The Movies Online History
After three years – 2005 to 2008 - almost two million visitors and over a years
worth of unique movies posted (that’s 33025270 seconds), Lionhead Studios feels
it’s time for the final curtain to come down on The Movies Online.
The number of new movies posted and traffic visiting the site dropped to a level
that means it is no longer viable to keep the site operating. Therefore the site
was shut down on 5th December 2008.
In announcing the closure of the site Mark Webley Lionhead’s Development Director,
who headed up The Movies team said "The Movies Online has shown how much creativity
and originality there is amongst games players. The Movies helped create movies
like The French Democracy which attracted world-wide media attention. But three
years on, would-be film makers now have many more outlets for their creativity which
also attract a wider audience. So we have taken the difficult decision to close
The Movies Online. We‘d like to thank everyone who has posted a movie or visited
the site over the past three years".
In 2005 there was one movie that reached the
headlines (even in some
mainstream newspapers) and it was called The French Democracy; a movie
about the riots in Paris in France which happened that same year. It was made by
Alex Chan who lived in Paris at the time and it’s a gripping representation of the
event that caused uproar in the suburbs of the French capital.
You can find a streaming version of The French Democracy here.
More ...
Movies Library
We've selected some of the best movies from the three years on The Movies Online.
We probably missed a few iconic pictures because there were so many but we made a selection
of out Hall of Fame and the winners of the competitions (right-click & Save).
Lionhead Studios Awards:
- Christmas 2005 Edition
- Warrington Festival
- "Honesty"
- Finish The Story
- Christmas 2006 Edition
- Fable Edition
Selection of HotPicks:
A few final comments:
We would like to thank everyone who participated in The Movies Community on our
forums and here are some of the comments they left us.
mystic_sleet: The movies game introduced me to my first internet
community and is still my favourite place to visit.
I remember how hard it was to get your movie advertised, it would be off the front
page of "Your Movies" in a matter of 2 minutes.Those were the days, the days when
your movie had something new to the industry it would be top of the most watched.
I remember seeing custom backdrops for the 1st time, i could not believe it. With
each boundary being pushed further the quality of movies improved dramitically.
The effects became a big thing. Oh It's On was way ahead of it's time. Wink ;)
It was somehow like the real hollywood of today, how movies that brought something
new would be the most watched Big Smile :D
To sum up all the other things i will remember from the movies online:
Porn Demo,One Star ninja's, 5 Star Hobo's, The Hurricane Reviewer that 1 starred
movies...i know who you were Stick out tongue [:P], *Guerilla Competition *typo?,
The Chrysler competition and all the Europeans complaining, The Review threads,
The Prop shop demo movies that would go straight to number one, The demo movies
in general Big Smile [:D], The Horse Trilogy, The Chocolate Mouse regime with a
complimentary nose kiss, The Oooooh and ahhhhh's when people relised Satan's Munchkin
was a guy, It brought out TMOA, Aegis of Therion - Seriously that was also way ahead
of it's time, The Steven Kreg!, 30 Seconds movies?!?!, Dulcilicious rewards and
Double D, damn if only i can hear her say it again.... There is so much more which
cannot get to me now.
Ellis07: The early movies were probably the best memories. Partly
because I was still learning new things and also the lack of creation . I mean,
the movies that I used to do (and probably everyone did), would be a two minute
movie made in a couple of hours. But the best part would have to be uploading and
waiting for the unsure reviews.
MefuneAkira: My favorite moments were...the overwhelming response
to L.M.A.O. Studios first film Jesus VS Easter from not only TMOers, but from people
across the globe. The massive support and threads protesting the banning of The
Unwanted Hetero. The release of S & E that allowed us to really open our imaginations.
Receiving eight hotpicks. Being invited to display The Courage Within series at
the Rome Film Festival by Lionhead. Being entertained and truly inspired by films
like Stir, Obsession, Oh It's On!, Capital, The Hospital trailer, Bombshelter, One
Last Breath, Into the Shadow, Press Play on Your Graduation Day, Thongocalypse Now
and many many more. But truly my favorite moments over the past three years are
the friendships Ive had the pleasure of acquiring.
