Words & Expressions from the movie "Bridesmaids"

hit bottom
idiom
- to reach the lowest or worst point.

Our profits have hit bottom. This is our worst year ever. 

When my life hit bottom, I began to feel much better. I knew that if there was going to be any change, it would be for the better.

hang out

idiom
(with sb or sth) to associate with someone or a group on a regular basis. 

She hangs out with Alice too much. I wish you would stop hanging out with that crowd of boys.

freeloader

noun
freeloading (n)
Slang a person who habitually depends on the charity of others for food, shelter, etc.

browse (v)
/braʊz/
[I] to look through a book or magazine without reading everything, or to walk around a shop looking at several things without intending to buy any of them

I was browsing through fashion magazines to find a new hairstyle.

"Are you looking for anything in particular, madam?" "No, I'm just browsing."

do SOMEONE a favor....
it means that you do something for someone, as a big help or a request.

Movies in Class

We always try to think up of ways to make our classes interesting, fun and productive. Watching a movie or a drama in class productively is what I want to have. And I have started on some guidelines below on how I'm going to conduct my class.

Movie/Television Terms

Animated Film - A film in which the characters are drawn, made by computer or made from models
Romantic Comedy - A type of film which combines comedy with a love story
Blockbuster - A book or film that is very good or successful
Serials - A program on TV or radio that continues from one program or episode to the next
Cartoon - A short humorous film in which the characters are drawn
Series - A program on television or radio with the same characters but different stories
Credits - A list of people involved in making a film, usually shown at the end of it
Silent film - A film that has pictures but no sound
Director - person who is responsible for the artistic part of a film
Sound Track - music that goes with a film
Dub - To change the original spoken language of a film or television program into another language
Special Effects - Unusual sounds or images in films created artificially and using new technology
Feature film - A full-length film that has a story and is acted by professional actors, and which is usually shown in a cinema
Star - A famous film actor/actress
Multiplex - A cinema with many different screens so it can show many films at the same time
Title role - The part in a play or film from which the work’s title is taken
Pictures - Cinema in British English (informal)
Trailer - A series of short extracts from a film, used to advertise it in a cinema or on television
Road Movie - A film of a genre in which the main character is travelling, either in flight or on a journey of self-discovery
Spoilers - Reveals major parts of the plot or big storyline events which you likely would have rather learned on your own
Producer - The person who is responsible for the business side of the film

Discussion Questions about Movies

Have you seen any movies recently?

What is your favorite movie genre?

thriller science fiction comedy western

costume drama horror romance cartoon

Can you think of a recent film that fits into each of the categories? 

What other genres of film are there?

What was the first movie you ever saw at the movie theater?

Do you prefer to watch movies at home on DVD or at the movie theater?

Do you prefer to watch movies alone or with someone else?

What do you eat and drink when you watch a movie?

Who are more famous in your country of origin: American movie stars or your own country’s movie stars?

Do you have a favorite movie star?

Who is your favorite actor?

Name performer/s whom you think does not have talent.

Do you like to watch old black and white movies?

What do you think of Hollywood movies?

What’s the best movie you’ve ever seen?

What’s the worst movie you’ve ever seen?

Does your country of origin have a movie industry?

Modern blockbuster movies can cost hundreds of millions of dollars to make. What do you think about that?

Do you usually read the reviews of movies before you watch them? Why/Why not?

Are movies just entertainment for you, or do you think they have an important part to play in our society?

MOVIE REVIEW Questions

Fill out the following information about the movie.


DURING THE MOVIE:
1. Who are the 5 most important characters in the film? Also list the names 5 of the actors playing these characters.


2. What is this story about? Be very detailed!


3. What group of people would like this movie (demographics)?



AFTER THE MOVIE:
4. Did you like this movie? Why or why not


5. What rating would you give this movie?


6. What spoilers might ruin the movie for viewers if you told them about it?


7. All movies teach a lesson (theme/moral). What did you learn from this one?

*demographics - demographics means those aspect of society or culture that are measurable and can be used to put people into categories. For example, religion, income, race, sex, marital status, child status, etc are all areas that can help put members of a population into smaller groupings.

Movie Reviews

     

Making a decision on what movie to watch can be hard especially when there are a lot of good ones to choose from. Movie reviewers like to help with that choice.

