The cinema Cinema, Picture, Film and Related Words

148. Cinema, pictures, movies, flicks

All these words can be used in such sentences as:

e.g. a. I’d like going to the cinema/pictures/movies/flicks.

b. We went to the cinema/'pictures/movies/flicks last night.

However, there are certain differences of usage between them.

Cinema is now the most common word in Britain. It used to be confined to formal style, but is now used in conversation too.

Cinema denotes:

1. a building for showing films,

e.g. there are over a hundred cinemas in Leningrad.

2. films as an art form or entertainment,

e.g. a. I like the cinema better than the theatre.

b. The popularity of the cinema has declined sharply in Britain over the past 25 years.

It occurs in the following expressions:

cinema-goer

e.g. a. This film will not appeal to the average cinema-goer.

b. He’s a keen cinema-goer.

c. Cinema-goers usually buy CINEMAWEEK, to see what films are on where.

Cinema-going

e.g. Cinema-going has declined in Britain.

cinema audience

Note that spectator is not used with reference to the cin­ema (see unit 122).

cinema programme

e.g. Cinema programmes change once or twice a week in this country.

cinema ticket

e.g. How much do cinema tickets cost here?

Pictures is also British English, and more colloquial then cinema. It used to be the most common word in conversation, but its use has declined slightly in favour of cinema during recent years.

Movies (from moving pictures) is American English. Most English people know the word, but practically no one uses it.

Flicks is a slang word for cinema, used in such sentence as: Let's go to the flicks.

149. Film, picture, movie

Film is the most common word in Britain.

e.g. a. Have you seen any good films lately?

b. There's an interesting film on at the Odeon.

It is used in a considerable number of expressions where кино would be used in Russian.

film actor/actress

film star film director film .company

a commercial organization which produces films

e.g. The Rank Organization

film industry

the cinema from a commercial point of view, or film companies collectively.

film studio

film camera (See unit 162.)

film show (See unit 152.)

film festival

film critic

film review

film version (See unit 113, under musical)

film music

To be in films means "to be employed in the film industry” and to go into films "to enter it, as an actor, designer, director, etc. (работать в кино)".

e.g. a. - What does ... do?

- He's in films.

b. (Speaking of an actor) — He used to be on the stage, but then he went into films.

Film may also be used as a verb, meaning "to make into a film”.

e.g. "The Great Gatsby" has been filmed three times.

Picture is sometimes used in Britain instead of film.

e.g. There's a good picture on at the Odeon.

However, this is less common than film and is becoming rather old-fashioned.

Motion picture is used in the film industry, especially by Americans.

Movie is used by Americans in such sentences as We went to a movie.