📘 Part 3: Going to the cinema

This episode's vocabulary

Venue (noun) - the place where a public event or meeting happens.

To get up someone's nose (idiom) - to annoy or irritate someone.

Essential (adj.) - necessary or needed.

To engage (verb) - to interest someone in something and keep them thinking about it.

Inflation (noun) - a general, continuous increase in prices.

Force of habit (idiom) - If you do something out of force of habit, you do it without thinking because you have done it so many times before.

To commute (verb) - to make the same journey regularly between work and home.

Convenient (adj.) - suitable for your purposes and needs and causing the least difficulty.

Portability (noun) - the quality of being light and small enough to be easily carried or moved.

Portray (verb) - to represent or describe someone or something in a painting, film, book, or other artistic work.

To propel (verb) - to push or move something somewhere, often with a lot of force.

Viable (adj.) - able to work as intended or able to succeed.

Simulated (adj.) - made to look like or have the features of something else.

Engrossing (adj.) - very interesting and needing all your attention.

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Questions and Answers

M: What are the differences between watching movies at home and at the cinema?

R: Well, on the one hand, you have all the comforts of home, but in a smaller venue that lacks the magic of the cinema. And on the other hand, being in cinema gives you that sort of classic experience, though, I suppose you have to put up with other people and their noise from time to time, and that would really get up most people's nose, I guess.

M: Are actors and actresses important to movies?

R: Well, they're pretty much essential, aren't they? I'm not sure how else one's supposed to get people engaged emotionally with a film, like even in animated films where there aren't sort of there people, it's not live action, the characters still need voice actors. So I don't really understand how else you're supposed to involve people.

M: Why are there fewer people going to the cinema to watch films?

R: Are you kidding? There's inflation and the cost of living and energy crises and, oh, and the quality of movies is usually much lower these days than it used to be. I think it would be harder to argue why people want to go to the cinema, despite all of that.

M: Do people in your country still like to go to the cinema?

R: Well, it's a classic option, if you go on a date, I suppose. Or if you are, well, out of any more original ideas, then it sort of makes sense. And it's also force of habit. They do it because they don't know any better.

M: Where do people usually watch films?

R: It seems like more of them watch them at home these days or on their phones when they're commuting. It's more convenient. And for the reasons we already talked about, although in the case of phones, it's also the added case of portability as well.

M: Do you think actors should be paid more?

R: Well, we should all be paid more. I mean, if we were paid enough, it's unlikely anyone would strive to do better with what we're given. That's how the system works. But if we talk about actors specifically, then I guess there are more deserving people. It's not like they don't work hard. But there are people who work hard that are not actors that don't have nearly as much money.

M: What makes an actor a famous star?

R: Well, the market does. Like specifically supply and demand. If they star in a role that people like and they do a good job portraying the character, then they're kind of automatically propelled to fame.

M: Do you think that in the future, more people will go to the cinema?

R: I doubt that. I think it's like a trend where fewer and fewer people are going to the cinema as things like home entertainment systems become more accessible. Plus, it's not really economically viable anymore.

M: How do you think movie theaters will change in the future?

R: Well, more of them will be closed for starters. If they're going to compete, then possibly they should involve simulated experiences. You already have this in some theaters, where you've got the surround sound. And there's... I can't remember what it's called. But it's like it adds depth to it. So if there's missed in the movie, then there'll be missed in the cinema as well. So things that are more engrossing than just simply sitting and watching it happen on a screen.

M: Thank you, Rory, for your answers!

R: No problem. Hopefully, they were suitably theatrical! Yay, it's a pun!

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Discussion

M: So, watching films, movies, right? So you can say both, movies, films. We usually watch movies... Well, not usually at the cinema, but it's at the cinema. Can I say in the cinema?

R: Yes. Well, like if you describe where you are, you're in the cinema. Most people would say at the cinema.

M: Yeah, so I usually go to the cinema to watch a film at the cinema. And Rory, you talked about all the comforts of home compared to the movie theatres, so movie theatres, the buildings where the, well, you go to the cinema, you go to a movie theatre. And also, you mentioned putting up with other people. And their noise.

R: Yeah. So if you've put up with something, it's like you tolerate it, but you're not really happy about it. So you put up with noise, you put up with small irritations.

M: But also, you can say that movie theatres are air-conditioned. They have comfortable seats. You can eat junk food and popcorn. You know...

R: You can do all of this at home, though, like I am not a defender of cinema by any means now. I think they're almost obsolete.

