Lessons On Movies.com
  Free Handout + MP3 + 8 Online Quizzes on Alien

  GAMES:

  • Fill-in-the-blank
  • Matching
  • Hangman
  • Flash cards
  • Sentence jumble
  • Missing words
  • No letters
  • Crossword puzzle

Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Tom Skerritt and Sigourney Weaver. The film's title refers to its primary character: a highly aggressive extra-terrestrial creature that stalks and kills the crew of a spaceship. The alien gets onto the ship after the crew board a derelict alien spacecraft. Inside it they find the remains of a large alien creature whose ribs appear to have been exploded outward from the inside. They discover a huge room containing many eggs, one of which releases a creature that attaches itself to the face of one of the crew. They return to their spaceship and the terror starts as terrible things happen to the crew as they try to find and kill the alien.

Alien received both critical acclaim and box office success. It also received an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It has remained highly praised in subsequent decades. In 2008, it was ranked as the seventh-best film in the science fiction genre by the American Film Institute, and as the thirty-third greatest movie of all time by Empire magazine. Movie critic Roger Ebert wrote: "One of the great strengths of Alien is its pacing. It takes its time. It waits. It allows silences." The success of Alien generated a media franchise of novels, comic books, video games, and toys, as well as three sequels and two prequels. It also launched Weaver's acting career by providing her with her first lead role.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_%28film%29

  TRAILER AND POSTER

ALIEN POSTER

1. SIX WORDS: Look at the poster and write down six words (more if you like) that you think of as you look at it. Share the words with your partner(s). Why did you choose them?

2. STORY: Talk about what you think the story of the movie is – the start, beginning, end, etc. Change partners and share stories.

3. CREDITS: Look at the credits on the poster (the actors, director, producer…) and talk about them with your partner(s).

4. MUST-SEE: Talk with your partner(s) about whether the poster and movie title are good and make you want to see the movie.

5. STARRING YOU: Imagine you are one of the stars of the movie. Talk about your role with your movie star partner(s).

ALIEN TRAILER

1. RETELL: Watch the trailer and retell what you saw to your partner(s).

2. CHUNKS: Watch 10-to-15 second chunks of the trailer and retell what you saw to your partner(s).

3. QUIZ: Watch the trailer and write down some quiz questions for your partner(s). Watch a second time to find the answers to the questions.

4. VOCABULARY: Make a note of words in the trailer that you see or hear. Talk about them with your partner(s).

5. GOOD / BAD: Watch the trailer and write down why you think the film might be good or bad. Share your ideas with your partner(s).

  MATCHING

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	primary	a.	enormous
2	aggressive	b.	follow ups
3.	stalks	c.	hostile
4.	derelict	d.	praise
5.	huge	e.	hunts
6.	acclaim	f.	following
7.	subsequent	g.	main
8.	genre	h.	started
9.	sequels	i.	run-down
10.	launched	j.	category

PHRASE MATCH

1.	… stalks and	a.	large alien creature
2	the crew board a derelict	b.	is its pacing
3.	they find the remains of a	c.	and the terror starts
4.	They discover a huge room	d.	two prequels
5.	They return to their spaceship	e.	acclaim
6.	critical	f.	a media franchise
7.	the science fiction	g.	containing many eggs
8.	One of the great strengths of Alien	h.	kills the crew
9.	The success of Alien generated	i.	genre
10.	three sequels and	j.	alien spacecraft

  LISTENING / READING GAP FILL

Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Tom Skerritt and Sigourney Weaver. The film's title refers to (1) _______________________: a highly aggressive extra-terrestrial creature (2) _______________________ the crew of a spaceship. The alien gets onto the ship after the crew board a derelict alien spacecraft. Inside it (3) ________________ a large alien creature whose ribs appear to have been exploded (4) _______________________. They discover a huge room containing many eggs, one of which (5) ____________________ that attaches itself to the face of one of the crew. They return to their spaceship and (6) _______________________ terrible things happen to the crew as they try to find and kill the alien.

Alien received (7) _______________________ and box office success. It also received an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It has remained (8) _______________________ subsequent decades. In 2008, it was ranked as the seventh-best film in the (9) _______________________ by the American Film Institute, and as the thirty-third greatest movie of all time by Empire magazine. Movie critic Roger Ebert wrote: "One of the great strengths of (10) _______________________. It takes its time. It waits. It allows silences." The success of Alien generated a (11) _______________________ novels, comic books, video games, and toys, as well as three sequels (12) _______________________. It also launched Weaver's acting career by providing her with her first lead role.

  CORRECT THE SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	iratgnrs Tom Skerritt and Sigourney Weaver
2.	a highly eisrsgveag extra-terrestrial creature
3.	the crew board a irtldeec alien spacecraft
4.	they find the eniasmr of a large alien creature
5.	They discover a huge room tnanciigno many eggs
6.	the terror starts as brtreeli things happen
Paragraph 2
7.	Alien received both iratccli acclaim and box office success
8.	It has remained highly praised in subsequent acsddee
9.	One of the great strengths of Alien is its pgcnai
10.	The success of Alien generated a media sanerifch
11.	three qseelus and two prequels
12.	rnpidgiov her with her first lead role

