Grammy Award winner for "Best Male Rock Vocal Performance" four years in a row from 1999 to 2002 LENNY KRAVITZ has been cast in the blockbuster movie ‘THE HUNGER GAMES’! Check out this interview...
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| Lenny Kravitz |
Question 1: Do you have a favorite movie, director, and actor? Or do you have some favorites?
Lenny Kravitz Answer 1: I have favorites. My favorite movie, if I had to pick one: Manhattan. I’m a Woody Allen fanatic. My favorite director: Fellini, I’d have to say. And my favorite actor… That’s a hard one, but I have to say De Niro.
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| Robert Di Nero |
Question 2: You don’t do a lot of movies. What was it about the material and this character that you’re like, “I want to be a part of this.” (this = The Hunger Games)
Lenny Kravitz 2: I didn’t know what it was. So I read the book and fell in love with the book. I thought it was great storytelling.
Language Style
This interview has lots of great casual spoken English from the interviewer and Lenny Kravitz: Let’s break it up for practice purposes. I have also edited some portions from the original interview.
Part One
Question 1: Do you have a favorite movie, director, and actor? Or do you have some favorites?
Lenny Kravitz: Answer 1: I have favorites. My favorite movie, if I had to pick one: Manhattan. I’m a Woody Allen fanatic. My favorite director: Fellini, I’d have to say. And my favorite actor… That’s a hard one, but I have to say De Niro.
‘Question 1’ is a common question with a twist. What is the ‘twist’? The first part is in the singular form and the second part of the question takes on the plural form. The second portion also drops some words for a conversational style. This is possible because the ideas have already been mentioned in the first part of the question.
Here is what I mean:
1st Part singular form
Question 1: Do you have a favorite movie, director, and actor?
2nd Part plural form and drops 3 words
Or do you have some favorites?
Long style: Or do you have some favorite movies, directors, and actors?
Movies, directors, and actors is canceled and an ‘s’ is added to ‘favorites’ to signal to the listener that the speaker is using a short conversation style. Pretty Cool! This isn’t something you will find in a textbook!
Lenny’s answer style also reflects the plural question form dropping 4 words:
I have favorites.
Long style I have some favorite movies, directors, and actors.
Once again, the missing words are dropped because the speaker has already introduced the idea and style. Most language teachers would correct the student if they said ‘I have favorites.’ But to the outside world, and me it is natural and chill (chill = cool, relaxed).
And if any one gives you grief (= frustrates your language usage or tries to correct you) ,just remember, award winning singer and writer ‘Lenny Kravitz’ said it!
Lenny also has a great style for when you feel you have to pick only one answer.
Lenny uses 3 great phrases that you can use too!
…if I had to pick one:
… I’d have to say.
… That’s a hard one, but I have to say…
These 3 phrases emphasize and signal the speaker’s difficulty in selecting only one movie, director, and actor. Most likely Lenny has many movies, directors, and actors he likes. Moreover his style reveals that he is very impressed with: Woody Allen, Fellini, De Niro. And of course Lenny’s use of the word ‘fanatic’ shows his affinity toward Woody Allen.
fanatic = enthusiast
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| Hockey fanatics! |
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| Italian football (soccer) fanatic! |
Using these 3 phrases is a great way to expand your English Language repertoire (repertoire = range of skills). Native speakers in any language are able to express the same ideas in various ways. That is what keeps language communication interesting! Or people smiling!
Part Two
Question 2: You don’t do a lot of movies. What was it about the material and this character that you’re like, “I want to be a part of this.” (this = The Hunger Games)
Lenny Kravitz 2: I didn’t know what it was. So I read the book and fell in love with the book. I thought it was great storytelling.
Lenny uses a great line to describe his feelings for the book/movie “The Hunger Games”:
…I fell in love with the book.
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| to fall in love with a book |
to fall in love with something = to really really like/love something
Exs. To fall in love with a movie, to fall in love with a screenplay, etc.
This expression is nice to add to your list of phrases to express ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’.
Speaking Practice Style-Adapted for Daily Conversation
You probably got it but here a few practice examples to get you started in your conversation styles. I adapted the second idea to fit everyday life since we are not rock stars yet. But if you are you don’t have to change anything!
Question 1: Do you have a favorite movie, director, and actor? Or do you have some favorites?
Lenny Kravitz Answer 1: I have favorites. My favorite movie, if I had to pick one: Manhattan. I’m a Woody Allen fanatic. My favorite director: Fellini, I’d have to say. And my favorite actor… That’s a hard one, but I have to say De Niro.
Ex. Idea 1
Answer 1: I have favorites. My favorite movie, if I had to pick one: Titanic. I’m a Leonardo Di Caprio fanatic. My favorite director: James Cameron, I’d have to say. And my favorite actor… That’s a hard one, but I have to say Denzel Washington.
Ex. Idea 2
Question 2: What was it about the material and this character that you liked?
Lenny Kravitz 2: I didn’t know what it was. So I read the book and fell in love with the book. I thought it was great storytelling.
Question 2: What was it about the video that you liked?
I didn’t know what it was. So I listened to and watched the video and fell in love with the video. I thought it was great music.
Alex
Celebrity English
Lenny Kravitz- Movie Video
Lenny Kravitz-Music Videos
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