M: And you can also mention that the screen is quite big. They have a huge screen at the cinema. But also, maybe your TV is enough at home. And you said that like a smaller venue. Right? So can a movie theatre be a venue? And what is a venue?

R: Well, a venue is a place where you go to do something. So a movie theatre is a venue, but also a football stadium is a venue as well.

M: So when we talk about actors, so actors and actresses, right? But do we have one word to describe male actors and female actresses?

R: I think most people just say actor these days like but if you're being super politically correct, then yes, actors and actresses.

M: Yeah, so you can say like, she's a nice actor. We can say the main actors, stars. Brad Pitts and DiCaprios. They are essential, right? To the film. They're super important. They are vital.

R: They're the leads. Well, usually they're the leads. I mean, the lead actor and the lead actress, those vary from film to film. But you have lead actors and supporting actors.

M: Yeah, lead actors. So the main actors and supporting, right? So like other, like, second main actors.

R: But you also have main characters and supporting characters. So the lead actors play the role of the main characters and the supporting actors play the role of supporting characters.

M: Right.

R: Look at me with my specialized vocabulary for talking about movies.

M: Oh, my God, look at you.

R: An industry I have never worked in, but there you go.

M: You're on fire. Yeah. And we do need the specific vocabulary because we talk about films, right? Not unicorns, or helicopters. Fewer people are going to the cinema these days. So fewer, not less, fewer people go because few people very, like very few. Not many. And here, perhaps IELTS people want us to talk about these after COVID times. And also like during the lockdown, many movie theatres closed down, right? And fewer people, perhaps now go to the cinema. And some movie theatres may not have survived through this, you know, COVID times. And yeah, Rory reacted to the question like, are you kidding? It's a bit informal, but speaking is informal, so it's fine. And it was quite okay, quite polite. So Rory wasn't offending anybody. So like are you joking? Are you kidding? We have inflation, a cost of living, an energy crisis. The quality of movies is low, right? So the quality of films is low these days. That's why fewer people go to the cinema. Not many people go there. And yeah, you might also talk about this...

R: You could use that to talk about anything. It's not just movies. It's like, why do people do anything less often? It's like, are you kidding me? Like there is inflation and also like all of the other horrendous things happening in the world in the economy.

M: You could also mention these shutdowns, right? So many movie theatres, closed down or had to close down and they didn't open again. So yeah, but now cinemas are welcoming cinema-goers. That's another synonym of people who go to the cinema. Cinema-goers. So goer. Like go - goer. Cinema-goers. Is it the same as it was before COVID or still, you know, it has changed?

R: What, going to the cinema?

M: Yeah. Well, I mean, you still go there, but fewer people do because they all have these home entertainment systems now. And also, it's expensive to go to the cinema whereas it's inexpensive to get a subscription to whatever streaming platform you care to name.

M: Netflix.

R: Only Netflix if Netflix is paying us sponsorship money.

M: Ah, okay. All right. The n, the n-word.

R: Oh my god.

M: Netflix. And do people in Scotland like to go to the cinema? And you said that it's a classic option if you go on a date. So when you go on a date, you invite your lady or gentleman to the cinema. Also, you said that it's the force of habit. It's force of habit or the force of habit?

R: Well, I always say force of habit, but I suppose you could say the force of habit or a force of habit. And the idea is the same. I think you're supposed to say the, but I just say it without, because the main focus is on force of habit, which is like you do it automatically.

M: So people go to the cinema automatically, right? So they don't know what to do with their free time. So okay, let's go to the cinema. It's easy. Movie theatres, cinemas are everywhere. So yeah, it's their habit. Right? And you know what, like, thinking about myself now, yeah, in speaking part 3 we don't, but just from myself, I used to go to the cinema quite regularly. But now I don't, I just don't. Where do people watch movies? Again, at the cinema, at home, but also there are more options. They watch movies, on their phones, on their devices, when commuting. So what does it mean to commute? It's a nice one.

R: What, they do it when they commute. Like when they're going from their home to their work. Although how many people do that these days?

M: They just stay at home. Yeah, they work from home. Yeah, so people watch movies when commuting. Some people watch movies while driving. They drive and watch. Crazy. And like it's more convenient. Right? Because of this. Right? To watch a film on your mobile phone is more convenient. The seats are comfortable. But this watching films on your phone is more convenient. Also on the plane. When flying, when you fly somewhere.

