Film and Television

Entries within each section of this guide are arranged so that the most useful,comprehensive, or current resources are listed first. For the purpose and scope of the library's film and television collection, please see the Communication Collection Development Policy.

 

Periodical Indexes
Magazines and Journals
Film and Television Reviews
Television and News Transcripts
Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
Bibliographies and Catalogues
Guides and Handbooks
Websites

 

Periodical Indexes

          Film

          American Film Scripts Online
                     American Film Scripts Online (AFSO) is an ongoing project to digitize and thoroughly index 1,000 film
                     scripts. Legal, authoritative versions of these screenplays will be consulted by a wide range of scholars,                      including historians, sociologists, and those who study literature.

          Communications & Mass Media Complete
                     This database covers areas related to communication and mass media. CMMC incorporates the                                        content of CommSearch (formerly produced by the National Communication Association) and                                          Media Articles Index (formerly produced by Penn State) along with numerous other journals in                                        communication, mass media, and other closely-related fields of study.

FIAF Film & TV Indexes
These are indexes to articles published in more than 300 film and television periodicals from 1972 to the present. The indexes cover primarily English and French-language magazines and journals. The film index is also available as the annual International Index to Film Periodicals.
Film Index Online - the American Film Institute (AFI), Film Index International and AFI Catalog              together.
Film Literature Index
An author and subject index to articles appearing in film, television, and video journals. Book reviews are indexed by author's name and subject. Quarterly issues are cumulated in annual volumes. Each quarterly or annual issue is divided into two alphabetical sections, the first devoted to film, and the second to television and video.
Mugar Reference X Z5784 .M9 F45 Library has: 1973 - 2004.
Retrospective Index to Film Periodicals, 1930 - 1971
A retrospective index to fourteen English-language film periodicals from their beginnings through 1971. The index is divided into three sections: individual films, subjects, and book review citations.
Mugar Reference X Z5784 .M9 B39
Arts & Humanities Citation Index 1988+
[BU community]
A citation index to periodical articles on topics in the arts and humanities, including film. Also available in a print edition, dating back to 1975.
Mugar Reference X Z5937 .A795 Library has: 1975 - 1998.
Humanities Full Text 1984+
Humanities Full Text 1984+
An index and database of periodical articles on topics in the humanities, including film and motion pictures. Mugar Memorial Library has comparable print indexes, dating back to 1907.
Mugar Reference X AI3 .H85M Library has: vol. 1 (1974/75) - present.
Mugar Reference X AI3 .F16 Library has: vol. 1 (1907/15) - 27 (1974)
JSTOR (Journal Storage)
See Film Studies within this database.

 

Television

ABC News Index
An index to the ABC News Transcripts (Mugar Micro Mfiche Library has: 1970 - March 1997). Annual volumes (and a cumulative two-volume set covering 1970 - 1985) index the information in the transcripts by subject, names of interviewees, and titles of programs. Each entry includes an abbreviation for the program name, date of the program, the microfiche number, and a concise abstract of the transcript. Publication of the index and transcripts ceased in 1997.
Mugar Micro Ref X PN4888 .T4 A22 Library has: 1970 - March 1997.
CBS News Index
An index to the CBS News Daily News Broadcasts (Mugar Micro Mfilm PN4888 .T4 C64a Library has: 1975 - 1988). Annual volumes provide alphabetical indexing by subject, including personal names. Each citation consists of a descriptive phrase, the date of the program, the broadcast series, and the transcript page number. Publication of the index and transcripts ceased in 1986 and 1988, respectively.
Mugar Micro Ref X PN 4888 .T4 C64A Library has: vol. 1 (1975) - 12 (1986).

Other Databases covering Film and Television

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Magazines and Journals


The library subscribes to the online editions of the following film journals.

The library subscribes to many other film and television journals and magazines in hard copy. These may be found in Mugar Memorial Library, Beebe Communications Library, and Pardee Management Library. Please consult the Boston University Online Catalog for more information about library holdings of particular journal titles.

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Film and Television Reviews

LexisNexis Academic

Full-text reviews of films and television programs from newspapers and magazines may be found in this database. Sources for movie reviews and entertainment news are both part of the Arts & Sports subcategory of the News section of the database.
 
MRQE (Movie Review Query Engine)
This search engine locates movie reviews on the Web.

