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

  GAMES:

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

Sunset Boulevard is a 1950 American film noir directed and co-written by Billy Wilder. It was named after the boulevard that runs through Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, California. The film stars William Holden as Joe Gillis, an unsuccessful screenwriter, and Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, a faded silent movie star. She draws him into her fantasy world where she dreams of making a triumphant return to the screen. The story is set in 1950s Hollywood and depicts how cruel the effects of losing one's star status can be. The movie ends with murder and Swanson losing her mind. A BBC review of the film said it is, "the finest movie ever made about the narcissistic hellhole that is Hollywood".

The movie was praised by many critics when it was first released. It was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and won three. It is widely accepted as a classic and is often cited as one of the greatest films of American cinema. In 1998, it was ranked number twelve on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 best American films of the 20th century. Time magazine described it as a story of, "Hollywood at its worst told by Hollywood at its best", while Box Office Review wrote, "the picture will keep spectators spellbound". RottenTomatoes.com said it was: "Arguably the greatest movie about Hollywood." To promote the film, Gloria Swanson travelled throughout the United States, visiting 33 cities in a few months.

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

  TRAILER AND POSTER

SUNSET BOULEVARD 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).

SUNSET BOULEVARD 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.	boulevard	a.	make-believe
2	faded	b.	captivated
3.	fantasy	c.	quoted
4.	triumphant	d.	sinking
5.	narcissistic	e.	viewers
6.	released	f.	street
7.	cited	g.	self-admiring
8.	spectators	h.	victorious
9.	spellbound	i.	publicise
10.	promote	j.	launched

PHRASE MATCH

1.	directed and co-	a.	by many critics
2	a faded	b.	her mind
3.	The story is set	c.	Hollywood at its best
4.	losing	d.	silent movie star
5.	the narcissistic hellhole	e.	a classic
6.	The movie was praised	f.	that is Hollywood
7.	It is widely accepted as	g.	as one of the greatest
8.	often cited	h.	spellbound
9.	Hollywood at its worst told by	i.	written by Billy Wilder
10.	keep spectators	j.	in 1950s Hollywood

  LISTENING / READING GAP FILL

Sunset Boulevard is a 1950 American film noir directed and co-written by Billy Wilder. It (1) ____________________ boulevard that runs through Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, California. The film stars William Holden as Joe Gillis, an unsuccessful screenwriter, and Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, a faded silent movie star. She draws (2) ____________________ world where she dreams of making (3) ____________________ the screen. The story is set in 1950s Hollywood                             (4) ____________________ the effects of losing one's star status can be. The (5) ____________________ and Swanson losing her mind. A BBC review of the film said it is, "the finest movie ever made about the (6) ____________________ that is Hollywood".

The movie was (7) ____________________ when it was first released. It was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and won three. It is (8) ____________________ classic and is often cited as one of the greatest films of American cinema. In 1998, it was ranked number twelve on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 best American films of the 20th century. Time magazine described (9) ____________________, "Hollywood at its worst told by Hollywood at its best", while Box Office Review wrote, "the picture will (10) ____________________". Rotten Tomatoes.com said it was: "(11) ____________________ movie about Hollywood." (12) ____________________, Gloria Swanson travelled throughout the United States, visiting 33 cities in a few months.

  CORRECT THE SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	an unsuccessful rieeerrtcwns
2.	a defad silent movie star
3.	She draws him into her antfsya world
4.	making a triumphant return to the necser
5.	ogsinl her mind
6.	the narcissistic ehelllho that is Hollywood
Paragraph 2
7.	The movie was drseapi by many critics
8.	It is widely eactpcde as a classic
9.	it was nrkade number twelve
10.	keep tsaorcstep spellbound
11.	teorpom the film
12.	ayubglra the greatest movie

  PUNCTUATE & PUT CAPITALS IN THE TEXT

sunset boulevard is a 1950 american film noir directed and co-written by billy wilder it was named after the boulevard that runs through los angeles and beverly hills california the film stars william holden as joe gillis an unsuccessful screenwriter and gloria swanson as norma desmond a faded silent movie star she draws him into her fantasy world where she dreams of making a triumphant return to the screen the story is set in 1950s hollywood and depicts how cruel the effects of losing one's star status can be the movie ends with murder and swanson losing her mind a bbc review of the film said it is "the finest movie ever made about the narcissistic hellhole that is hollywood"

the movie was praised by many critics when it was first released it was nominated for eleven academy awards and won three it is widely accepted as a classic and is often cited as one of the greatest films of american cinema in 1998 it was ranked number twelve on the american film institute's list of the 100 best american films of the 20th century time magazine described it as a story of "hollywood at its worst told by hollywood at its best" while box office review wrote "the picture will keep spectators spellbound" rottentomatoescom said it was "arguably the greatest movie about hollywood" to promote the film gloria swanson travelled throughout the united states visiting 33 cities in a few months

