| CineMedia's Previous Sites of the Week (2001) | ||
| for the weeks of Dec. 17 - Jan. 7 | Coming Soon!
| Fascinated by TV rumors and Hollywood scoops? Does the early knowledge of cast members of a yet-to-be-released film make you shiver? If so, then this is the site for you. "Movie Briefs" covers most of the big movie weekly releases, while the healthy list of Online Forums gives every anxious fan their say. There's box office figures, a twice-weekly "Who Said That" trivia game, news, and release dates. Yet the real treat is the "Film Database" where you can either search or browse film titles and can not only see a decent list of production specs, but also an adequate listing of links to trailers and other promotional materials. And if that's not enough, each film database record also links to all of the related gossip scoops that have been logged on to Coming Soon! "Shhhh - did you hear that......" |
| for the weeks of December 3 - 17 | Gerald Peary
| Gerald Peary is currently film critic for the "Boston Phoenix" newspaper and his Web site of reviews, commentary, and interviews is not only pleasing to the eye, but also jam-packed with lots to read and wander through. His reviews are swift and to the point - no "thumbs up" or star ratings here! Currently, the site features interviews with Frederick Wiseman, Liv Ullmann, and Brian De Palma - as well as 31 additional interviews. Be sure to check out his "Film Projects" section and read his essay on films featuring film critics. The findings? Peary states: "Forget about 'positive role models.' Each film critic I've discovered in a movie is a walking and laboriously talking stereotype." Hmmm - doubtful that Peary would fall into this category... |
| for the weeks of November 19 - December 3 | Hidden Mickeys of Disney
| Talk about odd/interesting discoveries.... This site is primarily devoted to the art of spotting "Hidden Mickeys." As explained on the site, "a Hidden Mickey is an image of Mickey Mouse concealed in the design of a Disney attraction (ride, resort, etc....)." Check out photos of the "Matterhorn Mickey" at Disneyland or the very concealed three "Hidden Mickeys" that are painted on the "Popcorn Wagon" near the Enchanted Tiki Room in Adventureland at Disneyland Tokyo. Of course, some sightings seem to be it a bit: "Three coconuts are suspended in a net bag from an old car that is to your left as you exit The Jungle Cruise....?" Beyond the material about "Hidden Mickeys," there's actually a lot of material about everything Disney, including the delightful "fun facts" scattered about the site. Did you know that "Tarzan's Treehouse" at Disneyland has exactly 306,000 (vinyl) leaves on it? Have you spotted a "Hidden Mickey"? You can even submit a new or confirm an existing "Hidden Mickey" on the site. A perfect stop for all of you Disney fanatics! |
| for the weeks of October 31 - November 19 | The Ultimate 'That '70s Show' Page
| Now in its fourth season, "That '70s Show" has spawned a throng of hooked viewers and dedicated fan sites. Picking up where "Married With Children" left off, "That '70s Show" features a nice blend of 70s kitsch (check out the various wallpaper patterns) with a contemporary, postmodern sensibility. This "ultimate" site is one of the best fan-based sites devoted to the program and perfectly echoes the show's feel and humor. There are tons of pictures on the site featuring all of the cast members as well as up-to-date airing dates for various episodes. Online chats and message boards keep committed fans connected while the complete episode guide dishes out credits, guest stars, sound and video clips. Truly groovy, man! |
| for the weeks of October 15 - 31, 2001 | Halloween
| Boo! It's that time of year again. And here's another Web site devoted to the original "Halloween" film, released in 1978. This site is very slick, indeed, with scripts, sounds, images, videos, and chat. But this site offers so much more. There's a kinda funny comic strip featuring scary Michael Myers in the "Humor" section (?), while a stroll in the "Facts" section will deliver such gems of knowledge as: "Did you know that the original Michael Myers mask was made from a modified "William Shatner" mask?" On the day we checked out the Halloween "Message Board", there were plenty of fans posting questions and answers. A nice way to spend an evening (and ignoring that ringing doorbell). Trick or Treat? |
| for the weeks of October 01 - 15, 2001 | Critics.com
