The Internet Movie Database and Online Discussions of Religion
In: Journal of Religion in EuropeReligion and film scholars have long used the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) as a source for material on audience responses, but not much thought has been given to what the material found on the site constitutes. This article highlights possibilities and problems with researching sites such as the IMDb, discussing how studies of Internet communication, community, and fan culture can help contextualize the material and provide a better comprehension of the discussions of religion on the site. The potential of the IMDb to offer noteworthy voices on religion is exemplified with an analysis of reviews of three religiously themed Nordic films. The views on religion expressed are theorized as a form of ‘playable religion’ reflecting contemporary attitudes to religion.
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Dannyc-18, “Transcendent!,” review of As It Is in Heaven (2004), 29 May 2010. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382330/reviews?filter=best;filter=best;start=10 (accessed 20 November 2012).
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Dave-strum, “Can an Evil Act Be Forgiven,” review of Troubled Water (2008), 11 September 2010. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0948544/reviews?filter=best (accessed 21 November 2012).
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Deacy Christopher, , “Paradise Lost or Paradise Learned? Sin and Salvation in Pleasantville,” in: Mitchell Jolyon, & Marriage Sophia (eds.), Mediating Religion Studies in Media, Religion, and Culture (London: T & T Clark, 2003), 201–213.
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—— Faith in Film Religious Themes in Contemporary Cinema (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2005).
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Denton-Borhaug Kelly, “A Bloodthirsty Salvation: Behind the Popular Polarized Reaction to Gibson’s The Passion,” Journal of Religion and Film 9/1 (2005). http://www.unomaha.edu/jrf/Vol9No1/DentonBorhaugBloodthirsty.htm (accessed 8 November 2012).
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DICK STEEL, “A Nutshell Review: Adam’s Apples,” review of Adam’s Apples (2005), 31 July 2006. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418455/reviews?start=10 (accessed 21 November 2012).
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Dodds Klaus, “Popular Geopolitics and Audience Dispositions: James Bond and the Internet Movie Database (IMDb),” Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers NS31 (2006), 116–130.
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Ed2707, “Film Making at Its Most Powerful,” review of The Passion of the Christ (2004), 29 July 2004. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0335345/reviews (accessed 14 November 2012).
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Hills Matt, Fan Cultures (London: Routledge, 2002).
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Hoover Stewart H., & Echchaibi Nabil, “The ‘Third Spaces’ of Digital Religion,” discussion paper (Boulder: University of Colorado, 2012). http://cmrc.colorado.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Third-Spaces-Essay-Draft-Final.pdf (accessed 15 December 2012).
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IMDb, “Contributors’ Charter.” http://www.imdb.com/help/show_leaf?contributorscharter (accessed 14 November 2012).
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—— “Storyline,” As It Is in Heaven. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382330/ (accessed 20 November 2012).
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Jenkins Henry, Textual Poachers Television Fans and Participatory Culture (London: Routledge, 1992).
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—— Convergence Culture Where Old And New Media Collide (New York: New York University Press, 2006).
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—— Fans, Bloggers, and Gamers Exploring Participatory Culture (New York: New York University Press, 2006).
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Johansson Lars, , “Tomma kyrkor och tvivlande präster? Från Nattvardsgästerna till Så som i himmelen,” in: Axelson Tomas, & Sigurdson Ola (eds.), Film och religion Livstolkning på vita duken (Örebro: Cordia, 2005), 175–195.
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Foster John, “The Matrix Has Buddhist Themes,” review of The Matrix (1999), 11 June 2005. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/reviews?start=10 (accessed 14 November 2012).
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Jones Quentin, “Virtual-communities, Virtual Settlements & Cyber-Archeology: A Theoretical Outline,” Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 3/3 (1997). http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol3/issue3/jones.html (accessed 20 November 2012).
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Lewis John, , “Following the Money in America’s Sunniest Company Town: Some Notes on the Political Economy of the Hollywood Blockbuster,” in: Stringer J. (ed.), Movie Blockbusters (London: Routledge, 2003), 61–71.
