No.10 - RottenTomatoes.com
The lowdown: Aggregated movie reviews from hundreds of critics.
A lot of times, a movie critic won't like the movie you love. So how do you find a critic has the same taste in films? It's essential to only choose movies you'll enjoy these days, since theater tickets are so expensive. Head to RottenTomatoes.com to learn the average review scores for each movie from all the national critics. Chances are, if the ratings are high enough, you'll like it. You can even get to know certain critics with similar tastes to yours and use their recommendations.
No.9 - Gawker.com
The lowdown: A Manhattan-based site filled with entertainment news and gossip.
Men do not like to admit they read entertainment gossip, but you can't deny it's fun. Gawker.com is self-aware enough to understand what they cover isn't life or death. They have fun with it and don't bottom-dwell too often with Lindsay Lohan stories. Don't worry, they won't disgust you like TMZ or Perez Hilton. Whether you live in Manhattan or Kansas, it's interesting to read about the exclusive events and high-level gossip you otherwise wouldn't have known about.
No.8 - AintItCool.com
The lowdown: Critic Harry Knowles' website for true entertainment geeks.
If you want to dive deeper into movies, TV and comic books than average sites go, AintItCool.com is for you. They have been at the forefront of online entertainment geekery since 1996, a good 10 years before nerds started to become cool. Check out reviews, online chats and a forum where you can geek out about just about anything without feeling insecure.
No.7 - IMDB.com
The lowdown: The definitive almanac of every film/video-based production ever made.
Want to know who wrote the amazing score for Inception? Want to know who wrote Chinatown? Hell, want to know who the second grip was on Ishtar? IMDB.com has you covered.
No.6 - AVClub.com
The lowdown: TheOnion.com's smart and savvy pop-culture website.
While TheOnion.com is funny fake news, AVClub.com is 100% real, but written with the same level of humor and expertise. They cover everything in pop culture, and even review stand-up comedy albums, which usually don't get coverage. Their interviews with fringe celebrities go as deep and are as interesting as the A-list stars they feature. Every time you head here, you'll find some classic cult film to watch or something mainstream to get excited about.
No.5 - Tumblr.com
The lowdown: This is an innovative community that blends social networking with blogging.
The problem with reading blogs is how many bad ones you have to slog through to find quality. Then, once you find a good one, do you ever remember to go back for updates? Tumblr.com is the hottest new site in social networking. It allows you to build your own free blog and follow other blogs you like. You'll see when your favorite bloggers update on your homepage. Build up a group of similarly minded bloggers and you won't even need to search for new things to watch and read.
No.4 - FunnyOrDie.com
The lowdown: Original comedy videos from users and professionals.
Will Ferrell and Adam McKay decided to start a website, FunnyOrDie.com, with a filter on quality since other sites have become bogged down with unfunny content. The website has become the hottest place online for new comedy. The website has its own HBO show now and everyone from Lindsay Lohan to Roddy Piper is showing up in their comedy shorts. It is a great place to see A-list stars appearing in over-the-top roles you never expected.
No.3 - Hulu.com
The lowdown: Watch TV shows and clips from NBC, FOX, ABC, and select other networks.
Realizing some viewers no longer watch television, three major networks started to put their already-aired shows online for select periods of time. Current TV, PBS, USA, Bravo, Fuel TV, NFL Network, Syfy, Sundance, E!, Versus, and more have joined on. Hulu.com also started adding movies and online-only content. If your TiVo is full, head here to catch those shows you missed.
No.2 - Crackle.com
The lowdown: Watch movies, TV shows and original web series for free.
Since 2007, Crackle.com has offered full-length Hollywood movies, cult classic TV shows like The Tick and original series created for their site. This is always a fun place to discover something new. They focus on the genres of comedy, action, drama, sci-fi, and horror -- doing an amazing job of sorting through the piles of junk online and cherry-picking the best in fresh and classic entertainment.
No.1 - Metacritic.com
The lowdown: Aggregated music, game, TV, and movie reviews from the leading critics.
Metacritic.com is a savvy consumer's first stop before buying or watching anything. It is similar to RottenTomatoes.com, although obviously they cover more than film. Also, Metacritic.com's scoring method is unique. They convert each review into a percentage before taking a weighted average and giving a percentage grade. Plus, you can find content broken down by production. For example, if you like Mad Men, you can click and see the scores of all of the AMC series' seasons.
Sun Nov 28, 2010 5:06 am