| We like this site not so much for its content, but more for its sheer, cool look. In fact, there is very little original content on this site. Essentially, Critics.com takes a current movie and provides links to various film critics who have their reviews of the film online (such as Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" and Owen Gleiberman of "Entertainment Weekly"). Even the usual "cast and crew" section is provided by a link to the Internet Movie Database. But the simplicity and ability to check out various reviews (as well as critics.com's conversion of the reviews into a star ratings) is well worth a bookmark. Trying to find a video or DVD to rent for the evening? Check out the "Boon / Bane" section where the reviewed films on the site are lined up by average critic's rating - Boon: "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (2000) and "Saving Private Ryan" (1998) averaging 4 stars; while in Bane: "Freddy Got Fingered" (2001) averages 0 stars. A very nice site, indeed. |
| for the weeks of September 17 - October 01, 2001 | Moulin Rouge
| OK, we admit it - we loved this movie! Sassy, furious, fun, and exciting. A great film and the type of film we've come to expect from director Baz Luhrmann. The Web site is also a fun ride with loads of pictures, clips, and background info. Make sure you have the Flash plug-in - much better than the basic HTML version of the site. Go to the "Toulouse Tonight" section and get a behind-the-scenes look at the film, hosted by Henri Raymond Toulouse Lautrec Montfa (played by John Leguizamo). Watch "The Duke" episode and see Toulouse/Leguizamo chase Ewan McGregor for a candid interview....Freedom, Beauty, Truth and Love. |
| for the weeks of August 27 - September 17, 2001 | BijouFlix
| "Independent and Damn Proud of It!" proclaims this site as you enter its home page. Established in 1998, and one of the earlier sites on the Web to show online movies, BijouFlix is a great site to watch hard-to-find independent and cult films. They offer free streams for many of their indie shorts (such as "Hello, My Lovely" and "Japanese Spider Man"), but the real draw are the video-on-demand flicks - ranging from a few classics such as "The 39 Steps" to a few, er...sleepers..."Radar Men from the Moon" (1952). Currently, the feature length films cost 50˘ per screening, but if you have a lot of bandwidth at hand (cable, DSL, and over), give it a whirl. You'll get 50˘ worth of pleasure from just getting the film to play fluidly. If you really like the movie, check out your cut-out bins at the local video shop for the film on tape. Good fun! |
| for the weeks of August 13 - 27, 2001 | W. C. Fields - The Great Man
| Yes, indeed.........Once you get past all of the self-promotion and hype of the site ("We're Now Featured in Yahoo! Internet Life," "Top 5% site," blah, blah, blah......) and scroll down the awkward opening page, you'll be rewarded with a great WWW resource for a "Great Man" - W. C. Fields. Go to "The Bar" for the site's index and there you will find links to a bio page, filmography (with each film rated 1-5 stars), "Tale Tales," and W.C. Fields quotes. Be sure to browse through the list of Fields' comic obsessions and motifs: 'Drinking Jokes' ("Some weasel took the cork out of my lunch...") to 'Funny Names and Big Words' ('imme-JUTLY instead of imme-diately') - with a link to the site's "W.C. Fields Dictionary/Lexicon Page." This is a HUGE site lovingly created by mega-fan, Kevin Rayburn. Enjoy. |
| for the weeks of July 30 - August 13, 2001 | Theatre Historical Society of America
| Founded in 1969, the Theatre Historical Society of America is the only organization in the US that exclusively records and preserves the architectural, cultural, and social history of American theatres. And this site is an excellent representation of what they have achieved. Check out their Photo Gallery and especially the "Loew's Collection" featuring a number of beautifully thumb-nailed images of both the interiors and exteriors of their former grand picture palaces or from the "Joe Coco Collection," see great images of New York Theatres including the marquee at the fabulous Roxy Theatre in NYC touting the release of "Beneath the 12-Mile Reef" (1953). For those of you who are serious movie theatre buffs, check out the "Mystery" Theatres section where you are asked to identify long-forgotten theatres from an old photo (just identified: the Strand Theatre in Eire, Pennsylvania!). A very worthy organization and a site that is still growing. |
| for the weeks of July 16 - 30, 2001 | The Incredible World of Bowling Noir
