Let's Go to the Movies! (1)

Summer movies are the most highly anticipated of the year

Movie lovers eagerly await the start of the summer movie season when the studios roll out their biggest pictures. Summer 2013 will not disappoint them.

Sequels and Series
Once again sequels and film franchises make up a big part of the summer offerings. Iron Man 3 finds billionaire/superhero Tony Stark traveling to China. There he faces the terrorist mastermind who has destroyed his comfortable life. Stark must rely on his own ingenuity rather than his super suit to survive.

Science-fiction fans eagerly await Star Trek Into Darkness, the 12th film in the Star Trek franchise. In it, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise must hunt down the villain responsible for Starfleet’s destruction.

Sully and Mike of Monsters, Inc. fame return in Monsters University, which tells of the pair’s days at the University of Fear. Their initial dislike of each other slowly becomes respect and, eventually, friendship. The 3-D format adds to the fun of the college pranks the pair plays on each other.

Another animated offering, Despicable Me 2, finds Gru, his three adopted daughters and his band of minions taking on a dangerous villain.


Info Cloud
sequel / prequel

Most of the films in today’s lesson are sequels. That is they are movies that follow or continue the story of other movies that have already been released.

The one exception is Monsters University. It’s not a sequel, it’s a prequel, which is the opposite of a sequel.

Right. Instead of going forward in time and telling audiences what happens next, a prequel is a movie or book that goes back in time and tells audiences what happened before the original story took place. They’re also sometimes called backstories.

So it seems like movie studios are giving us more and more prequels these days. Why do you think that is?

Well, like sequels, prequels have a pre-existing fan base that is already familiar with the characters. This means sequels and prequels aren’t as big a financial risk for studios to produce.

But the one big challenge in creating a successful prequel is writers can’t include a surprise ending.

Right, because audiences already know from the original movie basically how things will end.

That’s why prequels generally focus on character interaction and character development, cluing in audiences with how and why events in the original movie took place.

Review Skit
Hooray! The summer movie season is finally here.

Yes. The studios are rolling out their biggest pictures. I’ve been waiting. I’m expecting a lot.

And summer 2013 will not disappoint. I want to see Iron Man 3. Tony Stark is traveling to China, where he faces the terrorist mastermind.

Ooh. And he must rely on his own ingenuity to survive, not his super suit.

Yeah. Let’s go.

Wait. Wait. Wait. Star Trek Into Darkness is also playing.

Hmm, with Captain Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise?

Yes. They’re hunting down the villain responsible for Starfleet’s destruction.

Wow! Maybe we should go see that one.

Wait. Wait. Wait. Now wait before. Sully and Mike of Monsters, Inc. are back, too.

I love Monsters, Inc. What about the new movie?

Well, it’s Monsters University. It tells about Sully and Mike’s days at the University of Fear and all their college pranks. And it’s in 3-D.

Wow! That sounds pretty good.

Also showing is Despicable Me 2. That’s another great movie.

Wow! I want to go see that one.

There are so many great titles. Which one should we see?

Let’s see them all.

OK.

Language Lab
anticipate v. 預期, 期待某件事發生, 預先做準備
to expect that something will happen and be ready for it
- We anticipate a big crowd on the restaurant's opening day.
我們預期餐廳開幕那天會有很多人
- The city government anticipated a flood and has already evacuated the residents near the riverbank.

sequel n.
/ˈsi:kwəl/
a book, film, play etc that continues the story of an earlier one, usually written or made by the same person

terrorist n. 恐怖份子, 恐怖主義者 [terror 恐怖/ 字尾 -ist 代表人 ]
- Several terrorists were arrested after the explosion.
terrorism n. 恐怖主義
- Leaders of many countries gathered to discuss how to fight terrorism.

prank n.惡作劇, 玩笑
/ˈpræŋk/  
a trick, especially one which is played on someone to make them look silly
- Eric's childish pranks irritated his classmates.
prank on  對誰開玩笑, 惡作劇用 on
- These naughty kids love to play pranks on their teacher.

minion n. 隨從, 下屬, 小卒
/ˈmɪnjən/
someone who is not powerful or important and who obeys the orders of a powerful leader or boss;
someone's minions are the people who just obey their orders and do unskilled work - used humorously
- The mob's boss sent his minions to collect a protection fee from the club.
- Bobby finally realized that he was just a minion to his boss.


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