Hotel Tansylvania, Delivery Man & The Change-up: Parenthood

I. Talk to a partner:

1. Do you have children? Talk about them.

2. What were (are) the most difficult moments while raising your child? 

3. If you don't have a child, what do you think your greatest challenges would be?

II. Here is a list of what a research showed parents believe were/are their greatest concerns about parenthood. Talk to a friend a write 1 to 5. 5 being extremely difficult and 1  no  concern at all.

• Sleepless nights
• Having patience
• Getting children to eat the right foods
• Give your child what they want without spoiling them
• Getting children to clean their teeth properly
• Dealing with an ill child
• Leaving your baby for the first time
• Getting a baby to sleep through the night
• Getting children to do their homework
• Going back to work after having a baby
• Keeping an eye on your child 24/7
• Trying to stop children spending too much time in front of a computer/TV
• Bed-wetting
• Getting a toddler to stay in bed
• Getting time off work when your children are ill
• Your child’s first ever day at school
• Teaching them the value of money
• Keeping a lid on bad language
• Getting to school on time
• Keeping an eye on what your children are looking at online/watching on TV etc
• Preventing children from smoking or using drugs
• Coping when you’re child’s first pet has died and knowing what to say

II. Watch the movie segment from the movie Hotel Transylvania and answer the questions:

1. How did he cope with parenthood?
2. What were his major difficulties?
3. Which item in the previous exercise did he have the hardest time at?
4. What advice would you give him?


III. Watch the movie segment from the movie The Change up  and answer the questions:

















1. How did he cope with parenthood?
2. What were his major difficulties?
3. Which item in the previous exercise did he have the hardest time at?
4. What advice would you give him?

IV. Watch the segment from the movie Delivery Man and answer the questions. Dracula had a different situation and had a different task with his daughter.

1. How did he cope with parenthood?
2. What were his major difficulties?
3. Which item in the previous exercise did he have the hardest time at?
4. What advice would you give him?

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE CHANGE UP

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - DELIVERY MAN

The Fifth Estate: Advances in Communication Throughout History - Historic Moments

This is a thriller with a very current topic. I liked it a lot and the opening scene is perfect for that recurrent conversation class about technology.

I. Talk to a partner:

1. Think about all the progress that has taken place in the history of communication. Can you come up wit a chronological order of the advancement of communication until current times?

Ex: First, human beings started to communicate through drawings in caves. Then, writing was invented, etc...

2. Match the means of communication and the year they were invented/established:

• Gutenberg invented the press, which made books much cheaper and allowed newspapers to be invented
• Writing was invented
• Invention of the alphabet in what is now Israel and Lebanon
• The Internet gained a public face
• The first fax machine was invented
• Telephones became common in peoples homes
• The Chinese invented printing with block
• The Chinese invented paper
• TV began in the USA
• Television was invented 
• The telegraph was invented in 1837. A cable was laid across the Channel so it became possible to send messages across the Atlantic.
• The first telephone exchange in Britain opened.
• Radio broadcasting began in Britain
• Smart phones were introduced
• The first mobile phone call in Britain was made

Ex: 3,300 BC - Writing was invented

1,600 BC - 

200 BC - 

500 AC - 

1400 AC - 

1837 - 

1843 - 

1879 - 

1922 - 

1925 - 

1941 - 

1970 - 

1985 - 

1989 - 

1996 - 

II. Work in   pairs:

1. Which of the inventions above do you consider the most important one? Why?

2. What will come after the Internet?

3. How do you see communication in 50 years form now?

4. Will people communicate less or more in the future?

III. Watch the movie segment and make a list of all the advancement in technology you managed to see in the segment.

http://www.localhistories.org/communications.html

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE FIFTH ESTATE

Answer key - Ex: 2:

3,300 BC - Writing was invented

1,600 BC - Invention of the alphabet in what is now Israel and Lebanon

200 BC - The Chinese invented paper

500 AC - The Chinese invented printing with block

1400 AC - Gutenberg invented the press, which made books much cheaper and allowed newspapers to be invented. 

1837 - The telegraph was invented in 1837. A cable was laid across the Channel so it became possible to send messages across the Atlantic.

1843 - the first fax machine was invented.

1879 - The first telephone exchange in Britain opened.

1922 - Radio broadcasting began in Britain

1925 - Television was invented 

1941 - TV began in the USA

1970 - telephones became common in peoples homes

1985 - The first mobile phone call in Britain was made

1989 - The network gained a public face

1996 - smart phones were introduced

Hitchcock, The Birds and Psycho: Hitchcock, Cinema

 

Filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock was nicknamed the "Master of Suspense" for employing a kind of psychological suspense in his films, producing  a distinct viewer experience. Hitchcock created more than 50 films.  Hitchcock received the AFI's Life Achievement Award in 1979. He died in 1980.

I. Work with a partner.


1. What is your favorite kind of movies? Why do you like it?

2. What kinds of movies do you dislike? Why?

3. Do you have favorite actors? What about directors? Talk about them.

4. What is your opinion about the Oscar and other Awards ceremonies? Do they actually award the best movies of the year?

5. What do you know about Alfred Hitchcock?

6. Hitchcock was nominated for best director five times without a win. Why do you think that happened?

7. Do you like suspense movies? Why (not)?

8. Have you ever seen a Hitchcock movie? If so, which one was your favorite? Why is it your favorite?


II. Hitchcock had very special techniques that made him stand out the other directors of the genre. They made him unique and respected all around the world. Read some of them and see when/how you can spot them in the segments you will watch.

Inspired by the informative site: http://red-chilis.blogspot.com.br/2012/04/summarising-film-techniques-from-alfred.html

• Emotion is the ultimate goal for each scene. The closer the camera the more intense the film is.
• The camera takes on human qualities so that the audience feel like they are uncovering the true story. 
• He doesn't always use dialogue, but body language and action to pull the audience in. He saves dialogue as a last resort.
• He uses simple shots.
• He keeps the story simple.
• He makes  the characters the opposite of what the audience expects.
• He uses humor to add tension.
•  He shows two unrelated things happening at once. 
• He shows the audience what the characters don't see to create suspense. The character is completely unaware of what is going on.
• What's happening next is always a complete surprise.

III. Watch the segment from the movie The Birds and see when/how Hitchcock uses his techniques. Remember that he doesn't necessarily use all of them in every film or scene.

IV. Repeat the process with the famous bathroom scene from Psycho.





V. Now watch the segment from the movie Hitchcock and answer the questions.

1. Can you relate the techniques discussed in the previous exercise with the opening scene of the segment?

2. What made Hitchcock so surprised or upset about the reporter's questions?

3. Was that question appropriate for the moment, a premiere of his latest movie?

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - HITCHCOCK

MOVIE SEGMENT LINK TO YOUTUBE - PSYCHO

MOVIE SEGMENT LINK TO YOUTUBE - THE BIRDS