“La-la Land” is usually an affectionately insulting nickname for Los Angeles, home of Hollywood and purveyor of unrealistic dreams. The film La La Land, however, is a hymn to the City of Angels, the golden age of cinema and musical comedies. La La Land is making a sensation, having won seven Golden Globes, more than … Continue reading “La La Land: Singing and Dancing all the Way to the Oscars”
Ben Affleck’s latest film is a return to a classic film genre: the gangster movie set during Prohibition-era U.S.A. Live By Night is actor Ben Affleck’s fourth film as a director, and the second to be adapted from a novel by Boston crime writer Dennis Lehane. His last film, Argo, won the best picture Oscar … Continue reading “Live By Night: Ben Affleck in Gangster Mode”
The trailers for Sing, an animated musical film about a singing competition, provide lots of opportunities for language teaching – vocabulary about animals and music, following or telling a simple story, or organising a talent show. You’ll find two versions of the trailer below. The first one is simple, usable from A1+. The dialogue is … Continue reading “Teaching with Trailers: Sing”
Sing is a feelgood movie about a singing competition designed to save a failing theatre in a city entirely populated by animals. From the animators who made Despicable Me, The Minions and The Secret Life of Pets, Sing is full of humour, hit songs and anthropomorphic animals. It is based on a trope we’re all … Continue reading “Born to Sing”
McDonald’s is the company which represents what people love or hate the most about America. This biopic, based on the book of the same name covers the main moments in the company’s history. It begins in 1954 when Ray Kroc (the Founder of the title) meets the McDonald brothers in their fast-food restaurant in San … Continue reading “The Big Founder!”
The title of the first episode of a new five-film series by Harry Potter author JK Rowling is Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The answer, from 16 November, is: everywhere! The new series will no doubt be as popular with pupils as the originals, and it’s set in 1926 New York and features … Continue reading “A New Harry Potter Franchise Hits Cinemas”
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the first episode of a new five-film series by Harry Potter author JK Rowling, is set in 1926 New York and features both Segregation and Prohibition. Our A2 downloadable resource will enable your pupils to find out about the new film and understand the connection with the Harry … Continue reading “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”
Tim Burton’s new film is perfect for a theme on Halloween. It has scary monsters, a gothic Manor House with lots of strange goings-on, and fabulous costumes. It also has a great message about tolerance and vivre ensemble. Vocabulary and structures Developing writing skills by expanding vocabulary use of adjectives to convey a story. Modal … Continue reading “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children”
It’s been nine years since the final book in the Harry Potter series, five since the final film. There have been the exhibitions and theme parks to keep fans busy in the meantime, but now Harry Potter is really back with a vengeance! Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is not strictly speaking an eighth … Continue reading “Harry’s Back!”
The Théâtre de la Ville in Paris is turning all New York for a mini-season and particularly the weekend of 8-9 October. The Théâtre de la Ville has pioneered an exchange with the Brooklyn Acadamy of Music, a cutting-edge performance venue in the super-trendy borough of New York. The Paris end of it runs till … Continue reading “Paris-New York Weekend”
