Movie star rating: Why only 4?
07-13-04, 06:15 PM
#1
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Movie star rating: Why only 4?
This is something that has been urking me for quite some time now. I'm not a big movie buff. If I have nothing to do on a weekend I'll catch a flick but I do however checkout the ratings just to see who gave what for pure curiosity. I don't understand why it's only a fourstar rating. To me four stars isn't broad enough to seperate a bad movie from a good movie from a great movie from a classic.
Is there any particular reason why there isn't say a 10 star rating?
Is there any particular reason why there isn't say a 10 star rating?
07-13-04, 06:31 PM
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I have no problem with the 4 star rating system. What makes me laugh is Ebert & Roeper’s Two Thumbs Up----WAY UP! So now a thumbs up has gradations?
07-13-04, 07:17 PM
#5
Yeah, I think it's used because it's the most basic system you can have.
*-Very Bad
**-Run of the Mill Bad
***-Good
****-Blow Your Socks Off Good
*-Very Bad
**-Run of the Mill Bad
***-Good
****-Blow Your Socks Off Good
07-13-04, 07:49 PM
#7
Yes, but it's a Registered Trade Mark of Siskel & Ebert.
I recieved a 'cease and desist' letter from their lawyer when I used the
rating system when I covered funerals for the local paper.
I recieved a 'cease and desist' letter from their lawyer when I used the
rating system when I covered funerals for the local paper.
07-13-04, 08:01 PM
#8
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What would be considered a funeral? Maybe if someone got hysterical and jumped on top of the coffin? Or maybe if someone bumped into the coffin, knocked it over, and the corpse fell out. Y'know, entertainment value, just like a movie.
funeral? Maybe if someone got hysterical and jumped on top of the coffin? Or maybe if someone bumped into the coffin, knocked it over, and the corpse fell out. Y'know, entertainment value, just like a movie.
07-13-04, 08:05 PM
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Re: Movie star rating: Why only 4?
Originally posted by kantonburg
Is there any particular reason why there isn't say a 10 star rating?
Is there any particular reason why there isn't say a 10 star rating?
********** - Possibly the best movie ever
********* - Almost the best movie ever
******** - Close but no cigar
******* - Not bad
****** - Could be worse
***** - Eh
**** - Ed Wood
*** - Pretty damn bad
** - Run away now!
* - If you avoid only one movie this year, make it this one!
07-13-04, 08:10 PM
#11
Originally posted by cultshock
What would be considered a funeral?
What would be considered a
funeral?
1-Good food
2-Any celebrities attending
3-Any cute girls
4-Good music.
07-13-04, 08:16 PM
#12
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Originally posted by Corvin
Why 10? Why not 12? Why not 13? Any rating system is arbitrary so it doesn't really bug me.
Why 10? Why not 12? Why not 13? Any rating system is arbitrary so it doesn't really bug me.
Among those "good" there are many that are better than others but those better aren't considered a "classic" or "can't miss"
I agree any would be arbitrary but a broader scoring system would nice to have. But there is the half stars so I guess thats getting somewhere.
07-13-04, 08:32 PM
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Originally posted by cultshock
Or maybe if someone bumped into the coffin, knocked it over, and the corpse fell out. Y'know, entertainment value, just like a movie.
Or maybe if someone bumped into the coffin, knocked it over, and the corpse fell out. Y'know, entertainment value, just like a
movie.
oh and welcome to my new 1 star rating system... Either the Movie sucks or it doesn't, no leeway there
07-13-04, 09:08 PM
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I too have tried to use the 4 star system, but found it impossible to translate using the Rotton Tomatoes ratings of 1-10. So, I tacked on an extra star, finding the 5 star easier to deal with:
* - complete utter crap
** - it didn't TOTALLY suck
*** - it was ok...stuff I liked, stuff I didn't
**** - good deal
***** - great
Then, I'm over at RT...and all I've got to do is mulitply by 2 to get my RT rating. Oh yeah...and I can also use the 1/2 star set up too, so I can the odd numbers...you know like 3, 5, 7, 8, 9.... wait... cancel the 8. No 8.
* - complete utter crap
** - it didn't TOTALLY suck
*** - it was ok...stuff I liked, stuff I didn't
**** - good deal
***** - great
Then, I'm over at RT...and all I've got to do is mulitply by 2 to get my RT rating. Oh yeah...and I can also use the 1/2 star set up too, so I can the odd numbers...you know like 3, 5, 7, 8, 9.... wait... cancel the 8. No 8.
07-13-04, 11:45 PM
#15
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Originally posted by kantonburg
Well my thing is there are so many movies in the 3 star rating, which I'm assuming most here consider "good"
Among those "good" there are many that are better than others but those better aren't considered a "classic" or "can't miss"
I agree any would be arbitrary but a broader scoring system would nice to have. But there is the half stars so I guess thats getting somewhere.
Well my thing is there are so many movies in the 3 star rating, which I'm assuming most here consider "good"
Among those "good" there are many that are better than others but those better aren't considered a "classic" or "can't miss"
I agree any would be arbitrary but a broader scoring system would nice to have. But there is the half stars so I guess thats getting somewhere.
07-14-04, 09:51 AM
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Originally posted by glassdragon
of course they split some of those stars in half so technically it's an 8 star rating which is pretty close to 10
of course they split some of those stars in half so technically it's an 8 star rating which is pretty close to 10
07-14-04, 10:42 AM
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Originally posted by Zuul
Some reviewers also give out no stars and a half a star. So technically, the current star system is based on a ten point system.
Some reviewers also give out no stars and a half a star. So technically, the current star system is based on a ten point system.
0, .5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4
So it is a 9 point scale. Which is close enough to 10 to make this whole thread fairly pointless.
07-14-04, 12:25 PM
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Originally posted by kcbrett5
Apparently nobody hear majored in math, or even in counting for that matter. If you include zero and 1/2 star ratings you get 9.
0, .5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4
So it is a 9 point scale. Which is close enough to 10 to make this whole thread fairly pointless.
Apparently nobody hear majored in math, or even in counting for that matter. If you include zero and 1/2 star ratings you get 9.
0, .5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4
So it is a 9 point scale. Which is close enough to 10 to make this whole thread fairly pointless.
07-14-04, 04:19 PM
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Well, for most reviewers teh star rating system is just a simple way to give a basic rating. None of them truly (well the good ones at least) think the star rating is detailed and really representative of their opinion. I know Ebert is bashed a lot for his star ratings, but seriously you have to read his review to really understand where he's coming from. I know that's hard for a lot of people.
07-14-04, 04:21 PM
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In my database, I use what is essentially a 100 point system - 0.0 through 10.0 - and convert other critical ratings to match the 100 point system so I can get an average of all the ratings.
A friend of mine always jokes that his rating system is from negative one million to positive one million. That means an average movie rates a "zero".
A friend of mine always jokes that his rating system is from negative one million to positive one million. That means an average movie rates a "zero".
