Mad About Movies - Fall 2014.1: Introductions

[DavidC]

Welcome to the Mad About Movies!

If you have logged into this web site, it means you have successfully registered, and your account has been activated at the MoviesGrowEnglish Forum.

Please POST/REPLY a few words here about your interest in movies. If you're not sure what to write, you can answer these questions:

1. What is the first movie you remember seeing in a theater?
2. What was your favorite movie when you were a child?
3. What is your favorite movie now?
4. What is your favorite movie genre?
5. Who is your favorite actor/actress/director, etc.
6. Why did you sign up for this elective and what do you hope it will be like?

Also, please take a look at the movie list on the MoviesGrowEnglish front page and make five recommendations (ones you'd like to see) from the list. Choose movies from at least three different genres. You can read about the movies listed if you scroll down the front page to the individual links.

If you have a question, please e-mail me at teacherchrisman@gmail.com or ask another student.

I hope you enjoy the class!

[Juliette9]

Hello!
This is Juliette,

The first movie I've seen in theaters, I think this would have been a Disney movie, probably Mulan in 1998, but I remember very well Gladiator, in 2000.
When I was a child, my favorite movie was Singin' In the Rain, which is still one of my favorites. I can still watch it today and love it like day 1.
Today, I do not have "one favorite movie". This would probably be The Rocky Horror Picture Show, by Jim Sharman, that I discovered when I was 10. But my latest favorite film is La Grande Bellezza, by Paolo Sorentino, which is the most beautiful movie I've seen in years.
I'm a fan of all kinds of superhero movies, and I enjoy a lot chinese martial art movies, like recently The Grandmaster by Wong Kar Wai, and House of Flying Daggers by Yimou Zhang. I don't have a favorite genre, but I can watch all kind of movies.
I'm a big fan of Jim Jarmusch's work, and Christopher Nolan, and a lot of other filmmakers, but the list would be too long... Recently came out the first movie of David Cronenberg's son, Brandon, called Antiviral, and the main actor, Caleb Landry Jones did an amazing performance in that movie. I was really impressed, and I think he should have won a lot more prices than he did... Otherwise, Hugh Laurie, and probably Angelina Jolie.

I signed up for this elective because I'm in the director certificate as well as in the english program, and I wanted to see movies and talk about it, and at the same time work my english.

From the front page, I would choose Almost Famous, Argo (great movie), and Terrence Malick's The New World. Even if The Avengers, Premium Rush, O'Brothers, Tropic Thunder and Dead Poets Society are amazing too...

To finish, I would love to see a Robin Williams movie, as a tribute to his great career...

Thank you, see you next week!

Juliette

[Khalifa]

Hi , khalifa here

I actually don't remember the first movie Ive seen in theater , however I do remember the movie " Shutter Island , it was one the best movies that i have seen. My favorite movie as a child was Toy story. My favorite movie now is The dark knight. I dont have a favorite movie genre , i enjoy all kinds of movies ( if they are good ones ). My favorite actor is Gerrard Butler , he stared on numerous successful movies one of which is Law Abiding citizen. I signed up for this elective to understand movies more and to know what certain symbols mean in a movie , as in what era is the movie taking place in.

Thanks , Khalifa

[Osama2014]

Hi , Osama Alsaati
105-B
David' class
Fall-2014.1

The first movie I saw in theater was here in L.A. in Century City and it was called "NOAH". Moreover, "TITANIC"was one the best romantic movie I have seen as child. My favorite action movie is a serious and it is called Prison Break. I enjoy all kinds of movies not only American but also ( Egyptian and Indian ). My favorite actor is Lionardo de Caprio, he stared after Titanic, he played the JACK role. I signed up for this elective to understand movies more and to enjoy my time watching good stories and watching lovely girls very nice to look at.

Thanks , Osama Alsaati

[camille19]

The first movie I remember seeing in a theater was a french movie called "the butterfly". When I was a child my favorites movies were spirited away, 4 wedding and a funeral, rain man and Nothing hill which I still really enjoy watching and my favorite TV show was Doctor Who. My favorites movies now are Léon : the professional, the devil wears prada, the curious case of Benjamin Button and Interview with a vampire, somewhere and In the Loop. I don't have a favorite genre of movie. My favorite actors are John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman, Meryl Streep, Matt Damon, Emma Watson, Hugh Laurie, Dustin Hoffman, Peter Capaldi, Andrew Scott, Gary Oldman and Matt Smith. I already took this elective and I really enjoyed it, so it's the reason why I took it again.

