Like Movies? Here are the 5 Best Film Sites Currently Online

1. They Shoot Pictures, Don’t They? (www.theyshootpictures.com)

This website is the perfect place to start for any aspiring cinephiles.  In addition to having an extremely accessible layout in which they group films by the director (something almost all critics and students of film do), this website also has the distinction of being THE best film aggregate (if not the only one) on the entire internet.  They Shoot Pictures, Don’t They? not only has a “Top 1,000 Films” and “Top 250 Directors of All Time” list, but also has a “Top 50 Directors” and “Top 250 Films of the 21st Century” list (for those who are more interested in recent films). These lists are created from taking the average of thousands of critic, fan, and website lists and reviews.  Can’t think of any good movies to watch? They Shoot Pictures can you give you over 1,000 options.  To top it off this website only becomes more and more useful as it discovers and learns what directors and styles of film-making you prefer.

2. Rotten Tomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com)

Sure it doesn’t really have any opinions of its own, but it does give you access to hundreds of different reviews written by a myriad of different critics all over the world, and in a very convenient manner. Great for the average movie viewers who haven’t figured out who their favorite film critics are, or those who are simply content to basing decisions on the average consensus of a bunch of people, whether it be formal critics or non-critics.

3. The Criterion Collection (www.criterion.com)

Known for putting out better DVD/blu-ray releases than essentially anyone else in the business, their actual website is filled with all sorts of interesting lists ranging from “13 of the Most Villainous Villains on Film” to “Guillermo Del Toro’s Top Ten Criterion Films.” Not to mention, every film released by the company is almost guaranteed to at least be okay, and all of these films have insightful and entertaining essays written by professional scholars, all of which are available for reading on the website.

4. Static Mass Emporium (www.staticmass.net)

Static Mass is filled with all sorts of interesting features ranging from interviews to reviews of film’s soundtracks, but what sets it apart from the pack is the unique style the writers on the website practice.  The personal and informal style of writing practiced by the staff makes for some of the most compelling and interesting reads you’ll find anywhere on the internet.

5. The A.V. Club (www.avclub.com)

Sure the web design and layout of the site are pretty terrible, and the reviews are not that comprehensive or interesting, but no other film website has more interesting and unique features (e.g. “14 TV Series that Usurped their Original Film Versions”) or a more consistently entertaining and humorous online community.