A duke (male) or duchess (female) can be either a monarch ruling over a duchy or a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch. The title comes from French duc, itself from the Latin dux, 'leader', a term used in republican Rome to refer to a military commander without an official rank (particularly one of Germanic or Celtic origin), and later coming to mean the leading military commander of a province.
In the Middle Ages the title signified first among the Germanic monarchies. Dukes were the rulers of the provinces and the superiors of the counts in the cities and later, in the feudal monarchies, the highest-ranking peers of the king.
During the 19th century many of the smaller German and Italian states were ruled by Dukes or Grand Dukes. But presently, with the exception of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, there are no ruling dukes. Duke remains the highest titular peerage in France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The Pope, as a temporal sovereign, has also but rarely granted the title of Duke and Duchess to persons for services to the Holy See.
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2011.He has sold approximately 50 million albums worldwide, while receiving fourteen Grammy Awards for his musical work, and numerous additional nominations. He is consistently ranked as one of the greatest rappers of all-time. He was ranked #1 by MTV in their list of The Greatest MCs of All-Time in 2006. Two of his albums, Reasonable Doubt (1996) and The Blueprint (2001) are considered landmarks in the genre with both of them being ranked in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Blender included the former on their 500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die.
Jay-Z co-owns the 40/40 Club, is part-owner of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets and is also the creator of the line Rocawear. He is the former CEO of Def Jam Recordings, one of the three founders of Roc-A-Fella Records, and the founder of Roc Nation. As an artist, he holds the record for most number one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200 with eleven. Jay-Z also has had four number ones on the Billboard Hot 100, one as lead artist.
Plot
Phin (Geno Rathbone), stuck in a gorilla costume, must raise $3000 after his neighbor holds Phin's car for ransom. Phin's friend Steven (Mike Pusateri) contracts him to accompany a stranger, Mr. E (Rocky Russell), to Normal, IL in order to deliver a mysterious package. The day spirals out of control after their transportation breaks down, only to be picked up by the two 'shysters' Bruce (Neil Kubath) and Taylor (Emmi Chen). But when the delivery leaves Phin in an unexpected predicament with his new acquaintance Grace (Erin Breen), he begins to question his attachment to his hostage car and the rut that his life is in.
Plot
Chloe is a lonely little girl with a mother more interested in entering right wing politics, father yearning for his old life as a rock guitarist and child prodigy younger sister. One day she meets Mr Stink, a malodorous tramp,and his clever dog the Duchess, and lets them live in the family's garden shed. Chloe becomes Mr Stink's best friend and, after he has refused to be part of the prime minister's homelessness campaign, she discovers his real identity and the sad events leading to his vagrancy. Mr Stink reunites Chloe's family but turns down their invitation to spend Christmas with them, though, before moving on, he thanks Chloe for giving him hope.
Officer Jennings: Look I don't know what happen. We got a girl over there convinced her brother went missing from this museum.::Mr. Carlin: She's talking about from a week ago.
Mr. Carlin: [walking to the storage house] But this time a girl came in and actually tried to destroy it with a rock she'd hidden in her jacket.::Johnson Spangler: [Spangler stops him and grabs his wrist] I didn't fly out here to buy half of a mirror, did I?::Mr. Carlin: No, the mirror is fine. Cracked only the corner of the case, which we removed. [pulls Spanlger's hand from his wrist]
Johnson Spangler: Does the philosophy governing this establishment encompass a belief that rats won't damage the pieces?
A race for Justice!
Duchess: Things heat'n up 'round here!
Plot
When Miami dentist Ted Brooks learns that his birth mother has passed away and that he was named in her will, he travels to Alaska to claim his inheritance. Rather than the large chunk of change that many people would expect, Ted instead receives his mother's pack of rowdy sled dogs and her property. Although the dogs seemingly have it in for Ted, he decides to keep the dogs and race them in the local race, the Arctic Challenge, spiting a mountain man who wants the dogs. What follows is a comedy detailing Ted's adventures in learning to run the sled dogs.
