elllo #342 Movie Critique

342 Movie Critique

Todd talks about what he does not like about movies.

Transcript
Vocabulary

Todd

Todd: OK. I'm going to talk about movies. I love movies. I think many, many people around the world today love movies. I probably see one or two movies a week on DVD in my room. I watch the movies on my computer so I am a big, big fan of movies, and I watch them all the time, but I have three big complaints about movies, about Hollywood, my country, that I wish they would change. The first complaint is that movies have too many guns. This really bothers me. If you go into a video store and you look at the cover of all the movies, almost on 50% or more of the movie covers there is somebody holding a gun, and I think this is absolutely crazy. In my country, unfortunately there are many guns, but in reality, you never see guns. People have guns, but it's not common to see a person with a gun and in movies, there's always guns and shooting and killing and violence and blood and I just think it's unnecessary, so I really wish that they would not have so many guns in movies and maybe not so much violence. My second complaint is that the stories of most of the movies today from Hollywood are terrible. They're so bad that you can't even watch the movie. I guess most movies now are geared towards special effects and visual effects so the story is often really bad and I think that's just terrible.

I wish Hollywood would make fewer movies, and concentrate on movies with a really good story, like my favorite movie is a movie called "Wallstreet" and it just has a fantastic story. Another movie I really liked was "The Paper" and also "Field of Dreams" and both these movies have really good stories and almost no special effects, so I think that we don't need so many special effects in movies. And my last thing, my last complaint about movies, is that, or Hollywood, that they stop only using beautiful people. Every time you see a movie, or movie stars, it's always really beautiful people, but in reality most of us, definitely myself, we're not beautiful. Most people look average so why don't they just use actors and actresses that look average. I'm sure that there are many, many really good actors and actresses that just aren't beautiful and they would do a fantastic job in a movie and it would be a really good story, compelling story, but they don't get the role because they're not beautiful and they're not young, and I just think that's kind of sad. I know that movies are the way they are because they are geared towards younger people, but I think there's a lot of older people, like myself, I'm 35, who would like to see more movies with good stories, less violence, less special effects, good writing, and people that look average like everybody else.

Vocabulary notes (text only) explain key vocabulary and phrases from the interview. Learn more here.

cover

If you go into a video store and you look at the cover of all the movies.

The 'cover' is what is on the outside of a DVD, CD or a book. The cover usually has an interesting design or picture that makes people want to buy it.

Notice the following:

Never judge a book by its cover!
The cover of the DVD looks very different to what I expected.

geared towards

I guess most movies now are geared towards special effects and visual effects.

When something is 'geared towards' something or someone it means that it is prepared with that idea as the focus. Something that is geared towards children would be most interesting for children.

Notice the following:

I have got the kitchen all geared towards baking lots of cookies.
I am geared towards having a great vacation.

look average

Most people look average so why don't they just use actors and actresses that look average.

When you 'look average' it means that you look the same as most of the population or are not remarkable in terms of physical appearance.

Notice the following:

I am sick of looking average. I think it's time for a makeover.
I saw his new girlfriend today and she looks average.

compelling

They would do a fantastic job in a movie and it would be a really good story, compelling story.

When something is 'compelling' it captivates a person's interest or admiration.

Notice the following:

Her life story is very compelling.
It makes very compelling reading.

the way they are

I know that movies are the way they are because they are geared towards younger people.

'The way they are' refers to the characteristics of some movies. In this case, the movies were created with certain characteristics to make young people interested in them.

Notice the following:

I do not know why they are the way they are.
She is the way she is with children because she had 5 younger brothers and sisters.