Instead of going to see just any movie or a movie that "looks cool," you should spend an extra ten minutes to make sure that you are going to watch a great movie. Remember, you should watch the best movies first or you may not have a chance to watch them at all. Great movies are not just enjoyable, they can be inspirational and have a significant impact on your life. Not only that, but I believe bad movies can have a negative impact on your life. Here are some tips to ensure the movie you watch will be good:

1) Check all of the theaters in your area. Some of the best movies are played at the less popular "artsy" theaters. Some examples of this are the Angelika Film Center in NYC and the Landmark Theatres located in most major cities. If you are really lucky, you will have a small independent theater that plays older, more rare good movies (e.g. the Oak Street Cinema in Minneapolis).

2) Check rottentomatoes.com to see how the critics feel. Many film critics are very bad, however I have found that when the large majority of critics agree that a film is good - it usually is. Look for movies where 90% or more of the critics liked it.

3) See what Leonard Maltin says. In his movie guide book, thousands of movies are listed with a rating of 0-4 stars. I look for movies that have 3½ and 4 stars. You can also check his recent favorites at his website.

4) Still unsure? Look at imdb.com. I don't think their rating system is very useful, but they have a lot of information on every movie - including comments from others which may give you a better idea of the movie and if it will be great or not.

5) Renting a movie? Go to the library. On the unfortunate occasion when I am forced to go to Blockbuster with a friend, it seems like everyone rushes to the "new releases" section. Why? It costs more and it is more likely to be bad. Most libraries are free and they have a better selection of great movies. Plus, they usually have the Leonard Maltin book for reference! And with many libraries you can search, request, renew and transfer everything online.