The best of the best – these are the resources that every film fanatic should definitely know about.
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IMDb – The Internet Movie Database
Emerged out of a Usenet project listing film credits, this enormous database is now owned by Amazon. It is the most complete resource on films and TV shows imaginable, with more than 1.4 million titles currently in the database, from the earliest experiments in 1888 to the latest in-production pictures. Among the information provided are complete cast, crew and company credits, titles and release dates, reviews, plot information, quotes, trivia, technical details, filming locations, soundtrack listings, posters, links, and more. Additionally, its search features are unsurpassed. Looking for a 1970s US thriller taking place in a desert and featuring a convertible? No problem.
Filmsite by Tim Dirks
If IMDb is king for cold hard facts on films, Tim Dirks’ Filmsite is the place to go if you want to actually read about motion pictures. Not only are there numerous articles on the best films ever made, but you will also find interesting lists such as where to find the scariest moments on film, the best death scenes, the best quotes, or the most sensual film kisses. Read in-depth histories on the most important film genres or popular themes, and find chronological lists of all the important milestones. Dirks’ site is huge, his lists and articles are illustrated and often many pages long. They are so well written that you could spend days there. Dirks is not only an experienced cinema expert, his Filmsite is clearly a labour of much love and dedication. It is one of the most valuable resources on motion pictures ever created.
Films on VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray
Switzerland
- DVD-Shop has a very extensive selection of DVDs and Blu-Rays, offers a large range of U.S. imports and also buys and sells second-hand discs. Prices are mostly very reasonable, there are always many discounts, and shipping is free. The site is completely film-centered and offers a lot of competent information on each release, which is definitely a big plus. It is often my first stop when I’m looking for a title.
- CeDe.ch is Switzerland’s biggest and most well-known online shop for films, music, and games. Their catalogue rivals that of DVD-Shop including German, French, Italian, English (including U.S. import) and even some Japanese releases. Their prices are mostly very good and shipping is free as well. They offer a little less information on the releases though.
- 1ADVD is another film-centered site, although their catalogue is a tad smaller. With detailed technical information and often even snapshots from the actual discs, you know exactly what you’re buying. You can feel that there are people with a passion for cinema behind this.
- ex libris by the omnipresent MIGROS is a very popular store as well. Their back catalogue is a lot less extensive than those of DVD-Shop or CeDe.ch, but if you find what you’re looking for you can often get a very good deal, and shipping is free. Do you have a Cumulus Card?
- Wisler’s DVD Land is a small and rather unknown store with a limited catalogue. Keep their name in mind though, and you can sometimes get a good bargain, or even something that none of the other stores offer.
- Orange’s CityDisc is always worth a look as well. Although I found their prices to be rather high on average, they also have some good offers in between, and they do not charge you for shipping.
International
- Nothing beats Amazon when it comes to selection, prices, and free shipping, especially if you include Amazon Marketplace with its offers from trusted partners. Quite often, importing something from an Amazon store abroad is cheaper than buying nationally. See the store of your choice, but don’t forget to check the others whether you can get a better offer there:
Rarities
- For those hard-to-find and classic films, see one of these specialised stores that are full of discs you can simply not find anywhere else. They both ship internationally.
Free downloads of Public Domain films
Internet Archive: Moving Image (Miscellaneous)
Public Domain Torrents (Cinema and television)
Library of Congress: Motion Picture Collections
Open Video Project (Historical footage)
Public Service Announcement
Like a good film, what is life without a soundtrack? To read my obsessive ramblings about some pieces of music that I’d like to recommend to you, get Lounging.
The great underappreciated art form: interactive entertainment, colloquially dubbed “videogames”, reinforcing the public impression that nothing of cultural value could ever come out of it. But digital games have their own rich history, their visionaries, and, as is my conviction, a bright future of emotionally touching, socially relevant, and culturally valuable works. Similar to the approach taken on at the Arcane Megaplex, my other site Playback tries to summarise the history and highlights of the videogame world chronologically.
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