Vocabulary: Cinema and Television

All the students have sat down.  They seem tired after their Potions lecture. Professor Severus Snape will never change. Now it is time to learn some vocabulary related to Cinema and TV in the Muggles' Vocabulary course.

-Good morning everyone! Put away your wands. Today's lesson will be theoretical- says the Professor.

VOCABULARY:

1.Action movie (noun): a movie with many exciting and violent scenes - Our teenage boys love watching action movies.

2.Cast (noun): all the actors and actresses in a movie or TV show - It had a good cast, but the story wasn't very interesting.

3.Character (noun): one of the people in a story - Harry likes movies with lots of interesting and unusual characters.

4.Cinema (noun): a place where movies are shown on a big screen - Let's meet in front of the cinema just before the movie starts.

5.Comedy (noun): a film with lots of funny scenes - Let's see a comedy and have a good laugh.

6.Director (noun): the person in charge of making a movie - The director gets really angry when actors forget their lines.

7.Documentary (noun): a film that's about real people, events or issues - How can you eat junk food after seeing that documentary Super Size Me?

8.Drama (noun): a movie about realistic characters in dramatic situations - Maria loves legal dramas with lots of courtroom scenes.

9.Entertainment (noun): enjoyment from movies, concerts, TV shows, etc. - Airlines offer plenty of entertainment on their flights these days.

10.Family movie (noun): a movie that both children and adults can enjoy - Which entertainment company made the family movies Cinderella and 101 Dalmatians?

11. Film (noun): another word for "movie" (also "motion picture") - This year's Academy Award for Best Picture was won by a British film.

12.Genre (noun): a kind or style of music, movie, TV show, painting, etc. - For film class we had to compare movies from two different genres, such as comedy and horror.

13.Horror movie (noun): a movie that frightens and shocks people - If you love horror movies, you've got to see Fright Night.

14.Movie star (noun): a very popular movie actor or actress - Movie stars earn millions of dollars every time they play a role.

15.Plot (noun): the series of events that form the main story - It was a good film, but the plot was difficult to follow at times.

16.Scene (noun): a small part of a film - The opening scene showed a young man leaving prison and walking to a bus stop.

17.Sci-fi (or "science fiction") (noun): a genre with stories set in the future or in outer space - Have you seen that sci-fi film Interstellar yet?

18.Screen (noun): the flat surface that a movie is projected onto - Do you like sitting at the back, or close to the screen?

19.Blooper (noun): mistakes- The bloopers of Meryl Streep in the 'Mamma mia!' making of video made me laugh out loud!

IDIOMS:

20.Get the show on the road:  To promptly begin or get something started. Ex:The circus ringmaster was tired of all his employees spending time drinking and partying instead of packing up to move. He shouted, “Let’s get this show on the road!” to get them to move.

21.Popcorn  movie: A film that is entertaining to watch but is generally not of a very high quality or rich in emotional or intellectual depth. Ex: I know that some people will judge you for admitting that you enjoy popcorn movies, but they are really popular for a real reason!

22.Live up to the hype : To be as good as or have the qualities that someone predicted, expected, or hoped for. Ex: I was not too sure how many details I wanted to share with my audience before the launch of my new podcast because I wanted it to live up to the hype.

23.Jump the shark: In television programming, to resort to using an obvious or unbelievable gimmick in a scene, episode, or storyline asa means of maintaining viewership, especially when the show's quality and/or popularity has begun to decline. Thephrase alludes to the sitcom Happy Days, in which the character Fonzie (Henry Winkler) jumps over a shark on water-skis in the fifth season. Ex: I thought that there were lots of story lines that the writers of my favorite TV show could have developed, which would have brought in more viewers. However, they decided to jump the shark and have two characters that should have hated each other start to date instead.

24.Break  a leg!:A phrase of encouragement typically said to one who is about to perform before an audience, especially a theateractor. It is thought to be used due to the superstition that wishing one "good luck" will result in the opposite, but theexact origin of the phrase is unknown. Ex: I'm sure everything will be alright after the combat, Harry but be sure to break a leg!

25.Museum piece: Someone or something that is particularly aged or old-fashioned (thus likened to something belonging in a museum). Ex:Hermione, your hat looks like a total museum piece; please do not take it with you to wear to the show.

26.The show must go on: A set phrase meaning that whatever has been planned or scheduled must be carried out, regardless of the currentcircumstances, including any problems or disruption. Most often applied to show business, particularly the theater. Ex:Draco had an accident during the Quidditch match but Dumbledore insisted on the fact that the show must go on. Finally, Slytherin caught the snitch ten minutes later.

27. To run the show: To be the leader, who is in control of a group of people doing something. Ex:It is foolish to think that you can simply come to the office and start giving out orders to the employees like you are the one who runs the show!

28.To steal the show: To be the most popular or the best part of an event or situation. Ex:When the potions professor had to bring his son to class with him one day, his son stole the show with how cute and entertaining he was.

29.A show stopper: (Theatre) informal a stage act, etc, that receives so much applause as to interrupt the performance. Ex: The twist at the end of the play was a complete show stopper; you could hear the gasps and the whispers in the audience for a full three minutes after it was revealed!

30.It's not over until the fat lady sings: Used for saying that it is still possible for a situation to change.Ex: Voldemort believed that he had defeated Harry Potter in the final battle until he suddenly stood up being able to kill him in the last minute. It's not over until the fat lady sings!