Film Reviews are generally short in length and intended for a general audience. The intent of a film review is to help determine whether or not a movie should be seen.

Film criticism gives a scholarly treatment of a film and may present discuss historical context, theory, or technical analysis. These often appear years after a film is released.

Check out our Research Guide on Newspapers

Use Nexis Uni for researching current reviews

When searching journal literature it is important to determine the release and production dates of the film.

 Why do I need to know the Film release and production dates?

Newspaper and journal review articles will discuss a film anytime after a film begins production. A flurry of activity often accompanies the initial release of a film. Additional reviews will appear after the release of a film to the home viewer - though these reviews may spend more time discussing the extra features. Likewise databases provide indexing for specific periods of time. You can save some steps by looking at the dates which accompany database entries on the Libraries' website.

SEE FIND ARTICLES AND CRITICISM FOR RECOMMENDED JOURNAL DATABASES

Have an old film - here is a strategy you can use!

Film title Chaplin's The Kid

• Check IMDB or reference encyclopedias for dates for the film (answer = January 21, 1921)
• Look at databases which might cover the time period for the film opening - in this case Reader's Guide Retrospective -  for potential articles
• For a New York Times review - Try New York Times Historical Edition or look in the New York Times Index  (REF AI 21 .N44) for the year of the film. Look under "moving picture" in older editions and "motion pictures" in more recent volumes.

• Identify date, page, and column of article. In this instance there are two articles - one from January 22, 1921 on page 9 and column 2 and one on February 7th on page 8 and column 2 .
• Ask the Help Desk for the New York Times microfilm (F 128.1 .N48) and view the film!

For The Times (London) - Look at the index to The Times (REF AI 21 .T46) for the year of the film. Look under "Cinematograph."  The Times on microfilm is available in the Periodicals Department at DA675 .T5