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Frequently Asked Questions

What is FilmGator?

The purpose of FilmGator is to provide movie ratings and reviews fast and to let users keep track of their own movie top list and movie watching history. On FilmGator anyone can write reviews and rate movies, not just movie critics.

What does FilmGator offer for the registered users?

  • Movie timeline
    Movie timeline is a way of keeping track of users' movie watching history. Users can record when, where, and with whom they watched a movie. More on timelines

  • User movie list
    Registered users see a list of the movies they have rated. User's movie list easily reveals one's favourite films. It's fun to keep track of your own movie top list and see which movies are the real gems you might want to watch again or even buy on DVD or Blu-ray.

  • Possibility to write reviews
    Registered users can write a review on any movie. Registered users can also rate other users' reviews.

  • FilmGator is a brand new web site
    FilmGator is a brand new Web site which means that there are more features to come. We are constantly developing new ideas on how to make the site even more useful. Don't worry; even though new features are sure to come we are committed to keeping the core idea of filmgator as effective as possible.

What is a movie timeline?

Each FilmGator user has their own movie timeline. It can be used to keep track of the movies a user watches. Users can record when, where and with whom they watched a movie, and note a comment on the occasion.

To add a movie to a timeline, go to a movie's page and look for a button saying "+Timeline" next to the movie's title. Clicking it will unfold the basic options. By then clicking on "Details", you will see the rest of the options you can choose/enter for the given timeline entry.

Users can remove and edit the existing entries in their timeline as they wish.

How can I use the movie timeline on Facebook etc?

Users can share their movie timeline with others in several ways. One example is the FilmGator Facebook application. By installing it, you can give FilmGator permission to put a box in your Facebook profile, where a summary of the recently watched movies in your timeline is shown. The content of the box will be updated automatically and in real time whenever you update your timeline.

Currently, you can show your FilmGator timeline on your profile page on the following social networks:

What is a Gator score?

Gator score measures the amount of contribution a user has made for this web site. At this time users don't get any privileges with a higher Gator score. However, you might earn respect among other users of filmgator.com.

How to write a review?

  • Tell your opinion about the movie.
  • You can summarize the plot but don't reveal too much.
  • Try to include your opinion into the title.
  • Write between 30 and 1000 words.
  • Write in English.
  • Anyone can write!
  • You don't have to be a movie critic to tell your opinion.
  • Focus on your own review - don't nag about others'.

Tell your opinion about the movie honestly. Analyze the film and tell what you liked and disliked and explain your opinions so that readers can decide whether to agree with you or not. You can describe the pros and cons of the movie and comment on specific aspects of the movie such as direction, acting, cinematography or music.

You can describe the plot summary of the movie but make sure you keep it short and don't reveal any essential details such as the ending or major twists in the plot.

Try to formulate your opinion in the title of the review. An ideal title gives the reader an idea about your opinion and you review.

A good review might generally be 250 - 500 words but feel free to use any length between 30 and 1000 words.

Write in English. Write complete sentences using proper grammar and correct spelling and punctuation.

All of the above might feel like a lot of rules. But we still hope that everyone would share their opinions. You don't have to be a professional movie critic to write a review or a comment. Here on FilmGator anyone can write. We are most interested in your opinions about movies no matter who you are! While we respect long and comprehensive reviews we also value comments made of a few thoughtful sentences.

Remember to focus on your own review. Don't nag about reviews or comments of other users. There is a review rating system that you can use to express your opinion about any review.

Remember to rate the movie so that readers see also your rating in the end of your review!

How to rate movies?

You can rate movies by clicking on the stars. The rating scale is from 1 to 10. Registered users can change their rating at any time. Think about the following example when rating movies.

starstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstar Perfect or almost perfect
starstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstar_grey Very very good
starstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstar_greystar_grey Very good
starstarstarstarstarstarstarstar_greystar_greystar_grey Good
starstarstarstarstarstarstar_greystar_greystar_greystar_grey Better than mediocre
starstarstarstarstarstar_greystar_greystar_greystar_greystar_grey Mediocre
starstarstarstarstar_greystar_greystar_greystar_greystar_greystar_grey Worse than mediocre
starstarstarstar_greystar_greystar_greystar_greystar_greystar_greystar_grey Pretty bad
starstarstar_greystar_greystar_greystar_greystar_greystar_greystar_greystar_grey Bad
starstar_greystar_greystar_greystar_greystar_greystar_greystar_greystar_greystar_grey Very Bad

What exactly does the movie rating tell?

When you are not logged in the star rating is combination of Public Avg and User Avg (see the next question). When you are logged in the star rating is the same as User Avg.

What is Public Avg and User Avg?

Public Avg is the average rating of all people who have rated the movie without logging in. User Avg is the average rating of all the filmgator users who have rated the film. Generally speaking the User Avg. is more trustworthy rating.

Why didn't I get the activation e-mail?

If you did not get the activation e-mail, it may have been classified as junk/spam. Please check those folders for an e-mail with the subject "FilmGator registration". You might also want to add do-not-reply@filmgator.com as a contact to prevent this from happening in the future.

How can I recover a lost or forgotten username or password?

You can have your password reset and sent to you together with your username to your registered e-mail address here.

How can I contact the people behind FilmGator?

You can use the contact form.

Which reviews are shown on the front page?

The front page shows three latest reviews that consist of more than 200 words.

What is the basis for the "Other Popular Movies" on the front page?

"Other Popular Movies" shows a list of movies that were added to the user timelines the most during the last 30 days.