I love lists. I love films. Surely there exists an online application that allows me to log the films I’ve watched, which then recommends other films I’d probably like?
Last.fm has fulfilled my nitpicky needs for music, and frankly, I would never keep a manual log of music I’ve listened to. However, I do keep a handwritten diary of films that I’ve watched (and I’m comfortable with the image you may have of me after that confession!). The downside of a handwritten record is that, in this age of remix culture and endless tweaking, I can’t analyze the list in any way. So begins my search for the ‘Last.fm for films’.
My criteria include:
- a satisfying ratings feedback system (rating films must be fast and decisive)
- ability to filter, export and display list data (to display on this blog)
- a comprehensive list of film titles
- a solid and reliable recommendation system
I’m not trying to be impartial – this is a search for the best tool for me alone. Extra points will be awarded for:
- being UK-centred or at least not wholly USA-centric
- inclusion of social features (finding people with similar tastes in order to ‘steal’ recommendations from their lists)
I tested each website using a similar technique – I added ratings for a bunch of films (most of the sites require 10 ratings before any recommendations are made). As far as possible, I rated the same films on each website (a mix of my favourites e.g. ‘Rear Window’, ‘Aguirre, Wrath of God’, ‘Bigger than Life’, a selection of non-English-language films e.g. ‘The American Friend’, ‘Il Divo’, and popular films that I disliked e.g. ‘Once’, ‘Revolutionary Road’). Judging the ease of adding the ratings and the resultant recommendations informed the bulk of these conclusions.
Click ‘Read more’ below to read the full reviews of each of the websites.
Tim Major 