Lunch.com Join Are You Screening’s “Screen Gems” Lunch Community

If you aren't familiar with Lunch.com yet, I highly recommend that you check out the video introduction below. You're probably aware of a host of possibilities when it comes to either getting or giving opinions on the internet, but Lunch.com has a unique spin on the idea. One of the main problems with learning about things online is that there is simply too much to sort through. Whether you're looking for a new coffeemaker, looking to adopt a dog, or want opinions on movies, you can go to hundreds of sites, and get literally thousands of opinions thrown at you.

If you go someplace like Amazon.com, you can get buried in reviews, and those have ratings to help things somewhat, but you've got a lot to sort through. Wherever you go for help, how do you know where to start? You just can't read every review.

Lunch.com believes they have a solution, and I think they're onto something. So much so, in fact, that I am joining forces with them to create a new Lunch.com Community, and I'd like you to join me.

Community is the basic premise behind everything at Lunch.com, and it's a simple and powerful idea. First, sign up at the website, or you can use Facebook Connect to create an account, and then start engaging with the Lunch community at large. You can review things, just give your rating, and even post micro-reviews of 140 characters or less. Once you're in a bit, you can follow other users if you like, or certain topics, if you want to know whenever someone has something to say about it. Nothing too unfamiliar so far.

Things soon get very interesting though, because at Lunch.com you can review absolutely anything. Put that together with Lunch's Similarity Network, and now you can find people instead of just reviews. As you go through Lunch, rating your favorite TV shows, sharing why your breed of dog is better than others, and letting people know about a new Eco-Friendly product you found, Lunch automatically creates your Similarity Network which shows you other Lunch members who rate and review things the same way you do.

When you finally manage to find someone with trustworthy opinions on other sites, it probably still only helps you in that one area. Well, now you're looking for information on your vacation destination, or composting, and now you have to start looking again. At Lunch, you'll still find opinions of those who match up with your tastes.

Lunch.com has now added Communities to their mix of features. These communities are going to serve as just one more weapon in the general arsenal of sharing and finding great information on the subjects you're interested in. In addition to your general interests, maybe you'd like to be involved in a general conversation about bargain wines, or some niche of the conservation world. These communities will be focused areas and you can add to the mix, and subscribe to the specific conversation.

My Community is Screen Gems, and the focus is going to be those lesser-known titles from the world of film and television. Whether it's a real sleeper film that you love, a television show that you fear may not get renewed and you can't figure out why people aren't watching it, or an old TV favorite making its way to DVD, the idea is going to be to share your thoughts on those personal treasures that don't get enough attention. Maybe it's even a new movie that has a limited run, or seems to have gone unnoticed.

You might love an older flick like Waking the Dead, a real sleeper that made it into Leonard Maltin's new book 151 Best Movies You've Never Seen. Here's my Lunch.com review of the movie.

Maybe a very small indie film like Lovely by Surprise made you fall in love with it. I've got that on Lunch too.

Or, maybe one of your favorite shows is hitting with a new DVD release like Black Adder Remastered.

Whatever the case, the Community will be a showcase of reviews, ratings, lists, and more that highlight those things we all screen that need more people championing them. Of course, it's not about trying to be the next biggest movie critic either, it's just sharing ideas (even just with micro-reviews to give a title a quick shout) and getting the scoop on some of those lesser-knowns from others who love to find new and exciting Screen Gems.

Take a look at the community at http://www.lunch.com/screengems and let your own voice be heard. We all have those movies and shows we love, and frankly, sometimes it feels like no one is listening to us when we tell them how great they really are. Invite your friends as well, and let's kick off a great spot on the internet where everyday people share their opinions on the undiscovered and underappreciated.

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About Marc Eastman

Marc Eastman is the owner and operator of Are You Screening? and has been writing film reviews for over a decade, and several branches of the internet's film review world have seen his name. His reviews have brought him personal praise from the director of a major motion picture, and have been used as required reading in a course at a major University. These priceless rewards, along with just bags of cash, keep him from straying from freelance writing. He is also a member of The Broadcast Film Critics Association and The Broadcast Television Journalists Association.

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