ABBA
Today we watched the trailer for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, which is the sequel to the 2008 movie Mamma Mia!
Actually, I'm not so interested in this movie, so I'll talk about some other movies that are playing now or coming soon. Denkikan still has Phantom Thread and Lady Bird showing. Phantom Thread ends this week, while Lady Bird will continue until August 3rd. From August 4th, Last Flag Flying, with Steve Carrell, will begin, as well as a new Roman Polanski film starring Eva Green. I'm not sure what the original name of this movie is, but it's called 告白小説、その結末 in Japanese.
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Monday, July 23, 2018
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, and other matters…
Today we watched the trailer for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, a sequel to Mamma Mia!, the very popular movie featuring lots of Abba songs, sung karaoke style.
Before watching the trailer, I checked out Mama Mia! on Rotten Tomatoes. I was very surprised to see that it was made in 2008, ten years ago. Given that, it is unsurprising that the cast has many new members.
As you may know, ABBA were a Swedish group that were very popular in the 1970s. Their first hit song was Waterloo, and other popular ones were Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia!, Money Money, Money, Fernando, Chiquitita, and so on.
(105 words)
Before watching the trailer, I checked out Mama Mia! on Rotten Tomatoes. I was very surprised to see that it was made in 2008, ten years ago. Given that, it is unsurprising that the cast has many new members.
As you may know, ABBA were a Swedish group that were very popular in the 1970s. Their first hit song was Waterloo, and other popular ones were Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia!, Money Money, Money, Fernando, Chiquitita, and so on.
(105 words)
Monday, July 16, 2018
Saoirse Ronan: Lady Bird, Brooklyn, Mary Queen of Scots, and other matters…
Today we watched three movie trailers, all starring Saoirse Ronan. First, we rewatched just a little bit of Lady Bird, which we watched a few weeks ago. As you know, that movie is now playing at Denkikan. Then, we watched Brooklyn, a 2015 movie about an Irish girl who moves to New York to escape a life of poverty. Finally, we watched Mary Queen of Scots, a new movie starring Saoirse as Mary and Margot Robbie as Elizabeth. The Japan release date is undecided, so in the meantime I think I will rewatch the 1971 movie starring Vanessa Redgrave.
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99 words
Saoirse Ronan: Lady Bird, Brooklyn, Mary Queen of Scots…and other matters
Today we watched some trailers of movies starring Saoirse Ronan. First, we rewatched a little bit of the Lady Bird trailer, then watched the trailer for Brooklyn. That is a 2015 movie that got very favorable reviews. The other one was Mary Queen of Scots, in which Saoirse plays Mary, and Margot Robbie plays Elizabeth I. Probably some of you know this history a little. That movie is not yet scheduled for playing in Japan, but when I went to look for it I came across a much older movie called Mary Queen of Scots. That one is from 1971 and stars Glenda Jackson and Vanessa Redgrave, two very famous British stars. I think I'll watch that one again before the new one comes to Japan. I don't have any certain information, but I am pretty sure the new movie will play at Denkikan.
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144 words
Monday, July 9, 2018
Molly's Game, Miss Sloane, and other matters…
Jessica Chastain
Today we watched the trailer for Miss Sloane. It's about a lobbyist. Then we watched the trailer for Molly's Game. It's about a woman who was an Olympic athlete. When she retired she started an expensive poker salon in Washington, DC. The FBI raided it, because they thought her profits were illegal.
Both movies star Jessica Chastain, who has been in many good movies, including Interstellar. The second is a true story. It's playing at Denkikan now. Check it out if you have time!
[83 words]
Today we watched the trailer for Miss Sloane. It's about a lobbyist. Then we watched the trailer for Molly's Game. It's about a woman who was an Olympic athlete. When she retired she started an expensive poker salon in Washington, DC. The FBI raided it, because they thought her profits were illegal.
Both movies star Jessica Chastain, who has been in many good movies, including Interstellar. The second is a true story. It's playing at Denkikan now. Check it out if you have time!
[83 words]
Molly's Game, Miss Sloane, and other matters…
Jessica Chastain
Today we watched the trailer for Molly's Game, a movie starring Jessica Chastain that is playing at Denkikan now. It's the true story of a retired Olympic athlete who starts a big poker game in Washington, DC. The FBI get involved and arrest her.
We also saw the trailer for another movie starring Jessica Chastain, Miss Sloane. That played at Denkikan a few months ago. I saw it there. I thought it was a great movie. It was about a lobbyist who leaves a large company when she is instructed to lobby on behalf of a tobacco company. She joins a small company to fight against tobacco.
The World Cup semifinals are coming soon. England (!), Croatia, Belgium, and France will fight it out for places in the final. I think France is the favorite to win.
[135 words]
Today we watched the trailer for Molly's Game, a movie starring Jessica Chastain that is playing at Denkikan now. It's the true story of a retired Olympic athlete who starts a big poker game in Washington, DC. The FBI get involved and arrest her.
We also saw the trailer for another movie starring Jessica Chastain, Miss Sloane. That played at Denkikan a few months ago. I saw it there. I thought it was a great movie. It was about a lobbyist who leaves a large company when she is instructed to lobby on behalf of a tobacco company. She joins a small company to fight against tobacco.
The World Cup semifinals are coming soon. England (!), Croatia, Belgium, and France will fight it out for places in the final. I think France is the favorite to win.
[135 words]
Monday, July 2, 2018
The Young Karl Marx, Dreams, Daffodil Lament, and other matters…
The Cranberries (Ireland)
Today we watched the trailer for the new movie The Young Karl Marx. As the title suggests, it follows the lives of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in their twenties, around the time that they wrote The Communist Manifesto.
The Communist Manifesto was written for people of the time. Marx's work Capital is more valuable for people of our time. Thomas Piketty's Capital in the 21st Century may be a good book to follow it up with.
[76 words]
Today we watched the trailer for the new movie The Young Karl Marx. As the title suggests, it follows the lives of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in their twenties, around the time that they wrote The Communist Manifesto.
The Communist Manifesto was written for people of the time. Marx's work Capital is more valuable for people of our time. Thomas Piketty's Capital in the 21st Century may be a good book to follow it up with.
[76 words]
The Young Karl Marx, and other matters…
Today we watched the trailer for The Young Karl Marx. It's about Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, the young philosophers, economists, and political theorists who wrote The Communist Manifesto in the 19th century. Their work was to become the inspiration for the Soviet Union and The People's Republic of China, as well as many other socialist republics such as Cuba. The movie is playing at Denkikan, but will end this Friday. It's probably another one that I will have to miss. Hopefully, it will me out soon on iTunes or DVD.
(91 words)
(91 words)
Monday, June 18, 2018
LADY BIRD, and other matters…
Saoirse Ronan
Greta Gerwig
Today we watched the trailer for Lady Bird, a new movie starring Saoirse Ronan. It is directed by Greta Gerwig, who has become very popular over the last few years as an actress and more recently as a writer and director.
Have you been watching the World Cup? Both England and Japan will play their first matches tomorrow (Japan Time). Please get up at 3 tomorrow morning to watch England!! Japan is playing at 9 in the evening, I think. Go, Okazaki!
I think Spain will win the World Cup. Their first match against Portugal was very exciting.
[96 words]
Greta Gerwig
Today we watched the trailer for Lady Bird, a new movie starring Saoirse Ronan. It is directed by Greta Gerwig, who has become very popular over the last few years as an actress and more recently as a writer and director.
Have you been watching the World Cup? Both England and Japan will play their first matches tomorrow (Japan Time). Please get up at 3 tomorrow morning to watch England!! Japan is playing at 9 in the evening, I think. Go, Okazaki!
I think Spain will win the World Cup. Their first match against Portugal was very exciting.
[96 words]
Notes on the rest of the semester
- Remember that there is no class next week.
- To get a credit, you need at least 10 posts in June and 10 posts in July on your blog (NOT including Speaking posts).
- Make sure that you have the tags (labels) Book Reviews, Gofun ha Juubun, My Diary, and Trio Writing on your blog.
- Please finish your list of errors. (Later, we will talk about how to classify and prioritize them.)
Lady Bird, and other matters…
Greta Gerwig
Saoirse Ronan
Today we watched the trailer for Lady Bird, a movie directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Saoirse Ronan. It will come to Denkikan in the middle of next month. Greta Gerwig has been very popular for the last few years as an actress and now as a director. The movie is kind of about her life, and Saoirse Ronan is kind of a young version of her. I like Saoirse Ronan. Recently, I saw her in Brooklyn, and I'm looking forward to seeing her in Lady Bird.
Has anyone been following the World Cup. Spain 3 – 3 Portugal seems to have been a great match! I'm looking forward to England's and Japan's first matches.
[114 words]
Saoirse Ronan
Today we watched the trailer for Lady Bird, a movie directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Saoirse Ronan. It will come to Denkikan in the middle of next month. Greta Gerwig has been very popular for the last few years as an actress and now as a director. The movie is kind of about her life, and Saoirse Ronan is kind of a young version of her. I like Saoirse Ronan. Recently, I saw her in Brooklyn, and I'm looking forward to seeing her in Lady Bird.
Has anyone been following the World Cup. Spain 3 – 3 Portugal seems to have been a great match! I'm looking forward to England's and Japan's first matches.
[114 words]
Listening errors
I like watching movie. movies singular/plural
I have big family. a big family articles
Monday, June 11, 2018
Unlocked, Isle of Dogs, and other matters…
Unlocked
spy thriller
Noomi Rapace
Orlando Bloom
Isle of Dogs
stop-motion animation
Wes Anderson
Bryan Cranston
Today we saw two movie trailers. The first was for Unlocked, a movie playing now at Denkikan. It stars Noomi Rapace, Orlando Bloom, Michael Douglas, and John Malkovich. It's a spy thriller featuring some kind of plot to attack an American military site in the UK. Rapace's character Alice finds out that there's a mole somewhere in the CIA.
