NEWSLETTER #14

mid-June 1997

To unsubscribe from this newsletter, send a blank message to newsletter-unsubscribe@mlists.imdb.com - *not* newsletter@imdb.com. To subscribe, fill out the survey form on the web site and check the box or send a blank message to newsletter-subscribe@mlists.imdb.com.

Welcome to issue 14 of the IMDb newsletter. The newsletter is intended to keep database users and contributors informed of the latest developments from the management team. Comments and suggestions are welcome and should be directed to newsletter@imdb.com. Issue 15 is scheduled for mid-August.

this issue edited by Jon Reeves

Contents

Short subjects:

• Studio Briefing
• Guest appearances changes
• Magazine covers added to bio list
• Privacy policy

Features:

• Supporting the IMDb
• Trivia-spotters handbook

Trailers:

• Hot searches
• Hot movies
• IMDb in the news
• Software changes
• Database statistics
• Future developments

STUDIO BRIEFING

IMDb has partnered with Lew Irwin at StudioBriefing to bring you daily Movie and TV news. Each day's news will be posted on the site between 10 AM and 1 PM Pacific Time.

We hope to secure other sources of news over the coming months.

GUEST APPEARANCES CHANGES

The guest appearance data has been spun off from the biography list into its very own section. To accommodate the change a new keyword, GUEST, has been created which supersedes the original GA: tag.

Full details of submissions for the GUEST keyword can be found here.

MAGAZINE COVERS ADDED TO BIO LIST

A new field has been added to the biographies list which records magazine covers that people have appeared on. The format for the new field is:

CV: * "journal" (country), date, Vol. vol, Iss. iss

e.g.:

IMDb PRIVACY POLICY

US readers may have read about concerns over privacy on the net. We're in the middle of writing our formal privacy policy which will be published on the site. In the meantime just to point out that IMDb respects the privacy of its users; unless you enter a contest (in which case we may share it with the sponsor) or write a bio or plot without asking us to withhold your name or address, we don't release your e-mail addresses (or any other personal information for that matter) to anybody outside the company for any reason and under any circumstances. We may provide aggregated statistical data from the surveys, and of course any movie data you provide us (including movie ranking votes) becomes part of the database.

SUPPORTING THE IMDb

This is a follow-up article to the similarly titled one published in the March newsletter which highlighted the importance of supporting the database by visiting our sponsors sites through clicking on the ad banners whenever you see something of interest.

The purpose of this follow-up is to draw your attention to another area covered in the original article where we need your help. IMDb is an independent site (and we like it that way) but it does mean there are fewer opportunities and resources for us to promote and market the database than exist at other sites which are part of global media empires.

Please remember to tell friends, family and co-workers about the site. If you can't easily recall our primary URL, remember that the site is also available at:

http://www.moviedatabase.com/

so just typing 'moviedatabase' in modern versions of Netscape and MS Internet Explorer will get you to the site quickly.

We encourage you to mention the site in USENET articles, .signature files and on your own personal web pages. If you maintain a movie or celebrity fan page don't forget you can link direct to any name or title in the database as described in our linking guide.

Similarly if you come across sites on your travels around the web which could be improved by such linking, please point them at the above URL.

Feel free to nominate us for any awards, cool site services and so on too. If you've not already seen them, there's a good collection of quotes on the site from professional reviewers.

Just as this newsletter was being finalized we were adding the finishing touches to a downloadable IMDb demo to show off the depth and breadth of the IMDb. This is a self-extracting archive for Windows 95/NT/3.1 which contains around 50 selected IMDb pages in a revolving demo, taking you on a tour at the rate of a couple of pages per minute with jumping off points to the live site available throughout. You can view the demo and download it.

A regular zip file version containing the demo pages is also available for non-Windows users. Point your browser at the index.html file to start the demo locally.

Please download a copy and pass it around whenever you get the opportunity. In particular if you have contacts at Internet/computing magazines which carry a cover CD-ROM, let them know they are most welcome to distribute the demo.

Thanks for your support as ever.

TRIVIA SPOTTERS HANDBOOK

INTRODUCTION

When the Lumière brothers first demonstrated their primitive "moving pictures," they could have hardly guessed that a mere century later people would be spending hundreds of millions of dollars on creating movies. Even when compared to today's cost of living, $100 million is an incredible amount of money to spend producing a single piece of "entertainment," and yet it happens several times over each year.

It seems that every year a new film inherits the title of "The Most Expensive Film Ever"; Blade Runner (1982) was considered a financial juggernaut when it weighed in at $27 million, a sum which would barely produce a romantic comedy today. With some reports putting the budget of Titanic (1997) at $240 million, it's obvious that the playing field has enlarged considerably in the last 15 years.

