This glossary explains major terms, key theorists, critical movements, and genres in the field, including cross-references to related terms and a large bibliography.

Critical Dictionary of Film and Television Theory . Ed. by Roberta E. Pearson and Philip Simpson. London: Routledge, 2001. (791.4301 C869 / English Library Reference)

An A-Z encyclopedic reference tool encompasing both general cultural categories (i.e. "children and the media") and more complex explanations of critical media theory and production. Most entries come with a bibliography for further reading.

A Dictionary of Cinema Quotations . By Stephen M. Ringler. Jefferson: McFarland, 2000. (791.43D561 / English Library Reference) A collection of quotes (mostly from American and European sources) covering 31 subject categories, with a source and keyword index. This is best for quotes on the topic of cinema, rather than for quotes actually from movies.

The Film Encyclopedia . By Ephraim Katz. New York: HarperCollins, 1994 [2001 ed. forthcoming]. (791.4304K15f / English Library Reference; Main UIUC Reference; Communications Reference; Undergraduate Reference) First begun in 1979, this monumental encyclopedia is still a great quick reference to everything from editing terminology to major directors, actors, and film movements. Also typically includes major awards information on the Oscars from the beginning to present.

Filmmaker's Dictionary . By Ralph S. Singleton. Los Angeles: Lone Eagle, c1986. (791.4303Si64f / English Library Reference, 2nd Ed. in Undergraduate Library Stacks) Contains over 1500 entries for technical and slang words used in film and television production. The Film Studies Dictionary . By Steve Blandford, Barry Keith Grant, and Jim Hillier. London: Oxford UP, 2001. (791.4303 B61f / English Library Reference) This dictionary is a good source of short explanations of genre and film-specific lingo, especially basic stylistic information (i.e. types of shots).

International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers . 4th Ed. 4-volume+ set. Ed. by Tom and Sara Pendergast. Detroit: St. James, 2000. (Q.791.4309In82000 / English Library Reference) This set contains hundreds of entries and bibliographies for major figures in four volumes: Films, Directors, Actors and Actresses, and Writers and Production Artists. Also from the same press and related to the series is the 1998 volume Women Filmmakers & Their Films (Q.791.43082W8422 / English Reference), with more detailed information about international women filmmakers and a chronological history.

International Motion Picture Almanac . New York: Covers 1956-present. (792.5In81 / Main UIUC Reference [latest year]; Main UIUC Stacks [previous years]) Provides directory information for the film industry in yearly volumes, along with some historical information and financial statistics for top grossing films. However, the level of detail is rarely as comprehensive as one might want.

Internet Movie Database : One of the quickest sources of basic movie information online. Search by Title, Director, Actor and more for credits. Full production information, plot summaries and review sources vary in length and quality, depending on the date and relative obscurity of the film.

The Oxford Companion to Film . Ed. by Liz-Anne Bawden. New York: Oxford, 1976. (791.4304B329o / English Library Reference, Main Reference) Definitions followed by brief critical discussions of selected films, actors, directors, and production companies. Also covers film terms, theory, and criticism. An older source, but still authoritative and informative.

VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever . Detroit: Visible Ink, 1998. (791.4375V6684 1998 / Main UIUC Reference)

One of the better sources of short summaries and review captions because of its extensive cross-indexing and categorization of films by genre. Includes brief information on awards received, release year, and a general rating from the editorial staff. Also check out VideoHound Multimedia (CDROM 011.37 V6685 / English Library, behind circulation desk), a CD-ROM containing reviews on 60,000 videos, with biographical details and scene photos (films before 1995).

World Film Directors . 2 volume set. Ed. by John Wakeman. New York: H.W. Wilson, 1987. (791.430922W893 / English Library Reference, Main Reference, Undergraduate Library Reference)

Short critical essays and bibliographies on world film directors from 1845 to 1985.

Yahoo! Film Awards Site :

A list of sites with information on nominees and winners for 25+ film and media awards, including the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and the notorious Golden Raspberries.

Academic Info: Film Studies Gateway :

A frequently updated film metasite designed with academic study in mind, this directory (part of a larger humanities study site) partly includes links to reference materials, archives, film history and genre, and information on international film. Though the pages now include some advertising, the actual content has been more carefully reviewed and compiled.

CineMedia :

Claiming to be the "Internet's largest film and media directory," this site has links to specialized film and media archives, organizations, fan sites, festivals, studios and online magazines, among others. A good place to start research on production or fan culture for a particular film, television show, or director.

Film Resources on the Web :

This site contains a mix of links to information on film organizations and research centers, critical theory, general sites, industry information, and free online databases. It also has a large list of fan-centered sites and more scholarly bibliographies dedicated to individual actors and directors.

