Film.com Support and FAQ

Film.com is a free online entertainment service that seeks to highlight and discuss the fun in Movies, TV, DVDs, celebrity news and more using an engaging, conversational approach. Also, you’ll enjoy our new community features which we’ll be rolling out over the next few months. You’ll be able to have a profile page, which you can get to by clicking on your name on the top bar of the site, pick a profile image, track your activities on the site, and select and communicate with friends.

How can I contact someone at Film.com?

If you have questions, comments, tips, or feedback for us, please send email to staff@film.com.

In some cases, reviewers and writers may choose to provide their email addresses to facilitate direct communication with end users of film.com. Reviewers and writers of film.com are are acting in their individual capacities, and not as employees or agents of RealNetworks. Reviewers' and writers' use of email addresses or other personal information provided directly to them by end users is not controlled by RealNetworks, and is not governed by RealNetworks' privacy policy. RealNetworks cannot be held liable for any use or misuse by reviewers or writers of email addresses or personal information provided by end users.

Please also remember that the views expressed by reviewers and writers on film.com are their own, and are not necessarily those of RealNetworks, Inc., or its employees.

How can I stream media on Film.com?

To view streaming video and listen to streaming audio on Film.com, you need to have a RealPlayer installed on your system.

Click on the link below to download the free RealPlayer:

For more information, please check out these articles:
Installing RealPlayer for the first time?

My popup blocker won't let me watch Film.com videos. How can I fix that?

Pop-up blockers may prevent the Film.com video player from opening. Setting your pop-up blocker to allow pop-ups from Film.com will fix this problem. Please see your pop-up blocker's help section for more information. Many popup blockers can by modified via a "settings," "options," or "block/allow" button.

Do I need to accept cookies?

You can use Film.com without accepting any cookies at all. However, if you'd like to customize your listings in any way or store your preferences, you need to allow cookies.

I can't find a story that I read a couple of days ago. How can I find it?

You can find a story by using the Search box which can be found in the Film.com header on every page.

Where can I see a trailer for a movie?

If we have a trailer for a movie, it should be on the individual movie information page. Try searching for the movie using our search tool. There is also a 'trailers' tab on the Today on Film.com box near the top of the home page.

Can I buy movie tickets from Film.com?

Yes, you can buy movie tickets through our partner, MovieTickets.com. To look for movie showtimes and ticket availability, simply enter your zip code in the Movie Showtimes box on the Film.com home page, Film.com Movies page, or on the individual movie pages. Once you enter your zip code information, you will see a display of the movies and showtimes that are playing in your area. Theaters that offer online ticketing through MovieTickets.com will display a 'Buy Tickets' logo. Simply click on the time of the show you would like to see and you will be taken to a MovieTickets.com page to complete the transaction. For help with purchasing tickets, please see the MovieTickets.com Help Page.

How do I disable the Message Center so I won't receive message from Film.com?

You may see the Message Center from RealPlayer 10 as an instant message, a pop-up box, or an advertisement. The Film.com editorial programming messages are delivered using the RealPlayer Message Center. To turn off the message center and not receive messages in the future, follow the steps below:

To disable the Message Center feature: 1. Open RealPlayer and click the View menu, then Message Center. 2. In bottom-right corner of the Message Center window, click Options, then Preferences. 3. Clear the Check for new messages check box. 4. Click OK, and then close the Message Center window.

How can I tell if I have the latest version of RealPlayer?

Using the most recent version of RealPlayer can resolve some problems you might be having with an earlier player or allow you to play additional file types. Click here to make sure you have the latest RealPlayer installed on your system. You can also check from RealPlayer itself by clicking the Tools menu, then Check for Update.

How can I fix RealPlayer problems or crashes when I try to play a video clip?

I tried to play a video, but Windows displayed Invalid Page Faults, or RealPlayer crashed or showed distorted video such as: an empty magenta or black square; a snowy, static-filled picture that moves; a video with a green tint that is distorted; video with stripes in all or part of the screen; or video that is stretched vertically or horizontally in one direction, making the picture look long and flat, or tall and thin. Why is this, and what can I do?

These problems occur when your computer is using a video card that does not understand the instructions that RealPlayer is giving to it. You may be able to resolve this problem with one of the following solutions. (You don't have to do all of these: if the first one doesn't work, try the next, and so on):

- setting your video display to 16-bit color; - updating your video card drivers; - installing the latest version of DirectX; - lowering the hardware acceleration of your card; - disabling optimized video in RealPlayer; - using DivX or XviD codecs.

Solution 1: Set your video display to 16-bit color.

RealPlayer requires 16-bit (65,000-color) color depth. If the video card is not capable of this, you will receive an error message when you start RealPlayer that requests that you increase the video resolution.

To check your color settings:

1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel (Windows XP: Start > Control Panel).
2. Double-click the Display icon.
3. Click the Settings tab. 4. Select 16-bit, 24-bit, or 32-bit from the colors list. 5. Click OK. 6. Restart your computer if prompted.

Solution 2: Update your video card drivers.

Video cards use driver software to send information from the computer to the video card. Drivers that are out-of-date, damaged, or not DirectX-compatible can cause video problems. Update your video card drivers, and visit the video card manufacturer's Web site to verify that you are using the latest DirectX-certified drivers.

Solution 3: Install the latest version of DirectX.

DirectX is another set of drivers that to send information from the computer to your video card. RealPlayer uses the DirectDraw features of DirectX to optimize the video presentation. DirectX is a component of the Windows Operating System. If the DirectX components are out-of-date or damaged, RealPlayer may crash or display the video incorrectly. Install the latest version of DirectX from http://www.microsoft.com/directx.

Solution 4: Lower the hardware acceleration.

Choose the appropriate procedure for your operating system:

Windows XP:
1. Right-click a blank area on the computer desktop. 2. Select Properties, then the Settings tab. 3. Click the Advanced button, then the Troubleshoot tab. 4. Move the Hardware Acceleration slider to None or one notch away. 5. Click OK twice. 6. Restart your computer.

Windows 98SE, ME, 2000:
1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. 2. Double-click the System icon. 3. On the Performance tab, click the Graphics button. 4. Move the Hardware Acceleration slider to the Basic or None level. 5. Click OK.

If the problem no longer occurs after changing this setting, leave your system on this setting. If it does not resolve the problem, set it back to where it was. The Basic or None setting is more compatible than Full in most cases, but setting it at Basic or None disables some advanced features of the video card.

Solution 5: Disable optimized video.

If you have tried the solutions above and are still having problems playing video, they may be caused by a video card that uses WinDraw drivers instead of DirectDraw drivers. Disabling optimized video in RealPlayer will improve compatibility for video cards that are not DirectDraw compatible.

To disable optimized video in RealPlayer:

1. On the Tools menu, click Preferences. The Preferences box opens.
2. In the Category pane, click Hardware.
3. In the Video Card Compatibility section, drag the slider to Most reliable.
4. Click OK.
5. Close RealPlayer and restart the computer.

Solution 6: Try the DivX or XviD codecs.

Some videos may need a codec to play properly. (Codec stands for compression/decompression. A codec is a program that compresses a file to save space, then decompresses it for viewing.) Click here for more info on the DivX and XviD codecs.

Why is there already an account for my email even though I've never registered?

Film.com is part of the RealNetworks sites, which includes Real.com, Real Guide, Rhapsody.com, RollingStone.com and RealArcade. If you are a registered user on any of these sites, you are also registered on Film.com. Try using that information to sign in to Film.com.