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Bringing Down The House (book)
''Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions'' is a 2003 book by Ben Mezrich about a group of MIT card counters commonly known as the MIT Blackjack Team. Though the book is classified as non-fiction, ''The Boston Globe'' alleges that the book contains significant fictional elements, that many of the key events propelling the drama did not occur in real life, and that others were exaggerated greatly. The book was adapted into the movies '' 21'' and '' The Last Casino''. Synopsis The book's main character is Kevin Lewis, an MIT graduate who was invited to join the MIT Blackjack Team in 1993. Lewis was recruited by two of the team's top players, Jason Fisher and Andre Martinez. The team was financed by a colorful character named Micky Rosa, who had organized at least one other team to play the Vegas strip. This new team was the most profitable yet. Personality conflicts and card counting deterrent efforts at the casinos eventually end ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ben Mezrich
Ben Mezrich ( ; born February 7, 1969) is an American author. He has written well-known non-fiction books, including '' The Accidental Billionaires'' and '' The Antisocial Network'', which have been turned into the films ''The Social Network'' and '' Dumb Money'', respectively. Some of his books have been written under the pen-name Holden Scott. Early life and education Mezrich was born in Princeton, New Jersey, the son of Molli Newman, a lawyer, and Reuben Mezrich, a chairman of radiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He has two brothers, including Josh Mezrich. He was raised in a Conservative Jewish household, and attended Princeton Day School, in Princeton, New Jersey. He graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Social Studies from Harvard University in 1991. Career Mezrich is best known for his first non-fiction work, '' Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions''. This book tells the story of a group of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Boston (magazine)
''Boston'' (also called "''Boston'' magazine" or referred to by the nickname "BoMag") is a regional monthly magazine concerning life in the Greater Boston area, which has been in publication since 1962. History Metrocorp Publishing, a Philadelphia-based publishing company also known for owning ''Philadelphia'' magazine, acquired the magazine in October 1970 from the Boston Chamber of Commerce, at which time it had been published for "about seven years." In January 2025, the magazine was acquired by Boston Globe Media, owner of ''The Boston Globe''. Monthly circulation was noted as 75,000 in 2018, 65,000 in 2022, and 55,000 at the time of the acquisition. As of 2006, the magazine claimed a publication of 500,000 issues per month, with its percentage of newsstand copies sold among the highest of any magazine of any kind in the United States; it was named among the best city magazines in the nation nine times in ten years by the City and Regional Magazine Association. The co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kate Bosworth
Katherine Anne Bosworth (born January 2, 1983) is an American actress. Following minor roles in the films ''The Horse Whisperer (film), The Horse Whisperer'' (1998) and ''Remember the Titans'' (2000), she had a leading role in movie ''Blue Crush'' (2002). She also had roles in independent films, playing Dawn Schiller in the true crime film ''Wonderland (2003 film), Wonderland'' (2003) and Sandra Dee in the Bobby Darin biographical drama ''Beyond the Sea (2004 film), Beyond the Sea'' (2004). She portrayed Lois Lane in ''Superman Returns'' (2006), and had roles in ''21 (2008 film), 21'' (2008), ''Straw Dogs (2011 film), Straw Dogs'' (2011), ''And While We Were Here'' (2012), and ''Still Alice'' (2014). She starred in the horror films ''Before I Wake (2016 film), Before I Wake'' (2016) and ''The Domestics'' (2018). Recently, she starred as KC in the Netflix science-fiction miniseries ''The I-Land'' (2019). Early life Bosworth was born in Los Angeles and also lived in San Francisco ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence John Fishburne III (born July 30, 1961) is an American actor. Throughout his career, he has gained recognition for his roles on stage and screen as militant and authoritative characters. List of awards and nominations received by Laurence Fishburne, His accolades include six Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, in addition to a nomination for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Fishburne first came to prominence appearing in ''Apocalypse Now'' (1979) and achieved further recognition for his supporting role in ''Boyz n the Hood'' (1991). Later, he became known for portraying Morpheus (The Matrix), Morpheus in The Matrix (franchise), ''The Matrix'' trilogy (1999–2003) and the Bowery King in John Wick, ''John Wick'' film series (2017–). For his portrayal of Ike Turner in ''What's Love Got to Do with It (1993 film), What's Love Got to Do with It'' (1993), Fishburne was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. He has also won six Emmy Awards for various television p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. Known for Kevin Spacey on screen and stage, his work on stage and screen, he List of awards and nominations received by Kevin Spacey, has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and two Laurence Olivier Awards as well as nominations for 12 Emmy Awards. Spacey was named an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2015. Spacey began his film career with small roles in Mike Nichols's comedy-drama films ''Heartburn (film), Heartburn'' (1986) and ''Working Girl'' (1988). He won two Academy Awards: Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actor for playing a con man in ''The Usual Suspects'' (1995) and Academy Award for Best Actor, Best Actor for playing a suburban husband and father going through a midlife crisis in ''American Beauty (1999 film), American Beauty'' (1999). His other films include ''Glengarry Glen Ro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Luketic
