title: Taylour Paige

text: Paige has been featured in commercials and advertising campaigns for Transamerica, Best Buy, McDonald's, Adidas and "Just Dance 3" following her stint as a Laker Girl. Her first film role was in "" (2008), where she was a featured dancer. After appearing in small roles in several short films, Paige starred as Ahsha Hayes in the sports drama television series "Hit the Floor" (2013–2018). She left the show in 2016 after three seasons.


title: Taylour Paige

text: In 2016, Paige starred as the eponymous character in Canadian filmmaker Stella Meghie's directorial debut "Jean of the Joneses". The film was met with positive reviews. She had a supporting role as Cathy Volsan-Curry in the crime drama film "White Boy Rick" (2018), which was met with mixed reviews. Paige has made guest appearances in the thirteenth season of "Grey's Anatomy" and "Ballers".


title: Taylour Paige

text: Paige had her breakthrough role as the titular character in the black comedy crime film "Zola" (2020). The film and her performance earned rave reviews, and earned Paige the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. That same year, Paige had a supporting role as Dussie Mae in the drama film "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom", which was met with critical acclaim and earned her an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. In May 2022, Paige made her music debut by contributing to rapper Kendrick Lamar's fifth studio album "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers" on the critically-acclaimed track "We Cry Together", earning a Grammy Award nomination. She then co-starred alongside Lamar on its short film adaptation in September. In November, Paige was featured in Barbadian singer Rihanna's fourth installment of her "Savage X Fenty Show".


title: Taylour Paige

text: In May 2021, Paige landed the female lead opposite Peter Dinklage and Jacob Tremblay in the upcoming superhero film "The Toxic Avenger" for Legendary Entertainment. On August 23, "Deadline Hollywood" reported that she closed another deal with Legendary to star in the upcoming comedy film "Brothers". In March 2022, Paige signed on to star alongside Vito Schnabel in the upcoming dark comedy film "The Trainer". In September, she joined the cast of the upcoming action comedy film "", where she will star alongside Eddie Murphy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.


title: Taylour Paige

text: From May 2019 to August 2021, Paige was in a relationship with actor Jesse Williams. On October 5, 2022, she married fashion designer Gary "Rivington Starchild" Angulo after sharing their engagement two weeks prior.


title: Dan Peña

text: Peña is Mexican American and was raised in East Los Angeles, California. In 1971, he graduated from San Fernando Valley State College School of Business Administration and Economics with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.


title: Dan Peña

text: Peña began his career as a financial analyst on Wall Street. He went on to become president of Great Western Resources, Inc., a Houston-based oil company listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1984. In a move backed by shareholders, Peña was ousted as president of the company in 1992 and subsequently awarded $3.3 million by an American jury, for suing the company over his dismissal.


title: Dan Peña

text: In 1984, Peña bought Guthrie Castle in Angus, Scotland from which he has operated several businesses.


title: Dan Peña

text: In 2017, the castle and estate manager employed by Peña at Guthrie Castle was found to have committed fraud by double or triple booking wedding facilities and paying the higher charges into their own account. Peña said he forgave the employee and covered the £130,000 stolen from clients.


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: Henoch–Schönlein purpura (HSP), also known as IgA vasculitis, is a disease of the skin, mucous membranes, and sometimes other organs that most commonly affects children. In the skin, the disease causes palpable purpura (small, raised areas of bleeding underneath the skin), often with joint pain and abdominal pain. With kidney involvement, there may be a loss of small amounts of blood and protein in the urine (hematuria and proteinuria), but this usually goes unnoticed; in a small proportion of cases, the kidney involvement proceeds to chronic kidney disease. HSP is often preceded by an infection, such as a throat infection.


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: HSP is a systemic vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels) and is characterized by deposition of immune complexes containing the antibody immunoglobulin A (IgA); the exact cause for this phenomenon is unknown. In children, it usually resolves within several weeks and requires no treatment apart from symptom control but may relapse in a third of cases and cause irreversible kidney damage in about one in a hundred cases. In adults, the prognosis is different from in children. The average duration of cutaneous lesions is 27.9 months. For many, it tends to be relapsing–remitting over a long period of time, rather than self-limiting and there tend to be more complications.


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: Purpura, arthritis, and abdominal pain are known as the "classic triad" of Henoch–Schönlein purpura. Purpura occur in all cases, joint pains and arthritis in 80%, and abdominal pain in 62%. Some include gastrointestinal hemorrhage as a fourth criterion; this occurs in 33% of cases, sometimes, but not necessarily always, due to intussusception. The purpura typically appear on the legs and buttocks, but may also be seen on the arms, face and trunk. The abdominal pain is colicky in character, and may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea. There may be blood or mucus in the stools. The joints involved tend to be the ankles, knees, and elbows, but arthritis in the hands and feet is possible; the arthritis is nonerosive and hence causes no permanent deformity. Forty percent have evidence of kidney involvement, mainly in the form of hematuria (blood in the urine), but only a quarter will have this in sufficient quantities to be noticeable without laboratory tests. Problems in other organs, such as the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and lungs may occur, but is much less common than in the skin, bowel and kidneys.


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: Of the 40% of patients who develop kidney involvement, almost all have evidence (visible or on urinalysis) of blood in the urine. More than half also have proteinuria (protein in the urine), which in one eighth is severe enough to cause nephrotic syndrome (generalised swelling due to low protein content of the blood). While abnormalities on urinalysis may continue for a long time, only 1% of all HSP patients develop chronic kidney disease. Hypertension (high blood pressure) may occur. Protein loss and high blood pressure, as well as the features on biopsy of the kidney if performed, may predict progression to advanced kidney disease. Adults are more likely than children to develop advanced kidney disease.


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: Henoch–Schönlein purpura is a small-vessel vasculitis in which complexes of immunoglobulin A (IgA) and complement component 3 (C3) are deposited on arterioles, capillaries, and venules (hence it is a type III hypersensitivity reaction). The activation of the alternative complement pathway results in the deposition of IgA aggregates or IgA complexes in target organs (with deposition of C3). This leads to the production of inflammatory mediators, including vascular prostaglandins like prostacyclin, which may play a key role in the development of IgAV and its organ-specific clinical manifestations. As with IgA nephropathy, serum levels of IgA are high in HSP and there are identical findings on renal biopsy; however, IgA nephropathy has a predilection for young adults while HSP is more predominant among children. Further, IgA nephropathy typically only affects the kidneys while HSP is a systemic disease. HSP involves the skin and connective tissues, scrotum, joints, gastrointestinal tract and kidneys. The genetic basis remains unclear except for involvement of the human leukocyte antigen region of the genome.


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: It is hypothesized to involve autoimmunity triggered by infections. Streptococcus strains and Parainfluenza virus are the most commonly associated pathogens, and in children Human Parvovirus B19 is a frequent viral trigger


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: The diagnosis is based on the combination of the symptoms, as very few other diseases cause the same symptoms together. Blood tests may show elevated creatinine and urea levels (in kidney involvement), raised IgA levels (in about 50%), and raised C-reactive protein (CRP) or erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) results; none are specific for Henoch–Schönlein purpura. The platelet count may be raised, and distinguishes it from diseases where low platelets are the cause of the purpura, such as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: If there is doubt about the cause of the skin lesions, a biopsy of the skin may be performed to distinguish the purpura from other diseases that cause it, such as vasculitis due to cryoglobulinemia; on microscopy, the appearances are of a hypersensitivity vasculitis, and immunofluorescence demonstrates IgA and C3 (a protein of the complement system) in the blood vessel wall. However, overall serum complement levels are normal.


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: On the basis of symptoms, it is possible to distinguish HSP from hypersensitivity vasculitis (HV). In a series comparing 85 HSP patients with 93 HV patients, five symptoms were found to be indicative of HSP: palpable purpura, abdominal angina, digestive tract hemorrhage (not due to intussussception), hematuria and age less than 20. The presence of three or more of these indicators has an 87% sensitivity for predicting HSP.


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: Biopsy of the kidney may be performed both to establish the diagnosis or to assess the severity of already suspected kidney disease. The main findings on kidney biopsy are increased cells and Ig deposition in the mesangium (part of the glomerulus, where blood is filtered), white blood cells, and the development of crescents. The changes are indistinguishable from those observed in IgA nephropathy.


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: HSP can develop after infections with streptococci (β-haemolytic, Lancefield group A), hepatitis B, herpes simplex virus, parvovirus B19, Coxsackievirus, adenovirus, "Helicobacter pylori", measles, mumps, rubella, "Mycoplasma" and numerous others. Drugs linked to HSP, usually as an idiosyncratic reaction, include the antibiotics vancomycin and cefuroxime, ACE inhibitors enalapril and captopril, anti-inflammatory agent diclofenac, as well as ranitidine and streptokinase. Several diseases have been reported to be associated with HSP, often without a causative link. Only in about 35% of cases can HSP be traced to any of these causes.


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: The exact cause of HSP is unknown, but most of its features are due to the deposition of abnormal antibodies in the wall of blood vessels, leading to vasculitis. These antibodies are of the subclass IgA in polymers; it is uncertain whether the main cause is overproduction (in the digestive tract or the bone marrow) or decreased removal of abnormal IgA from the circulation. It is suspected that abnormalities in the IgA molecule may provide an explanation for its abnormal behaviour in both HSP and the related condition IgA nephropathy. One of the characteristics of IgA (and IgD) is the presence of an 18 amino acid-long "hinge region" between complement-fixating regions 1 and 2. Of the amino acids, half is proline, while the others are mainly serine and threonine. The majority of the serines and the threonines have elaborate sugar chains, connected through oxygen atoms (O-glycosylation). This process is thought to stabilise the IgA molecule and make it less prone to proteolysis. The first sugar is always N-acetyl-galactosamine (GalNAc), followed by other galactoses and sialic acid. In HSP and IgAN, these sugar chains appear to be deficient. The exact reason for these abnormalities is not known.