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Lyon Charlotte Haines, & Clive Marsh, “Film’s Role in Contemporary Meaning-Making A Theological Challenge to Cultural Studies,” in: Knauss Stefanie, & Ornella Alexander D. (eds.), Reconfigurations: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Religion in a Post-Secular Society (Graz: Lit, 2007), 113–126.
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LW, “I Am Proud!,” review of As It Is in Heaven (2004), 18 September 2004. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382330/reviews?start=10 (accessed 20 November 2012).
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Lövheim Mia, “Mediatization of Religion: A Critical Appraisal,” Culture and Religion 12/2 (2011), 153–166.
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Maraaivars, “Brilliant, Deeply Moving, Passionate, Human and Divine!,” review of As It Is in Heaven (2004), 4 September 2004. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382330/reviews?start=30 (accessed 20 November 2012).
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Maxim wilson, “A Fable Revisiting the Life and Death of Jesus Christ,” review of As It Is in Heaven (2004a), 22 August 2007. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382330/reviews?start=50 (accessed 21 November 2012).
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MsSmeagol, “A Highly Overrated Melodramatic Picture, Marred Even More by Poor Directing, a Horrible Script and Bad Acting,” review of As It Is in Heaven (2004), 25 January 2005. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382330/reviews?filter=hate (accessed 20 November 2012).
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Peter-1061, “A Stellar Film,” review of Adam’s Apples (2005), 7 October 2006. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418455/reviews?start=10 (accessed 21 November 2012).
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Rob, “Wonderful, Inspiring Film that Touches Important Themes,” review of As It Is in Heaven (2004), 29 January 2005. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382330/reviews (accessed 20 November 2012).
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Roger, “Musician Comes Home to Bring Out the Best and Confront the Worst in His Village,” review of As It Is in Heaven (2004), 26 May 2006. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382330/reviews?start=40 (accessed 21 November 2012).
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Ross Karen, & Nightingale Virginia, Media and Audiences New Perspectives (Birkshire: Open University Press, 2003).
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Sarahgreen schaake, “A Stunning Film with Realistic Characters,” review of As It Is in Heaven (2004b), 23 June 2006. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382330/reviews?start=20 (accessed 21 November 2012).
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Simm2000, “Not Complete Crap, But Horrendously Over-rated,” review of As It Is in Heaven (2004), 1 March 2005. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382330/reviews?filter=hate (accessed 20 November 2012).
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Song Felicia Wu, Virtual Communities Bowling Alone, Online Together (New York: Peter Lang, 2009).
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Tehrani Bijan, “Adam’s Apples, Taboos Are There, All the Time and Everywhere,” Cinema Without Borders, 3 August 2007. http://cinemawithoutborders.com/conversations/1215-adam-s-apples-taboos-are-there-all-the-time-and-everywhere.html (accessed 7 June 2013).
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Andersen Torben, “Typical Anders Thomas Jensen, but He Has Grown!,” review of Adam’s Apples (2005), 5 April 2005. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418455/reviews (accessed 21 November 2012).
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Thompsoe, “A Film About Second Chances,” review of Troubled Water (2008), 25 March 2010. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0948544/reviews (accessed 22 November 2012).
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Tonymarciniec, “A Superb Film Among the Best I’ve Ever Seen,” review of As It Is in Heaven (2004), 21 November 2005. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382330/reviews (accessed 20 November 2012).
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Tyggis79, “So Typical,” review of Troubled Water (2008), 26 April 2009. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0948544/reviews?start=20 (accessed 22 November 2012).
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Wudamay, “Fabulous Story, Excellent Acting,” review of Adam’s Apples (2005), 28 April 2005. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418455/reviews?start=0 (accessed 21 November 2012).
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Zep-11, “World Class Acting and Plot,” review of Adam’s Apples (2005), 10 October 2006. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418455/reviews?filter=best;filter=best;start=20 (accessed 21 November 2012).
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3)
Christopher Deacy, Faith in Film Religious Themes in Contemporary Cinema (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2005).
