Now that I have begun using a rating system for movies that I have seen, I think it’s important to actually describe what I mean when rating a film 6/9 as opposed to 7/9.
In my system, and in my mind, I think movies can be categorized into three distinct groups of quality: 1) “horrible!”, 2) “good.”, 3) “damn good!”. Therefore, my system has to be broken down into a number divisible by three. I chose 9 because one digit numbers look better in my design.
What follows are my descriptions of “horrible!”, “good.”, and “damn good!” movies; I will update and refine these descriptions as my thoughts further develop. The examples are of movies that I have seen, with links to my review when applicable.
Ratings 1-3: These “horrible!” films transcend bad, no matter the genre, director, country it was made in, or even the mood I was in while watching the movie. For instance, when writing about “horrible!” films I would never say “well, it was good for an action film.” These films haunt me for years after watching them. You will never find these DVDs in my collection.
If you would like to avoid bad films, some online references include the IMDB bottom of the charts, The Stinkers, and the Wikipedia list of films that have been cited as the worst films ever made. And please, don’t forget the 100 worst porn movie titles.
Ratings 4-6: My opinion of “good.” films may change over time–though always remains within the 4-6 range. I think of “good.” films as giving me a positive feeling after watching them, but that I don’t consider them much beyond a day or so. They don’t haunt me–either negatively or positively–because these films are just “good.”.
Most likely I won’t add “good.” movies to my DVD collection, unless they have great DVD extras and it’s cheap (less than $10).
Ratings 7-9: “Damn good!” movies I’ll watch multiple times, buy the DVD, and will haunt me (in a good way). I recommend these films to friends and family.