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: Multiple standards exist for defining Henoch–Schönlein purpura, including the 1990 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification and the 1994 Chapel Hill Consensus Conference (CHCC). Some have reported the ACR criteria to be more sensitive than those of the CHCC.


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: More recent classifications, the 2006 European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) and Pediatric Rheumatology Society (PReS) classification, include palpable purpura as a mandatory criterion, together with at least one of the following findings: diffuse abdominal pain, predominant IgA deposition (confirmed on skin biopsy), acute arthritis in any joint, and renal involvement (as evidenced by the presence of blood and/or protein in the urine).


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: Henoch–Schönlein purpura may present with an atypical manifestation, which can be confused with papular urticaria, systemic lupus erythematosus, meningococcemia, dermatitis herpetiformis, and acute hemorrhagic edema of infancy.


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: As of 2017, the optimal way to treat Henoch–Schönlein purpura remains controversial. Analgesics may be needed for the abdominal and joint pains. Wound care is warranted if the skin death and ulcerations occur. It is uncertain as to whether HSP needs treatment beyond controlling the symptoms. Most people do not receive therapy because of the high spontaneous recovery rate. Experts disagree on whether to routinely use corticosteroids as treatment for HSP. However, if they are given early in the disease episode, the duration of symptoms may be shortened, and abdominal pain can improve significantly. Moreover, the chance of severe kidney problems may be reduced. A systematic review did not find any evidence that steroid treatment (prednisone) is effective at decreasing the likelihood of developing long-term kidney disease.


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: Evidence of worsening kidney damage would normally prompt a kidney biopsy. Treatment may be indicated on the basis of the appearance of the biopsy sample; various treatments may be used, ranging from steroids by mouth to a combination of intravenous methylprednisolone (steroid), cyclophosphamide and dipyridamole followed by prednisone. Other regimens include steroids/azathioprine, and steroids/cyclophosphamide (with or without heparin and warfarin). Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is occasionally used.


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: There is no good evidence that treating children who have HSP with antiplatelet agent prevents persistent kidney disease. There is also no evidence that treating children or adults with cyclophosphamide prevents severe kidney disease. Heparin treatment is not justified.


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: Overall prognosis is good in most patients, with one study showing recovery occurring in 94% and 89% of children and adults, respectively (some having needed treatment). In children under ten, the condition recurs in about a third of all cases, usually within the four months of the initial attack. Recurrence is more common in older children and adults.


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: In adults, kidney involvement progresses to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) more often than in children. In a UK series of 37 patients, 10 (27%) developed advanced kidney disease. Proteinuria, hypertension at presentation, and pathology features (crescentic changes, interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy) predicted progression. About 20% of children that exhibit nephrotic or nephritic features experience long permanent renal impairment.


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: The findings on renal biopsy correlate with the severity of symptoms: those with asymptomatic hematuria may only have focal mesangial proliferation while those with proteinuria may have marked cellular proliferation or even crescent formation. The number of crescentic glomeruli is an important prognostic factor in determining whether the patient will develop chronic renal disease.


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: In ESKD, some eventually need hemodialysis or equivalent renal replacement therapy (RRT). If a kidney transplant is found for a patient on RRT, the disease will recur in the graft (transplanted kidney) in about 35% of cases, and in 11%, the graft will fail completely (requiring resumption of the RRT and a further transplant).


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: HSP occurs more often in children than in adults, and usually follows an upper respiratory tract infection. Half of affected patients are below the age of six, and 90% are under ten. It occurs about twice as often in boys as in girls. The incidence of HSP in children is about 20 per 100,000 children per year, making it the most common vasculitis in children.


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: Cases of HSP may occur anytime throughout the year, but some studies have found that fewer cases occur during the summer months.


title: Henoch–Schönlein purpura

text: The disease is named after Eduard Heinrich Henoch (1820–1910), a German pediatrician (nephew of Moritz Heinrich Romberg) and his teacher Johann Lukas Schönlein (1793–1864), who described it in the 1860s. Schönlein associated the purpura and arthritis, and Henoch the purpura and gastrointestinal involvement. The English physician William Heberden (1710–1801) and the dermatologist Robert Willan (1757–1812) had already described the disease in 1802 and 1808, respectively, but the name "Heberden–Willan disease" has fallen into disuse. William Osler was the first to recognise the underlying allergic mechanism of HSP.


title: Winter solstice

text: The winter solstice, also called the hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth's poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the winter solstice is the day with the shortest period of daylight and longest night of the year, when the Sun is at its lowest daily maximum elevation in the sky. Either pole experiences continuous darkness or twilight around its winter solstice. The opposite event is the summer solstice.


title: Winter solstice

text: The winter solstice occurs during the hemisphere's winter. In the Northern Hemisphere, this is the December solstice (usually 21st or 22nd December) and in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the June solstice (usually 20th or 21st of June). Although the winter solstice itself lasts only a moment, the term also refers to the day on which it occurs. The term midwinter is also used synonymously with the winter solstice, although it carries other meanings as well. Traditionally, in many temperate regions, the winter solstice is seen as the middle of winter; although today in some countries and calendars it is seen as the beginning of winter. Other names are the "extreme of winter" (Dongzhi), or the "shortest day".


title: Winter solstice

text: Since prehistory, the winter solstice has been a significant time of year in many cultures and has been marked by festivals and rituals. It marked the symbolic death and rebirth of the Sun; the gradual waning of daylight hours is reversed and begins to grow again. Some ancient monuments such as Newgrange, Stonehenge, and Cahokia Woodhenge are aligned with the sunrise or sunset on the winter solstice.


title: Winter solstice

text: The solstice may have been a special moment of the annual cycle for some cultures even during Neolithic times. Astronomical events were often used to guide activities, such as the mating of animals, the sowing of crops and the monitoring of winter reserves of food. Many cultural mythologies and traditions are derived from this. The winter solstice was immensely important because the people were economically dependent on monitoring the progress of the seasons. Starvation was common during the first months of the winter, January to April (northern hemisphere) or July to October (southern hemisphere), also known as "the famine months". In temperate climates, the midwinter festival was the last feast celebration, before deep winter began. Most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter, so it was almost the only time of year when a plentiful supply of fresh meat was available.


title: Winter solstice

text: Because the winter solstice is the reversal of the sun's ebbing in the sky, in ancient times it was seen as the symbolic death and rebirth of the sun or of a sun god. In cultures which used cyclic calendars based on the winter solstice, the "year as reborn" was celebrated with reference to life-death-rebirth deities or "new beginnings" (such as Hogmanay's "redding", a New Year cleaning tradition), and "reversal" (as in Saturnalia's slave and master reversals).


title: Winter solstice

text: Some important Neolithic and early Bronze Age archaeological sites in Europe are associated with the winter solstice, such as Stonehenge in England and Newgrange in Ireland. The primary axes of both of these monuments seem to have been carefully aligned on a sight-line pointing to the winter solstice sunrise (Newgrange) and the winter solstice sunset (Stonehenge). It is significant that at Stonehenge the Great Trilithon was oriented outwards from the middle of the monument, i.e. its smooth flat face was turned towards the midwinter Sun.


title: Winter solstice

text: The pagan Scandinavian and Germanic people of northern Europe celebrate a winter holiday called Yule (also called Jul, Julblot, jólablót). The "Heimskringla", written in the 13th century by the Icelander Snorri Sturluson, describes a Yule feast hosted by the Norwegian king Haakon the Good (c. 920–961). According to Snorri, the Christian Haakon had moved Yule from "midwinter" and aligned it with the Christian Christmas celebration. Historically, this has made some scholars believe that Yule originally was a sun festival on the winter solstice. Modern scholars generally do not believe this, as midwinter in medieval Iceland was a date about four weeks after the solstice.


title: Winter solstice

text: Sol Invictus ("The Unconquered Sun/Invincible Sun") was originally a Syrian god who was later adopted as the chief god of the Roman Empire under Emperor Aurelian. His holiday is traditionally celebrated on December 25, as are several gods associated with the winter solstice in many pagan traditions. It has been speculated to be the reason behind Christmas' proximity to the solstice.


title: Winter solstice

text: Makara Sankranti, also known as Makaraa Sankrānti (Sanskrit: मकर संक्रांति) or Maghi, is a festival day in the Hindu calendar, in reference to deity Surya (sun). It is observed each year in January. It marks the first day of Sun's transit into Makara (Capricorn), marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days. In India, this occasion, known as Ayan Parivartan (Sanskrit: अयन परिवर्तन), is celebrated by religious Hindus as a holy day, with Hindus performing customs such as bathing in holy rivers, giving alms and donations, praying to deities and doing other holy deeds.


title: Winter solstice

text: Iranian people celebrate the night of the Northern Hemisphere's winter solstice as, "Yalda night", which is known to be the "longest and darkest night of the year". Yalda night celebration, or as some call it "Shabe Chelleh" ("the 40th night"), is one of the oldest Iranian traditions that has been present in Persian culture from ancient times. In this night all the family gather together, usually at the house of the eldest, and celebrate it by eating, drinking and reciting poetry (esp. Hafez). Nuts, pomegranates and watermelons are particularly served during this festival.


title: Winter solstice

text: In East Asia, the winter solstice has been celebrated as one of the Twenty-four Solar Terms, called "Dongzhi" (冬至) in Chinese. In Japan, in order not to catch cold in the winter, there is a custom to soak oneself in a yuzu hot bath ( = Yuzuyu).


title: Winter solstice

text: An Aggadic legend found in tractate Avodah Zarah 8a puts forth the talmudic hypothesis that Adam first established the tradition of fasting before the winter solstice, and rejoicing afterward, which festival later developed into the Roman Saturnalia and Kalendae.


title: Winter solstice

text: Although the instant of the solstice can be calculated, direct observation of the solstice by amateurs is impossible because the Sun moves too slowly or appears to stand still (the meaning of "solstice"). However, by use of astronomical data tracking, the precise timing of its occurrence is now public knowledge. One cannot directly detect the precise instant of the solstice (by definition, one cannot observe that an object has stopped moving until one later observes that it has not moved further from the preceding spot, or that it has moved in the opposite direction). Furthermore, to be precise to a single day, one must be able to observe a change in azimuth or elevation less than or equal to about 1/60 of the angular diameter of the Sun. Observing that it occurred within a two-day period is easier, requiring an observation precision of only about 1/16 of the angular diameter of the Sun. Thus, many observations are of the day of the solstice rather than the instant. This is often done by observing sunrise and sunset or using an astronomically aligned instrument that allows a ray of light to be cast on a certain point around that time. The earliest sunset and latest sunrise dates differ from winter solstice, however, and these depend on latitude, due to the variation in the solar day throughout the year caused by the Earth's elliptical orbit (see earliest and latest sunrise and sunset).