Internet Resources for Film Studies :

A large set of links specifically for academic film studies compiled at Concordia University. It lists online dictionaries, guides, and information on copyright and archive holdings. It also has contact information for listservs and newsgroups concerned with different aspects of cinema.

On the Screen: A Film, Television, and Video Research Guide . By Kim Fisher. Reference Sources in the Humanities Series. Littleton: Libraries Unlimited, 1986. (016.7914F5340 / Main UIUC Reference; Communications Reference; Main UIUC Stacks)

Though now somewhat out of date, particularly in regard to electronic resources, this guide still contains a wealth of information on how to conduct film and television research, including many specialized indexes and foundational materials in the field.

"The Performing Arts--Film." A Reference Guide for English Studies. By Michael J. Marcuse. Berkeley: U of California Press, 1990: p.438-446. (Q.016.8209M334r / English Library Reference)

Marcuse's section on film covers bibliographies, handbooks, indexes, and recommended foundational works on Cinema Studies. Because of the source's age, this is not the place to go for information about recent films. However, its extensive annotations and historical coverage are helpful for those doing in-depth research on film history, older films, or difficult topics.

ScreenSite :

Developed by the University of Alabama for educators and students of film and television research, ScreenSite offers links to film courses and schools, research guides, bibliographies, conferences, online journals, and cinema listservs. Easy to browse and search.

UCLA Arts Library Selected Internet Sources in Film :

A list of links to internet sites containing film databases, popular reviews, major archives, production and festival links, and electronic journals. Most sites are free or accessible to UIUC users, but note that some links require UCLA affiliation.

The American Film Institute Catalog . (791.43AM3A / English Library Reference)

Provides credits and plot summaries of films from 1911-1950 and 1961-1970, with a separate index volume for each range of years. With extensive subject indices and comprehensive information on an enormous range of films, this is a valuable source for obscure production details and plotlines of hard to find films. Also connected to the catalog series is AFI's Within Our Gates: Ethnicity in American Feature Films, 1911-1960 (Q.791.4365204 / English Reference), a more in-depth survey of films indexed specifically according to ethnicity.

Magill's Survey of Cinema and Magill's Cinema Annual. (791.4375M272 / English Library Reference)

These interlocking sets provide lengthy plot summaries, along with brief critical commentary, for selected films. Survey of Cinema coverage includes English Language Films (Series I, 4 vols., and Series II, 6 vols.), Silent Films (3 vols.), and Foreign Language Films (8 vols.), but only for titles before 1983. Cinema Annual, however, has continuous coverage of films from 1982 to present and a more opinionated summary.

The Motion Picture Guide . Ed. by Jay Robert Nash and Stanley Ralph Ross. New York: Cinebooks, 1984-. (Q.791.4303N174M / English Library Reference [on table])

A listing of English language films from 1907 to the present, with entries providing a brief plot summary and critical evaluation of each movie.

Art Full Text :

Indexes key international arts publications, including periodicals, yearbooks, museum bulletins, interviews, exhibitions, and some reviews. Covering 1984 to the present, this source is more specialized than others listed here and tends to stress production elements like cinematography and art direction, or special exhibitions and festivals.

The Critical Index: A Bibliography of Articles on Film in English, 1946-1973, Arranged by Names and Topics . By John C. Gerlach. New York: Teacher's College Press, 1974. (016.79143 G316C / Main UIUC Reference; Main UIUC Stacks)

An older bibliography without much detail or annotation, this index does contain references to articles not yet available in most online sources. Best for major figures and general topics, or for those interested in contemporary materials from the years covered by the index.

Film Literature Index . Albany: Filmdex. Covers 1973 to date. (016.79143 F55 / English Library Reference)

Annual volumes provide citations for criticism and reviews in over 300 scholarly journals and magazines. Citations are often found not just in the year the movie was released, but for several years after. The Index also covers foreign language reviews and remains one of the most comprehensive resources for finding scholarly criticism.

Film Study . by Frank Manchel. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1990. (016.79143M312F / English Library Reference)

This is a four volume set organized around finding books on different broad subjects and types of film (by genre, director, critical school of thought, etc.). Though somewhat dated, it contains access to many older materials not found easily in online databases, along with extensive annotations.

Humanities Abstracts :

Humanities Abstracts provides citations to general scholarly and popular criticism from 1984 to the present. Contains some reviews, and is best for research on major figures or general subjects. Access restricted to University of Illinois users. For tips on how to search effectively, please look at our Humanities Abstracts Brief Search Guide. To interpret your results use our Humanities Abstracts Citation Guide.

International Index to Film Periodicals . London: International Federation of Film Archives; New York: R. R. Bowker.

(1972 to date). (016.79143 IN82 / English Library Reference)

Prepared by the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF), this source provides annotated listings of articles in 80 international journals. It contains General Subject, Individual Film, and Biographical search capabilities. This Index is a good source for articles on foreign film in particular.

