Using an equally balanced scale is key; whichever method one uses.
For example, if one assumes that movies are like most phenomenon in life, then you assume that is should follow a normalized distribution, which just means that thereās an equalized spread of quality. You have just as many āexcellentā films in the genre as you do āterribleā films in the genre. In this case, 5 is the midpoint, and it simply means āmiddleā or āmediocre.ā Itās a movie thatās defined as āitās not good, but itās not bad.ā Something that just hangs in limbo, so to speak. I like the idea of āaverage, insufficientā because it gets at the same emotion one felts when using an equalized distribution. It simply means youāre probably not going to watch it again. It didnāt entertain enough to create a memorable experience. But it was passableā¦it kept you sitting down.
Some more reading on this statistical concept:
Whichever scale one uses, you must be sure that it has:
- Equal scaling. For example:
[quote=āCol. Douglas Mortimer, post:23, topic:2887ā]10. One of my top 20 favorite films of all time, near flawless masterpiece
9. One of my top 20 favorite films of all time in a particular genre
8. I love the film, despite minor flaws, I am a fan of this film and would by the dvd in a heartbeat.
7. I like the film, but its flaws keep me from liking. I might or might not by the dvd.
6. Average film. I liked the film in spots, but too many flaws for me to like it completely.
5. Dud with no redeeming qualities.
Anything below 5. I not only dislike the film, but I hate it or find it offensive.[/quote]
does not have equal scaling. This reminds me of an educational scale, whereas everything below 70% is a disaster, and thereās literally no difference between ā30%ā and ā40%.ā These who use this are more likely to visit IMDB, and see a ā5.0/10ā and think that itās a āterribleā movie, when in fact, itās an average movie. IMDB uses an equalized scale, because the ratings seem to make sense more times than not, even though people may be using it like Mortimer above. It all balances out in the end.
- Your scale shouldnāt exhibit ceiling or floor effects.
If Once Upon a Time in the West gets a 10, youāre saying that itās basically untouchableā¦a masterpieceā¦the best of the best. That means, if you watch something later that really excites you, that doesnāt mean you should rate it a 10 unless youāre absolutely sure. Basically what Iām saying, is that not everything gets a 10. Youāre ratings should be comparative to each-other. If you rate everything a 10 (ceiling effect), how can I tell the difference between which of your ā10ā movies that you like better? Floor effects is the opposite. You watch a movie that you think is terrible and rate it a ā1,ā even though it may not be THAT bad.
How people rate movies is an entirely different discussion. This is something we all do differently, and this is the diversity of human nature. I rate a spaghetti western completely different than I would rateā¦a horror film, or a sci-fi film. With that said, we should all be using scales correctly, as mentioned above.
Anyhow, away from metrics.
Thanks so much for the recommendations Mortimer and Silence. Nothing else excites me as much to read tailored recommendations. I will add those movies to the list, and begin researching how I can obtain them.
Youāve reminded meāIāve seen My Name is Nobody twice. I really like that movie, as itās MUCH different than the trinity films. Itās silly, but itās also serious, tells a fantastic story at the end (the twist caught me off-guard), has a memorable but yet quirky soundtrack, and has a continuation of āfrankā played by Henry Fonda. It has the duels, and some comedy thatās actually funny. Itās everything I want, just with slapstick added.
I did not like the first trinity movie. I thought it was very dryā¦boringā¦empty. Much like how Enzoās first film = The Unholy Four. I need to add these three films to my listā¦must have forgot. The Unholy Four for me would tank pretty hard, though I actually like some minor things about itā¦one being Woody Strode.
Iāll continue to report back in this thread with longer and longer lists. I would be happy to add opinions or comments to the movie sections if there needs more diversified opinions there.