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: Lights Out is a 2016 American supernatural horror film directed by David F. Sandberg in his directorial debut, produced by Lawrence Grey, James Wan, and Eric Heisserer and written by Heisserer. It stars Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Billy Burke, and Maria Bello. It is based on Sandberg's 2013 short film of the same name and features Lotta Losten, who starred in the short.


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: In the film, a young woman must confront her childhood fears to protect her brother from a vengeful supernatural entity holding a mysterious attachment to their mother. After the short film's success, Sandberg announced a feature film adaptation based on his short film. Principal photography for the film began in June 2015 in Los Angeles. Filming was completed on August 5, 2015.


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: The film had its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 8, 2016, and was released in the United States and Canada on July 22, 2016, by Warner Bros. The film received positive reviews from critics, with many praising the direction, screenplay, acting, cinematography and musical score, and grossed $148million against a budget of $4.9million. A sequel is in development.


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: In a textile factory during closing hours, an employee named Esther encounters a silhouette of a strange woman with claw-like hands when the lights are off, but cannot see it when the lights are on. After she leaves, her boss Paul encounters the woman and tries to run away, but he is killed.


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: Some time later, Paul's son, Martin, witness his mother, Sophie, talking to something in the dark. As Martin goes back to bed, he notices a strange figure in the shadow behind Sophie, and locks himself in his bedroom out of fear. Martin begins to have trouble with staying awake at school. The nurse is unable to get in touch with Sophie to inform her of this, so Paul's stepdaughter (Martin's older half-sibling) Rebecca is called into the school nurse's office. A Child Protective Services agent questions Rebecca about Martin's living conditions, and Rebecca tells the official that Sophie has depression and is taking antidepressants.


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: Martin tells his sister that their mother has been talking to a woman named "Diana". Rebecca assures him that Diana is not real, and that she had also heard their mother talk to the imaginary girl when she was a child. Rebecca gets into an argument with Sophie when she realizes her mother is not taking her medication. Sophie tells Rebecca she has no right to lecture her since she also abandoned her like Rebecca's father. Questioning her mother's sanity, Rebecca takes Martin to her apartment, much to Sophie's despair. That night, Rebecca is woken by the same shadowed woman that killed Paul. She narrowly escapes an attack when she turns the lights on, making the woman disappear. The next morning, Rebecca notices that the name "Diana" has been scratched into her floor, along with a scratch drawing of a stick figure. She remembers finding the same name and drawing as a child and realizes Diana is real.


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: Rebecca finds a box of medical records and research in Paul's office. His findings reveal that her mother was admitted to a mental hospital as a child. While there, she befriended a young patient named Diana. Diana suffered from a severe skin condition that meant she could not go out in sunlight. It was believed that she was evil and was able to "get into people's heads" since Diana's father committed suicide after Diana influenced him to kill himself. In the end, Diana was accidentally killed by the hospital staff when they tried an experimental surgery on her under intense light. Sophie has a conversation with Martin, who was taken back to her mother by the CPS agent, and she decides to allow Martin to meet Diana after turning the light off. However, Martin is fearful and runs away from them.


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: Rebecca, her boyfriend Bret, and Martin stage an intervention with Sophie about how Sophie is letting Diana haunt them. Sophie becomes irate but secretly asks Rebecca for help, as Diana will not let Sophie go. The group stays the night at Sophie's, intending to get her help in the morning. To avoid an attack from Diana during the night, they rig the house to be as brightly lit as possible. This proves useless when Diana cuts the power to the neighborhood. She traps Rebecca and Martin in the basement and attempts to kill Bret. Despite being injured, Bret escapes by shining the headlight of his car and drives away. In the basement, Martin and Rebecca find a black-light; when Rebecca is using it, she clearly sees Diana with it, but realizes it is not powerful enough to ward her off.


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: Bret returns with two police officers. When the officers free Martin and Rebecca from the basement, they also see the shadow of Diana and try to go after her, but she kills them. Rebecca and Martin go out, but Martin insists on getting their mom out as well. Rebecca goes back alone for her mother. As she climbs the stairs, Diana tells Rebecca that she killed Rebecca's father years ago. As Diana prepares to kill her, Sophie appears with a gun from one of the dead officers. Sophie has realized she is the tether for Diana to exist in the real world and kills herself to save Rebecca. As Sophie's body falls, Diana vanishes from existence.


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: After the long night, Bret comforts Martin and Rebecca in an ambulance outside the house, assuring them that Diana is truly gone.


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: Sandberg, along with his wife Lotta Losten, created the initial short film for a film competition. Although the film did not win the competition, the short soon went viral, leading to Sandberg to be contacted by several agents, to the point where he had to develop a spreadsheet to keep track of them all. One of the contacts was Lawrence Grey who wanted to collaborate with James Wan in order to produce a feature-length version. Although Wan enjoyed the short, he was hesitant that it could be turned into a feature until Sandberg produced a treatment for the feature-length version.


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: The move to Hollywood was somewhat hectic for the couple, requiring that Losten quit her day job in order to do so. Once in Hollywood the two were unable to get an apartment due to not having a US credit score, forcing them to rent Airbnb on a monthly basis.


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: In June 2015, Gabriel Bateman and Teresa Palmer were cast in the film as the child and teenager leads. In that same month, Maria Bello was cast in the film as the mother of Bateman and Palmer's characters, alongside Alexander DiPersia as the boyfriend of Palmer's character, Billy Burke as the stepfather of Palmer's character and father of Bateman's character, and Alicia Vela-Bailey as the main antagonist Diana were also starring.


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: Principal photography for the film began in June 2015 in Los Angeles. Filming was completed on August 5, 2015. Sandberg had not worked with a film crew or visited a film set before directing "Lights Out"; he had to ask the first assistant director, "So when do I say action?"


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: Special effects of having the ghost appear and disappear were mostly done by using a split-screen technique as also used in the short. Sandberg said "Whenever she's in frame with another character, it's basically just a split screen. So you shoot it with her and without her. You turn the camera on with her, you turn it off and she walks off, and then you turn it on again. It's super simple, actually." Sandberg also made a list of what he called the "light gags", or different ways to create light sources from flashlights to cell phones and gunfire. In the scene when Diana appears in Rebecca's room, James Wan suggested replacing passing car headlights in an early treatment with the flashing neon sign that appears in the final film.


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: Sandberg originally based the character of Rebecca on a real girl that he knew who was suffering from depression, and who was engaging in self-harm, which is why Rebecca has scars on her arms, but the development of the film made it less about depression and more of a ghost story in which Diana would have been the real person who died and became a ghost. Wan came up with the idea of making Diana the ghost. Rebecca's boyfriend was also given a twist of being a rocker, but is actually committed and responsible, even driving a safe car like a Volvo. Another twist Sandberg liked was making the imaginary friend for the mother rather than the trope of having the friend be for the child.


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: After hearing concerns from critics that the ending of the film was promoting suicide, Sandberg interviewed with "The A.V. Club" where he said he was distressed about that idea, and wanted to explain his position. He said that he originally wanted to make a film about depression, as he has also suffered from it, and that one of his friends had committed suicide. Diana was not a ghost back then, but during the development of the film, it became more of a horror film. It still retained some themes about depression and mental illness. He had originally shot a second ending to the film in which Martin becomes depressed and Diana comes back one more time before she is killed. Test audiences concluded that Sophie's sacrifice would have been in vain.


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: The film had its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 8, 2016. The film also screened at Comic-Con on July 20, 2016, and was released on July 22, 2016.


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: "Lights Out" grossed $67.3 million in the United States and Canada and $81.6 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $148.9 million, against a production budget of $4.9 million.


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: In North America, "Lights Out" was projected to gross $13–15 million from 2,900 theaters in its opening weekend. It made $1.8 million from its Thursday night screenings and $9.2 million on its first day. The film exceeded expectations and earned $21.7 million in its opening weekend, finishing at third place behind fellow newcomer "Star Trek Beyond" and holdover "The Secret Life of Pets".


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: In other territories, the film earned $8.5 million in its opening weekend from 3,737 screens in key markets of Russia and Australia along with 30 smaller Eastern European and Asian markets. The film benefited from being released in the wake of the global success of "The Conjuring 2". It debuted at first place in Russia with $1.7 million. Its other top openings were recorded in South Korea ($3.9 million), France ($1.5 million), the U.K. ($1.4 million) and Spain ($1.1 million). Its biggest earning markets are South Korea ($7.7 million), Mexico ($5.5 million), the U.K. ($4.5 million) and Spain ($3.9 million).


