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Reference Sources (Background)
The following list gives some representative reference titles relating to film criticism and is not exhaustive.
The Complete Film Dictionary (1997)
Ref PN 1993.45 K66 1997
A dictionary of film terms, processes, innovations, and movements. This guide focuses more attention on the technical side in the evolution of filmmaking.
Gale Virtual Reference Library (current, full text)
15 key reference encyclopedias in biology and medicine, literature, and the social sciences. Includes the St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, which has entries for various film titles.
International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers (1997, 4 volumes)
Ref PN 1997.8 .I58 1997
Volumes on Films; Directors; Actors & Actresses; and Writers, Producers, & Artists. This series provides long essays with bibliographies for each of its subjects.
Magill's Survey of Cinema (1980-1981, 10 volumes)
Ref PN 1993.45 .M3
Arranged by title with summaries and signed critical essays about English-language films.
The Official Academy Awards® Database (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
Searchable database of Oscar winners and nominees. Also includes browseable lists, such as “Persons Nominated in Two Acting Categories in the Same Year” and “Films Receiving 10 or More Nominations.”
VideoHound's World Cinema (1999)
Ref PN 1995.9 .F67 W56 1999
A guide to movies (on video) from international studios.
Locating Books
In the Library of Congress Classification, books about film may be in one of two places:
| PN 1993-1999 |
Motion Pictures |
| TR 845-899 |
Cinematography (Technology) |
MaconCat
The library's online catalog, providing access to books, journals, music, and movies in the library.
WorldCat
A catalog of books and other materials in libraries worldwide.
Books and articles not owned by our library can be obtained from other libraries through Interlibrary Loan. Allow sufficient time for processing. Average turnaround time is 3-5 days for articles and 3-14 days for books, excluding holidays and weekends. Submit ILL requests well in advance of deadlines.
Locating Articles (Databases & Indexes)
OmniFile Full Text Mega (1994 to present, some full-text)
Articles from scholarly and popular sources from around the world covering topics such as visual arts and art history, film, and photography. Control-click to select subject areas ART and HUMANITIES at the bottom of the search screen. For tips on using this database, see Using OmniFile Full Text Mega.
Film Literature Index (1976-2001, citation only)
Articles from scholarly and popular sources relating to film and television.
Academic Search Complete
MLA International Bibliography (1926 to present, citation only)
The premier database for literature research, it also covers the subjects of linguistics, folklore, and dramatic arts (including film). Provides a comprehensive international listing of books, articles, and dissertations.
LexisNexis Academic (dates vary by publication, full text)
Provides full-text articles from a diverse group of news sources, including national, international, and local newspapers. Useful for locating movie reviews and features.
JSTOR (dates vary by journal, full text)
An archive of over 400 journals in many disciplines.
Arts & Humanities Citation Index (1980 to present, citation only)
Use the name of a particular genre, film, actor, or director as your search term.
Locating Movie Reviews
Film Review Index (1985, 2 volumes)
Ref PN 1995 .F55 1986
Index to journal and magazine articles from 1882-1985 dealing with films and the film industry.
Movie Review Query Engine
Commercial search engine for locating reviews from diverse sources; it covers classic and contemporary American and international films.
New York Times Film Reviews (1913-1982, 13 volumes)
Ref PN 1995 .N4
Compilation of movie reviews printed in The New York Times. Useful for reviews of older movies. For the paper's reviews from 1980 to present, use LexisNexis Academic.
Siskel & Ebert, Ebert & Roeper Archives
Video reviews of over 5,000 movies from the popular tv show. Searchable by title, actor, and director.
Websites
Internet Movie Database
The encyclopedic database includes information about contemporary and classic American and international films, videos, and television shows. Entries for titles and people include credit information, summaries, awards, release information, and some professional reviews.
CineFiles (Berkeley)
Database of ephemera held by the Pacific Film Archive. Search for specific films or documents, and view the digitized portion of the collection.
FilmSound.org
Covers all aspects of film sound, including glossaries, articles on particular movies and genres, links to additional resources and more.
Native Networks (National Museum of the American Indian)
Portal to resources on Native media, including video, radio, tv, etc. Includes interview with practitioners and information on films screened by the museum’s Film and Video Center.
Reel Classics
Focuses on classic movies, and while some pages are still under construction, others are very comprehensive. Pages for movies and actors include posters, photos, and even multimedia clips. There are also links to articles about classic movies and other features.
Evaluating Sources
Evaluating Sources (R-MC)
Is it POPULAR or is it SCHOLARLY? (R-MC)
Critical Evaluation of Resources on the Internet (University of Alberta Libraries)
Citing Sources
Citing Full-Text from Library Databases (R-MC)
Citation Styles Online! (Bedford St. Martin's)
Includes examples of citations of various online sources in MLA, APA, Chicago and other styles.
KnightCite (Calvin College)
Automatically formats citation information according to MLA, APA, or Chicago styles.