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Rat Race (2001 Film)
''Rat Race'' is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Jerry Zucker. Inspired by Stanley Kramer's 1963 film ''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'', the film features an ensemble cast consisting of Rowan Atkinson, Whoopi Goldberg, Cuba Gooding Jr., Wayne Knight, Jon Lovitz, Kathy Najimy, Lanei Chapman, Breckin Meyer, Amy Smart, Seth Green, Vince Vieluf, John Cleese and Dave Thomas. The film centers on six teams of people who are given the task of racing from a Las Vegas casino to a Silver City, New Mexico train station where a storage locker contains a duffel bag filled with $2 million. Each team is given a key to the locker and the first person to reach the locker gets the money. Produced by Fireworks Pictures, Alphaville Films and Zucker's Zucker Productions, the film was released theatrically by Paramount Pictures on August 17, 2001, in the United States and Canada. Despite receiving mixed to negative reviews from critics, the film was a box office success, having grossed $85 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jerry Zucker
Jerry Gordon Zucker (born March 11, 1950) is an American film producer, director, and writer known for his role in directing comedy spoof films such as ''Airplane!'' and ''Top Secret!'', and the Best Picture-nominated supernatural drama film ''Ghost''. He and his older brother, David Zucker, collaborated on several films. Life and career Zucker was born to a Jewish family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Charlotte A. (Lefstein) (d. 2007) and Burton C. Zucker, who was a real estate developer. He graduated from Shorewood High School. His paternal grandfather was Leonard Zucker who emigrated from Russia to the United States and became a naturalized citizen. Zucker's early career work started with Jim Abrahams and brother David Zucker. The trio performed in Madison, Wisconsin as a sketch and comedy troupe called "Kentucky Fried Theater". From there the three went on and together co-directed ''Airplane!'' in 1980 and then went on to do ''Top Secret!'' in 1984, and ''Ruthless Peop ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jerry Zucker (film Director)
Jerry Gordon Zucker (born March 11, 1950) is an American film producer, director, and writer known for his role in directing comedy spoof films such as ''Airplane!'' and ''Top Secret!'', and the Best Picture-nominated supernatural drama film '' Ghost''. He and his older brother, David Zucker, collaborated on several films. Life and career Zucker was born to a Jewish family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Charlotte A. (Lefstein) (d. 2007) and Burton C. Zucker, who was a real estate developer. He graduated from Shorewood High School. His paternal grandfather was Leonard Zucker who emigrated from Russia to the United States and became a naturalized citizen. Zucker's early career work started with Jim Abrahams and brother David Zucker. The trio performed in Madison, Wisconsin as a sketch and comedy troupe called "Kentucky Fried Theater". From there the three went on and together co-directed ''Airplane!'' in 1980 and then went on to do ''Top Secret!'' in 1984, and ''Ruthless Pe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cult Following
A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. A film, book, musical artist, television series, or video game, among other things, is said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fanbase. A common component of cult followings is the emotional attachment the fans have to the object of the cult following, often identifying themselves and other fans as members of a community. Cult followings are also commonly associated with niche markets. Cult media are often associated with underground culture, and are considered too eccentric or anti-establishment to be appreciated by the general public or to be widely commercially successful. Many cult fans express their devotion with a level of irony when describing entertainment that falls under this realm, in that something ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Silver City, New Mexico
Silver City is a town in Grant County, New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat and the home of Western New Mexico University. As of the 2010 census the population was 10,315. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,704. History The valley that is now the site of Silver City once served as an Apache campsite. With the arrival of the Spaniards, the area became known for its copper mining. After the American Civil War, a settlement developed and became known as "La Ciénega de San Vicente" (the Oasis of St. Vincent). With a wave of American prospectors, the pace of change increased, and Silver City was founded in the summer of 1870. The founding of the town occurred shortly after the discovery of silver ore deposits at Chloride Flat, on the hill just west of the farm of Captain John M. Bullard and his brother James. Following the silver strike, Captain Bullard laid out the streets of Silver City, and a bustling tent city quickly sprang to life. Although the trajec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area and is the largest city within the greater Mojave Desert. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city, known primarily for its gambling, shopping, fine dining, entertainment, and nightlife. The Las Vegas Valley as a whole serves as the leading financial, commercial, and cultural center for Nevada. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous for its luxurious and extremely large casino-hotels together with their associated activities. It is a top three destination in the United States for business conventions and a global leader in the hospitality industry, claiming more AAA Five Diamond hotels than any other city in the world. Today, Las Vegas annually ranks as one ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dave Thomas (actor)
