Personally, I have trouble using the "I liked it" scale ala Netflix.  A movie that garners 5 stars one week only finds 4 another week.  In a way, this arises from ambiguity present even within the "I liked it" scale.  Did I like it because I was in the mood for a happy film?  Or it an enjoyable serious film?  Would I like to see it again?

What this scale needs are actions that go along with each rating:

  • 5-stars - Loved it!  I watch it every weekend instead of sleeping.  I press my friends to come over and see it too.  I have an imaginary copy of this DVD on my bookshelf.  e.g. Seven Samurai or Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
  •  4-stars - Liked it a lot.  I suggest the movie to friends.  I watch it occasionally when I'm in the mood, or not.  e.g. Tsotsi
  • 3-stars - Worth renting.  I watch this one if my friends invite me over.  I find myself forced to rent it just once to see what it was all about, and often find it superficially satisfying.  e.g. Braveheart
  • 2-stars - Blasé.  I didn't finish the movie.  These movies evoke nothing from me and I found it boring.  I would rather go watch a car wash.  I guide my friends away from these.  e.g. Finding Neverland
  • 1-star - Yech.  I have a physical hatred of this movie.  This is usually a personal dislike of an otherwise popular movie.  But I will not see this again even if friends are renting it.  e.g. Garden State
  • 0-stars - Why?  I don't want to see this one.  Just not my style.  e.g. Click

You will probably point out that Garden State, Click, and Finding Neverland were all blockbuster movies.  I'm not saying they were bad.  I just want to make a statement about how I relate to them.  Again, ratings have multiple interpretations, which is a perennial frustration of mine.

How do you interpret your ratings?