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The Ruins

The Ruins

Date: May 28 2008

Themes: Hobbies, Pop Culture

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Most horror movies take place in the dark. But sometimes the daylight is scarier because you can see all the horrible stuff that’s happening more clearly.

The new movie The Ruins uses the classic formula of people from the modern world stumbling into something ancient that they don’t understand. As four young people sit trapped on some Mayan ruins they have to watch in broad daylight as someone…or something…begins to destroy them.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Beren

Beren

Jason

Jason

Beren:  Have you seen this movie Ruins, my new favorite movie ever?

Jason:  It’s your favorite movie? It’s a horror movie, right?

Beren:  Yeah, yeah. It’s…I’m trying to think of what it’s in the vein of. Basically, do you know the plot? Do you want me to summarize the plot?

Jason:  Yeah, I don’t know anything about it. I assume it’s about some sort of scary ancient Mayan ruins.

Beren:  You’re correct, but it goes a little deeper than that. So these kids go on vacation in Mexico and a bunch of them want to go…It’s like their last weekend there, or whatever, of course…

Jason:  Spring break!

Beren:  Exactly. So they’re about to go home and they have one more day in Mexico so they decide to go see some ruins and these ruins that they’re planning on going to…It’s a like a tourist group. “Oh, we’ll take you to the ruins.” It’s the typical tourist trap that people get stuck in. And then, as they’re about to go, of course a foreigner comes over to them. I think he’s British, of course, “I have a map to some other ruins that people aren’t allowed to go to. Do you want to go?” And they’re like, “Yeah, totally.”

Jason:  I would do that. Totally.

Beren:  I would too. So they go to these ruins and it’s actually the… Like, it ends up it’s an archaeology dig and so they’re going to go out and visit some friends of a friend, like this British guy’s sister or brother or something. It’s kind of convoluted. Anyway, so they go out to these ruins and they go walk up to the ruins and all of a sudden they’re surrounded by Mayans and the Mayans are yelling at them in Mayan, they don’t speak Spanish, right?

Jason:  Whoa…

Beren:  So nobody can understand each other. And they get stuck on the ruins.

Jason:  Stuck?

Beren:  Uh-huh. Like, once they touch the ruins, the Mayans won’t let them back off.

Jason:  Whoa.

Beren:  Yeah. So you have to spend the rest of the movie trying to figure out why they can’t come off the ruins.

Jason:  Oh, why the Mayans won’t let them come off the ruins?

Beren:  Uh-huh.

Jason:  Huh. It’s actually…It’s good though?

Beren:  It’s really good. It reminded me of Aliens almost.

Jason:  Wow.

Beren:  Yeah.

 

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Discussion

Beren says that The Ruins is her favorite movie. Jason hasn’t seen it, but he guesses that it’s about some scary Mayan ruins.

He’s right. But there’s more to it than that. There’s something terribly wrong with the ruins. The Mayans won’t let anyone off of them who gets on top. There’s something up there that they don’t want come down. But what?

When Beren describes the plot of the movie, there are a lot of things common to horror movies, like a good time that’s almost over but then goes wrong and a stranger that leads you awry. Can you think of any other common plot elements of horror movies? What makes a movie scary?

 

Comments

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Dekler

Dekler

Kazakhstan

Advise you not to go,
this movie stupid and nothing more.

09:39 AM May 28 2008 |

tintee

China

I don't think I'll like this movie.I like horror movie from Japan.Maybe because of the traditional culture.

Also ,I 'm crazy about some of American horror movies,like The hills have eyes.but The taxes chainsaw massacre is the best!

09:04 AM May 28 2008 |

zeus2006

zeus2006Super Member!

Turkey

I would rather see a psychological tension movie than a horribal movie.

08:21 AM May 28 2008 |

1 person likes this

zeus2006

zeus2006Super Member!

Turkey

Actually I don't like horror movies because I know all actions  not belong to real life.But, psychological tension movies are different.I guess I like them because usually you don't  see or know who did it just you feel it or see some shadows, like;  6th sense and silence of the lambs…

08:00 AM May 28 2008 |

Lastrada

Lastrada

Slovakia

Horror´s movie isn´t my favourite kind of flick but sometime I watch some because the idea fear of something what isn´t real is quite exciting. For me the most scary is if the film take place in real life, if is possible that the story can happen… For example: Final Destination…brrr

06:54 AM May 28 2008 |

Bob Ishida

Bob Ishida

Japan

It sounds interesting. I'd like to go watch it.Wink

05:53 AM May 28 2008 |

xingfulonger

China

Tongue outWink   hoho 

05:29 AM May 28 2008 |

Saisunee

Saisunee

Thailand

I don't like horror flime .It scary me and i can't see it all .The last movie i saw it's SAW 4 It very ROmance to take ur gf to see that movie ho ho ho   

03:55 AM May 28 2008 |

medori

medori

China

this movie seems very interesting , i'd like to see . maybe i will find some surprise there.

02:59 AM May 28 2008 |

greenhope

greenhope

China

I have never seen a horror movie, because I know I will imagine the same situation in real life.Tongue out

02:25 AM May 28 2008 |

dearpesar

dearpesar

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

of course it depends on viewer… i don't scare when im sure its just a movie… but time is matter too .. i mean when watching at night its more scary especially if you are aloneLaughing

12:26 AM May 28 2008 |

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