American Culture- The American Film Industry

Vocabulary

Industry Movie To film Comic Silent (film) Viewer Free Screen To show Fairy tale Martial

Commercial Independent film

industry Special effects Stunt Parking lot A movie plays in the

theater Character Plot

The Birth of the American Film Industry

The American Film industry is often called “Hollywood” after the city where the industry was started.

The first movie filmed in Hollywood was In Old California (1910).

Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin was an early comic actor in the American movie industry.

He moved to the United States from England and became a famous actor.

The Growth of the American Film Industry

The American film industry continued to grow in the 1920’s.

The first films were silent. Later, sound was added to films when the technology was developed.

Cartoons

Cartoons were first made popular by Walt Disney.

Disney’s cartoon (film) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was very successful.

Drive-in Movie Theaters

In the 1950’s Drive-in movie theaters became popular in the United States.

Viewers watched films on a large screen while sitting in their cars parked in a parking lot or field.

Outdoor Movie Theater in San Francisco

In San Francisco movies are shown once a month in a large park.

It is free to watch the movies, which are shown on a large screen at the bottom of a hill in the park.

Modern American Films

Modern American films are different from older films.

“Hollywood” is often criticized for producing films which are too commercial and not intelligent.

The independent or “indy” film industry produces films which are more artistic.

Popular American Film Genres

Action films have become a very popular genre of American films.

Action films have a lot of special effects and stunts.

Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham and Chuck Norris are some popular action actors.

Other Popular Film Genres

Other popular film genres include: drama, comedy, thriller, horror and historical.

Martial Arts films have also become popular in the US in the past 25-30 years.

Popular Actors and Actresses

Popular Actors and actresses in the US include: Johnny Depp, Will Smith, Angelina Jolie, Will Ferrell, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry etc.

Discussion

Write a short paragraph about your favorite film. Tell us about the plot of the film. Which actors are in this film? What genre is this film? How old (approximately) is this film? Why do you like this film?

Which is your favorite movie theater in Kurgan? Why?

Discussion

How often do you go to the movie theater (cinema)? (How often do you go to the movies?)

What is your favorite film genre? Who are your favorite actors or

actresses and why?