The document provides guidance for librarians on providing viewers' advisories in the digital age. It discusses conducting a viewer's advisory interview to understand a patron's tastes and preferences. It outlines various appeal factors to consider like genre, characters, director, plot, and appropriateness. It then recommends several print and online resources for finding recommended movie lists and reviews to help patrons find movies that interest them. These resources include books, magazines, and websites like Jinni, VideoHound, IMDb, and Kids-in-Mind.

1. Viewers’ Advisory
in the Digital Age
October 2012
1

2. presented by
Tom Warner
Librarian
Sights & Sounds Department
Enoch Pratt Free Library/Central Library
Baltimore, Maryland
2

3. The hardest question you can ask a
librarian is very often:
Oh
no!
“What’s good?”
3

4. …which is a query that puzzled
even Aristotle…
What is
the
nature of
“goodness
” ???
4

5. …or better yet:
“What do YOU recommend?”
5

6. Patron Profiling
General questions like this can be difficult because, unlike
a specific request (e,g., “Do you have Twilight? Do you
have any vampire movies?”), they require that you
determine each individual’s tastes and viewing habits.
6

7. And as we all know, when it comes to taste,
one person’s prime rib is another’s
Hamburger Helper…
vs.
7

8. Defining what is “good” for individual patrons requires you to
ask questions about their viewing habits and likes/dislikes,
which leads us to…
The Viewer’s Advisory Interview
• What kind of movies do you like?
(Classics, Horror, British, Costume
Dramas, Blockbusters, Action, etc.)
• What was the last good movie you
saw?
• Do you have a favorite actor or
director?
• What kind of movie are you in the
mood for today (Chick flick? Date
movie? Action movie?)
8

9. Viewer’s Advisory Interview (cont.)
• What movies have you seen
recently that you did not enjoy?
• Why do you dislike that movie?
• Are violence or sexuality an
issue?
• Are ratings or age level
important?
9

10. Make sure you’re speaking the same
language as the patron.
• To avoid wasting time, throw the question
back at the patron to determine, what’s “good,”
“old,” or a “movie” mean to you?
• “It’s an old movie.” The classic! To some
people, old is something made before 2000.
• Movie vs. documentary. Educational vs.
entertainment.
• Actors vs. Real people. (The real Moses or
Charlton Heston playing Moses?)
Tower of Babel • Titles vs. concepts
10

11. Appeal Factors
In other words…what factors make a movie or TV show appealing (or
unappealing) to a patron? Many Readers’ Advisory appeal factors
also apply to Viewer’s Advisory:
• Genre • Mood
• Characters (actors) • Relationships
• Author (director) • Ideas/themes
• Plot • Authenticity
• Setting/place • Sexuality/Violence
• • Audience/age
Language (English or
foreign/subtitled?) appropriateness
• Time period (adult, young adult,
children)
• Pacing
• Series, remakes
11

12. Readers’ vs. Viewers’
Appeal Factors
• Patrons’ appeal factors can apply to both books
and films
• A discussion of book interests can help
determine movies of interest (especially if the
book spawned a movie: Stephen King, Alan
Moore, Ludlum, Grisham, Dan Brown, etc.)
• Movie interests can also affect what books a
patron may enjoy (i.e., you saw the movie, now
read the book)
12

13. Appeal Factors in Detail
Genre: Like books, films and TV shows are classified into genres.
There is no definitive list, but generally they reflect those of a “video
rental store” – a term destined to become archaic in the digital age.
• Action/War/Adventure
• Martial Arts
• Westerns
• Drama
• Comedy Sci-Fi
• Horror
• Crime/Gangsters
• Epics/Historical Films
• Musicals
• Children’s
• Documentary feature films
• Instructional (“How To”) videos/DVDs
13

14. Appeal Factors: Ratings
Ohmigod!
Showgirls has
bare-breasted
women gyrating
in G-strings?
14

15. If ratings are important:
The industry standard is FILMRATINGS.COM:
• http://www.filmratings.com/filmR
)
This MPAA*-approved site
enables you to search by title for
the official rating of any film
released since 1968. It is part of
the Classification & Rating
Administration (CARA) website.
* Motion Picture Association of America
15