Keywords: adopted-son, adoption, adoptive-father, adoptive-mother, african-american, alaska, based-on-book, biracial, competition, culture-clash
Get ready for mush hour!
Amelia: [on phone] Hey, honey. How's Alaska?::Ted: Oh, just great. Everything's white. Including my father!
George: I'm an attorney, the justice of the peace and a bush pilot. A classic triple threat.
Tower Control: 8-6-7-2-4-1-Queen, move it! Or you're going to be the hood ornament on a 737!
George: [reading will] "First, to Peter Yellowbear, my neighbor and fellow snow golfer, I leave my lucky putter. But don't expect it to improve your game."
George: [reading will] "To Barb, my dear friend and boss, I give my shearling coat, which kept me warmer than any man ever did."
George: [reading will] "And to Thunder Jack, I leave my outhouse and all its contents."
Thunder Jack: The dogs, where are they?::Ted: They're eating the house.
[Barb describes the dog food]::Barb: Mostly the stuff the butcher can't sell. Hooves, lips, organs... slump.::Ted: In Miami, we call them hot dogs.
Ted: If you're ever in Miami, look me up. My number's on all the buses.
[Facing a wild bear]::Ted: Y'know, I'm a big bear fan! Sure. Uh, my man - Smokey the Bear. Yogi. Walter Payton!
Plot
Alice was sitting in the park one day. She sees a jogger called Rabbit. When she first meets him she thinks he's a jerk later she finds him nice and relaxing. She falls in love with him. He takes her to Queenie's party. Rabbit later finds out that Queenie wants to kill him. So Rabbit packs up to leave the country. When Alice finds this out she commits suicide which brings her into a fantasy world.
Keywords: alice-in-wonderland, b-movie, character-name-in-title, independent-film, love, love-triangle, low-budget-film
A Romantic Dream or Nightmare Reality
Plot
Alice (Fiona Fullerton) falls down a rabbit hole and into a magical dream world populated by surreal characters and bewildering adventures. It's a journey of self-discovery for Alice as she searches for a way out of Wonderland and encounters many bizarre creatures such as the White Rabbit (Michael Crawford), the March Hare (Peter Sellers), the Queen of Hearts (Flora Robson), and the Dormouse (Dudley Moore). Musical highlights include the inspiring song "The Me I Never Knew."
Keywords: alice-in-wonderland, alternate-dimension, apostrophe-in-title, based-on-novel, card, cat, caterpillar, character-name-in-title, child, cook
Made in Wonderland, the most magical musical of all!
[first lines]::Alice: Please, Mr. Dodgson. Just once more.
Alice: [sings] How doth the little crocodile improve his shining tail / And pour the waters of the Nile on every golden scale! / How cheerfully he seems to grin, how neatly spreads his claws / And welcomes little fishes in with gently smiling jaws!
Alice: [sings] Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee agreed to have a battle / For Tweedle-Dum said Tweedle-Dee had spoiled his nice new rattle.
Alice: [sings] Just then flew by a monstrous crow, as black as a tar-barrel / Which frightened both the heroes so, they quite forgot their quarrel.
Alice: Now, who's that? Whoever lives here I wonder?
Fish Footman: [sings] For the Duchess, an invitation from the Queen, to play croquette::Frog Footman: [sings] From the Queen an invitation for the Duchess to play croquette.
Duchess: [sings] Speak roughly to your little boy, and beat him when he sneezes / He only does it to annoy, because he knows it teases.::Cook: [sings] Wow! Wow! Wow!::Duchess: [sings] I speak severely to my boy, I beat him when he sneezes / For he can thoroughly enjoy the pepper when he pleases.::Cook: [sings] Wow! Wow! Wow!
The March Hare: Have some wine.::Alice: I don't see any wine.::The March Hare: There isn't any.::Alice: Then it wasn't very civil of you to offer it.::The March Hare: It wasn't very civil of you to sit down without being invited.
[last lines]::Alice: [sings] So now I'll be the me I never knew.