Today we watched the trailers for Going in Style and The Crash. Going in Style stars Alan Arkin, and The Crash stars Minnie Driver, two actors who featured in Grosse Pointe Blank. The other stars are Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine.
Yesterday, Arsenal lost at Manchester City. That makes two consecutive defeats. Usually, Arsenal have a bad month in November. This year, November went pretty well, but December is going badly. Many were surprised at this defeat because Manchester City have been having a bad period, too, losing many games. So now Manchester City are up in 2nd place, followed by Liverpool and Arsenal. Chelsea have a seven-point lead at the top, having won 11 games in a row.
Recently, I saw season 4 of Homeland. It is so exciting.
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Monday, December 19, 2016
Going in style, winter vacation plans, and other matters…
Today we watched the trailer for Going in Style, a film starring Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Alan Arkin. We all know Alan Arkin as Dr. Oatman from Grosse Pointe Blank. However, the other two actors are more famous. Morgan Freeman has been in more than 70 movies and TV programs over the last 20 years, including Invictus and the Batman movies. Michael Caine, born in 1933, is best known for his 1960's movies such as Alfie, Zulu, and The Italian Job, but he has appeared in many movies every decade since then, such as Get Carter, Educating Rita, Hannah and Her Sisters, and the Batman movies.
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Monday, December 12, 2016
War for the Planet of the Apes, and other matters…
Today we saw the trailer for War for the Planet of the Apes, a movie due to be released next summer that is the sequel to Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. In this movie, a violent colonel played by Woody Harrelson wants to kill all the apes so the apes, led by Caesar, are forced to fight back.
In the Premier League, Chelsea are solidifying their lead at the top of the table, while Liverpool and especially Manchester City are stumbling. Manchester City have won very few of their matches over the last month or so, and they are conceding many goals. Arsenal are 3 points behind Chelsea and doing well at the moment. Many commentators suggest that Manchester City will buy some new defenders in the January transfer window.
Manchester United are out of the top 4, but haven't lost for a long time, and the team seems to be settled now. Perhaps they will soon get back into the top 4 at the expense of Manchester City. The winter holiday is always a tough time in the Premier League so let's see what the situation is in January.
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In the Premier League, Chelsea are solidifying their lead at the top of the table, while Liverpool and especially Manchester City are stumbling. Manchester City have won very few of their matches over the last month or so, and they are conceding many goals. Arsenal are 3 points behind Chelsea and doing well at the moment. Many commentators suggest that Manchester City will buy some new defenders in the January transfer window.Manchester United are out of the top 4, but haven't lost for a long time, and the team seems to be settled now. Perhaps they will soon get back into the top 4 at the expense of Manchester City. The winter holiday is always a tough time in the Premier League so let's see what the situation is in January.
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Hidden Figures, and other matters…
Today we watched two different trailers for Hidden Figures, a movie about three black women who were involved with the space program at NASA, specifically the attempt to get astronaut John Glenn into orbit. The movie stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae, and is directed by Ted Melfi. Taraji P. Henson plays Katherine Johnson, who calculated the trajectories of spacecraft. Octavia Spencer plays Dorothy Vaughn, a mathematician and computer programmer. Mary Jackson was an aerospace engineer. They had to overcome many obstacles to working in equality with the white people at NASA.
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Monday, December 5, 2016
Fences, and other matters…
Today we watched the trailer for Fences, a movie starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. The movie is also directed by Denzel Washington.
I like Denzel Washington very much. One of the first movies of his that I saw was Malcolm X. Since then, I've seen many of his movies, including Training Day, Much Ado About Nothing, Flight, American Gangster, The Hurricane, Courage Under Fire, and Crimson Tide. I think he is a very magnetic and versatile actor. Recently he played a tough man in The Equalizer, and that is going to be followed by The Equalizer 2 the year after next.
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I like Denzel Washington very much. One of the first movies of his that I saw was Malcolm X. Since then, I've seen many of his movies, including Training Day, Much Ado About Nothing, Flight, American Gangster, The Hurricane, Courage Under Fire, and Crimson Tide. I think he is a very magnetic and versatile actor. Recently he played a tough man in The Equalizer, and that is going to be followed by The Equalizer 2 the year after next.
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Jackie, and other matters…
Today we saw two trailers for Jackie, a new movie starring Natalie Portman about the wife of President John F Kennedy. It seems to be a very meditative film. I'm looking forward to it but I'm not sure when it will come to Japan.
Natalie Portman has had a mixed career. Everyone remembers her from Leon: The Professional, in which she played a hitman's 12-year-old apprentice. She then starred as Amidala in Star Wars episodes 1, 2, and 3, confirming her as a grown-up star. In between, she also appeared in Beautiful Girls and Everyone Says I Love You. After Star Wars, she appeared in movies such as My Blueberry Nights, V for Vendetta, and The Other Boleyn Girl, then Black Swan in 2010 won her an Oscar. Since then, A Tale of Love and Darkness and Jackie have allowed her to develop as an actor and director.