One factor that has permitted the budgets of films to increase is the discovery of the power of merchandising. It's become almost routine for a large budget film to be accompanied or even preceded by an avalanche of action figures, drink cups, posters, T-shirts, and memorabilia. It's nearly impossible to walk into a fast food chain and not see a promotion for the latest Hollywood blockbuster. As well as providing money, such merchandising increases visibility for a film, which in turn contributes to the profit margin.

Always looking to exploit the public's cultivated thirst for movie information, "The Making Of" television specials often appear around the time that a major film is released. Producers have recognized that the process of actually spending $100 million can generate just as much public interest as what the $100 million actually achieves. From their humble beginnings as journalistic documentaries, "The Making Of" specials have grown to be a vital marketing component of big-budget films; the crews responsible sometimes receive billing in the credits of the movie itself.

The fact that these specials are made indicates that there is some market for information about the magic of making films: how do we create seamless alternative realities? What's it like to be around celebrities? What created the film as it stands today? What was nearly done differently? Can we better understand the film and the filmmakers by understanding the production history and the personalities and events involved?

It is this thirst for background understanding that gave birth to what is now the Trivia section of the Internet Movie Database. A very early version of the Goofs List had an entry for Out of Rosenheim (1988) (aka Bagdad Cafe) which indicated that during the opening credits, the shadow of the camera crew could be seen on the ground. I happily included this goof, as it seemed to be another example of sloppy filmmaking. A few weeks later, however, I received email from an astute reader who indicated that maybe this "mistake" was deliberate: the shadow is only visible while the credits for the cinematographer were on screen!

I was immediately struck by the subtlety of this possibility: the credits directly inform us who has created the film, but at a less conscious level we are told the same information by seeing this person's shadow on the ground. The credits on the screen and the "breaking of the fourth wall" formed a synergy that sparked my interest.

Movies are loaded with subtleties that can only be appreciated when you know relevant background information: had this reader not known what a cinematographer's function in filmmaking was, I would have continued to label this brilliant shot an filmmaking error. I began to look for further instances of "messages" or "in-jokes" in film - the more I looked, the more I found.

These items were included in the Movie Goofs list, but their popularity soon made it apparent that they deserved their own list. The Trivia List was born, and has never looked back! Today, it is approximately twice the size of the Goofs List, and continues to grow each week.

WHAT EXACTLY IS "TRIVIA"?

As well as documenting "did you notice"-type events in films, the Movie Trivia file originally contained the answers to some "frequently asked questions" about movies, such as:

(a) What was the origin of the "stinking badges" line in Blazing Saddles (1974)?

(b) Which film is the most expensive of all time?

(c) Which famous black and white films have been colorized?

These questions were frequently asked in rec.arts.movies, the forum in which the Trivia List was originally published. Since its incorporation into the Internet Movie Database, the questions posed above are better answered by other sections of the database: we have sections for Quotes, Business Information, and Versions. Storing this information again in the Trivia List would duplicate effort, and lead to possible quality control problems.

Unfortunately, the name "Trivia List" has stuck although the contents have changed over the years. Perhaps a more accurate description would "a collection of behind-the-scenes and did-you-notice information that allows us to see films in a different light." Perhaps this could be shortened to "Production Information," but that is uncomfortably close to the existing "Business Information" section.

So what is left in the Trivia List? Essentially, it records significant, unexpected, unusual, or interesting events that affected the production of the film. It also documents subtle references to other movies and or the movie industry. There are two important parts to this definition. First, unlike most other sections of the IMDb, the contents of the Trivia List are not entirely objective. Second, the items in question must have affected the production of the film.

THE TRIVIA LIST IS SUBJECTIVE

What is interesting or unexpected for one movie fan does not necessarily hold true for others.

As editor of the Trivia List, I often have to make judgment calls about how "interesting" a particular piece of trivia is. In some cases it's easy: if it's scandalous or in poor taste, it is rejected. The difficult cases are situations where I am unfamiliar with the film and/or events in question. In these cases, the IMDb's foundation of user support in invaluable. Among the users of the IMDb are fans of nearly every genre of movie, and we rely on each of these groups to "police" their own field of expertise. The end result is that the data in the IMDb becomes more accurate and reflects to a greater extent the views of those who care enough about films to be proactive in utilizing the IMDb.

As with any part of the IMDb, we are open to suggestions and feedback regarding how to better present movie information. I've personally entertained many lengthy discussions regarding the merits or otherwise of individual items in the Trivia List. I tend to set a fairly stringent standards for trivia to satisfy before being included in the list, but it's not impossible to persuade me on particular items. In general, if your submission is similar to something that already exists in the list, chances are it will be included.