| Occasionally, we come across Web sites that we find both funny and a little bit odd. Take, for example, William Preston Robertson's "The Incredible World of Bowling Noir" site. Author of "The Big Lebowski: The Making of a Coen Brothers Film," Robertson has published a short online essay examining "that sub- of sub-genres, the rarest of the rare, the hardest of the boiled: bowling noir." Yes, this site captures all the great moments of bowling featured in Film Noir films - from "Double Indemnity" to "Cape Fear." Talk about doing your research.... |
| for the weeks of July 2 - 16, 2001 | The St. Louis Walk of Fame
| What do Phyllis Diller, John Goodman, Shelley Winters, and Vincent Price all have in common? They all hail from St. Louis, Missouri and have been inducted into the St. Louis Hall of Fame and join 250 other great St. Louisans from the past and present. Started by Joe Edwards, owner of the Rock 'n Roll restaurant, the St. Louis Walk of Fame consists of brass stars embedded in the pavement along Delmar Boulevard. In order to be nominated for the St. Louis Walk of Fame, each person must "have been born in St. Louis or spent their formative or creative years there and their accomplishments must have had a national impact on our cultural heritage." Find out tid-bits about the various inductees and locate where their star is placed (Redd Foxx is located at 6331 Delmar Blvd.). And if you're feeling particularly charitable, you can contribute $35 or more and receive "a certificate of commendation suitable for framing, with Walk of Fame inductees such as Vincent Price and Chuck Berry as honorary signatories." A smart little site honoring St. Louis' finest. |
| for the weeks of June 18 - July 2, 2001 | United International Pictures (UIP)
| Okay - we rarely tout Web sites from big Hollywood studios - but here's a way to slightly get around visiting the Disney-AOL-Universal-Seagrams-Time-Warner mega company Web site - go to one of their major distributors! The site for United International Pictures (UIP) features many of this season's biggest draws ("Shrek," "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," "Down to Earth") as well as a huge archive of previous film releases. Check out specific country sites (spanning Argentina to Yugoslavia) for release dates and regional film information. And for those who are sick of sending mere electronic greeting cards - check out their "moviEmail" where you choose a movie clip, add a message, and send it along to a friend in need of further net diversions. Ahh, marketing at its best - but at least it's at an arm's length from the Über-studios! |
| for the weeks of June 4 - 18, 2001 | The Bit Screen
| Launched in 1998, "The Bit Screen" is a fun site delivering "first-run Internet films" that are produced and designed for watching over the Web. With new films being added each week, there are plenty of reasons to bookmark this site. But keep your expectations low - this *is* the Internet and your poor little modem can only do so much. As the "New York Times" mentions in its praise of "The Bit Screen", "it's too bad the poor image is such a distraction because the ideas go beyond that to explore some intriguing possibilities for the future use of film." And we couldn't agree more. Watch Regis Vidal's "E-Toro" - it's very funny. |
| for the weeks of May 21 - June 4, 2001 | Modern Television
| Phillip Patiris' "Modern Television" site is a real treasure chest of QuickTime film clips - from early Ernie Kovacs TV snips to humorous bits featuring O.J. Simpson to those lovable, smoking Flintstone characters. But make sure you do more than just watch QT clips: read the "Disclaimer" section where the various aspects of "fair use" are defined (and defended). And don't forget to download your free RCA "Indian Head" test pattern for your wallpaper - a real treat. A very funny site, indeed! |
| for the week of May 14 - 21, 2001 | Koyaanisqatsi
| The "Koyaanisqatsi" site is dedicated to the films of Godfrey Reggio and the work of the not-for-profit Institute for Regional Education (IRE) founded by Reggio in 1973 to promote the dissemination of information via the media, arts, and community organizations. Fans of Reggio need no introduction to his amazing film style and substance and can find more details here about his films, his passions, and the IRE. Click on "Koyaanisqatsi" (Hopi for "crazy life") and get credits, reviews, and awards for the film. You can also listen to audio clips of Philip Glass' haunting scores for both "Koyaanisqatsi" and "Powaqqatsi" ("sorcerer life"). The site announces: "Not for the answers that might be given, but for the questions that can be raised is this website established" and is set up to encourage inspiration, questioning, and action. Keep an eye out for Reggio's final film in the "Qatsi" trilogy, "Naqoyqatsi" ("war life"). |