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Natalie Portman has had a mixed career. Everyone remembers her from Leon: The Professional, in which she played a hitman's 12-year-old apprentice. She then starred as Amidala in Star Wars episodes 1, 2, and 3, confirming her as a grown-up star. In between, she also appeared in Beautiful Girls and Everyone Says I Love You. After Star Wars, she appeared in movies such as My Blueberry Nights, V for Vendetta, and The Other Boleyn Girl, then Black Swan in 2010 won her an Oscar. Since then, A Tale of Love and Darkness and Jackie have allowed her to develop as an actor and director.
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Monday, November 21, 2016
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and other matters…
Eddie Redmayne
J. K. Rowling
David Yates
Today we watched the trailer for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a movie starring Eddie Redmayne (the Oscar-winning star of The Theory of Everything) and directed by David Yates, and based on a screenplay by J. K. Rowling. It looks pretty exciting, and it's starting in just two days' time, on a Wednesday rather than a Friday or Saturday because it's a national holiday.
At the weekend, Chelsea and Manchester City both won their matches, but Liverpool and Arsenal both were held to draws. At the moment, only Chelsea look really convincing, with Arsenal πππ and Manchester City drawing too many games. Manchester United are quite a long way back; they are also drawing a lot of matches.
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J. K. Rowling
David Yates
Today we watched the trailer for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a movie starring Eddie Redmayne (the Oscar-winning star of The Theory of Everything) and directed by David Yates, and based on a screenplay by J. K. Rowling. It looks pretty exciting, and it's starting in just two days' time, on a Wednesday rather than a Friday or Saturday because it's a national holiday.
At the weekend, Chelsea and Manchester City both won their matches, but Liverpool and Arsenal both were held to draws. At the moment, only Chelsea look really convincing, with Arsenal πππ and Manchester City drawing too many games. Manchester United are quite a long way back; they are also drawing a lot of matches.
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Dictogloss 3: Model
In 2012, it was estimated that the number of smartphone users in Japan had surpassed the number of people using the older feature phones. It is easy to understand why more people are choosing to use smartphones when you consider the number of incredibly useful functions they offer. The main advantage that smartphones have over feature phones is their ability to run “apps”, or programs made by third-party developers. These can perform a huge range of tasks, from converting currencies and calculating stock prices to playing games and drawing pictures. Owning a smartphone means that you can install as many of these apps as you want, and many of them are free.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Star Wars: Rogue One, and other matters…
Today we watched two trailers, both for movies that are coming soon. The first one was Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the first movie in a new series by J. K. Rowling, starring Eddie Redmayne. It's a kind of spin-off from the Harry Potter series, featuring a former Hogwarts teacher who was fired. He never actually appeared in the books or movies, but was mentioned. Many critics were worried that the new movie wouldn't be very good, because it is located in New York and much of the Harry Potter charm comes from the British locations, but everyone says it is good. It is coming next week, so I am looking forward to it.
The second trailer was Trailer 3 for Star Wars: Rogue One. It is the first Star Wars movie that is not set in the same timeline as the major trilogies, and is called an anthology film, so it should be enjoyable for people who don't know Star Wars well. That is going to be released on December 16th.
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Monday, November 14, 2016
Rogue One, Ghost in the Shell, and other matters…
Today we saw two movie trailers, for Star Wars: Rogue One and Ghost in the Shell. Ghost in the Shell is a remake of the Japanese animation classic, starring Scarlett Johansson. I think I will check out the Japanese original before I watch this Hollywood version of the story.Star Wars: Rogue One looks very exciting, and I am looking forward to seeing a movie that is not just a direct remake of the original Star Wars movies. The cast, including Felicity Jones, Forrest Whitaker, Donnie Yen, and Mads Mikkelsen, looks really good. I think there are already three trailers in circulation, so we have to be careful not to see too much of the movie before it is released in theaters!
Another interesting science fiction movie, coming next year, is Arrival, starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner.
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Campus festival, Arrival, Rogue One, and other matters…
Today we watched two movie trailers: Arrival, and Rogue One. Arrival is the new Dennis Villeneuve movie starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner. It is about the arrival of spaceships from another planet on Earth, and the attempts of Amy Adams, a linguist, to communicate with them. She is obstructed by the army, who believe that the aliens are enemies that they need to attack.
The Rogue One trailer was a new one, and it looked very beautiful. I'm a little worried that I've seen too much of the Rogue One movie before its release. In today's trailer, Trailer 3, Mads Mikkelsen was the main protagonist, and Forest Whitaker and Felicity Jones played less prominent parts.
This last weekend was an international weekend in football. England beat Scotland, but Wales drew with Serbia, and they may have problems qualifying for the World Cup.
