We need an option within the cast/crew list for non-linkable names.  Once you get past the A and B list actors/crew, it is difficult and often impossible to know whether Joe Blow appearing as man in the crowd in Movie A is the same Joe Blow appearing as bum on the bench in Movie B.  Furthermore, if the name Joe Blow is a common name, then you run into having to figure out birth years to differentiate this Joe Blow from some other Joe Blow.

What I'd like to see is an option (checkbox?) when entering cast/crew name to make that cast/crew non-linkable to any other movie.  That way we can enter complete cast list without having to invent BY or digging through mountains of internet pages for some obscure bit actors.

Quoting Addicted2DVD:

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I have to say I disagree with this. Just because it is a B Actor or what have you don't mean it is the only movie I have with that person. Or the only one I will ever have. I definitely wouldn't want the linking to stop working for that actor.

I would much more prefer to have another way to link other then birth year.

Problem is that for some actors, it is next to impossible to know whether they are the same actor that appeared in another feature or a different actor with the same name.  You might say screen shots, but that's impractical for several reasons:

Actors of different ages
Heavy makeup or prosthetic (how will you ever differentiate one orc from another)
Going through screen shots for main characters is one thing, but quite difficult and impractical for someone in the crowd or someone maybe appearing for 2 sec.

I would love to profile/input entire cast list for some movies, but with the current system, I can't in good conscience do that for most movies without creating imaginary links.

Quoting xradman:

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Quoting Addicted2DVD:

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I have to say I disagree with this. Just because it is a B Actor or what have you don't mean it is the only movie I have with that person. Or the only one I will ever have. I definitely wouldn't want the linking to stop working for that actor.

I would much more prefer to have another way to link other then birth year.

Problem is that for some actors, it is next to impossible to know whether they are the same actor that appeared in another feature or a different actor with the same name.  You might say screen shots, but that's impractical for several reasons:

Actors of different ages
Heavy makeup or prosthetic (how will you ever differentiate one orc from another)
Going through screen shots for main characters is one thing, but quite difficult and impractical for someone in the crowd or someone maybe appearing for 2 sec.

I would love to profile/input entire cast list for some movies, but with the current system, I can't in good conscience do that for most movies without creating imaginary links.

Well then if I am not sure it isn't the same guy... why would I want the credit not to link?  If I am not sure if it is right or wrong... I would rather have it there on the chance it is right then not have it there on the chance it is not right.

Quoting DJ Doena:

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Quoting Addicted2DVD:

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Well then if I am not sure it isn't the same guy... why would I want the credit not to link?  If I am not sure if it is right or wrong... I would rather have it there on the chance it is right then not have it there on the chance it is not right.

I agree.

From a practical point of view: If I don't even know the guy and if he's the "bum on the bench" - when would I ever check out in what other movies he might have been?

This has always been my thought on this issue, I see people making all sorts of arcane links, like some dancer who made an appearance in three films...why does anybody care. I can see, maybe someday  if she ever gets a breakout role and starts moving up the ladder in the industry. Like Clint Eastwood's (uncredited) in The Creature from the Black Lagoon, at the time it was a case of who the sam hill is Clint Eastwood, now with the benefit of 50 plus years of movie history it becomes an interesting bit of trivia, or Patty Dukes (uncredited) or was she credited (I don't remember, but either way it is very interesting) role in The 4D Man.

My (uncredited) is something I am working on right now, and I am amazed at just how many of these people have one or two films to their credit all (uncredited) and sometimes not even a role. I am left wondering how we would ever be able to verify such data or how it ever made it to where it came from. There are some people, for example, John Larch a well-known character actor had an (uncredited) appearance in HTWWW, without looking I can't tell you what he played but I can tell you he was in the film, I have almost 40 films with him involved, that I want, but OTOH Larry Carr who allegedly made an (uncredited) appearance in Houseboat without a Role and it is the ONLY time he shows up in my listings of rapidly closing on a total of 10,000 titles being tracked between wishlist and owned....why do i care...how would I ever verify he actually appeared and how would I ever be able to separate him from other Larry Carrs who might be in the database.<shrugs>

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Quoting DJ Doena:

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Quoting Addicted2DVD:

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Well then if I am not sure it isn't the same guy... why would I want the credit not to link?  If I am not sure if it is right or wrong... I would rather have it there on the chance it is right then not have it there on the chance it is not right.

I agree.

From a practical point of view: If I don't even know the guy and if he's the "bum on the bench" - when would I ever check out in what other movies he might have been?

Gotta agree as well...with the furry guy as well as the fuzzy guy...if they aren't even 'D' list actors, why do I care?

Quoting Addicted2DVD:

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I would much more prefer to have another way to link other then birth year.

As would I.

Now I know we can't use what IMDB uses, Roman Numerals. But there must be something similar we could use when Birth Years can't be found.

I don't know, perhaps something like the following.

Numbers (1,2,3.....)
Letters (A,B,C.....)
Combination of letters and numbers (1A, 1B, 1C.... on to 1Z, and then restart with 2A if it goes above 26 - which I doubt)
Spelled out numbers (One, Two, Three....)

I'm just throwing out an idea.


I just dislike having people connected to others when they aren't the same person.
I don't know, take for example.
1956 TV Series Michael Smith is credited as an Old Man
2008 Movie a Michael Smith is credited as Young Boy on Street

Now for me it just looks silly to have the "same actor" credited as an Old Man in 1956 and a Young Boy in 2008.

Quoting CubbyUps:

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Now I know we can't use what IMDB uses, Roman Numerals.

This strikes me as an urban legend, as I'm fairly certain IMDB didn't copyright Roman Numerals.*

However, even if they did, numbers or letters should be used instead of the current DOB.

I'm actually surprised that it hasn't been implemented already, as a system using anything other than DOB is better.

*note, apologies if that comes out as snide or attacking, as it's not meant to be.

Quoting TheMadMartian:

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Quoting Alien Redrum:

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Quoting CubbyUps:

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Now I know we can't use what IMDB uses, Roman Numerals.

This strikes me as an urban legend, as I'm fairly certain IMDB didn't copyright Roman Numerals.*

Not an urban legend, WE can't use IMDb style roman numerals...it's in the rules.  Ken, however, can use whatever he wants.

I know about the rules, I'm talking about the software aspect. I've seen claims that Roman Numerals (or even numbers) cannot be used because of lawsuits and such things, and I find it hard to believe is what I'm saying.