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 76% based on 180 reviews, with a weighted average rating of 6.3/10. The site's critical consensus reads, ""Lights Out" makes skillful use of sturdy genre tropes—and some terrific performances—for an unsettling, fright-filled experience that delivers superior chills without skimping on story." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 58 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: Lucy O'Brien of "IGN" gave the film 7/10, saying: "[w]ith an unnerving monster at its core, great cast and relentless final sequence, "Light's Out" is a debut director Sandberg should be proud of. A clunky script occasionally loosens its grip on the nerves, but chances are Diana will still have you sleeping with the lights on for a good while after leaving the theatre." Richard Roeper of the "Chicago Sun-Times" awarded the film 4 stars out of 4, stating: "[e]ven the most cynical, jaded, seen-it-all-before critic cannot deny certain visceral reactions to a film. "Lights Out" gave me the chills." Justin Lowe of "The Hollywood Reporter" wrote, "[a] surprisingly maternal horror movie that relies as much on fraying emotional bonds as supernatural suspense to create tension, "Lights Out" deals with an array of primal fears that threaten to unravel a family's fundamental relationships, along with their sanity." Jeannette Catsoulis of "The New York Times" wrote, "[s]packling over any copycat cracks with strong acting and fleet editing, "Lights Out" delivers minimalist frights in old-school ways."


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: A few critics were less taken with the film. James Berardinelli of "Reelviews" gave 2 stars out of 4, saying: "[u]nfortunately, the film stumbles, offering too few legitimate scares and displaying an overreliance on traditional horror movie clichés." Berardinelli detested the film's camerawork, described characters as being "thinly drawn", and the screenplay as "spending inordinate amount of time providing a backstory..." Rex Reed of "Observer" gave 1 star out of 4, saying: "the film's screenplay focuses almost entirely on the number of resourceful and ingenious ways the characters dream up to keep the lights on, stave off the next attack and stay alive—lights from candles, flashlights, cellphones, the car in the driveway—before the batteries die; The fun wears out fast and so does the "gotcha" factor."


title: Lights Out (2016 film)

text: In July 2016, a week after the film's release, it was announced that New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures had greenlit a sequel. Heisserer and Sandberg will return to write and direct the film, respectively, while Wan and Lawrence Grey will return to produce under their Atomic Monster and Grey Matter Productions banners.


title: Plants vs. Zombies

text: Plants vs. Zombies is a video game franchise developed by PopCap Games, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts (EA). The series follows the affiliates of David "Crazy Dave" Blazing as they use his plants to defend against a zombie invasion, led by Dr. Edgar George Zomboss. The first game, "Plants vs. Zombies" (2009), was developed and released by PopCap before its acquisition by EA. After PopCap Games's acquisition, EA expanded the game into a franchise with games on many different platforms.


title: Plants vs. Zombies

text: On April 1, 2009, PopCap released a music video for the song "Zombies on Your Lawn" to promote "Plants vs. Zombies". A PopCap spokesperson, Garth Chouteau, revealed in an "IGN" interview that "Plants vs. Zombies" would be released soon on PC and Mac. On April 22, 2009, PopCap released an official game trailer of "Plants vs. Zombies" on YouTube. During the promotion of "Plants vs. Zombies", PopCap released a demo version of the game that could be played for thirty minutes. "Plants vs. Zombies" was officially released on May 5, 2009, for PC and Mac. As of 2013, Plants Vs Zombies, refraining from a $2.99 gameplay, is now free to play on both IOS and Android devices. Critics on mobile devices give the game an average of 4.3-4.8 star rating.


title: Plants vs. Zombies

text: PopCap Games and its assets were bought by EA on July 12, 2011, for 750 million US dollars. Fifty employees were laid off in the Seattle studio of PopCap Games on August 21, 2012, to mark a switch of focus to mobile and social gaming.


title: Plants vs. Zombies

text: On August 20, 2012, PopCap announced that they were working on a sequel to "Plants vs. Zombies". Its release date would be set at late spring of 2013. However, the game's status was in doubt shortly after the announcement when the company went through a period of layoffs.


title: Plants vs. Zombies

text: In May 2013, PopCap Games released a trailer revealing a sequel to the first game, titled "". The game was soft-launched for the iOS in Australia and New Zealand on July 10, 2013, and was officially released on August 14, 2013, as a freemium title. The game featured new locations and plants along with the addition of plant food, a power-up that can be used to enhance a plant for a short period and can either be bought using in-game currency or acquired by defeating zombies that are glowing green. Along with these new add ons, the game continues to make updates from time to time. According to EA News, the Arena, and Penny's Pursuit, which is a sequel within the game, has been one of their latest major updates, aside from all the mini add ons.


title: Plants vs. Zombies

text: In July 2019, EA announced "Plants vs. Zombies 3", another free-to-play mobile title in the series. It was launched in a pre-alpha state for Android in July 2019. The game soft-launched in February 2020 in the Philippines, Romania, and Ireland. It was then made unavailable in October 2020, becoming unplayable in November 2020. EA has plans to release an improved version of the game in the future. On September 7, 2021, "Plants vs. Zombies 3" was soft-launched again with substantial changes, such as two-dimensional graphics and the return of the Sunflower as a plantable plant, having the same purpose in the previous iterations.


title: Plants vs. Zombies

text: A spin-off called "Plants vs. Zombies Adventures" was announced in March 2013 and was released on May 20, 2013 on Facebook. The game added new locations and new plants. It also had a gameplay feature in which the player had a limited amount of plants and had to grow more plants at an in-game farm. In July 2014, it was announced that "Plants vs. Zombies Adventures" would close on October 12, 2014.


title: Plants vs. Zombies

text: "" was announced at E3 2013 as a multiplayer third-person shooter game made for PC and consoles. "Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare" was released on February 25, 2014, in North America and on February 27, 2014, in Europe. A sequel, "", was teased in June 2015 and was officially announced at E3 2015. The game was released on February 23, 2016. On March 10, 2016, PopCap announced "Plants vs. Zombies Heroes", a digital collectible card game in the style of tower defense. It was soft released to certain countries on the same day, and was fully released internationally on October 18, 2016.


title: Plants vs. Zombies

text: In August 2019, a closed beta of a sequel to "Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2" codenamed "Picnic" was made available to select players through invites. On September 4, 2019, EA announced the sequel's title; "". It was released in an early access state that same date. The game was fully released on October 18, 2019.


title: Plants vs. Zombies

text: A cancelled single player "Plants vs. Zombies" game had been in the works within EA from about 2015 to 2017. Known as "Project Hot Tub" in reference to "Hot Tub Time Machine", the game was to have been an action game along the lines of the "Uncharted" series but maintaining its family-friendly nature, featuring two teenage siblings that travelled through time to fight zombies. The game was being developed by PopCap Vancouver. While a vertical slice of the game had been shown off to EA executives in 2017, EA opted to cancel the project to pull in more resources to Visceral Games to support their work on the "Star Wars" game under the name "Project Ragtag", which had been languishing for several years. Despite this, EA cancelled "Project Ragtag" in October 2017, shutting down Visceral Games, and the former PopCap Vancouver team was relocated across other EA studios.


title: Slug

text: Slug, or land slug, is a common name for any apparently shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusc. The word "slug" is also often used as part of the common name of any gastropod mollusc that has no shell, a very reduced shell, or only a small internal shell, particularly sea slugs and semislugs (this is in contrast to the common name "snail", which applies to gastropods that have a coiled shell large enough that they can fully retract their soft parts into it).


title: Slug

text: Various taxonomic families of land slugs form part of several quite different evolutionary lineages, which also include snails. Thus, the various families of slugs are not closely related, despite a superficial similarity in the overall body form. The shell-less condition has arisen many times independently as an example of convergent evolution, and thus the category "slug" is polyphyletic.


title: Slug

text: Of the six orders of Pulmonata, two – the Onchidiacea and Soleolifera – solely comprise slugs. A third family, the Sigmurethra, contains various clades of snails, semi-slugs (i.e. snails whose shells are too small for them to retract fully into) and slugs. The taxonomy of this group is in the process of being revised in light of DNA sequencing. It appears that pulmonates are paraphyletic and basal to the opisthobranchs, which are a terminal branch of the tree. The family Ellobiidae are also polyphyletic.


title: Slug

text: Slugs' bodies are made up mostly of water and, without a full-sized shell, their soft tissues are prone to desiccation. They must generate protective mucus to survive. Many species are most active just after rain because of the moist ground. In drier conditions, they hide in damp places such as under tree bark, fallen logs, rocks and man-made structures, such as planters, to help retain body moisture. Like all other gastropods, they undergo torsion (a 180° twisting of the internal organs) during development. Internally, slug anatomy clearly shows the effects of this rotation—but externally, the bodies of slugs appear more or less symmetrical, except the pneumostome, which is on one side of the animal, normally the right-hand side.


title: Slug

text: Slugs produce two types of mucus: one is thin and watery, and the other thick and sticky. Both kinds are hygroscopic. The thin mucus spreads from the foot's centre to its edges, whereas the thick mucus spreads from front to back. Slugs also produce thick mucus that coats the whole body of the animal. The mucus secreted by the foot contains fibres that help prevent the slug from slipping down vertical surfaces.


title: Slug

text: The "slime trail" a slug leaves behind has some secondary effects: other slugs coming across a slime trail can recognise the slime trail as produced by one of the same species, which is useful in finding a mate. Following a slime trail is also part of the hunting behaviour of some carnivorous slugs. Body mucus provides some protection against predators, as it can make the slug hard to pick up and hold by a bird's beak, for example, or the mucus itself can be distasteful. Some slugs can also produce very sticky mucus which can incapacitate predators and can trap them within the secretion. Some species of slug, such as "Limax maximus", secrete slime cords to suspend a pair during copulation.


title: Slug

text: Slugs are hermaphrodites, having both female and male reproductive organs. Once a slug has located a mate, they encircle each other and sperm is exchanged through their protruded genitalia. A few days later, the slugs lay approximately thirty eggs in a hole in the ground, or beneath the cover of an object such as a fallen log.


