The following article details many of the features you can find on IMDb, although additional exploration on your part will turn up even more. Just be careful about popping onto the site during work hours, as it’s truly an addictive experience.

HOME PAGE

When you first type in www.IMDB.com, you’ll end up on the site’s home page. Here are the features that await you there:

• Featured Trailers – The latest and most popular trailers from the IMDb.
• Movie Showtimes and Tickets – Pick a date, pick a movie, and see all the showtimes for theaters in your area.
• NewsDesk - News from the world of entertainment. You can choose from Top News, Movie News, TV News, and Celebrity News.
• Box Office – A look at the recent top performers at the box office, including their most recent weekend gross.
• Opening This Week – A list (with links) of all the films opening this week.
• Coming Soon – A list (with links) of all the upcoming theatrical releases.
• IMDb Snapshot: Latest Photos and Galleries – Still photos from current and upcoming films, as well as movie poster art.
• Born Today – A list of celebrities who were born on the current date. Includes a picture and their age.
• This Week on DVD and Blu-ray – A rundown of all the film that will be hitting your local video store or Netflix.
• About Last Night: TV Recaps – Rundowns of all the latest episodes of your favorite TV show.
• On TV Tonight – An up-to-the-minute schedule of all the major networks and cable channels.
• Indie Film – Watch independent film trailers, discuss indie cinema, and read about the latest independent news.
• Daily Poll Question – Each day, a question is posted for viewers to respond to.
• Movie/TV Quote – A popular or memorable quote for a movie or television show.
• Gallery of the Week – A collection of photos, often involving actors and actresses at film premieres or festivals.
• Did You Know? – An interesting bit of trivia relating to movies or television.
• IMDb Hit List – Links to online articles about cinema, television, and celebrities in general.
• Connect with IMDb – If you’d like to follow IMDb on Twitter or Facebook, here’s the place to do it.

IMDb Homepage Additional Content

But that’s not all of the goodness located on the IMDb homepage. At the top of the page are six sections with dropdown menus. Here’s what’s available in each section:

MOVIES

• Now Playing
• Top Movies
• Showtimes & Tickets
• Trailers
• My Movies
• DVD & Blu-ray
• Independent Film
• Top 250
• Site Index
• Genres
• Summer Movie Guide

TV

• TV Home
• TV Listings
• TV Episodes & Clips
• Road to the Emmys

NEWS

• Top News
• Movie News
• TV News
• Celebrity News
• Featured News
• IMDb Snapshot

VIDEOS

• Video Home
• HD Trailer Gallery
• Trailers
• TV Episodes & Clips
• Browse Videos

COMMUNITY

• Message Boards
• Contributor Zone
• IMDbPRO (this area is only available for a fee)
• IMDbPro
• IMDb Resume
• Content Licensing

SEARCH BAR – Individual Pages for Film, TV, and Celebrities

This may be the best part of the Internet Movie Database. Type the name of any celebrity, television show, or movie into the search bar, and you’ll be taken to a unique page for that item. Let’s look at an example using one of my favorite movies Big Trouble in Little China.

Beneath the title of the film is a selection of photos from the movie, 29 to be exact. Next to that are videos, allowing the user to watch the movie trailer or various clips from the actual film. Then there’s the section called Overview, which provides the following sub-categories:

• User Rating (Big Trouble in Little China has a user rating of 7.1 out of 10)
• MOVIE Meter (detects if a film is trending upward or downward)
• Director
• Writers
• Contact (contact info for the company, available only through IMDbPro)
• Release Date
• Genre
• Tagline
• Plot
• Plot Keywords
• Awards
• NewsDesk
• User Reviews

CAST

Next is the Cast section, providing a list of all the actors to appear in the film. I wonder whatever happened to co-star Dennis Dunn? Actually, I can click on his hyperlinked name and find out. The same goes for almost all the other cast members.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

• Also Known As
• Parents Guide
• Runtime
• Country
• Language
• Color
• Aspect Ratio
• Sound Mix
• Certification
• Filming Locations
• Company

FUN STUFF

• Trivia
• Goofs
• Quotes
• Movie Connections
• Soundtrack

FAQ

A section that answers frequently asked questions about the movie, such as the final fate of Jack Burton.

USER REVIEWS

Read part of a user review, and click on the link to see additional reviews. As of this writing, Big Trouble in Little China has 263 reviews from IMDb users.

MESSAGE BOARDS

A place where IMDb users can discuss the subject of the specific page. In this case, topics range from “Things I’ve Learned from BTILC” to “Is This Deserving to Be Called the Greatest B-Film Ever?”.

RECOMMENDATIONS

If you enjoyed the film, IMDb also provides a list of other movies you might enjoy. In this case, it’s Willow, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, as well as a few others.

