Video Lesson 05 - The Day The Earth Stood Still

The Day the Earth Stood Still Video Lesson 05 (A2+ and higher) Reading Comprehension Questions: 1. How is this remake different from the original? 2. When was the original made? 3. What is Keanu Reeves’s opinion of the original movie? 4. What did the original movie warn audiences about? 5. What is the message of the remake? 6. What did Keanu Reeves’s have to do play an alien? 7. What is the term used by the commentator to mean “to not show emotion?” 8. Joke: What happened to the man who was captured by extraterrestrial teddy bears? 9. Joke: What are aliens’ favorite sweets?

Transcript and answers to question follow.

Transcript: (Extract from film) “I’ve been sent here to determine who or what your represent and what you’re intentions are.” “I represent a group of civilizations.” TV Reporter - Hollywood likes a good old remake. The story and the script already exist so you just update it, stick in a modern style and away you go. The latest is The Day the Earth Stood Still, a 1951 sci-fi classic that has now become a 2008 film starring this man. (Extract from film) “No, it is not.” TV Reporter – Keeanu Reeves, love to see you. Welcome to SkyNews. Keanu Reeves – Thank you very much. Thanks for having me. TV Reporter – We come in peace. Keanu Reeves – Oh, good! TV Reporter – Remaking a film, obviously everyone is asking you. Were you fond of the original? Keanu Reeves – Yeah, I saw it as a kid. And uh, it had spacemen and flying saucers. It’s a very multilayered themed movie. TV Reporter – The plot follows an alien who come to tell the human race it’s destroying itself. The original was meant as a warning about the Cold War. This time it has another serious message apparently. (Extract from film) “This planet is dying.” “What are you saying?” “If the Earth dies, you die. If you die, the Earth survives.” Keanu Reeves – Broadly speaking, it’s just man’s impact on the planet and relationship to the planet and how we’re endangering some of these species and endangering ourselves and that we’re on the precipice. And on the precipice we have to change our ways. TV Reporter – Keanu himself has caused a bit of an explosion in the sci-fi world thanks of course to The Matrix. To play an alien he says he merely had to show no emotion. Surely that was easy to do!

TV Reporter – So, was it hard maintaining a straight face? I read that in between takes you had to laugh to remind everyone that you were actually humans. Keanu Reeves – I don’t know. It started to put some people off TV Reporter – I’ m going to end by testing your straight-faceness very quickly, if this is ok? Keanu Reeves – Ok, I’m afraid. TV Reporter – Can you maintain a straight alien face whilst I tell you my favourite Martian and astronaut jokes? Keanu Reeves – Uh sure, go for it. TV Report – Ok, bear with me here. Did you hear about the man who was captured by extraterrestrial teddy bears? Keanu Reeves – No TV Reporter – He had a close encounter of the furred kind. Don’t laugh. You’re meant to be straight faced. What are aliens’ favourite sweets? Keanu Reeves – I don’t know. TV Reporter – Martianmallows. (Awkward pause then says something inaudible) Shall I leave it there? Yes probably for the best considering the things Keanu does in this film when people like me make him mad. Steve Hargraves, SkyNews. Answers: 1. It’s been updated and a modern style added 2. 1951 3. He was fond of it and saw it as a kid (gamin, môme). It thought it was a multi-layered themed movie. 4. the Cold War 5. Man’s impact on the planet and man’s relationship to the planet, we’re endangering so many species and ourselves. We are on the precipice and we have to change our ways. 6. he nearly had to show no emotion 7. to maintain a straight face 8. he had a close encounter of the furred kind (a play off the film Close Encounters of Third Kind) 9. martianmellows (a play off the word ‘marshmallows’; in French guimauve)