Internet Movie Database – A Closer Look
If you’re a true fan of cinema, then you’re no doubt familiar with the Internet Movie Database, also known as the IMDb. It’s a massive resource devoted to film, television, and celebrities, and its content continues to grow even as you read this. Some sections can be contributed to by users, while the bulk of the individual content can only be altered by the IMDb staff. This creates an interesting synthesis of amateur and professional ideas, resulting in a rare experience when it comes to information on the entertainment industry.
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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
This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 28th, 2010 at 5:58 pm and is filed under Good Movies, Interesting Movie Facts, Movie News, Movie Quotes, Thoughts on Film. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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