  PUNCTUATE & PUT CAPITALS IN THE TEXT

alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by ridley scott starring tom skerritt and sigourney weaver the film's title refers to its primary character a highly aggressive extra-terrestrial creature that stalks and kills the crew of a spaceship the alien gets onto the ship after the crew board a derelict alien spacecraft inside it they find the remains of a large alien creature whose ribs appear to have been exploded outward from the inside they discover a huge room containing many eggs one of which releases a creature that attaches itself to the face of one of the crew they return to their spaceship and the terror starts as terrible things happen to the crew as they try to find and kill the alien

alien received both critical acclaim and box office success it also received an academy award for best visual effects it has remained highly praised in subsequent decades in 2008 it was ranked as the seventh-best film in the science fiction genre by the american film institute and as the thirty-third greatest movie of all time by empire magazine movie critic roger ebert wrote "one of the great strengths of alien is its pacing it takes its time it waits it allows silences" the success of alien generated a media franchise of novels comic books video games and toys as well as three sequels and two prequels it also launched weaver's acting career by providing her with her first lead role

  INSERT THE VOWELS

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_l__n r_c__v_d b_th cr_t_c_l _ccl__m _nd b_x _ff_c_ s_cc_ss. _t _ls_ r_c__v_d _n _c_d_my _w_rd f_r B_st V_s__l _ff_cts. _t h_s r_m__n_d h_ghly pr__s_d _n s_bs_q__nt d_c_d_s. _n 2008, _t w_s r_nk_d _s th_ s_v_nth-b_st f_lm _n th_ sc__nc_ f_ct__n g_nr_ by th_ _m_r_c_n F_lm _nst_t_t_, _nd _s th_ th_rty-th_rd gr__t_st m_v__ _f _ll t_m_ by _mp_r_ m_g_z_n_. M_v__ cr_t_c R_g_r _b_rt wr_t_: "_n_ _f th_ gr__t str_ngths _f _l__n _s _ts p_c_ng. _t t_k_s _ts t_m_. _t w__ts. _t _ll_ws s_l_nc_s." Th_ s_cc_ss _f _l__n g_n_r_t_d _ m_d__ fr_nch_s_ _f n_v_ls, c_m_c b__ks, v_d__ g_m_s, _nd t_ys, _s w_ll _s thr__ s_q__ls _nd tw_ pr_q__ls. _t _ls_ l__nch_d W__v_r's _ct_ng c_r__r by pr_v_d_ng h_r w_th h_r f_rst l__d r_l_.

  MARK THE SPACES

Alienisa1979sciencefictionhorrorfilmdirectedbyRidleyScott,starring
TomSkerrittandSigourneyWeaver.Thefilm'stitlereferstoitsprimaryc
haracter:ahighlyaggressiveextraterrestrialcreaturethatstalksandkil
lsthecrewofaspaceship.Thealiengetsontotheshipafterthecrewboard
aderelictalienspacecraft.Insideittheyfindtheremainsofalargealiencr
eaturewhoseribsappeartohavebeenexplodedoutwardfromtheinside
.Theydiscoverahugeroomcontainingmanyeggs,oneofwhichreleases
acreaturethatattachesitselftothefaceofoneofthecrew.Theyreturntot
heirspaceshipandtheterrorstartsasterriblethingshappentothecrewa
stheytrytofindandkillthealien.Alienreceivedbothcriticalacclaimandb
oxofficesuccess.ItalsoreceivedanAcademyAwardforBestVisualEffec
ts.Ithasremainedhighlypraisedinsubsequentdecades.In2008,itwasr
ankedastheseventhbestfilminthesciencefictiongenrebytheAmerican
FilmInstitute,andasthethirtythirdgreatestmovieofalltimebyEmpire
magazine.MoviecriticRogerEbertwrote:"Oneofthegreatstrengthsof
Alienisitspacing.Ittakesitstime.Itwaits.Itallowssilences."Thesucces
sofAliengeneratedamediafranchiseofnovels,comicbooks,videogam
es,andtoys,aswellasthreesequelsandtwoprequels.ItalsolaunchedW
eaver'sactingcareerbyprovidingherwithherfirstleadrole.

  DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	__________________________________________________________________
2.	__________________________________________________________________
3.	__________________________________________________________________
4.	__________________________________________________________________
5.	__________________________________________________________________
6.	__________________________________________________________________

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	__________________________________________________________________
2.	__________________________________________________________________
3.	__________________________________________________________________
4.	__________________________________________________________________
5.	__________________________________________________________________
6.	__________________________________________________________________

  ALIEN SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about Alien in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	Student 1 __________	Student 2 __________	Student 3 __________
Q1.
Q2.
Q3.
Q4.
Q5.

• Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

  WRITING

Write your own movie review. Show your partner your letter. Correct each other's work.

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

  HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET INFO: Search the Internet and find more information about "Alien". Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about "Alien". What are (did) critics and moviegoers saying (say) about it? How good were the actors' performances? What was good and bad about the movie? Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. "ALIEN" POSTER: Make a poster about "Alien". Make sure you put tag lines, audience and critics' reviews, why people should see it, etc.  Show it to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your posters.

5. MY PREQUEL / SEQUEL: Make your own prequel or sequel for  "Alien". Make sure there is a good mix of things to do. Find some good online activities. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback.

6. CHARACTER STORY: Choose one of the characters from the movie. Imagine you are that character. Write your story about what you did in the movie. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback.

7. ONLINE SHARING: Use your blog, wiki, Facebook page, Twitter stream, or any other social media tool to get opinions on "Alien". Share your findings with the class.

  ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	primary	a.	main
2	aggressive	b.	hostile
3.	stalks	c.	hunts
4.	derelict	d.	run-down
5.	huge	e.	enormous
6.	acclaim	f.	praise
7.	subsequent	g.	following
8.	genre	h.	category
9.	sequels	i.	follow ups
10.	launched	j.	started

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Please check for yourself by looking at the movie review article at the top of the page.
(It's good for your English ;-)