Before looking for reviews, it can be helpful to obtain background information on the film.
Use the IMDB (for recent films) or Film Indexes Online to verify the date the film was released.
Use the IMDB or TV GUIDE Online to verify when a television series aired.
Subject Portal » Movie Reviews
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librarians:
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Databases A-Z:
Other:
When was the film released?
Finding Film Reviews in Databases:
ProQuest Research Library
Provider: ProQuest
Scholarly & popular journals, 1971-present. Some full-text.
- SEARCH TIP: Limit by "document type" to film review, television review or video review. Enter the title of the film in quotes.
The New York times on the Web
Holdings:
(Bryn Mawr College) Available from 1851-present.
(Haverford College) Available from 1851-present.
(Swarthmore College) Available from 1851-present.
Publisher: [New York, N.Y.] : New York Times.
Reviews from 1851 to three years before the current date. Use Lexis-Nexis for the most current three years.
- SEARCH TIP: Limit by "document type" to "review", or "display ad" to find movie advertising. Limit by release date. Enter the title of the film in quotes.
LexisNexis academic
Provider: LN
Newspaper reviews and articles. 1980- current, coverage varies. Updated daily.
- SEARCH TIP: Select "News" tab. Under "Select Sources" choose "Book, movie, music, play & video reviews" and specify a date range.
Readers' guide retrospective
General-interest periodicals published in the United States, 1890 - 1982.
- SEARCH TIP: Add "Motion Picture Reviews" or "Television Program Reviews" to SUBJECT
International index to the performing arts
Publisher: [Alexandria, Va.] : Chadwyck-Healey, Inc.,
Scholarly & popular journals, 1864-present.
- SEARCH TIP: Select "Search Articles." Limit by "Document Type" for Film Review or Television Review.
Film indexes online
Provider: ProQuest
BFI's Film Index International (1900- present), and the American Film Institute Catalog (1893 - 1971). An authoritative alternative to searching the IMDB.
- SEARCH TIP: Search for a film and see the references at the bottom.
- The citations in this database will be listed in the following style: MPW 26 Mar 10, p377 (This citation means that a review appears in Moving Picture World, MARCH 26, 1910, p377.)
Movie Review WebSites:
Internet movie database
The Internet Movie Database covers more than 100,000 movies and contains over a million and half filmography listings.
- SEARCH TIP: Search for a film, and look under "external reviews." Look for established sources!
MetaCritic.com
Provides reviews for both recent and earlier films, videos, music, books and games.
Movie Review Query Engine
Provides links to reviews for over 25,000 films. Registration required for access to some reviews. Updated regularly.
Finding older reviews - Try these Print Indexes!
Readers' guide to periodical literature.
Publisher: Minneapolis, Minn. : H. W. Wilson, 1901-
(1900-1993)
Search under "Moving Picture Plays" (through February 1977) or "Motion Picture Reviews" (after February 1977).
The film index
Publisher: New York : The Museum of modern art film library and the H.W. Wilson company, 1941-
Covers the early years of film up to 1936.
Film review index
Publisher: Phoenix, Ariz. : Oryx Press, 1986-1987.
Volume 1: 1882-1949, Volume 2:1950-1985. Alphabetical by film title.
Index to critical film reviews in British and American film periodicals
Publisher: New York : B. Franklin [1974-75]
Film periodicals from their beginning to 1971
An index to short and feature film reviews in the moving picture world
Publisher: Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 1995.
Covers the early years of film, 1907-1915.