By Kevin Johnson
Before visiting this site I was under the impression that it was
website devoted to showcasing independent films in an effort to make
them more well-known. I was immediately taken aback when the first
things that caught my eye on the home page were articles about Say
it isn't So, Kirsten Dunst, and the upcoming Scooby-Doo movie. At
the top of the page the logo touts ifilm as "the internet movie
guide." And outside of the news and features section this site
delivers a lot of original content in a very clean format.
With a genre-based menu bar and search field at the top of every page,
it's very easy to find something to your liking relatively quickly.
Each genre page gives a list of the twenty most viewed films of the
week and the twenty highest rated films of all time which is a nice
touch because it lets newcomers see what people are watching now and
what people have considered the best. This little feature gives an
immediate sense of a community that is active and participatory (the
twentieth most viewed film had over 8000 views). This is further exhibited
by the "submit your film" link at the bottom of every page.
Not only are you encouraged to watch and discuss, but also to put
your own work out for all to see.
With tons of content (ifilm is affiliated with Atomfilms, Mediatrip,
Nibblebox, and several others) and an environment that advertises
user participation, ifilm on the whole keeps the grass-roots spirit
of independent film. The one thing I found detracting was the abundance
of 'popular trash.' "News and features" about major Hollywood
films, emails from Hollywood agents, and a section titled "Gossip"
directly clash with the site's apparent mission of delivering as much
independent material possible. My only hope is that it is all a crafty
plan on their part to lure the tabloid junkies in so they can experience
something new in the movies section.