• Box Office Mojo This is a great web site to find everything you wanna know about the box office. See how much a movie made, as well as how much it cost to shoot, and how much was spent on advertising and promotion. You'll find all that and more in this very cool, very handy web site where everything is easy to find and nicely laid out.
  
  
• The Hot Button This is a column written by David Poland who writes all about the film industry, especially the business side of it. Trust me, it's not as boring as I make it sound. I can honestly say that no one can touch him as far as informative and entertaining writing. He gets controversial at times (though I tend to agree with most of what he says), and I'm sure that there are plenty of people in show business who hate him, but that's only because his no-bullshit column takes no prisoners. Sure, he skewers those who deserve it, but he praises those who deserve it as well. Oh, he also writes movie reviews, and his reviews are my favorite right now. He has officially dethroned Roger Ebert.
  
  
• RogerEbert.com There is no movie critic on the planet more respected than Roger Ebert. He's the man. An intelligent guy with vast knowledge on the subject, his reviews are the best around. At least, they used to be. He's no longer my favorite critic, and many of his recent reviews leave me flabbergasted. And it doesn't help that his reviews often contain spoilers. However, he remains a respected critic, he knows movies better than anyone around, and his reviews are extremely well written.
  
  
• Internet Movie Database Wanna know who directed what, as well as the other movies he/she directed? Just go to the Internet Movie Database. This is the best web site available to find out who did what and when, as well as finding out lotsa other stuff having to do with movies. I use this web site whenever I wanna do a little research for a movie I'm reviewing. This web site is my most valued online tool.
  
  
• Movie-List If you like downloading movie trailers, then this is the place to go. They have TONS of trailers online, and they always seem to be the first ones to have the new trailers. Movie-List is THE online source for movie trailers.
  
  
• Ain't It Cool News At one time, Ain't It Cool News was my favorite web site. It's still great, but it's filled with rumors that tend to be complete lies, and some of the reviews are obviously written by studio plants. It's an awesome web site if you can sift through the crap to get to the good stuff. The design is horrible, some of the pages take forever to load, and the pop-up ads are really annoying, but the content makes it all worth it. The web site was created by Harry Knowles, and his site has made him a celebrity of sorts. I'm proud of the guy! By the way, if you think MY reviews are long-winded, ya gotta read Harry's!
  
  
• Movie City News This web site (which is run by The Hot Button's David Poland) displays catchy headlines that link to movie-related information from other web sites, show business publications like The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, and major newspapers from around the country. And sometimes they get the story themselves. It's sorta like a movie news version of The Drudge Report. This is an excellent web site that's updated many times a day.
  
  

DVD-RELATED WEB SITES

• DVD Price Search I'm a pretty cheap bastard, so this is the perfect web site for me. It has a really awesome search engine that tells you where to find your favorite DVDs for the lowest price on the Internet. Not only that, it lists special offers, deals, coupons, and discounts for online companies that sell DVDs. This web site is one of the Internet's best kept secrets.
  
  
• The Digital Bits If you're a DVD fanatic like me, then this is THE web site for the latest DVD news and reviews (usually before the DVD has even been released). Also, the creators of the site seem to have a lotta connections, and they also seem to have a big influence on what comes out on DVD. If you're a DVD lover, you should definitely check this site out several times a week.
  
  
• NetFlix Probably the best online DVD rental service out there, NetFlix is extremely convenient. I'm a very happy customer. For twenty bucks a month, I rent as many DVDs as I want (three at a time, though), and there's no specified return date. I can hold on to them for as long as I need to. I highly recommend NetFlix. Also, these guys have EVERYTHING in stock! Blockbuster Video is now competing by having their own online DVD rental service, but Blockbuster is an evil puritanical corporation, and I'd never give them my money.
  
  
• TVShowsOnDVD.com A while ago, I posted a message in a DVD forum. The subject, which I created, was about TV shows that I wanted to see on DVD, preferably entire season box sets. Some guy named Gord saw my post and E-Mailed me telling me about a web site he was starting. I looked at it, and thought it was a great idea, but it was still in the early stages. I replied to his E-Mail saying that I liked the concept, and that I looked forward to checking out the site once it was done. Well, it's done, and it's now the most influential web site of its kind, and it's easy to see why. The web site looks great, it's easy to use, and it's very cool. Over the last couple of years, it's become commonplace to release TV shows on DVD, and this web site played a huge role in that.
  
  

MISCELLANEOUS

• AJ's Little Piece of Misery This web site is the creation of a guy named AJ. He started off as my boss at a comic book store I worked at. Now he's one of my best friends. At first, he built this web site as a fluke, just a place to write whatever the hell he felt like. Now it's become more organized, and he writes about movies, music, and he also writes short stories and poetry. However, the centerpiece of the web site is his online journal. It's pretty damn depressing, AJ isn't the happiest guy in the world, but I really like his writing, and sometimes, his journals highlight his ability to write dark comedy. The guy could be a brilliant writer, unfortunately, he's a lazy ass. If you'd like to see an example of how good his writing is, check out "Redneck Jesus," a hilarious story he wrote, and my favorite work from him. You'll find that in his "My Writings" section. Hopefully one day, he'll get a scanner so he could post his twisted (and hilarious) artwork.

• Midtown Comics Unfortunately, I don't live a convenient distance from a really good comic book store, so I do my weekly comic book shopping online. I've tried a couple of online comic book retailers, but the best, and the one I use every week now, is Midtown Comics. Their web site is very convenient, you can pre-order on the Saturday before the comics are released, and I've never had a problem with them. If you're like me, and you're not near any good comic book stores, you should give them a try.

• Mile High Comics For back issues of comic books, whether it be Modern Age, Bronze Age, Silver Age, or even Golden Age, Mile High Comics is second to none. It's America's largest comics dealer, but it's not some major corporation. It's just a very well run mom-and-pop store run by a comic book geek named Chuck Rozanski who happens to also be an extremely savvy businessman. Mile High Comics literally has millions of comics in stock, so it's a very good possibility that they carry that obscure comic book you've spent years looking for.

• Shannon Thomas - The Official Web Site Shannon Thomas is a friend of mine who also happens to be a talented songbird. She writes her own songs (the lyrics AND the music), and I'm a huge fan... no, I'm not just saying that because she and I are friends. Shannon and her piano make great music together, teaming her catchy piano melodies with her sweet, child-like voice. Good stuff! On her web site, you can check out her photo gallery, read her lyrics, and even download her songs. Most importantly, you can buy her CD. So check out the web site, and buy one of Shannon's CDs!

• Maggie Estep - The Official Web Site This is the official web site for the brilliant poet/novelist/singer/songwriter/musician/goddess, Maggie Estep. Get your hands on ANYTHING by this woman! Whether it be her CDs, her books, or even her old sweatsocks! She rules and you need to see for yourself just how awesome she is, so check out the web site, okay?