Famous movie scenes: "The Shining" Original Trailer.

"The Shining" was directed by Stanley Kubric in 1980 based on a story by Stephen King. It was not well received by critics then, but now it is considered one of the best horror movies of all time. Tomorrow my students from 2nd year of bachillerato and I have scheduled a screening of "the Shining" as the last activity before Christmas break. After watching this movie I think they may have trouble sleeping, and not exactly because they're expecting Santa Claus! The original trailer above will give you an idea of the kind of horror film this is. Just don't ride your tricycle along the hallways of an empty hotel this Christmas!

Famous Movie Scenes: The Shower Scene in "Psycho"

"Psycho" is a well-known horror classic directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1960 in glorious black and white. It includes the most famous shower scene in film history, a murder scene showcasing the also famous and haunting music of Bernard Herrmann. The scene is a perfect example of the importance of montage (editing) in film. Almost like a Picasso cubist painting, the camera permits us to compose the scene in our minds by showing a variety of different angles. You can hardly see the murderer's knife touch the victim, but the effect is one of great violence.

Yeti, Bigfoot, Sasquatch

A Yeti, a Sasquatch, or a Bigfoot are all very similar mythical animals supposedly inhabiting the Himalayas, Canada, or the USA. They look as if they were half ape, half human, or as if they were all human pranksters in a gorilla costume. They live hidden in the forests and are very rarely captured by a camera. This is the most famous Bigfoot movie, filmed in the sixties by a man called Patterson. Look at the way the creature walks. That must have been a very uncomfortable costume!

Invaders from Mars!

The Most Famous Radio Show in History
On October 30, 1938 a CBS "Halloween special" radio show directed by Orson Welles caused panic in many areas of the USA. The show was a dramatization of The War of the Worlds by British science-fiction author H. G. Wells. The difference was that the show, after an introduction by Orson Welles himself and a musical interlude, was presented as an actual news report. Many listeners tuned in late and missed the introduction, so they believed it was the real news. They believed that Martians were actually invading the USA destroying communication lines and killing people. Later, the same show was broadcast in the same format in other countries, causing similar panic. This "Halloween special" is considered to be the most famous radio show in history, and it made Orson Welles incredibly famous!

You can read the script here: http://members.aol.com/jeff1070/script.html

And you can listen to the original show here:
http://www.archive.org/details/WAROFTHEWORLDS2

Crazy Math: How to Prove that 2 = 1

How to prove that 2 = 1

1. Suppose that a = b
Multiply by a.
Then:
2. a² = ab
Subtract b². then:
3. a² - b² = ab - b²
But a² - b² is the same as (a + b) (a – b).
and ab - b² is the same as b (a – b)
So:
4. (a + b) (a – b) = b (a – b)
Divide by (a – b)
Then:
5. a + b = b.
But a = b.
Therefore:
a + b = 2b
So:
6. 2b = b
Divide by b.
Then:
7. 2 = 1.
But we know this can't be right. What is wrong with this?

What's Your Phobia?

What is a "phobia"?

A phobia is an irrational fear of something. That "something" may be an object, an animal, a place, a situation, an activity, or certain persons. IF you can't control this fear a psychologist may diagnose you as suffering from an anxiety problem. The list of available phobias is so extensive that you are always likely to find one that fits you. For example, if you can't stand to look at the photo above, you may suffer from "aracnophobia" (fear of spiders). "Technophobia" is the fear of technology, "agoraphobia" is the fear of crowded places from which it is difficult to escape, and "aviophobia" is a fear of flying. Apparently the Spanish pop singer Melendi gave that as an excuse for his aggressive conduct during a flight, but I'm sure the fact that he was drunk didn't help either. The phobia with the longest name is "hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia", or "fear of the number 666". I guess it takes all kinds!

The First Photo

This is the first photograph that was ever taken. It is a picture of a landscape with some buildings in Saint-Loup-de-Varennes, in France. It was taken in 1827 by Nicephore Niepce, the inventor of photography. Its dimensions are 16.2 x 20.2 cm. Of course the picture is not very clear, but then remember this was the 19th century. Niepce's photographic technique was called heliography, and involved Judea bitumen (a nasty black substance used in crafts classes today to make things look old) on a silver plate. The plate was exposed to light for several days. It was hard work. So, next time you use your nifty digital camera, you may want to think for a second about how difficult it was for those pioneers like Niepce or Daguerre to come up with this pastime you enjoy so much! You lucky duck!

Bad English

Why is bad English so funny? This picture is probably from a Japanese airport. Restrooms are toilets, and "behind" is another word for the part of your body that you use for sitting on. You can find lots of funny bad English in your town (try the Tourist Information Screen in the park or the Rules of conduct at your local swimming pool). I have a collection of funny mistakes from students, too. But when it comes to really funny bad English, I think El Principe Gitano takes the cake. Have you ever heard his rendition of the Elvis hit "In the Ghetto". It's priceless. Here it is in karaoke format for your enjoyment. It's in "three languages", English, Spanish, and El Principe's own "pichinglish".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wq4AkIEVBw

Beowulf

This is the only known medieval manuscript of the poem of 'Beowulf'. The manuscript is over 1,000 years old (the poem itself may be even older) and was damaged by fire in 1731. This poem is the most important work of Anglo-Saxon literature that has survived. It is written in Old English, a language which looks nothing like Modern English. It is about the fight between the hero, Beowulf, and a bloodthirsty monster called Grendel.

A mixture of history and mythology, the story takes place in the sixth century, in the court of a Danish king called Hrothgar. For many winters, Hrothgar's castle has been terrorized by a horrible monster called Grendel, who comes at night to eat up men in their sleep. Beowulf kills the monster and is celebrated as a hero. But then Grendel's mother arrives to take revenge on Beowulf.

We will never know who wrote the poem or when. It may have come from an old oral tradition before it was written. In any case, it is a thrilling story which has influenced many later writers, including J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings...

Soon you will be able to watch a new Hollywood movie inspired by this ancient poem. It opens in Spain on November 23.

Listen to the voices in the trailer:

Grendel's mother (Angelina Jolie): Are you the one they call Beowulf ? Such a strong man you are... A man like you could own the greatest tale ever sung. Beowulf... stay with me. Give me a son, and I shall make you the greatest king that ever lived. This... I swear. You will forever be king... forever strong... mighty beyond imagination.
Beowulf (Ray Winstone): What are you?
King Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins): She's not my curse, not anymore.

Welcome to the new Abrigos Pardos

Hello everyone! This is the new Abrigos Pardos blog. The new Abrigos Pardos is hosted by Blogger. The old Abrigos Pardos is still hosted by Educastur. I am not going to erase the old posts, however. There is a link here to the old blog and vice versa. I'm thinking about all the new things I am going to add to this blog. Yes, that's me in the picture, thinking... and while I'm thinking I like to listen to Bach!