slashfilm.com
Slashfilm is an entertainment website that has been around since the early 2000s. In 2005, Peter Sciretted founded Slashfilm, which became a popular website for geeky movie news. The website grew rapidly thanks to the blog staff's dedication and hard work.
When Slashfilm first started, they posted a lot of celebrity news. However, they quickly learned that the nerd culture demand was much greater and so they went in that direction instead. The website now offers unique personal opinions about new movies and pop culture.
In January 2007, Slashfilm underwent a redesign. Data from their "About Us" section suggests that viewership skyrocketed and they had to make changes to servers as a result. The objective of the redesign was to make the website more accessible.
Website Design
Slashfilm is due for another redesign soon. Some aspects of the design are not ideal, and it seems as though there may be some continuity issues. I am not sure if the current theme is meant to look this way, but more often than not sections and boxes look as though they are being cut off.
It is difficult to navigate this page because there are so many ads crammed together. Ads are necessary for websites to make money, but placement is important. There are ways to place ads on websites without overwhelming the content. Unfortunately, Slashfilm doesn't do a good job of displaying advertisements in an attractive manner. They're very jarring and bothersome.
I have found that the website is meticulously organized. The primary menu is the main focus, and readers can find it easily. When you hover on the primary menu categories it reveals subcategories to choose from underneath of it. The search bar is easy to find, but it is a search bar that brings up google search results instead of website archive results. It has to be difficult for viewers to stay on the webpage when the search bar leads them away.
Content
Everything is well-organized and easy to access.
The variety and quantity of content on Slashfilms is one of its strong suits. There is so much to read, watch, and listen to on the site, ranging from movie reviews to interviews. Everything is well-organized and easy to access, making it a great source for information.
A great website has utilized tags in subcategories to make it easier to read related content. There are so many articles to sift through subcategories that make it much easier. Further, the articles also have related links to it and make reading similar content simple. The search bar on the website does not perform well, so tags provide an alternative search tool. By clicking on a tag the website takes you to a list with all titles related to the specific tag.
Slashfilm reports on new releases, castings, and buzz-worthy happenings in the movie world. An eye-catching title from this section is The Best TV Shows & Movies Coming To Netflix In 2020.? The article gives a rundown on some fun titles that will be appearing this year. Among the shows are works like Horsegirl, Jerry McGuire, Love Is Blind, and many more. Some of the popular titles mentioned in the article are: Horsegirl, Jerry McGuire, Love Is Blind, and many more.
The cool stuff category is another great feature of the website. In this section, readers are able to find neat products like Funko Pops, exclusive art prints, and other unique items. My favorite find from this corner of Slashfilm is Ben & Jerry's ice cream - Netflix and Chill?d. The sweet treat is sponsored by Netflix. The flavor is peanut butter ice cream with sweet and salty pretzels and fudge brownies.
Early buzz for newly-released titles is a subcategory of the News section. Frozen 2, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and Doctor Sleep were some of the titles covered in early buzz.
The reviews on Slashfilm are generally unbiased, coming from real writers. Although I may not always agree with the reviews, they are thoughtfully written and make valid points. The writers take careful note of detail in their chosen films, and their opinions are easily understood.
Desktop & Mobile Accessibility
There are a few issues with the desktop browser for Slashfilm. I hope they can be fixed soon. A redesign of this website would be amazing, as there is so much great content on there but the design is not very appealing. There are also some tools that don't work properly, such as the search bar that searches Google instead of the website archives.
The mobile browser is okay. I was surprised at how readable it was and the text size is pretty good. The header looks better in the mobile form, and there's also a side menu that's well-utilized. The primary menu and the sidebar menu share the same contents, but it's more difficult to slide through the main one. Creating the sidebar also allows users to access the menu while in the middle of scrolling. The mobile version uses an endless scroll that I personally dislike, but again most contents are able to be accessed via the side menu. Unfortunately, there's no mobile app for the website.
Positives
Slashfilm is a popular website that caters to geeky audiences. The website staff has access to press passes for large events like the annual Sundance Festival.
Slashfilm is a website with a name and logo that I initially thought was associated with horror genre entertainment. However, upon further research I discovered that the platform is much more than that. The logo is the text film with a slash in front of it, which makes for a clever and unique name.
I generally have some complaints about website design, but I like the sidebars on Slashfilm. The use of different layouts and categories helps keep viewers' eyes from getting bored. The organization on Slashfilm is also very meticulous.
There are so many interesting articles on Slashfilm. Interviews, trailers, movie reviews, photo galleries, and interesting products are among some of the articles available to read. The content is well written and the related posts are wonderful. The writers do an amazing job of posting unbiased and honest reviews. My favorite category is the Cool Stuff section. Their readers can find exclusive Funko Pops, Legos, unique collectibles, and more.
Negatives
Despite its many positive aspects, there are some negative aspects of Slashfilm. One of the most pressing issues is the website's overall design. It feels messy and dated, and it doesn't look very accessible. Additionally, the color scheme and overall theme could use a redesign to improve functionality.
Slashfilm has a lot of advertisements, but it's not a big problem because readers like the websites for making extra money. However, the ads at the top and bottom of the page are really annoying because they get in the way of reading content.
My final complaint is about the search bar and external links. I love when websites link things externally, but Slashfilm's use of a google search as its search bar function instead of searching through the site's library leads readers away from the website. Aside from the search bar, the cool posts from around the web section caught my attention. I am sure the links are affiliate ones, but I would prefer to be linked to more content on Slashfilm rather than outside sources.
Improvements Needed
A major website redesign would be a boon for Slashfilm. If the page were visibly more appealing and easier to navigate, I would likely visit the page daily. However, sometimes the design makes things confusing. For example, the cool posts from all around the web section leads readers to a different website- a new logo and facelift is needed and well deserved. The content is phenomenal.
Slashfilm could use more effective placements for ads. Sometimes the site hides ads well, but the one on the footer is frustrating because it covers up text. Moving this ad would make a big difference.
Summary
Entertainment websites are a fun way to read up on your favorite tv shows, movies, and other media. Some good sources of entertainment information are Slashfilm and The A.V. Club. The website design looks outdated but the available content is worth reading. The staff writers are a highlight of the website.