title: Slug

text: Apophallation has been reported only in some species of banana slug ("Ariolimax") and one species of "Deroceras". In the banana slugs, the penis sometimes becomes trapped inside the body of the partner. Apophallation allows the slugs to separate themselves by one or both of the slugs chewing off the other's or its own penis. Once the penis has been discarded, banana slugs are still able to mate using only the female parts of the reproductive system.


title: Slug

text: Slugs play an important role in the ecosystem by eating decaying plant material and fungi. Most carnivorous slugs on occasion also eat dead specimens of their own kind.


title: Slug

text: Most species of slugs are generalists, feeding on a broad spectrum of organic materials, including leaves from living plants, lichens, mushrooms, and even carrion. Some slugs are predators and eat other slugs and snails, or earthworms.


title: Slug

text: Slugs can feed on a wide variety of vegetables and herbs, including flowers such as petunias, chrysanthemums, daisies, lobelia, lilies, daffodils, narcissus, gentians, primroses, tuberous begonias, hollyhocks, irises, and fruits such as strawberries. They also feed on carrots, peas, apples, and cabbage that are offered as a sole food source.


title: Slug

text: Slugs from different families are fungivores. It is the case in the Philomycidae (e. g. "Philomycus carolinianus" and "Phylomicus flexuolaris") and "Ariolimacidae" ("Ariolimax californianus"), which respectively feed on slime molds (myxomycetes) and mushrooms (basidiomycetes). Species of mushroom producing fungi used as food source by slugs include milk-caps, "Lactarius" spp., the oyster mushroom, "Pleurotus ostreatus" and the penny bun, "Boletus edulis". Other species pertaining to different genera, such as "Agaricus", "Pleurocybella" and "Russula", are also eaten by slugs. Slime molds used as food source by slugs include "Stemonitis axifera" and "Symphytocarpus flaccidus". Some slugs are selective towards certain parts or developmental stages of the fungi they eat, though this is very variable. Depending on the species and other factors, slugs eat only fungi at specific stages of development. Moreover, in other cases, whole mushrooms can be eaten, without any selection or bias towards ontogenetic stages.


title: Slug

text: Slugs are preyed upon by various vertebrates and invertebrates. The predation of slugs has been the subject of studies for at least a century. Because some species of slugs are considered agricultural pests, research investments have been made to comprehend and investigate potential predators. This is a necessary knowledge to establish biological control strategies.


title: Slug

text: Slugs are preyed upon by virtually every major vertebrate group. With many examples among reptiles, birds, mammals, amphibians and fish, vertebrates can occasionally feed on, or be specialised predators of, slugs. Fish that feed on slugs include the brown trout ("Salmo trutta"), which occasionally feeds on "Arion circumscriptus", an "arionid" slug. Similarly, the shortjaw kokopu ("Galaxias postvectis") includes slugs in its diet. Amphibians such as frogs and toads have long been regarded as important predators of slugs. Among them are species in the genus "Bufo" (e. g. "Bufo marinus") and "Ceratophrys".


title: Slug

text: Reptiles that feed on slugs include mainly snakes and lizards. Some colubrid snakes are known predators of slugs. Coastal populations of the garter snake, "Thamnophis elegans", have a specialised diet consisting of slugs, such as "Ariolimax", while inland populations have a generalized diet. One of its congeners, the Northwestern garter snake ("Thamnophis ordinoides"), is not a specialized predator of slugs but occasionally feeds on them. The redbelly snake ("Storeria occipitomaculata") and the brown snake ("Storeria dekayi") feed mainly but not solely on slugs, while some species in the genus "Dipsas"/"Sibynomorphus" (e.g. "Sibynomorphus neuwiedi") and the common slug eater snake ("Duberria lutrix"), are exclusively slug eaters. Several lizards include slugs in their diet. This is the case in the slowworm ("Anguis fragilis"), the bobtail lizard ("Tiliqua rugosa"), the she-oak skink ("Cyclodomorphus casuarinae") and the common lizard ("Zootoca vivipara").


title: Slug

text: Birds that prey upon slugs include common blackbirds ("Turdus merula"), starlings ("Sturnus vulgaris"), rooks ("Corvus frugilegus"), jackdaws ("Corvus monedula"), owls, vultures and ducks. Studies on slug predation also cite fieldfares (feeding on "Deroceras reticulatum"), redwings (feeding on "Limax" and "Arion"), thrushes (on "Limax" and "Arion ater"), red grouse (on "Deroceras" and "Arion hortensis"), game birds, wrynecks (on "Limax flavus"), rock doves and charadriiform birds as slug predators.


title: Slug

text: Beetles in the family Carabidae, such as "Carabus violaceus" and "Pterostichus melanarius", are known to feed on slugs.


title: Slug

text: Slugs are parasitised by several organisms, including acari and a wide variety of nematodes. The slug mite, "Riccardoella limacum", is known to parasitise several dozen species of molluscs, including many slugs, such as "Agriolimax agrestis", "Arianta arbustrum", "Arion ater", "Arion hortensis", "Limax maximus", "Milax budapestensis", "Milax gagates", and "Milax sowerbyi". "R. limacum" can often be seen swarming about their host's body, and live in its respiratory cavity.


title: Slug

text: Several species of nematodes are known to parasitise slugs. The nematode worms "Agfa flexilis" and "Angiostoma limacis" respectively live in the salivary glands and rectum of "Limax maximus". Species of widely known medical importance pertaining to the genus "Angiostrongylus" are also parasites of slugs. Both "Angiostrongylus costaricensis" and "Angiostrongylus cantonensis", a meningitis-causing nematode, have larval stages that can only live in molluscs, including slugs, such as "Limax maximus".


title: Slug

text: Insects such as dipterans are known parasitoids of molluscs. To complete their development, many dipterans use slugs as hosts during their ontogeny. Some species of blow-flies (Calliphoridae) in the genus "Melinda" are known parasitoids of Arionidae, Limacidae and Philomycidae. Flies in the family Phoridae, specially those in the genus "Megaselia", are parasitoids of Agriolimacidae, including many species of "Deroceras". House flies in the family Muscidae, mainly those in the genus "Sarcophaga", are facultative parasitoids of Arionidae.


title: Slug

text: When attacked, slugs can contract their body, making themselves harder and more compact and more still and round. By doing this, they become firmly attached to the substrate. This, combined with the slippery mucus they produce, makes slugs more difficult for predators to grasp. The unpleasant taste of the mucus is also a deterrent. Slugs can also incapacitate predators through the production of a highly sticky and elastic mucus which can trap predators in the secretion.


title: Slug

text: Some species present different response behaviors when attacked, such as the Kerry slug. In contrast to the general behavioral pattern, the Kerry slug retracts its head, lets go of the substrate, rolls up completely, and stays contracted in a ball-like shape. This is a unique feature among all the Arionidae, and among most other slugs. Some slugs can self-amputate (autotomy) a portion of their tail to help the slug escape from a predator. Some slug species hibernate underground during the winter in temperate climates, but in other species, the adults die in the autumn.


title: Slug

text: Intra- and inter-specific agonistic behavior is documented, but varies greatly among slug species. Slugs often resort to aggression, attacking both conspecifics and individuals from other species when competing for resources. This aggressiveness is also influenced by seasonality, because the availability of resources such as shelter and food may be compromised due to climatic conditions. Slugs are prone to attack during the summer, when the availability of resources is reduced. During winter, the aggressive responses are substituted by a gregarious behavior.


title: Slug

text: The great majority of slug species are harmless to humans and to their interests, but a small number of species are serious pests of agriculture and horticulture. They can destroy foliage faster than plants can grow, thus killing even fairly large plants. They also feed on fruits and vegetables prior to harvest, making holes in the crop, which can make individual items unsuitable to sell for aesthetic reasons, and can make the crop more vulnerable to rot and disease. Excessive buildup of slugs within some wastewater treatment plants with inadequate screening have been found to cause process issues resulting in increased energy and chemical use.


title: Slug

text: As control measures, baits are commonly used in both agriculture and the garden. In recent years, iron phosphate baits have emerged and are preferred over the more toxic metaldehyde, especially because domestic or wild animals may be exposed to the bait. The environmentally safer iron phosphate has been shown to be at least as effective as baits. Methiocarb baits are no longer widely used. Parasitic nematodes ("Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita") are a commercially available biological control method that are effective against a wide range of common slug species. The nematodes are applied in water and actively seek out slugs in the soil and infect them, leading to the death of the slug. This control method is suitable for use in organic growing systems.


title: Slug

text: Other slug control methods are generally ineffective on a large scale, but can be somewhat useful in small gardens. These include beer traps, diatomaceous earth, crushed eggshells, coffee grounds, and copper. Salt kills slugs by causing water to leave the body owing to osmosis but this is not used for agricultural control as soil salinity is detrimental to crops. Conservation tillage worsens slug infestations. Hammond et al 1999 find maize/corn and soybean in the US to be more severely affected under low till because this increases organic matter, thus providing food and shelter.


title: Slug

text: In a few rare cases, humans have developed "Angiostrongylus cantonensis"-induced meningitis from eating raw slugs. Live slugs that are accidentally eaten with improperly cleaned vegetables (such as lettuce), or improperly cooked slugs (for use in recipes requiring larger slugs such as banana slugs), can act as a vector for a parasitic infection in humans.


title: Lyca Productions

text: Lyca Productions is an Indian entertainment company, which was established by Subaskaran Allirajah in 2014. A subgroup of Lycamobile, the production studio has been involved in the production and distribution of Tamil films made in India. It has produced some of Tamil cinema's biggest budget films, such as "2.0" (2018) and "" (2022).


