Lessons On Movies.com
  Free Handout + MP3 + 8 Online Quizzes on North By Northwest

  GAMES:

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

North by Northwest is a 1959 American thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason. The screenplay was written by Ernest Lehman, who wanted to write "the Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures". It is a tale of mistaken identity. An innocent man is pursued across the United States by agents of a mysterious organization who want to stop his interference in their plans to smuggle out microfilm containing government secrets. Author and journalist Nick Clooney praised Lehman's original story and sophisticated dialogue, calling the film, "certainly Alfred Hitchcock's most stylish thriller, if not his best".

North by Northwest was nominated for three Academy Awards for Film Editing, Art Direction, and Original Screenplay. All three Oscars went instead to Ben-Hur. The movie review site Rotten Tomatoes said the film was "gripping, suspenseful and visually iconic" and claims it "laid the groundwork for countless action thrillers to follow." In June 2008, the American Film Institute said North by Northwest was the seventh best film in the mystery genre. Fifty years after its release, "Time" magazine said it was still a great movie today, saying  "there's nothing dated about this perfect storm of talent" and that the "opening-credits sequence still manages to send a shiver down the spine."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_by_northwest

  TRAILER AND POSTER

NORTH BY NORTHWEST 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).

NORTH BY NORTHWEST 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.	tale	a.	meddling
2	pursued	b.	old-fashioned
3.	interference	c.	sophisticated
4.	dialogue	d.	foundations
5.	stylish	e.	story
6.	nominated	f.	absorbing
7.	gripping	g.	category
8.	groundwork	h.	conversation
9.	genre	i.	recommended
10.	dated	j.	chased

PHRASE MATCH

1.	the Hitchcock picture to	a.	in their plans
2	An innocent man is pursued	b.	countless action thrillers
3.	stop his interference	c.	his best
4.	original story and	d.	down the spine
5.	Hitchcock's most stylish thriller, if not	e.	the mystery genre
6.	Rotten Tomatoes said the film was	f.	end all Hitchcock pictures
7.	laid the groundwork for	g.	of talent
8.	the seventh best film in	h.	sophisticated dialogue
9.	perfect storm	i.	across the USA
10.	send a shiver	j.	gripping

  LISTENING / READING GAP FILL

North by Northwest is a 1959 American (1) _________________ by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason. The screenplay was written by Ernest Lehman, who wanted to write "the Hitchcock (2) _________________ Hitchcock pictures". It is a tale (3) _________________. An innocent man is pursued across the United States by agents of a mysterious organization who want to (4) _________________ in their plans (5) _________________ microfilm containing government secrets. Author and journalist Nick Clooney praised Lehman's original story and (6) _________________, calling the film, "certainly Alfred Hitchcock's most stylish thriller, if not his best".

North by Northwest was nominated for three Academy Awards for Film Editing, Art Direction, and (7) _________________. All three Oscars went instead to Ben-Hur. The movie review site Rotten Tomatoes said the film was "(8) _________________ and visually iconic" and claims it "(9) _________________ for countless action (10) _________________." In June 2008, the American Film Institute said North by Northwest was the seventh best film in (11) _________________. Fifty years after its release, "Time" magazine said it was still a great movie today, saying  "there's (12) _________________ this perfect storm of talent" and that the "(13) _________________ sequence still manages to send a (14) _________________ spine."

  CORRECT THE SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	It is a tale of aintekms identity
2.	An innocent man is surdepu across the United States
3.	stop his etnereinferc in their plans
4.	plans to lugesgm out microfilm
5.	sophisticated agleuiod
6.	Hitchcock's most slstyhi thriller
Paragraph 2
7.	deatoninm for three Academy Awards
8.	iirgnpgp, suspenseful and visually iconic
9.	laid the groundwork for uselcsotn action thrillers
10.	Fifty years after its seralee
11.	there's nothing adetd about this perfect storm of talent
12.	send a hsvier down the spine