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The Rogue One trailer was a new one, and it looked very beautiful. I'm a little worried that I've seen too much of the Rogue One movie before its release. In today's trailer, Trailer 3, Mads Mikkelsen was the main protagonist, and Forest Whitaker and Felicity Jones played less prominent parts.This last weekend was an international weekend in football. England beat Scotland, but Wales drew with Serbia, and they may have problems qualifying for the World Cup.
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Monday, October 31, 2016
Rules Don't Apply, and other matters…
Warren Beatty
Annette Bening
Lily Collins
Martin Sheen
Today we watched the trailer for Rules Don't Apply, a romantic comedy starring Warren Beatty and Lily Tomlin. I enjoyed watching Lily Tomlin in Love, Rosie, even though its rating is very low on Rotten Tomatoes.
Right now, there are some interesting movies playing. Miracle on the Hudson is a straight, moving drama, based on a true story and starring Tom Hanks. Star Trek: Beyond is a well-made science fiction movie. Jason Bourne is a suspenseful action movie. All are very entertaining and well worth seeing. In December, the new Star Wars movie, Rogue One, will begin playing, on December 16th.
I heard that KGU will hold its campus festival this coming weekend. I hope it goes well!
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Annette Bening
Lily Collins
Martin Sheen
Today we watched the trailer for Rules Don't Apply, a romantic comedy starring Warren Beatty and Lily Tomlin. I enjoyed watching Lily Tomlin in Love, Rosie, even though its rating is very low on Rotten Tomatoes.
Right now, there are some interesting movies playing. Miracle on the Hudson is a straight, moving drama, based on a true story and starring Tom Hanks. Star Trek: Beyond is a well-made science fiction movie. Jason Bourne is a suspenseful action movie. All are very entertaining and well worth seeing. In December, the new Star Wars movie, Rogue One, will begin playing, on December 16th.
I heard that KGU will hold its campus festival this coming weekend. I hope it goes well!
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Rules Don't Apply, and other matters…
Warren Beatty
Annette Bening
Lily Collins
Alec Baldwin
Martin Sheen
Matthew Broderick
Today we watched a trailer for Rules Don't Apply, a movie coming soon that stars Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Lily Collins, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen, and Matthew Broderick. Warren Beatty plays Howard Hughes towards the end of his life when he has a mental illness. Lily Collins plays an actress employed by Hughes, who seems to be involved in some kind of romance with another of Hughes's employees.
This move reminds me of The Aviator, which also focused on Howard Hughes. That movie was also a drama with a lot of comedy. Leonardo DiCaprio played the lead in that film.
The Premier League had fewer surprises this weekend than in recent weeks. Most of the top teams won their matches, and now Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool are all on 23 points at the top. Manchester United, although they played well, only got a draw, however, so they are down in 8th place.
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Annette Bening
Lily Collins
Alec Baldwin
Martin Sheen
Matthew Broderick
Today we watched a trailer for Rules Don't Apply, a movie coming soon that stars Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Lily Collins, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen, and Matthew Broderick. Warren Beatty plays Howard Hughes towards the end of his life when he has a mental illness. Lily Collins plays an actress employed by Hughes, who seems to be involved in some kind of romance with another of Hughes's employees.
This move reminds me of The Aviator, which also focused on Howard Hughes. That movie was also a drama with a lot of comedy. Leonardo DiCaprio played the lead in that film.
The Premier League had fewer surprises this weekend than in recent weeks. Most of the top teams won their matches, and now Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool are all on 23 points at the top. Manchester United, although they played well, only got a draw, however, so they are down in 8th place.
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Monday, October 24, 2016
Mr. Tambourine Man, Underworld: Awakening, and other matters…
Today we listened to the song Mr. Tambourine Man by Bob Dylan, while watching a video on Youtube of his live performance at a folk festival in 1964. We also watched the trailer for Underworld: Awakening, starring Kate Beckinsale. Kate Beckinsale came onto the scene with Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing and since then has appeared in many movies. Most of them do not have such great reviews, but I have always enjoyed her movies. Her most recent one is Love & Friendship, a Jane Austen adaptation. That has not yet been officially released in Japan, but hopefully it will come to Denkikan early next year.
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Mr. Tambourine Man, Underworld: Awakening, and other matters…
Today we watched a video of a Bob Dylan live performance from 1964, at the Newport Folk Festival. He played Mr. Tambourine Man. We saw the lyrics as we watched the performance and noticed the many rhymes in his songs. His performance looked a little diffident to me, so maybe I'll look for a different one. He missed out one of the verses.
We also watched another Underworld movie trailer. This one was for Underworld: Awakening, released in 2012. Kate Beckinsale looked cool as usual. I think maybe I'll go back and rewatch all the Underworld movies, because I enjoy the fighting between the Lycans and Vampires and the pictures are not too horrifying to watch.