| for the weeks of April 30 - May 14, 2001 | Garfield
| Lorenzo Music turns 63 this week and we thought we'd pay tribute to his lasting legacy! "Lorenzo who?," you might be asking? It's Lorenzo Music - producer of 70's TV series, "The Bob Newhart Show," the voice of "Carlton the Doorman" on "Rhoda" - and in the 90's, the voice of Garfield the cat. Of course, we couldn't find any Lorenzo Music web sites, nor could we even find any "Rhoda" sites (gasp!), so here is the official Garfield instead. Hey, we know it's a bit of a stretch, but the Garfield site is actually nice constructed and fun for both the young and old (over 25's, that is...). Check out the newest merchandising spin on the site: Barnie's Coffees & Teas' introduction of their new hyper-caffeinated coffee called "Garfield's Blaster Blend." Our apologies, Mr. Music........................ |
| for the weeks of April 9 - 30, 2001 | Film Threat
| Film Threat ("Hollywood's Indie Voice") has long been one of our favorite rags (published in print media from 1985 to 1997 until it went totally digital on the Net) with its pithy reviews, direct interviews (currently with horror guerrilla filmmaker, Mike Lyddon), and actually readable feature stories. As expected, the film festival scene makes a prominent appearance on the site with ample festival listings, reviews, and news. The archive of film news stories goes back two years and is arranged chronologically. But don't bother with the "classifieds" section - not much there (if anything...). With the current explosion of independent filmmaking, this quality e-zine is well worth regular visits. |
| for the weeks of March 12 - April 9, 2001 | Dreamland
| Dreamland is devoted to everything nasty and trashy - yes, we mean everything John Waters. Celebrating its 5th anniversary, this site is arguably the best site on the Net devoted to cinema's enfant terrible. Click on the "History" link and get a crash course on the life of the self-proclaimed Prince of Puke or catch up on the current Waters news (there's usually at least one item every month. We like the "In Print" section, particularly the links to many of Waters' own writings (...'cause no one talks about John Waters better than John Waters himself....). As a bonus, there's quite a large section devoted to Waters' favorite star, Divine, where you can browse through his filmography and even visit his gravesite. Creepy. |
| for the weeks of February 19 - March 12, 2001 | Oscar.com
| With Oscar© fever beginning to build in anticipation for the 73rd Annual Academy Awards© (March 23rd - be there!), the "official" web site is a great place to do your homework before plopping down some cash into the office Oscar© pool (assisted by the "print-friendly" lists on the site. All the nominees are there with brief bios and film synopses. The "Style" section is a bit odd with lots of fluff about gowns and tuxedos, but be sure to visit the "Fun & Games" section with a "Predict the Winner" game as well as a previous Oscar© trivia game. Oh yes, the Gallery's quite nice too - enough Bob Mackie to last a lifetime.......(Did we say that...?). |
| for the weeks of January 29 - February 19, 2001 | BBC
| The Beeb's Web site is a massive treasure chest of resources - from the expected details about its TV and radio programs to up-to-the-minute news, sports and weather. Listen to BBC radio stations (6 of them - our fav is the famous World Service) via RealMedia. The "So..." section has loads of things for teens while the "Gardening" section contains everything for your green thumb. Plenty here for all of you Anglophiles - and enough info to keep you busy for hours. Another great example of transferring an established tradition of excellence on to the Web! |
| for the weeks of January 1 - 15, 2001 | Wim Wenders
| Devoted to the German director of "Wings of Desire" and "Buena Vista Social Club, " this "official" site highlights the achievements of an on-going cinematic career. The site is divided into Bio, Art, Books, Music, and Movies sections - as well as a Forum to exchange views with other Wenders connoisseurs. Follow the timeline of Wenders' filmmaking - humorously designed as an homage to his earlier road movies or read about Wim's close connection to music ("My life was saved by Rock'n Roll"). A great site for a great director. |
| Read Previous Sites of the Week From 2000! |
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