OTHER OPTIONS

But that’s just scratching the surface. Down the left of the page, there are tons of additional links. Here are just a few of the features available:

• TV Schedule
• Full Cast and Crew
• Trivia
• Memorable Quotes
• Awards
• External Reviews
• Soundtrack Listing
• Movie Connections
• Box Office/Business
• Taglines
• Official Sites
• Sound Clips

MOVIE RANKINGS

Another popular feature of Internet Movie Database is the movie rankings. The largest option is the IMDb Top 250, which lists the 250 highest-rated movies of all time as voted on by users of the site. Other categories include:

• US Box Office
• UK Box Office
• All-Time Box Office
• Video Rentals
• Votes by Genre
• Votes by Decade
• Votes by Gender
• Top Genre Searches

And to top it all off, another feature allows visitors to the IMDb to search for the lowest-rated films of all times. I’m talking to you Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.

There’s plenty more to be found on the Internet Movie Database, but I’ve droned on long enough. Almost all of what I’ve discussed above is free, and joining the subscription-based IMDbPro will open up a whole other world (complete with contact info for agents and publicists). If your business actually involves cinema, TV, or celebrities on some level, you’ll find IMDbPro to be an indispensable tool.

Also recommended:

• IMDb Best Movies in the Western Genre
• IMDb Best Movies in the Horror Genre
• IMDb Best Movies in the Comedy Genre

But all is not well in the land of the honeybee. Thanks to something known as Colony Collapse Disorder (or CCD), honeybees are disappearing at an alarming rate across the globe. While scientists are still trying to determine the factors responsible for CCD (pesticides, anyone?), filmmakers Maryam Henein and George Langworthy have decided to spread the world by making a documentary called Vanishing of the Bees.

August 21st, by the way, is National Honeybee Awareness Day, so what better time to discuss this important project?

Filmed across the United States, Asia, Australia, and Europe, Vanishing of the Bees details the plight of the honeybee and educates viewers as to the potential disaster facing the human race if honeybees become too few. Commercial beekeepers Dave Mendes and David Hackenberg are followed as they try to keep their bees healthy and meet pollination contracts, and they’re joined by an assortment of concerned scientists and beekeepers. Three years in the making, this documentary is narrated by Ellen Page (Juno) and will be released in theaters in September of 2010.

Langworthy and Henein are doing their part to promote Vanishing of the Bees by visiting with environmental groups, beekeeping associations, gardening clubs, women’s associations, and many more. That still leaves a lot of territory to cover, however, so they’re relying on word-of-mouth to help promote this important film. If you can take part in an Internet campaign to hype a film about two idiots plagued by an invisible demon, surely you’re willing to spend a few minutes trying to help the environment.

And if you’re still not convinced, here’s the trailer:

That’s right, the horror flick directed by David Harris needs 100,000 votes in order to be aired on MTV2. This is a chance for horror fans around the globe to stand up and be counted, in much the same way that they did with Paranormal Activity.

In case you’re wondering what Savage County is all about, check out this synopsis from the film’s official website:

“There’s a reason the Hardell family lives so far out of town: they don’t want company. When a mismatched group of high school kids trespasses on the Hardell ranch to drink beer and skinny dip, they learn this lesson the hard way.

When the beer runs dry, the kids dare Patrick – the only junior and the odd man out – to ring and run on the Hardell’s house. Patrick takes up the dare, pounds on the door and finds himself staring down the wrong end of a double-barrel shotgun. His friends come to his defense and when the smoke clears, the oldest member of the Hardell family is dead.

A pair of headlights at the end of the road leading to the Hardell house scares the kids away – leaving the body behind.

When the rest of the Hardell clan finds the old man murdered, they want vengeance. They hunt down the teens one-by-one, killing the innocent and the guilty. In one night big dreams of getting out of Savage County become small hopes of getting out alive.”

And if that’s not enough, here’s a look at the trailer:

Good-looking teens, beefy inbreds, and the sweltering heat of a back-country farmstead. In my book, that’s the perfect concoction for a blood-soaked jamboree. And looking at this old coot, it’s hard not to be reminded a litte bit of Bill Moseley’s Otis Firefly from The Devil’s Rejects. If it’s half as good as Rob Zombie’s ode to road movies and 70′s slasher films, then we’re in for a real treat.

The last time I checked, the counter was up to just over 11,000. That means there’s a long way to go to reach 100,000, but the Internet has a funny way of getting results seemingly overnight. I’ve already cast my vote at Eventful, because I would love for MTV2 to start airing original horror movies from time to time. Frankly, it would be a nice change of pace from all the reality nonsense that’s clogging up the boob tube these days. My only concern is the level of violence, as it’s hard to imagine that we’ll get anything approaching an R-rated feature. Still, hope springs eternal.

When you’ve got a little time to kill, you can also head over and check out the Savage County Facebook page. Become their friend, and maybe you’ll receive a personal message from one of the film’s sweaty, shotgun-wielding inbreds. Then again, I doubt they could make a computer work to save their lives.

They’re mighty handy with a chainsaw, though.