Isle of Dogs is a Wes Anderson stop-motion animated film. Most of the characters are dogs who can talk. It reminds me of his movie from a few years ago, Fantastic Mr. Fox. If you haven't yet seen that movie, I recommend that you check it out. Isle of Dogs is playing now at Hamasen.
[113 words]
spy thriller
Noomi Rapace
Orlando Bloom
Isle of Dogs
stop-motion animation
Wes Anderson
Bryan Cranston
Today we saw two movie trailers. The first was for Unlocked, a movie playing now at Denkikan. It stars Noomi Rapace, Orlando Bloom, Michael Douglas, and John Malkovich. It's a spy thriller featuring some kind of plot to attack an American military site in the UK. Rapace's character Alice finds out that there's a mole somewhere in the CIA.
Isle of Dogs is a Wes Anderson stop-motion animated film. Most of the characters are dogs who can talk. It reminds me of his movie from a few years ago, Fantastic Mr. Fox. If you haven't yet seen that movie, I recommend that you check it out. Isle of Dogs is playing now at Hamasen.
[113 words]
The Ugly Duckling
That made the ugly duckling curious. He looked into the shiny water. Wow! He had grown into a beautiful swan, just like them! (pp. 14-15)
Today, I read The Ugly Duckling, in the Folk & Fairy Tale Easy Readers series from Scholastic. The series features 15 titles, with five copies of each title packaged in a nice, colorful box. Check out the whole series!The Ugly Duckling is a well-known story written by Hans Christian Andersen. I find the message of the story a little confusing. On the one hand, it seems to celebrate superficial beauty: if you look like a swan, you're going to be fine, but if you look like a duckling, you will be the target of ridicule. On the other hand, it does seem to celebrate self-confidence and also kindness:
From that day on, the once ugly duckling lived happily ever after. And he was always kind to all living things, from peacocks to potato bugs. (p. 16)
The set of books comes with a teacher's guide, with some background and activities to use in class.Although it's good to read stories with which you are familiar, I recommend that you use this series to familiarize yourself with stories that you haven't read before. Another series that's also good for that is Usborne First Reading. Here are links to levels 1, 2, 3, and 4.
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Scholastic Teaching Resources
発売日 : 2006-03-01
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Unlocked, and other matters…
Unlocked
Noomi Rapace
Orlando Bloom
Today we watched a trailer for Unlocked, a new movie starring Noomi Rapace, Orlando Bloom, John Malkovich, and Michael Douglas. It's a thriller about a terrorist plot against an American military target in the UK. It's playing at Denkikan now (at 11:10 and 18:30!). It looks rather exciting, and I want to go and see it!
Another movie I want to see is Isle of Dogs, still playing (but only once a day) at Hamasen.
[74 words]
Noomi Rapace
Orlando Bloom
Today we watched a trailer for Unlocked, a new movie starring Noomi Rapace, Orlando Bloom, John Malkovich, and Michael Douglas. It's a thriller about a terrorist plot against an American military target in the UK. It's playing at Denkikan now (at 11:10 and 18:30!). It looks rather exciting, and I want to go and see it!
Another movie I want to see is Isle of Dogs, still playing (but only once a day) at Hamasen.
[74 words]
Monday, June 4, 2018
Some good recent movies
Recently, I watched Deadpool 2. After enjoying Deadpool very much, I was looking forward to it. But I got tired of the metacommentary and wanted to leave early. Some better recent movies are The Shape of Water and Darkest Hour. Darkest Hour stars Gary Oldman, who is also famous for Leon, the Harry Potter movies, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and so on.
Damascus Cover, Red Sparrow, and other matters…
spy thriller
Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Jennifer Lawrence
Today we watched two movie trailers, both of them spy thrillers. The first one was Damascus Cover, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers. It's coming out in the U.S. in summer, so will probably come to Japan in winter. The second one was Red Sparrow. That was a Jennifer Lawrence movie that played in Japan a month or so ago. I enjoyed it very much. Actually, I like spy movies very much. Another one that's worth watching is Spy Game, starring Brad Pitt and Robert Redford. A more recent one was Atomic Blonde. And a good old one is The Little Drummer Girl.
[91 words]
Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Jennifer Lawrence
Today we watched two movie trailers, both of them spy thrillers. The first one was Damascus Cover, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers. It's coming out in the U.S. in summer, so will probably come to Japan in winter. The second one was Red Sparrow. That was a Jennifer Lawrence movie that played in Japan a month or so ago. I enjoyed it very much. Actually, I like spy movies very much. Another one that's worth watching is Spy Game, starring Brad Pitt and Robert Redford. A more recent one was Atomic Blonde. And a good old one is The Little Drummer Girl.
[91 words]
Damascus Cover, and other matters…
Jonathan Rhys Meyers
spy thriller
Mossad agent
Today we watched the trailer for Damascus Cover, a new spy thriller starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers. I don't know Jonathan Rhys Meyers so well, but I think he was in the Woody Allen movie Match Point starring Scarlett Johansson.
The World Cup will be here in a week or so. Who do you think will win? I think Spain will win, but Germany and Brazil are also very strong.
[68 words]
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