Want to brush up on your film knowledge? Here are a few tips; materials are available at Albert Wisner Public Library, or through its steaming services (HOOPLA, Kanopy).
Understanding Movies by Louis D. Giannetti. Whether you’re cinema student or a film buff, “Understanding Movies” is a must-read that explains all the elements of a film in very detailed, yet easy-to-read chapters.
The Story of Film: An Odyssey (2011) British documentary about the history of film directed and narrated by Mark Cousins, a film critic from Northern Ireland. Presented in 15 one-hour chapters, this exhaustive, yet compelling survey (it’s over 900 minutes) demonstrates how filmmakers are influenced both by the historical events of their times, and by each other. It was based on his 2004 book The Story of Film, which is essential reading for both film students and moviegoers alike.
Film Recommendations Lists:
- A Century of Cinema – 1920s
- A Century of Cinema – 1930s
- A Century of Cinema – 1940s
- A Century of Cinema – 1950s
- A Century of Cinema – 1960s
- A Century of Cinema – 1970s
- A Century of Cinema – 1980s
- A Century of Cinema – 1990s
- A Century of Cinema – 2000s
- A Century of Cinema – 2010s
Rather look online? Try these top five film websites:
IMDB: Find movies, TV shows, celebrities and more… More is right – this definitive site offers information on the directors, producers, screenwriters, crew, and even the most obscure actors. You can read about upcoming Film Festivals, award ceremonies, and find out who you share a birthday with!
Rotten Tomatoes: This site gathers together all of the reviews from top publications and then averages out their scores. By doing this you can see what has been given a ‘fresh’ rating of over 50% and a ‘rotten’ one of under 50%. Excellent source for current film releases, TV, DVD and streaming.
Roger Ebert: The late film critic (1942-2013) loved movies and wrote in-depth reviews on nearly every film released. His legacy continues with a site that offers intelligent reviews on current releases and has extensive back catalog on films as early as 1914 to the present.
Film Comment: If you are hungry for a more academic site, look no further. Founded in 1962 and published by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, this site features reviews and analysis of mainstream, art-house and avant-garde filmmaking from around the world. The site also has an archive of past issues and a blog.
MRQE: It stands for “Movie Review Query Engine” and is the internet's largest index of movie reviews. Find reviews for new and recent movies in theaters, DVD and Blu-Ray releases and film classics. The site holds over 100,000 reviews and over 900,000 articles. They have an extremely wide selection, as well as links to sites like the New York Times, Newsday and Time Out New York.