R: Well, it depends who you fly with. I mean, a lot of airline companies have. What are they called? Screens in the headsets? In the headrests, sorry.

M: Oh, yeah, it's like entertainment. They have entertainment systems.

R: They do, yeah. Although some of them are absolutely atrocious. And then if you get a budget flight, then you've absolutely no hope of getting access to this. So you might as well bring your own.

M: Atrocious means horrible. And budget flight means like economy flight. But let's imagine you fly, for example, to Cuba, like eight hours. And then well, there should be some entertainment system. And you can say like, oh, you know, it takes only four films to fly to Cuba. You watch these four films and that's it. You're in Cuba.

R: Or if you could just read a book.

M: It takes one book to fly to Hawaii. Yeah. Actors should be paid more only if they are good at their job.

R: Although, to be honest, I used this point to talk about money in general. Because no one's paid enough. Are you paid enough?

M: Well, generally I'm fine.

R: I don't think I'm paid enough. I would like to be paid more.

M: Hmm. Okay.

R: But really, like, you know, everybody should be paid more because everybody works, well, most people work reasonably hard. But like actors are multimillionaires, whereas there are you know, people that pick up trash, they also work hard and that's a really important job. So why wouldn't they be paid more first?

M: And here also you can say that I reckon that leading actors should be paid more, because they are stars and they are expensive and they invest their time and energy into, I don't know, how they look, into how they speak because many actors they work on the accents.

R: But why do that when you can be like me and advocate for the overthrow of capitalism? Just question the whole system.

M: Yeah. Maybe, dear listener, dear listener you don't agree with Rory. So I'm just giving you more options, you know.

R: Yes. Maybe you are foolish and you disagree with me.

M: And then what makes an actor a famous star? So Rory said that the market does. The market makes Leonardo DiCaprio a famous star. And then you've used a nice one, if an actor stars in a role. So for example, Leonardo DiCaprio stars in Titanic, right? So he is in this film. That's a nice verb to star. To star as a verb.

R: Yes. Which is just another way of saying to have a leading role in a film. But you could also say that you are in a film. I was in a movie.

M: Were you?

R: No, I mean, like as an example sentence. Was I in a movie? I'm sure...

M: IELTS Speaking for Success film. Oh, yeah. Starring Rory.

R: Well, that's not a film that's more like a cautionary tale of what happens, when you say yes to things too many times.

M: No, but you know, once, like, I think we should make a film. Yeah. And when we are multimillionaires, we're gonna shoot a film, dear listener, yeah. And then we can call it Success with IELTS starring Rory Duncan Fergus Banana Hammock. Duncan Banana Hammock. Oh my God. It's not funny for you?

R: No, it's rude. You're so mean to me.

M: Oh, you have too many names.

R: I love a Russian person criticizing an English speaker for having too many names. Are you kidding me?

M: And then we can say portray the character. Right? So if an actor stars in a role that people like, and they do a good job of portraying the character. So kind of, like showing you the character, then they are propelled to fame. That's a really nice expression. So then actors are propelled to fame so they can become famous really quickly. So this is their journey to fame.

R: Well, the other thing about being propelled to fame is like it's something that you do, but other people do it with you. So it's not like they get themselves there. They're carried there by other people too.

M: Hmm. Okay. Also, you can say charisma makes an actor famous star. Like charisma skills.

R: Because of the passive voice, they are propelled to fame by other people. I was thinking, I was like, why is it like that? And I was like, oh, it's the passive voice because everybody's doing it. Well, the people who are participating in it are. And only people can be propelled to fame by others, by other people.

M: Connections, like what makes an actor a famous star? Well, people an actor knows. And then if you know somebody, you know, you know, friends with someone famous. So they could make you a star. And also you can mention money. Money makes an actor a famous star.

R: The worlds go round.

M: You just pay, you pay for your stardom, and off you go to fame.

R: You do pay for your stardom.

M: Yeah. Thank you very much, dear listener. Think about films, and movies, and cinema houses and also think about what happened...

R: Cinema houses...

M: Cinema houses.

R: Oh my god, I'm never gonna let you live this down. The word has not been used in about 300, well, no, that's not true. But like it's not been used in so long.

M: Yeah, movie theatres. Sorry. Yeah. Movie theatres, or cinemas. Just cinemas, cinemas, movie theatres. Yeah, dear listener, think about what's the situation now with the cinemas after the COVID-19 thing. Thank you very much for listening!

R: Bye!

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