GENERAL
• Why is the site called "Rotten Tomatoes?" And how did it come about?
• How do I contact [name of celebrity or critic]?
• I'm receiving pop-up windows with every click of the mouse. How can I make this stop?
• Can I work for you guys?

MERCHANDISE
• I want to purchase a video or DVD of [insert name of movie here]? Can I buy it from Rotten Tomatoes?
• How do I purchase soundtracks on your site?
• I am looking for my favorite movie poster. Can Rotten Tomatoes help me find it?

REVIEWS
• How do I get my reviews quoted on Rotten Tomatoes? Why can't I locate reviews from [insert critic/source] on your website?
• How are reviews selected and gathered?
• What is your methodology for defining whether a review that does not include a star rating or other objective grading scale counts as a Fresh or Rotten rating on the tomatometer?
• On the Blade 2 reviews page, you have a negative review from James Berardinelli (2.5/4 stars), and a positive review from Eric Lurio (2.5/5). Why is Berardinelli's review labeled Rotten and Lurio's review labeled Fresh?
• Why is the cutoff for a Fresh Tomato so much higher for individual game reviews?
• Do you write your own reviews?

TOMATOMETER
• What is The Tomatometer?
• Who are the Approved Tomatometer Critics?
• So why doesn’t this movie have a Tomatometer rating?
• Why does a movie with over 50% on the Tomatometer still have a rating of ROTTEN?
• Why don't you guys have a mixed rating?
• Which movie has the highest/lowest reading on the Tomatometer?

AVERAGE RATING
• What is the Average Rating?
• How is the Average Rating calculated?
• How does the Average Rating differ from The Tomatometer?

CERTIFIED FRESH
• What is "Certified Fresh"?
• Can I use the "Certified Fresh" logo on my media outlet or to promote my movie or video game?
• Where can I download the "Certified Fresh" logo?

RT FEATURES
• How do I use this site?
• Can you briefly highlight some of the main features on this site?
• What is "Hot Pick"?
• What is "Cream of the Crop"? And how does RT choose who goes there?
• What is "Featured Critic"?
• How do I get the trailers to work?

MOVIES RELATED
• How does one go about submitting a movie title to Rotten Tomatoes?
• Movie trivia questions. What's the title of this movie I saw on cable about ... ? When will this movie open in my country? What's the name of the song from the trailer?
• I would like to be a cast/crew member for [insert name of movie here]. Can you hook me up?
• Is this movie appropriate for my kids to see?

USING RT'S CONTENT
• I want to use content from Rotten Tomatoes. Who do I talk to?
• I'm making a movie site. Can I use graphics (or content) from Rotten Tomatoes and put it on my site?
• I'm doing a school report on [movie related subject]. Can I use graphics (or content) from Rotten Tomatoes and put it on my report?
• I'd like to link to a page in Rotten Tomatoes. How do I do this?

FORUMS
• How Do I ... ?

GAMES
• I'm having technical problems with "Udder Insanity" and/or "Sharkbait." Can you help me?
 

GENERAL
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Why is the site called "Rotten Tomatoes"? And how did it came about?
Back in the days of the open theaters, when a play was particularly atrocious, the audience expressed their dissatisfaction by not only booing and hissing at the stage, but throwing whatever was at hand -- vegetables and fruits included. Hence the name Rotten Tomatoes. The second part of the question is answered on the About section of Rotten Tomatoes.

I'm receiving pop-up windows with every click of the mouse. How can I make this stop?
Rotten Tomatoes recommends that browser cookies for third-party sites be enabled while browsing our site. Without browser cookies being enabled, you will likely receive pop-up ads as you surf from page to page. These cookies allow our third party advertisers to correctly send you only one pop-up ad maximum per browsing session.

How do I contact [name of famous person]?
Rotten Tomatoes does not carry nor disclose information on actors, directors, critics, or other celebrities unless otherwise noted.

Can I work for you guys?
Thanks for considering Rotten Tomatoes, but unfortunately we're not currently looking to hire any additional Tomato staff.
 