Robert Luketic ( Croatian: Luketić) is an Australian film director. His films include '' Legally Blonde'' (2001), '' Monster-in-Law'' (2005), '' 21'' (2008), '' Killers'' (2010), and ''Paranoia'' (2013). Early life and education Robert Luketic was born in Sydney, Australia on November 1st, 1973, as the elder of two children of a Croatian father and Italian mother. He has a younger sister called Marie. 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). Career 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 20 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Entertainment's Sony Pictures, which is one of the Major film studios, "Big Five" film studios and a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony, Sony Group Corporation. On June 19, 1918, brothers Jack Cohn, Jack and Harry Cohn and their business partner Joe Brandt founded the studio as CBC Film Sales Corporation, Cohn-Brandt-Cohn (CBC) Film Sales Corporation. It adopted the Columbia Pictures name on January 10, 1924 (operating as Columbia Pictures Corporation until December 23, 1968), went public two years later, and eventually began to use the image of Columbia (personification), Columbia, the female personification of the United States, as its logo. In its early years, Columbia was a minor player in Hollywood, but ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bringing Down The House (film)
''Bringing Down the House'' is a 2003 American comedy film written by Jason Filardi and directed by Adam Shankman and starring Steve Martin and Queen Latifah alongside Eugene Levy, Jean Smart, and Joan Plowright. The film features Martin as Peter Sanderson, a lonely lawyer who meets a woman on the Internet, only to learn she has escaped prison to prove her innocence. She then proceeds to wreak havoc on his own upper-class life. The film was released on March 7, 2003 by Touchstone Pictures and was distributed by Buena Vista Pictures. Plot Peter Sanderson is a workaholic tax attorney, separated from his wife Kate and often too busy for their children, Sarah and Georgie. Peter arranges a blind date at his home with Charlene Morton, a woman he has been chatting with online. Misled by her photograph and description, he is shocked to discover that she is actually a felon who corresponded with him from prison. Charlene tries to blackmail Peter into clearing her name of armed robbery, cl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, singer, and actress. She has received various accolades, including a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two NAACP Image Awards, in addition to a nomination for an Academy Award. In 2006, she became the first hip hop artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. At age 19, Latifah released her debut album '' All Hail the Queen'' (1989), featuring the hit single "Ladies First". Her second album '' Nature of a Sista''' (1991), was produced by Tommy Boy Records. Her third album, '' Black Reign'' (1993), became the first album by a solo female rapper to receive a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and spawned the single " U.N.I.T.Y.", which was influential in raising awareness of violence against women and the objectification of Black female sexualit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and musician. Known for Steve Martin filmography, his work in comedy films, television, and #Discography, recording, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Steve Martin, many accolades, including five Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award as well as nominations for eight Golden Globe Awards and two Tony Awards. Martin received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2005, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007, the Honorary Academy Award in 2013 and an AFI Life Achievement Award in 2015. In 2004, Comedy Central ranked Martin at sixth place in a list of the 100 greatest Stand-up comedy, stand-up comics. Martin first came to public notice as a writer for ''The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'', for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1969, and later as a frequent host on ''Saturday Night Live''. He became one of the most popular Americ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Semyon Dukach
Semyon Dukach (born 25 October 1968) is an American entrepreneur and former professional blackjack player. He is the founding partner of One Way Ventures, a venture capital fund that backs immigrant entrepreneurs. He was the managing director of Techstars in Boston. He was also the chairman of SMTP, Inc., and a former professional blackjack player with the MIT Blackjack Team. He played with Strategic Investments and later was one of the founding members and team leaders on Amphibian Investments whose exploits were chronicled in Ben Mezrich's '' Busting Vegas'' and referred to in Mezrich's '' Bringing Down the House''. Dukach was the main character in '' Busting Vegas'' and the only member of the MIT blackjack team to be referred to by his real name in either book. Early life Born on 25 October 1968 in Moscow, Dukach moved to the US in 1979 at the age of 11. He completed a BS in Computer Science at Columbia University in 1990 and a MS in Computer Science at MIT in 1993. At a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Non-fiction
Non-fiction (or nonfiction) is any document or content (media), media content that attempts, in good faith, to convey information only about the real life, real world, rather than being grounded in imagination. Non-fiction typically aims to present topics Objectivity (philosophy), objectively based on historical, scientific, and empirical information. However, some non-fiction ranges into more subjective territory, including sincerely held opinions on real-world topics. Often referring specifically to prose writing, non-fiction is one of the two fundamental approaches to narrative, story and storytelling, in contrast to narrative fiction, which is largely populated by imaginary characters and events. Non-fiction writers can show the reasons and consequences of events, they can compare, contrast, classify, categorise and summarise information, put the facts in a logical or chronological order, infer and reach conclusions about facts, etc. They can use graphic, structural and prin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
