Movie buffs now have a new place on the Internet to call home.
The brainchild of Nebraskans Alex Olson and Nick Barry, www.filmcrave.com was officially launched last August, but the site came out of beta testing just last month.
FilmCrave is a social networking site similar to Facebook, offering friends and like-minded people a place to meet and stay connected. Where this site seeks to distinguish itself from others is in its focus. Designed with the movie fan in mind, the site offers an array of features to keep the user involved. Like Facebook, registration to the site is free and requires only a valid e-mail address.
Almost all of the content on the site is user-generated, and that content is heavily interactive. Each member can contribute either quick movie reviews or longer, in-depth reviews, as well as a simple star rating to any one of the thousands of movies indexed on the site.
FilmCrave then compiles all the member movie ratings into a cumulative rating for each movie, giving a "Top Movie List" of the 100 highest-ranked titles. Members can create their own top movie list to compare to the overall top movies or to the lists of other members.
Typically, most sites have little incentive for users to build the site. FilmCrave offers unique titles for members based on their contributions. For each review and rating, the member is awarded points. As the member accumulates points, they get a new title on the site. As members go up the ladder from "Aspiring Actor" to "Movie God," they gain access to new features, such as longer movie lists.
Despite having these in-depth features, the site caters to the casual movie fan as well. Movie fans can find a list of movies coming soon to theaters, as well as dozens of trailers for those upcoming features.
According to Olson, the site is looking to expand its offerings in the near future. Searchable show times by zip code, a personal blog and a movie forum to discuss films in greater detail will be offered.
The site is not without its drawbacks. Much like MySpace, advertisements can clutter the main page and distract some first-time users. Additionally, it lacks the benefits of other non-niche sites; there are no photo albums to browse and no events to create.
Between MySpace, Facebook and the panoply of other ways we stay connected, the world may not need another networking site. But FilmCrave proves its mettle in providing a unique and engaging way to connect its members. Allowing the users to grow the site organically results in an easy-to-understand interface that offers a wealth of information for both the casual fan and the aficionado.
Film fans, this one's for you.
jeffhall@dailynebraskan.com