Magill's Survey of Cinema

These four sets of books contain critical articles about 2,274 major films, ranging in date from the silent era to the early 1980s. The set is kept current by Magill's Cinema Annual (Mugar Reference X PN 1993.3 .M33 Library has: 1982 - 1997). The final volume of each series contains indexes to titles, directors, screenwriters, cinematographers, and performers.
 
  • English Language Films - Second Series
    Mugar Reference X PN1993.45 .M32 1981
  • Foreign Language Films
    Mugar Reference X PN1993.45 .M34 1985
  • Silent Films
    Mugar Reference X PN1995.75 .M33 1982
Film Review Annual
This is an annual compendium of film reviews taken from journals, magazines, and newspapers. The reviews are reprinted in their entirety, and citations to other reviews are given at the end of the entry for each film. A cumulative title index is included in each new volume issued in this series.
Mugar Reference X PN1995 .F463 Library has: 1981 - 2000.
The New York Times Film Reviews
The volumes in this series reproduce film reviews from The New York Times, arranged chronologically by publication date. Each volume includes indexes to film titles, personal names, and corporate names. Times film reviews published from 1913 to 1968 are contained in an initial set of six volumes (cumulative title, personal name, and corporate name indexes are in the sixth volume).
Mugar Reference X PN1995 .N4 Library has: 1913/1931 - 1999/2000.
Variety's Film Reviews
Volumes in this series reproduce feature film reviews from Variety, arranged chronologically by publication date. Each volume in the series includes indexes to film titles and directors. The series ceased publication in 1996.
Mugar Reference X PN1995 .F463 Library has: vol. 1 (1907/1920) - vol. 24 (1995/96).
Variety and Daily Variety Television Reviews
Volumes in this series reproduce reviews of television programs from Variety, arranged chronologically by publication date. The series ceased publication in 1994.
Mugar Reference X PN1995 .F463 Library has: vol. 11 (1974-1977), and vols. 16-18 (1989-1994).
Selected Film Criticism
A seven-volume collection of contemporaneous reviews reprinted in their entirety, and covering 1,146 films released in the United States between 1896 and 1960. The final volume includes indexes to the entire series by film critic and by film title.
Mugar Reference X PN1995 .S426 1982
Film Review Index
A two-volume index to film reviews in books, magazines, newspapers, and scholarly journals. The first volume covers films released between 1882 and 1949; the second covers films released between 1950 and 1985.
Mugar Reference X Z5784 .M9 F513 1986
Index to Critical Film Reviews in British and American Film Periodicals
An index to film reviews in "the leading English language journals of film scholarship, both American and British..." Also included is a separate index to reviews of books about film. Coverage is through 1971 - 1972, after which similar coverage is available in the International Index to Film Periodicals (see below).
Mugar Reference X Z5784 .M9 B64
Film Literature Index
The first section of each issue includes citations to film reviews. These are listed under a subheading for Reviews within the entries for individual films.
Mugar Reference X Z5784 .M9 F45 Library has: 1973 - present.
Media Review Digest
This annual publication, originally titled Multi Media Reviews Index, is primarily an index to reviews, evaluations, and descriptions of educational, instructional, and informational media. Citations to reviews of feature films, and to reviews of educational and entertainment films and videos, may be found in the first part of the volume, which is an alphabetical title listing of educational and entertainment films and videos.
Mugar Reference X Z5784 .M9 M85 Library has: 1970 - 2006.
A Guide to Critical Reviews, Part IV: The Screenplay
A bibliography of critical reviews in American and Canadian periodicals of about 12,000 feature length motion pictures released from 1927 to 1963. A supplementary volume covers the years 1963 to 1980.
Mugar Reference X Z5781 .F661
Mugar Reference X Z5784 .M9 S24 1982

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Television and News Transcripts