TRIVIA MUST AFFECT THE PRODUCTION

I often receive information that - while interesting and important - can't be included in the Trivia List because it didn't affect the film. Here are some examples:

(a) John Belushi's death by overdose is likely due to his depression following the box-office failure of Blues Brothers, The (1980)

(b) "Nine Inch Nails" used a sample from THX 1138 (1970) in their single "Closer"

Both of these items are related to specific films, but had absolutely no effect at all on the film itself, as they occurred after the film was completed:

Belushi's death is tragic, especially considering that although it bombed when released, Blues Brothers, The (1980) has subsequently been hailed as a masterpiece. His suicide had no effect on the making of the film. Accordingly, this information can be stored in Belushi's biographical entry.

Conversely, the events that transpire in Leaving Las Vegas (1995) take on a whole new significance when you understand that author John O'Brien (II) committed suicide while the film was being made, apparently afraid that the film of his life story would be a disaster. It's unquestionable that the suicide of the author had an effect on the filmmakers, and thus knowing this information adds to the viewing experience.

It's beyond the scope of the Trivia List to document the non-film phenomena that have been inspired by a particular film. This is an open-ended task; certainly an immense job if it is attempted for all films. Sampling is merely a single instance of this, and there is an entire web site devoted to this subject. Did you know that the $27 million juggernaut Blade Runner (1982) is the world's most sampled movie?

The Trivia List (and even the IMDb) can't hope to store all information that relates to every film. The Trivia List will go into a certain amount of detail describing production events, but beyond this level we draw the line. The Trivia List should have "good" trivia coverage over many films, rather than "exhaustive" coverage of a few at the expense of other equally worthy films.

I regularly encourage people who send in mountains of information on a particular film to publish the information themselves. We will be only too happy to link from a particular person/title to someone's WWW page. In this way, people's own interpretations beyond the guidelines for acceptable trivia can be found via the IMDb.

At the other end of the scale, the Trivia List is not designed to point out the obvious. We like to leave room for viewers to discover the major story-telling subtleties on their own. Having said that, however, it should be recognized that there are many plot "spoilers" in the Trivia list.

...AND THAT'S ALL?

Well, not quite. Movies have their urban legends, just like any other part of life. Despite being thoroughly debunked and specifically mentioned in the submissions guides, people still send in the ghost rumors about Three Men and a Baby (1987), and the suicide rumors from Wizard of Oz, The (1939). In the hope of eventually quashing these persistent rumors, I break the rules and make some mention of them in the Trivia List.

I enjoy editing the Trivia List, as it offers me the chance of deeper understanding of films. It's my hope that by providing this information, the IMDb helps distribute this chance for understanding to users. I also sincerely hope that users find the Trivia section of the IMDb an entertaining and informative resource.

A browser for the Trivia List is available.

HOT SEARCHES

Here's the most popular searches people have done lately, based on total pages for the week ending May 31.

Titles:

1. 10. Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997)
2. 17. Fifth Element, The (1997)
3. 5. Jerry Maguire (1996)
4. 1. Star Wars (1977)
5. 4. Batman & Robin (1997)
6. 35. Jurassic Park (1993)
7. 3. Romeo + Juliet (1996)
8. -. Addicted to Love (1997)
9. 9. Scream (1996)
10. 13. Star Wars: Episode I (1999)
11. 25. Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
12. 14. Pulp Fiction (1994)
13. 23. Basic Instinct (1992)
14. 2. Saint, The (1997)
15. 6. English Patient, The (1996)
16. 38. Men in Black (1997)
17. 192. Absolute Power (1997)
18. 27. Rock, The (1996)
19. 19. Independence Day (1996)
20. 18. Fargo (1996)

Well, just like the box office, The Lost World demolished the competition, with roughly a 3-to-1 margin, and brings its older brother up to #6 as well. Titanic slips to #22, probably because of the delays. Con Air at #35 at this pre-promotion snapshot. Scream has legs, but Chasing Amy dropped to #43. Huh factor: #84 Hellfire: A Journey from Hiroshima (1987) (OK, you folks must know *something* about it; send it in!).

People:

1. 1. Pamela Anderson
2. -. Milla Jovovich
3. 2. Tom Cruise
4. 3. Sharon Stone
5. 26. Renée Zellweger
6. 13. Sandra Bullock
7. 5. Brad Pitt
8. 38. Petra Verkaik
9. 8. Teri Hatcher
10. 9. Leonardo DiCaprio
11. -. Julianne Moore
12. 12. Kim Basinger
13. 6. Harrison Ford
14. 10. Demi Moore
15. 11. Alyssa Milano
16. 16. Michelle Pfeiffer
17. 7. Elisabeth Shue
18. 14. Mel Gibson
19. 24. Nicole Eggert
20. -. Kelly Preston

I see people have discovered Milla Jovovich's acting (and I use the word loosely) career. The drop of Harrison Ford is mildly surprising, though it mirrors the drop in Star Wars. And it's nice to see Julianne Moore getting recognition, even if it is just for screaming (OK, cheesecake boys: rent Short Cuts). Huh factor: #57 James Montgomery Flagg (only 1 behind Quentin Tarantino!); #102 Spike Cherrie. Jake Lloyd at #83 will probably rank higher next time.

