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The Thirteenth Floor
''The Thirteenth Floor'' is a 1999 science fiction neo-noir film written and directed by Josef Rusnak, and produced by Roland Emmerich through his Centropolis Entertainment company. It is loosely based upon '' Simulacron-3'' (1964), a novel by Daniel F. Galouye, and a remake of the German TV-film ''World on a Wire'' (1973). The film stars Craig Bierko, Gretchen Mol, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Dennis Haysbert. In 2000, ''The Thirteenth Floor'' was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film, but lost to ''The Matrix.'' Plot In 1999 Los Angeles, Hannon Fuller (Mueller-Stahl) owns a multibillion-dollar computer enterprise and is the inventor of a newly completed virtual reality (VR) simulation of 1937 Los Angeles, filled with simulated humans unaware they are computer programs. When Fuller is murdered just as he begins premature testing of the VR system, his friend and protégé, Douglas Hall (Bierko), who is also the heir to the company, become ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Josef Rusnak
Josef Rusnak (born 25 November 1958) is a German screenwriter and director. Career Rusnak's debut as writer and director was his 1984 film ''Cold Fever (1984 film), Cold Fever'', which was awarded the Deutscher Filmpreis for best director that same year. Following this, he worked for French television and directed episodes of television series. In 1997, he directed ''No Strings Attached'', ''Quiet Days in Hollywood'' (starring Hilary Swank), and ''Schimanski: Die Schwadron'', a TV film episode of the German crime series ''Horst Schimanski, Schimanski''. In 1998, he worked as second unit director on Roland Emmerich's ''Godzilla (1998 film), Godzilla''. Emmerich then acted as producer on Rusnak's next film ''The Thirteenth Floor'', an English language remake of the earlier German TV miniseries ''World on a Wire''. Rusnak also wrote the screenplay. Rusnak did not direct his next film until 2007's ''The Contractor (2007 film), The Contractor'' starring Wesley Snipes. He worked w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
World On A Wire
''World on a Wire'' (german: Welt am Draht) is a 1973 German science fiction television serial, starring Klaus Löwitsch and directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Shot in 16 mm, it was made for German television and originally aired in 1973 in ARD as a two-part miniseries. It was based on the 1964 novel '' Simulacron-3'' by Daniel F. Galouye. An adaptation of the Fassbinder version was presented as the play ''World of Wires'', directed by Jay Scheib, in 2012. Its focus is not on action, but on sophistic and philosophic aspects of the human mind, simulation, and the role of scientific research. A movie based on the same novel entitled '' The Thirteenth Floor'' starring Craig Bierko was released in 1999. Plot In the present day, Cybernetics and Future Science's (Institut für Kybernetik und Zukunftsforschung) new supercomputer hosts a simulation program that includes an artificial world with more than 9,000 "identity units" who live as human beings, unaware that their world is jus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alison Lohman
Alison Marion Lohman (born September 18, 1979) is an American former actress. Born in Palm Springs, California, she began her career with small roles in short and independent films. Lohman headlined the drama film '' White Oleander'' (2002), which earned her recognition and a Young Hollywood Award. Lohman earned praise for her performances in the black comedy film '' Matchstick Men'' (2003), which won her the Hollywood Film Award for Best Supporting Actress, and the fantasy film '' Big Fish'' (2003). She lent her voice to the cult-animated film '' Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind'' (2005), and starred in the television sitcom '' Tucker'' (2000–2001) and the critically acclaimed soap opera '' Pasadena'' (2001–2002). Lohman sporadically worked in acting throughout the late 2000s, notably playing roles in the action film ''Beowulf'' (2007) and the drama film ''Things We Lost in the Fire'' (2007). Her highest-grossing film came with the horror film '' Drag Me to Hell'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Janet MacLachlan
Janet Angel MacLachlan (August 27, 1933 – October 11, 2010) was an American actress who had roles in such television series as ''The Rockford Files'', ''Alias (TV series), Alias'' and ''The Golden Girls''. She is best remembered for her key supporting part in the film ''Sounder (film), Sounder'' (1972) where she portrayed Camille Johnson a young teacher. MacLachlan worked with numerous well-known actors and actresses and celebrities such as Bill Cosby, Jim Brown, James Earl Jones, Maya Angelou and Morgan Freeman. Life and career MacLachlan was born in Harlem, New York City; her mother, Iris South MacLachlan, and father, James MacLachlan, were both Jamaican-born members of the Church of the Illumination. Attending P.S. 170 and Julia Ward Junior High School, MacLachlan graduated from Julia Richmond High School in 1950. She received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Hunter College in 1955. She then worked as an executive secretary in New York City before turning to acting. S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rif Hutton
Rif Hutton (born November 28, 1962) is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his recurring role as Dr. Ron Welch in the comedy-drama series ''Doogie Howser, M.D.'', appearing in that series from 1990 up to its conclusion in 1993. From 1997 to 2001, he appeared in a recurring role as Lt. Cmdr. Alan Mattoni on the series '' JAG''. Hutton is also notable for playing Russ Beeler, a fictional owner of a KFC establishment, appearing in a number of KFC commercials in the early to mid 1990s. Life and career Hutton was born in San Antonio, Texas, and was raised in East Orange, New Jersey. He moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1970s to pursue an acting career. He went to many auditions in his early years, but soon found himself broke and homeless, getting assistance from friends. Hutton went on to guest star in a number of notable television series including ''The Jeffersons'', ''Night Court'', ''L.A. Law'', '' Married... with Children'', ''Hunter'', ''Wings'', ''Murphy Brown'', '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leon Rippy
