- published: 27 Feb 2016
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The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, adult sea squirts and starfish do not have one, even if diffuse neural tissue is present. It is located in the head, usually close to the primary sensory organs for such senses as vision, hearing, balance, taste, and smell. The brain of a vertebrate is the most complex organ of its body. In a typical human the cerebral cortex (the largest part) is estimated to contain 15–33 billion neurons, each connected by synapses to several thousand other neurons. These neurons communicate with one another by means of long protoplasmic fibers called axons, which carry trains of signal pulses called action potentials to distant parts of the brain or body targeting specific recipient cells.
From an evolutionary-biological point of view, the function of the brain is to exert centralized control over the other organs of the body. The brain acts on the rest of the body either by generating patterns of muscle activity or by driving secretion of chemicals called hormones. This centralized control allows rapid and coordinated responses to changes in the environment. Some basic types of responsiveness such as reflexes can be mediated by the spinal cord or peripheral ganglia, but sophisticated purposeful control of behavior based on complex sensory input requires the information-integrating capabilities of a centralized brain.
At First Sight is a 1999 American film starring Val Kilmer and Mira Sorvino, based on the essay To See and Not to See in neurologist Oliver Sacks' book An Anthropologist on Mars and inspired by the true life story of Shirl Jennings.
Amy Benic (Mira Sorvino) takes a break from working as an architect at a spa in Pinecrest, a small town outside New York City. Virgil Adamson (Val Kilmer) is a masseur at the spa and gives Amy a massage. Amy breaks down and cries, later falling asleep as Virgil leaves the room. When she wakes up, she runs after him to compliment the massage, only to realize that Virgil is blind. Virgil asks her out, and the two eventually fall in love and begin a relationship.
Virgil lives alone, though his over-protective sister, Jennie (Kelly McGillis), who lives next door, takes care of him. During an intimate session with Amy, Virgil reveals that he went blind when he was three and that the last thing he saw was something fluffy. Amy describes the horizon to Virgil as something that you "can see but can never reach."
Actors: Lynne Westafer (actor), Oliver Johnson (producer), Oliver Johnson (director), Oliver Johnson (editor), Dominic Sparacio (miscellaneous crew), Dominic Sparacio (actor), Dylan Byers (actor), Dylan Byers (actor), Lauren Abernathy (actress), Lauren Abernathy (miscellaneous crew), Andrew Pope (miscellaneous crew), Jerrod Hayes (actor), Richard Aguirre (miscellaneous crew), Josh Lacson (miscellaneous crew),
Genres: Comedy, Short,Actors: Jonathan Rach (editor), Jonathan Rach (producer), Jonathan Rach (writer), Jonathan Rach (director), Buckethead (composer), Buckethead (actor), James Beach (writer), DJ Disk (actor), DJ Disk (composer), Brain (composer), Brain (actor), Brain (writer),
Genres: Music,Actors: Ian J. Adrian (actor), Ian J. Adrian (producer), Ian J. Adrian (writer), Ian J. Adrian (director), Ian J. Adrian (editor), Stefan Swanson (composer), Claudia Doege (actress), David Harmon (actor), Claudia Doege (producer), David Harmon (producer), David Harmon (actor), David Harmon (actor), Marc Stern (producer), Samara Adrian (producer), Leonard DeStefano (actor),
Genres: Animation, Sci-Fi, Short,Actors: Dave Mallow (actor), Wendee Lee (actress), Wendee Lee (actress), Mona Marshall (actress), Doug Stone (actor), Bruce Dinsmore (actor), Bruce Dinsmore (actor), Jody Gray (composer), Marc Graue (actor), Yvette Kaplan (actress), Yvette Kaplan (director), Luciano Rauso (actor), Carr Thompson (actor), Ken Scarborough (writer), Chuck Buell (actor),
Plot: The movie centers on when Arthur neglects Pal for one day and during that day, Pal manages to get out of the house and sets off on an adventure eating whatever comes his way, and exploring the town of Elwood City. However, once Arthur notices Pal's gone missing, it's up to him and his friends (Buster, Brain, Franchine, Binky, & Prunella) to search the town and find him. With many moments where Arthur & Pal's paths cross (but they end up missing out on each other), it takes Buster, Arthur and DW to connect clues and follow the path Pal's traveled.
