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COMM 220: Introduction to Film: Websites & Podcasts

This guide will help you find film criticism, biographies of directors, definitions of film genres, and information about the Library's DVD collection.

Websites

The Internet provides access to a variety of information about the motion picture industry, but not all of it is accurate, reliable or current. The websites listed below are maintained by reputable organizations and contain trustworthy information.

 

Awards & Events

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (“Oscars”)

Cannes Film Festival (Palme d’Or)

Golden Raspberry Award (“Razzies”)

Hollywood Foreign Press Association ("Golden Globes")

MTV Movie Awards

Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG)

Sundance Film Festival

Tribeca Film Festival

 

Film History

American Film Institute (AFI)

American Movie Classics

Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Library of Congress National Film Preservation Board

Museum of the Moving Image

National Film Preservation Foundation

Turner Classic Movies

 

Ratings

Classification & Rating Administration (CARA)

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)

Podcasts

The Birth of the Movies: From Silent Cinema to the Rise of Hollywood and the First "Talkie" -- Episode 162 of the series History That Doesn't Suck, with Professor Greg Jackson from Utah Valley University.

 

The hosts of Filmspotting love "best of" lists! Professor Adam Kempenaar, from the University of Iowa, and film critic Josh Larsen have tackled subjects ranging from ranking the best actors and actresses of the century, to the top five scenes filmed in the rain. Their interviews also cover a variety of topics, including this discussion of the "Top 5 Movies Siskel & Ebert Got Wrong," with author Matt Singer.

 

Unspooled is hosted by Amy Nicholson, film critic for the Los Angeles Times, and actor, writer, and director Paul Scheer. They started the podcast to discuss movies on the American Film Institute's Top 100 Films list, and have since branched out into discussing the artistic and historical significance of other titles, in a variety of genres.