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Cinema

This selective guide to the literature of cinema is designed for use by undergraduate and beginning graduate students. All of the items listed are available in the Humanities and Social Sciences Reference Center (Ref1) on the main floor of Bobst Library. See also Communications & Media Studies and Theater & Performing Arts pages.

To locate dissertations, refer to Doctoral Dissertations page. Resources below listed as having Electronic Access can be accessed by way of the alphabetical list of databases at http://library.nyu.edu/collections/databases.html.

Librarian for Cinema

Pamela Bloom
Librarian for the Cinema Studies
New York University
Bobst Library, Mezzanine
70 Washington Square So.
New York, NY 10012
Phone: (212) 998-2618
E-mail: pamela.bloom@nyu.edu

NYU Links

Related Subject Guides

Research Assistance

Internet Links

Information Servers and Discussion Groups

Film Archive Holdings

These sites will provide you with information related to film archives, or connect you with those major Unites States film archives that have created Internet sites.

  • America at Work
    From the Library of Congress Project, American Memory, this presentation of 150 motion pictures chronicles work, school, and leisure activities in the United States from 1894 to 1915.

  • AFI Preservation Site
    Links to information about the American Film Institute and their film preservation initiatives, as well as other sites dedicated to film preservation.

  • Links to Major United States Film Archives via FOOTAGE.net
    Rick Prelinger, editor of Footage, has created this web page which provides access to those United States film archives that have created web sites.

  • Motion Picture Division, Library of Congress
    The Library of Congress has one of the largest film archives in the United States. This site gives some history behind the collection, provides information about services and viewing guidelines, and includes finding aids to some of their collections.

  • National Film Registry and Preservation Board
    A list of the motion pictures selected as part of the National Film Registry, as well as the process by which films are selected and a list of board members.

  • The Indiana University Black Film Center
    A repository for films and related materials by and about African-Americans.

  • Movietone News Archive
    Clips from Movietone Newsreels illustrate events from specific dates in history.

Film Credits, Annotations, and Reviews

  • Internet Movie Database
    This is the largest international movie database on the Internet, containing over 52,000 film credits and 720,000 filmographies--and still growing.

  • Asian American Video Database
    Maintained by the University of California, Berkeley Media Resource Center this database lists videos in the Berkeley Media Collection focusing on the Asian American experience. Many of these titles are also available in the Avery Fisher Center in Bobst.

  • Bright Lights: Gay and Lesbian Cinema
    A list of film and video titles that focus on Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual themes.

  • Women's Studies Film Reviews (University of Maryland)
    Thoughtful reviews of films from a feminist perspective.

  • Entertainment Weekly Online
    Breezy yet intelligent reviews of recent films.

  • New York Times Home Page
    This link will take you to the New York Times Home Page where, after you subscribe, you have access to recent reviews published in the New York Times. This is currently a free service.

Cinema Production and Screenwriting

  • Producer's Masterguide
    The table of contents for the production manual for the motion picture, broadcast- television, commercial, cable, and video industries. Bobst subscribes to the paper edition of this title which is available at the Ref1 desk.

  • FOOTAGE.net
    As well as providing connections to film archives, FOOTAGE.net provides information about and access to film stock footage libraries in the United States.

  • Resources for Screenwriters
    Information for the screenwriter, including formatting and marketing advice, screenplays on the 'net, and advice from experts.

  • Grants, Funding, Fellowships, and Internships
    This excellent site from Tom McNulty, art librarian for NYU, contains funding information as well as helpful hints for grant writing.

  • ArtsLynx: The Business of Film

Popular Film and Video Sites

New York City Film Sites

Other News

Film Grosses

  • Entertainment Weekly
    Current, weekly grosses.
  • Box Office Guru
    Tracks film grosses back to 1989. Lists films alphabetically. Provides dates of theatrical run, total and per/screen earnings.
  • World Wide Box Office
    Tracks all box-office film grosses from 1899 to present. Includes chronological and earnings listings.
  • Box Office Mojo
    Online movie publication and box office reporting service. Includes International box office statistics.

Bibliographies

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

    • Beaver, Frank Eugene. Dictionary of Film Terms: the Aesthetic Companion to Film Analysis . New York: Twayne Publishers, 1994.
      Bobst Ref1 TR847 .B43 1994
      Film terms in this source relate to cinematic expression including: editing, cinematography, composition, and lighting.
    • Browne, Steven E. Film-Video Terms and Concepts. Boston, MA: Focal Press, 1992.
      Bobst Ref1 TR847 .B76 1992
      Dictionary of technical terms concerning both video and film production. This source is particularly useful, as it differentiates between terms used when working with one or the other format.
    • International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers. 4 vols. Detroit: St. James Press, 2000.
      Bobst Ref1 PN1997.8 .I58 2000 [1984, 1990, and 1997 editions available in stacks]
      Electronic Access available via Gale's Virtual Reference Library
      Volumes 1-4 in this series each deal with a separate subject: Films, Directors/ Filmmakers, Actors & Actresses, Writers & Production Artists; volume 5 is the title index to the set. Entries include biographical or production data, complete filmographies (for individuals), signed critical articles and, most importantly, exhaustive bibliographies for further research.
    • Katz, Ephraim. The Film Encyclopedia. New York: HarperPerennial, 1998.
      Bobst Ref1 PN1993.45 .K34 1998 [1979 & 1994 editions available in stacks]
      Best one-volume encyclopedia on cinema. Scope is international, with an emphasis on North American and European filmmakers. Provides mainly biographical information on directors, actors, composers, cinematographers, designers, etc., with some entries for technical terms, production companies, and national film histories.
    • Motion Picture Guide. Chicago: Cinebooks, 1985-1999.
      Bobst Ref1 PN1993 .M4334
      This encyclopedia is organized by film title. Each citation gives complete production credits, release dates, and synopsis of U.S. films and select foreign titles.
    • New York Times Encyclopedia of Film. 13 vols. New York: Times Books, 1984.
      Bobst Ref1 PN1993.45 .N4 1984
      Consisting of chronologically organized articles concerning film from the New York Times, this source covers the years 1896-1979. Contains a cumulative index.
    • Rajadhyaksha, Ashish and Paul Willemen. Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema . London: British Film Institute, 1999.
      Bobst Ref1 PN1993.5 .I8R277 1999
      The only encyclopedia that focuses on the vast Indian film industry. Contains a bibliography and index.
    • Slide, Anthony. The International Film Industry: An Historical Dictionary . New York: Greenwood Press, 1989.
      Bobst Ref1 PN1993.45 .S57 1989
      This dictionary includes brief historical essays on the cinema in almost every country in the world, focusing on the production companies, studios, and distributors within each film industry.
    • Wakeman, John, ed. World Film Directors. 2 vols. New York: H.W. Wilson Co., 1987-88.
      Bobst Ref1 PN1998.2 .W67 1987
      Contains useful biographical/critical articles on approx. 400 directors, with brief filmographies and bibliographies appended to each. Volume 1 treats filmmakers born before 1920, and volume 2 covers more recent figures.

Filmographies and Film Catalogs

  • The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures. New York: Bowker, 1971- .
    Bobst Ref1 PN1998 .A57
    Electronic Access
    In progress. Volumes published so far cover feature films produced in the United States between the years 1911-20, 1921-30, 1931-1940 (3 vols.,) and 1961-70. Entries arranged alphabetically by title, with cast, credits, and plot summaries for each. Subject and name access in separate volume.
  • Buehrer, Beverley Bare. Japanese Films: A Filmography and Commentary, 1921-1989 . Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 1990.
    Bobst Ref1 PN1993.5 .J3B78 1990
    This selective filmography is a useful introduction to Japanese cinema and its major filmmakers. Contains a bibliography, film and video resource directory, and a chronology of Japanese historic periods.
  • Helt, Richard C. and Marie E. Helt. West German Cinema Since 1945: A Reference Handbook and West German Cinema, 1985-1990: A Reference Handbook. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1987 & 1992.
    Bobst Ref1 PN1993.5 .G3H435 1987 and Bobst Ref1 PN1993.5 .G3H426 1992
    These two volumes provide a complete German filmography from 1945-1990. Contains a selective bibliography.
  • Maurice, Bessy. Histoire du Cinéma Français. Paris: Pygmalion, 1986- .
    Bobst Ref1 PN1993.5 .F7B44 1986
    In progress. A complete filmography of French cinema, in French. An invaluable resource.
  • Slater, Thomas J., ed. Handbook of Soviet and East European Films and Filmmakers . New York: Greenwood Press, 1992.
    Bobst Ref1 PN1993.5 .R9H28 1992
    Organized by country, this source provides a history of each country's film industry, biographical sketches of important people, and a chronologically-arranged filmography.

Indexes

  • Section 1. Online Databases

    • Film Index International. Cambridge, UK: Chadwyck-Healey.
      Electronic Access
      Consisting of two linked databases, one organized around film titles, the other around film personalities, this index covers films produced from the silent era through the present. Each index provides credit information, as well as biographical and bibliographic information.
    • Film Literature Index. Albany, NY: Filmdex, Inc.
      Bobst Ref1 Z5784 .M9F45, 1973 to date
      Electronic Access , 1976-2001
      Indexes approx. 300 film, television, and general interest periodicals. Scope is international, though North America and Europe are emphasized. Move toward online access for the full run of the index is still in progress.
    • International Index to Film Periodicals. New York: R.R. Bowker Co.
      Electronic Access , 1972 to date
      A project of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF). Indexes approx. 90 specialized film journals, many of them foreign-language. Arranged by broad subjects: director, general subject, individual films, biography. Includes selective annotations.

    Section 2. Periodical Indices in Print

    • Review of the Arts: Film & Television. New Canaan, CT: NewsBank, 1975 to 1997.
      Bobst Ref1 Z5784 .M9R4
      Provides indexing to the NewsBank microfiche set located at MF 399 in the Microform Center on Lower Level 2. Covers over 400 U.S. newspapers, and so is valuable for its regional emphasis.
    • Batty, Linda. Retrospective Index to Film Periodicals, 1930-1971. New York: Bowker, 1975.
      Bobst Ref1 Z5784 .M9B39
      Indexes fourteen film journals and the Village Voice by general subjects, book reviews, and film reviews.
    • MacCann, Richard Dyer and Edward S. Perry. The New Film Index: A Bibliography of Magazine Articles in English, 1930-1970 . New York: E.P. Dutton, 1975.
      Bobst Ref1 Z5784 .M9M29 1975
      Indexes over 30 film journals, as well as a number of more general periodicals. Access is gained by a detailed table of contents and an author index.
    • Writers' Program. New York. The Film Index. 3 vols. New York: Museum of Modern Art and H.W. Wilson, 1941 (vol. 1); White Plains, NY: Kraus International Publications, 1985 (vols. 2 and 3).
      Bobst Ref1 Z5784 .M9W75
      Volume 1 (Film as Art) is the classic text; volumes 2 and 3 (Film as Industry & Film in Society) complete the original WPA project. Combined, these volumes contain over 20,000 entries from English-language books and periodicals relating to the cinema's first forty years of development.

Almanacs, Handbooks & Directories

    • Armour, Robert A. Film: A Reference Guide. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1980.
      Bobst Ref1 PN1993.45 .A75
      Offers bibliographic essays arranged under 11 broad topics (eg., History of Film, Film Criticism by Genre, Film and Society, etc.); an appendix provides information on North American research collections. Extensively indexed.
    • Film Writers. Hollywood, CA: Lone Eagle.
      Bobst Ref1 PN1993 .F58 Current Issue Only
      This directory contains filmographies and contact information for currently-active screenwriters.
    • International Motion Picture Almanac. New York: Quigley.
      Bobst Ref1 PN1993.3 .I5 [Latest edition only; some earlier eds. in stacks]
      Valuable ready-reference guide with wide range of information, including production and advertising, societies, festivals, trade publications, statistics, and much more. Note the table of contents and alphabetical subject index.
    • Film Directors. Hollywood, CA: Lone Eagle.
      Bobst Ref1 PN1998 .A2D568 Current Issue Only
      This source contains filmographies and contact information for currently-active film directors.

Film Reviews

    • New York Times Film Reviews, 1913-1968. 6 vols. New York: Times Books & Arno Press, 1970.
      Bobst Ref1 PN1995 .N47
      Electronic Access available via Historical New York Times
      Reprints reviews chronologically, as they appeared in the New York Times. Volume 6 contains film title, person, and corporate indexes. Continued by biennial supplements (1969-70 to 1995-96, with the exception of 1993-94).
    • Ozer, Jerome. Film Review Annual. Englewood, NJ: Jerome Ozer, 1981 to 1-2 years previous.
      Bobst Ref1 PN1995 .F4593
      Reprints selected reviews of feature films released in the U.S. during year stated.
    • Alvarez, Max. Index to Motion Pictures Reviewed by Variety, 1907-1980 . Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1982.
      Bobst Ref1 PN1995 .A39 1982
      Provides easy access to the over forty thousand films reviewed by Variety during the years indicated. This resource is especially useful because, unlike the New York Times, Variety reviews films as they appear world-wide.
    • Hanson, Patricia King and Stephen L. Hanson. Film Review Index. 2 vols. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1986.
      Bobst Ref1 Z5784 .M9F513 1986
      This is an invaluable resource, listing citations to reviews and essays in books, newspapers, scholarly journals and popular periodicals. Volume 1 covers the years 1882-1949, volume 2 the years 1950-1985. Arrangement is alphabetical by film title.
    • Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature. New York: H.W. Wilson.
      Electronic Access available via Wilson's OmniFile Full Text Mega, 1982 to date
      Electronic Access available via Readers' Guide Retrospective, 1890-1982
      Often forgotten, the Readers' Guide provides a valuable review indexing resource. Enter "Motion Picture Reviews/Single works" as your "Subject(s)" in order to limit your search to film reviews.

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