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How to Find Any Movie / Film Title or Actors Name When You’ve Forgotten It

By Bryan Hadaway | Published April 22, 2011 | Need me to update this article?
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We all do it: “What’s the name of that movie?” | “What’s that actors name?”

Sometimes it’s nice to ease your mind because you just have to know. Or maybe it’s some old nostalgic film from your childhood that you just have to buy or put on Netflix.

These techniques also apply if you’re trying to find anyone else who works on films, music and video games (directors, writers, voice actors, you name it).

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Step 1

Go to the IMDb (Internet Movie Database):

Step 2

Now, before you can begin your search you’ll need to at least have some piece of information that links to the film or whatever else you’re trying to find.

Here are some examples:

- Name of the Director
- Name of the Writer
- Name of the person who did the Score
- Name of any of the Actors or Actresses no matter how big or small their role was
- Name of the Company/Companies that released the film
- The Year (or Decade) the film was released
- Plot Info
- and so on…

Reverse Info

Now it may be possible to find what you’re looking for even if you don’t know any direct facts about the movie you’re trying to find.

Say that you at least recognize someone in the film and you’re aware of the title of another film they’re in you can start your search there.

When you search I recommend that you search “All” first, this is the search filter found at the top middle of the page with the search field.

Step 3

After you’ve searched, no matter how vague and you’re on a studio, film, actor etc page it’s all about narrowing it down.

If it’s an actors/actresses name that you have, you’ll want to look at their filmography. You can first narrow it down by looking at just the Actor section of their credits page.

Now, even if you don’t know the exact year it came out, you should at least know a range; for example between 1970 – 1980.

The films are in order from newest to oldest. I’d start on the oldest film in your range and work your way up.

Just seeing the title might not be enough to spark your memory. Think about what the movie is about and try and relate the titles to what it’s about. Most titles will make sense in relation to what the film is about.

When you click on a movie title to investigate further, look at the poster or movie cover image, look at the character and actor names, read the storyline/synopsis. If it’s the right movie it should eventually click: “Yeah! This is the movie“.

Reverse Method

If you know the title of a movie that has an actor in it that is also in the film you’re looking for find it on IMDb.

Then go through the cast of actors on that film and try and find that actor, most actor pages are supported with celebrity pictures so you can verify it’s who you think it is before you start searching their filmography for the movie.

Tips

- If you’re looking for something other than a film or actor, just try relating the techniques to your search

- Don’t give up; 9/10 times I find what I’m looking for if I keep at it, as a last resort you could always ask a film expert by describing whatever it is as best as you can at one of the following places:

IMDb Boards | Ask Me Help Desk | Yahoo! Answers

UPDATE: Utilize Google Search. If all you’re left with is the plot we can utilize Google to search the IMDb database in a much more powerful way than IMDb’s native search (this is true for most websites actually). Simply copy the following URL to your URL bar or follow it and add your own plot keywords:

http://www.google.com/search?q=site:imdb.com+plot+keywords+here

You can also search just the plot records of IMDb’s database:

http://www.imdb.com/search/text?realm=title&field=plot&q=keyword
(apparently only one keyword searches)

Try to be vague and yet specific at the same time so to get a somewhat substantial amount of results to browse, but so you also try and filter out the obvious conflicting results that might pop up.

Also a heads up. For some reason some people are getting the idea that my blog contains info on movies, which it does not. I keep seeing searches for plot keywords and actor’s names and whatnot done through my blog search. Outside of this article my blog does not contain info on anything movie related. It is not a media database. You want to head over to http://www.imdb.com/ – Thanks

And if you want to provide me as many details as you can about what you’re looking for I might give it a shot for you. – Update: I was happy to help out, but the majority of people that ask for help finding a movie bale after one comment or don’t even reply at all. So, I won’t be doing that anymore.

I have however been asking film experts if they would like to chip in and help people to find their movie, so asking may not be completely in vein.

Thanks for reading, Bryan

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  • http://bryanhadaway.com/ Bryan Hadaway

    Hey, thanks for following up. As you can see most people just kind of disappear into the abyss.

