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

  GAMES:

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

Rear Window is a 1954 American suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It was written by John Michael Hayes and based on Cornell Woolrich's 1942 short story "It Had to Be Murder". The film was originally released by Paramount Pictures. It stars James Stewart and Grace Kelly. The movie is about a wheelchair-bound photographer who spies on his neighbours from the window of his apartment. He becomes convinced one of them has committed murder. The film is considered by many filmgoers, critics and scholars to be one of Hitchcock's best. It received four Academy Award nominations and was ranked #42 on the American Film Institute's 100 Years…100 Movies list.

Critic Bosley Crowther of "The New York Times" called the film a "tense and exciting exercise". He said Hitchcock was a director whose work has "a maximum of carefully tricked deception and incidents to divert and amuse." Crowther also notes the film exposes many aspects of the loneliness of city life. "Time" magazine said there is "never an instant ... when director Hitchcock is not in minute and masterly control of his material." "Variety" said the film "combines technical and artistic skills in a manner that makes this an unusually good piece of murder mystery entertainment." In 1997, Rear Window was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

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

  TRAILER AND POSTER

REAR WINDOW 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).

REAR WINDOW 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.	suspense	a.	nerve-racking
2	originally	b.	brought out
3.	released	c.	distract
4.	considered	d.	rated
5.	ranked	e.	chosen
6.	tense	f.	tension
7.	deception	g.	tiny
8.	divert	h.	initially
9.	minute (adj)	i.	trickery
10.	selected	j.	deemed

PHRASE MATCH

1.	based on Cornell Woolrich's	a.	and scholars
2	a wheelchair-	b.	has committed murder
3.	spies	c.	and artistic skills
4.	He becomes convinced one of them	d.	exciting exercise
5.	filmgoers, critics	e.	mystery entertainment
6.	a tense and	f.	1942 short story
7.	exposes many aspects of the	g.	on his neighbours
8.	never an	h.	loneliness of city life
9.	the film "combines technical	i.	bound photographer
10.	an unusually good piece of murder	j.	instant

  LISTENING / READING GAP FILL

Rear Window is a 1954 American (1) __________________ Alfred Hitchcock. It was written by John Michael Hayes and based on Cornell Woolrich's 1942 short story "It Had to Be Murder". The film was originally released by Paramount Pictures. It stars James Stewart and Grace Kelly. The movie is (2) __________________ photographer who (3) __________________ from the window of his apartment. He becomes (4) _____________________ has committed murder. The film is considered by many filmgoers, critics and (5) __________________ of Hitchcock's best. It received four Academy Award nominations and was ranked #42 on the American Film Institute's 100 (6) __________________.

Critic Bosley Crowther of "The New York Times" called the film a "tense (7) __________________ ". He said Hitchcock was a director whose work has "a (8) ____________________ tricked deception and incidents to divert and amuse." Crowther also notes the film (9) ____________________ of the loneliness of city life. "Time" magazine said there is "never an instant ... when director Hitchcock is not in (10) ____________________ control of his material." "Variety" said the film "combines technical and artistic skills in a manner that makes (11) __________________ piece of murder mystery entertainment." In 1997, Rear Window was (12) ____________________ in the United States National Film Registry.

  CORRECT THE SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	a 1954 American nusesesp film
2.	The film was ynilargloi released by Paramount Pictures
3.	a wheelchair-dubon photographer
4.	He becomes nivecondc one of them has committed murder
5.	filmgoers, critics and ascohrsl
6.	rdnake #42
Paragraph 2
7.	a "tense and exciting ieescrex"
8.	the lsneeloins of city life
9.	never an ttnsina
10.	the film "combines nictahcel and artistic skills
11.	good piece of murder eysrtmy entertainment
12.	elcetsde for preservation