  INSERT THE VOWELS

S_ns_t B__l_v_rd _s _ 1950 _m_r_c_n f_lm n__r d_r_ct_d _nd c_-wr_tt_n by B_lly W_ld_r. _t w_s n_m_d _ft_r th_ b__l_v_rd th_t r_ns thr__gh L_s _ng_l_s _nd B_v_rly H_lls, C_l_f_rn__. Th_ f_lm st_rs W_ll__m H_ld_n _s J__ G_ll_s, _n _ns_cc_ssf_l scr__nwr_t_r, _nd Gl_r__ Sw_ns_n _s N_rm_ D_sm_nd, _ f_d_d s_l_nt m_v__ st_r. Sh_ dr_ws h_m _nt_ h_r f_nt_sy w_rld wh_r_ sh_ dr__ms _f m_k_ng _ tr__mph_nt r_t_rn t_ th_ scr__n. Th_ st_ry _s s_t _n 1950s H_llyw__d _nd d_p_cts h_w cr__l th_ _ff_cts _f l_s_ng _n_'s st_r st_t_s c_n b_. Th_ m_v__ _nds w_th m_rd_r _nd Sw_ns_n l_s_ng h_r m_nd. _ BBC r_v__w _f th_ f_lm s__d _t _s, "th_ f_n_st m_v__ _v_r m_d_ _b__t th_ n_rc_ss_st_c h_llh_l_ th_t _s H_llyw__d".

Th_ m_v__ w_s pr__s_d by m_ny cr_t_cs wh_n _t w_s f_rst r_l__s_d. _t w_s n_m_n_t_d f_r _l_v_n _c_d_my _w_rds _nd w_n thr__. _t _s w_d_ly _cc_pt_d _s _ cl_ss_c _nd _s _ft_n c_t_d _s _n_ _f th_ gr__t_st f_lms _f _m_r_c_n c_n_m_. _n 1998, _t w_s r_nk_d n_mb_r tw_lv_ _n th_ _m_r_c_n F_lm _nst_t_t_'s l_st _f th_ 100 b_st _m_r_c_n f_lms _f th_ 20th c_nt_ry. T_m_ m_g_z_n_ d_scr_b_d _t _s _ st_ry _f, "H_llyw__d _t _ts w_rst t_ld by H_llyw__d _t _ts b_st", wh_l_ B_x _ff_c_ R_v__w wr_t_, "th_ p_ct_r_ w_ll k__p sp_ct_t_rs sp_llb__nd". R_tt_nT_m_t__s.c_m s__d _t w_s: "_rg__bly th_ gr__t_st m_v__ _b__t H_llyw__d." T_ pr_m_t_ th_ f_lm, Gl_r__ Sw_ns_n tr_v_ll_d thr__gh__t th_ _n_t_d St_t_s, v_s_t_ng 33 c_t__s _n _ f_w m_nths.

  MARK THE SPACES

SunsetBoulevardisa1950Americanfilmnoirdirectedandco-
writtenbyBillyWilder.Itwasnamedaftertheboulevardthatrunsthroug
hLosAngelesandBeverlyHills,California.ThefilmstarsWilliamHoldena
sJoeGillis,anunsuccessfulscreenwriter,andGloriaSwansonasNorma
Desmond,afadedsilentmoviestar.Shedrawshimintoherfantasyworld
whereshedreamsofmakingatriumphantreturntothescreen.Thestory
issetin1950sHollywoodanddepictshowcrueltheeffectsoflosingone'ss
tarstatuscanbe.ThemovieendswithmurderandSwansonlosinghermi
nd.ABBCreviewofthefilmsaiditis,"thefinestmovieevermadeaboutthe
narcissistichellholethatisHollywood".Themoviewaspraisedbymanyc
riticswhenitwasfirstreleased.ItwasnominatedforelevenAcademyAw
ardsandwonthree.Itiswidelyacceptedasaclassicandisoftencitedason
eofthegreatestfilmsofAmericancinema.In1998,itwasrankednumber
twelveontheAmericanFilmInstitute'slistofthe100bestAmericanfilms
ofthe20thcentury.Timemagazinedescribeditasastoryof,"Hollywood
atitsworsttoldbyHollywoodatitsbest",whileBoxOfficeReviewwrote,"t
hepicturewillkeepspectatorsspellbound".RottenTomatoes.comsaidi
twas:"ArguablythegreatestmovieaboutHollywood."Topromotethefil
m,GloriaSwansontravelledthroughouttheUnitedStates,visiting33cit
iesinafewmonths.

  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.	__________________________________________________________________

  SUNSET BOULEVARD SURVEY

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

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about "Sunset Boulevard". 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. "SUNSET BOULEVARD" POSTER: Make a poster about "Sunset Boulevard". 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  "Sunset Boulevard". 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 "Sunset Boulevard". Share your findings with the class.

  ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	boulevard	a.	street
2	faded	b.	sinking
3.	fantasy	c.	make-believe
4.	triumphant	d.	victorious
5.	narcissistic	e.	self-admiring
6.	released	f.	launched
7.	cited	g.	quoted
8.	spectators	h.	viewers
9.	spellbound	i.	captivated
10.	promote	j.	publicise

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 ;-)