Happy 15th Anniversary, IMDb
Really, what would we do without the mighty Internet Movie Database? Where would we turn to settle all of those cinema-related questions that keep us up at night? Such burning questions as:
- What was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s film debut?
- Who directed Hayley Mills’ 1966 feature The Trouble with Angels?
- Which Sergei Eisenstein film came first, Strike or Battleship Potemkin?
- Are there any alternate versions of Army of Darkness? What about crazy credits?
- How many films have come from Tajikistan?
- How many horror films have come out of Spain?
- Have Jackie Chan and John Woo ever worked together?
And so many more…
Today marks the 15th anniversary of the IMDb’s inception, ever since it’s humble beginnings as a bunch of lists on the “rec.arts.movies” Usenet group. Since then, it’s become one of the destination sites on the Web, a virtual juggernaut that sucks up countless hours as people query its stores for all manner of movie info and trivia.
And to celebrate, the IMDb staff is going all out. Not only have they put together an exhaustive history of the site, but they’re also putting together a history of film during the site’s lifespan that’s packed with all sorts of trivia, and their editors have put together lists of their favorite 15 films from the past 15 years. It’s sure to suck up another hour or three.
Happy birthday, IMDb. Here’s to another 15 years.