Cinema Guild is an online video and film catalog of more than 500 documentary and fiction titles appropriate for classroom instruction and curriculum enrichment but also of interest to researchers, scientists, artistsand anyone with a passion for obscure films. Arts and Humanities, Health, World Cultures, and Science are just some of the broad categories you can choose from, and there's also a separate comprehensive index so you can go directly to a specific title. Consistent with the products it sells and rents, the site's subdued colors, black-and-white pictures, and tasteful layout smack of refinement and quality. - Katherine Stevenson
With the year of independent films sure to turn into a decade, a visit to the October Films site is definitely in order. Movie mavericks such as David Lynch, Lars Van Trier, and Abel Ferrara head up the October Films roster and attest to the production companys eye on the innovative. The sites decor reflects an indie-film artiness, with alluring fonts, imaginative collages, and a dark but dynamic design. Each of Octobers most recent releases has its own distinctive page packed with still shots, bios, soundtrack samples, video clips, and more. - Katherine Stevenson
Not surprisingly, the Screening Room is made for people who like watching movies. Visitors can't view full-length features here (would anyone even want to?), but dozens of recent releases are on site for preview, with thoughtful instructions, display advice, and links to necessary plug-ins all on hand to ensure optimal enjoyment. The site also serves fans of the home theater by linking up to a number of video and equipment distributors and offering technical insights on such things as the importance of letterboxing and the differences between the top brands of laser discs. - Katherine Stevenson
You may not be able to find silent films in many multiplexes these days, but the Silent Movies Web site will convince you that talk-free movies are still a formidable genre. This site provides an encyclopedic resource of information about the films, directors, and stars that occupied the once-silent screen, as well as an abundant list of related links and silent film screening schedules. Unfortunately, while it's easy enough to find your way around the site, the design is less than inspired, and the pictures are not frequent enough to remind you of the beauty and glamor of silent films. - Katherine Stevenson
In-depth discussion of current and upcoming films that employ visual-effects technology is just part of what youll find at Visual Effects HQ. Youll also get links to and explanations of various visual-effects resources, houses, and news. Visual Effects Headquarters is the source for info about the Star Wars trilogy enhancement, lists of visual-effects Ocsar winners archived back to 1939, and year-in-review highlights archived back to 1994. The site is comprehensive, easy to use, and fast. - Emily Soares
This snappy movie magazine, dubbed "Your own private Hollywood," delivers a weekly dose of industry newsthe top 10 box-office draws, who was cast in whatand the expected celebrity Q&As, but its real strength is its smart and extensive reviews sections. Rough Cut rates movies the way most of us do when recommending films to friends: by how much cash they're worth shelling out to see. Reviews of premieres and still-playing filmsmany accompanied by short clipsare all tagged with a dollar value, from $1.00 (wait for cable) to $7.50 (pay full price). Rough Cut also reports on film festivals; provides thorough video coverage, including reviews of direct-to-video movies; and reviews soundtracks. - Sandra Stewart
Alt.Film is a great idea in search of execution. Part of a multifaceted program launched in March by New York City's Echo online service, the site aims to promote independent films and their makers through online discussions, radio broadcasts, and Web site development. When I looked, though, a click on the film of the month yielded only a poster, and a chat with the filmmaker was advertised without a date. The previous film's Web site had a link promising the transcript of an Echo chat, but it just led back to the Online Events page, which has no chat archives. At this point, Alt.Film's chief service to independent-film fans is its well-chosen list of links to other sites. - Sandra Stewart
Shock Cinema creator Steven Puchalski bets you won't find films likeAlexander the Great; an abandoned early '60s pilot starring William Shatner, Adam West, and John Cassavetes; or the "unreleaseable" rock-and-roll spy movie The Phynx anywhere else on the Web. And I doubt you'll find sharper, funnier, franker reviews of trash cinema, weird art flicks, and obscure documentaries anywhere. Page down from the opening promo for the print zine to find a generous helping of excerpts from the current issue and reviews of new films, a list of upcoming video releases with recommended choices highlighted, the Shock Cinema Archives, and Shock Favorites. But first get comfortable, because Pulchalski's loving yet brutal critiques may suck you in for long, long time. - Sandra Stewart
With an aesthetic sophistication that blows away most Web sites, Crash applies both seriousness and a sense humor to David Cronenberg's controversial film adaptation of J.G. Ballard's novel exploring car crashes as erotic addiction. A thumbnail grid leads to a series of carefully composed, animated pages combining film segments, stills, and related images in collages that look like assemblages of hand-painted home movie clips. In addition to the expected trailer and interviews with Cronenberg and Ballard, you'll find statistics on car safety by death rates and a look at metal body parts; a celebrity car crash game; and side-by-side novel and screenplay versions of a single scene. Worth a visit even if you found the movie unbearably tedious. - Sandra Stewart