HOT MOVIES

Movies opening in the US from mid-April to June sorted by number of votes (to June 5):

Movies opening in the US from mid-April to June sorted by average votes (to June 5):

IMDb IN THE NEWS

Just a few of the traditional media outlets that have mentioned us lately:

Washington Post. New Media Age. Fangoria. ZDF (TV, Germany). Courier-Mail (Brisbane Australia).

Watch for articles in: CNR Magazine (Spain)

And it's hardly "traditional media" but our time on top of the Netscape What's Cool page was certainly significant.

We've also won several new awards. See selections from the gallery here.

Yell for the UK (Reader's Choice nominee). UK Plus: Editor's Choice. CyberTeddy Top 500.

Our good friend Greg Bulmash's WASHED-UPdate has its awards:

Dr. Daniel's Movie Emergency: Panacea Pick of the Week.

And it was mentioned in:

Boston Phoenix. Washington Post. The Internet News with Charles Bowen. St. Paul Pioneer Press. Newsbytes. Internet Tourbus.

SOFTWARE CHANGES

Want to know what was happening in the movie industry in the year you were born? You can now browse over 100 years of movie history via our In This Year feature which is accessible via the main search page, the "go" menu and also by clicking on the year shown under the title on any movie page. A series of reports are available for each year, including a full list of titles; top grossing movies in the USA; main Academy Awards; most popular movies in our user poll; births, deaths and marriages; top countries and genres; world events; and finally, a title search which operates on titles for the chosen year. In addition you may browse various IMDb sections for each year, for example, look at goofs from last year or posters from 1948. A year by year index for each of the sections provides an alternate view of the same data. In This Year also provides convenient access to movies planned for the next two or three years.

We've created a separate mailing list for IMDb announcements to cover new features and updates to the site as they are added. To subscribe send a blank e-mail message to announce-subscribe@mlists.imdb.com

The biographies searcher has been extended to allow searches for all the births, deaths and marriages in a specific year and also to search by birth location (if you've ever wondered if your town has produced any celebrities). The biographies search is available via a link towards the bottom of the main IMDb search page

The "On this day in movie history" page now has links to the Studio Briefing news for that day (see earlier). We've also linked the birth/death/marriage years to complete lists of the corresponding information for the same year.

The local cinema schedules for the USA now includes a MovieLink form to obtain times and tickets for cinemas in your area.

On the local software front, Steffen Siebert's Alternative Movie Database package (AMD) is now available for Windows 95 and NT (text interface only) from the usual IMDb FTP sites.

DATABASE STATISTICS

This is a regular section giving information about the current size and growth of the IMDb. We receive between 50,000 and 75,000 additions every week (to all lists, not just those in the totals below) from users all over the world.

The most important milestone this month: 100,000 theatrical movies.

   Number of filmography entries: 1,642,728
   Number of people covered:        448,214
   Number of movies covered:        109,941

   Size of the database (Mb):           146

Recent milestones:
• 4,000 soundtracks
• 10,000 alternate names
• 10,000 titles with distributor entries
• 50,000 production company titles
• 50,000 cinematographer entries
• 100,000 director entries
• 100,000 theatrical movies
• 100,000 genre entries
• 250,000 miscellaneous filmography entries
• 300,000 actress entries

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

This is a regular section listing some enhancements we're currently looking at. Please bear in mind that some of these may take quite a while to come to fruition or even fail to materialize because the original volunteer decides not to proceed.

• a separate list of films in production, with their current status.
• outline list: a "one line" plot summary, short enough to display on the main title page.
• a list of "influential scenes"... the scenes that launched a thousand spoofs, became the director's trademark, changed cinema forever, launched a star.
• enhanced awards section for the database covering more international festivals, national film institutes etc.
• general support for alternate titles in languages other than English and the language of the producing country(s).
• a movie recommendation service that will use your vote records to suggest other movies you might enjoy. Initially available via an E-mail interface. Time to check you're up-to-date with your voting!

Academy Awards and Oscar are registered trademarks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. UNIX and X Window System are registered trademarks of The Open Group. The WASHED-UPdate is a trademark of Greg Bulmash. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.