    Thanks, Bryan

  • Anonymous

    Not at all Bryan, thanks for setting up a very good site for this.

    I thought you might also like to add this to your website page as another source of searching movies:

    http://www.tcm.com/

    This is the website (Turner Classic) that ”ask me help desk” directed me to for seeing more detail on the movie I was searching.

    Cheers

  • ROCK

    WWII teleplay on either network or PBS between 1990-94. Young boy works in factory during war with women who have replaced men who are away. There is a strike during the time and finally when the war is over the women are replaced by the men when they come home.

  • http://bryanhadaway.com/ Bryan Hadaway

    I watched that recently:

    http://www.pbs.org/thewar/

    It was on Netflix Instant Watch for a short while.

    Thanks, Bryan

  • Art emad

    Hi Bryan how are you

    I really want to know what’s that almost old movie which i got the story of it,,,,

    A man and his girlfriend that called lisa in the middle of the desert than men came and tried to kill him and his girlfriend but they killed his girlfriend lisa and they did put Two nails on his hands in the middle of the desert and he pass out and when he wake up he removed the nails from his hands and then he walk and walk and then he pass out again
    and a woman find him and she look like the same of his girlfriend lisa so he thought that she is lisa,,,,,,,(all the movie is fight by fight )

  • http://bryanhadaway.com/ Bryan Hadaway

    It’s not this film is it?

    The Bite: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094929/

    Also, you might like Wolf Creek and The Hills Have Eyes (remake) which your plot makes me think of.

    Thanks, Bryan

  • Drake

    I’m looking for a movie about a man who finds out he becomes the Antichrist when he turns 33 (I think that’s the age, not sure tho). Anyway throughout the movie, he doesn’t believe it and seems as tho everyone who is involved with his life, does weird (creepy) things for the transition to take place. I think he ends up shooting himself at the end of the movie. I wanna say I seen this movie possibly late 90′s and definitely never hit the big screen. Any idea? Thanks in advance!

  • http://bryanhadaway.com/ Bryan Hadaway

    Nothing.

    Make sure to try all the resources I’ve shared in the article.

    Thanks, Bryan

  • Sfeind1

    Saw in 2005. About 2 young teenagers who love skateboarding. Want to go to excibition but break mothers vase and have to replace before mother finds out.

  • JOHN OLESZCZUK

    TWO US PILOTS FROM A US AIRCRAFT CARRIER ARE SHOT DOWN OVER SERBIA,ONE WAS SHOT THE OTHER ESCAPED AND WAS CHASED ALL OVER,UNTILL HE WAS SAVED FROM HIS AIRCRAFT CARRIER

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Karen-Cappleman/100000138479223 Karen Cappleman

    Hi, I saw this film on TV years ago. The plot was a rich girl accused her mother’s lover (and gardener) of raping her, he lost his job etc, but at the trial another girl ( a social outcasr from the wrong side of town) stood up and said she had made it all up to spite her mother. The judge awarded damages and broke the girl’s trust fund to pay the gardener, however all 3 were in the plot together and planned to share the trust, but then all fell out. The rich gilr didn’t like the bloke spending her money – he needed to appear rich and they killed the poor girl so there was more for them, then the rich girl was killed, the bloke got arrested,and it turns out the poor girl had faked her death and got away with the money. The investigating cop found her but couldn’t prove it- and at the end he asked how she had done it. I think Sharon Stone was the rich girl’s mother. I cannot remember what it was called.

  • Lballard

    Hi Bryan really hoping you can help me my brother showed me a movie possible in the 80′s based on a true story? about a rock star who is a band called??? and he drives hes car of a bridge late one night but every one thinks he is posssibly still alive I think the guys name might of been brian now he sings rock and roll and he is in a band??
    Thanks Lyn

  • FlikrFly

    If I may answer this, I think your talking about ” Lost Souls”. Came out in 2000 and Winona Ryder is in it, and a Ben something, but its the same plot like you mentioned.