Kate Beckinsale first became famous with Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing adaptation. Hopefully, we'll have a chance to watch that sometime!
This weekend was another interesting weekend in the Premier League, with Manchester City again failing to win. They had an entertaining draw with Southampton, but they are still on top because Arsenal also drew. The biggest result of the weekend was the 4–0 defeat of Manchester United by Chelsea. Now the top 5 teams are all within 1 point of each other.
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We also watched another Underworld movie trailer. This one was for Underworld: Awakening, released in 2012. Kate Beckinsale looked cool as usual. I think maybe I'll go back and rewatch all the Underworld movies, because I enjoy the fighting between the Lycans and Vampires and the pictures are not too horrifying to watch.
Kate Beckinsale first became famous with Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing adaptation. Hopefully, we'll have a chance to watch that sometime!
This weekend was another interesting weekend in the Premier League, with Manchester City again failing to win. They had an entertaining draw with Southampton, but they are still on top because Arsenal also drew. The biggest result of the weekend was the 4–0 defeat of Manchester United by Chelsea. Now the top 5 teams are all within 1 point of each other.
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Monday, October 17, 2016
Hurricane, Underworld: Blood Wars, and other matters…
"I'm finished with this war."
"Well, it's not finished with you. He wants the blood of you and your daughter."
Today, we watched the trailer for Underworld: Blood Wars, a movie starring Kate Beckinsale. It's about another chapter in the fight between the Lycans and the Vampires. I think it's the fourth movie in the series. The Lycans want the blood of Celine and her daughter in order to make some kind of super-Lycan/Vampire.We also listened to a live version of the song Hurricane by Bob Dylan. He sings very fast and the words are sometimes difficult to catch. This song is a fairly straight protest song and also a narrative.
In the Premier League, Manchester City have dropped points again, and now Manchester City are level with Arsenal on 19 points. If Liverpool beat Manchester United tonight, they will join Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the table, with Tottenham just below. If Manchester United win, they will join Liverpool in fourth place. The title race looks as if it will be very exciting.
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Hurricane, Underworld: Blood Wars, and other matters…
Today we listened to the song Hurricane by Bob Dylan, the recent winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. Hurricane isn't one of his best-known songs—or at least it wasn't until the movie Hurricane starring Denzel Washington was released—but it shows one side of his songwriting, the song being more or less a straight story told chronologically. The version we listened to was a live version from the 1975 Rolling Thunder tour. It sounded rather rough, and sometime let's listen to a smoother song. Maybe we'll also watch the Hurricane movie.
We also watched two trailers for Underworld: Blood Wars, starring Kate Beckinsale. I don't remember exactly, but I think this is the fourth one in the series. The Lycans want the blood of Kate Beckinsale and her daughter, perhaps in order to make an all-powerful blend of Lycan and Vampire. But from the trailer it looks as if Kate Beckinsale becomes all-powerful.
I don't really like horror movies, but the Underworld series is not too intense, so I want to watch this latest one.
Tonight, Liverpool play Manchester United! I'm looking forward to reading the reports.
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We also watched two trailers for Underworld: Blood Wars, starring Kate Beckinsale. I don't remember exactly, but I think this is the fourth one in the series. The Lycans want the blood of Kate Beckinsale and her daughter, perhaps in order to make an all-powerful blend of Lycan and Vampire. But from the trailer it looks as if Kate Beckinsale becomes all-powerful.
I don't really like horror movies, but the Underworld series is not too intense, so I want to watch this latest one.
Tonight, Liverpool play Manchester United! I'm looking forward to reading the reports.
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Monday, October 10, 2016
Shrek (Popcorn ELT Readers)
That night, Shrek finds a lot of fairy tale characters in the swamp. Now the swamp is not quiet. Shrek is angry.
"Why are you here?" he shouts.
"Lord Farquaad doesn't want fairy tale characters at the castle," says Pinocchio.
Thus starts Shrek's adventure. He goes with Donkey to see Lord Farquaard, who promises Shrek that he can keep his swamp to himself if he finds Princess Fiona and brings her to him to marry him. Donkey and Shrek team up with Dragon to take Princess Fiona to Lord Farquaard's castle, but Shrek realizes he loves Fiona. What will happen? Read this book and find out!Hughes, A. (2011). Shrek. London, UK: Scholastic.
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My favorite vacation memory is this summer vacation. I went to Finland and France with my friends in this summer vacation. It was first time to go to Europe. I did a homestay in Finland because my friend has a Finnish friend. Japan was very hot but Finland was cool. It was very good to me. I ate Finnish food and played Finnish game. I enjoyed experiencing Finnish culture. I could see beautiful nature. In France, I went to some sightseeing spots. On the last day, I went to Disneyland Paris. I was very happy because I could meet French Mickey.
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[101 words]
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