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"All movies, they believe, are born equal and therefore, should they prove to be popular, they deserve their day in the sunshine...."

Updated 21/08/2007

Are you an armchair critic?

by Jacqueline Alexander

Have you seen the movie Blood Diamond? Or The Last King of Scotland? I have and I can thoroughly recommend both. Leonardo DiCaprio is superb in the former whilst Forest Whitaker is sublime in the latter. I could go on to describe the plots, characters, high points, low points and the scenes that either brought me to tears or forced me into hiding behind a nearby cushion. But I won't. I am not here to write a film review, I am here to write Web Watch.

It is not always easy to find a good movie and, in my case, it is almost impossible. How do you even begin to make a judgement? It can't be simply a question of finding a good director and sticking with him or her. Ron Howard has been responsible for some excellent work in the form of A Beautiful Mind and Apollo 13 but he is also guilty of bringing The Da Vinci Code to our local cinemas. This fact also negates the argument for selection by actor; Tom Hanks was one of the main characters in Apollo 13 but also played Dr Robert Langdon in the Da Vinci debacle. So how can you narrow down the margin for error?

The founders of Spout.com believe that if you find like-minded individuals with similar taste in movies and offer them a place to share their views, then you are on the way to finding a solution. And, judging by the number of members to this site, they are onto something.

If you are a web-regular, you have probably already heard of a site called imdb.com which seemingly lists all the movies and television series that have ever appeared on the big or small screen. You can find out who directed, produced, wrote and starred in the productions as well as when, how, and, sometimes, even why the movie was created. You get an idea of the content via a brief synopsis of the film and there is often a selection of reviews for good measure. It is a comprehensive resource but it is not designed to help you select a movie. Spout.com, however, is.

Rather than relying on anonymous reviews from equally anonymous reviewers, this site allows you to link up with people who share your taste. It doesn't matter whether you have a penchant for blood-thirsty gore or trivial tripe, Spout.com is not there to judge, it is there so you can find your movie buddies, share your opinion and make your recommendations.

The idea behind the site is a laudable. Apparently the four guys who got together to create Spout.com are film-makers or, more accurately, angry film-makers. Rick, Paul, Dave and Daryn claim to have witnessed, at first-hand, the demise of a huge number of excellent movies. Having managed to find their way into one of the many film festivals, these reputed masterpieces initially succeed only to fail when they fall foul of the powerful marketing and distribution machine in Hollywood. Spout.com wants to change their destiny by creating a more level playing field using people power. All movies, they believe, are born equal and therefore, should they prove to be popular, deserve their day in the sunshine. In theory, the outcome should ensure that meaningful, well-produced stories will find their audience - eventually. It is optimistic and idealistic but probably not realistic. However, it could happen and I, for one, wish them well.

The site caters for the casual observer as well as it does for the armchair critic. Trailers and synopses are included for each of the 15,000 movies listed on the site, all of which are categorised by genre and keyword. The search facility deserves a mention too. As you use the search panel to type in your desired film, a list of the likely options automatically appears before you even click 'search'. It makes the process both friendly and efficient - a nice touch.

Once you have joined the site, you are invited to select your favourite movies. Your choices will automatically link you with fellow fans. Once you get to know the site, you can chose which groups you want to join - there's quite an array of experts and amateurs all giving their tuppence worth on a diverse range of subjects and themes.

As with all good sites, there is always a but - and here it comes. I started this article recommending two films - two very good films. Each film on Spout.com is given a rating by the reviewers and guess what? Blood Diamond is deemed to be decidedly average by the contributors. I am not happy but the beauty of the site is that I can influence this outcome. I will be going back online to give it a five-star rating. Then I will feel the glow of satisfaction at having used my vote. If my input doesn't have the desired impact on the overall rating, I will seek out my movie buddies, rally support and make a difference.

This site says it is out to change the world and, you never know, it just might. Well, the movie world anyway. It's a start.

Jacqueline Alexander presents Web Watch every Tuesday at 5.45pm on BBC Radio Berkshire on 104.1FM, 104.4FM, 95.4FM, 94.6FM and DAB Digital Radio. To listen in, just visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/berkshire.

What is Web Watch?

Web Watch is broadcast on BBC Radio Berkshire, published in the Henley and South Oxon Standard and published online right here at web-watch.info.

As a cross-media project, Web Watch is designed to help you find the best sites here on the Internet.

You can catch Web Watch on air every Tuesday at 5.45pm when Jacqueline Alexander sits down with Phil Kennedy during the Drivetime show on BBC Radio Berkshire to chew the virtual fat.