Internet Junkie
This week we turn our eye to film resources on the web. First off is the Internet Movie Database at http://uk.imdb.com/
This heaven for online film-buffs was started as a growing archive of reviews of Hollywood films but has grown into something far superior. According to its own publicity, it is not just the best movie site on the internet but the best reference for films on any media. This is easy to believe and it is certainly better than Microsoft’s Cinemania 97 CD-Rom.
There are the usual reviews and images, along with technical information, release dates and links to the official film websites. There is also a "goofs" section which shows all the cock-ups that the editing missed. For example, in the forthcoming Ransom, look out for the tattoo on the bad guy’s neck changing position from scene to scene.
Linked sites include http://uk.imdb.com/Oscars/ which has every Oscar winner in the history of the Academy Awards, including Rocky for Best Picture in 1976!
Some of the best reviews on the web can be found at Roger Ebert’s site at http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/ebertser.html His in-depth analysis of all films in the last twenty years has less gimmicks than the Movie Database but he notices things most of us never would.
For those out there who are a bit cynical about the quality of all this Hollywood stuff the Movies Cliche List is perfect: http://www.like.it/vertigo/cliches.html This site is full of observations of logical flaws and stereotypes in films, such as "All beds have a special L-shaped top sheet, which reaches up to armpit level on women but only to waist level on men."
