If you look through the movie reviews on my blog, you’ll notice that I discuss films from different years and of various genres. You might be wondering how I choose those movies, especially since many of them are older.

Below is the typical process of how I decide which films to view and talk about.

1: I think of which movie or genre to pick

If you read my about me page, you’ll see that my favorite genres are comedy, fantasy, and musical. And if you go to the page on live-action movies, you’ll see that I have a lot of discussions in the genres listed above. But I also like to vary the genres.

Anyway, how do I decide on a movie? Well, I either come across an idea on Facebook or another site, or I look for films of a certain genre on Google.

2: I watch the trailer

In order to see if I’ll likely enjoy the selected movie, I watch the trailer on YouTube. This can help me decide if the film is right for me.

3: I make sure it’s available to stream online

In the age of digital streaming, I try to stick with films that are available to stream on the Internet. It could be on Disney Plus, Amazon, Fandango, or anything else.

There were a couple of exceptions, though. Those included The Emperor’s Club and Life-Size. I watched them on third-party sites for free since they were not available on any main streaming service. But hey—at least I was able to watch them online. My computer doesn’t even have a disc player.

4: I write it down on a list, along with its genre, runtime, and release date

After I pick a movie to see, I write it on a note app on my phone. Not only do I list the film, but also its genre (or specific category), runtime, and release date.

The format goes as follows:

Movie name – genre – runtime, released Month, day, year

Now I only do the genres for my live-action movies not directly made by Disney. For Disney movies, I use a specific category instead.

I’m going to list a specific example of a Disney film actually on my to-watch list.

Up – Disney Pixar – 1 hr 49 min, released May 29^th, 2009

I abbreviate the words, “hour” and “minute” to make it quick.

As for animated films (not made directly by Disney), I do not categorize them. Where the genre or specific category would go, I only say, “animated.”

5: After I watch it, I mark it with a plus sign

Once I view a film, I go to the notes on my phone, and place a plus sign next to the name and other details of the particular movie. This helps me remember that I watched it.

6: Once I post a review or critique of it, I “cross” it off my list

Since I don’t know if I can actually cross out a word on my notes app, I decided to just delete the movie name and details once I post about it. This leaves room for new movie ideas.

Exceptions 

Now there are exceptions of when I don’t use this process. That is usually if someone else decides on the movie, such as a friend of mine. I may see the film at my friend’s house, the movie theater, or anywhere else.

I also sometimes decide to rewatch films that I have not seen in a while. But in that case, I will research the success of the movie and see if it’s worth watching based on its reviews.

Conclusion

So, there you have it—my process of choosing what films to post about. If this inspires you to decide on what movies to watch and review, great.

But some people just want to see films without reviewing them. And that’s okay.

What do you think of my process? Let me know in the comments if you’d like to.