16. Film Ratings.com
Enter title
here
MPAA
rating
displays here
16

17. If age appropriateness is important:
Parental Advisory Sources
• Kids-in-Mind (www.kids-in-mind.com)
Provides parents and other adults with objective and complete information about a
film's content so that they can decide, based on their own value system, whether
they should watch a movie with or without their kids.” Incredibly detailed breakdowns
in 3 categories: SEX/NUDITY, VIOLENCE /GORE, PROFANITY. See sample:
The Aristocrats.
• Movie Mom (www.moviemom.com)
In this easy to use web site, you can search by genre and age group as well as by
movie title.
• Parent Previews (http://movies.go.com/parentpreviews/)
• Parents Television Council (parentstv.org)
The PTC's states that its mission is “to promote and restore responsibility and
decency to the entertainment industry in answer to America's demand for positive,
family-oriented television programming.” Mainly of interest to those parents that want
to control their children’s viewing habits by referring to the PTC’s
Family Guide To Prime Time Television, which enables you to look up TV shows and
movies and determine their appropriateness according to a traffic-light rating system
of red (unsuitable for children: contains gratuitous sex, explicit language, or
violence), yellow (may be inappropriate for children: contains adult-oriented themes
and dialogue) and green (family-friendly show “promoting responsible themes and
traditional values”).
17

18. Kids-in-Mind’s mission statement:
• Kids-in-Mind enables adults to determine
whether a movie is appropriate for them or their
children, according to their own criteria.
• Unlike the MPAA, they do not assign an inscrutable
rating based on age but on 3 objective ratings for
SEX/NUDITY, VIOLENCE/GORE & PROFANITY, on
a scale of 0 to 10, and explain in detail why a film
rates high or low in a specific category
• They also include instances of SUBSTANCE USE, a
thorough list of DISCUSSION TOPICS that may elicit
questions from children, and the MESSAGE the film
conveys.
18

19. Kids-in-Mind rates “The Aristocrats”
SEX=10
VIOLENCE=6
PROFANITY=10
Detailed
description
of each
category
19

20. Also, IMDB has added a user-generated “Parents Guide” link for
film titles, where applicable, in addition to MPAA rating.
MPAA rating &
Parent’s Guide
Parent’s Guide
20

21. Movie Lists
The “What do you recommend?”
query can be answered either by
your personal experience or by
referring to the opinions of leading
film critics and their essentials or
genre lists – of which there is no
shortage of print and online
resources – as well as award-
winners lists!
21

22. The critics
Movie Lists - Online say…
A sampling of the innumerable lists…
• Academy Award Winners (www.oscars.org)
• AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Movies (
http://connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/movies100.pdf?docID=264
)
• New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made (
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/1000best.html)
• Tim Dirks’ 100 Greatest Films (
http://www.filmsite.org/momentsindx.html)
• National Film Registry (http://www.loc.gov/film/filmnfr.html)
1989-2008, searchable by year or title
22

23. Movie Lists - Books
Innumerable movie list books have been written – probably too many
(see bibliography handouts)…
• 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
Stephen Jay Schneider, editor. Barron’s, 5th
edition, 2008.
• 501 Movie Directors. Stephen Jay Schneider,
editor. Barron’s, 2007.
• The Great Movies. Roger Ebert, 2002.
• The Great Movies II. Roger Ebert, 2005.
• Have You Seen…?: A Personal Introduction
“How utterly fascinating!”
to 1,000 Films. David Thomson, 2008.
• Rough Guide to Anime, Gangster,
Independent, Kids, Noir, Sci-Fi Movies, etc.
23

24. Following are some of the best print and online resources
you can use to keep pace with the never-ending onslaught
of information, blogs, tweets, databases, web sites, and
epinions about films and television shows in the Digital
Age.
Use them to help a patron find what they want - or what
leading critics think they should see.
24

25. Film Resources - Books
1001 Movies You Must See Before Y
Steven Jay Schneider, editor
(Barron’s Educational Series, 5th edition, 2008)
Where other anthology-type books simply summarize
the plot details and list the actors, 1001 Movies tells
you specifically why each film belongs in your must-
see list. Good general guide for patrons who want to
see what the experts think are the film essentials.
• Films are listed chronologically by year of release, from 1902’s A Trip To
the Moon to 2007’s Atonement.
• Includes indices for Genre, Title and Director.
• Lists country of origin, language & major creative contributors (director,
producer, screenplay, director of photography, etc.)
• Lists all Hollywood and film festival nominations/awards.
25

