Research Guides: Film: Articles & Databases

Finding Articles

The indexes and abstracts listed below guide you to citations and the full text of journal and magazine articles related to film. Film Databases and Film Print Indexes cover film journals with the full range of articles, including criticism and reviews. Reviews in Magazines and Reviews in Newspapers cover popular magazines and newspapers that contain reviews and popular and news accounts of movies and movie makers.

Film Databases

Film & Television Literature Index with Full Text This link opens in a new window
This database is the definitive online tool for film and television research. Citations, abstracts, and extended full text to film and television research. Subject coverage includes film & television theory, preservation & restoration, writing, production, cinematography, technical aspects, and reviews.
MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new window
One of the most effective indexes for serious research on film. Includes an excellent selection of film journals. A detailed bibliography of journal articles, books and dissertations. Produced by the Modern Language Association, the electronic version of the bibliography dates back to the 1920s and contains over 1.8 million citations from more than 4,400 journals & series and 1,000 book publishers. The indexed materials coverage is international and includes almost 60 titles from JSTOR's language and literature collection as well as links to full text.
Art Index Retrospective This link opens in a new window
Draws from specialized film journals. Good source for film reviews and criticism from about 1960 onwards. Indexes key international English-language arts publications published 1929 through 1984, including periodicals, yearbooks, museum bulletins, competition and award notices, exhibition listings, and film reviews, as well as periodicals published in French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Dutch. Also indexes reproductions of works of art that appear in indexed periodicals.
Humanities International Complete This link opens in a new window
Covers film as a humanity. Citations to publications in all aspects of the humanities. Extensive full-text collection, much of which is not found in other databases.
America: History & Life with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Includes extensive coverage of how history is represented in film and the history of film. U.S. and Canadian history and culture from prehistoric times to the present. Includes citations, abstracts, and extensive full text content of journal articles, magazine articles, reference sources, and other documents and multimedia.
Historical Abstracts with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Includes extensive coverage of how history is represented in film and the history of film. Citations to research in world history from 1450 to present. Includes military history, women's history, history of education, and more.
Dissertations & Theses Global Full Text (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
The database has over 2.1 million full-text dissertations and theses. It also contains indexing of 3.8 million graduate works. Primarily US, UK and Ireland but increasingly from other countries. Designated as an official offsite repository for the U.S. Library of Congress. Coverage: 1861-present.

Film Print Indexes

If the specialized indexes listed above are not helping you find what you need, you may want to try the following print indexes:

Film Review Index, edited by Patricia King Hanson and Stephen L. Hanson. 1986.
This index lists citations to film reviews. Volume 1 covers 1882-1949 and Volume 2 covers 1950-1985.
ZIM Reference First Floor PN1995 F496 1986

Film Literature Index, 1973-2004
ZIM Periodicals - Basement PN1993 F615

International Index to Film Periodicals, 1972-2004
ZIM Periodicals - Basement PN1993 I5

Reviews in Magazines

Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
Useful for full-text film reviews and for coverage of film in a variety of humanities, social science, multi-cultural journals, and popular magazines.
Readers' Guide Retrospective This link opens in a new window
An excellent resource for movie reviews and general information about the movie industry published in popular general-interest periodicals in the United States between 1890 - 1982.

Reviews in Newspapers

WestLaw Campus Research: News This link opens in a new window
News, wire services, and transcripts from national and international sources. Includes Reuters, UPI, major television news outlets, and local business journals.Coverage: 1972-present.
Ethnic NewsWatch This link opens in a new window
Very useful for seeing a broad perspective of views on contemporary film. Multidisciplinary, full text access to newspaper, magazine, and journal articles from ethnic and minority publications.
New York Times (1851 - 3 years ago) This link opens in a new window
The database offers full page and article images with searchable full text back to the first issue, including longstanding and high quality movie reviews. The collection includes digital reproductions providing access to every page from every available issue. Covers: 1851 to four years ago.
New York Times (1980 - current) This link opens in a new window
Full-text coverage of the US newspaper of record, including longstanding and high quality movie reviews. Offers superb coverage of national and international news, plus coverage of important speeches and documents, Supreme Court decisions, and presidential press conference transcripts. 1980-current.