MovieWeb
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Type of site
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Entertainment news, movie reviews and releases, forums, and videos. |
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| Owner | WATCHR Media, Inc. |
| Website | www |
| Alexa rank |
 7,189 (April 2014[update]) |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Registration | Optional, registration needed for some services |
| Current status | Active |
MovieWeb is an entertainment website covering film and television. The site partnered with companies in the video rental industry on a service to integrate local video rental outlets with online business services. MovieWeb faced controversy when a feature it announced in 2011 was claimed to be a copy of Flickchart's interface. It also produced a well-received video in 2012 that parodied the television series The Walking Dead.
Information regarding past, present, and upcoming films are provided on MovieWeb, including plot details, release dates, and production notes. MovieWeb's listing of films is searchable by title or studio, though it has less entries than movie databases. The site hosts videos of movie trailers and links to official sites for films and studios. MovieWeb also provides news updates, reviews, and discussion forums.
The site was started in 1995 and is based out of Las Vegas . MovieWeb announced the launch of the MovieWeb Video Retail Network in August 29, 2000, the result of a collaboration with video rental chain Video Update and video retail software provider Unique Business Systems Inc. The service allowed local video retail outlets to provide online business services through MovieWeb.com, such as online rentals and merchandising, and allowing customers to fulfill online transactions through local video retail locations. CEO Brandon Calder described the service as utilizing a network of local video retailers and the Internet to "level the playing field against Blockbuster."PSINet announced nearly a month later on September 26, 2000, that it was going to be investing in MovieWeb through PSINet Ventures and would become MovieWeb's preferred Internet infrastructure and development services partner.
After announcing a new "Face-Off" feature for its site on April 16, 2011, MovieWeb became embroiled in a dispute with Flickchart, who accused MovieWeb of copying it from their site. The site and MovieWeb's feature both have users choose between two films and these choices are then used to create personal rankings that can be compared to general community rankings. Flickchart co-founder Nathan Chase posted captures of the two features on the site's blog showing the similarities of "Face-Off" to Flickchart's interfaces. The site argued in a legal brief that one of the managing editors at MovieWeb had an account on the site and said this would suggest that editor was responsible for the copying. Flickchart suggested they would take legal action against MovieWeb if the site did not remove the feature by 5 P.M. PT on April 22. Despite the deadline passing, "Face-Off" remained on Movieweb's site.
MovieWeb released a video on the site in January 2012 that used the theme song from the sitcom Growing Pains and scenes from The Walking Dead. Presented as an alternate opening credits for The Walking Dead, the use of scenes from the series and fonts together with the music was described as "convincing", and as humorously serving to make the gory zombie imagery of the series come off as a more "family-friendly" viewing experience.
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