NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif., March 30, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Movies.com, a leading Web site for movie fans, and Grading the Movies, an online movie resource for parents, announced an alliance today that creates a new, exclusive section of Movies.com with movie reviews specially written for parents on Movies.com (www.movies.com/parentpreviews). The new section, called Parent Previews, provides parents with tools to help them make informed entertainment decisions, including comprehensive movie ratings and review information that highlights family-friendly content.
With this launch, all archived and new Grading the Movies online movie and DVD review content is now exclusively located on Movies.com, and the Grading the Movies brand has evolved into the "Parent Previews" brand.
Parent Previews on Movies.com includes reviews from a parent's perspective of thousands of new and classic film titles using a concise letter grading review system that analyzes each film's theme, plot elements and artistic merits. The new section will be featured on both individual movie pages and the "reviews" area of the site. Parent Previews will be found with the site's other popular tools such as the "FlickFinder," that help movie fans make the right choice on movie night.
"Movies.com is all about helping people make the right, informed decision on movie night, and this new relationship allows us to go even further in providing that service to an audience with specific needs -- parents," said Dan Sherlock, vice president, Movies.com. "We recognize the difficulty and frustration for parents in choosing an appropriate movie that the entire family can enjoy. By teaming with Parent Previews, we're adding an entirely new, family-oriented dimension to our reviews."
"There are many movies that families may be missing because of lack of information, and through Movies.com we can extend our reach to even more families," said Rod Gustafson, founder and editor-in-chief, Parent Previews. "Our goal is not only to provide peace of mind, but also save parents time and money by selecting the right films the first time."
About Movies.com
Launched in March 2000, Movies.com provides a broad array of news, original content and services, including show times and ticket sales, to help movie fans make the right choice on movie night. Operated by the Walt Disney Internet Group, its content encompasses films from throughout the film industry and follows them from production through video/DVD release. Movies.com is the home of such successful initiatives as The College Critics Association, The Oscar(R) Party Challenge, and the MovieSite Awards. It was named "Best Movie Site" in the 2003 WebAwards from the Web Marketing Association (WMA) and most recently received the 2004 EPpy award, presented by "Editor & Publisher" and "Mediaweek" magazines, for best overall design of an Internet service with an audience in excess of one million monthly visitors.
About Parent Previews
Originally launched as a self-syndicated newspaper column under the name Grading the Movies, Parent Previews now also serves a worldwide Internet readership along with radio and television audiences in the U.S. and Canada. Over the years, the column has received recognition from major artistic critics, media educators, and--most importantly--thousands of parents. Founder Rod Gustafson, who has worked in media industries for twenty-five years, believes media plays an important role in a child's life, but also feels parents need all the resources possible to make the best entertainment decisions for their family. He and his wife Donna have dedicated over a decade of time and personal resources to bring Parent Previews into the homes of as many families as possible.