title: Lyca Productions

text: "Pirivom Santhippom" (2008) was the first film produced by A. Subhaskaran under Gnanam films. Lyca Productions chose to collaborate with Ayngaran International to produce and signed on AR Murugadoss and Vijay to be a part of their debut project. A social drama tackling the issue of farmers committing suicide due to corporate encroachment, "Kaththi" was shot throughout early 2014 with Samantha and Neil Nitin Mukesh signed on for other pivotal roles. As the film announced its release plans, several pro-Tamil pressure groups demanded all references to Lyca Productions to be removed from the title and other publicity material. The groups felt it was unacceptable that a business house, allegedly reported to be connected to Mahinda Rajapaksa , would be allowed to produce a Tamil movie in Tamil Nadu when the Tamil Nadu Assembly, citing human rights violations during the civil war in the island nation, had already passed a resolution seeking severance of business ties with Sri Lanka. Unable to reach a compromise with the pressure groups, and fearing a boycott and violence, Lyca Productions chose to remove its name from the copies released in India. "Kaththi" consequently managed to release in October 2014 to positive reviews, with Rediff.com stating that the film "entertains with a message", while Sify.com similarly stated that it was a "well made entertainer with a powerful message". The film became a very profitable venture at the box office for Lyca Productions, grossing over 100 crore rupees within two weeks of release.


title: Lyca Productions

text: In late 2015, Lyca Productions agreed a deal with Dhanush for the worldwide distribution rights of two of his productions, "Naanum Rowdydhaan" (2015) and "Visaranai" (2016). The movie was also met with protests, though "Naanum Rowdydhaan" released without any problems and also became a profitable venture for the studio. Also throughout 2015, Lyca Productions worked on the pre-production of "2.0", a sequel to Shankar's earlier "Enthiran" (2010), and signed on Rajinikanth and Amy Jackson to feature in key roles. Believed to be the most expensive Indian production of all time, the team also negotiated for several months with Arnold Schwarzenegger for a role in the film, but eventually did not sign him. The studio also launched another film titled "Enakku Innoru Per Irukku" with G. V. Prakash Kumar in the lead role during December 2015.


title: Lyca Productions

text: In addition to the films produced by Lyca Productions since 2014, the following films from other banners were distributed by the company:


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: Freeform is an American basic cable channel owned and operated by ABC Family Worldwide, a sub-division of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of the Walt Disney Company. Freeform primarily broadcasts programming geared toward teenagers and young adults – with some skewing toward young women – in the 14–34 age range, a target demographic designated by the channel as "becomers". Its programming includes contemporary off-network syndicated reruns and original series, feature films, and made-for-TV original movies.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: Since the network was launched on April 29, 1977, it has undergone various changes to its programming format and naming under 4 different owners. The network was originally founded as a religious channel, the CBN Satellite Service—an extension of televangelist Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network. It evolved into a family-focused entertainment network in 1981. It was spun off into a for-profit company known as International Family Entertainment (IFE) in 1990, eventually becoming known as The Family Channel. As a condition of the spin-off, the channel was contractually required to maintain airings of "The 700 Club" and an annual telethon the last Sunday in January; these conditions have applied to all future owners of the channel.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: In 1997, IFE and the Family Channel were acquired by a joint venture between News Corporation and Haim Saban. This resulted in its rebranding as the Fox Family Channel a year later. The new owners wanted to reposition the network toward younger viewers as a companion for the popular Fox Kids Network. The venture was sold to Disney in October 2001 after the network began to struggle as a result of their changes. The channel altered its name to ABC Family one month later on November 10, 2001. On October 6, 2015, Disney–ABC Television Group announced that the network would be rebranded as Freeform, officially adopting that name on January 12, 2016.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: As of January 2016, Freeform is available to 92 million households in the United States. The network's president reports to the chairman of ABC Television Studios and ABC Entertainment.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: The channel traces its origins to the launch of the CBN Satellite Service (CBN Satellite Network), an arm of Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), on April 29, 1977. Focusing mainly on religious programming, the channel was notable for being one of the first cable channels to distribute its signal nationally through satellite transmission (the third overall, as the method had been first pioneered by HBO in September 1975) as well as the first national basic cable-originated network (TBS – which became the second cable channel in the U.S. to begin transmitting via satellite in December 1976 – originated as a feed of broadcast television station WTCG (now WPCH-TV) in Atlanta, Georgia). The channel changed its name to the CBN Cable Network on September 1, 1981, and adopted a more secular programming format featuring a mix of family-oriented series and films while retaining some religious programs from various televangelists (mirroring the format used by CBN's independent television stations of that time). Around this time, the channel began airing a late night block of classic family oriented shows like "You Bet Your Life" with Groucho Marx, "I Married Joan", and "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis". This block of programming is said by some to have inspired the 1985 debut of the Nick at Nite classic TV block on Nickelodeon. By this point, its carriage grew to 10.9 million homes with a cable television subscription.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: On January 1, 1988, the word "Family" was incorporated into the channel's name to better reflect its programming format, rebranding as The CBN Family Channel. By 1990, the network had grown too profitable to remain under the Christian Broadcasting Network umbrella without endangering the ministry's non-profit status. On January 8 of that year, CBN spun out the network into a new, for-profit corporation known as International Family Entertainment (IFE). Managed by Pat Robertson's eldest son Timothy, IFE was co-owned by the Robertsons, with a minority interest held by Liberty Media and Tele-Communications Inc. (TCI) owner John C. Malone. Following the spin-off, the channel's name was officially shortened to The Family Channel on September 15, 1990.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: As a stipulation included as part of the spin-out from CBN to International Family Entertainment, The Family Channel was required to continue its daily airings of CBN's flagship program, "The 700 Club". During this time, from 1994 to 1997, The Family Channel sponsored NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver Ted Musgrave in the #16 Ford Thunderbird for Roush Racing.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: In 1997, after International Family Entertainment put The Family Channel up for sale, News Corporation made an offer to acquire the channel. The company aimed to turn The Family Channel into a competitor to children's cable networks such as Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, leveraging the library of Fox Kids Worldwide (which was a joint venture between Fox and Haim Saban). News Corp negotiated to purchase a stake in the channel, with IFE as a partner. After competing bids were submitted by Nickelodeon parent Viacom and The Walt Disney Company (parent of fellow competitor Disney Channel) to acquire IFE as a whole, News Corporation placed its own bid to buy the company for $1.8 billion. On June 11, 1997, International Family Entertainment was acquired by the Fox/Saban consortium, renamed Fox Family Worldwide, for $1.9 billion. The Family Channel was officially renamed Fox Family Channel on August 15, 1998.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: When Fox Family Worldwide bought the channel, the management team assigned to the network (headed by newly appointed president and chief executive officer Rich Cronin) sought to re-program it towards a new dual audience – kids in daytime, families at night. Notable programs aired during this era included "S Club 7 in Miami"—a sitcom serving as a starring vehicle for the eponymous British pop group, and "Big Wolf on Campus". "The New York Times" classified both series as being among a larger wave of television programming catered towards children aged 9 through 14—also referred to as tweens. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were also a prominent fixture of Fox Family's schedule: "The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley" and reruns of their short-lived ABC sitcom "Two of a Kind", received frequent airplay by the channel. Fox Family also planned to premiere a new original sitcom starring the twins, "So Little Time", in June 2001. Airings of "The 700 Club" were scaled back to three per day. However, this youth-oriented programming strategy alienated the network's core audience of older viewers; there was a 35% drop in prime time viewership, and Fox Family fell from 10th to 17th place in overall Nielsen cable network viewership numbers. In 1999, Fox Family spun off two networks, the Boyz Channel and the Girlz Channel, which both contained programming content targeted at the respective audiences. Both networks shut down after one year of operation due to a lack of demand by cable providers (each only had 100,000 subscribers), and Fox's desire to invest more heavily in the parent channel.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: In the wake of Fox Family's struggles, Saban offered to acquire the stake in the network held by News Corporation (which had also begun negotiations to acquire television provider DirecTV), but was unable to agree to a proper valuation. A decision was made to sell the venture to a third-party.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: On July 23, 2001, it was announced that News Corporation and Saban had agreed to sell Fox Family Worldwide to The Walt Disney Company for $2.9 billion in cash, plus the assumption of $2.3 billion in debt. The sale gave Disney control of the Fox Family Channel, Saban Entertainment, and the international Fox Kids cable networks controlled by Fox Family Worldwide, among other assets. Analysts felt that Disney's purchase of Fox Family was influenced by the ongoing consolidation occurring in the media industry, such as the then-recently completed merger of AOL and Time Warner, and a desire to acquire a new pay-TV outlet that had significant carriage – at the time of the purchase, the network was seen in 83 million homes. On November 11, 2001, it was announced that the network would be renamed ABC Family in January 2002, co-branding it with the company's flagship television property, ABC. Disney planned to perform layoffs at the network in order to reduce redundancy.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: Disney planned to maintain the off-network ABC sitcoms Fox Family had acquired, and add reruns of ABC and Touchstone Television-distributed series such as "According to Jim", "My Wife and Kids" and "Whose Line Is It Anyway?". There were initially plans to create a version of ABC's TGIF block for the channel as well. Disney originally planned to use the channel to show reruns of current ABC programming, although this strategy was hindered by the fact that ABC did not hold syndication rights to all of its programming at the time. The company developed a programming strategy to turn ABC Family into a "broad-appeal programming network with its own identity", picking up same-season encores of ABC series such as "Alias", "Less Than Perfect," and "Life with Bonnie"; adding a weeknight sitcom block; and continuing to emphasize movies – having already reached a 10-year agreement for the cable rights to "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". The network also announced plans to develop new original series, though several series that originated on the channel under the Fox Family identity were canceled (such as the 1960s-set period dramedy "State of Grace"), and the channel scaled back its made-for-cable movie output.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: The next major plan was to reposition the channel to market it toward college students, young women, or at a more hip audience under the name "XYZ," a reverse reference to ABC. Disney-ABC chose not to move forward with the "XYZ" rebranding, rumoredly due to a stipulation thought to have been put in place by Pat Robertson during the sale of the network to Fox, which rumoredly mandated that the word "Family" must be contained in the name of the channel for the entirety of its existence, regardless as to who owns it. The network was also used as a buffer to burn off failed ABC series, such as the reality competition series "All American Girl", which featured former Spice Girls member Geri Halliwell. The network's strength was also increased through the production of original series and films.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: Disney continued to be subject to stipulations requiring CBN programming, including that "The 700 Club" be aired thrice daily on the network. On August 29, 2005, Disney began distancing itself further from Robertson following his controversial remarks suggesting that Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez should be assassinated. An ABC Family spokesperson stated that it had no editorial control over "The 700 Club" and that the company "strongly rejects the views expressed by Pat Robertson." Following the incident, the disclaimers aired before CBN programs on ABC Family were also amended with a more explicit statement indicating that the views expressed during the programs did not reflect those of the channel.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: On August 7, 2006, ABC Family introduced a new slogan and imaging campaign, "A New Kind of Family". The rebranding coincided with a new original programming strategy, which targeted the teen and young adult demographics with series incorporating diverse portrayals of family lives, as well as teen dramas. At this time, ABC Family discontinued Jetix, an action-oriented morning children's block that debuted on the network in 2004, relegating the block exclusive to sister channel Toon Disney.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: New original series, such as the fantasy drama "Kyle XY", college-set dramedy "Greek", and drama series "The Secret Life of the American Teenager", proved popular for the network; the premieres of "Kyle XY" and "Secret Life" set viewership records for the channel. In July 2009, the network earned its best-ever ratings for the month of July in primetime and in total viewership, credited to the strength of "Secret Life" and new series "Make It or Break It", "10 Things I Hate About You" and "Ruby & the Rockits", along with airings of the "Harry Potter" film franchise and the television premiere of "Labor Pains".


