Subject Guide: Cinema

The Library's Subject Guides help you find resources that are specialized for certain areas of study. There are many other resources available which provide generalized information--not specific to one topic or area. To see more of these general resources, see the Subject Guide: General page.

Fine Arts Liaison - Lareese Hall

Researching Film

• Approaches to Research
  
A guide to film research from the British Film Institute (pdf)

Indexes & Databases

Indexes and databases provide information about journal, magazine and newspaper articles.

• Film & Television Literature Index
  This database contains a "Variety Movie Reviews" tab that easly allows you to access any Variety film review.
• International Index to the Performing Arts
• Art Full Text
• MLA International Bibliography
• Lexis-Nexis:
  Search film reviews in newspapers from around the world.
• Index to Critical Film Reviews  PN1995 .B64
• Film Review Index  PN1995 .F513 1986
  Vol. 1: 1882-1949; Vol. 2: 1950-1985.

Reference Materials

Reference materials provide background information on a people, terms and concepts.

Online Bibligraphies: 

• Bibliographies and Reading Lists from the British Film Institute
  The BFI provides a number of bibliographies on film and media related topics, many of which are annotated.
  
  
• 16+ Series from British Film Institute
  This series is published to help media scholars find good starting points for research. Each guide contains key writings in books, periodicals, and newspapers for a certain topic. (Topic examples include: Auteur Theory/Auteurs, Strong Women, and Modern Noir)
  
  
• Film bibliographies from UC Berkeley's Media Resource Center
  Contains bibliographies on a variety of film and television related topics. Topics include Individual Films, Film Makers, National Cinemas and Race, Gender, and Ethnicity in Cinema.
  

Reference Books

• International Dictionary of Films & Filmmakers
  
  
• Magills Cinema Annual  PN1995 .M34
  Each volume provides information on and citations for reviews of films produced the previous year.
  
  
• BROWSE for other, more specific reference books in the Reference area between the call numbers PN1993 through PN1998.

Web Resources

Here are a few web sites we think you might find useful:

• Internet Movie Database (imdb.com)
  A comprehensive film site. Find full cast and crew information, technical specs, trivia and more.
• Rotten Tomatoes
  Film reviews from mulitple sources. With Rotten Tomatoes you can search by film, actor, director, and even critic. The Top Critic feature weeds out the most authoritative reviews.
• Variety Web Site

Researching Individual Films

• BFI Modern Classics
  This series covers the mid 20th century to the present with such titles as  Amores Perros, Dead Man, Jaws, Easy Rider and Groundhog Day
  Complete list of titles available from OhioLINK
  
  
• BFI Film Classics
  This series covers the birth of film to the mid 20th century with titles like Citizen Kane, The  Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Seven Samurai, and Chinatown
  Complete list of titles available from OhioLINK
  
  
• Rutgers Films in Print
  Each book in this series contains both primary and secondary information on an individual film
  Complete list of titles available from OhioLINK