Idioms & Expressions:
catch a movie (informal expression for ‘going to see a movie’)
If you’re free this weekend, let’s go catch a movie.
movie buff (noun; used to describe a person who’s very knowledgeable about movies)
Since I’m a movie buff, I’ll watch a movie whenever I have free time.
franchise (noun; synonym for “film series”)
The Fast & The Furious movies are a very popular film franchise.
blockbuster (noun; this is a financially successful movie)
Captain America was one of the biggest blockbusters of the past year.
live up to expectations (an expression used to refer to how one’s expectations compare to the reality of an experience)
I was happy with the movie. It lived up to my expectations.
eye candy (noun; this refers to visually appealing scenes of images in movies)
Transformers is pretty dumb, but it has a lot of eye candy.
based on a true story / based on a book (a phrase that describes a movie that was based on events that really happened or based on a book)
My favorite fantasy movie is Harry Potter, which is based on the book series of the same name.
Part I: Group Discussion
- Do you like to watch movies?
Of course; I think everyone likes to watch movies.
- How often do you go to the cinema to watch a movie?
I don’t have the chance to do this very often. I used to go all the time, maybe twelve times a year or more, but now I only go about once or twice a year.
- What was the first movie you watched in the cinema?
I think it was “The Lion King,” which came out in 1994.
- What kinds of movies do you like best?
Action is my favorite genre. Fortunately, there are a lot action and superhero movies being made these days. I also like modern comedies.
Part II: Individual Presentations
Describe a movie that you have recently watched and liked. Please say:
What was the movie about?
Why did you like it?
When and where did you watch it?
I loved the movie “Transformers.” It’s a famous action movie and has been one of my favorites for a long time. I first saw it ten years ago, and was instantly impressed. The action scenes were so well-done that I knew I’d be watching it over and over. The story is also very heart-warming – the movie is about a boy and his first car and a girl that he’s trying to impress. I think I’ve seen it ten or eleven times, and I’ll watch it much more often in the future. I first saw it in China in summer 2007 when I was living there.
Part III: Class Discussion
- What is the link between movies and the history of any country?
Movies are a way of telling historical stories from a country’s history. We call these historical dramas or “period pieces.”
- Is it necessary to spend a huge amount of money on a movie to make it profitable?
Definitely not. Horror movies are very cheap to produce, and they usually make high profits as a result.
- Should filmmakers only make movies based on facts or real stories?
Not at all. Almost every movie is a fictional story. It would be strange to only make movies based on facts or true stores.
- Why do we like certain movies?
Well, why do we like anything? Everyone has their preferences, and they are hard to explain. There are many factors for why we like what we like.
- Do you watch movies for entertainment or for the story?
Both – you can be entertained and learn at the same time while you’re watching a movie.