International Index to the Performing Arts (IIPA) :

Full-text citation index for cinema journals, as well as other performing arts periodicals. Includes both English and foreign language materials. For best results, search for a movie title in the Keywords field. Some of the journals indexed include: Cineaction, Cineaste, Cinema Journal, Film & History, Film Criticism, Film Quarterly, Film Review, Films In Review, Journal Of Popular Film & Television

[UIUC users only]

The MacMillan Film Bibliography: A Critical Guide to the Literature of the Motion Picture . 2 volume set. By George Rehrauer, 1982. (Q.016.7914309R269m / English Library Reference, Communications Reference)

Similar to Film Study (above), but not as comprehensive and limited to materials published before 1982. Comes with Subject, Author, and Script index, but works best for finding books and book chapters on particular films and filmmakers.

MLA Bibliography, 1963-Present :

Collects citations to studies of film in scholarly journals, particularly as they relate to literature. For tips on how to obtain the best results, please look at our MLA Brief Search Guide . To interpret your results use our MLA Citation Guide. Also check MLA's online thesaurus for related terms. It can be accessed after clicking on the "Tools" icon. For "popular press" reviews, try the Internet Movie Database, the New York Times Film Reviews, or Variety Film Reviews (below).

[UIUC users only]

Retrospective Index to Film Periodicals, 1930-1971 . New York : R. R. Bowker Co., 1975. (016.79143 B32R / English Library Reference)

Index for cinema journals, including sections for "Individual Films" and "Film Subjects." Compliments the International Index to Film Periodicals (above).

Film Review Annual . Englewood, NJ: J.S. Ozer, 1981-. (791.437 F4873 / English Library Reference)

Annually reprints reviews from journals and newspapers from 1981 to present. Also provides citations for additional reviews that can be located through the online catalog. Note: individual volumes hold reviews of films from the previous year only.

Film Review Digest . 2 volume set. Ed. by David M. Brownstone and Irene M. Frank. (791.4305FILR / Main UIUC Stacks)

Reprints excerpts from important film reviews for two years not covered by Film Review Annual: 1976 and 1977.

Infotrac -- Expanded Academic ASAP :

FULL TEXT database of popular journals. Great for retrieving reviews of recent narrative films (1980-present).

[UIUC users only]

Internet Movie Database :

Search by Title, Director, Actor and more. Offers "External Reviews" option which provides links to online reviews (mixed quality and length), if available.

Media Review Digest . Ann Arbor: Pierian Press, covers 1970-present. (016.79143M91 / Undergraduate Library Reference)

A selection of thousands of reviews from various non-print media, including both educational and feature films, as well as video and DVD.

Movie Review Query Engine :

Makes available in full text over 130,000 reviews and descriptions of diverse films from print press and the internet. Also includes information on the Oscars, top AFI picks, and recent releases. Older films are covered, though only by recent reviewers. Some sources are more authoritative than others, while others (i.e. New York Times) require registration by individual users.

Movie Reviews UK :

Includes reviews by United Kingdom critics for films both past and present, including many non-British films.

New York Times Encyclopedia of Film . Covers 1896-1979. (Q.791.4303N42 / English Library Reference--on table)

Designed to supplement New York Times Film Reviews, this source reproduces articles on film and film-related topics published in the Times between 1896 and 1979. See the last index volume for access to the full contents of the set.

New York Times Film Reviews . Covers 1913 to date. (Q. 791.43 N48 / Main UIUC Reference [1913-1996 only]; Undergrad Library Reference [1913-present])

This multiple volume set provides FULL TEXT reprints of Times film reviews in chronological order of publishing.

Selected Film Criticism . 7 vols. Ed. by Anthony Slide. Scarecrow Press, 1982-1985. (791.4375Se48 / English Library Reference)

Covers contemporary film reviews and critiques for years 1896-1960. This source provides valuable reprints of hard to find articles originally published in industry-specific titles (i.e. Moving Picture World and Cue).

Sight and Sound Film Review . London: BFI Publishing, 1991-. (Q.791.4375 S126 / English Library Reference)

Reprints reviews and production information from Sight and Sound for years covering 1991-1994.

Variety Film Reviews . Covers 1907-1996. With annual updates. (Q. 791.4375 V427 / English Library Reference)

Reprints reviews from the pages of Variety Magazine.

Film Literature Index . Albany: Filmdex. Covers 1973 to date. (016.79143 F55 / English Library Reference)

Annual volumes provide citations for criticism and reviews in over 300 scholarly journals and magazines. Citations are often found not just in the year the movie was released, but for several years after. The Index also covers foreign language reviews.

