Worcester State University
Library

 
Online Databases and Websites in Film


Communication Studies - research guide to many areas of communications

Databases - scholarly material, citation only and full text
E Books - use free electronic texts when you can't find the printed book 

Film Reviews - selected list of free sites
Organizations
Web Directories - subject guides to selective and carefully chosen sites on the Web

Web Search in a Nutshell - getting started in library research

Subscription Databases Available Only to the WSU Community

  • Academic Search Complete -  indexes both popular and academic periodicals in all subject areas, including film reviewsIn Basic Search use the movie title followed by AND motion pictures - reviews. Example: Harry Potter AND motion pictures - reviews
  • Film and Television Literature Index - Now with Full Text. Covering the entire spectrum of television and film writing. Coverage includes film & television theory, preservation & restoration, writing, production, cinematography, technical aspects, and reviews
  • FREE Film Literature Index Online - The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded Indiana University a grant in 2002 to convert the print version of the Film Literature Index to electronic form. The FLI Online contains approximately 700,000 citations to articles, film reviews and book reviews published between 1976-2001. 
  • Academic One File  indexes peer-reviewed, full text articles available in HTML or PDF formats from the world's leading journals and reference sources. Also has full text New York Times content back to 1995, hundreds of podcasts and transcripts from radio and television broadcasts. To find movie reviews, use the Basic Search feature and enter the movie name followed by movie review.  For example: Harry Potter and movie review. Funding from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and the Massachusetts Regional Library Systems.  
  • International Dictionary of Film and Filmmakers. 4th ed. (2001) 4 volumes. Available on InfoTrac through the Gale Virtual Reference Library | Arts section. Detailed essays and commentary by experts. You can also search it along with Who's Who in Entertainment through our subscription to the Biography Resource Center.
    More Biographies

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Film Reviews - selective list of free sites

  • Rotten Tomatoes - extensive links to reviews of each film title, from well-known sources to local newspapers. Also provides synopses, posters, credits, trailers, user fan sites, links to similar films by various genre descriptors
  • Internet Movie Database - biggest and most comprehensive film site on the Web. Cast & crew lists, production details, trivia, film goofs, trailers, quotes and more. Numerous links to reviews from other sources. Usually the first place to check on the Web.
  • Movie Review Query Engine - contains 48,000+ reviews from newspapers, Websites, and other entertainment sites. Also links to current film festivals worldwide.
  • At the Movies - ABC network critics' show. Archives of reviews, current reviews default to this week's releases. 
  • Common Sense Media - family friendly reviews
  • Metacritic - A searchable database of individual reviews of film, video/DVD, television, music, books and games. Compares reviews between critics, fan ratings, week's new releases.
  • Not Coming to a Theater Near You - reviews of forgotten, unusual and obscure movies
  • All Movie Guide - reviews and essays; trailers, TV series available on DVD, etc. 
  • Cinema Spot - in-depth commercial Web portal. Guides users to a wealth of resources, selected by an editorial team
  • Film Site - from AMC. Lots of lists and in-depth info on the greatest films

Greatest Films

  • Masters of Cinema - scholarly site founded in 2001. Worldwide DVD calendar, reviews of selected DVD releases, links to sites for selected filmmakers, some feature articles.
  • The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made - a New York Times site: list of movies and plot descriptions are free, but to read the reviews, free registration is required.
  • Reel Classics -  comprehensive site that includes individual pages for stars and filmmakers of the era. Over 2,500 pages of material, online since 1997. Reviews and commentary, individual film sites, articles, audio/video gallery, features and links.
  • Silent Era - searchable site with links to film archives of interest to historians, other notable sites, top 100 silent era films, silent film festivals, news, DVD releases, etc.

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Specialized

  • Asian Film Foundation - features actors, directors, events, reviews, related links. Feature sections on cinema from China, Japan and Korea.
  • Black Film Center/Archive - A database of films and related materials by and about African Americans. Included are films which have substantial participation by African Americans as writers, actors, producers, directors, musicians, and consultants, as well as those which depict some aspect of black experience.
  • BBC Film - from the British Broadcasting Company. Reviews, news, feature articles, CD movie soundtrack reviews, alternative films, directors' diaries, filmmaking advice, section on Bollywood (Indian film industry).
  • European Films - [site currently being redesigned - not yet operational] in addition to reviews also offers previews, feature articles, news, and a blog. Many links to sites about European films, culture and cinema in general.
  • Women Make Movies - Established in 1972 to address the under representation and misrepresentation of women in the media industry. A multicultural, multiracial, non-profit media arts organization which facilitates the production, promotion, distribution and exhibition of independent films and videotapes by and about women
  • Documentary Films - News, resources for documentary filmmakers, information on film schools and festivals, production companies, funding sources, and original reviews and essays.
  • GreenCine Movies - a commercial site that offers information (including rentals) over a wide range of "alternative" films such as anime, gay & lesbian, horror, independent, science fiction serials, cult classics, film noir, foreign, martial arts, etc.

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Organizations

  • Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - the people who bring you the "Oscar." Contains a comprehensive index to motion picture credits.
  • American Film Institute - known for its "100 Years of..." series. Information for film students as well as the general film enthusiast.
  • British Film Institute - reviews and credits of world cinema, tours and festivals,  in-depth resources on film and filmmakers, books and DVDs.
  • Filmmaking portal - commercial site covering independent and Hollywood filmmaking, industry news. Database of companies interested in financing film projects.
  • Filmmaking net - Largest annotated database of film schools (530 of them). Resource and community for new and independent filmmakers around the world. Feature articles such as essential guides for industry professionals attending Cannes or Sundance, V-pods and the indie filmmaker, writing effective dialog, etc.
  • Screensite - aimed at students and teachers of film/TV/new media. Includes related Web links and articles on current topics such as: on campus peer-to-peer networks, copyright restrictions on documentary filmmakers, digital copyright reform, and research using Google's search and frame grabs. Online since 1994!

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Web Directories

There are excellent subject directories on the web. that can point you to the best online resources in specific areas of film and cinema. These human guides to the Internet are a great way to find the best of the Web, and often find sites that can't be accessed by search engines. The best ones to use for scholarly material are:

  • IPL2 - Carefully chosen links to thousands of the best Websites for research information. You can search sections divided by Resources by Subject, Newspapers and Magazines, or Special Collections Created by the IPL2 – or simply enter your topic in the search box. Site formed by the Jan. 2010 merger of the Internet Public Library [IPL] and Librarians Internet Index [LII].
  • InfoMine - Virtual library of scholarly Internet resources. Features well organized access; notable for its collection of annotated and indexed links.
  • Academic Info - gateway to freely available academic resources on the web, with annotated entries. General links, related topics, in the news sections.

More subject directories on the web

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