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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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Kuroichigo

Kuroichigo

Italy

I'm not really into horror movies, but this one seems interesting, especially because of the Mayans part (I'm a bit obsessed with ancient cultures); so I think I'm gonna watch this ^^

05:44 PM Jun 28 2008 |

nona.joon

nona.joon

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

ohhhhh yesss "the hills have eyes"is really teribble,i rememberd when i watched it ,i was fell vomiting :(

07:36 AM Jun 06 2008 |

nona.joon

nona.joon

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

im scared Frown

07:33 AM Jun 06 2008 |

aliena

China

Basically speaking, i don't like horror movies at all, espcially those with a lot of blood and murder. they are disgusting! The last horror movie i saw is called ..erm, sth like " last 30 days in darkness'?  I can't remenber exactly, it tells a story happened near north pole when in winter there is a period of polar nights, no day light at all. Some creatures like vampire go there, cut off electricity, kill watch dogs, bite people, kill them, and their virus spread like disease. .....It's too bloody, I begun to regret to go into the cinema when the movie started 30 minutes. But there were so many audience, and i sat in the middle of the line, i was afraid to disturb others if i get out of it. So,it's a real torture!!! Even when during some terrible shots, i closed my eyes, but i could still hear their voice and victims scream…. Erm…., I will never do this stupid thing again. Never!

09:10 AM Jun 02 2008 |

Boosyg

Boosyg

Egypt

seems like a great movie

11:57 AM Jun 01 2008 |

SÉRGIO

SÉRGIO

Brazil

 I'm not much fan of horror! but it's get better when it's watched by yourself with light off!

01:35 PM May 31 2008 |

aynaz

aynaz

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

wow sounds interesting

07:49 AM May 31 2008 |

epicatin

epicatin

Nicaragua

Another common element which make a movie to be scary is the sounds, e.g when the movie scene is in totally silent and all at once you hear a loud sound it make people jump. The best movies are the japanse horror movies like JU-ON, ONE MISSED CALL (CHAKUSHIN ARI), THE EYE.

01:42 AM May 30 2008 |

yueyuezhu

yueyuezhu

China

Good, but horror movies resemble in plots mostly, a bunch of exploring guys with simple equipment, sometimes there occuring an expert in this fileld or with a guide of local resident, getting stuck in a mysterious carve, or grave or rainforest, as widespread it has been cursed, or there is a monster, or what what something horable. But all guys are required to fight for a way to escape. At last they win with a tough conflict. I do not know. In a word, involving in something mysterious and unforecast, and applying colours to drawing horror , horrable movies come out.

01:22 AM May 30 2008 |

DaMnWoRlD

DaMnWoRlD

Taiwan

I like movies which are pervaded with gruesome atmosphere…

01:18 PM May 29 2008 |

toofah

toofah

Saudi Arabia

i really love horror movie it's my favorite 
and when i see a horror movie i don't scare i just laugh like a comedy movieLaughing

12:01 PM May 29 2008 |

feresyosira

Turkey

Horror movies suck. There is a considerable amount of foolish stuff in them. I mean 90 percent.

10:14 AM May 29 2008 |

Hala

Hala

Jordan

I like horror movies, but i dislike the bloody one which full of blood as saw, i like the plot of it but not the blood Laughing

 any body had watched the house of Wax before …. i liked too much

every time I watch a horror film i switch of the room light  :) 

 

 

09:25 AM May 29 2008 |

xinsihai

xinsihai

China

Surprised

12:44 AM May 29 2008 |

Sawdestination

Mexico

This movie has not arrived in Mexico, but it will be screened this summer.

Like a fan of the horror genre, I must have to see it, hahahaha! And I´m waiting for Saw 5, Midnight meat train, The happening and Funny games.

04:44 PM May 28 2008 |

guiltylove

guiltylove

India

I like American movies ! I like the plot of those movies!  I like it !!

03:34 PM May 28 2008 |

mandark

mandark

Cuba

My favorites movies are Horror´s movies. I like the murderers and the mysterys in this movies…

Movies normal sometimes are boring, for that reason, I like horror´s movies… 

01:26 PM May 28 2008 |

wanglong123

China

My favorite horror movie is “The Silence Of The Lambs”.It’s really scared me while I watching it alone in night.

11:55 AM May 28 2008 |

Lover for Ever

Saudi Arabia

gr8 movie

10:18 AM May 28 2008 |

maggiewangdandan

China

      I have seen some sort of scary film in the vein of the eyes,it is a little convoluted,but i like it.I think the horror film can make me give vent to my angry,and have incentive insight,etc as a result of that alleviate your pressure

10:05 AM May 28 2008 |

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