26. Film Resources - Books
VideoHound’s Golden Movie Retriever
Jim Craddock, editor
online @ Movieretreiver.com
An A/V Librarian’s best friend, the Hound is bred to
answer the question, “What should I watch next?”
• Hound is renowned for its comprehensive Movie Lists and Category Indices, from
Abortion to Zombies, with cleverly snarky subcategories like Eat Me (characters
who end up as food) or Renegade Body Parts (see also Killer Brains).
• Includes indices for Cast, Composers, Cinematographers, Writers, Directors,
Video Sources, Awards (Academy, British, Golden Globe, Independent Spirit,
Raspberries).
• Includes “Kibbles and Series” index listing movie adaptation sources (literary,
theatrical, cartoon, TV), as well as Recurring Characters (James Bond, Indiana
Jones), notable Screen Partnerships (Abbott & Costello, Martin & Lewis) and
behind-the-scenes people.
26

27. The VideoHound’s Litter
• VideoHound’s Cult Flicks & Trash Pics
• VideoHound’s Dragon: Asian Action & Cult Flicks
• VideoHound’s Family Video Guide
• VideoHound’s Groovy Movies
• VideoHound’s Horror Show
• VideoHound’s Independent Film Guide
• VideoHound’s Sci-Fi Experience
• VideoHound’s Vampires on Video
27

28. Magazine Resources
• Sight & Sound ( http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/ )
This is the British Film Institute’s monthly magazine, which is
international in scope and is also available online. Besides featuring
topical and retrospective articles, coverage of all major festivals and
film events, and interviews with leading directors, it provides
extrensive reviews of all new theatrical and DVD releases, as well as
book reviews, arranged in easy to read alphabetical order. More so
than other magazines, SaS includes detailed credits in its film
reviews. Sets the standard for film reviews.
• Variety ( http://www.variety.com/ )
Recognized and respected through out the world of show business,
Variety is the premier source of entertainment news. Since 1905, the
most influential leaders in the industry have turned to Variety for
timely, credible and straight forward news and analysis - information
vital to their professions. Also available online. Renowned for its
timely reviews of all new film, TV, and music releases, as well as
“legit” (legitimate) theatrical productions on and off Broadway.
• Video Librarian ( http://www.videolibrarian.com )
Video Librarian is a video review magazine for public, school,
academic, and special libraries, as well as video fans who are
interested in a wider variety of titles than what's found in the average
video store. Written by staff, librarians, teachers, and film critics,
Video Librarian offers over 225 critical reviews per issue, alerting
readers to upcoming new releases of special-interest, documentary,
and video movie titles. In addition, they inform their subscribers of
video bargains (and free videos) and track technological trends.
28

29. Video Librarian has helpful columns &
categories
• New videos and newsbriefs
• Books into movies
• Mixed media (video games/TV series on DVD)
• Video movies
• Classic films/TV…plus reviews by genre
Video Reviews by Genre:
• Children’s • Health & Fitness
• Psych/Self-Help • Food & Spirits
• Teen Issues • Sports, Games & Recreation
• Religion/Philosophy • Travel & Geography
• Education • Seasonal
• Language Arts • Music/Dance
• Nature, Math & Science • Social & Political Issues
29

30. Web Resources
Jinni.com - “watch what you wish for”
http://www.jinni.com/
A viewer's advisory resource for movies and TV based on title, genre,
plot, mood, structure and other factors.
• Search in your own words
• Enter plots, moods, title,
people
• Get recommendations
from the Movie Genome
30

31. Make sure you type jinni.com - not jenni.com!
Jenni.com
also provides
“Viewers
Advisory” – but
of a much
more graphic
nature!
(Yes, I have
made this
mistake. Oh,
the horror!)
31

32. A sample Jinni search:
For example, let’s say a patron liked the Stephenie Meyer
Twilight series books or movies. Using Jinni.com:
1. In the Find field, type “Twilight”.
32

33. Sample Jinni search:
2. Select Twilight (2007) from the search results.
3. Then select the More Like It tab.
33

34. Sample Jinni search:
4. Jenni’s Movie Genome suggests 22 vampire movies matching Twilight.
34

35. 1. Position the mouse over a film (e.g., Blood and Chocolate).
2. Click “Why is it like Twilight”? To see its relevancy.
35

36. A pop-up window for the film lists the attributes
that make it relevant to Twilight.
36

37. Web Resources
VideoHound’s Golden Movie Retriever
is also online @ Movieretriever.com
A search there for “Twilight” lets users vote on the film
(love it or hate it) so there is viewer feedback. In
addition, the Hound lists:
• Its VideoHound bone rating (0-4)
• A listing of more movies by director
Catherine Hardwicke
• A listing of more movies starring Kristen
Stewart
• Member reviews
• Related movie news about Twilight
37

