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Library Specialist Dave Herzel |
Film Reviews and Criticism
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Library Help |
Research Tools
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Locating Articles
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Additional Web Resources |
Films receive both reviews and criticism. A review describes and evaluates a new film in order to advise the public whether or not to see the film. Reviews are written at the time the film is released, and appear in all popular media. Criticism examines one or more films with a strong theoretical foundation in order to add to the scholarship of film, and most often appears in scholarly journals and books. Criticism may be written any time after the film is released.
This guide is designed to show you the best places to locate reviews and criticism published in scholarly journals, popular magazines, newspapers, and the internet. In addition to whether you would like reviews, criticism, or both, several factors will determine which databases will most aid your search:
 |  |  | Film & Television Literature Index |
| | | Art Index Retrospective (4 concurrent users only.) |
| | | MLA International Bibliography |
 | | | Academic Search Complete |
| | | Expanded Academic ASAP |
| | | Reader's Guide Retrospective (2 concurrent users only.) |
 | | | LexisNexis Academic Universe |
| | | EthnicNewsWatch & EthnicNewsWatch History |
| | | New York Times (1851 - 2004) |
| | | New York Times (current) |
ZIM Reference First Floor PN1995 F496 1986
Film Review Index, edited by Patricia King Hanson and Stephen L. Hanson. 1986.
This index lists citations to film reviews. Volume 1 covers 1882-1949 and Volume 2 covers 1950-1985.
ZIM Reference First Floor PN1993 F615
Film Literature Index, 1973-
A preview version with citations from 1976 through 2001 is now available online. An excellent source for citations to film reviews and criticism from a wide range of journals including specialized film journals.
ZIM Reference First Floor PN1993 I5
International Index to Film Periodicals, 1972-
Indexes specialized film journals in many languages.
The Library Catalog (LIBROS) provides location information for books, journals, maps, microforms, sound recordings, videos, and similar items owned by the UNM Libraries and other New Mexico member institutions. Materials that are not located in the Library Catalog (LIBROS) can be requested through InterLibrary Loan.
PN 1993 - PN 1999 Motion Pictures
Zim 3rd floor PN1995 S426 1982
Selected Film Criticism, edited by Anthony Slide.
Seven volumes include the full text of reviews of films released from 1896 to 1960 taken from newspapers, magazines, and film journals. Volume 6 covers foreign films, 1930 to 1950.
ZIM Reference First Floor PN1995 F465
Film Review Annual, 1981-
This annual compilation includes production information, cast and crew credits, and the full text of reviews taken from newspapers, magazines, and film journals.
ZIM Reference First Floor PN1995 M243
Magill's Cinema Annual
This extensive survey includes production information, credits, a critical synopsis and a list of reviews.
ZIM Reference First Floor PN1995 N4
New York Times Film Reviews
Contains the full text of New York Times film reviews from 1913-1982. For reviews from 1980 to the present, search Lexis-Nexis (see below).
Search Journal One Search for holdings. Years of coverage vary per title. Copies of articles in titles that the UL does not own can be requested through Interlibrary Loan.
This is the largest internet site for finding information about specific films and people in the film industry. The site contains entries for over 200,000 films and television shows, 400,000 actors, and 40,000 directors. IMDB's content is provided by its own registered users. This means that coverage will vary greatly in scope, but it is still the most comprehensive movie site on the Web.
The All-Movie Guide contains entries for over 160,000 films and biographical information on 21,000 actors and filmmakers. Each entry includes a short review and plot synopsis written specifically for this site.
The Movie Review Query Engine makes a creditable effort to find film reviews on the web. The simple engine searches for over 230,000 reviews of over 26,000 movies.