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: On June 8, 2010, ABC Family premiered "Pretty Little Liars" – a teen drama based on the series of young-adult mystery novels by Sara Shepard. "Pretty Little Liars" quickly became ABC Family's flagship program, frequently breaking ratings records; by 2014, "Pretty Little Liars" had ranked among the five most-watched scripted series on basic cable among multiple female age demographics, and the second-highest rated cable series among females 12–34. Throughout the year, ABC Family as a whole experienced its highest year-to-year primetime viewership among viewers in the 12-34 and 18-34 demographics. With 4.9 million viewers across its first broadcast and an encore airing, the 2011 premiere of "Switched at Birth" surpassed "Secret Life" as the most-watched series premiere in network history.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: Owing to his success at ABC Family, The Walt Disney Company promoted network president Paul Lee to become president of the ABC Entertainment Group in July 2010, adding the main ABC network and ABC Studios to his oversight. Lee resigned from the company in February 2016 and was replaced by Channing Dungey.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: In a December 3, 2014, article, "Variety" reported that ABC Family executives were proposing a relaunch of the network that would occur as early as 2015, including the expansion of programming appealing more toward young adults between the ages of 14 and 34 as opposed to families or teenagers, as well as adopting new branding (including a new name), among the options being considered. During the channel's 2015–16 upfront presentation on April 14, 2015, ABC Family executives announced that it would establish a focus on "becomers," a group termed by network representatives to refer to what are normally identified as "millennials". ABC Family president Tom Ascheim explained in describing this demographic, "The most important question that young people ask themselves as they're going from high school to their thirties is, 'Who am I becoming?' So we call the life stage 'becoming' and the people going through it Becomers".


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: On October 6, 2015, Disney–ABC Television Group announced that ABC Family would be rebranded as Freeform. Ascheim explained that "Freeform" was intended to represent how "becomers" are in the "formation" of their lives and that the brand would reflect a participatory experience for viewers across multiple platforms. An extensive campaign to promote the rebrand kicked off on the date of the announcement and encompassed the network's popular 31 Nights of Halloween and 25 Days of Christmas blocks during the fourth quarter of that year. The new name – which was chosen among 3,000 proposals, with some initial consideration of retaining "ABC" in the name – was necessitated after an audience survey that sampled opinions of regular ABC Family viewers as well those who watched the channel on an infrequent basis, revealed that although regular viewers understood the network's youth-skewing concept, non-frequent viewers perceived the channel as still being more of a "wholesome" family-oriented network.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: At the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour on January 9, 2016, in addressing the reasoning behind the name (which had been derided by some viewers on social media and news websites reporting on the pending rebrand), ABC Family president Tom Ascheim noted that while it does not mind the "wholesome" perception, it does "not necessarily represent" the network. While it was rumored that the sale of the network from International Family Entertainment to Fox contained a stipulation that the channel must contain "Family" in its name in perpetuity, regardless of its owner (as supported by the failed proposal to relaunch the channel as "XYZ"), in initially announcing the channel's rebranding, Ascheim clarified that this was merely an urban legend as no such clause has been corroborated to have existed.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: The rebranding as Freeform took effect on January 12, 2016, coinciding with the premiere of the second half of "Pretty Little Liars" sixth season, and the series premiere of "Shadowhunters", a fantasy drama based on Cassandra Clare's novel series "The Mortal Instruments". As Freeform, the channel plans to double the amount of original programming on its schedule through 2020; however, despite firmly focusing on its specified target audience, Freeform would continue to carry much of the existing programming it aired beforehand under the ABC Family brand, including family-oriented series and films, and its annual "25 Days of Christmas" and "31 Nights of Halloween" events.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: Although the socially conservative views expressed during the programs conflict with the culturally progressive/adult content of some of the channel's secular programming, Freeform also retained "The 700 Club" and "The 700 Club Interactive" (along with CBN's day-long telethon on the last Sunday in January), as network executives were not able to reach an agreement with Pat Robertson to buy out CBN's time-buy contract with the channel (Disney–ABC offered to pay $42 million – roughly the same amount that the ministry earned in revenue during 2015 from syndication fees for "The 700 Club" and various related productions – to terminate the agreement with the Christian Broadcasting Network, though Robertson stipulated a higher payout that Ascheim deemed "astronomical" in comparison to its actual value). The network airs disclaimers before and after the show airs, mentioning that the network did not produce the programming, and they’re often delivered in a sardonic tone similar to the bumpers on Adult Swim. The disclaimers range from apologizing for carrying the program, suggesting viewers change the channel, and referencing the network’s contractual obligation to carry the program.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: On April 7, 2016, Freeform ordered a series from ABC Signature and Marvel Television based on the comic book series "Cloak and Dagger", marking the first work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to have been developed for the network. Marvel Television had a Cloak and Dagger and Mockingbird-based series in development for the network as early as 2011. Freeform also announced several new non-scripted productions in development, including "Later Bitches", a new late-night talk show produced by "The Daily Show" alumni Jennifer Flanz and Elise Terrel, an untitled late-night talk show starring Iliza Shlesinger, and "Snapshots"—a series of pop culture-oriented documentaries co-produced by ESPN Films. Shlesinger's new show, "Truth & Iliza", premiered on May 2, 2017. In October 2017, the channel indicated that it would go to four nights of original programming starting in 2018.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: On January 18, 2018, Freeform unveiled a new logo and slogan, "A Little Forward", which officially debuted on March 6, 2018. The new slogan reflects refinements to the network's programming direction, with a larger focus on "forward-looking" series (such as "The Bold Type" and the "Black-ish" spin-off "Grown-ish"). President Tom Ascheim explained that with the rebranding, Freeform was "purposefully and passionately moving our brand forward by defying expectations and dismantling conventions; busting stereotypes of theme, cast and culture in service to a more inclusive world on and off screen." The network also unveiled upcoming series in development, such as Scott Stewart's "Augs", as well as a new trailer and June 7, 2018 premiere date for "Marvel's Cloak and Dagger".


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: On November 26, 2018, Freeform's president Karey Burke was promoted to president of the ABC Entertainment Group to replace the outgoing Channing Dungey. Burke's replacement at Freeform was to be determined at a later date. On March 27, 2019, Freeform announced that the channel was placing two animated series into development called "Betches" and "Woman World". These were the network's first original animated series since changing its name from ABC Family, and served as the foundation of a female-oriented animation block.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: In May 2020, former Netflix executive Tara Duncan—who was signed to an overall deal with sister streaming service Hulu in April 2020—became the new president of Freeform, replacing the departing Ascheim (who left to join Warner Bros. Kids, Young Adults and Classics).


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: In April 2022, the network began a larger expansion into non-scripted programming, announcing the projects "Day to Night" (later retitled "The Come Up"), "Dear Pony: Keep This Between Us" —a documentary on child grooming in American high schools, and "The Deep End"—a documentary on Teal Swan.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: On September 12, 2022, Freeform underwent a second rebranding initiated by Duncan and designed by Collins, which launched alongside the premiere of "The Come Up." The logo consists of a wordmark with curved cut-outs in its "F" lettering, intended to create illusory motions; Freeform's senior vice president of content marketing Joe Ortiz explained that the designs were intended to reflect "the ability to change and an openness to change", and "[create] a sense we are never static and always growing."


