on movie ratings

[diablaxmachina]

you know how on facebook and netflix and all those things, they have a spot for you to rate a movie out of 5 stars? it's been bugging me lately, it's so simplistic. you can't tell if people are rating the movie for how good is is, or how much they personally liked it. that's what always stumps me when i go to rate them. like, i think Titanic was a

Comments

[fitofwhimsy]

Hurrah! I *own* "10 Things I Hate About You" because I am a doof. But, you are too. So we can spend our time in the sap-pit together, giggling at teenager adaptations of serious literature. Or something.

[diablaxmachina]

oh, i own it too, sweetie. on VHS! there's just something fun about movies that adapt Shakespeare. i think we'll watch that in class when i start teaching.

thursday during the day, this week or next: coffee or lunch?

[fitofwhimsy]

I think this Thursday would be great. I might be pulling out my hair and shooting myself in the face next week. And, lunch is good too.

[dimpsy]

This is why a lot of movie/book/smut reviews should avoid the star-based system. It's too simplistic, first of all. Another negative side effect of such a system is that it prevents readers of said review from reading on into the review.

[diablaxmachina]

i suppose when there's space for a review, the stars limitations don't bother me as much, but when facebook tells me "consider divorce" because you gave a movie one star and i gave it 5, it irks me, because we might be rating completely different aspects. (have you seen aforementioned movie quiz? not only is it simplistic, but it's pretty limited to major films. grr.)

[_antipathy_]

Ma'am, I do believe you're over-thinking this (a Libra over-thinking something? Nah!)

I look at rating this way: 1. How does the movie make you feel (i.e. hate, did not like, like, really like, or love?) 2. Do you give or take away points for things you admire about it - like production values or acting - or do you take away points for things you didn't like - like a bad script or inconsistent sound?

I have thought, "This movie was not realistic and I didn't like it and I would give it 2 stars, but, you know I will give it points for originality AND I did like it more than I didn't like it so I'll add one star = 3 stars!

[diablaxmachina]

me? i NEVER over-think!

i understand your rating view, and i do about the same thing because it's the only way you really CAN do it...but when i look at your rating, i don't know what qualities made you add or subtract stars, unless you've added further comments. even if there was a rating for quality of the film, like an objective review, and then a separate one for your personal enjoyment, it would help.

also, if i dare to give a movie like "Sliding Doors" 5 stars, Netflix insists that i will like all sorts of other chick flix as well...when in fact i really dig the alternate realities premise. (as chick flix go, it's the best though!)

[_antipathy_]

i don't know what qualities made you add or subtract stars, unless you've added further comments.

And that is why there are reviews.

even if there was a rating for quality of the film, like an objective review, and then a separate one for your personal enjoyment, it would help.

And this is why there are different reviewers. We may have ones we like more than others because they have a reputation for reviewing a film in a more balanced way.

Netflix insists that i will like all sorts of other chick flix as well...when in fact i really dig the alternate realities premise.

This is where it's fun to not fit neatly into a demographic. I see Netflix suggest things to me all the time -- insisting I will almost 5-star-like-it and I watch it and I give it two. On one hand I'm annoyed for having wasted my time with a movie, on the other hand I giggle because I'm defying expectations. The good thing is that the more you rate, the better the suggestions will become (theoretically).

So, just do your thang and delight in being weird.

[diablaxmachina]

but there's no reviews on the facebook comparison quiz...where it tells you how your movie taste compares to your friends...just the stars. which i was finding inadequate, since it didn't reflect accurately at all my taste in movies, or the friends i have similar tastes with.

i'm not losing sleep over this or anything...just trying to get back into putting my thoughts on LJ more frequently. (in case i sound like i'm making a mountain out of a molehill!)

i do quite delight in being weird! and netflix has managed to point me in some good directions, so they do their job well.

[chesch]

that is why netflix offers the availability of reviews. They also have a rating system for their reviews so yuo can see who liked the movie, who disliked the movie, whos review was helpful, and who was just a dumb F***...

it is all about how much you want to dig into the information available.

(and I am also one for 10 things ... it was a well done movie)

[diablaxmachina]

i guess it was more the facebook thing, telling me which of my friends i have similar tastes with based on our ratings...i kept getting frustrated and alternating between rating "this was a quality film" and "i personally liked it" and my results displeased me. eh, whatev. i DO read any reviews around, usually. watching especially for the dumb f***s who say the most entertaining, stupid comments!

[zenostortoise]

I usually go for personal preference, since most of the time those sites are averaging hundreds of people's opinions together to get their final score. If you were actually a film critic, I'd say you should assign stars objectively, but I think sites like facebook and netflix are looking more for a measure of personal enjoyment.

[diablaxmachina]

true. but i do enjoy a well made movie, even if personally i'd never watch it again. and if a movie was good, but i only liked it 2 stars worth, i feel like an overcritical jerk!

k, i'm just a nerd.