Tuesday 27 May 2008

Indiana Jones is back

FROM the opening theme music an Indiana Jones movie always offers plenty of excitement.

The fourth Indiana Jones movie, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, was released on Thursday and comes almost 20 years after The Last Crusade. The film also showed at this year’s Cannes film festival.

It was the second film Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom that I watched in the cinema as a youngster. I remember being mesmerised by the movie and recall my friend, who I took with me, could not watch the scene in the vaults of the Temple.

I watched Raiders of the Last Ark and Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade on television and think they are as good, if not better.

Some critics have questioned the decision to bring back the franchise, arguing that Harrison Ford, who is 64, is now too old, but I would have to disagree. These are the films that a younger audience deserves to see at the cinema. They are blockbuster movies, which should be seen on the big screen.

So what can audiences expect in the new Indiana Jones movie? Unfortunately very little information was released about the plot before its release and director, Steven Spielberg, and producer George Lucas kept tight-lipped.

But what is known is that the action is set in 1957, and the bad guys are Russian and the quest is a crystal skull.

Will Lucas and Spielberg be able to recreate the magic?

Thursday 15 May 2008

Helene is favourite

A TYNESIDE comprehensive is to teach all GCSE subjects in eight-minute sessions.

The mini-lessons will be held at Monkseaton comprehensive high school and will be broken up for sport.

It is thought that the technique will help the memory develop and is based on neuroscience research.

A pilot scheme at the school had improved results by an average of half a grade for science pupils.

Critics have rubbished the idea saying it is nothing more than a “fad”. But it seems like a good idea to me, who can forget having to sit through double lessons for school.

A lesson would last for 40 minutes, and a double 120 minutes.

Forty minutes would be about bearable, however I can remember sitting through a a class for well over an hour, without a break, and can recall my mind used to wander.

I would think about what I was doing that evening, what was on telly etc.

It is almost impossible to keep your concentration for that amount of time.

I remember it was worse in the Summer, when the classroom got warm.

So I agree with the principal of what this school is doing, although I think eight minutes is too short.

Perhaps 20 minutes would be sufficient, that would be enough time to teach a number of points and would be a sufficient amount of time to keep children’s attention.

Meanwhile, I have been gripped, as always, to the Apprentice. This week will be the eighth episode, and I think Helene looks like one of the favourites.