38. Internet Movie Database
(www.imdb.com)
The most extensive film database on the Internet covers over
150,000 movies with over 2,425,000 filmography entries. The IMDb
provides links to reviews by leading critics (Roger Ebert is usually
first), images, credits, and other pertinent information, as well as to
Amazon.com for purchase information. (IMDB was bought by
A personal fave! Amazon in 1998.) Allows title, name, keyword, and advanced
searching.
Though not infallible, IMDb is my first choice for:
• Accurate filmographies (director, year of release, country of origin,
language, running time, studio)
• External reviews by leading critics
• Finding out if a movie is still “in print” – because IMDB is a subsidiary of
Amazon, if the Amazon link isn’t highlighted, you can bet it’s unavailable.
• Linking to IMDb Pro (if you subscribe) for distributor, agent, industry info
(also useful for finding determining film clearances for
programming/screenings)
38

39. IMDB – TV tab
IMDb’s TV tab provides access to its new TV Blog, TV program listings,
TV episodes & clips, and Fall TV Preview.
New!
40

40. IMDb’s TV Listings Grid
A good resource if Comcast’s cable schedule drives you crazy!
41

41. Web Resources - Reviews
• Metacritic Film & Music Reviews (www.metacritic.com)
Metacritic.com provides a cross-section of reviews by
respected critics and assigns a “metascore” (a weighted
average of all reviews, from 0 to 100) to show a critical
consensus (e.g., Twilight Saga: New Moon received a 45
score, reflecting mixed or average reviews from 31 national
critics.) There is also a user’s score reflecting online reader’s
comments.
• Green scores are generally favorable, yellow are mixed, red
are unfavorable.
• Metacritic.com also provides a cross-section of reviews by
respected critics of popular television series from 2005 to the
present.
42

42. IMDB now links to metacritic.com.
43

43. Metacritic.com – Sample “Metascore”
44

44. Metacritic.com
Sample reviews (top down, highest to lowest) of The Road.
45

45. More Web Resources - Reviews
• DVD Verdict (http://www.dvdverdict.com)
Very detailed reviews by a panel of film “judges” who give a thumbs
up (innocent) or thumbs down (guilty!) review of over 18,000 titles
available on DVD, HD DVD, and Blu-Ray. The review archives
include lists for “Top 100 Rated Films,” “Top 100 rated Discs,”
“Bottom 100 Worst Rated Discs,” and “HD DVD and Blu-Ray
Reviews.” The site also features Cinema Verdict (for movies playing
in theaters), TV Verdict, and Pixel Verdict (for games), as well as an
extensive list of Upcoming DVD Releases.
• Midnight Eye (http://www.midnighteye.com/)
The best English-language resource for reviews of contemporary
Japanese cinema. The site also features interviews, feature articles,
book reviews, a calendar of events, and DVD release information.
Founder Tom Mes also co-wrote (with Jasper Sharp) the
comprehensive guide
The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Cinema (2004).
46

46. DVD Verdict assesses: Showgirls.
47

47. Best sites for Plot Synopses
Warnin
g:
Spoiler
s!
Besides IMDB (www.imdb.com), try these sites for detailed plots.
• AFI Catalog of Feature Films (www.afi.com)
The most authoritative filmographic database on the web, the American Film
Institute’s site includes entries on nearly 60,000 American feature-length and
17,000 short films produced from 1893-2011.
• TCM Movie Database (www.tcm.com)
Detailed summaries and other exclusive material from the vaults of Turner Classic
Movies. After entering a title in the Search field, select Full Synopsis from the
Main Links menu in the far-left column.
48

48. Best sites for Spoilers:
•Movie Spoilers (http://moviespoilers.info)
Search by Title or Genre (from Action to Western) for full synopsis and spoilers of any movie. See
sample synopsis for: Aliens (1986).
•The Movie Spoiler (www.themoviespoiler.com)
“Because it ain’t always the damn Butler who did it!” This site features viewer-generated
detailed plot synopses and spoilers for over 1,000 titles. Users can enter a title or select from an
alphabetical list.
• Ruined Endings (www.ruinedendings.com)
Choose titles from an A-Z browser, with options to see “just endings” or a
full plot summary. Also features The Movie Timeline, a work-in-progress
devoted to steadily mapping out the entirety of history according to movies.
• Amuse Yourself – Movie Spoilers (www.amuseyourself.com)
Choose titles A-Z and get snarky fortune cookie-brief descriptions like “The
Usual Suspects: Kevin Spacey is Keyser Soze” or “The Empire Strikes
Back: Darth Vader is Luke's father. Like you haven't heard this one a
thousand times already.”
49

