Unit 2 Cinema
Part 1. General Overview
Lead-in
"Imagine their delightful surprise when I read them the script of Love and Death with its plot that went from war to political assassination, ending with the death of its hero caused by a cruel trick of God. Never having witnessed eight film executives go into cardiac arrest simultaneously, I was quite amused."
Woody Allen, Esquire, 1975
1 
How much art is there in your life? Below you see a diagram with things which generally come under the heading of "the arts". Number the genres in the order of their importance to you, that is, how much they are represented in your life. Share a few comments about where you come across each of them.
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| novels
| drama
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| dance
| cinema
| theatre
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   short stories
| LITERATURE
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| THE ARTS
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| PERFORMING ARTS
| ballet
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| biographies
| poetry
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| opera
| concerts
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| painting
| FINE ARTS
| sculpture
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| architecture
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| ceramics
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2 Coming closer to the topic of films, you are requested to specify your interest in TV. Which of the following programme types appeal to you most and what is wrong about those you don't like?
| documentaries
| soap operas
| drama
| sports programmes
| game shows
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| news broadcasts
| quizzes
| chat shows
| weather forecasts
| variety shows
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| current affairs programmes
| sitcoms
| feature films
| music programmes
| commercials
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3 Finally, talk about the last feature film that you saw. Say how much you enjoyed it, which aspects you liked most and where the movie failed. The vocabulary below may be helpful.
| ON THE PLUS SIDE
| ON THE MINUS SIDE
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| a
an
a lot of
plenty of
a number of
| absorbing
| film
insight into
plot
acting
photography
direction
moments
climax
costumes
soundtrack
sets
score
| a
an
a few
some
a lot of
plenty of
a number of
| exceptionally tedious
| film
look at life
story-line
performance by
camerawork
direction
script
dialogue
quality
shots
characters
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| Fascinating
| agonisingly slow
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| well thought-out
| boring
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| brilliant
| chaotic
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| Superb
| exceedingly poor
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| Delicate
| amateurish
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| Dazzling
| awful
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| powerful
| heavy-handed
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| thoroughly enjoyable
| embarrassingly weak
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| memorable
| horribly unnatural
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| gorgeous
| absurd
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| grandiose
| laughable
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| ravishing
| worthless
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| totally satisfying
| totally disappointing
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4 You are about to listen to a few viewers' comments on the film American Beauty. People's attitudes vary, and so do the criteria the film is assessed upon. As you listen, mark those aspects that the viewers point out. Put a plus (+) if that is viewed as a strong point and a minus (-) if the film underrates upon that particular criterion. To sum up, conclude what turned out to be the film's most appreciated points and what was left basically unnoticed or was absent, based exclusively on what you hear.
| Contributors
| Real characters, with real world problems
| Ingenuity of the Story
| Humour
| Cast & Performances
| Direction
| Work on Many Levels
| Blend of genres
| Work on Emotions
| Film's Message
| Gives Role Models for Youth & Recipes
| Characters
| Quality of Script & Dialogue
| Memorable Scenes
| Symbolism
| Other
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| #1
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| #3
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| #4
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| #5
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| #6
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| #7
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| #8
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| #9
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5 Remember a film of your choice and say if it meets the above criteria. Consider the vocabulary tips from the listening exercise.
| the script is too far-fetched
| a totally disarming film
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| attempt at psychological profile
| presented as a documentary
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| you leave with bittersweet taste
| is more cartoon than genuine
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| the deadpan humour
| cast does very fine jobs
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| I can't remember a more satisfying film
| passages are thick and rich on symbolism
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| Everything about this movie oozes class
| has original cinematic spark
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| strikingly original
| comes up with new angles and answers
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| has this strange effect on you
| it revolves around
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| I felt a million different emotions
| in the vein of
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| combines tragedy with comedy
| characters are as deep as cereal bowls
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| moment that might make film history
| characters are one-dimensional
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| opens our eyes
| a film for my Oscar choice
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| Chosen Film
| Real characters, with real world problems
| Ingenuity of the Story
| Humour
| Cast & Performances
| Direction
| Work on Many Levels
| Blend of genres
| Work on Emotions
| Film's Message
| Gives Role Models for Youth & Recipes
| Characters
| Quality of Script & Dialogue
| Memorable Scenes
| Symbolism
| Other
(Special effects,
Based on Real Events, Historical Background)
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