Leon Rippy (born October 30, 1949, Rock Hill, South Carolina) is an American character actor. Active on screen since 1983, Rippy has appeared in numerous films and recurring roles on television. He is best known for his roles as Earl the Angel on the series '' Saving Grace'', saloon owner Tom Nuttall on the series '' Deadwood'' and militiaman John Billings in '' The Patriot'' (2000). Career Rippy's acting career developed through appearances in regional theatrical productions. He founded and operated two theatre companies.UncreditedBiography of Leon Rippy TV.com. Retrieved 2013-02-09. Rippy has appeared in more than seventy plays. His non-acting occupations have included working with a circus and as a foreman of a cattle ranch.UncreditedBiography of Leon Rippy Filmbug. Retrieved 2013-02-09. At one time he was regarded as an accomplished ballet dancer. Rippy has worked with Roland Emmerich on seven movies: ''Moon 44'' (1990), '' Eye of the Storm'' (1991), ''Universal Soldier ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shiri Appleby
Shiri Freda Appleby (born December 7, 1978) is an American actress and television director. She is best known for her leading roles as Liz Parker in the WB/UPN science fiction drama series '' Roswell'' (1999–2002) and Rachel Goldberg in the Lifetime/Hulu drama series ''Unreal'' (2015–2018). Her major film credits include ''A Time for Dancing'' (2000), '' Swimfan'' (2002), ''Havoc'' (2005), '' Charlie Wilson's War'' (2007), and ''The Devil's Candy'' (2015). Appleby also starred as intern Daria Wade in the final season of the NBC medical drama series '' ER'' (2008–2009). She later starred as Cate Cassidy in The CW drama series ''Life Unexpected'' (2010–2011) and as Lucy Lambert in the web comedy series ''Dating Rules from My Future Self'' (2012). Appleby also had recurring roles on the NBC drama series '' Chicago Fire'' (2012–2013) and the HBO comedy-drama series ''Girls'' (2013–2014). Early life and education Appleby's Israeli-born mother is of Moroccan Jewish desce ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wireframe Model
A wire-frame model, also wireframe model, is a visual representation of a three-dimensional (3D) physical object used in 3D computer graphics. It is created by specifying each edge of the physical object where two mathematically continuous smooth surfaces meet, or by connecting an object's constituent vertices using (straight) lines or curves. The object is projected into screen space and rendered by drawing lines at the location of each edge. The term "wire frame" comes from designers using metal wire to represent the three-dimensional shape of solid objects. 3D wire frame computer models allow for the construction and manipulation of solids and solid surfaces. 3D solid modeling efficiently draws higher quality representations of solids than conventional line drawing. Using a wire-frame model allows for the visualization of the underlying design structure of a 3D model. Traditional two-dimensional views and drawings/renderings can be created by the appropriate rotatio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-largest municipal police department in the United States, after the New York City Police Department and the Chicago Police Department. The LAPD has its headquarters at 100 W. 1st St., in the Civic Center district, not far from the demolished Parker Center it replaced in 2009. The organization of the department is complex, including 21 divisions (stations) grouped in four bureaus in the Office of Operations; multiple divisions within the Detective Bureau in the Office of Special Operations; and specialized units such as SWAT, K-9, mounted police, air support and the Major Crimes Division all within the Counterterrorism and Special Operations Bureau. Further offices support the chief of police in areas such as constitutional policing and profe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech recognition, computer vision, translation between (natural) languages, as well as other mappings of inputs. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' of Oxford University Press defines artificial intelligence as: the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages. AI applications include advanced web search engines (e.g., Google), recommendation systems (used by YouTube, Amazon and Netflix), understanding human speech (such as Siri and Alexa), self-driving cars (e.g., Tesla), automated decision-making and competing at the highest level in strategic game systems (such as chess and Go). ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Simulated Reality
The simulation theory is the hypothesis that reality could be simulated—for example by quantum computer simulation—to a degree indistinguishable from "true" reality. It could contain conscious minds that may or may not know that they live inside a simulation. This is quite different from the current, technologically achievable concept of virtual reality, which is easily distinguished from the experience of actuality. Simulated reality, by contrast, would be hard or impossible to separate from "true" reality. There has been much debate over this topic, ranging from philosophical discourse to practical applications in computing. Arguments Simulation argument A version of the simulation hypothesis was first theorized as a part of a philosophical argument on the part of René Descartes, and later by Hans Moravec. The philosopher Nick Bostrom developed an expanded argument examining the probability of our reality being a simulation. His argument states that at least one of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), education (such as medical or military training) and business (such as virtual meetings). Other distinct types of VR-style technology include augmented reality and mixed reality, sometimes referred to as extended reality or XR, although definitions are currently changing due to the nascence of the industry. Currently, standard virtual reality systems use either virtual reality headsets or multi-projected environments to generate realistic images, sounds and other sensations that simulate a user's physical presence in a virtual environment. A person using virtual reality equipment is able to look around the artificial world, move around in it, and interact with virtual features or items. The effect is commonly created by VR headsets consisting ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