LexisNexis Academic
A full-text database containing transcripts of television and radio news programs, including ABC News, CBS News, CNBC, CNN, Fox News Network, National Public Radio, NBC, and PBS' NewsHour. The dates covered vary for each network's shows. These are all part of the Transcripts subcategory of the News section of the database.
ABC News Transcripts
Full-text transcripts of ABC News programs, including Nightline, This Week, 20/20, and World News Tonight. The ABC News Index (Mugar Micro Ref X PN4888 .T4 A22 Library has: 1970 - March 1997) provides subject and personal name indexing of the information contained in the transcripts. Publication of the transcripts and index ceased in 1997.
Mugar Mfilm Library has: 1970 - March 1997.
CBS News Daily News Broadcasts
Full-text transcripts of CBS News programs, including CBS Evening News, CBS News Special Reports, Face the Nation, and 60 Minutes. The CBS News Index (Mugar Micro Ref X PN 4888 .T4 C64A Library has: vol. 1 (1975) - 12 (1986)) provides subject and personal name indexing of the information contained in the transcripts. Publication of the transcripts and index ceased in 1988 and 1986, respectively.
Mugar Micro Mfilm PN4888 .T4 C64a Library has: 1975 - 1988.
Vanderbilt Television News Archive TVNEWS Database

Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

          Film

The New York Times Encyclopedia of Film, 1896 - 1979
This 13-volume set reproduces articles from The New York Times about all aspects of cinema and the film industry. The collection of articles provides an historical overview of the development and growth of cinema. The final volume is an index to the set, offering "references to the most significant people, places, things, and themes."
There are many other encyclopedias and dictionaries containing brief biographical information about actors and actresses, directors, producers, screenwriters, cinematographers, etc. These often contain brief entries for technical terms, film organizations, and general subjects having to do with film. Other works provide brief descriptive and bibliographic information about individual films. The following highly selective list is an introduction to the variety of these publications:
  • A Biographical Dictionary of Film
    Mugar Reference X PN1998.2 .T49 1994
  • Cinema: A Critical Dictionary
    Mugar Reference X PN1993.45 .C5
  • The Film Encyclopedia
    Mugar Reference X PN1993.45 .K34 1994
  • Halliwell's Film and Video Guide
    Mugar Reference X PN1998 .H433 Library has: 2001 ed.
  • Halliwell's Filmgoer's and Video Viewer's Companion
    Mugar Reference X PN1993.45 .H3 Library has: 11th ed. (1995).
    Beebe Reference PN 1993.45 .H3 Library has: 9th ed. (1990).
  • International Motion Picture Almanac
    Mugar Reference X PN 1993.3 .F29 Library has: Latest edition.
    Beebe Reference PN 1993.3 .F29 Library has: Latest edition.
  • International Dictionary of Broadcasting and Film
    Mugar Reference X PN1990.4 .B64 1995
  • The International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers
    Mugar Reference X PN1997.8 .F555 1984
  • The Oxford Companion to Film
    Mugar Reference X PN1993.45 .O9
    Mugar PN1993.45 .O9
  • Screen World
    Mugar PN1993.3 .F49 Library has: 1949, 1951 - present
  • World Film Directors
    Mugar Reference X PN1998.2 .W67 1987

          Television

Encyclopedia of Television
A three-volume encyclopedia with entries about television personalities, shows, genres, and other topics. Each entry concludes with a brief list of references to other sources of information. The final volume has an index to the entire set.
Mugar Reference X PN1992.18 .E53 1997

There are many other encyclopedias and dictionaries containing brief descriptive and bibliographic information about individual television shows and series. These often contain additional information, including compendia of the networks' prime-time schedules, lists of award winning or top-rated programming, etc. The following list is a highly selective introduction to the variety of these publications:

  • The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946 - Present
    Mugar Reference X PN1992.18 .B68 1999
  • International Television & Video Almanac
    Mugar Reference X PN 1992.1 .F56 Library has: Latest edition.
    Beebe Reference PN 1992.1 .F56 Library has: Latest edition.
  • Les Brown's Encyclopedia of Television
    Mugar Reference X PN1992.18 .B7 1992
  • Special Edition: A Guide to Network Television Documentary Series and Special News Reports, 1955 - 1989
    Mugar Reference X PN1992.8 .D6 E56
  • Television Drama Series Programming: A Comprehensive Chronicle, 1947 - 1984
    Mugar Reference X PN1992.3 .U5 [G48, G5, G49, G53, G532]
  • Television Specials: 3,201 Entertainment Spectaculars, 1939 - 1993
    Mugar Reference X PN1992.8 .S64 T37 1995
  • Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present
    Mugar Reference X PN1992.3 .U5 M3 1996

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Bibliographies and Catalogues