49. Best TV Resources
• Epguides.com (http://epguides.com/)
This site contains a vast, searchable archive of episode guides for over
4,800 television series past and present. You can search by show title,
episode title, main characters, and main actor names. You can also search
by categories like US Dramas, UK Comedies, Canadian shows, and
Australian shows. The link for TVRage.com additionally lets you search by
plot summaries, guest stars, writers, and directors. For best results, put
multiple words or people’s names in quotes, as well as any hypehnated
words like “x-files.”
• Locate TV ( www.locatetv.com)
This site lets you find TV shows, movies, people on TV, on DVD, and online.
A valuable resource for movies and TV shows that are not available on
video/DVD or online because it will tell you the next time your title will
screen on TV and what channel it is on, if available. However, it will only
look for titles airing in the next two weeks. By registering online, users can
set up a “personalized TV schedule” of their favorite movies and TV shows
and be notified when they air.
50

50. Locate TV can be used to:
• To see find out when movies are on TV or available on DVD
• Check a network/cable /satellite TV channel’s schedule by date
(for 2 weeks)
• Check for new TV shows starting this week
• Check for new episodes of your favorite series airing the next 2
weeks
• Check current/upcoming sports broadcasts; you can also
bookmark your favorite team so that you will get reminders when
they play next over the next 2 weeks
• Follow your favorite TV/movie stars and see which of their
series/movies are airing the next 2 weeks
• Sign up for weekly reminders of when your series, movie, or sport
is airing on TV.
51

51. Locate TV lists all Bored to Death episodes airing over a 2-week span
– in all delivery formats (on TV, on DVD, online).
52

52. Locate TV lists all Champions League soccer broadcasts for the next 2 weeks.
53

53. Best TV Resources (cont.)
• Parents Television Council (parentstv.org
)
The PTC's states that its mission is “to promote
and restore responsibility and decency to the
entertainment industry in answer to America's
demand for positive, family-oriented television
programming.” Mainly of interest to those parents
that want to control their children’s viewing habits
by referring to the PTC’s
Family Guide To Prime Time Television, which
enables you to look up TV shows and movies and
determine their appropriateness according to a
traffic-light rating system of red (unsuitable for
children: contains gratuitous sex, explicit
language, or violence), yellow (may be
inappropriate for children: contains adult-oriented
themes and dialogue) and green (family-friendly
show “promoting responsible themes and
traditional values”).
54

54. Best DVD Release Date Resources
• VideoETA (
http://videoeta.com)
This is a handy source
for finding the release
dates of upcoming
theatrical films, games
and DVDs.
55

55. Video Release Format Chain of Command
56

56. The “Judging a Movie by Its Cover” approach to Viewer’s Advisory.
As a last resort, you can always use the
“Judging a Movie by Its Cover”
approach to Viewer’s Advisory. Though
we’re told that “You can’t judge a book
by its cover,” judging a DVD by its
cover art is often an fairly accurate
guide to what kind of movie is
contained within.
The folks at the web site “Oh No They Didn’t” (
http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/64047251.html#ixzz1d98GUgLG)
came up with a satirical guide to “13 movie poster trends and what they
say about their movies.” Their guide is an effective on-the-spot Viewer’s
Advisory when trying to find titles for patrons with general viewing interests
(Action, Romantic Comedies, Horror, etc.) – especially when you are
unfamiliar with a specific title or genre. After all, a picture is worth a
thousand words…
57

57. #1. Tiny People on the Beach. Giant heads in the Clouds.
Question:
•What sort of movie do
you think this is?
•To whom would you
recommend it?
58

58. These movies are always sappy dramas.
• Do not be mislead by the trailer
or calibre of the people involved
into thinking otherwise.
• The protagonist/his little
brother/father and/or love
interest is very likely to end up
dead. You probably should
keep your tissues handy
because you'll cry tears of
sorrow, tears of joy, tears
because you just wasted money
on this movie.
• This sort of cover is inevitably
used for anything that involves
Nicholas Sparks (The
Notebook, Message in a Bottle,
Dear John, A Walk in the
Clouds).
59

59. #2. Man and woman standing back-to-back.
Question:
•What sort of movie do you
think this is?
•To whom would you
recommend it?
60

