Call me old-fashioned, but I still love going to the theater to catch a flick. Once in a while, I see a really great movie, but mostly I go for the escapism factor, with little expectation.

 

If, however, you are working on becoming a movie connoisseur, or would like to make sure you don’t waste your money on a dud, you may want to consider Life Hackery’s tips for differentiating between good and bad movies, in advance.

 

Reading reviews is a bit obvious, but sometimes obvious is best. Find a source you really like, and stick with it. Less obvious, however, is consulting a bookworm. 

 

That’s right, bookworms know their film. First of all, movies based on good, detailed books tend to be quite watchable. People who recognize good literature at a glance, can often apply that skill to movies as well.

 

A movie based on a video game, on the other hand, is more than likely to be a disappointment. Video games are complicated and due to players’ expectations, often don’t translate well on the big screen.

 

Another sign of a bad film is when the promos refer to previous related works as opposed to the movie at hand. So if the movie is predominantly billed as starring a certain actor who won awards in another movie, with no reference to his performance in the movie being promoted, it should raise your suspicions. Now, if you love the actor no matter what he does, well, enjoy!