In North America (Canada and the US), the word cinema is rarely used. Instead, we talk about going to the movies (where movies = the movie theatre):
Do you want to go to the movies tonight?
~ I don’t know. What’s playing?
In this context, What’s playing? = What movies are being shown [at the movie theatre]?’
[Note that in the above picture, it says now playing above the poster for 'Sex and the City 2'. Now playing = Now showing.]
Instead of cinema, you may also hear the word cineplex or mutliplex – a cinema with multiple theatres; Cineplex Odeon is also the name of a major chain of movie theatres in North America. The phrase movie theatre can refer to the entire cineplex or a single auditorium showing one movie.
In the listening practice video, I talked about how I got the times wrong:
There was no 6:15 show! … There was only a 6:15 show on the weekend, not on Monday! The next show wasn't until at 7:00pm …
When I use the word show, I’m talking about the different times the same movie [Sex and the City 2] is shown at the movie theatre.
The first 'Sex and the City' movie was a blockbuster – a movie that was hugely popular and successful. It was a box-office hit - a movie that made a lot of money. In my opinion, the second 'Sex and the City' was a real dud – a movie that wasn't very good and didn't make a lot of money.
The box office is the place in the movie theatre where the tickets are sold. In the past, it really looked like a box! A cashier is the person who takes your money when you buy a ticket. Nowadays, you can buy your movie ticket online or at a stand-alone ticket vending machine at the theatre. Today, the box office also means how many tickets were sold and how much money a film made:
How did James Cameron’s new movie do at the box office?
Critics panned the film but it did well at the box office.
In North American movie theatres, it is very common to buy snacks to eat during a movie – including hot dogs, pizza, nachos with cheese, ice cream, licorice … you name it! The most common thing to eat when you watch a movie is popcorn with butter! You can buy snacks and drinks at the concession stand (also called thesnack counter).
In many countries around the world, English movies are dubbed into the local language. To dub a film means to replace the English voice with voices speaking in the local language [French, German, Japanese, etc.]
Do you want to go to the movies tonight?
~ I don’t know. What’s playing?
In this context, What’s playing? = What movies are being shown [at the movie theatre]?’
[Note that in the above picture, it says now playing above the poster for 'Sex and the City 2'. Now playing = Now showing.]
Instead of cinema, you may also hear the word cineplex or mutliplex – a cinema with multiple theatres; Cineplex Odeon is also the name of a major chain of movie theatres in North America. The phrase movie theatre can refer to the entire cineplex or a single auditorium showing one movie.
In the listening practice video, I talked about how I got the times wrong:
There was no 6:15 show! … There was only a 6:15 show on the weekend, not on Monday! The next show wasn't until at 7:00pm …
When I use the word show, I’m talking about the different times the same movie [Sex and the City 2] is shown at the movie theatre.
~
The first 'Sex and the City' movie was a blockbuster – a movie that was hugely popular and successful. It was a box-office hit - a movie that made a lot of money. In my opinion, the second 'Sex and the City' was a real dud – a movie that wasn't very good and didn't make a lot of money.
The box office is the place in the movie theatre where the tickets are sold. In the past, it really looked like a box! A cashier is the person who takes your money when you buy a ticket. Nowadays, you can buy your movie ticket online or at a stand-alone ticket vending machine at the theatre. Today, the box office also means how many tickets were sold and how much money a film made:
How did James Cameron’s new movie do at the box office?
Critics panned the film but it did well at the box office.
~
In North American movie theatres, it is very common to buy snacks to eat during a movie – including hot dogs, pizza, nachos with cheese, ice cream, licorice … you name it! The most common thing to eat when you watch a movie is popcorn with butter! You can buy snacks and drinks at the concession stand (also called thesnack counter).
~
In many countries around the world, English movies are dubbed into the local language. To dub a film means to replace the English voice with voices speaking in the local language [French, German, Japanese, etc.]
