LEWM: "THE MOVIES OF MICHAEL CRICHTON" ESL LESSON

ARCENAL STUDIOS presents LEARNING ENGLISH WITH MOVIES: "THE MOVIES OF MICHAEL CRICHTON" - a video lesson for ESL students who would like to improve their English skills by using MOVIES as the main topic.

THE MOVIES OF MICHAEL CRICHTON

Michael Crichton was an American best-selling author and filmmaker.

Many of his books, which often explore science and technology, have been adapted into films. Although Crichton received an M.D. from Harvard, he did not practice medicine. However, his work has always drawn inspiration from his medical knowledge.  Sadly, he passed away of Cancer in 2008 at age 66.

In this video we will take a look at some of the movies based on his novels.

First on the list is…THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN.

1971’s THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN was the first film to be adapted from one of Crichton’s novels.

This techno-thriller deals with a group of scientists dealing with an outbreak caused by a deadly alien virus of unknown origin. A crashed satellite, suspected to be the source of the outbreak is taken to a secret underground lab for investigation. When their research goes terribly wrong, the scientists not only have to deal with the virus but also with the deadly security measures of the lab.

In 1973, Crichton directed WESTWORLD, a sci-fi western set in a Wild West Theme park where tourists could interact with realistic androids. When one of the androids malfunctions, it terrorizes and kills the guests.

Hollywood legend Yul Brynner played the killer android trying to kill guests played by Richard Benjamin and James Brolin.

Both James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger have credited WESTWORLD as a huge inspiration for their TERMINATOR FILMS.

In 2016, HBO adapted WESTWORLD as a critically acclaimed TV series produced by J.J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan.

In 1978 Michael Crichton wrote and directed the heist film THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY, starring Sean Connery and Donald Sutherland.

In the film, Connery plays a London master thief who recruits a pickpocket, played by Sutherland, to steal a train carrying a shipment of gold meant as payment for British troops.

In 1993, Steven Spielberg directed JURASSIC PARK. Spielberg, already a huge fan of Michael Crichton’s work, purchased the rights of the JURASSIC PARK book before it was even published.

Not only was the book a best seller, but also the movie would break box office records and spawn a franchise of movies, games, and even theme parks.

1993’s RISING SUN is a crime thriller starring Sean Connery as a former police captain and expert on Japanese affairs and Wesley Snipes as a police detective.

They team up to investigate a murder inside the Los Angeles office of a powerful Japanese corporation.

DISCLOSURE is a 1994 erotic thriller directed by Barry Levinson and stars Michael Douglas and Demi Moore.

The film deals with the subject of sexual harassment lawsuits within the computer industry.

In the film, Demi Moore plays a powerful executive who sexually harasses Michael Douglas and completely shifts the power dynamics of their business relationship.

In 1995, a film version of Congo was released.

Hoping to capitalize on the success of JURASSIC PARK, this action adventure based of Crichton’s novel was directed by Frank Marshall. 

Marshall, a successful director and producer was also the co-founder of Steven Spielberg’s Production Company Amblin Entertainment.

Unfortunately, the film was only a modest hit with critics and audiences, failing to deliver on the promise of an action adventure that could rival Jurassic Park’s success.

In 1997, Steven Spielberg directed the second film on the Jurassic Park series titled JURASSIC PARK: THE LOST WORLD, while working on his award-winning historical drama Schindler’s List.

Jeff Goldblum returning as chaos theorist Ian Malcolm, joins Julianne Moore who plays his girlfriend and paleontologist Sarah Harding in a mission to save the dinosaurs from a secret island. 

After the box office success of DISCLOSURE, Barry Levinson directed the science fiction thriller, SPHERE.

This 1998 film stars Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, and Samuel L. Jackson as a group of scientists who are sent to investigate an underwater alien spacecraft.

While investigating, they experience a series of strange phenomena, which they believe to be caused by the alien ship. 

The 1999 adventure The 13^th WARRIOR, from the novel EATERS OF THE DEAD, was loosely based on the story of BEOWOLF.

It was directed by John McTiernan, the man behind blockbusters like DIE HARD and PREDATOR.

In the film, Antonio Banderas plays a court poet to the Caliph of Baghdad travelling with a group of Volga Vikings. Unfortunately, The film was a critical and financial disappointment due to its many production problems.

In 2003, Richard Donner directed the time-travelling adventure, TIMELINE.

Donner has directed many successful films including 1978’s SUPERMAN, The OMEN and the LETHAL WEAPON films. The film stars Paul Walker and Gerard Butler as young archeologists studying medieval sites.

In the film, a scientist travels back in time with the help of cutting edge technology and is unable to return.

As a result, his son and a group of medieval experts are sent back to the Middle Ages to rescue him.

In 1994, Crichton produced the hugely successful TV medical drama ER. Not only did the show run for 15 seasons but also propelled George Clooney into superstardom.

Despite Michael Crichton’s passing in 2008, some of his most successful novels still haven’t been translated to the big screen. Perhaps, we might be able to enjoy them in TV screens and movie theaters in the near future.