Ep.1 Superhero Movies at the Oscars

英語 × 英文 × 樂詞不疲

Intro
Oscar season is right around the corner. Many people in the movie industry want to win an Oscar. They spend millions of dollars just to be worthy of one! Oscar-winning movies are often serious, unique, and compelling. Some producers make very serious movies to bait the Oscar judges.
But what about superhero movies? Could these win a prestigious award? They are often excluded and not taken seriously. People have a bias against them. But there are some very inspiring superhero movies out there! Logan was heartbreaking. Wonder Woman was a piece of art. Should they win an Oscar? You be the judge!
Marni and Nestor talk about Oscar season. Listen as they discuss in today’s English lesson.
Dialogue
Marni: I have been thinking about Oscar season because it is right around the corner.
Nestor: Oh my god, I love the Oscars.
Marni: I do, too! And I’ve been thinking about all these superhero movies…, right,...
Nestor: Uh-huh.
Marni: ... that are now in the Oscars, and I just… I don’t know how I feel about that!
Nestor: I think they’re pretty good. I mean, did you see Logan? Hugh Jackman?
Marni: I didn’t see Logan. I did see Wonder Woman, and I liked it.
Nestor: See? I did not see Wonder Woman.
Marni: OK.
Nestor: But I heard it’s good.
Marni: I enjoyed it.
Nestor: But not Oscar worthy. Are you saying…?
Marni: I don’t know! I mean, I just feel like there’s always this genre of action movies, and they’ve sort of been excluded from Oscars, right? Because I look at the Oscars as, like, really rewarding good acting and technical skill...
Nestor: Right.
Marni: I mean, I guess…
Nestor: So, you think there’s some kind of bias against action movies in the Oscars? Or…?
Marni: Well, I just don’t know. Do they deserve Oscars, I guess, is my whole point. We go to action movies to be entertained, and we expect them to be, like, visually striking but, you know, I want to go for the compelling storylines or the acting quality.
Discussion
Marni has been thinking about the Oscar season. Nestor LOVES the Oscars. But Marni asks about superhero movies. Will they be in the Oscars? Nestor thinks that Logan, a superhero movie with Hugh Jackman about Wolverine’s death and legacy, should win an award. Marni mentions that Wonder Woman was good. But… good enough to win an Oscar?
There is a definite bias against superhero movies. People think they are just for entertainment and to make millions of dollars. People watch them for cheap thrills! But there are some very inspiring, striking, and compelling superhero movies, now more than ever! So, maybe we should consider them for Oscars!
Do you think superhero movies should win Oscars? What does an Oscar mean to you?
Grammar Point
Present Perfect Progressive
Marni is talking about the Oscars. She says, “I have been thinking about Oscar season because it is right around the corner”. She uses the present perfect progressive.
We form the present perfect progressive (sometimes called the “present perfect continuous”) with have/has been + main verb + ing. We use this tense to talk about an on-going action that began in the past, is still in progress, and may continue into the future. So, Marni started thinking about the Oscars. She is still thinking about the Oscars. And she might continue thinking about the Oscars.
As another example, you might say, “I have been thinking about getting a new car for weeks.” You first thought of getting a new car weeks ago, you’re currently thinking of getting one, and unless you buy one or decide not to buy one right now, you’ll continue thinking about it.
Which of the following is correct, “In the future, I have been thinking about watching a movie,” or “For the past few weeks, I have been thinking about watching a movie”?
Quiz
❶　Which of the following is true?

• Logan won an Oscar.
• Marni won an Oscar.
• Nestor won an Oscar.
• The Oscars are right around the corner.　✓

❷　Marni wonders if _ movies are _ of Oscars.

• superhero; worthy　✓
• drama; worthy
• comedic; eligible
• comedic; worthy

❸　When something is happening soon, it is __.

• explosive
• around the corner　✓
• stupid
• divalicious

❹　Which of the following is a correct example of the present perfect progressive?

• I have been thinking about Logan for weeks!　✓
• Which movie will you see?
• I have bought so many movies.
• I am thinking of Logan.

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