Ever find yourself wandering around our DVD section, irritated because you have no idea what movie to check out? This happens to me all the time. I’ve seen so many previews that look good and, frustratingly, can’t remember a single title.
No problem… just step over to an Internet Express computer station along side the DVD section, and go to this magical website: www.whattorent.com. You'll need to create a
user profile and answer some questions about your current mood. Depending on your responses, the system will continue to refine your movie preferences, a la Netflix. If you click “I’ve Already Seen This,” the movie will not be recommended again.
...and my result was, “Chungking Express” , which, according to the library catalog, is on the shelf!
How does it work? Here's some info regarding the theory behind the site:
The site design is based around the relatively unknown LaBarrie Theory. The LaBarrie Theory states, "A movie viewer emotionally interacts with a film in the same manner that they interact with other human beings." To utilize this theory, we first decipher a user's personality and form a general model of how they react to the world and their average emotional state. Next, we establish a relationship between that personality and the movies in our database. The cluster then compares your ideal stimulus and current mood to the possible relationships with movies on file. The film that maximizes the desired criteria is recommended.
Now this is a site I wish I had discovered long ago!
Submitted by Clancy Scheid.