          Film

American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States
A series of books containing definitive bibliographic and descriptive information about U.S. feature films, including credits and plot summaries. The volumes issued so far cover films released from 1893 to 1950, and from 1961 to 1970. A separate volume, Within Our Gates: Ethnicity in American Feature Films, 1911 - 1960 (Mugar Reference X PN1995.9 .M56 W58 1997), documents the representation of ethnic groups in films of this period. All of the volumes in the AFI Catalog are extensively indexed to assist users in finding films, personal and corporate names, subjects, genres, series, and more.
Mugar Reference X PN1998 .A1 F71
DocuSeek - is a search site for independent documentary, social issue, and educational videos available            in the U.S. and Canada.  Costs vary.
Film Index International [Emerson College Library
A CD-ROM containing bibliographic information for individual films from all countries and in all languages, and biographical information about film personalities. The CD-ROM is based on a database maintained by the British Film Institute. Entries for films include credits, plot synopses, awards, and references to periodical articles. This database is available in the Emerson College Library.
FIAF Treasures from the Film Archives
An online catalog of the silent films available in the collections of member institutions of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF).
The Critical Index: A Bibliography of Articles on Film in English, 1946 - 1973, Arranged by Names and Topics
A "guide to articles about directors, producers, actors, critics, screenwriters, cinematographers, specific films, and 175 topics dealing with the history, aesthetics, and economics of film, the relation of film to society, and the various genres of film. It consists of 5000 items from 22 film periodicals...and more than sixty general periodicals, indexed by proper name...and by topic..."
Mugar Reference X Z5784 .M9 G47
The New Film Index: A Bibliography of Magazine Articles in English, 1930-1970
Intended to update the Film Index (see next entry), this is a bibliography of magazine articles about film. There are sections devoted to motion picture arts and crafts, film theory and criticism, film history, biography, the motion picture industry, film and society, and nonfiction films.
Mugar Reference X Z5784 .M9 M29 1975
Film Index: A Bibliography
A comprehensive bibliography of writings about film published through 1936. The bibliography was compiled by the WPA Writers' Project. There are three volumes, covering the film as art, the film as industry, and the film in society.
Mugar Reference X Z5784 .M6 F4

Television

BCTV: Bibliography on Cable Television
An annual bibliography of books, dissertations and theses, magazine articles, and news articles about cable television.
Mugar Reference X Z7711 .B37 Library has: 1975 - present

Guides and Handbooks

On the Screen: A Film, Television, and Video Research Guide
A guidebook to research materials for the study of film, television, and video. The guide lists bibliographies, dictionaries and encyclopedias, indexes and databases, catalogs, directories, and more.
Mugar Reference X Z5784 .M9 F535 1986

Websites

             DVD and Video at BU

             BU Catalog:  For films in the Reserve room in Mugar Library, search our catalogue.  Use SUBJECT                                  E.G., Feature Films, Short Films, Experimental Films, Film Noir, Documentary Films, and more.                                         There are 23 new DVD/VCR players in the Microform Room atMugar, lower level.

Geddes Language Center Catalog of Holdings
A catalog of materials, including videotapes and DVDs, available in the collection of Boston University's Geddes Language Center. The collection contains many foreign-language films. Geddes is located at 685 Commonwealth Avenue. "The Center's Laboratory is open to all members of the Boston University community and welcomes visitors and guests."
Krasker Film/Video Services Online Catalog
An online catalog of more than 15,000 titles on film, videocassette, laserdisc, and DVD. Krasker Film/Video Services is part of Boston University's Media Group. Krasker is located at 985 Commonwealth Avenue. Use of its facilities and collection is restricted to current faculty, students, and staff of the university.
Books in Print
The Books in Print database includes information on video and DVD titles available for purchase.

          Footage on the Web

Footage.net Global Search
This search engine performs a global search of the collections of hundreds of major stock footage sources. Mugar Memorial Library has a copy of Footage: North American Film and Video Sources, a comprehensive directory of sources for footage.
Mugar Reference X PN 1993.4 .F69 Library has: Latest edition (1997)

Other Websites

The Internet Movie Database
Owned by Amazon.com, this popular Web database contains information about films, directors, actors, screenwriters, cinematographers, producers, etc. The database catalogs "every pertinent detail about a movie, from who was in it, to who made it, to trivia about it, to filming locations, and even where you can find reviews and fan sites on the web." Though this is not a scholarly database, it reflects the considerable effort that is made to present reliable and accurate information.
Market and Advertising (Research Guide from BU) - See bottom of page for television sources.

 

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Diane d'Almeida (dalmeida@bu.edu )
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