by Patrick Sills

Created on: August 10, 2009   Last Updated: September 07, 2009

In life, there are some givens. The sun will rise the next morning. In 24 hours, you will be a day older. And finally, that movie you want to see 7 miles across town that starts at 3:00 PM really won't start at 3:00. Why? Because you will be subjected to 15 previews of coming attractions! These previews; or trailers, are often a good way to determine whether or not an upcoming movie will be good. This is in fact the very best way to reach such a decision. You are actually seeing a few scenes; and by doing so, you should have a pretty good idea of how enjoyable (or dull) the film will be.

As far as critics are concerned, it is best to follow your own instincts; whether we're talking about Roger Ebert or some local-yokel Entertainment reporter from your town's newspaper. After all, no two individuals will always be in agreement. Other clues can be found in the cast. If a well-known, Oscar-winning actor appears in the film, it is highly unlikely that he or she would risk a favorable reputation by agreeing to take a role in a poorly-scripted, lackluster production. On the other hand, if the movie features actors that nobody has ever heard of, it becomes a roll of the dice. Quite honestly, it could go either way. The movie could be a highly-praised masterpiece or the worst piece of garbage to ever fill a screen. Look for Oscar-winning directors as well; such as Ron Howard or Steven Spielberg. Such notable names are virtually guaranteed not to let their audiences down.

Read a synopsis of the film before deciding to go see it. Does the subject matter interest you? If not, skip it. It may still end up being a well-made movie, but if you find the storyline unexciting, what does it matter? However, a word of caution here: When you go to a video rental store, beware of fancy, embellished covers that describe the movie with graphic artwork and creative prose; especially if the film has an obscure cast or director. In many of these cases, the film was so bad that it either bombed at the box office or was never good enough to hit the theaters in the first place.

Finally, independent films are almost always horrible. They are amateurish, the camerawork is awful, and the acting is on a par with some no-name garage band on YouTube trying to do a cover of an AC/DC tune. These types of movies should not even be up for consideration.

In the end; however, it all comes down to one thing. And that is to go with your instincts. If the movie has an interesting storyline along with a good cast and director, and the trailer grabs you, then you can hardly go wrong.

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