Can you recommend any good web sites that give you film reviews and cinema listings

Asks Brandon

A. If you type "cinema listings" into any good search engine on the web you will be able to find a listing for cinemas in your area or if you have this information already and want to know what is playing you can always listen to an automated message by telephone. But this can take a long time and you never really get to grips with what the film is actually about and whether you should bother going at all. This is where cinema listings websites come into their own, because they offer in-depth film reviews, news and gossip on all the movie stars, and tell you where the films are showing. Teletext, Virgin, Carlton, Film Review and the Guardian supply some of the best sites.

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Q. What is so good about these sites

A. As Teletext is so entrenched with TV providing a guide of what's on tonight or where to get a last minute cheap holiday, you don't automatically connect it with film reviews, but this site is one of the best. Its cinema finder locates all cinemas in your area and it is fast and easy to use. Above all it has great information on current film releases, star talk, film reviews, video reviews, cinema listings and an insight to films that are "coming soon".

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Its news section is cinema-related, but not necessarily about what's on at the moment and keeps you up to date with news and industry gossip e.g. Jane Fonda divorcing Ted Turner, plans for Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas to star together in another film, Queen Latifah rumoured to appear in new Disney film etc. It also has a Top 10 UK Films section, with film rankings supplied by Your Shout.

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Virgin's film guide site takes a magazine approach and offers in-depth articles on cinema-related topics. For example, one recent home page had a feature on Novel Ideas - tracing the history of adapting best selling novels onto the screen. It is obviously influenced by the huge success of Bridget Jones' Diary, but it make for very interesting reading and offers a good bonus to the site and will make you visit it again.

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It also has competitions, a review of the Cannes Film Festival (including a trailer for Moulin Rouge), movie merchandise (t-shirts, sunglasses) and sells videos and DVDs too. It also has latest news sections, film reviews, coming soon, trailers, charts, auctions and a chat room.

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Carlton's Popcorn.co.uk is another site with excellent features, in-depth articles and reviews by good film critics. Its cinema search facility is really fast and it has some great trailers. Among its other extras are competitions, top 10s and a fabulous picture gallery.

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The Guardian's Film Unlimited site is a treasure - it is very intelligent, in-depth and quirky in its review of films and a real pleasure to read. If however, you need to find a cinema outside of your hometown and you don't know the postcode this is probably not the site to use. Highbrow it is, a mere cinema listing it isn't.

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On the other hand, the Film Review site is excellent for finding cinemas and supplies maps and updated information on exactly what is on today, tomorrow and for the rest of the week. It also has a great film forum and excellent reviews.

Yell.com is very fast at finding cinemas and has the added value of finding you a pub for that quick after the film swifty - great if you're on a date.

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Q. Do cinema multiplexes have their own sites too, where you can book tickets online

A. Yes all the big multiplexes have their own these include:

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The Cineworld Multiplex site offers information on its 20 cinemas around the country and what they are showing, with additional maps if you're not local to a specific area. However, it also provides great film reviews that sound as if the reviewer has seen the film and has a good section on children's films (and it has a trailer from the new Harry Potter film).

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ABC Cinema's site has loads of trailers that you can view, plus information on its 30+ cinemas around the country, film reviews, screening times and a very easy to use film finder search engine.

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UCI Cinemas� site has some good competitions, information on its 38 cinemas and a great email service letting you know what's on, how long films run for and their price.

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Q. Are there any databases online that I can use to track down an old favourite

A. There are two great online databases; the most well known is appropriately named The Internet Movie Database� and the newly launched Coppernob.com.

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Q. Where can I view trailers

A. Either in the cinema, on lots of the sites already mentioned or if you just want trailers with none of the other frills check out The Trailer Park.

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Q. Are there any other sites I should bookmark

A. If you're after a site that's a little bit different from the norm try Mr Showbiz it is good at reviewing forthcoming releases with good predictions on what will be a hit. If you're after gossip look no further than Hollywood.com, it is full of showbiz news.

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By Karen Anderson