F2F Class Notes (Vicki)

Vocabulary

mystery

thriller

humanity

engross (v.) – to focus
i.e. Before the exam, I engross myself in the books.

resurgence (n.) – repeat of an increase
i.e. There is a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in China.

surge (v./n) – fast increase
i.e. The stock surged last night.
i.e. There was a surge in the stock market last night.

multiplex – a big cinema

immersive (adj.) – makes you feel that you are inside
i.e. When we put on the 3D glasses, we can have an immersive experience.

visual effects – shi jue xiao guo

progress – jin du
i.e. You can be in control of the progress.

spoiler (n.) – ju tou
i.e. That was a huge spoiler of the movie.

spoil (v.) – ju tou
i.e. Do not spoil this movie for me!

romcom – romantic comedy

racy – inappropriate
i.e. That was a very racy topic to say on TV.

blockbuster – a movie with big budgets

box office – piao fang
i.e. They did not do good in the global box office.

Are you a movie­goer? If, like me, you’re a fan of film, then there’s no better place to watch something than on the big screen at the cinema. You enter the dark auditorium and take your seat, ready to be entertained. But while you engross yourself in some movie magic, many others are now getting their film fix at home.

Over the last few years, cinemas have seen a resurgence. Customers have been enticed by comfortable seats, and lots of choice of things to watch. Multiplexes in particular can screen up to twenty films at the same time, catering for all different tastes. In addition, 3D and even 4D movies can give the audience an extra immersive experience. So, what’s not to like about a trip to the cinema?

One answer to that question is convenience. Rather than going out, it’s so much easier to stay in and watch a romcom or action movie on a high-definition TV screen via a streaming service such as Netflix or Amazon Prime. There’s plenty of choice, and it’s relatively cheap as well. But, personally, I find there are too many distractions, and watching at home is not such an event. I miss the trailers too!

But the coronavirus pandemic has put the future of cinemas under the spotlight. Some have had to close because of reduced ticket sales.  And in the UK, it’s brought about a surge in TV watching and online streaming, according to media watchdog, Ofcom. It also found that half of UK adults will keep and continue using their new streaming subscriptions.

This isn’t great news for cinemas. They rely on the release of a big blockbuster to bring the crowds back, but the launch of new films, such as James Bond: No Time To Die, are being delayed. And Disney has released its $200m blockbuster, Mulan, online instead of in movie theatres. But John Fithian, from the National Association of Theatre Owners, told Variety magazine: “This idea of waiting out the pandemic to make your movies more profitable doesn’t make sense to me. There won’t be as much of an industry left to play your movies in if you do that.”