Keywords: aardvark, anthropomorphism, based-on-tv-series, cartoon-aardvark, surrealism, talking-animalActors: Peter Madamba (miscellaneous crew), D.L. Hughley (actor), Jean Chalopin (producer), Jean Chalopin (writer), Jordan Kerner (producer), Andy Heyward (writer), Roger Birnbaum (producer), Elaine Hendrix (actress), French Stewart (actor), Andy Heyward (producer), Jeff Bennett (actor), Bruce Spence (actor), Terry Ryan (costume designer), Sigrid Thornton (actress), Chris Hajian (composer),
Plot: On the outskirts of Riverton, "The Safest City in America", a pensive Inspector Gadget sits in his Gadgetmobile, along with his canine companion, Brain. Gadget is back on the job, on stakeout, but he is concerned that everything is too quiet in Riverton. He has a very simple, rational answer to this; " it's always the most quiet just before criminals strike". Evil must be afoot. In a moment of overzealous crime fighting Gadget arrests an elderly women for wreckless driving, but not without incident. In his effort to make the arrest Gadget's many crime fighting "accessories" go wildly astray. It's time to report back to headquarters for a checkup. Baxter, the "Q" of the Police Department, delivers the prognosis - as he is a prototype things are bound to have some glitches. The remedy is close at hand. But, before Baxter can tell of his new "top secret", Gadget is confronted by a furious Chief Quimby. The little old lady arrested earlier for wreckless driving turns out to be Quimby's mother. Gadget is put on notice - any more mistakes and he is on probation. Meanwhile, in the dead of night, and in a raging storm, something happens that will change Gadget's destiny forever - his arch enemy, his nemesis, Claw makes a daring escape from Riverton Prison. Now, evil really is afoot. Chief Quimby offers Inspector Gadget one last chance to redeem himself through the capture, and return to incarceration, of Claw. And so the chase begins.
Keywords: bar-brawl, bar-fight, based-on-cartoon, based-on-tv-series, bomb, bubble-gum, car-chase, character-name-in-title, chase, comic-heroActors: Christopher Ambriz (editor), Christopher Ambriz (producer), Christopher Ambriz (writer), Christopher Ambriz (director), Christopher Ambriz (actor), Louis Alvarado (producer), Sylvia Bolster (actress), Ryan Hunts (actor), Ryan Hunts (producer), Ryan Hunts (composer), George Carroll (actor), Jae Flores (actor), Esther Hedberg (producer), Michael Cantu (actor), Courtney Randolph (actress),
Plot: Darkblood tells the story of a young man named John and his friends Brain and Billy who think one of their classmates named Lupus is a vampire. Once John catches Lupus putting the bite on his high school crush Katherine. Nobody believes his crazy story, and one by one Lupus kills his friends. John pulls himself together and faces the vampire on his own turf.
Keywords: bite, blood, campy, corpus-christi-texas, cult-film, fangs, gore, low-budget, texas, vampireActors: Arthur Holden (actor), Ellen David (actress), Mark Camacho (actor), Ellen David (actress), Mark Camacho (actor), Bruce Dinsmore (actor), Bruce Dinsmore (actor), Harry Standjofski (actor), Joanna Noyes (actress), Sonja Ball (actress), Sonja Ball (actress), A.J. Henderson (actor), A.J. Henderson (actor), Ricky Mabe (actor), Daniel Brochu (actor),
Genres: Animation, Comedy, Family,Actors: Frank Welker (actor), Richard Erdman (actor), Richard Erdman (actor), Frank Welker (actor), Kenneth Mars (actor), Kenneth Mars (actor), Rob Paulsen (actor), Rob Paulsen (actor), Rob Paulsen (actor), John Stephenson (actor), Avery Schreiber (actor), Arnold Stang (actor), John Stephenson (actor), John Stephenson (actor), Joseph Barbera (producer),
Genres: Animation, Comedy,Actors: Colin Baker (actor), John Krish (writer), John Krish (director), Leon Clore (producer), John Challis (actor), John Arnold (producer), Frank Bough (actor), Christopher Owen (actor), Barney Greenwood (editor), Ève Karpf (actress), Michael Gilmore (writer), Andrew Badeley (actor),
Genres: Short,