The Oldest Cinema

BBC Learning EnglishLondon LifeThe Oldest CinemaAndreaI’m inside London’s - and the UK’s - oldest cinema, TheElectric, in the West of London. It’s very grand in herewith gold and cream walls and red velvet 1 carpets. And I’mreally looking forward to enjoying a night at the movies.
　　Jackie:  Hello I'm Jackie Dalton and that was ourreporter, Andrea Rose, at the Electric- the oldest cinema in London and in the UK.
　　More people are going to the movies in the UK than theyhave at any other time in the last 30 years.
　　Over the past few years, more and more multiplex cinemashave been built. Multiplex cinemas are big cinemas withseveral screens showing different movies - usually thelatest blockbusters. 'Blockbusters' are films that are verypopular, like Star Wars or Harry 2 Potter.
　　But the Electric is a bit different. Listen to Andreatalking about why.
　　AndreaI can see why this is one of the places to watch a film inLondon. I’m stretched out on one of their double sofas andready to watch the film.
　　Jackie:  Andrea is planning on spending her eveningat the cinema watching a film on a double sofa. She saysthat this is one of the most special places to see a filmin London. She does this by emphasising the word 'the'.
　　'This is one of the places to watch a film in London'.
　　Without the emphasis on the word 'the', it would sound likethis.
　　'This is one of the places to watch a film in London.'
　　The stress changes the entire meaning, from being one ofthe most important places to being just one of many cinemaswhere you can watch a film. It’s a funny but effectivetechnique to make a point. Here’s another example.
　　'It’s one of the films in the world of cinema. It’s oneof the films in the world of cinema.'
　　BBClearningenglish.comAndrea describes the history of the building. There are twowords which might be helpful to understand here. One is'auditorium 3'. That's the part of the room where people sit.
　　The other is 'music hall', which is a type of theatre withlive music and performers popular in the early 1900s.
　　Now here's a question for you: Why was the auditoriumoriginally designed as a music hall auditorium?
　　AndreaApparently the Electric cinema was constructed in 1910 byarchitect Gerald Seymour Valentin. As there was noestablished cinema 'model' in the UK he designed theauditorium as a music hall.
　　Jackie:  The architect Gerald Seymour Valentindesigned the auditorium as a music hall because before thisthere hadn’t been a cinema in the UK. There was no'established model' – no other cinema to copy.
　　Sadly, the building was never finished. So what’s happenedsince?
　　AndreaIt’s recently been renovated 4 to become a unique cinematicexperience. It is the only place in London where you canspend a night watching a movie on a comfy leather sofawhile sipping 5 a cocktail 6 or a glass of champagne 7.
　　Jackie:  The cinema has been 'renovated' – repairedand improved – in the last few years and now it’s thoughtof as a unique cinematic experience. That means it’s avery special experience. 'Unique'.
　　When you watch your film, you can lie on a comfortableleather sofa and drink cocktails 8.
　　Not everyone gets to spend their night at the movies likethis. Adam, who’s a film school graduate, watches films inthe many other cinemas around London and it’s just asenjoyable. So what is his favourite British film?
　　AdamOne of my favourite British films is probably Excalibar.
　　Excalibar is a fantastic film soanybody who’s into Arthurian mythology 9, that’s the filmto watch.
　　Jackie:  Excalibur is about the mythology of KingArthur. Adam recommends this film if you really likeArthurian mythology. He uses the term 'into', instead of'really like'.
　　'Anybody who’s into Arthurian mythology…'
　　'I'm into films about crime – I'm into comedies.'
　　It’s now time to go back to Andrea at the electric cinemato see what’s happening.
　　AndreaWell although that double leather sofa in the Electriccinema was really comfortable I thinkthe price was a bit above my budget so I’m off to findsomewhere else more cheap and cheerful for a night out inLondon.
　　Jackie:  Oh dear, Andrea didn’t get to have thatcocktail after all. It was too expensive.
　　She uses the expression –a bit above my budgetThis is a gentler way of saying to someone that somethingis too expensive for you.
　　'I’m sorry, but unfortunately it’s a bit above mybudget.'
　　So, instead, Andrea has decided 10 to look for something that’s just as fun but is a lot less money.
　　She says: 'I'm going to find something else that’s cheapand cheerful!'