Comprehensive Guide to Spanish Cinema and Television Vocabulary

Overview of Cinema and Television

This material provides a comprehensive guide to vocabulary and expressions related to movies and television programs. It is designed for students under the instruction of Sra. Millien- Pitt to identify specific genres, express personal preferences, and articulate the reasoning behind their interests using a variety of adjectives. The content is structured around the central question: "¿Qué tipo(s) de películas te gusta(n)?" (What type of movies do you like?) and "¿Qué tipo(s) de programas de televisión te gusta(n)?" (What type of television programs do you like?).

Genre Classification and Movie Examples

The materials categorize films into nine primary genres, providing specific Hollywood examples for each to aid in identification and context.

Las películas cómicas (Comedy movies) are associated with titles such as "Dumb and Dumber," "Bridesmaids," "White Chicks," and "Scary Movie." Specifically, for "Bridesmaids," the transcript notes it is from the producer of "Superbad," "Knocked Up," and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," with a release date of May 2011.

Las películas de guerra (War movies) include "Pearl Harbor," starring Ben Affleck, and "All Quiet on the Western Front," which mentions a date of 28 October.

Las películas románticas (Romantic movies) are exemplified by "The Fault in Our Stars" (noting a June 6 date), "The Notebook," "Love & Basketball," and "Titanic."

Las películas de aventuras (Adventure movies) feature titles like "Jurassic World Rebirth," the "Harry Potter" series, and "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," starring Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan.

Las películas de miedo / de terror (Horror movies) include "The Nun," "William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist," "The Boy," and "The Curse of La Llorona."

Las películas de acción (Action movies) are represented by Marvel Studios' "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and "Black Panther," "Avengers" (noting a May 4 date), and "Fast & Furious 5" starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, and Dwayne Johnson.

Las películas de ciencia-ficción (Science fiction movies) are headlined by the "Star Wars" franchise and "Avatar: The Way of Water."

Las comedias románticas (Romantic comedies) include "Hitch" starring Will Smith, "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" starring Matthew McConaughey, and "50 First Dates."

Las películas de dibujos animados (Animated movies/Cartoons) are represented by Disney and Pixar titles such as "Coco," "Inside Out 2" (noting a theater release of June 14), and "Encanto."

Types of Television Programs

Beyond cinema, the curriculum covers a wide array of television formats. These categories allow students to discuss their viewing habits in a domestic context. The programs listed include:

  1. Los documentales (Documentaries)
  2. Las telenovelas (Soap operas)
  3. Las series (Series/TV shows)
  4. Los programas policíacos (Police/Crime shows)
  5. Los concursos de baile o de canto (Dance or singing competitions/contests)
  6. Los programas de realidad (Reality programs)
  7. Las noticias (The news)
  8. Los deportes / los partidos de… (Sports or matches of specific sports)
  9. Los dibujos animados (Cartoons/Animated series)
  10. Los programas médicos (Medical shows)

Reasoning and Descriptive Adjectives

To move beyond simple likes and dislikes, the lesson provides a set of adjectives to justify opinions. When explaining why one likes a program ("±Por qué te gustan?"), the following descriptors are used:

  • Emocionantes (Exciting)
  • Cómicos / cómicas (Funny)
  • Interesantes (Interesting)
  • Realistas (Realistic)
  • Terroríficos / terroríficas (Terrifying)
  • Divertidos / divertidas (Fun/Funny)
  • Románticos / románticas (Romantic)

Students may also mention the quality or appearance of the cast: "El actor es guapo / bueno / fenomenal / cómico" (The actor is handsome / good / phenomenal / funny) or "La actriz es guapa / buena / fenomenal / cómica" (The actress is pretty / good / phenomenal / funny).

When explaining why one does not like a program ("¿Por qué no te gustan?"), the following reasons are provided:

  • No son creíbles (They are not believable/credible)
  • Son infantiles (They are childish)
  • Son aburridos / son aburridas (They are boring)
  • Son tontos / son tontas (They are silly/dumb)

Dialogue and Discussion: Miguel and Pepa

The following is a detailed transcription of a conversation between two individuals, Miguel and Pepa, regarding their cinematic tastes and recent viewing history at the "Cine Rex."

Miguel opens by asking Pepa if she has seen the new movie at Cine Rex. Pepa responds that she has not seen it yet but wants to go, and asks what it is about. Miguel explains it is a war movie (película de guerra) featuring many famous stars who, according to a report in the newspaper, act very well.

Miguel then asks Pepa if she likes adventure movies (películas de aventuras). Pepa clarifies that she likes them if they are realistic (realistas), but she does not like them if they are not believable (creíbles). She explicitly states she does not like horror movies (películas de miedo) at all, especially those with ghosts or imaginary scenes.

Miguel disagrees, stating that he does like horror movies because he finds them very exciting (emocionantes). Pepa counters by saying she prefers movies that deal with familiar things (cosas familiares) and notes that if they make her laugh (si me hacen reír), they are even better.

Miguel expresses a final disagreement, stating that he believes some comedy movies (películas cómicas) are very boring (aburridas) and that romantic comedies (comedias románticas) do not catch his attention (no me llaman la atención).