  • FlikrFly

    Kinda sounds like “Wild Things” with Denise Richards, Matt Dillion, and Neve Campbell. Same plot as you mentioned.

  • FlikrFly

    Eddie and the Cruisers.

  • FlikrFly

    Hi Bryan! Just came across this site this morning and I’m not familiar with blogs. I have never used a blogs, only forums so if my “blogging etiquette” is wrong, my apologies in advance for commenting on earlier questions here. I replied right behind the question asked, but it showing up in a different spot away from question that it goes to. I tend to spout answers to ?’s when it’s not my place to do so. But I do have a question about a movie/tale maybe under another name like; Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits. I watched it when I was in Jr high so 1988 or around then. I think it was current(then) not made in the 70′s. Don’t know anyone in it. The plot is this: Two male friends are in the wilderness(Can’t recall why)and they end up lost but they come to an old road or trail that goes into a big tall fog bank. They decide to walk thru it. It’s like a quarter mile of walking in it but finally on the other side a very old town is seen. Ghost town looking, no phones, electricity, or vehicles. And no sun. Always misty or dark. The residents finally come out and but don’t wanna have anything to do with the guys who aren’t supposed to be there. The townspeople don’t go in the fog either.(FYI) A teenage girl befriends them anyway. They stay a bit.(Blah blah some sharing stories, blah blah sharing feelings,)After being there awhile they want to go home but are told that they can’t or aren’t allowed(IDK)but they go anyway, now the girl wants to go too so they head to the fog, but get chased by townspeople trying to stop them but stop at the fog. They run and half way thru, they hear their own loved ones yelling their names on the other side! Thinking it’s okay they slow down and are happy and smiling, the girl can’t wait to see real life, Suddenly hand sized rocks start pummeling them from behind. The girl gets hit in the head and falls. She says go. The guys run on thru it,(I think they make it)but you hear the dad of the girl yelling for her to come back, then you see her dad come thru the fog and see her lying there, he falls hysterically down beside her and cries. That’s all I can remember about this. It may have been an hour long if that. Can ya help?

  • Lippyesq

    im trying to remember the name of a movie!

    I thought it starred Jerry Orbach, but an IMDB search of his filmography came up with nothing.
    I don’t really remember much about the movie. It was probably a mid 80′s movie. The plot involved a man who loved movies who was hell bent on making his own movie and becoming a hollywood director. His movie was terrible, and he ended up making it in spite of losing his family and his job and all his money. I remember that the movie he was making involved a plot to blow up a bridge and in the end of the actual movie he was working as a ticket taker in a movie theater. i really thought it starred jerry orbach, but it must be someone who looks like him.

    Your thoughts?

  • Lippyesq

    im trying to remember the name of a movie!

    I thought it starred Jerry Orbach, but an IMDB search of his filmography came up with nothing.
    I don’t really remember much about the movie. It was probably a mid 80′s movie. The plot involved a man who loved movies who was hell bent on making his own movie and becoming a hollywood director. His movie was terrible, and he ended up making it in spite of losing his family and his job and all his money. I remember that the movie he was making involved a plot to blow up a bridge and in the end of the actual movie he was working as a ticket taker in a movie theater. i really thought it starred jerry orbach, but it must be someone who looks like him.

    Your thoughts?

  • A Man

    Pretty much all of the comments above prove that this post is off little use when trying to track down half-remembered movies.

  • http://bryanhadaway.com Bryan Hadaway

    How’s that? That’s a pretty limited way of thinking. Ever heard of the 80-20 rule?

    Look it up: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle

    There are some pretty sound techniques in this article that has likely helped dozens and dozens of people. I use these techniques ALL the time successfully to look stuff up on IMDb.

    The handful of people posting here that haven’t found what they’re looking for proves nothing. Why? Because the people that found what they’re looking for are happy and moved on. They have no reason post a comment and ask for help.

    Based on your comment I would advise you to have a look at:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_thinking

    Thanks, Bryan

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