  PUNCTUATE & PUT CAPITALS IN THE TEXT

north by northwest is a 1959 american thriller film directed by alfred hitchcock starring cary grant eva marie saint and james mason the screenplay was written by ernest lehman who wanted to write "the hitchcock picture to end all hitchcock pictures" it is a tale of mistaken identity an innocent man is pursued across the united states by agents of a mysterious organization who want to stop his interference in their plans to smuggle out microfilm containing government secrets author and journalist nick clooney praised lehman's original story and sophisticated dialogue calling the film "certainly alfred hitchcock's most stylish thriller if not his best"

north by northwest was nominated for three academy awards for film editing art direction and original screenplay all three oscars went instead to ben-hur the movie review site rotten tomatoes said the film was "gripping suspenseful and visually iconic" and claims it "laid the groundwork for countless action thrillers to follow" in june 2008 the american film institute said north by northwest was the seventh best film in the mystery genre fifty years after its release "time" magazine said it was still a great movie today saying  "there's nothing dated about this perfect storm of talent" and that the "opening-credits sequence still manages to send a shiver down the spine"

  INSERT THE VOWELS

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N_rth by N_rthw_st w_s n_m_n_t_d f_r thr__ _c_d_my _w_rds f_r F_lm _d_t_ng, _rt D_r_ct__n, _nd _r_g_n_l Scr__npl_y. _ll thr__ _sc_rs w_nt _nst__d t_ B_n-H_r. Th_ m_v__ r_v__w s_t_ R_tt_n T_m_t__s s__d th_ f_lm w_s "gr_pp_ng, s_sp_ns_f_l _nd v_s__lly _c_n_c" _nd cl__ms _t "l__d th_ gr__ndw_rk f_r c__ntl_ss _ct__n thr_ll_rs t_ f_ll_w." _n J_n_ 2008, th_ _m_r_c_n F_lm _nst_t_t_ s__d N_rth by N_rthw_st w_s th_ s_v_nth b_st f_lm _n th_ myst_ry g_nr_. F_fty y__rs _ft_r _ts r_l__s_, "T_m_" m_g_z_n_ s__d _t w_s st_ll _ gr__t m_v__ t_d_y, s_y_ng  "th_r_'s n_th_ng d_t_d _b__t th_s p_rf_ct st_rm _f t_l_nt" _nd th_t th_ "_p_n_ng-cr_d_ts s_q__nc_ st_ll m_n_g_s t_ s_nd _ sh_v_r d_wn th_ sp_n_."

  MARK THE SPACES

NorthbyNorthwestisa1959AmericanthrillerfilmdirectedbyAlfredHitc
hcock,starringCaryGrant,EvaMarieSaintandJamesMason.Thescree
nplaywaswrittenbyErnestLehman,whowantedtowrite"theHitchcock
picturetoendallHitchcockpictures".Itisataleofmistakenidentity.Anin
nocentmanispursuedacrosstheUnitedStatesbyagentsofamysterious
organizationwhowanttostophisinterferenceintheirplanstosmuggleo
utmicrofilmcontaininggovernmentsecrets.AuthorandjournalistNick
ClooneypraisedLehman'soriginalstoryandsophisticateddialogue,call
ingthefilm,"certainlyAlfredHitchcock'smoststylishthriller,ifnothisbe
st".NorthbyNorthwestwasnominatedforthreeAcademyAwardsforFil
mEditing,ArtDirection,andOriginalScreenplay.AllthreeOscarswentin
steadtoBenHur.ThemoviereviewsiteRottenTomatoessaidthefilmwa
s"gripping,suspensefulandvisuallyiconic"andclaimsit"laidtheground
workforcountlessactionthrillerstofollow."InJune2008,theAmericanF
ilmInstitutesaidNorthbyNorthwestwastheseventhbestfilminthemys
terygenre.Fiftyyearsafteritsrelease,"Time"magazinesaiditwasstilla
greatmovietoday,saying"there'snothingdatedaboutthisperfectstor
moftalent"andthatthe"openingcreditssequencestillmanagestosend
ashiverdownthespine."

  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.	__________________________________________________________________

  NORTH BY NORTHWEST SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about North By Northwest 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 "North By Northwest". Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about "North By Northwest". 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. "NORTH BY NORTHWEST" POSTER: Make a poster about "North By Northwest". 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  "North By Northwest". 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 "North By Northwest". Share your findings with the class.

  ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	tale	a.	story
2	pursued	b.	chased
3.	interference	c.	meddling
4.	dialogue	d.	conversation
5.	stylish	e.	sophisticated
6.	nominated	f.	recommended
7.	gripping	g.	absorbing
8.	groundwork	h.	foundations
9.	genre	i.	category
10.	dated	j.	old-fashioned

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 ;-)