Film Related Websites

Great Film Websites
[Dr. Costanzo - Revised 10/16/03]

The World Wide Web has become an indispensable tool for learning about film. Without leaving your computer, you can find up-to-date information on recent movies or the classics, research various topics in depth, and locate film programs or distributors across the country. You can download entire movie scripts, sample independent movies in streaming video, or play the movie stock market in an interactive game. Although Websites come and go, the following movie Websites have been active for several years.


INDIVIDUAL MOVIES		Internet Movie Database http://imdb.com/ One of the most widely used film archives on the Web, the IMDb features a searchable database of over 260,000 film and television productions made since 1892. Users can also find thousands of articles about the industry, movie stars, and new releases. The site includes themed message boards, trivia games, and an extensive photo gallery. For those who want inside information, there is a paid section with links to business contacts and hundreds of movies in production. TV Guide http://tvguide.com/movies The Website for this popular magazine offers reliable thumbnail descriptions for movie personalities and the many films that show on television, plus links to the full cast and credits. By selecting your cable TV provider, you can tailor a weekly schedule of upcoming films in your area. New York Times Current Movies http://www.nytimes.com/pages/movies/index.html Subscribers have free access to the newspaper’s impressive archive as well as current film reviews. Each review includes a listing of cast and crew. Rotten Tomatoes http://www.rottentomatoes.com/ If you’re looking to compare reviews, this is the place to come. Search a recent title and the site displays quotations from scores of film reviews with links to the full text. The reviews are culled from regular print and online sources. Moviefone http://www.moviefone.com Frankly commercial, like its telephone counterpart, Moviephone.com gives show times for all movies in theatrical release. You can see what’s playing in your neighborhood by theatre, title, or genre. The site also offers lots of peppy features about the stars and events of human interest behind the screen.

FILM RESEARCH		Greatest Films http://www.filmsite.org/ If you’re looking for more depth, consult this valuable resource by Tim Dirks. Originally conceived as a guide to the “100 Best Film,” it has expanded to include hundreds more film titles from Classical Hollywood as well as topics such as movie genres, film terms, and star filmographies. Dirks writes with a lively style and thickens his articles with fascinating production information as well as generous selections from movie scripts. Berkeley Media Resource Center http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/FilmBibMenu.html The University of California at Berkeley offers one of the most comprehensive listings of film studies resources. It includes extensive academic bibliographies and links to books and journals in its collection. Berkeley’s list of annotated links to online sources is a good place to begin any serious research. Drew’s Script-o-rama www.script-o-rama.com Here you’ll find links to hundreds of famous film scripts, many downloadable. For some titles, you can compare early drafts with revisions and the final shooting script. The list includes Citizen Kane, Do the Right Thing, The Graduate, The Grapes of Wrath, and most of the other movies featured in this book.

FILM EDUCATION		Screenwriting Resources http://www.auburn.edu/~rileyjl/screenwriting/home.html This is a new site “devoted to gathering and sharing useful resources for educators interested in incorporating film and television in writing instruction.” In addition to a list of useful links, it includes a section on class assignments and lesson plans. UFVA Film School Directory http://www.temple.edu/ufva/dirs/text52usa.htm The University Film and Video Association lists film schools and departments by state. Media Literacy Clearing House http://medialit.med.sc.edu/ Frank Baker’s Website, designed for K-12 educators who want to learn more about media literacy, provides links to dozens of excellent resources, including the National Telemedia Council, the Center for Media Literacy, and the Alliance for a Media Literate America. Filmmakers.com http://www.filmmaker.com/ This homepage for filmmakers announces funding opportunities, contests, film festivals and the like. Users can also download a number of production, editing, and writing tools.

EDUCATIONAL & ENTERTAINING		Hollywood Stock Exchange www.hsx.com Trade paper money and follow the fortunes of new films and rising stars. Besides being lots of fun, this is an excellent interactive tool for learning about the economic risks and rewards of the movie industry. The Movie Sounds Page http://www.moviesounds.com/ Download soundbits from well-Known films if you don’t mind all the ads along the way. The Movie Cliché List http://www.like.it/vertigo/cliches.html This humorous website lists well-worn film formulae by topic, from alcohol and aliens to women and war.

ON LINE FILM		IFILM www.ifilm.net For those who like to watch their films on line, here is a site that offers clips from independent movies in streaming video. A fast modem is required.

FILM JOURNALS		Journal of Popular Film and Television http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m0412/mag.jhtml Film Quarterly http://www.ucpress.edu/journals/fq/ Sight and Sound http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/archive/index.html

Film-Related
Websites