  PUNCTUATE & PUT CAPITALS IN THE TEXT

rear window is a 1954 american suspense film directed by alfred hitchcock it was written by john michael hayes and based on cornell woolrich's 1942 short story "it had to be murder" the film was originally released by paramount pictures it stars james stewart and grace kelly the movie is about a wheelchair-bound photographer who spies on his neighbours from the window of his apartment he becomes convinced one of them has committed murder the film is considered by many filmgoers critics and scholars to be one of hitchcock's best it received four academy award nominations and was ranked #42 on the american film institute's 100 years…100 movies list

critic bosley crowther of "the new york times" called the film a "tense and exciting exercise" he said hitchcock was a director whose work has "a maximum of carefully tricked deception and incidents to divert and amuse" crowther also notes the film exposes many aspects of the loneliness of city life "time" magazine said there is "never an instant  when director hitchcock is not in minute and masterly control of his material" "variety" said the film "combines technical and artistic skills in a manner that makes this an unusually good piece of murder mystery entertainment" in 1997 rear window was selected for preservation in the united states national film registry

  INSERT THE VOWELS

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Cr_t_c B_sl_y Cr_wth_r _f "Th_ N_w Y_rk T_m_s" c_ll_d th_ f_lm _ "t_ns_ _nd _xc_t_ng _x_rc_s_". H_ s__d H_tchc_ck w_s _ d_r_ct_r wh_s_ w_rk h_s "_ m_x_m_m _f c_r_f_lly tr_ck_d d_c_pt__n _nd _nc_d_nts t_ d_v_rt _nd _m_s_." Cr_wth_r _ls_ n_t_s th_ f_lm _xp_s_s m_ny _sp_cts _f th_ l_n_l_n_ss _f c_ty l_f_. "T_m_" m_g_z_n_ s__d th_r_ _s "n_v_r _n _nst_nt ... wh_n d_r_ct_r H_tchc_ck _s n_t _n m_n_t_ _nd m_st_rly c_ntr_l _f h_s m_t_r__l." "V_r__ty" s__d th_ f_lm "c_mb_n_s t_chn_c_l _nd _rt_st_c sk_lls _n _ m_nn_r th_t m_k_s th_s _n _n_s__lly g__d p__c_ _f m_rd_r myst_ry _nt_rt__nm_nt." _n 1997, R__r W_nd_w w_s s_l_ct_d f_r pr_s_rv_t__n _n th_ _n_t_d St_t_s N_t__n_l F_lm R_g_stry.

  MARK THE SPACES

RearWindowisa1954AmericansuspensefilmdirectedbyAlfredHitchco
ck.ItwaswrittenbyJohnMichaelHayesandbasedonCornellWoolrich's
1942shortstory"ItHadtoBeMurder".Thefilmwasoriginallyreleasedby
ParamountPictures.ItstarsJamesStewartandGraceKelly.Themovieis
aboutawheelchairboundphotographerwhospiesonhisneighboursfro
mthewindowofhisapartment.Hebecomesconvincedoneofthemhasco
mmittedmurder.Thefilmisconsideredbymanyfilmgoers,criticsandsc
holarstobeoneofHitchcock'sbest.ItreceivedfourAcademyAwardnom
inationsandwasranked#42ontheAmericanFilmInstitute's100Years
…100Movieslist.CriticBosleyCrowtherof"TheNewYorkTimes"called
hefilma"tenseandexcitingexercise".HesaidHitchcockwasadirectorw
hoseworkhas"amaximumofcarefullytrickeddeceptionandincidentst
odivertandamuse."Crowtheralsonotesthefilmexposesmanyaspects
ofthelonelinessofcitylife."Time"magazinesaidthereis"neveraninstan
t...whendirectorHitchcockisnotinminuteandmasterlycontrolofhisma
terial.""Variety"saidthefilm"combinestechnicalandartisticskillsinam
annerthatmakesthisanunusuallygoodpieceofmurdermysteryentert
ainment."In1997,RearWindowwasselectedforpreservationintheUni
tedStatesNationalFilmRegistry.

  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.	__________________________________________________________________

  REAR WINDOW SURVEY

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

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about "Rear Window". 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. "REAR WINDOW" POSTER: Make a poster about "Rear Window". 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  "Rear Window". 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 "Rear Window". Share your findings with the class.

  ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	suspense	a.	tension
2	originally	b.	initially
3.	released	c.	brought out
4.	considered	d.	deemed
5.	ranked	e.	rated
6.	tense	f.	nerve-racking
7.	deception	g.	trickery
8.	divert	h.	distract
9.	minute (adj)	i.	tiny
10.	selected	j.	chosen

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 ;-)