MERCHANDISE
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I want to purchase a video or DVD of [insert name of movie here]? Can I buy it from Rotten Tomatoes?
We don't sell videos or DVDs directly from our site. Instead, we are working with PriceGrabber.com to provide price comparisons on those products. To find prices on a particular video or DVD on our site, just follow these simple steps:

1) Enter the title of the movie into our search bar (located right below the top banner ad on the left).
2) Scroll down the search results to find the correct listing and click on it. This should bring up the movie package for your movie.
3) Click on the tab marked "DVD | VHS".
4) From there, choose the available format you are looking for - VHS or DVD (if the format you want does not appear on this page, then it's not available).
5) On the right is a list of retailers that are selling the video in the chosen format (if you don't see a listing, then the video is not available for sale).
6) Click on a retailer's listing to buy the video from that retailer, or click on "See All - Stores & Prices" for more retailers and prices.

How do I purchase soundtracks on your site?
Click on the "shop" tab at the top - it's next to the "movies" and "video|DVD" tabs. Next, click on the "soundtracks" link directly under the tab (or on the left menu sidebar). If you can't find the soundtrack you're looking for there, then it's not available.

I am looking for my favorite movie poster. Can Rotten Tomatoes help me find it?
Rotten Tomatoes has worked with AllPosters.com to bring you the best collection of movie posters. Click on the poster graphic under any given title at Rotten Tomatoes and you will be transported to the amazing collection of movie posters at AllPosters.com. If you do not see a "Buy" or "Browse" link under a movie poster on a movie page, then that poster is not available for purchase. You can also browse through our movie and celebrity poster gallery here.
 

REVIEWS
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How do I get my reviews quoted on Rotten Tomatoes? Why can't I locate reviews from [insert critic/source] on your website?
We only accept reviews from critics of accredited media outlets and online film societies. If you're a critic, and are interested in getting your reviews quoted on Rotten Tomatoes, please click here for our criteria.

How are reviews selected and gathered?
We gather reviews from a set pool of sources (Approved Tomatometer Critics), either by checking their sites or having the critics or webmasters submit the review to us.

On the day a movie opens -- usually Friday mornings by 8:00 a.m. (PST) - only reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics are listed. If you want to read a review from a critic who is not counted toward the tomatometer, select "All Film Reviews" from the drop down menu above the cast names and just below the movie title.

What is your methodology for defining whether a review that does not include a star rating or other objective grading scale counts as a Fresh or Rotten rating on the tomatometer?
Most critics from the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) enter their own quotes and ratings. For critics who don't enter in their own quotes and ratings, it's basically up to the judgment of the editors. They take into account word choice, rating (if any), tone, and who's the critic in their determination of whether a review is positive or not. If an editor is not certain about a review, it is sent to another editor for a second opinion. "Wishy-washy" reviews, reviews that are really difficult to determine if the critic recommends the film or not, are usually given a Rotten because if the critic is not confident enough to give the movie even an implied recommendation, then we shouldn't either.

On the Blade 2 reviews page, you have a negative review from James Berardinelli (2.5/4 stars), and a positive review from Eric Lurio (2.5/5). Why is Berardinelli's review labeled Rotten and Lurio's review labeled Fresh?
You're seeing this discrepancy because star systems are not consistent between critics. For critics like Roger Ebert and James Berardinelli, 2.5 stars or lower out of 4 stars is always negative. For other critics, 2.5 stars can either be positive or negative. Even though Eric Lurio uses a 5 star system, his grading is very relaxed. So, 2 stars can be positive. Also, there's always the possibility of the webmaster or critic putting the wrong rating on a review.

Why is the cutoff for a Fresh Tomato so much higher for individual game reviews?
Although most publishers rate games on a 1-10 scale, it is a rarity for a game to get a score below 6. Because game reviews are mostly positive (a very high majority fall in the 7-10 range), the cutoff for a Fresh Tomato is raised to 8/10. This higher cutoff actually produces a wider spread of Tomatometer scores that is equivalent to movies; otherwise, almost all games are recommended!

Do you guys write your own reviews?
Yes, we do, but only occasionally. Most of the time, we're just too busy operating this site.  

TOMATOMETER
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What is the Tomatometer?
The Tomatometer measures the percentage of Approved Tomatometer Critics who recommend a certain movie -- or the number of good reviews divided by the total number of reviews.

A good review is denoted by a FRESH tomato.

A bad review is denoted by a ROTTEN tomato.

In order for a movie to receive an overall rating of FRESH, the reading on the Tomatometer for that movie must be at least 60%. Otherwise, it is ROTTEN.

