after its original host, Monty Hall. The problem was originally posed (and solved) in a letter by Steve Selvin to the ''American Statistician'' in 1975. It became famous as a question from reader Craig F. Whitaker's letter quoted in Marilyn vos Savant's "Ask Marilyn" column in ''Parade'' magazine in 1990: Vos Savant's response was that the contestant should switch to the other door. Under the standard assumptions, the switching strategy has a probability of winning the car, while the strategy that remains with the initial choice has only a probability. When the player first makes their choice, there is a chance that the car is behind one of the doors not chosen. This probability does not change after the host reveals a goat behind one of the unchosen doors. When the host provides information about the 2 unchosen do ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Medical College Admission Test
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT; ) is a computer-based standardized examination for prospective medical students (both Allopathic M.D. and Ostepathic D.O.) in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Caribbean Islands. It is designed to assess problem solving, critical thinking, written analysis and knowledge of scientific concepts and principles. Before 2007, the exam was a paper-and-pencil test; since 2007, all administrations of the exam have been computer-based. The most recent version of the exam was introduced in April 2015 and takes 7.5 hours to complete. The test is scored in a range from 472 to 528. The MCAT is administered by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). History Moss Test: 1928–46 In the 1920s, dropout rates in US medical schools soared from 5% to 50%, leading to the development of a test that would measure readiness for medical school. Physician F. A. Moss and his colleagues developed the "Scholastic Aptitude Test for Medical Stu ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consistently ranked first for research among medical schools by '' U.S. News & World Report''. Unlike most other leading medical schools, HMS does not operate in conjunction with a single hospital but is directly affiliated with several teaching hospitals in the Boston area. Affiliated teaching hospitals and research institutes include Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Children's Hospital, McLean Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, The Baker Center for Children and Families, and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. History Harvard Medical School was founded on September 19, 1782, after President Joseph Willard presented a report with ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Massachusetts Institute Of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the most prestigious and highly ranked academic institutions in the world. Founded in response to the increasing industrialization of the United States, MIT adopted a European polytechnic university model and stressed laboratory instruction in applied science and engineering. MIT is one of three private land grant universities in the United States, the others being Cornell University and Tuskegee University. The institute has an urban campus that extends more than a mile (1.6 km) alongside the Charles River, and encompasses a number of major off-campus facilities such as the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, the Bates Center, and the Haystack Observatory, as well as affiliated laboratories such as the Broad and Whitehead Institutes. , 98 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Aaron Yoo
Aaron Yoo (born May 12, 1979) is an American actor. He is best known for appearing in the films '' Disturbia'' (2007), '' 21'' (2008), and ''Friday the 13th'' (2009), as well as playing Russell Kwon in the sci-fi series ''The Tomorrow People'' (2013–14). Career He starred in '' Disturbia'', '' Rocket Science'', and '' American Pastime'' (all 2007); '' 21'', ''Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist'', and ''The Wackness'' (all 2008); and '' Labor Pains'' and the ''Friday the 13th'' reboot (both 2009). Shortly before filming of ''Friday the 13th'' began, Yoo had his appendix removed; as a result, he could not film his scenes right away. As soon as he was ready for filming, director Marcus Nispel immediately hung him upside down from some rafters, exposing the staples over his surgical wound, for the character's post-death shot. His stage credits include a 2002 revival of Lope de Vega's ''Fuente Ovejuna'', Mac Wellman's ''Cellophane'' (2003), and the premiere of Christopher Shinn's ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Jacob Pitts
Jacob Rives Pitts (born November 20, 1979) is an American television, film and stage actor. His most notable performances were as Cooper Harris in the film '' EuroTrip'' (2004), as Bill "Hoosier" Smith in the HBO miniseries '' The Pacific'' (2010), and as U.S. Marshal Tim Gutterson on the FX television drama '' Justified'' (2010–15). He appeared in the play ''Where Do We Live'' at the Vineyard Theatre in May 2004. Pitts has also appeared in TV shows such as '' Law & Order'', '' Ed'' and ''Sex and the City''.Southern, N. (2009)Jacob Pitts: Biography/ref> He had a recurring role in the first season of '' The Sinner'' and is currently starring as Lance Lord in the crime drama series ''Sneaky Pete''. Early life Pitts grew up in Weston, Connecticut, the son of Arlene and Joseph Rives Pitts. He described himself as a hyperactive child. In high school, he was involved in the theater production company, and took part in productions while he was in school, including a performance as th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Liza Lapira
Liza Lapira (born December 3, 1981) is an American actress. She played Kianna in the 2008 film '' 21'', Special Agent Michelle Lee in the CBS police procedural series '' NCIS'' and Ivy, Topher Brink's assistant in ''Dollhouse''. Lapira has also co-starred in the short-lived sitcoms ''Traffic Light'', '' Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23'', ''Super Fun Night'' and ''9JKL''. As of 2021, she currently stars in CBS's '' The Equalizer''. Personal life Lapira was born in Queens, New York. She is of Filipino, Spanish, and Chinese ancestry. In New York, she acted on stage and in independent films. She moved to Los Angeles in 2004 to work in television. Lapira is an avid supporter of LA's Best, which provides after school services to 28,000 children in 189 schools in the neighborhoods with the highest needs around Los Angeles. Also, she participates in the Children's Hospital Los Angeles Charity Triathlon each fall in Malibu. Currently, she is working with The Impact Theatre in Har ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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IMDb
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, plot summaries, trivia, ratings, and fan and critical reviews. IMDb began as a fan-operated movie database on the Usenet group "rec.arts.movies" in 1990, and moved to the Web in 1993. It is now owned and operated by IMDb.com, Inc., a subsidiary of Amazon. the database contained some million titles (including television episodes) and million person records. Additionally, the site had 83 million registered users. The site's message boards were disabled in February 2017. Features The title and talent ''pages'' of IMDb are accessible to all users, but only registered and logged-in users can submit new material and suggest edits to existing entries. Most of the site's data has been provided by these volunteers. Registered users with a prov ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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MIT Blackjack Team
The MIT Blackjack Team was a group of students and ex-students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and other leading colleges who used card counting techniques and more sophisticated strategies to beat casinos at blackjack worldwide. The team and its successors operated successfully from 1979 through the beginning of the 21st century. Many other blackjack teams have been formed around the world with the goal of beating the casinos. Blackjack and card counting Blackjack can be legally beaten by a skilled player. Beyond the basic strategy of when to hit and when to stand, individual players can use card counting, shuffle tracking, or hole carding to improve their odds. Since the early 1960s, a large number of card counting schemes have been published, and casinos have adjusted the rules of play in an attempt to counter the most popular methods. The idea behind all card counting is that, because a low card is usually bad and a high card usually good, a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |