With all the stresses each of us has in our lives, the activities we choose for stress relief become that much more enjoyed and appreciated. Few activities are so deeply rooted in our society as going to the movies. The great thing about movies is that no matter who you are or where your tastes lie, there is a movie or movie genre that is sure to please: blockbuster action, spaghetti western, laugh-out-loud comedy, edge-of-your seat-horror, or some combination of these. Aside from the show itself is the experience: the hot buttered popcorn at reasonable prices, packs of teenagers, or courteous and quiet folks sitting right behind you. It's all part of what makes the movie a group experience even though each individual comes away with something different. So the next time you step up to the ticket window and ask, "Two for 'Fireworm Creatures From Planet Applecore Alpha'", maybe you'll appreciate being more aware of the cast, making, and gossip behind the movie. Here are a few sites to help answer your all important movie-goer questions. Don't forget to turn off those pagers and cell phones while you read through them.

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb):
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Roger Ebert calls the IMDb the "Best Movie Site on the Web," and anyone who has spent any time using it knows he is right. This huge site has it all -- feature articles, a huge and super-searchable database, statistics, trivia, trailers, reviews (by critics and moviegoers alike), soundtrack information, complete cast and crew lists, and so much more -- pretty much anything movie-related a person could want. The amount of information it provides may be intimidating at first, but it is actually very well-laid-out and user-friendly; if needed, however, a user can complete IMDb University and learn how to navigate the site. A truly wonderful reference tool -- its searchability makes it even handier than any equivalent ready-reference print source.

Moviefone Online:
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An online version of the phone service of the same name, this site seeks to provide moviegoers with "a complete, free directory of movies, showtimes, theater locations, the ability to purchase tickets in advance, as well as original content" such as movie reviews. A user can plug in his city or ZIP code to find out what nearby theater is showing which movies, or he can search by showing time, star name, or other criteria. Site would be especially helpful to newcomers to an area, as it also links to maps from Mapquest.com. Though the site says it enables users in many cities to purchase tickets online, in a search of New Orleans-area theaters, none of the listed theaters offered that service online.

Critics.com:
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Great resource for at-a-glance film reviews, the site uses a "star rating" to indicate which films critics are recommending. The reviews of major and minor reviewers alike are compiled by site editors and assigned a star rating, then the median rating for the movie is determined; this star rating is listed along with the film's synopsis and other information. The editors also assign the movie a "thumbs-up" or "thumbs-down" rating based on the star rating they compiled. Movie reviews are available all over the Web, but this site is unique because it considers the opinions of many critics but is still very easy to interpret at a glance. Maneuverability could be improved; the only way to return to the home page is by clicking the browser's "back" button.

ACNielson EDI Box Office News:
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This informative and easy-to-read site focuses on Box Office returns in the U.S. and Canadian domestic market. The charts and graphics are colorful and easy-to-read, and they cover such statistics as the box office results for the top 10 weekend movies, the "box-office barometer," and regional increases and decreases in box office returns. A great source for getting the broad picture of the movie market in North America. Very easy to read and navigate.

ForeignFilms.com - The Foreign Film Database:
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More of an "online community of foreign film buffs" than an authoritative database on foreign film, this website gives fan reviews of foreign films, as well as biographical information on directors, stars, and other film personalities. While most of the information contained in this database can also be found in the IMDb, this site does sometimes have longer reviews, and since it focuses on foreign films, there are fewer false returns than one would encounter with IMDb (which covers so many more titles).

Upcomingmovies.com:
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This site's best feature is its searchability: one can search for a not-yet-released film by date, title, director, writer, actor, studio, or genre. The site editor gives a large amount of information about each movie (especially considering that the movies involved are sometimes only in conceptual stages!) gleaned from reading industry and popular movie magazines or by following leads submitted to him by visitors to his site. Rumored information is sometimes given as well, but is marked as such.

-- David Wolff
dwolff@lsuhsc.edu link removed