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R. S. Refugee
Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Location: Shangra La, ROK
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 Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 4:33 pm Post subject: What are some good movies for Middle School? |
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Since I can request (and probably get) many educational materials here, it seems to me that I should ask the library to order some good movies that I'd like to see and that the students would hopefully enjoy.
The problem is that I'm not much of a movie maven. So, I thought I'd ask for suggestions from teachers on this board. Please note: I'm already familiar with Harry Potter movies which I think are great and Shrek movies which are OK.
Since I'm a musician, I'll probably order Once and August Rush.
Any of you have any great movies (or even just very good movies) to suggest? |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 4:46 pm Post subject: |
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| High School Musical (Disney) is the biggest hit I've ever had with my middle schoolers. Crap acting and dancing, cheesy script, lame-ass songs, predictable plot, sanitised BS, lots of blond hair and blue eyes - what's not for a Korean middle schooler to love about it? |
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R. S. Refugee
Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Location: Shangra La, ROK
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| Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 5:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Yu_Bum_suk wrote: |
| High School Musical (Disney) is the biggest hit I've ever had with my middle schoolers. Crap acting and dancing, cheesy script, lame-ass songs, predictable plot, sanitised BS, lots of blond hair and blue eyes - what's not for a Korean middle schooler to love about it? |
Thanks for the suggestion. Of course, I'm looking for ones that I will also enjoy. But maybe I can appreciate this movie if I view it as camp. In this instance when I say camp I'm thinking of this definition of the word:
camp
�noun 1. something that provides sophisticated, knowing amusement, as by virtue of its being artlessly mannered or stylized, self-consciously artificial and extravagant, or teasingly ingenuous and sentimental. |
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Gnawbert
Joined: 23 Oct 2007
Location: The Internet
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| Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 11:06 pm Post subject: |
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| The Goonies? |
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smurfetta
Joined: 03 Oct 2007
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| Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 11:35 pm Post subject: |
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| I watched the movie "Eight below" with my middle school students before the Christmas break. It is a Disney film and one that my students chose. |
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Kimchieluver
Joined: 02 Mar 2005
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| Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 11:43 pm Post subject: |
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| 2 years ago my students were watching "White Chicks" in their class at the end of the semester. I downloaded the movie shortly after. not because it was of any educational value. but it was funny as heck. |
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xtchr
Joined: 23 Nov 2004
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| Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 11:58 pm Post subject: |
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| As a time filler-in-er/reward at end of semester, rather than for any inherent educational value: middle school grade 2 boys liked Dumb and Dumber. |
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R. S. Refugee
Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Location: Shangra La, ROK
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 12:42 am Post subject: |
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| xtchr wrote: |
| As a time filler-in-er/reward at end of semester, rather than for any inherent educational value: middle school grade 2 boys liked Dumb and Dumber. |
It is definitely NOT necessary for a film to have "educational value" per se. If it's engrossing and entertaining for them and it's in English, then it has educational value for those reasons alone.  |
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Leslie Cheswyck
Joined: 31 May 2003
Location: University of Western Chile
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Whistleblower
Joined: 03 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 2:09 am Post subject: |
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"Debbie does Dallas"
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R. S. Refugee
Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Location: Shangra La, ROK
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 2:11 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the suggestion. I clicked on your link. But I immediately left that page when I saw Hugh Grant's smarmy face. I admit to a certain amount of bigotry. Though my favorite actors are almost always British. Or Irish (let's not leave out my favorite -- Daniel Day Lewis), I have a lifetime goal of never watching an entire movie with that smarmy pretty boy Grant. In my humble opinion, he ain't an actor and I don't ever want to sit through a film that would have the bad taste to include him in it. Not to put too fine a point on it. 
Now, sometimes movies are made more than once. For instance, To Be or Not To Be was an anti-Nazi comedy made during WWII. But then much later Mel Brookes did a re-make which I've never seen but which I've heard isn't nearly as good as the original. However, I did see the WWII version. I was in a Pook Young Bookstore in Gwangju once killing time waiting for a bus when I came across the To Be Or Not To Be video.
In my classes, I always teach the verb "to be" and I always tell my students that the most famous quote in the entire English language contains "to be," so naturally I was drawn to this movie and bought it. So, maybe it's a great movie in spite of Hugh Grant being in it. Sadly I will never know because of that lifetime goal I mentioned. But maybe this movie has been made more than once and there is actually a Grant-free version somewhere. If so, I'd love to hear about it. Or maybe there's a Grant-free book of this story. If so, I'd consider reading it.
Say, wasn't he the one who was caught getting a BJ from a working girl in a parking lot in LA during a break from "acting" in a movie? |
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ardis
Joined: 20 Apr 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Yu_Bum_suk wrote: |
| High School Musical (Disney) is the biggest hit I've ever had with my middle schoolers. Crap acting and dancing, cheesy script, lame-ass songs, predictable plot, sanitised BS, lots of blond hair and blue eyes - what's not for a Korean middle schooler to love about it? |
I concur--middle school kids, whether they are American or Korean, love this flick. The kids start off rowdy, but after the first five minutes, are silent as the grave and standing up, craning their necks, to read the subtitles. |
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mrsquirrel
Joined: 13 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 2:32 pm Post subject: |
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28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later.
May as well scare them a bit. |
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xtchr
Joined: 23 Nov 2004
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:01 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="R. S. RefugeeThanks for the suggestion. I clicked on your link. But I immediately left that page when I saw Hugh Grant's smarmy face. I admit to a certain amount of bigotry. Though my favorite actors are almost always British. Or Irish (let's not leave out my favorite -- Daniel Day Lewis), I have a lifetime goal of never watching an entire movie with that smarmy pretty boy Grant. In my humble opinion, he ain't an actor and I don't ever want to sit through a film that would have the bad taste to include him in it. Not to put too fine a point on it.
[/quote]
I feel almost the same. Can't really stand him, or his previous hair, but I have to say that he was bearable in 'About a Boy'. Pleasantly surprised. |
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Leslie Cheswyck
Joined: 31 May 2003
Location: University of Western Chile
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| Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 1:04 am Post subject: |
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| R. S. Refugee wrote: |
... I have a lifetime goal of never watching an entire movie with that smarmy pretty boy Grant. In my humble opinion, he ain't an actor and I don't ever want to sit through a film that would have the bad taste to include him in it. Not to put too fine a point on it. ...
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Suck it up, man! The story is that good. Just step out for a smoke while you show the kiddies the movie. |
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