Who are the Approved Tomatometer Critics?
The Approved Tomatometer Critics are critics that fit within a set of standards - mostly from accredited media outlets and online film societies. You can click here for our criteria. We use the same list of critics to evaluate each movie. This way, we can insure that the Tomatometer is consistent and unbiased. This also prevents studios or fans from affecting the Tomatometer by submitting only positive reviews to us from sources not on our approved Tomatometer list.

So why doesn’t this movie have a Tomatometer rating?
A movie must have a minimum of five ratings from Approved Tomatometer Critics in order to have a Tomatometer reading. Unfortunately, a lot of older movies don’t have Tomatometers because those critics simply weren’t around back then. We’re working on fixing this, so you will get a large selection of movies that have Tomatometers.

Why don't you guys have a mixed rating?
Why doesn't Ebert&Roeper; have a rating with the thumb pointing sideways? For us, it's simplicity mainly. We do keep the original ratings (star, letter grade, numeric) for each review in our database, so maybe sometime in the future we'll have a feature that lets users convert the ratings to any rating system they prefer.

Why does a movie with over 50% on the Tomatometer still have a rating of ROTTEN?
In order for a movie to receive an overall rating of FRESH, the reading on the Tomatometer for that movie must be at least 60%. Otherwise, it is ROTTEN. Why 60%? We feel that 60% is a comfortable minimum for a movie to be recommended.

Which movie has the highest/lowest reading on the Tomatometer?
Another question for the Tomato Picker. Click here for a list of the best of the best (movies with a Tomatometer of 100%). Click here for a list of the worst of the worst (movies with a Tomatometer of 0%).
 

AVERAGE RATING
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What is the Average Rating?
The Average Rating is an average of the individual critic scores, based on a 1-10 scale.

How is the Average Rating calculated?
Each critic's original rating scale (star, letter grade, numeric) is converted to a 1-10 scale, and then an average is produced based on the converted rating scale. Reviews without original ratings are not counted, and a minimum of five reviews with original ratings is required.

How does the Average Rating differ from The Tomatometer?
The Average Rating measures the overall quality of a product based on an average of individual critic scores. The Tomatometer simply measures the percentage of critics who recommend a certain product.

For example, while "Men in Black" scored 90% on the Tomatometer, the average rating is only 7.5/10. That means that while you're likely to enjoy MIB, it probably wasn't a contender for Best Picture at the Oscars.

In contrast, "Toy Story 2" received a perfect 100% on the Tomatometer with an average rating of 9.6/10. That means, not only are you certain to enjoy it, you'll also be impressed with the direction, story, cinematography, and all the other things that make truly great films great.
 

CERTIFIED FRESH
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What is "Certified Fresh"?
Movies with a Tomatometer of 75% or better and at least 40 reviews from Tomatometer Critics (including 5 from the Cream of the Crop) receive special recognition -- the "Certified Fresh" seal.

For more information regarding the Certified Fresh seal and its use, visit the Certified Fresh Media Kit.

Can I use the "Certified Fresh" logo on my media outlet or to promote my movie or video game?
Yes, permission is granted to third parties to use the "Certified Fresh" logo provided they adhere to the following guidelines:

• The text "Certified Fresh by RottenTomatoes.com" must accompany the logo;
• The "Certified Fresh" logo can NOT be altered without prior written permission;
• The link to the "Certified Fresh" logo must go either to the Rotten Tomatoes home page or the Rotten Tomatoes review page of a particular movie. The link shall NOT go to the review page with the "Fresh Only" option unless the movie is 100% Fresh; and
• Rotten Tomatoes reserves the right to prohibit use of the "Certified Fresh" logo if such use violates the Terms of Use.

For more information visit the Certified Fresh Media Kit.

Where can I download the "Certified Fresh" logo?
Various downloads including the Certified Fresh seal can be found under the Downloads section of the Certified Fresh Media Kit.

RT FEATURES
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How do I use this site?
If you're lost, check out our site map.

