节目资讯
刊物:娱乐时尚
日期:2009-09-30
难易度:High
关键字:passionate, compulsion, journalism, requisite, fas
Welcome back to Studio Classroom, friends.
If you are interested in reading some of Justin Chang’s writing, you can log
onto www.variety.com and get a sample of his writing style.
Now that you know how to become a film critic, you need to know how the Internet
has changed the role of movie critics.
That is the focus of our last Ask the Expert question.
And the last word of the day is the adjective:
requisite.
Our example sentence reads:
Hanna hadn’t completed the requisite courses,
so she wasn’t admitted into the program.
OK.
How have blogs and the Internet changed the role of movie critics?
Let’s look at the middle of page fifty-five and find out.
Getting Paid to Watch Movies.
How have blogs and the Internet changed the role of movie critics?
Enormously.
For better and for worse, the Internet has democratized journalism,
and that extends to film criticism as well.
Nowadays anyone who sees a movie can post his or her thoughts on the web even if
they aren’t a particularly good writer or don’t have the requisite film
knowledge.
That said, there are many excellent film bloggers and online critics who are
adding their voices to the dialogue.
Ultimately, that’s what film criticism is about - fashioning an ongoing dialogue
among critics and their readers.
I should also add that the Internet has made it much easier to dialogue with
readers about my reviews.
Welcome back.
We are still talking to Justin Chang about what it takes to be a movie critic.
And he has just gotten done explaining that you really have to start out by
having a passion uh, for movies and maybe a compulsion to write about movies.
And then we go on to ask him:
Well, how have blogs and the Internet changed the role of movie critics?
We never had blogs and Internet until, you know, maybe a few years back in...
That’s right.
But now anybody can write a blog.
Sure.
Or a film review.
And the Internet changes everything.
And one of the things that it has certainly changed is journalism.
And so, yeah, uh, this is a very good question.
How have blogs, uh, these public journal entries on the Internet and the
Internet itself changed the role of movie critics?
And he says:
Enormously.
OK.
In a very big way, uh, the Internet has changed movie critics’ jobs.
He says:
For better and for worse, the Internet has democratized journalism.
And that word ”democratize” is referring to a system where everyone has equal
value.
If you live in a democracy, you live in a nation or a country where everyone has
an equal say.
They’re considered equal,
and they have the freedom to kind of do what they want to do and voice their
opinions.
So the Internet has democratized journalism,
and that extends the film criticism as well.
Right now we’re going to go to Liz with Grammar on the Go.
And then we’ll be back to learn a little bit more about what it takes to be a
movie critic.
Hi, there, friends.
My name is Liz.
And it’s time for Grammar on the Go.
We’ve been talking about what it’s like to be a movie critic.
So here I am at a local movie theater.
Now I’m not a movie critic.
I’m just a movie viewer.
Anyhow, the theater was nice enough to let me in early,
so why don’t we go ahead and look at today’s grammar tip sentence before the
other people start coming in?
For better and for worse, the Internet has democratized journalism,
and that extends to film criticism as well.
Notice the phrase at the beginning of the sentence:
for better and for worse.
This actually comes from the idiom:
for better or for worse.
It just means whether the situation is good or bad or whether the outcome is
good or bad,
you would use this idiom when you want to clarify how something will still be
done no matter what the outcome might be.
For example:
For better or for worse, always treat people with respect.
However, in the case of today’s sentence, the meaning is a little different.
Basically, it just means the Internet has democratized journalism in good ways
and in bad ways, and that extends to film criticism as well.
So if you want to talk about how it doesn’t matter whether the results or
circumstances are good or bad,
use ”for better or for worse”.
If you want to add a twist and point out how an action will bring both good and
bad results,
then use ”for better and for worse”.
For more example sentences, please check out today’s grammar tip in your Studio
Classroom magazine.
That’s it for now.
This is Liz with Gramamr on the Go signing off.
Bye-bye.
Thanks, Liz.
So Justin continues.
He says:
Nowadays, anyone who sees a movie can post his or her thoughts on the Internet.
And this is very true.
This changes everything.
Uh, by being able to post things on the Internet,
everyone can post things on the... on the Internet even if they aren’t
particularly good writers or they don’t have uh, very much knowledge about film.
Right, if they don’t have the requisite film knowledge.
Now that word requisite means the required or the necessary knowledge for a
certain purpose.
If they don’t have any knowledge on film, then there’s a good chance that they
probably won’t write a very good film review.
They might give their own personal opinion,
but they aren’t maybe able to back it up like a film critic would be able to.
Right.
And really, you want... uh, you want your film critic to have this requisite
knowledge, this basic required knowledge of films and film history,
and how a film fits into its cultural context.
Uh, you... you want a critic who knows this kind of thing in order to give you
an educated opinion.
Now after Justin tells us that not everyone is a good writer or not everyone has
the requisite film knowledge needed,
he goes on to say that in spite of that, there are many excellent film bloggers
and online critics who are adding their voices to the dialogues.
Maybe some people are very gifted writers and they do have the proper film
knowledge to write a good review,
but maybe they just haven’t had the opportunity to become a movie critic.
So they can still voice their opinion on the Internet.
Now I know from personal experience.
Before we go to see a movie, we often look online for movie reviews.
And I know we’ve come across some bloggers before and they had some pretty good
opinions.
Certainly.
I mean I am not a film critic, uh, but I am similar to a regular person who
doesn’t have all of this film criticism experience.
And so someone else’s opinion actually might be similar to my opinion after I
see the movie.
So these people are all adding their voices to the dialogue.
And Chang goes on to say that ultimately, that’s what film criticism is about -
fashioning an ongoing dialogue among critics and their readers.
Now that word fashioning is a little bit different use here.
When we think of fashion, we usually think of style and... and the current trend
in dress or in hair.
But here it’s a little bit different, right?
Right.
Here we’re actually using this as a verb.
If you fashion something, that means that you’re making something or actually,
you’re giving something shape.
So here we’re uh, fashioning an ongoing dialogue,
a dialogue or a conversation that continues.
So Chang finishes up by adding that the Internet has made it much easier to
dialogue with readers about his own reviews.
So it sounds like he’s able to post his reviews not only in his magazines but
also on the Internet.
And with a blog or with an Internet website, people can also respond to what he
has written and they can dialogue back and forth.
And I would imagine that maybe some of these dialogues, some of these
conversations with the public, have maybe changed some of his opinions.
I don’t know.
Well, that’s all we have for today.
And we’re hope... we hope you enjoyed our Ask the Expert article.
Before we leave, we’re going to visit a skit and see what’s happening there.
So how can I become a movie critic?
Oh, there are many doors leading into that profession, my friend.
Which door did you go through?
I was passionate about films,
and I had a compulsion to write about them.
Oh.
I love films too.
And I like to write.
Hmm.
I reviewed films for the college newspaper.
And I studied journalism too.
Oh, that’s a lot of work.
Later, I got an internship at Variety.
Eventually, they hired me, and the rest is history.
Too bad.
I’m not a great writer.
I don’t have requisite film knowledge.
Do you have a computer?
Of course I do.
Why don’t you start a blog?
A blog?
Can I do that?
Nowadays, anyone can do that.
And really, that’s what film criticism’s about - fashioning dialogue.
Great idea.
I’ll be a movie critic by starting a blog.
Good for you.
But too bad you won’t be getting any free movie tickets.
Oh, that’s OK.
I know a critic that gets free tickets.
I’ll go to the movies with him.
Oh, who’s that?
Um, what are you watching today?
Oh, hey, wait, wait, wait.
No, no, no.
Hi, everyone.
I’m Michelle.
(Chinese).
And I think that’s all the time we have for today.
I’ll see you around.
Bye-bye.
Thanks again, Michelle.
You know, I think film critics are really important.
They help us to know whether a movie is good or if it’s stinky.
And if it’s bad, we can stay home and save our money, right?
Remember, everyone, movie critics are human and they have their own biases.
So you may not always agreed with a critic’s opinion about a certain movie.
They’re not the final word on movies,
but they are a good guy.
Friends, pack your bags and bring your sunscreen because we’re going to travel
to sunny, exotic Northern Africa.
Which country?
Join us tomorrow and find out.
Right now it’s time to say goodbye.
So everyone, we’ll see you next month.
Bye-bye.
(Music).