David William Thomas (born May 20, 1949) is a Canadian actor, comedian and television writer. He is best known for being one half of the duo Bob and Doug McKenzie with Rick Moranis. He appeared as Doug McKenzie on '' SCTV'', for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award out of two nominations, and in the film ''Strange Brew'' (1983), which he also co-directed. As a duo, they made two albums, ''The Great White North'' and ''Strange Brew'', the former gaining them a Grammy Award nomination and a Juno Award. His other notable acting credits include ''Stripes'' (1981), ''Love at Stake'' (1987), '' Moving'' (1988), ''Coneheads'' (1993) and ''Rat Race'' (2001). He provided the voice of Tuke in ''Brother Bear'' (2003), and ''Brother Bear 2'' (2006), and is also known for playing Russell Norton in the TV series Grace Under Fire (1993-1998). Early life David William Thomas was born May 20, 1949, in St. Catharines, Ontario. He is the eldest son of British parentsMoreen Duff Muir(May 4, 192 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vince Vieluf
Vincent Ernest "Vince" Vieluf (pronounced ''Vee-loff''; born November 10, 1970) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in ''Rat Race'' and the short-lived UPN sitcom '' Love, Inc.'' Life and career Vieluf was born in Joliet, Illinois, and spent most of his youth in Portland, Texas. He has starred in such movies as ''An American Werewolf in Paris'', ''Rat Race'', ''National Lampoon's Barely Legal'', and ''Grind''. He also played in a made-for-TV movie called '' Snow Wonder''. Vieluf has also appeared on the television hits '' ER'' and ''Friends'' In 2006 he had a role in the suspense thriller ''Firewall'' as vicious henchman Pim. Vieluf played the dumbfound Blaine Cody in the 2001 comedy ''Rat Race''. Before ''Rat Race'', Vieluf appeared in ''An American Werewolf in Paris'' and ''Clay Pigeons''. In 2006, Vieluf appeared as a jock version of Wolverine in the parody flick ''Epic Movie''. One of his television appearances (if not his first) was in 1997's ''On the Ed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lanei Chapman
Lanei Chapman (born January 23, 1973) is an American actress. She has appeared primarily in guest appearances on episodes of various television series, and may be best known for her role as Lt. Vanessa Damphousse in the single 1995–96 season of the series '' Space: Above and Beyond''. Career Chapman first appeared on television at the age of 13 in a Kentucky Fried Chicken commercial. She went on to appear in a number of films and television shows, including ''White Men Can't Jump'', ''Seinfeld'', ''The Wonder Years'' and ''China Beach''. She made her science fiction television debut in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' as Ensign Sariel Rager, a recurring character who served as a conn officer in numerous episodes, though she only received an on-screen credit for speaking parts in four episodes. She made her debut in the series '' Space: Above and Beyond'' during the pilot episode, playing main cast character Lt. Vanessa Damphousse. While filming the pilot and the early part ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ensemble Cast
In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that is composed of multiple principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast to the popular model, which gives precedence to a sole protagonist, an ensemble cast leans more towards a sense of "collectivity and community". Cinema Ensemble casts in film were introduced as early as September 1916, with D. W. Griffith's silent epic film ''Intolerance'', featuring four separate though parallel plots. The film follows the lives of several characters over hundreds of years, across different cultures and time periods. The unification of different plot lines and character arcs is a key characteristic of ensemble casting in film; whether it's a location, event, or an overarching theme that ties the film and characters together. Films that feature ensembles tend to emphasize the interconnectivity of the characters, even when ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' is a 1963 American comedy film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer with a story and screenplay by William Rose and Tania Rose. The film, starring Spencer Tracy with an all-star cast of comedians, is about the madcap pursuit of $350,000 in stolen cash by a diverse and colorful group of strangers. It premiered on November 7, 1963. The principal cast features Edie Adams, Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Buddy Hackett, Ethel Merman, Dorothy Provine, Mickey Rooney, Dick Shawn, Phil Silvers, Terry-Thomas, and Jonathan Winters. The film marked the first time Kramer directed a comedy, though he had produced the comedy ''So This Is New York'' in 1948. He is best known for producing and directing, in his own words, "heavy drama" about social problems, such as ''The Defiant Ones'', '' Inherit the Wind'', ''Judgment at Nuremberg'', and ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner''. His first attempt at directing a comedy film paid off immensely as ''It's a Mad, Mad, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stanley Kramer
Stanley Earl Kramer (September 29, 1913February 19, 2001) was an American film director and producer, responsible for making many of Hollywood's most famous "message picture, message films" (he would call his movies ''heavy dramas'') and a liberal movie icon.Film-maker Stanley Kramer dies a February 2001 BBC obituary As an independent producer and director, he brought attention to topical social issues that most studios avoided. Among the subjects covered in his films were racism (in ''The Defiant Ones'' and ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner''), nuclear war (in ''On the Beach (1959 film), On the Beach''), greed (in ''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World''), creationism vs. evolution (in ''Inherit the Wind (1960 film), Inherit the Wind'') and the causes and effects of fascism (in ''Judgment at Nuremberg''). His other films ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
