Movies have the power to enrich our lives and inspire us in ways we never imagined. While easily accessible and digestible movies on platforms like Netflix are great, there’s so much more to discover. Independent cinema offers unique perspectives and stories that can broaden our horizons. And there’s nothing quite like the experience of visiting the cinema, immersing yourself in a new world, and sharing the joy of film with others. Finding hidden gems, exploring different cultures and stories – the moving image has so much more to offer. Let your imagination run wild and your spirit soar.
Check out our new sister site, What Movie to Watch Tonight →.
Discovering and Watching Movies
as a hobby
AKA: Cinephilia • Film Studies
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Movies touch our hearts and awaken our vision, and change the way we see things. They take us to other places, they open doors and minds. Movies are the memories of our lifetime, we need to keep them alive.
Martin Scorsese
Helpful content to get started
We curated content to familiarize you with discovering and watching movies as a hobby and to inspire and help you get started.
We strive for accuracy, but errors may occur. Always use your judgment.
Refer to the listed resources for further research.
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Film has dream, film has music. No form of art goes beyond ordinary consciousness as film does, straight to our emotions, deep into the twilight room of the soul.
The Magic Lantern : An Autobiography
Basic lingo for orientation.
- Cinematography: The art of capturing images using a camera, including lighting and camera angles.
- Diegetic Sound: Sound that originates from within the scene, such as dialogue or music played by characters.
- Filmography: A list of films connected by specific criteria, such as an actor’s filmography.
- Goof: A goof in filmmaking is a mistake that appears in the final released picture.
- Indie Cinema: Indie films are traditionally made outside Hollywood studios, focusing on unique stories, lower budgets, and creative freedom. Today, some studio-backed films may also be considered indie if they emphasize artistic exploration and unique storytelling.
- Mise-en-scène: The arrangement of everything within a frame, including actors, props, and setting.
- Montage: A technique of editing that involves the assembly of shots to convey a meaning or tell a story.
- Post-credits Scene (also known as a stinger, end tag, or credit cookie): A post-credits scene is a short clip that appears after the credits, often rewarding viewers with additional story elements.
- Revival Houses (repertory cinema or rep house): A specialized theater that focuses on screening classic or notable older films rather than the latest releases.
Partial list of cinema movements
- Cinema Novo: A political and artistic film movement that originated in Brazil in the 1960s and aimed to portray the realities of the Brazilian people, especially the poor and oppressed, with a critical and aesthetic perspective.
- Dogme 95: A manifesto-based film movement that was initiated by Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg in 1995 and advocated for a return to a more pure and authentic form of filmmaking, free from artificiality, technical gimmicks, and genre conventions.
- French Impressionism: An avant-garde silent film movement that emerged in France after World War I and focused on enhancing each frame’s aesthetic qualities and portraying the characters’ psychological states.
- French New Wave: A radical and innovative film movement that flourished in France in the late 1950s and early 1960s and challenged the conventions of Hollywood cinema with unconventional narratives, editing, cinematography, and sound.
- German Expressionism: A dark and stylized film movement that developed in Germany after World War I and used distorted sets, lighting, and shadows to create a sense of horror and alienation.
- Hong Kong New Wave: A vibrant and diverse film movement that emerged in Hong Kong in the late 1970s and early 1980s and showcased the talents of directors such as John Woo, Tsui Hark, Wong Kar-wai, and Ann Hui.
- Iranian New Wave: A cinematic renaissance that began in Iran in the late 1980s and early 1990s and produced some of the most acclaimed films of world cinema, such as those by Abbas Kiarostami, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Jafar Panahi, and Asghar Farhadi.
- Italian Neorealism: A gritty and realistic film movement that emerged in Italy after World War II and depicted the harsh realities of poverty, oppression, and injustice in post-war society.
- New Hollywood: A creative and experimental film movement that dominated American cinema in the late 1960s and early 1970s and reflected the social and cultural changes of the era with more complex, ambiguous, and controversial themes and characters.
- Soviet Montage: A revolutionary film movement that originated in Soviet Russia in the 1910s and introduced the technique of montage, which is the editing of shots to create meaning and emotion.
Term Videos
How to break the ice and make a start. One Aha! moment is all you need.
- Find what movie to watch tonight.
- Watch these videos for inspiration.
- Consider watching a movie about movies.
- Choose a movie recommendation website and rate movies you have already watched.
- Try one of the recommendations.
- Rewind and repeat.
💡TIP: If the movie you want to watch isn’t available on your paid streaming service, use JustWatch to find free streaming options. If none are available, set a notification for when it becomes available for free.
First Steps Videos
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Step-by-step tutorials.
How-To Videos
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Good movies have the potential to capture a trifecta of meaning: they can be enjoyable, engaging, and empowering. In other words, we experience pleasure, focused attention and concentration, and are inspired toward the good or reach new insights into ourselves, others, or the human condition.
Character strengths cinematherapy: Using movies to inspire change, meaning, and cinematic elevation
Essentials to have.
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Further reading.
Cinema Movments and History
- 13 Film Movements That Shaped Cinema – MasterClass
- Film Movements – Explore History Of Art Cinema | CinemaWaves
- Guide to Film Movements (History of Art Cinema), a list of films by Billy Bibbić • Letterboxd
Benefits of Cinema
- Can Movies Help You Become a Better Person? | Greater Good Magazine
- Character strengths cinematherapy: Using movies to inspire change, meaning, and cinematic elevation | Journal of Clinical Psychology
- Watching Movies for Your Mental Health | Psych Central
- Why watching a movie could improve wellbeing | Brain Sciences – UCL – University College London
Movie Lists
- CC40 | The Criterion Collection
- Free Public Domain Films from the National Film Registry | Library of Congress
- IMDb Top 250 Movies
- Public Domain Greats – Movies List on MUBI
- The 25 Best Indie Movies of All Time – IMDb
- Lists • Letterboxd
Collecting Movies
Video Articles
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Go-tos for information.
