International Movie Data Base Provides Online Source of Entertainment Info

CNN, The New York Times, and most other reputable purveyors of "hard news" maintain websites so that information junkies can stay abreast of newsworthy happenings. By "newsworthy," I mean those stories dealing with world and national affairs, as well as cultural phenomena. But let's be honest, while hard news has its place at the top of the information ladder, those bottom rungs of mindless entertainment gossip serve a purpose, too. Arguably the best source of such fluff is the International Movie Database, better known as IMDB.

IMDB offers a comprehensive source of all movie-related information - anything from B-movie casts and made-for-tv crews, to random trivia tidbits, to regularly updated actor biographies. For instance, did you know that Brad Pitt once dressed as a giant chicken while employed at "el Pollo Loco?" Do you care? Probably not, but it's good for an afternoon chuckle. If you and a friend have a movie trivia dispute, IMDB should be you first stop.

IMDB does not pigeon hole itself as only an entertainment encyclopedia, however. Every day, the site also updates the latest celebrity "news" in a column on its homepage. On many occasions, this news roundup is where the journey into procrastination begins for IMDB browsers. All celebrities mentioned in the news blurbs have direct links to their biographies, so even more useless information is just a mouse click away.

What makes IMDB such an addictive site is its thoroughness; what makes the company successful works to the detriment of a browsers' productivity, however. It is very easy to become absorbed in the site's never-ending content. It is as if you are holding a map with the most direct route to your destination neatly highlighted by the fine folks at AAA; but instead, you take every mysterious detour or stop at every promising scenic view along the way. Bottom line: there is no direct course through IMDB.

And finally, there is the interactive component - aka, the message board - to round out the site. IMDB formats the site such that each movie, television program, or actor has its own message board. Didn't like the season finale of Grey's Anatomy? Hash it out on the boards. Think Anchorwoman should not have been cancelled? Hash it out on the boards. For this browser, the message boards are an amusing diversion from mind-numbing textbook reading or other daily routines. Matter of the fact, the asinine conversation occurring on those message boards sometimes makes me appreciate the quality of writing and material in those aforementioned textbooks. It's an instant reality check. But everyone needs a break once in a while, and IMDB certainly is a fun online entertainment resource to visit. Just make sure that you do eventually leave.