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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) |
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This FAQ page has been compiled
to help site visitors with many of their frequently-asked questions.
Each week, these are the most common requests or questions -
and
these are my most helpful answers to the same repetitive questions.
All
external links throughout the site will open in a new browser window.
Filmsite.org does not necessarily endorse external sites.
A. If you are interested in advertising on this site, please contact Tim Dirks at Filmsite, Email to: A. Many visitors have been extremely helpful in suggesting various corrections or clarifying various points. The site's author appreciates the time that visitors take to submit corrections. It is wonderful to have contact with so many other film buffs who are extremely well-versed in the details of specific films. If you would like to submit a correction or feedback to the author, please send an email to Tim Dirks: Please include the page URL. This Website contains some material submitted and created by third parties. By making a submission, users automatically grant to Filmsite a license to all uses of the submitted material, and individuals give up any rights or privileges they might possess as owner of the submitted material. Material submitted by visitors becomes the sole and exclusive property of Filmsite. Filmsite excludes all liability for any illegality arising from or error, omission or inaccuracy in such material.
A. Only small portions of the site have been reproduced or reprinted on a limited basis. However, please contact Filmsite with legitimate offers on publishing/printing some of the site's contents. Please contact the Author/Manager:
A. The site first appeared in May of 1996, so it has been around since the early days of the Web, and it has grown tenfold or more since then. The original intent of this site was to provide a depth of informational content in a subject area that is often presented elsewhere with splashy, graphics-rich, content-devoid style. The site's author, Tim Dirks, has been an amateur film buff for many years, stretching back many decades, and his philosophical thrust was to create an educational, inspiring resource. The site's information has been written and extensively researched and cross-checked from primary and secondary sources, and its approach to film has often been endorsed by the late film critic Roger Ebert. The take-away message is that anyone interested in films (past or present) can come to a deeper appreciation of how to watch motion pictures more intelligently, be more selective in viewing choices, and begin to understand the historical background and perspective of cinematic history and how it has influenced the film industry in general. The site's originator/author Tim Dirks has often been called upon to provide original material from Filmsite.org for film studies courses, magazine, newspaper and web articles, radio shows, other film-related websites, and even for film featurettes found on DVDs.
See other entries for Filmsite.org at the Internet Archives.
A. The site started out as an idea to capture some of the "Greatest Moments and Scenes" from classic films. As that evolved, it quickly became clear that each of the scenes needed to be placed in context, so that's when I came upon the idea to select 100 Greatest Films and review them in more depth. However, the importance of knowing some of the best moments/scenes in film history continues to be of interest - there's a large section in the site devoted to Greatest Scenes and subsets such as Best Tearjerkers, Best Kisses, Best Deaths, Scariest Scenes, etc. The site has already branched out far beyond choosing 100 Greatest Films and reviewing them in depth. There is a complete Film History by Decades section, the most comprehensive Academy Awards (Oscars) history on the Web, an illustrated Film Terms Glossary, a comprehensive survey of Film Genres, a Milestones of Cinematic Film section, a history of Greatest Visual and Special Effects, an extensive section on Greatest Film Quotes, and other various articles, such as The Most Controversial Films of All Time, History of Sex in Cinema, Greatest Plot Twists, Spoilers and Film Endings, Best Film Editing Sequences, Greatest War Films, and Greatest Box-Office Flops and Disasters. A. The lengthy
criteria for selection of the 100 Landmark films is fully
described on two pages (1)
(2) of the site. The criteria
include multiple elements, such as acting, script, directing,
technological/historical importance, awards recognition,
popular long-lasting appeal - and much more. Since the
site has been in existence for over a decade, we have completed
the 90s decade and now are well into the new millennium
- so there could be the need to update slightly, although
it takes more than a few years for a film to reach 'classic'
or 'landmark' status. Currently, all of the films in the
top 300 are from the 20th Century! A. At least in some sections of the site, there's an intentional slant toward classic films, for the simple reason that in the vast number of film-related sites on the Web, there are only a few that have any content about classic films. My site was originally designed to help change the perception that classic films were old, irrelevant, black/white pictures of a bygone era. Most sites today have reviews of the new releases in theatres or on DVD, and if there's any mention of classic films, it's because of those releases. Other than that, there's very little about older films. However, I have also thoroughly reviewed some of the more contemporary films, such as GoodFellas, The Shawshank Redemption, and Fargo, to provide some balance. There's quite a lot of mention of more recent films on the site, but not as full reviews.
A. Although it would be wonderful to find a web site where there were instant answers to everyone's questions, this site's author cannot accommodate these kinds of requests. This website was not designed to provide individual help for students in their schoolwork, although it does offer a wealth of useful information on many film-related topics.
A. You may find detailed descriptions of the site's terms of use agreement on the Terms of Use page, and the site's privacy policy on the Privacy page. A. Filmsite's reviews are catalogued on Rotten Tomatoes. Tim Dirks is a Tomatometer-Approved Critic. If you click on the logo below, you will be forwarded (within a new browser window) to Dirks' Filmsite section of the RottenTomatoes.com site.
A. The site provides a very useful Film Search page to answer these kinds of questions, and to suggest some of the best film database locations available on the Web. Type in a keyword that will specifically focus on your question, and you may find what you are looking for at the external site. Individual requests for answers are normally not accommodated. A. Although many sections of the site are constantly being updated or revised, it would be impossible to write-up or review every 'greatest film' ever released. A. Here are suggested ways to properly cite a Filmsite webpage in a footnote or in a bibliography (include the author, the title of the document, the title of the website, the owner or sponsor of the site, and a URL. The publication date or date of revision should also be included. If these are not available, give the date of access) - for example:
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Q. Who
should I inquire about advertisements? 
Its
creator and author Tim Dirks had been an amateur
film buff for many decades when the decision was
made to create an educational, inspiring resource
that capitalized on his movie knowledge.
In
2018, Tim Dirks was interviewed by the Decades
Channel (decades.com),
at a local LA area CBS affiliate TV studio, about the
films of 1968 (the 50th Anniversary). The program was
titled Decades Presents: 1968 - The Movies.
Filmsite's reviews are also available
on