Do you love talking about Films? Are you trying to watch more films in English?
Thinking in English will host the monthly Film Club: Premiere at 18:00 (UTC+1) on Wednesday 28th August!
Join us to discuss…. Don’t Look Up!
You can find more details on how to participate on Patreon and Discord!
Film Club – Don’t Look Up – Conversation Questions –
Useful Resources – Vocabulary – Example Answers
What is the Thinking in English Film Club?
The Film Club is a great opportunity for Thinking in English Patreon members to practice their conversational English by discussing a film with other members.
Members meet every week on Wednesdays at 6pm UK Time to discuss Films and TV. Most weeks there is no specific topic and you do not have to watch or prepare anything before joining. It’s just a free chat about films!
However at the end of each month we have a special Film Club: Premiere where we discuss one specific film. Earlier in the month, members have voted for what film they want to discuss and just like in the normal Conversation Clubs we will provide 10 questions about the film to help to inspire you.
You can find these (and some other useful resources) below…
For our next Film Club: Premiere on Wednesday 28th August, we will be discussing Don’t Look Up, an entertaining and, at times terrifying, satire of how the modern world responds to serious issues.
Don’t Look Up
(2021)
What is Don’t Look Up
Here is a movie description for Don’t Look Up
“Don’t Look Up” is a black comedy about the discovery of an impending meteor strike and society’s reaction to this news. It has an all star cast including Oscar winners Leonardo Di Caprio, Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence and Oscar nominee Jonah Hill. The director was Adam McKay is most famous for the comedies Anchorman (2004) and Step Brothers (2008), however his more recent films The Big Short (2015) and Vice (2018) were, like Don’t Look Up, sharp satires of the modern world.
“Don’t Look Up” is about two astronomers, Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence), who discover a giant comet that’s heading straight for Earth. If it hits, it will wipe out all life on the planet. They try to warn everyone, but instead of taking it seriously, people either don’t care or don’t believe them.The movie is a satire, meaning it uses humor to make a point about how our society often ignores serious problems, like climate change or misinformation, because of politics, media distractions, or just plain apathy.
Conversation Questions and Talking Points!
- What was your first impression of the film? Did you like it or not? Why?
- How did you feel about the characters, Dr. Mindy and Kate Dibiasky? Were they believable?
- What do you think of the way the government reacted to the comet in the film?
- Which characters or aspects of the story do you think are meant to represent something in the real world?
- Did you agree with how Dr. Mindy and Kate tried to warn people? What could they have done differently?
- How did the film portray the relationship between science and politics? Was it realistic?
- What do you think of the acting in the film? Was there one stand-out performance?
- Do you think the movie was more funny or more serious? Why?
- Did the ending of the film suprise you? How did it make you feel?
- What message do you think the filmmakers wanted to send with this movie?
And finally, how would you describe the film to someone who has never seen it before? Would you recommend it? Why?
Do you have any more thoughts or questions about Don’t Look Up? Why not prepare 1 or 2 more of your own questions or opinions about the film?!
Useful Resources
To help you prepare for the Film Club, you might want to look at the following useful online resources:
IMDb Page
IMDb page where you can find everything about the film including: Videos, Characters, Cast and Crew, Plot Synopsis, Quotes, Reviews and more!
Review of ‘Don’t Look Up’
A negative review written by film critic Nick Allen
Leonardo DiCaprio Explains Don’t Look Up
A Youtube Video: “Making a film about climate change is a huge task, but making it relatable is even harder.”
Vocabulary
Don’t Look Up Vocabulary
Learn and practice vocabulary for this Conversation Club!.
Practice using 5 different study games and activities – including writing, listening, and memorisation techniques!
Flashcards
Matching Game
Learning Game
Test Yourself
Listening and Spelling
General Film Vocabulary
Learn and practice vocabulary for this Thinking in English Conversation Club.
Practice using 5 different study games and activities – including writing, listening, and memorisation techniques!
Flashcards
Matching Game
Learning Game
Test Yourself
Listening and Spelling
Example Answers
Example answers to question 5 – “Did you agree with how Dr. Mindy and Kate tried to warn people? What could they have done differently?”
B1 Example Answer
B2 Example Answer
C1 Example Answer
See you all at the Film Club!