-
4)
Kelly Denton-Borhaug, “A Bloodthirsty Salvation: Behind the Popular Polarized Reaction to Gibson’s The Passion,” Journal of Religion and Film 9/1 (2005), http://www.unomaha.edu/jrf/Vol9No1/DentonBorhaugBloodthirsty.htm (accessed 8 November 2012).
-
5)
Klaus Dodds, “Popular Geopolitics and Audience Dispositions: James Bond and the Internet Movie Database (IMDb),” Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers NS 31 (2006), 116–130.
-
7)
Isabel Molina-Gusmán, Dangerous Curves Latina Bodies in the Media (New York: New York University Press, 2010).
-
8)
Kate Egan, The Evil Dead (New York: Columbia University Press, 2011).
-
9)
Stig Hjarvard, “The Mediatization of Religion: Theorising Religion, Media and Social Change,” Culture and Religion 12/2 (2011), 119–135.
-
11)
Henry Jenkins, Textual Poachers Television Fans and Participatory Culture (London: Routledge, 1992).
-
12)
See for example Matt Hills, Fan Cultures (London: Routledge, 2002).
-
13)
Henry Jenkins, Convergence Culture Where Old And New Media Collide (New York: New York University Press, 2006).
-
14)
Tomas Axelson, Film och mening En receptionsstudie om spelfilm, filmpublik och existentiella frågor (Uppsala: Uppsala University Press, 2007); Charlotte Haines Lyon & Clive Marsh, “Film’s Role in Contemporary Meaning-Making A Theological Challenge to Cultural Studies,” in: Stefanie Knauss & Alexander D. Ornella (eds.), Reconfigurations: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Religion in a Post-Secular Society (Graz: Lit, 2007), 113–126.
-
21)
Manuel Castells, The Internet Galaxy (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001).
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22)
Mark Poster, The Second Media Age (Cambridge: Polity Press, 1995). For a discussion of Poster’s theory see for example Allison Cavanagh, Sociology in the Age of the Internet (Berkshire: Open University Press, 2007), 74–80.
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23)
David Holmes, Communication Theory Media, Technology, Society (London: Sage Publications, 2005), 150.
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29)
Felicia Wu Song, Virtual Communities Bowling Alone, Online Together (New York: Peter Lang, 2009).
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30)
Quentin Jones, “Virtual-communities, Virtual Settlements & Cyber-Archeology: A Theoretical Outline,” Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 3/3 (1997). http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol3/issue3/jones.html (accessed 20 November 2012).
-
32)
Henry Jenkins, Fans, Bloggers, and Gamers Exploring Participatory Culture (New York: New York University Press, 2006); Jenkins, Convergence Culture; Jenkins, Textual Poacher.
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38)
Mia Lövheim, “Mediatization of Religion: A Critical Appraisal,” Culture and Religion 12/2 (2011), 153–166.
-
40)
IMDb, “Storyline,” As It Is In Heaven. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382330/ (accessed 20 November 2012).
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50)
See, for example, Bijan Tehrani, “Adam’s Apples, Taboos Are There, All the Time and Everywhere,” Cinema Without Borders, 3 August 2007. http://cinemawithoutborders.com/conversations/1215-adam-s-apples-taboos-are-there-all-the-time-and-everywhere.html (accessed 7 June 2013).
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 208 | 37 | 3 |
| Full Text Views | 81 | 11 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 31 | 21 | 0 |
The Internet Movie Database and Online Discussions of Religion
In: Journal of Religion in EuropeReligion and film scholars have long used the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) as a source for material on audience responses, but not much thought has been given to what the material found on the site constitutes. This article highlights possibilities and problems with researching sites such as the IMDb, discussing how studies of Internet communication, community, and fan culture can help contextualize the material and provide a better comprehension of the discussions of religion on the site. The potential of the IMDb to offer noteworthy voices on religion is exemplified with an analysis of reviews of three religiously themed Nordic films. The views on religion expressed are theorized as a form of ‘playable religion’ reflecting contemporary attitudes to religion.
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 208 | 37 | 3 |
| Full Text Views | 81 | 11 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 31 | 21 | 0 |