60. These are rom-coms that lean more on the comedy side of things.
You shall not go into
these with high
expectations - especially
if you already spied Kate
Hudson or Reese
Witherspoon on the
cover!
61

61. #3. Sexy Back (Most Likely to Contain Weaponry).
Question:
•What sort of movie do
you think this is?
•To whom would you
recommend it?
62

62. These movies will feature a lot of action with a thin veneer of pretentious
intellectual posturing.
(Unless it’s a
biopic about
Johnny Cash.)
63

63. #4.The Bed
Question:
•What sort of movie do you
think this is?
•To whom would you
recommend it?
64

64. The ultimate in false advertising!
These movies will feature
very little sex and a lot of
talking. Also:
•Two men in bed usually =
gay bent.
•Two women in bed usually
= lesbian bent.
•Threesomes = Euro
arthouse (Jules and Jim).
•Foursomes = swinging
couples (Bob & Carol &
Ted & Alice)
•Man, woman & dog =
don’t go there!
65

65. #5. Got My Eye On You.
Question:
•What sort of movie do
you think this is?
•To whom would you
recommend it?
66

66. There is a 98% chance that these films will be
horror. One way or the other.
• Candyman
• The Eye
• Chucky
• Ju-on
• The Grudge.
• Grudge 2.
• Grudge 3.
• Etc.
• Etc.
• Etc.
• Etc.
• Etc.
• Etc.
• Etc.
• Etc.
67

67. #6. Nature is Blue.
68

68. Using blue or a picture of planet Earth for nature-themed movies is apparently
mandatory. They'll kick you out of the entertainment business if you use any
other color.
69

69. #7. Black/Orange.
Black/Orange usually
indicates action movies
because Black is cool and
Orange is the color of fires
and explosions. (Just in
case you forgot: there will be
explosions!)
The Girl
with the
Dragon
Tattoo used
black/orange
to emphasize
sex/violence
quotient.
70

70. #8. Run for Your Life!
Apparently all action
heroes run through the
same blue-lit, narrow
alleyway when trying to
escape/catch the bad
guys. It's also possible
that graphic designers
just re-use the same
stock image of the
running guy over and
over again. The movies
themselves are pretty
similar to the
Black/Orange ones
except that all the
explosions have been
replaced with angst.
71

71. #9. Legs Wide Spread.
Blatant Sex
Appeal.
Unlike the Bed
cover trend, not so
much false
advertising here.
However of the 42
movies on display
here, only one has
any sort of critical
acclaim. You do
the math.
72

72. #10. Is That Your Face or Are the Drugs Kicking In?
This cover trend is
a mixed bag, so
you’ll have to tread
carefully. But it
usually indicates
that the filmmakers
think they’re
brilliant and
original, regardless
of reality.
73

73. #11. The Sexy Red Dress Never Goes Out of Fashion.
An easy one.
Women in red dresses
are sexy and are going
to sell tickets. It's an
enduring trend.
These movies will
feature women in
prominent roles.
(Guys: deal with it.)
74

74. #12. The Rip-Off.
These are supposed
to either remind you
of another (and
much better) movie
or outright trick you
into believing you're
actually getting this
other movie at the
videostore.
75

75. Where do we go from here?
76

76. Where do we go from here?
“Goodbye, DVD. Hello, Future.”
by Dave Kehr (New York Times)
Great article predicting the cultural shift we can
expect thanks to ever-changing technology
77

77. Like stand-up comedy, watching movies
nowadays is all about the delivery.
Perhaps more than any other medium, movie watching is approaching a
cultural shift. The days of the digital disc as a factory-pressed & packaged
object of mass consumption may be coming to an end.
• Blu-Rays (pumped-up DVDs w/superior picture &
storage; introduced in 2006)
• Cable On Demand
• Internet Video Streaming and Digital Downloads
(Netflix “Watch Instantly,” Hulu, Amazon Instant Video,
Warner Archive)
• Netflix may eventually phase out DVD mailings
• Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, Roku as devices
• Manufactured On Demand/Made-to-Order DVD-Rs (
Warner Archive, Sony’s Screen Classics By Request,
MGM’s Limited Edition Collection)
• Harder to find VHS titles for video hold-outs
78

78. Video Streaming: The new kid in town
• Netflix – Watch Instantly (www.netflix.com)
• Hulu (hulu.com) – free; founded by NBC;
first website to legally offer a wide array of
free TV shows; videos can be purchased
and downloaded
• Warner Archive downloads (stream or
buy)
• Amazon Instant Video downloads
“Dude, DVDs are like so 5 (5,000+ titles)
minutes ago! I streamed
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The
• “Digital copy” DVDs
World through my PS3!”
79