Movie reviews are written, not to tell you what to see, but to help you decide whether or not you would like to see a certain film. Movie critics offer their opinions on the qualities of a particular movie. What one movie reviewer finds entertaining, another may find disappointing.

         Anyone who loves watching movies can write a movie review.  All they need is that desire to watch as many movies as they can; if they are one to always have an opinion on matters then this can be their medium. And lastly, they just have to learn the important components expected in a typical movie review.

HOW TO WRITE A MOVIE REVIEW:

A good movie review must have these five different parts.

1.    Credits
2.    Plot
3.    Characters
4.    Vocabulary
5.    Conclusion
                     

CREDITS

As an introduction you  must write:     

·                             

CREDITS

As an introduction you  must write:  

   
·         title and year,
·         genre
·         director,
·         screenwriter
·         music or soundtrack
·         main actors

Sample:

American History X, 1998

Directed by: Tony Kaye

Screenwriter: David McKenna

Music by: Anne Dudley

Genre: Drama / Crime / Thriller

Main actors:

Edward Norton as Derek Vinyard
Edward Furlong as Danny Vinyard
Beverly D'Angelo as Doris Vinyard
Jennifer Lien as Davina Vinyard
Ethan Suplee as Seth Ryan 

Fairuza Balk as Stacey

PLOT

Synopsis or summary of the plot:  Make sure that your summary makes sense to a reader who does not know the movie. Do not refer to specific scenes and do not try to explain everything.

The next items should also be included as part of your description of the story.

Place and time: 

Where does the action take place? When does the action take place? (present time, 19th century…) Is the story chronological (according to the order of time ) or flash back. 

Background: 

Society, country, kind of people (age, culture social class...), historical time... 

Genre: 

horror, comedy, drama, adventure film, thriller...

CHARACTERS

Main characters:

·         physical description

·         psychological description

·         age, nationality social/personal background

VOCABULARY

In this section you must write:

·         the words you have learnt - chapter by chapter –

·         pronunciation

·         explanation in English

·         a sentence in English (not copied from the dictionary)

Nouns must be in singular, adjectives in the positive form and verbs in infinitive

CONCLUSION

In the last part of your review you are asked to think and write about the next questions:

·         What message is being told? (if any) What was the director's purpose or intention or the theme of the film?

·         Compare with other realities you know (your country, historical fact or event, other film from the same director or genre…)

·         What's your opinion?

Friends with Benefits (2011) – Sample Review

While trying to avoid the clichés of Hollywood romantic comedies, Dylan and Jamie soon discover however that adding the act of sex to their friendship does lead to complications.

Director: 

Will Gluck

Writers: 

Keith Merryman (screenplay), David A. Newman(screenplay), and 4 more credits »

Stars:

 Mila Kunis, Justin Timberlake and Patricia Clarkson

Storyline

Jamie (Mila Kunis) is a New York head-hunter trying to sign Los Angeles-based Dylan (Justin Timberlake) for her client. When he takes the job and makes the move, they quickly become friends. Their friendship turns into a friendship with benefits, but with Jamie's emotionally damaged past and Dylan's history of being emotionally unavailable, they have to try to not fall for each other the way Hollywood romantic comedies dictate.

Rated R for some violent content and brief sexuality 

Country:

 USA

Language:

 English

Release Date:

 28 September 2011 (Philippines) 

COMMENT:

Hollywood movies often come in pairs as films with the same premise are released within months of one another. "Friends With Benefits" and "No Strings Attached" were released very close to one another and both pose the question of whether it is possible for a couple simply to have sex and be friends without becoming emotionally or even romantically involved. Many men have never had any problem with this concept and Hollywood is now toying with the issue of whether liberated women can think the same. There are no prizes for guessing the conclusion of both romantic comedies but it's entertaining to see how each film works round to essentially the same ending.

This time round the guy is Dylan (Justin Timberlake) who moves from Los Angeles to New York to take on a new job at the behest of headhunter Jamie (Mila Kunis). Like "No Strings Attached", "Friends With Benefits" has a lot of talk about sex - the script is sharp and often funny - but remarkably coy when it comes to showing it with nothing more risqué than a bare back. The film makes fun of movies that are overly romantic while coming quite close to being one of the works it parodies. So, innocent fun which finishes up being rather old-fashioned. The French would have done it differently.