How would one rate an average film with the 5 star system if half stars aren't included? Seriously. There are a lot of films I consider average and worth one viewing in which they would get a normal 2 out of 4 stars.

This is a good question and one that I was thinking too. Might just limit to 4 star if half stars are not included.

I see your point. With 5 stars, there are six options and no true middle/average choice.

I know that I have already argued for keeping things simple with fewer choices, but perhaps we could enhance/clarify the star system to include one more choice. I think we need 7 choices.

highest rating reserved for best of all time sort of film, rare to give out
great - film of the year maybe
above average
average
below average
bad/horrible
worst film ever

Number/star wise that could be 0 thru 5 adding a 2.5 to the middle for average.

Though I voted for my own scale choice, it's basically Ebert's 4-star rating system (rated within genres for the most part).

For me, usually anything I rate B- and above deserves to be seen theatrically, though a B- means I have some reservations about the film in general.

Any film I rate C- to C+ is a rental depending on taste in genres.

A rating of D+ and under should be avoided unless you are a cinematic rubber-necker who must see for themselves how crappy the movie really is.

An average film is three stars out of 5. "Zero" star films are an abomination, basically.

That still seems too high for Boll and Shyamalan flicks.

Ok, but then why not reserving the highest score for absolute best of all time sort of films? I just think there needs to be a true middle rating.

If we end up with 5 stars perhaps we could just delete the 0 star option to have a true middle.

Either 5 choices, or 7. A true middle/average score with either 2 or 3 choices on either side would be best imo.

Do the five whole stars option. Let's be fucking decisive about what we think about movies for a change. And as previously mentioned, the whole point is just so other users can get the gist of what the consensus is. Nobody's going to care that you rate it 3.75 stars, bordering on 4, on a 5.1 star rating, with the 0.1 star at the top being reserved for the greatest film of all time, limited to only ever giving it out once.

rottentomatoes

Seems pretty clear that the vote is for stars.

Did any of the movie talk mods ever comment in this thread?

Still think we need an odd number of choices to have a true middle. So if we go with 5 stars we should eliminate the 0 star option imo.

Over a week without any discussion, and none of the movietalk mods ever commented. So I guess this is just another idea that gets forgotten/dropped?

the five star ratings have been used in the last couple "review" threads

edit: actually the last 2 have used different methods, my bad

Exactly. I'm not expecting total conformity, but was just hoping for a more thorough conclusion to this idea.

It seems to be the DVDtalk way. People get initially excited about an idea, but then it just peters out.

This idea seems to be both constructive, and fairly easy to implement or even slightly "enforce".

I know that our mods here are overworked and underpaid, but I was hoping for some feedback from the three of them.

Of course, I'm probably just too impatient. But I just thought it would be nice if we made an effort on this.

i think i have been making an effort. i put 2 out there based solely on the discussions in this thread. used a lot of 'The Bus' ideas and fine tuning the rest to cater and make it look pretty. i've also been updating daily to reflect current RT #'s.

the "Hellboy" was prior to :5star: smilies and "The Dark Knight" uses them. i think going forward the "The Dark Knight" format should prevail. though i like the 1/2 stars, i don't think we will get those smilies and people don't seem to like them anyway.

i have been trying to appeal to the masses and used this and the "stars" smilies thread as inspiration.

sorry you don't concur Trevor.

I'm confused. How do we disagree?

I think it's great that you ran with my idea and started those polls threads.

What I'm "upset" about is that the discussion here never reached a real conclusion. We had no input from any mods. The FAQ hasn't been changed as others suggested. Etc.

And we should have a clarification discussion or vote on how to apply the stars exactly. 5 stars won the vote, but adding the zero star option gives you 6 choices, and therefore no middle/average rating. There has to be a middle. We obviously need an odd number of choices in the polls, five I would imagine to be best.

i guess i was confused. sorry.

so you mean you want the 1/2 stars too or just no 0 star option and what is the difference if the 0 star option is there and makes it 6 choices?

I think the consensus was fewer choices and no half stars.

And the difference with having a six choice range for rating something is that there is no middle, no way to rate a film as "average". One needs an odd number of choices to have an "average" score. With 5 choices seeming most logical given the poll voting and discussion.

So I'm thinking that 1 star thru 5 stars would be best for this purpose. 3 stars is average, with two ratings above average, and two ratings below average.

i think with 0 stars, 3 stars would still be considered average by most. with 0 you have people who absolutely hate it and wouldn't recommend it on any level. a 1 is some level of recommend.