Need Help?
For individual research help, schedule an appointment to meet with a librarian.
Film Reviews
A film or movie review is an article that is published in a newspaper or magazine that describes and evaluates the movie at its time of theatrical or dvd release and is designed to help potential viewers decide whether or not to watch the film. Reviews are typically written by journalists giving their opinion of the movie. Some reviews include a score (4 out of 5 stars) or recommendations (thumbs up).
Find film reviews in the following library databases:
- Academic Search Complete (EBSCO) This link opens in a new windowA multi-disciplinary database which offers information in many areas of academic study. This database supports high-level research in the key areas of academic study by providing access to journals, periodicals, reports, books and more. (VIVA)
Searching Academic Search Complete
Enter the film title into the search box, limit your results to full-text and by document type: Film Review.
Academic Search Complete - View Your Results
To view the full article or result, click on the title. Select the HTML Full Text or PDF Option to view the full document. Look for the toolbar the provides print, email, and citation options.
Suggested Resources
American Movie Critics by
Some of today's greatest film critics and notable American writers weigh in on a range of cinematic experiences, from Carl Sandburg writing on the classic silent film "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" to Richard Shickel on the cult of Greta Garbo.
Call Number: PN1995 .A448 2006
The A List: The National Society of Film Critics' 100 Essential Films by
People love movies. People love lists. So The A-List is a natural. While there are plenty of encyclopedic lists of films, this compulsively readable book of 100 essays--most written expressly for this volume-flags the best of the best as chosen by a consensus of the National Society of Film Critics. The Society is a world-renowned, marquee--name organization embracing some of America's most distinguished critics: more than forty writers who have national followings as well as devoted local constituencies in such major cities as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Minneapolis. But make no mistake about it: This isn't a collection of esoteric "critic's choice" movies. The Society has made its selections based on a film's intrinsic merits, its role in the development of the motion-picture art, and its impact on culture and society. Some of the choices are controversial. So are some of the omissions. It will be a jumping-off point for discussionsfor years to come. And since the volume spans all international films from the very beginning, it will act as a balance to recent guides dominated by films of the last two decades (hardly film's golden age). Here is a book that is definitely ready for its close-up.
Call Number: PN1995 .A16x 2002
Goodbye Cinema, Hello Cinephilia by
Goodbye Cinema, Hello Cinephilia gathers together over fifty examples of Rosenbaum's criticism from the past four decades, each of which demonstrates his passion for the way we view movies, as well as how we write about them.
Awake in the Dark: The Best of Roger Ebert by
With Awake in the Dark, both fans and film buffs can finally bask in the best of Ebert's work. The reviews, interviews, and essays collected here present a picture of this indispensable critic's numerous contributions to the cinema and cinephilia. Awake in the Dark, therefore, will be a treasure trove not just for fans of this seminal critic, but for anyone desiring a fascinating and compulsively readable chronicle of film since the late 1960s.
- For the Love Of Movies Schwarzbaum, Lisa. "For The Love Of Movies." Entertainment Weekly 1247 (2013): 56. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Apr. 2016. Motion picture critic Lisa Schwarzbaum reflects on her career writing reviews for "Entertainment Weekly" upon her retirement in February 2013, discussing topics including the reader responses she has gotten to her film reviews, her future projects, and why she enjoys reviewing films.
- In Defence of Critics Gilbey, Ryan. "In Defence Of Critics." New Statesman 142.5169 (2013): 18. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Apr. 2016. The article discusses the influence that film critics have over a film's success after actors Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer complained that critics caused the failure of their movie "The Lone Ranger" in 2013. Topics include the author's belief that critics have very little influence over the success or failure of a blockbuster film like "The Lone Ranger" or the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, changing attitudes towards film writers in journalism, and why actors dislike critics.
- 6 Key Steps to Writing Film Reviews Abbe, Elfrieda. "6 Key Steps To Writing Film Reviews." Writer (Kalmbach Publishing Co.) 123.11 (2010): 13. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Apr. 2016. This article offers tips and advice to authors in the writing of film reviews. The author reflects on expressing personal opinion and the desire and practice necessary to film criticism. Topics discussed include providing context without being pedantic, learning film history, and the development of a literary voice.
- Do Experts and Novices Evaluate Movies the Same Way? Plucker, Jonathan A., et al. "Do Experts And Novices Evaluate Movies The Same Way?." Psychology & Marketing 26.5 (2009): 470-478. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 14 Apr. 2016. Do experts and novices evaluate creativity the same way? This question is particularly relevant to the study of critical and public response to movies. How do public opinions differ from movie critic opinions? This study assessed college student (i.e., novice) ratings on movies released from 2001 to 2005 and compared them to expert opinions and those of self-declared novices on major movie rating Web sites. Results suggest that the student ratings overlapped considerably—but not overwhelmingly—with the self-described novices, student ratings correlated at a lower magnitude with critic ratings, and the ratings of students who saw the most movies correlated more highly with both critics and self-described novices than those of students who saw the least movies. The results suggest a continuum of creative evaluation in which the distinctions between categories such as “novice,” “amateur,” and “expert” are blurry and often overlap—yet the categories of expertise are not without importance.
- Who Needs Critics? James, Nick. "Who Needs Critics?." Sight & Sound 18.10 (2008): 16-18. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Apr. 2016. The article discusses the declining influence of film critics. The author notes that increased Internet blogging and decreased advertising revenue has led to the dismissal of film critics at U.S. newspapers. He comments on the use of satire in motion picture reviews and suggests critics should emphasize a wider consideration of motion picture culture in their criticism.
- IMDb
- IMDb is the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. We offer a searchable database of more than 185 million data items including more than 3.5 million movies, TV and entertainment programs and 7 million cast and crew members.
- AMC Filmsite
- Written and edited by film critic Tim Dirks, Filmsite.org is a unique website containing interpretive, descriptive review commentary and background history on many of the best Hollywood and American classic films in the last century.
- NPR Movie Reviews
- NPR is a mission-driven, multimedia news organization and radio program producer.