RottenTomatoes.com is one of the oldest and largest Web sites dedicated solely to movies and movie information. The site was created in 1999 by Senh Duong, and is now owned and operated by Flixster.
A quick tour of Rotten Tomatoes:
RottenTomatoes.com is divided into several different sections:
- Movies: Information on the latest movies can be found here, as well as box office statistics, trailers, and image galleries.
- DVDs: Latest releases, top rentals, and background information.
- Movie Packages: Movie Packages tie all related information about a movie into one convenient place. This includes reviews, cast, multimedia, and forums.
- Critics Pages: Individual critics’ pages.
- Celebrities: In-depth actor biographies and film information.
- The Tomato Picker: Overall search utility for the site.
- News: Current news related to upcoming movies.
How to find information at Rotten Tomatoes:
Finding what you’re looking for at Rotten Tomatoes is relatively straightforward. Just type in the name of a movie, and you’ll get suggestions based on what you’re typing. You can also browse the individual sections as named above (Movies, DVD, Celebrities, etc.) to find what you’re looking for.
Rotten Tomatoes rating system:
One of the most popular features that RottenTomatoes.com has to offer is its unique movie ratings system, based on official movie critic reviews found in both traditional and new media outlets.
Good reviews garner a Fresh Tomato rating, while negative reviews will catch a Rotten Tomato (green splattered tomato) rating. A movie that receives at least 60% or more Fresh Tomato reviews will be designated as Fresh; a movie that does not obtain this quota will be designated as rotten (for more about the Rotten Tomatoes rating system, read How are reviews selected and gathered?).
Rotten Tomatoes extras:
In addition to the wealth of movie information available on RottenTomatoes.com, Web searchers can access customized RSS feeds, free Rotten Tomatoes logos and graphics, and a newsletter that helps movie buffs stay on top of the latest film developments.