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: Outside of prime time, Freeform as of October 2022 offers a slate of mostly reruns of contemporary comedy series and animated sitcom series, such as "Family Guy", "The Simpsons", and "The Office. The channel previously aired "America's Funniest Home Videos" in 1997-98, Fuentes and Fugelsang episodes in 2001-03, Saget episodes from 1994-97 in 2005-2007, Bergeron episodes in 2007–14, and "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" in 2002–10.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: The channel also produces some original programming, which as of November 2022 includes shows such as "Grown-ish", "Good Trouble", "Cruel Summer", and "Single Drunk Female". Until the debuts of "Melissa & Joey" (which ran from 2010 to 2015), "Baby Daddy" (which ran from 2012 to 2017), "Young and Hungry" (which ran from 2014 to 2018) and "Grown-ish" (which ran from 2018 to present), Freeform (as ABC Family) had long faced minimal success with its original sitcoms, with its drama series often outlasting its comedies.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: Freeform airs its original drama series on Monday and/or Tuesday nights, and since 2011 (beginning under the former ABC Family brand), has aired its comedy series on Wednesdays. The channel airs first-run episodes of its original series mainly between January and August, with films generally airing in their place during prime time on the aforementioned nights from September to December (the only exception since 2010, have been annual Halloween episodes of "Pretty Little Liars" that air as part of the 13 Nights of Halloween in October as well as the debut of the first third of season one (and the only season) of "Ravenswood" in October 2013), the first ten episodes (or as few as eight for new series) of each season of its original programs air consecutively, the season's remaining episodes are broadcast following a hiatus of four to six months. Dating back to its existence as ABC Family, Freeform typically only reruns episodes of its original series in a marathon that airs prior to a season premiere, mid-season or season finale, or other special occasion, though the channel does air encore presentations of its shows that typically preempt programs that normally air at 7:00 and 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time during the rest of the week on these nights (with the previous week's episode airing in the former time slot prior to the newest episode and a same-night encore of the newest episode on the evening of an episode premiere in the latter time slot).


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: Freeform airs movies in prime time on Thursday and Friday nights (and if no original series are scheduled, Mondays, Tuesdays and/or Wednesdays as well), along with a day-long schedule of films on weekends from as early as 7:00 a.m. (sometimes later, such as around 7:30 a.m. or 8:00 a.m.) to as late as 2:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturdays and Sundays.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: As of 2019, Freeform features a mix of animated and live action films from film divisions Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, 20th Century Studios, Searchlight Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, and Blue Sky Studios.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: Freeform also shows sub-runs (runs of films that have already received broadcast or syndicated television airings) of theatrical films from other studios such as Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures (barring Nickelodeon Movies titles), Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, HiT Entertainment, Lionsgate, and DreamWorks Pictures.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: Freeform has purchased the cable television rights to many film series, such as the "Harry Potter" series (which ABC and Disney Channel also hold rights to), 2004's "A Cinderella Story" (and the direct to video sequels, "Another Cinderella Story", "", and "") and most recently the "Legally Blonde" film series (after securing rights to the 2009 made-for-DVD release "Legally Blondes").


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: The channel also produces its own original made-for-TV movies (targeting a slightly older audience than those aired by sister network Disney Channel); some of Freeform's most popular original movies include "Night of the Twisters" (the channel's first original movie, which premiered in 1996 during its existence as The Family Channel), "Holiday in Handcuffs", the "Au Pair" trilogy, "Ice Angel", and "Cyberbully" (which premiered on the channel under either the Fox Family or ABC Family identities). As Freeform, the channel has had original movies such as "Angry Angel", "The Truth About Christmas", "Life-Size 2", "No Sleep 'Til Christmas", "Turkey Drop", and "Ghosting: The Spirit of Christmas". ABC Family, the channel has also recently been generating high levels of viewers with its weekend movie events; the "Harry Potter Weekend" block in July 2009 generated some of the highest levels of viewers for its weekend events for the year to date. ABC Family's airing of "The Hunger Games" on October 10, 2014, was one of the channel's most watched telecasts for a single film, being seen by nearly 1.9 million viewers.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: Freeform is becoming known for airing previews of upcoming movies, as it has done for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", "Hairspray," and "Stardust".


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: The channel has also aired select Disney Channel Original Movies in recent years, including the 2008 movie "Camp Rock" the 2011 films "Lemonade Mouth" and "", and the 2017 movie Descendants 2, which are also four of only five Disney Channel movies to air domestically on a non-Disney Channel branded network. ("Cadet Kelly" is the other, having aired on "The Wonderful World of Disney" in 2002.) This has become somewhat more prevalent since the channel's January 2016 rebranding to Freeform, which has also seen the channel air such popular Disney Channel films as "High School Musical".


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: Freeform aired the Olivia Rodrigo film "Driving Home 2 U" on May 14, 2022. It was the first time that a Disney+ original movie ever aired on Freeform (and thus, any linear television channel).


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: From 2000 to 2001, Fox Family aired a weekly Major League Baseball game on Thursday nights during the league's regular season (a game that had previously aired nationwide on Fox Sports Net from 1997 to 1999), as well as select Division Series games. As part of its purchase of Fox Family, in addition to that game, Disney acquired the MLB cable television rights that were also held by Fox Family's then-sister channel FX. ESPN assumed the production responsibilities for the two game packages beginning with the 2002 MLB season, although the game telecasts remained on ABC Family for one additional year, before ESPN struck a deal to move those playoff games to its flagship network starting the following year (although the games aired on Disney-owned networks, Fox kept the exclusive negotiation to renew the contract after the 2006 season; Fox chose not to renew their rights to the Division Series, which went to TBS as part of its new baseball contract). The Division Series games broadcast on the network were simulcast on local broadcast television stations in the home markets of the participating teams.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: For the 2020 NFL season, ESPN plans to air an alternate broadcast of its wild card game on Freeform, alongside simulcasts on ABC, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes; this will mark the first live sports telecast of any kind on the channel since 2002 (when the channel was known as ABC Family).


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: On October 26, 2011, The Walt Disney Company and Toronto-based media company Corus Entertainment entered into a partnership to launch a Canadian version of ABC Family, ABC Spark, which launched on March 23, 2012. The channel, which is licensed by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission as a Category B specialty channel (which under CRTC rules, allows Canadian digital cable and direct-broadcast satellite providers to optionally choose to carry the channel), is aimed at teenagers and young adults between 15 and 34 years of age.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: The ABC Spark name was purposefully chosen to avoid conflicts with premium service Family Channel. Before the exclusive Canadian television rights to their programming formally transferred to Corus in January 2016 (through a broader deal struck in April 2015 that involved the launches of domestic English and French language versions of the three channels as sisters to ABC Spark), Family maintained a licensing agreement with Disney Channels Worldwide that gave it territorial rights to the programming libraries of Disney Channel, Disney Junior (as well as its predecessor preschool programming block, Playhouse Disney), and Disney XD (Allarcom and First Choice first proposed the "Family Channel" name for the Canadian service in 1987, and jointly launched it in September 1988, one month after the American channel changed its name to The CBN Family Channel).


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: While ABC Spark did not follow the lead of its U.S. counterpart and change its name to Freeform, it did adopt similar branding elements.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: In 1993, International Family Entertainment, in partnership with Flextech, launched an international version of The Family Channel in the United Kingdom, featuring a mix of original family-oriented programming, reruns of American series and programming from the MTM Enterprises/TVS library. In April 1996, International Family Entertainment sold its 61% controlling interest to Flextech, giving that company full control of the channel. On February 3, 1997, the network was relaunched as Challenge TV, which changed the network's primary focus to game shows.


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: With the 2006 introduction of new shows to the network by Disney, some parents reacted negatively to ABC Family's programming, feeling that the network has gone from family-friendly to "too risqué," and that content in shows such as "Greek", "The Secret Life of the American Teenager", "The Fosters," and "Becoming Us" was far too racy for family viewing. Some critics claimed that ABC Family executives were only after attracting viewers, without concern about showing young people in questionable scenarios in its series and films. The main focus of the criticism was on teenage pregnancy, underage drinking, and LGBT-related issues. The channel's programming content standards had changed several years earlier after the sale of the channel by Pat Robertson and International Family Entertainment. The channel had even aired some acquired series and movies that contained profanity, violence, and sexual content or dialogue after the sale to News Corporation, only running this programming somewhat more so since being purchased by The Walt Disney Company as it chose to refocus the channel more towards a teen and young adult audience to reduce programming redundancy with its existing family-, children-, and teen-oriented cable network Disney Channel. Parental advisory tags had aired at the beginning of some TV-14 rated programs aired on the channel in recent years, such as "That '70s Show" and some episodes of "The Secret Life of the American Teenager", "Pretty Little Liars", "Twisted," and "The Fosters".


title: Freeform (TV channel)

text: Audience testing conducted by the network revealed that some infrequent viewers thought the channel was still aimed specifically at families, resulting in Disney–ABC's decision to rebrand the channel as Freeform. Network president Ascheim refuted the longstanding claim regarding the inclusion of "Family" in the name, and acknowledged the network's shift away from a strictly family-oriented focus in the years leading up to the name change.


title: Quark (dairy product)

text: Quark or quarg is a type of fresh dairy product made from milk. The milk is soured, usually by adding lactic acid bacteria cultures, and strained once the desired curdling is achieved. It can be classified as fresh acid-set cheese. Traditional quark can be made without rennet, but in modern dairies small quantities of rennet are typically added. It is soft, white and unaged, and usually has no salt added. It is traditional in the cuisines of Baltic, Germanic and Slavic-speaking countries.


title: Quark (dairy product)

text: Dictionaries sometimes translate it as curd cheese, cottage cheese, farmer cheese or junket. In Germany, quark and cottage cheese are considered to be different types of fresh cheese and quark is often not considered cheese at all, while in Eastern Europe cottage cheese is usually viewed as a type of quark (e.g. Russian for cottage cheese is "зернёный творог" "zernyony tvorog", literally "grainy quark").


title: Quark (dairy product)

text: Quark is similar to French fromage blanc. It is distinct from Italian ricotta because ricotta (Italian "recooked") is made from scalded whey. Quark is somewhat similar to yogurt cheeses such as the South Asian "chak(k)a", the Arabic labneh, and the Central Asian suzma or kashk, but while these products are obtained by straining yogurt (milk fermented with thermophile bacteria), quark is made from soured milk fermented with mesophile bacteria.


title: Quark (dairy product)

text: Quark is possibly described by Tacitus in his book "Germania" as "lac concretum" ("thick milk"), eaten by Germanic peoples. However, this could also have meant soured milk or any other kind of fresh cheese or fermented milk product.