an action movie: a film with fast moving scenes, often containing violence
to be engrossed in: to be completely focused on one thing
bedtime reading: something to read in bed before you go to sleep
to be a big reader: someone who reads a lot
to be based on: to use as a modal
a box office hit: a financially successful film
to be heavy-going: difficult to read
a blockbuster: a film that is a big commercial success
to catch the latest movie: to see a film that has just come out
the central character: the main person in a film or book
a classic: of the highest quality
to come highly recommended: to be praised by another person
couldn’t put it down: wasn’t able to stop reading a book
an e-book: a digital book
an e-reader: a device for reading e-books
to flick through: to look quickly through a book
to get a good/bad review: to receive positive or negative feedback
to go on general release: when a film can be seen by the general public
hardback: a book with a rigid cover (see ‘paperback’ below)
a historical novel: a story set in the past
a low budget film: a film made with a small amount of money
on the big screen: at the cinema
a page turner: a book that you want to keep reading
paperback: a book with a flexible cover (see ‘hardback’ above)
plot: the main events in a film or book
to read something from cover to cover: to read a book from the first page to the last
sci-fi: science fiction
to see a film: to see a film at the cinema (see ‘watch a film’ below)
the setting: where the action takes place
showings: performances of a film
soundtrack: the music that accompanies a film
special effects: the visuals or sounds that are added to a film which are difficult to produce naturally
to take out (a book from the library): to borrow a book from the library
to tell the story of: to outline the details of someone’s life or an event
to watch a film: to watch a film on TV (see ‘to see a film’ above)