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ENG 381 Course Research Guide

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  • Elizabeth Peterson, Literature Librarian | emp@uoregon.edu | (541) 346.3047

This is a guide to the library and research materials you may find useful to accomplish the objectives of ENG 381--Film, Media & Culture / Winter 2009.

Search tip: Use the FindText icon FindTextto locate complete articles in online databases or in paper in the library.

Background & Definitions

These sources explain the major theoretical approaches and definitions used in the study of screen media. Includes key terms and concepts, overview essays, and profiles of major influential people.

Film Information (plot synopses, cast & crew)

  • American Film Institute Catalog
    A source for information about all American feature films produced between 1893-1971. Includes production credits, plot summaries, and cross-indexing of themes and genres. Especially useful for the bibliographies that accompany each entry.
  • Chronicle of the Cinema | KNIGHT REF PN 1993.5 .A1 C5 1995
    A year-by-year account of feature film productions. Great for contextual information, movie posters, and publicity photos.
  • Internet Movie Database 

Biographical Information

Film Industry Information

  • Encyclopedia of Exhibition | PN1993 .E539
    Especially useful for its statistics section, which includes historical data about movie theaters, film revenues, and movie audiences.
  • Film Daily Yearbook of Motion Pictures | PN1993.3 .F5
    An annual compilation of films released, statistics about theaters, industry information, studio financial information, and much more. UO has 1930, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1936, 1938, 1945, 1960, 1961.
  • International Motion Picture Almanac | PN 1993.3 .I55
    An annual compendium of information about the film industry, including statistics, distribution circuits, theaters, sales and revenue, and much more. UO has 1937-present). See also The Motion Picture Almanac (1929-1936)
  • The New Historical Dictionary of the American Film Industry | KNIGHT REF PN1993 .5 .U6 S539 1998
    Brief but substantive entries on all aspects of the American film industry. Especially useful for the bibliographies of suggested reading for many entries.
  • The Numbers
    Provides current and historical business information about the film industry. The database includes 10,000 movies and about 500,000 separate pieces of information.
  • WorldWide Box Office, 1899-2001
    Provides information about worldwide movie ticket sales. Be sure to check out their sources page for additional data.

Social/Political/Historical Context

  • American Popular Culture Through History series
    • 1920s | KNIGHT REF E169 .1 .D796 2004
    • 1930s | KNIGHT REF E169 .1 .Y59 2002
    • 1940s | KNIGHT REF E169 .1 .S559 2004
    • 1950s | KNIGHT REF E169 .12 .Y69 2004
  • Chronology of World History | KNIGHT REF D11 .M39 1999
    What else was happening in the world in the year your film was made--in politics, science, culture, daily life? This is one-stop shopping for bite-size contextual information.
  • The Columbia Chronicles of American Life, 1910-1992 | KNIGHT REF E169 .1 .G664 1995
  • New York Times (1851-2004)
  • Readers' Guide Retrospective (1890-1982)
    An index to articles in general-interest, news, and opinion magazines such as Time and Newsweek. Especially useful for film reviews, celebrity profiles and interviews, and film publicity masquerading as news.

Film Criticism/Cultural Studies

Use these databases to find articles from newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journals.

Film Reviews

Books & Films Not Available at UO 

  • Summit Catalog
    Summit is a Northwest consortium of libraries that doubles our collection. You can borrow books not owned by the UO Library by selecting the Request Item option.
  • WorldCat
    Provides access to library catalogs from around the world. To obtain materials you find, use the interlibrary loan form. 

Information about Journals


Maintained by: Elizabeth Peterson, emp@uoregon.edu
Last Modified: 04/01/2009