How do I choose which films to see? Well, in selecting films I follow certain critics and publications. These critics include - for practical purposes are limited to - Roger Ebert and James Bernardinelli. The publications are The New Yorker, The New York Times and The Newark Star Ledger. Films need not receive good reviews from all or even a majority of these sources. (As anyone who reads The Ledger knows The Ledger rarely gives three or four stars to any movie.) 

Also, neither of these critics' choices are sure things. Both Ebert and Bernardinelli regularly pick among their Top Tens at least one film that I thought was awful. I do not rely exclusively on either these critical sources or on good reviews generally. If the description of a film included in a fair or even in a poor review piques my interest or even if the preview looks really good, I sometimes see the film anyway. For example, the first time I saw the previews for Vertical Limit I knew that I would see it no matter what the critics said.

I have no interest whatsoever in what I consider to be "Kids Movies." My definition of this genre includes cartoons (animated features, if you prefer), films rated G or advertised as being appropriate for the family. I do not even consider reading the reviews of these movies. Nor do I care if every critic who ever lived believes any such film to be among the best ever made and the movie is entirely appropriate for children. How serious am I about avoiding Kids Movies? I have never seen The Wizard Of Oz. OK? Serious enough?  Don't look for The Grinch on my Favorites list. I don't go to "Teen Movies" either, though I make up this definition as I go along.