Tuesday, February 06, 2007

which film site is best?

One of the (many) things I really don't like about online film sites, especially the medium sized ones like Film Ick, are that they sometimes report things prematurely. Or their sources aren't always accurate. Granted when you get too big like AICN you have to deal with no end of jackasses on the forums. In most cases, I really just want to basic news, I want to be told if it's a rumor or unconfirmed, and I want that to be that. I like reading film news websites, it's practically my hobby, and definitely the most searched for theme on my computers. That said, as a public service here are a few of my personal opinions on some of the film sites I surf:

AICN (Ain't it Cool News) - good reliable news, high quality reviews, they tell it like it is, and let you know if something is a rumor or not. They also have more resources than anyone in terms of spys within the industry. On the downside, stories can be incredibly biased, and while surfing the forums is necessary sometimes to find that picture that the studio has just ordered be officially taken down, they are full of the worst kind of movie bitches and assholes online. That said, everyone and their mother read this site.

C.H.U.D. (Cinematic Happenings Under Development) - solid reporting, good reviews, excellent interviews, little to no bullshit. Unfortunately bad site design makes me not enjoy reading it.

Dark Horizons - good Australian (i think) based site. Solid news, fun atmosphere. Their RSS feed is broken though and that makes me crazy. The don't get the news scoop very often either, but they always have the posters, one sheets, and trailers I'm looking for.

Latino Review - very solid site, with a good design and flow, When they're on, they're on, and they've gotten the scoop on AICN more than once. They are very good about having solid early script reviews and analysis too. Worth checking out.

Film Ick and Movie Poop Shoot - both kinda crap. Film Ick is new and bothers me. I've only ever really gone there for super spoilery stuff too. And I feel guilty about reading that level of spoilers in the first place. MPS is the Kevin Smith inspired creation that has the Jay and Silent Bob trash talking bitchy feel to it. Both these sites have a bloggy atmosphere with what seems to me little remorse for crossing the lines. These sites have their place, but I always feel a bit dirty surfing here.

Variety and The Hollywood Reporter - the source. These guys are profesional and don't get things wrong. They're also stiff, boring, and full of analytics that I don't care about. Wading through these sites can be slow going.

ComingSoon.net - maybe my current favorite news site. They aren't interested in unfounded rumors, and they never cross the spoiler line. They have solid, fast, and current news. You know what you're getting when you go there. High quality reporting and a nice site. Also, partnered with Superhero Hype!, and Crave online.

All of these sites have their own feel to them, and some might resonate with you more than others, or just be more appealing to your sensibilities than mine. Others likes IMDB, and my favorite blog, USA Today's Pop Candy have some film resources and definitely in PCs case link to the varied and scattered film stories of the web. This is handy as news really does come in from all over. The collection of it and then presentation is key. I want my site here, just to be a blog, regardless of if I've sometimes put something up that's mostly just news or not. I am always going to put my opinion on the subject in there too. So if you like me and want to get a few newsy tidbits, along with my thoughts please stick around. And if you're looking for one or two real film news focused sites to maybe add to your RSS reader, I would have to recommend Coming Soon, and AICN over the others. Hopefully that helps you manage you're way around this crazy world wide web of ours a little bit more. And that brings me to the end of my PSA. Back later with more. Until then. peace.

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