How to Find Film Reviews
Step 1: Start with the film's release date.
Find release dates for films using the Internet Movie Database.
Step 2: Choose sources that cover the year of the film's release.
Some of these sources include the actual film reviews, but many of them do not. Instead, they will give you references or citations that identify the articles. After you find the citation, search the Full-text Finder for the title of the magazine or journal to see if we own the one you are looking for. Information from the Full-text Finder includes a link to online full text, the holdings (whether a particular year of the periodical is in a database or the Emerson College Library), and location (print, microfilm, or online).
Last 25 Years
Expanded Academic ASAP and Academic Search Premier
Both of these databases include citations to film reviews from more recent years; many of the citations also include the full text of the articles. In Expanded Academic ASAP, search for the film's title and the keyword, "movie review." In Academic Search Premier, search for the film's title and the keyword, "motion pictures reviews."
Film and Television Literature Index
Provides cover-to-cover indexing and abstracts for more than 300 film and television publications, and selected coverage of 300 more. To find a film review, search for the film's title and the keyword "review." For example, "Friends with Money" and "review".
LexisNexis Academic
A great source for finding newspaper reviews. Choose the news category "Arts & Sports News," then select the news source "Book, movie, music & play reviews." Enter the name of the film as keywords.
1851-2002
New York Times Historical Archive
PDFs of every page of The New York Times, including film reviews and advertisements.
1882-1985
Film Review Index [X] PN1995.F464 (shelved at Reference Desk)
Film Review Index includes citations to reviews from journals and magazines as well as criticism from books. If a citation includes a date and volume number, such as the entry for Commonweal. Feb 22, 1963 v77, p572, it is an entry for a magazine. If the citation only includes page numbers, but not a date, the item is a book, such as Confessions of a Cultist. p75-77. Either way, after finding a list of citations, you must search for the italicized title of a book in the library catalog and the title of a periodical in the Full-text Finder.
1895-2005
Film Index International
A bibliography of citations to reviews and analytical articles, as well as cast and credits. Articles are listed under the heading "References," after the cast and credits lists for each film.
1900-1996
Readers Guide Retrospective
Type the name of the film and "motion picture reviews" for a list of reviews. Check the periodical title in the Full-text Finder or the library catalog to see if Emerson owns it.
1907-1996
Variety Film Reviews [X] PN1995.V34
Reprints of film reviews taken directly from the pages of Variety. Arranged chronologically and also indexed in Film Review Index. The basic index covers the years 1907-1980, then each 2-year volume contains its own index.
1913-2000
New York Times Film Reviews [X] PN1995.N4
Reprints of film reviews taken directly from the New York Times. Arranged chronologically and also indexed in Film Review Index. The basic index covers the years 1913-1968, then each 2-year volume contains its own index.
1919-1962
Harrison's Reports & Film Reviews Index Periodicals collection
Harrison's Reports were written to assist theater owners in film bookings. The index volume lists film titles and gives the date and page number of the review. The volumes of reviews are kept with the older volumes of periodicals.
1972-2005
FIAF International Film Archive
Online version of International Index to Film Periodicals (the print volumes cover 1972-2003). Citations to thousands of articles about films and film-related topics.
1976-2001
Film Literature Index Online
Online version of Film Literature Index (the print volumes cover 1973-2004). Indexes scholarly film journals, including critical reviews and articles. One of the few film databases that you can search by topic or theme as well as by the name of a film or person.
1981-2000
Film Review Annual [X] PN1995.F463
Film Review Annual compiles important reviews of full-length films released in the U.S. during the course of the previous year. Film titles are arranged alphabetically.