I would like to watch "the adjustment bureau", "The Devil wears prada", "Spirited Away", When Harry met Sally and "Pulp Fiction".

[salman611]

Hey,
Idont remember when the first time i saw a movie in a theater. My favorite movies when i was a child were beethoven, home alone and jumanji. My favorite movie now is wedding crashers. My favorite genre is depend on the story of the movie. Idont have favorite actor or actress. I signed up to enjoy watching movies and i hopefully expand my knowledge about it because i dont watch movies nowadays .

[NinaFujii2173]

Hi, this is Nina Fujii!

I guess the first movie I saw in the theater was harry potter. I remember I bought a magic wand at the theater! When I was a child my favorite movie was Lion King. I used to remember all the lyrics. I like love stories. Now my favorite movie is the Notebook and I love Rachel Mc Adams. I saw all her movies and I love her acting and her personality.
The reasons why I signed up for this class is that I love watching movies and I never had a chance to study about movies in my own country so I really wanted to learn more about it.

Thank you,
Nina

[sho3388]

Hi
This is SHO.

I can't remember the first movie I saw in theater, but I can't forget the day I saw Spirited Away (2001) in theater with my family. When I was child, I loved some Disney movies like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Cinderella (1950), and Beauty and the Beast (1991). I remember I saw so many times with VHS tape.

My most favorite movie is The Master (2012). I saw this movie at late show. There are few explaining about character, and as the story is going, the relationship of character became more complicated. I got confused and left the theater with unclear feeling. But after time I saw the movie, beauty and philosophy of the movie became attractive in my mind. I was more impressed by movie at second time.

I think my favorite movie genre is Drama and Comedy. But I like any genre if there are strong ardor and philosophy like Rocky (1976) or Apocalypse Now (1979).
My favorite director are Paul Thomas Anderson(The Master, Boogie Nights), Steve McQueen(Shame, 12 Years a Slave), David Fincher(Seven, Fight Club) and NIcolas Winding Refn(Drive, Only God Forgives). Favorite actor and actress are Joaquin Phenix, Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Vigo Mortensen, Amy Adams, Natalie Portman and Emma Stone.

The reason I signed up this elective class is because I want to be movie director someday. Actually I have made some amateur movies and I have connection with professional directors in Japan, but I have never taken academic lecture about movie so I took this class.

The moves I prefer in the list are Almost Famous, Into The Wild, The 3rd Man, The Truman Show. I have never seen these movies, but I heard it great. I also want to see in the class, American History X, Bowling for Cloumbine, The Descendants, Little Miss Sunshine because these movie are very fascinated in many ways and draw the today's American culture well.

[baderaleedan]

Hi,

The first movie i have ever seen in theaters when i was a child was called Hairspray. It was a Comedy / Musical movie. The movie was staring, John Travolta, Christopher Walken, Michelle Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah, and James Marsden. I remember that it was about a TV dance show.

My favorite Movies are the Dark Knight Trilogy, and my favorite actor is Tom Hardy. He is a British actor from London, England. He stared in the last movie of The Dark Night trilogy (The Dark Night Rises) as the villain Bane, and also in Inception as Eames. I like his way of acting, and how he believes in his role in a movie. Moreover, my favorite movies for him are Bronson(2008), and Locke.

Thanks,

Bader

[shebnam14]

Hi
This is Shabnam

I don't remember the first movie i saw in the theater. My favorite movie as a child was home alone, i saw all 4 parts. My favorite movie now is Let's be cops, it is an amazing hilarious movie. My favorite movie genre are comedy, action and romantic. I have many favorite actors/actress which are Mel Gibson, Johnny Depp,matthew mcconaughey, George Clooney, eva longoria, Jessica Alba, Julia Roberts, katherine heigl, Bruce Willis, and Kate Hudson. I signed up for this elective because i want to understand more about the production of movies and the process of set up done.