Where do we get our ideas of what to watch, Part 2?

I love Commonsense Media for screening video games and getting ideas for films. I use their site by either entering a video or game I want to know more about, in which case I use the search box. Or I go to their top bar for Videos then pull down to see Movies on DVD. I also use the Reviews top bar for their critic's picks in different genres. These have helped me find some unheard of gems. Drop to the bottom of any page on the site to see more Editor's picks.

Commonsense is good for newer releases but not for classics (they are hit and miss on those, for example they have African Queen). I do like their adult reviews but do not usually consider their kid reviews (which my boys hate when I am checking out video games).

How do we get our ideas of what to watch, Part 1?

Today's source of inspiration is the great book, The Best Old Movies for Families by Ty Burr. I've got this from our local library but you can find it at new and used book stores. While there are larger guides for films out there and Ty has his own bias, it's full of inspiration to get you through several years of weekly viewing

For us, the main bias is that Ty has two girls and we have two boys. So while his girls love Katherine Hepburn, my guys can only take small doses of her. Ty's great at detailing why he selected a movie and how his girls' react (and he inspired us to do the same type of service via this blog).

You can read the book and get lots of ideas, but how do you put them into rotation? For me, I doing it two ways. First, while we've got our gift subscription to Netflix Blu-rays, I am adding all the ones I think would be a good fit for us into my Netflix queue if Netflix has them on Blu-ray. This is a special treat for us and are trying maximize it's use while we have it.

Next, I keep a list on my local library web site, titled Family Movies. I then can move them from the list to the Hold as I want to. I always try to keep about two titles at home for us in case we have a day off (which means "Movie Night") or bad weather. Plus it's fun to talk around the dinner table about what we will watch that night.

A friend keeps lists on her iPad via Evernote. I think Pinterest could work well too.

Why are we writing this?

Every endeavour should have a purpose and here is ours: we want to help you celebrate and create pathways to communicating with your teens (and younger kids). We think a shared, regular night that brings adults together with the kids they care about makes a great night for everyone! At our home, we do it with a regular Friday night pizza and movie night.

At our house, we are very lucky to have homemade pizza but the core of the night isn't about just the quality of the food - it's the quality of the experience. So order in, dial Domino's, pop in a Totino's or have something else that you all love.

Who's in on this weekly gig? It's us two adults and our two sons, plus our kids' friends if they are game. We source our movies from our library, occasional Netflix and a great local video store.

In this blog we'll share movie ideas, sources for more movie ideas, film tips, a little technology, and some pizza and homemade soda recipes. We'll even convince our kids to write a few reviews.

What are our family values? You'll discover that by reading our reviews but generally we are looking for balanced films that are not too violent or scary. As I write today, our sons are 13 and 11. The younger is definitely more on the skittish side for dramatic tension (as is his mother). But they love the Lord of Rings trilogy.

Here's what we've watched recently. We've classified things to help you find a recommendation while you are at the video store or online building a queue. Sometimes we'll explore a theme or travel somewhere related to a favorite film, that's here too.