ARCHIVED SITE REVIEWS ABOUT GREATEST FILMS |
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DIGIDAY SITE OF THE DAY CATEGORY: ENTERTAINMENT JANUARY 1, 1998 "If you're a guy, there's nothing quite like jumping in a time machine and being transported back to 1948--where Rita Hayworth, Gene Tierney, Virginia Mayo, Julie London and Betty Grable form a babe alliance, take you prisoner and use you as a sex toy. Heaven knows, it isn't easy being responsible for pleasuring five love goddesses at once, but someone's gotta do it. Before you visit 1948 and agree to become a film-noir love slave, you'd better read up on your film classics--and this site can be an excellent source of information. Greatest Films boasts lengthy, in-depth reviews of classics ranging from "Casablanca" and "Gone With The Wind" to "All About Eve" to "The Godfather" and "Taxi Driver" as well as sections containing descriptions of film genres (everything from musicals to film noir to horror and sci-fi) and famous film quotes. What it doesn't tell you is ways to pleasure those film-noir babes happy when you take the time machine back to 1948--there's some things ya just can't learn by clicking a mouse." --Alex Henderson |
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SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS COMPUTING COLUMN BY DAVID PLOTNIKOFF DECEMBER 7, 1997 "THE BIG PICTURE SHOW: Looking for a truly great movie this weekend? Tim Dirks can give you a couple hundred suggestions. Dirks... is not what you'd call a casual moviegoer. He's devoted an incalculable amount of his personal time to collecting, studying and documenting the very finest examples of American movie-making. And for the past year and a half, he's shared his work via "The Greatest Films," a Web site at https://www.filmsite.org that's attracted approximately a half-million visitors to date. The centerpiece of the site is Dirks' exhaustively researched list of the 100 greatest English-language films. Almost every film gets a full review and a synopsis that often includes memorable dialogue and historically significant scenes. (There's also a secondary list of 100 films deemed to be 'great' but not 'greatest.') The lists represent Dirks' personal picks and are consciously skewed to favor older works that have withstood decades of scrutiny. Still, he estimates that a good 85 or 90 percent consistently show up on similar lists, making his site a pretty good barometer of critical consensus. Given the Net community's love for robust debate on all matters great and small, Dirks' lists have the potential to be the kindling of endless flame wars. This has not been lost on Dirks, who's working on a plan to add a posted discussion area on the site. As for other coming attractions, Dirks says there's probably a book lurking between the HTML pages." |
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BRITANNICA INTERNET GUIDE RECOMMENDED SITE FOR ENTERTAINMENT / MOVIES "Rich collection of commentary and information about masterpieces of American cinema. Includes the "100 greatest films of all time," a list of film references and sources, "greatest film quotes," descriptions of memorable scenes and moments from selected films, and the option to browse films alphabetically or by decade. Reproduces many film posters. Individual entries incorporate commentary, images from the films, and in-depth synopses, which include dialogue and voice-over narration text, as well as close descriptions of such stylistic details as shot composition and editing patterns." RECOMMENDED SITE FOR MOVIES / FORMS and GENRES "Well-organized resource offering basic definitions and examples of many film genres. Covers film categories such as action and adventure, animated or children's, comedy, crime and gangster, cult, detective, historical epics, fantasy, film noir, horror, melodrama, musicals, mystery, romance, science fiction, sexual or erotic, supernatural, thriller-suspense, war, and westerns. Individual genre pages cross-link to each other and to information on specific examples of each type." |
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DUKE OF URL CLASSY SITE PICK NOVEMBER 1997 "Tim Dirks' award-winning site provides details, pictures, posters, quiz and a history on thousands of great movies. It's very well indexed and most entertaining. I'm not really a movie buff, but I found this site fascinating." |
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USA TODAY HOT SITE NOVEMBER 3, 1997 (USA TODAY Website) NOVEMBER 12, 1997 (USA TODAY Newspaper) "Like great films? Here's a site dedicated to the 'greatest' of them along with posters and a quotes quiz. The only thing you won't get here is some popcorn to munch on." |
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WEBCRAWLER RECOMMENDATION ENTERTAINMENT / MOVIE REVIEWS "An excellent overview of classic Hollywood films. The title may be a little bold but the site delivers. Site maintainer Tim Dirks reviews the "100 Greatest Films," and provides arcana like all-time box office champs, a list of famous scenes, and a film quotes quiz." |
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SNAP! ONLINE BEST OF THE WEB ENTERTAINMENT CHANNEL OCTOBER 15, 1997 "This is more than just one man's overwhelming labor of love. The Greatest Films is an encyclopedic, enthusiastic history of American film. Webmaster Tim Dirks' hundred choices tilt heavily toward classics -- "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" is his most recent selection -- but he more than makes up for it with lengthy synopses, vintage poster art, memorable lines, scenes, even lists of other great films by year and genre. Enough? Not quite. He adds 50 "honorable mention" movies, notable Oscar omissions and the 100 highest-grossing films ever. Here's looking at him." |
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SCOUT REPORT SELECTION INTERNET SCOUT PROJECT (OF THE INTERNIC) UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN - MADISON OCTOBER 17, 1997 "Timothy Dirks... also wears another hat, that of dedicated amateur film buff. This site is the result of that hobby, and it is one of the better amateur sites on its topic. At the heart of the site is a list of the author's choice for 100 greatest films of all time (English language films only). Each of these films is reviewed in depth. An introductory section explains criteria. A second list of the 100 runner-ups (more briefly annotated) is also provided, as well as sections on greatest film quotes and scenes, an essay on genres, and a beautiful collection of hundreds of film posters from Adam's Rib to You Can't Take it With You. While you may not agree with Mr. Dirks' picks, that is half the fun of a site like this. Note that the popularity of the site curtails access at times." |
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MAXIM MAGAZINE FUN / MOVIES SELECTION THE ONE HUNDRED GREATEST OCTOBER 9, 1997 "Excellent for hunting down the perfect rental" |
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eh! CBC TV MORNING NEWS SHOW Halifax, Nova Scotia, CANADA SEPTEMBER 26, 1997 "A useful site...for people who are interested in classic American movies...a virtual treasure trove of cinema goodies." Host Jordi Morgan |
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WEB GUIDE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 1997 ISSUE ENTERTAINMENT - FILMS - IN-DEPTH SITE REVIEWS "A real find for film buffs of all persuasion, this low graphics site features great movie moments, scenes you'll never forget, quotes you never got right, and vintage movie posters that have been etched in your brain since forever. Links within the text take you to encyclopedia-like entries for films in a variety of genres, making this a true clearinghouse of silver screen history and trivia. The science fiction list includes obvious titles like Metropolis, The Invisible Man, Destination Moon, and War of the Worlds, and it's nice to see these works get equal time with the likes of Star Trek, which is barely mentioned. Some pieces, like 2001: A Space Odyssey and E.T., even earn a place in the site's 100 greatest movies of all time." Content: 10, Design: 6, Navigability: 8, Links: 10 |
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ROGER EBERT NOTED FILM CRITIC/REVIEWER and AUTHOR AUGUST 9, 1997 (E-mail)
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WRITEIT'S WROOST FEATURED SITE JULY 1997 "Speaking of new additions, you gotta check out our featured site. Tim Dirks has done a super job of bringing back some immortal movie moments at The Greatest Films. But, when you go, plan on staying a while because there's a lot to see! By the way, Tim also loaned us the makings for the neat poster montage in this edition of the Gallery. Thanks, Tim, for the loan and for a super site." "While you may have some difference of opinion concerning the author's choices for the one hundred best American films, you must agree with his statement that they are all landmark movies which "serve as signposts to map the history of cinema." Each film is described in a complete scenario which also includes production information, cast notes, and dialogue examples. Other menu options incude: Great Moments and Scenes, Memorable Film Quotes, and Vintage Movie Posters (a great collection!). Navigation is okay and the information is well written." |
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THE MINING COMPANY JUNE 1997 BEST OF THE NET - CLASSIC MOVIES "An amazing site featuring plot synopses of 100 great films, plus a listing of even more movies by year, with summaries of the film history of each decade. Expect to get lost in the decade of your choice." NET FINDS - GREATEST FILM QUOTES FROM GREAT FILMS "Famous quotes and great lines of dialogue from 75 years of sound films. With a built-in quiz to see if you recognize the movies, the actor or actress, etc." |
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CYPHON - PRODUCED BY LA 411® LIFESTYLE RESOURCES FOR THE FILM AND VIDEO PROFESSIONAL JUNE 24, 1997 "Created by Tim Dirks, this site includes his choices for greatest films, film quotes and moments all laced with historical context and relevant facts." |
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A TIME OF INNOCENCE SITE OF THE WEEK WEEK OF JUNE 16, 1997 "A great classic film site, with posters, quotes and scenes from Hollywood's greatest films, plus a 100 greatest list you won't want to miss!" |
