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Finding Film Reviews

To locate film reviews, first identify the correct spelling of the film and the date of release.

Finding Reviews Online

Academic Search Premier (Off-Campus Access)

1. Type the film's title into the first search box, the phrase "motion pictures" into the second, and "reviews" into the third. Then click the Search button.

2. Browse through the search results. If a review is accessible online, you will see a "HTML Full Text" or a "PDF Full Text" link. Click on that link to access the review.

3. If one of the reviews does not appear to be accessible online, click on the "Find It" button next to the citation. A new window will open. If the review is available elsewhere online, there will be a link under the section, "Concordia's Electronic Collections." Otherwise, click on the "MnPALS" link to determine the availability of the review in the library's print magazine and journal collections.

New York Times Movie Reviews

1. Type the film's title in the search box and click Go.

2. Locate the review in the list of search results on the next page.

Additional Databases With Film Reviews

Many library resources contain film reviews. Try another discipline-specific database, Ask a Librarian, or stop by the Reference Desk.

Finding Reviews in Print (Films Released Between 1882 and 1985)

1. Locate the Film Review Index in the library's Reference Room at call number PN1995 .F48. If your film was released between 1882 and 1949, use volume 1; if your movie was released between 1950 and 1985, using volume 2.

2. The Index is arranged alphabetically by film title. Locate your film.

3. Beneath the film's title are citations to reviews in print publications. Most of these are magazines, newspapers, and journals. For example, in the entry for Das Boot ("Boot, Das"), one of the citations is to a review in Films in Review, April 1982, pages 241-242.

4. Search the online catalog for the magazine, newspaper, or journal title which contains the review (in this case, Films in Review) to determine if the library owns the title in print. If the library owns the title (and if it is a magazine or journal), it will be located in the library's print magazine and journal collection on the south side of the library. Magazines and journals are arranged alphabetically by title, with titles beginning with the letter A located on the first floor, proceeding through the alphabet with titles beginning with the letter Z located on the third floor.

5. If your review is located in a book (a common title will be Magill's...), search the online catalog to determine if the library owns the book. If it does, make a note of the book's call number and location (either Reference or Main collection), and then go locate the book on the shelf.

Need Help?

Librarians are eager to help. If you have any questions, please stop by the Reference Desk, call (218) 299-4656, or ask us online.