Can you briefly highlight some of the main features on this site?
1. The movie database includes more than 87,000 titles. We’ve also been hard at work with MRQE to bring you more than 200,000 reviews.
2. The Tomato Picker – an interactive movie title browser that allows users to browse through the 86,000 titles on our database by Genre, Tomatometer, MPAA Rating, Era & Decade, and Year.
3. Critic pages with a critic's review history. You can access these pages by clicking on a critics name on the reviews page.
4. Ability to sort reviews by Rating, Quote, Source, or Author.
6. Actor and Actress filmographies, with their average Tomatometer rating and awards history.
7. Simple Search by Title, Person, or Plot.
8. For those who have specific needs, a more powerful Advanced Search.
9. Expanded coverage for Movies - in theaters, opening, upcoming, box office, and multimedia.
10. Expanded coverage for Videos|DVD - current releases, new releases, upcoming, and top rentals.

What is "Hot Pick"?
"Hot Pick" is an area on the reviews pages where we select the best quote (not necessarily the best review). Critics in this area are also accounted for in the overall Tomatometer.

What is "Cream of the Crop"? And how does RT choose who goes there?
"Cream of the Crop" is where we place popular and notable critics from the top 20 US newspapers and top 5 Canadian newspapers by circulation. Popular magazine, web, TV, and radio critics are also included. This area has its own Tomatometer. Critics in this area are also accounted for in the overall Tomatometer.

What is "Featured Critic"?
"Featured Critic" is a paid position on the reviews page. Only approved Tomatometer publications can pay for this spot; a studio or affiliate of a product being reviewed CANNOT pay for this spot. A "Featured Critic" appears twice on the reviews page - once in the "Featured Critic" area and again in its regular spot on the reviews page - but will only be counted ONCE towards the Tomatometer.

If your publication is an approved Tomatometer publication and you would like to sponsor this area of the reviews page, click here to contact our sales rep.

How do I get the trailers to work?
Trailers currently are provided for one of three video players: QuickTime, Windows Media Player, and RealPlayer. If a trailer after a trailer link is clicked, you may need to install the correct video player. Follow these links in order to install the video players: QuickTime, Windows Media Player, RealPlayer.
 

MOVIES RELATED
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How does one go about submitting a movie title to Rotten Tomatoes?
Before submitting a movie title to us, please do the following first:
- Make sure we DON'T already have that title on our database by searching for it on the search box at the top right-hand corner of our site.
- Make sure that the title is available on IMDB.com.
If the title is available on IMDB.com, then copy the url for that movie and submit it to us. If the title is NOT available on IMDB.com, then don't bother.

Movie trivia questions. What's the title of this movie I saw on cable about ... ? When will this movie open in my country? What's the name of the song from the trailer?
You'll probably get better (and quicker) responses by posting questions of this sort on our message board.

I would like to be a cast/crew member for [insert name of movie here]. Can you hook me up?
Nope. We don't have that kind of power in Hollywood.

Is this movie appropriate for my kids to watch?
You can access reviews of this type on the reviews pages by doing either of the following:
- In the dropdown next to the "Choose Type" graphic, click on "Parents Evaluation."
- On the left sidebar, scroll down and click on the "Parents Evaluation" text link.  

USING RT'S CONTENT
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I want to use content from Rotten Tomatoes. Who do I talk to?
Rotten Tomatoes has set up several data feeds with content available for use on your website. For more information, visit the Syndication pages.

I'm making a movie site. Can I use graphics (or content) from Rotten Tomatoes and put it on my site?
The content and images on Rotten Tomatoes are either copyrighted by us or by the movie studios. However, Rotten Tomatoes has developed a set of graphics that you may freely use in order to link to Rotten Tomatoes. Please find these graphics here.

I'm doing a school report on [movie related subject]. Can I use graphics (or content) from Rotten Tomatoes and put it on my report?
The content and images on Rotten Tomatoes are either copyrighted by us or by the movie studios. Unless you have already obtained authorization from the movie studios to use their content, please don't bother asking us.

I'd like to link to a page in Rotten Tomatoes. How do I do this?
Rotten Tomatoes has developed a Linking Guide to assist other sites with linking to various sections of Rotten Tomatoes.
 

FORUMS
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How do I ... ?
If you have a question about how to do something on the forums, the best place to start is Forum FAQ.
 

GAMES
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I'm having technical problems with "Udder Insanity" and/or "Sharkbait." Can you help me?
Both games have their own help sections. "Udder Insanity" questions are answered here. "Sharkbait" questions are answered here.