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WEBSIGHT MAGAZINE REVIEW JAN - FEB 1997 ISSUE "Can't decide on which movie to rent tonight? Consult the '100 Greatest Films' list at this very accessible site and browse through some of the greatest moments in film history."  |
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LUCKMAN INTERACTIVE'S FIVE
STAR AWARD "WORLD WIDE WEB YELLOW PAGES" JANUARY 29, 1997 "With a self-deprecating introduction, the author of the Greatest Films site suggests this gargantuan list of movies as the best ever made. Organized by decade, year, and genre, hundreds of motion pictures are reviewed. Critical introductions are provided for each decade and analysis examines the genres of films, from comedy to drama and romance to action adventure. In addition, film buffs can enjoy a compendium of celebrated movie quotes and noted film scenes and moments. A solid resource in and of itself, the Greatest Films provides a list of books and other resources, including a few Web sites, for users to do their own research." |
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NETGUIDE MAGAZINE GOLD SITE
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EXCITE REVIEW
 Entertainment/Movies/Reviews and Movie Guides "What are the 100 best American and British movies of all time? Here's one careful inventory, along with the greatest movie quotes, moments, vintage posters and scenes. You may not agree, but you'll have fun disagreeing. Could be a contender." |
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INTERNET SCOUT PROJECT DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCES UNIV. OF WISCONSIN-MADISON SEPTEMBER 27, 1996 "Greatest Films of All Time is a loving tribute to great films, provided by Tim Dirks. Here you can find plot information on hundreds of classic films, arranged by year, genre, and title. Also, there are sections on memorable film quotations (which are linked to the movie they came from), as well as great scenes. Possibly the best part of the entire site is the large bibliography of film reference books. The only drawback to the site is that it is not searchable. Are these the best films of all time? Half the fun of this site is comparing your list to Mr. Dirks'." |
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COMPUTER CURRENTS MAGAZINE
WEB SITE REVIEWS LINK OF THE WEEK DECEMBER 16, 1996 "The Greatest Films: This website features the greatest films in cinematic history (specializing in American and British films). The films are organized and identified by time period and film genre. Reference books, videos, and laser discs are listed, and there is a commentary on each film, with links to historical information and reviews. The 100 Selected Greatest Films are landmark movies in the history of film and cinema, that have left an indelible mark on our century's culture. They have been chosen as the "greatest" for one or more of the following: they have had an undeniable influence on the development of cinema in its first 100 years; they have special qualities of excellence in acting, directing, scriptwriting, or production; they have a legendary, satisfying, never-fading appeal; or they are films that represent the peak of achievement for a screen performer or director. Many were overlooked when they were first released; there is a special category for Deserving Great Films Without Academy Awards (or Nominations). There is a description of each film genre to define underlying themes, and a historical overview to highlight trends in each time period. Test your knowledge of over 100 Greatest Film Quotes, or relive "Greatest Moments and Scenes."" |
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NET MAGAZINE BLUE PAGES REVIEW CATEGORY: FILM ISSUE: NOVEMBER 1996 Content Quality: Good Aesthetic Quality: Poor TechnoSmart Quality: Poor Author: Steve LeVine "I was all set to get film clips of my favorite classics--Claude Raines and Bogey strolling into the mist, Gene Hackman's Manhattan chase scene, Woody Allen casually flinging records to impress his date -- but all I got were text summaries of some of these gems, filed by decade, genre or a memorable quote. Of course I was expecting the impossible, given copyrights and all, but we can dream, can't we? The admitted emphasis is on older classics, and all of them are in English. The only graphics are icons created by the author, so don't expect promotional photos to add to your scrapbook." Overall Rating:13 out of 18 |
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EXCITESEEING TOURSTOP! Arts & Entertainment : Movies : War Films NOVEMBER 21, 1996 "War is hell - and hell is a great subject for filmmakers. Tim Dirks' exhaustive alphabetical listing of the Greatest Films of All Time contains a section on films that "balance the soul-searching and inner turmoil of combatants with action-packed spectacles," from All Quiet on the Western Front to Apocalypse Now." |
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EXPLORATORIUM TEN COOL SITES
AWARD OCTOBER 1996 "The Greatest Films: If you love film, this site deserves a bookmark. Check out films by genre or by title. The site also contains quotes and the greatest moments and scenes in film. I don't agree that all of the films here are "great," and there are some omissions, but everyone's a critic." |
