MULTIMEDIA MOVIE REVIEWS WITH BLOCKBUSTER
A Review of Blockbuster Video Guide to Movies & Videos
by Susan Davis
Before I met my husband, I wasn't really a movie buff. I liked renting
new release movies, and I certainly went to see the best new movies of
the year in the theater. But it wasn't until I discovered the classics
that my interest was peaked once and for all. When I discovered Cary
Grant, Alfred Hitchcock, Spencer Tracy, and Kate Hepburn, I was
converted instantly into that crazed person who searches the video
shelves frantically, looking for just one more Hepburn/Tracy movie to
indulge in. I'm the person who grabs the box off the shelf, just so
nobody else can have it, until I've made up my mind whether or not to
rent it. I'm sure you know the type.
Until recently, I've been forced to pester numerous salespeople, many
of whom look too young to even know which films STAR Hepburn and
Tracy, much less tell me whether or not they have them in stock. But
now I've discovered Blockbuster Video's Guide to Movies and Videos,
and I'm well and truly in heaven, movie-style. The first thing I did
upon loading the software was to call up Spencer Tracy's biography.
Mixed in with the details of his career were all the movies he'd made,
as well as a list at the end. All I had to do was click on the name,
and the program would take me directly to the review. I even found a
few more movies I want to see. Now the question is whether or not I
can find a video store that carries them.
But, back to the program. The Guide is very well-informed. Although
each review is awfully short, the links that bounce to the main
actors' biographies, and the links to other movies, allow you to move
within the Guide with great ease. In just a few minutes, I read a
dozen reviews, skimmed a couple of biographies, watched some clear and
funny video clips, and generally gave the program a good once over.
The interface is easy to use, although it took a couple of minutes to
figure out exactly how it all worked, since there isn't a nice,
informative manual to show me how it all worked beforehand.
And with over 21,000 reviews and more than 10,000 biographies and
videographies, you have plenty to look for. The search routine is
incredibly easy to use. You can enter a search word or words,
narrowing things down that way, or you can search by Academy awards,
the movie's rank of one to five stars, or several other options. You
can compile lists, and can print results. I found the search routine,
which is one of the most crucial elements of a program of this type,
to be a delightful part of what seemed at first like an "inexpensive"
version of Microsoft Cinemania.
But inexpensive or not, Blockbuster Video Guide to Movies and Videos
is a rich and rewarding program for movie buffs and average movie
watchers alike. Whether you want to see every Abbott and Costello
movie ever made, or you just can't decide what movie to try to rent on
Friday night, the Guide has something for you. And if you get bored
reading and listening and searching, you can even play the Trivia
Game. If something interesting pops up on a trivia question, you can
follow the links from there to the review or the biography.
But the best feature of all from my pocketbook's perspective is the
update feature. For the cost of a movie rental a month, you can
download 50 to 100 new movie reviews every month from the 800 number
update service provided by UNET. For a movie and video review CD-ROM
that never goes out-of-date, this $19.95 offering is a great find for
anyone who ever watches movies, either on TV or on video. You get the
new along with the old, and you won't have to go out and buy the '97
version or the '98 version or the '99 version ...
Multimedia Cafe Scorecard
| Product: |
Blockbuster Video Guide to Movies & Videos |
| Company: |
Creative Multimedia, Inc.
|
| Cost: |
$19.95 |
System Requirements:
486SX-25 or higher running Windows 95 or Windows 3.1x,
4 MB of RAM (8 MB of RAM or more recommended);
7 MB of hard drive space (16 for best performance);
Video display capable of at least 640x480 resolution with 256 colors;
Double Speed CD-ROM or faster;
Soundblaster or compatible sound card with Windows drivers.
Update requirements: Hayes compatible 9600 baud (or higher) modem.
NOTE: Updates require a monthly fee.
Breakdown:
Entertainment Value 4
Educational Value 3
Concept 4
Depth 3
Interface 4
Overall Score:
Copyright © 1997 InfoMedia, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.