Cinema Movments and History
Movie News
- Movie News | Hollywood Reporter
- Movie News | ScreenRant
- Notebook – Daily International Film Publication | MUBI
Streaming Guides
- IMDb: Ratings, Reviews, and Where to Watch the Best Movies & TV Shows
- JustWatch – Cinema and Streaming Guide
- Streaming Service Search Engine
- Yidio – Streaming Guide for TV Shows & Movies
Curated Streaming Services
- Criterion Closet Picks | The Criterion Collection
- MUBI | Hand-picked Films
- The Criterion Channel | A Movie Lover’s Dream
Movie Discovery and Recommendations
- Gnovies – Discover new Movies
- Letterboxd • Social film discovery.
- Movie-Map – Find Similar Movies
- TasteDive | Movie recommendations
- What Movie to Watch Tonight — One human-generated recommendation.
DVD and Blu-ray
Website Previews
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Nothing like a good film or a show for inspiration.
Movie and TV Trailers
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A film is – or should be – more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what’s behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later.
Stanley Kubrick
Get a clue.
What are the benefits of cinema?
Engaging with cinema offers numerous benefits. It provides a deep emotional connection, directly impacting our personal growth and well-being. Cinema can positively influence our mental health, offering a source of enjoyment and inspiration. Additionally, it acts as a catalyst for exploring new hobbies and gaining fresh perspectives on life, helping us discover new aspects of ourselves and the world around us.
How do I find the next film to watch?
Try movie recommendation engines. Streaming guidesoften have a recommendation system as well. If you want others to pick films for you, try curated streaming services.
I have a movie I would like to watch but it isn’t included in my streaming subscription, how can I watch it?
Recommendation engines and streaming guides, as JustWatch, usually show streaming options based on your location. Often, there are free options (potentially with ads). If no free options are currently available, JustWatch will notify you when one becomes available. So don’t be discouraged if a movie isn’t included in your streaming subscription.
What is indie cinema?
Indie cinema traditionally refers to films produced outside major Hollywood studios, with lower budgets and independent financing. Recently, some major studios have created indie divisions, blurring the lines. These films often have smaller budgets, rely on film festivals and smaller theaters for distribution, offer greater creative control, and explore unconventional themes. The “indie” label is subjective, with some insisting on complete independence and others recognizing the evolving support from major studios.
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Regular cinema trips may help boost wellbeing, according to a new study which shows a few hours behind the big screen has positive benefits on a person’s mental and physical state.
Why watching a movie could improve wellbeing | Brain Sciences – UCL – University College London
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Additional advice for beginners.
- Enhance your cinematic journey with knowledge. Visit resources like IMDB’s “Did you know” section for Trivia, Goofs, Quotes, Alternate Versions, Connections, and Soundtracks. For example, check out The Fall (2006) IMDB page.
- When you come across a movie you’d like to watch, add it to your list—preferably on your favorite streaming guideor movie discovery platform. Stay vigilant about it!
- Look out for post-credits scenes.
- Keep track of the movies you’ve seen, preferably using a streaming guide or movie recommendation engine. This makes it easy to return later to research similar films, explore works by the same creators, or revisit old favorites when you lack the motivation to find new ones. It will also make it easier for you to recommend movies to others.
- Go beyond Netflix with curated streaming services, such as MUBI and The Criterion Channel
- Research thoroughly. Go wide and deep, and use different tools and resources.
- Search for local initiatives and film clubs, such as The CineSkinny Film Club.
- Explore classics and the history of cinema for free by discovering Public Domain movies.
- Search for local independent cinemas, and visit them.
- Get out of your comfort zone – explore different genres from different times and different places.
- Follow a cinema podcast.
- When you don’t find a new movie inspiration, re-watching an old favorite is always rewarding.
- JustWatch displays streaming options in your area. It shows free options as well, so you are not confined only to your streaming subscription. If no free options are currently available for a movie you want to watch, you can request notifications for when one becomes available.
- Subscribe to cinema newsletters or YouTube channels for automated inspiration.
- “Video Killed the Radio Star,” the song goes, but a few radio stars survived. Similarly, streaming almost killed video stores. Almost, but not quite. There is still one last Blockbuster, and a few more video stores out there, along with media stores that have video sections. They can provide a unique way to explore new movies. Who knows, maybe you will support a video store revival. It kind of makes sense—there are still music stores, so why not video stores? In fact, sales of DVDs and Blu-rays are on the rise.
- There are still companies making special edition boutique Blu-rays for you to collect. There is even a website dedicated to Blu-rays, with an active community.
Video Tips
I think cinema, movies, and magic have always been closely associated. The very earliest people who made films were magicians.
Francis Ford Coppola
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| Activities | |
|---|---|
| Fields | Arts, Education, Entertainment and Media, History and Culture, Language and Communication, Music, Social Activism, Spirituality |
| Locations | |
| Participants | |
| Skills | Active Listening, Attention to Detail, Communication, Concentration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Cultural Awareness, Emotional Intelligence, Empathy, Language Skills, Research |