Film Review Index . Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1986. (Q. 016.7914375 F487 / English Library Reference)

Provides an extensive listing of films and their reviews from 1882-1985.

Guide to Critical Reviews . Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1984. (016.8092 Sa3g / English Library Reference; Main UIUC Reference)

Number 4 of the series, "The Screenplay," contains a bibliography of reviews for feature-length films from 1927-1980 (entries are arranged by title only).

Index to Critical Film Reviews . 2 vol. Ed. by Stephen E. Bowles. New York: Burt Franklin, 1974-5. (016.79143B68i / English Library Reference)

Provides list of film reviews printed in English language film journals from beginnings to 1972. Supplements Film Review Index and more general sources.

International Index to Film Periodicals . London: International Federation of Film Archives; New York: R. R. Bowker.

(1972 to date). (016.79143 IN82 / English Library Reference)

Provides annotated listings of reviews and articles in 80 international journals. It contains General Subject, Individual Film, and Biographical search capabilities.

The New Film Index: A Bibliography of Magazine Articles in English, 1930-1970 . By Richard Dyer MacCann. New York: Dutton, 1975. (016.79143M12N / Main UIUC Reference)

This is an older source of popular articles and reviews in magazines and industry-related publications. Not typically the best first place to look, but good if you are having trouble finding early or more obscure articles from 1930-1970.

Reader's Guide Abstracts :

Offers abstracts to popular press articles and general reviews covering 1983-present.

Retrospective Index to Film Periodicals, 1930-1971 . New York : R. R. Bowker Co., 1975. (016.79143 B32R / English Library Reference)

Index for cinema journals, including sections for "Individual Films" and "Film Subjects." Compliments the International Index to Film Periodicals (above).

Books and Plays in Films, 1896-1915: Literary, Theatrical and Artistic Sources of the First Twenty Years of Motion Pictures . By Denis Gifford. New York: McFarland, 1991. (016.7914375G366b / English Library Reference)

A catalogue of early films adapted from diverse literary sources (including comic strips and songs), arranged by author/creator alphabetically. Includes cross-references, running time, and information on production companies.

The Encyclopedia of Novels into Film . By John C. Tibbetts and James M. Welsh. New York: Facts on File, 1998. (Q.791.436T43e / English Library Reference)

Provides basic information about major novels adapted to the screen, arranged according to the titles under which the novels were published. Though not always as comprehensive as it could be, this source has good-sized descriptions of the differences between the films and novels, as well as references for further reading.

Enser's Filmed Books and Plays . Ed. by Ellen Baskin and Mandy Hicken. Ashgate, 1993. (016.7914375En98f1993 / English Library Reference)

This is a simple list of books and plays from which films have been made from 1928-1991. It contains no annotations or extensive details, but does have several useful indices (title, title change, author, musicals, made-for-TV, animation, and production studio).

Film as Literature, Literature as Film: An Introduction to and Bibliography of Film's Relationship to Literature . By Harris Ross. Westport: Greenwood, 1987. (016.79143R733f / English Library Reference)

This volume still has one of the most concentrated bibliographies of books and articles on the cross-section of literature and film, including information on international authors, poetry, and foundational work in the field. Comes with subject index.

Literature and Film: An Annotated Bibliography (1909-1977 and 1978-1988) . 2 vol. set. By Jeffrey Egan Welch. New York: Garland, 1981 & 1993. (016.79143W444l / English Library Reference)

A 2-volume bibliography set incorporating the years 1909-1977 and 1978-1988 on topics dealing with the relationship between film and literature published in North America and Great Britain. The author does not include reviews and lists criticism chronologically by year (subject and author index included).

Short Stories on Film and Video . By Carol A. Emmens. 2nd Ed. Littleton: Libraries Unlimited, 1985. (016.791437Em61s1985 / English Library Reference)

Though hampered because of its publication date, this source contains information on some of the more obscure short story adaptations (including some from magazines) that have been made into films. Includes film and short story title indices, along with author access.

Video Versions: Film Adaptations of Plays on Video . Ed. by Thomas L. Erskine and James M. Welsh. Westport: Greenwood, 2000.

A specific and fairly unique source concerned with filmed versions of plays (though not including most taped versions of stage performances) currently in print. Includes basic production information, a long summary of the different versions, and distributor information.

Writers on the American Screen: A Guide to Film Adaptations of American and Foreign Literary Works . By Larry Langman. New York: Garland, 1986. (016.809L266w / English Library Reference)

A very simple list of original sources and authors for film adaptations of poems, short stories, plays, and novels.

General Guides and Gateways to Research

Plot Summaries

Scholarly Criticism

Film Reviews and Popular Press Articles

Full-text Reprints of Reviews:

Indexes to Review Citations:

Film and Literature

Last Updated 18 November 2002 klh

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