Subject Librarian
Lucinda M. Hall
Contact:
Evans Map Room, Baker-Berry Library
Dartmouth College
25 N Main ST
Hanover, NH 03755
Dartmouth College
25 N Main ST
Hanover, NH 03755
(603) 646-0962
Website Skype Contact: d1128r8@kiewit.dartmouth.edu
Finding movie reviews
This page highlights the different types of resources for film reviews.
Reviews from newspapers
- Major metropolitan newspapers are a good source for movie reviews and information.
- You can also limit your searching to "reviews" in most of this group of databases.
- Note that the Historical newspapers do not cover the present.
- ProQuest Newsstand has coverage from 1980's to the present.
- LexisNexis and Library Pressdisplay give you more current coverage of films.
- U.S. Newsstream byCall Number: Electronic resourceThis database lets you search a collection of current newspapers. Coverage varies from 1980 to the present. You can search a few or all of the newspapers in the collection.
Proquest historical newspapers by Call Number: Electronic resourcesA collection of major regional and ethnic newspapers from their beginning date to a date in the near past. The New York Times goes until 3 years ago, while the Boston Globe only goes to 1989. The Chicago Defender goes from 1905 to 1975.
Los Angeles sentinelCall Number: Electronic resourceThe Los Angeles Sentinel is an African American owned and operated newspaper that puts emphasis on issues concerning the African-American community and it's readers. Its a highly regarded paper that significantly influences the perceptions, attitudes and buying decisions of it's readership.- LexisNexis AcademicCall Number: Electronic resourceLexisNexis gives you access to current newspapers. However, some newspapers go back several years while others only have the last 6 months. Your best search may be in "Major Papers" under the "General News" category in a Guided News Search.
PressReader by Call Number: Electronic resourceA database of regional, national and international newspapers. The time limit is the last 60 days. Many countries are represented in the archive.
Reviews from scholarly journals
Except for the Screen Studies Collection, the list here highlights resources that may not have citations prior to 1970. If you need information for movies made before 1970, look at the tab above called Researching early films.
These resources will lead you to more scholarly reviews.
- ATLA Catholic periodical and literature indexCall Number: Electronic resourceLooking at film from another viewpoint.
Film & television literature indexCall Number: Electronic resourceThis index covers over 300 journal and magazine titles for film and television reviews, scholarly and critical analysis of cinema and television, and articles of popular interest about film and television. About half the journals and magazines are film periodicals and the other half cover film and television with some regularity. Subject coverage includes film & television theory, preservation & restoration, writing, production, cinematography, technical aspects, and reviews.- MLA BibliographyCall Number: Electronic resourceMLA International Bibliography indexes journal articles, books and dissertations. Coverage includes literature, language and linguistics, folklore, literary theory & criticism, dramatic arts, as well as the historical aspects of printing and publishing.
Screen studies collection by Call Number: Electronic resourceA comprehensive survey of current publications related to film scholarship alongside detailed filmographies. This collection includes the FIAF International Index to Film Periodicals Database and the detailed and complementary filmographies created by the American Film Institute (AFI) and the British Film Institute.
Reviews from Popular literature
Readers' Guide Retrospective does provide early film coverage, but only for popular literature. Popular literature includes Time, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Cosmopolitan, Instyle, etc.
When searching, you can limit your search to "film reviews" in Document Type.
Readers' guide retrospective, 1890-1982 by Call Number: Electronic resourceThe regular Readers' Guide Abstracts covers popular literature from 1983 to the present. This retrospective version covers that same literature from 1890 to 1982. Because this is historical material, remember to search using the terms that were used during a particular time period. For example, early Black films would use the subject "Negro" or "Colored" rather than Black or Afro-American (African-American). You can also limit your searching to film reviews when looking for a particular title.
Film Reviews on the Internet
You may have your own favorite sight for online reviews. This is a list of possibilities.
- Catholic News ServiceThe Media Review Office of Catholic News Service is responsible for assessing motion pictures, television programs, home entertainment, video games and comic books.
- Christian Spotlight on EntertainmentThis site is from Christian Answers. Their primary goal is to provide accurate, biblical answers on a wide variety of questions asked by Christians and non-Christians.
- Entertainment Weekly - Film ReviewsThe reviewers from EW can be harsh, but they are always entertaining.
- Rotten TomatoesOver 7 million readers each month use RT globally as a dependable, objective resource for coverage of movies and DVD. With more than 250,000 titles and 850,000 review links in its ever-growing database, RT offers a fun and informative way to discover the critical reaction on movies neatly summarized via the Tomatometer.
- Variety.com - film reviewsCovers all aspects of entertainment, FILM, television, music, videos publishing and the internet.