I’m talking about Red Light Revolution, a Chinese film about a down-on-his-luck Beijing resident who decides to open up a sex shop in his conservative neighborhood. Before you can say “hilarious foreign comedy,” the store has sparked a sexual revolution in the area, as well as causing plenty of headaches for the owner. If you’ve ever wanted to see Chinese citizens happily waving dildos around, then this is the movie for you.

Currently in post-production, Red Light Revolution is shot from a script nominated for the What If? Award for Best Unproduced Screenplay at the 2008 Australian Inside Film Awards. By the way, did you know that there are currently over 200,000 sex shops throughout China, with an annual revenue of over $1.47 billion dollars? I guess that explains the large population.

I’ve included the Red Light Revolution teaser trailer below, and you can learn more by visiting one of the following:

• Red Light Revolution on Facebook
• Red Light Revolution on Twitter
• Red Light Revolution on MySpace
• Red Light Revolution Newsletter

If you’re a fan of foreign films like I am, be sure to give this outrageous comedy your support when it starts appearing at festivals and theaters near you. Now here’s the trailer:

Directed by Kevin Tancharoen–of last year’s Fame remake–the trailer was put together for execs at Warner Bros., as they’re reportedly interested in rebooting the big-screen version of the fighting franchise. As you may remember, the last series of Mortal Kombat movies weren’t exactly breathtaking. In case you’ve forgotten (or mercifully had that section of your brain removed), take a look at the trailer for the original film.

Wow. Christopher Lambert’s crazy hair is only matched by his outrageous accent. And while Bridgette Wilson looks mighty fine as Sonya Blade, she moves with all the speed of molasses in the film’s fight scenes.

But that’s all changed this time around. Tancharoen’s vision of Mortal Kombat looks like a cross between Saw and Seven, with Michael Jai White (Black Dyn-a-mite) in the role of police officer Jackson “Jax” Briggs. And fans of large breasts and even larger lips will also be pleased, as Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine in Star Trek: Voyager) pops in as Sonya Blade. Ryan even weighed in on the trailer on Twitter recently, and here’s what she had to say:

“It’s not a game trailer. Actually was made for the director to sell WB on his vision for a reimagined MK film. I did it as a favor to a friend. No idea yet what WB’s reaction to it was.”

Hopefully the suits like it enough to fund a rated-R version of the franchise. While they’ll probably wimp out and go the PG-13 route, it would be great to see Reptile eating people’s brains and Baraka performing backroom plastic surgery on himself.

But before I say too much, go ahead and watch the trailer. If you have even the slightest interest in video games or the Mortal Kombat franchise, I promise it’ll be worth your time.

Was that badass, or was that badass? By the way, here are a few tidbits of info you might be interested in:

• Ian Anthony Dale plays Scorpion, and he’s no stranger to video game adaptations. In fact, he’ll be starring as Kazuya in the upcoming big-screen version of Tekken.
• Larnell Stovall served as the fight coordinator, and he performer the same function in Undisputed III. You can also catch his stunt work in films such as Black Dynamite, Blood and Bone, and the upcoming Green Lantern.
• Poor, doomed Johnny Cage–who sure likes a good stogie–was played by martial artist Matt Mullins. You can catch Matt in such films as Freshmyn and Bloodfist 2050.
• Lateef Crowder plays the role of Baraka, and he’s also another veteran of Undisputed III. He mixed it up as a Brazilian fighter in that one.

So the premise is that crime is so out of control in Deacon City that the police are sending Scorpion into the tournament to kill everyone. In return, he gets a chance to take his revenge on Sub-Zero. Nice and simple.

Michael Jai White is perfect for his role, as he’s able to deliver any material with a straight face and make it convincing. Hell, just check out the blaxploitation spoof Black Dynamite for endless examples of what I’m talking about. My favorite line, by the way, came when Jacks was talking about Baraka. “His first victim was likely accidental. The next two dozen…were…not.”

Hollywood is always keeping their ear to the ground, because giving people what they want ultimately means more money in the coffers. Considering the buzz surrounding this trailer, there’s a decent chance that something might actually get done, but spreading the world via social media networks and such can’t hurt, either.

So what do you think about the new Mortal Kombat trailer? Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section.

As for the premise: It’s been twenty years since video game guru Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) has been seen. His son, Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), has always held out hope of reconnecting with his father, and his gets his chance when an old friend of the family directs him to Flynn’s Arcade. After a bit of investigation, he finds himself pulled into a cyber world of gladiatorial contests and constant intrigue.

The cast includes:

• Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn
• Garrett Hedlund as Sam Flynn
• Bruce Boxleitner as Tron (aka Alan Bradley)
• Michael Sheen as Kaster (a nightclub owner inside the cyber world)
• Olivia Wilde as Quorra (Kevin Flynn’s hot ally)
• Beau Garrett as Jem (an armory siren, whatver the hell that is)

Now let’s take a look at the offical Tron Legacy trailer: