Websites offer the most efficient way to find movie information and reviews. The list below includes both general websites where you can find information on literally thousands of movies, as well as websites that offer reviews from a Christian perspective. Of those with a Christian orientation, some are mainly interested in offering warnings about aspects of a movie that viewers might find offensive, others seek to draw moralistic analogies between the Bible and movies, and still others focus on bringing theological insight to bear on the interpretation of movies. My hope is that these sites will contribute to serious reflection on the intersection of film and faith. Although you can find hundreds of websites on movies, this list of suggestions includes many of the sites that I have found most helpful. Your suggestions will be gratefully accepted.

Finding Movie Reviews

1. Internet Movie Database Search. An excerpt from this site: “The IMDb is the ultimate movie reference source and covers everything you could ever possibly want to know about movies. It’s fully hyperlinked both within the database and to thousands of external sites and is updated continuously ... It currently covers over 170,479 titles with over 2,462,516 filmography entries and is expanding continuously.”
2. Metacritic. “Metacritic compiles reviews from respected critics and publications for film, video/dvd, music and games.”
3. ROTTEN TOMATOES—Movie Reviews Archive
4. The All-Movie Guide
5. The Movie Review Query Engine at Telerama
6. Chicago Reader Movie Section—Reviews by Jonathan Rosenbaum
7. ReelViews: James Berardinelli’s Movie Reviews
8. Roger Ebert on Movies
9. Spirituality & Practice. See also DVD releases.
10. 

Movie Theology Blogs

1. Arts & Faith. Members’ Blogs.
2. Bible Films Blog by Matt Page
3. Brian Godawa. Author of Hollywood Worldviews: Watching Films with Wisdom & Discernment (InterVarsity, 2002). Note also his list of recommended movies.
4. Christianity Today Movies Blog with Peter Chattaway and others.
5. Film Journey by Doug Cummings (one of the creators of the Masters of Cinema site)
6. Film, Music, Philosophy, Moral Meaning and Storied Living. Greg Veltman’s Blog. “Looking for a particular film? Use the Index. I rank films from 1-7, looking for good and well told stories about what it means to be human.”
7. Framing Device by J. Robert Parks
8. Gladsome Morning by John Adair
9. god is not elsewhere, by Gareth Higgins, author of How Movies Helped Save My Soul: Finding Spiritual Fingerprints in Culturally Significant Films (Relevant Books, 2003).
10. Hollywood Jesus—See links to Blogs by 18 of the Site’s Reviewers on the right side of the main web page under the heading “Dialogue”
11. Looking Closer, by Jeffrey Overstreet. Jeffrey’s Film Forum is an excellent digest of “a wide range of reviews . . . that caught my attention with some arresting observations or opinions.”
12. Peter Chattaway’s Filmchat. Chattaway is a film reviewer for Christianity Today’s website and for ChristianWeek, and an occasional contributor to Books & Culture.
13. Rose Pacatte’s Movie Blog. Sister Rose is Director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies, Culver City, CA. She is coauthor, with Peter Malone, of Lights, Camera . . . Faith! A Movie Lover’s Guide to Scripture. Her archive of about 475 reviews and postings (since 2003) is at http://rosepacatte.blogspot.com/.
14. Soul Food Movies by Ron Reed (founding artistic director of Vancouver’s Pacific Theatre)
15. Through a Screen Darkly, by Jeffrey Overstreet.
16. 

Christian Resources

1. Australian Catholic Film Office. Reviews by Father Richard Leonard SJ, Father Peter Malone MSC, and Ms Jan Epstein.
2. Catholic News Service. Offers a list of the latest movie reviews as well as an alphabetical list of the latest 100 movies reviewed by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops Office of Film and Broadcasting.
3. Charles Henderson’s Reviews at Godweb. Reviews on this Web site spring from a “lively faith in which the passions of the heart are brought into harmony with the life of the mind. We prefer to praise films that speak to the point of intersection between the mind and the spirit.” Excellent reviews.
4. Christian Spotlight on the Movies. Offers movie reviews from a conservative evangelical perspective. Also, provides a “rating” for each film (e.g., a “1” is very offensive, while a “5” describes a movie containing nothing offensive). Contains interesting comments on its bulletin board.
5. Christianity Today’s Film Forum. Film Forum was a weekly roundup of what Christian critics are saying about new and noteworthy movies. The column was discontinued in March 2007. Check out Jeffrey Overstreet’s Looking Closer blog and his website Looking Closer.
6. Christianity Today’s Movies. Commentaries, reviews and articles on current movies.
7. Cinema in Focus. “It is our desire for the reader to explore with us each week the values portrayed in contemporary films, to be drawn into discussions about the deeper experiences of life.” Denny Wayman is pastor of the Free Methodist Church in Santa Barbara, CA (MDiv, Asbury; DMin, Fuller). Hal Conklin is the President of the California Center for Civic Renewal.
8. CrossWalk.com From the mission statement: “For many of us, faith is too often something we think or feel while life is something we do. Finding practical, everyday ways to integrate faith into life is the stuff of lessons and sermons for thousands of years past, and it seems to be an increasingly difficult mission in today’s fast-paced, chaotic world.”
9. CultureWatch. Created by radio show host Dick Staub, this site is dedicated to the interpretation of faith at the intersection of popular culture. Each review includes a statement of the central theme, plot summary, summary of “beliefs” reflected in the movie, discussion questions, and provocative quotes.
10. Damaris CultureWatch. “Exploring the Message Behind the Media.” A UK based organization dedicated to Christian reflection on film, television, music, books, and art. Go directly to the Film Page, with its excellent articles and discussion guides.
11. Decent Films. “A site of film appreciation, information and criticism informed by Christian faith.” Steven D. Greydanus, the creator of the site, is a publishing film critic with degrees in media arts and religious studies.
12. The Dove Foundation’s Home Page. The site includes brief reviews of current movies. Each review includes a paragraph on “Christian worldview,” along with evaluation and warnings regarding sexuality, language, violence, drugs, nudity and occultism. Identifies movies that have received the Dove seal of approval.
13. Faith & Film Critics Circle. “We acknowledge that what has in the last few decades become popularly known as ‘Christian criticism’ is generally an inadequate response to art that leads to narrow interpretations, moralizing, and didacticism. Thus we seek to examine and interpret film in all its aspects—from aesthetic qualities to social, political, and spiritual implications and beyond. We promise to avoid relying on a ‘ratings tyranny’—a ‘checklist’ of potentially offensive elements that distracts readers from a fuller examination of the work.”
14. Hollywood Jesus. Pop Culture from a Spiritual Point of View. Webmaster David Bruce is a pastor who says: “I love to go to church and film festivals. For me they are both spiritual experiences. I believe that our search for God and life’s meaning is reflected in Hollywood films and in our culture. Our reviews are visual and look beyond the surface to the deeper emotional, spiritual, and biblical connections.”
15. Imaginarium. Articles and Reviews from the Cornerstone Festival.
16. INTERFILM (Click on the UK flag for English) An international network that brings together interested individuals and institutions concerned with film and theology, and church and cinema. Interfilm participates, with SIGNIS (the World Catholic Association for Communication), in the Ecumenical Juries at about twenty-two international film festivals. The juries give awards to films for their artistic quality; for depicting human attitudes or expressions of the Gospel, and for sensitizing viewers to spiritual and social questions and values. Find listings of Ecumenical Prize winners by clicking on the Festivals link. The Links button takes you to an extensive list of international church-related film organziations.
17. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s 2100 Productions. Reviews of films worth talking about.
18. Joy of Movies. “Enriching our spiritual lives through film.”
19. Kaleo: Film and Theology.
20. Longpauses. A fine site with thoughtful, critical commentary, reviews and articles.
21. Looking Closer at the Movies. “Movies, like any art form, can reveal for us pieces of the truth, no matter who directed the film, who starred in it, or what it is about. The better the film, the truer the film. All aspects of a film can work towards this revelation.” Jeffrey Overstreet, editor of the site.
22. MEDIAFILM A service of the Catholic church in Quebec: MÉDIAFILM est une agence de presse qui regroupe tous les services d’information en cinéma de Communication et société, un organisme à but non lucratif créé en 1956 sous l’appellation Centre Catholique national du cinéma, de la radio et de la télévision, et connu par la suite sous le nom d’Office des communications sociales (OCS).
23. Metaphilm: “We Don’t Review Films; We Interpret Them.” This site is creative, thoughtful, and provocative.
24. Ministry and Media. From the creators of Group Magazine and Youthministry.com: “We’ve created this site to be a storehouse of pop culture information and programming ideas that will help youth workers use media to relate the gospel to teenagers. We hope to offer a range of options that allows everyone to find something that speaks to those whom God has placed in his or her ministry.”
25. Movie Bible Studies. Discussion guides from Christianity Today.
26. Movie Concordance. From The Text This Week site. “This project is a ’concordance’ of a kind—an attempt to gather together scenes in movies which serve as ’comparative texts’ in relationship to Biblical/spiritual themes and passages.” Linked to Scripture texts in the Common lectionary. Especially helpful is the Theme Index, which lists over 200 theological themes and biblical motifs.
27. Movie Glimpse. “Our desire at Movieglimpse is to help reconnect your heart to the greatest story ever told. How? By revealing it to you in the movies that you love.” A small selection of reviews by Leslie Hand.
28. MovieGuide. A sampling of current reviews, along with articles that offer critique of the media. More and fuller reviews are available to subscribers. The site is dedicated to “redeeming the values of the media according to biblical principles.” Reviews movies according to potentially offensive elements, and identifies the movie’s “worldview” as: Christian, environmentalist, humanist or socialist, homosexual, false religion, New Age or Pagan, etc.
29. MovieMinistry. A resource site dedicated to providing illustrations from movies for biblical texts and theological themes. Some resources are free; most are by subscription. Free email newsletters. 
30. MovieMission. Chooses movies that are worth viewing because, in the opinion of the editors, they “share your values and vision, that redeem and uplift, that leave you feeling fulfilled and hopeful for the future.”
31. Movie Parables. Featuring the reviews and spiritual commentary of film critic Michael Elliott who writes: “Just as Jesus Christ taught God’s truth by using images and events taken from the culture of his day, it is this reviewer’s intention to use the culture of our day and time for the same purpose.”
32. Movies Matter. Resources for group discussions of film and faith.
33. Past the Popcorn. “Reviews and essays will attempt a serious analysis of a film’s meaning, both from the audience’s point of view and from the filmmakers’, as much as is critically possible. Recognizing that all films still exist (in part) as entertainment, films will also be subjectively reviewed for ‘nutritainment value’ and audience-appropriateness.”
34. Pauline Center for Media Studies. Excellent film essays and reviews, including by Rose Pacatte, FSP, Director of the Pauline Center and co-author of Lights, Camera . . . Faith! A Movie Lectionary. Note the link to reviews written by children.
35. Peaceweb—Movies with a Conscience. This site lists suggested “movies with a conscience” by category (e.g. “Antiwar,” “Biography,” “Environment,” “Religion,” etc.).
36. Peter Chattaway’s Movie Reviews. Excellent reviews of current movies by a fine Canadian reviewer (in CanadianChristianity.com)
37. The Phantom Tollbooth. “We are an on-line magazine that publishes a wide range of album, concert and movie reviews, interviews, features and resource links. We began in December, 1996 and our monthly readership now numbers over five thousand.”
38. Planet Wisdom. A site designed for youth that focuses on the intersection of movies and a Christian worldview.
39. Plugged In Film Reviews. An on-line version of Focus on the Family’s Plugged In magazine. Reviews offer plot summary, comments about positive elements in the movie, spiritual content, as well as warnings regarding sexual content, violence, language warnings, drug use, etc.
40. Ransom Fellowship. See the movies page. “Thinking Christianly about movies and culture.” Some reviews include excellent discussion guides.
41. Reel Spirituality: An Institute for Moving Pictures. Codirectors Robert K. Johnston and Barry Taylor and others offer study guides, reviews and essays. The Institute focuses on the “creative encounter between the church and Hollywood . . . in discovery of common ground as story tellers, image shapers, and culture makers.”
42. SIGNIS: the World Catholic Association for Communication. The SIGNIS Television and Film Festivals page includes links to most of the major international film festivals. Check out the reviews by Peter Malone (Signis President).
43. SydneyAnglicans.net. A very fine, active site geared to popular culture analysis.
44. The Third Way Café: Media Matters.
45. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Movie Reviews. From the Office of Film and Broadcasting. Includes Vatican Top 45 List.
46. Visual Parables. By Edward McNulty, author of two books titled Praying the Movies. Offers some online reviews and a print magazine.
47. Youth Ministries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: Movie Discussion Guides.
48. 

Film Discussion Groups

1. Arts & Faith. Online film discussion forum.
2. Image Journal online forum.
3. OnFilm. “A forum to discuss movies from a Christian perspective.”
4. 

Film Festivals

1. City of Angels Film Festival
2. Flickerings
3. 

Magazines, Journals, etc.

1. Alternative Film Guide (AltFG)
2. Books & Culture “We need to learn what it means to think like a Christian—to think within a specifically Christian framework—across the whole spectrum of modern learning. Where to begin? One good place is Books & Culture.” Mark Noll, Wheaton College.
3. Christian Century’s film section.
4. Cinema Scope
5. Cinetext: Film & Philosophy
6. Film Comment Published by the Film Society of Lincoln Centre.
7. Film-Philosophy
8. The Globe and Mail, Film articles and reviews
9. Image Journal
10. Journal of Religion and Film An academic journal that offers a wide array of essays and papers on religion and the movies.
11. The Journal of Religion and Popular Culture “is a web-based journal committed to the academic exploration, analysis and interpretation, from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, of the interrelations and interactions between religion and religious expression and popular culture, broadly defined as the products of contemporary mass culture.”
12. New York Press Articles and reviews by Armond White, among others.
13. The New York Times
14. The New Yorker, The Current Cinema page
15. Relevant Magazine’s movies section
16. Salon Magazine Arts and Entertainment
17. Scope: An Online Journal of Film Studies
18. Screening the Past An international, refereed, electronic journal of visual media and history.
19. Senses of Cinema “An online film journal devoted to the serious and eclectic discussion of cinema.”
20. Sight & Sound Published by the British Film Institute.
21. Spirituality and Health by Frederick and Mary Ann Brussat.
22. Watershed Online’s Mythic Movies section
23. 

Reviews for Parents:
Get the Scoop on Sex, Language, Violence

1. Grading the Movies “Helping Families Find Entertainment with Values”
2. Kids In Mind
3. ParentsTV Movie Reviews Includes reviews by Michael Medved. The “Clean Films” banner at the top of the page is advertising and does not represent the intent of the reviews listed here. The home page of ParentsTV focuses on Television reviews.
4. SCREEN IT! Entertainment Reviews for Parents
5. 

Best Films Lists

1. Alternative Film Guide’s Compilation of Film Awards from around the world (annually from 2004-present)
2. American Film Institute’s 100 Best American Movies of all time
3. Arts & Faith Top 100 Spiritually Significant Films
4. Best of Rotten Tomatoes
5. British Film Institute’s 100 Best British Films
6. Christianity Today’s Best-of Archive
7. David Peebles Williamson’s “Top 10 Spiritual Films”
8. Ecumenical Prize winning films listed by festival and year at the InterFilm website and alphabetically from 1947 to 1999 at the SIGNIS website
9. “Essential Films for Theologians: The Director’s Cut.” By Tyler Williams.
10. “Essential Films of 2005 for Theologians—Extended Edition.” By Tyler Williams.
11. Faith & Film Critics Circle: Annual Awards beginning in 2002.
12. Faith & Film list by Daniel B. Clendenin, Ph.D., who writes, “Here are over 110 films that provoked me to think afresh about our human condition and what it means to believe, confess and live the Gospel in our modern world.”
13. Jeffrey Overstreet’s Annual Favorite Film Lists 2000-2008
14. Ken Ristau’s Essential Films for Theologians
15. Metacritic: Awards and Best Movies, listed by year.
16. The National Board of Review, awards listed by year.
17. Office of Film & Broadcasting, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 10 Best List published annually from 1965.
18. Peter Chattaway’s All-Time Movie Favorites
19. Ron Reed’s 150 Movies that Feed the Soul
20. Rotten Tomatoes Top Movies Lists
21. Sight and Sound Best Films of All Time In 1952 Sight & Sound polled the world’s leading film critics to compile a list of the best films of all time. The magazine has repeated this poll every ten years to show which films stand the test of time in the face of shifting critical opinion.
22. Tim Dirks—Greatest Films
23. Time Magazine’s All Time 100 Best Films Chosen by reviewers Richard Corliss and Richard Schickel. See also the Complete List in alphabetical order.
24. Vatican Top 45 List
25. 

Best Films of 2008

1. American Film Institute top 10
2. Awards Scoreboard at Movie City News 
3. The Beliefnet Film Awards
4. Christianity Today’s Most Redeeming Films
5. Christianity Today’s Critics’ Choice Awards See also Christianity Today Readers’ Choice
6. Film Critics’ Top Ten Lists compiled at Metacritic
7. Film Comment Magazine’s Critics’ Poll See also Film Comment’s Readers’ Poll. 
8. Jeffrey Overstreet’s List of 20 at Image Journal
9. Roger Ebert’s List for 2008
10. Sight & Sound Magazine Critics’ Best of 2008 — For each critic’s list (all 50) go here.
11. Sister Rose Pacatte’s Bouquets 
12. Spirituality & Practice: The Most Spiritually Literate Films 
13. Steven Greydanus: The Year in Reviews
14. Third Way Café: Best of Mennonite Media Reviewers
15. Toronto Film Critics Association
16. Vic Thiessen’s Top 10 List and brother Walter Thiessen's list.
17. 

Public Performance Rights in Canada

Schools, churches, and youth groups need permission to view movies. These sites are brokers for public performance rights.

1. Audio Cine Films: Public Performance Rights
2. Criterion Pictures
3. 

Resources by Gordon Matties

1. The Apostle: In Conversation with the Apostle Paul. A Discussion Guide
2. A Bibliography on Religion and Film
3. Let’s Rent a Movie: Making Movie Nights Work
4. “On Movies as Spiritual Discipline,” Direction 34/2 (2005): 270-86.
5. Movie Reviews
6. Seeing is Believing: Conversations between Film and Faith. A Canadian Mennonite University Continuing Education course offered in partnership with Cinematheque (100 Arthur St., Winnipeg, Manitoba).
7. 

Other Resources

1. Adherents.com’s Guide to Religious Movies. This page presents “films that adherents and representatives of various specific religious groups have recommended as being possibly instructive about or representative of their specific faith. We have also included films that deal with comparative religion and general religious themes.”
2. Calvin College English Department Film Links.
3. Celluloid Jesus—The Christ Film Web Pages (New Testament Gateway)
4. Cinema Sites
5. Facets Multimedia. An excellent source for world cinema news, and purchase of world cinema on DVD.
6. FIPRESCI. The International Federation of Film Critics. Film awards and festival reports by professional critics.
7. Jesus: Real to Reel. Bibliography and Web Resources for Religion/Theology and Film.
8. Masters of Cinema. “We aim to bring pertinent information together in one place for aficionados of World Cinema.”
9. The Old Testament on Film. By Tyler Williams, Taylor University College, Edmonton AB, Canada.
10. Strictly Film School. Excellent articles and reviews of classic films with listings of directors, genres, themes, and imagery.
11. Teach With Movies: A Unique Tool for Teachers & Parents
12. 

Contact Information

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