I would like to thank all the modders who have spent so many hours going blind staring
at their monitors to create such amazing props, sets, costumes and beyond. You are
the ones who first launched our films into something special. Thank you!
BenTuttle90: I had a lot of fun creating movies on TMO and enjoying
the responses. TMO was a big part of my life and I want to thank Lionhead Studios
for creating such a website. The Movies is hands down my favorite computer game,
because I am a very creative person and the ability to create a movie is just amazing.
A lot of people on the TMO community have been very friendly and willing to help.
As TMO closes down for good; I will sit back and watch a few classics before the
TMO train takes its final stop. I will help new TMOers find their way into TMU and
I encourage everyone to do the same. TMO will be greatly missed.
EthanRunt: I can't say I'm not sad, but I can say that I am truly
grateful to TMO, for having a wonderful game to live out some short story concepts,
for finally getting a hotpick (And just in time it seemed) and of course for making
such a diverse and entertaining bunch of friends on here, some who have left I still
keep in regular contact, and one at least I had the great pleasure of spending a
day out in London, it's weird to live around the area and suddenly one day be a
tourist, but it's been over two years and still a highlight of my life, and I look
forward to meeting more of you as I save up to explore the great wide west of America
in the next few years.
deliriousstudios: Ahh, I remember the run up to when Stunts and
Effects was released, and Roger and others getting a sneak peek of the game before
the rest of us mere mortals. It's actually quite interesting to look back in the
S & E forum and see all the discussions that went on about what might be in the
expansion pack.
Oh, and I remember when freecam was announced for it....big celebration.
rjb2112: It was the first online community for many of us, and
it has been a very special community. But the positive is that regardless of TMO
closing, the community is still thriving and I am sure that it will for many years
to come. I am sure that it will evolve and change, but it will still exist.
It indeed is an end of an era that TMO is closing. It also is a thing that saddens
many of us. But by the same token that feeling shows that it was worth something.
TMO has been a place where many creative minded people could not only have an outlet
their creativity, but maybe more importantly (for me it is anyway) to meet other
likeminded people.
I guess I am trying to say that TMO was a business venture that created an online
community unlike any other (that I am aware of). The original aim was a tycoon game
about the film industry that had a nice little touch where you could make little
films to amuse and entertain your family and friends. I don't think anyone ever
envisioned that so many quality movies would or even could be made with this "game".
THANK YOU TMO
It was a great journey!
themonkthemonk: The Movies for me, was a life changing event. I
know that sounds like exaggeration, but it’s so true... The Movies opened up such
a wide door for my own creativity that had for years, been wasting away... and not
just in storytelling. The Movies co-incided with my discovery of Voice over Internet,
and introduced me to so many talented creative people... And gave me the chance
to talk about, people to talk to...and tell some bad jokes on The Movies On Air.
I have no regrets for all the time and hard work that I have spent on this hobby,
just because it has given me so much back.
Even with TMO being gone... all the friends I have made are still around, but the
only thing I will regret will be all the future Creative People who will have missed
out on this Golden Time in my life...
You have been good to me TMO, and you have my appreciation and thanks.
rposhard: If you think for one second this closure will stop me
from torturing people with The Ultimate TMOer competitions -- YOU'RE WRONG!! However,
it will put a little crimp in my style.
My memories? All the work a fellow named Dennis Bazely (aka PamDennis) and I put
into a little online magazine called Moviewood-E! For one year we enjoyed turning
out something which gave another voice to the community. And, of course, running
The Ultimate TMOer for two seasons -- a competition that resulted in over 100 Top
Ten films here at TMO!
My regret? That I wasn't able to move faster on creating my new project -- a full-length
film that was going to be my farewell to TMO anyway, at least in terms of filmmaking.
I agree it will be sad to see the movies disappear, but I am heartened to know that
the forums will remain in place so we can all still promote our films regardless
of where they end up online. Over the years, I have been honored to consider the
people of this community not as faceless people at the other end of an internet
connection but as friends. that is what TMO did for me more than anything else.
Good bye, TMO! It was an amazing experience while it lasted!
Selection of movie posters:
We've had thousands of posters uploaded to the website in order to promote various
films. Some were better then others and we can only display around a quarter of
them. So here they are in an easy to view gallery: