MovieDB+ Demo

Simple MovieDB+ demo application featuring a Flask web front-end, a Redis cache, and integration with the OMDb API.

Features

• Search movies via the OMDb API from a simple web interface.
• Cache search responses in Redis for 10 minutes to reduce repeated API calls.
• /api/search endpoint returns JSON suitable for API consumption.
• /api/ratings/summary aggregates IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic scores with optional batch input.
• /api/genres and /api/genre/<name> surface genre metadata with filtering and pagination.
• /api/boxoffice/top ranks movies by box office with aggregated ratings and lightweight recommendations.
• Docker Compose setup for the Flask app and Redis cache.

Prerequisites

• Docker and Docker Compose plugin.
• An OMDb API key. Register for a free key at https://www.omdbapi.com/apikey.aspx.

Getting Started

1. Configure Environment Variables

Copy the example environment file and provide your OMDb API key:

cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env and set OMDB_API_KEY=your_key

2. Start with Docker Compose

Run the application stack (Flask + Redis) with Docker Compose:

docker compose up --build

The Flask app will be available at http://localhost:8080.

2b. Build the Web Image Manually (Optional)

If you only need the Flask container (for example, when connecting to an external Redis), build and run the image directly:

docker build -t moviedb-web .
docker run --env-file .env -p 8080:8080 moviedb-web

Adjust REDIS_HOST/REDIS_PORT in your .env file (or pass them with -e) so the container can reach your Redis instance.

3. Search for Movies

Open the homepage in your browser, enter a movie title (e.g., “Inception”), and submit the form. Results are fetched from the OMDb API and cached in Redis for 10 minutes. A cached response displays instantly on subsequent searches.

You can also hit the API directly:

GET http://localhost:8080/api/search?q=Inception

API Examples for Extended Services

• Rating summary for a single movie:
  curl "http://localhost:8080/api/ratings/summary?title=Inception"
• Batch rating summary:
  curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/api/ratings/summary -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d "{\"titles\":[\"Inception\",\"Dunkirk\"]}"
• Genres for a movie:
  curl "http://localhost:8080/api/genres?title=Inception"
• Browse a genre with filters:
  curl "http://localhost:8080/api/genre/Action?page=1&rating=7.0&language=English"
• Top box office ranking (defaults to curated list if no query):
  curl "http://localhost:8080/api/boxoffice/top?q=Avengers"

4. Stopping the Stack

Press Ctrl+C in the terminal running Docker Compose, then remove containers if desired:

docker compose down

Local Development (Optional)

If you prefer to run the Flask app without Docker:

1. Create and activate a Python virtual environment.

2. Install dependencies: pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Export required environment variables:

   export OMDB_API_KEY=your_key
   export REDIS_HOST=localhost  # or your Redis instance
   export REDIS_PORT=6379

4. Start the Flask development server:

   flask --app app.py run --port 8080

Ensure a Redis server is running and reachable at the host/port specified above.