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Paul Sparks, Sino-Canadian International College, Guangxi University, Nanning.
Lesson
Plans for "Watch, Listen & Speak"
Listening & Speaking, Movie Reviews: Research, Write
and Present a Review
Lesson Objectives: To improve oral
presentation skills, group discussion & critical thinking.
Supports arguments with detailed evidence and reasoning. Express
personal opinions.
Resources: DVD - “Phone Booth” and handouts of movie reviews.
Activity:
After
watching the movie "Phone Booth" students will be given
handouts of movie reviews to discuss in small groups. A general
discussion will follow about film vocabulary and the style of writing
used in reviews. Each group of students will then prepare their own
movie review to present to the class.
Guidelines for Writing Movie Reviews:
Know your
purpose: You are helping people to
make a decision about which movie people choose to see. Some movies
are not appropriate for all audiences.
Don’t hide your opinion:
People
are reading your movie review to know your opinion. Don't be afraid
to express it.
Use a format (layout):
Where
does the title of the movie appear? What information is included for
quick reference? Readers want to read the review quickly. Give them
the information they need.
Know the basics:
Title,
producer, director, rating, distributor, running time can be found
on official movie Web sites.
Know your audience:
Use
vocabulary that your readers will understand. The tone of your
review can reflect the type of movie and your publication. If you
want to compare this movie to other movies, be sure your readers are
likely to have seen or heard of the movie, give information to help
them to understand the comparison.
Know the actors, actresses and
director: When writing about
characters' actions, don't confuse the characters with the actors
who are portraying them. Include the names of leading actors and
actresses and evaluate how well they played their roles. Include
other movies directed by the director if they help to understand his
approach or expectations viewers have of his movies.
Summarize the plot, but don't tell
the ending: This is not as true
when a movie is based upon a book or play. If the movie has a
different ending, don't tell.
Select a scene:
Is there a scene that captures the spirit of the story? For example,
a scene that demonstrates lighting and cinematography as well as
acting.
Analyze What You Know:
When
movies are based upon a book, readers have expectations.
Expectations based upon the book and the genre can influence the
review a movie receives.
Give a Rating:
Movies
are given a rating, normally a score out of 5. A movie with one or
two stars is poor, four or five starts normally means you would
recommend the movie.
Action - This
is said during filming to indicate the start of the current take.
Actor, Actress
- A person who plays the role of a character. Historically, the
term "Actor" refers to males, but now the term is used
for both genders.
Animation –
Cartoons or the illusion of movement by creating individual
frames, as opposed to filming naturally.
Close-up - A
shot in which the subject is larger than the frame, to give more
detail.
Costume - The
clothes worn by actors when being filmed.
Director - A
director communicates to actors the way that he/she would like a
particular scene played. A director's duties might also include
casting, script editing, shot selection, shot composition, and
editing.
Editing -
Reconstructing the sequence of events in a movie, sections might
be deleted or changed.
Lighting -
Most productions use artificial lighting when filming for various
technical and artistic reasons.
Moviegoer –
A person who goes to see movies.
Point of View
- A camera angle from a particular object's position.
Scene - A
continuous block of storytelling either set in a single location
or following a particular character.
Script - A
general term for a written work detailing story, setting, and
dialogue. A script may take the form of a screenplay, shooting
script, lined script, continuity script, or a spec script.
Set - An
environment used for filming. When used in contrast to location,
it refers to one artificially constructed.
Sound Effects
- Sounds added during postproduction by the sound crew.
Special
Effects (also SFX) - An artificial effect used to create an
illusion in a movie. Refers to effects produced on the set.
Useful
Adjectives for Describing Movies:
Here is a list of vocabulary that reviewers often use when describing
movies. They are divided into two categories, positive and
negative.
Positive:
|
insightful
|
clever
|
charming
|
comical
|
charismatic
|
enjoyable
|
uproarious
|
original
|
tender
|
hilarious
|
absorbing
|
sensitive
|
riveting
|
intriguing
|
powerful
|
fascinating
|
pleasant
|
surprising
|
dazzling
|
thought
provoking
|
imaginative
|
legendary
|
First-rate
|
Negative:
|
.
|
.
|
third-rate
|
flawed
|
juvenile
|
boring
|
distasteful
|
ordinary
|
disgusting
|
senseless
|
static
|
brutal
|
confused
|
disappointing
|
bloody
|
silly
|
tired
|
predictable
|
stupid
|
uninteresting
|
weak
|
tiresome
|
trite
|
uneven
|
cliché
ridden
|
outdated
|
dreadful
|
bland
|
Second-rate
|
|
