Be sure to browse newspaper film review sections. Most major newspapers have sections where they cover films. These sections usually feature a selection of contemporary film reviews each week.
Use an aggregator as a guide. Review aggregators are like a thermometer which gives you a read on how the public viewed a film. This means that films that starkly divide audiences will seem like they received a lukewarm reception. Don’t take the aggregator’s grade as a final judgment about a film’s quality. Always check for other sources in which they can help see what movies are the same as the movie or some similar genre.
You might try searching for your favorite film, then looking to see if there are any lists that contain that film. When you find a list that contains your film, see if there are any other films on the list that interest you. Add those movies to your to-watch list.
Browse DVD collections. There are companies that release DVDs of important films. The Masters of Cinema and Criterion Collection often release films that are of significance and value. [3] X Research source [4] X Research source You can find both interesting and entertaining fare by looking through the different films they have released. Look through film magazines. Sight and Sound maintains a list of the best two hundred and fifty films ever made with input from directors, critics, and academics from around the world. The Cahiers du Cinema has top ten lists from every year that it has been in operation. [5] X Research source These are good starting points for when you are trying to find an excellent film. Go through the filmographies of great directors. There are directors who have, in the short time that this medium has existed, managed to make unforgettable films. These directors generally have made several fantastic films. Usually, you can find the names of these directors by looking at lists of classic films. Pick a director that you like, and try to watch as many films by them as you can.
Keep a film diary. Sometimes you’ve seen a film that you want to show to someone, but you have completely forgotten what it was called. To avoid this, create a diary for the films that you watch. Every time you see a movie, good or bad, make sure that you mark down its name and who directed it for further reference.
You can do this by suggesting different movies to the people in your group. Choose your movie based on what they seem to be receptive to. For example, if everyone you ask seems to be in the mood for a scary film, then you can show them Halloween directed by John Carpenter.
If you are projecting a film outside, you should try a funny screwball comedy from the 1940s. For example, you can show Bringing Up Baby, which is a hilarious comedy starring Cary Grant as a repressed paleontologist and Katherine Hepburn as a zany socialite. Not only is the film funny, but it can be enjoyed by people of all ages. For a movie night at a home theater, you could try Edge of Tomorrow, which stars Tom Cruise as a military publicist who repeatedly has to learn how to be a hero. [6] X Research source
For example, you could watch The Royal Tenenbaums, an ensemble family drama with light moments of humor, directed by Wes Anderson. [7] X Research source Perhaps you are selecting a movie for children. Then, you need to figure out not only what they want to watch, but also what is appropriate for them to see. This is when movie ratings can be helpful.
Of course, you won’t always please everybody. However, they will be glad that you took their input into account.