79. Watch Movies, TV Shows and More Online for Free
The old ways of watching movies and television
(DVDs, movie theaters, network TV) are being
challenged by the Internet and video streaming
technology at the same time that long-form,
episodic television series (Downton Abbey,
Boardwalk Empire, etc.) are challenging the
Hollywood feature film in popularity and
critical esteem.
Following are some of the top resources for
viewing movies, TV shows and more for free -
anytime and anywhere. All you need is a
computer, TV or mobile device with an Internet
connection.
80

80. Check out Pratt’s guide to the top places to
watch popular movies, TV shows and more online for free
:
RESEARCH HELP / RESEARCH TOOLS / FILM, TV & THEATER/
81

81. Popular Movies and TV Shows
• Crackle
Crackle's partnership with Sony Pictures enables them to provide hundreds
of free, full-length streaming movies, TV shows and original programming,
uncut and unedited. You may have to sit through a few commercials, but
they are short and infrequent.
• Hulu
Hulu enables users to watch popular network and cable TV shows, popular
and classic movies (including many Criterion Collection arthouse films,
anime and foreign movies) and award-winning documentaries with limited
commercial interruptions. Some titles require Hulu Plus (a pay service), but
many are offered free and uncut.
• YouTube
YouTube is no longer just a place to watch cute cat videos and movie
trailers. There are a number of free movies, classic TV shows and
documentaries that you can watch in their entirety online. You can also
search YouTube Channels to find free and public domain movies; OpenFlix,
Mrfilmschatten (specializing in classic and cult movies) and
Video Cellar's Classic Movies are three of the best.
82

82. • Legal Movies Online
Watch virus-free legal movies and
popular television shows online with limited
commercial interruptions. R-rated films require a
birth date verification. They also provide links to
other recommended sites for viewing Legal Movies
and Legal TV Shows online.
• Indie Movies Online
Just because you haven't heard of these free
movies doesn't mean they're bad; they're just not
widely distributed. In addition to full-length movies
in all genres, you'll also find indie documentaries
and short films.
• Open Culture
This site offers over 500 free movies, including links
to free Oscar Winners, Hitchcock, and Chaplin
films; it also provides a useful list of other free
movie sites.
83

83. • Babelgum
Babelgum lets you watch free full-length
movies, documentaries and shorts
online; you can also download the
Babelgum Go app to view videos on your
mobile device.
• Retrovision
Visit Retrovision to watch classic
TV shows and movies, including rare
sci-fi and horror movies and vintage
cartoons.
• UbuWebUbuWeb's
film and video archive is the largest
collection of avant-garde and outsider art
works available to watch for free online.
84

84. Watch Free Public Domain Movies Online
A number of classic films have
entered the public domain,
meaning they are completely
legal to download or watch
online for free.
Following are some of the best
resources for accessing these
films…
85

85. Internet Archive – Moving Image Archive
(https://archive.org/details/movies)
• This is the best site for downloading or
watching free movies online that fall under
the public domain.
• It contains thousands of digital movies
uploaded by Archive users which range from
classic full-length films, to daily alternative
news broadcasts, to cartoons and concerts.
Many of these videos are available for free
download.
• You can search by title or browse genres
(e.g., Feature Films, Kino French Films,
Shorts, etc.).
86

86. More Internet Archive guides
• 10 Little Known Classics You Need To Watch
This list from the blog Whataculture.com links directly to films
available for viewing at Internet Archive.
• Top 40 Best Free Legal Movies You Can Download Right Now
This link provides a helpful guide to 40 of the best public
domain movies you can legally watch online or download
from the Internet Archive's "Community Video" section. The
list is divided into the following genres: Drama, Family,
Mystery/Thrillers and Sci-Fi/Horror.
• Top 40 Best Free Legal Comedies You Can Download Right Now
This link provides a helpful guide to 40 of the best public
domain comedies you can watch online or download from the
Internet Archive's "Community Video" section.
87

87. More Public Domain sites
• Uncle Earl's Classic Television Channel
All of these classic television shows and movies are in the public
domain. Over 4,200 titles are organized by categories such as
Kids Shows, Sci-Fi/Fantasty/Horror (where you can watch The
Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits and Alfred Hitchcock Presents),
TV Detectives and Crime Dramas, Feature Films, etc.
• Video Cellar Collection
Video Cellar is dedicated to preserving high-quality video masters of
many lost and forgotten films. Their eclectic collection of narrative,
documentary and educational videos are available for free viewing
through their web collections at the Internet Archive and YouTube's
"Video Cellar's Classic Movies" channel.
• FMO
Free Movies Online features a large selection of public domain films.
• PublicDomainFlicks.com
This site lets you watch or legally download hundreds of full-length
films that are in the public domain.
88

88. Watch Free Documentaries Online
Documentary DVDs can be expensive acquisitions for
some school departments and individuals. The following
links address this problem by enabling anyone (teachers,
students and other interested parties) to watch high quality
educational documentaries online for free. All you need is a
computer, television or mobile device with an Internet
connection.
•Documentary Heaven
This free site offers over 1,600 documents found across the
Internet in a variety of subject areas.
•Documentary Tube
This site doesn't host videos, but displays embedded full-
length documentaries that can by searched by subject and
playlists.
•Documentary Z
This site provides hundreds of documentaries organized
into two dozen categories (e.g., Environment, Health,
Science).
89

89. More Free Documentary Sites
• Explore.org
This site specializes in videos exploring the work of non-profit
organizations around the world and is organized by running time
(from 3 minutes to feature-length) and subject.
• PBS Video
PBS lets users view a number of high quality documentaries
online, including many American Experience, Nova, POV and
Nature programs.
• SnagFilms
SnagFilms.com offers over 2,5000 free independent movies and
documentaries (e.g., SuperSize Me) to watch online or share
with others. Besides the usual subject genres, Snagfilms offers
its Filmanthropy collection (films that specifically address social
issues) and Snag Learning, which offers access to hundreds of
educational documentaries searchable by grade level and
subject.
90

90. More Free Documentary Sites
• FolkStreams.net
Through online streaming, Folkstreams.net offers
viewers access to a national archive of hard-to-
find independent documentary films about
American folk culture and arts from different
regions and communities. Some films include
transcripts, teaching guides or additional
background information.
• YouTube Documentaries
This site is not affiliated with YouTube.com, but
provides links (updated almost daily and which
can be browsed by subject categories) to the best
free documentaries available online. You can also
sign up to receive email notifications of new
documentary releases and listings .
91

91. Where do we go from here?
“Still Loading. AV Spotlight on Streaming Video.”
By Ben Malczewski (Library Journal)
As the format wars progress, discs still dominate
while streaming searches for a delivery mode.
92

92. “Manufactured on Demand” (MOD) DVDs
“Made to order” DVDs pioneered by the Warner Archive Collection
(www.wbshop.com) and adapted by others like Sony’s Screen Classics by
Request and MGM’s Limited Edition Collection.
• Burned on computers.
• Produced in limited
quantities with generic
covers.
• Generally devoid of extras
like elaborate menus,
supplementary material, or
restoration work.
• Allow niche marketing of
movies that don’t have
wide commercial appeal of
recent theatrical releases.
93

93. Closing thoughts…
• Like Readers' Advisory, collection/resources knowledge is
the key in Viewers’ Advisory.
• If you have cable, watch TCM, Sundance Channel or IFC
for programming ideas
• Keep up to date by checking print and online reviews.
• If possible, augment your research and anticipate trends
by attending film festivals (like the local Maryland Film
Festival, AFI SilverDocs, Rehoboth Beach Film Fest, etc.)
• Keep watching!
94

94. View this slideshow online
This entire slide show presentation may be viewed at any time by accessing the
“Viewer’s Advisory Slideshow” link on the Viewers’ Advisory Resources page of the
SLRC/Sights & Sounds Department web page or by directly accessing the “Viewers’
Advisory slideshow (2012)” link on Slideshare.net:
www.slideshare.net/SAS2012/viewers-advisory-slideshow-2012
95

95. Viewer’s Advisory Bibliography
For your convenience, we have compiled a bibliography of helpful print and
online resources that can be viewed at any time by accessing the “Viewer’s
Advisory Bibliography” link on the Viewers’ Advisory Resources page of
the SLRC/Sights & Sounds Department web page or directly by clicking on
the link below:
http://www.prattlibrary.org/locations/sightsandsounds/index.aspx?id=44422
96

96. Questions???
97

97. Contact Information
Tom Warner
Sights & Sounds Department
Enoch Pratt Central Library
400 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
tswarner@prattlibrary.org
(410) 396-4616
“Keeping it reel!”
98