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Film Criticism Research Guide

When to Use This Guide

Use this guide when searching for analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of films.

Finding General or Background Information on Film and Film Criticism

Use the following general and subject encyclopedias and reference books to find background information on film history and genres and to help refine your topic:

• Encyclopedia Britannica - online resource
• GVRL Film Collection - a searchable collection of electronic reference books about film
• The New York Times Encyclopedia of Film - R PN1993.N465 1984 vol. 1-10
• The Encyclopedia of Ethnic Groups in Hollywood - R PN1995.9.M56 M85 2003

Subject Headings for Finding Film Criticism in the Book and Media Catalog

• Film criticism
• Film genres
• Film noir
• Horror films
• Motion pictures
• Motion pictures history
• Motion pictures reviews

Finding Articles about Films and Film Criticism in Research Databases

Academic Search Premier
Journal articles. Restrict your search to film reviews by choosing "Entertainment Review" in the Document Type pull-down box.

Historical New York Times
Contains the full text, including movie reviews, of The New York Times from 1851-2005. Use "Advanced Search" and search for the name of a film, actor, director, studio, etc. Very useful for older films.

LexisNexis Academic
Magazine and newspaper articles, including film reviews.

Biography in Context
Biographical information on people throughout history, including directors and performers. Also includes full-text articles from hundreds of magazines.

Selected Web Sites

The Internet Movie Database
Useful for all the details of films, including plots, actors, directors, producers, etc.

The Internet Public Library Movies Page
Lists of critical web sites about motion pictures, their makers, and performers.

Films in Review
Published by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, Films in Review is the oldest film publication in the United States. Its web site contains hundreds of film reviews as well as editorials, interviews, and columns.

MRQE - Movie Review Query Engine
Largest online database of movie reviews, including reviews from major newspapers.

The Official Academy Awards Database
The Academy Awards Database contains the record of past Academy Award winners and nominees, updated immediately after each year's Academy Awards ceremony.

British Film Institute
The United Kingdom's national agency for British films has a selection of favorite British films of the 20th Century. Use the Library/Research tab for links on film and media, as well as issues of Sight & Sound back to 1998.

British Broadcasting Company
The BBC has many reviews of both classic and recent movies.

Documentary Films.net
Contains reviews of a wide array of documentaries.

Page Last Updated: February 14 2013