For a laugh, you can always search out the films awarded a Woof! May I suggest 1990's Attack of the Killer Refrigerator? Too old for you? How about Boat Trip, from 2003, then?
Or you can have an awards marathon, and rent all the movies that won a Golden Globe, but failed to win an Oscar. You'll find plenty of assistance in the Awards Index, which lists both the U.S. and British Academy Award winners (even some of the "minor categories" like editing and art direction), the Director's and Golden Globe awards—and the Raspberries. The list of films in the National Film Registry is also found here.
Then there are the Kibbles, little nuggets of information that make you wag your tail with delight. Trying to find movies adapted from Phillip K. Dick stories? Here they are, all seven of them. (Movies in production are not included in the Kibbles, but they are in the ratings list.) Want to watch every movie that pairs Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton? Friends won't tell you, but this book will; there are 11, from Boom! to Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf?
Two-thirds of the book is focused on movies. The remaining third presents the actors, directors, writers, cinematographers, and composers who make the movies what they are. I particularly appreciated being able to look up the writer for a movie I enjoyed, to find other movies from that pen. (Sylvester Stallone has writer's credits on 17 of his movies; Stephen Spielberg has credits on only 5 of his. Neither has writer's credits on any movie he was not otherwise involved in.)
In short, this is a rich resource for the discerning movie viewer. Whether you get your movies from cable, Netflix, Amazon or the supermarket discount table, the Videohound's Golden Movie Retriever will inform your viewing choices.
And it's big enough to leave a welt when you use it to settle arguments.
*Examples are from the 2004 volume.
Article comments
1 - Lisa McKay
Sounds like a handy thing to keep on the coffee table, DrPat, and it might break us of our habit of firing up a laptop mid-movie to query IMDB!
2 - Eric Olsen
nice DRP, I have an earlier version iliked quite a bit - time to update!
3 - DrPat
I like IMdb a lot, but it's really easier in some cases to flip open the Videohound. IMdb has nothing like the Kibbles or Categories.
My newest version is 2004 - I make a point of buying every other edition, so I've got my order in for the 2006 volume - it comes out on the 15th.
4 - Joseph
I have been using my copy of the Videohound since the 2003 edition. It is an excellent guide to cinema and even has special editions available rating DVDs or other special themes.
Be careful if you are obsessive/compulsive about your movies!